There is a big train being built in Mexico called the Tren Maya. It is very long and goes through the jungle. Some people say the train will help bring more visitors and make things better for the towns. But people who love the earth and animals are very upset. They say the train is hurting the trees and the homes of wild animals like big cats and colorful birds.
The train is costing a lot more money than they thought it would. The leader of Mexico, a man named Amlo, is very proud of the train. He says it is the biggest building project in the world. But people who care about nature say the train is just to make Amlo look important. Some people who live near the train got money for their land, but others did not and are sad.
Original news source: Tren Maya: Mexico's YucatΓ‘n mega train – world beating or environmental disaster? (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a set of vocabulary words related to the article (e.g. train, jungle, visitors, trees, animals, etc.). One person from each group will act out a word without speaking, while the others in the group guess what word it is. The group with the most correct guesses wins.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a set of vocabulary words related to the article. One person from each pair will choose a word and draw a picture to represent it, while the other person guesses what word it is. The pair with the most correct guesses wins.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to discuss their opinion on the Tren Maya project. Have them come up with a list of reasons for their opinion. Then, have each group choose a spokesperson to present their opinion to the class. After all groups have presented, conduct a class poll to see which opinion is the most popular.
– Headline Creation
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a set of vocabulary words related to the article. In their pairs, students have to create a catchy newspaper headline using at least three of the given words. Each pair will present their headline to the class and explain why they chose those words.
– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Have each student come up with two true statements and one false statement related to the article. In pairs or small groups, students take turns sharing their statements. The rest of the group has to guess which statement is the lie. This activity helps students practice speaking and listening skills, as well as reinforce their understanding of the article.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
The big train being built in Mexico is called the Tren Maya.
The train goes through the jungle.
Some people are happy about the train because they think it will bring more visitors and make things better for the towns.
Some people are upset about the train because they think it is hurting the trees and the homes of wild animals like big cats and colorful birds.
Yes, the train is costing more money than they thought.
The leader of Mexico is a man named Amlo.
Some people are saying the train is just to make the leader look important because they think he is proud of the train and wants people to think he is doing something big.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
There is a big train being built in Mexico the Tren Maya. It is very long and through the jungle. Some people say the train will help bring more visitors and make things better for the towns. But people who love the earth and animals are very upset. They say the train is hurting the and the of wild animals like big cats and colorful birds. The is costing a lot more money than they thought it would. The leader of Mexico, a man named Amlo, is very proud of the train. He says it is the biggest building in the world. But people who care about say the train is just to make Amlo look important. Some people who live near the train got money for their land, but did not and are sad.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is the Tren Maya?
2. How do some people think the train will help the towns?
3. How do people who love the earth and animals feel about the train?
4. Why are some people upset about the train?
5. How does the leader of Mexico feel about the train?
6. Why do some people think the train is just to make Amlo look important?
7. How do people who live near the train feel if they got money for their land?
8. How do people who live near the train feel if they did not get money for their land?
9. What do you think about the Tren Maya?
10. Do you like the idea of the train going through the jungle? Why or why not?
11. How would you feel if your home was destroyed for a big train?
12. Do you think it's more important to have the train or to protect the trees and animals? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!
