The Reading / Listening - Head Transplants - Level 4

A doctor said head transplants could be possible by 2030. Organ, face and other transplant surgery is now like science fiction. The doctor explained why he believes head transplants could be possible. He was working with an author on a science fiction novel. He said: "Initially, our intention was just to brainstorm an idea and it seemed rather silly, but then I realised, it actually isn't. If you transplant the brain and spinal cord together, it's not impossible."

The doctor said head transplants would only be possible if the head was accompanied by its spinal cord. Advances in spinal cord technology mean this could be possible before 2030. The doctor said: "Keeping the spinal cord in one piece has always been totally daunting." He also believes consciousness could move with the head from one body to another. The technology could treat spinal cord injuries and diseases like muscular dystrophy.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Head Transplants - Level 5 or  Head Transplants - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10607168/frankenstein-like-head-transplants-happen-by-2030/
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/human-head-transplant-spinal-cord-nhs-chrysalis-bruce-mathew-canavero-neurosurgeon-a9256841.html
  • https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/human-head-transplants-just-decade-21147648


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. Organ, face and other
  2. The doctor explained
  3. he believes head transplants
  4. a science
  5. our intention was just to
  6. it seemed rather
  7. transplant the brain and
  8. it's not
  1. spinal cord together
  2. fiction novel
  3. transplant surgery
  4. impossible
  5. silly
  6. why
  7. brainstorm an idea
  8. could be possible

Paragraph 2

  1. Advances in spinal cord
  2. this could be possible
  3. Keeping the spinal cord
  4. totally
  5. consciousness could
  6. from one body
  7. treat spinal cord
  8. diseases like
  1. injuries
  2. technology
  3. muscular dystrophy
  4. before 2030
  5. to another
  6. daunting
  7. move with the head
  8. in one piece

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A doctor said head transplants could (1) ___________________ 2030. Organ, face and other transplant surgery is now (2) ___________________. The doctor explained (3) ___________________ head transplants could be possible. He was working with an author on a science fiction novel. He said: "Initially, (4) ___________________ just to brainstorm an idea and it seemed rather silly, but then I realised, (5) ___________________. If you transplant the brain and spinal cord together, (6) ___________________."

The doctor said head transplants would (7) ___________________ if the head was (8) ___________________ spinal cord. Advances in spinal cord technology mean this (9) ___________________ before 2030. The doctor said: "Keeping the spinal cord in one piece has always (10) ___________________." He also believes consciousness could move with the head (11) ___________________ to another. The technology could treat spinal cord injuries and (12) ___________________ dystrophy.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Adoctorsaidheadtransplantscouldbepossibleby2030.Organ,faceand
othertransplantsurgeryisnowlikesciencefiction.Thedoctorexplained
whyhebelievesheadtransplantscouldbepossible.Hewasworkingwith
anauthoronasciencefictionnovel.Hesaid:"Initially,ourintentionwasj
usttobrainstormanideaanditseemedrathersilly,butthenIrealised,ita
ctuallyisn't.Ifyoutransplantthebrainandspinalcordtogether,it'snoti
mpossible."Thedoctorsaidheadtransplantswouldonlybepossibleifth
eheadwasaccompaniedbyitsspinalcord.Advancesinspinalcordtechn
ologymeanthiscouldbepossiblebefore2030.Thedoctorsaid:"Keeping
thespinalcordinonepiecehasalwaysbeentotallydaunting."Healsobeli
evesconsciousnesscouldmovewiththeheadfromonebodytoanother.
Thetechnologycouldtreatspinalcordinjuriesanddiseaseslikemuscula
rdystrophy.

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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