The Reading / Listening - Reindeer - Level 3

A man from Norway has photographed a rare white reindeer calf while on a walk in the north of his country. Mads Nordsveen, 24, from Norway's capital city Oslo was hiking in the mountains at the weekend. While walking through the snow, he spotted a smallish white animal and realized it was a reindeer. Mr Nordsveen said the creature was so white, "he almost disappeared into the snow". Nordsveen described the experience as being "magical" and like a "fairy tale". He said: "The reindeer came to me very close and we looked into each other's eyes. He was very calm when he saw that I did not have bad intentions. He behaved as if he was posing for my photos. He was very curious...like a little explorer."

The photograph of the reindeer calf has gone viral on social media. It has been liked over 30,000 times since Nordsveen uploaded it on Monday. It is good luck in Scandinavian countries to see a white reindeer. Many people think it is good timing as Christmas is coming. According to folklore, Santa Claus' sleigh is pulled by eight flying reindeer. They help Santa to deliver presents to good children on Christmas Eve. However Santa's reindeer are usually brown. A white reindeer is very rare. Their unusual appearance is caused by a genetic condition that removes colour from their fur. People can mistake such a reindeer for being an albino, but this is not the case. In the USA, reindeer are known as caribou.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Reindeer - Level 0,  Reindeer - Level 1   or  Reindeer - Level 2

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46442538
  • https://globalnews.ca/news/4726909/rare-white-reindeer-calf/
  • https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/white-reindeer-captured-by-norweigan-photographer-mads-nordsveen-instagram-northern-norway-sami-people/118142


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Warm-ups

1. REINDEER: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about reindeer. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       Norway / rare / white / reindeer / capital city / mountains / animal / fairy tale / eyes
       photograph / calf / viral / good timing / sleigh / appearance / genetic condition
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. SANTA CLAUS: Students A strongly believe Santa Claus is real; Students B strongly believe Santa Claus isn't real.  Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. CHRISTMAS ANIMALS: What do these animals have to do with Christmas? Find out on the Internet. Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

Their links to Christmas

What I found online

Reindeer

 

 

Robin

 

 

Camel

 

 

Donkey

 

 

Turtle doves

 

 

Kangaroo

 

 
MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. SNOW: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "snow". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. WHITE: Rank these with your partner. Put the best white animals at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • rabbit
  • swan
  • tiger
  • mouse
  • reindeer
  • polar bear
  • lion
  • owl

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. rare a. Really wanting to know about or learn something.
      2. calf b. The most important city or town of a country or region.
      3. capital c. Suddenly understood something; became fully aware of something.
      4. spotted d. About an event, situation, or condition not happening very often; unusual; uncommon.
      5. realized e. An animal (but not a human being).
      6. creature f. A baby (up to a year old) cow, deer, elephant, whale or rhino.
      7. curious g. Saw, noticed, or recognized someone or something that is usually difficult to see.

    Paragraph 2

      8. viral h. The traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed down through families by word of mouth.
      9. uploaded i. The way that someone or something looks.
      10. good timing j. An illness or other medical problem.
      11. folklore k. Posted (put) something (a picture. music file, video, etc.) on a website or server.
      12. appearance l. All about genes.
      13. genetic m. A point in time when it is of benefit to do something.
      14. condition n. About an image, video, piece of information, etc., that is spread quickly and widely from one Internet user to another.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. A man in Norway photographed 24 rare white reindeer.     T / F
  2. The man took the photograph on an iceberg near the Arctic Circle.     T / F
  3. The man said the reindeer ran and disappeared down a hole.     T / F
  4. The man said the reindeer was very calm and posed for a photograph.     T / F
  5. The photograph has been liked 300,000 times on social media.     T / F
  6. It is good luck in Scandinavia to see a white reindeer.     T / F
  7. The reindeer was white because of a problem with its genes.     T / F
  8. In America, reindeer are called caribou.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. photographed
  2. hiking
  3. creature
  4. magical
  5. calm
  6. uploaded
  7. presents
  8. appearance
  9. case
  10. known as
  1. situation
  2. enchanting
  3. looks
  4. posted
  5. animal
  6. called
  7. snapped
  8. relaxed
  9. gifts
  10. walking

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. while on a walk
  2. he spotted a smallish
  3. the creature was so white, he almost
  4. "magical" and
  5. He behaved as if he was posing
  6. The photograph of the reindeer calf has
  7. good
  8. According to
  9. Their unusual appearance is caused
  10. In the USA, reindeer are
  1. disappeared into the snow
  2. folklore
  3. gone viral
  4. for my photos
  5. known as caribou
  6. in the north of his country
  7. by a genetic condition
  8. like a "fairy tale"
  9. timing
  10. white animal

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
creature
capital
calm
experience
curious
spotted
rare
eyes

A man from Norway has photographed a (1) ____________ white reindeer calf while on a walk in the north of his country. Mads Nordsveen, 24, from Norway's (2) ____________ city Oslo, was hiking in the mountains at the weekend. While walking through the snow, he (3) ____________ a smallish white animal and realized it was a reindeer. Mr Nordsveen said the (4) ____________ was so white, "he almost disappeared into the snow". Nordsveen described the (5) ____________ as being "magical" and like a "fairy tale". He said: "The reindeer came to me very close and we looked into each other's (6) ____________. He was very (7) ____________ when he saw that I did not have bad intentions. He behaved as if he was posing for my photos. He was very (8) ____________...like a little explorer."

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
luck
deliver
viral
known
liked
fur
timing
unusual

The photograph of the reindeer calf has gone (9) ____________ on social media. It has been (10) ____________ over 30,000 times since Nordsveen uploaded it on Monday. It is good (11) ____________ in Scandinavian countries to see a white reindeer. Many people think it is good (12) ____________ as Christmas is coming. According to folklore, Santa Claus' sleigh is pulled by eight flying reindeer. They help Santa to (13) ____________ presents to good children on Christmas Eve. However, Santa's reindeer are usually brown. A white reindeer is very rare. Their (14) ____________ appearance is caused by a genetic condition that removes colour from their (15) ____________. People can mistake such a reindeer for being an albino, but this is not the case. In the USA, reindeer are (16) ____________ as caribou.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  A man from Norway has photographed a rare white ______
     a.  reindeer calve
     b.  reindeer decaf
     c.  reindeer calf
     d.  reindeer carve
2)  While walking through the snow, he spotted a ______ animal
     a.  smallish white
     b.  small lush white
     c.  small off-white
     d.  smallest white
3)  Nordsveen described the experience as being "magical" and like ______
     a.  a "hairy tale"
     b.  a "fairy tail"
     c.  a "fair retail"
     d.  a "farer tale"
4)  He was very calm when he saw that I did not have ______
     a.  bad in tension
     b.  bad in tensions
     c.  bad intention
     d.  bad intentions
5)  He behaved as if he was posing for my photos. He was ______
     a.  very curious
     b.  very curiously
     c.  very curio us
     d.  very curly, yes?

6)  The photograph of the reindeer calf has gone ______ media
     a.  vital on social
     b.  viral on social
     c.  rival on social
     d.  rebel on social
7)  Many people think it is good timing as Christmas ______
     a.  is common
     b.  is coming in
     c.  is come in
     d.  is coming
8)  According to folklore, Santa Claus' sleigh is pulled by ______ reindeer
     a.  eight flown
     b.  eight fly in
     c.  eight flight in
     d.  eight flying
9)  caused by a genetic condition that removes colour ______
     a.  from their fur
     b.  from their furry
     c.  from their four
     d.  from their far
10)  In the USA, reindeer are ______ caribou
     a.  known has
     b.  known as
     c.  known was
     d.  known ash

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A man from Norway has photographed (1) ___________________ reindeer calf while on a walk in (2) ___________________ his country. Mads Nordsveen, 24, from Norway's capital city Oslo, was hiking in the mountains at the weekend. While walking (3) ___________________, he spotted a smallish white animal and realized it was a reindeer. Mr Nordsveen said the (4) ___________________ white, "he almost disappeared into the snow". Nordsveen described the experience as being "magical" and like a "fairy tale". He said: "The reindeer came to me (5) ___________________ we looked into each other's eyes. He was very calm when he saw that I did not have bad intentions. He behaved as if he (6) ___________________ my photos. He was very curious...like a little explorer."

The photograph of the reindeer calf has (7) ___________________ social media. It has been liked over 30,000 times since Nordsveen uploaded it on Monday. It is (8) ___________________ Scandinavian countries to see a white reindeer. Many people think it is (9) ___________________ Christmas is coming. According to folklore, Santa Claus' sleigh is pulled by eight flying reindeer. They help Santa to deliver presents to (10) ___________________ Christmas Eve. However, Santa's reindeer are usually brown. A white reindeer is very rare. Their unusual appearance is caused by a genetic condition that removes colour (11) ___________________. People can mistake such a reindeer for being an albino, but this is (12) ___________________. In the USA, reindeer are known as caribou.

Comprehension questions

  1. How old was the photographer?
  2. Where was the photographer walking when he saw the reindeer?
  3. Where did the photographer say the reindeer almost disappeared into?
  4. What did the photographer say the experience was like?
  5. How did the photographer say the reindeer felt?
  6. How many times has the photo been liked on social media?
  7. Where is seeing a white reindeer good luck?
  8. Why did the article say seeing the white reindeer was good timing?
  9. Why is the white reindeer white?
  10. What are reindeer called in the USA?

Multiple choice quiz

1) How old was the photographer?
a) 42
b) 24
c) 67
d) 52
2) Where was the photographer walking when he saw the reindeer?
a) in a forest
b) on a glacier
c) across a river
d) in the mountains
3) Where did the photographer say the reindeer almost disappeared into?
a) into the snow
b) into a hole
c) into the mist
d) into a forest
4) What did the photographer say the experience was like?
a) a dream
b) a movie
c) a fairy tale
d) wildlife documentary
5) How did the photographer say the reindeer felt?
a) nervous
b) calm
c) afraid
d) bored

6) How many times has the photo been liked on social media?
a) about 30,000 times
b) about 30,000 times
c) over 30,000 times
d) just under 30,000 times
7) Where is seeing a white reindeer good luck?
a) Canada
b) Russia
c) Alaska
d) Scandinavia
8) Why did the article say seeing the white reindeer was good timing?
a) because Christmas is coming
b) reindeer will hibernate
c) it was snowy
d) the photographer had his camera
9) Why is the white reindeer white?
a) because of a genetic problem
b) because of the sun
c) because of the snow
d) it's an albino
10) What are reindeer called in the USA?
a) white deer
b) caribou
c) elk
d) gazelle

Role play

Role  A – Reindeer
You think a white reindeer is the cutest white animal. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their animals. Also, tell the others which is the least cute of these (and why): white polar bear, white owl or white mouse.

Role  B – Polar Bear
You think a white polar bear is the cutest white animal. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their animals. Also, tell the others which is the least cute of these (and why): white reindeer, white owl or white mouse.

Role  C – Owl
You think a white owl is the cutest white animal. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their animals. Also, tell the others which is the least cute of these (and why): white polar bear, white reindeer or white mouse.

Role  D – Mouse
You think a white mouse is the cutest white animal. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their animals. Also, tell the others which is the least cute of these (and why): white polar bear, white owl or white reindeer.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'rare'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'reindeer'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • gone
    • luck
    • timing
    • children
    • unusual
    • case
    • walk
    • 24
    • spotted
    • so
    • close
    • bad

    Student survey

    Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

    (Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

    Discussion - Rare white reindeer photographed in Norway

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'reindeer'?
    3. What do you know about reindeer?
    4. Why are reindeer associated with Christmas?
    5. What do you think of hiking in the mountains?
    6. How good a photographer are you?
    7. Have you ever had a magical, fairy tale-like experience?
    8. Is Christmas better in the snow or desert?
    9. What animals would you like to photograph?
    10. What do you think of Christmas?

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'photograph'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What do you know about Norway?
    5. Why do things go viral on social media?
    6. What do you know about Santa delivering presents?
    7. What would you like for Christmas?
    8. What other creatures are associated with Christmas?
    9. What animals are good luck in your country?
    10. What questions would you like to ask Santa Claus?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    A man from Norway has photographed a (1) ____ white reindeer calf while on a walk in the north (2) ____ his country. Mads Nordsveen, 24, from Norway's capital city Oslo was hiking in the mountains at the weekend. While walking through the snow, he (3) ____ a smallish white animal and realized it was a reindeer. Mr Nordsveen said the creature was so white, "he almost disappeared into the snow". Nordsveen described the experience as being "(4) ____" and like a "fairytale". He said: "The reindeer came to me very close and we looked into each other's eyes. He was very (5) ____ when he saw that I did not have bad intentions. He behaved as if he was posing for my photos. He was very (6) ____...like a little explorer."

    The photograph of the reindeer calf has gone (7) ____ on social media. It has been liked over 30,000 times since Nordsveen uploaded it on Monday. It is (8) ____ luck in Scandinavian countries to see a white reindeer. Many people think it is good (9) ____ as Christmas is coming. According to folklore, Santa Claus' sleigh is pulled by eight flying reindeer. They help Santa to (10) ____ presents to good children on Christmas Eve. However Santa's reindeer are usually brown. A white reindeer is very rare. Their unusual appearance is caused by a (11) ____ condition that removes colour from their fur. People can mistake such a reindeer for being an albino, but this is not the (12) ____. In the USA, reindeer are known as caribou.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     rare     (b)     rarely     (c)     rear     (d)     roar    
    2. (a)     by     (b)     at     (c)     of     (d)     to    
    3. (a)     spotting     (b)     spotty     (c)     spotty     (d)     spotted    
    4. (a)     magician     (b)     magical     (c)     magenta     (d)     magnetic    
    5. (a)     alma     (b)     palm     (c)     balm     (d)     calm    
    6. (a)     curiosity     (b)     curio     (c)     curious     (d)     curiously    
    7. (a)     vital     (b)     viral     (c)     rival     (d)     rebel    
    8. (a)     good     (b)     wish     (c)     well     (d)     best    
    9. (a)     timing     (b)     time     (c)     timed     (d)     timer    
    10. (a)     rival     (b)     envelope     (c)     deliver     (d)     level    
    11. (a)     gene     (b)     genetically     (c)     geneticist     (d)     genetic    
    12. (a)     bag     (b)     case     (c)     box     (d)     container

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. Norway's apictla city Oslo
    2. described the experience as being liagamc
    3. like a tfyraiale
    4. I did not have bad tnntnoisei
    5. He was very uoriucs
    6. like a little olerpexr

    Paragraph 2

    1. gone laivr on social media
    2. Nordsveen upedaldo it on Monday
    3. Many people think it is good mntiig
    4. They help Santa to lirdvee presents
    5. Their unusual praeaepcna
    6. caused by a itnegce condition

    Put the text back together

    (...)  times since Nordsveen uploaded it on Monday. It is good luck in Scandinavian countries to see a white reindeer. Many people
    (...)  weekend. While walking through the snow, he spotted a smallish white animal and realized it was a
    (...)  snow". Nordsveen described the experience as being "magical" and like a "fairy tale". He said: "The reindeer came to
    (  1  ) A man from Norway has photographed a rare white reindeer calf while on a walk in the north of his
    (...)  reindeer. Mr Nordsveen said the creature was so white, "he almost disappeared into the
    (...)  The photograph of the reindeer calf has gone viral on social media. It has been liked over 30,000
    (...)  Christmas Eve. However, Santa's reindeer are usually brown. A white reindeer is very
    (...)  intentions. He behaved as if he was posing for my photos. He was very curious...like a little explorer."
    (...)  me very close and we looked into each other's eyes. He was very calm when he saw that I did not have bad
    (...)  country. Mads Nordsveen, 24, from Norway's capital city Oslo, was hiking in the mountains at the
    (...)  pulled by eight flying reindeer. They help Santa to deliver presents to good children on
    (...)  rare. Their unusual appearance is caused by a genetic condition that removes colour from their fur. People can
    (...)  mistake such a reindeer for being an albino, but this is not the case. In the USA, reindeer are known as caribou.
    (...)  think it is good timing as Christmas is coming. According to folklore, Santa Claus' sleigh is

    Put the words in the right order

    1. country   .   A   in   of   his   north   the   walk
    2. almost   disappeared   snow   .   white,   So   the   into   he
    3. "magical"   .   the   Nordsveen   described   being   as   experience
    4. I   saw   didn't   that   have   He   intentions   .   bad
    5. my   for   if   As   was   posing   he   photos   .
    6. of   has   viral   .   reindeer   gone   The   photograph   the
    7. timing   Christmas   It   good   is   as   coming   .   is
    8. sleigh   is   reindeer   .   Santa's   flying   by   eight   pulled
    9. a   caused   by   appearance   condition   .   is   Their   genetic
    10. are   known   reindeer   USA,   In   caribou   .   the   as

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    A man from Norway has photographed a rare white reindeer half / calf while on a walk in the north of his country. Mads Nordsveen, 24, from Norway's capital city Oslo, was hiked / hiking in the mountains at the weekend. While walking through the snow, he spotty / spotted a smallish white animal and realized it was a reindeer. Mr Nordsveen said the creature / creative was so white, "he almost disappearance / disappeared into the snow". Nordsveen described the experience as being / been "magical" and like a "fairy tale". He said: "The reindeer come / came to me very close and we looked onto / into each other's eyes. He was very clam / calm when he saw that I did not have bad intentions. He behaved as if he was posting / posing for my photos. He was very curious...like a little explorer."

    The photograph of the reindeer calf has gone / going viral on social media. It has been liked over 30,000 times since / for Nordsveen uploaded it on Monday. It is good / goodly luck in Scandinavian countries to see a white reindeer. Many people think it is goodness / good timing as Christmas is coming. According to folklore, Santa Claus' slay / sleigh is pulled by eight flying reindeer. They help Santa to deliver present / presents to good children on Christmas Eve. However, Santa's reindeer are usual / usually brown. A white reindeer is very rare. Their unusual appearance / appeared is caused by a genetic condition that removes colour from their far / fur. People can mistake such a reindeer for being an albino, but this is not the case. In the USA, reindeer are known as / was caribou.

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    A m_n f r_m N_r w_y h_s p h_t_g r_p h_d _ r_r_ w h_t_ r__ n d__ r c_l f w h_l_ _n _ w_l k _n t h_ n_r t h _f h_s c__ n t r y . M_d s N_r d s v__ n , 2 4 , f r_m N_r w_y ' s c_p_t_l c_t y O s l_, w_s h_k_n g _n t h_ m__ n t__ n s _t t h_ w__ k_n d . W h_l_ w_l k_n g t h r__ g h t h_ s n_w , h_ s p_t t_d _ s m_l l_s h w h_t_ _n_m_l _n d r__ l_z_d _t w_s _ r__ n d__ r . M r N_r d s v__ n s__ d t h_ c r__ t_r_ w_s s_ w h_t_, " h_ _l m_s t d_s_p p__ r_d _n t_ t h_ s n_w " . N_r d s v__ n d_s c r_b_d t h_ _x p_r__ n c_ _s b__ n g " m_g_c_l " _n d l_k_ _ " f__ r y t_l_" . H_ s__ d : " T h_ r__ n d__ r c_m_ t_ m_ v_r y c l_s_ _n d w_ l__ k_d _n t_ __ c h _t h_r ' s _y_s . H_ w_s v_r y c_l m w h_n h_ s_w t h_t I d_d n_t h_v_ b_d _n t_n t__ n s . H_ b_h_v_d _s _f h_ w_s p_s_n g f_r m y p h_t_s . H_ w_s v_r y c_r___s . . . l_k_ _ l_t t l_ _x p l_r_r . "

    T h_ p h_t_g r_p h _f t h_ r__ n d__ r c_l f h_s g_n_ v_r_l _n s_c__ l m_d__ . I t h_s b__ n l_k_d _v_r 3 0 , 0 0 0 t_m_s s_n c_ N_r d s v__ n _p l__ d_d _t _n M_n d_y . I t _s g__ d l_c k _n S c_n d_n_v__ n c__ n t r__ s t_ s__ _ w h_t_ r__ n d__ r . M_n y p__ p l_ t h_n k _t _s g__ d t_m_n g _s C h r_s t m_s _s c_m_n g . A c c_r d_n g t_ f_l k l_r_, S_n t_ C l__ s ' s l__ g h _s p_l l_d b y __ g h t f l y_n g r__ n d__ r . T h_y h_l p S_n t_ t_ d_l_v_r p r_s_n t s t_ g__ d c h_l d r_n _n C h r_s t m_s E v_. H_w_v_r, S_n t_' s r__ n d__ r _r_ _s__ l l y b r_w n . A w h_t_ r__ n d__ r _s v_r y r_r_. T h__ r _n_s__ l _p p__ r_n c_ _s c__ s_d b y _ g_n_t_c c_n d_t__ n t h_t r_m_v_s c_l__ r f r_m t h__ r f_r . P__ p l_ c_n m_s t_k_ s_c h _ r__ n d__ r f_r b__ n g _n _l b_n_, b_t t h_s _s n_t t h_ c_s_. I n t h_ U S A , r__ n d__ r _r_ k n_w n _s c_r_b__ .

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    a man from norway has photographed a rare white reindeer calf while on a walk in the north of his country mads nordsveen 24 from norways capital city oslo, was hiking in the mountains at the weekend while walking through the snow he spotted a smallish white animal and realized it was a reindeer mr nordsveen said the creature was so white he almost disappeared into the snow nordsveen described the experience as being magical and like a fairy tale he said the reindeer came to me very close and we looked into each others eyes he was very calm when he saw that i did not have bad intentions he behaved as if he was posing for my photos he was very curiouslike a little explorer

    the photograph of the reindeer calf has gone viral on social media it has been liked over 30000 times since nordsveen uploaded it on monday it is good luck in scandinavian countries to see a white reindeer many people think it is good timing as christmas is coming according to folklore santa claus sleigh is pulled by eight flying reindeer they help santa to deliver presents to good children on christmas eve however santas reindeer are usually brown a white reindeer is very rare their unusual appearance is caused by a genetic condition that removes colour from their fur people can mistake such a reindeer for being an albino but this is not the case in the usa reindeer are known as caribou.

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    AmanfromNorwayhasphotographedararewhitereindeercalfwhileon
    awalkinthenorthofhiscountry.MadsNordsveen,24,fromNorway'scap
    italcityOslowashikinginthemountainsattheweekend.Whilewalkingth
    roughthesnow,hespottedasmallishwhiteanimalandrealizeditwasare
    indeer.MrNordsveensaidthecreaturewassowhite,"healmostdisappe
    aredintothesnow".Nordsveendescribedtheexperienceasbeing"magi
    cal"andlikea"fairytale".Hesaid:"Thereindeercametomeveryclosean
    dwelookedintoeachother'seyes.HewasverycalmwhenhesawthatIdid
    nothavebadintentions.Hebehavedasifhewasposingformyphotos.He
    wasverycurious...likealittleexplorer."Thephotographofthereindeerc
    alfhasgoneviralonsocialmedia.Ithasbeenlikedover30,000timessinc
    eNordsveenuploadeditonMonday.ItisgoodluckinScandinaviancount
    riestoseeawhitereindeer.ManypeoplethinkitisgoodtimingasChristm
    asiscoming.Accordingtofolklore,SantaClaus'sleighispulledbyeightfl
    yingreindeer.TheyhelpSantatodeliverpresentstogoodchildrenonChr
    istmasEve.HoweverSanta'sreindeerareusuallybrown.Awhitereinde
    erisveryrare.Theirunusualappearanceiscausedbyageneticcondition
    thatremovescolourfromtheirfur.Peoplecanmistakesuchareindeerfor
    beinganalbino,butthisisnotthecase.IntheUSA,reindeerareknownasc
    aribou.

    Free writing

    Write about reindeer for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

     

    Academic writing

    We should not make small children believe that reindeer can fly. Discuss.

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

     

    Homework

    1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
    2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. REINDEER: Make a poster about reindeer. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. SANTA CLAUS: Write a magazine article about not making small children believe Santa Claus is real. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on reindeer. Ask him/her three questions about them. Give him/her three of your opinions on why reindeer are associated with Christmas. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

    $US 9.99

    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

    Back to the top

    Help Support This Web Site

    • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

    Sean Banville's Book

    Thank You