In Sri Lanka, a big power outage happened on Sunday, leaving many people without electricity. It started around 11 in the morning and affected 22 million people on the island. The blackout was caused by a monkey that touched a part of the power system near Colombo. This caused a problem in the electrical system, according to the Energy Minister.

Engineers worked hard to fix the problem and got power back to some places in a few hours. But this event showed that Sri Lanka has ongoing problems with its electricity system. Last year, in 2022, the country had big blackouts and had to save electricity during an economic crisis. People are worried about how reliable the power grid is.

Local news found the monkey incident unusual and even a bit funny. Jamila Husain from the Daily Mirror joked that only in Sri Lanka could a monkey cause such a big blackout. Reports say engineers have been asking the government to improve the power system. They warn that the power grid is weak and can easily have problems.

Original news source: Nationwide power outage in Sri Lanka blamed on a monkey (Sky News)

– CHARADES
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will take turns acting out words or phrases related to the article (e.g., "power outage," "monkey," "engineer," "blackout"). The other groups will guess the word or phrase being acted out. This will help students practice vocabulary and improve their speaking skills.
– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Conduct a quick survey in class. Ask students how they feel about power outages. Provide them with a few options: "Very worried," "Somewhat worried," "Not worried." After they choose, have them discuss their answers in pairs and share their thoughts with the class. This encourages speaking and listening skills.
– VOCABULARY PICTIONARY
Instructions: Write key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., "electricity," "blackout," "system," "engineers") on the board. Have students take turns drawing one of the words while the rest of the class guesses what it is. This is a fun way to reinforce vocabulary understanding.
– TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
Instructions: Have students think of two true statements and one false statement about the power outage incident. For example, "The power outage affected 22 million people," "The outage was caused by a cat," "Engineers worked to fix the problem." Students will share their statements with a partner, and the partner will guess which one is the lie. This activity encourages critical thinking and speaking.
– THINK-PAIR-SHARE
Instructions: Pose a question related to the article, such as, "What do you think could be done to improve the power system in Sri Lanka?" Have students think about their answers individually, then discuss their ideas with a partner, and finally share their thoughts with the whole class. This helps develop their speaking and listening skills while engaging with the topic.

In Sri Lanka, a big power outage happened on Sunday, leaving many ? without electricity. It started around 11 in the morning and ? 22 million people on the ?. The blackout was caused by a monkey that touched a part of the power system near Colombo. This caused a problem in the electrical system, according to the Energy Minister. Engineers worked hard to fix the problem and got ? back to some ? in a few hours. But this ? showed that Sri Lanka has ongoing problems with its electricity ?. ? year, in 2022, the country had big ? and had to save electricity during an economic crisis. People are worried about how reliable the power grid is. Local news found the monkey incident unusual and even a bit funny. Jamila Husain from the ? Mirror joked that only in Sri Lanka could a monkey cause such a big blackout. Reports say engineers have been ? the government to improve the power system. They ? that the power grid is weak and can easily have problems.

1. What is a power outage?
2. How would you feel if you had no electricity for a whole day?
3. Do you think monkeys are funny? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever experienced a blackout? What happened?
5. What is your favorite thing to do when the power goes out?
6. Do you think it is important to have a strong electricity system? Why?
7. How would you feel if a monkey caused a problem where you live?
8. Do you like telling jokes about funny events? Why or why not?
9. What is a problem you think many countries have with electricity?
10. How do you think people can save electricity?
11. Do you think engineers should work harder to fix power problems? Why?
12. What would you do if you were in charge of fixing the power system?

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