The Reading / Listening - String - Level 0

Archaeologists found the world's oldest piece of string. It is 50,000 years old. It shows that early humans (called Neanderthals) were very intelligent. Neanderthals all died 35,000 years ago. The string shows they understood how to make rope. They also made clothes, bags and other things. They were as intelligent as we are.

The string is very small. It shows how people lived 50,000 years ago. A researcher said she learned many things from the string. The Neanderthals made the string from different fibres. They also knew about plants and trees. They had the intelligence, "to use different parts of the environment".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    String - Level 1,  String - Level 2   or  String - Level 3

Sources
  • https://uk.news.yahoo.com/oldest-string-neanderthal-181822003.html
  • https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/13/oldest-piece-string-found-neanderthal-dwelling-12548889/
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/neanderthals-string-discovery-50000-years-old-france-scientists-abri-du-maras-a9462706.html


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. the world's oldest
  2. It is 50,000
  3. Neanderthals were
  4. Neanderthals all died
  5. they understood how
  6. They also
  7. bags and other
  8. They were as intelligent as
  1. very intelligent
  2. we are
  3. 35,000 years ago
  4. things
  5. years old
  6. to make rope
  7. piece of string
  8. made clothes

Paragraph 2

  1. The string is very
  2. It shows how people
  3. 50,000 years
  4. she learned
  5. made the string
  6. They also knew about plants and
  7. They had the
  8. use different parts
  1. intelligence
  2. small
  3. of the environment
  4. ago
  5. trees
  6. many things
  7. from different fibres
  8. lived

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Archaeologists (1) ___________________ oldest piece of string. It is 50,000 years old. (2) ___________________ early humans (called Neanderthals) (3) ___________________. Neanderthals all died (4) ___________________. The string shows they understood how (5) ___________________. They also made clothes, bags and other things. They were as intelligent                (6) ___________________.

The string (7) ___________________. It shows how people lived 50,000 years ago. A researcher (8) ___________________ many things (9) ___________________. The Neanderthals made the string (10) ___________________. They also knew about plants and trees. (11) ___________________ intelligence, "to use different parts (12) ___________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Archeologistsfoundtheworld'soldestpieceofstring.Itis50,000years
old.Itshowsthatearlyhumans(calledNeanderthals)wereveryintellige
nt.Neanderthalsalldied35,000yearsago.Thestringshowstheyunders
toodhowtomakerope.Theyalsomadeclothes,bagsandotherthings.Th
eywereasintelligentasweare.Thestringisverysmall.Itshowshowpeop
lelived50,000yearsago.Aresearchersaidshelearnedmanythingsfro
mthestring.TheNeanderthalsmadethestringfromdifferentfibres.The
yalsoknewaboutplantsandtrees.Theyhadtheintelligence,"tousediffe
rentpartsoftheenvironment".

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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