Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

1:1 Online English classes. Find out more

English Newsroom

Learn English through news articles - complete lesson plans, including articles, listening, classroom activities, quiz questions and more!

Carlos Finds Special White Baby Shark with Flying Camera

TheMalibuArtist captures possible birth of great white shark, but experts urge caution and further evidence.

Try this article at a different level?

 

A man named Carlos Gauna, who likes to film sharks from the sky with a flying camera, found a very small white shark. This little shark had a special white coat on its body. A shark expert thinks this baby shark might have just been born because its fins look different. But, some other sea animal doctors say we should be careful. They think the white coat might be because the shark is sick or something else we don’t know.

Carlos uses his flying camera to watch sharks and sometimes sees them swimming near people. His videos help us learn more about sharks. He really wants to film a shark being born one day. But, to know for sure if the baby shark he found was just born, we need to find out more. Sharks are interesting, and Carlos’s videos help us see how they live in the water.

Original news source: Has great white shark newborn been caught on film for the first time? (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

1expertA person who knows a lot about something
2specialDifferent from what is usual
3discoverTo find something for the first time
4videosMoving pictures that you can watch on a screen
5sickNot feeling well
6learnTo get new knowledge about something
7interestingSomething that makes you think and want to know more
8waterA clear liquid that you drink and swim in
9flyingMoving through the air
10babyA very young child or animal

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Word Association
Instructions: Have the students take turns saying a word that comes to mind when they hear the word “shark”. Encourage them to think of different words each time and avoid repeating words that have already been said.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of shark-related vocabulary words on the board (e.g. fin, water, swim, teeth, etc.). Divide the students into pairs or small groups. One student from each group will choose a word and draw a picture to represent that word, while the other students guess what word it is.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. Set a timer for 1 minute. One student will read the article aloud while the other student listens. After 1 minute, the roles switch and the other student summarizes what they heard. Encourage the students to use their own words and not read directly from the article.

– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write down a list of keywords from the article on separate cards (e.g. shark, white coat, fins, etc.). Divide the students into teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and pick a card. They must then describe the keyword to their team without using the actual keyword. The team must guess the keyword within a certain time limit.

– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Have the students take turns sharing three statements about sharks, with one statement being false. The other students must guess which statement is the lie. Encourage the students to use information from the article to make their statements.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is Carlos Gauna?
2. What does Carlos like to do with his flying camera?
3. What did Carlos find in the water?
4. Why do some people think the baby shark might be sick?
5. What do Carlos’s videos help us learn about?
6. What does Carlos want to film one day?
7. What do we need to do to know for sure if the baby shark was just born?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A man named Carlos Gauna, who likes to (1)______ sharks from the sky with a flying camera, found a very small white shark. This little shark had a special white (2)______ on its body. A shark expert thinks this baby (3)______ might have just been born because its fins look different. But, some other sea animal doctors say we should be careful. They think the white coat might be because the shark is (4)______ or something else we don’t know.

Carlos uses his flying camera to watch sharks and sometimes sees them swimming near (5)______. His videos help us learn more about sharks. He really (6)______ to film a shark being born one day. But, to know for sure if the baby shark he (7)______ was just born, we need to find out more. Sharks are (8)______, and Carlos’s videos help us see how they live in the water.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a shark?
2. How would you feel if you saw a shark swimming near you?
3. Do you like watching videos of sharks?
4. Do you think it would be fun to film sharks with a flying camera? Why or why not?
5. What do you think a baby shark looks like?
6. How do you think sharks live in the water?
7. Have you ever seen a shark before? Where?
8. How do you think the baby shark’s white coat is different from other sharks?
9. Why do you think some sea animal doctors are worried about the baby shark?
10. What do you think we can learn from Carlos’s videos of sharks?
11. How do you think Carlos feels when he films sharks?
12. Do you think it’s important to protect sharks? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. expert
2. special
3. discover
4. videos
5. sick
6. learn
7. interesting
8. water
9. flying
10. baby

Meanings:
(A) Something that makes you think and want to know more
(B) A clear liquid that you drink and swim in
(C) To get new knowledge about something
(D) Different from what is usual
(E) A very young child or animal
(F) Not feeling well
(G) Moving through the air
(H) Moving pictures that you can watch on a screen
(I) A person who knows a lot about something
(J) To find something for the first time
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the man who likes to film sharks from the sky?
(a) John Smith
(b) Emily Johnson
(c) Carlos Gauna
(d) Sarah Brown

2. What color is the small shark that Carlos found?
(a) Blue
(b) White
(c) Red
(d) Green

3. Why do some sea animal doctors think the white shark might be sick?
(a) Because of its white coat
(b) Because it swims near people
(c) Because its fins look different
(d) Because it was found by Carlos

4. What does Carlos use to film sharks?
(a) A fishing net
(b) A boat
(c) A snorkel
(d) A flying camera

5. What does Carlos want to film one day?
(a) A dolphin jumping
(b) A shark being born
(c) A turtle swimming
(d) A whale singing

6. What do Carlos’s videos help us learn more about?
(a) Birds
(b) Trees
(c) Cars
(d) Sharks

7. What do we need to find out more about the baby shark?
(a) If it was just born
(b) If it is sick
(c) If it is swimming near people
(d) If it has a white coat

8. What do Carlos’s videos help us see?
(a) How sharks live in the sky
(b) How sharks live on land
(c) How sharks live in the water
(d) How sharks live in the desert

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Carlos really wants to film a shark being born one day.
2. Carlos Gauna enjoys capturing sharks from the sky with a flying camera.
3. To confirm if the baby shark he discovered was just born, we must conduct additional research.
4. A shark expert thinks the baby shark might have just been born because its fins look different.
5. He discovered a tiny white shark with a unique black coat on its body.
6. His videos help us learn more about sharks and how they live in the water.
7. Certain other marine veterinarians advise caution because the white coat could indicate the shark is healthy or something else we don’t know.
8. Carlos uses his flying camera to watch sharks and sometimes sees them swimming near people.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.




Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What did Carlos Gauna find in the water?
2. What color was the little shark’s body?
3. Why do some sea animal doctors think the shark might be sick?
4. What does Carlos use to film sharks?
5. What does Carlos want to film one day?

Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who is Carlos Gauna?
Carlos Gauna is a man who likes to film sharks from the sky with a flying camera.

2. What does Carlos like to do with his flying camera?
Carlos likes to use his flying camera to watch sharks and film them.

3. What did Carlos find in the water?
Carlos found a very small white shark in the water.

4. Why do some people think the baby shark might be sick?
Some people think the baby shark might be sick because of its white coat.

5. What do Carlos’s videos help us learn about?
Carlos’s videos help us learn more about sharks and how they live in the water.

6. What does Carlos want to film one day?
Carlos wants to film a shark being born one day.

7. What do we need to do to know for sure if the baby shark was just born?
We need to find out more information to know for sure if the baby shark was just born.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) film
(2) coat
(3) shark
(4) sick
(5) people
(6) wants
(7) found
(8) interesting
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. expert
Answer: (I) A person who knows a lot about something

2. special
Answer: (D) Different from what is usual

3. discover
Answer: (J) To find something for the first time

4. videos
Answer: (H) Moving pictures that you can watch on a screen

5. sick
Answer: (F) Not feeling well

6. learn
Answer: (C) To get new knowledge about something

7. interesting
Answer: (A) Something that makes you think and want to know more

8. water
Answer: (B) A clear liquid that you drink and swim in

9. flying
Answer: (G) Moving through the air

10. baby
Answer: (E) A very young child or animal
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the man who likes to film sharks from the sky?
Answer: (c) Carlos Gauna

2. What color is the small shark that Carlos found?
Answer: (b) White

3. Why do some sea animal doctors think the white shark might be sick?
Answer: (a) Because of its white coat

4. What does Carlos use to film sharks?
Answer: (d) A flying camera

5. What does Carlos want to film one day?
Answer: (b) A shark being born

6. What do Carlos’s videos help us learn more about?
Answer: (d) Sharks

7. What do we need to find out more about the baby shark?
Answer: (a) If it was just born

8. What do Carlos’s videos help us see?
Answer: (c) How sharks live in the water
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Carlos really wants to film a shark being born one day. (Answer: True)
2. Carlos Gauna enjoys capturing sharks from the sky with a flying camera. (Answer: False)
3. To confirm if the baby shark he discovered was just born, we must conduct additional research. (Answer: False)
4. A shark expert thinks the baby shark might have just been born because its fins look different. (Answer: True)
5. He discovered a tiny white shark with a unique black coat on its body. (Answer: False)
6. His videos help us learn more about sharks and how they live in the water. (Answer: True)
7. Certain other marine veterinarians advise caution because the white coat could indicate the shark is healthy or something else we don’t know. (Answer: False)
8. Carlos uses his flying camera to watch sharks and sometimes sees them swimming near people. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

How about these other Level 1 articles?

🎉 Coming Soon ⏳

🧑‍💻 1 to 1 Online English Classes 👩🏻‍💻

Practice English through Zoom with me, Paul, or one of the teachers I have chosen for you. Suitable for all ages and levels.

Choose the teacher and time you want. 🧑🏻‍🏫👩‍🏫⌚️

You can learn:
– English writing skills (essays, emails, etc.) 
– English conversation practice 
– English pronunciation practice
– Textbook classes
Anything you want

Introductory prices:
60 minute class with native speaker (e.g. Paul): US$34.99 US$24.99
60 minute class with non-native speaker (e.g. Philippines, Indonesia): US$9.99 US$7.99

Interested? Please fill in the form and I will contact you soon!

Feedback