A ride at a big park in Japan stopped while people were very high up. The ride is called The Flying Dinosaur and it is really tall. The ride knew something was wrong, so it stopped by itself. People who work at the park helped everyone get down safely. No one was hurt, and the ride started again after a check.

The ride stopped on a Thursday when it was morning. The ride moves people all around, like in a circle, and it is like being with dinosaurs. The people who run the park say the ride stops if it thinks something is not right. This shows that it is important for rides to be safe. The video of the ride stopping is now on the internet, and many people are watching it.

Original news source: Japan: People left dangling as rollercoaster stops mid-ride (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and act out a word or phrase related to the article using only gestures and facial expressions. The team members will try to guess the word or phrase within a time limit. The team that guesses correctly earns a point. Repeat with different students from each team until all students have had a turn or for a set number of rounds.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and a pencil. Choose a word from the article and write it on the board. Students should draw a picture that represents the word without using any letters or numbers. They can then show their drawings to the class and the class will try to guess the word. The student who guesses correctly can take a turn drawing the next word.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Write a keyword from the article on the board, leaving out a few letters and replacing them with dashes. Students will take turns guessing letters to try and uncover the keyword. If a guessed letter is correct, write it in the correct position in the word. If a guessed letter is incorrect, draw a body part of a stick figure being hanged. Students should try to guess the keyword before the hangman is completed.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will create a headline for the news article using 5-10 words. The headline should summarize the main idea of the article. After the groups have had time to create their headlines, they will share them with the class. The class can then discuss which headline they think is the most accurate and why.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Give each student a few moments to think about the article individually. Then, pair up the students and have them share their thoughts with their partner. After a few minutes of discussion, bring the class back together and ask for volunteers to share what they discussed with their partner. This activity encourages students to think critically about the article and practice their speaking skills.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened to the ride at the big park in Japan?
2. What is the ride called and how tall is it?
3. What did the ride do when it knew something was wrong?
4. Who helped the people get down safely?
5. Was anyone hurt when the ride stopped?
6. What day of the week did the ride stop?
7. What did the ride do after it was checked?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A ride at a big park in Japan (1)______ while people were very high up. The ride is called The (2)______ Dinosaur and it is really tall. The ride knew something was wrong, so it stopped by itself. People who work at the park helped everyone get down safely. No one was hurt, and the (3)______ (4)______ again after a check.

The ride stopped on a Thursday when it was morning. The ride moves (5)______ all around, like in a circle, and it is like being with (6)______. The people who run the park say the ride stops if it thinks something is not right. This shows that it is important for (7)______ to be safe. The (8)______ of the ride stopping is now on the internet, and many people are watching it.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is The Flying Dinosaur?
2. How would you feel if you were on a ride that stopped very high up?
3. Do you like going on rides at amusement parks? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important for rides to be safe? Why or why not?
5. Have you ever been on a ride that stopped unexpectedly? How did you feel?
6. What do you think the people who work at the park did to help everyone get down safely?
7. How do you think the ride knew something was wrong?
8. Have you ever seen a video on the internet? What was it about?
9. Do you think it’s fun to watch videos of rides on the internet? Why or why not?
10. What would you do if you were on a ride that stopped and you were very high up?
11. Have you ever seen dinosaurs? Where did you see them?
12. What do you think the ride looks like?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. difficult
2. matching
3. activity
4. corresponding
5. sequence
6. beginner
7. ESL
8. native
9. speaker
10. language

Meanings:
(A) When things go together or are the same
(B) Someone who talks or says words
(C) A fun thing you do, like a game
(D) Going together or fitting with something else
(E) Where you were born or come from
(F) The order that things come in, like numbers or letters
(G) Learning English when it’s not the first language you spoke
(H) The words we use to talk or write
(I) Hard to do or understand
(J) Someone who is just starting to learn
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the ride that stopped at the park in Japan?
(a) The Big Roller Coaster
(b) The Flying Dinosaur
(c) The Spinning Carousel
(d) The Water Slide

2. What did the ride do when it realized something was wrong?
(a) It went faster
(b) It started playing music
(c) It stopped by itself
(d) It changed direction

3. When did the ride stop?
(a) On a Thursday morning
(b) On a Friday afternoon
(c) On a Saturday evening
(d) On a Sunday night

4. How did the people get down from the ride?
(a) The park workers helped them
(b) They climbed down by themselves
(c) They flew off the ride
(d) They stayed on the ride

5. Was anyone hurt when the ride stopped?
(a) Yes, many people were hurt
(b) No, no one was hurt
(c) Only one person was hurt
(d) We don’t know if anyone was hurt

6. What did the ride do after it was checked?
(a) It stayed stopped
(b) It broke down
(c) It went backwards
(d) It started again

7. What does the ride move people around in?
(a) A straight line
(b) A zigzag pattern
(c) A square
(d) A circle

8. Why is it important for rides to be safe?
(a) So the rides can go faster
(b) So the park can make more money
(c) So no one gets hurt
(d) So the rides can be taller

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The ride doesn’t move people at all, it just stays still, and it is nothing like being with dinosaurs.
2. People who work at the park didn’t help everyone get down safely.
3. The video of the ride stopping is not on the internet, and few people are watching it.
4. No one was hurt, and the ride started again after a check.
5. The ride is called The Flying Dinosaur and it is really tall.
6. A ride at a small park in Japan stopped while people were very low down.
7. The ride knew something was wrong, so it stopped by itself.
8. The ride stopped on a Thursday when it was morning.
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 happened to the ride at the big park in Japan?
2. What is the name of the ride that stopped?
3. Did anyone get hurt when the ride stopped?
4. What did the people who work at the park do to help everyone?
5. Why is it important for rides to be safe?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What happened to the ride at the big park in Japan?
The ride stopped while people were very high up.

2. What is the ride called and how tall is it?
The ride is called The Flying Dinosaur and it is really tall.

3. What did the ride do when it knew something was wrong?
The ride stopped by itself.

4. Who helped the people get down safely?
People who work at the park helped everyone get down safely.

5. Was anyone hurt when the ride stopped?
No, no one was hurt.

6. What day of the week did the ride stop?
The ride stopped on a Thursday.

7. What did the ride do after it was checked?
The ride started again after a check.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) stopped
(2) Flying
(3) ride
(4) started
(5) people
(6) dinosaurs
(7) rides
(8) video
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. difficult
Answer: (I) Hard to do or understand

2. matching
Answer: (A) When things go together or are the same

3. activity
Answer: (C) A fun thing you do, like a game

4. corresponding
Answer: (D) Going together or fitting with something else

5. sequence
Answer: (F) The order that things come in, like numbers or letters

6. beginner
Answer: (J) Someone who is just starting to learn

7. ESL
Answer: (G) Learning English when it’s not the first language you spoke

8. native
Answer: (E) Where you were born or come from

9. speaker
Answer: (B) Someone who talks or says words

10. language
Answer: (H) The words we use to talk or write
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the ride that stopped at the park in Japan?
Answer: (b) The Flying Dinosaur

2. What did the ride do when it realized something was wrong?
Answer: (c) It stopped by itself

3. When did the ride stop?
Answer: (a) On a Thursday morning

4. How did the people get down from the ride?
Answer: (a) The park workers helped them

5. Was anyone hurt when the ride stopped?
Answer: (b) No, no one was hurt

6. What did the ride do after it was checked?
Answer: (d) It started again

7. What does the ride move people around in?
Answer: (d) A circle

8. Why is it important for rides to be safe?
Answer: (c) So no one gets hurt
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The ride doesn’t move people at all, it just stays still, and it is nothing like being with dinosaurs. (Answer: False)
2. People who work at the park didn’t help everyone get down safely. (Answer: False)
3. The video of the ride stopping is not on the internet, and few people are watching it. (Answer: False)
4. No one was hurt, and the ride started again after a check. (Answer: True)
5. The ride is called The Flying Dinosaur and it is really tall. (Answer: True)
6. A ride at a small park in Japan stopped while people were very low down. (Answer: False)
7. The ride knew something was wrong, so it stopped by itself. (Answer: True)
8. The ride stopped on a Thursday when it was morning. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧