The Reading / Listening - Sculptures - Level 2

A new artwork by the British artist Damien Hirst is on show in Doha, Qatar. Hirst is famous for using dead sharks and cows in his art. His new modern-art work is called The Miraculous Journey. It is 14 giant bronze sculptures that show the beginning of life from conception to birth. The first exhibit shows sperm entering an egg. The sculptures move from the egg producing an embryo, a fetus in a giant womb, and finally a newborn baby. The very detailed sculptures are between 5 and 14 meters high. They have been put in front of a women's hospital.

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

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Sculptures - Level 0 Sculptures - Level 1   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. using dead sharks and cows
  2. show the beginning
  3. from conception
  4. sperm entering
  5. the egg producing an
  6. a fetus in a giant
  7. The very
  8. in front of a
  1. embryo
  2. detailed sculptures
  3. of life
  4. women's hospital
  5. an egg
  6. in his art
  7. womb
  8. to birth

Paragraph 2

  1. They are very
  2. We are not expecting everyone
  3. They reflect the hospital's
  4. taking care of the healthcare
  5. The journey a baby goes through
  6. bigger than anything it
  7. a sense
  8. this extraordinary human
  1. before birth
  2. of wonder
  3. to like them
  4. process
  5. will experience
  6. controversial
  7. of women
  8. mission

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A new artwork by the British artist Damien Hirst (1) ___________________ in Doha, Qatar. Hirst is famous for using dead sharks and (2) ___________________ art. His new modern-art work is called The Miraculous Journey. It is 14 giant bronze sculptures that show the beginning of life from (3) ___________________. The first exhibit shows sperm entering an egg. The sculptures move (4) ___________________ producing an embryo, a fetus in a giant womb, (5) ___________________ newborn baby. The very detailed sculptures are between 5 and 14 meters high. They have been (6) ___________________ of a women's hospital.

Not everyone (7) ___________________ the sculptures. They are very controversial. A Qatari art specialist said: "They (8) ___________________ create debates. We are not expecting everyone to like them [or] understand them." She added: "They (9) ___________________ mission of taking care of the healthcare of women and babies." Mr Hirst said: "Culturally, it's (10) ___________________ sculpture in the Middle East." He added: "The journey a baby goes through (11) ___________________ bigger than anything it will experience in its human life....The sculpture will instill...a (12) ___________________ at this extraordinary human process."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AnewartworkbytheBritishartistDamienHirstisonshowinDoha,Qatar.
Hirstisfamousforusingdeadsharksandcowsinhisart.Hisnewmodern-
artworkiscalledTheMiraculousJourney.Itis14giantbronzesculpturest
hatshowthebeginningoflifefromconceptiontobirth.Thefirstexhibitsh
owsspermenteringanegg.Thesculpturesmovefromtheeggproducing
anembryo,afetusinagiantwomb,andfinallyanewbornbaby.Theveryd
etailedsculpturesarebetween5and14metershigh.Theyhavebeenputi
nfrontofawomen'shospital.Noteveryoneishappywiththesculptures.
Theyareverycontroversial.AQatariartspecialistsaid:"Theyaremeant
tocreatedebates.Wearenotexpectingeveryonetolikethem[or]under
standthem."Sheadded:"Theyreflectthehospital'smissionoftakingca
reofthehealthcareofwomenandbabies."MrHirstsaid:"Culturally,it'st
hefirstnakedsculptureintheMiddleEast."Headded:"Thejourneyabab
ygoesthroughbeforebirthisbiggerthananythingitwillexperienceinits
humanlife....Thesculpturewillinstill...asenseof...wonderatthisextra
ordinaryhumanprocess."

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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