Some smart people helped a rhino get a baby in her tummy using science. They made a baby rhino in a lab and put it in another rhino’s tummy. This is good news because it can help save a special kind of rhino that almost has no family left. There are only two girl rhinos of this kind, and they can’t have babies. The smart people want to use their science to make more of these rhinos.

The rhinos that are almost gone used to live in Africa, but bad people hurt them for their noses. Now, there are only two girl rhinos, and they are old. The smart people are working very hard to make baby rhinos in labs. They have to be very careful to make the babies and put them in the right place at the right time. They hope to make baby rhinos soon so that the old rhinos can see them.

Original news source: World’s first IVF rhino pregnancy ‘could save species’ (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a word related to the article (e.g. rhino, lab, science). One person from each group will act out the word without speaking, while the rest of the group tries to guess what it is.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. They should try to include key details such as the rhino species, the use of science to create a baby rhino, and the hope of saving the species.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Ask students to think about their opinion on the use of science to create a baby rhino. Have them write down their opinion, either for or against, and then conduct a class poll to see how many students are on each side. Discuss the results as a class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on slips of paper (e.g. rhino, lab, science, save). Put the slips of paper in a bag or hat. One student from each pair draws a word from the bag and tries to draw it while their partner guesses what it is.

– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Each student writes down two true statements and one false statement related to the article. In pairs or small groups, students take turns reading their statements aloud and the others have to guess which statement is the lie. This activity encourages comprehension and creativity.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the smart people do to help the rhino have a baby?
2. Why is it good news that they made a baby rhino in a lab?
3. How many girl rhinos of this kind are left?
4. Why can’t the two girl rhinos have babies?
5. Where do the rhinos that are almost gone used to live?
6. Why did bad people hurt the rhinos?
7. What are the smart people trying to do with their science?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Some smart people helped a rhino get a (1)______ in her (2)______ using science. They made a baby rhino in a lab and put it in another rhino’s tummy. This is good news because it can help save a special kind of rhino that almost has no family (3)______. There are only two girl rhinos of this kind, and they can’t have babies. The smart people want to use their (4)______ to make more of these rhinos.

The (5)______ that are almost gone used to live in Africa, but bad people hurt them for their noses. Now, there are only two (6)______ rhinos, and they are old. The smart people are working very hard to make baby rhinos in labs. They (7)______ to be very (8)______ to make the babies and put them in the right place at the right time. They hope to make baby rhinos soon so that the old rhinos can see them.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a rhino?
2. How would you feel if you saw a baby rhino?
3. Do you like animals? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the smart people helping the rhinos?
5. How do you think the smart people made the baby rhino?
6. Why do you think the rhinos are almost gone?
7. Do you think it’s important to save animals? Why or why not?
8. How do you think the old rhinos would feel if they saw the baby rhinos?
9. What do you think the baby rhinos will look like?
10. Do you think it’s hard work to make baby rhinos in labs? Why or why not?
11. How would you feel if you got to see a real rhino in person?
12. What do you think the smart people should do next to help the rhinos?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. rhino
2. science
3. lab
4. tummy
5. special
6. family
7. Africa
8. careful
9. discover
10. hope

Meanings:
(A) A big animal with a horn on its nose
(B) A big place with lots of land and animals, far away
(C) People who are related to you, like your mom, dad, or siblings
(D) Doing something with a lot of attention so you don’t make mistakes
(E) To wish for something to happen or to want something very much
(F) The place in your body where food goes when you eat
(G) Very important or not like others
(H) Learning about how things work by doing experiments
(I) To find something new or learn something you didn’t know before
(J) A room where you do experiments
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How did the smart people help the rhino get a baby?
(a) They gave the rhino a special medicine to make a baby.
(b) They made a baby rhino in a lab and put it in another rhino’s tummy.
(c) They found a baby rhino in the forest and gave it to the rhino.
(d) They asked other animals to help the rhino have a baby.

2. Why is it good news that the smart people made a baby rhino?
(a) The baby rhino can be a new pet for the smart people.
(b) The baby rhino can help the smart people with their homework.
(c) The baby rhino can teach the smart people how to run fast.
(d) It can help save a special kind of rhino that almost has no family left.

3. Where did the rhinos that are almost gone used to live?
(a) Africa
(b) Asia
(c) Europe
(d) Australia

4. Why did bad people hurt the rhinos?
(a) For their ears
(b) For their noses
(c) For their tails
(d) For their feet

5. How many girl rhinos of this kind are left?
(a) Three
(b) Four
(c) Five
(d) Two

6. What are the smart people working very hard to make?
(a) Baby rhinos in labs
(b) Baby elephants in labs
(c) Baby lions in labs
(d) Baby giraffes in labs

7. What do the smart people have to be very careful about?
(a) Making the babies and putting them in the wrong place at the wrong time.
(b) Making the babies and giving them to the wrong animals.
(c) Making the babies and putting them in the right place at the right time.
(d) Making the babies and forgetting about them.

8. What do the smart people hope to see soon?
(a) Baby elephants
(b) Baby lions
(c) Baby rhinos
(d) Baby giraffes

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The smart people are hardly working to prevent baby rhinos in labs so the old rhinos can’t see them.
2. There are only two girl rhinos of this kind, and they can’t have babies.
3. The rhinos that are thriving used to live in Africa.
4. The baby rhino was made in a lab and put inside another rhino’s tummy.
5. Bad people hurt them for their noses.
6. This is good news because it can help save a special kind of rhino that doesn’t have many family members left.
7. The smart people don’t want to utilize their science to make more of these rhinos.
8. Some unintelligent people hindered a rhino from having a baby using science.
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 did the smart people do to help the rhino have a baby?
2. Why is it good news that the smart people made a baby rhino?
3. How many girl rhinos of this kind are left?
4. Why did bad people hurt the rhinos?
5. What are the smart people trying to do with their science?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did the smart people do to help the rhino have a baby?
The smart people made a baby rhino in a lab and put it in another rhino’s tummy.

2. Why is it good news that they made a baby rhino in a lab?
It’s good news because it can help save a special kind of rhino that almost has no family left.

3. How many girl rhinos of this kind are left?
There are only two girl rhinos of this kind left.

4. Why can’t the two girl rhinos have babies?
The two girl rhinos are old and can’t have babies anymore.

5. Where do the rhinos that are almost gone used to live?
The rhinos that are almost gone used to live in Africa.

6. Why did bad people hurt the rhinos?
Bad people hurt the rhinos for their noses.

7. What are the smart people trying to do with their science?
The smart people are trying to use their science to make more baby rhinos and save the rhino kind.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) baby
(2) tummy
(3) left
(4) science
(5) rhinos
(6) girl
(7) have
(8) careful
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. rhino
Answer: (A) A big animal with a horn on its nose

2. science
Answer: (H) Learning about how things work by doing experiments

3. lab
Answer: (J) A room where you do experiments

4. tummy
Answer: (F) The place in your body where food goes when you eat

5. special
Answer: (G) Very important or not like others

6. family
Answer: (C) People who are related to you, like your mom, dad, or siblings

7. Africa
Answer: (B) A big place with lots of land and animals, far away

8. careful
Answer: (D) Doing something with a lot of attention so you don’t make mistakes

9. discover
Answer: (I) To find something new or learn something you didn’t know before

10. hope
Answer: (E) To wish for something to happen or to want something very much
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How did the smart people help the rhino get a baby?
Answer: (b) They made a baby rhino in a lab and put it in another rhino’s tummy.

2. Why is it good news that the smart people made a baby rhino?
Answer: (d) It can help save a special kind of rhino that almost has no family left.

3. Where did the rhinos that are almost gone used to live?
Answer: (a) Africa

4. Why did bad people hurt the rhinos?
Answer: (b) For their noses

5. How many girl rhinos of this kind are left?
Answer: (d) Two

6. What are the smart people working very hard to make?
Answer: (a) Baby rhinos in labs

7. What do the smart people have to be very careful about?
Answer: (c) Making the babies and putting them in the right place at the right time.

8. What do the smart people hope to see soon?
Answer: (c) Baby rhinos
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The smart people are hardly working to prevent baby rhinos in labs so the old rhinos can’t see them. (Answer: False)
2. There are only two girl rhinos of this kind, and they can’t have babies. (Answer: True)
3. The rhinos that are thriving used to live in Africa. (Answer: False)
4. The baby rhino was made in a lab and put inside another rhino’s tummy. (Answer: True)
5. Bad people hurt them for their noses. (Answer: True)
6. This is good news because it can help save a special kind of rhino that doesn’t have many family members left. (Answer: True)
7. The smart people don’t want to utilize their science to make more of these rhinos. (Answer: False)
8. Some unintelligent people hindered a rhino from having a baby using science. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧