An ostrich in South Korea recently caused quite a commotion when it escaped from a nearby ecological park and ran loose on the roads of Seongnam. Eyewitnesses captured footage of the bird running down the streets, narrowly avoiding traffic and even colliding with a truck. Thankfully, the runaway ostrich was captured by the police and firefighters and safely returned to the park it had escaped from.

The incident took place on Tuesday morning, and local media quickly reported on the unusual occurrence. The video footage of the ostrich running loose quickly spread, capturing the attention of many people. It is not every day that you see an ostrich running down the streets!

The escape of the ostrich caused a temporary disruption in the area as authorities worked to capture the bird and ensure the safety of both the ostrich and the people around. The police and firefighters were successful in their efforts, and the ostrich was safely returned to the ecological park.

This incident serves as a reminder of the unexpected events that can occur in our daily lives. It also highlights the importance of quick and efficient response from authorities to ensure the safety of both animals and humans. While it may have been a surprising and unusual sight for the residents of Seongnam, the incident ended without any harm, thanks to the efforts of the authorities involved.

Original news source: Watch: Escaped ostrich runs loose in South Korea (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Have the students read the article individually or in pairs. Then, ask them to write a summary of the article in their own words, highlighting the key points and main events. After they have finished, have a class discussion to compare and discuss their summaries.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a list of questions related to the article, such as “Do you think the authorities responded quickly and efficiently to capture the ostrich?” or “How would you have reacted if you saw an ostrich running loose on the streets?” Have the groups discuss and share their opinions, and then conduct a class poll to see the overall consensus on each question.

– Mind Map
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper or a blank space on the board. Ask them to create a mind map based on the article, with the ostrich escape as the central topic. Have them write down related words, events, and ideas branching out from the central topic. After they have completed their mind maps, have a class discussion to share and compare their maps.

– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write down a list of keywords from the article on separate pieces of paper or index cards. Divide the class into two teams. Take turns selecting a keyword and describing it to your team without using the word itself. The team has to guess the keyword based on your description. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have a class discussion about what might happen next after the ostrich escape incident. Ask the students to make predictions about the potential consequences of the incident, such as increased security measures in the ecological park or stricter regulations for keeping exotic animals. Encourage them to support their predictions with reasoning and evidence from the article.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What caused the commotion in South Korea?
2. How did eyewitnesses capture footage of the ostrich?
3. What happened when the ostrich collided with a truck?
4. When did the incident take place?
5. What did local media do after the incident?
6. How did the escape of the ostrich disrupt the area?
7. Who successfully captured the ostrich?
8. Why is this incident a reminder of unexpected events?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

An (1)______ in South Korea recently caused quite a commotion when it escaped from a nearby (2)______ park and ran loose on the roads of Seongnam. Eyewitnesses (3)______ footage of the bird running down the streets, narrowly avoiding traffic and even colliding with a (4)______. Thankfully, the runaway ostrich was captured by the police and firefighters and safely returned to the park it had escaped from.

The (5)______ took place on (6)______ morning, and local media quickly reported on the (7)______ occurrence. The (8)______ footage of the ostrich running loose quickly spread, capturing the attention of many people. It is not every day that you see an ostrich running down the streets!

The escape of the ostrich caused a (9)______ disruption in the area as authorities worked to capture the bird and ensure the safety of both the ostrich and the (10)______ around. The police and (11)______ were successful in their efforts, and the ostrich was safely returned to the ecological park.

This incident serves as a (12)______ of the unexpected events that can occur in our (13)______ lives. It also highlights the importance of quick and efficient response from (14)______ to (15)______ the (16)______ of both animals and humans. While it may have been a surprising and unusual sight for the residents of Seongnam, the incident ended without any harm, thanks to the efforts of the authorities involved.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is your reaction to the story of the ostrich running loose on the streets?
2. Have you ever witnessed an unusual or unexpected event like this in your city? If so, what happened?
3. How do you think the residents of Seongnam felt when they saw the ostrich running down the streets?
4. Do you think it was dangerous for the ostrich to be running loose on the roads? Why or why not?
5. How would you feel if you were driving and suddenly saw an ostrich running in front of your car?
6. Do you think the authorities responded quickly and efficiently to capture the ostrich? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever visited an ecological park? If so, what was your experience like?
8. What do you think caused the ostrich to escape from the park?
9. How do you think the park officials felt when they realized the ostrich had escaped?
10. Do you think incidents like this can be prevented in the future? Why or why not?
11. What measures do you think could be taken to prevent animals from escaping from parks?
12. How do you think the firefighters and police officers felt when they were trying to capture the ostrich?
13. Have you ever encountered a wild animal in an unexpected place? If so, what was your experience like?
14. Do you think it’s important for authorities to prioritize the safety of both animals and humans in situations like this? Why or why not?
15. How would you react if you saw an ostrich running loose in your city?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. ostrich
2. commotion
3. ecological
4. eyewitnesses
5. narrowly
6. collision
7. authorities
8. disruption
9. temporary
10. occurrence
11. reminder
12. unexpected
13. efficiency
14. residents
15. harm

Meanings:
(A) People living in a particular area or place
(B) The people or organizations that have the power to make decisions and enforce laws
(C) Lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent
(D) People who have seen something happen, especially an accident or crime
(E) An interruption of a state of peace or quiet
(F) An event or incident that happens, especially one that is unusual or important
(G) A state of confused and noisy disturbance
(H) Not expected or regarded as likely to happen
(I) Physical injury, damage, or hurt
(J) Something that serves to warn, advise, or prepare
(K) Related to the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings
(L) By a small margin; almost not
(M) A large flightless bird native to Africa, known for its speed and size
(N) An instance of one moving object or person striking violently against another
(O) The ability to accomplish a job with a minimum expenditure of time and effort
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Where did the ostrich escape from?
(a) An ecological park
(b) A zoo
(c) A farm
(d) A wildlife sanctuary

2. What day did the incident take place?
(a) Wednesday
(b) Thursday
(c) Tuesday
(d) Friday

3. What did the ostrich collide with?
(a) A car
(b) A truck
(c) A bus
(d) A motorcycle

4. How did the police and firefighters capture the ostrich?
(a) They lured it back to the park with food
(b) They used a tranquilizer dart to sedate it
(c) They chased it down and caught it
(d) They called in animal control to handle it

5. What did the local media do after the incident?
(a) They ignored it
(b) They downplayed it
(c) They exaggerated it
(d) They reported on it quickly

6. What did the authorities prioritize during the incident?
(a) Capturing the ostrich at any cost
(b) The safety of both the ostrich and the people
(c) Preventing any damage to property
(d) Ensuring the incident didn’t cause a traffic jam

7. How did the residents of Seongnam react to the incident?
(a) They were surprised and found it unusual
(b) They were scared and panicked
(c) They were amused and entertained
(d) They were angry and frustrated

8. What does the incident highlight?
(a) The need for stricter regulations on ecological parks
(b) The danger of keeping ostriches in captivity
(c) The unpredictability of daily life
(d) The importance of quick response from authorities

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. An ostrich recently escaped from an ecological park in South Korea.
2. The police and firefighters were successful in capturing the ostrich.
3. The ostrich was released by the police and firefighters.
4. The incident ended with minor injuries to both the ostrich and the people involved.
5. The incident took place on a Tuesday morning.
6. The escape of the ostrich caused a temporary disruption in the area.
7. Video footage of the ostrich flying rapidly spread.
8. Local media slowly reported on the escape of the ostrich.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What caused the ostrich to escape from the ecological park in South Korea?
2. How did eyewitnesses react to the sight of the ostrich running loose on the streets?
3. How did the police and firefighters capture the runaway ostrich?
4. What measures did authorities take to ensure the safety of both the ostrich and the people in the area?
5. What does this incident teach us about the importance of quick and efficient response from authorities in unexpected situations?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. The escape of an ostrich from an ecological park caused the commotion in South Korea.
2. Eyewitnesses captured footage of the ostrich running loose on the roads of Seongnam.
3. The ostrich collided with a truck.
4. The incident took place on Tuesday morning.
5. Local media quickly reported on the unusual occurrence and spread the video footage of the ostrich running loose.
6. The escape of the ostrich caused a temporary disruption as authorities worked to capture the bird and ensure the safety of both the ostrich and the people around.
7. The police and firefighters successfully captured the ostrich.
8. This incident is a reminder of the unexpected events that can occur in our daily lives and highlights the importance of quick and efficient response from authorities to ensure the safety of both animals and humans.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) ostrich
(2) ecological
(3) captured
(4) truck
(5) incident
(6) Tuesday
(7) unusual
(8) video
(9) temporary
(10) people
(11) firefighters
(12) reminder
(13) daily
(14) authorities
(15) ensure
(16) safety
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. ostrich
Answer: (M) A large flightless bird native to Africa, known for its speed and size

2. commotion
Answer: (G) A state of confused and noisy disturbance

3. ecological
Answer: (K) Related to the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings

4. eyewitnesses
Answer: (D) People who have seen something happen, especially an accident or crime

5. narrowly
Answer: (L) By a small margin; almost not

6. collision
Answer: (N) An instance of one moving object or person striking violently against another

7. authorities
Answer: (B) The people or organizations that have the power to make decisions and enforce laws

8. disruption
Answer: (E) An interruption of a state of peace or quiet

9. temporary
Answer: (C) Lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent

10. occurrence
Answer: (F) An event or incident that happens, especially one that is unusual or important

11. reminder
Answer: (J) Something that serves to warn, advise, or prepare

12. unexpected
Answer: (H) Not expected or regarded as likely to happen

13. efficiency
Answer: (O) The ability to accomplish a job with a minimum expenditure of time and effort

14. residents
Answer: (A) People living in a particular area or place

15. harm
Answer: (I) Physical injury, damage, or hurt
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Where did the ostrich escape from?
Answer: (a) An ecological park

2. What day did the incident take place?
Answer: (c) Tuesday

3. What did the ostrich collide with?
Answer: (b) A truck

4. How did the police and firefighters capture the ostrich?
Answer: (c) They chased it down and caught it

5. What did the local media do after the incident?
Answer: (d) They reported on it quickly

6. What did the authorities prioritize during the incident?
Answer: (b) The safety of both the ostrich and the people

7. How did the residents of Seongnam react to the incident?
Answer: (a) They were surprised and found it unusual

8. What does the incident highlight?
Answer: (d) The importance of quick response from authorities
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. An ostrich recently escaped from an ecological park in South Korea. (Answer: True)
2. The police and firefighters were successful in capturing the ostrich. (Answer: True)
3. The ostrich was released by the police and firefighters. (Answer: False)
4. The incident ended with minor injuries to both the ostrich and the people involved. (Answer: False)
5. The incident took place on a Tuesday morning. (Answer: True)
6. The escape of the ostrich caused a temporary disruption in the area. (Answer: True)
7. Video footage of the ostrich flying rapidly spread. (Answer: False)
8. Local media slowly reported on the escape of the ostrich. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧