Cold-stunned sea turtles rescued in Texas

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Category: Science/Environment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. amenity / əˈmɛn ɪ ti / (n) – something that makes life comfortable or pleasurable
    Example:

    The hotel’s amenities include a fitness center and an indoor pool.


  2. chilly / ˈtʃɪl i / (adj) – mildly cold, often to the point of being slightly (but not overly) uncomfortable
    Example:

    It’s going to be chilly today, so you should take a warm sweater with you.


  3. pull up / pʊl ʌp / (phrasal) – to stop a car, truck, or other vehicle at a particular place
    Example:

    A fancy car pulled up outside the hotel.


  4. pitch in / pɪtʃ ɪn / (phrasal) – to do or give something to help accomplish a task or activity with other people
    Example:

    Everyone pitched in to prepare Emily’s birthday surprise.


  5. cold front / ˈkoʊld ˌfrʌnt / (n) – a weather condition in which a mass of cold air pushes into a mass of warm air, resulting in colder temperatures
    Example:

    A cold front is moving in from the north, so the temperature is going to drop suddenly.


Article

Read the text below.

Residents of South Padre Island in South Texas, some of whom lack heat or basic amenities in their own homes due to the unusually chilly weather, have been rescuing cold-stunned sea turtles and taking them to a convention center in the resort town.


“Every 15 minutes or less there’s another truck or SUV that pulls up,” Ed Caum, executive director of the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Feb 17.


The convention center started pitching in Feb. 15 when its neighbor, Sea Turtle Inc., could no longer handle the number of sea turtles being dropped off, and their mostly outdoor operation had lost power.


He says they’ve “collected” more than 3,500 sea turtles so far. He said he hesitates to use the word rescued because “we know we’re going to lose some.”


Caum said that, with another cold front approaching, they don’t know when they’ll be able to return the sea turtles to the water. He said the convention center got power back on Feb. 19 and they were able to bring its temperature back to around 15 degrees Celsius.


Temperatures in the area on Feb. 17 were 4 to 5 C. (AP)


This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • The executive director of the convention center said that they’ve “collected” more than 3,500 turtles so far. Do you think it’s important to help wild animals, or is it better for people to leave them alone? Why? Discuss.
  • Sea Turtle Inc. is an organization that rescues sea turtles. If you started an organization to help a particular animal, which animal would you choose? Why? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • The unusually chilly weather in Texas negatively affected both sea turtles and residents. Have you recently noticed more extreme weather in your country too? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, how important is it to check the weather forecast? Why? Discuss.