In a place called Kashmir in India, there is usually a lot of snow in winter. But this year, there is no snow and this is a big problem. People who have hotels and other businesses that need tourists are losing money because not many tourists are coming. No snow also means there might not be enough water for farms and for people to drink.

Scientists say the reason there is no snow is because of something called climate change. It makes the weather very different than it used to be. It has not rained much and it is warmer than usual. This is bad for people who need snow for their jobs and for making electricity from water.

Because there are not many tourists, people who work with tourists are having a hard time. Hotel owners say that many people have cancelled their plans to stay at their hotels. People who give rides on ponies to tourists are also not making money. If it does not snow or rain soon, there might not be enough water for people and farms.

Original news source: Kashmir’s rare snowless winter sets off alarm bells (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down different words related to the article on small pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. One student from each team will take turns picking a word and acting it out without speaking while their team tries to guess the word. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. The team with the most points at the end wins.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a piece of paper and a pen. One student will choose a word from the article and draw a picture to represent it, while the other student tries to guess the word. They can only use pictures, no words. The pair that guesses the most words correctly in a certain amount of time wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have the students summarize the article in their own words. They should focus on the main points and key information. After a few minutes, have each group share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write two statements on the board related to the article, for example: “Climate change is a serious problem” and “Tourism is important for the economy.” Have the students stand up and move to one side of the classroom if they agree with the statement, and the other side if they disagree. Give them a few minutes to discuss their opinions in small groups and then have a class discussion.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs, have the students discuss and make predictions about what might happen in Kashmir if there continues to be no snow and little rain. They should consider the impact on tourism, agriculture, and the overall economy. After a few minutes, have each pair share their predictions with the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why is it a big problem that there is no snow in Kashmir this year?
2. What is the reason scientists give for why there is no snow?
3. How does the lack of snow and rain affect people who have hotels and other businesses?
4. Why are hotel owners losing money?
5. Who else is having a hard time because there are not many tourists?
6. Why are people who give rides on ponies not making money?
7. What might happen if it does not snow or rain soon?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a place called Kashmir in India, there is usually a lot of snow in winter. But this year, there is no snow and this is a big problem. People who have hotels and (1)______ businesses that need (2)______ are losing money because not (3)______ tourists are coming. No snow also means there might not be enough water for farms and for people to (4)______.

Scientists say the reason there is no snow is because of something called climate change. It (5)______ the (6)______ very different than it used to be. It has not (7)______ much and it is warmer than usual. This is bad for people who need (8)______ for their jobs and for (9)______ electricity from water.

Because there are not many tourists, people who work with tourists are having a hard time. Hotel owners say that many people have cancelled their plans to stay at their hotels. (10)______ who (11)______ rides on ponies to tourists are also not making money. If it does not snow or rain soon, there might not be enough (12)______ for people and farms.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is climate change?
2. How would you feel if you had a hotel and not many tourists were coming?
3. Do you like snow? Why or why not?
4. What do you think will happen if there is not enough water for farms and people to drink?
5. How do you think hotel owners feel when people cancel their plans to stay at their hotels?
6. Do you think it’s important for people to have jobs that rely on snow? Why or why not?
7. What would you do if you were a hotel owner and not many tourists were coming?
8. How would you feel if you were a tourist and there was no snow for activities like pony rides?
9. Why do you think climate change is bad for making electricity from water?
10. How do you think people who work with tourists are affected when there are not many tourists?
11. Do you think it’s fair for the hotel owners and pony ride workers to lose money because of the lack of snow? Why or why not?
12. What do you think can be done to solve the problem of not enough water in Kashmir?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Kashmir
2. climate
3. tourists
4. electricity
5. cancelled
6. ponies
7. farms
8. scientists
9. businesses
10. hotels
11. warmer
12. sufficient

Meanings:
(A) The power that we use to make lights and machines work
(B) Enough; as much as is needed
(C) People who study things to learn how they work
(D) The usual weather in a place
(E) Places where people work to sell things or do services for money
(F) A little bit hot
(G) Places where people can sleep when they are not at home
(H) Small horses that people can ride
(I) Places where food is grown and animals are raised
(J) A place in India where it usually snows a lot
(K) People who travel to different places for fun
(L) When someone decides they will not do something they had planned to do
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the problem in Kashmir this year?
(a) There is no snow
(b) There is too much snow
(c) There is too much rain
(d) There is too much heat

2. Why are people losing money in Kashmir?
(a) There is too much snow
(b) Not many tourists are coming
(c) There is too much rain
(d) The hotels are too expensive

3. What is the reason for the lack of snow in Kashmir?
(a) Too many tourists
(b) The hotels are too expensive
(c) The weather is too hot
(d) Climate change

4. What is the problem with the lack of snow for electricity?
(a) The electricity bills are too high
(b) The electricity is not working
(c) The snow is too heavy
(d) It is harder to make electricity from water

5. Who is having a hard time because there are not many tourists?
(a) Farmers
(b) Hotel owners
(c) Students
(d) Doctors

6. Why are people cancelling their plans to stay at hotels?
(a) The hotels are too expensive
(b) The weather is too hot
(c) There is no snow
(d) The hotels are full

7. What do people in Kashmir use ponies for?
(a) Giving rides to tourists
(b) Farming
(c) Transportation
(d) Racing

8. What might happen if it does not snow or rain soon?
(a) There might be too much water for people and farms
(b) There might be too much snow for people and farms
(c) There might not be enough water for people and farms
(d) There might not be enough tourists for people and farms

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. It has not rained much in Kashmir and the temperature is warmer than usual.
2. This year, there is no snow in Kashmir, which is causing problems for businesses that rely on tourists.
3. In Kashmir, a place in India, there is usually no snow in winter.
4. The lack of snow also means there might not be enough water for farms and people to drink.
5. Hotel owners in Kashmir are making money because many tourists have cancelled their plans to stay at their hotels.
6. People who give rides on horses to tourists are also struggling to make money due to the lack of tourists.
7. Scientists believe that the reason for the lack of snow is climate change, which is making the weather different than before.
8. The presence of snow and rain is affecting people’s jobs and their ability to generate electricity from 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. Why is the lack of snow a big problem in Kashmir?
2. What is climate change and how does it affect the weather?
3. How are people who work with tourists being affected by the lack of snow?
4. Why are hotel owners losing money?
5. What are some possible consequences if it does not snow or rain soon?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why is it a big problem that there is no snow in Kashmir this year?
It is a big problem because people who have businesses that need tourists are losing money and there might not be enough water for farms and people to drink.

2. What is the reason scientists give for why there is no snow?
Scientists say the reason is because of something called climate change, which is making the weather very different than it used to be.

3. How does the lack of snow and rain affect people who have hotels and other businesses?
The lack of snow and rain means that not many tourists are coming, so people who have hotels and other businesses are losing money.

4. Why are hotel owners losing money?
Hotel owners are losing money because many people have cancelled their plans to stay at their hotels due to the lack of snow and rain.

5. Who else is having a hard time because there are not many tourists?
People who give rides on ponies to tourists are also having a hard time because there are not many tourists.

6. Why are people who give rides on ponies not making money?
People who give rides on ponies are not making money because there are not many tourists coming to Kashmir.

7. What might happen if it does not snow or rain soon?
If it does not snow or rain soon, there might not be enough water for people and farms.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) other
(2) tourists
(3) many
(4) drink
(5) makes
(6) weather
(7) rained
(8) snow
(9) making
(10) People
(11) give
(12) water
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Kashmir
Answer: (J) A place in India where it usually snows a lot

2. climate
Answer: (D) The usual weather in a place

3. tourists
Answer: (K) People who travel to different places for fun

4. electricity
Answer: (A) The power that we use to make lights and machines work

5. cancelled
Answer: (L) When someone decides they will not do something they had planned to do

6. ponies
Answer: (H) Small horses that people can ride

7. farms
Answer: (I) Places where food is grown and animals are raised

8. scientists
Answer: (C) People who study things to learn how they work

9. businesses
Answer: (E) Places where people work to sell things or do services for money

10. hotels
Answer: (G) Places where people can sleep when they are not at home

11. warmer
Answer: (F) A little bit hot

12. sufficient
Answer: (B) Enough; as much as is needed
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the problem in Kashmir this year?
Answer: (a) There is no snow

2. Why are people losing money in Kashmir?
Answer: (b) Not many tourists are coming

3. What is the reason for the lack of snow in Kashmir?
Answer: (d) Climate change

4. What is the problem with the lack of snow for electricity?
Answer: (d) It is harder to make electricity from water

5. Who is having a hard time because there are not many tourists?
Answer: (b) Hotel owners

6. Why are people cancelling their plans to stay at hotels?
Answer: (c) There is no snow

7. What do people in Kashmir use ponies for?
Answer: (a) Giving rides to tourists

8. What might happen if it does not snow or rain soon?
Answer: (c) There might not be enough water for people and farms
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. It has not rained much in Kashmir and the temperature is warmer than usual. (Answer: True)
2. This year, there is no snow in Kashmir, which is causing problems for businesses that rely on tourists. (Answer: True)
3. In Kashmir, a place in India, there is usually no snow in winter. (Answer: False)
4. The lack of snow also means there might not be enough water for farms and people to drink. (Answer: True)
5. Hotel owners in Kashmir are making money because many tourists have cancelled their plans to stay at their hotels. (Answer: False)
6. People who give rides on horses to tourists are also struggling to make money due to the lack of tourists. (Answer: False)
7. Scientists believe that the reason for the lack of snow is climate change, which is making the weather different than before. (Answer: True)
8. The presence of snow and rain is affecting people’s jobs and their ability to generate electricity from water. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧