In Thailand, there was a big flood at the Elephant Nature Park. Four elephants had to walk through the water to get to a safe place. One of the elephants is blind, so it moved slower than the others. The flood happened because of a big storm and lots of rain, making the river rise quickly.

The people who work at the park made sure all 126 elephants were safe. Nine elephants were stuck at first, but they were moved to safety later. The video of the rescue shows how strong the elephants are and how hard the staff work to help them. The staff care a lot about the elephants and do everything they can to keep them safe.

This story shows how storms can hurt animals and the places they live. As the weather changes, we need to protect animals like elephants even more. Seeing the elephants get rescued reminds us how important it is to take care of nature. We need to make sure animals and their homes are safe for the future.

Original news source: Watch: Elephants escape floodwaters in Thailand (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Write down the key words from the article on separate cards (e.g. Thailand, flood, elephants, rescue, staff). Have students take turns picking a card and acting out the word without speaking, while the others guess what it is.

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Each pair will have to summarize the article in their own words within a time limit. Then, they will switch partners and summarize it again. This will help practice listening comprehension and paraphrasing skills.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “elephants” on the board. Ask students to shout out words that they associate with elephants. Write down all the words and discuss their connections to the main topic of the article. This will help expand vocabulary and encourage speaking.

– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write down key words from the article on separate cards. Without saying the word on the card, students have to describe it to their partner who needs to guess the word. This will help reinforce vocabulary and descriptive skills.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask students to think about one way they can help protect animals like elephants. Pair them up and have them discuss their ideas. Then, open up the discussion to the whole class to share and compare different suggestions. This will encourage critical thinking and speaking skills.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand?
2. Why did four elephants have to walk through the water?
3. How many elephants live at the park?
4. Why were nine elephants stuck at first during the flood?
5. What does the video of the rescue show us?
6. Why is it important to protect animals like elephants?
7. What does this story remind us to do for nature and animals?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In Thailand, there was a big flood at the (1)______ Nature (2)______. Four elephants had to (3)______ through the water to get to a safe place. One of the elephants is blind, so it moved slower than the others. The flood happened because of a big storm and lots of rain, making the river rise quickly.

The people who work at the park made sure all 126 (4)______ were safe. Nine elephants were (5)______ at first, but they were moved to safety later. The video of the (6)______ shows how strong the elephants are and how hard the staff work to help them. The staff (7)______ a lot about the elephants and do everything they can to keep them (8)______.

This (9)______ shows how storms can hurt animals and the places they live. As the weather changes, we (10)______ to (11)______ animals like elephants even more. Seeing the elephants get rescued reminds us how important it is to take care of nature. We need to make (12)______ animals and their homes are safe for the future.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is an Elephant Nature Park?
2. How would you feel if you had to walk through a big flood like the elephants did?
3. Do you like elephants? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to help animals during storms? Why?
5. What do you think the staff at the park felt when they saw the elephants in danger?
6. How would you help animals if there was a flood near your home?
7. Why do you think the blind elephant moved slower than the others?
8. What can we do to protect animals from bad weather?
9. Have you ever seen a video of animals being rescued? How did it make you feel?
10. Why is it important to take care of nature and animals?
11. Do you think elephants are strong animals? Why or why not?
12. How can we make sure animals and their homes are safe for the future?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. flood
2. rescue
3. blind
4. storm
5. river
6. staff
7. protect
8. nature
9. future
10. safe
11. stuck
12. weather

Meanings:
(A) When a lot of water covers an area that is usually dry
(B) People who work at a place
(C) The time that is yet to come
(D) The natural world, including plants and animals
(E) To keep someone or something from harm
(F) To save someone or something from danger
(G) A large natural stream of water flowing in a channel
(H) A strong wind with rain, thunder, or snow
(I) Unable to see
(J) Unable to move or get out
(K) The condition of the air outside, like sunny or rainy
(L) Not in danger
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why did the flood happen at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand?
(a) Because of a drought
(b) Because of a big storm and lots of rain
(c) Because of a heatwave
(d) Because of a snowstorm

2. How many elephants had to walk through the water to get to a safe place?
(a) Four
(b) Three
(c) Five
(d) Two

3. How many elephants were stuck at first during the flood?
(a) Ten
(b) Eight
(c) Nine
(d) Seven

4. What is special about one of the elephants that had to walk through the water?
(a) It is the smallest elephant
(b) It is the oldest elephant
(c) It is blind
(d) It is the fastest elephant

5. How many elephants are there in total at the Elephant Nature Park?
(a) 100
(b) 126
(c) 150
(d) 200

6. What does the video of the rescue show?
(a) How fast the elephants can swim
(b) How the flood started
(c) How the elephants caused the flood
(d) How strong the elephants are and how hard the staff work

7. What do the staff at the park care a lot about?
(a) The weather
(b) The river
(c) The trees
(d) The elephants

8. What does the story about the flood at the Elephant Nature Park remind us to do?
(a) Take care of nature and protect animals
(b) Stay away from elephants
(c) Stop the rain
(d) Move all the elephants to a different park

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The employees at the park are dedicated to the well-being of the elephants.
2. The people who work at the park ensured all 126 elephants were secure.
3. One of the elephants is blind, so it moved slower than the others.
4. Four elephants had to walk through the water to get to a safe place.
5. The flood occurred due to a massive storm and excessive rain.
6. This story shows how important it is to take care of nature.
7. In Thailand, there was a big flood at the Elephant Nature Park.
8. Nine elephants were stranded at first, but they were relocated to safety later.
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 at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand?
2. How many elephants had to walk through the flood to get to safety?
3. What made the river rise quickly and cause the flood?
4. How many elephants were stuck at first, and were they all rescued later?
5. Why is it important to protect animals like elephants and their homes?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What happened at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand?
There was a big flood at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand.

2. Why did four elephants have to walk through the water?
They had to walk through the water to get to a safe place because of the flood.

3. How many elephants live at the park?
There are 126 elephants that live at the park.

4. Why were nine elephants stuck at first during the flood?
Nine elephants were stuck at first because of the rising water from the flood.

5. What does the video of the rescue show us?
The video shows how strong the elephants are and how hard the staff work to help them.

6. Why is it important to protect animals like elephants?
It’s important to protect animals like elephants because they are part of nature and need our help to stay safe.

7. What does this story remind us to do for nature and animals?
This story reminds us to take care of nature and make sure animals and their homes are safe.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Elephant
(2) Park
(3) walk
(4) elephants
(5) stuck
(6) rescue
(7) care
(8) safe
(9) story
(10) need
(11) protect
(12) sure
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. flood
Answer: (A) When a lot of water covers an area that is usually dry

2. rescue
Answer: (F) To save someone or something from danger

3. blind
Answer: (I) Unable to see

4. storm
Answer: (H) A strong wind with rain, thunder, or snow

5. river
Answer: (G) A large natural stream of water flowing in a channel

6. staff
Answer: (B) People who work at a place

7. protect
Answer: (E) To keep someone or something from harm

8. nature
Answer: (D) The natural world, including plants and animals

9. future
Answer: (C) The time that is yet to come

10. safe
Answer: (L) Not in danger

11. stuck
Answer: (J) Unable to move or get out

12. weather
Answer: (K) The condition of the air outside, like sunny or rainy
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why did the flood happen at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand?
Answer: (b) Because of a big storm and lots of rain

2. How many elephants had to walk through the water to get to a safe place?
Answer: (a) Four

3. How many elephants were stuck at first during the flood?
Answer: (c) Nine

4. What is special about one of the elephants that had to walk through the water?
Answer: (c) It is blind

5. How many elephants are there in total at the Elephant Nature Park?
Answer: (b) 126

6. What does the video of the rescue show?
Answer: (d) How strong the elephants are and how hard the staff work

7. What do the staff at the park care a lot about?
Answer: (d) The elephants

8. What does the story about the flood at the Elephant Nature Park remind us to do?
Answer: (a) Take care of nature and protect animals
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The employees at the park are dedicated to the well-being of the elephants. (Answer: False)
2. The people who work at the park ensured all 126 elephants were secure. (Answer: False)
3. One of the elephants is blind, so it moved slower than the others. (Answer: True)
4. Four elephants had to walk through the water to get to a safe place. (Answer: True)
5. The flood occurred due to a massive storm and excessive rain. (Answer: False)
6. This story shows how important it is to take care of nature. (Answer: True)
7. In Thailand, there was a big flood at the Elephant Nature Park. (Answer: True)
8. Nine elephants were stranded at first, but they were relocated to safety later. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧