A 62-year-old Texan grandmother shares her life with three unconventional pets - two bears and a tiger.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.
1 What does Bonnie Heart do for a living?
2 How did Bonnie get Anushka, the tiger?
3 How much does she spend on the animals every month?
4 What kind of food do the bears enjoy the most?
5 What weapons does she have to protect herself in case of an attack?
6 Who’s allowed to see and interact with the animals?
7 What are the benefits of owning and looking after animals for Bonnie?
Well, let’s put it this way. They are exotics, they are dangerous animals.
62-year-old truck driver Bonnie Heart keeps two grizzly bears and a white tiger in her back garden. With a combined weight of over 600 pounds, Pebbles and Bam-Bam have lived with Bonnie since they were cubs, and if that wasn’t enough, six-year-old white Bengal tiger, Anushka, lives in the pen next door.
These bears have been around a lot of people. They don’t know tricks, they don’t know to sit, lay down, stand-up on a box. But you can get in there, you can love on them and you can pat them and I’ve socialised them a lot. Me and Anushka are, you know, I’m momma and she is baby. And, I mean, I can hand feed her, I can pet her, I can do whatever I want with her.
Anushka was given to Bonnie as a gift, when she was just a cub. But surprisingly, it was her dog that one day brought the two bears into her home.
And I’m sitting on the porch, drinking coffee one morning, and I look out there by the pond, and here comes my black dog, just trotting, little trot, going across, and right him is two little black things following him. And I thought they were other dogs, and as they got closer, I went holy-moly, they are bears.
Looking after these animals is an expensive business.
You’re looking at probably $1,000-1,500 more a month, just to feed these animals. I feed her probably between 14 and 20 pounds a day and she eats beef, pork, chicken, stuff like that.
There you go. You want it? There you go. Feed the bear.
These bears, I’ve tried, I’ve tried fish, I’ve tried salmon. They don’t want it. They want their berries, their watermelons, their cantaloupe, their candy. They love cookies, marshmallows, they love anything that is sweet and they will almost mug you for honey.
Despite her close relationship with the animals, Bonnie has always been aware of just how dangerous they could be.
I have tranquilliser guns, so we can tranquillise them if we have to. Nobody is going to get hurt, not unless you just climb into the pen and be stupid. Pebbles can get a little cantankerous at times, and she’d slap me with her claws and has bit at me a couple of times, but nothing like attack me. I have the taser, I only have that if I’m out here by myself and I can’t get help.
Bonnie also lets her grandchildren interact with them.
I think it’s a little bit crazy that she likes having tigers and bears.
I think it’s really cool, I mean it’s definitely a different experience. Bears are my favourite animal, like overall. I don’t go in the tiger pen, because, you know, it’s a tiger.
Bonnie regularly has people over to see her animals.
My neighbours, the love it. They bring their families over.
But if someone tried to take them away, it would be a very different story.
I would shoot them.
Point blank?
Point blank! Come on my property and try to take my animals, I don’t care if it’s tigers, bears, horses or dogs. Somebody is gonna get shot. There isn’t one out here that I don’t care for. It has changed me. I mean, I’ve been doing this since I was a little girl. It makes you have responsibility, it makes you realise that life is precious, and you should enjoy every moment of it.
Key:
1 She’s a truck driver
2 It was a present
3 Between $1,000 and $1,500
4 Anything sweet, especially honey
5 Tranquilliser guns and a taser
6 Everybody, family (grandchildren, neighbours and their families
7 It makes you have responsibility, it makes you realise that life is precious, and you should enjoy every moment of it.
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Wildlife. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Wildlife. Mostrar todas las entradas
jueves, 22 de diciembre de 2016
jueves, 17 de noviembre de 2016
Extinction warning for Africa's rhinos
Africa's rhino population could face extinction, animal welfare experts warn.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.
1. How many rhinos are illegally killed in South Africa daily?
2. What are the horns used for?
3. When could rhinos be extinct if the situation doesn't change?
4. What are private rhino owners setting up to deal with the problem?
5. What sex are the members of the team?
6. How does the anti-poaching team raise awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation?
7. When was rhino orphanage opened?
Another brutal year for the rhino population. The onslaught has taken a turn for the worst and authorities are struggling to contain the carnage. There is no indication that rhino poaching is under control here. At least one rhino is killed by poachers here in South Africa every day. And that has devastating effects on their population.
One private game farmer lost six rhinos in just the last three years. The animals were slaughtered for their horns, which are used in traditional Asian medicine and regarded as a status symbol. The horn is worth more than the animal, even more than an ounce of gold, and there are fears that the rhino could be extinct within ten years.
I think there is a very real chance that the only place our children will see a rhino is in a zoo. Unless something changes quite dramatically. And that, unfortunately…, you know, all the efforts that are on the table now from demand reduction to better global law enforcement to community projects, are long-term projects, these are not things that can be solved overnight. There are no easy answers, there are no easy solutions.
Private rhino owners are setting up security groups to tackle the problem. The Black Mambas anti-poaching unit is an all-female team which patrols private game reserves.
So barely an hour patrolling with the Black Mambas and we have already come across snares, which are traps that have been set up by poachers. This may be a small group for now, but it is hoped that their eyes and ears will play a powerful role in anti-rhino poaching.
What I'm here to teach you about is...
The anti-poaching team visits schools to teach children about wildlife conservation in the hope that the next generation will take conservation seriously for the sake of the environment and the economy.
The most vulnerable victims of poaching are rhino calves. Many of them are taken to a rhino orphanage which was opened three years ago. Humans play their surrogate parents. The calves which have been brought here usually witnessed their mothers being slaughtered by poachers.
They all come in very traumatised, very shaken up, they have lost their mothers, they’ve been betrayed by our species, humans, and now we have to work to gain that trust back.
Three-month-old Gavello sets out on his morning walk with the one person that he trusts. For now, he is protected, but once released back into the wild, his safety is not guaranteed.
Key:
1. one
2. for traditional medicine and as a status symbol
3. in ten years
4. security groups
5. female
6. by visiting schools
7. three years ago
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.
1. How many rhinos are illegally killed in South Africa daily?
2. What are the horns used for?
3. When could rhinos be extinct if the situation doesn't change?
4. What are private rhino owners setting up to deal with the problem?
5. What sex are the members of the team?
6. How does the anti-poaching team raise awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation?
7. When was rhino orphanage opened?
Another brutal year for the rhino population. The onslaught has taken a turn for the worst and authorities are struggling to contain the carnage. There is no indication that rhino poaching is under control here. At least one rhino is killed by poachers here in South Africa every day. And that has devastating effects on their population.
One private game farmer lost six rhinos in just the last three years. The animals were slaughtered for their horns, which are used in traditional Asian medicine and regarded as a status symbol. The horn is worth more than the animal, even more than an ounce of gold, and there are fears that the rhino could be extinct within ten years.
I think there is a very real chance that the only place our children will see a rhino is in a zoo. Unless something changes quite dramatically. And that, unfortunately…, you know, all the efforts that are on the table now from demand reduction to better global law enforcement to community projects, are long-term projects, these are not things that can be solved overnight. There are no easy answers, there are no easy solutions.
Private rhino owners are setting up security groups to tackle the problem. The Black Mambas anti-poaching unit is an all-female team which patrols private game reserves.
So barely an hour patrolling with the Black Mambas and we have already come across snares, which are traps that have been set up by poachers. This may be a small group for now, but it is hoped that their eyes and ears will play a powerful role in anti-rhino poaching.
What I'm here to teach you about is...
The anti-poaching team visits schools to teach children about wildlife conservation in the hope that the next generation will take conservation seriously for the sake of the environment and the economy.
The most vulnerable victims of poaching are rhino calves. Many of them are taken to a rhino orphanage which was opened three years ago. Humans play their surrogate parents. The calves which have been brought here usually witnessed their mothers being slaughtered by poachers.
They all come in very traumatised, very shaken up, they have lost their mothers, they’ve been betrayed by our species, humans, and now we have to work to gain that trust back.
Three-month-old Gavello sets out on his morning walk with the one person that he trusts. For now, he is protected, but once released back into the wild, his safety is not guaranteed.
Key:
1. one
2. for traditional medicine and as a status symbol
3. in ten years
4. security groups
5. female
6. by visiting schools
7. three years ago
sábado, 24 de septiembre de 2016
Reading test: For the first time in a century wild tiger numbers go up
In this week's reading test we are going to practise the 'insert the word' kind of task. To do so, we are going to use the Huffington Post article For the first time in a century wild tiger numbers go up.
Read the text and choose the word (A to O) which best fits in gaps 1 to 10. Four of the words are not needed. 0 has been completed as an example.
For the first time in a century wild tiger numbers go up
For wild tigers, the numbers have not been kind.
In 1900, an (0) … 100,000 tigers wandered about free on our planet. Yet within a hundred years, that number gone down by more than 95 percent — the result of uncontrolled poaching and (1) … habitat loss.
But it seems the tide may finally be (2) … for the majestic cat. On Sunday, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced that wild tiger numbers were on the (3) … for the first time in over a century.
There are now about 3,890 tigers in the wild, up from about 3,200 in 2010, said WWF, citing national tiger survey numbers.
The increase could partly be attributed to growing tiger populations in India, Russia, Nepal and Bhutan as well as better protection of the (4) … species globally, the organization said. The improved count could also be the result of other factors, (5) … better survey methods.
(6) … still cautious, conservationists regarded the new global count as a positive (7) … forward for the world’s tigers.
“More important (8) … the absolute numbers is the trend, and we’re seeing the trend going in the right direction,” Ginette Hemley, WWF’s senior vice president of wildlife conservation, said.
Carter Roberts, president and CEO of WWF, added in a statement: “We’ve watched tigers (9) … for decades and have dreamed of bending that curve in the other direction. In a sea of bad news on the environment we are (10) … significant progress on one of the greatest comeback stories in conservation.”
A - as
B - decline
C - doing
D - endangered
E -estimated 0 Example
F - increase
G - like
H - making
I - rise
J - step
K - than
L - that
M - turning
N - while
O - widespread
KEY:
1O 2M 3I 4D 5G 6N 7J 8K 9B 10H
Read the text and choose the word (A to O) which best fits in gaps 1 to 10. Four of the words are not needed. 0 has been completed as an example.
For the first time in a century wild tiger numbers go up
For wild tigers, the numbers have not been kind.
In 1900, an (0) … 100,000 tigers wandered about free on our planet. Yet within a hundred years, that number gone down by more than 95 percent — the result of uncontrolled poaching and (1) … habitat loss.
But it seems the tide may finally be (2) … for the majestic cat. On Sunday, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced that wild tiger numbers were on the (3) … for the first time in over a century.
There are now about 3,890 tigers in the wild, up from about 3,200 in 2010, said WWF, citing national tiger survey numbers.
The increase could partly be attributed to growing tiger populations in India, Russia, Nepal and Bhutan as well as better protection of the (4) … species globally, the organization said. The improved count could also be the result of other factors, (5) … better survey methods.
(6) … still cautious, conservationists regarded the new global count as a positive (7) … forward for the world’s tigers.
“More important (8) … the absolute numbers is the trend, and we’re seeing the trend going in the right direction,” Ginette Hemley, WWF’s senior vice president of wildlife conservation, said.
Carter Roberts, president and CEO of WWF, added in a statement: “We’ve watched tigers (9) … for decades and have dreamed of bending that curve in the other direction. In a sea of bad news on the environment we are (10) … significant progress on one of the greatest comeback stories in conservation.”
A - as
B - decline
C - doing
D - endangered
E -
F - increase
G - like
H - making
I - rise
J - step
K - than
L - that
M - turning
N - while
O - widespread
Photo: AlexTurton via Getty Images
KEY:
1O 2M 3I 4D 5G 6N 7J 8K 9B 10H
viernes, 27 de mayo de 2016
Orangutan Saved From Starvation
A mother and baby orangutan who were dying of starvation when they were rescued from the forests of Borneo have been released back into the wild.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.
1 Why are Borneo's forests devastated?
2 How old is the orangutan mother?
3 How does she look on close inspection?
4 What is she unable to produce?
5 What does Mamma Nam have to go through on the day she is going to be released?
6 Who helps carry the cage through the forest?
7 How long does the walk to the release site finally takes?
After hearing reports of a starving orangutan and her baby raiding villagers crops, International Animal Rescue have driven an hour and half from their base in Ketapang to investigate. In late 2015, large areas of Borneo’s Gunung Palung National Park were devastated by forest fires. And much of the wildlife living there had to flee. They find where the apes have been nesting for the night. It takes three tranquilizer darts to subdue the twenty-year old mother. Despite how weak she must be she is stressed and highly protective of her two-year old baby. On closer examination, the team can see how emaciated she is.
The condition of this orangutan is really poor. She hasn’t eaten for quite a long time so, she really looks so skinny.
In fact, she is so malnourished she is unable to produce milk for her baby. So they decide to take the pair back to the orangutan rehabilitation center to be nursed back to health. They name the orangutans Mamma Nam and Baby Nam.
After just over two months of care at the center, the mother has gained weight and both have been deemed fit to be returned to the wild.
Today we’re going to release Mamma Nam and Baby Nam, we are going to release to the National Park here in Palung, we leave from our center at 5 a.m. in the morning.
Before they leave, Mamma Nam is sedated and given a final health check.
We’re going to take the transport cage to the release site. It’s about 3 kilometers maybe it’s around like 1 or 2 hours walking. So, yeah hope it’s going well.
They reach the national park and with the help of six local porters begin the long hard walk through the burnt forest. While human activity is still encroaching on the orangutans natural habitat, at least now authorities are trying to safeguard against such devastating fires in the future. After three hours they reach a suitable release site. This release goes to plan but the rescue and rehabilitation of each orangutan costs thousands of dollars. And International Animal Rescue rely entirely on donations.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.
1 Why are Borneo's forests devastated?
2 How old is the orangutan mother?
3 How does she look on close inspection?
4 What is she unable to produce?
5 What does Mamma Nam have to go through on the day she is going to be released?
6 Who helps carry the cage through the forest?
7 How long does the walk to the release site finally takes?
After hearing reports of a starving orangutan and her baby raiding villagers crops, International Animal Rescue have driven an hour and half from their base in Ketapang to investigate. In late 2015, large areas of Borneo’s Gunung Palung National Park were devastated by forest fires. And much of the wildlife living there had to flee. They find where the apes have been nesting for the night. It takes three tranquilizer darts to subdue the twenty-year old mother. Despite how weak she must be she is stressed and highly protective of her two-year old baby. On closer examination, the team can see how emaciated she is.
The condition of this orangutan is really poor. She hasn’t eaten for quite a long time so, she really looks so skinny.
In fact, she is so malnourished she is unable to produce milk for her baby. So they decide to take the pair back to the orangutan rehabilitation center to be nursed back to health. They name the orangutans Mamma Nam and Baby Nam.
After just over two months of care at the center, the mother has gained weight and both have been deemed fit to be returned to the wild.
Today we’re going to release Mamma Nam and Baby Nam, we are going to release to the National Park here in Palung, we leave from our center at 5 a.m. in the morning.
Before they leave, Mamma Nam is sedated and given a final health check.
We’re going to take the transport cage to the release site. It’s about 3 kilometers maybe it’s around like 1 or 2 hours walking. So, yeah hope it’s going well.
They reach the national park and with the help of six local porters begin the long hard walk through the burnt forest. While human activity is still encroaching on the orangutans natural habitat, at least now authorities are trying to safeguard against such devastating fires in the future. After three hours they reach a suitable release site. This release goes to plan but the rescue and rehabilitation of each orangutan costs thousands of dollars. And International Animal Rescue rely entirely on donations.
lunes, 23 de mayo de 2016
Listening test: Bangladesh
In this week's listening test we are going to practise the kind of multiple choice sort of task.
Listen to a girl talking about her holiday in Bangladesh and choose the option A, B or C which best completes the sentences below.
1 When the girl visited Bangladesh
A not many people used to go there.
B there were no tourists whatsoever.
C the place was already a popular tourist destination.
2 She wanted to visit Bangladesh
A and she went there with another friend.
B to admire the wildlife.
C to see the famous forests.
3 The girl stayed at the hotel because
A it was a holiday and everything was closed.
B she didn’t feel like going out.
C women aren’t allowed out on Fridays in Muslim countries.
4 The guide they finally managed to find
A took them to his private villa by boat.
B was a guest at the hotel.
C was the owner of a travel agency.
5 While they were on the boat the girl
A changed her mind about what she really wanted to do.
B got frightened of the mangrove trees.
C got sick.
6 On the boat ride the girls
A could see a tiger swimming.
B didn’t see any wildlife.
C sang non-stop.
So, my first question is where did you go?
Well, I was backpacking through Asia, so the story takes place in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh. That's a really cool place to visit I'm sure.
Yup. It is. And their tourist slogan is actually “come before the tourists come.”
So you got in there before the rest of the tourists?
Exactly. It was a really cool experience because there weren't a lot of tourists and people were really curious and really friendly.
That's awesome. So what did you do while you were there?
Well, actually the reason we picked to go to Bangladesh was ‘cause we wanted to go see a Bengali tiger in the Sundaraban Forest.
Wow. Yeah, that would be amazing.
Yup. I've been obsessed with tigers since I was a kid, and I thought this is the perfect opportunity.
OK. So you went to go see the tiger. How were you going to see the tiger? You weren't just going to walk into the forest by yourself.
That's the funny story because we arrived, and we were four. But two of us weren't feeling well. I was just sick, and I didn't wanna go look for a tour guide. So I stayed in the hotel lobby all day with my friend, and our other two friends went looking for a tour guide. They went to all these different tourist offices and other hotels to try to find a guide. But what we didn't plan for was first it was Friday, so most of the offices were closed.
Really? On a Friday?
Yup. Bangladesh is a Muslim country and so they take Friday as their day of rest.
OK. I see.
And also it was some sort of national holiday for the next couple of days, so we couldn't find any tour guides.
Oh yeah. That would be really hard to book a trip during that time.
Yes. But the lucky thing was that because we were feeling sick and we were hanging out in the hotel lobby all day, we kinda became friends with the staff there. And they found out what we were doing and what we were trying to find, and they hooked us up with a tour guide.
Wow. That's great.
Yeah. It was really cool. It was actually the owner of the hotel who has a tour agency on the side, and he took us to his private villa where had a boat that took us to the Sundaraban Forest.
Wow. It's crazy that that hook up happened. That's very convenient.
Yeah. It was completely by chance, but it was such an amazing experience because we went to this beautiful home in a small village, and we actually got to go meet a lot of the villagers. And then we took this small boat, and we went deep into the forest. And I have to be honest though, once we got into the Sundaraban Forest, it's got the mangrove trees, which have their roots in the water, so you’re…
Yeah. I was just going to ask. I was a little bit confused. You were taking a boat into the forest. How does that work?
It's beautiful. I'll try to post a picture with this episode. But basically it's the mangrove trees that their roots go into the water. So you're going in this boat through these small passageways with big trees, and you're really close and it's small passages, and I started singing because I didn't want to see a tiger.
You didn't want to see a tiger?
I got scared. I didn't realize how close you were to the trees and how close a tiger really could be to you.
Yeah. And do these tigers swim? Could it come up to the boat? I guess tigers do swim, don't they?
They do. And they could have come, so we got a bit scared by talking to some of the villagers, so we sang a bit during the boat ride.
I'm curious, what song did you sing? Do you remember?
We actually sang “Oh Canada” over and over again because we couldn't think of the words to any other song.
That's hilarious. OK. Good. So in the end, did you see a tiger?
No. But it was still an amazing experience, and the Sundaraban Forest is absolutely amazing. So beautiful.
Did you see any other animals?
We saw a couple of different birds, but I don't remember the names of any of them.
OK. Cool. That's a great story. That's sounds like a really interesting experience.
It was amazing and one of my favourite travel stories.
Cool. All right. Good, well thanks for sharing with us.
KEY:
1A 2B 3B 4C 5A 6C
Listen to a girl talking about her holiday in Bangladesh and choose the option A, B or C which best completes the sentences below.
1 When the girl visited Bangladesh
A not many people used to go there.
B there were no tourists whatsoever.
C the place was already a popular tourist destination.
2 She wanted to visit Bangladesh
A and she went there with another friend.
B to admire the wildlife.
C to see the famous forests.
3 The girl stayed at the hotel because
A it was a holiday and everything was closed.
B she didn’t feel like going out.
C women aren’t allowed out on Fridays in Muslim countries.
4 The guide they finally managed to find
A took them to his private villa by boat.
B was a guest at the hotel.
C was the owner of a travel agency.
5 While they were on the boat the girl
A changed her mind about what she really wanted to do.
B got frightened of the mangrove trees.
C got sick.
6 On the boat ride the girls
A could see a tiger swimming.
B didn’t see any wildlife.
C sang non-stop.
So, my first question is where did you go?
Well, I was backpacking through Asia, so the story takes place in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh. That's a really cool place to visit I'm sure.
Yup. It is. And their tourist slogan is actually “come before the tourists come.”
So you got in there before the rest of the tourists?
Exactly. It was a really cool experience because there weren't a lot of tourists and people were really curious and really friendly.
That's awesome. So what did you do while you were there?
Well, actually the reason we picked to go to Bangladesh was ‘cause we wanted to go see a Bengali tiger in the Sundaraban Forest.
Wow. Yeah, that would be amazing.
Yup. I've been obsessed with tigers since I was a kid, and I thought this is the perfect opportunity.
OK. So you went to go see the tiger. How were you going to see the tiger? You weren't just going to walk into the forest by yourself.
That's the funny story because we arrived, and we were four. But two of us weren't feeling well. I was just sick, and I didn't wanna go look for a tour guide. So I stayed in the hotel lobby all day with my friend, and our other two friends went looking for a tour guide. They went to all these different tourist offices and other hotels to try to find a guide. But what we didn't plan for was first it was Friday, so most of the offices were closed.
Really? On a Friday?
Yup. Bangladesh is a Muslim country and so they take Friday as their day of rest.
OK. I see.
And also it was some sort of national holiday for the next couple of days, so we couldn't find any tour guides.
Oh yeah. That would be really hard to book a trip during that time.
Yes. But the lucky thing was that because we were feeling sick and we were hanging out in the hotel lobby all day, we kinda became friends with the staff there. And they found out what we were doing and what we were trying to find, and they hooked us up with a tour guide.
Wow. That's great.
Yeah. It was really cool. It was actually the owner of the hotel who has a tour agency on the side, and he took us to his private villa where had a boat that took us to the Sundaraban Forest.
Wow. It's crazy that that hook up happened. That's very convenient.
Yeah. It was completely by chance, but it was such an amazing experience because we went to this beautiful home in a small village, and we actually got to go meet a lot of the villagers. And then we took this small boat, and we went deep into the forest. And I have to be honest though, once we got into the Sundaraban Forest, it's got the mangrove trees, which have their roots in the water, so you’re…
Yeah. I was just going to ask. I was a little bit confused. You were taking a boat into the forest. How does that work?
It's beautiful. I'll try to post a picture with this episode. But basically it's the mangrove trees that their roots go into the water. So you're going in this boat through these small passageways with big trees, and you're really close and it's small passages, and I started singing because I didn't want to see a tiger.
You didn't want to see a tiger?
I got scared. I didn't realize how close you were to the trees and how close a tiger really could be to you.
Yeah. And do these tigers swim? Could it come up to the boat? I guess tigers do swim, don't they?
They do. And they could have come, so we got a bit scared by talking to some of the villagers, so we sang a bit during the boat ride.
I'm curious, what song did you sing? Do you remember?
We actually sang “Oh Canada” over and over again because we couldn't think of the words to any other song.
That's hilarious. OK. Good. So in the end, did you see a tiger?
No. But it was still an amazing experience, and the Sundaraban Forest is absolutely amazing. So beautiful.
Did you see any other animals?
We saw a couple of different birds, but I don't remember the names of any of them.
OK. Cool. That's a great story. That's sounds like a really interesting experience.
It was amazing and one of my favourite travel stories.
Cool. All right. Good, well thanks for sharing with us.
KEY:
1A 2B 3B 4C 5A 6C
domingo, 29 de noviembre de 2015
Extensive listening: Back to the wild
In March this year CBS 60 Minutes released Back to the Wild which dealt with controversial conservationist Damian Aspinall, who wants to close all zoos, including his own, and free the animals to the wild. But is it a good idea? This is the way reporter Lesley Stahl introduced the segment:
"More Americans go to zoos every year than to professional baseball, football, hockey and basketball games combined. We get to encounter the dangers of the wild from the safety of suburbia. But increasingly zoos see their mission as not just displaying animals, but also saving endangered species. And that raises an interesting question: can endangered animals born and bred in captivity be released into the wild? As we first reported in March, a conservation group called the Aspinall Foundation is trying to find out. It's run by Damian Aspinall, a multimillionaire who owns a chain of casinos in England but his biggest gamble involves his animals."
You can read a full transcript for the segment here.
"More Americans go to zoos every year than to professional baseball, football, hockey and basketball games combined. We get to encounter the dangers of the wild from the safety of suburbia. But increasingly zoos see their mission as not just displaying animals, but also saving endangered species. And that raises an interesting question: can endangered animals born and bred in captivity be released into the wild? As we first reported in March, a conservation group called the Aspinall Foundation is trying to find out. It's run by Damian Aspinall, a multimillionaire who owns a chain of casinos in England but his biggest gamble involves his animals."
You can read a full transcript for the segment here.
jueves, 1 de octubre de 2015
American tourist regrets shooting Zimbabwe's famous lion Cecil
American tourist Walter Palmer says he regrets shooting Zimbabwe's famous lion Cecil.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below. The activity is suitable for Intermediate students.
1 What does the tourist who killed Cecil do?
2 How old was Cecil?
3 What weapon was used to kill the lion?
4 What piece of technological device did Cecil have on?
5 How much did the tourist pay to kill Cecil?
6 What is the market value for this lion?
7 What will happen to the two men arrested if they are found guilty?
8 Why does Zimbabwe issue hunting permits?
(1) A US dentist who killed a lion in Zimbabwe says he regrets shooting the well-known animal. In a written statement Walter Palmer insists that he thought he was on a legal hunt and that he deeply regrets his actions.
Cecil, the lion, known for his black mane, was about (2) 13 years old and a famous attraction for wildlife tourists in Zimbabwe. But earlier this month it’s understood that the cat was tempted outside a national park using bait and allegedly (3) shot with a bow and arrow, by Palmer.
Cecil was collared. You may want to know what that means. (4) Collared is an animal which is under surveillance and a GPS system which is being used for research for different things.
Wildlife officials accused Mr Palmer of killing Cecil, without a permit, after paying (5) $50,000 to two people who lured the beast to its death.
The person involved, or the offender, is a gentleman, was an American called Walter James Palmer. Walter James Palmer is the guy who came into the country around the beginning of this month of July and was enticed, [although] we're not quite sure yet, to harvest this particular lion. The proper market value for this lion, which is a big treasure, would be (6) around $100,000.
Police in Zimbabwe say two people have been arrested and that Mr Palmer may also face poaching charges. If convicted, the two men would be required to (7) pay $20,000 in compensation but the court may impose an additional jail term.
According to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority investigations show that the killing of Cecil was illegal because the land owner was not allocated a lion on his hunting quota for
2015.
Lions are not a protected species in Zimbabwe - the country issues annual permits allowing foreign hunters to kill wildlife like elephant, buffalo and lion, and say doing so allows it (8) to raise money for conservation.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below. The activity is suitable for Intermediate students.
1 What does the tourist who killed Cecil do?
2 How old was Cecil?
3 What weapon was used to kill the lion?
4 What piece of technological device did Cecil have on?
5 How much did the tourist pay to kill Cecil?
6 What is the market value for this lion?
7 What will happen to the two men arrested if they are found guilty?
8 Why does Zimbabwe issue hunting permits?
(1) A US dentist who killed a lion in Zimbabwe says he regrets shooting the well-known animal. In a written statement Walter Palmer insists that he thought he was on a legal hunt and that he deeply regrets his actions.
Cecil, the lion, known for his black mane, was about (2) 13 years old and a famous attraction for wildlife tourists in Zimbabwe. But earlier this month it’s understood that the cat was tempted outside a national park using bait and allegedly (3) shot with a bow and arrow, by Palmer.
Cecil was collared. You may want to know what that means. (4) Collared is an animal which is under surveillance and a GPS system which is being used for research for different things.
Wildlife officials accused Mr Palmer of killing Cecil, without a permit, after paying (5) $50,000 to two people who lured the beast to its death.
The person involved, or the offender, is a gentleman, was an American called Walter James Palmer. Walter James Palmer is the guy who came into the country around the beginning of this month of July and was enticed, [although] we're not quite sure yet, to harvest this particular lion. The proper market value for this lion, which is a big treasure, would be (6) around $100,000.
Police in Zimbabwe say two people have been arrested and that Mr Palmer may also face poaching charges. If convicted, the two men would be required to (7) pay $20,000 in compensation but the court may impose an additional jail term.
According to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority investigations show that the killing of Cecil was illegal because the land owner was not allocated a lion on his hunting quota for
2015.
Lions are not a protected species in Zimbabwe - the country issues annual permits allowing foreign hunters to kill wildlife like elephant, buffalo and lion, and say doing so allows it (8) to raise money for conservation.
domingo, 22 de marzo de 2015
Extensive listening: Ivory wars
With wildlife crime now thought to be second only to drugs in terms of profit, BBC Panorama reporter Rageh Omaar goes to Africa to follow the trail of the ivory poachers, smugglers and organised crime syndicates and to investigate the plight of Africa's elephants.
As demand for ivory rises in the Far East, this Panorama special goes undercover in central Africa and China to ask whether the African elephant can survive in some parts of the continent.
Last year saw the highest number of large seizures of illegal ivory for over two decades - despite a 23 year global ban on its international sale. One area of northern Kenya has lost a quarter of its elephants in the last three years, largely due to poaching. Panorama visits an elephant orphanage to see the impact of the killing on the young and confronts the dealers in Africa and in China, who are now the world's biggest buyer of illegal ivory.
You can read the transcript for the first twelve minutes of the documentary here.
As demand for ivory rises in the Far East, this Panorama special goes undercover in central Africa and China to ask whether the African elephant can survive in some parts of the continent.
Last year saw the highest number of large seizures of illegal ivory for over two decades - despite a 23 year global ban on its international sale. One area of northern Kenya has lost a quarter of its elephants in the last three years, largely due to poaching. Panorama visits an elephant orphanage to see the impact of the killing on the young and confronts the dealers in Africa and in China, who are now the world's biggest buyer of illegal ivory.
You can read the transcript for the first twelve minutes of the documentary here.
martes, 13 de enero de 2015
Madrid Teacher: Whale hunting
Our Madrid Teachers are discussing whale hunting this week, which gives us an opportunity to revise some of the features of spoken English that they use.
First of all, watch the video through to get the gist of what the conversation is about.
Now watch the video more carefully, paying attention to the following:
Now it's over to you. If possible, get together with a friend or relative to discuss the topic: How do you feel about whale hunting and seal killing? To what extent are these practices justified? What other animals are or were killed in large numbers? Do you know the reasons? Do you sympathize with the organisations that are trying to put an end to these killings?
When you talk, don't forget to use some of the features of spoken English we have revised today.
Vicky: I recently watched an article in the news about a protest, I think it was in Australia actually, er, and the protest was against whaling. Did anyone hear about it? There is a boat called the Ady Gil, which was I think it was the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society who are protesting against the Japanese who are whaling in the vicinity.
Thomas: I’m sorry. People are whaling today?
Vicky and Joyce: Yeah.
Louise: Yes, in the southern ocean.
Thomas: That still happens?
Louise: Absolutely.
Thomas: What for?
Louise: Good question.
Joyce: For the Japanese people it's a delicacy.
Thomas: Oh, it’s for food.
Joyce: It’s considered a delicacy.
Vicky: But it’s not only. Traditionally, whale, the blubber of whale oil…
Thomas: Exactly.
Vicky: …has been used in soaps, cosmetics, shampoos.
Thomas: Oh my God.
Joyce: It used to be used for the oil wax.
Thomas: Yeah, you see, that’s what I m talking about. I grew up in the north east of the States where whaling used to be a huge thing, it’s done now so we just learn in school about historical whaling and the blubber and the oil lamps and we go to whaling museums and see like the [baling] knife handles and stuff. I thought this was all the stuff of yesteryear.
Vicky: Definitely not.
Louise: There’s still a lot indigenous, indigenous people in North America too who’ve always hunted whales so..
Thomas: Yeah, but that’s their subsistence I mean.
Louise, Vicky and Joyce: Yeah.
Joyce: That’s different.
Thomas: That’s kind of sustainable, right?
Vicky: Not commercial.
Louise: No, but still, it’s still happening but er...
Joyce: But in those cases I could justify that. I mean it’s a little bit like the seal hunting thing. I mean, these people, it’s their livelihood.
Thomas: And it’s sustainable.
Joyce: And they do it on a small scale.
Thomas: I don’t think they over do it and ship the hides all over the world.
Vicky: No.
Louise: But even, sorry, the countries that are commercially whaling also have quotas, I mean they have limits.
Thomas: Mmm hmm.
Louise: Er, but I mean I make the same face. I still... I think there must be now with all of the advances in technology chemicals that can replace.
Thomas: Thank you, thank you. Can't we make soap without killing, making some animal extinct?
Vicky and Joyce: Of course, yeah.
Thomas: Ridiculous.
Vicky: The main countries that are pro-whaling are Norway, Iceland and Japan.
Thomas: Norway?
Vicky: Well, obviously Iceland is quite far removed so, obviously they’re still responsible for their actions. Norway, on the other hand, is a European country.
Thomas: I thought they were peaceful people, ha, ha, ha.
Vicky: Well, they’ve got an enormous fishing industry
Thomas: OK.
Vicky: In Norway, so obviously to make an outright ban on whaling, affect many people economically, however, not to, affects everyone on the planet…
Thomas: Yeah.
Vicky: … environmentally, you know.
Joyce: I even read about this Japanese minister, I don t remember his name but, this fellow like to sort of justify whaling he called these particular types of whales, like, cockroaches of the sea.
Vicky: That was minke whales, that’s unbelievable.
Thomas: Oh, wow.
Joyce: Yeah, so to justify, well, it doesn’t matter, we don t need these anyways.
Vicky: Minke whales are gorgeous.
Vicky and Louise: Yeah.
Vicky: Anyway.
Louise: Amazing creatures but this collision, this collision was between a big whaling boat, this protest we were talking about…
Vicky: That’s right.
Louise: It was actually a direct collision between a big whaling boat and a small Shepherd of the Sea that was supposed to be monitoring the commercial whaling so...
Vicky: Well, when you don’t know how to continue your job without some organization getting in the way, just ram your boat into the side of them.
Thomas: That’s what I always said.
First of all, watch the video through to get the gist of what the conversation is about.
Now watch the video more carefully, paying attention to the following:
- Use of actually to add information to the previous statement
- Use of hedging to introduce facts and opinions and not sound too dogmatic: I think; I don’t think
- Showing surprise and reacting: Oh my God; Ridiculous; that’s unbelievable; Oh, wow
- Use of you see to express a wish that the people who are with us will understand us
- Use of so as a linking word
- Use of I mean to paraphrase what we have just said and make ourselves clear
- Conversation fillers to gain thinking time: Well; like
- Use of ambiguous language: a huge thing; the seal hunting thing; sort of
Now it's over to you. If possible, get together with a friend or relative to discuss the topic: How do you feel about whale hunting and seal killing? To what extent are these practices justified? What other animals are or were killed in large numbers? Do you know the reasons? Do you sympathize with the organisations that are trying to put an end to these killings?
When you talk, don't forget to use some of the features of spoken English we have revised today.
Vicky: I recently watched an article in the news about a protest, I think it was in Australia actually, er, and the protest was against whaling. Did anyone hear about it? There is a boat called the Ady Gil, which was I think it was the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society who are protesting against the Japanese who are whaling in the vicinity.
Thomas: I’m sorry. People are whaling today?
Vicky and Joyce: Yeah.
Louise: Yes, in the southern ocean.
Thomas: That still happens?
Louise: Absolutely.
Thomas: What for?
Louise: Good question.
Joyce: For the Japanese people it's a delicacy.
Thomas: Oh, it’s for food.
Joyce: It’s considered a delicacy.
Vicky: But it’s not only. Traditionally, whale, the blubber of whale oil…
Thomas: Exactly.
Vicky: …has been used in soaps, cosmetics, shampoos.
Thomas: Oh my God.
Joyce: It used to be used for the oil wax.
Thomas: Yeah, you see, that’s what I m talking about. I grew up in the north east of the States where whaling used to be a huge thing, it’s done now so we just learn in school about historical whaling and the blubber and the oil lamps and we go to whaling museums and see like the [baling] knife handles and stuff. I thought this was all the stuff of yesteryear.
Vicky: Definitely not.
Louise: There’s still a lot indigenous, indigenous people in North America too who’ve always hunted whales so..
Thomas: Yeah, but that’s their subsistence I mean.
Louise, Vicky and Joyce: Yeah.
Joyce: That’s different.
Thomas: That’s kind of sustainable, right?
Vicky: Not commercial.
Louise: No, but still, it’s still happening but er...
Joyce: But in those cases I could justify that. I mean it’s a little bit like the seal hunting thing. I mean, these people, it’s their livelihood.
Thomas: And it’s sustainable.
Joyce: And they do it on a small scale.
Thomas: I don’t think they over do it and ship the hides all over the world.
Vicky: No.
Louise: But even, sorry, the countries that are commercially whaling also have quotas, I mean they have limits.
Thomas: Mmm hmm.
Louise: Er, but I mean I make the same face. I still... I think there must be now with all of the advances in technology chemicals that can replace.
Thomas: Thank you, thank you. Can't we make soap without killing, making some animal extinct?
Vicky and Joyce: Of course, yeah.
Thomas: Ridiculous.
Vicky: The main countries that are pro-whaling are Norway, Iceland and Japan.
Thomas: Norway?
Vicky: Well, obviously Iceland is quite far removed so, obviously they’re still responsible for their actions. Norway, on the other hand, is a European country.
Thomas: I thought they were peaceful people, ha, ha, ha.
Vicky: Well, they’ve got an enormous fishing industry
Thomas: OK.
Vicky: In Norway, so obviously to make an outright ban on whaling, affect many people economically, however, not to, affects everyone on the planet…
Thomas: Yeah.
Vicky: … environmentally, you know.
Joyce: I even read about this Japanese minister, I don t remember his name but, this fellow like to sort of justify whaling he called these particular types of whales, like, cockroaches of the sea.
Vicky: That was minke whales, that’s unbelievable.
Thomas: Oh, wow.
Joyce: Yeah, so to justify, well, it doesn’t matter, we don t need these anyways.
Vicky: Minke whales are gorgeous.
Vicky and Louise: Yeah.
Vicky: Anyway.
Louise: Amazing creatures but this collision, this collision was between a big whaling boat, this protest we were talking about…
Vicky: That’s right.
Louise: It was actually a direct collision between a big whaling boat and a small Shepherd of the Sea that was supposed to be monitoring the commercial whaling so...
Vicky: Well, when you don’t know how to continue your job without some organization getting in the way, just ram your boat into the side of them.
Thomas: That’s what I always said.
lunes, 22 de diciembre de 2014
Listening test: Vane Farm
In this telephone conversation, a woman phones Vane Farm, a centre for bird-watching near her home town in Scotland, to ask for details about the venue. Listen and complete gaps 1-7 with the missing information. 0 is an example.
0 The Vane Farm centre is open until 5pm.
1 It costs ...................................... for an adult.
2 A ...................................... costs £6.
3 Are there ...................................... for people in wheelchairs?
4 Some of the access would be ...................................... for people in wheelchairs.
5 The family only wants to go for a ...................................... and maybe have tea and a scone.
6 Did you say there is an OAP ...................................... ?
7 Members are allowed ...................................... and OAPs can come in for £2.
Hello RSPB, Vane Farm. Leon speaking.
Hi there. Um, I was wondering if you could help me. Uh, I'm planning on— on coming to the farm, possibly this weekend. Could you tell me— I’d like to know the opening times and how much it's going to cost to get in.
Okay. The centre is open from ten o'clock in the morning until five pm in the afternoon and the café is open until four o'clock in the afternoon. It costs three pounds (1) for an adult to ... uh ... go onto the RSPB reserve ... uh ... with fifty pence for children and two pounds for concessions. A family ticket (2) costs six pounds . If anybody who's visiting us is an RSPB member, then entry is free.
Oh right, that's great. Um, and so ... um ... I think m— my mum is a member. I'm coming with my family, my mum is a member and ... uh ... we're planning on bringing my grandmother, as well. Uh, she's in a—a wheelchair. Is there— A— Are there facilities (3) for people in wheelchairs? Would it be okay? Would we be able to walk around a bit w— with her?
There is limited access for people in wheelchairs. There would be no trouble in coming into the centre itself or going up to the café, but...
Uh-huh.
... obviously, because we are a nature reserve and there are trails that go up hills and down a number of steps, I'm afraid that ... uh ... some of the access would be restricted(4) and your grandmother wouldn't be able to ... um ... uh ... explore the entice reserve.
Okay, but— but there are some areas, 'cos I think we just want to come for a walk around (5) and, and have maybe a— a cup of tea and a scone ... um ... in the café. Uh, so if— if she could ... uh ... come that would— that would be great. Um, and— and sorry, did you say there is a— an OAP discount (6)?
Yes, there is. Uh, as I said ...uh ... members are allowed free entry (7) and OAPs can come in for two pounds.
0 The Vane Farm centre is open until 5pm.
1 It costs ...................................... for an adult.
2 A ...................................... costs £6.
3 Are there ...................................... for people in wheelchairs?
4 Some of the access would be ...................................... for people in wheelchairs.
5 The family only wants to go for a ...................................... and maybe have tea and a scone.
6 Did you say there is an OAP ...................................... ?
7 Members are allowed ...................................... and OAPs can come in for £2.
Hello RSPB, Vane Farm. Leon speaking.
Hi there. Um, I was wondering if you could help me. Uh, I'm planning on— on coming to the farm, possibly this weekend. Could you tell me— I’d like to know the opening times and how much it's going to cost to get in.
Okay. The centre is open from ten o'clock in the morning until five pm in the afternoon and the café is open until four o'clock in the afternoon. It costs three pounds (1) for an adult to ... uh ... go onto the RSPB reserve ... uh ... with fifty pence for children and two pounds for concessions. A family ticket (2) costs six pounds . If anybody who's visiting us is an RSPB member, then entry is free.
Oh right, that's great. Um, and so ... um ... I think m— my mum is a member. I'm coming with my family, my mum is a member and ... uh ... we're planning on bringing my grandmother, as well. Uh, she's in a—a wheelchair. Is there— A— Are there facilities (3) for people in wheelchairs? Would it be okay? Would we be able to walk around a bit w— with her?
There is limited access for people in wheelchairs. There would be no trouble in coming into the centre itself or going up to the café, but...
Uh-huh.
... obviously, because we are a nature reserve and there are trails that go up hills and down a number of steps, I'm afraid that ... uh ... some of the access would be restricted(4) and your grandmother wouldn't be able to ... um ... uh ... explore the entice reserve.
Okay, but— but there are some areas, 'cos I think we just want to come for a walk around (5) and, and have maybe a— a cup of tea and a scone ... um ... in the café. Uh, so if— if she could ... uh ... come that would— that would be great. Um, and— and sorry, did you say there is a— an OAP discount (6)?
Yes, there is. Uh, as I said ...uh ... members are allowed free entry (7) and OAPs can come in for two pounds.
domingo, 14 de diciembre de 2014
Extensive listening: Animal Odd Couples
Animals that behave in ways we would never expect fascinate us. In recent years, the internet has been changing the perception that most species have evolved to stick to their own kind and to generally not get along. Videos, generating millions of hits, are showing different species interacting in ways previously not thought possible. These animals are displaying what looks like friendship, affection and even love towards one another. But what lies at the heart of these behaviours? Can science explain why these unusual partnerships take place? And if so, what can they teach us about how the animal kingdom really works?
Wildlife biologist Liz Bonnin sets off on a worldwide journey of discovery in this two-episode BBC documentary to find out why animals of different species make friends with each other. Why a cat would adopt some ducklings? Could an orangutan really keep a dog as a pet? Could two animals of different species even fall in love?
You can read the transcript for the first ten minutes of the documentary here.
Wildlife biologist Liz Bonnin sets off on a worldwide journey of discovery in this two-episode BBC documentary to find out why animals of different species make friends with each other. Why a cat would adopt some ducklings? Could an orangutan really keep a dog as a pet? Could two animals of different species even fall in love?
You can read the transcript for the first ten minutes of the documentary here.
martes, 2 de diciembre de 2014
Madrid Teacher: Fox hunting
In this week's Madrid Teacher video, three teachers discuss fox hunting and animals rights.
First of all, watch the video through so that you can get the gist of what is being said.
Now watch the video more carefully, paying attention to the following features of spoken English:
Now it's over to you again. If possible, get together with a friend or relative and discuss hunting with them. Do you think that hunting is a sport? What's your take on fox hunting and hunting in general? In what conditions do animals live in factory farms? Are you ready to pay a higher price for meat and products from free-range farms? What other ways do you know of in which animals are mistreated?
When you talk, don't forget to use some of the features of spoken English we have revised today.
It’s interesting how there’s really a lot of people that are into hunting. What is the situation now in England, regarding fox hunting?
Well, it was officially banned in 2005 but people still go hunting with dogs and riding…
But they don’t hunt foxes?
Well, there’s lots of little loopholes in the law, for example, some people organise artificial trails, so they like they make a trail that the dogs can follow, so they still go as if they were hunting, but then opponents say that sometimes actually foxes get caught up in there and then they hunt it and kill it anyway.
So it’s an accident?
It seems to be going on still, fox-hunting, even if it’s been banned.
Why was it banned?
Well, people, animal rights activists and the majority of people in England don’t like it because, you know, they say it’s cruelty against animals, it’s an enjoyment of suffering, you know, people enjoying suffering, also a lot of hunters, hunting is associated with the upper-class in England, so there’s a bit of resentment because of that.
But they just banned fox-hunting, not anything else?
Yeah, well it’s the ban hunting with dogs so…
I see, that’s more cruel.
So basically the dogs chase the fox until it gets really tired and then they sort of rip it to pieces. It’s not very nice.
Terrible.
But there’s this thing, I think you can hunt, you find the fox and if it comes out of a bush or something you can shoot it, so it’s not actually against killing the fox.
It’s just with the dog.
It’s just doing it with dogs, but it’s like a big gang of dogs, gang up against the poor fox.
It’s curious because in many cultures hunting is… it’ll always been there and of course, there’s different people who defend it. They say, well, everyone, especially people eat meat, then it’s just getting closer to your food in some way, to know where it really comes from.
Or somebody has to hunt in order for us to have meat to eat so…
What do you think?
Well, it’s true, and some of the ways animals are treated in farms…
It’s worse!
… particularly factory farming is terrible so…
I was driving in the States once and I drove past a farm where they are raising pigs to slaughter and it was… that was cruel, you know, if a pig could live instead on a farm in… until the day came that somebody wants, you know, like have a happier life.
Yeah, it would be nice if they could ban factory farming, wouldn’t it and animals could live a bit freer.
So, out of curiosity, do you both think that maybe they should ban all factory farming and everybody should hunt?
There are extremes.
Mamma, give me your gun, I’m going to hunt cauliflower, you know.
I don’t want to go hunt, but you can’t ban hunting altogether or then you just have those factory farms, so… and I don’t think that’s a good… solution
Or you can have free-range, free-range farming where the animals can walk round a bit, round a bit, and then… the thing with fox hunting is we don’t need the fox, so it’s like killing it, but then farmers they kill foxes anyway because the foxes eat their chickens so… the foxes… a number of foxes have to die every year, so if the hunters don’t kill them, then the farmers will probably put down poison or traps…
Something.
So maybe, I don’t know.
I saw a show once where a farm was very open, they had enough land per pig, pigs and they said, the more the pigs run the better the meat is.
Yeah, yeah.
And they could classify the meat as… like a reserve of meat.
Good.
Skinny pig.
Well, exercised pig.
Fit pig.
I also have a friend who was a vegetarian, but only a vegetarian because they eat happy meat, so animals…
So animals that have been treated well.
Exactly.
I’d like to be that.
Yeah.
That was interesting.
Fluffy today is your day.
I may not eat rabbits, I like them too much.
First of all, watch the video through so that you can get the gist of what is being said.
Now watch the video more carefully, paying attention to the following features of spoken English:
- Conversation fillers to gain thinking time until ideas come to mind: Well; like; you know
- Use of so as a linking word
- Use of actually and really to emphasize the information we're about to give
- Showing understanding: I see
- Reacting to what you have just heard: Terrible
- Use of vague language: or something
- Involving listeners in the conversation: What do you think?
- Showing agreement: Yeah, yeah; Exactly
Now it's over to you again. If possible, get together with a friend or relative and discuss hunting with them. Do you think that hunting is a sport? What's your take on fox hunting and hunting in general? In what conditions do animals live in factory farms? Are you ready to pay a higher price for meat and products from free-range farms? What other ways do you know of in which animals are mistreated?
When you talk, don't forget to use some of the features of spoken English we have revised today.
It’s interesting how there’s really a lot of people that are into hunting. What is the situation now in England, regarding fox hunting?
Well, it was officially banned in 2005 but people still go hunting with dogs and riding…
But they don’t hunt foxes?
Well, there’s lots of little loopholes in the law, for example, some people organise artificial trails, so they like they make a trail that the dogs can follow, so they still go as if they were hunting, but then opponents say that sometimes actually foxes get caught up in there and then they hunt it and kill it anyway.
So it’s an accident?
It seems to be going on still, fox-hunting, even if it’s been banned.
Why was it banned?
Well, people, animal rights activists and the majority of people in England don’t like it because, you know, they say it’s cruelty against animals, it’s an enjoyment of suffering, you know, people enjoying suffering, also a lot of hunters, hunting is associated with the upper-class in England, so there’s a bit of resentment because of that.
But they just banned fox-hunting, not anything else?
Yeah, well it’s the ban hunting with dogs so…
I see, that’s more cruel.
So basically the dogs chase the fox until it gets really tired and then they sort of rip it to pieces. It’s not very nice.
Terrible.
But there’s this thing, I think you can hunt, you find the fox and if it comes out of a bush or something you can shoot it, so it’s not actually against killing the fox.
It’s just with the dog.
It’s just doing it with dogs, but it’s like a big gang of dogs, gang up against the poor fox.
It’s curious because in many cultures hunting is… it’ll always been there and of course, there’s different people who defend it. They say, well, everyone, especially people eat meat, then it’s just getting closer to your food in some way, to know where it really comes from.
Or somebody has to hunt in order for us to have meat to eat so…
What do you think?
Well, it’s true, and some of the ways animals are treated in farms…
It’s worse!
… particularly factory farming is terrible so…
I was driving in the States once and I drove past a farm where they are raising pigs to slaughter and it was… that was cruel, you know, if a pig could live instead on a farm in… until the day came that somebody wants, you know, like have a happier life.
Yeah, it would be nice if they could ban factory farming, wouldn’t it and animals could live a bit freer.
So, out of curiosity, do you both think that maybe they should ban all factory farming and everybody should hunt?
There are extremes.
Mamma, give me your gun, I’m going to hunt cauliflower, you know.
I don’t want to go hunt, but you can’t ban hunting altogether or then you just have those factory farms, so… and I don’t think that’s a good… solution
Or you can have free-range, free-range farming where the animals can walk round a bit, round a bit, and then… the thing with fox hunting is we don’t need the fox, so it’s like killing it, but then farmers they kill foxes anyway because the foxes eat their chickens so… the foxes… a number of foxes have to die every year, so if the hunters don’t kill them, then the farmers will probably put down poison or traps…
Something.
So maybe, I don’t know.
I saw a show once where a farm was very open, they had enough land per pig, pigs and they said, the more the pigs run the better the meat is.
Yeah, yeah.
And they could classify the meat as… like a reserve of meat.
Good.
Skinny pig.
Well, exercised pig.
Fit pig.
I also have a friend who was a vegetarian, but only a vegetarian because they eat happy meat, so animals…
So animals that have been treated well.
Exactly.
I’d like to be that.
Yeah.
That was interesting.
Fluffy today is your day.
I may not eat rabbits, I like them too much.
domingo, 2 de noviembre de 2014
Extensive listening: Great Barrier Reef- Nature's Miracle
Great Barrier Reef is a three-part BBC series exploring Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Marine biologist and diver Monty Halls explores the full 2,000-kilometre length of the Great Barrier Reef, from the wild outer reefs of the Coral Sea to the tangled mangrove and steaming rainforest on the shoreline; from large mountainous islands to tiny coral cays barely above sea level; from the dark depths of the abyss beyond the reef to colourful coral gardens of the shallows.
The first episode, Nature's Miracle, has a look at the complex structure of the coral reef itself and the wildlife that lives on it. So vast it is visible from space, the reef is actually built by tiny animals in partnership with microscopic plants. It is a place full of surprises that is always changing, responding to the rhythms of weather, tide, sun and moon.
You can read the transcript for the first twelve minutes of the documentary here.
Marine biologist and diver Monty Halls explores the full 2,000-kilometre length of the Great Barrier Reef, from the wild outer reefs of the Coral Sea to the tangled mangrove and steaming rainforest on the shoreline; from large mountainous islands to tiny coral cays barely above sea level; from the dark depths of the abyss beyond the reef to colourful coral gardens of the shallows.
The first episode, Nature's Miracle, has a look at the complex structure of the coral reef itself and the wildlife that lives on it. So vast it is visible from space, the reef is actually built by tiny animals in partnership with microscopic plants. It is a place full of surprises that is always changing, responding to the rhythms of weather, tide, sun and moon.
You can read the transcript for the first twelve minutes of the documentary here.
viernes, 26 de septiembre de 2014
Turtle hospital
A sea turtle rescue center in North Carolina cares for and rehabilitates injured sea turtles, and returns them to the ocean.
Self-study activity:
Watch this National Geographic video and answer the questions below.
The activity is suitable for intermediate student.
1 How long have sea turtles existed?
2 How many sea turtles survive into adulthood?
3 What are loggerhead (sea turtles) genetically programmed for?
4 Note down two injuries sea turtles suffer.
5 How many sea turtles has the hospital put back in the sea?
6 How long can a turtle stay at the hospital?
You can check the answers by reading the transcript below.
Jean Beasley
Sea turtles are the canaries of the ocean. If this ancient creature who has existed since before the age of the dinosaurs (1), who survived all the cataclysmic events that reshaped the planet. If they are in trouble, we are in bigger trouble.
How the sea turtle hospital came to be. Well, we didn't do it, a turtle did. One little tank in a volunteer's backyard was the start of the sea turtle hospital.
Kenneth Lohmann
Very few hatchling turtles survive to adulthood. Most of the estimates are somewhere between 1 in a 1000 and 1 in 10,000 (2) but historically, those turtles that did survive to adulthood were able to live for a number of years and produce many, many offspring.
What turtle hospitals do is take some of those older individuals. that would otherwise be lost, and return them so that they can fulfill their natural function of replenishing the population.
Turtles are profoundly affected by pollutants, in particular, plastic debris. Loggerheads seem to be programmed genetically to bite anything that is floating in the ocean (3). Before the ocean was littered with debris, that was a very good strategy for survival.
Jean Beasley
I see plastics constantly in this hospital. A balloon floating on the water looks like a nice tasty jellyfish to them and they're going to eat it. You get enough of those inside and they're going to clog up the intestinal track and it may die.
Injuries are very diverse. We do get things like shark bites, prop cuts, turtles caught on hook and line, we have the net fishing. The turtles get entangled in the net (4).
Somewhere around 90% of our turtles survive. Which is an incredible thing for rehab.
Every turtle that we release takes away a piece of all of our hearts. It's a wonder anything's left with going over 400 (5) with this latest release but it is very important to put a creature of the sea back in the sea, because with all the dangers involved, that is where they belong and I had to reconcile myself to the fact that we might spend years (6) and a lot of time and energy and effort and love getting that animal ready to go back home, and it might not last past the first wave.
I had to struggle with that and then I knew, that to be a real sea turtle again, even if it's only for minutes, or a day, of a week or a year, is what it's all about.
You feel that surge of exuberance from the turtle that is pushing away from you, you that have cared about it for so long, and it's gone.
Self-study activity:
Watch this National Geographic video and answer the questions below.
The activity is suitable for intermediate student.
1 How long have sea turtles existed?
2 How many sea turtles survive into adulthood?
3 What are loggerhead (sea turtles) genetically programmed for?
4 Note down two injuries sea turtles suffer.
5 How many sea turtles has the hospital put back in the sea?
6 How long can a turtle stay at the hospital?
You can check the answers by reading the transcript below.
Jean Beasley
Sea turtles are the canaries of the ocean. If this ancient creature who has existed since before the age of the dinosaurs (1), who survived all the cataclysmic events that reshaped the planet. If they are in trouble, we are in bigger trouble.
How the sea turtle hospital came to be. Well, we didn't do it, a turtle did. One little tank in a volunteer's backyard was the start of the sea turtle hospital.
Kenneth Lohmann
Very few hatchling turtles survive to adulthood. Most of the estimates are somewhere between 1 in a 1000 and 1 in 10,000 (2) but historically, those turtles that did survive to adulthood were able to live for a number of years and produce many, many offspring.
What turtle hospitals do is take some of those older individuals. that would otherwise be lost, and return them so that they can fulfill their natural function of replenishing the population.
Turtles are profoundly affected by pollutants, in particular, plastic debris. Loggerheads seem to be programmed genetically to bite anything that is floating in the ocean (3). Before the ocean was littered with debris, that was a very good strategy for survival.
Jean Beasley
I see plastics constantly in this hospital. A balloon floating on the water looks like a nice tasty jellyfish to them and they're going to eat it. You get enough of those inside and they're going to clog up the intestinal track and it may die.
Injuries are very diverse. We do get things like shark bites, prop cuts, turtles caught on hook and line, we have the net fishing. The turtles get entangled in the net (4).
Somewhere around 90% of our turtles survive. Which is an incredible thing for rehab.
Every turtle that we release takes away a piece of all of our hearts. It's a wonder anything's left with going over 400 (5) with this latest release but it is very important to put a creature of the sea back in the sea, because with all the dangers involved, that is where they belong and I had to reconcile myself to the fact that we might spend years (6) and a lot of time and energy and effort and love getting that animal ready to go back home, and it might not last past the first wave.
I had to struggle with that and then I knew, that to be a real sea turtle again, even if it's only for minutes, or a day, of a week or a year, is what it's all about.
You feel that surge of exuberance from the turtle that is pushing away from you, you that have cared about it for so long, and it's gone.
domingo, 21 de septiembre de 2014
Extensive listening: Wild Russia-Siberia
This is the way the National Geographic introduced the Wild Russia documentaries:
"Sprawling over 11 time zones and two continents from Europe to the Pacific, and beyond the magnificent cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, this huge country contains a wealth of unspoilt natural wilderness.
Through unprecedented access we showcase the spectacle that is Wild Russia. From east to west, via mountains, volcanoes, deserts, lakes and Arctic ice, this breathtaking six-part series uses stunning cinematography to chart the dazzling natural wonders of this vast country."
And this is what they say about Siberia:
"Accounting for around 10 per cent of the world’s dry land, Siberia is famous as a brutally cold place. Yet it is home to a diverse range of habitats and animal life – including musk deer, camels, gazelles and the extraordinary Siberian salamander, which can spend years encased in -40°C ice and still survive. Exploring from the frozen north to the southern steppes, this is the real Siberia."
You can read the transcript for the first twenty minutes of the documentary here.
"Sprawling over 11 time zones and two continents from Europe to the Pacific, and beyond the magnificent cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, this huge country contains a wealth of unspoilt natural wilderness.
Through unprecedented access we showcase the spectacle that is Wild Russia. From east to west, via mountains, volcanoes, deserts, lakes and Arctic ice, this breathtaking six-part series uses stunning cinematography to chart the dazzling natural wonders of this vast country."
And this is what they say about Siberia:
"Accounting for around 10 per cent of the world’s dry land, Siberia is famous as a brutally cold place. Yet it is home to a diverse range of habitats and animal life – including musk deer, camels, gazelles and the extraordinary Siberian salamander, which can spend years encased in -40°C ice and still survive. Exploring from the frozen north to the southern steppes, this is the real Siberia."
You can read the transcript for the first twenty minutes of the documentary here.
martes, 2 de septiembre de 2014
Madrid Teacher: Prohibit the Use of Circus Animals
In this week's Madrid Teacher video, three teachers discuss the use of animals in circus.
First, watch the video through to get the gist of the conversation.
Now, watch the video more carefully and pay attention to the following features of spoken English:
So it's over to you now. What's your take on the use of animals in circuses? Do you agree with the Madrid Teachers? Get together with a friend or relative and discuss the issue. And don't forget to use some of the features of spoken English we have seen in the video.
Have you heard that, er, Bolivia, er… you know, the country from South America, have decided to join the long list of countries that have banned animals being used in circuses.
Have they?
Which I think is really good. Yeah. I think you know, as a, as a kid I used to go to the circus and it was great to see the, you know, tiger jumping through hoops with fire, and things like that. But if, you know, if you think about it, you know, those poor animals… they don’t do that in, in, in the wild, do they? You know, they don’t balance on balls.
They don’t do much of anything in the wild anymore.
Yeah but, to force, you know, in order to get an animal to do something like, you know, riding a bicycle, they get bears to ride bicycles and things like that. They’ve got to, you know, there’s a lot of mal… mistreatment going on there, you know, hitting them… they use electric prods…
Wait a second, I, I think you’ve got a bit of, er, an arcane idea of what goes on in the circus these days.
Well, you know, there’s been quite a few undercover investigations.
Have there?
Yeah, you know, they show… these animals they spend most of their lives in cages, you know, like little boxcars, and they…
That’s true.
You know, when they’re on the road, they’re travelling. You know, they can be up to twenty-four hours in a little box.
Mm-hm.
Imagine spending… it’s like… you spending the rest of your life in the, in the bathroom or something, you know.
Yeah.
But, prohibiting all of it because of the… er, crimes of a few is, is a little absurd to me. I mean this is going too far, I think. What they should do is regulate it, not prohibit it.
There seems to be a middle ground that we can, er, achieve here. I mean, if you consider the advances in human rights or animal rights that have happened in the last couple of years, if we can just… make a regulatory body that sort of, er, instills that in the circus culture… remove the cattle prods and the small boxes. I mean, you can see that there, that there are plenty of situations where man and animals get along well, and the animals… I mean, I’m sure they’re having a lot more fun playing with a ball than… scrounging for food in the tundra.
That’s a good point.
What, what are you going to do, prohibit horses?
[You could probably make…]
You could probably… you could probably argue that certain animals like, certain… that we have domesticated like horses, dogs, things like that, but, you know…
Dolphins.
Yeah, dolphins, you know…
You’ve got to close down that zoo with [a] dolphin show.
Oh, I think so, definitely. I, there’s another… oh anyway I’ll talk about that later but… you know, animals like bears and, and, and… you know, they use kangaroos for boxing and… those sort of animals, they’re… they don’t do that. They don’t… you know, bears don’t ride bikes and, I think it’s wrong. And tigers and lions. I think you can probably argue about dogs, because dogs seem to enjoy being with humans, but… I would say animals like bears and lions and tigers, keep them out of circuses.
First, watch the video through to get the gist of the conversation.
Now, watch the video more carefully and pay attention to the following features of spoken English:
- Fillers to gain thinking time or when the speaker doesn't know what to say or how to continue a sentence: er; you know
- Reacting to what we have just heard: Reply questions (Have they?; Have there?)
- Using really to give emphasis.
- Using vague language: and things like that; or something; sort of
- Showing agreement: Yeah; That’s true; That’s a good point; I think so, definitely
- Use of hedging to introduce ideas and not to sound too categorical: I think
- Using I mean to paraphrase what you have just said and make yourself clear
So it's over to you now. What's your take on the use of animals in circuses? Do you agree with the Madrid Teachers? Get together with a friend or relative and discuss the issue. And don't forget to use some of the features of spoken English we have seen in the video.
Have you heard that, er, Bolivia, er… you know, the country from South America, have decided to join the long list of countries that have banned animals being used in circuses.
Have they?
Which I think is really good. Yeah. I think you know, as a, as a kid I used to go to the circus and it was great to see the, you know, tiger jumping through hoops with fire, and things like that. But if, you know, if you think about it, you know, those poor animals… they don’t do that in, in, in the wild, do they? You know, they don’t balance on balls.
They don’t do much of anything in the wild anymore.
Yeah but, to force, you know, in order to get an animal to do something like, you know, riding a bicycle, they get bears to ride bicycles and things like that. They’ve got to, you know, there’s a lot of mal… mistreatment going on there, you know, hitting them… they use electric prods…
Wait a second, I, I think you’ve got a bit of, er, an arcane idea of what goes on in the circus these days.
Well, you know, there’s been quite a few undercover investigations.
Have there?
Yeah, you know, they show… these animals they spend most of their lives in cages, you know, like little boxcars, and they…
That’s true.
You know, when they’re on the road, they’re travelling. You know, they can be up to twenty-four hours in a little box.
Mm-hm.
Imagine spending… it’s like… you spending the rest of your life in the, in the bathroom or something, you know.
Yeah.
But, prohibiting all of it because of the… er, crimes of a few is, is a little absurd to me. I mean this is going too far, I think. What they should do is regulate it, not prohibit it.
There seems to be a middle ground that we can, er, achieve here. I mean, if you consider the advances in human rights or animal rights that have happened in the last couple of years, if we can just… make a regulatory body that sort of, er, instills that in the circus culture… remove the cattle prods and the small boxes. I mean, you can see that there, that there are plenty of situations where man and animals get along well, and the animals… I mean, I’m sure they’re having a lot more fun playing with a ball than… scrounging for food in the tundra.
That’s a good point.
What, what are you going to do, prohibit horses?
[You could probably make…]
You could probably… you could probably argue that certain animals like, certain… that we have domesticated like horses, dogs, things like that, but, you know…
Dolphins.
Yeah, dolphins, you know…
You’ve got to close down that zoo with [a] dolphin show.
Oh, I think so, definitely. I, there’s another… oh anyway I’ll talk about that later but… you know, animals like bears and, and, and… you know, they use kangaroos for boxing and… those sort of animals, they’re… they don’t do that. They don’t… you know, bears don’t ride bikes and, I think it’s wrong. And tigers and lions. I think you can probably argue about dogs, because dogs seem to enjoy being with humans, but… I would say animals like bears and lions and tigers, keep them out of circuses.
miércoles, 27 de agosto de 2014
Talking point: Animal rights
This week's talking point is animal rights. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas flow more easily the day you meet up with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
Read the list of activities that animal rights movements campaign against.
1) Can you think of any other activities that animal rights activists find unacceptable?
2) Which of these activities do you think are
(a) acceptable and necessary
(b) acceptable in certain circumstances
(c) totally unacceptable
- How well are animals treated in your country?
- What animal rights movements are there in your country?
- Do you agree with them?
- What sort of things do they do?
- Is it right to kill animals such as foxes, wolves, bears because they annoy people or kill cattle or there is overpopulation of them?
- How necessary are zoos?
- Should all children have a pet so that they could develop a liking for animals?
- Should dogs, specially big ones, be allowed to live in (small) flats?
- Do you think that the resources and time spent on fighting the cruelty to animals are well spent? Are there any more important issues in the world?
Read the list of activities that animal rights movements campaign against.
1) Can you think of any other activities that animal rights activists find unacceptable?
2) Which of these activities do you think are
(a) acceptable and necessary
(b) acceptable in certain circumstances
(c) totally unacceptable
- Testing cosmetics on live animals
- Testing new drugs and medicines on live animals
- Farming animals to make fur coats
- Selling exotic animals as pets
- Transporting live animals thousands of miles before slaughtering them
lunes, 28 de julio de 2014
If Youre Scared of Snakes, Don't Watch This
Watch this National Geographic video about the snakes that gather at the Narcisse Snake Dens in Manitoba, Canada, which is considered the largest gathering of snakes anywhere in the world.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and say whether the statements below are true or false.
The activity is suitable for Intermediate 2 students.
1 Adults are usually more afraid of the snakes than children.
2 Temperatures are scorching hot in the area.
3 During winter, snakes live very close to the surface.
4 It's very unusual in that part of Canada to see sinkholes with so many snakes.
5 Female snakes are bigger than male snakes.
6 Males fight among themselves to get a female.
7 There have been a few accidents with snakes at Narcisse.
8 In the past people tried to eradicate snakes.
People come from all over the world just to see the snake dens here.
A lot of children are a little more willing to hold the snakes and to interact with them. Sometimes the adults are a little more apprehensive which I think is kind of odd. That it’s almost like the fear of snakes has been built into people as they grow up.
I do not like snakes because they are a little unpredictable.
And.... Uh...yeah. I’m doing a terrible job pretending that I like snakes.
Here in the Inner Lake of Manitoba, Canada is the by far the largest aggregations or concentrations of snakes anywhere in the world.
The Inner Lake of Manitoba is so plentiful, or why snakes are so plentiful here really goes back to the geology of the area. Temperatures can reach 50 degrees below zero. And so a snake, being a cold-blooded animal, they have to be able to survive those winter temperatures. So that here in the Inner Lake region the limestone bedrock is very close to the surface. So that allows the cold and the water to crack and fissure the limestone, and it makes great big sinkholes. And that enables the snakes to get below the frost line during the winter.
There is a very limited number of these den sites. So all the snakes in the area have to go to that den site that’s in their region. And so that’s how you end up with literally tens of thousands of snakes being in a sinkhole that might be the size of the average person’s living room.
It is actually very difficult for the males to find a female because if you look from a snakes-eye-view, you just see kind of a sea of living spaghetti and you’re looking for a slightly bigger piece of spaghetti then all the rest them. They’ll detect the female sex pheromone. The males are very easily able to then go past all the other pieces of spaghetti, if you will, and home in on the female.
Often times when the group of these courting males all gather around one female trying to be that lucky guy that’s going to mate with her, they’ll get so wrapped up they can tumble down literally like a ball. So people call them mating balls.
Even though there is tremendous competition for mates, the males are not fighting with each other, they don’t have dominance hierarchies, they don’t have territories set up like other animals would do in a similar situation.
Let’s get a picture in front of the big snake, okay?
I like to call them the ambassadors of the reptile world. They’re a great way for people to interact with wildlife.
Look at mommy and smile!
The garter snakes don’t have teeth and they feel cool when you touch them and stuff.
So they don’t bite you. They just kind of move around in your hand really fast and stuff.
Awesome job, you guys.
Obviously all the snakes here are harmless. The dens here at Narcisse have been set up through Manitoba Conservation. And the boardwalks have been made and they’re regulated. So it is a nice place for people to come visit with minimal impact on the denning sites themselves.
Way back at the turn of the century and even through the 20s and 30s and 40s, people had a pretty bad attitude about snakes and tried to clear them out. Just times have changed a lot. I think people are much more environmentally- conscious.
Really and truly, having these healthy number of snakes means your living in a healthy environment.
Key:
1T 2F 3T 4F 5T 6F 7F 8T
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and say whether the statements below are true or false.
The activity is suitable for Intermediate 2 students.
1 Adults are usually more afraid of the snakes than children.
2 Temperatures are scorching hot in the area.
3 During winter, snakes live very close to the surface.
4 It's very unusual in that part of Canada to see sinkholes with so many snakes.
5 Female snakes are bigger than male snakes.
6 Males fight among themselves to get a female.
7 There have been a few accidents with snakes at Narcisse.
8 In the past people tried to eradicate snakes.
People come from all over the world just to see the snake dens here.
A lot of children are a little more willing to hold the snakes and to interact with them. Sometimes the adults are a little more apprehensive which I think is kind of odd. That it’s almost like the fear of snakes has been built into people as they grow up.
I do not like snakes because they are a little unpredictable.
And.... Uh...yeah. I’m doing a terrible job pretending that I like snakes.
Here in the Inner Lake of Manitoba, Canada is the by far the largest aggregations or concentrations of snakes anywhere in the world.
The Inner Lake of Manitoba is so plentiful, or why snakes are so plentiful here really goes back to the geology of the area. Temperatures can reach 50 degrees below zero. And so a snake, being a cold-blooded animal, they have to be able to survive those winter temperatures. So that here in the Inner Lake region the limestone bedrock is very close to the surface. So that allows the cold and the water to crack and fissure the limestone, and it makes great big sinkholes. And that enables the snakes to get below the frost line during the winter.
There is a very limited number of these den sites. So all the snakes in the area have to go to that den site that’s in their region. And so that’s how you end up with literally tens of thousands of snakes being in a sinkhole that might be the size of the average person’s living room.
It is actually very difficult for the males to find a female because if you look from a snakes-eye-view, you just see kind of a sea of living spaghetti and you’re looking for a slightly bigger piece of spaghetti then all the rest them. They’ll detect the female sex pheromone. The males are very easily able to then go past all the other pieces of spaghetti, if you will, and home in on the female.
Often times when the group of these courting males all gather around one female trying to be that lucky guy that’s going to mate with her, they’ll get so wrapped up they can tumble down literally like a ball. So people call them mating balls.
Even though there is tremendous competition for mates, the males are not fighting with each other, they don’t have dominance hierarchies, they don’t have territories set up like other animals would do in a similar situation.
Let’s get a picture in front of the big snake, okay?
I like to call them the ambassadors of the reptile world. They’re a great way for people to interact with wildlife.
Look at mommy and smile!
The garter snakes don’t have teeth and they feel cool when you touch them and stuff.
So they don’t bite you. They just kind of move around in your hand really fast and stuff.
Awesome job, you guys.
Obviously all the snakes here are harmless. The dens here at Narcisse have been set up through Manitoba Conservation. And the boardwalks have been made and they’re regulated. So it is a nice place for people to come visit with minimal impact on the denning sites themselves.
Way back at the turn of the century and even through the 20s and 30s and 40s, people had a pretty bad attitude about snakes and tried to clear them out. Just times have changed a lot. I think people are much more environmentally- conscious.
Really and truly, having these healthy number of snakes means your living in a healthy environment.
Key:
1T 2F 3T 4F 5T 6F 7F 8T
domingo, 20 de julio de 2014
Extensive listening: Cheetahs, against all odds
The documentary Cheetahs: Against All Odds was first aired in 2009. The documentary follows two cheetah mothers; both with varying circumstances, as they struggle to raise their families against all the odds. Among the speedy animals, Cheetahs are the fastest. However, they are also the most vulnerable among the big cats. In the Serengeti Plain, cheetahs live uneasy lives. Females, living alone with their offspring, are exposed to the viciousness of more powerful predators.
Unlike male, females with the cubs search out hiding places to keep their young ones safe from predators. One cheetah mother lives along with her five cubs. She needs a good fortune or considerable skills to raise its offspring. Another cheetah mother lives with her four cubs on termite mounds, which are excellent advantage from where danger and prey can be spotted.
You can read the transcript here.
Unlike male, females with the cubs search out hiding places to keep their young ones safe from predators. One cheetah mother lives along with her five cubs. She needs a good fortune or considerable skills to raise its offspring. Another cheetah mother lives with her four cubs on termite mounds, which are excellent advantage from where danger and prey can be spotted.
You can read the transcript here.
viernes, 11 de julio de 2014
Canada's wilderness cottage culture
During the summer months in Ontario, Canada, thousands of local people escape the heat as well as the hustle and bustle of city life by going to their lakeside cottages. This seasonal ritual allows family and friends to spend quality time together and enjoy the great outdoors.
In this BBC's Close-up episode, reporter Sian Griffiths visits the Kostiw family at their cottage in the Kawartha Lakes region, north of Toronto.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and say whether the statements below are true or false.
The activity is suitable for intermediate 2 students.
1 The closest inhabited place to the cottages in the Kawartha Lakes region is three hours away.
2 Some celebrities live in the same area.
3 The cottage is the ideal place for people who are fond of the new technologies.
4 One of the main problems of living in the cottages is the insects.
5 The Kostiw family love skiing in the mountains.
6 People have to be aware of the bears and wolves not attacking them.
Welcome to the Kawartha Lakes region in the central Canadian province of Ontario. We are about three hours north of the nearest city and fifteen minutes away from the nearest village, Apsley, which is exactly the point. It’s a place people love coming to, who love to go to cottages. It’s secluded, it’s got forests, it’s got lakes, it’s perfect. And the trend has been catching on the Hollywood celebrities as well: Goldie Hawn, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, they’ve been known to come across the border and go to a region up the road called Muskoka Caucus, but it’s a bit exclusive.
So here today we’ll take a look at the Kostiw family cottage. We’ve got some members here. It’s Matthew on the barbecue. We’re going to go inside and have a quick look. It’s got all the basics. It’s got living space, it’s got bedrooms. But it has no internet and no television. Most of the action takes place outside by the waterfront, so let’s go and have a look.
So we are down here on the deck with some members of the Kostiw family. We’ve got Natalia here and Alex, it’s Natalia’s cottage. Natalia, what’s the best thing about having a cottage?
I think one of the best things is just getting away from the city and the hustle and bustle of Toronto, and the calmness of being out in the countryside, so there’s nobody to disturb us, and friends come over as well, so it’s an excuse to see each other, and just spend quality time all together.
Are there any downsides?
Lots of bugs in the beginning, in June there’s quite a few black flies and you do have mosquitoes but it’s really worth it.
And the kids seem to really be able to get a chance to enjoy the water.
Yeah, they just love the water. My husband sails, I love kayaking and the boys love to ski and they love to be wake-boarding.
And how about wildlife. I think Alex at your place, you’re staying up the road, you can see some wildlife.
We’re on the next lake over, Jack Lake, and there are some bears up at the lake and a few years ago the boys and I saw like three black bear cubs. This year we saw some wolves, three baby cubs on the road. You’ve got to be careful when you’re driving because you can hit them. But, yeah, there’s a lot of wildlife and of course you’ve got the loons and the herons, that’s what we love.
Well I’ve got some bison burger here, it comes from Buffalo. It’s very low-fat. I’ve never tried some before. Delicious. But I won’t eat too much because Natalia and I are going out on the boats.
So we are here on the dock. We have got all kinds of very typical Canadian or Ontario water craft. We’ve got kayak, we’ve got a canoe, we’ve got a pedal boat with a special dog, Zaboo.
And that’s a glimpse of Ontario cottage life.
Key:
1F 2F 3F 4T 5F 6F
In this BBC's Close-up episode, reporter Sian Griffiths visits the Kostiw family at their cottage in the Kawartha Lakes region, north of Toronto.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and say whether the statements below are true or false.
The activity is suitable for intermediate 2 students.
1 The closest inhabited place to the cottages in the Kawartha Lakes region is three hours away.
2 Some celebrities live in the same area.
3 The cottage is the ideal place for people who are fond of the new technologies.
4 One of the main problems of living in the cottages is the insects.
5 The Kostiw family love skiing in the mountains.
6 People have to be aware of the bears and wolves not attacking them.
Welcome to the Kawartha Lakes region in the central Canadian province of Ontario. We are about three hours north of the nearest city and fifteen minutes away from the nearest village, Apsley, which is exactly the point. It’s a place people love coming to, who love to go to cottages. It’s secluded, it’s got forests, it’s got lakes, it’s perfect. And the trend has been catching on the Hollywood celebrities as well: Goldie Hawn, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, they’ve been known to come across the border and go to a region up the road called Muskoka Caucus, but it’s a bit exclusive.
So here today we’ll take a look at the Kostiw family cottage. We’ve got some members here. It’s Matthew on the barbecue. We’re going to go inside and have a quick look. It’s got all the basics. It’s got living space, it’s got bedrooms. But it has no internet and no television. Most of the action takes place outside by the waterfront, so let’s go and have a look.
So we are down here on the deck with some members of the Kostiw family. We’ve got Natalia here and Alex, it’s Natalia’s cottage. Natalia, what’s the best thing about having a cottage?
I think one of the best things is just getting away from the city and the hustle and bustle of Toronto, and the calmness of being out in the countryside, so there’s nobody to disturb us, and friends come over as well, so it’s an excuse to see each other, and just spend quality time all together.
Are there any downsides?
Lots of bugs in the beginning, in June there’s quite a few black flies and you do have mosquitoes but it’s really worth it.
And the kids seem to really be able to get a chance to enjoy the water.
Yeah, they just love the water. My husband sails, I love kayaking and the boys love to ski and they love to be wake-boarding.
And how about wildlife. I think Alex at your place, you’re staying up the road, you can see some wildlife.
We’re on the next lake over, Jack Lake, and there are some bears up at the lake and a few years ago the boys and I saw like three black bear cubs. This year we saw some wolves, three baby cubs on the road. You’ve got to be careful when you’re driving because you can hit them. But, yeah, there’s a lot of wildlife and of course you’ve got the loons and the herons, that’s what we love.
Well I’ve got some bison burger here, it comes from Buffalo. It’s very low-fat. I’ve never tried some before. Delicious. But I won’t eat too much because Natalia and I are going out on the boats.
So we are here on the dock. We have got all kinds of very typical Canadian or Ontario water craft. We’ve got kayak, we’ve got a canoe, we’ve got a pedal boat with a special dog, Zaboo.
And that’s a glimpse of Ontario cottage life.
Key:
1F 2F 3F 4T 5F 6F
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