The Reading / Listening - Astronomy - Level 0

A French photographer won an astronomy photo contest. The contest is run by the UK's Royal Observatory. Nicolas Lefaudeux won for his photo of our closest galaxy - Andromeda. This is two million light years from Earth. In the photo, we can clearly see the bright galaxy. It is a bright light in the darkness of space.

Mr Lefaudeux is a famous photographer. His photo beat thousands of other photos. He was very surprised to win the prize. He said: "I was really not expecting to be the overall winner. I had some hopes for being placed in the galaxy category." He was so happy he was "over the Moon" when he got the news.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Astronomy - Level 1,  Astronomy - Level 2   or  Astronomy - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.livescience.com/astronomy-photography-contest-greenwich-winners.html
  • https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2020/09/10/stunning-photograph-of-a-socially-distanced-andromeda-galaxy-scoops-13000-prize/
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8722329/Stunning-image-Andromeda-galaxy-takes-prize-astronomy-photographer-year-2020.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. A French photographer
  2. an astronomy photo
  3. the UK's Royal
  4. his photo of our
  5. two million light
  6. we can clearly
  7. It is a bright
  8. the darkness
  1. see the bright galaxy
  2. Observatory
  3. of space
  4. contest
  5. light
  6. won
  7. years from Earth
  8. closest galaxy

Paragraph 2

  1. Mr Lefaudeux is a famous
  2. His photo beat thousands
  3. He was
  4. win the
  5. be the overall
  6. He was so
  7. he was over the
  8. when he got
  1. of other photos
  2. winner
  3. the news
  4. photographer
  5. Moon
  6. very surprised
  7. happy
  8. prize

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A French photographer (1) ___________________ photo contest. The contest is (2) ___________________ UK's Royal Observatory. Nicolas Lefaudeux won for (3) ___________________ our closest galaxy - Andromeda. This is two million (4) ___________________ Earth. In the photo, we (5) ___________________ the bright galaxy. It is a bright light in the (6) ___________________.

Mr Lefaudeux (7) ___________________ photographer. His photo beat thousands (8) ___________________. He was very surprised to (9) ___________________. He said: "I was really not expecting to be (10) ___________________. I had some hopes for being placed (11) ___________________ category." He was so happy he was "over the Moon" when he (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AFrenchphotographerwonanastronomyphotocontest.Thecontestisr
unbytheUK'sRoyalObservatory.NicolasLefaudeuxwonforhisphotoof
ourclosestgalaxy-Andromeda.ThisistwomillionlightyearsfromEart
h.Inthephoto,wecanclearlyseethebrightgalaxy.Itisabrightlightinthe
darknessofspace.MrLefaudeuxisafamousphotographer.Hisphotobe
atthousandsofotherphotos.Hewasverysurprisedtowintheprize.Hesa
id:"Iwasreallynotexpectingtobetheoverallwinner.Ihadsomehopesfo
rbeingplacedinthegalaxycategory."Hewassohappyhewas"overtheM
oon"whenhegotthenews.

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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