The Reading / Listening - Life on Mars - Level 1

Scientists have found a "toxic cocktail" of chemicals on Mars. It would kill any living thing. The scientists say the discovery of the chemicals means the chance of finding life on Mars is very low. The scientists study the places in the universe that might have life. Mars has no ozone layer. This means there are high levels of ultra-violet (UV) radiation. This mixes with the chemicals and makes it impossible for anything to grow on Mars.

The scientists said that just the chemicals were enough to kill living things. When they mix with UV rays, the mix kills living things 11 times faster. The scientists said: "The surface of…Mars is highly [harmful] to cells, caused by a toxic cocktail of [chemicals] and UV radiation." They say their research is evidence that the land on Mars is deadly to any kind of plant life. They say the chemicals and UV rays make, "much of the surface and near-surface regions uninhabitable".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Life on Mars - Level 0 Life on Mars - Level 2   or  Life on Mars - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mars-toxic-chemicals-found-surface-life-organisims-less-likely-planet-ozone-layer-ultra-violet-a7828361.html
  • http://time.com/4845251/mars-life-toxins-microbes/
  • http://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2017/surface-of-mars-poses-danger-to-life-tests-show


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. Scientists have found a toxic
  2. the chance of finding life on Mars
  3. places in the universe that
  4. Mars has no ozone
  5. This means there are high
  6. ultra-violet (UV)
  7. This mixes
  8. impossible for anything
  1. with the chemicals
  2. cocktail of chemicals
  3. radiation
  4. to grow
  5. is very low
  6. might have life
  7. levels
  8. layer

Paragraph 2

  1. just the chemicals were
  2. kill living
  3. 11 times
  4. The surface of Mars is highly
  5. UV
  6. the land on Mars
  7. any kind of plant
  8. much of
  1. harmful
  2. life
  3. things
  4. is deadly
  5. enough
  6. the surface
  7. faster
  8. radiation

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists have found a "toxic (1) ___________________ on Mars. It would kill any living thing. The scientists (2) ___________________ of the chemicals means the chance of (3) ___________________ Mars is very low. The scientists study the places in the universe that might have life. Mars (4) ___________________ layer. This means there are high levels of ultra-violet (UV) radiation. (5) ___________________ the chemicals and makes it impossible for (6) ___________________ on Mars.

The scientists said that just the chemicals (7) ___________________ living things. When they mix with UV rays, the mix kills living things (8) ___________________. The scientists said: "The (9) ___________________ is highly [harmful] to cells, (10) ___________________ toxic cocktail of [chemicals] and UV radiation." They say their research is evidence that the land on Mars (11) ___________________ kind of plant life. They say (12) ___________________ UV rays make, "much of the surface and near-surface regions uninhabitable".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistshavefounda"toxiccocktail"ofchemicalsonMars.Itwouldkilla
nylivingthing.Thescientistssaythediscoveryofthechemicalsmeansth
echanceoffindinglifeonMarsisverylow.Thescientistsstudytheplacesi
ntheuniversethatmighthavelife.Marshasnoozonelayer.Thismeansth
erearehighlevelsofultra-violet(UV)radiation.Thismixeswiththechem
icalsandmakesitimpossibleforanythingtogrowonMars.Thescientists
saidthatjustthechemicalswereenoughtokilllivingthings.Whentheym
ixwithUVrays,themixkillslivingthings11timesfaster.Thescientistssai
d:"Thesurfaceof…Marsishighly[harmful]tocells,causedbyatoxiccock
tailof[chemicals]andUVradiation."Theysaytheirresearchisevidencet
hatthelandonMarsisdeadlytoanykindofplantlife.Theysaythechemica
lsandUVraysmake,"muchofthesurfaceandnear-surfaceregionsunin
habitable".

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You