How creating wildlife

‘Orchidelirium’: how acrossings

modern-day
canflower
help reindeer,
madnessbears
is fuelling
– andthe
even
illegal
crabstrade
Level: Intermediate

1
  Warmer

a. With a partner or in small groups, order these famous expensive stolen objects from the most
to the least expensive.

the Gibson Stradivarius violin

Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream
the Third Imperial Fabergé egg
the Hope Diamond
Van Gogh’s painting Poppy Flowers

b. Discuss these questions in groups

• What are the most commonly stolen luxury or expensive items?

• What motivates people to steal or buy stolen luxury items?
• Which of the following things do people also commonly steal: exotic flowers, exotic animals, rare
books? Do you now any cases of such thefts?

2
  Key words

a. Write the words from the wordpools next to the definitions below. Then find and highlight them
in the article to read them in context.

breach    diverse    enthusiasm    illicit    ivory    perimeter    prized

1. the outer edge of an enclosed area of ground such as a field or airport or gardens

2. the breaking of a law or rule

3. the yellowish-white bone that an elephant’s tusks are made of

4. the feeling of being very interested in something or excited by it

5. not allowed by the law or rules

6. very different from each other

7. considered to be very important or valuable

D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2021.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 ‘Orchidelirium’: how a modern-day flower madness is fuelling the illegal trade
Level: Intermediate
delicacy   extinct   rampant   reintroduced   rumours   trade   trafficking

8. a rare or expensive type of food

9. unofficial information that may or may not be true

10. the activities of buying or selling something

11. the illegal buying and selling of items and goods

12. existing, happening, or spreading in an uncontrolled way

13. an animal, plant, or language that no longer exists

14. (of a type of animal or plant) returned to an area where it lived in the past so that it can continue to
live there

b. Use some of the key words above to complete these sentences.

1. I lost some of my most possessions in the fire.

2. The group is fighting hard to end the trade.

3. The Tasmanian tiger was declared in 1936.

4. The record company took them to court for of copyright.

5. Unfortunately, all the were true.

6. Caviar is a in many countries.

D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2021.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 How creating wildlife
‘Orchidelirium’: how acrossings
modern-day
canflower
help reindeer,
madnessbears
is fuelling
– andthe
even
Level: Intermediate
Patrick Greenfield
18 June, 2021
1 As Kew Gardens’ security manager, it is John
Deer’s job to protect the 1.8 million people
that visit every year. It is also his job to make
sure that visitors do not take plants from the
botanical collection.
2 “People have climbed over the perimeter
walls to access the gardens. It’s why we have
24-hour security and a state-of-the-art control
room,” Deer says, noting that there is still
the occasional breach. “But the orchids are
more protected.”
3 Orchids from all over the world are studied at
Kew and many need this special protection.
When people talk about wildlife crime, they
mostly think of ivory and rhino horn, but the
enthusiasm of wealthy Victorians for orchids,
known as “orchidelirium”, has a new form.
Today, social media is the centre of an illicit
global market that threatens the survival of
some species of orchids. “Orchid influencers”,
with live streams and “unboxing videos”, are at
the heart of the modern obsession.
4 At Kew gardens, orchid thieves can strike at
any time. “The particularly rare orchids are
locked away behind glass so people can’t get
them,” says Deer. He explains that some of the
rarest and most endangered are kept out of
sight from visitors completely. “We’re trying to
protect the species. We have to make sure that
they also have the right security.”
5 Orchids are one of the largest and most diverse
flowering plant families: there are roughly
28,000 species known to science and they
make up about 8% of all flowering plants in
the world. They are found on every continent
except Antarctica and survive at high altitudes
and in tropical and semi-desert conditions.
Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2021.
Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS
illegal
crabstrade
6 Orchids have a complicated relationship
with the insects, bats and hummingbirds that
pollinate them. As well as being prized for
their beauty, some orchids are considered a
delicacy: vanilla is an orchid, and so is one
used in salep, a popular drink in Turkey.
7 So what is it about orchids that people love so
much? “They have weird and wonderful flowers
that are incredibly diverse. Some are difficult
to keep flowering, so it’s a way of showing how
good you are at looking after plants.”
8 Although there are many rumours of single
wild orchids selling for many thousands of
pounds, the true scale of the illegal trade is
unknown. However, it is known that more than
1.1 billion live orchid plants were legally traded
internationally from 1996 to 2015.
9 It is illegal to trade wild orchids internationally
without a permit. Despite this, trafficking of
orchids is rampant, and many flowers are sold
openly on social media around the world.
10 Because of the illegal international trade in
orchids, when a new species is described,
often its exact location is not given. In recent
years, new slipper orchids were discovered in
south-east Asia, and before they were even
officially described, they were dug up and
stolen. They are now extinct in the wild.
11 This nearly happened to the UK’s native lady’s
slipper orchid. It was thought that it went
extinct in England in 1917 after Victorian orchid
collectors took them all. But in 1930, it was
rediscovered, and now, with the help of Kew,
it is being reintroduced to the wild. Where it is
being reintroduced is a closely guarded secret.
© Guardian News and Media 2021
First published in The Guardian, 18/06/2021
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA
M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC
T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 ‘Orchidelirium’: how a modern-day flower madness is fuelling the illegal trade
Level: Intermediate

3
  Comprehension check

Choose the best answer to each question according to information from the article.

1. Orchidelirium is the name for:

a. the large amounts of money that people pay for orchids.
b. the green house where Kew Gardens keep their orchids.
c. the extreme excitement and happiness that people have when they collect orchids.

2. An ‘orchid influencer’ is:

a. someone who can grow orchids really well.
b. someone who shows their orchids to other people on social media.
c. the name of a glass case in Kew where orchids grow well.

3. John Deer’s job to protect:

a. the visitors to Kew Gardens.
b. the plants at Kew Gardens.
c. both a and b.

4. Visitors to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London can see:

a. some of Kew’s orchid collection.
b. Kew’s complete orchid collection.
c. lots of other plants, but no orchids.

5. In the wild, orchids grow naturally:

a. on every single continent of the world.
b. on nearly every continent of the world.
c. even in freezing conditions in the Antarctic.

6. Orchids are so well loved because:

a. they are easy to buy and to grow at home.
b. they have different types of flowers and are hard to keep alive.
c. they are cheap and make good presents for female relatives.
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2021.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 ‘Orchidelirium’: how a modern-day flower madness is fuelling the illegal trade
Level: Intermediate

4 Phrases
  

a. Use these words to make phrases from the article that match the meanings below.

art    at    closely    extinct    guarded    heart    in    kept

of (x3)    out    secret    sight    state    the (x3)    wild

1. using the newest and most advanced ideas and features (4 words, para 2)

2. the centre point of something (4 words, para 3)

3. hidden so that it can’t be seen (4 words, para 4)

4. no longer found in nature (4 words, para 10)

5. information that you do not want anybody else to know (3 words, para 11)

b. Now use the phrases to talk about the article.

5
  Discussion

a. Do you have any orchids?

○ If so,
■ what type? Describe them.
■ did you buy them yourself?
■ were they a present?
■ do you know where they came from?
■ Where are they in your home? Do they grow well there?
■ How do you look after them?
○ If not,
■ why not?
■ how would you feel if someone bought you an orchid as a present?
■ have you ever bought an orchid for someone else?
b. Have you ever seen orchids growing in the wild?
c. Which other wildflowers from your country or area are protected? Do you know where they grow?
d. Talk about any good apps or books you use to identify wildflowers and plants.

6 In your own words

  

a. Find images of lady’s slipper orchids. What gives this kind of orchid its name?

b. Choose one of the many thousands of orchids in the world and research it so that you can
give an interesting five-minute presentation. Describe what it looks like, what makes it special,
where it lives, what it needs to grow well, whether it’s rare or common, etc.
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2021.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C