The Reading / Listening - Dog Diet - Level 3

A dog in the USA had to go on a diet. He is a beagle called Wolfgang. He was three times heavier than a normal beagle. This was very dangerous for his health. He risked having many different canine diseases and problems. Poor Wolfgang was in an animal shelter. His owner abandoned him and left him at the shelter. The owner also overfed Wolfgang, so he ballooned in size. Many visitors came to the shelter for a dog, but no one took Wolfgang because he was so big. Then, dog lover Erin McManus came to the rescue. She saw Wolfgang at the shelter and it was love at first sight. She took the overweight dog home and decided to help him lose weight. She put him on a crash diet.

Wolfgang is now doing very well on his diet. He is limited to just 600 calories a day. He swims in the family pool every day, goes on walks, and exercises on a water treadmill. The kgs are now falling off him. Ms McManus is very happy with his progress. She said: "I make his food. It's lean turkey, lots of vegetables, and some supplements." She said he has lost over 12kgs. Beagles usually weigh around 13kgs, but Wolfgang weighed 40kgs. He now has his own Instagram account with over 37,000 followers. McManus said: "I think his personality shines through. He's just such a nice dog. It's so hard to say no to that face." One Instagram fan wrote: "I love following his journey. That boy touches my heart."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Dog Diet - Level 0,  Dog Diet - Level 1   or  Dog Diet - Level 2

Sources
  • https://www.insideedition.com/this-once-90-pound-beagle-is-nailing-his-weight-loss-journey-57482
  • https://www.azfamily.com/news/weight-loss-with-wolfgang---obese-beagle-in-phoenix-goes-on-doggie-diet/article_fc472a8a-87bc-11e9-8349-3f446f8adf46.html
  • https://www.fox29.com/news/meet-wolfgang-overweight-beagle-on-weight-loss-journey-walks-a-mile-to-celebrate-birthday


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Warm-ups

1. DOG DIETS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about dog diets. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       diet / heavier / three times / dangerous / health / shelter / diseases / big / dog lover /
       doing well / pool / swim / exercise / vegetables / supplements / followers / personality
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. ABANDONED PETS: Students A strongly believe people who abandon pets should be put in prison; Students B strongly believe they shouldn't. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. LOSE WEIGHT: How good are these things for losing weight? What are your experiences of them? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

How Good?

Your Experience?

No cakes

 

 

Walking

 

 

The gym

 

 

Diet

 

 

Skipping lunch

 

 

Vegetarian diet

 

 
MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. DISEASE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "disease". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. PETS: Rank these with your partner. Put the best pets at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Dog
  • Rabbit
  • Parrot
  • Goldfish
  • Cat
  • Tarantula
  • Horse
  • Tortoise

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. canine a. Save someone or something from a dangerous situation.
      2. disease b. A place that looks after pets and other animals that people do not want.
      3. shelter c. Left behind because it was not wanted.
      4. owner d. About dogs.
      5. abandoned e. Grew very, very big.
      6. ballooned f. A problem with the body that affects a specific location and is not because of physical injury.
      7. rescue g. A person who owns something.

    Paragraph 2

      8. limited h. Having little fat.
      9. treadmill i. A tablet or pill that contains extra vitamins or healthy things.
      10. progress j. A process of development from one place to another.
      11. lean k. An exercise machine that allows someone to walk on a moving belt.
      12. supplements l. All of the things that make a person who they are.
      13. personality m. Getting better and better.
      14. journey n. Put a cap on the size, amount, or extent.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. A dog in the USA decided to go on a diet.     T / F
  2. The dog risked having feline and avian diseases.     T / F
  3. The dog was overfed and so he ballooned in size.     T / F
  4. The dog was put on a crash diet by his new owner.     T / F
  5. Wolfgang the dog cannot have more than 600 calories a day.     T / F
  6. The calories are falling on the dog.     T / F
  7. Wolfgang the beagle has already lost over 13kgs.     T / F
  8. A fan of the dog wants to touch his heart.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. called
  2. dangerous
  3. shelter
  4. ballooned
  5. decided
  6. limited
  7. progress
  8. followers
  9. personality
  10. touches
  1. development
  2. puffed up
  3. character
  4. chose
  5. home
  6. supporters
  7. named
  8. moves
  9. restricted
  10. unsafe

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. A dog in the USA had
  2. He was three times heavier than
  3. His owner abandoned him and
  4. no one took Wolfgang because
  5. it was love
  6. Wolfgang is now doing very
  7. The kgs are now
  8. I think his personality
  9. I love following his
  10. That boy touches
  1. journey
  2. he was so big
  3. well on his diet
  4. my heart
  5. a normal beagle
  6. falling off him
  7. left him at the shelter
  8. at first sight
  9. shines through
  10. to go on a diet

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
problems
lover
sight
risked
weight
shelter
normal
rescue

A dog in the USA had to go on a diet. He is a beagle called Wolfgang. He was three times heavier than a (1) _____________________ beagle. This was very dangerous for his health. He (2) _____________________ having many different canine diseases and (3) _____________________. Poor Wolfgang was in an animal shelter. His owner abandoned him and left him at the (4) _____________________. The owner also overfed Wolfgang, so he ballooned in size. Many visitors came to the shelter for a dog, but no one took Wolfgang because he was so big. Then, dog (5) _____________________ Erin McManus came to the (6) _____________________. She saw Wolfgang at the shelter and it was love at first (7) _____________________. She took the overweight dog home and decided to help him lose (8) _____________________. She put him on a crash diet.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
pool
fan
weigh
hard
progress
limited
personality
lean

Wolfgang is now doing very well on his diet. He is (9) _____________________ to just 600 calories a day. He swims in the family (10) _____________________ every day, goes on walks, and exercises on a water treadmill. The kgs are now falling off him. Ms McManus is very happy with his (11) _____________________. She said: "I make his food. It's (12) _____________________ turkey, lots of vegetables, and some supplements." She said he has lost over 12kgs. Beagles usually (13) _____________________ around 13kgs, but Wolfgang weighed 40kgs. He now has his own Instagram account with over 37,000 followers. McManus said: "I think his (14) _____________________ shines through. He's just such a nice dog. It's so (15) _____________________ to say no to that face." One Instagram (16) _____________________ wrote: "I love following his journey. That boy touches my heart."

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) He was three times heavier than ______
     a.  a normally beagle
     b.  abnormal beagle
     c.  a normal beagle
     d.  a norm all beagle
2)  He risked having many different ______
     a.  canine diseases
     b.  bovine diseases
     c.  feline diseases
     d.  avian diseases
3)  His owner abandoned him and left him ______
     a.  to the shelter
     b.  at the shelter
     c.  as the shelter
     d.  that the shelter
4)  The owner also overfed Wolfgang, so he ______
     a.  balloon in size
     b.  ball roomed in size
     c.  bail loomed in size
     d.  ballooned in size
5)  decided to help him lose weight. She put him on ______
     a.  a crashes diet
     b.  a clashed diet
     c.  a clash diet
     d.  a crash diet

6)  He is limited to just 600 ______
     a.  calories at day
     b.  calories as day
     c.  calories a day
     d.  calories an day
7)  swims in the family pool every day, goes on walks, ______
     a.  and exercise is
     b.  and exercises
     c.  and exercised
     d.  and ex assizes
8)  Ms McManus is very happy ______
     a.  with this progress
     b.  with him progress
     c.  with his progress
     d.  with is progress
9)  He now has his own Instagram account with ______
     a.  over 37,000 follower
     b.  over 37,000 followers
     c.  over 37,000 followed
     d.  over 37,000 follow hers
10)  One Instagram fan wrote: "I love ______"
     a.  following his journal
     b.  following his adjourns
     c.  following his journeyed
     d.  following his journey

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A dog in the USA had to go on a diet. He is a beagle called Wolfgang. He was three (1) ____________________ a normal beagle. This was very dangerous for his health. He risked having many different (2) ____________________ problems. Poor Wolfgang was in an animal shelter. His owner abandoned him and left him at the shelter. The (3) ____________________ Wolfgang, so he ballooned in size. Many visitors came to the shelter for a dog, but no one took Wolfgang because he (4) ____________________. Then, dog lover Erin McManus came to the rescue. She saw Wolfgang at the shelter and it was love (5) ____________________. She took the overweight dog home and decided to help (6) ____________________. She put him on a crash diet.

Wolfgang is now (7) ____________________ on his diet. He is limited to just 600 calories a day. He swims in the family pool every day, goes on walks, (8) ____________________ a water treadmill. The kgs are now falling off him. Ms McManus is very happy (9) ____________________. She said: "I make his food. It's lean turkey, (10) ____________________, and some supplements." She said he has lost over 12kgs. Beagles usually weigh around 13kgs, but Wolfgang weighed 40kgs. He now has his own Instagram account with over 37,000 followers. McManus said: "I think (11) ____________________ through. He's just such a nice dog. It's so hard to say no to that face." One Instagram fan wrote: "I love following his journey. That boy (12) ____________________.

Comprehension questions

  1. What breed of dog is Wolfgang?
  2. What kinds of diseases did Wolfgang the dog risk getting?
  3. Where did the dog's previous owner abandon him?
  4. Why didn't any visitors take Wolfgang?
  5. What happened the first time Erin saw Wolfgang?
  6. What is the maximum number of calories per day Wolfgang can have?
  7. What kind of turkey does Erin give Wolfgang?
  8. How many followers does Wolfgang have on Instagram?
  9. What does Erin say shines through with Wolfgang?
  10. What does a fan on Instagram love following?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What breed of dog is Wolfgang?
a) a beagle
b) a Labrador
c) a poodle
d) a husky
2) What kinds of diseases did Wolfgang the dog risk getting?
a) bovine diseases
b) equine diseases
c) canine diseases
d) feline diseases
3) Where did the dog's previous owner abandon him?
a) on a beach
b) at a shelter
c) at the top of a mountain
d) in the streets
4) Why didn't any visitors take Wolfgang?
a) he was always asleep
b) he was tool old
c) he barked too much
d) he was too fat
5)  What happened the first time Erin saw Wolfgang?
a) love at first sight
b) nothing
c) Wolfgang bit Erin
d) he barked non-stop

6) What is the maximum number of calories per day Wolfgang can have?
a) 900
b) 800
c) 700
d) 600
7) What kind of turkey does Erin give Wolfgang?
a) Christmas turkey
b) lean turkey
c) fatty turkey
d) turkey with gravy
8) How many followers does Wolfgang have on Instagram?
a) around 37,000
b) exactly 37,000
c) just fewer than 37,000
d) more than 37,000
9) What does Erin say shines through with Wolfgang?
a) his fur
b) his dreams
c) his personality
d) his eyes
10) What does a fan on Instagram love following?
a) Wolfgang's walks
b) Wolfgang's journey
c) Wolfgang's swims
d) Wolfgang's exercises

Role play

Role  A – A Dog
You think a dog is the best pet. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their pets. Also, tell the others which is the least fun of these (and why): a goldfish, a horse or a rabbit.

Role  B – A Goldfish
You think a goldfish is the best pet. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their pets. Also, tell the others which is the least fun of these (and why): a dog, a horse or a rabbit.

Role  C – A Horse
You think a horse is the best pet. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their pets. Also, tell the others which is the least fun of these (and why): a goldfish, a dog or a rabbit.

Role  D – A Rabbit
You think a rabbit is the best pet. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their pets. Also, tell the others which is the least fun of these (and why): a goldfish, a horse or a dog.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'dog'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'diet'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • normal
    • canines
    • abandoned
    • size
    • lover
    • crash
    • well
    • family
    • falling
    • 12
    • 37,000
    • face

    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 - Dog Diet

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

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'dog'?
    3. Have you ever been on a diet?
    4. What is the best way to diet?
    5. How happy or unhappy are you with your weight?
    6. What do you think of overfed pets?
    7. Why do people abandon pets?
    8. Should owners who abandon pets be fined?
    9. How much of a dog lover are you?
    10. What do people do on a crash diet?

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

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'diet'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What do you know about your calorie intake?
    5. How good are treadmills for exercising?
    6. What do you think of Wolfgang's diet?
    7. In what ways does your personality shine?
    8. What three adjectives best describe this story?
    9. What advice do you have for Erin?
    10. What questions would you like to ask Erin?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

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

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

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

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    A dog in the USA had to (1) ____ on a diet. He is a beagle called Wolfgang. He was three times heavier than a normal beagle. This was very dangerous (2) ____ his health. He risked having many different (3) ____ diseases and problems. Poor Wolfgang was in an animal shelter. His owner abandoned him and left him at the shelter. The owner also (4) ____ Wolfgang, so he ballooned in size. Many visitors came to the shelter for a dog, but no one took Wolfgang because he was so big. Then, dog (5) ____ Erin McManus came to the rescue. She saw Wolfgang at the shelter and it was love at first (6) ____. She took the overweight dog home and decided to help him lose weight. She put him on a crash diet.

    Wolfgang is now (7) ____ very well on his diet. He is limited to just 600 calories a day. He swims in the family pool every day, goes (8) ____ walks, and exercises on a water treadmill. The kgs are now falling off him. Ms McManus is very happy with his progress. She said: "I make his food. It's (9) ____ turkey, lots of vegetables, and some supplements." She said he has (10) ____ over 12kgs. Beagles usually weigh around 13kgs, but Wolfgang weighed 40kgs. He now has his own Instagram account with over 37,000 followers. McManus said: "I think his personality (11) ____ through. He's just such a nice dog. It's so hard to say no to that face." One Instagram (12) ____ wrote: "I love following his journey. That boy touches my heart."

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     come     (b)     go     (c)     eat     (d)     have    
    2. (a)     on     (b)     for     (c)     at     (d)     as    
    3. (a)     feline     (b)     bovine     (c)     avian     (d)     canine    
    4. (a)     overweight     (b)     overfed     (c)     overdid     (d)     overall    
    5. (a)     spouse     (b)     lover     (c)     romancer     (d)     partner    
    6. (a)     sniff     (b)     smell     (c)     sight     (d)     sound    
    7. (a)     does     (b)     did     (c)     doing     (d)     done     
    8. (a)     at     (b)     to     (c)     on     (d)     of    
    9. (a)     bend     (b)     incline     (c)     stand     (d)     lean    
    10. (a)     lost     (b)     mislaid     (c)     forgotten     (d)     misplaced    
    11. (a)     shines     (b)     dims     (c)     bright     (d)     emits    
    12. (a)     ban     (b)     pan     (c)     fan     (d)     tan

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. having many different acinne diseases
    2. His owner bnaodaned him
    3. so he lboolnaed in size
    4. McManus came to the esruce
    5. She took the vroiewgeht dog home
    6. She put him on a carsh diet

    Paragraph 2

    1. limited to just 600 arolices a day
    2. exercises on a water deatmirll
    3. very happy with his rgpeross
    4. vegetables and some uplsemenpts
    5. I think his nrspelaoity shines through
    6. I love following his ujnroey

    Put the text back together

    (...)  him at the shelter. The owner also overfed Wolfgang, so he ballooned in size. Many visitors came
    (...)  followers. McManus said: "I think his personality shines through. He's just such
    (...)  off him. Ms McManus is very happy with his progress. She said: "I make his food. It's lean turkey, lots of
    (...)  to the shelter for a dog, but no one took Wolfgang because he was so big. Then, dog lover Erin McManus came to the rescue. She saw Wolfgang
    (...)  Wolfgang is now doing very well on his diet. He is limited to just 600 calories a day. He swims in the family
    (...)  vegetables, and some supplements." She said he has lost over 12kgs. Beagles usually weigh
    (...)  at the shelter and it was love at first sight. She took the overweight dog home and decided to help him lose weight. She put him on a crash diet.
    (...)  diseases and problems. Poor Wolfgang was in an animal shelter. His owner abandoned him and left
    (...)  a nice dog. It's so hard to say no to that face." One Instagram fan wrote: "I love
    (...)  pool every day, goes on walks, and exercises on a water treadmill. The kgs are now falling
    (  1  ) A dog in the USA had to go on a diet. He is a beagle called Wolfgang. He was three times
    (...)  around 13kgs, but Wolfgang weighed 40kgs. He now has his own Instagram account with over 37,000
    (...)  heavier than a normal beagle. This was very dangerous for his health. He risked having many different canine
    (...)  following his journey. That boy touches my heart."

    Put the words in the right order

    1. on   had   dog   to   go   A   diet   .   a
    2. dangerous   was   very   for   This   his   health   .
    3. risked   having   many   different   He   canine   diseases   .
    4. came   lover   dog   to   A   the   rescue   .
    5. put   on   him   She   a   crash   diet   .
    6. is   doing   very   well   on   Wolfgang   his   diet   .
    7. kgs   now   are   The   falling   off   him   .
    8. said   he   has   She   over   lost   12kgs   .
    9. has   He   own   his   now   Instagram   account   .
    10. say   to   It's   no   hard   that   to   face   .

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    A dog in the USA had to go / come on a diet. He is a beagle called Wolfgang. He was three times heavier than a normally / normal beagle. This was very dangerous for his health. He risked having / has many different canine diseases and problematic / problems. Poor Wolfgang was in an animal shelter. His owner / owning abandoned him and left him at the shelter. The owner also overfed Wolfgang, so he balled / ballooned in size. Many visitors came to the shelter for a dog, but no one took / gave Wolfgang because he was so big. Then, dog lover / romancer Erin McManus came to the rescue. She saw Wolfgang at the shelter and it was love at first smell / sight. She took the overweight dog home and decided to help him lose weight. She put him on a crash / accident diet.

    Wolfgang is now done / doing very well on his diet. He is limit / limited to just 600 calories a day. He swims in the family pool every day, goes on walks, and exercises on a water windmill / treadmill. The kgs are now falling on / off him. Ms McManus is very happy with his progress. She said: "I make his food. It's mean / lean turkey, lots of vegetables, and some supplements." She said he has mislaid / lost over 12kgs. Beagles usual / usually weigh around 13kgs, but Wolfgang weighed 40kgs. He now has his own Instagram account with over 37,000 followers / follow. McManus said: "I think his personality shines / dims through. He's just such a nice dog. It's so hard to say no to that face." One Instagram fan wrote: "I love following his journey / itinerary. That boy touches my heart."

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    _  d_g  _n  th_  _S_  h_d  t_  g_  _n  _  d__t.  H_  _s  _  b__gl_  c_ll_d  W_lfg_ng.  H_  w_s  thr__  t_m_s  h__v__r  th_n  _  n_rm_l  b__gl_.  Th_s  w_s  v_ry  d_ng_r__s  f_r  h_s  h__lth.  H_  r_sk_d  h_v_ng  m_ny  d_ff_r_nt  c_n_n_  d_s__s_s  _nd  pr_bl_ms.  P__r  W_lfg_ng  w_s  _n  _n  _n_m_l  sh_lt_r.  H_s  _wn_r  _b_nd_n_d  h_m  _nd  l_ft  h_m  _t  th_  sh_lt_r.  Th_  _wn_r  _ls_  _v_rf_d  W_lfg_ng,  s_  h_  b_ll__n_d  _n  s_z_.  M_ny  v_s_t_rs  c_m_  t_  th_  sh_lt_r  f_r  _  d_g,  b_t  n_  _n_  t__k  W_lfg_ng  b_c__s_  h_  w_s  s_  b_g.  Th_n,  d_g  l_v_r  _r_n  McM_n_s  c_m_  t_  th_  r_sc__.  Sh_  s_w  W_lfg_ng  _t  th_  sh_lt_r  _nd  _t  w_s  l_v_  _t  f_rst  s_ght.  Sh_  t__k  th_  _v_rw__ght  d_g  h_m_  _nd  d_c_d_d  t_  h_lp  h_m  l_s_  w__ght.  Sh_  p_t  h_m  _n  _  cr_sh  d__t.

    W_lfg_ng  _s  n_w  d__ng  v_ry  w_ll  _n  h_s  d__t.  H_  _s  l_m_t_d  t_  j_st  600  c_l_r__s  _  d_y.  H_  sw_ms  _n  th_  f_m_ly  p__l  _v_ry  d_y,  g__s  _n  w_lks,  _nd  _x_rc_s_s  _n  _  w_t_r  tr__dm_ll.  Th_  kgs  _r_  n_w  f_ll_ng  _ff  h_m.  Ms  McM_n_s  _s  v_ry  h_ppy  w_th  h_s  pr_gr_ss.  Sh_  s__d:  "_  m_k_  h_s  f__d.  _t's  l__n  t_rk_y,  l_ts  _f  v_g_t_bl_s,  _nd  s_m_  s_ppl_m_nts."  Sh_  s__d  h_  h_s  l_st  _v_r  12kgs.  B__gl_s  _s__lly  w__gh  _r__nd  13kgs,  b_t  W_lfg_ng  w__gh_d  40kgs.  H_  n_w  h_s  h_s  _wn  _nst_gr_m  _cc__nt  w_th  _v_r  37,000  f_ll_w_rs.  McM_n_s  s__d:  "_  th_nk  h_s  p_rs_n_l_ty  sh_n_s  thr__gh.  H_'s  j_st  s_ch  _  n_c_  d_g.  _t's  s_  h_rd  t_  s_y  n_  t_  th_t  f_c_."  _n_  _nst_gr_m  f_n  wr_t_:  "_  l_v_  f_ll_w_ng  h_s  j__rn_y.  Th_t  b_y  t__ch_s  my  h__rt."

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    a dog in the usa had to go on a diet he is a beagle called wolfgang he was three times heavier than a normal beagle this was very dangerous for his health he risked having many different canine diseases and problems poor wolfgang was in an animal shelter his owner abandoned him and left him at the shelter the owner also overfed wolfgang so he ballooned in size many visitors came to the shelter for a dog but no one took wolfgang because he was so big then dog lover erin mcmanus came to the rescue she saw wolfgang at the shelter and it was love at first sight she took the overweight dog home and decided to help him lose weight she put him on a crash diet

    wolfgang is now doing very well on his diet he is limited to just 600 calories a day he swims in the family pool every day goes on walks and exercises on a water treadmill the kgs are now falling off him ms mcmanus is very happy with his progress she said i make his food its lean turkey lots of vegetables and some supplements she said he has lost over 12kgs beagles usually weigh around 13kgs but wolfgang weighed 40kgs he now has his own instagram account with over 37000 followers mcmanus said i think his personality shines through hes just such a nice dog its so hard to say no to that face one instagram fan wrote i love following his journey that boy touches my heart

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    AdogintheUSAhadtogoonadiet.HeisabeaglecalledWolfgang.Hewast
    hreetimesheavierthananormalbeagle.Thiswasverydangerousforhis
    health.Heriskedhavingmanydifferentcaninediseasesandproblems.P
    oorWolfgangwasinananimalshelter.Hisownerabandonedhimandleft
    himattheshelter.TheowneralsooverfedWolfgang,soheballoonedinsi
    ze.Manyvisitorscametotheshelterforadog,butnoonetookWolfgangb
    ecausehewassobig.Then,dogloverErinMcManuscametotherescue.S
    hesawWolfgangattheshelteranditwasloveatfirstsight.Shetooktheov
    erweightdoghomeanddecidedtohelphimloseweight.Sheputhimonac
    rashdiet.Wolfgangisnowdoingverywellonhisdiet.Heislimitedtojust6
    00caloriesaday.Heswimsinthefamilypooleveryday,goesonwalks,an
    dexercisesonawatertreadmill.Thekgsarenowfallingoffhim.MsMcMan
    usisveryhappywithhisprogress.Shesaid:"Imakehisfood.It'sleanturk
    ey,lotsofvegetables,andsomesupplements."Shesaidhehaslostover1
    2kgs.Beaglesusuallyweigharound13kgs,butWolfgangweighed40kg
    s.HenowhashisownInstagramaccountwithover37,000followers.Mc
    Manussaid:"Ithinkhispersonalityshinesthrough.He'sjustsuchaniced
    og.It'ssohardtosaynotothatface."OneInstagramfanwrote:"Ilovefoll
    owinghisjourney.Thatboytouchesmyheart."

    Free writing

    Write about dog diet for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    Pet owners who overfeed or do not exercise their pets should be fined. Discuss.

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    Homework

    1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
    2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. DOG DIETS: Make a poster about dog diets. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. FINES: Write a magazine article about fining pet owners who overfeed their pets or do not exercise them. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on dog diets. Ask him/her three questions about them. Give him/her three of your ideas on how dogs can diet. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

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    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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