Scientist tests insect stings on himself

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Elementary A2

PDF: Scientist tests insect stings on himself

Warm-up

Have you ever been stung by a bee? (Yes, a bee stung me when I was...)

Vocabulary Match

describe -   - bug
cautious -   - explain
insect -   - flash
humorously -   - funnily
intense -   - very strong
spark -   - careful

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

The Schmidt Sting Pain Index is a special list made by Dr. Justin Schmidt. He is a scientist who loves studying insects. Amazingly, he tested many ________ stings on himself! He wanted to share with people how different insect stings feel. Instead of just using numbers, Dr. Schmidt chose words to ________ each pain.

The sweat bee gives a small sting, feeling like a tiny ________ on your arm. But the bald-faced hornet is stronger, making you feel as if a heavy door closed on your hand. The tarantula hawk, a type of wasp, has a sting that Dr. Schmidt ________ described as "a running hair dryer dropped into your bubble bath."

However, the most ________ sting comes from the bullet ant. He felt it was like walking on hot coals with a sharp nail poking your foot. Dr. Schmidt's list is a helpful guide, teaching us which insects to be ________ around.

Quiz

  1. What is the name of Dr. Schmidt's special list?
  2. What does the sting of a sweat bee feel like?
  3. Which insect has the most intense sting?

True or False

  1. Dr. Schmidt chose numbers to describe each pain.  T  |  F
  2. The sting of a bald-faced hornet is like a hair dryer dropped into your bubble bath.  T  |  F
  3. Dr. Schmidt's list teaches us which insects to be careful around.  T  |  F

Conversation

A: Next up, the Japanese hornet. Are you ready?
B: Bring it on! ... Oh! Ow! Ow-wow-wow!
A: What does it feel like, Doctor?
B: It's like a hot match just burned my arm!
A: Excellent! How would you rate it?
B: I give it a 2 out of 4. Okay. What's next?

Discussion

  1. Have you ever been stung by an insect? How did it feel?
  2. What insects are you most afraid of? Which ones do you like?
  3. If you were a scientist, what would you like to research?

True Story Answers

The Schmidt Sting Pain Index is a special list made by Dr. Justin Schmidt. He is a scientist who loves studying insects. Amazingly, he tested many insect stings on himself! He wanted to share with people how different insect stings feel. Instead of just using numbers, Dr. Schmidt chose words to describe each pain.

The sweat bee gives a small sting, feeling like a tiny spark on your arm. But the bald-faced hornet is stronger, making you feel as if a heavy door closed on your hand. The tarantula hawk, a type of wasp, has a sting that Dr. Schmidt humorously described as "a running hair dryer dropped into your bubble bath."

However, the most intense sting comes from the bullet ant. He felt it was like walking on hot coals with a sharp nail poking your foot. Dr. Schmidt's list is a helpful guide, teaching us which insects to be cautious around.

Vocabulary Answers

insect → bug
describe → explain
spark → flash
humorously → funnily
intense → very strong
cautious → careful

Quiz Answers

  1. The Schmidt Sting Pain Index.
  2. It feels like a tiny spark on your arm.
  3. The bullet ant has the most intense sting.

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. False
  3. True

Further Reading

https://reliantpest.com/north-american-schmidt-sting-index/


More "True Story" Lessons

ESL Lessons: True Stories