Unit 3

Secrets of
the Dark

‘To me, science is fiction because sometimes it

just seems unreal. Looking at bioluminescence, TO START
it’s just beautiful. It’s artwork.’
1. In the photo, fireflies create a beautiful light. What
David Gruber other things in nature produce light?
2. Bioluminescent animals use lights to communicate
with one another. How do humans use lights to
communicate?
Blue ghost fireflies 3. Where do you feel comfortable in the dark? Why?
42 43
 1 What would be difficult about living without
sunlight for two months every year? Discuss.
Then listen and read. 032

For most of us, the days are divided into day months. To the south are the red and gold exercise and eat foods with vitamins A and D, film and music festivals. And other people
and night. But for two months each winter in colours of the horizon. To the north, the sky is nutrients people normally get from being in the are spending time with friends in cafés and
northern Norway, it’s dark for 20 hours a day. a magnificent blue. Even the moon and stars sun. And darkness doesn’t stop Norwegians restaurants. Of course, not everyone is so
There is no sunrise or sunset because the sun look blue. In the towns, streetlights shine like from having a good time. Each winter, people active in the dark months. Many people are
never gets above the horizon. little yellow diamonds. are skiing on hills and skating on ponds that just going to sleep a little earlier until the sun
are lit up. Some people are dogsledding (with returns in the spring.
Would you like to live in darkness for People do need light to be healthy and
headlights, of course!). Others are going to
this long? It may seem difficult, but many happy. Since they don’t have much daylight
Norwegians love the beautiful colours of these during this time of the year, Norwegians

In the town of Longyearbyen, in northern Norway, there’s no

sunlight from November to January. However, the sun doesn’t set
from the end of April to the end of August.

2 LEARN NEW WORDS Listen and repeat. 033

3 Work in pairs. What would you like about living in the dark
for two months? What wouldn’t you like? Write three things
for each. Compare your list with your partner’s.
44 VOCABULARY VOCABULARY 45
 4 Read and write the words from the list. Make any necessary changes.
SPE AKING S TR ATEGY 036

active dark darkness festival go to sleep Asking for help with schoolwork Helping with schoolwork
headlight light up south sunrise sunset
What does nocturnal mean? It means active at night.
How do you pronounce it? I’m not sure. I think you say nock-tur-null.
Light and are two things we don’t often think about. This is How do you spell it? It’s spelt n-o-c-t-u-r-n-a-l.
because we can have light any time at night. Thanks to electric lights, we’re able to do what
we need to at night. We because we’re tired, not just because
1
7 Listen. How do the speakers ask for help and respond? Write the
it’s . ‘Having all this energy to be able to have light at night is a
phrases you hear. 037
really new thing for humans,’ says scientist David Gruber. Until the 19th century, people didn’t
have lights like we do today. The light of day came from the sun, as it does now. But at night,
2
7 Read and complete the dialogue.
only the light of the moon and the stars the sky. People got up
at and were all day. Then, after Mae: This video about carnivorous plants is really cool.
, they went to bed. Hwan: 
Mae:  things that eat meat.
This one is called a Nepenthes.
5 LEARN NEW WORDS Listen to these words. Match each word to its definition.
Then listen and repeat. 034 035 Hwan: What?
Mae:  Let’s look it up.
daylight   healthy   streetlight N-e-p-e-n-t-h-e-s. Another name is pitcher plant. It
eats arthropods.

1. a light near a road Hwan: Arthro … what?

2. not ill Mae:  ar-throw-pod. You know,

insects, spiders and things like that. Insects see the plant’s
3. light from the sun light and go to it. Then they fall inside and die! That’s how the
plant eats them.
Hwan: Amazing! A glowing pitcher plant
6 YOU DECIDE Choose an activity.
1. Work independently. Observe an animal at night.
What do you notice? What is surprising? Write your 3
7 Work in pairs. Talk about
It’s a Gila monster.
findings. Share them with the class. the animals on the cards.
2. Work in pairs. Imagine you lived hundreds of years Help your partner to spell, A what? How do you
ago. How was your life at night different from your life pronounce and learn more pronounce that?
at night now? List at least five examples. about each animal.
3. Work in groups. When you haven’t got electric light, 4
7 Work in groups. Think of a situation where you
what can you use to help you see in the dark? List three Go to page 157.
wanted to ask for help with schoolwork but didn’t.
things. Choose one thing from your list and make an
advertisement for it. Present your advert to the class.
A kinkajou Why didn’t you ask? How can knowing these
phrases help you in the future?
46 VOCABULARY SPEAKING 47
 4 LEARN NEW WORDS Listen to learn about time zones. Then listen and repeat. 040 041
GR AMMAR 038

Present continuous: Saying what is happening now

Non-action verbs Action verbs World Time Zones
I like stories about unusual animals. While I’m reading in bed at night in Mexico,
my friend Akiko is reading at school in Japan!
Many animals see well enough to hunt While some animals are hunting in the dark, Anchorage
Moscow
in the dark. others are hiding or sleeping. London Astana
Chicago Seoul
It is 2.00 a.m. in the jungle, but that The monkeys are sleeping in trees, but the NORTH Algiers
Beijing
Tokyo
doesn’t mean all the animals are asleep. kinkajous are looking for food.
WEST EAST

1 Listen. Circle the non-action verbs you hear. Underline the action verbs you hear. 039 SOUTH

bake be drive enjoy fly help

São Paulo
know like need open search sleep Santiago
Wellington

2 Read and complete the sentences. Use the –ing ending for action verbs.
1. People (agree) that it’s good to spend time with family.
09.00 13.00 17.00 21.00 01.00 05.00
2. This is difficult for family members who (live) in
different countries. While people in São Paulo are asleep for the night, people in Astana are already awake and starting the next day.

3. It’s difficult because of different time zones. This (mean)

that it might be morning in one place and afternoon in another.
5 Work in pairs. Find these cities and their time zones on the map. How many time zones
4. For example, Omar in Santiago (eat) breakfast while his
separate them? Write a sentence about what people might be doing in each city.
cousin Ali in Dubai (come) home from school.
1. Seoul / Santiago There are 13 time zones between Seoul and Santiago. While people
5. So when Ali (think) about calling Omar, he in Santiago are coming home from school and work, people in Seoul are asleep.
(have) to consider the time in Santiago first.
2. Anchorage / London
3 Work in pairs. Write what you do at these times. Compare your answers with a partner.

If it’s Monday night, I’m studying, but Julia is making dinner. 3. São Paulo / Tokyo

Me
Monday night 4. Chicago / London
Wednesday during school
Friday evening
Saturday afternoon 6 Work in groups. Find the place where you live on the map. Note the time
Sunday morning
now. Choose three other cities. Say if they are to your east or west and what
time it is there. Take turns comparing what you’re doing with what people in
those cities are probably doing.
48 GRAMMAR GRAMMAR 49
 There are incredible creatures living in
IN THE
1 BEFORE YOU READ Discuss in pairs. What world. And this is just one animal: ninety per
do you know about the ocean and life in the cent of the animals that live at the bottom of the
the darkness.

DARK
ocean? What do you want to learn? ocean produce their own light.
In the darkness before dawn, marine It’s easy to see why the darkness of the sea
2 Look at the text and photos quickly. Then biologist David Gruber dives into the ocean to fascinates David. ‘Marine animals in the dark
answer the questions. observe the amazing creatures that live there. ocean produce lights to communicate with
‘Seventy-one per cent of Earth is ocean, and each other,’ says David. ‘It’s an underwater
1. Who is this reading about? much of it is dark, with tonnes of life down disco party. We human beings are the last ones
2. What sea animal has got really big eyes? there that we don’t know about,’ he says. to join in!’
David discovered that many sea animals
3 LEARN NEW WORDS Find the words in

OF THE
can see colours in the water that we cannot.
the text. Guess their meaning. Then look at
So he designed a camera that allows him to
the first meaning given for each word in the see the colours just as a fish does. His camera
A vampire squid

OCEAN
dictionary. Compare those meanings with your shows a secret world of neon green, red and
guesses. Then listen and repeat. 042 orange colours on ocean life that glows in the
dark.
dawn fascinate glow observe pattern
In this fascinating world, David discovered
a special kind of shark that glows bright with
4 WHILE YOU READ Think about what makes green spots. ‘When you see all these little
animals in the deep ocean different. 043 bright spots and patterns, it’s like flowers and
butterflies. Why do they make patterns?
It’s to attract each other. It’s to recognise each
5 AFTER YOU READ Work in pairs. Tick T for A shark glows bright green through other,’ he says.
true or F for false. the filters of David’s camera.
At the bottom of the ocean where there is
1. David observes life in the no light at all, many animals produce their own
ocean when it’s dark. T
✓ F
light. The unusual vampire squid is an example.
2. We know a lot about everything It can turn itself on or off, just like a lamp. It
that lives in the ocean. T ✓
F also has very big eyes to help it see in the dark.
In fact, compared to its body size, the vampire
3. We can see all the glowing colours squid has the largest eyes of any animal in the
in the ocean with our eyes. T ✓
F 7 Discuss in groups.

4. Only one type of animal glows 1. What things about the ocean
in the dark through the lens of fascinate you? Why do they
David’s camera. T F
✓ fascinate you?

5. A lot of animals at the bottom of 2. It’s difficult to study the

the ocean make their own light. ✓
T F ocean at night because of
the darkness. What are some
6. The vampire squid has very large other difficulties David might
eyes to help it see in the dark. ✓
T F have when studying the
ocean at night?
6 Review. Look at your answers from Activity 3. Do you think it’s important to
2. Were they correct? What else did you learn about what lives in the
learn about the person and the sea animal? ocean? Why or why not?

50 READING READING 51
VIDE
4 AFTER YOU WATCH Work in pairs to answer the questions.
1. What was David’s hobby when he was a teenager?
2. How does this hobby connect to his job?
3. What is special about how David studies the ocean?
4. What do the filters in David’s camera allow him to do?

5 Work in pairs. List three of the sea animals you saw in the
video. Describe what they look like. Now think of three sea
1 BEFORE YOU WATCH Discuss in pairs. animals you know about or have seen photos of. How are
they different from the animals in the video?
1. What did you love doing as a small child? Do you still love it? What
else do you love doing now?

2. Are you interested in learning about what’s in the ocean? Why or

why not?

2 Work in pairs. The title of the video you’re going to watch is What David uses a camera with special
filters to explore the dark ocean.
Glows Beneath. Think of what you have learnt about David Gruber and
his work. Then make two lists: What I have learnt about David and
What I want to learn about David.

3 WHILE YOU WATCH Circle the correct answers. Watch scene 3.1.

1. David first became fascinated by the ocean by surfing / scuba diving. 6 YOU DECIDE Choose an activity.
2. David wondered if it would be hard to study biology / what was beneath 1. Work independently. Imagine that you went scuba diving
him in the water. and saw some of the animals in the video. Write a postcard to
a friend or family member, describing what you saw. In your
3. David wanted to photograph the ocean so that he can sell his photos to
postcard, explain how you were able to see the animals glow.
magazines / understand how fish see it.
2. Work in pairs. Role-play a conversation between David
4. David says that there’s still a lot to learn about / scientists have
and a reporter who’s asking him about his work. Share your
discovered all of the species of the ocean.
dialogue with the class.
5. According to David, the future of exploration is finding out why 3. Work in groups. Prepare a glow-in-the-dark presentation.
humans don’t glow / how humans fit in among nature. Each person finds out about a different sea animal that glows
in the dark. Draw it or find a photo of it. Write three pieces
of information about it. Present your group of animals to
the class.
52 VIDEO VIDEO 53
 GR AMMAR 044 WRITING
At, on and in: Saying when things happen In sensory writing, we choose a topic such as an event or a place. We use
at eight o’clock / at night / at the weekend adjectives, or describing words, to explain what we see, hear, taste, smell and
on Monday(s) / on 1st June / on my birthday feel. Describing something using senses helps our reader imagine that he or she
in the winter / in the morning / in 2017 / in May is at that event or place.

1 Read the model. Work in pairs to identify and underline the words that describe
1 Read. Complete the paragraph with at, on or in.
what people see, hear, taste, smell and feel.
My family and I visited Marrakesh, Morocco, When thousands of glowing lanterns light up the city at night on the 15th day of
2015. We went December. The weather is the Chinese New Year, I know the Chinese Lantern Festival has arrived. All kinds
warm there the winter. Monday, of lanterns shine brightly against the dark night sky. Some of the lanterns are small,
and others are really big. Some look like beautiful flowers and dragons. The silk
our first day, we spent a lot of time in the Jemaa el lanterns feel soft. The plastic lanterns feel smooth and warm. Families walk happily
Fna, the old city square. lunchtime, we The Jemaa el Fna market in the crowded streets, looking at the many kinds of amazing lanterns. While some
ate at a rooftop café, and the afternoon, we people are enjoying the colourful lanterns, others are watching exciting parades
and traditional Chinese lion dance performances. The loud, popping sounds of
watched some dancers. five o’clock the evening, we watched the day
firecrackers fill the air. People prepare tasty rice dumplings in the morning for their
market stalls leave and the night market stalls arrive. night we enjoyed the families and friends to enjoy in the evening. The sweet smell makes me hungry for
storytellers, magicians, musicians and acrobats, as well as the food from the many food my favourite food. I love everything about this night-time festival.
stalls. The Jemaa el Fna is incredible both day and night!

2 Work in pairs. Talk about places you go to regularly. Use at, on and in.

1. Tuesdays On Tuesdays, I go to the park after school.

2. night

3. afternoon

4. March

5. weekend

6. 8.00 a.m. A Lantern Festival celebration

in Shanghai, China

3 Work in pairs. Take turns throwing the In the summer, we

2 Work in pairs. Can you imagine how it feels to be at the Chinese Lantern
cube. Talk about things that happen at often go to the beach.
Festival? Why or why not?
different times.
3 Write. Describe a fun night-time event. Use sensory words to say what you see,
Go to page 159.
hear, taste, smell and feel at this event.
54 GRAMMAR WRITING 55
 Make an Impact
YOU DECIDE Choose a project.

1 Design a poster.
• Research animals or plants that glow in the dark. Find out how
and why they glow.
• Make a poster to describe three of the glow-in-the-dark
organisms you researched. Include photos.
• Present your poster to the class.

2 Write a blog entry.

• Research a place that is light for more than two months a year.
• Pretend that you visit during the light season. Write a blog
about your visit. Include photos.
• Publish your blog. Answer questions and respond to your
classmates’ comments.

Understand and Protect 3 Make a ‘day-and-night’ video.

• Choose an interesting place in your region.
‘People want to protect things they love and understand. The
more I can share about the amazing animals I get to explore, • Make a video of that place during the day and during
the night. Mention what is the same
the more people may want to help protect them.’
and what is different.
David Gruber • Share your video with the class.
National Geographic Explorer, Marine Biologist

1. Watch scene 3.2. 3. What do you want to protect? Why? How

can you get others to care about this?
2. David cares deeply about the ocean and
ocean life. Why is it important to protect
animals in the ocean? How does David’s Bioluminescent fungi glowing
on a tree trunk
work help protect them?

56 MISSION PROJECT 57