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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Cats
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Scientists Discover How Cats Drink (12th November, 2010)

The way cats drink is a wonder of science, say scientists. Researchers and cat experts have wondered for decades how cats lap up milk so well. Now the secret is out. A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) used high-speed video to look at a cat’s drinking technique. The film was looked at in slow motion. The camera showed a cat shoots its tongue into the milk in a J shape at speeds of 78 centimeters per second. The cat does not scoop the milk into its mouth; the milk simply sticks to its tongue.

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We have to wonder why it has taken so long to uncover this secret. We have been studying cats for hundreds of years. MIT researcher Pedro Reis also wonders why. He said: “It’s amazing how you look at something and think, somebody must have studied that before. But as happens with many things in everyday life, that is not the case.” Reis called the new cat-lapping discovery “one of the excitements of science”. We still have a lot to learn about the animal world. We have even more to learn about the human body.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	a wonder	a.	technique
2	experts have wondered	b.	to its tongue
3.	a cat’s drinking	c.	of science
4.	speeds of 78 centimeters	d.	the milk
5.	The cat does not scoop	e.	for decades
6.	milk simply sticks	f.	per second

Paragraph 2

1.	We have to wonder	a.	have studied that before
2	uncover	b.	life
3.	somebody must	c.	why
4.	everyday	d.	lapping discovery
5.	the new cat-	e.	to learn
6.	We have even more	f.	this secret

LISTENING GAP FILL

The way cats drink is _______________________, say scientists. Researchers and cat experts have _______________________ how cats lap up milk so well. Now the secret is out. A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) used high-speed video to look at a _______________________. The film was looked at in slow motion. The camera showed a cat shoots its tongue into the milk _______________________ speeds of 78 centimeters per second. The cat does _______________________ into its mouth; the milk _______________________ tongue.

We _______________________ it has taken so long to uncover this secret. We have been studying cats for hundreds of years. MIT researcher Pedro Reis _______________________. He said: “It’s amazing how you look at something and think, somebody _______________________ before. But as happens with many things in everyday life, that _______________________.” Reis called the new cat-lapping discovery “one of the excitements of science”. We _______________________ learn about the animal world. We have _______________________ about the human body.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

The way cats drink is a (1) ____ of science, say scientists. Researchers and cat experts have wondered for decades how cats lap (2) ____ milk so well. Now the secret is (3) ____. A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) used high-speed video to look at a cat’s drinking technique. The film was looked at in slow (4) ____. The camera showed a cat shoots its tongue into the milk in a J (5) ____ at speeds of 78 centimeters per second. The cat does not scoop the milk into its mouth; the milk simply sticks to (6) ____ tongue.

We have to wonder why it has taken (7) ____ long to uncover this secret. We have been studying cats for hundreds of years. MIT researcher Pedro Reis also wonders (8) ____. He said: “It’s amazing how you look at something and think, somebody must (9) ____ studied that before. But as happens with many things in everyday life, that is not the (10) ____.” Reis called the new cat-lapping (11) ____ “one of the excitements of science”. We still have a lot to learn about the animal world. We have even (12) ____ to learn about the human body.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	wander	(b)	wondering	(c)	wonder
2.	(a)	up	(b)	out	(c)	down
3.	(a)	out	(b)	in	(c)	on
4.	(a)	movie	(b)	motion	(c)	motor
5.	(a)	shape	(b)	shaped	(c)	sharp
6.	(a)	it’s	(b)	it is	(c)	its
7.	(a)	so	(b)	as	(c)	such
8.	(a)	where	(b)	why	(c)	who
9.	(a)	been	(b)	done	(c)	have
10.	(a)	case	(b)	wallet	(c)	purse
11.	(a)	discovers	(b)	discovery	(c)	discovering
12	(a)	most	(b)	much	(c)	more

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	a wonder of eiccsen
2.	cat estrpex
3.	high-epsde video
4.	slow omtnoi
5.	78 centimeters per oecnsd
6.	sticks to its ngoteu
Paragraph 2
7.	uncover this esrtec
8.	denudshr of years
9.	It’s naagzim
10.	in yvareedy life
11.	We still have a lot to rnlea
12.	the manhu body

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	life, that is not the case.” Reis called the new cat-lapping discovery “one of the excitements of
( )	of 78 centimeters per second. The cat does not scoop the milk into its mouth; the milk simply sticks to its tongue.
( )	science”. We still have a lot to learn about the animal world. We have even more to learn about the human body.
( )	at in slow motion. The camera showed a cat shoots its tongue into the milk in a J shape at speeds
( )	hundreds of years. MIT researcher Pedro Reis also wonders why. He said: “It’s amazing how you look at
( )	wondered for decades how cats lap up milk so well. Now the secret is out. A team from the Massachusetts
( 1 )	The way cats drink is a wonder of science, say scientists. Researchers and cat experts have
( )	something and think, somebody must have studied that before. But as happens with many things in everyday
( )	Institute of Technology (MIT) used high-speed video to look at a cat’s drinking technique. The film was looked
( )	We have to wonder why it has taken so long to uncover this secret. We have been studying cats for

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	of The drink wonder cats a science way is.
2.	Researchers wondered and for cat decades experts have.
3.	was motion looked at The in film slow.
4.	78 per of centimeters second Speeds.
5.	milk The tongue its to sticks simply.
6.	taken to secret has long this It so uncover.
7.	been for years have cats of We studying hundreds.
8.	Somebody have that must studied before.
9.	about A the lot animal to world learn.
10.	learn about the human body We have even more to.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about drinking for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. CATS: Search the Internet and find more information about cats. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about the way cats drink. Include imaginary interviews with two cats. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to a cat expert. Ask him/her three questions about cats. Give him/her three of your opinions on them. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Cats (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)