The Reading / Listening - Whales and Aliens - Level 1

Scientists have had a "chat" with a humpback whale. The scientists are from three different organizations. The whale is named Twain. They spoke to her in "humpback language" for 20 minutes. The scientists sent a "contact call" into the ocean. Twain heard the call. She then swam to the research boat and "chatted". A researcher said it was the first ever chat between humans and humpback whales.

The chat with Twain was like lots of greetings. Whales use contact calls so other whales know where they are. The scientists made 36 calls in 20 minutes. Twain answered each call by calling back at the same intervals. A scientist said her research could make it easier to talk to aliens. She said: "We can better understand what an alien intelligence might be like because they are not going to be exactly like ours."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Whales and Aliens - Level 0 Whales and Aliens - Level 2   or  Whales and Aliens - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.boredpanda.com/scientist-claim-having-20-minute-conversation-whale/
  • https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-20-minute-conversation-with-a-humpback-whale-named-twain/
  • https://www.unilad.com/film-and-tv/news/freeview-best-takeaway-for-watching-tv-556889-20231218


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Scientists have had
  2. The scientists are from three
  3. The whale is
  4. They spoke to her in humpback
  5. scientists sent a "contact call"
  6. Twain heard
  7. She then swam to the
  8. A researcher said it was the first
  1. into the ocean
  2. named Twain
  3. ever chat
  4. the call
  5. a chat
  6. research boat
  7. different organizations
  8. language

Paragraph 2

  1. like lots of
  2. so other whales know
  3. The scientists made 36
  4. Twain answered each
  5. calling back at the same
  6. make it easier to talk
  7. alien
  8. they are not going to be exactly
  1. intervals
  2. call
  3. like ours
  4. where they are
  5. intelligence
  6. calls in 20 minutes
  7. to aliens
  8. greetings

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists have (1) ___________________ with a humpback whale. The scientists (2) ___________________ different organizations. The whale is named Twain. They spoke (3) ___________________ "humpback language" for 20 minutes. The scientists (4) ___________________ call" into the ocean. Twain heard the call. She then (5) ___________________ research boat and "chatted". A researcher said it was the (6) ___________________ between humans and humpback whales.

The chat with Twain was like (7) ___________________. Whales use contact calls so other (8) ___________________ they are. The scientists made (9) ___________________ 20 minutes. Twain answered each call by calling back at (10) ___________________. A scientist said her research could make it easier to talk to aliens. She said: "We can better understand (11) ___________________ intelligence might be like because they are not going to be (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistshavehada"chat"withahumpbackwhale.Thescientistsarefr
omthreedifferentorganizations.ThewhaleisnamedTwain.Theyspoke
toherin"humpbacklanguage"for20minutes.Thescientistssenta"cont
actcall"intotheocean.Twainheardthecall.Shethenswamtotheresearc
hboatand"chatted".Aresearchersaiditwasthefirsteverchatbetweenh
umansandhumpbackwhales.ThechatwithTwainwaslikelotsofgreetin
gs.Whalesusecontactcallssootherwhalesknowwheretheyare.Thesci
entistsmade36callsin20minutes.Twainansweredeachcallbycallingb
ackatthesameintervals.Ascientistsaidherresearchcouldmakeiteasie
rtotalktoaliens.Shesaid:"Wecanbetterunderstandwhatanalienintelli
gencemightbelikebecausetheyarenotgoingtobeexactlylikeours."

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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