The Reading / Listening - Deep-Sea Creatures - Level 4

Scientists have found many strange deep-sea creatures off the coast of Australia. The creatures live in total darkness four kilometres deep. It is a difficult place to explore. A submarine that could manage the crushing pressure of being so deep took photos. A researcher said: "Until now, almost nothing was known about life [in this deep ocean]. We're really excited about the discoveries that we've made and are thrilled that we can now share them."

The scientists gave the creatures strange names, such as red coffin fish, cookie cutter shark, zombie worm, tripod fish and sea pig. They think the coffin fish may be a new species. It has blue eyes, red fins, and a unique method for catching its prey. It uses a "fishing rod tipped with a fluffy bait on top of its head". The researchers also found, "highly concerning levels of rubbish". They said: "The seafloor has 200 years of rubbish on it."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Deep-Sea Creatures - Level 5 or  Deep-Sea Creatures - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.pulseheadlines.com/scientists-dozens-oddlooking-deep-sea-creatures-coast-australia/64424/
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/06/20/australian-scientists-went-looking-for-deep-sea-creatures-and-pulled-up-your-nightmares-instead/?utm_term=.4b5ed7d842f1
  • http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/australia/australias-freaky-deep-sea-creatures.aspx


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. off the coast
  2. The creatures live
  3. It is a difficult
  4. the crushing pressure
  5. Until now, almost nothing
  6. life in this
  7. excited about the discoveries that
  8. thrilled that we can now share
  1. deep ocean
  2. of being so deep
  3. them
  4. of Australia
  5. in total darkness
  6. we've made
  7. place to explore
  8. was known

Paragraph 2

  1. We're really excited
  2. thrilled that we can
  3. The scientists gave the creatures
  4. the coffin fish may be a
  5. a unique method
  6. fishing
  7. highly concerning levels
  8. The seafloor has 200 years of
  1. strange names
  2. for catching its prey
  3. of rubbish
  4. now share them
  5. rod
  6. about the discoveries
  7. rubbish on it
  8. new species

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists have (1) ___________________ deep-sea creatures off the coast of Australia. The creatures (2) ___________________ darkness four kilometres deep. It is a difficult (3) ___________________. A submarine that could manage the crushing pressure (4) ___________________ deep took photos. A researcher said: "Until now, almost nothing was (5) ___________________ [in this deep ocean]. We're really excited about the discoveries that we've made and are (6) ___________________ can now share them."

The scientists gave the creatures strange names, (7) __________________ coffin fish, cookie cutter shark, zombie worm, (8) ___________________ sea pig. They think the coffin fish may be a new species. It has blue eyes, red fins, and (9) ___________________ for catching its prey. It uses a "fishing rod tipped with a fluffy bait (10) ___________________ head". The researchers also found, "(11) ___________________ levels of rubbish". They said: "The seafloor has 200 years (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistshavefoundmanystrangedeep-seacreaturesoffthecoastofA
ustralia.Thecreaturesliveintotaldarknessfourkilometresdeep.Itisadi
fficultplacetoexplore.Asubmarinethatcouldmanagethecrushingpres
sureofbeingsodeeptookphotos.Aresearchersaid:"Untilnow,almostn
othingwasknownaboutlife[inthisdeepocean].We'rereallyexcitedabo
utthediscoveriesthatwe'vemadeandarethrilledthatwecannowsharet
hem."Thescientistsgavethecreaturesstrangenames,suchasredcoffi
nfish,cookiecuttershark,zombieworm,tripodfishandseapig.Theythin
kthecoffinfishmaybeanewspecies.Ithasblueeyes,redfins,andauniqu
emethodforcatchingitsprey.Itusesa"fishingrodtippedwithafluffybait
ontopofitshead".Theresearchersalsofound,"highlyconcerninglevels
ofrubbish".Theysaid:"Theseafloorhas200yearsofrubbishonit."

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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