The Reading / Listening - Level 0

Humans may not be the only ones to use language. Dolphins also use words and sentences. Dolphins send messages to each other. They use sounds to identify themselves, have relations, and do things together. We might understand dolphin language and talk to dolphins in the future.

Researchers recorded two bottlenose dolphins. The dolphins listened to each other and then answered. It was like a conversation between two people. It was like human spoken language. This shows that dolphins are very clever. Dolphins' language is developed, like human language.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 1,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www. techtimes.com/articles/177382/20160913/dolphins-talk-just-like-humans-dolphins-speak-in-words-and-complete-sentences.htm
  • http://www. independent.co.uk/news/science/dolphins-speak-language-human-communication-scientists-a7237791.html
  • http://www. natureworldnews.com/articles/28575/20160913/sea-talk-dolphins-recorded-having-conservation-using-sentences-up-five.htm


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Humans may not be the only
  2. words
  3. They use sounds to identify
  4. have
  5. do things
  6. We might understand dolphin
  7. talk to
  8. in the
  1. language
  2. relations
  3. future
  4. and sentences
  5. ones
  6. themselves
  7. together
  8. dolphins

Paragraph 2

  1. Researchers recorded two
  2. The dolphins listened
  3. It was like a
  4. between
  5. It was like human spoken
  6. This shows that dolphins are very
  7. Dolphins' language is
  8. like human
  1. two people
  2. developed
  3. bottlenose dolphins
  4. to each other
  5. language
  6. conversation
  7. language
  8. clever

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Humans may not (1) ___________________ ones to use language. Dolphins also (2) ___________________ sentences. Dolphins send messages (3) ___________________. They use sounds to identify themselves, (4) ___________________, and do things together. We (5) ___________________ dolphin language and talk to dolphins (6) ___________________.

Researchers (7) ___________________ bottlenose dolphins. The dolphins listened (8) ___________________ and then answered. It was like (9) ___________________ between two people. It (10) ___________________ spoken language. This shows that dolphins (11) ___________________. Dolphins' language is developed, like (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Humansmaynotbetheonlyonestouselanguage.Dolphinsalsousewor
dsandsentences.Dolphinssendmessagestoeachother.Theyusesoun
dstoidentifythemselves,haverelations,anddothingstogether.Wemig
htunderstanddolphinlanguageandtalktodolphinsinthefuture.Resear
chersrecordedtwobottlenosedolphins.Thedolphinslistenedtoeachot
herandthenanswered.Itwaslikeaconversationbetweentwopeople.It
waslikehumanspokenlanguage.Thisshowsthatdolphinsareverycleve
r.Dolphins'languageisdeveloped,likehumanlanguage.

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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