The Reading / Listening - Deforestation - Level 3

Brazil has asked its security forces to help fight deforestation in the Amazon. The Brazilian government is worried that a dangerous level of trees is being cut down in the world's largest rainforest. There are fears that there could be a big increase in deforestation in 2020. The year has already started badly for the trees and our environment. Deforestation in the Amazon doubled in January compared with the same month in 2019. A new report says that many areas of the Amazon produce more CO2 than oxygen. The reverse is meant to happen. The Amazon is often called "the lungs" of the planet. It plays a vital role in helping the Earth's environment as it changes CO2 into oxygen.

Brazil's Justice Minister, Sergio Moro, approved the setting up of a special security force to help track down and stop illegal loggers. There was a big increase in the amount of illegal logging in 2019. This happened at the same time as damaging fires that swept across large swathes of the rainforest. The security force will consist of police with special military-style training. They will work with environmental agency officials. Change also needs to come from regional governments. Some governments in the region are selling off land to developers. This is accelerating the pace of deforestation. To make things worse, the regional governments are doing little to replenish the jungle.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Deforestation - Level 0,  Deforestation - Level 1   or  Deforestation - Level 2

Sources
  • https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-environment/brazil-authorizes-national-security-force-to-fight-deforestation-idUSKBN2041XI
  • https://www.smh.com.au/world/south-america/brazil-to-send-forces-in-to-fight-deforestation-20200211-p53zsc.html
  • https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/americas/2020-02-10/amazon-nearing-point-no-return


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. DEFORESTATION: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about deforestation. 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?
       Brazil / security / Amazon / trees / rainforest / environment / CO2 / oxygen / lungs /
       track down / illegal / logging / fires / military / training / deforestation / land / jungle
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY: Students A strongly believe illegal logging should be a crime against humanity; Students B strongly believe a $100 fine is enough.  Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. RAINFOREST: How can we better protect these things? How far will governments act?  Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

Better Protection

What Governments Will Do

The rainforest

 

 

Indigenous peoples

 

 

Clean rivers

 

 

Rare trees

 

 

Endangered frogs

 

 

Oxygen levels

 

 
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. WORRIED: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "worried". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. THREATS: Rank these with your partner. Put the biggest threats to the Amazon at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Illegal logging
  • Fires
  • Pollution
  • Overconsumption
  • Eating meat
  • Global warming
  • Poaching
  • Corruption

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. level a. The two organs in our body that we use to breathe.
      2. rainforest b. A position on a real or imaginary scale that shows the amount, quantity, extent, or quality of something.
      3. fear c. Became twice as much or as many.
      4. increase d. A forest that has many, many trees close together and is rich in biodiversity, usually found in tropical areas with very heavy rainfall.
      5. doubled e. Become or make greater or larger in size, amount, intensity, or degree.
      6. compared f. Bad feelings caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.
      7. lungs g. Looked at the things that are the same or different between things.

    Paragraph 2

      8. approved h. Officially agree to or accept something.
      9. track down i. The speed or rate at which something happens, changes, or develops.
      10. illegal j. Find someone or something after a very careful or difficult search.
      11. swathes k. Increasing is speed or amount.
      12. military l. Against the law.
      13. accelerating m. Large areas of something, especially land.
      14. pace n. Relating to or about soldiers or armed forces.

 

Before reading / listening

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

  1. Brazil's security force will help fight deforestation in Indonesia.     T / F
  2. Deforestation doubled in the Amazon in January compared to last year.   T / F
  3. Many areas of the amazon now produces more CO2 than oxygen.     T / F
  4. The Amazon is often called the earth's lungs.     T / F
  5. Brazil's justice minister will track down illegal loggers.     T / F
  6. The amount of illegal logging fell in 2019.     T / F
  7. Police with military-style training will help to find the illegal loggers.     T / F
  8. Regional governments are planting millions and millions of new trees.     T / F

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

  1. asked
  2. worried
  3. increase
  4. areas
  5. vital
  6. setting up
  7. track down
  8. swept across
  9. accelerating
  10. pace
  1. establishing
  2. regions
  3. speed
  4. concerned
  5. engulfed
  6. requested
  7. speeding up
  8. important
  9. find
  10. rise

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

  1. there could be a big increase in
  2. Deforestation in the Amazon
  3. many areas of the Amazon produce more
  4. The Amazon is often called "the lungs"
  5. It plays a vital role in helping the
  6. help track down and
  7. fires that swept across large
  8. police with special military-
  9. selling off land
  10. accelerating the
  1. swathes of the rainforest
  2. Earth's environment
  3. to developers
  4. doubled in January
  5. stop illegal loggers
  6. CO2 than oxygen
  7. style training
  8. pace of deforestation
  9. of the planet
  10. deforestation in 2020

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
badly
areas
vital
worried
lungs
doubled
fears
reverse

Brazil has asked its security forces to help fight deforestation in the Amazon. The Brazilian government is (1) ____________ that a dangerous level of trees is being cut down in the world's largest rainforest. There are (2) ____________ that there could be a big increase in deforestation in 2020. The year has already started (3) ____________ for the trees and our environment. Deforestation in the Amazon (4) ____________ in January compared with the same month in 2019. A new report says that many (5) ____________ of the Amazon produce more CO2 than oxygen. The (6) ____________ is meant to happen. The Amazon is often called "the (7) ____________ " of the planet. It plays a (8) ____________ role in helping the Earth's environment as it changes CO2 into oxygen.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
agency
pace
approved
swathes
jungle
illegal
regional
damaging

Brazil's Justice Minister, Sergio Moro, (9) ____________ the setting up of a special security force to help track down and stop (10) ____________ loggers. There was a big increase in the amount of illegal logging in 2019. This happened at the same time as (11) ____________ fires that swept across large (12) ____________ of the rainforest. The security force will consist of police with special military-style training. They will work with environmental (13) ____________ officials. Change also needs to come from (14) ____________ governments. Some governments in the region are selling off land to developers. This is accelerating the (15) ____________ of deforestation. To make things worse, the regional governments are doing little to replenish the (16) ____________.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  The Brazilian government is worried that a dangerous ______ is being cut
     a.  level of these
     b.  level off trees
     c.  rebel off these
     d.  level of trees
2)  The year has already started ______ trees
     a.  bad for the
     b.  badly from the
     c.  badly for the
     d.  bad of the
3)  A new report says that many areas of the Amazon produce more CO2 ______
     a.  than oxygen
     b.  of oxygen
     c.  that oxygen
     d.  from oxygen
4)  The Amazon is often called "______" of the planet
     a.  the lungs
     b.  the kidneys
     c.  the livers
     d.  the brains
5)  It plays a vital role in helping the Earth's environment ______ CO2 into oxygen
     a.  as it changes
     b.  as it chances
     c.  as it chains
     d.  as it charges

6)  a special security force to help track down and stop ______
     a.  ill eagle vloggers
     b.  illegally bloggers
     c.  illegal loggers
     d.  ill legal lodgers
7)  There was a big increase in the amount of illegal ______
     a.  log in in 2019
     b.  logging in 2019
     c.  logging in in 2019
     d.  logged in 2019
8) at the same time as damaging fires that swept across large ______ rainforest
     a.  swathe of the
     b.  sways of the
     c.  swains of the
     d.  swathes of the
9)  They will work with environmental ______
     a.  agents officials
     b.  urgency officials
     c.  emergency officials
     d.  agency officials
10)  This is accelerating ______ deforestation
     a.  the space of
     b.  the pace of
     c.  the pate of
     d.  the pays of

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Brazil has asked its security forces (1) ___________________ deforestation in the Amazon. The Brazilian government is worried that a dangerous (2) ___________________ is being cut down in the world's largest rainforest. There are fears that there could be a big increase in deforestation in 2020. The year has already (3) ___________________ the trees and our environment. Deforestation in the Amazon (4) ___________________ compared with the same month in 2019. A new report says that (5) ___________________ the Amazon produce more CO2 than oxygen. The reverse is meant to happen. The Amazon is often called "the lungs" of the planet. It plays a vital role in helping the Earth's environment as it changes (6) ___________________.

Brazil's Justice Minister, Sergio Moro, approved the (7) ___________________ a special security force to help track down and stop illegal loggers. There was a big increase in the (8) ___________________ logging in 2019. This happened at the same time as damaging fires that swept across (9) ___________________ the rainforest. The security force will consist of police with special military-style training. They will work with environmental agency officials. Change also needs to (10) ___________________ governments. Some governments in the region are selling off land to developers. This is accelerating (11) ___________________ deforestation. To make things worse, the regional governments are doing little to (12) ___________________.

Comprehension questions

  1. Where will Brazil's security force help to fight?
  2. What are there fears of an increase of in 2020?
  3. How much more deforestation was in January 2020 than January 2019?
  4. What are some areas of the Amazon producing more of than oxygen?
  5. What is the Amazon sometimes called?
  6. Who will the special security force help to track down?
  7. What affected large swathes of the Amazon in 2019?
  8. What kind of training will the security force have?
  9. What governments need to change in Brazil?
  10. What are governments not doing to the jungle?

Multiple choice quiz

1) Where will Brazil's security force help to fight?
a) Patagonia
b) the Amazon
c) the Caribbean
d) Machu Picchu
2) What are there fears of an increase of in 2020?
a) corruption
b) species extinctions
c) global warming
d) deforestation
3) How much more deforestation was in January 2020 than January 2019?
a) four times
b) triple
c) double
d) ten times
4) What are some areas of the Amazon producing more of than oxygen?
a) CO2
b) NO
c) NO2
d) NaCl
5) What is the Amazon sometimes called?
a) the eyes of the planet
b) the lungs of the planet
c) the kidneys of the planet
d) the feet of the planet

6) Who will the special security force help to track down?
a) illegal loggers
b) climate activists
c) indigenous people
d) cattle farmers
7) What affected large swathes of the Amazon in 2019?
a) locusts
b) drought
c) fires
d) disease
8) What kind of training will the security force have?
a) military-style training
b) environment protection training
c) veterinarian training
d) survival training
9) What governments need to change in Brazil?
a) city governments
b) local governments
c) national governments
d) regional governments
10) What are governments not doing to the jungle?
a) protecting it
b) promoting it
c) replenishing it
d) setting fire to it

Role play

Role  A – Illegal Logging
You think illegal logging is the biggest threat to the Amazon. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their threats aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least worrying of these (and why): pollution, corruption or fires.

Role  B – Pollution
You think pollution is the biggest threat to the Amazon. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their threats aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least worrying of these (and why): illegal logging, corruption or fires.

Role  C – Corruption
You think corruption is the biggest threat to the Amazon. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their threats aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least worrying of these (and why): pollution, illegal logging or fires.

Role  D – Fires
You think fires are the biggest threat to the Amazon. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their threats aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least worrying of these (and why): pollution, corruption or illegal logging.

After reading / listening

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

'security'

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

    • and 'force'.

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

    • • 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:

    • asked
    • largest
    • 2020
    • same
    • happen
    • role
    • special
    • amount
    • fires
    • police
    • selling
    • worse

    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 - Deforestation

    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 'Amazon'?
    3. What do you know about the Amazon?
    4. How much do you care about the Amazon rainforest?
    5. Why is there so much deforestation in the Amazon?
    6. What negative effects does deforestation have?
    7. Why do governments allow deforestation?
    8. Do you think the Amazon security force will work?
    9. Why is the Amazon called 'the lungs' of the planet?
    10. What would you do for a week in the Amazon?

    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 'deforestation'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. Why is the Amazon rainforest so important?
    5. What would you like to ask the illegal loggers?
    6. Can we ever reverse the damage done to the Amazon?
    7. How will the security forces catch the illegal loggers?
    8. Why are regional governments selling off Amazon land?
    9. Should illegal logging be a crime against humanity?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the security force?

    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)

    Brazil has asked its security forces to (1) ____ fight deforestation in the Amazon. The Brazilian government is worried that a dangerous (2) ____ of trees is being cut down in the world's largest rainforest. There are fears that there could be a big increase (3) ____ deforestation in 2020. The year has already started badly for the trees and our environment. Deforestation in the Amazon (4) ____ in January compared with the same month in 2019. A new report says that many areas of the Amazon produce more CO2 than oxygen. The (5) ____ is meant to happen. The Amazon is often called "the lungs" of the planet. It plays a vital (6) ____ in helping the Earth's environment as it changes CO2 into oxygen.

    Brazil's Justice Minister, Sergio Moro, approved the setting (7) ____ of a special security force to help track (8) ____ and stop illegal loggers. There was a big increase in the amount of illegal logging in 2019. This happened at the same time as damaging fires that (9) ____ across large swathes of the rainforest. The security force will consist (10) ____ police with special military-style training. They will work with environmental agency officials. Change also needs to come from regional governments. Some governments in the region are selling (11) ____ land to developers. This is accelerating the pace of deforestation. To make things worse, the regional governments are doing (12) ____ to replenish the jungle.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     helpful     (b)     helpless     (c)     help     (d)     helping    
    2. (a)     level     (b)     rebel     (c)     rival     (d)     rabble    
    3. (a)     in     (b)     at     (c)     on     (d)     as    
    4. (a)     doubled     (b)     twice     (c)     dueted     (d)     dueled    
    5. (a)     severe     (b)     reserve     (c)     severance     (d)     reverse    
    6. (a)     lull     (b)     roll     (c)     LOL     (d)     role    
    7. (a)     up     (b)     on     (c)     in     (d)     increase    
    8. (a)     over     (b)     up     (c)     in     (d)     down    
    9. (a)     swept     (b)     dusted     (c)     polished     (d)     cleansed    
    10. (a)     on     (b)     of     (c)     by     (d)     to    
    11. (a)     at     (b)     off     (c)     to     (d)     by    
    12. (a)     little     (b)     small     (c)     few     (d)     tiny

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. a dangerous leelv
    2. Deforestation in the Amazon ebdudlo
    3. cmreaodp with the same month
    4. produce more CO2 than gexony
    5. The veserre is meant to happen
    6. It plays a ltvai role

    Paragraph 2

    1. poeradpv the setting up
    2. the amount of gaelill logging
    3. The security force will sncsiot of police
    4. work with environmental gcynae officials
    5. This is accelerating the paec
    6. the aiglnero governments

    Put the text back together

    (...)  rainforest. There are fears that there could be a big increase in deforestation in 2020. The year has already started
    (...)  of the planet. It plays a vital role in helping the Earth's environment as it changes CO2 into oxygen.
    (...)  badly for the trees and our environment. Deforestation in the Amazon
    (...)  Brazil's Justice Minister, Sergio Moro, approved the setting up of a special security force to help track
    (...)  in the region are selling off land to developers. This is accelerating the pace
    (...)  more CO2 than oxygen. The reverse is meant to happen. The Amazon is often called "the lungs"
    (...)  down and stop illegal loggers. There was a big increase in the amount of illegal logging in
    (...)  environmental agency officials. Change also needs to come from regional governments. Some governments
    (...)  worried that a dangerous level of trees is being cut down in the world's largest
    (  1  ) Brazil has asked its security forces to help fight deforestation in the Amazon. The Brazilian government is
    (...)  of deforestation. To make things worse, the regional governments are doing little to replenish the jungle.
    (...)  of the rainforest. The security force will consist of police with special military-style training. They will work with
    (...)  2019. This happened at the same time as damaging fires that swept across large swathes
    (...)  doubled in January compared with the same month in 2019. A new report says that many areas of the Amazon produce

    Put the words in the right order

    1. trees   down   .   level   of   A   is   dangerous   cut
    2. year   The   has   trees   .   badly   the   for   started
    3. CO2   .   Amazon   more   Many   of   areas   the   produce
    4. of   planet   .   called   "the   lungs"   Often   the
    5. A   environment   .   vital   the   role   helping   Earth's   in
    6. security   setting   the   up   Approved   a   force   of
    7. logging   of   increases   amount   in   Big   illegal   the
    8. the   swathes   large   of   Swept   rainforest   .   across
    9. also   needs   regional   governments   .   Change   to   come   from
    10. doing   jungle   .   to   the   replenish   are   Governments   little

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    Brazil has asked its security forces to help fighting / fight deforestation in the Amazon. The Brazilian government is worried / worries that a dangerous level of trees is being cut down on / in the world's largest rainforest. There are fears that there could be a big increase in / at deforestation in 2020. The year has already started bad / badly for the trees and our environment. Deforestation in the Amazon twice / doubled in January compared with the same month in 2019. A new report says that many area / areas of the Amazon produce more CO2 than oxygen. The reserve / reverse is meant to happen. The Amazon is often called "the lungs" of / off the planet. It plays a vital role in helping the Earth's environment as it changes CO2 onto / into oxygen.

    Brazil's Justice Minister, Sergio Moro, approval / approved the setting up of a special security force to help track / up down and stop illegal loggers. There was a big increase at / in the amount of illegal logging in 2019. This happened at the same time as damaging / damaged fires that swept across large swathes of the rainforest. The security force will contrast/ consist of police with special military-style trained / training. They will work with environmental agency officials. Change also needs to come from regionally / regional governments. Some governments in the region are selling off landing / land to developers. This is accelerating the pace / space of deforestation. To make things worse, the regional governments are doing little / small to replenish the jungle.

    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)

    B r_z_l h_s _s k_d _t s s_c_r_t y f_r c_s t_ h_l p f_g h t d_f_r_s t_t__ n _n t h_ A m_z_n . T h_ B r_z_l__ n g_v_r n m_n t _s w_r r__ d t h_t _ d_n g_r__ s l_v_l _f t r__ s _s b__ n g c_t d_w n _n t h_ w_r l d ' s l_r g_s t r__ n f_r_s t . T h_r_ _r_ f__ r s t h_t t h_r_ c__ l d b_ _ b_g _n c r__ s_ _n d_f_r_s t_t__ n _n 2 0 2 0 . T h_ y__ r h_s _l r__ d y s t_r t_d b_d l y f_r t h_ t r__ s _n d __ r _n v_r_n m_n t . D_f_r_s t_t__ n _n t h_ A m_z_n d__ b l_d _n J_n__ r y c_m p_r_d w_t h t h_ s_m_ m_n t h _n 2 0 1 9 . A n_w r_p_r t s_y s t h_t m_n y _r__ s _f t h_ A m_z_n p r_d_c_ m_r_ C O 2 t h_n _x y g_n . T h_ r_v_r s_ _s m__ n t t_ h_p p_n . T h_ A m_z_n _s _f t_n c_l l_d " t h_ l_n g s " _f t h_ p l_n_t . I t p l_y s _ v_t_l r_l_ _n h_l p_n g t h_ E_r t h ' s _n v_r_n m_n t _s _t c h_n g_s C O 2 _n t_ _x y g_n .

    B r_z_l ' s J_s t_c_ M_n_s t_r , S_r g__ M_r_, _p p r_v_d t h_ s_t t_n g _p _f _ s p_c__ l s_c_r_t y f_r c_ t_ h_l p t r_c k d_w n _n d s t_p _l l_g_l l_g g_r s . T h_r_ w_s _ b_g _n c r__ s_ _n t h_ _m__ n t _f _l l_g_l l_g g_n g _n 2 0 1 9 . T h_s h_p p_n_d _t t h_ s_m_ t_m_ _s d_m_g_n g f_r_s t h_t s w_p t _c r_s s l_r g_ s w_t h_s _f t h_ r__ n f_r_s t . T h_ s_c_r_t y f_r c_ w_l l c_n s_s t _f p_l_c_ w_t h s p_c__ l m_l_t_r y - s t y l_ t r__ n_n g . T h_y w_l l w_r k w_t h _n v_r_n m_n t_l _g_n c y _f f_c__ l s . C h_n g_ _l s_ n__ d s t_ c_m_ f r_m r_g__ n_l g_v_r n m_n t s . S_m_ g_v_r n m_n t s _n t h_ r_g__ n _r_ s_l l_n g _f f l_n d t_ d_v_l_p_r s . T h_s _s _c c_l_r_t_n g t h_ p_c_ _f d_f_r_s t_t__ n . T_ m_k_ t h_n g s w_r s_, t h_ r_g__ n_l g_v_r n m_n t s _r_ d__ n g l_t t l_ t_ r_p l_n_s h t h_ j_n g l_.

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    brazil has asked its security forces to help fight deforestation in the amazon the brazilian government is worried that a dangerous level of trees is being cut down in the worlds largest rainforest there are fears that there could be a big increase in deforestation in 2020 the year has already started badly for the trees and our environment deforestation in the amazon doubled in january compared with the same month in 2019 a new report says that many areas of the amazon produce more co2 than oxygen the reverse is meant to happen the amazon is often called the lungs of the planet it plays a vital role in helping the earths environment as it changes co2 into oxygen

    brazils justice minister sergio moro approved the setting up of a special security force to help track down and stop illegal loggers there was a big increase in the amount of illegal logging in 2019 this happened at the same time as damaging fires that swept across large swathes of the rainforest the security force will consist of police with special militarystyle training they will work with environmental agency officials change also needs to come from regional governments some governments in the region are selling off land to developers this is accelerating the pace of deforestation to make things worse the regional governments are doing little to replenish the jungle

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    BrazilhasaskeditssecurityforcestohelpfightdeforestationintheAmaz
    on.TheBraziliangovernmentisworriedthatadangerousleveloftreesis
    beingcutdownintheworld'slargestrainforest.Therearefearsthatthere
    couldbeabigincreaseindeforestationin2020.Theyearhasalreadystart
    edbadlyforthetreesandourenvironment.DeforestationintheAmazon
    doubledinJanuarycomparedwiththesamemonthin2019.Anewreport
    saysthatmanyareasoftheAmazonproducemoreCO2thanoxygen.The
    reverseismeanttohappen.TheAmazonisoftencalled"thelungs"ofthep
    lanet.ItplaysavitalroleinhelpingtheEarth'senvironmentasitchanges
    CO2intooxygen.Brazil'sJusticeMinister,SergioMoro,approvedtheset
    tingupofaspecialsecurityforcetohelptrackdownandstopillegallogger
    s.Therewasabigincreaseintheamountofillegalloggingin2019.Thisha
    ppenedatthesametimeasdamagingfiresthatsweptacrosslargeswath
    esoftherainforest.Thesecurityforcewillconsistofpolicewithspecialmil
    itary-styletraining.Theywillworkwithenvironmentalagencyofficial
    s.Changealsoneedstocomefromregionalgovernments.Somegovern
    mentsintheregionaresellingofflandtodevelopers.Thisisacceleratingt
    hepaceofdeforestation.Tomakethingsworse,theregionalgovernmen
    tsaredoinglittletoreplenishthejungle.

    Free writing

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

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    Academic writing

    Illegal deforestation should be made a crime against humanity. Discuss.

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    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. DEFORESTATION: Make a poster about deforestation. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. ILLEGAL LOGGING: Write a magazine article about making illegal deforestation a crime against humanity. 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 deforestation. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to reduce illegal logging. 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.)

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