The Reading / Listening - Zombies - Level 1

Zombies are only in horror movies. Or are they? An article in a university physics journal predicts that zombies could kill most of us in 100 days. Students said there would only be 273 survivors of a zombie apocalypse. The students pretended zombies were a deadly virus. The virus infected someone. The person had a 90 per cent chance of giving the virus to another person. That person spread the virus around the world.

A professor explained why students wrote about zombies. He said: "We ask students to write short papers for the 'Journal of Physics Special Topics'. It lets the students show off their creative side and [use] some of the physics they know." It also gives students writing practice. The professor added that it tested how students use their understanding of physics in imaginary situations. This could help us in the future to prepare for disasters.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Zombies - Level 0 Zombies - Level 2   or  Zombies - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.yahoo.com/news/zombies-wipe-humans-less-100-134700805.html
  • http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/how-long-humans-survive-zombie-apocalypse-scientists-a7513941.html
  • http://www.sciencealert.com/new-study-calculates-how-long-humanity-could-survive-a-zombie-apocalypse


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. Zombies are only
  2. there would only be 273
  3. zombie
  4. pretended zombies were a deadly
  5. The virus infected
  6. The person had a 90 per cent
  7. giving the virus
  8. spread the virus
  1. virus
  2. chance
  3. survivors
  4. around the world
  5. apocalypse
  6. in horror movies
  7. someone
  8. to another person

Paragraph 2

  1. A professor explained
  2. We ask students to write short
  3. show off their creative
  4. It also gives students writing
  5. their understanding
  6. imaginary
  7. This could help us
  8. prepare
  1. papers
  2. for disasters
  3. situations
  4. in the future
  5. why
  6. side
  7. practice
  8. of physics

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Zombies (1) ___________________ horror movies. Or are they? An article (2) ___________________ physics journal predicts that zombies could kill (3) ___________________ in 100 days. Students said there (4) ___________________ 273 survivors of a zombie apocalypse. The students pretended zombies were a deadly virus. The (5) ___________________ someone. The person had a 90 per cent chance of giving the virus to another person. That (6) ___________________ virus around the world.

A professor explained why students (7) ___________________ zombies. He said: "We ask students (8) ___________________ papers for the 'Journal of Physics Special Topics'. It lets the students (9) ___________________ creative side and [use] some of the physics they know." (10) ___________________ students writing practice. The professor added that (11) ___________________ students use their understanding of physics in imaginary situations. This could help us in the future to prepare (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Zombiesareonlyinhorrormovies.Orarethey?Anarticleinauniversityp
hysicsjournalpredictsthatzombiescouldkillmostofusin100days.Stud
entssaidtherewouldonlybe273survivorsofazombieapocalypse.Thest
udentspretendedzombieswereadeadlyvirus.Thevirusinfectedsomeo
ne.Thepersonhada90percentchanceofgivingthevirustoanotherpers
on.Thatpersonspreadthevirusaroundtheworld.Aprofessorexplained
whystudentswroteaboutzombies.Hesaid:"Weaskstudentstowritesh
ortpapersforthe'JournalofPhysicsSpecialTopics'.Itletsthestudentssh
owofftheircreativesideand[use]someofthephysicstheyknow."Italso
givesstudentswritingpractice.Theprofessoraddedthatittestedhowst
udentsusetheirunderstandingofphysicsinimaginarysituations.Thisc
ouldhelpusinthefuturetopreparefordisasters.

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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