The Reading / Listening - Blood - Level 2

Scientists from Bristol University have found a way to mass produce blood that is good enough for hospital patients. For many years, they could produce blood in a laboratory. However, the process to do that was very slow and they could not make a lot of blood. The new method means scientists can make an "unlimited supply" of blood. Researcher Dr Jan Frayne said older ways of producing red blood cells used stem cells that could only produce a limited amount of blood. She added: "We have [shown] a [workable] way to sustainably manufacture red cells."

Professor David Anstee, another researcher, told reporters his team now needs the technology to make blood on a large scale – to mass produce it. He said that would be a challenge. He added: "The next phase of our work is to look at methods of [producing more]." He told reporters that at first, they would produce only rare types of blood. He said these are difficult to find with traditional blood donation. He said: "The first…use of [our] red cell product is likely to be for patients with rare blood groups, because suitable…red blood cell donations can be difficult to source."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Blood - Level 0 Blood - Level 1   or  Blood - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/health-39354627
  • http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14750
  • http://www.onmedica.com/newsArticle.aspx?id=80fff617-337c-475f-a65d-59c76b4cab0d


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. mass produce blood that is good
  2. hospital
  3. the process to do that was
  4. make an unlimited
  5. older ways of
  6. stem
  7. produce a limited amount
  8. manufacture
  1. supply of blood
  2. of blood
  3. enough
  4. red cells
  5. very slow
  6. patients
  7. producing red blood cells
  8. cells

Paragraph 2

  1. his team now needs the technology
  2. on a large
  3. He said that would be
  4. The next phase
  5. look at methods of producing
  6. likely to be for
  7. rare blood
  8. donations can be difficult
  1. a challenge
  2. groups
  3. of our work
  4. to source
  5. scale
  6. to make blood
  7. more
  8. patients

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists from Bristol University have (1) ___________________ to mass produce blood (2) ___________________ enough for hospital patients. For many years, they could produce (3) ___________________ laboratory. However, the process to do that was very slow and they could not (4) ___________________ blood. The new method means scientists can make an "unlimited supply" of blood. Researcher Dr Jan Frayne said (5) ___________________ producing red blood cells used stem cells that could only produce a (6) ___________________ blood. She added: "We have [shown] a [workable] way to sustainably manufacture red cells."

Professor David Anstee, (7) ___________________, told reporters his team now needs the technology to make (8) ___________________ scale – to mass produce it. He said that would be a challenge. He added: "The (9) ___________________ our work is to look at methods of [producing more]." He told reporters (10) ___________________, they would produce only rare types of blood. He said these are difficult to find with traditional blood donation. He said: "The (11) ___________________ red cell product is likely to be for patients with rare blood groups, because suitable…red blood cell donations can be (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ScientistsfromBristolUniversityhavefoundawaytomassproducebloo
dthatisgoodenoughforhospitalpatients.Formanyyears,theycouldpro
ducebloodinalaboratory.However,theprocesstodothatwasveryslow
andtheycouldnotmakealotofblood.Thenewmethodmeansscientistsc
anmakean"unlimitedsupply"ofblood.ResearcherDrJanFraynesaidol
derwaysofproducingredbloodcellsusedstemcellsthatcouldonlyprodu
cealimitedamountofblood.Sheadded:"Wehave[shown]a[workable]
waytosustainablymanufactureredcells."ProfessorDavidAnstee,anot
herresearcher,toldreportershisteamnowneedsthetechnologytomak
ebloodonalargescale–tomassproduceit.Hesaidthatwouldbeachall
enge.Headded:"Thenextphaseofourworkistolookatmethodsof[prod
ucingmore]."Hetoldreportersthatatfirst,theywouldproduceonlyrare
typesofblood.Hesaidthesearedifficulttofindwithtraditionalblooddon
ation.Hesaid:"Thefirst…useof[our]redcellproductislikelytobeforpati
entswithrarebloodgroups,becausesuitable…redbloodcelldonationsc
anbedifficulttosource."

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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