The Reading / Listening - Level 5

Scientists have new ideas about why some men have deeper voices. It was thought that men developed a lower pitched voice to attract members of the opposite sex. However, scientists at an American university believe a deep voice was to scare off other men. Researcher David Puts said: "In humans…a low pitched voice evolved primarily to intimidate other men…to make males seem bigger and scarier." He added that male characteristics were more to show aggression, threaten others and provide a competitive edge in fighting than to help attract women.

The researchers played recordings of 500 men and women to more than 1,100 different people of both sexes. Male volunteers rated each male voice for levels of dominance. Women rated the same recordings for romantic attractiveness. Men also rated the women's voices for attractiveness. Most of the men thought the deeper voices in the male recordings belonged to a more dominant man. Dr Puts said women also liked deeper voices. However, he 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 4 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. members of the opposite
  3. scare
  4. make males seem bigger
  5. male
  6. show
  7. provide a competitive edge
  8. help attract
  1. in fighting
  2. and scarier
  3. characteristics
  4. women
  5. off other men
  6. about why
  7. sex
  8. aggression

Paragraph 2

  1. The researchers played
  2. people of both
  3. Male
  4. romantic
  5. rated the women's voices
  6. belonged to a more
  7. women also liked
  8. the male voice was so
  1. for attractiveness
  2. deeper voices
  3. sexes
  4. important to females
  5. recordings
  6. attractiveness
  7. dominant man
  8. volunteers

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists have (1) ___________________ why some men have deeper voices. It was thought that men developed (2) ___________________ voice to attract members of (3) ___________________. However, scientists at an American university believe a deep voice was (4) ___________________ other men. Researcher David Puts said: "In humans…a low pitched voice (5) ___________________ to intimidate other men…to make males seem bigger and scarier." He added that male characteristics were more to show aggression, threaten others and provide a (6) ___________________ in fighting than to help attract women.

The researchers (7) ___________________ 500 men and women to more than 1,100 different people of both sexes. Male volunteers rated each male (8) ___________________ dominance. Women rated the same recordings for romantic attractiveness. (9) ___________________ the women's voices for attractiveness. Most of the (10) ___________________ deeper voices in the male recordings belonged to a more dominant man. Dr Puts said women also liked deeper voices. However, he (11) ___________________ of the women's ratings did not suggest that the deepness of the male voice was so (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistshavenewideasaboutwhysomemenhavedeepervoices.Itwa
sthoughtthatmendevelopedalowerpitchedvoicetoattractmembersof
theoppositesex.However,scientistsatanAmericanuniversitybelievea
deepvoicewastoscareoffothermen.ResearcherDavidPutssaid:"Inhu
mans…alowpitchedvoiceevolvedprimarilytointimidateothermen…to
makemalesseembiggerandscarier."Headdedthatmalecharacteristic
sweremoretoshowaggression,threatenothersandprovideacompetiti
veedgeinfightingthantohelpattractwomen.Theresearchersplayedre
cordingsof500menandwomentomorethan1,100differentpeopleofbo
thsexes.Malevolunteersratedeachmalevoiceforlevelsofdominance.
Womenratedthesamerecordingsforromanticattractiveness.Menalso
ratedthewomen'svoicesforattractiveness.Mostofthementhoughtthe
deepervoicesinthemalerecordingsbelongedtoamoredominantman.
DrPutssaidwomenalsolikeddeepervoices.However,hesaidthepatter
nofthewomen'sratingsdidnotsuggestthatthedeepnessofthemalevoi
cewassoimportanttofemales.

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