The Reading / Listening - Cats - Level 4

People usually think dogs are more intelligent than cats. Researchers at Japan's Kyoto University questioned this idea. They found cats were as smart as dogs at certain memory tests. Cat lovers have always known this. They looked at how well 49 cats could recall a past event. This is called episodic memory. The cats ate from different bowls. The team found that after a 15-minute break, the cats could recall what bowl they had eaten from.

The cats were as good as dogs in responding to gestures and facial expressions. A researcher said cats think about past events similar to the way we do. She said: "They may enjoy actively recalling memories of their experience, like humans." She said episodic memory is a form of introspective or deeper thinking. The research may suggest a type of consciousness in cats. Understanding cats more will help to establish better cat-human relationships.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Cats - Level 5 or  Cats - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38665057
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/25/cats-dogs-equally-intelligent-new-research/
  • https://uk.news.yahoo.com/miaow-it-turns-out-that-dogs-arent-smarter-than-cats-after-all-122140191.html


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. dogs are more intelligent
  2. researchers at Japan's Kyoto University
  3. memory
  4. Cat
  5. recall a
  6. The cats ate from different
  7. after a
  8. the cats could recall what bowl
  1. lovers
  2. 15-minute break
  3. past event
  4. bowls
  5. questioned this idea
  6. tests
  7. they had eaten from
  8. than cats

Paragraph 2

  1. responding to
  2. facial
  3. cats think about past
  4. similar to the way
  5. recalling memories of
  6. deeper
  7. a type of
  8. establish better cat-
  1. expressions
  2. thinking
  3. we do
  4. consciousness
  5. human relationships
  6. gestures
  7. their experience
  8. events

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

People (1) ___________________ are more intelligent than cats. Researchers at Japan's Kyoto University (2) ___________________ idea. They found cats (3) ___________________ as dogs at certain memory tests. Cat lovers have always known this. They (4) ___________________ 49 cats could recall a past event. This is called (5) ___________________. The cats ate from different bowls. The team found that after a 15-minute break, the cats could recall what bowl (6) ___________________ from.

The cats were as good as dogs (7) ___________________ gestures and facial expressions. A researcher said cats (8) ___________________ events similar to (9) ___________________. She said: "They may enjoy actively recalling memories of their experience, like humans." She said episodic memory (10) ___________________ introspective or deeper thinking. The research may (11) ___________________ consciousness in cats. Understanding cats more will (12) ___________________ better cat-human relationships.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Peopleusuallythinkdogsaremoreintelligentthancats.ResearchersatJ
apan'sKyotoUniversityquestionedthisidea.Theyfoundcatswereassm
artasdogsatcertainmemorytests.Catlovershavealwaysknownthis.T
heylookedathowwell49catscouldrecallapastevent.Thisiscalledepiso
dicmemory.Thecatsatefromdifferentbowls.Theteamfoundthatafter
a15-minutebreak,thecatscouldrecallwhatbowltheyhadeatenfrom.T
hecatswereasgoodasdogsinrespondingtogesturesandfacialexpressi
ons.Aresearchersaidcatsthinkaboutpasteventssimilartothewaywed
o.Shesaid:"Theymayenjoyactivelyrecallingmemoriesoftheirexperie
nce,likehumans."Shesaidepisodicmemoryisaformofintrospectiveor
deeperthinking.Theresearchmaysuggestatypeofconsciousnessincat
s.Understandingcatsmorewillhelptoestablishbettercat-humanre
lationships.

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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