The Reading / Listening - Dogs' Noses - Level 5

Researchers may have solved one of science's great mysteries - why a dog's nose is cold. Scientists from universities in Sweden and Hungary believe dogs' noses are always cold because they act as "ultra-sensitive heat detectors". Dogs can sense the temperature of things before they touch them. They said dogs use their noses to detect changes in temperature, such as when predators or prey are nearby. Humans only know something is hot after touching it, often with painful consequences. It was believed that dogs' noses are cold to control and regulate their own body temperature.

Researchers did experiments on dogs. The dogs had to detect the temperature of different objects. Humans could only differentiate the temperatures by touching the objects. The brain activity in the dogs showed that they knew which objects were warmer than others. The lead author of the study said: "Dogs are able to sense the thermal radiation coming from warm bodies...and they can change their behaviour according to this signal." Scientists should now re-evaluate how animals hunt. Many predators may use heat-sensing abilities to track or sense their prey.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Dogs' Noses - Level 4 or  Dogs' Noses - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/pets/a31186288/dogs-cold-noses/
  • https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-hungary-science-dogs/dogs-can-detect-heat-with-infrared-sensor-in-their-nose-research-finds-idUKKBN20Q1RG
  • https://uk.news.yahoo.com/dog-nose-cold-182000634.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. solved one of science's
  2. they act as ultra-sensitive
  3. detect changes
  4. when predators or prey
  5. know something is hot
  6. with painful
  7. control and
  8. body
  1. regulate their own
  2. are nearby
  3. temperature
  4. in temperature
  5. great mysteries
  6. heat detectors
  7. consequences
  8. after touching it

Paragraph 2

  1. Researchers did experiments
  2. The dogs had to detect
  3. touching the
  4. brain
  5. they knew which objects
  6. The lead author
  7. hey can change their
  8. track or
  1. objects
  2. were warmer
  3. sense their prey
  4. the temperature
  5. behaviour
  6. on dogs
  7. of the study
  8. activity

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Researchers may have (1) ___________________ science's great mysteries - why a dog's (2) ___________________. Scientists from universities in Sweden and Hungary believe dogs' noses are always cold because they act as "ultra-sensitive heat detectors". Dogs (3) ___________________ temperature of things before they touch them. They said dogs use their noses to (4) ___________________ temperature, such as when predators or prey are nearby. Humans only know something is (5) ___________________ it, often with painful consequences. It was believed that dogs' noses are cold to (6) ___________________ their own body temperature.

Researchers did experiments on dogs. The dogs (7) ___________________ the temperature of different objects. Humans could only differentiate the temperatures by (8) ___________________. The brain activity in the dogs showed that they knew which objects (9) ___________________ others. The lead author of the study said: "Dogs are (10) ___________________ the thermal radiation coming from warm bodies...and they can change their behaviour according (11) ___________________." Scientists should now re-evaluate how animals hunt. Many predators may use heat-sensing abilities to track or (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Researchersmayhavesolvedoneofscience'sgreatmysteries-whyad
og'snoseiscold.ScientistsfromuniversitiesinSwedenandHungarybeli
evedogs'nosesarealwayscoldbecausetheyactas"ultra-sensitivehe
atdetectors".Dogscansensethetemperatureofthingsbeforetheytouc
hthem.Theysaiddogsusetheirnosestodetectchangesintemperature,
suchaswhenpredatorsorpreyarenearby.Humansonlyknowsomethin
gishotaftertouchingit,oftenwithpainfulconsequences.Itwasbelieved
thatdogs'nosesarecoldtocontrolandregulatetheirownbodytemperat
ure.Researchersdidexperimentsondogs.Thedogshadtodetectthete
mperatureofdifferentobjects.Humanscouldonlydifferentiatethetem
peraturesbytouchingtheobjects.Thebrainactivityinthedogsshowedt
hattheyknewwhichobjectswerewarmerthanothers.Theleadauthorof
thestudysaid:"Dogsareabletosensethethermalradiationcomingfrom
warmbodies...andtheycanchangetheirbehaviouraccordingtothissig
nal."Scientistsshouldnowre-evaluatehowanimalshunt.Manypredato
rsmayuseheat-sensingabilitiestotrackorsensetheirprey.

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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