The UK leaders want to make a new big park where people can enjoy nature. They are thinking about where to put this new park. They will give money to help the parks we already have. But some people who love the earth say there is not enough money for the parks. They are worried because the parks have not had much money for a long time.

A man who wrote a report about parks thinks this is a good start. But a lady who works to protect parks says they need more money to stay nice. The new money will help for a little while, but parks need more to keep going. The UK wants to make parks better and give them more money. It might take five years to make the new park, and other parts of the UK might make new parks too.

Original news source: England to get new national park as part of nature plan (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a word or phrase related to the article (e.g. park, nature, money). One person from each group will act out the word or phrase without speaking, while the other group members guess what it is.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. Encourage them to use their own words and keep the summary brief.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article (e.g. “Parks are important for the environment”). Have students walk around the room and ask their classmates for their opinions on each statement. They can tally the number of “agree” and “disagree” responses they receive.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Choose 5-10 vocabulary words from the article (e.g. park, money, nature). Have students take turns coming to the board and drawing a picture to represent each word, while their classmates try to guess what it is.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs, students take turns making predictions about what the future of parks in the UK will look like. They can base their predictions on the information in the article or their own ideas. Encourage them to use future tenses and provide reasons for their predictions.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What do the UK leaders want to make?
2. Why are some people worried about the parks?
3. What did a man write a report about?
4. What does the lady who works to protect parks say they need?
5. How long might it take to make the new park?
6. What will the new money do for the parks?
7. What might other parts of the UK do?
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The UK leaders want to (1)______ a new big park where people can enjoy nature. They are thinking about where to put this new park. They will give money to (2)______ the parks we already have. But some people who love the (3)______ say there is not enough money for the parks. They are worried because the parks have not had much money for a long time.

A man who (4)______ a report about parks thinks this is a good start. But a lady who works to protect parks says they need more money to (5)______ nice. The new money will help for a little (6)______, but parks need (7)______ to keep (8)______. The UK wants to make parks better and give them more money. It might take five years to make the new park, and other parts of the UK might make new parks too.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a park?
2. How would you feel if there was a new big park near your house?
3. Do you like going to parks? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to have money for parks? Why or why not?
5. How do you think parks can stay nice?
6. What do you think the new money will be used for in the parks?
7. Why do you think some people are worried about the parks not having enough money?
8. How long do you think it will take to make the new park?
9. Have you ever been to a park? What did you do there?
10. What other parts of the UK do you think might make new parks?
11. Do you think making new parks is a good idea? Why or why not?
12. What would you do if you had a lot of money to help the parks?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. park
2. money
3. nature
4. report
5. earth
6. lady
7. start
8. parts

Meanings:
(a) A paper that tells about something
(b) A woman who helps take care of things
(c) Different pieces of a whole
(d) Something you use to buy things
(e) Trees, flowers, and animals outside
(f) The beginning of something
(g) A place with trees and grass to play
(h) The ground we walk on
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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What do the UK leaders want to make?
(a) A new shopping mall
(b) A new school
(c) A new big park
(d) A new hospital

2. What are some people worried about?
(a) Not enough money for the parks
(b) Too much money for the parks
(c) Not enough people visiting the parks
(d) Too many people visiting the parks

3. Who thinks the new money is a good start?
(a) The lady who works to protect parks
(b) The people who love the earth
(c) The man who wrote a report about parks
(d) The UK leaders

4. How long might it take to make the new park?
(a) One year
(b) Ten years
(c) Two years
(d) Five years

5. What do the UK leaders want to do to the parks?
(a) Close them down and build houses
(b) Make them better and give them more money
(c) Make them smaller and give them less money
(d) Move them to a different city

6. What do some people say the parks need more of?
(a) People to visit them
(b) Money to stay nice
(c) Animals to live in them
(d) Trees and flowers

7. What will the new money help with?
(a) Forever
(b) For a long time
(c) Never
(d) For a little while

8. What might other parts of the UK do?
(a) Make new parks too
(b) Close their parks
(c) Give money to other countries
(d) Stop making parks

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True or False Questions:

1. A man wrote a report about parks and is not convinced this is a good start.
2. The UK does not prioritize improving parks or allocating more funding to them.
3. They have decided on a location for the new park.
4. A lady who works to protect parks says they need more money to stay nice.
5. The parks have not had much money for a long time.
6. The UK leaders will not offer any financial assistance to existing parks.
7. Some people who love the earth say there is not enough money for the parks.
8. The UK leaders want to make a new big park for people to enjoy nature.
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 are UK leaders planning to make?
2. Why are some people worried about the parks?
3. Who thinks the new money is a good start?
4. What do the parks need more of to stay nice?
5. How long might it take to make the new park?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What do the UK leaders want to make?
The UK leaders want to make a new big park.

2. Why are some people worried about the parks?
Some people are worried because the parks have not had much money for a long time.

3. What did a man write a report about?
A man wrote a report about parks.

4. What does the lady who works to protect parks say they need?
The lady who works to protect parks says they need more money to stay nice.

5. How long might it take to make the new park?
It might take five years to make the new park.

6. What will the new money do for the parks?
The new money will help the parks for a little while.

7. What might other parts of the UK do?
Other parts of the UK might make new parks too.
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) make
(2) help
(3) earth
(4) wrote
(5) stay
(6) while
(7) more
(8) going
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. park
Answer: (g) A place with trees and grass to play

2. money
Answer: (d) Something you use to buy things

3. nature
Answer: (e) Trees, flowers, and animals outside

4. report
Answer: (a) A paper that tells about something

5. earth
Answer: (h) The ground we walk on

6. lady
Answer: (b) A woman who helps take care of things

7. start
Answer: (f) The beginning of something

8. parts
Answer: (c) Different pieces of a whole
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Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What do the UK leaders want to make?
Answer: (c) A new big park

2. What are some people worried about?
Answer: (a) Not enough money for the parks

3. Who thinks the new money is a good start?
Answer: (c) The man who wrote a report about parks

4. How long might it take to make the new park?
Answer: (d) Five years

5. What do the UK leaders want to do to the parks?
Answer: (b) Make them better and give them more money

6. What do some people say the parks need more of?
Answer: (b) Money to stay nice

7. What will the new money help with?
Answer: (d) For a little while

8. What might other parts of the UK do?
Answer: (a) Make new parks too
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True or False Answers:

1. A man wrote a report about parks and is not convinced this is a good start. (Answer: False)
2. The UK does not prioritize improving parks or allocating more funding to them. (Answer: False)
3. They have decided on a location for the new park. (Answer: False)
4. A lady who works to protect parks says they need more money to stay nice. (Answer: True)
5. The parks have not had much money for a long time. (Answer: True)
6. The UK leaders will not offer any financial assistance to existing parks. (Answer: False)
7. Some people who love the earth say there is not enough money for the parks. (Answer: True)
8. The UK leaders want to make a new big park for people to enjoy nature. (Answer: True)
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