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D GOAL Discuss Steps Toward a Goal
Reading 🎧26 (Optional)
A MY WORLD Do you like to do things in nature while traveling? Share your ideas in small groups.
B Read the article. Answer the questions.
1. How do shrimp ponds threaten Tràm Chim National Park?
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2. What are some examples of ecotourism services at Tràm Chim?
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3. Do you think the farmers and the tourists can understand one another? Why?
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C Match the words with the correct definitions.
1. _______ pond a. (tourists) staying in the home of a local family
2. _______ homestay b. occurring at night
3. _______ dinghy c. a small body of still water
4. _______ heron d. a small boat
5. _______ nocturnal e. a large fish-eating bird
D Work with a small group. Discuss the questions.
1. What do you think local people need to participate in ecotourism?
2. What are some possible challenges for them in providing ecotourism services?
3. Would you like to visit Tràm Chim National Park sometime? What could you do to help people there?
✔️GOAL CHECK
Follow the steps with your group.
1. What problem is everyone in your group concerned about? It might be a global problem or a local problem in your country or city.
2. What is a realistic solution to your problem?
3. What are 3-4 steps you could take toward realizing your solution? Make a list.
Living Happily Together: Tràm Chim
Tràm Chim—a national park in Đồng Tháp Province, Việt Nam was established in 1999 to preserve the valuable submerged inland ecosystem. It is home to many fish. and plant species, and a frequent destination for birds such as red-crowned cranes and herons.
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Red-crowned cranes in Tràm Chim National Park, Đồng Tháp Province, Việt Nam.
Unfortunately, human activities around the park are threatening it. More and more shrimp ponds are being constructed. While bringing money to farmers, they prevent fertile floodwater of the Mekong River from entering the park. The lack of
nutrients in the water, together with the common practice of overfishing and cutting down trees in the park, has put a large number of species in danger.
The local government has found a solution to this problem in ecotourism. Together with a number of national and international organizations, they are persuading local residents to make a living from the park in a more sustainable way. Families receive training and equipment to provide tourists with homestay services and local specialties. They also row wooden dinghies to bring tourists into the park for birdwatching during the day or to enjoy a rare experience of nocturnal sounds after sunset.
It is not easy for these farmers to turn into hosts and guides, though. To talk to foreign tourists, for example, they have to use body language frequently due to the language barrier. Luckily, those conversations end with hearty laughter most of the time. It may be hard for the farmers, but they are willing to learn how to make themselves, the tourists, and the park happy altogether.
submerged inland ecosystem (noun phrase) the ecosystem of an underwater area within land boundaries
