The Reading / Listening - Early Risers - Level 0

Early risers wake up because of their body clock. Researchers said early risers share DNA with Neanderthals – our ancestors from 40,000 years ago. They woke up earlier to gather food as the sun rose. A researcher said a "faster" body clock makes people "more likely to rise early".

The researchers looked at genetic information to find out why some people are early birds and others are night owls. The Neanderthal DNA may weaken as time passes. Modern life means many of us prefer to sleep in. We are becoming night owls. Nevertheless, it is true that the early bird catches the worm.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Early Risers - Level 1 Early Risers - Level 2   or  Early Risers - Level 3

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/14/health/early-risers-neanderthal-dna-scn/index.html
  • https://gizmodo.com/neanderthal-genes-humans-morning-person-early-riser-1851098940
  • https://www.boredpanda.com/early-risers-can-have-neanderthals-dna/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. wake up because
  2. early risers share DNA
  3. our ancestors from
  4. They woke
  5. gather
  6. as the sun
  7. a "faster"
  8. more likely to rise
  1. early
  2. 40,000 years ago
  3. food
  4. of their body clock
  5. body clock
  6. up earlier
  7. rose
  8. with Neanderthals

Paragraph 2

  1. genetic
  2. find out
  3. some people are
  4. Neanderthal DNA may weaken as
  5. many of us prefer to
  6. We are becoming night
  7. Nevertheless, it
  8. the early bird catches
  1. is true
  2. information
  3. time passes
  4. the worm
  5. owls
  6. early birds
  7. why
  8. sleep in

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Early (1) ___________________ because of their body clock. Researchers said early risers share DNA with Neanderthals – (2) ___________________ 40,000 years ago. They woke up (3) ___________________ food as (4) ___________________. A researcher said a (5) ___________________ makes people "(6) ___________________ rise early".

The researchers (7) ___________________ information to find out why some people (8) ___________________ and others are night owls. The Neanderthal DNA (9) ___________________ time passes. Modern (10) ___________________ of us prefer to sleep in. We are becoming night owls. Nevertheless, (11) ___________________ that the early bird (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Earlyriserswakeupbecauseoftheirbodyclock.Researcherssaidearlyri
sersshareDNAwithNeanderthals–ourancestorsfrom40,000yearsag
o.Theywokeupearliertogatherfoodasthesunrose.Aresearchersaida"
faster"bodyclockmakespeople"morelikelytoriseearly".Theresearch
erslookedatgeneticinformationtofindoutwhysomepeopleareearlybir
dsandothersarenightowls.TheNeanderthalDNAmayweakenastimep
asses.Modernlifemeansmanyofusprefertosleepin.Wearebecomingn
ightowls.Nevertheless,itistruethattheearlybirdcatchestheworm.

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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