The Reading / Listening - Chicken and Egg - Level 4

Scientists may have solved one of life's greatest mysteries - the age-old question of whether the chicken or the egg came first. This has baffled us for centuries. However, researchers in Switzerland believe the egg came first. The scientists studied a tiny marine organism that dates back a billion years. They found it can form cellular structures that are similar to animal embryos. Thus, a prehistoric chicken did not need to lay an egg.

The organism was first discovered in 2017. It has offered many insights into ancient life. A researcher said it "allows us to go back in time a billion years". The genetics behind egg fertilization and embryo development were present before animal life existed. This means nature made eggs before chickens arrived. A simpler answer to the chicken and egg problem is that chickens appeared 10,000 years ago, whereas eggs arrived millions of years ago.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Chicken and Egg - Level 5 or  Chicken and Egg - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.ladbible.com/news/science/which-came-first-chicken-or-egg-answer-824479-20241109
  • https://metro.co.uk/2024/11/08/scientists-crack-whether-chicken-egg-came-first-21953962/
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14059591/Which-came-chicken-egg-cracked-debate.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. solved one of life's
  2. the age-
  3. This has baffled
  4. The scientists studied a tiny
  5. that dates
  6. cellular
  7. similar to animal
  8. lay
  1. marine organism
  2. us for centuries
  3. an egg
  4. back a billion years
  5. greatest mysteries
  6. embryos
  7. old question
  8. structures

Paragraph 2

  1. The organism was first
  2. It has offered many insights
  3. it allows us to
  4. egg
  5. embryo
  6. present before animal
  7. A simpler answer to the
  8. chickens appeared
  1. into ancient life
  2. 10,000 years ago
  3. fertilization
  4. chicken and egg problem
  5. life existed
  6. discovered in 2017
  7. development
  8. go back in time

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists may have (1) ________________________________________________ life's greatest mysteries - the age-old (2) ________________________________________________ the chicken or the egg came first. This has (3) ________________________________________________ centuries. However, researchers in Switzerland believe the egg came first. The scientists studied a (4) ________________________________________________ that dates back a billion years. They found it can (5) ________________________________________________ that are similar to animal embryos. Thus, a prehistoric chicken did not need to (6) ________________________________________________.

The organism was first discovered in 2017. It has (7) ________________________________________________ into ancient life. A researcher said it "allows us to go (8) ________________________________________________ a billion years". The genetics behind (9) ________________________________________________ embryo development were present before (10) ________________________________________________. This means nature made eggs before chickens arrived. (11) ________________________________________________ to the chicken and egg problem is that chickens appeared 10,000 years ago, (12) ________________________________________________ millions of years ago.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistsmayhavesolvedoneoflife'sgreatestmysteries-theage-oldq
uestionofwhetherthechickenortheeggcamefirst.Thishasbaffledusfor
centuries.However,researchersinSwitzerlandbelievetheeggcamefir
st.Thescientistsstudiedatinymarineorganismthatdatesbackabilliony
ears.Theyfounditcanformcellularstructuresthataresimilartoanimale
mbryos.Thus,aprehistoricchickendidnotneedtolayanegg.Theorgani
smwasfirstdiscoveredin2017.Ithasofferedmanyinsightsintoancientl
ife.Aresearchersaidit"allowsustogobackintimeabillionyears".Thege
neticsbehindeggfertilizationandembryodevelopmentwerepresentbe
foreanimallifeexisted.Thismeansnaturemadeeggsbeforechickensar
rived.Asimpleranswertothechickenandeggproblemisthatchickensa
ppeared10,000yearsago,whereaseggsarrivedmillionsofyearsago.

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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