The Reading / Listening - Flat Earth - Level 2

A scientist will try and prove his belief that the Earth is flat. Mike Hughes, 61, is a flat-Earther – someone who believes that the Earth is flat and not round. He loves science and taught himself how to make a rocket. He will get into his rocket and fire it hundreds of meters in the air. The rocket cost Mr Hughes $20,000 to make. It is powered by steam and can fly at 800 kmh. He told reporters why he made his rocket. He said: "I like to do extraordinary things that no one else can do. No one in the history of mankind has designed, built and launched himself in his own rocket."

Mr Hughes will take photos to prove that the Earth is flat and disc-shaped. He said the Earth is a lot of land surrounded by walls of ice at the edges. He said his project will "shut the door on this ball-Earth" idea. He is a little worried about the flight. He said: "It's as scary as hell, but none of us are getting out of this world alive." Hughes wants to run for Governor of California. He hopes his flat-Earth discovery will help him do this. Mr Hughes' flight will be live on his website this weekend. He said he has put out enough food for his four cats just in case something goes wrong.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Flat Earth - Level 0 Flat Earth - Level 1   or  Flat Earth - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2017/11/stuntman-taking-rocket-trip-to-prove-earth-is-flat.html.
  • https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4955648/flat-earth-self-taught-scientist-mad-mike-launch-california-home-made-rocket/
  • http://metro.co.uk/2017/11/22/flat-earther-will-launch-himself-into-the-sky-on-steam-powered-rocket-this-week-7098673/


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. believes that the Earth is flat
  2. taught himself how
  3. fire it hundreds of meters
  4. It is powered by
  5. He told reporters why he
  6. do extraordinary things that
  7. No one in the history
  8. launched himself in
  1. no one else can do
  2. steam
  3. his own rocket
  4. to make a rocket
  5. of mankind
  6. in the air
  7. made his rocket
  8. and not round

Paragraph 2

  1. prove that the Earth is flat
  2. surrounded by walls of ice
  3. It's as scary
  4. none of us are getting out
  5. his flat-Earth discovery will help
  6. live on
  7. he has put out enough food
  8. just in case something
  1. him do this
  2. for his four cats
  3. at the edges
  4. goes wrong
  5. his website
  6. and disc-shaped
  7. of this world alive
  8. as hell

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A scientist will try and (1) ___________________ that the Earth is flat. Mike Hughes, 61, is a flat-Earther – someone who believes that the Earth is (2) ___________________ round. He loves science and taught himself how to make a rocket. He will get (3) ___________________ and fire it hundreds of meters in the air. The rocket cost Mr Hughes $20,000 to make. It is (4) ___________________ and can fly at 800 kmh. He told reporters why he made his rocket. He said: "I like to do extraordinary things that no (5) ___________________ do. No one in the history of mankind has designed, built and launched (6) ___________________ own rocket."

Mr Hughes will take (7) ___________________ that the Earth is flat and disc-shaped. He said the Earth is a lot of (8) ___________________ by walls of ice at the edges. He said his project will "shut the door on this (9) ___________________. He is a little worried about the flight. He said: "It's as scary as hell, but none of us are getting out of (10) ___________________." Hughes wants to run for Governor of California. He hopes his flat-Earth (11) ___________________ him do this. Mr Hughes' flight will be live on his website this weekend. He said he has put out enough food for his four cats (12) ___________________ something goes wrong.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AscientistwilltryandprovehisbeliefthattheEarthisflat.MikeHughes,6
1,isaflat-Earther–someonewhobelievesthattheEarthisflatandnotrou
nd.Helovesscienceandtaughthimselfhowtomakearocket.Hewillgetin
tohisrocketandfireithundredsofmetersintheair.TherocketcostMrHug
hes$20,000tomake.Itispoweredbysteamandcanflyat800kmh.Hetol
dreporterswhyhemadehisrocket.Hesaid:"Iliketodoextraordinarythi
ngsthatnooneelsecando.Nooneinthehistoryofmankindhasdesigned,
builtandlaunchedhimselfinhisownrocket."MrHugheswilltakephotost
oprovethattheEarthisflatanddisc-shaped.HesaidtheEarthisalotofla
ndsurroundedbywallsoficeattheedges.Hesaidhisprojectwill"shutthe
dooronthisball-Earth"idea.Heisalittleworriedabouttheflight.Hesai
d:"It'sasscaryashell,butnoneofusaregettingoutofthisworldalive."Hu
gheswantstorunforGovernorofCalifornia.Hehopeshisflat-Earthdis
coverywillhelphimdothis.MrHughes'flightwillbeliveonhiswebsitethis
weekend.Hesaidhehasputoutenoughfoodforhisfourcatsjustincaseso
methinggoeswrong.

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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