EnglishClub

Pre-listening vocabulary

• dispute: disagreement about a certain topic
• attract: to draw someone’s attention
• navigate: to find a safe and easy route to travel
• echo: a sound that repeats after it bounces off a surface
• estimate: to make a reasonable guess

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:20 — 1.2MB)

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Gapfill exercise

One of the strangest in the ocean is the song of a whale. There is still a lot of dispute about why whales sing. Some scientists believe that they are trying to attract mates. Others think that whale songs are a form of communication, almost like a . This is because individual whales sing with the same sound patterns as other whales in the area. They also learn different sound patterns when they whales from different areas. It’s also possible that singing helps whales to navigate. After all, it is very difficult to see underwater. Whale songs can be for humans, too. Scientists have started to use whale songs to oceans. They do this by measuring the time it takes to hear an echo. This helps them to estimate the depth of the ocean floor.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20285″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Today, humans are making a lot of noise in the ocean. Shipping and underwater construction are some causes of this. This makes it harder for scientists to study the sounds that whales make. Do you think it’s possible for humans to reduce noise pollution in the ocean?

Transcript

One of the strangest sounds in the ocean is the song of a whale. There is still a lot of dispute about why whales sing. Some scientists believe that they are trying to attract mates. Others think that whale songs are a form of communication, almost like a language. This is because individual whales sing with the same sound patterns as other whales in the area. They also learn different sound patterns when they meet whales from different areas. It’s also possible that singing helps whales to navigate. After all, it is very difficult to see underwater. Whale songs can be useful for humans, too. Scientists have started to use whale songs to map oceans. They do this by measuring the time it takes to hear an echo. This helps them to estimate the depth of the ocean floor.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• creature: a living animal, insect, or person
• species: a type of animal or group of similar animals
• self-awareness: knowing and understanding one’s own identity
• associated: linked, connected
• communicate: to share information by talking or through body language

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:16 — 1.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | More

Gapfill exercise

Dolphins are adorable, , and playful creatures. They’re also some of the most intelligent animals in the world. They have very large compared to most animals. The dolphin is also one member of a small group of species that can recognize their reflections in a . This shows that dolphins have self-awareness, which is a trait associated with intelligence. Dolphins also communicate with each other using whistles. They seem to use this type of communication to solve , which might mean that they have their own language. Dolphins even have individual names. Every dolphin has a “signature whistle” that it can use to introduce itself. Humans are still trying to dolphins, but if they really do have their own language, we may be able to communicate with them one day.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”19271″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Dolphins are sometimes kept in aquariums or zoos and taught tricks for human entertainment. This is a controversial topic because many people believe that dolphins and other animals belong in the wild. How do you feel about this?

Transcript

Dolphins are adorable, friendly, and playful creatures. They’re also some of the most intelligent animals in the world. They have very large brains compared to most animals. The dolphin is also one member of a small group of species that can recognize their reflections in a mirror. This shows that dolphins have self-awareness, which is a trait associated with intelligence. Dolphins also communicate with each other using whistles. They seem to use this type of communication to solve problems, which might mean that they have their own language. Dolphins even have individual names. Every dolphin has a “signature whistle” that it can use to introduce itself. Humans are still trying to understand dolphins, but if they really do have their own language, we may be able to communicate with them one day.