ENS

Level-graded English lessons with reading, listening, activities, and discussion.

Lesson Info

Type
Article
Level
1 / A1
Published
Title
Red Fox Goes to New York
Webpage
https://eslnewsstories.com/articles/2026-03-16-red-fox-goes-to-new-york/

Lesson Content

Warm-up, Vocab List, Reading and Audio

Understanding: True or False, Put Events in Order

Language: Vocab Match

Use It: Discussion Builder, Sentence Unscramble, Discussion Questions

Answers

(1) What wild animals do you know?

(2) Have you ever been on a ship or a boat?

Side-view illustration of a large cargo ship crossing the open ocean under a bright, cloud-filled sky, with a small red fox sitting near the bow as a subtle stowaway.
Going on a trip.

Vocab List

ship (n.) — A big boat that goes on water.
cross (v.) — To go from one side to the other.
sea (n.) — A large area of salt water.
check (v.) — To look at something carefully.
zoo (n.) — A place where people keep animals.
trip (n.) — A time when you go somewhere.
Reading

A red fox got on a ship in England. It stayed there and crossed the sea to New York. Now it is in a zoo there.

People on the ship found the fox during the trip. Then US workers took it to the zoo. No one knows how it got on the ship yet.

The fox is a two-year-old male. It is about 11 pounds, or 5kg. Red foxes can live in the country and in cities. They eat fruit and small animals.

The fox is now in the zoo's animal center. The first health checks were good. It seems well now. Workers want to check it more. Later they want to find a good home for it.

Red Fox Goes to New York

Level 1 Article Source: bbc.com
Warm-up → or → Check Understanding → Language → Use It

Side-view illustration of a large cargo ship crossing the open ocean under a bright, cloud-filled sky, with a small red fox sitting near the bow as a subtle stowaway.
Going on a trip.

A red fox got on a ship in England. It stayed there and crossed the sea to New York. Now it is in a zoo there.

People on the ship found the fox during the trip. Then US workers took it to the zoo. No one knows how it got on the ship yet.

The fox is a two-year-old male. It is about 11 pounds, or 5kg. Red foxes can live in the country and in cities. They eat fruit and small animals.

The fox is now in the zoo's animal center. The first health checks were good. It seems well now. Workers want to check it more. Later they want to find a good home for it.

Speaker: British Female  Duration: 1:05  YouTube

Listen Closely

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio on eslnewsstories.com and complete the gaps below:

A red fox got on a (1) in England. It stayed there and crossed the sea to New York. Now it is in a zoo there.

People on the ship found the fox during the (2) . Then US workers took it to the zoo. No one knows how it got on the ship yet.

The fox is a two-year-old (3) . It is about 11 pounds, or 5kg. Red foxes can live in the country and in cities. They eat fruit and small animals.

The fox is now in the zoo's animal center. The first (4) checks were good. It seems well now. Workers want to check it more. Later they want to find a good home for it.

Listen and Fill Gaps

Loading listening activity...

Discussion Builder
Use It

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. The fox crossed the sea, now it is in New York.

    because / so / but

    The fox crossed the sea, so now it is in New York.

  2. The fox seems well, workers want to check it more.

    and / because / but

    The fox seems well, but workers want to check it more.

Sentence Unscramble

Sentence Unscramble

  1. A. I think B. for the fox now. C. a safe place D. a zoo is

    I think a zoo is a safe place for the fox now.

  2. A. For example, B. can live C. some wild animals D. in cities.

    For example, some wild animals can live in cities.

Discussion Questions
  1. Why did the fox get on the ship?
  2. Why do workers want to check the fox more?
  3. Do you like foxes? Why or why not?
  4. What wild animals can you see in your country?
  5. Are there zoos in your city or country?
  6. Do you like going to the zoo? Why?

Discussion Questions

  1. Why did the fox get on the ship?
  2. Why do workers want to check the fox more?
  3. Do you like foxes? Why or why not?
  4. What wild animals can you see in your country?
  5. Are there zoos in your city or country?
  6. Do you like going to the zoo? Why?

Answers Red Fox Goes to New York / Level 1

Listening: (1) ship, (2) trip, (3) male, (4) health

True or False:

  1. True. The story says a red fox got on a ship in England.
  2. False. The story says people on the ship found the fox during the trip.
  3. False. The story says the fox is a two-year-old male.

Put Events in Order:

  1. A red fox got on a ship in England.
  2. People found the fox during the trip.
  3. US workers took the fox to a zoo in New York.

Vocabulary:

  1. Ship (n): A big boat that goes on water.
  2. Zoo (n): A place where people keep animals.
  1. Cross (v): To go from one side to the other.
  2. Trip (n): A time when you go somewhere.

Discussion Builder:

Hints: 1) Result. 2) Contrast.

  1. so
  2. but

Sentence Unscramble:

  1. I think a zoo is a safe place for the fox now.
  2. For example, some wild animals can live in cities.

eslnewsstories.com