The Reading / Listening - Ecology - Level 2

For the first time, plants from Earth are growing on the moon. China's space agency showed photos of cotton seeds sprouting into life. It said they were among several plants that were growing. The other plants include potatoes, rock cress and rapeseed. It is part of a Chinese project to the far side of the moon. The project is called a "moon surface micro-ecological circle". Project leader Liu Hanlong says the cotton was the first to sprout. He said he chose the plants because they were small, strong and could grow in the difficult conditions on the moon's surface.

Professor Hanlong said the aim was to understand how plants grow in space and to develop plants that can grow on the moon or in space. The professor said the team is looking at the future survival in space. Learning about these plants growing could allow us to lay the foundation for starting a space base. The project also includes yeast and fruit flies in creating a mini-ecosystem. The plants will produce oxygen and food for the fruit flies; the yeast could change the flies' waste and the dead plants into another kind of food source.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Ecology - Level 0 Ecology - Level 1   or  Ecology - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2182111/chinese-lunar-landers-cotton-seeds-lead-way-plant-life-germinates
  • https://www.newscientist.com/article/2190704-first-moon-plants-sprout-in-chinas-change-4-biosphere-experiment/
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-46873526


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. plants from Earth are growing
  2. China's space
  3. cotton seeds sprouting
  4. The other plants
  5. the far side
  6. he chose the plants because
  7. grow in the difficult
  8. on the moon's
  1. into life
  2. they were small
  3. surface
  4. conditions
  5. on the moon
  6. of the moon
  7. include potatoes
  8. agency

Paragraph 2

  1. the aim was
  2. develop plants that can grow
  3. the future survival in
  4. allow us to
  5. starting a space
  6. plants will produce oxygen
  7. dead
  8. another kind
  1. base
  2. plants
  3. on the moon
  4. of food
  5. space
  6. lay the foundation
  7. to understand how
  8. and food

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

For (1) ___________________, plants from Earth are growing on the moon. China's space agency showed photos of cotton seeds (2) ___________________. It said they were among several plants that were growing. The other plants include potatoes, rock cress and rapeseed. It (3) ___________________ a Chinese project to the far side of the moon. The project (4) ___________________ "moon surface micro-ecological circle". Project leader Liu Hanlong says the cotton (5) ___________________ to sprout. He said he chose the plants because they were small, strong and could grow in the difficult (6) ___________________ moon's surface.

Professor Hanlong said (7) ___________________ to understand how plants (8) ___________________ and to develop plants that can grow on the moon or in space. The professor said the team is looking at the (9) ___________________ space. Learning about these plants growing could allow us to lay the foundation for starting (10) ___________________. The project also includes yeast and fruit flies in creating a mini-ecosystem. The plants will produce (11) ___________________ for the fruit flies; the yeast could change the flies' waste and the dead plants (12) ___________________ of food source.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Forthefirsttime,plantsfromEartharegrowingonthemoon.China'sspa
ceagencyshowedphotosofcottonseedssproutingintolife.Itsaidtheyw
ereamongseveralplantsthatweregrowing.Theotherplantsincludepot
atoes,rockcressandrapeseed.ItispartofaChineseprojecttothefarside
ofthemoon.Theprojectiscalleda"moonsurfacemicro-ecologicalcircl
e".ProjectleaderLiuHanlongsaysthecottonwasthefirsttosprout.Hesa
idhechosetheplantsbecausetheyweresmall,strongandcouldgrowint
hedifficultconditionsonthemoon'ssurface.ProfessorHanlongsaidthe
aimwastounderstandhowplantsgrowinspaceandtodevelopplantstha
tcangrowonthemoonorinspace.Theprofessorsaidtheteamislookinga
tthefuturesurvivalinspace.Learningabouttheseplantsgrowingcoulda
llowustolaythefoundationforstartingaspacebase.Theprojectalsoincl
udesyeastandfruitfliesincreatingamini-ecosystem.Theplantswillpro
duceoxygenandfoodforthefruitflies;theyeastcouldchangetheflies'w
asteandthedeadplantsintoanotherkindoffoodsource.

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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