LingVo.club
📖+10 XP
🎧+10 XP
✅+15 XP
Shrews shrink organs to survive winter (Level A1) — the shadow of a tree on the ground

Shrews shrink organs to survive winterCEFR A1

10 Feb 2026

LevelA1
A2
B1
B2

Adapted from Gregory Filiano-Stony Brook, Futurity • CC BY 4.0

Photo by Jens Aber, Unsplash

Level A1 – Beginner
2 min
77 words
  • Small shrews shrink their brains during the winter.
  • Their other organs and body parts shrink too.
  • This seasonal change reduces the animals' energy needs.
  • In spring the organs return to normal size.
  • Scientists studied how the shrinking and regrowth occur.
  • They examined genes and chromosome arrangement in shrews.
  • The shrews remain active even when food is scarce.
  • A group of researchers published papers about this.
  • The change is called Dehnel's phenomenon.
  • This helps shrews survive cold months.

Difficult words

  • shrew — a small wild mammal like a mouse
    shrews
  • shrink — become much smaller in size
    shrinking
  • organ — a body part with a job
    organs
  • seasonal — happening every year at certain times
  • gene — a small part of DNA that controls traits
    genes
  • chromosome — a long thread of DNA in cells

Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.

Discussion questions

  • Do you see animals in winter where you live?
  • Are you active in winter or do you rest more?
  • Would you like to see a shrew?

Related articles

How Bees Swim and Find Shore (Level A1)
25 Mar 2026

How Bees Swim and Find Shore

New research shows how honeybees move across water and use dark edges to find land. The study found that an insecticide changed this behaviour, and that mason bees showed an even stronger preference for dark cues.

Level
A1
A2
B1
B2
Read