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Charles Darwin
Warm-up
1
4
b
T5 25
Listen to a scientist talking about
Darwin’s life and check your answer to
exercise 1.
Listen again and choose the correct
alternative, a, b or c.
1 Darwin was born in
a Yorkshire.
b Hampshire. c Shropshire.
2 He studied Theology at
a Edinburgh University. b Oxford University.
c Cambridge University.
3 He went on a scientific exploration
a around the world.
b around Europe.
c around the United Kingdom.
4 The voyage lasted
a 3 years.
b 4 years.
c 5 years.
5 He formulated his ideas on evolution in the
Galapagos Islands through his observations of
a flowers.
b bears.
c birds.
6 His book On the Origin of Species was
published in
a 1859.
b 1869.
c 1849.
Check
5 a
b In pairs. Check your answers.
A What observation did Darwin make about
population numbers of a species?
B He observed that…
Writing
6
Read the text about Darwin’s ideas. What
is the name of his theory and what did it
suggest about Homo sapiens?
Darwin’s observations
5
Portfolio
The expression ‘survival of the fittest’ is
often associated with Darwin, but he didn’t
actually create it. Write a short text about
the idea of ‘survival of the fittest’ (100 words).
Find out more using books or the Internet.
Include this information:
who created the expression ‘survival of the fittest’
biographical information about this person (his
job, when and where he lived, etc.)
the connection with Darwin
Where do we come from?
During his studies, Darwin observed that:
• Not all offspring survive.
• Population numbers within a species remain
relatively constant over time.
• Each species contains many slight variations.
• Variations are passed on to the next generation.
He explained these facts through his theory on
natural selection, and published On the Origin
of Species.
Answer the questions.
1 What observation did Darwin make about
population numbers of a species?
2 What happens to the variations within a species?
3 Why can’t all living creatures survive?
4 How do species survive and reproduce?
5 Why was On the Origin of Species controversial?
6 What reaction did the book provoke?
Reading
3
Read the text again. Which words in the text
mean the following?
1 the child or young of an
animal or plant (L.02)
2 very small (L.05)
3 the physical conditions that
something exists in (L.13)
4 large animals like
monkeys (L.19)
5 a discussion in which different
opinions are expressed (L.21)
Listening
T5 24
2
Vocabulary
Charles Robert Darwin
(1809–1882) was an
English naturalist.
Do you know what
he was famous for?
2 a
Biology
Reactions to On the Origin of Species
In the 19th century, most Europeans believed that
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God created the world in seven days. Darwin’s
book was very controversial because it provided a
scientific explanation for the evolution of life. It also
suggested that Homo sapiens was simply another
animal, possibly evolved from apes. The Church in
particular reacted strongly against the book, and
the debates within the scientific community about
Darwin’s ideas continue today.
What is natural selection?
10
Living creatures are in continuous competition
with each other, and not all can survive. Only
the species that can best adapt to their
environment survive and reproduce.
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