Tag: #Challenge

Elephants-An Easy Story with Quiz

 

 

Easy English News-Elephants

Hi!  An Easy English News story about elephants.  Oh just 2 paragraphs of interesting things about my favorite animal.  There is a quiz to find out how much you remembered.  But, like the title says, it’s an EASY story!

Paragraph 1

Zoologists in Germany have uncovered a previously unknown sensory faculty in elephants. It explains why the giant beasts’ trunks are so dexterous. The scientists found that the whiskers at the tip of the trunk are sensitive enough to detect the smallest, most delicate objects. The scientists are from the Haptic Intelligence Department at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. They say the incredible sensitivity of the whiskers compensates for the elephant’s poor eyesight. Whiskers are essential for navigating, locating food, and social communication. The researchers say the whiskers are “smart” and give the elephant an added sense of intelligence.

 

Paragraph 2

Scientists believe the insights from their research will assist in advancing robotics and neuroscience. Study co-author Dr Andrew Schulz said: “Each whisker on elephants’ trunks acts as a tactile sensory organ.” This allows an elephant to pick up something as delicate as a potato chip without breaking it. The research could help increase dexterity in robots. Dr Lena Kaufmann is excited about how the research could advance neuroscience. She said her findings “contribute to our understanding of the tactile perception of these fascinating animals”. She says the study will increase our understanding of “neuronal computation” — how the brain’s neurons process information to think, feel, and act.

 

The Quiz

Paragraph 1

You have read the paragraphs Right?  Now it’s time to answer the questions.

Jot the correct letter under the Number.  For example, the answer to #1 is Letter e.  Got it?  Then, go to it!

 

      1. zoologists a. Grouped closely together.
      2. faculty b. Large or wild animals.
      3. beasts c. A natural ability or skill.
      4. dexterous d. Makes up for something that is missing or weak.
      5. clustered e. Scientists who study animals.
      6. delicate f. Good at using your hands in a quick and careful way.
      7. compensates g. Easily broken or damaged.

    Paragraph 2

      8. insights h. To give or add something to help.
      9. neuroscience i. The act of calculating or processing information.
      10. tactile j. The way you understand or notice something.
      11. contribute k. The study of the brain and nervous system.
      12. perception l. Special cells in the brain and body that send messages.
      13. computation m. New and clear understanding about something.
      14. neurons n. Related to the sense of touch.

Source:  breakingnewsenglish.com

 

Sleep and Light Word Challenge

 

Everyone knows that good sleep is important for our health. Not everyone knows how important it is to sleep in the dark. A new report says sleeping with the light on could be bad for our health. Researchers say turning off the light when we sleep helps to keep away diabetes and heart disease. Sleeping with the light on could increase the risk of getting these diseases. The researchers said around 40 per cent of people sleep with some sort of artificial light. They said even light from a television or alarm clock could affect our health. They added that the worst thing to sleep with is a main light. Sleeping in the dark is more difficult for people who live in cities, where there is a lot of outdoor light at night.

The researchers are from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, USA. The lead researcher, Dr Phyllis Zee, is an expert in sleep medicine. She said it is healthier for us to turn off all lights when we sleep. Her team conducted a study of the blood sugar levels of 20 people after nights of sleep. The people who slept with a light on had higher blood sugar levels the next morning compared to those who slept in total darkness. Dr Zee said this is because light stimulates brain activity, which raises blood sugar levels. She said there are three things we can do to reduce the risk of illness: turn off the lights, never sleep with white or blue light; and use a blackout curtain or wear an eye mask.

You have read the article, now it’s time to do the challenge.

SYNONYM MATCH: 

  1. important
  2. bad
  3. health
  4. risk
  5. artificial
  6. expert
  7. conducted
  8. total
  9. reduce
  10. wear

Match the above words to those words below:

  1. a. well-being
    b. put on
    c. man-made
    d. harmful
    e. carried out
    f. cut
    g. essential
    h. specialist
    i. chance
    j. complete

 

Next, put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

dark
outdoor
important
alarm
risk
worst
diabetes
sort

Everyone knows that good sleep is (1) _____________________ for our health. Not everyone knows how important it is to sleep in the (2) _____________________. A new report says sleeping with the light on could be bad for our health. Researchers say turning off the light when we sleep helps to keep away (3) _____________________ and heart disease. Sleeping with the light on could increase the (4) _____________________ of getting these diseases. The researchers said around 40 per cent of people sleep with some (5) _____________________ of artificial light. They said even light from a television or (6) _____________________ clock could affect our health. They added that the (7) _____________________ thing to sleep with is a main light. Sleeping in the dark is more difficult for people who live in cities, where there is a lot of (8) _____________________ light at night.

 

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

stimulates
expert
morning
risk
lead
mask
sugar
raises

The researchers are from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, USA. The (9) _____________________ researcher, Dr Phyllis Zee, is an (10) _____________________ in sleep medicine. She said it is healthier for us to turn off all lights when we sleep. Her team conducted a study of the blood (11) _____________________ levels of 20 people after nights of sleep. The people who slept with a light on had higher blood sugar levels the next (12) _____________________ compared to those who slept in total darkness. Dr Zee said this is because light (13) _____________________ brain activity, which (14) _____________________ blood sugar levels. She said there are three things we can do to reduce the (15) _____________________ of illness: turn off the lights, never sleep with white or blue light; and use a blackout curtain or wear an eye (16) _____________________.

 

Answer Sheet:

SYNONYM MATCH

  1. g 2. d 3. a 4. i 5. c 6 h 7. e 8. j 9. f 10. b

WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

Everyone knows that good sleep is important.

Sleeping with the light on could be bad.

It increases the risk of getting these diseases

More difficult for people who live in cities

There’s a lot of outdoor light at night

Dr Zee is an expert in sleep medicine.

Her team conducted a study of the blood

The people who slept with a light on

There are three things we can do.

Use a blackout curtain or wear a mask.

Source:  breakingnewsenglish.com)

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