The Reading / Listening - Flat Earth - Level 1

A scientist wants to prove that the Earth is flat. Mike Hughes, 61, is a flat-Earther – someone who believes that the Earth is not round. He taught himself how to make a rocket for $20,000. He will get into his rocket and fire it hundreds of meters in the air. It is powered by steam and can fly at 800 kmh. He told reporters: "I like to do extraordinary things….No one in the history of mankind has designed, built and launched himself in his own rocket."

Mr Hughes will take photos to prove that the Earth is flat. He said the Earth is land with walls of ice at the edges. He said his project will "shut the door on this ball-Earth" idea. He is a little worried and said the flight is, "as scary as hell, but none of us are getting out of this world alive". Hughes hopes his flat-Earth discovery will help him run for California Governor. The flight will be on his website on Saturday. He fed his four cats, just in case something goes wrong.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Flat Earth - Level 0 Flat Earth - Level 2   or  Flat Earth - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2017/11/stuntman-taking-rocket-trip-to-prove-earth-is-flat.html.
  • https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4955648/flat-earth-self-taught-scientist-mad-mike-launch-california-home-made-rocket/
  • http://metro.co.uk/2017/11/22/flat-earther-will-launch-himself-into-the-sky-on-steam-powered-rocket-this-week-7098673/


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. someone who believes that the Earth
  2. He taught himself how
  3. fire it hundreds of meters
  4. It is powered by
  5. fly at
  6. I like to do extraordinary
  7. No one in the history
  8. launched himself in his
  1. things
  2. is not round
  3. steam
  4. own rocket
  5. in the air
  6. of mankind
  7. to make a rocket
  8. 800 kmh

Paragraph 2

  1. Earth is land with walls of
  2. shut the door on this ball-Earth
  3. the flight is as
  4. none of us are getting out
  5. his flat-Earth discovery
  6. The flight will be on
  7. He fed his
  8. just in case something
  1. his website
  2. of this world alive
  3. goes wrong
  4. will help him
  5. idea
  6. four cats
  7. scary as hell
  8. ice at the edges

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A scientist wants to (1) ___________________ Earth is flat. Mike Hughes, 61, is a flat-Earther – someone (2) _________________ the Earth is not round. He taught himself how to make a rocket for $20,000. He (3) ___________________ his rocket and fire it hundreds of meters in the air. It is powered by steam (4) ___________________ at 800 kmh. He told reporters: "I (5) ___________________ extraordinary things….No one in the history of mankind has designed, built and (6) ___________________ his own rocket."

Mr Hughes will take photos to (7) ___________________ Earth is flat. He said the Earth is land with (8) ___________________ at the edges. He said his project will "(9) ___________________ on this ball-Earth" idea. He is a little worried and said the flight is, "as (10) ___________________, but none of us are getting out of this world alive". Hughes (11) ___________________-Earth discovery will help him run for California Governor. The flight will be on his website on Saturday. He fed his four cats, just in case (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AscientistwantstoprovethattheEarthisflat.MikeHughes,61,isaflat-
Earther–someonewhobelievesthattheEarthisnotround.Hetaughth
imselfhowtomakearocketfor$20,000.Hewillgetintohisrocketandfirei
thundredsofmetersintheair.Itispoweredbysteamandcanflyat800km
h.Hetoldreporters:"Iliketodoextraordinarythings….Nooneinthehisto
ryofmankindhasdesigned,builtandlaunchedhimselfinhisownrocket.
"MrHugheswilltakephotostoprovethattheEarthisflat.HesaidtheEarth
islandwithwallsoficeattheedges.Hesaidhisprojectwill"shutthedooro
nthisball-Earth"idea.Heisalittleworriedandsaidtheflightis,"asscarya
shell,butnoneofusaregettingoutofthisworldalive".Hugheshopeshisfl
at-EarthdiscoverywillhelphimrunforCaliforniaGovernor.Theflightwil
lbeonhiswebsiteonSaturday.Hefedhisfourcats,justincasesomething
goeswrong.

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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