The Reading / Listening - Life on Earth - Level 4

Humans are just 0.01% of all life on Earth, but have destroyed 83% of all wild mammals and half of our plant life. A new study found the weight of every kind of life form on Earth. A researcher explained how the research started. He said: "I was shocked to find there wasn't already a comprehensive...estimate of all the different components of biomass." He hopes the study will help people understand the dominant role that humans now play on Earth.

There are 7.6 billion people on Earth. We share the same level of biomass as termites. We have also managed to destroy many living species. Humans have also changed the ratio of livestock to wild animals. Today, 70% of all birds on Earth are farmed (mostly chickens). Around 60% of all mammals on Earth are livestock (mostly cattle and pigs); only 4% are wild animals. The professor said people should look more carefully at what they eat.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Life on Earth - Level 5 or  Life on Earth - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/21/human-race-just-001-of-all-life-but-has-destroyed-over-80-of-wild-mammals-study
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/humans-are-just-0-01-of-life-earth-but-we-annihilated-rest-biomass-animals-mammals-plants
  • http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/05/plants-outweigh-all-other-life-earth


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Humans are just 0.01% of
  2. wild
  3. half
  4. the weight of every kind of life
  5. a comprehensive
  6. all the different components of
  7. He hopes the study will help people
  8. the dominant role that humans
  1. estimate
  2. now play
  3. biomass
  4. mammals
  5. form on Earth
  6. of our plant life
  7. all life on Earth
  8. understand

Paragraph 2

  1. There are 7.6 billion
  2. the same level of biomass
  3. living
  4. the ratio of livestock
  5. 70% of all birds on Earth
  6. livestock
  7. only 4% are wild
  8. look more carefully
  1. (mostly cattle and pigs)
  2. at what they eat
  3. are farmed
  4. as termites
  5. animals
  6. people on Earth
  7. to wild animals
  8. species

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Humans are just 0.01% (1) ___________________ on Earth, but have destroyed 83% of all wild mammals (2) ___________________ our plant life. A new study found the weight of every kind (3) ___________________ on Earth. A researcher explained how the research started. He said: "I was (4) ___________________ there wasn't already a comprehensive...estimate of (5) ___________________ components of biomass." He hopes the study will help people understand the dominant role that humans (6) ___________________ Earth.

There are 7.6 billion people on Earth. We share the (7) ___________________ biomass as termites. We have also managed to (8) ___________________ species. Humans have also changed the ratio of livestock (9) ___________________. Today, 70% of all birds on Earth are farmed (mostly chickens). Around 60% (10) ___________________ on Earth are livestock (mostly cattle and pigs); only 4% (11) ___________________. The professor said people should (12) ___________________ at what they eat.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Humansarejust0.01%ofalllifeonEarth,buthavedestroyed83%ofallw
ildmammalsandhalfofourplantlife.Anewstudyfoundtheweightofever
ykindoflifeformonEarth.Aresearcherexplainedhowtheresearchstart
ed.Hesaid:"Iwasshockedtofindtherewasn'talreadyacomprehensive.
..estimateofallthedifferentcomponentsofbiomass."Hehopesthestud
ywillhelppeopleunderstandthedominantrolethathumansnowplayon
Earth.Thereare7.6billionpeopleonEarth.Wesharethesamelevelofbio
massastermites.Wehavealsomanagedtodestroymanylivingspecies.
Humanshavealsochangedtheratiooflivestocktowildanimals.Today,7
0%ofallbirdsonEartharefarmed(mostlychickens).Around60%ofallm
ammalsonEartharelivestock(mostlycattleandpigs);only4%arewilda
nimals.Theprofessorsaidpeopleshouldlookmorecarefullyatwhatthey
eat.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic 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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