Fishing towns in Australia are dealing with a big problem: lots and lots of rats. These rats have been spreading for a few months now, and they’re heading towards the coast to find food. But many of them don’t make it and end up dead on the beaches in Queensland. This has caused a huge number of rats, both dead and alive, to show up on the beaches. People living there have reported rats getting into their homes and cars, causing damage and being a big annoyance.

One town that’s been hit hard is Normanton. People there say that rats are everywhere. One person said that the rats chewed through the wiring of a car overnight and wrecked it. The rats have also invaded the nearby town of Karumba, which is a popular place for fishing and birdwatching. This is worrying because the rats might scare away tourists.

People have been sharing really gross pictures and videos on social media. They show piles of dead rats on the beaches and a lot of them floating in the river. The rat population has gotten so big because there are good conditions for them to have babies and plenty of food for them to eat. Experts think that things might get even worse because it’s going to rain a lot in Queensland. Some parts of Queensland and New South Wales are already dealing with a ton of rats, like they did in 2011.

The people who live in these towns, especially the ones who work in the fishing industry, are worried about what this rat problem will mean for the future. They’re afraid that it will give Karumba a bad name and make people not want to visit. People are trying to control the rat population and fix the damage they’ve caused. But it’s a tough situation, and the people who live there are getting ready for things to possibly get worse in the next few months.

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: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article. Then, ask each group to create a summary of the article in their own words. Afterward, have one person from each group share their summary with the rest of the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Ask the students to form pairs or small groups. Give each group a list of questions related to the article, such as “Do you think the rat problem will affect tourism in Karumba?” or “What do you think should be done to control the rat population?” Each group should discuss the questions and record their opinions. Then, have each group share their responses with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board, such as “rat population,” “annoyance,” or “fishing industry.” Divide the class into teams. Each team takes turns choosing a word and having one member of the team draw a picture to represent that word. The other team members must guess the word based on the drawing. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. One group will list the pros of the rat problem in the fishing towns, while the other group will list the cons. Give each group a few minutes to brainstorm their ideas. Then, have a class discussion where each group presents their lists and explains their reasoning.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have the students discuss and make predictions about the future of the rat problem in the fishing towns. Encourage them to consider factors such as weather conditions, control measures, and the impact on tourism. Afterward, have each group share their predictions with the class and discuss the likelihood of each scenario.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the big problem that fishing towns in Australia are dealing with?
2. Why are there so many rats showing up on the beaches in Queensland?
3. How have the rats been causing damage to people’s homes and cars?
4. Which town has been hit hard by the rat problem?
5. Why are people in Karumba worried about the rats?
6. What are some of the pictures and videos that people have been sharing on social media?
7. Why has the rat population gotten so big?
8. Why are the people who live in these towns worried about the rat problem?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Fishing towns in Australia are dealing with a big problem: lots and lots of rats. These rats have been spreading for a few months now, and they’re heading towards the coast to find food. But many of them don’t make it and end up dead on the (1)______ in Queensland. This has caused a huge (2)______ of rats, both dead and alive, to show up on the beaches. (3)______ living there have reported rats (4)______ into their homes and cars, causing damage and being a big annoyance.

One town that’s been hit hard is Normanton. People there say that rats are everywhere. One person said that the rats chewed through the (5)______ of a car overnight and wrecked it. The rats have also invaded the nearby town of Karumba, which is a popular (6)______ for fishing and (7)______. This is worrying because the rats might scare away tourists.

People have been sharing really gross pictures and (8)______ on social media. They show piles of dead rats on the beaches and a lot of them floating in the (9)______. The rat (10)______ has (11)______ so big because there are good conditions for them to have babies and plenty of food for them to eat. (12)______ think that things might get even worse because it’s going to rain a lot in Queensland. Some parts of Queensland and New South Wales are already dealing with a ton of rats, like they did in 2011.

The people who live in these (13)______, especially the ones who work in the fishing industry, are worried about what this rat (14)______ will mean for the future. They’re afraid that it will give Karumba a bad name and make people not want to visit. People are trying to (15)______ the rat population and fix the damage they’ve caused. But it’s a tough situation, and the people who live there are getting ready for things to possibly get worse in the next few (16)______.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a fishing town?
2. How would you feel if rats were everywhere in your town?
3. Do you like rats? Why or why not?
4. How do you think the rats are getting into people’s homes and cars?
5. What do you think the rats are eating to survive?
6. Do you think the rat problem will scare away tourists? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever seen a rat in real life? If so, where?
8. How do you think the people in Normanton feel about the rat problem?
9. Do you think the rat problem will get worse when it rains? Why or why not?
10. What do you think the fishing industry workers are most worried about?
11. Have you ever had a problem with pests in your home? If so, what did you do to fix it?
12. How do you think the people in these towns are trying to control the rat population?
13. Do you think the rat problem will affect the future of these towns? Why or why not?
14. How would you feel if your town had a bad reputation because of a rat problem?
15. What do you think the people in these towns should do to prepare for the possibility of things getting worse?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. fishing
2. rats
3. damage
4. invasion
5. population
6. conditions
7. control
8. future

Meanings:
(a) The circumstances or environment in which something happens
(b) Small animals with long tails and sharp teeth
(c) Harm or destruction caused by something
(d) The activity of catching fish for food or sport
(e) The total number of people or animals in a particular area
(f) When a large number of unwanted things enter a place
(g) The time that is to come or will happen later
(h) To take charge and manage a situation or problem
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the main problem that fishing towns in Australia are currently facing?
(a) Lots of seagulls
(b) Lots of sharks
(c) Lots of dolphins
(d) Lots of rats

2. Why are the rats heading towards the coast?
(a) To find food
(b) To find shelter
(c) To find other rats
(d) To find tourists

3. How have the rats been affecting people’s homes and cars?
(a) By stealing food
(b) By leaving droppings
(c) By causing damage
(d) By making noise

4. Which town has been hit particularly hard by the rat problem?
(a) Sydney
(b) Normanton
(c) Melbourne
(d) Brisbane

5. Why are people worried about the rats scaring away tourists?
(a) Because tourism is important for the town’s economy
(b) Because tourists are afraid of rats
(c) Because tourists don’t like fishing and birdwatching
(d) Because tourists don’t like beaches

6. What has caused the rat population to grow so big?
(a) A lack of predators
(b) A decrease in their natural habitat
(c) Good conditions for them to have babies and plenty of food
(d) A decrease in their food source

7. What might make the rat problem even worse?
(a) Drought
(b) Extreme heat
(c) Strong winds
(d) Heavy rainfall

8. Why are people in the fishing industry particularly concerned about the rat problem?
(a) It might lead to a decrease in fish population
(b) It might harm the town’s reputation and tourism
(c) It might cause damage to fishing equipment
(d) It might attract more rats to the area

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The rats are migrating towards the coast in search of food, but many of them end up dead on the beaches in Queensland.
2. The rats have not invaded Karumba, a nearby town known for fishing and birdwatching, which is not concerning as it may deter tourists.
3. The rat population has not grown due to favorable conditions for breeding and an abundance of food.
4. Normanton, one of the affected towns, has been particularly hard hit, with rats seemingly everywhere.
5. Disturbing images and videos of piles of dead rats on the beaches and floating in the river have been shared on social media.
6. Fishing towns in Australia are currently not facing a major issue with an abundance of rats.
7. Experts do not predict that the situation may worsen with the expected heavy rainfall in Queensland, similar to the rat infestation experienced in 2011.
8. The influx of rats, both dead and alive, has become a significant problem for the residents, as they have been entering homes and cars, causing damage and annoyance.
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 problem are fishing towns in Australia currently facing?
2. Why are there so many rats showing up on the beaches in Queensland?
3. How have the rats been causing damage to people’s homes and cars?
4. Why are people worried about the rat problem in the town of Karumba?
5. What are the people in these towns doing to try and control the rat population?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the big problem that fishing towns in Australia are dealing with?
The big problem that fishing towns in Australia are dealing with is a large number of rats.

2. Why are there so many rats showing up on the beaches in Queensland?
There are so many rats showing up on the beaches in Queensland because they are heading towards the coast to find food.

3. How have the rats been causing damage to people’s homes and cars?
The rats have been causing damage to people’s homes and cars by chewing through wiring and wrecking vehicles.

4. Which town has been hit hard by the rat problem?
The town that has been hit hard by the rat problem is Normanton.

5. Why are people in Karumba worried about the rats?
People in Karumba are worried about the rats because they might scare away tourists, and Karumba is a popular place for fishing and birdwatching.

6. What are some of the pictures and videos that people have been sharing on social media?
Some of the pictures and videos that people have been sharing on social media show piles of dead rats on the beaches and rats floating in the river.

7. Why has the rat population gotten so big?
The rat population has gotten so big because there are good conditions for them to have babies and plenty of food for them to eat.

8. Why are the people who live in these towns worried about the rat problem?
The people who live in these towns are worried about the rat problem because it might give their towns a bad name and discourage people from visiting. They are also concerned about the damage the rats are causing and the potential for the problem to worsen in the future.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) beaches
(2) number
(3) People
(4) getting
(5) wiring
(6) place
(7) birdwatching
(8) videos
(9) river
(10) population
(11) gotten
(12) Experts
(13) towns
(14) problem
(15) control
(16) months
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. fishing
Answer: (d) The activity of catching fish for food or sport

2. rats
Answer: (b) Small animals with long tails and sharp teeth

3. damage
Answer: (c) Harm or destruction caused by something

4. invasion
Answer: (f) When a large number of unwanted things enter a place

5. population
Answer: (e) The total number of people or animals in a particular area

6. conditions
Answer: (a) The circumstances or environment in which something happens

7. control
Answer: (h) To take charge and manage a situation or problem

8. future
Answer: (g) The time that is to come or will happen later
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the main problem that fishing towns in Australia are currently facing?
Answer: (d) Lots of rats

2. Why are the rats heading towards the coast?
Answer: (a) To find food

3. How have the rats been affecting people’s homes and cars?
Answer: (c) By causing damage

4. Which town has been hit particularly hard by the rat problem?
Answer: (b) Normanton

5. Why are people worried about the rats scaring away tourists?
Answer: (a) Because tourism is important for the town’s economy

6. What has caused the rat population to grow so big?
Answer: (c) Good conditions for them to have babies and plenty of food

7. What might make the rat problem even worse?
Answer: (d) Heavy rainfall

8. Why are people in the fishing industry particularly concerned about the rat problem?
Answer: (b) It might harm the town’s reputation and tourism
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The rats are migrating towards the coast in search of food, but many of them end up dead on the beaches in Queensland. (Answer: True)
2. The rats have not invaded Karumba, a nearby town known for fishing and birdwatching, which is not concerning as it may deter tourists. (Answer: False)
3. The rat population has not grown due to favorable conditions for breeding and an abundance of food. (Answer: False)
4. Normanton, one of the affected towns, has been particularly hard hit, with rats seemingly everywhere. (Answer: True)
5. Disturbing images and videos of piles of dead rats on the beaches and floating in the river have been shared on social media. (Answer: True)
6. Fishing towns in Australia are currently not facing a major issue with an abundance of rats. (Answer: False)
7. Experts do not predict that the situation may worsen with the expected heavy rainfall in Queensland, similar to the rat infestation experienced in 2011. (Answer: False)
8. The influx of rats, both dead and alive, has become a significant problem for the residents, as they have been entering homes and cars, causing damage and annoyance. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧