A special flower called the Dendrobium orchid is getting hard to find in the mountains of Taiwan. The Tsou people, who live there, use this flower in their special events. They think the gods won’t be able to find them without it. The flower needs cold weather to grow, but it’s getting warmer because of climate change.

The weather in Taiwan is changing and causing problems for the Tsou people. They need rain from big storms for their plants, but there aren’t as many storms anymore. A farmer named Jui-Chiao Chung had to grow different plants because there isn’t enough water. The Tsou people don’t know what to do because they can’t find another flower for their events.

The Tsou people are worried about their future and their culture. They want help from the government, but they don’t think the leaders are doing enough. A group called Greenpeace says the leaders need to do more to protect the environment. The Tsou people know they don’t have much time to save their way of life.

Original news source: Taiwan: The ‘God Flower’ vanishing because of climate change (BBC)

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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 copy of the article. Instruct them to read the article together and then write a summary of the main points. After a designated time, have each group share their summary with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a selection of vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Each group will take turns choosing a word and drawing a picture to represent it. The other groups must guess the word. Encourage the use of English during the game.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. Instruct one student to be the “speaker” and the other to be the “listener”. The speaker must summarize the article as quickly as possible, while the listener tries to follow along and understand. After a designated time, have the pairs switch roles.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Instruct one team to list the pros of climate change and the other team to list the cons. Give the teams a few minutes to brainstorm and then have them share their lists with the class. Facilitate a discussion about the effects of climate change mentioned in the article.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have the students discuss and make predictions about the future of the Tsou people and their culture. Encourage them to use the vocabulary and information from the article. After a designated time, have each group share their predictions with the class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the name of the special flower that is becoming hard to find in Taiwan?
2. Why do the Tsou people use the Dendrobium orchid in their special events?
3. What is causing the weather in Taiwan to change?
4. Why do the Tsou people need rain from big storms?
5. What did farmer Jui-Chiao Chung have to do because there isn’t enough water?
6. Who do the Tsou people want help from?
7. What does the group Greenpeace say the leaders need to do?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A special flower called the Dendrobium (1)______ is getting hard to find in the mountains of Taiwan. The Tsou (2)______, who live there, use this flower in their special (3)______. They think the gods won’t be able to find them without it. The flower needs cold (4)______ to (5)______, but it’s getting warmer because of climate change.

The weather in Taiwan is (6)______ and causing problems for the Tsou people. They need rain from big storms for their plants, but there aren’t as many storms anymore. A farmer named Jui-Chiao Chung had to grow different (7)______ because there isn’t enough (8)______. The Tsou people don’t know what to do because they can’t find another flower for their events.

The Tsou people are worried about their (9)______ and their culture. They want help from the government, but they don’t think the leaders are doing enough. A (10)______ called (11)______ says the leaders need to do more to protect the environment. The (12)______ people know they don’t have much time to save their way of life.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a Dendrobium orchid?
2. How do the Tsou people use the Dendrobium orchid in their special events?
3. How would you feel if a flower that was important to your culture was getting hard to find?
4. Do you like flowers? Why or why not?
5. Do you think it’s important to protect the environment? Why or why not?
6. What do the Tsou people need from the weather for their plants?
7. How would you feel if there weren’t enough big storms for your plants to grow?
8. What do the Tsou people want the government to do?
9. Why do the Tsou people think the leaders are not doing enough to help?
10. How would you feel if your way of life was in danger?
11. Do you think it’s important for the government to help protect cultures? Why or why not?
12. What can people do to help protect the environment?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Dendrobium orchid
2. climate change
3. Tsou people
4. rain
5. storms
6. farmer
7. plants
8. culture
9. government
10. leaders
11. Greenpeace
12. way of life

Meanings:
(A) Water that falls from the sky and helps plants grow
(B) Living things that grow in the ground, like flowers and vegetables
(C) The lifestyle and habits of a group of people
(D) A special type of flower that is becoming rare in the mountains of Taiwan
(E) The people who live in the mountains of Taiwan and have their own traditions
(F) Big, strong winds with lots of rain and thunder
(G) A person who grows crops and takes care of animals
(H) An organization that works to protect the environment and animals
(I) The people in charge who make important decisions for a country or group
(J) The beliefs, customs, and way of doing things that a group of people have
(K) The change in weather patterns caused by pollution and human activity
(L) The group of people who make decisions and rules for a country or area
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the special flower that is hard to find in the mountains of Taiwan?
(a) Dendrobium orchid
(b) Rose
(c) Sunflower
(d) Tulip

2. Why do the Tsou people use the Dendrobium orchid in their special events?
(a) They believe the gods won’t find them without it
(b) They think it brings good luck
(c) They use it for decoration
(d) They like the smell of the flower

3. Why is it getting harder to find the Dendrobium orchid in Taiwan?
(a) The flower is becoming extinct
(b) The weather is getting warmer because of climate change
(c) The Tsou people are not taking care of it
(d) The government is not allowing its growth

4. What kind of weather does the Dendrobium orchid need to grow?
(a) Hot weather
(b) Rainy weather
(c) Cold weather
(d) Sunny weather

5. Why are the Tsou people having problems with the changing weather in Taiwan?
(a) They don’t like the hot weather
(b) They don’t know how to grow different plants
(c) They don’t want to adapt to the changing climate
(d) They need rain from big storms for their plants, but there aren’t as many storms anymore

6. What did farmer Jui-Chiao Chung have to do because there isn’t enough water?
(a) Move to a different location
(b) Stop farming altogether
(c) Use artificial water sources
(d) Grow different plants

7. What do the Tsou people want from the government?
(a) Money for their events
(b) Help to protect their culture and way of life
(c) New flowers for their events
(d) Better weather conditions

8. What does the group Greenpeace say about the leaders of Taiwan?
(a) They are doing a great job protecting the environment
(b) They should focus on other issues instead
(c) They need to do more to protect the environment
(d) They are already doing enough to help the Tsou people

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The Tsou people do not use the Dendrobium orchid in their special events.
2. Farmer Jui-Chiao Chung had to grow different plants because there isn’t enough water.
3. The Dendrobium orchid is not becoming rare in the mountains of Taiwan.
4. Climate change is causing the weather in Taiwan to become warmer.
5. The Tsou people rely on big storms for rain to grow their plants.
6. The Dendrobium orchid needs warm weather to grow.
7. The Tsou people believe that without the Dendrobium orchid, the gods will be able to find them.
8. The Tsou people are worried about their future and their culture.
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 it hard to find the special flower called the Dendrobium orchid in the mountains of Taiwan?
2. Why do the Tsou people use the Dendrobium orchid in their special events?
3. What is causing problems for the Tsou people in Taiwan?
4. Why did farmer Jui-Chiao Chung have to grow different plants?
5. Why are the Tsou people worried about their future and their culture?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the name of the special flower that is becoming hard to find in Taiwan?
The special flower is called the Dendrobium orchid.

2. Why do the Tsou people use the Dendrobium orchid in their special events?
The Tsou people use the Dendrobium orchid in their special events because they believe that the gods won’t be able to find them without it.

3. What is causing the weather in Taiwan to change?
Climate change is causing the weather in Taiwan to change.

4. Why do the Tsou people need rain from big storms?
The Tsou people need rain from big storms for their plants to grow.

5. What did farmer Jui-Chiao Chung have to do because there isn’t enough water?
Because there isn’t enough water, farmer Jui-Chiao Chung had to grow different plants.

6. Who do the Tsou people want help from?
The Tsou people want help from the government.

7. What does the group Greenpeace say the leaders need to do?
The group Greenpeace says that the leaders need to do more to protect the environment.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) orchid
(2) people
(3) events
(4) weather
(5) grow
(6) changing
(7) plants
(8) water
(9) future
(10) group
(11) Greenpeace
(12) Tsou
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Dendrobium orchid
Answer: (D) A special type of flower that is becoming rare in the mountains of Taiwan

2. climate change
Answer: (K) The change in weather patterns caused by pollution and human activity

3. Tsou people
Answer: (E) The people who live in the mountains of Taiwan and have their own traditions

4. rain
Answer: (A) Water that falls from the sky and helps plants grow

5. storms
Answer: (F) Big, strong winds with lots of rain and thunder

6. farmer
Answer: (G) A person who grows crops and takes care of animals

7. plants
Answer: (B) Living things that grow in the ground, like flowers and vegetables

8. culture
Answer: (J) The beliefs, customs, and way of doing things that a group of people have

9. government
Answer: (L) The group of people who make decisions and rules for a country or area

10. leaders
Answer: (I) The people in charge who make important decisions for a country or group

11. Greenpeace
Answer: (H) An organization that works to protect the environment and animals

12. way of life
Answer: (C) The lifestyle and habits of a group of people
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the special flower that is hard to find in the mountains of Taiwan?
Answer: (a) Dendrobium orchid

2. Why do the Tsou people use the Dendrobium orchid in their special events?
Answer: (a) They believe the gods won’t find them without it

3. Why is it getting harder to find the Dendrobium orchid in Taiwan?
Answer: (b) The weather is getting warmer because of climate change

4. What kind of weather does the Dendrobium orchid need to grow?
Answer: (c) Cold weather

5. Why are the Tsou people having problems with the changing weather in Taiwan?
Answer: (d) They need rain from big storms for their plants, but there aren’t as many storms anymore

6. What did farmer Jui-Chiao Chung have to do because there isn’t enough water?
Answer: (d) Grow different plants

7. What do the Tsou people want from the government?
Answer: (b) Help to protect their culture and way of life

8. What does the group Greenpeace say about the leaders of Taiwan?
Answer: (c) They need to do more to protect the environment
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The Tsou people do not use the Dendrobium orchid in their special events. (Answer: False)
2. Farmer Jui-Chiao Chung had to grow different plants because there isn’t enough water. (Answer: True)
3. The Dendrobium orchid is not becoming rare in the mountains of Taiwan. (Answer: False)
4. Climate change is causing the weather in Taiwan to become warmer. (Answer: True)
5. The Tsou people rely on big storms for rain to grow their plants. (Answer: True)
6. The Dendrobium orchid needs warm weather to grow. (Answer: False)
7. The Tsou people believe that without the Dendrobium orchid, the gods will be able to find them. (Answer: False)
8. The Tsou people are worried about their future and their culture. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧