A A GENERAL ISSUES

Pet crazy
Lesson code: 119G-16QB-141B PRE-INTERMEDIATE +

1 Warm up
Do you have a pet? If so, what kind? If not, would you like to have a pet?

2 Pet verbs
Match the following verbs to the pictures below.

feed play ride

stroke train walk

2. 3.
1.

4. 5. 6.

In pairs, ask and answer the questions below. Find out if your partner is `pet crazy'.

1. Have you ever ridden a horse?

2. Which animals have you fed?
3. When you see a dog, do you want to stroke it or keep away from it?
4. Have you ever trained a dog?
5. How many times have you walked a dog?
6. Which animals have you played with?
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 Pet crazy
A A A A GENERAL ISSUES

3 Find the information

Read the article below about the Borges family and their pets. Answer the questions.

1. How many tigers live with the Borges family? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. How much do the tigers weigh? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. What do they do with the tigers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4. Where did Mr Borges get the first two tigers from? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5. Why does he believe that the tigers are safe? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6. What do his daughters do with the tigers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Brazilian family that shares its home

with tigers

1 Don't forget to feed the cats! This advice has become very important for one
Brazilian family, which is sharing its home with nine adult tigers.
2 The Borges family live side by side with the 220-kilogram predators on their property in Maring�, Parana.
They are not afraid -- they call their big cats their pets.

3 The family is so relaxed around the animals that they even allow their two-year-old granddaughter to ride
on the tigers' backs. The animals swim with the family, relax in the living room and are fed from the
kitchen table at mealtimes. In 2005, Ary Borges rescued two tigers, Dan and Tom, from a circus. He built
a sanctuary in his garden and started a breeding programme.
4 The father of three does not accept that being so close to the animals is dangerous. He says that if you
give them respect, they will respond.
5 Mr Borges said: "I have never been worried about my daughters. You have to show the animals respect
and love -- that's how you get it back from them."
6 His daughters Nayara, 20, Uyara, 23, and Deusanira, 24, say they have an excellent relationship. They
walk the tigers on leads and feed meat directly into their mouths.

Adapted from The Independent, by Janet Tappin Coelho, 01 October 2013

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 Pet crazy
A A A A GENERAL ISSUES

4 Find the word ...

Find a word or phrase in the text which means ...

1. together, in the same place (phrase, P2)

2. animals that kill other animals for food (noun, P2)
3. saved from a dangerous or difficult situation (verb in the past simple, P3)
4. a protected natural place where animals are safe (noun, P3)
5. the process of producing young animals from their parents (two-word noun, P3)

5 Classify the animals

Where can you typically find the following animals? Put them into the correct categories below:

a cow a crab a crocodile a goat a goldfish a gorilla

a horse a kangaroo a kitten a lion a monkey an elephant
an octopus a pig a puppy a sheep a snake a whale

In the wild:

On a farm:

In people's homes:

Work in pairs. Student A, think of an animal, but do not tell your partner. Student B, ask `Yes/No'
questions like the questions below and try to find out or guess the name of the animal. Change roles
and repeat the task for five animals.

• Does it live in the wild/on a farm/in people's homes/in the jungle/in the sea?
• Is it found in Africa/Asia/Europe/South America/all over the world?
• Is it a predator?
• Is it a pet?

• Is it intelligent/strong/shy/dangerous/aggressive/cute?
• Can it fly/swim/jump/run?

6 Talking point
What are the advantages and disadvantages of keeping a pet?
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 Pet crazy - Key
A A A A GENERAL ISSUES

2- Pet verbs

Students can work individually and check in pairs. For the second part of the exercise, students practise asking
and answering the questions. Provide irregular verb forms (e.g. ride - rode - ridden) and encourage full answers
in order to practise the vocabulary, e.g. `Have you ever ridden a horse?' `No, I've never ridden a horse.' A quick
recap of the present perfect simple might be necessary.

1. stroke 2. train 3. walk

4. feed 5. ride 6. play

3- Find the information

This can be done individually or in pairs. If done in pairs, students ask and answer the questions while you monitor
the task. Pre-teach or translate difficult vocabulary such as `predator', `rescue', `sanctuary', `breeding'. If you
pre-teach these words, you can skip the next exercise or use it for reinforcement.

1. nine
2. 220 kilos
3. swim, relax and feed them
4. He rescued them from a circus.
5. because he shows them love and respect
6. walk them and feed meat into their mouths

4- Find the word ...

1. side by side
2. predators
3. rescued
4. a sanctuary
5. a breeding programme

5- Classify the animals

This can be done individually or in pairs. Go through the answers with the class. As an extension, you could ask
the students to think of 2-3 more animals for each category.

In the wild: an elephant, a gorilla, a monkey, a crocodile, an octopus, a whale, a crab, a snake, a
kangaroo, a lion
On a farm: a pig, a cow, a sheep, a goat, a horse
In people's homes: a puppy, a kitten, a goldfish

For the pairwork activity, go through the questions, check understanding and demonstrate with a strong student.
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You can review this worksheet online at www.linguahouse.com/ex

Review your flashcards at least 3-5 times a week for 20 minutes to keep the material fresh in your memory.
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