The Reading / Listening - Zero Waste - Level 2

Has getting tomato ketchup out the bottle made you angry? Have you ever squeezed the toothpaste tube but the last bit wouldn’t come out? Have you ever spent ages trying to get jam off the sides of the jar? If the answer is 'yes,' you may be happy to know that a solution to your problems is coming. Scientists have invented a very slippery surface for the inside of bottles, tubes, jars, tins and other containers. The slippery surface means anything will slide out like water. Every last drop of things like glue, paint and cosmetics will come out. The container will be totally empty, and you will be richer.

Scientists from MIT and the company LiquiGlide created the surface to reduce waste and save money. The co-inventor said every day, millions of litres of ketchup, sauces, paint, gels and creams stick to the sides of containers and are thrown away. He said: "The technology has the potential to significantly reduce waste" and be a big part of the zero-waste economy. The company website says LiquiGlide changes the way liquids move, like the wheel changed transport. It said: "We want to revolutionize consumer packaging, reduce waste, and create efficiencies…to improve the world."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Zero Waste - Level 0 Zero Waste - Level 1   or  Zero Waste - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39030055
  • http://indianewengland.com/2017/01/kripa-varanasi-co-founded-liquiglide-closes-16-million-venture-funding/
  • http://liquiglide.com/about-us/


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. getting tomato ketchup out the bottle
  2. squeezed the toothpaste
  3. the last bit wouldn’t
  4. spent
  5. get jam off the sides
  6. tubes, jars, tins and
  7. anything will slide
  8. things like glue, paint
  1. come out
  2. out like water
  3. ages trying
  4. other containers
  5. made you angry
  6. and cosmetics
  7. tube
  8. of the jar

Paragraph 2

  1. reduce waste
  2. millions of
  3. stick to the
  4. The technology has
  5. significantly
  6. LiquiGlide changes the way liquids
  7. consumer
  8. improve the
  1. sides of containers
  2. packaging
  3. reduce waste
  4. world
  5. the potential
  6. and save money
  7. move
  8. litres of ketchup

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Has getting tomato ketchup (1) ___________________ made you angry? Have you ever squeezed the toothpaste tube (2) ___________________ wouldn’t come out? Have you ever spent ages trying to get jam (3) ___________________ the jar? If the answer is 'yes,' you may be happy to know (4) ___________________ to your problems is coming. Scientists have invented a very slippery surface (5) ___________________ bottles, tubes, jars, tins and other containers. The slippery surface means anything will slide out like water. (6) ___________________ things like glue, paint and cosmetics will come out. The container will be totally empty, and you will be richer.

Scientists from MIT and the company LiquiGlide (7) ___________________ to reduce waste and save money. The co-inventor said every day, millions of (8) ___________________, sauces, paint, gels and creams (9) ___________________ of containers and are thrown away. He said: "The technology has the potential to significantly reduce waste" and (10) ___________________ of the zero-waste economy. The company website says LiquiGlide changes the (11) ___________________, like the wheel changed transport. It said: "We want to revolutionize consumer packaging, reduce waste, and create efficiencies…to (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Hasgettingtomatoketchupoutthebottlemadeyouangry?Haveyoueve
rsqueezedthetoothpastetubebutthelastbitwouldn’tcomeout?Havey
oueverspentagestryingtogetjamoffthesidesofthejar?Iftheansweris'
yes,'youmaybehappytoknowthatasolutiontoyourproblemsiscoming
.Scientistshaveinventedaveryslipperysurfacefortheinsideofbottles,t
ubes,jars,tinsandothercontainers.Theslipperysurfacemeansanythin
gwillslideoutlikewater.Everylastdropofthingslikeglue,paintandcosm
eticswillcomeout.Thecontainerwillbetotallyempty,andyouyouwillbe
richer.ScientistsfromMITandthecompanyLiquiGlidecreatedthesurfa
cetoreducewasteandsavemoney.Theco-inventorsaideveryday,milli
onsoflitresofketchup,sauces,paint,gelsandcreamssticktothesidesof
containersandarethrownaway.Hesaid:"Thetechnologyhasthepotent
ialtosignificantlyreducewaste"andbeabigpartofthezerowasteecono
my.ThecompanywebsitesaysLiquiGlidechangesthewayliquidsmove,
likethewheelchangedtransport.Itsaid:"Wewanttorevolutionizecons
umerpackaging,reducewaste,andcreateefficiencies…toimprovethe
world."

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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