The Reading / Listening - Level 0

The Sahara desert is twice as old as we thought. A new report from a climate research centre says it is seven million years old. Researchers worked out that a lot of North Africa became desert seven million years ago. A sea started to dry, so there was less rain. This helped to make sand dunes, and started the Sahara.

The Sahara is a famous and big desert. It covers 10 per cent of Africa, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. A researcher does not think the Sahara is so old. He said the new report has no facts. He said nothing in the Sahara is older than 500,000 years old. We only know about the Sahara's climate from 10,000 years ago.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 1,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2761070/Is-Sahara-Desert-TWICE-old-thought-Climate-simulations-suggest-formed-7-million-years-ago.html
  • http://www.nature.com/news/climate-simulation-doubles-sahara-s-age-1.15954?WT.mc_id=TWT_NatureNews
  • http://www.reportingclimatescience.com/news-stories/article/sahara-older-than-thought.html


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 :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

The Sahara desert is

a.

less rain

2.

A new

b.

became desert

3.

a climate

c.

dunes

4.

a lot of North Africa

d.

report

5.

A sea started

e.

research centre

6.

there was

f.

twice as old

7.

sand

g.

Sahara

8.

started the

h.

to dry


MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

a famous and

a.

no facts

2.

It covers 10 per cent

b.

to the Red Sea

3.

from the Atlantic Ocean

c.

climate

4.

the Sahara is

d.

than 500,000 years

5.

the new report has

e.

big desert

6.

nothing in the Sahara is older

f.

years ago

7.

the Sahara's

g.

of Africa

8.

from 10,000

h.

so old

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

The Sahara (1) ___________________ old as we thought. A new report from a climate (2) ___________________ says it is seven million years old. Researchers (3) ___________________ lot of North Africa became desert seven (4) ___________________. A sea (5) ___________________, so there was less rain. This helped to (6) ___________________, and started the Sahara.

The Sahara is a famous (7) ___________________. It covers 10 per cent of Africa, from the Atlantic Ocean (8) ___________________. A researcher does not think (9) ___________________. He said the new (10) ___________________. He said nothing in the Sahara is older than (11) ___________________. We only know about the Sahara's climate from (12) ___________________.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

TheSaharadesertistwiceasoldaswethought.Anewreportfromaclimat
eresearchcentresaysitissevenmillionyearsold.Researchersworkedo
utthatalotofNorthAfricabecamedesertsevenmillionyearsago.Aseast
artedtodry,sotherewaslessrain.Thishelpedtomakesanddunes,andst
artedtheSahara.TheSaharaisafamousandbigdesert.Itcovers10perc
entofAfrica,fromtheAtlanticOceantotheRedSea.Aresearcherdoesno
tthinktheSaharaissoold.Hesaidthenewreporthasnofacts.Hesaidnoth
ingintheSaharaisolderthan500,000yearsold.Weonlyknowaboutthe
Sahara'sclimatefrom10,000yearsago.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about deserts for 10 minutes. Read and talk about your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Back to the top

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You