Song of the Humpback

Target skills the book does not fully address: inference, evaluating scientific evidence, and distinguishing fact from speculation.

Exercise 1.1 - Reading Between the Lines: What the Scientists Really Think

Read the text again and answer the following questions. Some answers are not stated directly - you must infer them from what the author writes.

1. In Paragraph B, Chadwick says the whale "looked him over with one eye." What does this suggest about humpback whale intelligence?
2. In Paragraph C, the scientists played whale songs to female humpbacks and "the whales did not respond." What can we infer about the "attract females" theory from this result?
3. In Paragraph E, Darling calls himself "something of a whale whisperer," but then admits "we are still not much closer to understanding why they sing." Why might he describe himself this way despite not knowing the answer?

Exercise 1.2 - Evidence Evaluation: Fact, Theory, or Opinion?

The text contains scientific observations, unproven theories, and personal opinions. Identify each statement below as Fact (F), Theory (T), or Opinion (O).

Statement	F / T / O
1. Humpback whales are "the most lighthearted of all the whales."
2. Humpback whale songs can be long and complex, with some repeating for 30 minutes or more.
3. One idea is that male humpbacks sing to attract females.
4. "It's still, to me, the single most intriguing thing."
5. In some areas, the whales sing the same song from one year to the next.
6. The desire to socialise is a powerful drive for these gentle giants.

Challenge: For each Theory (T) statement, explain what evidence would be needed to prove it true or false.

Exercise 1.3 - Text Organisation: How the Article Builds Interest

The writer uses different techniques to maintain reader engagement. Match each technique (1-4) to the paragraph (A-E) where it appears.

Technique	Paragraph
1. Opening with a famous literary reference to establish cultural connection
2. Presenting a mystery or puzzle that science has not solved
3. Using direct quotation to add personal voice and authority
4. Ending with an emotional, anecdotal image that reinforces the theme

Now answer: Why does the writer place the "whale lifted him with a flipper" story at the very end of the article? What would be lost if this story appeared at the beginning?

Three grammar points drawn directly from the reading text, with guided discovery and practice.

Grammar Point 1 - Comparatives & Superlatives

Discovery

Look at these sentences from the text:

1. "Humpback whales were 'the most lighthearted of all the whales.'"
2. "They are perhaps the longest songs sung by any animal."
3. "It's still, to me, the single most intriguing thing."
4. "We are still not much closer to understanding why they sing."

Questions:

1. Which sentences use one-syllable adjectives? Which use multi-syllable adjectives? What pattern do you notice about how superlatives are formed?
2. In sentence 2, why does the writer say "any animal" instead of "all animals"? What does this emphasise?
3. Sentence 3 uses two superlatives together ("single most"). What effect does this create? Why might a scientist like Jim Darling use such strong language?

Practice 1A - Form: Complete the Rules

Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the adjective in brackets.

1. Herman Melville wrote that humpbacks were _________________ (lighthearted) of all the whales.
2. Humpback songs are _________________ (long) than most bird songs.
3. The whale was one of _________________ (large) animals Chadwick had ever seen.
4. This is _________________ (intriguing) mystery in marine biology.
5. Some whales sing songs that are _________________ (complex) and sophisticated.

Practice 1B - Context: Describe and Compare

Use comparative or superlative forms to complete these sentences about the text. More than one answer may be possible.

1. Compared to other whale species, humpbacks are _________________ because they swim close to land and perform at the surface.
2. Scientists have studied humpback songs for decades, yet this remains _________________ question in their research.
3. The song Chadwick heard was _________________ than he expected - some parts repeated for over 30 minutes.
4. Among all marine animals, humpbacks are considered _________________ because of their social behaviour.
5. The experience of swimming with a whale is _________________ (unforgettable) experience a person can have.

Grammar Point 2 - Connectors of Contrast

Discovery

Look at these sentences from the text:

1. Despite years of study, the humpbacks sing for unknown reasons.
2. One idea is that they sing to attract females. However, when a group of scientists played recordings, the whales did not respond.

Questions:

1. What is the relationship between the two ideas in each sentence? Do they agree or disagree?
2. "Despite" is followed by a noun phrase ("years of study"). What other word from the list below could replace "despite" in sentence 1?
   a) Although
   b) However
   c) But
   d) In spite of
3. "However" appears at the beginning of sentence 2. Where else in the sentence could it go? What punctuation is needed?

Practice 2A - Form: Choosing the Right Connector

Choose the correct connector to complete each sentence. In some cases, more than one answer is possible.

1. _________________ humpbacks are intelligent animals, scientists still do not understand why they sing.
   (Although / Despite / However)
2. Many people think whales sing for communication. _________________, recent research suggests this may not be true.
   (Although / Despite / However)
3. _________________ the lack of clear evidence, Jim Darling continues to study whale songs.
   (Although / Despite / However)
4. The whales performed for Chadwick. _________________, they did not seem afraid of him.
   (Although / Despite / However)
5. _________________ the scientists played the recordings, the female whales did not respond.
   (Although / Despite / However)

Practice 2B - Context: Contrastive Writing

Rewrite these sentences using the connector in brackets. Make any necessary changes to punctuation and word forms.

1. Scientists have studied humpback songs for 25 years. They are still not close to understanding why the whales sing. (Despite)
2. Humpbacks are enormous animals. They are often called "gentle giants." (Although)
3. The whale approached the photographer closely. It did not show any aggression. (However)
4. The widespread belief that whales sing to communicate has not been proven. The actual purpose remains unknown. (In spite of)

Extension: Write two original sentences about whales or marine life using different contrastive connectors. Exchange with a partner and check each other's grammar.

Grammar Point 3 - Articles

Discovery

Look at these sentences from the text:

1. "Humpback whales were 'the most lighthearted of all the whales.'"
2. "The 13-metre long giant looked him over with a flipper."
3. "Male humpbacks use their songs to let other males know they are there." (no article before "there")
4. "A marine biologist who has studied humpback whales for 25 years."

Questions:

1. Why do we say "the most lighthearted of all the whales" but "they are there"?
2. In sentence 2, why is it "the giant" but "a flipper"? What does each article tell us about whether the reader already knows this specific giant or flipper?
3. Sentence 4 uses "a marine biologist." Would "the marine biologist" also be possible here? What would change?
4. In sentence 1, why is there no article before "Humpback whales" at the beginning of the sentence?

Practice 3A - Form: a, an, the, or zero article

Complete the sentences with a, an, the, or zero article. Leave the space blank when no article is needed.

1. _______ humpback whale is one of _______ most fascinating animals in _______ ocean.
2. _______ humpbacks are known as _______ gentle giants of _______ sea.
3. _______ 13-metre whale that Chadwick met was _______ curious animal.
4. _______ marine biologist needs _______ lot of _______ patience to study _______ whales.
5. _______ songs of humpback whales can last for _______ hour or more.
6. _______ research team invited _______ author to join _______ them on _______ boat.
7. _______ whale lifted _______ photographer with _______ flipper, as if swimming with him.
8. _______ scientists played _______ recordings of _______ whale songs to _______ female humpbacks.

Practice 3B - Context: Specific vs. General

Read these sentences about the text. For each gap, decide if the meaning is specific (the) or general (a/an or zero article). More than one answer may be possible - be prepared to explain your choice.

1. When Chadwick went out on _______ boat, he never expected to meet _______ whale that would change his view of these animals.
2. _______ whales use sound to communicate, but scientists still do not understand exactly how _______ communication works.
3. _______ marine biologist Jim Darling has spent 25 years studying _______ humpback songs.
4. _______ humpback lifted photographer with _______ flipper, showing that these animals can be _______ friendly creatures.
5. _______ longest song ever recorded lasted for over _______ hour.

Rewrite: Make these sentences general (about all whales, not specific ones) by changing or removing articles.

1. The humpback approached the boat. -> _________________________________________________
2. The whale slapped the water with the flipper. -> _________________________________________________
3. A scientist played a recording to a female whale. -> _________________________________________________

Error correction: Find and correct the article errors in these sentences written by a student.

1. The humpback whales are the most lighthearted of the all whales.
2. Chadwick is an marine biologist who studied the whales for 25 years.
3. The whales use the songs to attract the females.
4. A whale approached a boat because it was curious animal.

Adapted from the reading text and presented as an interview with marine biologist Jim Darling.

Exercise 3.1 - Detail Catch: Numbers and Facts

Listen to the interview with Jim Darling and write down the numbers and facts you hear.

1. How long has Darling studied humpback whales? _______________
2. How long can a humpback song last? _______________
3. What does Darling say about the whale's size? _______________
4. What did the female whales do when recordings were played to them? _______________
5. What word does Darling use to describe the whale's behaviour with the photographer? _______________

Exercise 3.2 - Sequence: Darling's Research Journey

Listen again and number the events (1-5) in the order Darling describes them.

Order	Event
___	Darling started wondering why whales sing
___	A whale lifted a photographer with its flipper
___	The team played recordings to female humpbacks
___	Darling first heard a whale song through a hydrophone
___	Darling realised we are still not much closer to understanding

Exercise 3.3 - Gap Fill: Darling's Own Words

Listen again and complete the transcript with ONE WORD in each gap.

"The first time I heard the song through a hydrophone, I could not believe it. The sound was _________ (1) and complex - it went on for over 30 _________ (2). We thought they might sing to attract _________ (3), so we played recordings to them. But they did not _________ (4). That was the most _________ (5) result. After 25 years, I'd call myself something of a whale _________ (6), but honestly, we're still not much closer to the answer."

Exercise 4.1 - Think-Pair-Share: Why Do You Think They Sing?

Stage 1: Think (3 minutes)

Read the theories from the text and add your own ideas. Consider:

• Attracting mates
• Warning other males
• Navigation or echolocation
• Social bonding
• Your own theory: _______________

Stage 2: Pair (5 minutes)

Share your ideas with a partner. Use these sentence starters:

• "I think whales might sing to... because..."
• "The text suggests that... but I think..."
• "One possibility is that..."
• "It cannot be just for... because..."

Stage 3: Share (5 minutes)

Each pair presents their most original theory to the class. The class votes on which theory is most plausible.

Expressing certainty	Expressing uncertainty
I'm convinced that...	It's possible that...
There's no doubt that...	One theory is that...
It must be true that...	It might or could be that...
The evidence clearly shows...	We cannot rule out the possibility that...

Exercise 4.2 - Information Gap: The Whale Encounter

Preparation: This activity requires two different information cards. Print and cut the cards in the Supporting Assets section.

Follow-up task: Together, write one paragraph summarising both encounters. Use at least two comparative forms and one contrastive connector.

Exercise 5.1 - Scaffolded: A Day with the Whales (60-80 words)

You are Douglas Chadwick. Write a short diary entry about your day with the humpback whale.

Use the sentence starters and complete the gaps:

Today was _______________ (use superlative) day of my life. I went out on a boat with Jim Darling to study humpback whales. At first, I just watched from the boat. However, _______________ (describe what happened).

The whale was enormous - about _______________ metres long. _______________ (describe one action). Although _______________ (contrast: expectation vs. reality), _______________.

When I listened to the song through the hydrophone, _______________. It must be _______________ (use modal for deduction).

Exercise 5.2 - Freer: The Unanswered Question (80-100 words)

Scientists still do not know why humpback whales sing. Write a short essay explaining:

1. What we know about whale songs (facts from the text)
2. The two main theories presented in the article
3. Your own theory about why whales sing - explain your reasoning

Requirements:

• Use at least three comparative or superlative forms
• Use two different contrastive connectors (although, however, despite)
• Use articles correctly (at least two examples of the, a/an, and zero article)
• Include at least two vocabulary words from the reading (for example, intriguing, complex, perform, gentle giants)