Animals & Environment
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4 Sept 2026
For young emperor penguins like these, getting enough food is a matter of life or death. Myeongho Seo
Giant Iceberg Blocks Antarctic Penguins from Feeding Hungry Chicks
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) A giant wall of ice
b) A warm sunny beach
c) A swimming pool for birds
Ask:
(1) Have you ever seen a picture of a penguin before?
(2) Why do you think baby animals need help from their parents?
VOCABULARY
iceberg (/ˈaɪs.bɜːɡ/, noun)
Meaning: A very large piece of ice floating in the cold sea.
Example: The big ship sailed past a tall iceberg in the water.
colony (/ˈkɒl.ə.ni/, noun)
Meaning: A large group of the same kind of animals living together.
Example: A colony of sea birds lives on the rocky island.
chick (/tʃɪk/, noun)
Meaning: A baby bird.
Example: The little chick waits for food in its small nest.
cliff (/klɪf/, noun)
Meaning: A high, steep wall of rock or ice.
Example: The brave birds cannot climb up the tall cliff.
ocean (/ˈəʊ.ʃən/, noun)
Meaning: The huge area of salty water that covers most of the Earth.
Example: Fish swim fast in the cold ocean water.
path (/pɑːθ/, noun)
Meaning: A way or route that you follow to get somewhere.
Example: We walk on a long path to reach our home.
Emperor penguins live in cold Antarctica. Many penguins live together in a big colony. Parent penguins walk to the ocean to get fish for their small chicks.
In 2025, a giant iceberg moves near Coulman Island. The iceberg stops in the water near the colony. It is very long and has a tall ice cliff.
The parent penguins return from the ocean with tasty food. They walk up a small hill on the ice. But suddenly, they see the big cliff. They cannot climb over this high ice wall!
The smart parents must walk around the giant iceberg. This long path takes a lot of time. The parents walk slowly on the sea ice. Many hungry chicks wait a long time for their dinner.
Now, scientists say the giant iceberg is moving away into the sea. The path to the ocean is clear again. The adult penguins can find food easily for their new baby chicks.
Unaware of the sheer drop ahead, penguins climbed the iceberg — their mistake added a delay to their journey that would be fatal for many chicks. Myeongho Seo
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Do you like penguins? Why or why not?
2. How do parent penguins help their small chicks?
3. Is walking on ice easy or hard for animals?
4. What food do you think penguins find in the ocean?
5. How can scientists help us learn about wild animals?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: chick, cliff, iceberg, ocean
Emperor penguins live in cold Antarctica. In 2025, a giant _______(1) moves near Coulman Island. Parent penguins walk to the _______(2) to catch fish. But the iceberg has a very tall ice _______(3). The parents cannot climb it, so they walk a long path around it. Their baby _______(4) wait a long time for food!
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the main idea of this story?
a) Penguins like to climb big mountains for fun.
b) A giant iceberg made parent penguins walk a long path to feed their chicks.
c) Scientists build homes for baby birds in Antarctica.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
(1) Emperor penguins live on Coulman Island. T/F
(2) The iceberg has a very high ice cliff. T/F
(3) The parent penguins flew over the tall ice wall. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Put the sentences in order from 1 to 3:
( ) The parents must walk around the big iceberg.
( ) A giant iceberg stops near the colony.
( ) Parent penguins catch fish in the ocean.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
1. iceberg
2. colony
3. chick
4. cliff
5. ocean
a) A baby bird
b) A large piece of ice floating in the sea
c) A high, steep wall of rock or ice
d) A large group of the same animals
e) The huge area of salty water
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
(1) The big iceberg _______ near the colony in 2025.
a) stops
b) swim
c) fly
(2) Hungry chicks wait for _______ food.
a) its
b) their
c) our
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
(1) Put these parts in order (A-E):
A) in cold Antarctica
B) live
C) Emperor penguins
D) together
E) in a colony
(2) Put these parts in order (A-E):
A) cannot climb
B) The parent penguins
C) the tall cliff
D) over
E) of ice
ANSWER KEY
Warm Up Answer: a
Section 1: (1) iceberg, (2) ocean, (3) cliff, (4) chick
Section 2: b
Section 3: (1) T, (2) T, (3) F
Section 4: 3, 2, 1
Section 5: 1-b, 2-d, 3-a, 4-c, 5-e
Section 6: (1) a, (2) b
Section 7: (1) C-B-D-E-A, (2) B-A-D-C-E
Section 8: Student's own answers.
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