Future rats could be the size of sheep

The Reading / Listening - Level 1

Dr Zalasiewicz said humans spread rats around the world. They adapted well to their new environments. He said the future would have thin rats, fat rats, slow ones, fast ones, and heavy ones. There might also be water rats. After the dinosaurs, many small animals grew bigger. The same thing could happen with rats if there were no animals left that kill them. They might make other species extinct. A big question is what humans would do about giant rats.

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Level 0, Level 2 or Level 3

Sources

http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/457757/Super-sized-rodents-Rats-could-grow-bigger-than-sheep-and-weigh-same-as-average-Briton
http://www.skynews.com.au/eco/article.aspx?id=947282
http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/5868/20140203/rats-will-adapt-replace-extinct-animals-become-enormous-expert.htm

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.	giant rats could be	a.	the Earth
2.	They could	b.	rats before
3.	Rats are now all over	c.	kill rats
4.	They travel	d.	weigh 80kg
5.	places that never had	e.	world's largest rodent
6.	Larger animals are	f.	real in the future
7.	fewer animals can	g.	becoming extinct
8.	grow to become the	h.	on ships

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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	humans spread	a.	new environments
2.	They adapted well to their	b.	kill them
3.	the future would	c.	about giant rats
4.	There might also	d.	have thin rats
5.	The same thing could	e.	rats around the world
6.	no animals left that	f.	be water rats
7.	A big	g.	happen with rats
8.	what humans would do	h.	question

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Rats the size of sheep (1) ___________________. However, scientists say giant rats (2) ___________________ the future. They could weigh 80kg. Rats are (3) ___________________ Earth. They are the strongest animals in many places. They travel on ships and (4) ___________________ that never had rats before. Larger animals (5) ___________________, so fewer animals can kill rats. Researcher Dr Jan Zalasiewicz said rats might (6) ___________________ the world's largest rodent.

Dr Zalasiewicz said humans (7) ___________________ the world. They adapted well to their (8) ___________________. He said the future would (9) ___________________, fat rats, slow ones, fast ones, and heavy ones. There (10) ___________________ rats. After the dinosaurs, many small animals grew bigger. The same thing could happen with rats (11) ___________________ animals left that kill them. They might make (12) ___________________. A big question is what humans would do about giant rats.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Ratsthesizeofsheepareinhorrormovies.However,scientistssaygia
ntratscouldberealinthefuture.Theycouldweigh80kg.Ratsarenow
allovertheEarth.Theyarethestrongestanimalsinmanyplaces.The
ytravelonshipsandmovetoplacesthatneverhadratsbefore.Larger
animalsarebecomingextinct,sofeweranimalscankillrats.Researc
herDrJanZalasiewiczsaidratsmightgrowtobecometheworld'slarg
estrodent.DrZalasiewiczsaidhumansspreadratsaroundtheworld.
Theyadaptedwelltotheirnewenvironments.Hesaidthefuturewoul
dhavethinrats,fatrats,slowones,fastones,andheavyones.Therem
ightalsobewaterrats.Afterthedinosaurs,manysmallanimalsgrew
bigger.Thesamethingcouldhappenwithratsiftherewerenoanimals
leftthatkillthem.Theymightmakeotherspeciesextinct.Abigquesti
oniswhathumanswoulddoaboutgiantrats.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

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

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

WRITING

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

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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