Scientists Find Evidence of Giant Sloth Hunt

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Materials Daily News

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

evidence

Noun

ˈɛvɪdəns

a fact, object, etc. that shows that something is true

The lawyer presented an important piece of evidence in court.

The ring he gave me is evidence that he loves me.

There is no evidence that he stole the money.

Evidence has shown that rats and humans share the same types of nerve cells.

sloth

Noun

sloʊθ

an animal that lives in trees in South and Central America and moves very slowly

Sloths mostly eat leaves, but sometimes consume fruit, flowers and insects.

ancient

Adjective

ˈeɪnʃənt

from a very long time ago

This ancient temple has survived for thousands of years.

Ancient Greece is the birthplace of the modern world.

The professor is working on a study of ancient Rome.

This ancient church was built more than a thousand years ago.

footprint

Noun

ˈfʊtˌprɪnt

a mark made by the foot of a human or animal

Scientists have found dinosaur footprints in the rock.

extinction

Noun

ɪkˈstɪŋkʃən

the fact or process of no longer existing

The bald eagle is a rare bird that faces possible extinction.

Exercise 2

Article

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

Scientists Find Evidence of Giant Sloth Hunt

A desert in the American Southwest provides evidence of a hunt from long ago.

Scientists found footprints from a hunt involving ancient human beings and a large prehistoric sloth. They discovered the footprints in what is now the White Sands National Monument in the state of New Mexico.

The discovery is extremely rare. The researchers say it could change scientists’ understanding of how ancient humans interacted with large animals. It also may show whether our ancestors were responsible for the disappearance of the giant ground sloth.

The researchers found more than 100 footprints dating back between 10,000 and 15,000 years.

The prints seem to show humans following giant ground sloths. The animals could reach the size of an elephant. Science magazine says they disappeared about 11,000 years ago, around the end of Earth’s last Ice Age. That would be about the same time the first human civilizations appeared on our planet.

Hunting such a large animal "would have come with huge amounts of risk," said Matthew Bennett of Bournemouth University in England. He is the lead writer of a recent report on the discovery.

With the newly discovered footprints, Bennett said "we can begin to understand how they did it. That gives us a better understanding of whether we are guilty or not" of hunting the animals to extinction.

The researchers say there are likely other footprints to be found at the White Sands National Monument.

Exercise 3

Questions

How big was the giant ground sloth?

When did giant ground sloths disappear?

Who is Matthew Bennett?

Exercise 4

Discussion

What are your thoughts on this discovery?

Do you think it's likely that humans hunted the giant ground sloth to extinction? Why do you think so?

Do you find it interesting to learn about extinct animals that once walked the Earth? If so, which ones do you find most fascinating? If not, why not?

In your opinion, what do scientists stand to gain by studying the history of ancient civilizations and animals?

Are you generally interested in history? If so, what historical periods interest you the most? If not, why not?

Exercise 5

Further Discussion

Is your country home to any species that are close to extinction? If so, please share what you know about these animals.

Do you believe that human activity is the driving factor behind most animal extinctions? Why? Why not?

Do you expect the number of endangered species to increase or decrease over the next few decades? Why?

What animal would you most like to see in its natural habitat? Please explain your answer.

Extinction is the rule, survival is the exception. - Carl Sagan. What do you make of this statement?

Exercises for Further Self-Study

These self-study exercises are optional and should be carried out after the lesson has finished.

Exercise 6

Sentence Building

Write at least one sentence for each of the words in Exercise 1: Vocabulary. Begin by making sure you understand the definition of each word. Use the example sentences as a guide if you are unable to think of a sentence. Practice reading your sentences out loud.

Exercise 7

Summary

Make a brief summary of the article. Focus on the main topic and consider which pieces of information are most important. Make sure you include details such as what the article is about, who is mentioned in it, where and when the events took place, and also how and why they happened.

Parts of this lesson are based on:

An article by Voice of America.