The Reading / Listening - Mosquitoes - Level 0

Scientists will set free 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes. This is to cut the number of insects with diseases. It will start next year in Florida. The modified mosquitoes are male. They carry something that will kill young females before they get to biting age. Only female mosquitoes bite us.

Environmental groups are not happy. One group called the plan a "Jurassic Park experiment". It called Florida "a testing ground for mutant bugs". It could damage ecosystems and create a new super-species of mosquito. It said the plan would put people and the environment at risk. The scientists said there was no risk.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Mosquitoes - Level 1,  Mosquitoes - Level 2   or  Mosquitoes - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2020/08/21/florida-to-release-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-in-the-keys
  • https://www.sciencenews.org/article/genetically-modified-mosquitoes-florida-test-release
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53856776


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. set
  2. This is to cut
  3. insects with
  4. It will start next year
  5. modified mosquitoes are
  6. They carry something that
  7. before they get
  8. Only female mosquitoes
  1. will kill young females
  2. in Florida
  3. to biting age
  4. bite us
  5. the number
  6. diseases
  7. male
  8. free

Paragraph 2

  1. Environmental groups
  2. a Jurassic Park
  3. It called Florida a testing
  4. mutant
  5. It could damage
  6. a new super-species
  7. people and the environment
  8. The scientists said there
  1. of mosquito
  2. are not happy
  3. was no risk
  4. experiment
  5. at risk
  6. bugs
  7. ecosystems
  8. ground

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists (1) ___________________ 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes. This (2) ___________________ the number of insects with diseases. It will (3) ___________________ in Florida. The modified (4) ___________________. They carry something that (5) ___________________ females before they get (6) ___________________. Only female mosquitoes bite us.

Environmental groups (7) ___________________. One group (8) ___________________ a "Jurassic Park experiment". It called Florida "(9) ___________________ for mutant bugs". It could damage ecosystems and (10) ___________________ super-species of mosquito. It said the plan (11) ___________________ and environment at risk. The scientists said there (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistswillsetfree750milliongeneticallymodifiedmosquitoes.Thisi
stocutthenumberofinsectswithdiseases.ItwillstartnextyearinFlorida
.Themodifiedmosquitoesaremale.Theycarrysomethingthatwillkillyo
ungfemalesbeforetheygettobitingage.Onlyfemalemosquitoesbiteus
.Environmentalgroupsarenothappy.Onegroupcalledtheplana"Juras
sicParkexperiment".ItcalledFlorida"atestinggroundformutantbugs".
Itcoulddamageecosystemsandcreateanewsuper-speciesofmosq
uito.Itsaidtheplanwouldputpeopleandenvironmentatrisk.Thescienti
stssaidtherewasnorisk.

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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