The Reading / Listening - Emus - Level 2

Two emus have been banned from a hotel in Australia. The emu is the world's second-largest bird by height. It is native to Australia. The two banned emus are siblings. The four-room Yaraka Hotel in Queensland banned the giant birds because of bad behaviour. The birds were well known at the hotel for going in for a few biscuits or a slice of toast. Recently, they have become a nuisance to the hotel guests. Co-owner Chris Gimblett put rope across the stairs leading up to the hotel to keep the birds out. There is also a sign for guests. It says: "Please let yourself through the emu barrier."

One of the reasons for the ban is that the emus have learned to climb the stairs. They have been wandering up to bedrooms and shocking guests. Mr Gimblett said: "Travellers have to be very cautious with the emus because they will poke their heads in...and steal your toast. And if you have a barbecue, watch out because they'll take everything." He added: "You don't want to get between an emu and its food. They've got very sharp beaks." He warned: "Because they eat so much food, their toiletry habits are very frequent.... imagine a bowl of porridge from a height of a metre."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Emus - Level 0 Emus - Level 1   or  Emus - Level 3

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/australia-hotel-bans-emus/index.html
  • https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/emus-banned-from-outback-queensland-pub-20200728-p55g9h.html
  • https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/so-an-emu-walks-into-a-bar-big-bird-kevin-banned-over-bad-behaviour-at-queensland-pub-c-1198380


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. the world's second-largest
  2. The two banned emus are
  3. banned the giant birds because of
  4. The birds were well
  5. a slice of
  6. they have become a nuisance
  7. the stairs leading
  8. Please let yourself through
  1. to the hotel guests
  2. known at the hotel
  3. the emu barrier
  4. bird by height
  5. up to the hotel
  6. bad behaviour
  7. toast
  8. siblings

Paragraph 2

  1. One of the reasons
  2. They have been wandering
  3. Travellers have to be
  4. watch out because they'll
  5. They've got very sharp
  6. toiletry
  7. imagine a bowl
  8. from a height
  1. of porridge
  2. very cautious
  3. of a metre
  4. beaks
  5. up to bedrooms
  6. for the ban
  7. take everything
  8. habits

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Two emus (1) ___________________ from a hotel in Australia. The emu is the world's second-largest bird by height. It (2) ___________________ Australia. The two banned emus are siblings. The four-room Yaraka Hotel in Queensland banned the giant birds because (3) ___________________. The birds were well known at the hotel for going in for a few biscuits or a (4) ___________________. Recently, they have become a nuisance to the hotel guests. Co-owner Chris Gimblett (5) ___________________ the stairs leading up to the hotel to keep the birds out. There is also a sign for guests. It says: "Please let yourself through (6) ___________________."

One of (7) ___________________ the ban is that the emus have learned to climb the stairs. They have (8) ___________________ to bedrooms and shocking guests. Mr Gimblett said: "Travellers have to be (9) ___________________ the emus because they will poke their heads in...and (10) ___________________. And if you have a barbecue, watch out because they'll take everything." He added: "You don't want to get between an emu and its food. They've got (11) ___________________." He warned: "Because they eat so much food, their toiletry habits are very frequent.... (12) ___________________ of porridge from a height of a metre."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TwoemushavebeenbannedfromahotelinAustralia.Theemuistheworl
d'ssecond-largestbirdbyheight.ItisnativetoAustralia.Thetwobanne
demusaresiblings.Thefour-roomYarakaHotelinQueenslandbannedt
hegiantbirdsbecauseofbadbehaviour.Thebirdswerewellknownatthe
hotelforgoinginforafewbiscuitsorasliceoftoast.Recently,theyhavebe
comeanuisancetothehotelguests.Co-ownerChrisGimblettputropeac
rossthestairsleadinguptothehoteltokeepthebirdsout.Thereisalsoasi
gnforguests.Itsays:"Pleaseletyourselfthroughtheemubarrier."Oneo
fthereasonsforthebanisthattheemushavelearnedtoclimbthestairs.T
heyhavebeenwanderinguptobedroomsandshockingguests.MrGimbl
ettsaid:"Travellershavetobeverycautiouswiththeemusbecausethey
willpoketheirheadsin...andstealyourtoast.Andifyouhaveabarbecue,
watchoutbecausethey'lltakeeverything."Headded:"Youdon'twantto
getbetweenanemuanditsfood.They'vegotverysharpbeaks."Hewarn
ed:"Becausetheyeatsomuchfood,theirtoiletryhabitsareveryfrequen
t....imagineabowlofporridgefromaheightofametre."

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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