In some towns by the sea in Queensland, Australia, there are too many rats and mice. The rats and mice have left their homes to find food and are now on the beaches. They are causing problems for people who live there by hurting cars and buildings. People are also worried that visitors will not want to come to their towns because of the rats and mice.

People have put pictures and videos on the internet that show many dead rats on the sand and in the water. The rats and mice are so many that it’s like a very bad time in 2011. Some people think it will get even worse because they hear that more rats and mice might come. People who take others fishing on boats are scared that the bad name of the town will last a long time.

The towns by the sea are having a hard time because of all the rats and mice. The reason there are so many is that the weather has been very good for them to have babies and there is a lot of food for them to eat. The rats and mice have gone to the beaches to look for food, and now there are dead and alive ones everywhere. This is bad for the people who live there because it can hurt their cars and buildings, and they are scared that not as many visitors will come. More rain is coming, and that might make things even worse.

Original news source: Rat plague spreads to Australia’s fishing towns (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a copy of the article.
3. Instruct the groups to read the article and summarize the main points in their own words.
4. After a set amount of time, have each group share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a list of questions related to the article (e.g. “Do you think the rat problem will get worse?”).
3. Instruct the groups to discuss and answer the questions together.
4. After a set amount of time, have each group share their answers with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board.
2. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
3. Instruct each group to choose one word from the list.
4. Give the groups a few minutes to draw a picture representing the word.
5. After a set amount of time, have each group share their drawing and ask the class to guess the word.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Instruct each group to discuss the pros and cons of the rat and mice problem in the towns by the sea.
3. After a set amount of time, have each group share their ideas with the class.

– Future Predictions
Instructions:
1. Instruct each student to individually write down three predictions about the rat and mice problem in the towns by the sea.
2. After a set amount of time, have the students share their predictions with a partner.
3. Encourage the students to discuss their reasoning behind each prediction.
4. Ask a few students to share their predictions with the whole class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Why are there so many rats and mice in some towns in Queensland, Australia?
2. Why are the rats and mice causing problems for the people who live there?
3. What are some of the things that the rats and mice are doing to hurt cars and buildings?
4. Why are people worried that visitors won’t want to come to their towns?
5. How have people been showing others the problem with the rats and mice?
6. Why do some people think that the rat and mice problem will get worse?
7. What might make the rat and mice problem even worse in the future?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In some towns by the sea in Queensland, Australia, there are too many rats and mice. The rats and mice have left their homes to find food and are now on the beaches. They are causing problems for (1)______ who live there by hurting cars and (2)______. (3)______ are also worried that visitors will not want to come to their towns because of the rats and mice.

People have put pictures and videos on the internet that (4)______ many dead rats on the sand and in the water. The rats and mice are so many that it’s like a very bad time in 2011. Some people think it will get even worse because they (5)______ that (6)______ rats and mice might come. People who take others fishing on boats are scared that the bad (7)______ of the town will last a long time.

The towns by the sea are having a hard time because of all the rats and mice. The (8)______ there are so many is that the (9)______ has been very good for them to have babies and there is a lot of food for them to eat. The rats and mice have (10)______ to the beaches to look for food, and now there are dead and a(11)______ ones everywhere. This is bad for the people who live there because it can hurt their cars and buildings, and they are scared that not as many visitors will come. More (12)______ is coming, and that might make things even worse.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What are some problems that the rats and mice are causing for the people who live by the sea in Queensland, Australia?
2. How do you think the people feel about the rats and mice being on the beaches?
3. Do you think visitors will still want to come to the towns by the sea because of the rats and mice? Why or why not?
4. How do you think the people who take others fishing on boats feel about the bad name of the town?
5. Why do you think there are so many rats and mice in the towns by the sea?
6. What do you think the rats and mice are looking for on the beaches?
7. Why is it bad for the people who live there to have rats and mice everywhere?
8. How do you think the people feel about the rats and mice hurting their cars and buildings?
9. How do you think the people in the towns by the sea feel about more rain coming?
10. What do you think the people in the towns can do to solve the problem with the rats and mice?
11. Do you like rats and mice? Why or why not?
12. How would you feel if you lived in a town with too many rats and mice? Why?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. rats
2. mice
3. beaches
4. hurt
5. pictures
6. babies
7. food
8. rain

Meanings:
(a) Places where the land meets the ocean
(b) Small animals with long tails that are similar to rats
(c) Water that falls from the sky
(d) Cause damage or pain to something or someone
(e) Things that you eat to stay alive
(f) Small animals with long tails that live in holes
(g) Very young animals
(h) Images that show what something looks like
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why are there too many rats and mice in some towns in Queensland, Australia?
(a) The towns have been abandoned by people.
(b) The towns have been flooded.
(c) The towns have been hit by a hurricane.
(d) The weather has been good for them to have babies and there is a lot of food for them to eat.

2. What problems are the rats and mice causing for people who live in the towns?
(a) They are hurting cars and buildings.
(b) They are stealing food from people’s homes.
(c) They are attacking people on the beaches.
(d) They are scaring away visitors.

3. How are people sharing evidence of the rat and mice problem?
(a) They are writing letters to the local newspaper.
(b) They are calling the police.
(c) They are putting pictures and videos on the internet.
(d) They are having meetings with the town council.

4. Why are people worried that visitors will not want to come to the towns?
(a) Because of the bad weather.
(b) Because of the high cost of living.
(c) Because of the lack of entertainment options.
(d) Because of the rats and mice.

5. Why are the rats and mice going to the beaches?
(a) To look for food.
(b) To play in the sand.
(c) To escape from predators.
(d) To find shelter from the rain.

6. Why are the rats and mice causing damage to cars and buildings?
(a) Because they are scratching them with their claws.
(b) Because they are chewing on them.
(c) Because they are throwing rocks at them.
(d) Because they are driving into them.

7. Why are people who take others fishing on boats scared?
(a) Because they are worried about the bad reputation of the town.
(b) Because they don’t know how to fish.
(c) Because they are afraid of rats and mice.
(d) Because they are afraid of the rain.

8. What might make the rat and mice problem even worse?
(a) More sunshine.
(b) More rain.
(c) More visitors.
(d) More food.

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. People are worried that visitors might not want to come to their towns because of the rats and mice.
2. The rats and mice are not causing problems for the people who live there by damaging cars and buildings.
3. The rats and mice have not left their homes and are not on the beaches looking for food.
4. The rats and mice have not multiplied because the weather has not been good for them to have babies and there is not plenty of food for them to eat.
5. In some towns in Queensland, Australia, there is a problem with too many rats and mice.
6. People who take others fishing on boats are scared that the bad reputation of the town will last a long time.
7. Some people think the situation will get worse because more rats and mice might come.
8. Pictures and videos on the internet do not show many dead rats on the sand and in the water.
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 is causing problems for people who live in the towns by the sea in Queensland, Australia?
2. Why are the rats and mice going to the beaches?
3. How are the rats and mice hurting cars and buildings?
4. Why are people worried that visitors will not want to come to their towns?
5. What might make the situation with the rats and mice even worse?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why are there so many rats and mice in some towns in Queensland, Australia?
Because the weather has been good for them to have babies and there is a lot of food for them to eat.

2. Why are the rats and mice causing problems for the people who live there?
Because they are hurting cars and buildings.

3. What are some of the things that the rats and mice are doing to hurt cars and buildings?
They are scratching and biting them.

4. Why are people worried that visitors won’t want to come to their towns?
Because they might be scared of the rats and mice.

5. How have people been showing others the problem with the rats and mice?
By putting pictures and videos on the internet.

6. Why do some people think that the rat and mice problem will get worse?
Because they hear that more rats and mice might come.

7. What might make the rat and mice problem even worse in the future?
More rain, because it will bring more rats and mice.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) people
(2) buildings
(3) People
(4) show
(5) hear
(6) more
(7) name
(8) reason
(9) weather
(10) gone
(11) live
(12) rain
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. rats
Answer: (f) Small animals with long tails that live in holes

2. mice
Answer: (b) Small animals with long tails that are similar to rats

3. beaches
Answer: (a) Places where the land meets the ocean

4. hurt
Answer: (d) Cause damage or pain to something or someone

5. pictures
Answer: (h) Images that show what something looks like

6. babies
Answer: (g) Very young animals

7. food
Answer: (e) Things that you eat to stay alive

8. rain
Answer: (c) Water that falls from the sky
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why are there too many rats and mice in some towns in Queensland, Australia?
Answer: (d) The weather has been good for them to have babies and there is a lot of food for them to eat.

2. What problems are the rats and mice causing for people who live in the towns?
Answer: (a) They are hurting cars and buildings.

3. How are people sharing evidence of the rat and mice problem?
Answer: (c) They are putting pictures and videos on the internet.

4. Why are people worried that visitors will not want to come to the towns?
Answer: (d) Because of the rats and mice.

5. Why are the rats and mice going to the beaches?
Answer: (a) To look for food.

6. Why are the rats and mice causing damage to cars and buildings?
Answer: (b) Because they are chewing on them.

7. Why are people who take others fishing on boats scared?
Answer: (c) Because they are afraid of rats and mice.

8. What might make the rat and mice problem even worse?
Answer: (b) More rain.
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. People are worried that visitors might not want to come to their towns because of the rats and mice. (Answer: True)
2. The rats and mice are not causing problems for the people who live there by damaging cars and buildings. (Answer: False)
3. The rats and mice have not left their homes and are not on the beaches looking for food. (Answer: False)
4. The rats and mice have not multiplied because the weather has not been good for them to have babies and there is not plenty of food for them to eat. (Answer: False)
5. In some towns in Queensland, Australia, there is a problem with too many rats and mice. (Answer: True)
6. People who take others fishing on boats are scared that the bad reputation of the town will last a long time. (Answer: True)
7. Some people think the situation will get worse because more rats and mice might come. (Answer: True)
8. Pictures and videos on the internet do not show many dead rats on the sand and in the water. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧