The Reading / Listening - Spider Webs - Level 0

Researchers know one of nature's big secrets. They found out how spiders make strong silk. It is stronger than steel. Scientists found that the place the spider keeps its silk has a special acid. This makes the silk strong. The researchers copied this. They made enough spider silk to stretch for one kilometer.

The new silk could be very useful. Doctors think it can help with stitches, burns and ligament damage. Airplane companies and clothes companies want it. A researcher said: "This is the first successful example of [copying] spider silk spinning….This may allow…production of…silk for bio-materials."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Spider Webs - Level 1,  Spider Webs - Level 2   or  Spider Webs - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.cnet.com/news/spider-web-artificial-swedish-university-agriculture/
  • http://www.livescience.com/57458-strong-spider-silk-produced.html
  • https://cosmosmagazine.com/chemistry/new-synthetic-spider-silk-that-s-almost-as-strong-as-the-real-thing


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. know
  2. secrets
  3. found out
  4. make
  5. keeps
  6. special
  7. copied
  8. stretch
  1. particular
  2. discovered
  3. stores
  4. duplicated
  5. understand
  6. extend
  7. mysteries
  8. create

Paragraph 2

  1. new
  2. very
  3. think
  4. help
  5. companies
  6. successful
  7. copying
  8. production
  1. businesses
  2. believe
  3. aid
  4. extremely
  5. effective
  6. manufacture
  7. latest
  8. reproducing

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Researchers (1) ___________________ nature's big secrets. They (2) ___________________ spiders make strong silk. It is stronger than steel. Scientists found that (3) _______________ spider keeps its silk (4) ___________________ acid. This makes the silk strong. The researchers (5) ___________________. They made enough spider silk (6) ___________________ one kilometer.

The new silk (7) ___________________ useful. Doctors think it (8) ___________________ stitches, burns and ligament damage. (9) ___________________ and clothes companies want it. A researcher said: "(10) ___________________ successful example of [copying] spider (11) ___________________….This may allow…production of…silk (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Researchersknowoneofnature'sbigsecrets.Theyfoundouthowspider
smakestrongsilk.Itisstrongerthansteel.Scientistsfoundthattheplace
thespiderkeepsitssilkhasaspecialacid.Thismakesthesilkstrong.Ther
esearcherscopiedthis.Theymadeenoughspidersilktostretchforonekil
ometer.Thenewsilkcouldbeveryuseful.Doctorsthinkitcanhelpwithsti
tches,burnsandligamentdamage.Airplanecompaniesandclothesco
mpanieswantit.Aresearchersaid:"Thisisthefirstsuccessfulexampleof
[copying]spidersilkspinning….Thismayallow…productionof…silkforb
io-materials."

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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