Lesson
Shrews Grow Bigger Snouts in Winter
Read this news story in English at three levels, easy, standard, and advanced (B1–C1) — with vocabulary and a comprehension quiz.
Scientists found that long-clawed shrews increase their snout size in winter to adapt to cold air, while their skulls shrink.
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Standard — Natural English
60 words · ~1 min readEasy version (A2–B1)
Shrews are small animals. In winter, they grow bigger snouts. This helps them deal with cold air. Researchers studied shrews from Japan. They found that shrews shrink their skulls but grow their snouts. This is called the reverse Dehnel's phenomenon.Standard version (B1–B2)
Researchers have discovered that long-clawed shrews adapt to winter by growing larger snouts. This adaptation helps them cope with cold air. While their skulls shrink in size during winter, their snouts become longer and wider. This phenomenon is known as the reverse Dehnel's phenomenon, and it was documented in a study of shrew skulls collected in Japan over several decades.Advanced version (C1–C2)
A recent study has revealed that long-clawed shrews exhibit a unique adaptation to winter conditions by increasing the size of their snouts, a phenomenon termed the reverse Dehnel's phenomenon. While previous research has shown that certain small mammals, like the common shrew, shrink their body mass and skull size during winter, the long-clawed shrew demonstrates an opposite trend for its snout. Researchers analyzed 136 skulls collected in Japan, noting that while the brain case height decreased by 12% in winter specimens, the snout's height and width increased by 7% and 6%, respectively. This adaptation may help the shrews cope with the cold air they encounter during the winter months.Lesson audio
Standard level
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Test your understanding
01What happens to shrew skulls in winter?
02What is the term used for the phenomenon of shrews growing larger snouts in winter?
03Where were the shrew skulls studied?
04How much larger is the snout in winter shrews compared to summer shrews?
Discussion
How do you think animals adapt to their environments in different seasons?
Vocabulary
adaptation word
a change to fit a new condition
“Animals often have adaptations to survive in their environments.”
phenomenon word
an observable event or fact
“The growth of shrew snouts in winter is a fascinating phenomenon.”
skull word
the bony structure of the head
“The shrew's skull size changes with the seasons.”
species word
a group of living organisms
“The long-clawed shrew is a unique species.”
research word
the systematic investigation of a subject
“The research on shrews provides new insights into animal behavior.”