The Reading / Listening - Level 1

Humans may not be the only ones to use language. Scientists think dolphins also use words and sentences to speak to each other. New research shows this communication is similar to our conversations. The sounds that dolphins make look like sentences that let dolphins send messages to each other, identify themselves, have relations, and do things together. We may be able to understand dolphin language and talk to dolphins in the future.

Researchers discovered that dolphins had their own language after they recorded two bottlenose dolphins. The dolphins listened to each other and then replied. A researcher said: "This…resembles a conversation between two people….This language exhibits all the…features present in the human spoken language. This indicates a high level of intelligence…in dolphins." He said the dolphins' language is highly developed like the human spoken language.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www. techtimes.com/articles/177382/20160913/dolphins-talk-just-like-humans-dolphins-speak-in-words-and-complete-sentences.htm
  • http://www. independent.co.uk/news/science/dolphins-speak-language-human-communication-scientists-a7237791.html
  • http://www. natureworldnews.com/articles/28575/20160913/sea-talk-dolphins-recorded-having-conservation-using-sentences-up-five.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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Humans may not be the only
  2. similar
  3. The sounds that dolphins
  4. send messages to each
  5. identify
  6. do things
  7. We may be able to understand dolphin
  8. talk to dolphins in
  1. other
  2. language
  3. themselves
  4. the future
  5. to our conversations
  6. ones
  7. make
  8. together

Paragraph 2

  1. dolphins had their
  2. they recorded two
  3. listened to each other and
  4. resembles a conversation
  5. This language exhibits all the
  6. a high level of
  7. highly
  8. the human spoken
  1. between two people
  2. intelligence
  3. own language
  4. language
  5. bottlenose dolphins
  6. developed
  7. features
  8. then replied

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Humans (1) ___________________ only ones to use language. Scientists think dolphins (2) ___________________ and sentences to speak (3) ___________________. New research shows this communication (4) ___________________ our conversations. The sounds that dolphins make look like sentences that let dolphins send messages (5) ___________________, identify themselves, have relations, and do things together. We (6) ___________________ understand dolphin language and talk to dolphins in the future.

Researchers discovered that dolphins (7) ___________________ language (8) ___________________ two bottlenose dolphins. The dolphins listened to each other (9) ___________________. A researcher said: "This…resembles a conversation between two people….This language exhibits (10) ___________________ present in the human spoken language. This indicates a high level (11) ___________________…in dolphins." He said the dolphins' language is highly developed (12) ___________________ spoken language.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Humansmaynotbetheonlyonestouselanguage.Scientiststhinkdolphi
nsalsousewordsandsentencestospeaktoeachother.Newresearchsho
wsthiscommunicationissimilartoourconversations.Thesoundsthatd
olphinsmakelooklikesentencesthatletdolphinssendmessagestoeach
other,identifythemselves,haverelations,anddothingstogether.Wem
aybeabletounderstanddolphinlanguageandtalktodolphinsinthefutur
e.Researchersdiscoveredthatdolphinshadtheirownlanguageafterth
eyrecordedtwobottlenosedolphins.Thedolphinslistenedtoeachother
andthenreplied.Aresearchersaid:"This…resemblesaconversationbe
tweentwopeople….Thislanguageexhibitsallthe…featurespresentinth
ehumanspokenlanguage.Thisindicatesahighlevelofintelligence…ind
olphins."Hesaidthedolphins'languageishighlydevelopedlikethehum
anspokenlanguage.

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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