Summary:
Vanessa and Michael talk about some interesting facts about mosquitoes.
Vanessa and Michael are in the middle of a live show in a radio studio. Listen to their conversation and answer the question that follows about the main idea.
Dialogue:
Vanessa: I’m sure we’ve all been in a situation where a mosquito’s driven us crazy. In today’s program Michael will tell us more about these little monsters and their annoying habits.
Michael: Hi Vanessa.
Vanessa: Nice to have you here, Michael. So, what brings mosquitoes to our homes?
Michael: Well, firstly I should tell you that there are over 2500 different species of mosquitoes throughout the world.
Vanessa: No wonder we can’t get away from them in the summer.
Michael: Too true! Now, the mosquitoes we find in the cities are the northern house variety.
Vanessa: A ‘northern house mosquito’?!
Learning English Podcasts: Lesson 6 1
Michael: Yes; they prefer to attack after dark and they usually live only a few weeks during the warm summer months.
Vanessa: So… what? They find food and warmth in our houses?
Michael: Not only that! It’s also a place for them to lay their eggs.
Vanessa: How many eggs are we talking about?
Michael: A single female can lay over 200 eggs at a time.
Vanessa: Yuch!
Michael: . . . and they can survive for five years. Mind you – it’s only the females that bite.
Vanessa: In other words, the female mosquitoes are the blood suckers!?
Michael: Right!
Vanessa: So how can we tell male mosquitoes from female ones?
Michael: Research shows that females have smaller and less sensitive antennae than males but you certainly can’t tell the difference with the naked eye.
Learning English Podcasts: Lesson 6 2
Vanessa: Is their buzz different at all?
Michael: Not that I know of; but it plays an important role in mating.
Vanessa: What do you mean?
Michael: In a nutshell, their eyesight is so poor that it’s the only way they can find each other. A female mosquito listens out for the buzz of a male and vice-versa.
Vanessa: So that annoying noise is the sound of mosquitoes flirting!
Michael: That’s it. And they continue until their buzzes are in harmony.
Vanessa: Amazing! Michael, thank you so much for being here!
