The Reading / Listening - Wild Boars - Level 4

Radioactive wild boars have lived in German forests for decades. Scientists said their radioactivity was from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. However, other animals are not as radioactive. They do not have as much radioactive caesium in their bodies. This has puzzled scientists. They dubbed this mystery the "wild boar paradox". They say the wild boars' radioactivity is from nuclear weapons tests from last century.

Scientists believe wild boars are radioactive because of their love of truffles. These absorb caesium particles in the ground. The levels of caesium in boars mean they cannot be eaten. This has led to a reduction in the hunting of the animals and an increase in their numbers. A geochemist said he doesn't know why the effects of nuclear weapons testing on the environment has been "largely forgotten". He said soil pollution will "haunt generations to come".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Wild Boars - Level 5 or  Wild Boars - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.science.org/content/article/germany-s-radioactive-boars-are-bristly-reminder-nuclear-fallout
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/wild-pigs-in-germany-are-mysteriously-radioactive-and-we-finally-know-why
  • https://au.news.yahoo.com/mystery-radioactive-bavarian-boar-solved-162014981.html


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. lived in German forests
  2. the 1986 Chernobyl
  3. other animals are not
  4. They do not have as
  5. radioactive caesium
  6. This has puzzled
  7. They dubbed this mystery the
  8. nuclear weapons tests from
  1. in their bodies
  2. as radioactive
  3. last century
  4. for decades
  5. scientists
  6. "wild boar paradox"
  7. nuclear disaster
  8. much

Paragraph 2

  1. because of their love
  2. These absorb caesium particles
  3. The levels of caesium in
  4. This has led
  5. the effects
  6. largely
  7. soil
  8. haunt generations
  1. boars
  2. of nuclear weapons
  3. pollution
  4. of truffles
  5. forgotten
  6. to come
  7. to a reduction
  8. in the ground

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Radioactive wild boars have lived in German (1) ___________________. Scientists said their (2) ___________________ the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. However, other animals are (3) ___________________. They do not have as much radioactive caesium (4) _________________. This has puzzled scientists. They dubbed this mystery the "(5) ___________________". They say the wild boars' radioactivity is from nuclear weapons tests (6) ___________________.

Scientists believe wild boars are radioactive because of their (7) ___________________. These absorb caesium particles in the ground. The levels of caesium in boars mean they (8) __________________. This has led to (9) ___________________ the hunting of the animals and an increase in their numbers. A geochemist said he doesn't know why the (10) ___________________ weapons testing on the environment has (11) ___________________. He said soil pollution will "haunt (12) ___________________ ".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

RadioactivewildboarshavelivedinGermanforestsfordecades.Scientis
tssaidtheirradioactivitywasfromthe1986Chernobylnucleardisaster.
However,otheranimalsarenotasradioactive.Theydonothaveasmuch
radioactivecaesiumintheirbodies.Thishaspuzzledscientists.Theydub
bedthismysterythe"wildboarparadox".Theysaythewildboars'radioa
ctivityisfromnuclearweaponstestsfromlastcentury.Scientistsbelieve
wildboarsareradioactivebecauseoftheirloveoftruffles.Theseabsorbc
aesiumparticlesintheground.Thelevelsofcaesiuminboarsmeantheyc
annotbeeaten.Thishasledtoareductioninthehuntingoftheanimalsan
danincreaseintheirnumbers.Ageochemistsaidhedoesn'tknowwhyth
eeffectsofnuclearweaponstestingontheenvironmenthasbeen"largel
yforgotten".Hesaidsoilpollutionwill"hauntgenerationstocome".

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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