Great white sharks are back at the beaches in Cape Town, South Africa, after not being seen for more than four years. There are special people called shark spotters who watch the water from the mountains. They look out for sharks and help keep people safe when they swim. They also put a net in the water every morning to make a safe place for swimming and take it out at night to keep sea animals safe.

There are new ways to keep sharks away from swimmers without hurting the sharks. One idea is to make a fake underwater forest that sharks don’t like to swim through. It also has magnets because sharks don’t like those either. But this idea is still new and needs more work before it can be used all the time.

Sharks can be dangerous, and sometimes people have been hurt by them. But the people watching for sharks and the new ideas are trying to keep everyone safe, both the sharks and the swimmers. Sharks are important for the ocean, and people who care about animals are happy to see them back. They help keep everything in the ocean working right.

Original news source: South Africa’s shark spotters back in action as great whites return (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Have the students read the article and then work together in pairs or small groups to write a summary of the main points. Encourage them to use their own words and keep it concise. Afterwards, have each group share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups, one in favor of the shark spotters and the other against. Give each group some time to discuss and come up with reasons to support their opinion. Then, have each group present their arguments to the class and conduct a poll to see which opinion is more popular among the students.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down some key vocabulary words from the article on small pieces of paper. Distribute the papers randomly to the students. One by one, each student should come to the front of the class and draw a picture to represent the word on their paper, while their classmates try to guess what it is. Encourage the use of English words and phrases during the activity.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: Choose several important keywords from the article and write blanks on the board to represent each letter of the word. Have the students take turns guessing letters to try and fill in the blanks and correctly guess the word. If a student guesses a wrong letter, start drawing the hangman. The game continues until the word is guessed or the hangman is complete.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask the students to think about the future of shark safety measures. In pairs or small groups, have them discuss and make predictions about what new ideas or technologies may be developed in the future to protect both swimmers and sharks. Encourage them to use future tenses and provide reasons for their predictions. Afterwards, have each group share their ideas with the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who are the special people who watch the water for sharks?
2. What do the shark spotters do to keep people safe when they swim?
3. What do the shark spotters do with the net in the water?
4. What is one new idea to keep sharks away from swimmers?
5. Why do sharks not like the fake underwater forest?
6. Why do sharks not like magnets?
7. Why are people happy to see the sharks back at the beaches?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Great white sharks are back at the beaches in Cape Town, South Africa, after not being seen for more than four years. There are special (1)______ called shark spotters who watch the water from the (2)______. They look out for sharks and (3)______ keep people safe when they swim. They also put a net in the water every morning to (4)______ a safe place for swimming and take it out at night to keep sea animals safe.

There are new (5)______ to keep sharks away from (6)______ without hurting the sharks. One idea is to make a fake underwater forest that sharks don’t (7)______ to swim through. It also has magnets because sharks don’t like those either. But this idea is still new and needs (8)______ work before it can be (9)______ all the time.

Sharks can be dangerous, and sometimes people have been hurt by them. But the people (10)______ for sharks and the new ideas are trying to keep everyone (11)______, both the sharks and the swimmers. Sharks are important for the ocean, and people who care about animals are happy to see them back. They help keep everything in the ocean (12)______ right.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a shark spotter and what do they do?
2. How would you feel if you saw a great white shark at the beach?
3. Do you like swimming in the ocean? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the idea of a fake underwater forest to keep sharks away?
5. Why do you think it’s important to keep sharks and swimmers safe?
6. Have you ever seen a shark before? How did you feel?
7. What do you think would happen if there were no shark spotters at the beach?
8. Do you think it’s important to protect sea animals? Why or why not?
9. How do you think sharks help keep everything in the ocean working right?
10. Have you ever been hurt while swimming? What happened?
11. What is your favorite thing about the ocean?
12. Do you think you would be brave enough to swim in the ocean if there were sharks nearby? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. difficult
2. spotters
3. mountains
4. net
5. magnets
6. dangerous
7. swimmers
8. underwater
9. forest
10. important
11. ocean
12. working

Meanings:
(A) Below the surface of the water
(B) Hard to do or understand
(C) Very tall landforms, higher than hills
(D) The large body of saltwater that covers most of the Earth
(E) Objects that can pull metal things toward them
(F) People who look for something carefully
(G) Can cause harm or injury
(H) A large area covered with many trees
(I) A kind of mesh used to catch things
(J) Doing a job or function
(K) Very valuable or necessary
(L) People who move through water by moving their arms and legs
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What are the special people called who watch the water from the mountains?
(a) Lifeguards
(b) Shark spotters
(c) Fishermen
(d) Surfers

2. What do the shark spotters do to keep people safe when they swim?
(a) Play in the water
(b) Surf on the waves
(c) Catch fish
(d) Watch out for sharks

3. What do the shark spotters put in the water every morning?
(a) A boat
(b) A bridge
(c) A net
(d) A sign

4. What do the shark spotters do with the net at night?
(a) Leave it in the water
(b) Take it out of the water
(c) Catch fish with it
(d) Swim with it

5. What is one idea to keep sharks away from swimmers?
(a) Make a fake underwater forest
(b) Feed the sharks
(c) Swim with the sharks
(d) Play with magnets

6. Why do sharks not like the fake underwater forest?
(a) They don’t like swimming through it
(b) They get stuck in it
(c) They like to eat it
(d) They like to play in it

7. What else do the fake underwater forests have besides trees?
(a) Rocks
(b) Fish
(c) Seaweed
(d) Magnets

8. Why are people happy to see the sharks back?
(a) Sharks are fun to play with
(b) Sharks are good to eat
(c) Sharks are important for the ocean
(d) Sharks are scary

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Shark spotters put a net in the water every morning to create a safe area for swimming, and they remove it at night to protect sea animals.
2. There are special people called shark spotters who watch the water from the mountains to keep people safe from sharks while they swim.
3. There are old ways being developed to keep sharks away from swimmers without hurting the sharks.
4. However, this idea is still new and needs more work before it can be used all the time.
5. The people watching for sharks and the new ideas being developed aim to keep both the sharks and the swimmers safe, as sharks are important for the ocean’s ecosystem.
6. Small white sharks have returned to the beaches in Cape Town, South Africa, after being gone for less than four years.
7. One idea is to create a real underwater desert that sharks love to swim through, which also includes magnets that attract sharks.
8. Sharks cannot be dangerous, and there have been no instances where people have been hurt by them.
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. Who are the special people that watch the water from the mountains?
2. What do the shark spotters do to keep people safe when they swim?
3. What is one new idea to keep sharks away from swimmers?
4. Why do some people get hurt by sharks?
5. Why are people happy to see the sharks back at the beaches?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who are the special people who watch the water for sharks?
The special people who watch the water for sharks are called shark spotters.

2. What do the shark spotters do to keep people safe when they swim?
The shark spotters keep people safe by watching out for sharks and warning them if there is a shark in the water.

3. What do the shark spotters do with the net in the water?
The shark spotters put a net in the water every morning to make a safe place for swimming and take it out at night to keep sea animals safe.

4. What is one new idea to keep sharks away from swimmers?
One new idea is to make a fake underwater forest that sharks don’t like to swim through.

5. Why do sharks not like the fake underwater forest?
Sharks do not like the fake underwater forest because it is not a good place for them to swim through.

6. Why do sharks not like magnets?
Sharks do not like magnets because they don’t feel comfortable around them.

7. Why are people happy to see the sharks back at the beaches?
People are happy to see the sharks back at the beaches because they are important for the ocean and help keep everything in the ocean working right.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) people
(2) mountains
(3) help
(4) make
(5) ways
(6) swimmers
(7) like
(8) more
(9) used
(10) watching
(11) safe
(12) working
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. difficult
Answer: (B) Hard to do or understand

2. spotters
Answer: (F) People who look for something carefully

3. mountains
Answer: (C) Very tall landforms, higher than hills

4. net
Answer: (I) A kind of mesh used to catch things

5. magnets
Answer: (E) Objects that can pull metal things toward them

6. dangerous
Answer: (G) Can cause harm or injury

7. swimmers
Answer: (L) People who move through water by moving their arms and legs

8. underwater
Answer: (A) Below the surface of the water

9. forest
Answer: (H) A large area covered with many trees

10. important
Answer: (K) Very valuable or necessary

11. ocean
Answer: (D) The large body of saltwater that covers most of the Earth

12. working
Answer: (J) Doing a job or function
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What are the special people called who watch the water from the mountains?
Answer: (b) Shark spotters

2. What do the shark spotters do to keep people safe when they swim?
Answer: (d) Watch out for sharks

3. What do the shark spotters put in the water every morning?
Answer: (c) A net

4. What do the shark spotters do with the net at night?
Answer: (b) Take it out of the water

5. What is one idea to keep sharks away from swimmers?
Answer: (a) Make a fake underwater forest

6. Why do sharks not like the fake underwater forest?
Answer: (a) They don’t like swimming through it

7. What else do the fake underwater forests have besides trees?
Answer: (d) Magnets

8. Why are people happy to see the sharks back?
Answer: (c) Sharks are important for the ocean
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Shark spotters put a net in the water every morning to create a safe area for swimming, and they remove it at night to protect sea animals. (Answer: True)
2. There are special people called shark spotters who watch the water from the mountains to keep people safe from sharks while they swim. (Answer: True)
3. There are old ways being developed to keep sharks away from swimmers without hurting the sharks. (Answer: False)
4. However, this idea is still new and needs more work before it can be used all the time. (Answer: True)
5. The people watching for sharks and the new ideas being developed aim to keep both the sharks and the swimmers safe, as sharks are important for the ocean’s ecosystem. (Answer: True)
6. Small white sharks have returned to the beaches in Cape Town, South Africa, after being gone for less than four years. (Answer: False)
7. One idea is to create a real underwater desert that sharks love to swim through, which also includes magnets that attract sharks. (Answer: False)
8. Sharks cannot be dangerous, and there have been no instances where people have been hurt by them. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧