B2 : Dire Wolves, back from extinction?
Below is a B2 level listening activity about the return of the extinct animal the Dire Wolf.
See the first new dire wolf cubs born in over 12,000 years
Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotech company, has claimed to have resurrected the dire wolf, to create the “world’s first successfully de-extincted animal.” Scientists created three dire wolf pups by using gene-editing technology to alter the genes of the dire wolf's closest living relative, the gray wolf. The result is essentially a hybrid species similar in appearance to its extinct forerunner.
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External Link:
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/08/science/video/dire-wolves-brought-back-extinction-ldn-digvid
Quiz 1
1 - Scientist claim to have brought back a __________ year old wolf species back from extinction.
a. Ten Thousand
b. Ten Thousand Five Hundred
c. Eleven Thousand
d. Eleven Thousand Five Hundred
e. Twelve Thousand
f. Twelve Thousand Five Hundred
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2 - A __________ based biotech company has used gene editing and cloning technology to create three dire wolf pups.
a. New York
b. Boston
c. Los Angeles
d. Dallas
e. Chicago
f. Seattle
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3 - The Dire wolf was popularized by HBO's "__________"
a. The Last of Us
b. Game of Thrones
c. The Sopranos
d. Curb your Enthusiasm
e. Boardwalk Empire
f. The White Lotus
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4 - __________ claim that the Dire Wolf pups have become the world's first successfully de-extincted species.
a. Nintendo
b. Colossus Biosciences
c. Colossal Bioengineering
d. Colossus Biotech Science
e. Colossal Biosciences
f. Microsoft
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5 - Researchers used genetic material from __________ dire wolf fossils.
a. One
b. Two
c. Three
d. Four
e. Five
f. Six
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6 - By using genetic material from the dire wolf species they were able to reconstruct the complete Dire Wolf Genome.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
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7 - Two of the distinct Dire Wolf characteristics mentioned were __________ and __________.
a. Larger teeth
b. White Coats
c. Shorter tails
d. Longer Tails
e. Shorter hair
f. Longer hair
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8 - Critics of the program are skeptical and say that scientists are a long way off from revising an extinct species.
a. True
b. False
c. Didn't say
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9 - The Dire wolf pups are extremely dangerous.
a. True
b. False
c. Didn't say
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10 - Skeptics are calling the dire wolves a genetically modified gray wolves.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
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Answer Sheet
1 - F ---> Twelve Thousand Five Hundred (12,500)
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2 - D ---> Dallas
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3 - B ---> Game of Thrones
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4 - E ---> Colossal Biosciences
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5 - B ---> Two (2)
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6 - A ---> True
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7 - B & F ---> White Coats and longer hair. Thicker hair was also mentioned.
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8 - A ---> True
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9 - C ---> Didn't say
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10 - A ---> True
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