3. Paco is excited about the safari

Icono IDevice Reading activity

As a nature lover, Paco is keen on animals. He is very excited about the safari and he is especially enthusiastic about seeing the 'Big Five'. He has read a few leaflets about it and he has learned it includes the lion, the elephant, the buffalo, the leopard and the black rhino. They were called like that many years ago because they were considered to be the five animals which were the most difficult and dangerous to hunt.

The 'Big Five' live in Maasai Mara, the national park Paco has chosen for his Kenyan safari. He hopes to see all of them but he is aware of the difficulties in finding animals in their natural habitat. The leopard is especially difficult to find because of its nocturnal life and because this lonely animal spends most of the day on the top of a tree.

Paco is also worried about the animals in danger of extinction. For example, both elephants and leopards are examples of endangered species, which would become extinct if there was no control on illegal hunting. At the other end, black rhinos are nearly extinct. Thus, many of the African animals can still be hunted legally but only with limited licenses.

There are several reasons for the extinction. On the one hand, animals have been hunted for years without any control. Hunters were looking for their ivory, in the case of the elephants, or for their skins (in the case of lions, for example). On the other hand, animals are being affected by the climate change which is spreading in the whole world.

Apart from the 'Big five', Paco is also interested in finding other animals such as the hippopotamus or the cheetah, also in danger of extinction, the hyena, the impala, the zebra or the giraffe. Paco thought the cheetah was included in the 'Big Five' but it is quite the contrary. Although it is very similar to the leopard because of its skin, it is a relatively harmless animal whereas the leopard is very aggressive.

Let's hope Paco is lucky!

 



By Arno & Louise, C. Commons By Arno & Louise, C. Commons
By Arno & Louise, C. Commons

Identify all the expressions with: to be + adjective + preposition.


Pregunta Verdadero-Falso
Read the text again and decide if the following statements are true or false.


1. Paco likes animals.
By Arno & Louise, C. Commons

Verdadero Falso


2. The 'Big Five' are called like that because of their size.

Verdadero Falso


3. The leopard is one of the most difficult animals to see.

Verdadero Falso


4. There are not many black rhinos left.

Verdadero Falso


5. The only reason for animal extinction is illegal hunting.

Verdadero Falso


6. The cheetah is a very aggressive animal.

Verdadero Falso
Icono de iDevice Solved exercise: adjectives + prepositions

As you have seen in the reading activity, there are many expressions which normally go with the verb to be, followed by an adjective and a specific preposition. Unfortunately, you have to learn them by heart.

Here is a list of a few common examples. Try to decide which preposition each adjective must go with. Then you must learn them by heart.

angry, afraid, famous, different, attached, pleased, interested, annoyed, furious, dependent, good, aware, capable, satisfied, keen, excellent, excited, worried, opposed, bad, responsible, disappointed, sorry, related, upset, fond, guilty, enthusiastic, similar, proud, married, serious, mad.

 

ABOUT ON
TO
AT
FOR
OF
FROM
WITH
IN
                 

Icono IDevice Further knowledge
Do you fancy doing an online quiz about adjectives and prepositions? Come on! Click here and have some further practice.

There is only one section left to finish! We are going to have a look at the expression 'be/get used to'. Let's go!