Sharks Intermediate

Reading Passage

Sharks are amazing ocean predators that have lived on Earth for over four hundred million years. These ancient fish existed even before the dinosaurs roamed our planet long ago. There are more than five hundred different species of sharks swimming in oceans around the world today. They range from the tiny dwarf lantern shark to the massive whale shark measuring forty feet long. Sharks play a crucial role in keeping ocean ecosystems healthy and balanced for all marine life.

Sharks have incredible senses that make them perfect hunters in the deep ocean waters. They can smell a single drop of blood in the water from almost a mile away easily. Special sensors called ampullae detect the electrical signals that all living creatures produce naturally. Their hearing is so sensitive they can hear fish swimming from great distances underwater. Some sharks can even sense changes in water pressure to locate prey hiding nearby them.

Unlike most fish, sharks have skeletons made of cartilage instead of hard bone material. Cartilage is the same flexible material found in your ears and nose right now. This lighter skeleton helps sharks swim faster and turn more quickly while hunting food. Sharks constantly lose and replace their teeth throughout their entire lifetime naturally. A single shark may grow over thirty thousand teeth during its life in the ocean.

Many people fear sharks because of scary movies, but shark attacks are actually very rare. Humans kill about one hundred million sharks every year for their fins and meat products. This overfishing has made many shark species endangered and close to extinction permanently. Some countries have banned shark finning to protect these important ocean animals from disappearing. Scientists work hard to educate people about the true nature of these misunderstood creatures.

Sharks are essential for healthy oceans and deserve our protection and respect today. They control fish populations by eating sick and weak animals, keeping species strong overall. Without sharks, the entire ocean food chain would collapse and cause massive environmental problems worldwide. Marine parks and protected areas help shark populations recover from years of overfishing damage. Learning about sharks helps us appreciate their beauty and importance to our planet’s oceans.

Level: Level F

A. Vocabulary Matching

Match each word with its definition.

B. True or False

Write T (True) or F (False) for each statement.

1. Sharks have existed for over 400 million years. ______
2. There are about 100 species of sharks. ______
3. Sharks can smell blood from almost a mile away. ______
4. Shark skeletons are made of hard bone. ______
5. Sharks may grow over 30,000 teeth in their lifetime. ______
6. Shark attacks on humans are very common. ______
7. Humans kill about 100 million sharks per year. ______
8. Sharks are not important for ocean health. ______
9. Cartilage is the same material in your ears. ______

C. Fill in the Blanks

Word Bank: predators  |  species  |  crucial  |  distances  |  skeletons  |  endangered  |  misunderstood

1. Sharks are amazing ocean _______________ that have lived for millions of years.
2. There are more than five hundred different _______________ of sharks in the world.
3. Sharks play a _______________ role in keeping ocean ecosystems healthy.
4. Shark _______________ are made of cartilage instead of hard bone.
5. Scientists work to educate people about these _______________ creatures.

D. Comprehension Questions

1. How long have sharks existed on Earth?
2. What special sensors do sharks have and what do they detect?
3. Why is a cartilage skeleton helpful for sharks?
4. How many sharks do humans kill each year?
5. Why are sharks important for healthy ocean ecosystems?

E. Discussion Questions

Talk about these questions with a partner or write your answers.

1. Why do you think people are often afraid of sharks?
2. What can humans do to help protect shark populations?
3. Would you like to swim with sharks in the ocean? Why or why not?

Answer Key

Check your answers below.

A. Vocabulary: 1-e, 2-a, 3-h, 4-j, 5-f, 6-d, 7-b, 8-c, 9-i, 10-g

B. True/False: 1-T, 2-F, 3-T, 4-F, 5-T, 6-F, 7-T, 8-F, 9-T

C. Fill in the Blanks: 1-predators, 2-species, 3-crucial, 4-skeletons, 5-misunderstood

D. Comprehension: 1. Over 400 million years; 2. Ampullae – they detect electrical signals from living creatures; 3. It’s lighter and helps them swim faster and turn quickly; 4. About 100 million; 5. They control fish populations by eating sick/weak animals

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