The Reading / Listening - Life on Mars - Level 0

Scientists have found deadly chemicals on Mars. They can kill any living thing. The chemicals mean the chance of finding life on Mars is very low. Mars has no ozone layer, so there is a lot of ultra-violet (UV) radiation. The UV rays and the chemicals make it impossible for anything to grow on Mars.

Just the chemicals are enough to kill living things. When they mix with UV rays, they kill living things 11 times faster. The scientists said their research shows that the land on Mars is deadly. They say the chemicals and UV rays mean that nothing can grow or live on the land or near the land on Mars.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Life on Mars - Level 1,  Life on Mars - Level 2   or  Life on Mars - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mars-toxic-chemicals-found-surface-life-organisims-less-likely-planet-ozone-layer-ultra-violet-a7828361.html
  • http://time.com/4845251/mars-life-toxins-microbes/
  • http://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2017/surface-of-mars-poses-danger-to-life-tests-show


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. deadly
  2. They can kill any living
  3. the chance
  4. there is
  5. Mars has no ozone
  6. of ultra-violet
  7. The UV rays
  8. impossible for anything
  1. thing
  2. a lot
  3. to grow
  4. and the chemicals
  5. chemicals
  6. layer
  7. of finding life
  8. (UV) radiation

Paragraph 2

  1. Just the chemicals are
  2. kill living
  3. they mix
  4. 11 times
  5. the land on Mars
  6. nothing can
  7. live on the
  8. near the land on
  1. with UV rays
  2. land
  3. faster
  4. things
  5. Mars
  6. enough
  7. grow
  8. is deadly

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists (1) ___________________ deadly chemicals on Mars. They (2) ___________________ living thing. The chemicals mean (3) ___________________ finding life on Mars is very low. Mars has no ozone layer, (4) ___________________ a lot of ultra-violet (UV) radiation. (5) ___________________ and the chemicals make it impossible for anything (6) ___________________ Mars.

Just the chemicals (7) ___________________ kill living things. When (8) ___________________ UV rays, they kill living things (9) ___________________. The scientists said their research shows that (10) ___________________ Mars is deadly. They say the chemicals and UV (11) ___________________ that nothing can grow or live on the land or near (12) ___________________ Mars.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ScientistshavefounddeadlychemicalsonMars.Theycankillanylivingth
ing.ThechemicalsmeanthechanceoffindinglifeonMarsisverylow.Mar
shasnoozonelayer,sothereisalotofultra-violet(UV)radiation.TheUVr
aysandthechemicalsmakeitimpossibleforanythingtogrowonMars.Ju
stthechemicalsareenoughtokilllivingthings.WhentheymixwithUVray
s,theykilllivingthings11timesfaster.Thescientistssaidtheirresearchs
howsthatthelandonMarsisdeadly.TheysaythechemicalsandUVrays
meanthatnothingcangroworliveonthelandornearthelandonMars.

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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