2 giant pandas arrive in Atlanta under a US-China government agreement

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. elated / ɪˈleɪ tɪd / (adj.) – extremely happy and excited because of something good that has happened or will happen
    Example:

    We were elated to receive an invitation to the special event.


  2. quarantine / ˈkwɔr ənˌtin / (v.) – to keep a person or animal away from others for a period of time to stop an illness from going to other people or animals
    Example:

    The zoo quarantined the new birds before putting them with the group.


  3. biosecure / ˈbaɪ oʊ səˌkjʊr / (adj.) – protected so that illnesses or diseases cannot move from one animal, person, or place to another
    Example:

    Farmers keep their chickens in a biosecure building to keep them healthy.


  4. goodwill / ˈgʊdˈwɪl / (n.) – kind feelings between people or groups and a wish to work well together
    Example:

    Her warm smile was a gesture of goodwill to the new neighbors.


  5. lapse / læps / (v.) – to officially end or stop because a planned amount of time has finished and it was not renewed
    Example:

    The service will lapse if you don’t pay the fee on time.


Article

Read the text below.

Two giant pandas arrived in Atlanta as part of an agreement between the Chinese and American governments.


Ping Ping and Fu Shuang departed Chengdu in southwestern China aboard a dedicated “FedEx Panda Express” Boeing 777 aircraft, officials said. A new agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association makes Atlanta one of three zoos in the U.S. to house giant pandas, along with the San Diego Zoo in California and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C.


“This is a thrilling day for Zoo Atlanta and a historic moment for the City of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and beyond,” Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond B. King said in a statement. “We are elated to welcome Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and could not be more excited about sharing that joy with our members, guests, city, and community in the coming weeks.”


Zoo visitors will have to wait a while to see Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, officials said. The bears will be quarantined for about a month in a biosecure area of the wildlife park’s new giant panda complex. Park officials haven’t confirmed a specific opening date.


The pandas’ arrival was announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a three-day summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. The loan of the pandas was one of the few concrete outcomes to come out of the state visit, which saw expressions of goodwill between the leaders, but no fixes to any of the long-standing differences between the two countries.


Atlanta said farewell to its last pandas in 2024, leaving the zoo without the bears. The new agreement was announced back in April, but without any dates.


China has long used the pandas as part of its diplomacy globally, deploying the bears in loan programs as expressions of goodwill and letting loan agreements lapse when tensions arise.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • China has long used giant pandas as part of its diplomacy globally, deploying the bears in loan programs as expressions of goodwill. What do you think of using rare animals in your country as expressions of goodwill? Would you support your own government sending native rare animals to foreign zoos to build better international relationships? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What responsibilities should international zoos have to ensure that animals on loan stay healthy and comfortable? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • The pandas’ arrival was announced during a summit between President Trump and President Xi Jinping, where no fixes were made to long-standing differences between the two countries. Why do you think it is important for countries to show goodwill as part of their diplomacy? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what is the best way for countries to show goodwill toward one another (ex. provide help during a disaster, have a fair trade deal)? Why? Discuss.