The Reading / Listening - White Rhino - Level 5

Conservationists and animal lovers are mourning the loss of Sudan the rhinoceros. Sudan was the world's last male northern white rhino. Sudan, 45, was put down at a zoo in Kenya after "age-related complications". He had been in poor health due to his old age. Officials say his condition "worsened significantly" and he was not strong enough to stand. His muscles had deteriorated and his skin had "extensive wounds". The zoo's director said: "Sudan's death was a cruel symbol of human disregard for nature and it saddened everyone who knew him."

Hunters have hunted the northern white rhino to near-extinction. There were more than 2,000 in the wild in the 1960s but their numbers continually fell because of the value of their horns. The only northern white rhinos alive today are Sudan's daughter and granddaughter. They live in captivity so they will be protected. There are hopes they can produce young to keep their species going. In vitro fertilization techniques using semen from other dead rhinos could be used with Sudan's offspring. The zoo wants to raise $9 million to fund the conservation project.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    White Rhino - Level 4 or  White Rhino - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.popsci.com/northern-white-rhino-species-conservation
  • https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/last-male-white-rhino-is-dead/
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sudan-last-male-northern-white-rhino-dies-kenya-ol-pejeta-conservancy/


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. animal
  2. mourning
  3. Sudan, 45, was put
  4. his condition worsened
  5. he was not strong
  6. his skin had extensive
  7. a cruel symbol of human disregard
  8. it saddened everyone
  1. for nature
  2. significantly
  3. the loss of Sudan
  4. down at a zoo
  5. who knew him
  6. lovers
  7. enough to stand
  8. wounds

Paragraph 2

  1. hunted the northern white rhino
  2. there were more than 2,000
  3. the value of
  4. They live in
  5. produce young to keep their
  6. in vitro fertilization
  7. The zoo wants to
  8. fund the conservation
  1. their horns
  2. captivity
  3. project
  4. in the wild
  5. techniques
  6. raise $9 million
  7. species going
  8. to near-extinction

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Conservationists and animal lovers (1) ___________________ loss of Sudan the rhinoceros. Sudan was the world's last male northern white rhino. Sudan, 45, was (2) ___________________ a zoo in Kenya after "age-related complications". He had been (3) ___________________ due to his old age. Officials (4) ___________________ "worsened significantly" and he was not strong (5) ___________________. His muscles had deteriorated and his skin had "extensive wounds". The zoo's director said: "Sudan's death was (6) ___________________ of human disregard for nature and it saddened everyone who knew him."

Hunters have hunted the northern white rhino (7) ___________________. There were more than 2,000 in the wild in the 1960s but their numbers (8) ___________________ of the value of their horns. The only northern white rhinos (9) ___________________ Sudan's daughter and granddaughter. They live in captivity so they will be protected. There (10) ___________________ can produce young to keep their species going. (11) ___________________ techniques using semen from other dead rhinos could be used with Sudan's offspring. The zoo wants to raise $9 million (12) ___________________ conservation project.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ConservationistsandanimalloversaremourningthelossofSudantherh
inoceros.Sudanwastheworld'slastmalenorthernwhiterhino.Sudan,4
5,wasputdownatazooinKenyaafter"age-relatedcomplications".He
hadbeeninpoorhealthduetohisoldage.Officialssayhiscondition"wors
enedsignificantly"andhewasnotstrongenoughtostand.Hismusclesha
ddeterioratedandhisskinhad"extensivewounds".Thezoo'sdirectorsa
id:"Sudan'sdeathwasacruelsymbolofhumandisregardfornatureandi
tsaddenedeveryonewhoknewhim."Huntershavehuntedthenorthern
whiterhinotonear-extinction.Thereweremorethan2,000inthewildint
he1960sbuttheirnumberscontinuallyfellbecauseofthevalueoftheirh
orns.TheonlynorthernwhiterhinosalivetodayareSudan'sdaughteran
dgranddaughter.Theyliveincaptivitysotheywillbeprotected.Therear
ehopestheycanproduceyoungtokeeptheirspeciesgoing.Invitrofertili
zationtechniquesusingsemenfromotherdeadrhinoscouldbeusedwith
Sudan'soffspring.Thezoowantstoraise$9milliontofundtheconservati
onproject.

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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