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Lesson Info

Post Type
Article
Level
Level 2 / A2
Published
Title
Missing Giraffe in Texas
Webpage
https://eslnewsstories.com/articles/2026-06-25-missing-giraffe-in-texas/

In this lesson:

  • Warm-up Prediction task and general discussion questions.
  • Vocab List Useful words and meanings.
  • Reading Read the main text.
  • Listen and Fill Gaps Listen for missing words.
  • Main Idea Choose the overall message of the text.
  • 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 Think about how ideas relate to each other to choose connecting expressions.
  • Sentence Unscramble Reorder mixed phrases into correct sentences.
  • Discussion Questions Open speaking questions for discussion (or writing practice).
  • Answers Answer key for the printed tasks.

Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?

a) People find a giraffe near a busy city.

b) People search for a giraffe from the air.

c) People move a giraffe to a zoo.

A giraffe tries to hide behind a large rock formation in the Texas Hill Country, with its head, body, legs, and tail still partly visible in a wide, vintage-style landscape.
Has anybody seen a giraffe?

Ask: (1) What's your favorite animal? (2) Who is the tallest person you know?

VOCAB LIST

remote (adj.) ā€” Far away from towns or cities.
reward (n.) ā€” Money given for help or useful information.
searcher (n.) ā€” A person looking for someone or something.
ranch (n.) ā€” A large farm, often with animals.
helicopter (n.) ā€” An aircraft with blades that turn on top.
leaf (n.) ā€” A green part of a plant or tree.
report (v.) ā€” To give information about something that happened.
escape (v.) ā€” To get away from a place.

Reading

A giraffe named Gracie is missing in Texas. She escaped from a ranch in Texas nearly two weeks ago. Gracie is about three years old and as tall as a small tree.

It may sound strange that such a tall animal can disappear. But Gracie is in a very remote area with many trees, rocks, and hills. Searchers have looked for her by helicopter, but they still have not found her.

A few people have reported seeing Gracie. However, by the time searchers arrived, she was already gone. The ranch is now offering a $5,000 reward for information.

The ranch owner says people do not need to worry. Gracie is far from towns and is not usually near people. She can probably find enough food because giraffes eat leaves and other plants.

Animals sometimes go missing in this part of Texas. In the past, people have looked for zebras, monkeys, and water buffalo. Sometimes they find the animals, and sometimes they do not.

Now searchers are trying to find Gracie. She is tall enough to stand above many animals, but in the trees and hills of Texas, she is still hard to see.

Missing Giraffe in Texas

Level 2 Source: apnews.com

Warm-up ā†’ Read & Listen ā†’ Check Understanding ā†’ Language ā†’ Use It

A giraffe tries to hide behind a large rock formation in the Texas Hill Country, with its head, body, legs, and tail still partly visible in a wide, vintage-style landscape.
Has anybody seen a giraffe?

A giraffe named Gracie is missing in Texas. She escaped from a ranch in Texas nearly two weeks ago. Gracie is about three years old and as tall as a small tree.

It may sound strange that such a tall animal can disappear. But Gracie is in a very remote area with many trees, rocks, and hills. Searchers have looked for her by helicopter, but they still have not found her.

A few people have reported seeing Gracie. However, by the time searchers arrived, she was already gone. The ranch is now offering a $5,000 reward for information.

The ranch owner says people do not need to worry. Gracie is far from towns and is not usually near people. She can probably find enough food because giraffes eat leaves and other plants.

Animals sometimes go missing in this part of Texas. In the past, people have looked for zebras, monkeys, and water buffalo. Sometimes they find the animals, and sometimes they do not.

Now searchers are trying to find Gracie. She is tall enough to stand above many animals, but in the trees and hills of Texas, she is still hard to see.

Speaker: American Male  Duration: 1:49  Watch on YouTube

Two ways to use this audio:

  • Method 1: Listen for the main idea: what is the article about in one sentence? Listen a second time for more details, then try the Understanding activities below.
  • Method 2: Read the article first to learn the vocabulary and ideas. Then look at the gap-fill sentences to see what to listen for, and listen to fill them in.

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio on eslnewsstories.com and complete the gaps below:

A giraffe named Gracie is missing in Texas. She escaped from a ranch in Texas nearly two (1) ago. Gracie is about three years old and as tall as a small tree.

It may sound strange that such a tall animal can disappear. But Gracie is in a very (2) area with many trees, rocks, and hills. Searchers have looked for her by helicopter, but they still have not found her.

A few people have reported seeing Gracie. However, by the time (3) arrived, she was already gone. The ranch is now offering a $5,000 reward for information.

The ranch owner says people do not need to worry. Gracie is far from towns and is not usually near people. She can probably find enough (4) because giraffes eat leaves and other plants.

Animals sometimes go missing in this part of Texas. In the past, people have looked for zebras, monkeys, and water buffalo. Sometimes they find the animals, and sometimes they do not.

Now searchers are trying to find Gracie. She is tall enough to stand above many animals, but in the trees and hills of Texas, she is still hard to (5) .

Main Idea

Choose one answer, then click CHECK to see your result.

Main Idea

Choose one:

  • A giraffe is looking for food near Texas towns.
  • A ranch is using helicopters to move animals.
  • A missing giraffe is hard to find in Texas. Correct answer
True or False

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

  • Gracie escaped from a ranch in Texas almost two weeks ago.
    The story says she escaped from a ranch in Texas nearly two weeks ago.
  • Searchers have already found Gracie by helicopter.
    The story says teams looked for her by helicopter, but they still have not found her.
  • The ranch owner says Gracie is far from towns.
    The owner says Gracie is far from towns and is not usually near people.

True or False

1. Gracie escaped from a ranch in Texas almost two weeks ago. TRUEFALSE True

2. Searchers have already found Gracie by helicopter. TRUEFALSE False

3. The ranch owner says Gracie is far from towns. TRUEFALSE True

Put Events in Order

Put the events from the story in the correct order from first (1) to last (4):

  • People reported seeing Gracie.
  • Gracie escaped from a ranch in Texas.
  • Searchers arrived, but Gracie was already gone.
  • Searchers looked for Gracie by helicopter.
  1. Gracie escaped from a ranch in Texas.
  2. Searchers looked for Gracie by helicopter.
  3. People reported seeing Gracie.
  4. Searchers arrived, but Gracie was already gone.

Multiple Choice

1. Why is Gracie hard to find?

   a) She hides inside ranch buildings.

   b) She is in a remote area with trees, rocks, and hills.Correct

   c) She only comes out at night.

   d) Searchers stopped looking for her.

2. What is the ranch offering now?

   a) A free helicopter ride

   b) A new home for Gracie

   c) $5,000 for informationCorrect

   d) Food for searchers

3. Why does the owner say people are probably safe?

   a) Gracie is far from people.Correct

   b) Gracie is sleeping inside a barn.

   c) Gracie is walking with searchers.

   d) Gracie is already back at the ranch.

Vocab Match

Loading vocabulary activity...

Vocab Match

Write each vocabulary word next to its matching definition.

1. Remote (adj)e) Far away from towns or cities.

2. Searcher (n)d) A person looking for someone or something.

3. Helicopter (n)c) An aircraft with blades that turn on top.

4. Reward (n)b) Money given for help or useful information.

5. Escape (v)a) To get away from a place.

a) To get away from a place.

b) Money given for help or useful information.

c) An aircraft with blades that turn on top.

d) A person looking for someone or something.

e) Far away from towns or cities.

Discussion Builder

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. People do not need to worry Gracie is far from towns.

    because / so / but

    People do not need to worry because Gracie is far from towns.

  2. Gracie is very tall, she is still hard to see in that area.

    and / but / so

    Gracie is very tall, but she is still hard to see in that area.

  3. I would stay far away from Gracie. , I would call the ranch.

    Also / But / I think

    I would stay far away from Gracie. Also, I would call the ranch.

Sentence Unscramble

  1. A. ranches B. animals leave C. more food. D. when they want E. I think

    I think animals leave ranches when they want more food.

  2. A. like a good place B. Texas seems C. for Gracie D. space. E. because it has

    Texas seems like a good place for Gracie because it has space.

Discussion Questions

  1. Have you seen a giraffe in real life? What was it like?
  2. Why do animals sometimes walk away from farms or ranches?
  3. Why does the ranch owner say people do not need to worry?
  4. Do you think helicopters are useful for this search? Why or why not?
  5. If you saw Gracie, what would you do?
  6. Is the $5,000 reward a good idea? Why or why not?
  7. Do you think Gracie can live safely by herself for a while? Why?
  8. Texas is famous for big things. Is Texas a good place for Gracie to live?

Answers Missing Giraffe in Texas / Level 2

Think Ahead: b

Listening: (1) weeks, (2) remote, (3) searchers, (4) food, (5) see

Main Idea: A missing giraffe is hard to find in Texas.

True or False:

  1. True. The story says she escaped from a ranch in Texas nearly two weeks ago.
  2. False. The story says teams looked for her by helicopter, but they still have not found her.
  3. True. The owner says Gracie is far from towns and is not usually near people.

Multiple Choice: b, c, a

Put Events in Order:

  1. Gracie escaped from a ranch in Texas.
  2. Searchers looked for Gracie by helicopter.
  3. People reported seeing Gracie.
  4. Searchers arrived, but Gracie was already gone.

Vocabulary:

  1. Remote (adj): Far away from towns or cities.
  2. Searcher (n): A person looking for someone or something.
  3. Helicopter (n): An aircraft with blades that turn on top.
  1. Reward (n): Money given for help or useful information.
  2. Escape (v): To get away from a place.

Discussion Builder:

Hints: 1) Reason. 2) Contrast. 3) Addition.

  1. because
  2. but
  3. Also

Sentence Unscramble:

  1. I think animals leave ranches when they want more food.
  2. Texas seems like a good place for Gracie because it has space.

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