Listen&Learn: The Great Blue Hole
Announcement: All Good Things (Must) Come To An End 😭
Posted by: Jaksyn Peacock
Pre-listening vocabulary
- sinkhole: a hole that forms when the ground collapses
- coast: the edge of a country that borders water
- submerge: to completely cover something with water
- glacier: a large, moving block of ice
- flood: to suddenly fill up with water
- debris: broken pieces of rock or other materials
Listening activity
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Gapfill exercise
Comprehension questions
See answers below
- The Great Blue Hole is in the middle of
a. Lighthouse Reef
b. the Great Barrier Reef
c. Tubbataha Reef - The sinkhole
a. has existed for over 100,000 years
b. has plenty of life even at the very bottom
c. formed in a collapse caused by flooding - Over time, the sinkhole will likely
a. grow even wider and deeper
b. reach colder temperatures
c. fill up with sand and debris
Discussion/essay questions
- The Great Blue Hole is a popular destination for tourists. However, diving in it is very dangerous, and only experienced divers are allowed to explore the caves. Do you like risky adventures? Why or why not?
Transcript
The Great Blue Hole is a giant sinkhole in the ocean. It is in the middle of Lighthouse Reef, which lies along the coast of Belize. Although the reef is shallow, the sinkhole reaches over 100 metres deep, forming a dark blue circle in the middle of the water. Inside the sinkhole, there are many underwater caves. These caves have existed for over 100,000 years, but they only became submerged at the end of the most recent Ice Age, when melting glaciers flooded the area. The sinkhole formed when the weight of the water caused the ground to collapse. At the very bottom of the Blue Hole, there is so little oxygen that most creatures can’t survive. Over time, the Blue Hole will likely fill up with sand and debris.
Answers to comprehension questions
1a 2c 3c
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4 comments
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English Club Indonesia says:
I don’t like risky adventures. They are too dangerous for me. I am not an experienced guy when it comes to adventures, so I will say no to that.
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Carlos says:
Thanks, very good info to learn and study english greetings.
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Ayda says:
Thank you
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Oscar. says:
The ocean is as mysterious as space