The Reading / Listening - Level 1

An unwanted puppy has a new home and job. The 7-week-old puppy was left at a baseball stadium parking lot in Georgia, USA last week. It had no name tag. The team put a message on its website about the dog, but did not find the owner. The team's president adopted the puppy and called her Daisy. She now has a new job as the team's official 'bat dog'. She will take baseball bats to players, collect balls and make the crowd happy.

Mr Orton said Daisy looked tired and lost. She was also hungry and dehydrated. He took her to the vet and she "was in pretty good health". Orton said: "We aren't sure how big she'll get, so it's hard to say if she'll be able to pick up a bat." Daisy will be a regular at the ballpark and will be popular with fans. She will also greet visitors at the team's office. Mr Orton said: "It was just meant to be that we'd have a team dog as part of our staff."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/georgia-baseball-team-adopts-puppy-abandoned-stadium-bat/story?id=39091699
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/05/12/a-ridiculously-cute-puppy-found-outside-a-stadium-has-been-adopted-by-the-team/
  • http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/savannah-bananas-bat-dog-daisy-photos-video-gif/qumummnzrngv1df2yf3epjsp8


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. the 7-week-
  2. parking
  3. It had no name
  4. The team put a message
  5. The team's president adopted
  6. a new job as the team's
  7. take baseball bats
  8. make the crowd
  1. official 'bat dog'
  2. tag
  3. happy
  4. lot
  5. to players
  6. the puppy
  7. old puppy
  8. on its website

Paragraph 2

  1. Daisy looked tired and
  2. She was also hungry
  3. He took her to the
  4. she was in pretty good
  5. We aren't sure how
  6. Daisy will be a regular
  7. She will also greet
  8. have a team dog as part
  1. at the ballpark
  2. lost
  3. of our staff
  4. vet
  5. and dehydrated
  6. visitors
  7. health
  8. big she'll get

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An unwanted puppy (1) ___________________ and job. The 7-week-old puppy (2) ___________________ a baseball stadium (3) ___________________ Georgia, USA last week. It had no name tag. The team put (4) ___________________ website about the dog, but did not find the owner. The team's president adopted the puppy (5) ___________________ Daisy. She now has a new job as the team's official 'bat dog'. She will take baseball bats to players, collect balls (6) ___________________ happy.

Mr Orton said Daisy looked (7) ___________________. She was also hungry and dehydrated. He (8) ___________________ vet and she "was in (9) ___________________". Orton said: "We aren't sure how big she'll get, (10) ___________________ if she'll be able to pick up a bat." Daisy will be a regular at the ballpark and will be (11) ___________________. She will also greet visitors at the team's office. Mr Orton said: "It was just meant to be that we'd have a team dog as (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Anunwantedpuppyhasanewhomeandjob.The7-week-oldpuppyw
asleftatabaseballstadiumparkinglotinGeorgia,USAlastweek.Ithadn
onametag.Theteamputamessageonitswebsiteaboutthedog,butdidn
otfindtheowner.Theteam'spresidentadoptedthepuppyandcalledher
Daisy.Shenowhasanewjobastheteam'sofficial'batdog'.Shewilltakeb
aseballbatstoplayers,collectballsandmakethecrowdhappy.MrOrtons
aidDaisylookedtiredandlost.Shewasalsohungryanddehydrated.Het
ookhertothevetandshe"wasinprettygoodhealth".Ortonsaid:"Weare
n'tsurehowbigshe'llget,soit'shardtosayifshe'llbeabletopickupabat."
Daisywillbearegularattheballparkandwillbepopularwithfans.Shewill
alsogreetvisitorsattheteam'soffice.MrOrtonsaid:"Itwasjustmeantto
bethatwe'dhaveateamdogaspartofourstaff."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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