READING U7

1. Read the text. Then complete the sentences. (10 points)

Many people want to stay young and healthy and never grow old. Is this possible?
Some scientists think it can be in the future. They are now studying a very unusual
jellyfish called Turritopsis dohrnii. This creature can live life over and over again!
In 1883, people discovered the Turritopsis dohrnii in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s
only about 4.5 to 5 mm in size, so it’s smaller than other jellyfish. For many years,
scientists weren’t very interested in it. In fact, they only started studying it
properly in the 1990s. That’s when they realised it was more interesting than other
jellyfish. The Turritopsis dohrnii has got the unique ability to reverse its own
biological clock.
How does it work? When an adult Turritopsis dohrnii feels stress, it changes form.
First, it loses its tentacles and becomes a small ball. After that, the Turritopsis
dohrnii returns to an early stage of jellyfish development called a polyp. The polyp
then produces baby jellyfish and the process starts again.
In nature, most Turritopsis dohrnii don’t reverse their biological clocks because
predators eat them or they become ill and die. But they all have this amazing
ability. Scientists are still trying to understand the phenomenon. Maybe in the
future, this information can help people become young again, too!

1. Some scientists think it can be possible .........................................................................

.................................................................... in the future.

2. The Turritopsis dohrnii is unusual because ..................................................................... .
3. About 100 years after the discovery of the Turritopsis dohrnii, scientists …..
..................................................................................................................................................... .
4. A polyp is ................................................................................................................................. .
5. Most Turritopsis dohrnii don’t use their amazing ability because
..................................................................................................................................................... .

2 Read the statements and find words in the text to show they are true. (10 points)
1. The Turritopsis dohrnii isn’t a big jellyfish.
..............................................................................................
2. The Turritopsis dohrnii doesn’t use its ability when it is happy.
..............................................................................................
3. An adult Turritopsis dohrnii has got tentacles.
..............................................................................................
4. The process can happen more than one time.
..............................................................................................
5. Scientists don’t understand everything about the process.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………