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III. READING
U Minh Thuong - A unique national park
1. Work in pairs. Look at the photos and discuss the questions.
Tropical mangrove forest in U Minh Thuong
Sunda pangolin in U Minh Thuong
- Have you ever been to U Minh Thuong National Park? Where is it?
- What can/did you see in the park?
2. Read the article and match the headings (1-4) to the paragraphs (A-D).
1. Flora and fauna
2. Best time to visit
3. Location
4. Geography
A. _____
U Minh Thuong National Park is located in An Bien, An Minh, and Vinh Thuan districts of Kien Giang Province, about 60 km south of Rach Gia city centre. This place is considered one of the most important sites for ecosystem conservation in the Mekong River Delta. It attracts tourists not only with its wild and beautiful scenery, but also with its rare and rich biodiversity.
B. _____
U Minh Thuong National Park covers a large area of freshwater wetlands, including mangrove forests. Its central part is surrounded by waterways with a series of gates, which are used to manage the water level.
C. _____
Home to 226 species of plants, U Minh Thuong National Park is the region with the richest biodiversity in the Mekong River Delta. It used to be one of the largest habitats for water birds in the area, but their home was badly damaged by forest fires in 2002. Now there are about two hundred types of birds in the park, including some unique birds like the great spotted eagle. Thirty-two types of mammals have been found here. Ten of them, including the fishing cat and Sunda pangolin, are on the list of rare and endangered species, native to Viet Nam.
D. _____
The ideal time to explore U Minh Thuong National Park is from August to November, known as the floating water season of the region. Tourists can take a boat to experience nature and wildlife. Visitors can go to Trang Doi, a place where thousands of bats gather, hanging on the trees like huge fruits. Another popular place to visit is Trang Chim, a large area with thousands of colourful birds. So if you love nature, you should definitely go to explore this amazing natural park.
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3. Read the article again and complete each sentence with no more than THREE words.
1. U Minh Thuong National Park is famous for its rare and rich _____.
2. Waterways surround the _____ of the national park.
3. It has more than two hundred _____.
4. You can find nearly 200 types of birds and 32 _____ there.
5. The best time to visit U Minh Thuong National Park is from _____.
4. Work in groups. Discuss the following questions.
Why do we need national parks? What should we do to protect them?
