C ECO-REGIONS OF SRI LANKA
1 DVD 0:00–3:00 Watch the DVD and tick ()
the items you see.
□ a rhinoceros □ a leopard
□ elephants □ a snake
□ monkeys □ giraffes
□ a reptile □ baby turtles
□ a jaguar □ zebras
2 Read about two regions in Sri Lanka and
choose the best summary below.
Udawalawe and the Sinharaja
Rainforest
Udawalawe National Park in Sri Lanka is a
wildlife habitat for Sri Lankan water birds and
elephants. It was created for wild animals that
were displaced by the construction of the
Udawalawe reservoir. The Udawalawe
Elephant Transit Home looks after abandoned
elephant calves. Elephants are attracted to the
park because of the reservoir and there is a
herd of about 250 of them. The Sri Lankan
leopard and other members of the cat family
are also present in Udawalawe.
The Sinharaja rainforest is a Biosphere
Reserve and was declared a world heritage
site by UNESCO in 1988. This virgin rainforest
has a large number of species that are not
found anywhere else in the world. However,
because of its dense vegetation, it is not as
easy to spot wildlife as in open, dry-zone
national parks such as Yala. The word
'Sinharaja' means Lion (‘Sinha’) King (‘Raja’),
and local people believe that the Sinhala
people originated from a union between a
princess and the Lion King of the forest.
1 The word 'Sinharaja' means Lion King, and its
virgin rainforest is home to many different
species of birds, leopards and lions.
2 It is easier to see wildlife in Udawalawe than in
the Sinharaja rainforest, but both are important
eco-regions in Sri Lanka.
3 Udawalawe is a wildlife sanctuary for baby
birds, and the Sinharaja forest is a Biosphere
Reserve in Sri Lanka’s dry zone.
English for International Tourism Intermediate
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3 DVD 0:00–0:39 Watch Part 1 and correct the
numbers in the sentences.
1 Udawalawe is one of 70 important national
parks in Sri Lanka.
2 Yala National Park, which is more than 12,000
square kilometres, is home to the world’s
largest population of leopard.
3 There are only about 500 leopards left in the
wild on the island, and a quarter are in Yala.
4 DVD 0:40–1:19 Watch Part 2. Are the
sentences true (T) or false (F)?
1 The Sinharaja rainforest is the last remaining
virgin rainforest in Sri Lanka.
2 It’s an area that is protected by the United
Nations.
3 There are many animals in Sinharaja that can
be found in other parts of the country.
4 The land is being prepared for growing tea
plantations and banana trees.
5 The rainforest will continue in its natural state
only if local people can make a living from it.
5 DVD 0:00–1:19 Match the words and
phrases 1–8 from Parts 1 and 2 with the
definitions a–h.
1 wilderness
2 habitat
3 unique
4 sprawling
5 in the wild
6 fragile
7 species
8 survival
a) being the only one of its kind
b) a large area of land that has never been
developed or farmed
c) easily destroyed or damaged
d) a group of animals which are similar
e) in natural and free conditions
f) the state of continuing to live or exist
g) spreading or extending over a wide area
h) the natural home of a plant or animal
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C ECO-REGIONS OF SRI LANKA
6 DVD 1:20–1:52 Match the words 1–8 with 9 DVD 1:53–3:00 Choose the correct
a–h to make phrases you will hear in Part 3. definition for the underlined words and
Then watch and check your answers. (The phrases from Part 4.
words are not in the order you hear them.)
1 donations from visitors
1 national a) camps a) promotional gifts
2 eco- b) managed b) money that you give to a person or an
3 sustainably c) habitats organization to help them
4 long-haul d) to
5 balancing e) warming 2 this centre raises orphaned elephants
6 likely f) act a) looks after animals to help them grow
7 global g) parks b) moves something to a higher position
8 precious h) flights
3 orphaned elephants
a) when the parents of a child or animal are
7 Complete the script for Part 3 with the both dead
phrases from Exercise 6.
b) place where children whose parents both
died live and are educated
The answer is carefully managed tourism,
which provides money and jobs. Of course, it's 4 release about 600 infant turtles
a1 . a) stop holding or drop something
2 are a major contributor b) let an animal go free, after keeping them
to 3 . But if people don't
5 this hatchery alone
come to Sri Lanka, 4 are
a) a place where baby animals are protected
5 disappear. Not only do until they are adults
visitors pay money directly to the b) a place where eggs can be kept until birds,
6 , but there's a big spin- fish, etc. are born
off in benefit to communities.
6 their long-term survival
For example, 7 a) continuing for a long time into the future
8 within the parks provide b) relating to the near future
work and opportunities to the villagers.

OPTIONAL TASK
8 DVD 1:53–3:00 Watch Part 4 and correct the Find out about a national park of your choice.
summary. There are six errors. Think about the following:
Tourists also fund many local community • size and type of land
projects. The money from visitors pays for the 20 • different kinds of animals and plants
tons of baby equipment that is needed every year • special projects
at Udawalawe. The centre looks after orphaned • how visitors help
monkeys and sets them free in the national parks. • whether it is sustainably managed, or under
At the Kosgoda Hatchery, Sri Lankans help threat from global warming or development
wildlife experts put 600 baby turtles into the sea.
The organization has released two and a half
thousand turtles into the wild since the early ’80s.
But these projects are not enough. Sri Lanka’s
wild areas still need imagination.

English for International Tourism Intermediate

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C ECO-REGIONS OF SRI LANKA
DVD script
Part 1
0:00–0:39
Udawalawe is a protected wilderness where
elephants are a much more common sight
than humans. It's one of 17 important wildlife
reserves and national parks in Sri Lanka, each
a distinct habitat with unique animals and
plants.
Yala National Park, sprawling more than 12
hundred square kilometres, is home to the
planet's largest population of leopard. There
are only about nine hundred left in the wild on
the island, and a third are within Yala.
Part 2
0:40–1:19
Then there's Sri Lanka's own Garden of Eden,
the Sinharaja rainforest. This is the last stand
of virgin rainforest in the country and is
protected as a UN world heritage site. It's a
fragile environment, home to many species not
found anywhere else on Sri Lanka.
Yet, the island's parks are under threat.
Agriculture encroaches upon the park
boundaries as wilderness is cleared for rice
and palm production. The only way to
guarantee the long-term survival of these wild
places is to make them work economically for
local people.
English for International Tourism Intermediate
Photocopiables © Pearson Education Limited 2013
Part 3
1:20–1:52
The answer is carefully managed tourism,
which provides money and jobs. Of course, it's
a balancing act. Long-haul flights are a major
contributor to global warming. But if people
don't come to Sri Lanka, precious habitats are
likely to disappear. Not only do visitors pay
money directly to the national parks, but
there's a big spin-off in benefits to
communities.
For example, sustainably managed eco-
camps within the parks provide work and
opportunities to the villagers.
Part 4
1:53–3:00
Tourists also support many wildlife projects.
Donations from visitors help pay for the 20
tons of baby formula needed every year at
Udawalawe's transit camp. This centre raises
orphaned elephants and then sets them free in
the national parks.
And every evening, tourists help wildlife
experts at the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery
release about 600 infant turtles into the sea.
Their contribution makes a big difference. This
hatchery alone has released two and a half
million turtles into the wild since the early ’80s.
Projects like these give Sri Lanka's wildlife a
fighting chance. But that's not enough. Their
long-term survival depends on us protecting
their wild spaces.
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C ECO-REGIONS OF SRI LANKA
Answer key Ex 7
1 balancing act
Ex 1 2 long-haul flights
a rhinoceros √ a leopard 3 global warming
√ elephants √ a snake 4 precious habitats
√ monkeys giraffes 5 likely to (will probably)
√ a reptile √ baby turtles 6 national parks
a jaguar zebras 7 sustainably managed
8 eco-camps (ecological camps)
Ex 2
Summary 2 Ex 8

Ex 3 Tourists also fund many 1 local community

1 Udawalawe is one of seventeen important
national parks in Sri Lanka.
2 Yala National Park, which is more than 12
hundred square kilometres... (12 hundred =
one thousand, two hundred)
3 There are only about 900 leopards left in the
wild on the island, and a third are in Yala.
Ex 4
1T 2T 3F 4F 5T
Ex 5
1b 2h 3a 4g 5e 6c 7d 8f
Ex 6
1g 2a 3b 4h 5f 6d 7e 8c
Ex 9
1b 2a 3a 4b 5b 6a
wildlife projects. The money from visitors pays
for the 20 tons of baby 2 equipment formula
that is needed every year at Udawalawe. The
centre looks after orphaned 3 monkeys
elephants and sets them free in the national
parks. At the Kosgoda Hatchery, 4 Sri Lankans
tourists help wildlife experts put 600 baby
turtles into the sea. The organization has
released two and a half 5 thousand million
turtles into the wild since the early ’80s.
But these projects are not enough. Sri Lanka’s
wild areas still need 6 imagination protection.

English for International Tourism Intermediate

Photocopiables © Pearson Education Limited 2013 4