Brown bears in Croatia - video lesson 19

Level: Upper-intermediate / B2

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The brown bear population is growing in Europe. Here is a short video (three minutes) about bears in Croatia.

Watch the video and answer the following questions:
1) Who is Frans Schepers?
2) He talks about one connected bear population - which two countries does it cover?
3) How many bears are in the region?
4) How does Davor Krmpotic know that he has found a place where a bear slept?
5) Why does Frans Schepers think the bear population has increased in Europe?

Answers below!

For more about Rewilding Europe and the comeback of wild animals, visit this webpage.


ANSWERS:

1) Managing Director of Rewilding Europe
2) Slovenia and Croatia
3) 3,000
4) The grass is stamped and there are tracks of the bear
5) Hunting control and legal protection

Typhoon, hurricane, cyclone: what's the difference?

Level: Upper-intermediate / B2

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Here is a good article from National Geographic about the difference between typhoons, hurricanes and cyclones.
Read the article and then answer the following questions:
1) What is Usagi in English?
2) How fast must a storm be to be classified as a hurricane, cyclone or typhoon?
3) When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
4) What is the Safir-Simpson scale?
5) True or false: the number of category 4 and 5 hurricanes has fallen since the 1970s.


Answers below!



ANSWERS:

1) Rabbit
2) 119 km/h (74 mph)
3) From 1st June until 30th November
4) A 1 to 5 rating based on the hurricanes wind speed
5) False

Super typhoon hits Hong Kong

The BBC Learning English website has a great section called Words in the news page which looks at news stories and the vocabulary in them.
There is a short text and a short listening, as well as a review of the vocabulary.
This week they look at typhoon Usagi.

To flock to - English phrase

Here is another good English phrase from the BBC's Learning English pages.
This week they look at the expression to flock to.
Do you know what it means?! Have a look and see if you are right.

Japan switches off nuclear power

The BBC Learning English website has a great section called Words in the news page which looks at news stories and the vocabulary in them.
There is a short text and a short listening, as well as a review of the vocabulary.
This week is the news that Japan has closed all it's last nuclear power station.

A whale of a time

The BBC Learning English website has a page with a new phrase every day.
A recent phrase was A whale of a time.
Do you know what it means?! Have a look!

African conservationists honoured

Level: Advanced / C1

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The Tusks Conservation Awards were presented in London last night.
Read this report about it and answer the following questions:
1) True or false: this is the first ever Tusk Conservation Awards ceremony.
2) Where in London did the awards ceremony take place?
3) When did Clive Stockil establish Save Valley reserve?
4) How big is Tom Lalampaa's conservation area?
5) Who does Alasdair Harris work for?


Answers below!





ANSWERS!

1) True
2) The Royal Society
3) Zimbabwe
4) Three million acres
5) Blue Ventures Conservation

Mount Everest lesson plan

Level: Upper-intermediate / B2

Here is another good lesson from MacmIllian's Global English pages. This one looks at interesting facts and figures about Mount Everest.
There is a lesson sheet and teachers notes with answers.

Arctic winter ice decline

Level: Upper-intermediate / B2

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The volume of Arctic winter sea ice continues to decline.
Read this article about it and answer the following questions:
1) Who operates Cryosat?
2) When are marine ice floes at their thickest?
3) When was Cryosat launched?
4) What is the part of the ice above the waterline called?
5) How high is Cryosat above the Earth?


Answers below!



ANSWERS!
1) The European Space Agency
2) March/April
3) 2010
4) Freeboard
5) 717km

Recycling and upcycling lesson plan

Level: Intermediate / B2

Here is another good lesson from MacmIllian's Global English pages. It is about recycling and upcycling.
There is a lesson sheet and teachers notes with answers.

Eating invasive species: video lesson 18

Level: Upper-intermediate / B2

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What should we do with invasive species? Eating them is one option!
Here is a short video (three minutes) about the Northern Snakehead Fish in the USA.
Watch the video and then answer the following questions:
1) How many rows of teeth do the fish have?
2) Where is the fish originally from?
3) How did it get to America?
4) Who is John Rorapaug?
5) True of false: this fish can walk on land.


Answers below!






ANSWERS!
1) Two
2) Asia
3) Nobody know for sure
4) Director of Sustainabiliity, ProFish
5) False (they slither like a snake)