English Lesson on Dian Fossey

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THE LESSON ON DIAN FOSSEY

Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Dian Fossey. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:


READ

Dian Fossey was an American zoologist who studied gorillas in Africa. Her research and life in the mountain forests of Rwanda made her famous. She wrote a book about her work, ‘Gorillas in the Mist’. A major Hollywood studio paid her a million dollars for the movie rights. Her brutal murder in 1985 had to be added to the film.

Fossey was born in 1932. She became interested in animals from a very early age and enrolled on a veterinary course. At university, she studied occupational therapy, which would help her later research. She became interested in Africa in her late twenties. She took out a loan and went to Tanzania, where she met the man who would change her life, anthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey.

Fossey was encouraged by Dr. Leakey to carry out long-term research on mountain gorillas. In 1967, she set up the Karisoke Research Centre in the remote Rwanda rainforest. She became an international celebrity in 1970 after appearing on the cover of ‘National Geographic’ magazine. It brought huge publicity for her campaign to protect the mountain gorillas and save them from extinction.

Fossey was strongly opposed to zoos. In 1978, she tried to stop two young gorillas from being taken from Rwanda to a zoo in Germany. Twenty adult gorillas were killed during their capture. She also disagreed with “conservation tourism”, which disturbs the animals’ natural habitat. Many believe she was killed by those who wanted to make big money from gorilla tourism.

245 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

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SYNONYM MATCH

Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?

Paragraphs 1 and 2
 

 

 

1.

research

a.

young

2

major

b.

savage

3.

brutal

c.

got

4.

early

d.

studies

5.

took out

e.

transform

6.

change

f.

big


Paragraphs 3 and 4
 

 

 

7.

carry out

g.

disrupts

8.

set up

h.

dying out

9.

extinction

i.

natural environment

10.

strongly

j.

conduct

11

disturbs

k

passionately

12

habitat

l

started

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article:

1.

an American zoologist

a.

would change her life

2

Her brutal

b.

natural habitat

3.

She became interested in animals

c.

publicity for her campaign

4.

She took

d.

save them from extinction

5.

she met the man who

e.

who studied gorillas

6.

huge

f.

money from gorilla tourism

7.

protect the mountain gorillas and

g.

murder in 1985

8.

Twenty adult gorillas were killed

h.

from a very early age

9.

disturbs the animals’

i.

during their capture

10.

those who wanted to make big

j.

out a loan

LISTENING GAP FILL

Dian Fossey was an American zoologist ___________________ in Africa. Her ___________________ the mountain forests of Rwanda made her famous. She wrote a ___________________, ‘Gorillas in the Mist’. A major Hollywood studio paid her a million dollars for the movie rights. ___________________ 1985 had to be added to the film.

Fossey was born in 1932. She became interested _________________ very early age and enrolled on a veterinary course. At university, she studied occupational therapy, which ___________________ research. She became interested in Africa in her late twenties__________________  and went to Tanzania, where she met the man _________________ life, anthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey.

Fossey was encouraged by Dr. Leakey ___________________ research on mountain gorillas. In 1967, she set up the Karisoke Research Centre ___________________ rainforest. She became an international celebrity in 1970 after __________________ of ‘National Geographic’ magazine. It brought huge publicity for her campaign to protect the mountain gorillas __________________ extinction.

Fossey was ___________________ zoos.  In 1978, she tried to stop two young gorillas ___________________ from Rwanda to a zoo in Germany. Twenty adult gorillas were killed during their capture. She also disagreed with “conservation tourism”, which ___________________ natural habitat. Many believe she was killed by those who wanted to ___________________ gorilla tourism.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs in italics.

Dian Fossey was an American zoology / zoologist who studied gorillas in Africa. Her research and life in the mountain forests of Rwanda made her famous / fame. She wrote a book about her work, ‘Gorillas in the Mist’. A major Hollywood studio repaid / paid her a million dollars for the movie rights. Her brutal / brutality murder in 1985 had to be added to the film.

Fossey was born in 1932. She became interested in animals / animal from a very early age and enrolled on a veterinary course. At university, she studied occupational therapist / therapy, which would help her later research. She became interested in Africa in her late twenty / twenties. She took out / in a loan and went to Tanzania, where she met the man who would change her life, anthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey.

Fossey was encouraged by Dr. Leakey to carry out / in long-term research on mountain gorillas. In 1967, she set in / up the Karisoke Research Centre in the remote Rwanda rainforest. She became an international celebrity in 1970 after appeared / appearing on the cover of ‘National Geographic’ magazine. It brought huge publicity for her campaign to protect the mountain gorillas and save them from extinction / extinguished.

Fossey was strongly opposed / opposite to zoos.  In 1978, she tried to stop two young gorillas from was / being taken from Rwanda to a zoo in Germany. Twenty adult gorillas were killed during / while their capture. She also disagreed with “conservation tourism”, which disturbs the animals’ natural habitat. Many believe she was killed by those / them who wanted to make big money from gorilla tourism.

SPELLING

The underlined, jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.

Paragraph 1
 

1.

an American tzloooigs

2.

Her acsrehre and life in the mountain forests

3.

the movie isghtr

4.

Her brutal dumerr


Paragraph 2
 

5.

She became iedtrtnees in animals from a very early age

6.

At university, she studied occupational aerthpy

7.

in her late entsitwe

8.

horgotitaplson Dr. Louis Leakey


Paragraph 3
 

9.

carry out gnlo-mtre research

10.

She became an international cilybetre

11.

It brought huge uiptiycbl for her campaign

12.

save them from oeinnittcx


Paragraph 4
 

13.

Fossey was strongly eppoosd to zoos

14.

Twenty adult gorillas were killed during their teuparc

15.

the animals’ natural ttaabhi

16.

make big money from gorilla rsutomi

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )

 

to a zoo in Germany. Twenty adult gorillas were killed during their capture. She also disagreed

(    )

 

Fossey was born in 1932. She became interested in animals from a very early age and enrolled

(    )

 

with “conservation tourism”, which disturbs the animals’ natural habitat. Many believe she was killed by

(    )

 

celebrity in 1970 after appearing on the cover of ‘National Geographic’ magazine. It brought huge

(    )

 

the man who would change her life, anthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey.

(    )

 

publicity for her campaign to protect the mountain gorillas and save them from extinction.

(    )

 

research. She became interested in Africa in her late twenties. She took out a loan and went to Tanzania, where she met

( 1 )

 

Dian Fossey was an American zoologist who studied gorillas in Africa. Her research and life in the mountain forests

(    )

 

up the Karisoke Research Centre in the remote Rwanda rainforest. She became an international

(    )

 

Fossey was encouraged by Dr. Leakey to carry out long-term research on mountain gorillas. In 1967, she set

(    )

 

her a million dollars for the movie rights. Her brutal murder in 1985 had to be added to the film.

(    )

 

on a veterinary course. At university, she studied occupational therapy, which would help her later

(    )

 

Fossey was strongly opposed to zoos. In 1978, she tried to stop two young gorillas from being taken from Rwanda

(    )

 

of Rwanda made her famous. She wrote a book about her work, ‘Gorillas in the Mist’. A major Hollywood studio paid

(    )

 

those who wanted to make big money from gorilla tourism.

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With your partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.

gorillas   studied   who   zoologist   American   an

2.

her   in   forests   made   life   mountain   Rwanda   famous   the   of

3.

book   her   She   a   about   work   wrote

4.

late   in   twenties   Africa   She   in   became   her   interested

5.

out   to   a   Tanzania   loan   She   and   took   went

6.

Centre   ,   up   Research   1967   set   Karisoke   In   she   the

7.

protect   mountain   her   to   the   gorillas   campaign

8.

to   young   being   tried   two   from   she   stop   gorillas   taken

9.

were   gorillas   adult   Twenty   capture   their   during   killed

10.

from   those   to   money   tourism   wanted   big   gorilla   who   make

DIAN FOSSEY DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1.

What do you know about Dian Fossey?

2.

Would you like to have met Dian Fossey?

3.

What would you like to know about Dian Fossey and why?

4.

___________________________________________________

5.

___________________________________________________

6.

___________________________________________________

7.

___________________________________________________

8.

___________________________________________________

------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1.

What did you learn from this text about Dian Fossey?

2.

What questions would you like to have asked Dian Fossey?

3.

What would her answers have been to those questions?

4.

___________________________________________________

5.

___________________________________________________

6.

___________________________________________________

7.

___________________________________________________

8.

___________________________________________________

DIAN FOSSEY SURVEY

Write five questions about Dian Fossey in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out.  Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about Dian Fossey for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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: Search the Internet and find more information about Dian Fossey. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. DIAN FOSSEY POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Dian Fossey. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Dian Fossey. Include an imaginary interview with her. Write about what she did every day and what she thought about.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Dian Fossey. Ask her three questions about her life. Tell her how important she is in today’s world and how she is missed. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Dian Fossey expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH:

Paragraphs 1 and 2
 

 

 

1.

research

a.

studies

2

major

b.

big

3.

brutal

c.

savage

4.

early

d.

young

5.

took out

e.

got

6.

change

f.

transform


Paragraphs 3 and 4
 

 

 

7.

carry out

g.

conduct

8.

set up

h.

started

9.

extinction

i.

dying out

10.

strongly

j.

passionately

11

disturbs

k

disrupts

12

habitat

l

natural environment

PHRASE MATCH:

1.

an American zoologist

a.

who studied gorillas

2

Her brutal

b.

murder in 1985

3.

She became interested in animals

c.

from a very early age

4.

She took

d.

out a loan

5.

she met the man who

e.

would change her life

6.

huge

f.

publicity for her campaign

7.

protect the mountain gorillas and

g.

save them from extinction

8.

Twenty adult gorillas were killed

h.

during their capture

9.

disturbs the animals’

i.

natural habitat

10.

those who wanted to make big

j.

money from gorilla tourism

ALL OTHER EXERCISES:

Look at the text in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.

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