The Reading / Listening - Level 1

Humans learn a lot from nature that helps us every day. The latest thing is self-repairing clothing. Scientists have made cotton, linen and wool clothes that can repair themselves, without the need for sewing. Scientists in the USA looked at how squid stick to things so well. They found a sticky protein on the suckers of squid. The protein is like the one found in the silk that spiders use to make spider webs. It is very strong and stretchy.

The new protein will be put on clothes. A rip or tear will join together in less than a minute after it is dipped in water. Soldiers and other people will be safer with clothes that repair quickly and easily. A scientist said: "The coatings are thin, less than a micron, so they wouldn't be noticed in everyday wear." He added: "Even thin, they increase the overall strength of the material. For the first time, we are making self-healing textiles."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.cnet.com/news/clothes-that-heal-themselves-through-the-power-of-squid-teeth/
  • http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/blogs/how-squid-teeth-will-one-day-fix-torn-clothing
  • https://www.engadget.com/2016/08/12/squid-protein-makes-textiles-self-healing/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Humans learn a lot
  2. cotton, linen
  3. without the need
  4. looked at how squid stick
  5. They found a sticky protein on the
  6. like the one found in the silk that
  7. make spider
  8. It is very strong and
  1. suckers of squid
  2. spiders use
  3. and wool
  4. stretchy
  5. webs
  6. for sewing
  7. from nature
  8. to things so well

Paragraph 2

  1. join together in
  2. it is dipped
  3. clothes that repair quickly
  4. The coatings are
  5. they wouldn't be noticed
  6. they increase the overall
  7. For the first
  8. we are making self-healing
  1. in everyday wear
  2. strength
  3. in water
  4. textiles
  5. less than a minute
  6. time
  7. and easily
  8. thin

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Humans learn (1) ___________________ that helps us every day. (2) ___________________ is self-repairing clothing. Scientists have made cotton, (3) ___________________ clothes that can repair themselves, without the need for sewing. Scientists in the USA looked at (4) ___________________ to things so well. They found (5) ___________________ on the suckers of squid. The protein is like the one found in the silk that spiders use to make spider webs. It is very (6) ___________________.

The new protein will be put on clothes. A (7) ___________________ join together in less than a minute after it is (8) ___________________. Soldiers and other people will be safer with clothes that repair (9) ___________________. A scientist said: "The (10) ___________________, less than a micron, so they wouldn't be noticed in everyday wear." He added: "Even thin, they increase the (11) ___________________ of the material. (12) ___________________, we are making self-healing textiles."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Humanslearnalotfromnaturethathelpsuseveryday.Thelatestthingis
self-repairingclothing.Scientistshavemadecotton,linenandwoolc
lothesthatcanrepairthemselves,withouttheneedforsewing.Scientist
sintheUSAlookedathowsquidsticktothingssowell.Theyfoundastickyp
roteinonthesuckersofsquid.Theproteinisliketheonefoundinthesilkth
atspidersusetomakespiderwebs.Itisverystrongandstretchy.Thenew
proteinwillbeputonclothes.Ariportearwilljointogetherinlessthanami
nuteafteritisdippedinwater.Soldiersandotherpeoplewillbesaferwithc
lothesthatrepairquicklyandeasily.Ascientistsaid:"Thecoatingsarethi
n,lessthanamicron,sotheywouldn'tbenoticedineverydaywear."Head
ded:"Eventhin,theyincreasetheoverallstrengthofthematerial.Forthe
firsttime,wearemakingself-healingtextiles."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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