Charles Darwin: A Five-Year Voyage, Some Small Birds… and an Idea That Changed Biology
His father thought he would be a disgrace. Then a five-year voyage and some small birds on faraway islands gave him an idea that changed biology. Learn five B1 words with the true story of Charles Darwin.
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
His father thought he would be a disgrace to the family.
He spent five years at sea, sick most of the time.
Then, on some small , he noticed something strange about the birds.
What did it mean?
This is the story of Charles Darwin.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. A is a long journey, especially by sea.
The lasted almost five years.
. A is a group of animals or plants of the same kind.
The word is the same in the singular and the plural.
Many of the birds were different .
. A is the hard, pointed mouth of a bird.
Each had a different for different food.
. An is a piece of land with water all around it.
On each , the birds were a little different.
. is the slow change of living things over a very long time.
His book explained .
Now, one pattern: the past passive.
We use it when the action is more important than the person who did it.
Someone published his book in 1859.
His book was published in 1859.
Ready? Let's begin.
Charles Darwin was born in England in 1809, on the same day as Abraham Lincoln.
As a boy, he collected everything: shells, stones and beetles.
But he was not a good student, and his father was worried.
His father said he cared only about shooting, dogs and catching rats.
He was sent to study medicine, but he hated it.
At Cambridge, he collected beetles instead.
Once, he put a beetle in his mouth to catch another one!
In 1831, when he was twenty-two, he was invited to join a small ship called the Beagle.
It was going around the world.
The was planned for two years.
It lasted almost five.
He was seasick for much of the .
But on land, he explored jungles, mountains and deserts.
Thousands of rocks, plants and animals were collected and sent home to England.
In 1835, the ship reached the Galápagos .
There were giant , and he even rode on their backs!
Then he noticed something strange.
On each , the birds were a little different.
Why? Back in London, the birds were studied by an expert.
Many of the birds were different .
Each had a different for different food.
Darwin had a huge idea: living things slowly change over time.
This is called .
He worked on his idea for twenty years.
Then another scientist wrote to him with the same idea!
So in 1859, his book was published.
His book explained .
All the first copies were sold on the first day.
Many people were angry, but his idea changed biology forever.
He died in 1882, and he was buried in Westminster Abbey, near Isaac Newton.
Let's review. The lasted almost five years.
Many of the birds were different .
Each had a different for different food.
On each , the birds were a little different.
His book explained .
And remember: his book was published in 1859.
Darwin's story teaches us: look closely, and keep asking why.
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Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
voyage noun
a long journey, especially by sea
“The voyage lasted almost five years.”
species noun
a group of animals or plants of the same kind (same in singular and plural)
“Many of the birds were different species.”
beak noun
the hard, pointed mouth of a bird
“Each finch had a different beak for different food.”
island noun
a piece of land with water all around it
“On each island, the birds were a little different.”
evolution noun
the slow change of living things over a very long time
“His book explained evolution.”
finch noun
a small bird with a short, strong beak
“Each finch had a different beak for different food.”
naturalist noun
a person who studies plants and animals
“Darwin joined the Beagle as a young naturalist.”
tortoise noun
a slow land animal with a hard shell
“He rode on the backs of giant tortoises.”
Grammar in the story
past simple passive: was / were + past participle
We use it for: to say what happened to someone or something when the action is more important than who did it; add by … to say who
- was + past participle: His book was published in 1859.
- were + past participle: The birds were studied by an expert.
- negative: The idea wasn't accepted by everyone.
- question: When was the book published?
From the story
- His book was published in 1859.
- Back in London, the birds were studied by an expert.
Find it in the story 11 times
Your turn
Darwin in 1809.
Thousands of plants and sent home.
He in Westminster Abbey.
Step 4
Story Challenge
9 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
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Take it further
Before you watch: Have you ever noticed small differences between animals of the same kind, for example dogs or birds?
After you watch: Write three sentences about Darwin’s life with the past passive. For example: He was born in 1809.
Think about it: Darwin waited twenty years before he published his idea. Why do you think he waited so long?
