Breaking News English Lesson: Bear Attacks
Japan has created an emergency plan to address record bear attacks. Bears have killed 13 people and injured more than 100 since April. The death toll is the highest since records began. The plan is to cut the numbers of deaths, injuries, and bear encounters. Authorities will try to reduce bear populations. Another feature is the setting of bear-capture targets. Authorities will also try to separate bear habitats from residential areas.
There are two species of bear in Japan. Their numbers have surged in the past decade. The black bear population has tripled from 15,000 to 44,000. The larger and more dangerous brown bears have doubled in number. One reason why bear populations are increasing is a shortage of beech nuts. Another reason is a declining number of hunters. Finally, depopulation in rural areas means bears are wandering into towns and villages.
Try the same news story at these levels:
- https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/14/japan/japan-bear-attacks-measures/
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/14/whats-behind-a-surge-in-bear-attacks-in-japan
- https://english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/64878
Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)
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News
"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."
The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)
"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."
Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)
"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."
Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.
Phrase Matching Paragraph 1- an emergency
- address record
- death
- The plan is to cut the
- bear
- the setting of bear-capture
- bear
- residential
- targets
- areas
- encounters
- bear attacks
- numbers of deaths
- plan
- toll
- habitats
- There are two species
- Their numbers have
- in the past
- The black bear population
- larger and more dangerous
- doubled
- a shortage
- depopulation in rural
- brown bears
- decade
- of beech nuts
- surged
- in number
- has tripled
- areas
- of bear in Japan
Japan has created (1) ________________________________________________ to address record bear attacks. Bears have killed 13 (2) ________________________________________________ more than 100 since April. The (3) ________________________________________________ the highest since records began. The plan is to cut the numbers of deaths, injuries, and bear encounters. Authorities will (4) ________________________________________________ bear populations. Another feature is (5) ________________________________________________ bear-capture targets. Authorities will also try to separate bear (6) ________________________________________________ areas.
There are (7) ________________________________________________ bear in Japan. Their numbers have surged in (8) ________________________________________________. The black bear population (9) ________________________________________________ 15,000 to 44,000. The larger and more dangerous brown bears have (10) ________________________________________________. One reason why bear populations are increasing is a shortage of beech nuts. Another reason is (11) ________________________________________________ of hunters. Finally, depopulation in rural areas means bears (12) ________________________________________________ towns and villages.
Put a slash (/) where the spaces areJapanhascreatedanemergencyplantoaddressrecordbearattacks.Be arshavekilled13peopleandinjuredmorethan100sinceApril.Thedeath tollisthehighestsincerecordsbegan.Theplanistocutthenumbersofde aths,injuries,andbearencounters.Authoritieswilltrytoreducebearpo pulations.Anotherfeatureisthesettingofbear-capturetargets.Autho ritieswillalsotrytoseparatebearhabitatsfromresidentialareas.Therea retwospeciesofbearinJapan.Theirnumbershavesurgedinthepastdec ade.Theblackbearpopulationhastripledfrom15,000to44,000.Thelar gerandmoredangerousbrownbearshavedoubledinnumber.Onereas onwhybearpopulationsareincreasingisashortageofbeechnuts.Anoth erreasonisadecliningnumberofhunters.Finally,depopulationinrurala reasmeansbearsarewanderingintotownsandvillages.
Student surveyWrite five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.
(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)
Discussion — Write your own questionsSTUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
(a) ________________
(b) ________________
(c) ________________
(d) ________________
(e) ________________
(f) ________________
(g) ________________
(h) ________________
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
(i) ________________
(j) ________________
(k) ________________
(l) ________________
(m) ________________
(n) ________________
(o) ________________
(p) ________________
Free writingWrite about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.
Answers(Please check your answers against the article above.
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