The Reading / Listening - Cat-Fox - Level 0

Scientists found a new species on the French island of Corsica. It is a "cat-fox". Scientists found sixteen cat-foxes in the mountains. One cat-fox was 90 centimeters long. It has wide ears, a thick coat, and striped front legs. The local government said it was "a wonderful discovery". It said Corsica was a paradise for animals.

The cat-fox was a mythical animal. Farmers told stories about it. People are happy their island has a new species. Scientists think it came from Africa, perhaps as long ago as 6500BC. A scientist said: "It's close to the African forest cat." Scientists need to look at its DNA to find out more about it.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Cat-Fox - Level 1,  Cat-Fox - Level 2   or  Cat-Fox - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.foxnews.com/science/mysterious-cat-fox-discovered-may-be-a-new-species
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/19/europe/cat-fox-species-corsica-france-trnd/index.html
  • https://www.livescience.com/65744-cat-fox-new-species.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. Scientists found a
  2. Scientists found
  3. One cat-fox was 90
  4. a thick
  5. striped
  6. The local
  7. a wonderful
  8. a paradise
  1. government
  2. centimeters long
  3. discovery
  4. sixteen cat-foxes
  5. for animals
  6. new species
  7. front legs
  8. coat

Paragraph 2

  1. The cat-fox was a mythical
  2. Farmers told
  3. People are
  4. a new
  5. Scientists think it
  6. as long ago
  7. Scientists need to look
  8. find out more
  1. happy
  2. at its DNA
  3. species
  4. about it
  5. stories about it
  6. comes from Africa
  7. animal
  8. as 6500BC

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists found (1) ___________________ on the French island of Corsica. It is a "cat-fox". Scientists found sixteen cat-foxes in the mountains. One (2) ___________________ centimeters long. It (3) ___________________, a thick coat, and (4) ___________________. The local government said it was "(5) ___________________". It said Corsica (6) ___________________ for animals.

The cat-fox was (7) ___________________. Farmers told stories about it. People are (8) ___________________ has a new species. Scientists (9) ___________________ from Africa, perhaps (10) ___________________ as 6500BC. A scientist said: "It's close to the African forest cat." Scientists (11) ___________________ at its DNA to find out (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ScientistsfoundanewspeciesontheFrenchislandofCorsica.Itisa"cat-
fox".Scientistsfoundsixteencat-foxesinthemountains.Onecat-foxw
as90centimeterslong.Ithaswideears,athickcoat,andstripedfrontleg
s.Thelocalgovernmentsaiditwas"awonderfuldiscovery".ItsaidCorsic
awasaparadiseforanimals.Thecat-foxwasamythicalanimal.Farmers
toldstoriesaboutit.Peoplearehappytheirislandhasanewspecies.Scie
ntiststhinkitcomesfromAfrica,perhapsaslongagoas6500BC.Ascienti
stsaid:"It'sclosetotheAfricanforestcat."ScientistsneedtolookatitsDN
Atofindoutmoreaboutit.

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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