The Reading / Listening - Deep-Sea Creatures - Level 5

Scientists have found many odd-looking deep-sea creatures off the coast of Australia. The creatures live in total darkness four kilometres deep. The researchers took photos using a submarine that could manage the crushing pressure of being so deep. The difficult conditions mean it is a difficult place to explore. A researcher said: "Australia's deep-sea environment is larger in size than the mainland, and until now, almost nothing was known about life [there]. We're really excited about the discoveries that we've made and are thrilled that we can now share them."

The scientists are surprised at what they found. The team gave the creatures strange names. They discovered a red coffin fish, a cookie cutter shark, zombie worms, tripod fish and sea pigs. Some of these may be new species. Researchers are very interested in the coffin fish. It has blue eyes, red fins, and a unique method for catching 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" including, "debris from the days when steamships plied our waters". They said: "The seafloor has 200 years of rubbish on it."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Deep-Sea Creatures - Level 4 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. odd-looking deep-
  2. The creatures live
  3. manage the crushing pressure of
  4. it is a difficult place
  5. larger in
  6. almost nothing was known
  7. We're really excited
  8. thrilled that we can now share
  1. about the discoveries
  2. sea creatures
  3. size than the mainland
  4. them
  5. being so deep
  6. in total darkness
  7. about life
  8. to explore

Paragraph 2

  1. The scientists are surprised at
  2. The team gave the
  3. Some of these may be new
  4. Researchers are very
  5. It has blue
  6. a unique method for catching
  7. highly
  8. rubbish, including
  1. eyes
  2. species
  3. prey
  4. concerning
  5. what they found
  6. interested
  7. debris
  8. creatures strange names

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists have found (1) ___________________ deep-sea creatures off the coast of Australia. The creatures (2) ___________________ darkness four kilometres deep. The researchers took photos using a submarine that could manage the crushing (3) ___________________ so deep. The difficult conditions mean it is a difficult (4) ___________________. A researcher said: "Australia's deep-sea environment is larger in size than the mainland, and until now, (5) ___________________ known about life [there]. We're really excited about the discoveries that we've made and (6) ___________________ we can now share them."

The scientists (7) ___________________ what they found. The team gave the creatures strange names. They discovered a red coffin fish, a cookie cutter shark, zombie worms, (8) ___________________ sea pigs. Some of these may be new species. Researchers are (9) ___________________ the coffin fish. It has blue eyes, red fins, and (10) ___________________ for catching prey. It uses a "fishing rod tipped with a fluffy bait on top of its head". The researchers also found, "(11) ___________________ levels of rubbish" including, "debris from the days when steamships plied our waters". They said: "The seafloor has 200 (12) ___________________ on it."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistshavefoundmanyodd-lookingdeep-seacreaturesoffthecoa
stofAustralia.Thecreaturesliveintotaldarknessfourkilometresdeep.T
heresearcherstookphotosusingasubmarinethatcouldmanagethecru
shingpressureofbeingsodeep.Thedifficultconditionsmeanitisadifficu
ltplacetoexplore.Aresearchersaid:"Australia'sdeep-seaenvironmen
tislargerinsizethanthemainland,anduntilnow,almostnothingwaskno
wnaboutlife[there].We'rereallyexcitedaboutthediscoveriesthatwe'v
emadeandarethrilledthatwecannowsharethem."Thescientistsaresu
rprisedatwhattheyfound.Theteamgavethecreaturesstrangenames.
Theydiscoveredaredcoffinfish,acookiecuttershark,zombieworms,tri
podfishandseapigs.Someofthesemaybenewspecies.Researchersare
veryinterestedinthecoffinfish.Ithasblueeyes,redfins,andauniqueme
thodforcatchingprey.Itusesa"fishingrodtippedwithafluffybaitontopo
fitshead".Theresearchersalsofound,"highlyconcerninglevelsofrubbi
sh"including,"debrisfromthedayswhensteamshipspliedourwaters".
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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