Animals & Environment
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17 Sept 2026
One of the world’s oldest, most resilient species could be lost. Getty/iStock
Monarch Butterflies Face Climate Change Danger in Mexico
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) Butterflies travel to Mexico in winter.
b) Butterflies build houses out of wood.
c) Butterflies swim across the ocean.
Ask:
(1) Do you see colorful butterflies near your home?
(2) Why do animals travel when the weather gets cold?
VOCABULARY
butterfly (/ˈbʌt.ə.flaɪ/, noun)
Meaning: A small insect with beautiful colorful wings.
Example: A orange butterfly flew over the red flower.
forest (/ˈfɒr.ɪst/, noun)
Meaning: A large area with many trees growing together.
Example: Many wild birds live in the quiet forest.
winter (/ˈwɪn.tə/, noun)
Meaning: The cold season of the year after autumn.
Example: We wear warm coats in the cold winter.
travel (/ˈtræv.əl/, verb)
Meaning: To go from one place to another place.
Example: The family travels to the beach every summer.
warm (/wɔːm/, adjective)
Meaning: Having a nice kind of heat that is not too hot.
Example: The sunshine feels very warm on my face.
protect (/prəˈtekt/, verb)
Meaning: To keep someone or something safe from danger.
Example: Trees protect small animals from strong wind and rain.
Beautiful monarch butterflies travel to Mexico every winter. They fly thousands of kilometres to find warm trees. The cold winter weather in the north is too harsh for them. Mexico gives them a safe and quiet home. They sleep together in high green forests. Thousands of bright orange wings cover the big trees.
Now the weather is changing quickly. The forest in Mexico is getting hotter and drier. Rain does not fall often. Trees are getting sick and dying. The poor butterflies cannot find good shelter. Scientists are worried about these lovely insects. They want to plant new trees on cool mountain tops. These new trees will protect the monarch butterflies from bad weather. People must work together to save their home.
Millions of monarch butterflies arrive each year to breed at the oyamel firs forest in Michoacan state, Mexico. AFP via Getty
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(1) What color are monarch butterflies?
(2) Where do monarch butterflies fly in the winter?
(3) Why do butterflies need trees?
(4) How is the weather changing in Mexico?
(5) What can people do to help butterflies?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: forest, protect, travel, winter
Beautiful monarch butterflies _______(1) to Mexico every _______(2). They fly thousands of kilometres to find warm trees. The cold weather in the north is too harsh for them. Mexico gives them a safe home. They sleep together in high green _______(3). Thousands of bright orange wings cover the big trees. Now the weather is changing quickly. The forests are getting hotter and drier. Scientists want to plant new trees to _______(4) the monarch butterflies from bad weather.
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the main idea of this article?
a) Monarch butterflies are moving to cities to find food.
b) Monarch butterflies need new trees because weather changes harm their Mexican home.
c) Scientists are catching butterflies to take them to zoos.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
(1) Monarch butterflies fly to Mexico in the winter season. T/F
(2) The forests in Mexico are becoming colder and wetter. T/F
(3) Scientists plan to plant new trees on mountain tops. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Put these events in order from 1 to 3:
( ) The weather in Mexico becomes hotter and drier.
( ) Monarch butterflies fly thousands of kilometres to Mexico.
( ) Scientists plan to plant trees higher up the mountains.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
(1) butterfly
(2) forest
(3) winter
(4) travel
(5) protect
a) the coldest season of the year
b) to keep something safe from harm
c) an insect with large colorful wings
d) a large area covered with trees
e) to go on a journey from place to place
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
(1) Butterflies fly south _______ the winter is cold.
a) because
b) but
(2) Trees give shelter, _______ the forest is drying out.
a) and
b) but
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
(1) Unscramble the sentence:
A) fly
B) Monarch butterflies
C) to Mexico
D) every winter
E) happily
(2) Unscramble the sentence:
A) protect
B) New trees
C) will
D) the insects
E) from rain
ANSWER KEY
Warm Up Answer: a) Butterflies travel to Mexico in winter.
Section 1: (1) travel, (2) winter, (3) forest, (4) protect
Section 2: b) Monarch butterflies need new trees because weather changes harm their Mexican home.
Section 3: (1) True, (2) False, (3) True
Section 4: 2, 1, 3
Section 5: (1)-c, (2)-d, (3)-a, (4)-e, (5)-b
Section 6: (1) a, (2) b
Section 7: (1) B-A-C-E-D (Monarch butterflies fly happily to Mexico every winter.), (2) B-C-A-D-E (New trees will protect the insects from rain.)
Section 8: Open student answers discussing monarch butterfly facts and environmental protection.
Thank you for your feedback!