The Reading / Listening - Level 1

Scientists have mapped the eye colour of people in Britain. The most common colour is blue. Thousands of years ago it was brown. Nearly half of people have blue eyes, 30 per cent have green eyes and 22 per cent have brown. Edinburgh is where most blue-eyed people live. Over half of people around Edinburgh have blue eyes. England's southwest has the fewest blue-eyed people. Scientists do not know why places in Britain have more blue-eyed people.

The research said the number of blue-eyed people is increasing. People think they are more attractive. Blue-eyed people are more successful at finding a partner. A researcher said having blue eyes is like a peacock. A colourful peacock gets more mates. People are attracted to the light sparkling in blue eyes. Darker eyes sparkle less. A scientist said: "There is something attractive about blue eyes, maybe because they used to be so rare."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2738224/Is-rise-blue-eyes-attractive-Scientists-believe-colour-dominant-like-peacocks-tail.html
  • http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/blue-eyes-are-more-common-any-other-colour-britain-1463258
  • http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/scots-are-ol-blue-eyes-says-study.25122864


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

the eye colour of

a.

colour is blue

2.

The most common

b.

people live

3.

Thousands of years

c.

southwest

4.

Nearly half of people

d.

people in Britain

5.

where most blue-eyed

e.

have blue eyes

6.

Over half of people around

f.

not know why

7.

England's

g.

ago

8.

Scientists do

h.

Edinburgh

MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

the number of blue-eyed people

a.

a partner

2.

People think they

b.

gets more mates

3.

Blue-eyed people are

c.

are more attractive

4.

finding

d.

be so rare

5.

A colourful peacock

e.

sparkling in blue eyes

6.

attracted to the light

f.

is increasing

7.

Darker eyes sparkle

g.

more successful

8.

they used to

h.

less

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Scientists (1) ___________________ colour of people in Britain. The (2) ___________________ is blue. Thousands of years ago it was brown. Nearly (3) ___________________ blue eyes, 30 per cent have green eyes and 22 per cent have brown. Edinburgh is where most blue-eyed people live. Over (4) ___________________ Edinburgh have blue eyes. England's southwest (5) ___________________ blue-eyed people. Scientists do not (6) ___________________ Britain have more blue-eyed people.

The research (7) ___________________ blue-eyed people is increasing. People think they (8) ___________________. Blue-eyed people are (9) ___________________ finding a partner. A researcher said having blue eyes is like a peacock. A colourful peacock gets more mates. People (10) ___________________ the light sparkling in blue eyes. Darker (11) ___________________. A scientist said: "There is something attractive about blue eyes, maybe because they    (12) ___________________."

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

ScientistshavemappedtheeyecolourofpeopleinBritain.Themostcommon
colourisblue.Thousandsofyearsagoitwasbrown.Nearlyhalfofpeoplehave
blueeyes,30percenthavegreeneyesand22percenthavebrown.Edinburg
hiswheremostblue-eyedpeoplelive.OverhalfofpeoplearoundEdinburghh
aveblueeyes.England'ssouthwesthasthefewestblue-eyedpeople.Sc
ientistsdonotknowwhyplacesinBritainhavemoreblue-eyedpeople.Ther
esearchsaidthenumberofblue-eyedpeopleisincreasing.Peoplethinkth
eyaremoreattractive.Blue-eyedpeoplearemoresuccessfulatfindingapar
tner.Aresearchersaidhavingblueeyesislikeapeacock.Acolourfulpeacock
getsmoremates.Peopleareattractedtothelightsparklinginblueeyes.Dark
ereyessparkleless.Ascientistsaid:"Thereissomethingattractiveaboutblu
eeyes,maybebecausetheyusedtobesorare."

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

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g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about blue eyes for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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