Two big bears named Tian Tian and Yang Guang are going back to their first home, China. They lived in a place called Edinburgh for 12 years but did not have any baby bears. People tried to help them have babies eight times, but it did not work. The bears came on a big airplane just for them. The place where they lived paid a lot of money every year to have them.

Some people think the bears were in Edinburgh to make money, not to help bears. A lady who loves animals said the bears were like famous singers because many people wanted to see them. But no bears born away from the wild have gone back to live in the forests. The bears did not have any babies in Edinburgh. Now, many people are going to see them before they leave.

Original news source: Rock star’ pandas – not exactly a love story (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. bears, Edinburgh, airplane, forests). One student from each group will act out the word or phrase without speaking, while the rest of the group tries to guess what it is.

– News Summary
Instructions: Ask the students to work in pairs and summarize the main points of the article in their own words. They can take turns sharing their summaries with each other, making sure to include key details such as the names of the bears, their previous home, and the reason for their return to China.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Ask the students to form small groups and discuss their opinions on the situation described in the article. For example, they can discuss whether they think it was right for the bears to be kept in Edinburgh for so long, or whether they believe the bears should have been returned to China earlier. Each group should then choose a spokesperson to present their group’s opinion to the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a selection of vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g. bears, Edinburgh, airplane, forests, singers). Divide the class into pairs or small groups. One student will choose a word and try to draw it on the board, while the other students in the group try to guess what the word is. Encourage the students to use the words in sentences as they play.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. One group will discuss the pros (positive aspects) of keeping the bears in Edinburgh, while the other group will discuss the cons (negative aspects). Each group should brainstorm their ideas and then take turns presenting their arguments to the class. Encourage the students to use phrases such as “On one hand…” and “On the other hand…” to express different perspectives.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What are the names of the two bears?
2. Where did the bears live for 12 years?
3. Did the bears have any baby bears?
4. Did people try to help the bears have babies?
5. How did the bears go back to China?
6. Why did the place where they lived pay a lot of money?
7. Are the bears going to live in the forests in China?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Two big bears (1)______ Tian Tian and Yang Guang are going back to their (2)______ home, China. They lived in a place called Edinburgh for 12 years but did not have any baby bears. People tried to (3)______ them have babies eight times, but it did not work. The bears came on a big airplane just for them. The place where they lived paid a lot of money every (4)______ to have them.

Some people think the bears were in Edinburgh to make money, not to help bears. A lady who loves (5)______ (6)______ the bears were like famous singers because many people wanted to see them. But no bears born away from the wild (7)______ gone back to live in the forests. The bears did not have any babies in Edinburgh. Now, many people are (8)______ to see them before they leave.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What are the names of the bears in the story?
2. How long did the bears live in Edinburgh?
3. How many times did people try to help the bears have babies?
4. How did the bears go back to China?
5. Do you think the bears were in Edinburgh to make money? Why or why not?
6. Do you like animals? Why or why not?
7. How do you think the bears felt about not having any babies?
8. How do you think the people in Edinburgh felt about the bears leaving?
9. Have you ever seen a bear before? Where?
10. Do you think it’s good for animals to live in the wild or in a zoo? Why or why not?
11. What do you think the bears will do when they go back to China?
12. How would you feel if you had to leave your home and go somewhere else? Why?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. bears
2. China
3. Edinburgh
4. babies
5. airplane
6. money
7. singers
8. forests

Meanings:
(a) A big flying machine that carries people
(b) Something you use to buy things
(c) Big places with lots of trees and animals
(d) Big furry animals with sharp claws and teeth
(e) A country far away from here
(f) People who make beautiful music with their voices
(g) Little bear cubs
(h) A city where the bears used to live
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Where are the bears going back to?
(a) China
(b) Edinburgh
(c) London
(d) Germany

2. How long did the bears live in Edinburgh?
(a) 5 years
(b) 3 years
(c) 8 years
(d) 12 years

3. Why did the bears come on a big airplane?
(a) Because they wanted to see their family
(b) Because it was their first home
(c) Because they wanted to go on a trip
(d) Because they were scared of the train

4. What did people try to help the bears have?
(a) Money
(b) Food
(c) Babies
(d) Toys

5. Why did some people think the bears were in Edinburgh?
(a) To help other bears
(b) To see their friends
(c) To make money
(d) To go on vacation

6. What did the lady compare the bears to?
(a) Movie stars
(b) Famous singers
(c) Superheroes
(d) Teachers

7. Where do bears born away from the wild go to live?
(a) They go to the zoo
(b) They go to the beach
(c) They go to the mountains
(d) They don’t go back to the forests

8. What are many people going to do before the bears leave?
(a) See them
(b) Help them
(c) Feed them
(d) Play with them

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. They came on a big airplane just for them.
2. They lived in a place called Edinburgh for 12 years.
3. The place where they lived paid a lot of money every year to have them.
4. The bears tried to have babies eight times, and it worked every time.
5. The bears were infamous and many people did not want to see them, like infamous criminals.
6. The bears did not have any babies in Edinburgh.
7. The bears successfully had babies in Edinburgh.
8. Some people think the bears were in Edinburgh to make money, not to help the bears.
9. Two big bears named Tian Tian and Yang Guang are going back to China.
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. Who are the two bears going back to China?
2. How long did the bears live in Edinburgh?
3. Did the bears have any baby bears in Edinburgh?
4. Why did some people think the bears were in Edinburgh?
5. Are the bears going back to live in the forests?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What are the names of the two bears?
The names of the two bears are Tian Tian and Yang Guang.

2. Where did the bears live for 12 years?
The bears lived in Edinburgh for 12 years.

3. Did the bears have any baby bears?
No, the bears did not have any baby bears.

4. Did people try to help the bears have babies?
Yes, people tried to help the bears have babies eight times.

5. How did the bears go back to China?
The bears went back to China on a big airplane.

6. Why did the place where they lived pay a lot of money?
The place where they lived paid a lot of money to have them because many people wanted to see them.

7. Are the bears going to live in the forests in China?
It is not mentioned in the article whether the bears are going to live in the forests in China.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) named
(2) first
(3) help
(4) year
(5) animals
(6) said
(7) have
(8) going
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. bears
Answer: (d) Big furry animals with sharp claws and teeth

2. China
Answer: (e) A country far away from here

3. Edinburgh
Answer: (h) A city where the bears used to live

4. babies
Answer: (g) Little bear cubs

5. airplane
Answer: (a) A big flying machine that carries people

6. money
Answer: (b) Something you use to buy things

7. singers
Answer: (f) People who make beautiful music with their voices

8. forests
Answer: (c) Big places with lots of trees and animals
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Where are the bears going back to?
Answer: (a) China

2. How long did the bears live in Edinburgh?
Answer: (d) 12 years

3. Why did the bears come on a big airplane?
Answer: (b) Because it was their first home

4. What did people try to help the bears have?
Answer: (c) Babies

5. Why did some people think the bears were in Edinburgh?
Answer: (c) To make money

6. What did the lady compare the bears to?
Answer: (b) Famous singers

7. Where do bears born away from the wild go to live?
Answer: (d) They don’t go back to the forests

8. What are many people going to do before the bears leave?
Answer: (a) See them
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. They came on a big airplane just for them. (Answer: True)
2. They lived in a place called Edinburgh for 12 years. (Answer: True)
3. The place where they lived paid a lot of money every year to have them. (Answer: True)
4. The bears tried to have babies eight times, and it worked every time. (Answer: False)
5. The bears were infamous and many people did not want to see them, like infamous criminals. (Answer: False)
6. The bears did not have any babies in Edinburgh. (Answer: False)
7. The bears successfully had babies in Edinburgh. (Answer: False)
8. Some people think the bears were in Edinburgh to make money, not to help the bears. (Answer: False)
9. Two big bears named Tian Tian and Yang Guang are going back to China. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧