The Reading / Listening - Giant Parrot - Level 0

Scientists found fossils from the biggest parrot that ever lived. It was a metre tall and weighed eight kilograms - twice the size of any other parrot. The fossils were in New Zealand. Researchers called the parrot Hercules. The largest parrot alive today is the kakapo, a flightless bird also from New Zealand. It is endangered.

New Zealand is famous for birds. The kiwi is its national symbol. Kiwis are endangered. The 3.6-metre-tall moa also came from New Zealand. It was the biggest bird that ever lived. It became extinct 600 years ago. Hercules lived 19 million years ago. It ate nuts, fruit and seeds. Scientists will discover many more species.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Giant Parrot - Level 1,  Giant Parrot - Level 2   or  Giant Parrot - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/giant-parrot-1.5238617
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/08/07/scientists-just-discovered-prehistoric-parrot-nearly-size-kindergartner/
  • https://www.cnet.com/news/giant-dog-sized-parrot-was-more-cannibal-than-copycat/


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
  2. the biggest parrot
  3. It was a metre
  4. twice the size
  5. The fossils were
  6. Researchers called
  7. The largest parrot alive
  8. a flightless
  1. the parrot Hercules
  2. of any other parrot
  3. bird
  4. that ever lived
  5. today
  6. fossils
  7. in New Zealand
  8. tall

Paragraph 2

  1. New Zealand is famous
  2. The kiwi is its national
  3. The 3.6-metre-
  4. It was the biggest bird that
  5. It became
  6. Hercules lived 19 million
  7. It ate nuts, fruit
  8. Scientists will discover
  1. ever lived
  2. and seeds
  3. symbol
  4. many more species
  5. tall moa
  6. extinct
  7. for birds
  8. years ago

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists (1) ___________________ the biggest parrot that ever lived. It was a metre tall (2) ___________________ kilograms - twice the (3) ___________________ other parrot. The fossils were in New Zealand. Researchers (4) ___________________ Hercules. The largest parrot (5) ___________________ the kakapo, a flightless bird also from New Zealand. (6) ___________________.

New Zealand (7) ___________________ birds. The kiwi is (8) ___________________. Kiwis are endangered. The 3.6-metre-tall moa (9) ___________________ New Zealand. It was the biggest bird (10) ___________________. It became extinct 600 years ago. Hercules lived 19 million years ago. (11) ___________________, fruit and seeds. Scientists will discover (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistsfoundfossilsfromthebiggestparrotthateverlived.Itwasame
tretallandweighedeightkilograms-twicethesizeofanyotherparrot.Th
efossilswereinNewZealand.ResearcherscalledtheparrotHercules.Th
elargestparrotalivetodayisthekakapo,aflightlessbirdalsofromNewZ
ealand.Itisendangered.NewZealandisfamousforbirds.Thekiwiisitsn
ationalsymbol.Kiwisareendangered.The3.6-metre-tallmoaalsoc
amefromNewZealand.Itwasthebiggestbirdthateverlived.Itbecamee
xtinct600yearsago.Herculeslived19millionyearsago.Itatenuts,fruit
andseeds.Scientistswilldiscovermanymorespecies.

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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