The Reading / Listening - Giant Millipedes - Level 2

If you are afraid of insects, reading this might be difficult. A fossil found in England shows that the biggest bug that ever lived was the size of a car. The fossil is of a giant millipede. It could have had hundreds of legs. The name "millipede" means "one thousand legs" in Latin, but few species have 1,000 feet. One species has 1,300 legs. Fossil hunters said the fossil showed that the millipede was around 2.7 metres long and weighed over 50kg. Seeing this would have been scary. It would need a lot of insect spray to keep it away.

The scientists found the fossil by chance. Scientists at Cambridge University's department of earth sciences found a rock on the beach. It had fallen from a cliff. They said it was a lucky discovery and "an incredibly exciting find". They explained that the fossil is over 326 million years old. This is 100 million years before the dinosaurs. The millipede had a high-nutrient diet because it was so huge. The scientists are not sure what it ate, but there were plenty of nutritious nuts and seeds available at that time." They may also have eaten frogs and lizards, but not humans.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Giant Millipedes - Level 0 Giant Millipedes - Level 1   or  Giant Millipedes - Level 3

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/20/europe/giant-millipede-biggest-bug-uk-northumbria-scn/index.html
  • https://phys.org/news/2021-12-millipedes-big-cars-roamed-northern.html
  • https://news.sky.com/story/scientists-uncover-fossil-of-car-sized-giant-millipede-it-was-a-complete-fluke-of-a-discovery-12500721


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. reading this
  2. the biggest bug that
  3. the size
  4. few species have
  5. the millipede was around
  6. weighed
  7. Seeing this would
  8. a lot of insect
  1. 1,000 feet
  2. spray
  3. ever lived
  4. 2.7 metres long
  5. have been scary
  6. of a car
  7. over 50kg
  8. might be difficult

Paragraph 2

  1. sciences found a rock
  2. it was a lucky
  3. the fossil is over 326 million years
  4. This is 100 million years
  5. The millipede had a high-
  6. scientists are not
  7. nutritious nuts
  8. They may also have eaten
  1. frogs and lizards
  2. on the beach
  3. sure what it ate
  4. old
  5. and seeds
  6. discovery
  7. nutrient diet
  8. before the dinosaurs

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

If you are (1) __________________, reading this might be difficult. A fossil found in England shows that (2) ___________________ that ever lived was the (3) ___________________ car. The fossil is of a giant millipede. It could have had hundreds of legs. The name "millipede" means "one thousand legs" in Latin, but few species have 1,000 feet. (4) ___________________ 1,300 legs. Fossil hunters said the (5) ___________________ the millipede was around 2.7 metres long and weighed over 50kg. Seeing this would have been scary. It would need a lot of insect spray to (6) ___________________.

The scientists found the (7) ___________________. Scientists at Cambridge University's department of earth sciences found a rock on the beach. It (8) ___________________ a cliff. They said it was a lucky discovery and "(9) ___________________ find". They explained that the fossil is over 326 million years old. This is 100 million (10) ___________________ dinosaurs. The millipede had a high-nutrient diet because it (11) ___________________. The scientists are not sure what it ate, but there were plenty of nutritious nuts and seeds available at that time." They may also have eaten (12) ___________________, but not humans.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Ifyouareafraidofinsects,readingthismightbedifficult.AfossilfoundinE
nglandshowsthatthebiggestbugthateverlivedwasthesizeofacar.Thef
ossilisofagiantmillipede.Itcouldhavehadhundredsoflegs.Thename"
millipede"means"onethousandlegs"inLatin,butfewspecieshave1,00
0feet.Onespecieshas1,300legs.Fossilhunterssaidthefossilshowedth
atthemillipedewasaround2.7metreslongandweighedover50kg.Seei
ngthiswouldhavebeenscary.Itwouldneedalotofinsectspraytokeepita
way.Thescientistsfoundthefossilbychance.ScientistsatCambridgeU
niversity'sdepartmentofearthsciencesfoundarockonthebeach.Ithad
fallenfromacliff.Theysaiditwasaluckydiscoveryand"anincrediblyexci
tingfind".Theyexplainedthatthefossilisover326millionyearsold.Thisi
s100millionyearsbeforethedinosaurs.Themillipedehadahigh-nutri
entdietbecauseitwassohuge.Thescientistsarenotsurewhatitate,butt
herewereplentyofnutritiousnutsandseedsavailableatthattime."They
mayalsohaveeatenfrogsandlizards,butnothumans.

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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