The Reading / Listening - Time Travel - Level 5

Time travelers have been invited to Stephen Hawking's memorial service. The legendary cosmologist and author died on March 14. Thousands of well-wishers lined the streets in England for his funeral. His family has arranged a special ceremony for people to remember and celebrate his life. They have invited time travelers. Hawking famously wrote that: "If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from the future?" Now they have the chance to travel back in time. People with birth dates up to December 31, 2038 can apply to attend the service.

The concept of time travel intrigued Professor Hawking for decades. In 2009, he held a party for time travelers at Cambridge University. There was champagne and a banner saying: "Welcome time travelers". However, no one from the future went. The Stephen Hawking Foundation is organizing the memorial service. It is yet to receive any replies from a time traveler. The deadline to reserve a place at the June 15 event is today. The Foundation said it was still possible. It said: "We cannot exclude the possibility of time travel as it has not been disproven to our satisfaction."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Time Travel - Level 4 or  Time Travel - Level 6

Sources
  • http://metro.co.uk/2018/05/14/time-travellers-invited-attend-stephen-hawkings-memorial-service-7543567/
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/stephen-hawking-s-memorial-service-is-open-to-time-travellers
  • https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/12/610688433/tardis-optional-time-travelers-invited-to-stephen-hawking-service


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. Time travelers have
  2. Thousands of well-wishers
  3. His family has arranged a
  4. celebrate his
  5. If time travel is
  6. the chance to travel back
  7. People with birth dates up
  8. apply to attend
  1. life
  2. to December 31
  3. lined the streets
  4. the service
  5. in time
  6. special ceremony
  7. been invited
  8. possible

Paragraph 2

  1. The concept
  2. intrigued Professor Hawking
  3. he held a party for
  4. no one from the future
  5. It is yet to receive
  6. The deadline
  7. We cannot exclude the
  8. it has not been
  1. possibility
  2. time travelers
  3. to reserve a place
  4. disproven
  5. of time travel
  6. went
  7. for decades
  8. any replies

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Time travelers (1) ___________________ to Stephen Hawking's memorial service. The legendary cosmologist (2) ___________________ on March 14. Thousands of well-wishers (3) ___________________ in England for his funeral. His family has arranged a special ceremony for people to remember and (4) ___________________. They have invited time travelers. Hawking famously wrote that: "If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from the future?" Now they have the chance (5) ___________________ in time. People with birth dates up to December 31, 2038 (6) ___________________ attend the service.

(7) ___________________ time travel intrigued Professor Hawking for decades. In 2009, he (8) ___________________ for time travelers at Cambridge University. There was champagne and a banner saying: "Welcome time travelers". However, no one (9) ___________________ went. The Stephen Hawking Foundation is organizing the memorial service. It is yet to receive (10) ___________________ a time traveler. The deadline to (11) ___________________ at the June 15 event is today. The Foundation said it was still possible. It said: "We cannot exclude the possibility of time travel as it has not been disproven (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TimetravelershavebeeninvitedtoStephenHawking'smemorialservic
e.ThelegendarycosmologistandauthordiedonMarch14.Thousandsof
well-wisherslinedthestreetsinEnglandforhisfuneral.Hisfamilyhasarr
angedaspecialceremonyforpeopletorememberandcelebratehislife.T
heyhaveinvitedtimetravelers.Hawkingfamouslywrotethat:"Iftimetr
avelispossible,wherearethetouristsfromthefuture?"Nowtheyhaveth
echancetotravelbackintime.PeoplewithbirthdatesuptoDecember31,
2038canapplytoattendtheservice.Theconceptoftimetravelintrigued
ProfessorHawkingfordecades.In2009,heheldapartyfortimetravelers
atCambridgeUniversity.Therewaschampagneandabannersaying:"
Welcometimetravelers".However,noonefromthefuturewent.TheSte
phenHawkingFoundationisorganizingthememorialservice.Itisyettore
ceiveanyrepliesfromatimetraveler.Thedeadlinetoreserveaplaceatth
eJune15eventistoday.TheFoundationsaiditwasstillpossible.Itsaid:"
Wecannotexcludethepossibilityoftimetravelasithasnotbeendisprove
ntooursatisfaction."

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You