Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. endangered
    • ex. Many animals are endangered because people hunt them and destroy their homes.
  2. stagnate
    • ex. The company’s sales began to stagnate because fewer people bought their products.
  3. a nest
    • ex. The bird made a nest in the tree to keep its eggs safe.
  4. trade
    • ex. The fish trade is important for our towns because it provides jobs and food.
  5. deforestation
    • ex. Deforestation can harm animals because it destroys their natural homes in the forest.

Article

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

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The cockatoo, a white bird with yellow feathers on its head, is an endangered animal. Only about 2,000 are still living in the wild today. In Hong Kong, some of these birds live near tall buildings and in city parks. However, their numbers have started to stagnate. 

Cockatoos usually build nests in holes in old trees. But many of these trees are lost because of storms or are cut down. As a result, the birds find it harder to make safe nests. At the same time, these birds face more danger in other parts of the world. Many are caught and sold in the illegal pet trade. In addition, deforestation is a major problem. Farmers cut down forests to plant crops, which destroys the birds’ natural homes.

To protect them, people in Hong Kong are adding special nest boxes in trees. These boxes look like real tree holes. The birds can use them to build their nests. This helps cockatoos stay safe and have babies. Some birds have already used them. Experts say this small step could help cockatoos survive and grow in number in the future.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.
Photo Credits: The Associated Press

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Rare and Endangered Animals

  • The cockatoo is an endangered animal that people in Hong Kong are trying to protect. Name an animal that your country is protecting. Discuss.
  • Why do you think some animals become endangered? Discuss.
  • Would you like to work with animals to help protect them? Why or why not? Discuss.

Deforestation

  • What do you think happens when too many trees are cut down? Discuss.
  • What is the situation of forests in your country (ex. deforestation is a big problem, forests are protected)? Discuss.
  • Do you think planting new trees can help solve the problem of deforestation? Why or why not? Discuss.