The Reading / Listening - Level 1

The Sahara desert is twice as old as we thought. Science books say it is three million years old. A new study from a climate research centre says it is seven million years old. Researchers calculated when North Africa became desert. Their tests showed that global warming seven million years ago dried a lot of the land in Chad. A sea started drying so there was less rain. This helped to make sand dunes in Chad. This may be how the Sahara started.

The Sahara is one of the most famous and biggest deserts. It covers 10 per cent of Africa. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east. A geologist in Germany does not think the Sahara is so old. He wants to see more evidence. He said the new research is just based on numbers. He said nothing in the Sahara is older than 500,000 years old. Our knowledge of the Sahara climate starts from 10,000 years ago.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0,  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.

A new

a.

rain

2.

a climate

b.

warming

3.

calculated when North Africa

c.

research centre

4.

global

d.

the Sahara started

5.

dried a lot

e.

became desert

6.

there was less

f.

dunes

7.

sand

g.

study

8.

This may be how

h.

of the land


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.

one of the most famous

a.

than 500,000 years

2.

It covers 10 per cent

b.

in Germany

3.

It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean

c.

numbers

4.

A geologist

d.

and biggest deserts

5.

He wants to see more

e.

Sahara climate

6.

based on

f.

of Africa

7.

nothing in the Sahara is older

g.

evidence

8.

Our knowledge of the

h.

in the west

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

The Sahara desert is twice as old as we thought. Science books say it is (1) ___________________ old. A new study from a climate research centre says it is seven million years old. Researchers (2) ___________________ Africa became desert. Their tests showed that (3) ___________________ seven million years (4) ___________________ of the land in Chad. A sea started drying so (5) ___________________. This helped to make sand dunes in Chad. This (6) ___________________ Sahara started.

The Sahara is (7) ___________________ famous and biggest deserts. It covers 10 per cent of Africa. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean (8) ___________________ Red Sea in the east. A geologist in Germany (9) ___________________ Sahara is so old. He wants to (10) ___________________. He said the new research (11) ___________________ numbers. He said nothing in the Sahara is older than 500,000 years old. Our knowledge of the Sahara (12) ___________________ 10,000 years ago.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

TheSaharadesertistwiceasoldaswethought.Sciencebookssayitisthre
emillionyearsold.Anewstudyfromaclimateresearchcentresaysitisse
venmillionyearsold.ResearcherscalculatedwhenNorthAfricabecame
desert.Theirtestsshowedthatglobalwarmingsevenmillionyearsagod
riedalotofthelandinChad.Aseastarteddryingsotherewaslessrain.Thi
shelpedtomakesanddunesinChad.ThismaybehowtheSaharastarted.
TheSaharaisoneofthemostfamousandbiggestdeserts.Itcovers10per
centofAfrica.ItstretchesfromtheAtlanticOceaninthewesttotheRedSe
aintheeast.AgeologistinGermanydoesnotthinktheSaharaissoold.He
wantstoseemoreevidence.Hesaidthenewresearchisjustbasedonnu
mbers.HesaidnothingintheSaharaisolderthan500,000yearsold.Our
knowledgeoftheSaharaclimatestartsfrom10,000yearsago.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

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

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

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

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

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about deserts 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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