Read and retell! activity
1. Read and understand the passage below by yourself at first.
And check your understanding with your partner.
2. Take memos (key words) on your notebook for retelling.
Try to write as few words as possible.
3. With the memo, practice retelling to your partner.
The partner checks whether all the contents are included. Change the roles and do it again.
4. Without the memo, repeat 3 again.
The passage 1-1
① Everyone agrees that koalas are cute, but how much do we really know about them? “Koala” is an Australian word which means “animal that does not drink water.” Koalas don’t drink because they get all the water they need by eating the leaves of eucalyptus trees*.
② Koalas sleep in the daytime* and move around only at night. So no one knows how many koalas live in Australia. Koalas spend most of their lives in eucalyptus trees. But over 200 years, people have cut down many of those trees to build houses or make farms. In fact, 80 percent of the koalas’ living area has disappeared. (105 words)
注）eucalyptus tree：ユーカリの木
Words and phrases
Guessing from the expressions below, what do you think the passage is about ?
Word | meaning |
How much do we really know about them? | |
a word which means … | |
Animal that does not drink water | |
all the water they need | |
eucalyptus tree | |
daytime | |
move around | |
only at night | |
no one knows | |
spend | |
most of their lives | |
over 200 years | |
cut down many trees | |
build houses | |
make farms | |
in fact | |
disappeared | |
The passage 1-2
① Because eucalyptus trees are both homes and food for koalas, koalas have to look for food in other places. When they go into people’s gardens to look for food, they sometimes meet animals like dogs and cats. They may attack koalas. But another danger koalas have is cars. Many koalas are hit by cars every year.
② Koalas are also very weak....