The e-Book

1,000 IDEAS & ACTIVITIES FOR
LANGUAGE
TEACHERS

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

Home
Donate

E-mail this lesson to
a student /colleague

COPYRIGHT:
Please write to
me for permission.

UN Begins International Year of Biodiversity (10th January, 2010)

The United Nations (U.N.) launched a very important campaign on Monday the 11th of January – the International Year of Biodiversity. The U.N. hopes we will all think more about the animals and plants on our planet. It warns that more and more species disappear every day. This has a bad effect on everyone’s life. U.N. General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon said human activity is killing species 1,000 times faster than usual. He warned we cannot continue like this, saying "business as usual is not an option".

Advertisements

Let’s hope we can save our planet this year. Things don’t look too good. Governments made promises eight years ago to reduce the numbers of lost species but didn’t keep them. Mr. Ban told all governments to wake up. He said they must act to save rainforests, coral reefs and other ecosystems. People must take action too. London’s Natural History Museum has also started a project. It is asking every citizen to "do one thing for biodiversity" in 2010. Perhaps this is not enough. Maybe one thing every week for 52 weeks is better.

Advertisements

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	launched a very important	a.	plants on our planet
2	the animals and	b.	usual
3.	more species disappear	c.	too good
4.	1,000 times faster	d.	campaign
5.	business as	e.	every day
6.	Things don’t look	f.	than usual

Paragraph 2

1.	Governments made	a.	ecosystems
2	reduce the numbers	b.	promises
3.	coral reefs and other	c.	for 52 weeks
4.	People must take	d.	of lost species
5.	do one thing for	e.	action too
6.	every week	f.	biodiversity

LISTENING GAP FILL

The United Nations (U.N.) ________________ important campaign on Monday the 11th of January – the International Year of Biodiversity. The U.N. ________________ think more about the animals and plants ________________. It warns that more and more species disappear every day. This has ________________ everyone’s life. U.N General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon said human activity is killing species ________________ than usual. He warned we cannot continue like this, saying "business as usual ________________ ".

Let’s ________________ our planet this year. Things don’t look too good. Governments made promises eight years ago to reduce the numbers ________________ didn’t keep them. Mr. Ban told all governments to wake up. He said they ________________ rainforests, coral reefs and ________________. People must take action too. London’s Natural History Museum has also started a project. It is asking every citizen to "________________ biodiversity" in 2010. Perhaps this is not enough. Maybe one thing every ________________ is better.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

The United Nations (U.N.) (1) ____ a very important campaign on Monday the 11th of January – the International Year of Biodiversity. The U.N. (2) ____ we will all think more about the animals and plants on our planet. It warns that more and more species disappear (3) ____ day. This has a bad (4) ____ on everyone’s life. U.N General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon said human activity is killing species 1,000 times faster than usual. He warned we cannot continue like this, saying "business as (5) ____ is not an option".

Let’s hope we can save our planet this year. Things don’t look too (6) ____. Governments made promises eight years ago (7) ____ reduce the numbers of lost species but didn’t (8) ____ them. Mr. Ban told all governments to wake up. He said they must act to save rainforests, coral reefs and other ecosystems. People must (9) ____ action too. London’s Natural History Museum has also started a project. It is (10) ____ every citizen to "do one thing for biodiversity" in 2010. Perhaps this is not enough. Maybe one thing every week for 52 weeks is better.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	launched	(b)	launch	(c)	launches
2.	(a)	hopefully	(b)	hoped	(c)	hopes
3.	(a)	all	(b)	every	(c)	whole
4.	(a)	effect	(b)	affect	(c)	infect
5.	(a)	usually	(b)	usual	(c)	usual suspects
6.	(a)	goodness	(b)	good	(c)	goody-goody
7.	(a)	to	(b)	for	(c)	at
8.	(a)	do	(b)	act	(c)	keep
9.	(a)	have	(b)	do	(c)	take
10.	(a)	asking	(b)	asked	(c)	asks

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	important pigcmana
2.	our tlpnae
3.	more species sdrpaaeip
4.	a bad efetcf
5.	human yvciatit
6.	business as suual
Paragraph 2
7.	Let’s pheo
8.	ceuerd the numbers
9.	aoclr reefs
10.	take tnicao
11.	started a rpeojct
12.	not unghoe

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	action too. London’s Natural History Museum has also started a project. It is asking every citizen to "do one
( )	planet. It warns that more and more species disappear every day. This has a bad effect on everyone’s life. U.N
( )	than usual. He warned we cannot continue like this, saying "business as usual is not an option".
( )	to wake up. He said they must act to save rainforests, coral reefs and other ecosystems. People must take
( )	International Year of Biodiversity. The U.N. hopes we will all think more about the animals and plants on our
( )	General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon said human activity is killing species 1,000 times faster
( 1 )	The United Nations (U.N.) launched a very important campaign on Monday the 11th of January – the
( )	Let’s hope we can save our planet this year. Things don’t look too good. Governments made promises
( )	thing for biodiversity" in 2010. Perhaps this is not enough. Maybe one thing every week for 52 weeks is better.
( )	eight years ago to reduce the numbers of lost species but didn’t keep them. Mr. Ban told all governments

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

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

1.	The campaign important very a launched UN.
2.	more We about will the all animals think.
3.	day every disappear species more and More.
4.	This on has everyone’s a life bad effect.
5.	as Business option an not is usual.
6.	planet our save can we hope Let’s.
7.	don’t Things good too look.
8.	action take must People too.
9.	one Do 2010 in biodiversity for thing.
10.	every thing One weeks 52 for week.

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 biodiversity 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 biodiversity. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about biodiversity. Include imaginary interviews with two people – one who believes Earth will survive, the other who believes it will die. 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 UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon. Ask him three questions about biodiversity. Give him three of your opinions on what we need to do to help biodiversity. 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 on Biodiversity (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)