Animals & Environment
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14 Oct 2026
Five Baby Orangutans Found Far From Home
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Section: Warm Up
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) Five baby orangutans are in a forest in India.
b) Orangutans are swimming in the sea.
c) A baby orangutan is going to school.
Ask:
(1) What do you know about orangutans?
(2) What animals live in a forest?
VOCABULARY
ape (/eɪp/, noun)
Meaning: A big, clever animal like a monkey, but with no tail.
Example: An orangutan is an ape with long arms.
fur (/fɜː/, noun)
Meaning: The soft hair on an animal's body.
Example: My cat has soft, white fur.
island (/ˈaɪlənd/, noun)
Meaning: A piece of land with water all around it.
Example: We take a boat to the island.
forest (/ˈfɒrɪst/, noun)
Meaning: A big place with lots and lots of trees.
Example: Birds are singing in the forest.
surprised (/səˈpraɪzd/, adjective)
Meaning: How you feel when something new or strange happens.
Example: I am surprised when I see a big present.
zoo (/zuː/, noun)
Meaning: A place where people can see and visit animals.
Example: We see lions and monkeys at the zoo.
sell (/sel/, verb)
Meaning: To give something to a person when they give you money.
Example: My dad sells apples at the market.
Orangutans are big, clever apes. They have long arms and orange-red fur. They live in rainforests on two islands in Indonesia and Malaysia. They do not live in India.
But today, five baby orangutans are in a forest in India! Local people see them and they call the forest officers. The officers are very surprised. The babies are small and they do not have their mothers.
Now the babies are living in a zoo in India. Kind workers give them milk, fruit and soft toys. The babies are playing and sleeping a lot. Two babies are a little sick, so doctors are helping them.
Experts think bad people take the babies from Indonesia on boats. They want to sell the babies as pets. This is against the law. Baby orangutans need their mothers and their forest home.
Indonesia wants the babies to come home. Doctors are checking the babies now. Everyone hopes the orangutans go back to the rainforest one day and climb tall trees.
An orangutan in the illegal wildlife trade in Sumatra. Paul Hilton
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Section 8: Discussion Questions
1. What colour is orangutan fur?
2. Where do orangutans live?
3. How do the babies feel, do you think?
4. What do the zoo workers give the babies?
5. Do you want to see an orangutan? Why or why not?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Choose the correct word from the Word Bank to fill each gap.
Word Bank: forest | fur | sell | zoo
Orangutans are big, clever apes. They have long arms and orange-red _______(1). They live in rainforests on two islands in Indonesia and Malaysia. They do not live in India.
But today, five baby orangutans are in a _______(2) in India! Local people see them and they call the forest officers. The officers are very surprised. The babies are small and they do not have their mothers.
Now the babies are living in a _______(3) in India. Kind workers give them milk, fruit and soft toys. The babies are playing and sleeping a lot. Two babies are a little sick, so doctors are helping them.
Experts think bad people take the babies from Indonesia on boats. They want to _______(4) the babies as pets. This is against the law. Baby orangutans need their mothers and their forest home.
Indonesia wants the babies to come home. Doctors are checking the babies now. Everyone hopes the orangutans go back to the rainforest one day and climb tall trees.
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the main idea of the article? Circle the best answer.
a) Five baby orangutans are far from home, and people are helping them.
b) Orangutans love soft toys.
c) Many orangutans live in the forests of India.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
Read each sentence. Circle T (true) or F (false).
1. Orangutans have orange-red fur. T/F
2. The baby orangutans are with their mothers. T/F
3. Indonesia wants the babies to come home. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Write 1, 2 and 3 to put the events in order.
____ a) The babies are living in a zoo.
____ b) Local people see five baby orangutans in a forest.
____ c) Doctors are checking the babies, and Indonesia wants them to come home.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
1. ape
2. island
3. forest
4. surprised
5. zoo
a) A place where people can see and visit animals.
b) How you feel when something new or strange happens.
c) A piece of land with water all around it.
d) A big, clever animal like a monkey, with no tail.
e) A big place with lots of trees.
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence.
1. I think baby orangutans need their ______.
a) mothers
b) phones
c) shoes
2. I feel ______ for the baby orangutans because they are far from home.
a) sad
b) hungry
c) tall
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
Put the parts in the correct order to make a sentence.
1. A) in a forest | B) The officers | C) five baby | D) find | E) orangutans
______________________________________________________
2. A) milk | B) give | C) and fruit | D) the babies | E) Kind workers
______________________________________________________
ANSWER KEY
Warm Up
a) Five baby orangutans are in a forest in India.
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
1. fur
2. forest
3. zoo
4. sell
Section 2: Main Idea
a) Five baby orangutans are far from home, and people are helping them.
Section 3: True or False
1. True
2. False
3. True
Section 4: Put Events in Order
1 – b, 2 – a, 3 – c (correct order: b, a, c)
Section 5: Vocab Match
1 – d, 2 – c, 3 – e, 4 – b, 5 – a
Section 6: Discussion Builder
1. a) mothers
2. a) sad
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
1. B, D, C, E, A – The officers find five baby orangutans in a forest.
2. E, B, D, A, C – Kind workers give the babies milk and fruit.
Section 8: Discussion Questions
Answers will vary. Sample answers:
1. Orangutan fur is orange-red.
2. They live in rainforests in Indonesia and Malaysia.
3. I think they feel sad and scared because they do not have their mothers.
4. They give the babies milk, fruit and soft toys.
5. Yes, I want to see one because they are clever and funny.
Thank you for your feedback!