The Reading / Listening - Carnivorous plants - Level 4

Botanists have found that a common flower is actually carnivorous. The western false asphodel is found along the Pacific Northwest coastline of North America. It was first discovered in 1879. Botanists back then did not realise the flower was a meat eater. Researchers found that sticky, tiny hairs along the flower's stem produce a chemical used by other carnivorous plants to trap insects. A professor said: "We had no idea it was carnivorous."

There are fewer than 1,000 carnivorous plant species. The western false asphodel is the first to be found in 20 years. The professor believes "there might be more carnivorous plants out there". Another researcher said the asphodel is "unique" because "it traps insects near its insect-pollinated flowers". He added this was "like a conflict" between "carnivory" and survival. He said: "You don't want to kill the insects that are helping you reproduce."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Carnivorous plants - Level 5 or  Carnivorous plants - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.nsnews.com/amp/local-news/west-coast-flower-a-meat-eater-ubc-study-finds-4210585
  • https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/environment/567371-scientists-discover-common-flower-is-carnivorous
  • https://nerdist.com/article/new-carnivorous-plant-species-alaska-triantha-occidentalis/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. a common
  2. found along the Pacific Northwest
  3. It was first discovered
  4. Botanists back then
  5. sticky, tiny
  6. along the flower's
  7. a chemical used by other
  8. We had no idea it
  1. did not realise
  2. carnivorous plants
  3. was carnivorous
  4. stem
  5. flower
  6. hairs
  7. in 1879
  8. coastline

Paragraph 2

  1. There are fewer
  2. carnivorous plant
  3. the first to be
  4. The professor believes there might
  5. Another researcher said the asphodel is
  6. it traps
  7. You don't want
  8. helping you
  1. found in 20 years
  2. to kill the insects
  3. "unique"
  4. reproduce
  5. insects
  6. than 1,000
  7. be more
  8. species

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Botanists have found that (1) ___________________ is actually carnivorous. The western false asphodel (2) ___________________ the Pacific Northwest (3) ___________________ America. It was first discovered in 1879. Botanists (4) ___________________ not realise the flower was a meat eater. Researchers found that sticky, tiny hairs along the flower's (5) ___________________ chemical used by other carnivorous plants to trap insects. A professor said: "We (6) ___________________ it was carnivorous."

There are fewer than 1,000 carnivorous plant species. The western false asphodel is the first (7) ___________________ in 20 years. The professor believes "there (8) ___________________ carnivorous plants out there". Another researcher said the asphodel (9) ___________________ "it traps insects near its (10) ___________________". He added this was "(11) ___________________" between "carnivory" and survival. He said: "You don't want to (12) ___________________ that are helping you reproduce."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Botanistshavefoundthatacommonflowerisactuallycarnivorous.The
westernfalseasphodelisfoundalongthePacificNorthwestcoastlineofN
orthAmerica.Itwasfirstdiscoveredin1879.Botanistsbackthendidnotr
ealisetheflowerwasameateater.Researchersfoundthatsticky,tinyhai
rsalongtheflower'sstemproduceachemicalusedbyothercarnivorousp
lantstotrapinsects.Aprofessorsaid:"Wehadnoideaitwascarnivorous.
"Therearefewerthan1,000carnivorousplantspecies.Thewesternfals
easphodelisthefirsttobefoundin20years.Theprofessorbelieves"ther
emightbemorecarnivorousplantsoutthere".Anotherresearchersaidt
heasphodelis"unique"because"ittrapsinsectsnearitsinsect-pollina
tedflowers".Headdedthiswas"likeaconflict"between"carnivory"ands
urvival.Hesaid:"Youdon'twanttokilltheinsectsthatarehelpingyourep
roduce."

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