The Reading / Listening - White Rhinos - Level 4

The word "auction" usually makes us think of art or wine. We rarely think of threatened species. However, rich people with at least $10 million can bid for 1,993 rhinos on International Save the Rhino Day. A South African multi-millionaire conservationist, John Hume, is selling his rhinos. He started a breeding project 30 years ago with 200 animals. He increased his stock by ten-fold. He is also selling his 8,500-hectare ranch.

Mr Hume owns over 10 per cent of the world's rhinos. He spent $150 million on his project, but can no longer afford it. He has to pay vets' bills, security guards and helicopter patrols. He said he used all his life savings and has run out of money. He hopes a billionaire will "save the population of rhinos from extinction rather than own a super-yacht". He said: "Rhinos are underdogs. They stand the least chance of surviving poaching."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    White Rhinos - Level 5 or  White Rhinos - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/28/white-rhinos-for-sale-one-careful-owner-tycoon-looks-for-a-millionaire-to-buy-his-conservation-ranch
  • https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/worlds-largest-rhino-farm-in-south-africa-with-2-000-rhinos-to-be-auctioned-3973922
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rhino-farm-auction-john-hume-seeks-millionaire-to-carry-on-conservation-work/


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The word "auction" usually makes
  2. We rarely think of threatened
  3. people with at
  4. bid for
  5. A South African multi-millionaire
  6. He started a breeding
  7. He increased his stock by
  8. He is also selling his
  1. conservationist
  2. ten-fold
  3. us think of art
  4. 8,500-hectare ranch
  5. species
  6. 1,993 rhinos
  7. project
  8. least $10 million

Paragraph 2

  1. Hume owns over 10 per cent
  2. He spent $150 million
  3. He has to pay vets'
  4. He said he used all his life
  5. the population of rhinos
  6. own a
  7. Rhinos are
  8. They stand the least
  1. underdogs
  2. savings
  3. chance of surviving
  4. super-yacht
  5. bills
  6. of the world's rhinos
  7. on his project
  8. from extinction

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The (1) ___________________ makes us think of art or wine. We rarely (2) ___________________ species. However, rich people (3) ___________________ $10 million can bid for 1,993 rhinos on International Save the Rhino Day. A South African multi-millionaire conservationist, John Hume, (4) ___________________ rhinos. He started (5) ___________________ 30 years ago with 200 animals. He increased his stock (6) ___________________. He is also selling his 8,500-hectare ranch.

Mr Hume (7) ___________________ per cent of the world's rhinos. He spent $150 million (8) ___________________, but can no longer afford it. He has to (9) ___________________, security guards and helicopter patrols. He said he used all (10) ___________________ and has run out of money. He hopes a billionaire will "save the population of rhinos from extinction (11) ___________________ a super-yacht". He said: "Rhinos are underdogs. They stand the (12) ___________________ surviving poaching."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Theword"auction"usuallymakesusthinkofartorwine.Werarelythinko
fthreatenedspecies.However,richpeoplewithatleast$10millioncanbi
dfor1,993rhinosonInternationalSavetheRhinoDay.ASouthAfricanm
ulti-millionaireconservationist,JohnHume,issellinghisrhinos.Hestart
edabreedingproject30yearsagowith200animals.Heincreasedhissto
ckbyten-fold.Heisalsosellinghis8,500-hectareranch.MrHumeowns
over10percentoftheworld'srhinos.Hespent$150milliononhisproject,
butcannolongeraffordit.Hehastopayvets'bills,securityguardsandhel
icopterpatrols.Hesaidheusedallhislifesavingsandhasrunoutofmoney
.Hehopesabillionairewill"savethepopulationofrhinosfromextinctionr
atherthanownasuper-yacht".Hesaid:"Rhinosareunderdogs.Theyst
andtheleastchanceofsurvivingpoaching."

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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