READING COMPREHENSION

- DINOUSAURS -

1- Read the following article quickly. Tick the ones that are mentioned.

Stegosaurus ……….. Explorers in Australia ……….

Flying dinosaurs ……….. Dinosaur National Monument ………

Volcanic eruptions ……….. Why dinosaurs became extinct ………

The origins of humanity ……….

The development of life on Earth took place over so many millions of years that it is difficult for us
to imagine. If we think of the entire history of life on Earth as equivalent to one year, dinosaurs
were present on Earth from 10th December until 25th December. Human beings did not appear
until late December 31st.

Signs of dinosaurs remain all over the Earth. The most important remains discovered so far are
at Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. Visitors to the monument can see a cliff containing
thousands of dinosaur bones. To date, researchers have removed 30 complete skeletons of 14
different species from the cliff. The cliff was once part of a sandbank in an ancient river. The
bodies of dead dinosaurs floated down the river onto the bank, where they were slowly covered
by sand and mud.

There have been many theories why dinosaurs became extinct. Some scientists have said they
were poisoned by something in the vegetation they ate, while others have argued that they were
killed by disease. Nowadays it is generally believed that they died out when the climate cooled.
This was probably caused by a meteorite colliding with the Earth and causing a huge dust storm
which stopped the Sun’s rays from warming the Earth’s surface. The crocodiles, turtles and
lizards which live in many parts of the world today are survivors from the time of the dinosaurs.
The extinction of dinosaurs meant that numbers of small mice-like animals were able to expand.
These were the first mammals, from which humanity evolved.

2- Correct the following sentences.

a. Dinosaurs were present for a long time on Earth.

……………………………………………………………………………

b. Human beings appeared on Earth before dinosaurs.

………………………………………………………………………………..

c. Dinosaur remains are only found on certain continents.

………………………………………………………………………………..
 d. Scientists have always agreed about why dinosaurs became extinct.

………………………………………………………………………………..

e. Dinosaurs died out when the Earth became too hot for them.

………………………………………………………………………………..

f. The first mammals could evolve thanks to the fact that there were great
numbers of them.

………………………………………………………………………………..

3- Find words in the text for these definitions:

a. …………………….. not existing any more

b. …………………….. to crash into

c. …………………….. vertical rock face

d. …………………….. people who do scientific investigation

e. …………………….. structure of bones of an animal or person

f. …………………….. animal which gives milk to its young

g. …………………….. to develop naturally over time

h. …………………….. person or animal still alive when others have died

 ANSWERS
1- Points mentioned:

Dinosaur National Monument

Why dinosaurs became extinct
The origins of humanity

2- Correct the sentences (Suggested answers):

a. Dinosaurs were present for a short time on Earth.

b. Human beings appeared on Earth after dinosaurs.
c. Dinosaur remains are found all over the Earth.
d. Scientists have different theories about why dinosaurs became extinct.
e. Dinosaurs died out when the Earth became too cold for them.
f. The first mammals could evolve thanks to the fact that dinosaurs became extinct.

3- Find words in the text for these definitions:

a. extinct
b. collide
c. cliff
d. researchers
e. skeleton
f. mammal
g. evolve
h. survivor