Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on National Dog Day. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
There is a well-known expression that says a dog is a man’s best friend. It is right, therefore, that there is a special day to celebrate dogs. This day is National Dog Day. It takes place on the 26th of August. On this day you should let your dog know just how important he or she is. Dogs are very important in our society. Of course, many of us keep a dog as a pet. However, working dogs help many people every day. Our world would not be the same without police dogs, sniffer dogs (who find drugs and bombs), rescue dogs and guide dogs for the blind. National Dog Day's founder, Colleen Paige, said we need “to show deep appreciation for…their endearing patience, unquestioning loyalty, for their work [and] their capacity for love.”
Humans have kept dogs as pets for over 15,000 years. It’s amazing how quickly word spread around the world that dogs were so intelligent and helpful. The fact that people could tame dogs meant they interacted easily with humans. This led to dogs helping humans hunt, herd animals and protect people. It’s also amazing how dogs migrated around the world. Historians believe it is because of sled dogs that the species moved from Russia to Alaska, across the Bering Strait. Today there are about 400 million dogs in the world. Dogs are now big business. Breeders sell pedigree dogs for big money. Unfortunately, many dogs are abused or abandoned and end up in shelters.
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.
Mail this lesson to friends and teachers. Click the @ below.
PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1
1.
a dog is a man’s
a.
in our society
2
It takes place on
b.
people every day
3.
Dogs are very important
c.
best friend
4.
working dogs help many
d.
the blind
5.
guide dogs for
e.
love
6.
their capacity for
f.
the 26th of August
Paragraph 2
1.
Humans have kept dogs as pets
a.
the world
2
word spread around
b.
dogs for big money
3.
people could tame
c.
abandoned
4.
dogs migrated
d.
for over 15,000 years
5.
Breeders sell pedigree
e.
dogs
6.
many dogs are abused or
f.
around the world
LISTENING GAP FILL
There is a _______________________ that says a dog is a man’s best friend. It is right, therefore, that there is a special day to celebrate dogs. This day is National Dog Day. It _______________________ 26th of August. On this day you should let your dog know just how important he or she is. Dogs are very _______________________. Of course, many of us keep a dog as a pet. However, working dogs help many people every day. Our world would _______________________ police dogs, sniffer dogs (who find drugs and bombs), rescue dogs and _______________________ blind. National Dog Day's founder, Colleen Paige, said we need “to show deep appreciation for…their endearing patience, _______________________, for their work [and] their capacity for love.”
Humans have _______________________ over 15,000 years. It’s amazing how quickly word spread around the world that dogs were _______________________. The fact that people could tame dogs meant they _______________________ humans. This led to dogs helping humans hunt, herd animals and protect people. It’s also amazing how dogs _______________________ world. Historians believe it is because of sled dogs that _______________________ Russia to Alaska, across the Bering Strait. Today there are about 400 million dogs in the world. Dogs are now big business. Breeders sell pedigree dogs for big money. Unfortunately, many dogs are abused or abandoned and _______________________.
WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL
Put the words into the gaps in the text.
There is a well-known ____________ that says a dog is a man’s best friend. It is right, therefore, that there is a ____________ day to celebrate dogs. This day is National Dog Day. It takes place on the 26th of August. On this day you ____________ let your dog know just how important he or she is. Dogs are very important in our society. Of course, many of us ____________ a dog as a pet. However, working dogs help many people every day. Our world would not be the same without police dogs, sniffer dogs (who find ____________ and bombs), ____________ dogs and guide dogs for the blind. National Dog Day's founder, Colleen Paige, said we need “to show ____________ appreciation for…their endearing patience, unquestioning loyalty, for their work [and] their ____________ for love.”
deep should capacity keep expression drugs special rescue
Humans have ____________ dogs as pets for over 15,000 years. It’s amazing how quickly word ____________ around the world that dogs were so intelligent and helpful. The fact that people could ____________ dogs meant they interacted easily with humans. This led to dogs helping humans hunt, ____________ animals and protect people. It’s also amazing how dogs migrated around the world. Historians believe it is because of sled dogs that the ____________ moved from Russia to Alaska, across the Bering Strait. Today there are about 400 million dogs in the world. Dogs are now big ____________. Breeders sell pedigree dogs for ____________ money. Unfortunately, many dogs are ____________ or abandoned and end up in shelters.
herd spread abused business kept tame big species
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.
There is a well-known expression / express that says a dog is a man’s best friend. It is right, therefore, that there is a special day to celebrate / celebration dogs. This day is National Dog Day. It takes place on the 26th of August. On this day you should let your dog know just how important he or she is. Dogs are very importance / important in our society. Of course, many of us keeps / keep a dog as a pet. However, working dogs help many people every day. Our world would not be the same without police dogs, sniffer dogs (who find drugs and bombs / bombings), rescue dogs and guides / guide dogs for the blind. National Dog Day's founder, Colleen Paige, said we need “to show depth / deep appreciation for…their endearing patience, unquestioning loyalty, for their work [and] their capacity for love / lovely.”
Humans have kept / keeping dogs as pets for over 15,000 years. It’s amazing how quickly words / word spread around the world that dogs were so intelligent and helpful. The factual / fact that people could tame dogs meant they interacted easily with humans. This led / leads to dogs helping humans hunt, herd animals and protect people. It’s also amazing how dogs migrated / migration around the world. Historians believe it is because of sled dogs that the species moved from Russia to Alaska, across the Bering Strait. Today there are about 400 million dogs in the world. Dogs are now large / big business. Breeders sell pedigree dogs for big money. Unfortunately, many dogs are abused / abusers or abandoned and end up / down in shelters.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
There is a well-known (1) ____ that says a dog is a man’s best friend. It is right, therefore, that there is a special day to celebrate dogs. This day is National Dog Day. It takes (2) ____ on the 26th of August. On this day you should let your dog know just how important he or she is. Dogs are very important in our (3) ____. Of course, many of us keep a dog as a pet. However, working dogs help many people every day. Our world would not be the same without police dogs, (4) ____ dogs (who find drugs and bombs), rescue dogs and guide dogs for the blind. National Dog Day's (5) ____, Colleen Paige, said we need “to show deep appreciation for…their endearing patience, unquestioning loyalty, for their work [and] their capacity for (6) ____.”
Humans have (7) ____ dogs as pets for over 15,000 years. It’s amazing how quickly word spread around the world that dogs were so (8) ____ and helpful. The fact that people could tame dogs meant they interacted (9) ____ with humans. This led to dogs helping humans hunt, herd animals and protect people. It’s also amazing how dogs migrated around the world. Historians believe it is because of sled dogs that the (10) ____ moved from Russia to Alaska, across the Bering Strait. Today there are about 400 million dogs in the world. Dogs are now (11) ____ business. Breeders sell pedigree dogs for big money. Unfortunately, many dogs are abused or abandoned and (12) ____ up in shelters.
Put the correct words from this table into the article.
1.
(a)
express
(b)
expressive
(c)
expressed
(d)
expression
2.
(a)
place
(b)
placing
(c)
placed
(d)
places
3.
(a)
social
(b)
society
(c)
socialize
(d)
socially
4.
(a)
sniff
(b)
sniffer
(c)
sniffed
(d)
sniffs
5.
(a)
findings
(b)
funding
(c)
founder
(d)
fonder
6.
(a)
love
(b)
lovely
(c)
lover
(d)
loved
7.
(a)
kept
(b)
keep
(c)
keeping
(d)
keeps
8.
(a)
intelligence
(b)
intelligent
(c)
intelligently
(d)
intellect
9.
(a)
easy
(b)
easier
(c)
easily
(d)
easiest
10.
(a)
special
(b)
specialize
(c)
species
(d)
specially
11.
(a)
large
(b)
fat
(c)
obese
(d)
big
12.
(a)
final
(b)
last
(c)
over
(d)
end
SPELLING
Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
a well-known esiepnrxos
2.
a special day to ertacebel
3.
important in our iytsoec
4.
eceusr dogs
5.
National Dog Day's drnfoue
6.
their tcyacpia for love
Paragraph 2
7.
word dpreas around the world
8.
people could maet dogs
9.
ottepcr people
10.
the isespec moved from Russia
11.
many dogs are asbeud
12.
end up in elsersht
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
Humans have kept dogs as pets for over 15,000 years. It’s amazing how quickly word spread around
( )
the world that dogs were so intelligent and helpful. The fact that people could tame dogs meant they interacted
( )
dogs, sniffer dogs (who find drugs and bombs), rescue dogs and guide dogs for the
( )
a dog as a pet. However, working dogs help many people every day. Our world would not be the same without police
( )
day to celebrate dogs. This day is National Dog Day. It takes place on the 26th of August. On this day you should
( )
dogs migrated around the world. Historians believe it is because of sled dogs that the species moved from
( )
blind. National Dog Day's founder, Colleen Paige, said we need “to show deep appreciation
( )
let your dog know just how important he or she is. Dogs are very important in our society. Of course, many of us keep
( )
the world. Dogs are now big business. Breeders sell pedigree dogs for big money. Unfortunately, many
( )
Russia to Alaska, across the Bering Strait. Today there are about 400 million dogs in
( )
easily with humans. This led to dogs helping humans hunt, herd animals and protect people. It’s also amazing how
( 1 )
There is a well-known expression that says a dog is a man’s best friend. It is right, therefore, that there is a special
( )
dogs are abused or abandoned and end up in shelters.
( )
for…their endearing patience, unquestioning loyalty, for their work [and] their capacity for love.”
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
A friend best man’s a is dog.
2.
the It 26th takes of place August on.
3.
very are Dogs society our in important.
4.
people many help dogs Working day every.
5.
Show patience endearing their for appreciation deep.
6.
for dogs Humans 15,000 over as have years pets kept.
7.
amazing quickly spread It’s how word.
8.
could people that fact The dogs tame.
9.
dogs world are million the There 400 in about.
10.
many abandoned dogs are Unfortunately abused , or.
DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about National Dog Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about National Dog Day. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. POSTER: Make your own poster about National Dog Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
