Man spends his days giving massages to lions

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Elementary A2

PDF: Man spends his days giving massages to lions

Warm-up

Have you ever seen a lion? (Yes, I have. I saw one...)

Vocabulary Match

authentic -   - park
treat -   - heal
infected -   - sick
tragic -   - connection
bond -   - heartbreaking
reserve -   - real

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

Alex Larenty, a British man, lives in South Africa and works at an animal ________. He discovered that lions seem to enjoy massages when he used cream to ________ a lion's ________ legs. Since then, he has been giving daily massages to the lions in the park. These massages have helped him build a strong ________ with the lions.

When the lions see Alex coming, they lay down, stretch their legs, and appear to smile. Alex believes that with love and respect, any relationship is possible. However, it's important to remember that these lions can still be dangerous to those they don't know or trust. A ________ example of this danger occurred when a man entered the park without permission and was attacked by lions.

The photos of Alex massaging a lion named Jamu have been widely shared online and are confirmed as ________. Alex and Jamu have also collaborated on several wildlife films.

Quiz

  1. What do lions seem to enjoy when Alex used cream?
  2. How often has Alex been giving massages to the lions?
  3. When the lions see Alex coming, what do they do?
  4. What occurred when a man entered the park without permission?

True or False

  1. Alex is a South African man.  T  |  F
  2. The lions in the park can be dangerous to people they don't trust.  T  |  F
  3. The photos of Alex massaging a lion are fake.  T  |  F

Conversation

A: Hey Alex, massaged any new lions lately?
B: Yeah, I'm working with Simba now. He's something else!
A: Oh really? How's he doing?
B: Well, he was a bit nervous at first, but he's okay now.
A: That's good. Oh! what happened to your leg?
B: Oh, it's nothing. Just a small bite.

Discussion

  1. Have you ever had a massage? Did you enjoy it?
  2. What kind of animal would you like to have a strong bond with? Why?
  3. Have you ever seen a wildlife film? Which one was your favorite?

True Story Answers

Alex Larenty, a British man, lives in South Africa and works at an animal reserve. He discovered that lions seem to enjoy massages when he used cream to treat a lion's infected legs. Since then, he has been giving daily massages to the lions in the park. These massages have helped him build a strong bond with the lions.

When the lions see Alex coming, they lay down, stretch their legs, and appear to smile. Alex believes that with love and respect, any relationship is possible. However, it's important to remember that these lions can still be dangerous to those they don't know or trust. A tragic example of this danger occurred when a man entered the park without permission and was attacked by lions.

The photos of Alex massaging a lion named Jamu have been widely shared online and are confirmed as authentic. Alex and Jamu have also collaborated on several wildlife films.

Vocabulary Answers

reserve → park
treat → heal
infected → sick
bond → connection
tragic → heartbreaking
authentic → real

Quiz Answers

  1. They seem to enjoy massages.
  2. He has been giving massages to them daily.
  3. They lay down, stretch their legs, and appear to smile.
  4. He was attacked by lions.

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. True
  3. False

Further Reading

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lion-foot-massage/

More "True Story" Lessons

ESL Lessons: True Stories