The e-Book

1,000 IDEAS & ACTIVITIES FOR
LANGUAGE
TEACHERS

News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes - Human Extinction
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

Home
Donate

E-mail this lesson to
a student /colleague

COPYRIGHT:
Please write to
me for permission.

Prince Charles Warns of Human Extinction (12th September, 2011)

Britain’s Prince Charles has warned us that we could become extinct one day. He said this in a speech he made as the new President of the Worldwide Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the UK. He told everyone at his first meeting that unless humans change their lifestyles, they could all die out and become extinct. In particular, he said we have to stop buying everything we want because this is using up the Earth’s resources. He also spoke about the dangers of climate change and our disappearing animals, fish and other wildlife.

Advertisements

Prince Charles warned that many species are dying out. He said animals were becoming extinct at the fastest rate since the dinosaurs died 65 million years ago. The Prince of Wales said that if the world carries on “business as usual,” then humans will be in danger. The prince also made a joke that he was also a “rare species”, so he really understood the WWF. The WWF started 50 years ago to protect animals like the panda. Prince Charles said the challenge today is much, much bigger.

Advertisements

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	we could become extinct	a.	everything
2	He said this in a	b.	change
3.	we have to stop buying	c.	resources
4.	using up the Earth’s	d.	other wildlife
5.	the dangers of climate	e.	one day
6.	disappearing animals, fish and	f.	speech he made

Paragraph 2

1.	many species are	a.	65 million years ago
2	the dinosaurs died	b.	species
3.	business as	c.	much bigger
4.	a rare	d.	usual
5.	protect animals	e.	dying out
6.	the challenge today is much,	f.	like the panda

LISTENING GAP FILL

Britain’s Prince Charles ____________________ we could become extinct one day. He said this ____________________ as the new President of the Worldwide Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the UK. He told everyone at his first meeting ____________________ change their lifestyles, they could all die out and become extinct. In particular, he said we have to stop buying everything we want because ____________________ the Earth’s resources. He ____________________ the dangers of climate change and our disappearing animals, fish ____________________.

Prince Charles warned that many ____________________ out. He said animals were becoming ____________________ rate since the dinosaurs died 65 million years ago. The Prince of Wales said that if the world carries on “____________________,” then humans will be in danger. The prince also made a joke that he was ____________________, so he really understood the WWF. The WWF started 50 years ago to ____________________ the panda. Prince Charles said ____________________ is much, much bigger.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Britain’s Prince Charles has warned us that we could become extinct one (1) ____. He said this in a speech he made as the new President of the Worldwide Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the UK. He told everyone at his first meeting that (2) ____ humans change their lifestyles, they could all die (3) ____ and become extinct. In (4) ____, he said we have to stop buying everything we want because this is (5) ____ up the Earth’s resources. He also spoke about the dangers of climate change and our disappearing animals, fish and other (6) ____.

Prince Charles warned that many species are dying out. He said animals were becoming extinct at the fastest (7) ____ since the dinosaurs died 65 million years ago. The Prince of Wales said that if the world (8) ____ on “business as usual,” then humans will be (9) ____ danger. The prince also made a joke that he was also a “(10) ____ species”, so he really understood the WWF. The WWF started 50 years ago to (11) ____ animals like the panda. Prince Charles said the challenge today is much, (12) ____ bigger.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	week	(b)	month	(c)	day
2.	(a)	useless	(b)	uneven	(c)	unless
3.	(a)	out	(b)	up	(c)	in
4.	(a)	peculiar	(b)	particular	(c)	practical
5.	(a)	using	(b)	used	(c)	uses
6.	(a)	wilderness	(b)	wildfire	(c)	wildlife
7.	(a)	rate	(b)	late	(c)	date
8.	(a)	hurries	(b)	carries	(c)	curries
9.	(a)	in	(b)	at	(c)	by
10.	(a)	rarely	(b)	roar	(c)	rare
11.	(a)	protection	(b)	protect	(c)	protecting
12	(a)	many	(b)	much	(c)	most

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	Prince Charles has dreanw us
2.	in a eehpsc he made
3.	at his first tmeigne
4.	die out and become ettixcn
5.	using up the Earth’s ecrsresuo
6.	animals, fish and other iwdfllei
Paragraph 2
7.	species are iygnd out
8.	at the tsaetfs rate
9.	65 mollini years ago
10.	business as uausl
11.	trtepco animals like the panda
12.	the lnlhecgea today

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	of climate change and our disappearing animals, fish and other wildlife.
( )	Prince Charles warned that many species are dying out. He said animals were becoming extinct
( )	at the fastest rate since the dinosaurs died 65 million years ago. The Prince of Wales said that
( )	out and become extinct. In particular, he said we have to stop buying everything we
( )	everyone at his first meeting that unless humans change their lifestyles, they could all die
( )	the WWF. The WWF started 50 years ago to protect animals
( )	if the world carries on “business as usual,” then humans will be in danger. The prince also made a
( )	joke that he was also a “rare species”, so he really understood
( )	like the panda. Prince Charles said the challenge today is much, much bigger.
( 1 )	Britain’s Prince Charles has warned us that we could become extinct one day. He said this in a
( )	speech he made as the new President of the Worldwide Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the UK. He told
( )	want because this is using up the Earth’s resources. He also spoke about the dangers

WORD JUMBLE

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

1.	could extinct day We become one.
2.	in a He speech said he this made.
3.	out They and could become all extinct die.
4.	buying have stop everything We to.
5.	spoke dangers change also the climate He about of.
6.	animals becoming said were extinct He.
7.	65 died dinosaurs The ago years million.
8.	carries world The usual as business on.
9.	prince made joke The also a.
10.	animals Protect panda the like.

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 extinction 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. EXTINCTION: Search the Internet and find more information about extinction and extinct species. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about extinction. Include imaginary interviews with Prince Charles and a member of a species that is disappearing. 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 Prince Charles. Ask him three questions about extinction. Give him three of your opinions on how to reverse it. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

Back to the top

News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes - Human Extinction (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)