The Reading / Listening - Zealandia - Level 2

We used to believe there were nine planets, but now there are eight (Pluto is not a planet). Now we may have to change how many continents there are. We are taught there are seven - Asia, Africa, North and South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. Geologists now say there is an eighth continent - Zealandia. This is a big, largely underwater landmass in the Pacific Ocean. Six per cent of it is above water and is New Zealand and New Caledonia. The rest is under the ocean. It is five million square kilometres, which scientists say is big enough to be a continent.

Geologists explained why Zealandia is a continent in a research paper in the Geological Society of America's Journal. They argue that the land does not have to be above water to be a continent. They said Zealandia is a continent because of four points: It is a lot higher than the area around it, it has a special geology, it is easy to see its shape, and it is thicker than the ocean floor. A geologist said it would be easy to understand that Zealandia is a continent, "if you could pull the plug on the world's oceans" and let the water out. It may take time for scientists to agree there are eight continents.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Zealandia - Level 0 Zealandia - Level 1   or  Zealandia - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www. bbc.com/news/world-asia-39000936
  • https://www. tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/its-just-cool-isnt-scientists-excited-gigantic-new-global-continent-zealandia
  • http://www. nature.com/news/geologists-spy-an-eighth-continent-zealandia-1.21503


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. We used to believe there
  2. change how many
  3. We are
  4. Geologists now say there is
  5. This is a big, largely underwater
  6. The rest is under
  7. It is five million
  8. big enough to
  1. an eighth continent
  2. square kilometres
  3. the ocean
  4. were nine planets
  5. continents there are
  6. be a continent
  7. taught there are seven
  8. landmass

Paragraph 2

  1. Geologists explained why Zealandia
  2. the land does not have to
  3. Zealandia is a continent because
  4. a lot higher than the area
  5. it is easy to see
  6. A geologist said it would be
  7. pull the plug on
  8. It may take time for scientists
  1. easy to understand
  2. of four points
  3. its shape
  4. the world's oceans
  5. around it
  6. is a continent
  7. to agree
  8. be above water

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

We (1) ___________________ there were nine planets, but now there are eight (Pluto is not a planet). Now (2) ___________________ change how many continents there are. We are (3) ___________________ seven - Asia, Africa, North and South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. Geologists now say there is an eighth continent - Zealandia. (4) ___________________, largely underwater landmass in the Pacific Ocean. Six per cent of it (5) ___________________ is New Zealand and New Caledonia. The rest is under the ocean. It is five million square kilometres, which scientists say (6) ___________________ be a continent.

Geologists (7) ___________________ Zealandia is a continent in a research paper in the Geological Society of America's Journal. They (8) ___________________ land does not have to be above water to be a continent. They said Zealandia is a continent because of four points: (9) ___________________ than the area around it, it has a special geology, it (10) ___________________ its shape, and it is thicker than the ocean floor. A geologist said it would be easy to understand that Zealandia is a continent, "if you could (11) ___________________ the world's oceans" and let the water out. It may take time for scientists (12) ___________________ eight continents.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Weusedtobelievetherewerenineplanets,butnowthereareeight(Pluto
isnotaplanet).Nowwemayhavetochangehowmanycontinentstherea
re.Wearetaughtthereareseven-Asia,Africa,NorthandSouthAmer
ica,Antarctica,Europe,andAustralia.Geologistsnowsaythereisaneig
hthcontinent-Zealandia.Thisisabig,largelyunderwaterlandmassint
hePacificOcean.SixpercentofitisabovewaterandisNewZealandandN
ewCaledonia.Therestisundertheocean.Itisfivemillionsquarekilometr
es,whichscientistssayisbigenoughtobeacontinent.Geologistsexplain
edwhyZealandiaisacontinentinaresearchpaperintheGeologicalSocie
tyofAmerica'sJournal.Theyarguethatthelanddoesnothavetobeabov
ewatertobeacontinent.TheysaidZealandiaisacontinentbecauseoffou
rpoints:Itisalothigherthantheareaaroundit,ithasaspecialgeology,iti
seasytoseeitsshape,anditisthickerthantheoceanfloor.Ageologistsai
ditwouldbeeasytounderstandthatZealandiaisacontinent,"ifyoucould
pulltheplugontheworld'soceans"andletthewaterout.Itmaytaketimef
orscientiststoagreethereareeightcontinents.

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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