The Reading / Listening - Eggs - Level 0

Scientists know why birds' eggs are different shapes. People once said male chicks came from rounder eggs, but that was wrong. Scientists say the shape makes birds fly better. A professor said birds have changed to lay eggs that have different shapes - from a round owl's egg to a pointy sandpiper egg.

The scientists looked at 50,000 eggs from 1,400 different bird species. They looked at the shape, length and height of the eggs. Birds with the most-oval-shaped eggs were the best fliers. Hummingbirds have the most-oval-shaped eggs; owls have the roundest eggs; and sea birds have the pointiest eggs.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Eggs - Level 1,  Eggs - Level 2   or  Eggs - Level 3

Sources
  • http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/bird-eggs-shapes-flight-evolution/
  • http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-06/23/c_136387440.htm
  • http://www.popsci.com/bird-flight-egg-shape#page-2


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 know
  2. birds' eggs are different
  3. male
  4. that was
  5. the shape makes birds fly
  6. birds have
  7. lay eggs that
  8. a pointy sandpiper
  1. better
  2. wrong
  3. egg
  4. have different shapes
  5. shapes
  6. why
  7. changed
  8. chicks

Paragraph 2

  1. The scientists looked at
  2. 1,400 different bird
  3. They looked
  4. length and height
  5. Birds with the most-oval-
  6. the best
  7. Hummingbirds have the most-oval-
  8. sea
  1. shaped eggs
  2. of the eggs
  3. species
  4. shaped eggs
  5. fliers
  6. 50,000 eggs
  7. birds
  8. at the shape

 

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists (1) ___________________ birds' eggs are different shapes. People (2) ___________________ male chicks came from rounder eggs, but that (3) ___________________. Scientists say the shape makes birds (4) ___________________. A professor said birds have changed (5) ___________________ that have different shapes - (6) ___________________ owl's egg to a pointy sandpiper egg.

The scientists (7) ___________________ 50,000 eggs from 1,400 different bird species. They looked (8) ________________, length and (9) ___________________ eggs. Birds with the most-oval-shaped eggs were (10) ___________________. Hummingbirds (11) ___________________-oval-shaped eggs; owls have the roundest eggs; and (12) ___________________ have the pointiest eggs.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistsknowwhybirds'eggsaredifferentshapes.Peopleoncesaidm
alechickscamefromroundereggs,butthatwaswrong.Scientistssayth
eshapemakesbirdsflybetter.Aprofessorsaidbirdshavechangedtolay
eggsthathavedifferentshapes-fromaroundowl'seggtoapointysandp
iperegg.Thescientistslookedat50,000eggsfrom1,400differentbirdsp
ecies.Theylookedattheshape,lengthandheightoftheeggs.Birdswitht
hemost-oval-shapedeggswerethebestfliers.Hummingbirdshaveth
emost-oval-shapedeggs;owlshavetheroundesteggs;andseabirdsha
vethepointiest eggs.

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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