The Reading / Listening - Self-Cleaning Plastic - Level 5

A revolutionary plastic could prevent bacteria and superbugs causing diseases. Scientists have developed a new, transparent, plastic wonder-wrap. They say it will greatly cut microbe transfer in hospitals, restaurants, kitchens, bathrooms and other places where bugs gather. Researchers from a university in Canada developed the plastic. They say it can repel all forms of bacteria, including superbugs. The material is like the common plastic wrap used to cover food. It can be shrink-wrapped to protect places that attract bacteria, like worktops, door handles, and hospital equipment.

The researchers said their idea came from the lotus plant. They tried to copy how lotus leaves repelled water. Drops of water either sit on the surface of the leaves or bounce off. A researcher wanted to apply that process to the plastic. She said: "We're structurally tuning that plastic. This material gives us something that can be applied to all kinds of things." Another researcher said: "We can see this technology being used in all kinds of...settings. As the world confronts the crisis of anti-microbial resistance, we hope it will become an important part of the anti-bacterial toolbox."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Self-Cleaning Plastic - Level 4 or  Self-Cleaning Plastic - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/self-cleaning-plastic-bacteria-repellent-mrsa-nhs-a9245811.html
  • https://news.sky.com/story/self-cleaning-surface-that-repels-superbugs-could-be-used-in-kitchens-and-hospitals-11885900
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/13/health/superbug-repelling-surface-intl-scli-scn/index.html


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 revolutionary
  2. prevent bacteria and superbugs
  3. it will greatly
  4. other places where bugs
  5. the common plastic wrap used
  6. It can be shrink-
  7. places that attract bacteria,
  8. hospital
  1. wrapped
  2. equipment
  3. gather
  4. like worktops
  5. plastic
  6. cut microbe transfer
  7. to cover food
  8. causing diseases

Paragraph 2

  1. their idea came from
  2. copy how lotus leaves
  3. sit on the surface
  4. apply that process
  5. something that can be applied to
  6. all kinds of
  7. the crisis of anti-microbial
  8. an important part of the anti-
  1. resistance
  2. to the plastic
  3. bacterial toolbox
  4. all kinds of things
  5. settings
  6. the lotus plant
  7. of the leaves
  8. repelled water

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A revolutionary (1) ___________________ bacteria and superbugs causing diseases. Scientists have (2) ___________________, transparent, plastic wonder-wrap. They say it will greatly (3) ___________________ in hospitals, restaurants, kitchens, bathrooms and other places (4) ___________________. Researchers from a university in Canada developed the plastic. They say it can (5) ___________________ of bacteria, including superbugs. The material is like the common plastic wrap used to cover food. It can (6) ___________________ protect places that attract bacteria, like worktops, door handles, and hospital equipment.

The researchers said their idea came from (7) ___________________. They tried to copy how lotus (8) ___________________. Drops of water either sit on the surface of the leaves or bounce off. A researcher wanted to apply that process to the plastic. She said: "We're (9) ___________________ plastic. This material gives us something that can be (10) ___________________ kinds of things." Another researcher said: "We can see this technology being used in all (11) ___________________. As the world confronts the crisis of anti-microbial resistance, we hope it will become (12) ___________________ of the anti-bacterial toolbox."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Arevolutionaryplasticcouldpreventbacteriaandsuperbugscausingdis
eases.Scientistshavedevelopedanew,transparent,plasticwonder-wr
ap.Theysayitwillgreatlycutmicrobetransferinhospitals,restaurants,
kitchens,bathroomsandotherplaceswherebugsgather.Researchersf
romauniversityinCanadadevelopedtheplastic.Theysayitcanrepelallf
ormsofbacteria,includingsuperbugs.Thematerialislikethecommonpl
asticwrapusedtocoverfood.Itcanbeshrink-wrappedtoprotectplaces
thatattractbacteria,likeworktops,doorhandles,andhospitalequipme
nt.Theresearcherssaidtheirideacamefromthelotusplant.Theytriedto
copyhowlotusleavesrepelledwater.Dropsofwatereithersitonthesurf
aceoftheleavesorbounceoff.Aresearcherwantedtoapplythatprocess
totheplastic.Shesaid:"We'restructurallytuningthatplastic.Thismater
ialgivesussomethingthatcanbeappliedtoallkindsofthings."Anotherre
searchersaid:"Wecanseethistechnologybeingusedinallkindsof...sett
ings.Astheworldconfrontsthecrisisofanti-microbialresistance,weho
peitwillbecomeanimportantpartoftheanti-bacterialtoolbox."

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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