England is going to have a new national park to protect and give people more access to the countryside. Natural England will look at different places like the Chilterns, the Cotswolds, and Dorset to decide where the park will be. Some people who care about the environment are happy about this news, but they are worried because the government has been giving less money to national parks. This has led to cuts in services and staff. The government has also said they will give £15m to the current national parks and protected areas. They are doing this because a review in 2019 said that the way these places are managed and funded is not good.

The person who wrote the review, Julian Glover, is excited about the progress and the extra money. He thinks national parks are important for making us feel good and helping both people and nature. But Dr. Rose O’Neill, who runs the Campaign for National Parks, is worried about the money problems that the current parks have. Since 2010, they have had 40% less money. Even though the new money will help a bit, she is still worried about future problems.

Kevin Bishop, who runs Dartmoor National Park, is happy about the new national park but has some concerns. He thinks the current parks need more money for everyday costs, like paying staff. He is grateful for the £15m for big projects, but he thinks it’s also important to have money for smaller projects that help nature and people.

The government promised to make a new national park in England in their plan, and next year is the 75th anniversary of the law that made national parks possible. Wales and Scotland are also thinking about making new national parks. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Barclay, made the announcement, but it will take up to five years to make the new park. The government will give an extra £5m this year and £10m next year to help national parks and stop nature from getting worse.

The government is also giving £2.5m to help young people who don’t have a lot of money go to the countryside. They are also giving £750,000 for research on protecting England’s temperate rainforests. They will make 34 new projects to help nature and make food in a good way. The Labour Party’s Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Reed, said the Conservatives are to blame for nature getting worse in the UK. He said the UK is one of the countries with the least nature left.

Original news source: England to get new national park as part of nature plan (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article. Then, ask each group to summarize the main points of the article in a few sentences. Have each group share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write two statements on the board: “Creating a new national park is a positive step for the environment” and “The government should focus on funding existing national parks instead of creating new ones.” Have students stand in a designated area of the classroom to indicate whether they agree or disagree with each statement. Ask a few students to explain their reasoning.

– Sketch It
Instructions: In pairs, have students take turns describing a scene from a national park. Their partner must listen and sketch what they hear. After a few minutes, have students compare their sketches to see how well they captured the scene.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper and place them in a bag. Divide the class into teams. One student from each team will pick a word from the bag and draw a picture representing the word while their team tries to guess the word. The team that guesses correctly earns a point.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs, have students discuss and make predictions about the future of national parks in England. They should consider factors such as funding, environmental concerns, and public access. After a few minutes, ask a few pairs to share their predictions with the class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the purpose of creating a new national park in England?
2. Why are some people worried about the government’s funding for national parks?
3. Who wrote the review that led to the government’s decision to give money to national parks?
4. What is Dr. Rose O’Neill’s main concern about the current national parks?
5. What does Kevin Bishop believe the current parks need more money for?
6. Why is next year significant for the creation of a new national park in England?
7. How long will it take to create the new national park in England?
8. What other initiatives has the government announced to help nature and young people?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

(1)______ is going to have a new (2)______ park to protect and give people more access to the countryside. (3)______ England will look at different places like the Chilterns, the Cotswolds, and Dorset to decide where the park will be. Some people who care about the environment are happy about this news, but they are (4)______ because the government has been giving less money to national parks. This has led to cuts in services and staff. The government has also said they will give £15m to the current national parks and protected areas. They are doing this because a review in 2019 said that the way these places are managed and (5)______ is not good.

The person who wrote the review, Julian (6)______, is excited about the progress and the extra money. He thinks national parks are important for making us feel good and helping both people and (7)______. But Dr. Rose O’Neill, who runs the Campaign for National Parks, is worried about the money problems that the current parks have. Since 2010, they have had 40% less money. Even though the new money will help a bit, she is still worried about future problems.

Kevin (8)______, who runs Dartmoor National Park, is happy about the new national park but has some concerns. He thinks the current parks need more money for everyday costs, like paying staff. He is grateful for the £15m for big projects, but he thinks it’s also important to have money for (9)______ projects that help nature and (10)______.

The government promised to make a new national park in England in their plan, and next year is the 75th anniversary of the law that made national parks possible. (11)______ and (12)______ are also thinking about making new national parks. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Barclay, made the announcement, but it will take up to five years to make the new park. The (13)______ will give an (14)______ £5m this year and £10m next year to help national parks and stop nature from getting worse.

The government is also giving £2.5m to help young people who don’t have a lot of money go to the countryside. They are also giving £750,000 for research on protecting England’s temperate rainforests. They will make 34 new projects to help nature and make food in a good way. The Labour Party’s Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Reed, said the (15)______ are to blame for nature getting worse in the UK. He said the UK is one of the (16)______ with the least nature left.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a national park and why are they important?
2. How would you feel if there was a new national park in your country?
3. Do you like spending time in nature? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to protect the environment? Why or why not?
5. What do you think about the government giving less money to national parks?
6. How do you think the cuts in services and staff will affect the current national parks?
7. Why do you think the government decided to give £15m to the current national parks and protected areas?
8. What do you think about the review that said the way national parks are managed and funded is not good?
9. How do you think national parks make people feel good?
10. What do you think about the concerns Dr. Rose O’Neill has about the money problems of the current parks?
11. Why do you think Kevin Bishop believes the current parks need more money for everyday costs?
12. Do you think it’s important to have money for smaller projects that help nature and people? Why or why not?
13. How do you feel about the government’s promise to make a new national park in England?
14. What do you think about the government giving money to help young people go to the countryside?
15. Do you agree with the statement that the UK is one of the countries with the least nature left? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. national park
2. environment
3. money
4. staff
5. projects
6. countryside
7. nature
8. government

Meanings:
(a) The things that are done to protect the Earth
(b) The plans or activities that are done to achieve a goal
(c) The natural world around us, including plants and animals
(d) The group of people who make decisions for a country
(e) A protected area of land for people to enjoy nature
(f) The place where people work, like teachers or doctors
(g) The amount of coins or notes that you have
(h) The land outside of cities and towns, with fields and trees
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the purpose of creating a new national park in England?
(a) To protect and provide more access to the countryside
(b) To increase tourism in certain areas
(c) To generate more revenue for the government
(d) To reduce the number of national parks in the country

2. Which organization will decide where the new national park will be located?
(a) The government
(b) The Campaign for National Parks
(c) Julian Glover
(d) Natural England

3. Why are some people worried about the new national park?
(a) They believe it will have a negative impact on the environment
(b) The current national parks are already overcrowded
(c) The government has been giving less money to national parks
(d) They think it will lead to an increase in pollution

4. What did the review in 2019 say about the management and funding of national parks?
(a) It was not good
(b) It was excellent
(c) It needed more government intervention
(d) It was satisfactory

5. Who wrote the review in 2019?
(a) Dr. Rose O’Neill
(b) Kevin Bishop
(c) Julian Glover
(d) Steve Barclay

6. What is Dr. Rose O’Neill worried about regarding the current national parks?
(a) The overcrowding of visitors in these parks
(b) The lack of staff to manage the parks effectively
(c) The negative impact of national parks on local communities
(d) The lack of funding they have received since 2010

7. What does Kevin Bishop think the current national parks need more money for?
(a) Big projects to attract more tourists
(b) Everyday costs, like paying staff
(c) Marketing and advertising campaigns
(d) Research on protecting England’s temperate rainforests

8. How long will it take to create the new national park in England?
(a) One year
(b) Up to five years
(c) Three years
(d) Ten years

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. England is planning to dismantle a new national park to harm the countryside and restrict people’s access to it.
2. Kevin Bishop, the manager of Dartmoor National Park, is unhappy about the new national park and has no concerns about the need for more funding to cover everyday costs, such as staff salaries.
3. The government has pledged £15m to the existing national parks and protected areas, following a review in 2019 that criticized their management and funding.
4. Some people who care about the environment are unhappy with this news, but they are reassured because the government has been increasing funding for national parks.
5. Julian Glover, the author of the review, is excited about the progress and the additional funding, as he believes national parks are important for both people and nature.
6. Dr. Rose O’Neill, who opposes the Campaign for National Parks, is pleased with the financial stability enjoyed by the current parks, which have experienced a 40% increase in funding since 2010.
7. The government aims to establish the new national park in England as part of their plan, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the law that enabled the creation of national parks. Wales and Scotland are also considering establishing new national parks.
8. Natural England will consider different areas like the Chilterns, the Cotswolds, and Dorset to determine the location of the new park.
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 is the purpose of creating a new national park in England?
2. Why are some people worried about the government’s funding for national parks?
3. Who wrote the review that led to the decision to give £15m to current national parks?
4. What concerns does Dr. Rose O’Neill have about the money problems facing current national parks?
5. How long will it take to create the new national park in England?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the purpose of creating a new national park in England?
The purpose of creating a new national park in England is to protect and provide more access to the countryside.

2. Why are some people worried about the government’s funding for national parks?
Some people are worried about the government’s funding for national parks because there have been cuts in services and staff due to less money being given to them.

3. Who wrote the review that led to the government’s decision to give money to national parks?
The review that led to the government’s decision to give money to national parks was written by Julian Glover.

4. What is Dr. Rose O’Neill’s main concern about the current national parks?
Dr. Rose O’Neill’s main concern about the current national parks is the lack of money they have been receiving, which has led to cuts in funding and services.

5. What does Kevin Bishop believe the current parks need more money for?
Kevin Bishop believes that the current parks need more money for everyday costs, such as paying staff, as well as for smaller projects that help nature and people.

6. Why is next year significant for the creation of a new national park in England?
Next year is significant for the creation of a new national park in England because it marks the 75th anniversary of the law that made national parks possible.

7. How long will it take to create the new national park in England?
It will take up to five years to create the new national park in England.

8. What other initiatives has the government announced to help nature and young people?
The government has announced initiatives to help nature and young people, including giving £2.5m to help young people from low-income backgrounds go to the countryside and providing £750,000 for research on protecting England’s temperate rainforests. They will also implement 34 new projects to support nature and promote sustainable food production.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) England
(2) national
(3) Natural
(4) worried
(5) funded
(6) Glover
(7) nature
(8) Bishop
(9) smaller
(10) people
(11) Wales
(12) Scotland
(13) government
(14) extra
(15) Conservatives
(16) countries
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. national park
Answer: (e) A protected area of land for people to enjoy nature

2. environment
Answer: (c) The natural world around us, including plants and animals

3. money
Answer: (f) The place where people work, like teachers or doctors

4. staff
Answer: (h) The land outside of cities and towns, with fields and trees

5. projects
Answer: (b) The plans or activities that are done to achieve a goal

6. countryside
Answer: (d) The group of people who make decisions for a country

7. nature
Answer: (g) The amount of coins or notes that you have

8. government
Answer: (a) The things that are done to protect the Earth
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the purpose of creating a new national park in England?
Answer: (a) To protect and provide more access to the countryside

2. Which organization will decide where the new national park will be located?
Answer: (d) Natural England

3. Why are some people worried about the new national park?
Answer: (c) The government has been giving less money to national parks

4. What did the review in 2019 say about the management and funding of national parks?
Answer: (a) It was not good

5. Who wrote the review in 2019?
Answer: (c) Julian Glover

6. What is Dr. Rose O’Neill worried about regarding the current national parks?
Answer: (d) The lack of funding they have received since 2010

7. What does Kevin Bishop think the current national parks need more money for?
Answer: (b) Everyday costs, like paying staff

8. How long will it take to create the new national park in England?
Answer: (b) Up to five years
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. England is planning to dismantle a new national park to harm the countryside and restrict people’s access to it. (Answer: False)
2. Kevin Bishop, the manager of Dartmoor National Park, is unhappy about the new national park and has no concerns about the need for more funding to cover everyday costs, such as staff salaries. (Answer: False)
3. The government has pledged £15m to the existing national parks and protected areas, following a review in 2019 that criticized their management and funding. (Answer: True)
4. Some people who care about the environment are unhappy with this news, but they are reassured because the government has been increasing funding for national parks. (Answer: False)
5. Julian Glover, the author of the review, is excited about the progress and the additional funding, as he believes national parks are important for both people and nature. (Answer: True)
6. Dr. Rose O’Neill, who opposes the Campaign for National Parks, is pleased with the financial stability enjoyed by the current parks, which have experienced a 40% increase in funding since 2010. (Answer: False)
7. The government aims to establish the new national park in England as part of their plan, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the law that enabled the creation of national parks. Wales and Scotland are also considering establishing new national parks. (Answer: True)
8. Natural England will consider different areas like the Chilterns, the Cotswolds, and Dorset to determine the location of the new park. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧