The Reading / Listening - The Beach - Level 4

Thailand will close one of its beaches to try and protect its coral from tourism. The beach is on the island of Koh Phi Phi Leh. It was in the blockbuster movie 'The Beach'. Millions of tourists put it on their bucket lists and up to 5,000 a day visit its shores. They arrive on hundreds of boats. These cause irreversible damage to the bay's coral. Most of the coral has died. The beach will close between June and September to let the coral recover.

Experts say that 80 per cent of Thailand's coral reefs have been destroyed. Many beaches have been damaged by tourism. A marine expert criticized the tourism. He said the biggest problems were beachfront hotels, boat anchors breaking the coral, and plastic waste in the sea. He believes the "ideal solution" is to close the beach permanently. He said: "While it's a very pretty bay...a flotilla of boats and hordes of...tourists rather detract from the magic."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    The Beach - Level 5 or  The Beach - Level 6

Sources
  • https://news.sky.com/story/famous-location-for-dicaprio-film-the-beach-being-destroyed-by-tourists-11275464
  • https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/feb/14/thailand-maya-bay-the-beach-movie-close-to-tourists-leonardo-dicaprio
  • http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/03/04/thai-officials-may-ban-boats-from-bay-where-beach-was-set-to-protect-reef.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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. try and protect
  2. the blockbuster
  3. tourists put it on their bucket
  4. up to 5,000 a
  5. They arrive on
  6. These cause irreversible
  7. Most of the coral has
  8. let the coral
  1. damage
  2. its coral
  3. recover
  4. lists
  5. day visit
  6. died
  7. hundreds of boats
  8. movie

Paragraph 2

  1. Thailand's coral
  2. A marine
  3. beachfront
  4. plastic waste
  5. close the beach
  6. it's a very pretty
  7. a flotilla of
  8. hordes of
  1. bay
  2. hotels
  3. reefs
  4. tourists
  5. expert
  6. in the sea
  7. permanently
  8. boats

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Thailand will close one of its beaches to try (1) ___________________ coral from tourism. The beach is (2) ___________________ of Koh Phi Phi Leh. It was in the blockbuster movie 'The Beach'. Millions of tourists put it on (3) ___________________ and up to 5,000 a day visit its shores. They arrive on (4) ___________________. These cause irreversible damage to the bay's coral. Most of the (5) ___________________. The beach will close between June and September to let (6) ___________________.

Experts say that 80 per cent of Thailand's coral reefs (7) ___________________. Many beaches have been damaged by tourism. (8) ___________________ criticized the tourism. He said the biggest problems were beachfront hotels, boat anchors breaking the coral, (9) ___________________ in the sea. He believes (10) ___________________ is to close the beach permanently. He said: "While it's a (11) ___________________...a flotilla of boats and hordes of...tourists rather (12) ___________________ magic."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thailandwillcloseoneofitsbeachestotryandprotectitscoralfromtouris
m.ThebeachisontheislandofKohPhiPhiLeh.Itwasintheblockbusterm
ovie'TheBeach'.Millionsoftouristsputitontheirbucketlistsandupt
o5,000adayvisititsshores.Theyarriveonhundredsofboats.Thesecaus
eirreversibledamagetothebay'scoral.Mostofthecoralhasdied.Thebe
achwillclosebetweenJuneandSeptembertoletthecoralrecover.Exper
tssaythat80percentofThailand'scoralreefshavebeendestroyed.Man
ybeacheshavebeendamagedbytourism.Amarineexpertcriticizedthe
tourism.Hesaidthebiggestproblemswerebeachfronthotels,boatanch
orsbreakingthecoral,andplasticwasteinthesea.Hebelievesthe"ideals
olution"istoclosethebeachpermanently.Hesaid:"Whileit'saveryprett
ybay...aflotillaofboatsandhordesof...touristsratherdetractfromthe
magic."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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