The Himalayas are beautiful mountains, but now they are hard to see because of air pollution. In Nepal, especially in Kathmandu, the air is filled with dust and smoke. This makes it difficult to see the mountains even in clear seasons like spring and autumn. Sometimes, flights are delayed because pilots can’t see well, and places like Nagarkot don’t have the same amazing views anymore.

This pollution is also hurting tourism, which is important for people who live there. Fewer tourists are coming because they can’t see the mountains clearly. This means less work for trekking guides and businesses that rely on visitors. Some people are even thinking about changing jobs because of this problem.

The pollution comes from cars, factories, and farming, and climate change is making it worse. Longer dry seasons and more dust storms are happening now. The Himalayas, which are famous around the world, might only be seen in pictures if this continues. It’s important to fix the air pollution to help the environment and the people who live there.

Original news source: Why the mighty Himalayas are getting harder and harder to see (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– CHARADES
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group takes turns acting out words or phrases related to the article, such as “Himalayas,” “pollution,” “tourism,” or “dust.” The other groups guess what they are acting out.

– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Create a simple survey with questions like “Do you think air pollution is a big problem?” or “Would you like to visit the Himalayas?” Students move around the classroom asking their classmates these questions and recording their answers.

– SKETCH IT
Instructions: Provide students with a few keywords from the article such as “mountains,” “pollution,” and “tourists.” Students will sketch these words on paper while their classmates guess what they are drawing.

– THINK-PAIR-SHARE
Instructions: Pose a question related to the article, such as “How does air pollution affect tourism?” Students think about their answers individually, then pair up to discuss their thoughts before sharing with the whole class.

– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: Ask students to create a catchy headline for the article. They can work in pairs to brainstorm ideas and then share their headlines with the class. Encourage creativity and make it fun!

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What are the Himalayas known for?
2. Why is it hard to see the mountains in Nepal?
3. How does air pollution affect flights in Kathmandu?
4. What happens to tourism because of the pollution?
5. Who might lose their jobs because of fewer tourists?
6. What causes the air pollution in Nepal?
7. Why is it important to fix the air pollution?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The Himalayas are beautiful (1)______, but now they are (2)______ to see because of air (3)______. In Nepal, especially in Kathmandu, the air is filled with dust and smoke. This makes it difficult to see the mountains even in clear seasons like spring and autumn. Sometimes, flights are (4)______ because pilots can’t see well, and places like Nagarkot don’t have the same amazing (5)______ anymore.

This pollution is also (6)______ tourism, which is important for people who live there. Fewer tourists are coming because they can’t see the mountains clearly. This (7)______ less work for trekking guides and businesses that rely on visitors. Some people are even thinking about changing jobs because of this (8)______.

The pollution comes from cars, factories, and (9)______, and climate change is making it (10)______. Longer dry seasons and more dust (11)______ are happening now. The (12)______, which are famous around the world, might only be seen in pictures if this continues. It’s important to fix the air pollution to help the environment and the people who live there.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is your favorite mountain or hill?
2. How would you feel if you lived in a place with a lot of air pollution?
3. Do you like to travel to see beautiful places? Why or why not?
4. What is a place you would like to visit someday?
5. Do you think it is important to keep the air clean? Why?
6. How would you feel if you could not see the mountains because of pollution?
7. What do you think people can do to help reduce air pollution?
8. Have you ever seen a beautiful view that took your breath away? What was it?
9. Do you think it is okay for factories to make smoke? Why or why not?
10. What is your favorite season, and why do you like it?
11. How would you feel if your job was affected by pollution?
12. Do you think more people should visit places like the Himalayas? Why?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. pollution
2. Kathmandu
3. delayed
4. tourism
5. trekking
6. rely
7. factories
8. climate
9. storms
10. environment
11. visitors
12. important

Meanings:
(A) Dirty or harmful things in the air, water, or land
(B) The capital city of Nepal
(C) People who come to see a place
(D) When something happens later than planned
(E) To depend on something or someone
(F) Traveling to a place for fun or to see sights
(G) Places where things are made
(H) The natural world around us
(I) Something that matters a lot or is needed
(J) Walking long distances, usually in nature
(K) The usual weather in a place
(L) Strong winds and rain or snow
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is hard to see because of air pollution in Nepal?
(a) The ocean
(b) The Himalayas
(c) The sky
(d) The city

2. Where is the air pollution especially bad in Nepal?
(a) Pokhara
(b) Lumbini
(c) Bhaktapur
(d) Kathmandu

3. What can happen to flights because of the pollution?
(a) They can be canceled
(b) They can be delayed
(c) They can be faster
(d) They can be cheaper

4. How is tourism affected by the pollution?
(a) More tourists are coming
(b) Tourists are staying longer
(c) Fewer tourists are coming
(d) Tourists are spending more money

5. What causes the air pollution mentioned in the article?
(a) Cars, factories, and farming
(b) Animals and trees
(c) Rivers and lakes
(d) Mountains and hills

6. What is making the pollution problem worse?
(a) More tourists
(b) New buildings
(c) Climate change
(d) More trees

7. What might happen to the Himalayas if pollution continues?
(a) They will disappear completely
(b) They will become bigger
(c) They will change color
(d) They might only be seen in pictures

8. Why is it important to fix the air pollution?
(a) To help the environment and people
(b) To make more money
(c) To build more houses
(d) To attract more animals

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Climate change is making air pollution worse.
2. Kathmandu, Nepal, has a lot of dust and smoke in the air.
3. Tourism is not important for people living in the Himalayas.
4. More tourists are coming because they can see the mountains clearly.
5. Air pollution makes it easy to see the mountains.
6. The Himalayas are beautiful mountains.
7. Pollution comes from cars, factories, and agriculture.
8. Flights can be delayed because pilots cannot see well.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
Check your answers with our free English writing assistant!

1. What is making it hard to see the Himalayas in Nepal?
2. Why are fewer tourists visiting the mountains now?
3. How does air pollution affect flights in the area?
4. What are some sources of pollution mentioned in the article?
5. Why is it important to fix the air pollution in Nepal?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What are the Himalayas known for?
The Himalayas are known for being beautiful mountains.

2. Why is it hard to see the mountains in Nepal?
It is hard to see the mountains because the air is filled with dust and smoke.

3. How does air pollution affect flights in Kathmandu?
Air pollution makes it hard for pilots to see, which can delay flights.

4. What happens to tourism because of the pollution?
Tourism goes down because fewer people come to see the mountains clearly.

5. Who might lose their jobs because of fewer tourists?
Trekking guides and businesses that rely on visitors might lose their jobs.

6. What causes the air pollution in Nepal?
The air pollution comes from cars, factories, and farming.

7. Why is it important to fix the air pollution?
It is important to fix the air pollution to help the environment and the people who live there.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) mountains
(2) hard
(3) pollution
(4) delayed
(5) views
(6) hurting
(7) means
(8) problem
(9) farming
(10) worse
(11) storms
(12) Himalayas
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. pollution
Answer: (A) Dirty or harmful things in the air, water, or land

2. Kathmandu
Answer: (B) The capital city of Nepal

3. delayed
Answer: (D) When something happens later than planned

4. tourism
Answer: (F) Traveling to a place for fun or to see sights

5. trekking
Answer: (J) Walking long distances, usually in nature

6. rely
Answer: (E) To depend on something or someone

7. factories
Answer: (G) Places where things are made

8. climate
Answer: (K) The usual weather in a place

9. storms
Answer: (L) Strong winds and rain or snow

10. environment
Answer: (H) The natural world around us

11. visitors
Answer: (C) People who come to see a place

12. important
Answer: (I) Something that matters a lot or is needed
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is hard to see because of air pollution in Nepal?
Answer: (b) The Himalayas

2. Where is the air pollution especially bad in Nepal?
Answer: (d) Kathmandu

3. What can happen to flights because of the pollution?
Answer: (b) They can be delayed

4. How is tourism affected by the pollution?
Answer: (c) Fewer tourists are coming

5. What causes the air pollution mentioned in the article?
Answer: (a) Cars, factories, and farming

6. What is making the pollution problem worse?
Answer: (c) Climate change

7. What might happen to the Himalayas if pollution continues?
Answer: (d) They might only be seen in pictures

8. Why is it important to fix the air pollution?
Answer: (a) To help the environment and people
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Climate change is making air pollution worse. (Answer: True)
2. Kathmandu, Nepal, has a lot of dust and smoke in the air. (Answer: True)
3. Tourism is not important for people living in the Himalayas. (Answer: False)
4. More tourists are coming because they can see the mountains clearly. (Answer: False)
5. Air pollution makes it easy to see the mountains. (Answer: False)
6. The Himalayas are beautiful mountains. (Answer: True)
7. Pollution comes from cars, factories, and agriculture. (Answer: False)
8. Flights can be delayed because pilots cannot see well. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧