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Lost penguin Happy Feet freed south of New Zealand

Lost penguin Happy Feet freed south of New Zealand

Friday, October 07, 2011, 17:30 GMT+7

PRE-READING:

Look at the title and predict the main ideas of the article. Then, write down three wh-questions about the text.

Ex: Where was the penguin?

WHILE READING:

Set a time limit to read this article. An average reader can read at the speed of 250 words per minute. Note down your reading speed regularly to check your progress.

SKIMMING:

Within the time limit, read and summarize the main ideas of the paragraphs in your own words. Do not worry about unfamiliar vocabulary.

LOST PENGUIN HAPPY FEET FREED SOUTH OF NEW ZEALAND

A lost emperor penguin who washed up on a New Zealand beach in June has been released back into the Southern Ocean to begin its swim home to Antarctica.

Nicknamed Happy Feet, he was released from the research vessel Tangaroa on Sunday morning about 50 miles (80km) north of the remote Campbell Island.

He was returned to the wild after recovering from surgery to remove 3kg (6.6lb) of sand from his stomach.

He is thought to have eaten the sand, having mistaken it for the snow penguins swallow to stay hydrated.

Word count: 100 words

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14778817

SCANNING:

Use your notes to identify where you can find the answers to the questions you made in the pre-reading stage.

POST-READING:

Glossary:

Pay attention to how the word is combined with other words in context. Do not learn the meaning of the word without sentences. Vietnamese should be the last resort after you have tried all the learning strategies.

• To be washed up = to be stranded or stuck on a beach, usually for animals that cannot go back to the sea or open water (Mắc cạn)

• To have been released back = to have been sent back to one’s original habitat (Được trả về) (môi trường thiên nhiên))

• To be nicknamed = to be so-called by another shorter, easier-to-remember name (Được đặt tên là)

• A research vessel = a ship or a small boat used for scientific research by professionals (Tàu dùng cho nghiên cứu khoa học)

• A remote island = an island with very few or no inhabitants (Đảo vùng sâu vùng xa/ đảo hoang vắng)

• To recover from surgery = to be physically better after having gone through a medical operation (Hồi phục sau phẫu thuật)

• To have mistaken (something) for (another) = to have thought that one thing was another (Nhầm điều này với điều khác, tưởng nhầm)

• To stay hydrated = to keep or maintain one’s body with enough water or fluids (Giữ nước)

Grammar:

Notice the tense of the verbs in each sentence used in the article. Which option is correct?

1. The lost emperor penguin ... back into the ocean.

a. has been released

b. released

2. Happy Feet ... from the research vessel on Sunday.

a. released

b. was released

3. Tangaroa, the research vessel, ... the recovered penguin north of Campbell Island.

a. has been released

b. released

Let’s review the grammar lesson on Passives from Dr. Grammar:

What is the passive?

The passive is a grammar structure used when the action is more important than the subject.

For example:

“I ate all the cake.” = ACTIVE – “I” is important, it is saying who did the action.

“The cake was eaten.” = PASSIVE – Who ate the cake? We don’t know, but the cake has gone. The action “was eaten” is important.

Why use the passive?

The passive is used for 3 main reasons:

1. When we don’t know who or what did the action.

(e.g. _____?______ stole my bag. > My bag was stolen.) 2. When it is more polite/formal not to say who or what did the action.

(e.g. John spilt a cup of coffee on my computer. > A cup of coffee was spilt on my computer.) 3. When the person/thing doing the action is not important, but the person/thing being acted upon is important.

(e.g. Vietnamese people grow coffee in Vietnam. > Coffee is grown in Vietnam)How do we use the passive?

Active structures can be made into the passive by following these steps:

1. take the object from a sentence and make it the subject

2. add the correct form of to be after the new subject

3. change the active verb into the V3 form (past participle) and add it after to be

4. add the rest of the sentence

5. (you can also add “by + the subject” at the end if necessary)For example:

“Vietnamese people grow coffee in Vietnam.”

1. Find the object (= …coffee…) and make it the subject (= Coffee…)

2. Add the correct form of to be (simple present tense, so = is > Coffee is…)

3. Change the active verb into V3 ( = grow > grown) and add it after to be

(Coffee is grown...)

4. Add the rest = Coffee is grown in Vietnam.

5. (“by Vietnamese people” is unnecessary here)

Discussion:

Ask and answer the following questions with a discussion partner. Share your opinions and suggestions freely. Have fun!

1. Have you seen the movie “Happy Feet”?

2. Did you like it? Why or why not?

3. What are the ways humans can help protect animals like penguins and their environment?

4. Do you know other animals that need protection and preservation?

5. What would you do if you saw a penguin, whale, dolphin or a shark beached or washed up on a shore?

Answers

Grammar – tenses

1. a

2. b

3. b

This material is provided by the Australian Centre for Education and Training (ACET). 

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