Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. biologically
    • ex. The forest is biologically rich in animals and plants.
  2. diverse
    • ex. The garden has diverse plants. It has flowers in many colors and shapes.
  3. a poacher
    • ex. The laws prevent poachers from entering protected areas and hurting wildlife.
  4. a ranger
    • ex. Rangers work hard to keep the park safe and clean.
  5. patrol
    • ex. The police patrol the streets to keep everyone safe.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Palau’s Helen Reef is one of Earth’s most biologically diverse reefs. It is home to many kinds of plants and animals. This rich sea life attracts poachers to the area. But the Hatohobei State Rangers work hard to protect the reef according to the Palau national law.

Four rangers patrol the reef for three months at a time. When they’re not patrolling the reef, they take care of their chickens on the island where they stay or hunt for food. The rangers worry about not having enough gas and drinking water and about their safety at sea. But the good thing is, fishing in the reef is amazing and only the rangers are allowed to do it.

The rangers’ work can be lonely, but they feel proud that they can do something for their community. Hercules Emilio, a ranger for 17 years, said that their ancestors came to the reef to find food. So now, it’s their job to take care of it and keep it safe. Today, the rangers’ main concern is to protect Helen Reef from climate change and poachers.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Hatohobei State Rangers

  • Rangers patrol Helen Reef to protect it. Why do you think it’s important to protect places like Helen Reef? Discuss.
  • Only the rangers are allowed to fish in Helen Reef. Why do you think this is so? Discuss.
  • The rangers’ work can be lonely, but they feel proud that they can do something for their community. Why do you think people feel proud when they contribute to their community? Discuss.

Protecting Natural Sites

  • How important do you think it is to protect biologically diverse areas? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, are poachers a major problem in the environment? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think it’s possible for people to enjoy nature while also protecting it? Why or why not? Discuss.