The Reading / Listening - ISS - Level 1

Astronauts fixed a hole in the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is a satellite that scientists do scientific experiments in. Last week, NASA told astronauts that the station was slowly leaking air. Six astronauts looked for the leak. One astronaut found it and used a simple and quick way of stopping the leak. He put his finger over the hole. Luckily, the hole was only two millimeters wide. It was not an emergency, but it did need fixing.

NASA said a small piece of space junk may have hit the ISS, which travels at around 28,000 kph. A tiny object can cause a lot of damage. Flight controllers in the USA and Russia worked with the crew to fix the hole. A cosmonaut used a "space repair kit" to do this. He used some "space tape" and a special glue. NASA said the ISS crew are now safe. It said: "The crew are healthy and safe with weeks of air left in the International Space Station reserves."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    ISS - Level 0 ISS - Level 2   or  ISS - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/space/blogs/astronaut-uses-finger-plug-hole-space-station
  • https://www.yahoo.com/news/space-station-alert-crew-forced-073544223.html
  • https://www.rt.com/news/437382-iss-oxygen-leak-toothbrush/


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. scientific
  2. the station was slowly
  3. Six astronauts looked
  4. a simple and quick
  5. He put his finger
  6. the hole was only
  7. It was not
  8. it did need
  1. two millimeters wide
  2. way
  3. fixing
  4. leaking air
  5. an emergency
  6. experiments
  7. over the hole
  8. for the leak

Paragraph 2

  1. a small piece of
  2. travels at around
  3. cause a lot
  4. Russia worked with the crew
  5. a space repair
  6. some "space tape" and
  7. The crew are healthy
  8. weeks of
  1. kit
  2. and safe
  3. space junk
  4. air left
  5. of damage
  6. to fix the hole
  7. a special glue
  8. 28,000 kph

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Astronauts (1) ___________________ in the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS (2) ___________________ that scientists do scientific experiments in. Last week, NASA told astronauts that the station (3) ___________________ air. Six astronauts looked for the leak. One astronaut found it and (4) ___________________ and quick way of stopping the leak. He (5) ___________________ over the hole. Luckily, the hole was only two millimeters wide. It was not an emergency, but it (6) ___________________.

NASA said a small piece of (7) ___________________ have hit the ISS, which (8) ___________________ 28,000 kph. A tiny object can cause a (9) ___________________. Flight controllers in the USA and Russia worked with the crew to fix the hole. A cosmonaut used a "(10) ___________________" to do this. He used some (11) ___________________ a special glue. NASA said the ISS crew are now safe. It said: "The crew are healthy and safe with weeks (12) ___________________ in the International Space Station reserves."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AstronautsfixedaholeintheInternationalSpaceStation(ISS).TheISSi
sasatellitethatscientistsdoscientificexperimentsin.Lastweek,NASAt
oldastronautsthatthestationwasslowlyleakingair.Sixastronautslook
edfortheleak.Oneastronautfounditandusedasimpleandquickwayofs
toppingtheleak.Heputhisfingeroverthehole.Luckily,theholewasonly
twomillimeterswide.Itwasnotanemergency,butitdidneedfixing.NAS
AsaidasmallpieceofspacejunkmayhavehittheISS,whichtravelsataro
und28,000kph.Atinyobjectcancausealotofdamage.Flightcontrollers
intheUSAandRussiaworkedwiththecrewtofixthehole.Acosmonautus
eda"spacerepairkit"todothis.Heusedsome"spacetape"andaspecialgl
ue.NASAsaidtheISScrewarenowsafe.Itsaid:"Thecrewarehealthyan
dsafewithweeksofairleftintheInternationalSpaceStationreserves."

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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