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Reading Worksheet

How Animals Behave

A1 Zero Conditional: Always-True Facts Animals 15 minutes
Before You Read

Discuss these questions with a partner before you read.

  • Do you have a pet? What animal is it?
  • What is your favourite animal?
  • Can animals understand us?
  • What do animals do in winter?
Key Vocabulary
Word Definition Example
wag (v.) to move from side to side quickly Dogs wag their tails when they are happy.
migrate (v.) to travel to a warmer place Birds migrate when it is cold.
hibernate (v.) to sleep through winter Bears hibernate in winter.
nectar (n.) sweet liquid in flowers Bees collect nectar from flowers.
sting (v.) to hurt with a sharp point A bee stings if it is in danger.
danger (n.) something that can hurt you The bird flies away if there is danger.
Reading Text
Magazine Article ~150 words

How Animals Behave

Animals do many interesting things. Here are some facts about how they behave.

Dogs are friendly animals. When dogs are happy, they wag their tails. If you give a dog food, it eats it.

Cats are quiet animals. If a cat is scared, it hides. When cats are tired, they sleep a lot.

Birds are interesting too. When birds are cold, they migrate to warm places. If a bird sees danger, it flies away.

Bears are big and strong. When bears are hungry in autumn, they eat a lot of food. If the weather gets very cold, bears hibernate. They sleep all winter.

Bees are small but important. When bees find flowers, they collect nectar. If a bee is in danger, it stings.

Notice the Grammar

Look at this sentence: 'If a cat is scared, it hides.' Both verbs are present simple. This is always true. Can you find more sentences like this?

1 Reading for Gist

Answer in one or two words.

  1. How many animals does the article talk about?
  2. What do bees collect from flowers?
  3. What do bears do in winter?
2 Reading for Detail

Write short answers.

  1. What do dogs do when they are happy?
  2. What does a cat do if it is scared?
  3. What do birds do when it gets cold?
  4. When do bears eat a lot of food?  a) In spring. b) In summer. c) In autumn. 
  5. When does a bee sting?
3 True, False, or Not Given

Write T (True), F (False), or NG (Not Given).

  1. Dogs wag their tails when they are happy.
  2. Cats are very noisy animals.
  3. Birds fly south in winter.
  4. Bears sleep in winter.
  5. Bees collect nectar from trees.
4 Vocabulary in Context

Answer the questions about words from the article.

  1. What does 'wag' mean?  a) To sleep. b) To move from side to side. c) To eat quickly. 
  2. What does 'hibernate' mean?
  3. Find a word that means 'to travel to a warmer place'. 
  4. What does 'danger' mean? Write your own simple definition.
5 Grammar in Context

Complete these activities about the zero conditional.

  1. Find four zero conditional sentences from the article. Write them.
    a)  b)  c)  d) 
  2. Are these sentences about ONE animal or ALL animals of this type?
  3. Choose the correct sentence.  a) If a dog is happy, it will wag its tail. b) If a dog is happy, it wags its tail. c) If a dog was happy, it wagged its tail. 
  4. Write sentences. (a) Cats / scared / hide → 'If cats ___, they ___.' (b) Bears / cold weather / hibernate → 'When ___, bears ___.'
  5. Write two sentences about an animal you know. Use 'if' or 'when'.
Personal Response — Discuss with a partner

Talk to a partner. Share one idea with the class.

  1. What is your favourite animal in the article? Why?
  2. What other animals do you know? What do they do?
  3. Do you think animals are intelligent? Why?

Answer Key

How Animals Behave — A1 — Zero Conditional: Always-True Facts

Exercise 1 — Reading for Gist

  1. Five: dogs, cats, birds, bears, and bees.
  2. Nectar.
  3. They hibernate (sleep).

Exercise 2 — Reading for Detail

  1. They wag their tails.
  2. It hides.
  3. They migrate to warm places.
  4. c)
  5. When it is in danger.

Exercise 3 — True, False, or Not Given

  1. T — 'When dogs are happy, they wag their tails.'
  2. F — The article says cats are quiet animals.
  3. NG — The article says birds migrate to warm places but does not say south.
  4. T — 'If the weather gets very cold, bears hibernate. They sleep all winter.'
  5. F — The article says bees collect nectar from flowers, not trees.

Exercise 4 — Vocabulary in Context

  1. b)
  2. To sleep through winter.
  3. migrate
  4. Something that can hurt you or make you unsafe.

Exercise 5 — Grammar in Context

  1. Any four of the following: 'When dogs are happy, they wag their tails.'; 'If you give a dog food, it eats it.'; 'If a cat is scared, it hides.'; 'When cats are tired, they sleep a lot.'; 'When birds are cold, they migrate to warm places.'; 'If a bird sees danger, it flies away.'; 'If the weather gets very cold, bears hibernate.'; 'When bees find flowers, they collect nectar.'; 'If a bee is in danger, it stings.'
  2. All animals of this type — the zero conditional describes facts that are always true.
  3. b)
  4. (a) If cats are scared, they hide. (b) When the weather is cold, bears hibernate.
  5. Answers will vary. Answers will vary. Check: if/when + present simple, present simple. Simple vocabulary. Both clauses in the present tense

Notice the Grammar — suggested answers

Accept any five correct examples from the article that use the target grammar. Students should be able to explain why the grammar is used in each case.

Personal Response

Answers will vary. This section is for spoken discussion or short written response. There are no single correct answers.