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Date: April 11, 2007 Downloads: Word Doc | PDF Doc | Listening Audio: 2:21 - 275.7 KB - 16kbps - To download, right-click or option-click the "Listening" link. Online Test: Recreate the text in this online test. THE ARTICLEThe survival of the tiger in India is doomed, according to Indian conservationists, who say hope is fading fast for the big cat. They say an increase in poaching and a non-caring government are the final nails in the coffin for what is India’s national symbol. This is in contrast to a successful conservation initiative started in 1973 called Project Tiger. This scheme had the full backing of then Prime Minister Indira Ghandi and managed to double the number of tigers in the wild. However, in recent years, enthusiasm for the project has dropped as government ministers have focused more on the economy. The result is a rather shameful situation in which all of the tigers in India’s premier wildlife reserve, Sariska in Rajasthan, had been killed by 2005. There are now only 1,200 of the majestic beasts on the whole subcontinent. Valmik Thapar, a well-known tiger conservationist said in a BBC documentary that: "We are living with the last tigers of India.” He said the Indian government was wholly responsible for the animal’s survival, saying: "If the government wants to save tigers it can, if it doesn't want to save tigers, it'll allow them to go extinct.” He added: "Never before in the history of this country has wildlife and forest governance been at such a low ebb…. It is inevitable that our tigers, leopards, lions and other wildlife will vanish." The BBC says two factors are behind the current poaching of India’s tigers. One is the market for tiger bones, used in traditional Chinese medicine; the other is the demand for tiger skins, used in ceremonial dress in Tibet. The trade in tiger products is extremely lucrative. A tiger skin fetches up to $20,000, while the bones fetch around $3,000 per kilo. WARM-UPS1. I’M A TIGER: You are a tiger. Walk around the classroom and talk to the other “tigers” in your class. What’s tiger life like? After you finish, sit with your partner(s) and share and talk about what you heard. 2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.
Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently. 3. ANIMAL PRODUCTS: With your partner(s), talk about these animal products. Rank them using this scale: 10 = the trade should be banned forever; 1 = I’d like to start selling this/these.
4. DOOMED: With your partner(s), talk about these headlines. Make a story about each headline. Swap partners and exchange stories. How possible is it they will come true?
5. QUICK DEBATE: Have this quick debate with your partner(s). Students A think there’s little point in saving tigers as they are doomed; students B think it is possible to save the tigers and their habitat. Change partners and topics every two minutes. 6. TIGER: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with tigers. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories. BEFORE READING / LISTENING1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):
WHILE READING / LISTENINGGAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text. Hopes fading for future of Indian tigers
LISTENINGListen and fill in the spaces. Hopes fading for future of Indian tigersThe _______________________ in India is doomed, according to Indian conservationists, who say hope is fading fast for the big cat. They say an increase in _______________________ government are the final nails in the coffin for what is India’s national symbol. This is in contrast to a successful ____________________________ 1973 called Project Tiger. This scheme had the full backing of then Prime Minister Indira Ghandi and managed to _______________________ tigers in the wild. However, in recent years, enthusiasm for the project has dropped as government ministers have _______________________ economy. The result is a rather shameful situation in which all of the tigers in India’s premier wildlife reserve, Sariska in Rajasthan, had been killed by 2005. _______________________ 1,200 of the majestic beasts on the whole subcontinent. Valmik Thapar, a well-known tiger conservationist said in a BBC documentary that: "We are living with _______________________.” He said the Indian government was wholly responsible for the animal’s survival, saying: "If the government wants to save tigers it can, if it doesn't want to save tigers, _______________________ extinct.” He added: "Never before in the history of this country has wildlife and _______________________ such a low ebb…. It is inevitable that our tigers, leopards, lions and other wildlife will vanish." The BBC says two factors are _______________________ India’s tigers. One is the market for tiger bones, used in traditional Chinese medicine; the other is the demand for tiger skins, _______________________ Tibet. The trade in tiger products is extremely lucrative. A tiger _______________________ $20,000, while the bones fetch around $3,000 per kilo. AFTER READING / LISTENING1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘tiger’ and ‘skin’.
2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.
3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…? 4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings. 5. STUDENT “TIGERS” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about saving tigers and other animals from extinction.
6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:
DISCUSSIONSTUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
-------------------------------------------------------------------- STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.
SPEAKINGTIGER MOVIE SCRIPT: With your partner(s), plan the script/story for how the last tigers on earth were saved….. (or not). Use the table to help you:
After you finish, compare stories with other groups. Suggest improvements. Vote on the best story. LANGUAGECORRECT WORD: Put the correct words from a–d below in the article. Hopes fading for future of Indian tigersThe survival of the tiger in India is doomed, (1) ____ to Indian conservationists, who say hope is fading fast for the big cat. They say an increase in poaching and a non-caring government are the final (2) ____ in the coffin for (3) ____ is India’s national symbol. This is in contrast to a successful conservation initiative started in 1973 called Project Tiger. This scheme had the full backing of (4) ____ Prime Minister Indira Ghandi and managed to double the number of tigers in the wild. However, in recent years, enthusiasm for the project has dropped as government ministers have focused more on the economy. The result is a (5) ____ shameful situation in which all of the tigers in India’s premier wildlife reserve, Sariska in Rajasthan, had been killed by 2005. There are now only 1,200 of the Valmik Thapar, a well-known tiger conservationist said in a BBC documentary that: "We are living with the (7) ____ tigers of India.” He said the Indian government was (8) ____ responsible for the animal’s survival, saying: "If the government wants to save tigers it can, if it doesn't want to save tigers, it'll allow them to (9) ____ extinct.” He added: "Never before in the history of this country has wildlife and forest governance been at such a low ebb…. It is (10) ____ that our tigers, leopards, lions and other wildlife will vanish." The BBC says two factors are behind the current poaching of India’s tigers. One is the market for tiger bones, used in traditional Chinese medicine; the other is the demand for tiger skins, used in ceremonial dress in Tibet. The trade in tiger products is extremely (11) ____. A tiger skin (12) ____ up to $20,000, while the bones fetch around $3,000 per kilo.
HOMEWORK1. 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 Bengal tigers. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson. 3. TIGER POSTER: Make a poster about different tigers around the world. Show your poster to your class in the next lesson. Vote on the best one(s). 4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about the tiger and how endangered it is. In particular, write about what the world would be like without tigers. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Which article was best and why? 5. LETTER: Write a letter to the prime minister of India. Ask him/her three questions about why his country is not acting to save the tiger. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions. ANSWERSTRUE / FALSE:
SYNONYM MATCH:
PHRASE MATCH:
GAP FILL: Hopes fading for future of Indian tigersThe survival of the tiger in India is doomed, according to Indian conservationists, who say hope is fading fast for the big cat. They say an increase in poaching and a non-caring government are the final nails in the coffin for what is India’s national symbol. This is in contrast to a successful conservation initiative started in 1973 called Project Tiger. This scheme had the full backing of then Prime Minister Indira Ghandi and managed to double the number of tigers in the wild. However, in recent years, enthusiasm for the project has dropped as government ministers have focused more on the economy. The result is a rather shameful situation in which all of the tigers in India’s premier wildlife reserve, Sariska in Rajasthan, had been killed by 2005. There are now only 1,200 of the majestic beasts on the whole subcontinent. Valmik Thapar, a well-known tiger conservationist said in a BBC documentary that: "We are living with the last tigers of India.” He said the Indian government was wholly responsible for the animal’s survival, saying: "If the government wants to save tigers it can, if it doesn't want to save tigers, it'll allow them to go extinct.” He added: "Never before in the history of this country has wildlife and forest governance been at such a low ebb…. It is inevitable that our tigers, leopards, lions and other wildlife will vanish." The BBC says two factors are behind the current poaching of India’s tigers. One is the market for tiger bones, used in traditional Chinese medicine; the other is the demand for tiger skins, used in ceremonial dress in Tibet. The trade in tiger products is extremely lucrative. A tiger skin fetches up to $20,000, while the bones fetch around $3,000 per kilo. LANGUAGE WORK
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