The Reading / Listening - Level 2

One of America's largest circus companies will soon end performing elephants in its shows. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus said it would stop by 2018. All the 43 animals it uses will be moved to an animal conservation centre. The giant creatures will retire there. The decision came after protests from the public. One hundred years ago, people thought it was OK for animals to perform for humans. However, things are different today. People are more worried about the animals. The circus will continue to use other animals, such as camels, dogs, horses, lions and tigers.

Animal rights activists have criticised circuses for many years. A spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals explained that elephants have a bad life in circuses. She said: "Many of the elephants are painfully arthritic, and many have tuberculosis." She said they should retire now. Many places in the USA have banned the use of elephants. This makes it hard for circuses to go around the country. Owners of the Ringling Brothers circus said it was not easy to stop using their elephants. They understood that there has been a "mood shift" among the public.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0,  Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-31740032
  • http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/03/150305-ringling-bros-retires-asian-elephants-barnum-bailey/
  • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/05/ringling-bros-elephants_n_6807340.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

One of the largest circus

a.

by 2018

2.

performing

b.

from the public

3.

stop using elephants

c.

conservation centre

4.

All the 43 animals

d.

of the animals

5.

an animal

e.

companies in the USA

6.

a lot of protests

f.

use other animals

7.

people are more worried about the lives

g.

elephants

8.

The circus will continue to

h.

it currently uses


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ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

Circuses have been criticised

a.

arthritic

2.

animal rights

b.

of animals.

3.

care about the treatment

c.

for entertainment

4.

elephants have a bad

d.

activists

5.

Many of the elephants are painfully

e.

among our consumers

6.

their retirement day

f.

life in circuses

7.

banned the use of elephants

g.

needs to come now

8.

a mood shift

h.

for many years

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

One of America's largest circus companies (1) ___________________ performing elephants in its shows. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus (2) ___________________ by 2018. All the 43 animals it uses will be moved to an animal (3) ___________________. The giant creatures will retire there. The decision came after protests from the public. One hundred years ago, people (4) ___________________ for animals to perform for humans. However, things are different today. People (5) ___________________ about the animals. The circus will continue to (6) ___________________, such as camels, dogs, horses, lions and tigers.

Animal (7) ___________________ criticised circuses for many years. A spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals explained that elephants have a bad (8) ___________________. She said:  "Many of the elephants are painfully arthritic, and many have tuberculosis." She said they (9) ___________________. Many places in the USA have (10) ___________________ of elephants. This makes it hard for circuses to go around the country. Owners of the Ringling Brothers circus said it was (11) ___________________ using their elephants. They understood that there has been a "mood shift" (12) ___________________.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

OneofAmerica'slargestcircuscompanieswillsoonendperformingelep
hantsinitsshows.TheRinglingBrothersandBarnum&BaileyCircussaid
itwouldstopby2018.Allthe43animalsituseswillbemovedtoananimalc
onservationcentre.Thegiantcreatureswillretirethere.Thedecisionca
meafterprotestsfromthepublic.Onehundredyearsago,peoplethough
titwasOKforanimalstoperformforhumans.However,thingsarediffere
nttoday.Peoplearemoreworriedabouttheanimals.Thecircuswillconti
nuetouseotheranimals,suchascamels,dogs,horses,lionsandtigers.A
nimalrightsactivistshavecriticisedcircusesformanyyears.Aspokesw
omanforPeoplefortheEthicalTreatmentofAnimalsexplainedthatelep
hantshaveabadlifeincircuses.Shesaid:"Manyoftheelephantsarepain
fullyarthritic,andmanyhavetuberculosis."Shesaidtheyshouldretiren
ow.ManyplacesintheUSAhavebannedtheuseofelephants.Thismakes
ithardforcircusestogoaroundthecountry.OwnersoftheRinglingBroth
erscircussaiditwasnoteasytostopusingtheirelephants.Theyundersto
odthattherehasbeena"moodshift"amongthepublic.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about elephants for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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