The Reading / Listening - Dark Side of the Moon - Level 4

China is the first nation to land on the far side of the moon. The spaceship, Chang'e 4, touched down on the moon on Thursday. A professor said the mission was a major milestone for China. He said China is now a pioneer in space exploration. He said: "We Chinese people have done something that the Americans have not dared try." The chief designer of Chang'e-4, said: "Landing on the far side of the moon is more risky than landing on the near side."

The Chang'e-4 probe sent photographs to Earth soon after it landed. China said the mission had, "lifted the mysterious veil" from the far side of the moon and "opened a new chapter in human lunar exploration". A spokesman said it would, "help lay the foundation for future space exploration." He added that China would explore the moon, asteroids, "and even the whole solar system". China has plans to launch a returnable spacecraft (Chang'e 5) by 2020.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Dark Side of the Moon - Level 5 or  Dark Side of the Moon - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2180594/change-4-landing-dark-side-moon-marks-start-chinas-space-race-us
  • http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-01/03/c_137717597.htm
  • https://www.foxnews.com/science/china-successfully-lands-spacecraft-on-far-side-of-moon-state-media-says


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. China is the first
  2. touched down
  3. the mission was a major
  4. a pioneer in space
  5. We Chinese people have done
  6. the Americans have not
  7. the chief
  8. more risky than landing
  1. designer
  2. exploration
  3. on the moon
  4. on the near side
  5. milestone
  6. something
  7. nation to land
  8. dared try

Paragraph 2

  1. soon after it
  2. lifted the mysterious
  3. opened a new
  4. it would help lay
  5. future space
  6. China would explore
  7. the whole solar
  8. China has plans to launch a
  1. returnable spacecraft
  2. landed
  3. the moon
  4. chapter
  5. system
  6. veil
  7. exploration
  8. the foundation

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

China is (1) ___________________ to land on the far side of the moon. The spaceship, Chang'e 4, touched (2) ___________________ moon on Thursday. A professor said the mission was (3) ___________________ for China. He said China is now a pioneer (4) ___________________. He said: "We Chinese people have done something that the Americans have (5) ___________________." The chief designer of Chang'e-4, said: "Landing on the far side of the moon is (6) ___________________ landing on the near side."

The Chang'e-4 probe sent photographs to Earth (7) ___________________ landed. China said the mission (8) ___________________ mysterious veil" from the far side of the moon and "(9) ___________________ chapter in human lunar exploration". A spokesman said it would, "help lay the foundation (10) ___________________ exploration." He added that China would explore the moon, asteroids, "and even (11) ___________________ system". China has plans (12) ___________________ returnable spacecraft (Chang'e 5) by 2020.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Chinaisthefirstnationtolandonthefarsideofthemoon.Thespaceship,C
hang'e4,toucheddownonthemoononThursday.Aprofessorsaidthemi
ssionwasamajormilestoneforChina.HesaidChinaisnowapioneerinsp
aceexploration.Hesaid:"WeChinesepeoplehavedonesomethingthatt
heAmericanshavenotdaredtry."ThechiefdesignerofChang'e-4,said
:"Landingonthefarsideofthemoonismoreriskythanlandingonthenear
side."TheChang'e-4probesentphotographstoEarthsoonafteritland
ed.Chinasaidthemissionhad,"liftedthemysteriousveil"fromthefarsid
eofthemoonand"openedanewchapterinhumanlunarexploration".As
pokesmansaiditwould,"helplaythefoundationforfuturespaceexplora
tion."HeaddedthatChinawouldexplorethemoon,asteroids,"andeven
thewholesolarsystem".Chinahasplanstolaunchareturnablespacecra
ft(Chang'e5)by2020.

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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