World News for Students of English

03-05-2023 07:00

A giant panda named Ya Ya lived in a Tennessee zoo for twenty years. Last week, it returned to China as part of a loan agreement.

In 2003, Ya Ya and a male giant panda named Le Le moved to Memphis Zoo when Ya Ya was just three years old. Le Le died in February because of a sick heart. The animals were a symbol of friendship between China and America. But animal advocates started to worry about the animals’ health.  A video emerged online and it showed Ya Ya with less fur and underweight. China accused the US of looking badly after the animals.

According to the zoo’s website, Ya Ya had a skin and fur disease which didn’tt impact her life but occasionally made her hair appear thin and patchy. Veterinarians and the care team watched both animals closely all the time.

Difficult words: loan agreement (a deal between someone who lends and who borrows something), symbol (a thing which represents something else), patchy (existing only in some places).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.