The Reading / Listening - Eggs - Level 1

Scientists know why birds' eggs are different shapes - round, potato-shaped and pointy. People once believed rounder eggs contained male chicks, but that was wrong. A new study says that the shape makes the bird fly better. A professor said birds have changed to lay eggs that have different shapes. They are all different in shape - everything from a round owl's egg to a pointy sandpiper egg.

The scientists put information about 50,000 eggs from 1,400 different bird species into a computer. They looked at the shape, length and height of the eggs. They also looked at how oval the eggs were. Birds with the most-oval-shaped eggs were the best fliers. The team was shocked to find that egg shape affected how well birds fly. Hummingbirds have the most-oval-shaped eggs; owls have the roundest eggs; and sea birds have the pointiest eggs.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Eggs - Level 0 Eggs - Level 2   or  Eggs - Level 3

Sources
  • http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/bird-eggs-shapes-flight-evolution/
  • http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-06/23/c_136387440.htm
  • http://www.popsci.com/bird-flight-egg-shape#page-2


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 know
  2. birds' eggs are different
  3. potato-
  4. male
  5. that was
  6. the shape makes the bird
  7. lay
  8. a round
  1. wrong
  2. chicks
  3. eggs
  4. shapes
  5. fly better
  6. why
  7. owl's egg
  8. shaped

Paragraph 2

  1. information about
  2. 1,400 different bird
  3. into a
  4. the shape, length and height
  5. They also looked at how oval
  6. how well birds
  7. the most-oval-
  8. sea
  1. of the eggs
  2. computer
  3. shaped eggs
  4. species
  5. birds
  6. 50,000 eggs
  7. the eggs were
  8. fly

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists know why birds' eggs are (1) ___________________ - round, potato-shaped and pointy. People (2) ___________________ rounder eggs contained male chicks, but that was wrong. A new (3) ___________________ that the shape makes the bird (4) ___________________. A professor said birds have changed (5) ___________________ that have different shapes. They are all different in shape - everything (6) ___________________ owl's egg to a pointy sandpiper egg.

The scientists (7) ___________________ about 50,000 eggs from 1,400 different bird (8) ___________________ a computer. They looked at the shape, length and height of the eggs. They also looked (9) ___________________ the eggs were. Birds with the most-oval-shaped eggs were the best fliers. The team was (10) ___________________ that egg shape affected how well birds fly. Hummingbirds (11) ___________________-oval-shaped eggs; owls have the roundest eggs; (12) ___________________ have the pointiest eggs.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistsknowwhybirds'eggsaredifferentshapes-round,potato-sha
pedandpointy.Peopleoncebelievedroundereggscontainedmalechick
s,butthatwaswrong.Anewstudysaysthattheshapemakesthebirdflyb
etter.Aprofessorsaidbirdshavechangedtolayeggsthathavedifferents
hapes.Theyarealldifferentinshape-everythingfromaroundowl'seg
gtoapointysandpiperegg.Thescientistsputinformationabout50,000e
ggsfrom1,400differentbirdspeciesintoacomputer.Theylookedatthes
hape,lengthandheightoftheeggs.Theyalsolookedathowovaltheeggs
were.Birdswiththemost-oval-shapedeggswerethebestfliers.Thetea
mwasshockedtofindthateggshapeaffectedhowwellbirdsfly.Hummin
gbirdshavethemost-oval-shapedeggs;owlshavetheroundesteggs;a
ndseabirdshavethepointiesteggs.

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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