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Chihuahua Joins Japanese Police Force (20th November, 2010)

A 3-kg Chihuahua became the newest addition to the Japanese police force on Friday. Seven-year-old Momo (Japanese for “peach”) joined the search and rescue squad in Nara, western Japan. Momo passed her test by taking less than five minutes to sniff out and find a “human” survivor in a mock disaster. A Nara Police spokeswoman said it was rare for a Chihuahua to be a police dog. She told reporters: "We would like it to work hard by taking advantage of its small size." She is just 25 centimetres tall.

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Momo may well be the smallest police dog in the world. It is great that her size has not stopped her from working. She will be particularly useful in Japan, where there are many disasters like earthquakes. She is small enough to squeeze through places that are too narrow for larger, more traditional rescue dogs. Momo is also set to become a nationwide celebrity. TV studios are queuing up to have her as a guest on their TV shows. Her owner, Keiko Matsuyoshi, 31, said she is very proud of her pooch.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	the newest addition to the	a.	than five minutes
2	joined the search and	b.	was rare
3.	taking less	c.	its small size
4.	a mock	d.	Japanese police force
5.	… said it	e.	disaster
6.	taking advantage of	f.	rescue squad

Paragraph 2

1.	her size has not	a.	to have her
2	small enough to squeeze	b.	earthquakes
3.	disasters like	c.	of her pooch
4.	set to become a	d.	stopped her
5.	queuing up	e.	nationwide celebrity
6.	very proud	f.	through places

LISTENING GAP FILL

A 3-kg Chihuahua became ____________________ the Japanese police force on Friday. Seven-year-old Momo (Japanese for “peach”) ____________________ rescue squad in Nara, western Japan. Momo passed her ____________________ than five minutes to sniff out and find a “human” survivor in a mock disaster. A Nara Police spokeswoman ____________________ a Chihuahua to be a police dog. She told reporters: "We would like it to work hard by ____________________ its small size." She is just 25 centimetres tall.

Momo ____________________ police dog in the world. It is great that her size has not stopped her from working. She will be ____________________ Japan, where there are many disasters like earthquakes. She is small enough ____________________ places that are too narrow for larger, more traditional rescue dogs. Momo ____________________ a nationwide celebrity. TV studios are queuing up to have her as a guest on their TV shows. Her owner, Keiko Matsuyoshi, 31, said ____________________ her pooch.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A 3-kg Chihuahua became the newest (1) ____ to the Japanese police force on Friday. Seven-year-old Momo (Japanese for “peach”) joined the search and rescue (2) ____ in Nara, western Japan. Momo passed her test (3) ____ taking less than five minutes to sniff out and find a “human” survivor in a mock disaster. A Nara Police spokeswoman said it was rare (4) ____ a Chihuahua to be a police dog. She told reporters: "We would like it to work hard by (5) ____ advantage (6) ____ its small size." She is just 25 centimetres tall.

Momo may (7) ____ be the smallest police dog in the world. It is great that her (8) ____ has not stopped her from working. She will be particularly useful in Japan, where there are many disasters like earthquakes. She is small (9) ____ to squeeze through places that are too narrow for larger, more (10) ____ rescue dogs. Momo is also set to become a nationwide celebrity. TV studios are queuing (11) ____ to have her as a guest on their TV shows. Her owner, Keiko Matsuyoshi, 31, said she is very proud (12) ____ her pooch.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	added	(b)	addition	(c)	add
2.	(a)	squid	(b)	squad	(c)	squash
3.	(a)	by	(b)	at	(c)	to
4.	(a)	so	(b)	from	(c)	for
5.	(a)	making	(b)	taking	(c)	faking
6.	(a)	of	(b)	at	(c)	up
7.	(a)	good	(b)	best	(c)	well
8.	(a)	tall	(b)	small	(c)	size
9.	(a)	already	(b)	enough	(c)	although
10.	(a)	traditional	(b)	traditionally	(c)	traditions
11.	(a)	down	(b)	in	(c)	up
12	(a)	of	(b)	on	(c)	to

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	the newest aidondti
2.	search and eecsru squad
3.	rnweest Japan
4.	less than five stmnuei
5.	a mock tdissare
6.	its mlals size
Paragraph 2
7.	particularly seuulf
8.	She is small enhguo
9.	qeseuze through places
10.	too rawnro
11.	ugeqiun up
12.	she is very udrpo

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	A 3-kg Chihuahua became the newest addition to the Japanese police force on Friday. Seven-year-old Momo
( )	test by taking less than five minutes to sniff out and find a “human” survivor in a mock
( )	"We would like it to work hard by taking advantage of its small size." She is just 25 centimetres tall.
( )	like earthquakes. She is small enough to squeeze through places that are too narrow for larger, more
( )	her from working. She will be particularly useful in Japan, where there are many disasters
( )	Momo may well be the smallest police dog in the world. It is great that her size has not stopped
( )	(Japanese for “peach”) joined the search and rescue squad in Nara, western Japan. Momo passed her
( )	traditional rescue dogs. Momo is also set to become a nationwide celebrity. TV studios are queuing up
( 1 )	to have her as a guest on their TV shows. Her owner, Keiko Matsuyoshi, 31, said she is very proud of her pooch.
( )	disaster. A Nara Police spokeswoman said it was rare for a Chihuahua to be a police dog. She told reporters:

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

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

1.	the The Japanese newest police addition force to.
2.	test less than five by minutes Passed her. taking
3.	survivor mock A a “human” in disaster .
4.	a for rare was It dog police a be to Chihuahua.
5.	size hard advantage small Work taking its by of.
6.	in dog police smallest The world the.
7.	Her her size from has working not stopped.
8.	be will She Japan in useful particularly.
9.	that places through Squeeze narrow too are.
10.	are her queuing up TV to studios have.

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 police dogs 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. POLICE DOGS: Search the Internet and find more information about police dogs. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Momo. Include imaginary interviews with her owner and trainers. 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 a trainer of search and rescue dogs. Ask him/her three questions about the dogs. Give him/her three of your opinions on them. 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 a Tiny Police Dog (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)