Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. logging
    • ex. Logging was common in the area because there were many forests.
  2. horrified
    • ex. I was horrified when I looked at the $5,000 bill.
  3. flora and fauna
    • ex. The mountain is home to a lot of flora and fauna such as black bears and Cherokee Roses.
  4. extinction
    • ex. The extinction of the dinosaurs happened about 65 million years ago.
  5. a scientific name
    • ex. The scientific name for a human is Homo sapien.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have named a tree after actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Uvariopsis dicaprio is a small tree that only grows in the Ebo Forest, a large rainforest in Central Africa that has been mostly untouched by humans. Dr. Martin Cheek, a Kew scientist, explained that DiCaprio has supported their efforts to save the rainforest.

In 2020, Cameroon announced that it was going to allow logging in the Ebo Forest. Scientists were horrified and wrote a letter explaining all of the unique flora and fauna that were at risk of extinction, and DiCaprio supported their campaign, highlighting it on his social media with millions of followers. Cameroon later canceled its plan to allow logging in the forest.

The DiCaprio tree was the first plant that Kew scientists named in 2022. According to Dr. Cheek, if a species doesn’t have an official scientific name, it’s very difficult to measure its risk of extinction and protect it. Last year, Kew scientists gave scientific names to more than 200 species, including a pink lily from the Ebo Forest and an orchid from Madagascar that can grow in the dark.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Celebrities and Social Media

  • Do you think it's a good idea for celebrities to highlight campaigns on their social media? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, should celebrities talk about sensitive topics like politics on their social media? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, why do so many people follow celebrities on social media? Discuss.

The Ebo Forest

  • In your opinion, who really saved the Ebo Forest, Leonardo DiCaprio or the scientists? Why? Discuss.
  • Why do you think Cameroon canceled its plan to allow logging in the Ebo Forest (ex. they felt too much pressure, they realized it might hurt many unique plants and animals)? Discuss.
  • How do you feel about naming the new tree after Leonardo DiCaprio? Why? Discuss.