Listening

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Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a housemate
    • ex. I share my apartment with a housemate who loves cooking.
  2. a crawl space
    • ex. The family puts old clothes, toys, and tools in boxes and keeps them in the crawl space.
  3. displace
    • ex. The floods displaced people from their homes.
  4. take refuge
    • ex. My house has a small basement where I can take refuge during a storm.
  5. hibernate
    • ex. Some bears hibernate in winter to save energy when there is little food.

Article

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

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A man in Southern California, Ken Johnson, found an unexpected housemate, a black bear living in the crawl space under his home. He had put a camera near the space in June after seeing damage from an animal. Months later, the camera showed the bear leaving the space. Johnson wants the bear to leave but is not sure how to do it safely.

Altadena, where Johnson lives, was badly damaged by the Eaton Fire in January last year. The fire displaced many animals after it destroyed their natural habitat and food. After the fire, some bears tried to take refuge in empty houses. Experts say Southern California is not cold enough for bears to hibernate. But they often “den,” which means they take long naps but sometimes wake up to eat.

Johnson says the bear has been in and out of his house many times. He hears loud noises under the floor, and the bear has looked in his trash. When Johnson contacted the police, authorities told him to report it online. So far, he has not received a reply.

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.

Bears

  • In Altadena, California, bears were displaced after a fire, so it’s common for bears to take refuge in empty houses. Has there been any similar issue about bears in your country? Discuss.
  • If a bear takes refuge in/near your house, what would you do? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, is it possible for wild animals, such as bears, and humans to live together in one place? Why or why not? Discuss.

Housemate

  • In the article, Ken Johnson was surprised to find a bear living under his house. What do you think of having an unexpected housemate like the bear? Discuss.
  • If you could have an animal for a housemate, what kind of animal would it be? Discuss.
  • What do you think are the characteristics of a good housemate? Discuss.