The Reading / Listening - Moon Bases - Level 1

Scientists say a new kind of concrete could be used on the Moon. It is from moon dust and urine from astronauts. A chemical in human urine helps things stick together. Scientists could use 3D printers to make the material. Space agencies could start using this material to make buildings for a moon base. NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the China National Space Administration are all interested in building research stations on the Moon.

Astronaut pee and moon dust could save money. It costs $10,000 to take 0.45kg of materials to the Moon. The urine and moon dust would be cheaper. A scientist said the urine of the people living on moon bases could be used. She added: "The actual water in the urine could be used for the mixture, together with [water] that can be obtained on the Moon." Scientists say they need to do more tests to find the best building material.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Moon Bases - Level 0 Moon Bases - Level 2   or  Moon Bases - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.eurasiareview.com/27032020-astronaut-urine-to-build-moon-bases/
  • https://www.cnet.com/news/astronauts-could-use-their-own-pee-to-build-future-moon-habitats/
  • https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-03/f-sf-aut032720.php


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 new kind
  2. be used
  3. urine from
  4. helps things stick
  5. Scientists could
  6. Space
  7. make buildings for a
  8. building research
  1. agencies
  2. stations
  3. use 3D printers
  4. astronauts
  5. of concrete
  6. moon base
  7. on the Moon
  8. together

Paragraph 2

  1. moon dust could
  2. It costs $10,000
  3. moon dust would be
  4. people living
  5. The actual water in
  6. could be used for
  7. they need to do more
  8. find the best building
  1. cheaper
  2. the urine
  3. material
  4. the mixture
  5. save money
  6. tests
  7. to take 0.45kg
  8. on moon bases

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists say (1) ___________________ of concrete could be used on the Moon. It (2) ___________________ dust and urine from astronauts. A (3) ___________________ urine helps things stick together. Scientists could use 3D printers to make the material. Space agencies (4) ___________________ this material to make (5) ___________________ moon base. NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the China National Space Administration are all interested (6) ___________________ stations on the Moon.

Astronaut pee and moon dust (7) ___________________. It costs $10,000 to take 0.45kg (8) ___________________ the Moon. The urine and moon dust would be cheaper. A scientist said the urine of (9) ___________________ on moon bases could be used. She added: "The (10) ___________________ the urine could be used for the mixture, together with [water] that (11) ___________________ on the Moon." Scientists say they need to do more tests to find (12) ___________________ material.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ScientistssayanewkindofconcretecouldbeusedontheMoon.Itisfrom
moondustandurinefromastronauts.Achemicalinhumanurinehelpsthi
ngssticktogether.Scientistscoulduse3Dprinterstomakethematerial.
Spaceagenciescouldstartusingthismaterialtomakebuildingsforamo
onbase.NASA,theEuropeanSpaceAgency(ESA)andtheChinaNationa
lSpaceAdministrationareallinterestedinbuildingresearchstationsont
heMoon.Astronautpeeandmoondustcouldsavemoney.Itcosts$10,0
00totake0.45kgofmaterialstotheMoon.Theurineandmoondustwoul
dbecheaper.Ascientistsaidtheurineofthepeoplelivingonmoonbasesc
ouldbeused.Sheadded:"Theactualwaterintheurinecouldbeusedfort
hemixture,togetherwith[water]thatcanbeobtainedontheMoon."Scie
ntistssaytheyneedtodomoreteststofindthebestbuildingmaterial.

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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