Steve Irwin: A Snake for His 6th Birthday… Then He Showed Us Wild Animals
For his sixth birthday, a boy in Australia got a big snake. His parents had a small zoo, and at nine he helped his father catch a small crocodile. Learn five A1 words and how to use his, her and their with the true story of Steve Irwin.
Coming 3 December 2026, 3:00 pm New York time
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
For his sixth birthday, a boy got a big .
This is the story of Steve Irwin.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. A is a long animal with no legs.
For his sixth birthday, he got a big .
. means very happy about something.
He was very .
. A is a place with many animals.
He grew up at the .
. A is a big animal with many teeth.
He helped his father catch a small .
. animals live free in nature.
He loved animals.
Now, one pattern: his, her, their.
His parents had a small .
Ready? Let's begin.
Steve Irwin was born in Australia in 1962.
For his sixth birthday, he got a big .
He was very .
In 1970, the family moved.
His parents had a small .
He grew up at the .
What did he want next?
A !
At nine, he helped his father catch a small .
He married Terri.
Her home was in America.
They filmed .
Their film became a TV show.
People in many countries watched him.
He often said, "Crikey!"
He loved animals.
He died in an accident at sea in 2006.
Today, his family still looks after the .
Let's review. For his sixth birthday, he got a big .
He was very .
He grew up at the .
He helped his father catch a small .
He loved animals.
And remember: his parents had a small .
Steve Irwin's story teaches us: share what you love.
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Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
snake noun
a long animal with no legs
“For his sixth birthday, he got a big snake.”
excited adjective
very happy about something that is happening
“He was very excited.”
zoo noun
a place with many animals that people can visit
“He grew up at the zoo.”
crocodile noun
a big animal with many teeth that lives in rivers
“He helped his father catch a small crocodile.”
wild adjective
living free in nature, not with people
“He loved wild animals.”
wildlife noun
wild animals and plants
“He wanted to protect wildlife.”
khaki adjective
a light brown-green colour
“He always wore khaki clothes.”
reptile noun
an animal like a snake, a lizard or a crocodile
“His parents' first park had many reptiles.”
Grammar in the story
his / her / their + noun
We use it for: to say who something belongs to: his = a boy or a man, her = a girl or a woman, their = two or more people
- His parents had a small zoo.
- Her home was in America.
- Their film became a TV show.
From the story
- His parents had a small zoo.
- Her home was in America.
Find it in the story 14 times
Your turn
Steve loved animals. parents had a small zoo.
Terri was from America. home was in America.
Steve and Terri made a film. film became a TV show.
Step 4
Story Challenge
8 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
Well done!
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Take it further
Before you watch: What is your favourite animal? Have you been to a zoo?
After you watch: Write three sentences with his, her and their. For example: My brother loves dogs. His dog is big. My sister has a cat. Her cat is white. My parents have a garden. Their garden is green.
Think about it: Steve shared his love of animals with the world. What do you love? How can you share it?




































































