Canada has a big storage place for maple syrup, the only one in the world, and it’s running low. This storage is in Quebec and should hold a lot of syrup, but now it has much less. The reason it’s low is because more people want maple syrup and the weather is getting warmer, making it hard to make syrup. But, people who know a lot about this say we shouldn’t worry about not having enough syrup or it getting too expensive right now.

Most of the world’s maple syrup comes from Canada, and a big part of it is made in Quebec. But, the amount of syrup saved up has gone down a lot since 2020. The weather has been too warm, which is not good for making syrup because you need cold nights and warmer days. The last few years, the weather hasn’t been right, so they couldn’t make as much syrup.

Even though making syrup has been hard, there’s hope that things will get better. The season for making syrup started early this year, and they’re making a lot of it. They’re also giving out more tools to help make more syrup. It will take a few years to fill up the storage again, but the people who know a lot about syrup think that the syrup business in Canada will be okay, even after this year.

Original news source: Canada’s maple syrup reserve hits 16-year low (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article and discuss the main points. Then, ask each group to summarize the article in a few sentences. Have a class discussion and compare the summaries.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Ask each group to come up with a question related to the article. Each group should then survey the rest of the class to gather opinions. After gathering the data, have a class discussion and compare the different opinions.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper and put them in a hat or container. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team takes turns picking a word from the hat and drawing a picture to represent the word. The team has to guess the word based on the drawing. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Choose a keyword from the article and write out the number of letters on the board using underscores. Play a game of hangman with the class, where students take turns guessing letters to try and figure out the keyword. If a correct letter is guessed, write it in the correct position. If an incorrect letter is guessed, draw part of the hangman. The class wins if they guess the keyword before the hangman is completed.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have students discuss and make predictions about the future of the maple syrup industry in Canada. Encourage students to use the information from the article to support their predictions. After the discussion, have each group share their predictions with the class and facilitate a class discussion about the different ideas.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Where is the big storage place for maple syrup?
2. Why is the amount of syrup in the storage running low?
3. Where does most of the world’s maple syrup come from?
4. Why has the amount of syrup saved up gone down a lot since 2020?
5. What kind of weather is good for making syrup?
6. Is there hope that things will get better for making syrup?
7. Will it take a few years to fill up the storage with syrup again?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Canada has a big storage place for maple (1)______, the only one in the world, and it’s running low. This storage is in Quebec and should (2)______ a lot of syrup, but now it has much less. The reason it’s low is because more people (3)______ maple syrup and the weather is getting warmer, making it hard to make syrup. But, people who know a lot about this say we shouldn’t worry about not having (4)______ syrup or it getting too (5)______ right now.

Most of the world’s maple syrup (6)______ from Canada, and a big part of it is made in Quebec. But, the amount of syrup saved up has gone down a lot since 2020. The weather has been too warm, which is not (7)______ for making syrup because you need cold nights and (8)______ days. The last few years, the weather hasn’t been right, so they couldn’t make as much syrup.

Even though making syrup has been hard, there’s hope that things will get (9)______. The season for making syrup (10)______ early this year, and they’re (11)______ a lot of it. They’re also giving out more (12)______ to help make more syrup. It will take a few years to fill up the storage again, but the people who know a lot about syrup think that the syrup business in Canada will be okay, even after this year.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is maple syrup?
2. How would you feel if there wasn’t enough maple syrup?
3. Do you like maple syrup? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the weather getting warmer and making it hard to make syrup?
5. How do you think the people who make maple syrup feel about the low storage?
6. Do you think it’s important to have enough maple syrup? Why or why not?
7. What tools do you think they are giving out to help make more syrup?
8. How long do you think it will take to fill up the storage again?
9. What do you think about the people who know a lot about syrup saying that the syrup business will be okay?
10. Have you ever tried maple syrup? If yes, did you like it? If no, would you like to try it?
11. What other foods do you like to eat with maple syrup?
12. How do you think the syrup business in Canada can be improved?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. storage
2. Quebec
3. syrup
4. weather
5. expensive
6. season
7. tools
8. business
9. hope
10. difficult
11. decrease
12. climate

Meanings:
(A) Believing that something good will happen
(B) A sweet, sticky liquid that comes from trees and is used on pancakes
(C) When something costs a lot of money
(D) Items used to make or fix things
(E) A place in Canada known for making a sweet, sticky liquid from trees
(F) When something is not easy to do
(G) What it’s like outside, such as if it’s hot, cold, rainy, or sunny
(H) The usual weather in a place over a long time
(I) A place where things are kept safe until they are needed
(J) A certain time of the year when something happens
(K) The work of buying and selling things
(L) When something becomes less in amount or number
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Where is the big storage place for maple syrup located?
(a) Ontario
(b) Quebec
(c) Alberta
(d) British Columbia

2. Why is the amount of maple syrup saved up in Canada going down?
(a) Less people want maple syrup and the weather is getting colder
(b) More people want maple syrup and the weather is getting warmer
(c) More people want maple syrup and the weather is getting colder
(d) Less people want maple syrup and the weather is getting warmer

3. Which country produces most of the world’s maple syrup?
(a) United States
(b) France
(c) Germany
(d) Canada

4. What kind of weather is needed to make syrup?
(a) Cold nights and warmer days
(b) Warm nights and colder days
(c) Hot nights and hot days
(d) Cold nights and cold days

5. What is the hope for the maple syrup business in Canada?
(a) Things will get worse and they won’t be able to make any syrup this year
(b) Things will stay the same and they won’t be able to make any syrup this year
(c) Things will get better and they are making a lot of syrup this year
(d) Things will stay the same and they are making a lot of syrup this year

6. When did the amount of syrup saved up in Canada start going down?
(a) Since 2010
(b) Since 2000
(c) Since 2020
(d) Since 1990

7. What is the reason for the decrease in syrup production in recent years?
(a) People don’t want maple syrup anymore
(b) The storage place in Quebec is too small
(c) The tools for making syrup are not working properly
(d) The weather hasn’t been right for making syrup

8. How long will it take to fill up the storage place with syrup again?
(a) A few years
(b) A few months
(c) A few weeks
(d) A few days

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The storage place for maple syrup is in Quebec, Canada.
2. The amount of syrup in storage has increased a lot since 2020.
3. Experts believe that the syrup business in Canada will struggle, even after this year.
4. The weather in the last few years has been good for making syrup.
5. The season for making syrup started early this year, and they are making a lot of it.
6. The warm weather is making it easy to make syrup.
7. Canada has a special place to keep maple syrup, and it’s the only one in the world.
8. Most of the world’s maple syrup comes from Canada, and a lot of it is made in Quebec.
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. Why is the storage place for maple syrup in Quebec running low?
2. Where does most of the world’s maple syrup come from?
3. Why has the amount of syrup saved up gone down since 2020?
4. What is the hope for the syrup business in Canada?
5. How long will it take to fill up the storage place again?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Where is the big storage place for maple syrup?
The big storage place for maple syrup is in Quebec, Canada.

2. Why is the amount of syrup in the storage running low?
The amount of syrup in the storage is running low because more people want maple syrup and the weather is getting warmer, making it harder to make syrup.

3. Where does most of the world’s maple syrup come from?
Most of the world’s maple syrup comes from Canada.

4. Why has the amount of syrup saved up gone down a lot since 2020?
The amount of syrup saved up has gone down a lot since 2020 because the weather has been too warm, which is not good for making syrup.

5. What kind of weather is good for making syrup?
Cold nights and warmer days are good for making syrup.

6. Is there hope that things will get better for making syrup?
Yes, there is hope that things will get better for making syrup. The season for making syrup started early this year and they’re making a lot of it. They’re also giving out more tools to help make more syrup.

7. Will it take a few years to fill up the storage with syrup again?
Yes, it will take a few years to fill up the storage with syrup again.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) syrup
(2) hold
(3) want
(4) enough
(5) expensive
(6) comes
(7) good
(8) warmer
(9) better
(10) started
(11) making
(12) tools
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. storage
Answer: (I) A place where things are kept safe until they are needed

2. Quebec
Answer: (E) A place in Canada known for making a sweet, sticky liquid from trees

3. syrup
Answer: (B) A sweet, sticky liquid that comes from trees and is used on pancakes

4. weather
Answer: (G) What it’s like outside, such as if it’s hot, cold, rainy, or sunny

5. expensive
Answer: (C) When something costs a lot of money

6. season
Answer: (J) A certain time of the year when something happens

7. tools
Answer: (D) Items used to make or fix things

8. business
Answer: (K) The work of buying and selling things

9. hope
Answer: (A) Believing that something good will happen

10. difficult
Answer: (F) When something is not easy to do

11. decrease
Answer: (L) When something becomes less in amount or number

12. climate
Answer: (H) The usual weather in a place over a long time
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Where is the big storage place for maple syrup located?
Answer: (b) Quebec

2. Why is the amount of maple syrup saved up in Canada going down?
Answer: (b) More people want maple syrup and the weather is getting warmer

3. Which country produces most of the world’s maple syrup?
Answer: (d) Canada

4. What kind of weather is needed to make syrup?
Answer: (a) Cold nights and warmer days

5. What is the hope for the maple syrup business in Canada?
Answer: (c) Things will get better and they are making a lot of syrup this year

6. When did the amount of syrup saved up in Canada start going down?
Answer: (c) Since 2020

7. What is the reason for the decrease in syrup production in recent years?
Answer: (d) The weather hasn’t been right for making syrup

8. How long will it take to fill up the storage place with syrup again?
Answer: (a) A few years
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The storage place for maple syrup is in Quebec, Canada. (Answer: True)
2. The amount of syrup in storage has increased a lot since 2020. (Answer: False)
3. Experts believe that the syrup business in Canada will struggle, even after this year. (Answer: False)
4. The weather in the last few years has been good for making syrup. (Answer: False)
5. The season for making syrup started early this year, and they are making a lot of it. (Answer: True)
6. The warm weather is making it easy to make syrup. (Answer: False)
7. Canada has a special place to keep maple syrup, and it’s the only one in the world. (Answer: True)
8. Most of the world’s maple syrup comes from Canada, and a lot of it is made in Quebec. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧