The Reading / Listening - Sharks - Level 5

The climate crisis may be an existential threat to sharks. A new study shows that the acidification of the world's oceans is decaying sharks' teeth. It is well known among scientists that increasing ocean acidity is damaging species like corals and shell-dwelling sea creatures. This led biologists to look at whether shark teeth are at similar risk. Researcher Maximilian Baum investigated whether sharks that swim with their mouths open and have constant exposure to seawater "might also be vulnerable". He concluded that "the teeth of…predators show visible damage".

Baum analyzed 42 teeth from blacktip reef sharks at an aquarium in Germany. He put the teeth in two separate water tanks for eight weeks. The salt water in one tank had a pH level similar to current ocean averages. The water in the other tank was more acidic. Baum found that the teeth in the more acidic water had visible damage. This included cavities, root decay, and structural deterioration. He said ongoing damage could impact how sharks feed. He added that such damage could potentially trigger "domino effects" across many marine ecosystems.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Sharks - Level 4 or  Sharks - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/sharks-may-losing-bite-170000952.html
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/27/science/ocean-acidification-shark-teeth
  • https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/27/ocean-acidification-erodes-sharks-teeth-affecting-feeding


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. The climate crisis may be an
  2. decaying
  3. ocean acidity is damaging
  4. shell-
  5. shark teeth are at
  6. sharks that swim
  7. have constant exposure
  8. the teeth of
  1. with their mouths open
  2. dwelling sea creatures
  3. predators
  4. sharks' teeth
  5. existential threat
  6. species like corals
  7. similar risk
  8. to seawater

Paragraph 2

  1. reef sharks at
  2. He put the teeth in two
  3. a pH level similar to current
  4. The water in the other tank
  5. root
  6. ongoing damage could impact
  7. trigger
  8. across many marine
  1. ocean averages
  2. how sharks feed
  3. domino effects
  4. ecosystems
  5. an aquarium in Germany
  6. decay
  7. separate water tanks
  8. was more acidic

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The climate crisis may be (1) ________________________________________________ to sharks. A new study shows that the acidification of the world's oceans is (2) ________________________________________________. It is well known among scientists that increasing ocean acidity is damaging species like corals and (3) ________________________________________________ creatures. This led biologists to look at whether shark teeth are (4) ________________________________________________. Researcher Maximilian Baum investigated whether sharks that swim with (5) ________________________________________________ and have constant exposure to seawater "might also be vulnerable". He concluded that "the teeth of...predators (6) ________________________________________________".

Baum analyzed 42 teeth from blacktip reef sharks at (7) ________________________________________________ Germany. He put the teeth in two (8) ________________________________________________ for eight weeks. The salt water in one tank had a pH level similar to current ocean averages. The water in the other tank (9) ________________________________________________. Baum found that the teeth in the more acidic water (10) ________________________________________________. This included cavities, root decay, and structural deterioration. He said ongoing damage could impact (11) ________________________________________________. He added that such damage could potentially (12) ________________________________________________ across many marine ecosystems.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Theclimatecrisismaybeanexistentialthreattosharks.Anewstudysho
wsthattheacidificationoftheworld'soceansisdecayingsharks'teeth.Iti
swellknownamongscientiststhatincreasingoceanacidityisdamaging
specieslikecoralsandshell-dwellingseacreatures.Thisledbiologiststol
ookatwhethersharkteethareatsimilarrisk.ResearcherMaximilianBau
minvestigatedwhethersharksthatswimwiththeirmouthsopenandha
veconstantexposuretoseawater"mightalsobevulnerable".Heconclu
dedthat"theteethof...predatorsshowvisibledamage".Baumanalyzed
42teethfromblacktipreefsharksatanaquariuminGermany.Heputthet
eethintwoseparatewatertanksforeightweeks.Thesaltwaterinonetan
khadapHlevelsimilartocurrentoceanaverages.Thewaterintheothert
ankwasmoreacidic.Baumfoundthattheteethinthemoreacidicwaterh
advisibledamage.Thisincludedcavities,rootdecay,andstructuraldete
rioration.Hesaidongoingdamagecouldimpacthowsharksfeed.Headd
edthatsuchdamagecouldpotentiallytrigger"dominoeffects"acrossm
anymarineecosystems.

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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