Listen&Learn: The Great Blue Hole

Learn about a hole in the ocean

Pre-listening vocabulary

• sinkhole: a hole that forms when the ground collapses
• coast: the edge of a country that borders water
• submerge: to completely cover something with water
• glacier: a large, moving block of ice
• flood: to suddenly fill up with water
• debris: broken pieces of rock or other materials

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:28 — 1.3MB)

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Gapfill exercise

The Great Blue Hole is a sinkhole in the ocean. It is in the of Lighthouse Reef, which is along the coast of Belize. Although the reef is , the sinkhole reaches over 100 metres deep, forming a dark blue circle in the middle of the water. Inside the sinkhole, there are many underwater caves. These caves have existed for over 100,000 years, but they only became submerged at the end of the most recent Ice Age, when melting glaciers flooded the area. The sinkhole formed when the weight of the water caused the ground to collapse. At the very of the Blue Hole, there is so little oxygen that most creatures can’t . Over time, the Blue Hole will likely fill up with sand and debris.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. The Great Blue Hole is in the middle of
   a. Lighthouse Reef
   b. the Great Barrier Reef
   c. Tubbataha Reef
   
2. The sinkhole
   a. has existed for over 100,000 years
   b. has plenty of life even at the very bottom
   c. formed in a collapse caused by flooding
   
3. Over time, the sinkhole will likely
   a. grow even wider and deeper
   b. reach colder temperatures
   c. fill up with sand and debris

Discussion/essay questions

1. The Great Blue Hole is a popular destination for tourists. However, diving in it is very dangerous, and only experienced divers are allowed to explore the caves. Do you like risky adventures? Why or why not?

Transcript

The Great Blue Hole is a giant sinkhole in the ocean. It is in the middle of Lighthouse Reef, which lies along the coast of Belize. Although the reef is shallow, the sinkhole reaches over 100 metres deep, forming a dark blue circle in the middle of the water. Inside the sinkhole, there are many underwater caves. These caves have existed for over 100,000 years, but they only became submerged at the end of the most recent Ice Age, when melting glaciers flooded the area. The sinkhole formed when the weight of the water caused the ground to collapse. At the very bottom of the Blue Hole, there is so little oxygen that most creatures can’t survive. Over time, the Blue Hole will likely fill up with sand and debris.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2c 3c