dolphin

Everyday

1. A dolphin is a clever sea mammal with a long snout and a curved fin, that lives in groups and breathes air through a blowhole. tree →
2. Some kinds of dolphin live in rivers. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons dolphins are mammals, not fish: they breathe air, are warm-blooded and feed their babies milk. They use clicks and echoes (echolocation) to find food. In everyday life people watch dolphins from boats in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and many coasts. Phrases: «a pod of dolphins», «bottlenose dolphin», «dolphin-friendly tuna».

Examples

• A pod of dolphins swam beside our boat. tree →
• Dolphins breathe through a blowhole on their head. tree →
• A dolphin is a mammal, not a fish. tree →
• Dolphins use echolocation to find fish. tree →
• The dolphins leapt out of the water. tree →
• Baby dolphins are called calves. tree →
• Some dolphins live in rivers. tree →
• Dolphins are very playful and clever. tree →
• His usual attributes are the trident, horse, and dolphin. tree →

Note

Plural: dolphins. A group is a «pod». Trap: a «dolphin» (mammal) vs «dolphinfish» or «mahi-mahi» (a real fish). Orcas (killer whales) are actually the largest dolphins. Ph sounds like f: DOL-fin.