Learn English with this animals English lesson

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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• survive
• lend itself
• domestic
• nutritious

• endangered
• dwindling
• extinct
• in the wild

• on a kick
• intriguing

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Pandas are only one of thousands of endangered animals in the world. The number of pandas is dwindling, mostly because people are using the land where pandas used to live. There are many pandas living in zoos around the world, which helps them from becoming extinct, and between 1,500 and 3,000 living in the wild in China.

Many people find pandas intriguing. Their black and white coloring is certainly unique and unlike other animals’. Their diet is 99% bamboo. They look cute and soft, and they seem gentle, but they are bears. And several countries, including China and the United States, work hard to help panda numbers grow. They are an extraordinary animal.

Rafael has an interesting idea for helping pandas. Does Marni agree with his plan? Learn more by reading today’s English lesson about this giant bear.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Rafael

Marni:  You know what animal I find very intriguing?

Rafael:  I find many animals intriguing, but go ahead.

Marni:  I really find pandas intriguing because I don’t know a lot about them, here in the United States. They’re endangered.

Rafael:  Yeah.

Marni:  But they’re kind of a unique creature, right? They look so cuddly and cute, but they’re a bear.

Rafael:  They have a lot of trouble surviving in the wild. That’s one kind of animal that might even lend itself to being domestic. Why don’t we all just have pet pandas? All they eat is bamboo, and that stuff’s not nutritious, anyway.

Marni:  Well, I think that’s part of the problem, right?

Rafael:  They need serious help. Their population is dwindling.

Marni:  Right. But having them as pets? How’s that going to help? I’m not sure, but… I find it interesting. I think China’s really making an effort to try and keep up panda populations. Obviously I fully support that, because we don’t want to see any animals becoming extinct.

Rafael:  Look, just give me one panda for ten years. I’ll house-train it so well, you’ll be amazed.

Marni:  OK, you’re really on this panda kick.

Rafael:  Oh, yeah.

Marni:  Should we go see Kung Fu Panda?

Rafael:  No.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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