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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Missing Child
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Three-Year-Old Found Alive In Forest

A three-year-old toddler is found alive in a forest. He was missing for two days. He lives in the USA and his name is Joshua Childers. The forest is called Mark Twain Forest, in Madison County. In the forest, there were bears, snakes and coyotes. He was finally found lying in a hollow by a construction worker. The worker said “Hey bud. You ready to go home?” Then the toddler said, “Yeah”. He left his home at 11.30am. His mother was sleeping and his father was on the phone. They didn’t see him leave.

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I think parents should be more careful. Too many bad things happen to children. Every home should have a door that children can't open. Even a cat flap should be shut. I think it’s dangerous to give a child a house key. Bad people can take the key and go into the house. Three-year-olds don’t know what is good and what is bad. They aren’t afraid to walk anywhere. Maybe they wouldn’t go near big dogs. Many small children get lost. They just run away from their parents in the mall. All they want to do is have fun.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	A three-year-old	a.	for two days
2	He was missing	b.	worker
3.	there were bears,	c.	him leave
4.	construction	d.	the phone
5.	on	e.	toddler is found alive
6.	see	f.	snakes and coyotes

Paragraph 2

1.	be more	a.	key
2	bad things	b.	fun
3.	a house	c.	careful
4.	aren’t afraid to	d.	lost
5.	small children get	e.	happen
6.	have	f.	walk anywhere

LISTENING GAP FILL

A three-year-old ______________ alive in a forest. He was missing for two days. He lives in the USA and his name is Joshua Childers. The ______________ Mark Twain Forest, in Madison County. In the forest, there were bears, snakes and coyotes. He ______________ lying in a hollow by a construction worker. The worker said “Hey bud. You ______________ home?” Then the toddler said, “Yeah”. He ______________ 11.30am. His mother was sleeping and his father was ______________. They didn’t see him leave.

I think parents should ______________. Too many bad things happen to children. Every home should have a door that children can't open. Even a cat flap ______________. I think it’s dangerous to give a child a house key. Bad people can ______________ go into the house. Three-year-olds don’t know what is good and ______________. They aren’t afraid to walk anywhere. Maybe they wouldn’t go near big dogs. Many small children get lost. They ______________ from their parents in the mall. All they want to ______________.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A three-year-old toddler is found (1) ____ in a forest. He was missing for two days. He lives in the USA and his name is Joshua Childers. The forest is (2) ____ Mark Twain Forest, in Madison County. In the forest, there were bears, snakes and coyotes. He was (3) ____ found lying in a hollow by a construction worker. The worker said “Hey bud. You (4) ____ to go home?” Then the toddler said, “Yeah”. He left his home at 11.30am. His mother was sleeping and his father was (5) ____ the phone. They didn’t see him leave.

I think parents should be more (6) ____. Too many bad things (7) ____ to children. Every home should have a door that children can't open. Even a cat flap should be shut. I think it’s (8) ____ to give a child a house key. Bad people can take the key and go into the house. Three-year-olds don’t know what is good and what is bad. They aren’t (9) ____ to walk anywhere. Maybe they wouldn’t go near big dogs. Many small children get lost. They just run away from their parents in the mall. All they want to do is have (10) ____.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	live	(b)	lively	(c)	alive
2.	(a)	called	(b)	Calling	(c)	Cold
3.	(a)	final	(b)	finally	(c)	finals
4.	(a)	readiness	(b)	ready	(c)	really
5.	(a)	in	(b)	of	(c)	on
6.	(a)	careful	(b)	careless	(c)	care
7.	(a)	happens	(b)	happening	(c)	happen
8.	(a)	dangers	(b)	endangered	(c)	dangerous
9.	(a)	fear	(b)	afraid	(c)	fearsome
10.	(a)	fun	(b)	funny	(c)	funniest

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	A three-year-old reddolt
2.	gsmiins for two days
3.	bears, eksasn and coyotes
4.	a construction rwkreo
5.	You rydea to go home?
6.	on the heopn
Paragraph 2
7.	be more flruace
8.	bad things haenpp
9.	it’s orndagseu
10.	They aren’t fardia
11.	walk hyawnree
12.	their enrpsat

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	was sleeping and his father was on the phone. They didn’t see him leave.
( )	key. Bad people can take the key and go into the house. Three-year-olds don’t know what is good and what is
( )	I think parents should be more careful. Too many bad things happen to children. Every home should have a
( )	to go home?” Then the toddler said, “Yeah”. He left his home at 11.30am. His mother
( )	door that children can't open. Even a cat flap should be shut. I think it’s dangerous to give a child a house
( 1 )	A three-year-old toddler is found alive in a forest. He was missing for two days. He lives in the USA and his
( )	lost. They just run away from their parents in the mall. All they want to do is have fun.
( )	bad. They aren’t afraid to walk anywhere. Maybe they wouldn’t go near big dogs. Many small children get
( )	and coyotes. He was finally found lying in a hollow by a construction worker. The worker said “Hey bud. You ready
( )	name is Joshua Childers. The forest is called Mark Twain Forest, in Madison County. In the forest, there were bears, snakes

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	year - old toddler is found alive A three - .
2.	for days He missing two was.
3.	his 30 am home at He 11 left.
4.	was the father on phone His.
5.	didn’t They leave him see.
6.	think I careful more be should parents.
7.	to happen things bad many Too children.
8.	- year - olds don’t know what is good Three.
9.	Many lost get children small.
10.	they have want fun to do All is.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about forests for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about forests. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about forests. Include imaginary interviews with someone who lives in the middle of a big forest. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to the boy’s parents. Ask them three questions about their son. Write three of your opinions on how to protect children. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Missing Child (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)