The Reading / Listening - Rain - Level 4

Farmers pray for the heavens to open in times of drought. However, they could never imagine a period of rain lasting two million years. A U.K. geologist has found that 200-300 million years ago, when there was just a single landmass, it rained non-stop for up to two million years. This helped the development of flowers and animals all over the globe. The geologist believes the rain may have been caused by a huge rise in humidity following massive volcanic eruptions.

The geologist based his findings on research conducted on ancient rock in Europe in the 1970s. There were strange deposits in the rock. The geologist said this suggests the long wet period may have been the "trigger" that allowed dinosaurs and modern animals to diversify. He added: "It may have been one of the most important events in the history of life." It could be how many of the creatures we see today started, like turtles, crocodiles, lizards and mammals.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Rain - Level 5 or  Rain - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.unilad.com/news/proof-rained-million-years-earth-carnian-pluvial-event-840634-20240305
  • https://www.earth.com/news/earth-endured-a-million-years-of-rain-in-the-carnian-pluvial-event/
  • https://www.iflscience.com/the-carnian-pluvial-event-when-it-rained-for-2-million-years-on-earth-73205


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. Farmers pray for the heavens
  2. in times
  3. A U.K.
  4. when there was just a single
  5. the development of
  6. all over
  7. caused by a huge
  8. massive volcanic
  1. rise in humidity
  2. landmass
  3. the globe
  4. of drought
  5. eruptions
  6. geologist
  7. to open
  8. flowers and animals

Paragraph 2

  1. research conducted
  2. There were strange deposits
  3. the long wet
  4. allowed dinosaurs and modern
  5. one of the most
  6. the history of
  7. many of the creatures
  8. crocodiles, lizards
  1. important events
  2. and mammals
  3. animals to diversify
  4. in the rock
  5. we see today
  6. on ancient rock
  7. period
  8. life

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Farmers pray for the heavens to open in (1) ___________________. However, they could never (2) ___________________ of rain lasting two million years. A U.K. geologist has found that 200-300 million years ago, when there was just (3) ___________________, it rained non-stop for up to two million years. This (4) ___________________ of flowers and animals all over the globe. The geologist believes the rain may have (5) ___________________ a huge rise in humidity following (6) ___________________.

The geologist (7) ___________________ on research conducted on ancient rock in Europe in the 1970s. There were (8) ___________________ the rock. The geologist said this suggests the long wet period may have been (9) ___________________ allowed dinosaurs and modern (10) ___________________. He added: "It may have been one of the most important events in the (11) ___________________." It could be how many of the creatures we see today started, like turtles, crocodiles, (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Farmersprayfortheheavenstoopenintimesofdrought.However,theyc
ouldneverimagineaperiodofrainlastingtwomillionyears.AU.K.geolog
isthasfoundthat200-300millionyearsago,whentherewasjustasinglel
andmass,itrainednon-stopforuptotwomillionyears.Thishelpedthed
evelopmentofflowersandanimalsallovertheglobe.Thegeologistbelie
vestherainmayhavebeencausedbyahugeriseinhumidityfollowingma
ssivevolcaniceruptions.Thegeologistbasedhisfindingsonresearchco
nductedonancientrockinEuropeinthe1970s.Therewerestrangedepo
sitsintherock.Thegeologistsaidthissuggeststhelongwetperiodmayh
avebeenthe"trigger"thatalloweddinosaursandmodernanimalstodiv
ersify.Headded:"Itmayhavebeenoneofthemostimportanteventsinth
ehistoryoflife."Itcouldbehowmanyofthecreaturesweseetodaystarte
d,liketurtles,crocodiles,lizardsandmammals.

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