A growing library of level-graded English lessons for classroom or self-study, with reading, listening, vocabulary, activities, and discussion practice from A1 to B2.
Lesson Info
In this lesson:
- Warm-up
- Vocab List
- Reading and Audio
- True or False Check understanding.
- Put Events in Order Arrange events from the story into the order they happened.
- Multiple Choice Check understanding.
- Vocab Match Connect words to meanings.
- Discussion Builder Choose connecting expressions for discussion ideas.
- Discussion Questions Open speaking questions for discussion (or writing practice).
- Answers Answer key for the printed tasks.
Think Ahead: Which extra detail do you expect in the story?
a) A monkey escapes from the zoo.
b) A zoo sends a monkey to another country.
c) Videos of a monkey become popular online.
Ask: (1) Do you like going to the zoo? (2) What animals do you like to watch?
VOCAB LIST
Reading
A baby monkey named Punch lives at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. This week, many people watched videos of him online. In one video, he carries a stuffed orangutan toy. Zoo workers gave him the toy because he often felt alone.
Punch's mother left him right after birth, so zoo workers raised him. Another new video then upset many animal lovers. A bigger monkey pulled Punch in circles on the ground. Punch then ran to a corner and held his toy. People near the cage gasped when they saw this scene.
The zoo said Punch tried to meet another baby monkey before this happened. That baby did not accept him. Then an adult female monkey came to Punch. The zoo thinks she was the baby's mother and wanted to protect her baby.
Punch was born on July 26, 2025, at the zoo. Recent zoo updates show better days for him. Other monkeys now groom him and play with him. Staff say he is learning how to live with the monkey group.
Baby Monkey Learns to Live With Group
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
Think Ahead: Which extra detail do you expect in the story?
a) A monkey escapes from the zoo.
b) A zoo sends a monkey to another country.
c) Videos of a monkey become popular online.
Ask: (1) Do you like going to the zoo? (2) What animals do you like to watch?
-
raise (v.)
-
protect (v.)
-
cage (n.)
-
accept (v.)
-
scene (n.)
-
groom (v.)
-
gasp (v.)
-
animal lovers (n. phrase)
-
stuffed toy (n. phrase)
A baby monkey named Punch lives at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. This week, many people watched videos of him online. In one video, he carries a stuffed orangutan toy. Zoo workers gave him the toy because he often felt alone.
Punch's mother left him right after birth, so zoo workers raised him. Another new video then upset many animal lovers. A bigger monkey pulled Punch in circles on the ground. Punch then ran to a corner and held his toy. People near the cage gasped when they saw this scene.
The zoo said Punch tried to meet another baby monkey before this happened. That baby did not accept him. Then an adult female monkey came to Punch. The zoo thinks she was the baby's mother and wanted to protect her baby.
Punch was born on July 26, 2025, at the zoo. Recent zoo updates show better days for him. Other monkeys now groom him and play with him. Staff say he is learning how to live with the monkey group.
Listen and Fill Gaps
Listen to the audio and complete the gaps below:
Loading listening activity...
Listen and Fill Gaps
Listen to the audio on eslnewsstories.com and complete the gaps below:
A baby monkey named Punch lives at Ichikawa City Zoo in (1) . This week, many people watched videos of him online. In one video, he carries a stuffed orangutan toy. Zoo workers gave him the toy because he often felt alone.
Punch's mother left him right after birth, so zoo workers raised him. Another new video then upset many animal lovers. A bigger monkey pulled Punch in (2) on the ground. Punch then ran to a corner and held his toy. People near the cage gasped when they saw this scene.
The zoo said Punch tried to meet another baby monkey before this happened. That baby did not accept him. Then an adult female monkey came to Punch. The zoo thinks she was the baby's mother and wanted to (3) her baby.
Punch was born on July 26, 2025, at the zoo. Recent zoo updates show better days for him. Other monkeys now (4) him and play with him. Staff say he is learning how to live with the monkey (5) .
True or False
Answer each question by selecting True or False, then click CHECK to see your results.
True or False
1. Punch lives at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. TRUEFALSE True
2. Punch's mother raised him after birth. TRUEFALSE False
3. Recent updates say other monkeys now groom Punch. TRUEFALSE True
Put Events in Order
Put the events in the order they happened, from first to last.
- 1 Zoo workers gave Punch a stuffed toy because he felt alone.
- 2 A bigger monkey pulled Punch in circles on the ground.
- 3 Punch ran to a corner and held his toy.
- 4 Recent updates show other monkeys now groom and play with Punch.
Put Events in Order
Put the events from the story in the correct order from first (1) to last (4):
- Punch ran to a corner and held his toy.
- Zoo workers gave Punch a stuffed toy because he felt alone.
- Recent updates show other monkeys now groom and play with Punch.
- A bigger monkey pulled Punch in circles on the ground.
- Zoo workers gave Punch a stuffed toy because he felt alone.
- A bigger monkey pulled Punch in circles on the ground.
- Punch ran to a corner and held his toy.
- Recent updates show other monkeys now groom and play with Punch.
Multiple Choice
Answer each question by selecting A, B, or C, then click CHECK to see your results.
Multiple Choice
1. Why did workers give Punch a stuffed orangutan toy?
a) To help him when he felt alone.Correct
b) To help him meet another baby monkey.
c) To stop a bigger monkey from pulling him.
2. Who pulled Punch in circles on the ground?
a) Zoo workers
b) Another baby monkey
c) A bigger monkeyCorrect
3. When was Punch born?
a) June 26, 2025
b) July 16, 2025
c) July 26, 2025Correct
Vocab Match
Drag each vocabulary word to its matching definition, or select a word and then select its definition:
Loading vocabulary activity...
Vocab Match
Write each vocabulary word next to its matching definition.
1. Raise (v)e) To take care of a child or young animal while it grows.
2. Protect (v)d) To keep someone safe from danger.
3. Cage (n)c) A structure with bars where an animal is kept.
4. Accept (v)b) To agree to take or allow something.
5. Scene (n)a) A part of an event that people can see.
a) A part of an event that people can see.
b) To agree to take or allow something.
c) A structure with bars where an animal is kept.
d) To keep someone safe from danger.
e) To take care of a child or young animal while it grows.
Discussion Builder
1) Opinion 2) Reason 3) Contrast
Q: Do you think Punch will be okay in the future? Why?
A:
Discussion Builder
Choose the best phrase for each gap:
Q: Do you think Punch will be okay in the future? Why?
A: Recent updates show other monkeys now play with Punch. Punch is learning to live with the monkey group.
But, / I think, / For example,
Recent updates show other monkeys now play with Punch. I think, Punch is learning to live with the monkey group.
The zoo gave Punch a toy he often felt alone.
because / but / or
The zoo gave Punch a toy because he often felt alone.
Some videos about Punch were upsetting for people. recent updates show better days for him.
Also, / But, / For example,
Some videos about Punch were upsetting for people. But, recent updates show better days for him.
Discussion Questions
- How did you feel when you read about Punch?
- A bigger monkey pulled Punch in circles. Is this normal monkey behavior?
- If you were there, would you help Punch? How?
- Do you think Punch will be okay in the future? Why?
- Do you watch animal videos online? If not, what kinds of videos do you like?
- Do you have any stuffed toys, like teddy bears?
- Why do young people (and young monkeys) like stuffed toys?
- What can a person do if they feel alone?
- Are you an animal lover?
Discussion Questions
- How did you feel when you read about Punch?
- A bigger monkey pulled Punch in circles. Is this normal monkey behavior?
- If you were there, would you help Punch? How?
- Do you think Punch will be okay in the future? Why?
- Do you watch animal videos online? If not, what kinds of videos do you like?
- Do you have any stuffed toys, like teddy bears?
- Why do young people (and young monkeys) like stuffed toys?
- What can a person do if they feel alone?
- Are you an animal lover?
Answers
Think Ahead: c
Listening: (1) Japan, (2) circles, (3) protect, (4) groom, (5) group
True or False:
- True. The story says Punch lives at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan.
- False. The story says Punch's mother left him right after birth.
- True. The story says other monkeys now groom him.
Multiple Choice: a, c, c
Put Events in Order:
- Zoo workers gave Punch a stuffed toy because he felt alone.
- A bigger monkey pulled Punch in circles on the ground.
- Punch ran to a corner and held his toy.
- Recent updates show other monkeys now groom and play with Punch.
Vocabulary:
- Raise (v): To take care of a child or young animal while it grows.
- Protect (v): To keep someone safe from danger.
- Cage (n): A structure with bars where an animal is kept.
- Accept (v): To agree to take or allow something.
- Scene (n): A part of an event that people can see.
Discussion Builder:
Hints: 1) Opinion. 2) Reason. 3) Contrast.
- I think,
- because
- But,