A. Listen. Complete 5th to 1st in the chart with the names of the animals or insects.

B. Listen again and complete the facts about the animals or insects with one or two words in each blank.

5th ________

●  They can be about 1__________ long.

●  They only attack when people 2__________, them by accident.

4th ________

●  The kill at least one person 3__________.

●  Most attacks happen when people are 4__________ in fields usually in spring or 5__________.

3rd ________

●  They can weigh 6__________.

●  Males can get aggressive in the 7__________. They also cause about 8__________ car accidents a year.

2nd ________

●  9__________ attacks cause death.

●  Attacks can happen at any time, and some even attack 10__________.

1st ________

●  About 11__________ people a year die from an allergic reaction.

●  12__________ are more aggressive than 13__________.

Answers

A

5th a snake (the adder)   4th cows   3rd red deer   2nd dogs

1st wasps and bees

B

1 one metre   2 step on   3 every year   4 walking dogs

5 early summer   6 100 kilos   7 autumn   8 50,000

9 Very few   10 their owners   11 five   12 Wasps   13 bees

Audioscripts

P = presenter, D = David

P   So David, what are the five most dangerous animals in the UK? Can you tell us in reverse order – I mean, starting with the fifth most dangerous?

D   Yes, of course. At number five is a snake: the adder. The adder is the only poisonous snake in the UK. They can be about one metre long and they’re quite common in some parts of the UK. They don’t normally attack people, except when people step on them by accident. A bite from an adder can be very painful, and, occasionally, can kill. However, the last death from an adder bite was more than forty years ago.

P   And number four?

D   The fourth most dangerous animals in the UK are cows. People think cows are slow and a bit stupid, but in fact, cows kill at least one person every year. However, nearly all attacks happen when people are walking dogs in a field of cows, and they usually happen in spring or early summer, when young cows are with their mothers. So that’s when you need to be careful.

 And third?

D   In third place are red deer. These are large animals – they can weigh one hundred kilos. You need to be especially careful in the autumn, when the male deer can get very aggressive. They also cause frequent accidents on the road by running out in front of cars – there are about fifty thousand car accidents a year which involve deer.

P   And in second place?

D   Dogs. They are responsible for around two hundred thousand attacks a year in the UK, although most of them aren’t serious, and very few actually cause death. Certain breeds of dog, like German shepherds, Rottweilers, and Pit Bulls, are more aggressive than others. One reason for this is that they were traditionally hunting dogs or guard dogs. Dog attacks can happen at any time, and some dogs even attack their owners.

P   And in first place?

D   Wasps and bees. They cause more deaths in the UK than any other type of animal or insect. About five people a year die from bee or wasp stings, and it’s nearly always because they have an allergic reaction. About twenty-five per cent of the population in the UK have a bee or wasp allergy – some more serious than others. However, people are usually allergic to either bees or wasps, but not both. Bees and wasps only sting in self-defence or when they’re provoked, but wasps are more aggressive than bees. So if you ever see a wasp nest in your garden, make sure you call a professional to come and destroy it.

P   Definitely. Well, David, that was certainly…

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