The Reading / Listening - Chemistry - Level 2

The Nobel Prize in chemistry has gone to three scientists for their work with molecules. The scientists will share the $1,090,000 prize. They found a special way of taking photos of molecules. Molecules are the smallest building blocks in the cells in our body. Everything and everyone is made of molecules. The scientists developed a technique called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). This lets scientists zoom in to amazing new levels. Scientists can now see things in our bodies never seen before. They can see how the building blocks of life move.

The Nobel Prize committee said the new technique will change science forever. The technique has "moved biochemistry into a new era". It added: "Soon, there will be no more secrets. Now we can see the…details of [molecules] in every corner of our cells and every drop of our body fluids. We can understand how they are built and how they act and how they work together….We are facing a revolution in biochemistry." A professor said there were many practical uses for the technique. Scientists can now look at the building blocks of viruses and find cures for many diseases.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Chemistry - Level 0 Chemistry - Level 1   or  Chemistry - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41495621
  • http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/10/cold-clear-view-life-wins-chemistry-nobel
  • https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/seeing-the-invisible-world-with-the-2017-nobel-prize-in-chemistry


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. The Nobel Prize
  2. The scientists will share the
  3. the cells in
  4. Everything and everyone is
  5. The scientists developed
  6. This lets scientists zoom
  7. see things in our bodies never
  8. how the building
  1. a technique
  2. seen before
  3. $1,090,000 prize
  4. blocks of life move
  5. our body
  6. made of molecules
  7. in chemistry
  8. in

Paragraph 2

  1. the new technique will change
  2. there will
  3. in every corner
  4. We can understand how
  5. how they act and how
  6. many practical uses
  7. look at the building blocks of
  8. find cures
  1. of our cells
  2. for many diseases
  3. they work together
  4. science forever
  5. for the technique
  6. they are built
  7. be no more secrets
  8. viruses

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The Nobel Prize in chemistry (1) ___________________ three scientists for their work with molecules. The scientists will share the $1,090,000 prize. They found (2) ___________________ of taking photos of molecules. Molecules are the smallest building blocks in the (3) ___________________ body. Everything and everyone is made of molecules. The scientists developed (4) ___________________ cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). This lets scientists (5) ___________________ amazing new levels. Scientists can now see things in our bodies never seen before. They can see how the building blocks (6) ___________________.

The Nobel Prize committee said the new technique will change science forever. (7) ___________________ "moved biochemistry into a new era". It added: "Soon, there will be (8) ___________________. Now we can see the…details of [molecules] in every corner of our cells and (9) ___________________ our body fluids. We can understand how they (10) ___________________ how they act and how they work together….We are facing a revolution in biochemistry." A professor said there were (11) ___________________ for the technique. Scientists can now look at the building blocks of viruses and (12) ___________________ many diseases.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheNobelPrizeinchemistryhasgonetothreescientistsfortheirworkwit
hmolecules.Thescientistswillsharethe$1,090,000prize.Theyfounda
specialwayoftakingphotosofmolecules.Moleculesarethesmallestbuil
dingblocksinthecellsinourbody.Everythingandeveryoneismadeofmo
lecules.Thescientistsdevelopedatechniquecalledcryo-electronmic
roscopy(cryo-EM).Thisletsscientistszoomintoamazingnewlevels.Sc
ientistscannowseethingsinourbodiesneverseenbefore.Theycanseeh
owthebuildingblocksoflifemove.TheNobelPrizecommitteesaidthene
wtechniquewillchangescienceforever.Thetechniquehas"movedbioc
hemistryintoanewera".Itadded:"Soon,therewillbenomoresecrets.N
owwecanseethe…detailsof[molecules]ineverycornerofourcellsande
verydropofourbodyfluids.Wecanunderstandhowtheyarebuiltandho
wtheyactandhowtheyworktogether….Wearefacingarevolutioninbioc
hemistry."Aprofessorsaidthereweremanypracticalusesforthetechni
que.Scientistscannowlookatthebuildingblocksofvirusesandfindcure
sformanydiseases.

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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