How a goat given as a graduation gift went viral
Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Warm-up
- What gifts do people give for graduation in your country?
- Have you ever seen a funny or cute animal video online? What happened?
- What pet would you like to have, and why?
Vocabulary
- viral
- Shared very quickly by many people on the internet.
- graduation
- A ceremony that marks the end of a course of study.
- tradition
- A custom or way of doing things passed down in a culture.
- trader
- A person who sells goods for a living.
- companion
- A friend or animal that spends time with you.
- breed
- To produce young animals by keeping a male and a female together.
- precious
- Very special and important to someone.
- celebrity
- A person or animal known by many people.
Reading
When Promise Okoro finished his final exams at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede in Imo state, friends were playing music and writing on shirts. Then his mother, Chinyere, arrived leading a goat. A video of the surprise went online and soon went viral.
Among the Igbo people, giving a goat is a tradition to show respect. Chinyere is a trader and could not buy a car, so she bought the animal for 120,000 naira. She travelled from Ubaha-Eze to the campus.
Promise, 23, says the goat is now his pet and companion. The animal is precious to him, and he will not eat it. He plans to get a female and breed them. The goat is already a small celebrity. It rides in a car, visits a supermarket, and joins him on evening walks. He says it loves fried rice and eats it fast. The gift marked his graduation in a joyful way.
Comprehension
- Where did Promise finish his final exams?
- Who gave Promise the goat?
- How much did the goat cost?
- What food does the goat love?
- What does Promise plan to do in the future with the goat?
Grammar focus
Past continuous
Use was/were + verb-ing to show an action in progress at a specific time in the past. (Example 2 constructed.)
- friends were playing music and writing on shirts.
- The graduate was walking when the goat followed.
Grammar exercise
Complete the sentences with the correct past continuous form.
- The graduate (walk) ___ with the goat in the evening.
- The mother (travel) ___ to the campus when friends cheered.
- People (watch) ___ the video on their phones.
- Shoppers (browse) ___ in the supermarket when they saw the goat.
- Friends (dance) ___ while the goat stood nearby.
Discussion
- Is giving an animal as a gift a good idea? Why or why not?
- What local traditions do people follow at graduation where you live?
- What makes a video go viral on the internet? Give examples.
- How can a small gift feel more precious than an expensive one?
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