The Reading / Listening - Aquariums - Level 1

An aquarium is asking people to help its lonely eels. The aquarium is in Tokyo and has many garden eels. They are usually very shy. They go into their holes in the sand when someone is there. The eels are used to seeing visitors and stay above their holes. Staff are worried the eels are getting lonely. The eels may forget what humans look like. The aquarium wants people to make video calls to the eels. There are special tablets in front of the eel tanks.

No visitors means the eels became very shy. They could get stressed when people visit again. It is difficult for staff to check on the eels' health because they are staying in their holes. The aquarium tweeted: "They aren't seeing humans so they are forgetting about us....Could you show your face to our garden eels from your home?" The staff want eels to know that "humans are friendly". The aquarium has a three-day "face-showing festival".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Aquariums - Level 0 Aquariums - Level 2   or  Aquariums - Level 3

Sources
  • https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-tokyo-aquarium-appeals-for-people-to-video-call-the-eels-11981772
  • https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/01/eels-seek-one-one-camchats-good-times-humans-12638678/
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/01/japanese-aquarium-urges-public-to-video-chat-eels-who-are-forgetting-humans-exist


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. An aquarium is asking
  2. They are usually very
  3. They go into their holes
  4. stay above their
  5. worried the eels are
  6. forget what humans
  7. make video calls
  8. in front of the eel
  1. shy
  2. to the eels
  3. holes
  4. tanks
  5. people to help
  6. in the sand
  7. look like
  8. getting lonely

Paragraph 2

  1. check on the eels'
  2. they are staying
  3. They aren't seeing
  4. they are forgetting
  5. show your face to
  6. The staff want eels to
  7. humans are
  8. a three-day face-
  1. our garden eels
  2. friendly
  3. in their holes
  4. showing festival
  5. humans
  6. health
  7. know that
  8. about us

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An (1) ___________________ people to help its lonely eels. The aquarium is in Tokyo and (2) ___________________ eels. They are usually very shy. They go into their holes (3) ___________________ when someone is there. The eels are used to seeing visitors and stay above their holes. Staff are worried the eels (4) ___________________. The eels may forget what humans look like. The aquarium wants people to (5) ___________________ to the eels. There are special tablets in front of (6) ___________________.

No visitors means the eels (7) ___________________. They could get stressed when (8) ___________________. It is difficult for staff to check on (9) ___________________ because they are staying in their holes. The aquarium tweeted: "They aren't seeing humans so they (10) ___________________ us....Could you show your face to our garden eels from your home?" The staff want eels to know that "(11) ___________________". The aquarium has a three-day "(12) ___________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Anaquariumisaskingpeopletohelpitslonelyeels.TheaquariumisinTok
yoandhasmanygardeneels.Theyareusuallyveryshy.Theygointotheir
holesinthesandwhensomeoneisthere.Theeelsareusedtoseeingvisito
rsandstayabovetheirholes.Staffareworriedtheeelsaregettinglonely.
Theeelsmayforgetwhathumanslooklike.Theaquariumwantspeoplet
omakevideocallstotheeels.Therearespecialtabletsinfrontoftheeelta
nks.Novisitorsmeanstheeelsbecameveryshy.Theycouldgetstressed
whenpeoplevisitagain.Itisdifficultforstafftocheckontheeels'healthbe
causetheyarestayingintheirholes.Theaquariumtweeted:"Theyaren'
tseeinghumanssotheyareforgettingaboutus....Couldyoushowyourf
acetoourgardeneelsfromyourhome?"Thestaffwanteelstoknowthat"
humansarefriendly".Theaquariumhasathree-day"face-showingfe
stival".

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You