The Reading / Listening - Tortoises - Level 0

We all like birthdays. Jonathan the tortoise just had his 190th birthday. He is the world's oldest land animal. He was born in 1832. Some scientists think Jonathan could be 200 years old. He was born in the Seychelles, before Britain's Queen Victoria became queen. He was here before the postage stamp.

Jonathan had a good birthday. He had a three-day party, with a special vegetable birthday cake. He did not get to see this because he is blind. He also cannot smell. His ears are OK, so he could hear people singing "Happy Birthday". He also has lots of energy. He likes to stretch his legs and relax in the sun.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Tortoises - Level 1 Tortoises - Level 2   or  Tortoises - Level 3

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/03/world/seychelles-tortoise-st-helena-jonathan-190-birthday-intl-hnk/index.html
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/02/worlds-oldest-recorded-tortoise-prepares-for-190th-birthday-party
  • https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/54483/20221206/jonathan-the-tortoise-worlds-oldest-land-animal-turns-190.htm


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. We all like
  2. the tortoise just had his
  3. the world's oldest
  4. He was
  5. Jonathan could be
  6. He was born in
  7. He was here
  8. the postage
  1. born in 1832
  2. before
  3. 190th birthday
  4. the Seychelles
  5. birthdays
  6. stamp
  7. land animal
  8. 200 years old

Paragraph 2

  1. He had a three-
  2. a special vegetable
  3. He also cannot
  4. His ears
  5. hear people
  6. He also has lots
  7. He likes to stretch
  8. relax in
  1. are OK
  2. the sun
  3. birthday cake
  4. his legs
  5. smell
  6. singing
  7. day party
  8. of energy

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

(1) ___________________ birthdays. Jonathan the tortoise just had his 190th birthday. He (2) ___________________ oldest land animal. He (3) ___________________ 1832. Some scientists think Jonathan (4) ___________________ years old. He was (5) ___________________ Seychelles, before Britain's Queen Victoria became queen. He was (6) ___________________ postage stamp.

Jonathan (7) ___________________ birthday. He had a three-day party, (8) ___________________ vegetable birthday cake. He did not (9) ___________________ because he is blind. He also cannot smell. His (10) ___________________, so he could hear people singing "Happy Birthday". He (11) ___________________ of energy. He likes to stretch his (12) ___________________ in the sun.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Wealllikebirthdays.Jonathanthetortoisejusthadhis190thbirthday.H
eisworld'soldestlandanimal.Hewasbornin1832.Somescientiststhink
Jonathancouldbe200yearsold.HewasbornintheSeychelles,beforeBri
tain'sQueenVictoriabecamequeen.Hewasherebeforethepostagesta
mp.Jonathanhadagoodbirthday.Hehadathree-dayparty,withaspeci
alvegetablebirthdaycake.Hedidnotgettothisbecauseheisblind.Heals
ocannotsmell.HisearsareOK,sohecouldhearpeoplesinging"HappyBir
thday".Healsohaslotsofenergy.Helikestostretchhislegsandrelaxinth
esun.

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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