Working with animals
Watch video 1.
What is the typical day of a zookeeper? Choose three of the zookeeper’s daily activities. t1
A cleaning up exhibits
B feeding the animals
C studying people’s personalities
D talking to visitors
E training the animals
F studying animal behaviour
Which of the following animals are primates? t1
A horses
B lions and tigers
C monkeys
What do you think is important if you want to be a zookeeper? t2
A build a relationship with visitors
B get a diploma or certificate in animal studies
C gain work experience by volunteering in an animal organization
What kind of job does Mike have? t1
What was his first job? t1
Mike says: ‘My uncle managed a newsagent's and asked me if I would like to join their team.’ What do you think a newsagent's is? t2
A a place where you can buy newspapers
B a policeman who talks to the press
C someone who works for a newspaper
An interview with Mike McCaffrey, keyholder at
Pets at Home
After leaving school, Mike McCaffery started working in a supermarket.
‘After that I had an internship in a restaurant, but when that closed suddenly I was out of work,’ he said.
‘My uncle managed a newsagent's and asked me if I would like to join their team. Thankfully I could get a job there.’
For four years, Mike worked there, but he just knew something better was out there for him.
He saw a newspaper advert for a job at Pets at Home near his home in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. He decided to apply, just to see what would happen.
He said: ‘I’ve always loved animals. I grew up with dogs and have a cat. It just seemed to make sense that I would use it in my career.’
Mike was surprised that he was invited for a job interview. They offered him a job as a general team member. ‘From the first day, I loved it. The atmosphere was great,’ he said.
His manager picked up on his enthusiasm and Mike was promoted to keyholder.
‘I have the responsibility of opening and closing the store. I help with cashing up and banking, as well as dealing with customers. The job is so varied.’
There’s also the added bonus of being surrounded by animals and fellow pet lovers who would like nothing more than to talk with you about animals.
In less than a year, Mike is on a fast track to being a manager. He is enrolled in a special management course that starts in January.
‘I can’t quite believe how quickly it has all happened. What I would like most is to be a manager of my own store one day.’
This woman made it her life's
Staci Greene opened her heart, and her ranch, to donkeys.
A surprising gift Wilber stole Staci Greene’s heart years ago. The donkey was a special gift that changed Staci’s life. ‘He was so much like a big dog,’ Staci says. ‘I was in love with him and I knew I would never forget him.’
Rescue project
Years later, after moving back to her parents’ ranch, Staci started making plans for a donkey rescue project. She began taking in unwanted donkeys and mules, naming her ranch ‘Hee Haw Place Donkey Rescue’. She learned about the unwanted animals
from other people, from places where donkeys were sold, and from the Humane Society.
Hee Haw Place has had as many as thirteen animals at one time, but thanks to Staci’s hard work she has been able to find many people to adopt her donkeys. She now owns just six—two donkeys, two mules and two horses.
She makes sure that the animal’s new homes are comfortable and that future owners truly would like to add a donkey to their families. If an adoption doesn’t work out, Staci always welcomes the animal back to her ranch.
Caretaking
Donkeys only need minimal care, she says. Their hooves should be trimmed once or twice a year, and they must have a large plot of grass where they can graze.
But, they do need more than just space. ‘When I see a donkey just standing, it breaks my heart,’ Staci says. ‘These are working animals, and they need jobs.’
Training
Donkeys are easy to train for both riding and for pulling a cart or a wagon. Staci trains them and helps their owners find work for the donkeys to do in their new homes.
Staci’s animals show off their training by walking in parades. The donkeys have even won prizes in competitions. Love and patience is what has made the donkeys, and Staci, a winning team!
a Wilber is a big dog that stole Staci’s heart.
b Staci has thirteen animals on her ranch.
c Staci already knew something about donkeys.
d Donkeys are lazy animals.
e Donkeys are strong.
f Staci’s animals are very successful.
g Hee Haw is the sound a donkey makes.
h A mule is a type of horse.
Which characteristics and skills from the list below best describe you? You can add two skills that are not on the list. t1
ɲ computer skills
ɲ creative
ɲ friendly/polite
ɲ hard-working
ɲ helpful
ɲ patient
ɲ pro-active
ɲ smart
ɲ speak English
ɲ strong
ɲ
ɲ
Compare the information from video 1 and the two texts. t2
What kinds of tasks would you perform if you worked with animals? Give three examples for each job. You may use some of the words from the word pool. You can also think of your own ideas for useful tasks.
9 preparing for competitions giving presentations cleaning exhibits working with pets dealing with customers grooming animals training animals finding people to adopt animals giving advice to customers
Which of these skills would help you if you were working with animals? t2
Would you like to work as a zookeeper? Explain your answer. I
Name some other jobs that involve working with animals. Name at least three. You can use the internet or a dictionary. I
Fill in the gaps. Use the words from the word pool to complete the text. t1
patience fascinating relationship take care behaviour adopted helps learn
Jill has always had a special [a] ………… with animals. She feels that they are [b] ………… creatures. She likes to study their [c] ………… so she likes to go to the zoo, a lot. She [d] ………… a donkey, because she likes to [e] ………… of unwanted animals. Her experience as a volunteer will [f] ………… to prepare her to be a zookeeper. Also, her [g] ………… with young animals has helped to prepare her for a career working with animals. She is very motivated and wants to [h] ………… all she can about animals.
Practise
Chunks
ɲ I would like to work with animals after school.
ɲ Can you help me clean the exhibits?
ɲ Would you like to feed the birds?
ɲ Animals can really help me feel good about myself.
ɲ I could learn to like dogs, but they do scare me a bit.
ɲ Could you tell me more about animal behaviour?
ɲ Neal couldn’t tell the difference between a donkey and a horse.
ɲ Jan and Dean would like to know more about wild cats.
ɲ I don’t think I would like to work in a pet shop with animals in small cages.
ɲ Sheila would like to be a vet, but she can’t stand blood.
ɲ Cleaning cages isn’t something that I would like to do.
⇢ See Grammar §2.2.3 Modale werkwoorden
Choose the correct alternative. t1
a Can / Would you tell me more about animal welfare?
b We could / will use a helping hand at the animal shelter.
c He said he would / could like to find a new home for the frightened dog.
d I could / would advise you to be careful with these wild cats.
e Can / Could you keep a monkey as a pet?
f Instead of a parrot, I could / would like to get Josh a canary.
g The sign clearly says you can’t / won’t feed the animals.
h Warren said he can / would like to help us raise money for the safari park.
Write a text, for your favourite social media, about what you like about working with animals. Say what you like best and what you would not like about it. Use about 60 words. I
Study the words from this lesson: English-Dutch and Dutch-English. R
ɲ Have you reached your goal?
R I know the words and chunks about animals.
t1 I can understand information about working with animals.
t2 I can compare different texts about jobs with animals.
I I can explain which skills I need to work with animals.
Words
to adopt adopteren behaviour gedrag fascinating boeiend to graze grazen to groom trimmen, verzorgen hooves hoeven internship stage to investigate onderzoeken newsagent’s krantenkiosk parade optocht personality persoonlijkheid to promote bevorderen, stimuleren to reduce verminderen relationship relatie rescue redding to take care zorgen voor volunteer vrijwilliger
Animals in captivity
goal → You will learn to make arguments about keeping animals in captivity.
Look around
Look at the pictures below.
1
Work in pairs. Talk for two minutes about the pictures. You can use words from the word pool. What animals do you see? What are they doing? Name some of the differences between the two pictures. Which picture do you like best? t2
protection wilderness hunting
zookeeper endangered species
feed the animals visitors
happy sad open air cages
ɲ I like picture ……… better, because ………
ɲ I do / don’t think these animals have a good life, because ………
Learn more
Read text 1 .
True or false? t1
a There were hundreds of fans watching the penguin march this year.
b Six penguins went to their new home after their graduation from fish school.
c All of the penguin graduates dove right into the water of their new home.
d The penguins had a good time with their caretakers.
Quote two sentences from text 1 in which you see modals. t1
Make your own sentence about animals and/or zoos using would like. Use at least 8 words. t2 2 3 4
San Francisco Zoo's adorable baby penguins graduate from 'fish school'
There are usually hundreds of happy fans watching the San Francisco Zoo's annual ‘March of the Penguins.’ The fans celebrate the graduation of the baby penguins from ‘fish school.’ Many people would like to see the penguins this year, as well. Sadly, only a few lucky guests and officials could watch this year's celebration. But, the six lovely graduates didn’t mind and proudly walked to their new home on Penguin Island.
Some of the graduates happily dove right into the water, but others needed a little push from their trainers. Some were a bit scared to jump into the 200-foot-long pool. The babies were all born in May. They spent the first few months of their lives with their parents. Once they were old enough, the penguin babies could go to the zoo's ‘fish school’. There they were taught how to swim, eat a whole fish, and have fun with their caretakers.
Pros and cons of zoos: Should animals be kept in zoos?
Animal cruelty or protection? Learn about the pros and cons of zoos: should there be zoos? Should animals be kept in captivity?
More than 181 million people visit zoos every year in the United States, and 25 million in the United Kingdom. So, yes, zoos are very popular. But, more and more people don’t like the idea of animals in cages. Animal protection organisations have changed their opinions about zoos. There is still a lot of terrible animal abuse happening in some circuses, dolphinariums and zoos. Therefore, animal activist groups want to close down the organisations that treat wild animals badly.
Most people would answer ‘No’ to the question ‘should animals be kept in cages?’ But Jane Goodall, a famous animal expert, tells us how important zoos are. They help us understand the life of wild animals and protect them. But, there are also organisations that don’t believe Jane. They think that animals don’t get what they really need when they are in cages. And, they think that animals should not be used just to please the visitors.
Do you think that zoos are a good way to teach people about animal life? Do they really help save endangered species? Or, are they just a cruel way to make money? Is keeping animals in cages the right way to give them a safer future? Let's talk more about the pros and cons of zoos before we decide what is best.
Pros of zoos
ɲ Zoos want to bring entertainment, but they are also very worried about the protection of animals and the way they live in the wild. Zoos make people think about animal welfare, and they raise money for wildlife and research projects.
ɲ Because visitors worry about animal welfare in zoos, there are more and more cages without bars.
ɲ Education is another positive side of zoos. Many children and adults that live in cities can only see wild animals on TV or via the internet. Zoos give them a chance to meet real animals. They can see them, smell them, see how they move and listen to their sounds.
ɲ Zoos do lots of research. Studying animals is important if we want to help wild animals and save the ecosystems.
ɲ Another pro of zoos is their role in animal breeding. Thanks to the animal breeding programs at many zoos, many wild animals can reproduce safely. This is very important, especially for the endangered species.
Cons of zoos
ɲ There is still a lot of animal cruelty in zoos. There are many cases of animals being abused by visitors and zoo workers.
ɲ Animals in captivity miss their natural habitat, so they become lonely and bored.
ɲ Many animals in zoos live in small cages. There are Safari Parks and large zoos where animals have more space, but most zoos are just not big enough.
ɲ Many zoo animals can get sick and die because of diseases they get from other animals. People can also get sick if they catch a disease from a zoo.
ɲ Many zoos do not do any animal research nor do they earn money for animal protection. They are simply trying to earn a profit.
Read text 2.
Talk about the following questions with your classmate. t2
a Do you like to visit zoos?
b Do you think the pros, or the cons, of zoos are more important?
c Should we boycott or ban zoos? Complete the following sentences.
I (don’t) think we need zoos, so I think we should ……… because ……… If there are no more zoos, then
Which pro or con from text 2 do you like most? Why? I
Choose the correct alternative. Use the information from text 2. t1
a Zoos are not as famous / popular as they used to be.
b Animal organisations try to abuse / protect endangered species.
c Jane Goodall thinks zoos are endangered / important because they help us learn about wild animals.
d Because of zoos, people can see, listen to and move / smell the animals.
e One problem with many zoos is that they are not big / safe enough.
species bedreigde diersoort ecosystem dieren, planten en mensen samen habitat natuurlijke leefomgeving
Use the correct modal. Choose from would / would like / wouldn’t / wouldn’t like. t1
a Charlene …… to raise money to save the tigers.
b you to help me clean the bear cave?
c I …… (not) to be the manager of this zoo.
d It be a good idea to have a special education program about animal welfare.
e I …… (not) worry too much about animal abuse if I were you.
Match the words and the picture. t2
Which words [a-n] can you match with the pictures?
a zookeeper h ostriches
b visitors i guide
c giraffes j elephant
d lions k explorers
e bear l pandas
f cave m monkeys
g gate n penguins
Practise
Chunks
ɲ People should not worry about zoo animals.
ɲ I think all zoos should be closed as soon as possible.
ɲ Many animal species will disappear if we don’t act now.
ɲ We could do more to stop animal abuse.
ɲ I would never hurt an animal.
ɲ Birds should not be kept in a sanctuary.
ɲ Zoos should do more research in order to help protect wild animals.
ɲ Children can learn a lot from zoo animals.
ɲ Zoos should be much bigger than they are now.
ɲ We don’t need zoos because you can see wild animals on the internet.
⇢ See Grammar §2.2.3 Modale werkwoorden
Work in groups of four. What is your opinion? Do you think that zoos are necessary or should be banned? Explain your point of view. Discuss your answers in your group and then make a group poster that explains your opinions. Use the internet to find photos that support your opinion. Think of a good slogan for your poster. I
Study the words from this lesson: English-Dutch and Dutch-English. R
ɲ Have you reached your goal?
R I know the words and chunks about animals in captivity.
t1 I understand some facts about animals in captivity.
t2 I can name the pros and cons of zoos. I I can explain what needs to be done to improve zoos.
abuse misbruik annual jaarlijks bars tralies bored verveeld captivity gevangenschap caretaker verzorger cave grot to celebrate vieren cruelty wreedheid to dive duiken entertainment vermaak graduation afstuderen profit winst push duwtje sadly helaas to smell ruiken visitor bezoeker