The Reading / Listening - Tortoises - Level 1

We all like birthdays. Some of us have 120 of them. The world's oldest land animal just had his 190th birthday. It is a giant turtle called Jonathan, who was born in 1832. Some scientists think Jonathan might be ten years older. He could be 200 years old. Jonathan was born in the Seychelles. He was born before Britain's Queen Victoria became queen, and before the invention of the postage stamp and the *.

Jonathan had a good birthday. He had a three-day party, with a special tortoise birthday cake full of his favourite vegetables. Sadly, Jonathan did not get to see anything because he is blind. He also cannot smell. However, his ears are OK, so he could hear "Happy Birthday" being sung. Also, he still has plenty of energy. He also likes to relax in the sun. His vet said: "On mild days, he will sunbathe – his long neck and legs stretched fully out of his shell."

* revolver

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Tortoises - Level 0 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. Some of us
  3. The world's oldest land
  4. It is a giant turtle
  5. Jonathan might be
  6. Jonathan was born
  7. before
  8. postage
  1. animal
  2. ten years older
  3. the invention
  4. have 120 of them
  5. stamp
  6. birthdays
  7. in the Seychelles
  8. called Jonathan

Paragraph 2

  1. He had a three-
  2. full of his favourite
  3. he is
  4. he still has plenty
  5. He also likes to relax
  6. On mild
  7. he will
  8. his long neck and legs
  1. stretched fully out
  2. of energy
  3. days
  4. vegetables
  5. sunbathe
  6. day party
  7. in the sun
  8. blind

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

(1) ___________________ birthdays. Some of us have 120 of them. The world's oldest land animal (2) ___________________ 190th birthday. It (3) ___________________ turtle called Jonathan, who was born in 1832. Some scientists think Jonathan might be (4) ___________________. He could be 200 years old. Jonathan was born in the Seychelles. He (5) ___________________ Britain's Queen Victoria became queen, and before the (6) ___________________ postage stamp and the gun*.

Jonathan (7) ___________________ birthday. He had a three-day party, (8) ___________________ tortoise birthday cake full of his favourite vegetables. Sadly, Jonathan did not get to see anything because (9) ___________________. He also cannot smell. However, his ears are OK, so (10) ___________________ "Happy Birthday" being sung. Also, he still has plenty of energy. He also likes (11) ___________________ the sun. His vet said: "On mild days, he will sunbathe - his long neck and (12) ___________________ out of his shell."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Wealllikebirthdays.Someofushave120ofthem.Theworld'soldestland
animaljusthadhis190thbirthday.ItisagiantturtlecalledJonathan,who
wasbornin1832.SomescientiststhinkJonathanmightbetenyearsolde
r.Hecouldbe200yearsold.JonathanwasbornintheSeychelles.Hewasb
ornbeforeBritain'sQueenVictoriabecamequeen,andbeforetheinventi
onofthepostagestampandthegun.Jonathanhadagoodbirthday.Heha
dathree-dayparty,withaspecialtortoisebirthdaycakefullofhisfavou
ritevegetables.Sadly,Jonathandidnotgettoseeanythingbecauseheis
blind.Healsocannotsmell.However,hisearsareOK,sohecouldhear"Ha
ppyBirthday"beingsung.Also,hestillhasplentyofenergy.Healsolikest
orelaxinthesun.Hisvetsaid:"Onmilddays,hewillsunbathe-hislongnec
kandlegsstretchedfullyoutofhisshell.

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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