Photo Credit: Li Weidong

The Rare but Adorable Ili Pika

An English Reading Activity

Just last summer, a rare photo was taken of an adorable creature in China. Read the article below, and then answer the comprehension questions after it, in order to test your reading comprehension skills.

Deep within the Tian Shan mountains in China, a furry creature was just photographed for the first time in 20 over years. The Ili pika, an endangered mammal in northwestern China, is closely related to rabbits and hares. The species was first discovered in 1983, but it has rarely been seen since the discovery.

Last summer, however, the person who originally discovered the Ili pika in 1983 was lucky enough to encounter the animal when he and a group of fellow researchers were in the Tian Shan mountains. This scientist, Weidong Li, first discovered the animal in 1983 when he was on a government assignment to study natural resources and infectious diseases. This time, their goal of this past summer’s research trip was to try to find a pika. When they did spot one, they took the picture seen above.

The Ili pika has what looks like a teddy bear face and bunny-like ears. The animal that was first seen was about 8 inches long, with gray fur and brown spots. The pika is considered to be vulnerable to extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). That’s what makes this past summer’s siting so rare and exciting.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What mountain region was the pika spotted in?
2. How many years (since 2014) had it been since this animal had last been seen?
3. What other animals can the physical features of the pika be compared to?
4. Who was the lead scientist who first discovered this animal?
5. What was the original research that the scientist was doing when he first discovered the pika?

Comprehension Answers:

1. Tian Shan Mountains
2. 31 years
3. Teddy bear face and bunny ears
4. Weidong Li
5. A study of natural resources and infectious disease

I hope you enjoyed this English reading activity. If you are looking for more reading activities, you can check out our free English learning resources.