The Reading / Listening - Hedgehogs - Level 0

Hedgehogs face many dangers. There is a new danger — robot lawn mowers. These are machines that automatically cut the grass in gardens. They are killing hedgehogs in Germany. Mayors in Germany want a ban on using the mowers at night. Hedgehogs curl up into a ball when there is danger, so mowers cannot see them.

German law protects hedgehogs. People who harm them can get a big fine. The animals are on a "near threatened" list. A German mayor wants lawn mower makers to help hedgehogs. She wants them, "to find solutions to ensure that small animals are no longer endangered by robot lawn mowers".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Hedgehogs - Level 1 Hedgehogs - Level 2   or  Hedgehogs - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.dw.com/en/hedgehogs-threatened-by-robot-mowers-german-activists-warn/a-70160521
  • https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/06/german-mayors-call-for-night-time-ban-on-robot-lawnmowers-to-protect-hedgehogs
  • https://nerdbot.com/2026/04/06/germanys-hedgehog-population-threatened-by-robot-lawnmowers/


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. Hedgehogs face
  2. There is a new
  3. These are
  4. cut the
  5. Mayors in Germany want
  6. using the mowers
  7. Hedgehogs curl up
  8. mowers cannot
  1. into a ball
  2. at night
  3. see them
  4. a ban
  5. many dangers
  6. machines
  7. danger
  8. grass in gardens

Paragraph 2

  1. German law protects
  2. People who
  3. get a big
  4. The animals are on a "near
  5. a German
  6. lawn mower
  7. She wants them
  8. small animals are no
  1. longer endangered
  2. threatened" list
  3. hedgehogs
  4. mayor
  5. to find solutions
  6. harm them
  7. makers
  8. fine

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Hedgehogs (1) _________________________________________________. There is a new danger – robot lawn mowers. These (2) ______________________________________________ automatically (3) _________________________________________________ in gardens. They are killing hedgehogs in Germany. Mayors in Germany want (4) _________________________________________________ using the mowers at night. Hedgehogs (5) _________________________________________________ a ball when there is danger, so mowers (6) _________________________________________________.

(7) _________________________________________________ hedgehogs. People who harm them can get (8) _________________________________________________. The animals are (9) _________________________________________________ threatened list. A German mayor wants lawn mower (10) _________________________________________________ hedgehogs. She wants them, "to (11) _________________________________________________ ensure that small animals are no (12) _________________________________________________ by robot lawn mowers".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Hedgehogsfacemanydangers.Thereisanewdanger–robotlawnmowe
rs.Thesearemachinesthatautomaticallycutthegrassingardens.They
arekillinghedgehogsinGermany.MayorsinGermanywantabanonusin
gthemowersatnight.Hedgehogscurlupintoaballwhenthereisdanger,
somowerscannotseethem.Germanlawprotectshedgehogs.Peoplew
hoharmthemcangetabigfine.Theanimalsareona"nearthreatened"lis
t.AGermanmayorwantslawnmowermakerstohelphedgehogs.Shewa
ntsthem,"tofindsolutionstoensurethatsmallanimalsarenolongerend
angeredbyrobotlawnmowers".

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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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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