The Reading / Listening - Ants - Level 0

Ants are amazing insects. We do not know many things about them. Scientists just found that ants use the Sun to get from A to B, and not get lost. They are like self-driving cars. They can always walk in a straight line. The BBC said it is the same as, "trying to find your way home while walking backwards or even spinning round".

The scientists' report is in the journal 'Current Biology'. They said ants could travel far, even when things are in their way or when they carry heavy food. A professor said: "Ants have a…tiny brain…yet they can [move] successfully…[even when] going backwards." She said studying ants will help us to build new robots.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Ants - Level 1,  Ants - Level 2   or  Ants - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38665058
  • http://www.popsci.com/ants-find-way-walk-backwards-navigation
  • http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(16)31466-X


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. Ants are amazing
  2. We do not know many
  3. ants use the Sun to get
  4. They are like self-
  5. walk in
  6. trying to find
  7. walking
  8. spinning
  1. your way home
  2. driving cars
  3. a straight line
  4. things about them
  5. backwards
  6. insects
  7. round
  8. from A to B

Paragraph 2

  1. The scientists' report is in the journal
  2. ants could travel
  3. when things are in
  4. they carry heavy
  5. Ants have a tiny
  6. they can move
  7. going
  8. help us to build
  1. successfully
  2. their way
  3. brain
  4. new robots
  5. 'Current Biology'
  6. food
  7. far
  8. backwards

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Ants are (1) ___________________. We do not know many things about them. Scientists just (2) ___________________ ants use the Sun (3) ___________________ A to B, and not get lost. They are like (4) ___________________. They can always walk in a (5) ___________________. The BBC said it is the same as, "trying to find your way home (6) ___________________ backwards or even spinning round".

The scientists' (7) ___________________ journal 'Current Biology'. They said ants (8) ___________________, even when things (9) ___________________ way or when they carry heavy food. A professor said: "Ants (10) ___________________ brain…yet they can (11) ___________________ …[even when] going backwards." She said studying ants (12) ___________________ build new robots.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Antsareamazinginsects.Wedonotknowmanythingsaboutthem.Scien
tistsjustfoundthatantsusetheSuntogetfromAtoB,andnotgetlost.The
yarelikeself-drivingcars.Theycanalwayswalkinastraightline.TheBB
Csaiditisthesameas,"tryingtofindyourwayhomewhilewalkingbackw
ardsorevenspinninground".Thescientists'reportisinthejournal'Curre
ntBiology'.Theysaidantscouldtravelfar,evenwhenthingsareintheirw
ayorwhentheycarryheavyfood.Aprofessorsaid:"Antshavea…tinybra
in…yettheycan[move]successfully…[evenwhen]goingbackwards."S
hesaidstudyingantswillhelpustobuildnewrobots.

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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