MATERIAL EXTRA PARA CUSTIONARIO

Unidad 2 A
A Fascinating Creature
Which sea creature eats most its food during the summer, likes to sing and dance, and is as big as
a bus? If you guessed the humpback whale, you are correct. The humpback whale is truly an
amazing creature.

Humpback whales live in groups called pods. Pods swim in oceans all over the world, spending
summer months along the coastlines. There they feed on krill (a small, shrimp-like animal),
plankton (a sea plant), and other small fish. They use a filtering system to eat. Water flows into
their mouths through two rows of baleen plates. The plates catch food but let the water back out.
Then the food goes to the whale's stomach to be digested.

During the winter months, humpbacks swim to warmer waters near the Equator to mate. When
humpbacks mate, the male humpbacks often "sing" to attract the females. Once a female becomes
pregnant, it takes about a year before its baby is born. Newborn humpbacks stay close by their
mothers. Scientists have noticed that mother and baby always seem to be touching--perhaps as a
sign of affection.

Humpback whales are known for leaping out of the water. Scientists don't know whether they do
this just for fun, or for a more practical reason, such as to clean themselves. In either case, the
whales use their large tail fins, or flukes, to throw themselves out of the water, into the air, and
land with a big splash.

There are about 30-40,000 humpback whales today. Scientists keep track of individual whales by
looking at the white markings on their bellies. Each whale has unique markings, so scientists are
able to identify it. Scientists gather information such as the whale's size, its songs, and where it
travels to. Thanks to scientists' research, we continue to learn more about these fascinating
creatures.

Unidad 2 B
Search and Rescue Dogs
Humans and dogs have been living and working together for thousands of years. Because of their
protective and playful nature, people often acquire dogs as pets for children. Dog owners have
also found these domestic animals useful when they go hunting for wild animals. Today, because
of their natural curiosity and excellent sense of smell, many dogs are being trained to help with a
variety of search and rescue missions, for example, when a skier is lost in a snowy wilderness
area or a child disappears in a huge national park.

The first known use of dogs to help rescue people took place in the Great St. Bernard Pass, a route
located in the mountains between Switzerland and Italy. There, hikers often became lost during
bad winter weather. For many centuries, a group of religious men called monks ran a small hotel
there where travelers could spend the night. In the 17th century, the monks began taking dogs with
them when they went out to rescue lost travelers. They knew the dogs could use their sense of
smell to locate people, but they soon discovered that the animals also had an excellent sense of
direction, even when it was impossible to see anything through the blowing snow. Using dogs for
search and rescue missions became common during the First World War. At that point, dogs were
trained to help find injured fighters in the fields when the conflict stopped for a moment.
Not every dog can do this complex and important work. The training can last up to two years, and
trainers look for four qualities in the animals they choose. First of all, the dog must interact well
with humans. Second, it must have a talent for keeping its awareness on one single thing for a
long period of time. Third, it has to enjoy playing games, since the training involves constantly
doing the same thing over and over. Finally, it must be obedient at all times. Dogs with these
qualities have become a valuable part of many life-saving teams around the world.