The Reading / Listening - Level 4

Scientists have new ideas about why men have deep voices. It was thought that men had deep voices to attract women. However, scientists now say a deep voice was to scare off other men. Researcher David Puts said: "A low pitched voice evolved primarily to intimidate other men…to make males seem bigger and scarier." He said a deep voice was more to show aggression and give an advantage in fighting than to attract women.

Researchers played recordings of 500 men and women to different people of both sexes. Men rated each male voice for levels of dominance. Women rated them for romantic attractiveness. Men also rated women's voices for attractiveness. Most men thought the deeper male voices belonged to a more dominant man. Dr Puts said the pattern of the women's ratings did not suggest that the deepness of the male voice was so important to females.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.nbcnews.com/health/mens-health/deep-masculine-voice-not-you-ladies-n569631
  • http://nhv.us/content/16056021-deep-voice-mainly-scares-rivals-and-it-can-also-impress-females
  • http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016/05/06/Does-a-deep-voice-draw-women/2591462583847/


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 have new ideas
  2. men had deep voices
  3. a deep voice was to scare
  4. A low pitched
  5. primarily to intimidate
  6. make males seem bigger
  7. more to show
  8. give an advantage in
  1. off other men
  2. aggression
  3. to attract women
  4. fighting
  5. and scarier
  6. about why
  7. other men
  8. voice

Paragraph 2

  1. Researchers played
  2. people of both
  3. Men rated each
  4. levels
  5. rated women's voices
  6. belonged to a more
  7. the pattern
  8. the male voice was so
  1. of the women's ratings
  2. of dominance
  3. sexes
  4. important to females
  5. recordings
  6. male voice
  7. for attractiveness
  8. dominant man

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists have (1) ___________________ men have deep voices. It was thought that men had deep voices (2) ___________________. However, scientists now say a deep voice (3) ___________________ other men. Researcher David Puts said: "A (4) ___________________ evolved primarily to intimidate other men…to make males seem (5) _______________." He said a deep voice was more to show aggression and give an advantage in fighting than (6) ___________________.

Researchers (7) ___________________ of 500 men and women to different people of both sexes. Men rated (8) ___________________ for levels of dominance. Women (9) ___________________ romantic attractiveness. Men also rated women's voices for attractiveness. Most men thought the deeper male (10) ___________________ a more dominant man. Dr Puts said the pattern of the women's ratings (11) ___________________ that the deepness of the male voice (12) ___________________ females.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistshavenewideasaboutwhymenhavedeepvoices.Itwasthoug
htthatmenhaddeepvoicestoattractwomen.However,scientistsnows
ayadeepvoicewastoscareoffothermen.ResearcherDavidPutssaid:"A
lowpitchedvoiceevolvedprimarilytointimidateothermen…tomakema
lesseembiggerandscarier."Hesaidadeepvoicewasmoretoshowaggre
ssionandgiveanadvantageinfightingthantoattractwomen.Research
ersplayedrecordingsof500menandwomentodifferentpeopleofboths
exes.Menratedeachmalevoiceforlevelsofdominance.Womenratedth
emforromanticattractiveness.Menalsoratedwomen'svoicesforattrac
tiveness.Mostmenthoughtthedeepermalevoicesbelongedtoamored
ominantman.DrPutssaidthepatternofthewomen'sratingsdidnotsugg
estthatthedeepnessofthemalevoicewassoimportanttofemales.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You