The Reading / Listening - Likweli Monkeys - Level 4

Scientists are continuing to find new species. The latest discovery is a monkey with orange lips and a roaring call. The monkey was found in a rainforest in Congo. It is just the fifth new species of African monkey to be found in 75 years. Locals call the monkey Likweli. Scientists gave it the scientific name Colobus congoensis. An anthropologist said the discovery was "a scientific triumph" and a reminder "that some of Earth's rarest creatures may vanish".

Anthropologists said the monkey has a glossy coat, long fur, a long tail, and stunning facial markings. They said it has "distinctive skull, dental, and skeletal characteristics". These make it different to other known colobus monkeys. The study co-author agreed. He said he went to museums to analyze skulls, pelts, and skeletons from known African colobus monkeys. He said his research allowed his team to show that the Likweli was a distinct species.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Likweli Monkeys - Level 5 or  Likweli Monkeys - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/an-entirely-new-species-of-monkey-has-been-living-in-the-congo-rainforest-this-whole-time
  • https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-orange-lipped-likweli-monkey-a-new-species-that-was-discovered-in-the-congo-rainforest-180989140/
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/16/science/new-monkey-species-likweli-scli-intl


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. Scientists are continuing
  2. The latest discovery is
  3. a roaring
  4. The monkey was found in a
  5. It is just the fifth new
  6. Scientists gave it the scientific
  7. the discovery was a scientific
  8. Earth's rarest creatures may
  1. name
  2. vanish
  3. species
  4. triumph
  5. call
  6. to find new species
  7. rainforest in Congo
  8. a monkey

Paragraph 2

  1. the monkey has a glossy
  2. stunning facial
  3. distinctive skull, dental, and skeletal
  4. different to other known
  5. The study co-author
  6. he went to
  7. analyze skulls, pelts,
  8. the Likweli was a distinct
  1. agreed
  2. characteristics
  3. and skeletons
  4. species
  5. coat
  6. colobus monkeys
  7. museums
  8. markings

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists are continuing to (1) ________________________________________________. The latest discovery is a monkey with orange lips and (2) ___________________________________________. The monkey was found in a rainforest in Congo. It is just the (3) ________________________________________________ of African monkey to be found in 75 years. (4) ________________________________________________ monkey Likweli. Scientists gave it the scientific name Colobus congoensis. An anthropologist said the discovery was "(5) ________________________________________________" and a reminder "that some of Earth's rarest (6) ________________________________________________".

Anthropologists said the monkey has (7) ________________________________________________, long fur, a long tail, and (8) ________________________________________________. They said it has "distinctive skull, (9) ________________________________________________ characteristics". These make it different to other known colobus monkeys. The study co-author agreed. He said he went to museums (10) ________________________________________________, pelts, and (11) ________________________________________________ African colobus monkeys. He said his research allowed his team to show that the Likweli was (12) ________________________________________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistsarecontinuingtofindnewspecies.Thelatestdiscoveryisamo
nkeywithorangelipsandaroaringcall.Themonkeywasfoundinarainfor
estinCongo.ItisjustthefifthnewspeciesofAfricanmonkeytobefoundin
75years.LocalscallthemonkeyLikweli.Scientistsgaveitthescientificn
ameColobuscongoensis.Ananthropologistsaidthediscoverywas"asci
entifictriumph"andareminder"thatsomeofEarth'srarestcreaturesma
yvanish".Anthropologistssaidthemonkeyhasaglossycoat,longfur,al
ongtail,andstunningfacialmarkings.Theysaidithas"distinctiveskull,d
ental,andskeletalcharacteristics".Thesemakeitdifferenttootherkno
wncolobusmonkeys.Thestudyco-authoragreed.Hesaidhewenttom
useumstoanalyzeskulls,pelts,andskeletonsfromknownAfricancolob
usmonkeys.HesaidhisresearchallowedhisteamtoshowthattheLikwel
iwasadistinctspecies.

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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