The Reading / Listening - Spacesuits - Level 5

Fashion designers are wondering how a new spacesuit might change their industry. The suit is out of this world - a spacesuit with its own built-in toilet. The high-tech suit was designed by NASA engineers to help astronauts deal with the call of nature in emergency situations. The new suit is called the Orion Crew Survival Systems Suit (OCSSS). It is for NASA's next-generation spacecraft, Orion, which will travel a lot farther away from Earth than previous space missions have. The spacecraft is not advanced enough to reach Mars. It will carry humans around the moon and back.

The spacesuits will let astronauts survive for six days in emergencies. The suit has a revolutionary waste disposal system so astronauts can do things like urinate and defecate without taking it off. Astronauts can also eat in the suit. An astronaut explained how important the OCSSS space suit will be. He said: "Spaceflight is not always glamorous. People need to go the bathroom, even in a spacecraft. How is this waste treated such that it does not harm the astronaut or even kill them?" The technology could be used in hospitals in the future.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Spacesuits - Level 4 or  Spacesuits - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.space.com/39710-orion-spacesuit-waste-disposal-system.html
  • http://www.gulftoday.ae/portal/6c0c05d3-a6b5-4f7e-8cbe-98481effbf51.aspx
  • https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/feb/15/nasa-space-poop-challenge-suit-designs


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. a new spacesuit might
  2. a spacesuit with its own built-
  3. deal with the call
  4. NASA's next-generation
  5. travel a lot farther
  6. previous space
  7. not advanced enough
  8. It will carry humans around the
  1. missions
  2. spacecraft
  3. moon and back
  4. in toilet
  5. of nature
  6. to reach Mars
  7. change their industry
  8. away from Earth

Paragraph 2

  1. survive for six days
  2. a revolutionary waste
  3. do things like urinate
  4. Astronauts can also eat
  5. Spaceflight is not always
  6. People need to
  7. it does not harm
  8. technology could be used
  1. and defecate
  2. the astronaut
  3. glamorous
  4. in emergencies
  5. go the bathroom
  6. in hospitals
  7. disposal system
  8. in the suit

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Fashion designers are wondering how a (1) ___________________ change their industry. The (2) ___________________ of this world - a spacesuit with its own built-in toilet. The high-tech suit was designed by NASA engineers to help astronauts deal with the (3) ___________________ in emergency situations. The new suit is called the Orion Crew Survival Systems Suit (OCSSS). It is for NASA's (4) ___________________ spacecraft, Orion, which will travel a lot farther away from Earth than (5) ___________________ have. The spacecraft is not advanced enough to reach Mars. It will (6) ___________________ the moon and back.

The spacesuits will let astronauts (7) ___________________ days in emergencies. The suit has a revolutionary (8) ___________________ so astronauts can do things like (9) ___________________ without taking it off. Astronauts can also eat in the suit. An astronaut explained how important the OCSSS space suit will be. He said: "Spaceflight is (10) ___________________. People need to go the bathroom, even in a spacecraft. How is this (11) ___________________ that it does not harm the astronaut or even kill them?" The technology could be (12) ___________________ in the future.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Fashiondesignersarewonderinghowanewspacesuitmightchangethei
rindustry.Thesuitisoutofthisworld-aspacesuitwithitsownbuilt-into
ilet.Thehigh-techsuitwasdesignedbyNASAengineerstohelpastronau
tsdealwiththecallofnatureinemergencysituations.Thenewsuitiscalle
dtheOrionCrewSurvivalSystemsSuit(OCSSS).ItisforNASA'snext-
generationspacecraft,Orion,whichwilltravelalotfartherawayfromEa
rththanpreviousspacemissionshave.Thespacecraftisnotadvanceden
oughtoreachMars.Itwillcarryhumansaroundthemoonandback.Thes
pacesuitswillletastronautssurviveforsixdaysinemergencies.Thesuit
hasarevolutionarywastedisposalsystemsoastronautscandothingslik
eurinateanddefecatewithouttakingitoff.Astronautscanalsoeatinthes
uit.AnastronautexplainedhowimportanttheOCSSSspacesuitwillbe.H
esaid:"Spaceflightisnotalwaysglamorous.Peopleneedtogothebathr
oom,eveninaspacecraft.Howisthiswastetreatedsuchthatitdoesnoth
armtheastronautorevenkillthem?"Thetechnologycouldbeusedinhos
pitalsinthefuture.

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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