Amazing animal fact or fiction Target language: relative clauses Activity type: paired quiz and discussion When to use: Use this activity after lesson 7.1. Time taken: 25 minutes Photocopy one worksheet for each pair of students in the class. Preparat Procedure Put students into pairs and tell them to decide ifthe statements are fact or fiction. They tick the appropriate box and then pass their worksheet to another pair to mark, The teacher reveals the answers and the worksheets are marked and then returned. Discuss with the students which facts they find surprising. You can also ask the students to decide which statements can have the relative clause reduced. For example, The blue whale has a heart which is as big as a large van could be The blue whale has a heart as big as a large van. ‘Answers All the statements are true except: 2 the heart is as big as a car 5 they turn left 20. they can hold their breath for 45 minutes 42. pandas are only found in China 45, they spend 80% of their lives sleeping 19 it's the same length as its body 21 they eat their mothers it's the females that bite, the males that are vegetarianAmazing animal fact or fiction 3 5 9 20 3 The blue whale has a heart which is as big as a large van, ‘Mice which are kept in laboratories will run up to 3.5km a night on their wheels. The ancient Japanese thought that earthquakes were caused by a giant spider on which the Earth rested. Polar Bears, which live in the Arctic, are al left-handed and have black skin. Bats which are exiting caves at dusk always turn right. ‘Male emperor penguins, which are responsible for incubating the egg, will fast for up to 130 days. Crocodiles have digestive juices that are so strong they can digest a stee! nail. There are a number of animals whose tongues are blue, including the black bear, giraffe and chow chow dog. Hummingbirds are the only birds which can fly backwards. Beavers, which have recently been reintroduced to the UK, can hold thelr breath for 60 minutes. In the event of losing a limb, there are some species of salamander which can grow new ones. China and the north of Vietnam are the only places in the world where you can find giant pandas in the wild. Giraffes, every one of which has a unique pattern, stand up when they are sleeping. Butterflies, whose feet contain tiny sensors, taste their food by standing on it. There are some species of animal, like armadillos, opossums and sloths, which spend up to 70 percent of their lives sleeping. Elephants are the only animal that can’t jump. Reindeer eat moss because it contains a chemical which stops their body from freezing. ‘The strongest animal in the world is the rhinoceros beetle which can lft 850 times its own weight. The chameleon has a tongue which is twice as long as its body. ‘A cockroach which has lost head can live for up to nine days. Baby amarobia spiders eat their fathers when they are born. The ostrich has an eye which is bigger than its brain. It's only male mosquitoes that bite, female mosquitoes are vegetarians. Chimpanzees are one of the few mammals which can go bald as they age. vi