The Reading / Listening - Magnetic Poles - Level 5

When scientists warn us about threats to our existence, we usually hear about climate change, asteroids or nuclear war. Now scientists have warned of the threat of Earth's magnetic poles flipping upside down. The poles are responsible for the magnetic shield around Earth. This protects us from deadly radiation. Life on Earth depends on this shield. Radiation and solar rays cause a lot of damage. The poles could flip in the next thousand years. This is because the molten iron revolving around Earth's center is changing direction. The molten iron acts as a gigantic electromagnet.

Earth's magnetic poles have flipped every 250,000 years. The last time was 780,000 years ago. The next flip is long overdue. The flip could destroy communications and power grids; deadly solar rays could greatly increase rates of cancer; and climate change could kill many life forms. Some scientists say a polar flip could blow Earth's atmosphere away. One scientist dismissed any danger from the poles flipping. He believes any increased radiation would be as harmful as lying on a beach for a day. He said a "floppy hat" would be enough to protect us.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Magnetic Poles - Level 4 or  Magnetic Poles - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5351589/Earths-magnetic-field-flip-upside-down.html
  • https://sciexaminer.com/news/science/beware-magnetic-poles-earth-can-switch-positions-future-warn-esa-scientists-3874.html
  • https://www.inquisitr.com/4771682/magnetic-field-reversal-doomsday-predictions-blown-out-of-proportion-experts-say/


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. scientists warn us about threats
  2. scientists have warned
  3. This protects us from deadly
  4. solar
  5. molten
  6. revolving around
  7. changing
  8. The molten iron acts as a gigantic
  1. iron
  2. rays
  3. of the threat
  4. electromagnet
  5. to our existence
  6. direction
  7. radiation
  8. Earth's center

Paragraph 2

  1. Earth's magnetic poles have
  2. The next flip is long
  3. The flip could destroy
  4. power
  5. greatly increase rates
  6. blow Earth's atmosphere
  7. One scientist dismissed any
  8. increased radiation would be
  1. of cancer
  2. grids
  3. as harmful
  4. overdue
  5. danger
  6. communications
  7. away
  8. flipped

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

When scientists warn (1) ___________________ to our existence, we usually hear about climate change, asteroids (2) ___________________. Now scientists have warned of the threat of Earth's magnetic poles flipping upside down. The poles are responsible for (3) ___________________ around Earth. This protects us from deadly radiation. Life on Earth (4) ___________________ shield. Radiation and solar rays cause a lot of damage. The poles could flip in the (5) ___________________. This is because the molten iron revolving around Earth's center is changing direction. The (6) ___________________ as a gigantic electromagnet.

Earth's magnetic poles (7) ___________________ 250,000 years. The last time was 780,000 years ago. The next flip (8) ___________________. The flip could destroy communications and power grids; (9) ___________________ could greatly increase rates of cancer; and climate change could kill (10) ___________________. Some scientists say a polar flip could blow Earth's atmosphere away. One scientist (11) ___________________ from the poles flipping. He believes any increased radiation would be as (12) ___________________ on a beach for a day. He said a "floppy hat" would be enough to protect us.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Whenscientistswarnusaboutthreatstoourexistence,weusuallyheara
boutclimatechange,asteroidsornuclearwar.Nowscientistshavewarn
edofthethreatofEarth'smagneticpolesflippingupsidedown.Thepoles
areresponsibleforthemagneticshieldaroundEarth.Thisprotectsusfro
mdeadlyradiation.LifeonEarthdependsonthisshield.Radiationandsol
arrayscausealotofdamage.Thepolescouldflipinthenextthousandyea
rs.ThisisbecausethemoltenironrevolvingaroundEarth'scenterischan
gingdirection.Themoltenironactsasagiganticelectromagnet.Earth's
magneticpoleshaveflippedevery250,000years.Thelasttimewas780,
000yearsago.Thenextflipislongoverdue.Theflipcoulddestroycommu
nicationsandpowergrids;deadlysolarrayscouldgreatlyincreaserates
ofcancer;andclimatechangecouldkillmanylifeforms.Somescientists
sayapolarflipcouldblowEarth'satmosphereaway.Onescientistdismis
sedanydangerfromthepolesflipping.Hebelievesanyincreasedradiati
onwouldbeasharmfulaslyingonabeachforaday.Hesaida"floppyhat"w
ouldbeenoughtoprotectus.

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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