The Reading / Listening - Insect Pain - Level 1

Research shows that insects feel pain, but not like human pain. The author of the research report said we don't really think insects feel pain. He said many insects can sense and avoid dangerous things they think will be painful. The author said: "We knew that insects could sense 'pain' but what we didn't know is that an injury could lead to long-lasting hyper-sensitivity...in a similar way to human patients' experiences."

The researchers looked at injured fruit flies. The scientists damaged one leg on fruit flies and let it heal. After the leg healed, the flies were more sensitive. They tried to protect their legs. The flies remembered the pain. This changed their behaviour. An injured insect becomes more sensitive until it dies. The researcher wants to do more research to understand how humans feel pain. He wants to make drugs to stop pain.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Insect Pain - Level 0 Insect Pain - Level 2   or  Insect Pain - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.studyfinds.org/do-bugs-feel-pain-insects-battle-chronic-pain-after-suffering-injury/
  • https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190712120244.htm
  • https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/23350/20190713/first-genetic-evidence-insects-experience-chronic-pain-revealed.htm


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. Research shows that insects
  2. not like
  3. The author of
  4. sense and avoid
  5. sense
  6. lead to long-lasting hyper-
  7. in a similar
  8. human patients'
  1. way
  2. sensitivity
  3. 'pain'
  4. feel pain
  5. experiences
  6. human pain
  7. dangerous things
  8. the research

Paragraph 2

  1. scientists damaged one
  2. They tried to protect
  3. The flies remembered
  4. This changed their
  5. until it
  6. The researcher wants to do
  7. understand how humans
  8. He wants to make drugs
  1. feel pain
  2. the pain
  3. to stop pain
  4. their legs
  5. leg on fruit flies
  6. dies
  7. behaviour
  8. more research

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Research (1) ___________________ feel pain, but not like human pain. The (2) ___________________ research report said we don't really think insects feel pain. He said many (3) ___________________ and avoid dangerous things they think (4) ___________________. The author said: "We knew that insects (5) ___________________ but what we didn't know is that an injury could lead to long-lasting hyper-sensitivity...in (6) ___________________ to human patients' experiences."

The researchers (7) ___________________ fruit flies. The scientists damaged one leg on fruit flies and (8) ___________________. After the leg healed, the flies (9) ___________________. They tried to protect their legs. The flies remembered the pain. This changed their behaviour. An injured insect (10) ___________________ until it dies. The researcher wants (11) ___________________ research to understand how humans feel pain. He wants to make (12) ___________________ pain.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Researchshowsthatinsectsfeelpain,butnotlikehumanpain.Theautho
roftheresearchreportsaidwedon'treallythinkinsectsfeelpain.Hesaid
manyinsectscansenseandavoiddangerousthingstheythinkwillbepai
nful.Theauthorsaid:"Weknewthatinsectscouldsense'pain'butwhatw
edidn'tknowisthataninjurycouldleadtolong-lastinghyper-sensitivit
y...inasimilarwaytohumanpatients'experiences."Theresearchersloo
kedatinjuredfruitflies.Thescientistsdamagedonelegonfruitfliesandle
titheal.Aftertheleghealed,thefliesweremoresensitive.Theytriedtopr
otecttheirlegs.Thefliesrememberedthepain.Thischangedtheirbehav
iour.Aninjuredinsectbecomesmoresensitiveuntilitdies.Theresearch
erwantstodomoreresearchtounderstandhowhumansfeelpain.Hewa
ntstomakedrugstostoppain.

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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