The Reading / Listening - Snakebite - Level 0

Scientists hope to find a snakebite cure. They are using technology used to find HIV anti-bodies. They want to use human anti-bodies in their cure. Snakebite is treated using anti-venom. This is made from the snake's venom. A professor said they are making the 'next generation' of snakebite cures. These will cure any snakebite.

Snakebites kill 140,000 people a year. About 400,000 people get terrible injuries and stress. About 250 types of snake have a dangerous venom. Every venom is very different. This makes finding a cure difficult. Someone said snakebite was, "the biggest public health crisis you have...never heard of".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Snakebite - Level 1,  Snakebite - Level 2   or  Snakebite - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/may/24/scientists-pursue-universal-snakebite-cure-using-hiv-antibody-techniques
  • https://allafrica.com/stories/201905230131.html
  • https://www.dw.com/en/snakebites-kill-at-least-80000-people-per-year-and-probably-more/a-48836235


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. Scientists hope to find
  2. technology used to find HIV
  3. use human anti-
  4. Snakebite is treated
  5. This is made from the snake's
  6. the next
  7. snakebite
  8. These will cure
  1. venom
  2. cures
  3. anti-bodies
  4. any snakebite
  5. generation
  6. using anti-venom
  7. a snakebite cure
  8. bodies

Paragraph 2

  1. Snakebites kill 140,000
  2. get terrible injuries
  3. About 250 types
  4. a dangerous
  5. Every venom is
  6. This makes finding a
  7. you have never
  8. the biggest public
  1. cure difficult
  2. heard of
  3. venom
  4. health crisis
  5. and stress
  6. of snake
  7. people a year
  8. very different

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists (1) ___________________ a snakebite cure. They are using technology (2) ___________________ HIV anti-bodies. They want to use human anti-bodies (3) ___________________. Snakebite (4) ___________________ anti-venom. This is made from (5) ___________________. A professor said they are making the 'next generation' of snakebite cures. These (6) ___________________ snakebite.

Snakebites kill 140,000 (7) ___________________. About 400,000 people (8) ___________________ and stress. About 250 types of snake (9) ___________________ venom. Every venom is very different. This makes (10) ___________________ difficult. Someone said snakebite (11) ___________________ public health crisis you have... (12) ___________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistshopetofindasnakebitecure.Theyareusingtechnologyusedt
ofindHIVanti-bodies.Theywanttousehumananti-bodiesintheircur
e.Snakebiteistreatedusinganti-venom.Thisismadefromthesnake'
svenom.Aprofessorsaidtheyaremakingthe'nextgeneration'ofsnake
bitecures.Thesewillcureanysnakebite.Snakebiteskill140,000people
ayear.About400,000peoplegetterribleinjuriesandstress.About250t
ypesofsnakehaveadangerousvenom.Everyvenomisverydifferent.Th
ismakesfindingacuredifficult.Someonesaidsnakebitewas,"thebigge
stpublichealthcrisisyouhave...neverheardof".

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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