The Reading / Listening - Sculptures - Level 1

A new artwork by the British artist Damien Hirst is on show in front of a hospital in Qatar. Hirst is famous for using dead sharks in his art. His new work is "The Miraculous Journey". It is 14 bronze sculptures that show the beginning of life from conception to birth. The first shows sperm entering an egg, then the egg producing an embryo, a fetus in a giant womb, and finally a newborn baby. They are between 5 and 14 meters high.

Not everyone is happy. The sculptures are very controversial. An art specialist said: "They are meant to create debates. We are not expecting everyone to like [or] understand them." She added: "They reflect the hospital's mission of taking care of...women and babies." Mr Hirst said: "The journey a baby goes through before birth is bigger than anything it will experience in its human life....The sculpture will [create]...a sense of...wonder at this."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Sculptures - Level 0 Sculptures - Level 2   or  Sculptures - Level 3

Sources
  • https://mashable.com/article/damien-hirst-uterus-sculptures-qatar/
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/19/damien-hirst-delivers-controversy-with-giant-uterus-sculptures-at-qatar-hospital
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/video/middleeast/2013/10/damien-hirst-unveils-new-art-qatar-201310813953398901.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. on show in front
  2. using dead sharks
  3. from conception
  4. The first shows sperm
  5. the egg producing
  6. a fetus in a giant
  7. a newborn
  8. They are between
  1. womb
  2. entering an egg
  3. 5 and 14 meters high
  4. in his art
  5. baby
  6. of a hospital
  7. an embryo
  8. to birth

Paragraph 2

  1. The sculptures are
  2. They are meant to
  3. not expecting everyone to like or
  4. They reflect the hospital's
  5. taking care of
  6. The journey a baby goes
  7. bigger than anything
  8. a sense of
  1. mission
  2. it will experience
  3. create debates
  4. wonder
  5. through before birth
  6. understand them
  7. very controversial
  8. women and babies

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A new (1) ___________________ British artist Damien Hirst is on show in front of a hospital in Qatar. Hirst (2) ___________________ using dead sharks in his art. His new work is "The Miraculous Journey". It is 14 bronze sculptures that show the beginning (3) ___________________ conception to birth. The first shows sperm (4) ___________________, then the egg producing an embryo, (5) ___________________ a giant womb, and finally a newborn baby. (6) ___________________ 5 and 14 meters high.

Not (7) ___________________. The sculptures are very controversial. (8) ___________________ said: "They are meant to create debates. We are not expecting (9) ___________________ [or] understand them." She added: "They reflect the hospital's mission of (10) ___________________ women and babies." Mr Hirst said: "The journey a (11) ___________________ before birth is bigger than anything it will experience in its human life....The sculpture will [create]...a sense (12) ___________________ this."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AnewartworkbytheBritishartistDamienHirstisonshowinfrontofahosp
italinQatar.Hirstisfamousforusingdeadsharksinhisart.Hisnewworkis
"TheMiraculousJourney".Itis14bronzesculpturesthatshowthebegin
ningoflifefromconceptiontobirth.Thefirstshowsspermenteringanegg
,thentheeggproducinganembryo,afetusinagiantwomb,andfinallyan
ewbornbaby.Theyarebetween5and14metershigh.Noteveryoneisha
ppy.Thesculpturesareverycontroversial.Anartspecialistsaid:"Theya
remeanttocreatedebates.Wearenotexpectingeveryonetolike[or]un
derstandthem."Sheadded:"Theyreflectthehospital'smissionoftakin
gcareof...womenandbabies."MrHirstsaid:"Thejourneyababygoesth
roughbeforebirthisbiggerthananythingitwillexperienceinitshumanlif
e....Thesculpturewill[create]...asenseof...wonderatthis."

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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