News by Levels · Level 3 · For teachers
Teacher guide & answers
$47.3 Million Fossil Sale Raises Questions About Scientific Access
How to use these two pages
Give learners the student worksheet. It contains the story and questions, without the answers. Keep this guide for yourself. Use it to lead the activity and explain the answers afterwards.
Student worksheetA simple 15–20-minute lesson
- Before reading · 2 minutes
Show the title. Ask: “What do you think this story is about?”
- Read and answer · 8–10 minutes
Give out the student worksheet. Learners read for the main idea, then reread to answer the 2 questions. They can compare answers with a partner.
- Discuss and write · 5–8 minutes
Check the answers below together. Ask learners to point to the clue in the story, then finish with the open question.
Adjust the support: Let learners use word help or Level 1 if needed. For a challenge, compare the wording in another level. This activity is not a proficiency test.
Answers to the 2 questions
The question numbers match the student worksheet. Each answer includes a reason and the clue learners can find in the story.
Which outcome is confirmed in the article?
Correct answer: A — Jodi sold for $47.3 million
Why: The sale and its price are reported; the new owner’s plans are not established.
Clue in the story: A mounted dinosaur skeleton known as Jodi sold for $47.3 million at Sotheby’s in New York on October 27, the Associated Press reported. The amount exceeded the auction house’s $6 million to $9 million estimate, and the buyer has not been named publicly.
Why does the article avoid saying Jodi is definitely unavailable to researchers?
Correct answer: A — The new owner’s intentions have not been established
Why: The text describes a possible access concern and says the sale does not establish the buyer’s plans.
Clue in the story: Found on privately owned land in Montana in 2019, the fossil is listed by Sotheby’s as Nanotyrannus. Some palaeontologists have expressed concern that specimens in private collections may become inaccessible for future research or public display. The sale itself does not establish what the new owner will do with it.
The open question: accept different answers
Ask learners: Distinguish the confirmed auction result from the concern about access to Jodi.
One possible answer: The confirmed result is that Jodi sold for $47.3 million to an unnamed buyer. Scientists worry private ownership can limit research or public access, but the new owner’s plans for Jodi are not known.
This is an example, not the only correct answer. Look for a relevant idea, a reason and the learner’s own words. Learners can answer aloud or write one or two sentences.