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Chickens
http://www.listenAminute.com/c/chickens.html
One minute a day is all you need to improve your listening skills.
Focus on new words, grammar and pronunciation in this short text.
Doing the online activities, discussion, survey and writing will help.
Listen many times – enough for you to you understand everything.
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THE LISTENING TAPESCRIPT
From: http://www.listenAminute.com/c/chickens.html
Chickens are so important to many of us because they are a major part of our diet.
Every country has so many chicken dishes, and eggs are one of the most common
foods around. Chickens are also cute. Well, chickens aren’t, but chicks are - cute,
fluffy chicks that make everyone go ‘aaahh’. It’s strange though that the word
‘chicken’ is used in so many English idioms. When I was at high school, you
couldn’t ‘chicken out’ – to not do something because of being scared. Things are
different today - I’m no spring chicken (that means I’m no longer young) so no one
calls me a chicken any more. I work now - as a teacher. I get chicken feed (low
wages) but I like my job. I plan to retire before I’m 50, but I’m not going to count
my chickens before they’re hatched. This means I won’t quit working until I have
enough money.
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LISTENING GAP FILL
From: http://www.listenAminute.com/c/chickens.html
Chickens are so important ________________ because they are
________________ our diet. Every country has so many chicken dishes, and eggs
are ________________ common foods around. Chickens are also cute. Well,
chickens aren’t, but chicks are - cute, fluffy chicks that ________________
‘aaahh’. It’s strange though that the word ‘chicken’ is ________________ English
idioms. When I was at high school, you couldn’t ‘chicken out’ – to not do
something because ________________. Things are different today - I’m no spring
chicken (that means ________________) so no one calls me a chicken any more. I
work now - as a teacher. I get chicken feed (____________) but I like my job. I
plan ________________ I’m 50, but I’m not going to count my chickens before
they’re hatched. This means I ________________ until I have enough money.
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CORRECT THE SPELLING
From: http://www.listenAminute.com/c/chickens.html
Chickens are so rtomntpai-important to many of us because they are a major part
of our diet. Every country has so many chicken sihesd-dishes, and eggs are one of
the most omncmo-common foods around. Chickens are also cute. Well, chickens
aren’t, but chicks are - cute, ufyffl-fluffy chicks that make everyone go ‘aaahh’.
It’s eatrgns-strange though that the word ‘chicken’ is used in so many English
omiids-idioms. When I was at high school, you couldn’t ‘chicken out’ – to not do
something because of being redasc-scared. Things are different today - I’m no
spring chicken (that means I’m no lgoner-longe young) so no one calls me a
chicken any more. I work now - as a teacher. I get chicken feed (low swega-wages)
but I like my job. I plan to rritee-retire before I’m 50, but I’m not going to tconu-
count my chickens before they’re hatched. This means I won’t uqti-quit working
until I have enough money.
4
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UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
From: http://www.listenAminute.com/c/chickens.html
Chickens are of many to important so us-so important to many of us because they
are a major part of our diet. Every country has so many chicken dishes, and
common are of most eggs one the-eggs are one of the most common foods
around. Chickens are also cute. Well, chickens aren’t, but chicks are - chicks cute ,
that fluffy make-cute, fluffy chicks that make everyone go ‘aaahh’. It’s strange
though that the word ‘chicken’ idioms used so English is in many- used in so
many English idioms. When I was at high school, you couldn’t ‘chicken ou t’ – to
something do not being of because-not do something because of being scared.
Things are different today - I’m no spring chicken (that means I’m no longer
young) so a chicken any more no one calls me-no one call me chicken any more.
I work now - as a teacher. I get chicken feed (low wages) but I like my job. I’m I to
before 50 plan retire-I plan to retire before I’m 50, but I’m not going to count my
chickens before they’re hatched. This means I won’t enough working money quit
until I have-quit working until I have enough money.
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DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1. ________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________
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DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1. ________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________
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STUDENT CHICKENS SURVEY
From: http://www.listenAminute.com/c/chickens.html
Write five GOOD questions about chickens in the table. Do this in pairs. Each
student must write the questions on his / her own paper.
When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.
STUDENT 1 STUDENT 2 STUDENT 3
_____________ _____________ _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.
Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found
out. Change partners often.
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Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.
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WRITING
From: http://www.listenAminute.com/c/chickens.html
Write about chickens for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct
each other’s work.
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
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__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
__________________________________________________________________
____________
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HOMEWORK
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text.
Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up
more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about
chickens. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about chickens. Read what
you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your
articles.
4. CHICKEN POSTER Make a poster about chickens. Show it to your classmates
in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.
5. MY CHICKENS LESSON: Make your own English lesson on chickens. Make
sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Teach
the class / another group when you have finished.
6. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, MySpace page,
Twitter stream, Del-icio-us / StumbleUpon account, or any other social media tool
to get opinions on chickens. Share your findings with the class.
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