Crazy Crustaceans Student

Crazy Crustaceans
1. Read the article without paying attention to the missing sentences and choose the correct answer:
Why was this article written?
a) To warn people of the dangers of certain sea creatures.

b) To inform people about the diversity of ocean life.
c) To encourage people to protect sea creatures.
2. Now read the article carefully and complete the blanks 1-7 in the article with the letters of the sentences A-H.
There is an extra sentence you don’t need.
When people think of scary sea creatures they often think of sharks. They think of razor sharp teeth on an animal that weighs
over a ton and can smell blood in the water form over a mile away. Well, yes, sharks can be pretty terrifying but not when you
know that more people are struck by lightning each year than attacked by these animals.
Even the most dedicated swimmers are extremely unlikely to have a run-in with a shark. What if you were to be told that sharks
weren´t the most horrifying creatures in the ocean? 1 Well, it’s a fact.
The squid has been featured in maritime legends for centuries. The giant squid was one of the most feared sea creatures of the
past. This fear was not completely unfounded. Giant squid can be very aggressive predators.
2 Another squid which may send a shiver down your spine is the vampire squid. This deep-sea creature has eight
barbed tentacles which it uses to catch its prey and drag it toward its mouth, which resembles an eagle’s beak.
3 The tentacles are linked by a strong layer of skin, which makes the squid look as though it has a cloak. When
threatened, the vampire squid can pull this cloak over its body, turning the spikes outwards and suddenly becoming a much less
appealing meal for predators. Despite its fearsome name and appearance, the vampire squid doesn’t pose any threat to
humans. It grows to a maximum length of 12 inches and lives about 2300 feet below sea level, a depth rarely reached by most
people.
Crabs don’t inspire a sense of dread when we hear about them but the Japanese spider crab may give you cause for thought. This
is the largest crustacean known to man. Just how big is it? 4 These crabs are bright orange and look ferocious. Their size
and appearance means very few creatures bother them. They use their large limbs and claws to compete for territory and
mates. They may look terrifying but these crabs aren’t known for their aggressive behaviour towards other animals.
On the subject of dangerously deceptive appearance, this next creature takes the prize. The cookie cutter shark grows to about
20 inches long, which may not sound small to some but compared to a 16-foot long great white shark it is considered tiny.
5 When a larger fish or predator comes close enough, the cookie cutter shark attaches itself to the animal and bites off a
tasty chunk of flesh roughly the shape of a cookie, hence its name. The bite marks left by this little monster are quite distinctive.
6 Their teeth are sharp and strong enough to tear flesh and damage metal.
Another creepy deep-sea creature is the Bathynomous giganteus, an isopod which looks like an aquatic armadillo. Like the land-
based animal it resembles, when threatened it curls into a tight ball to protect itself. 7 It collects food from the seafloor,
eating whatever it comes across. These creatures can grow up to about 14 inches and weigh up to five pounds. They have seven
pairs of legs, four sets of jaws and two large antennae, making the isopod look more like an alien than a sea creature.
When we think of marine life we might think of tropical fish swimming in crystal clear water around a coral reef, or whales
singing to each other in calm blue oceans. Delve a little, or a lot, deeper, however, and you’ll find some creatures which not only
surprise you, but stretch the limits of your imagination.
A. Its leg span can reach as much as 13 feet, which is twice the height of an average doorway.
B. This little trickster, using its markings to look like a smaller, harmless fish, waits patiently for its food
to approach.
C. It has thick sheets of armour which are difficult, if not impossible, for a predator to break.
D. What if in the deepest darkest depths of the ocean there were creatures which are more at home in science
fiction than in marine biology laboratories?
E. Once caught, the prey has little hope of escaping with its life.
F. Perhaps we have yet to see the strangest creatures the oceans have to offer.
G. They have even been observed on other, larger sharks, whales, dolphins and even submarines.
H. They have been held responsible for attacking people and ships.
3. Finally match the underlined words in the text to their meanings.
Run-in misleading
Unfounded crustacean
Cloak fear
Pose conflict
Dread search for information
Deceptive long, thick, loose coat
Tiny consequently
Hence to present a difficult situation
Isopod extremely small
Delve not based on fact or evidence

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Crazy Crustaceans

Why was this article written?

a) To warn people of the dangers of certain sea creatures.

3. Finally match the underlined words in the text to their meanings.

Dread search for information

Deceptive long, thick, loose coat

Hence to present a difficult situation

Isopod extremely small

Delve not based on fact or evidence

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