Red Fox Goes to New York

Level 1 Lesson by: Aron Thode Source: bbc.com

Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It

Side-view illustration of a large cargo ship crossing the open ocean under a bright, cloud-filled sky, with a small red fox sitting near the bow as a subtle stowaway.
Going on a trip.

A red fox got on a ship in England. It stayed there and crossed the sea to New York. Now it is in a zoo there.

People on the ship found the fox during the trip. Then US workers took it to the zoo. No one knows how it got on the ship yet.

The fox is a two-year-old male. It is about 11 pounds, or 5kg. Red foxes can live in the country and in cities. They eat fruit and small animals.

The fox is now in the zoo's animal center. The first health checks were good. It seems well now. Workers want to check it more. Later they want to find a good home for it.

Vocab List

  • ship (n.) — A big boat that goes on water.
  • sea (n.) — A large area of salt water.
  • zoo (n.) — A place where people keep animals.
  • cross (v.) — To go from one side to the other.
  • check (v.) — To look at something carefully.
  • trip (n.) — A time when you go somewhere.

Speaker: British Female  Duration: 1:05

YouTube link

Listen and fill the gaps below:

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio and complete the gaps below:

A red fox got on a (1) __________ in England. It stayed there and crossed the sea to New York. Now it is in a zoo there. People on the ship found the fox during the (2) __________. Then US workers took it to the zoo. No one knows how it got on the ship yet. The fox is a two-year-old (3) __________. It is about 11 pounds, or 5kg. Red foxes can live in the country and in cities. They eat fruit and small animals. The fox is now in the zoo's animal center. The first (4) __________ checks were good. It seems well now. Workers want to check it more. Later they want to find a good home for it.
True or False

Answer each question by selecting True or False, then click CHECK to see your results.

  • The fox got on a ship in England.
    The story says a red fox got on a ship in England.
  • People found the fox after it got to New York.
    The story says people on the ship found the fox during the trip.
  • The fox is a two-year-old female.
    The story says the fox is a two-year-old male.

True or False

1. The fox got on a ship in England. T / F

2. People found the fox after it got to New York. T / F

3. The fox is a two-year-old female. T / F

Put Events in Order

Put the events from the story in the correct order from first (1) to last (3):

  • ___ People found the fox during the trip.
  • ___ US workers took the fox to a zoo in New York.
  • ___ A red fox got on a ship in England.
Vocab Match

Loading vocabulary activity...

Vocab Match

Match each vocabulary word with a definition:

1. Ship (n)

2. Zoo (n)

3. Cross (v)

4. Trip (n)

a) A time when you go somewhere.

b) To go from one side to the other.

c) A place where people keep animals.

d) A big boat that goes on water.

Discussion Builder

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. The fox crossed the sea, ________ now it is in New York.

    because / so / but

  2. The fox seems well, ________ workers want to check it more.

    and / because / but

Sentence Unscramble

  1. ___ ___ ___ ___

    A. I think B. for the fox now. C. a safe place D. a zoo is

  2. ___ ___ ___ ___

    A. For example, B. can live C. some wild animals D. in cities.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why did the fox get on the ship?
  2. Why do workers want to check the fox more?
  3. Do you like foxes? Why or why not?
  4. What wild animals can you see in your country?
  5. Are there zoos in your city or country?
  6. Do you like going to the zoo? Why?

Answers

Think Ahead: b

Listening: (1) ship, (2) trip, (3) male, (4) health

True or False:

  1. True. The story says a red fox got on a ship in England.
  2. False. The story says people on the ship found the fox during the trip.
  3. False. The story says the fox is a two-year-old male.

Put Events in Order:

  1. A red fox got on a ship in England.
  2. People found the fox during the trip.
  3. US workers took the fox to a zoo in New York.

Vocabulary:

  1. Ship (n): A big boat that goes on water.
  2. Zoo (n): A place where people keep animals.
  1. Cross (v): To go from one side to the other.
  2. Trip (n): A time when you go somewhere.

Discussion Builder:

Hints: 1) Result. 2) Contrast.

  1. so
  2. but

Sentence Unscramble:

  1. I think a zoo is a safe place for the fox now.
  2. For example, some wild animals can live in cities.

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