The Reading / Listening - Water on the Moon - Level 4

NASA scientists have amazing news about water on the Moon. It may have water in larger amounts than they thought. The scientists analyzed two studies and confirmed there are water molecules on the side of the Moon we can see. Scientists thought ice existed on the dark side of the Moon, which is blocked from sunlight*. NASA said it found water on the sunlit parts of the Moon. It found a third of a litre of water in one area. This was trapped in rock.

This discovery is a game-changer and could pave the way to explore space. We could build permanent moon bases because the water could be drinkable. It could make rocket fuel one day. NASA explained: "Water is extremely critical for deep space exploration. It's a resource of direct value for our astronauts. Any time we don't need to pack water for our trip, we have an opportunity to take other useful items with us."

* Error: There is no dark side of the Moon. The side we cannot see actually does get sunlight.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Water on the Moon - Level 5 or  Water on the Moon - Level 6

Sources
  • https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/scientists-moon-holds-more-water-than-ever-thought/5637832.html
  • https://www.npr.org/2020/10/26/927869069/water-on-the-moon-nasa-confirms-water-molecules-on-our-neighbors-sunny-surface
  • https://www.sciencenews.org/article/water-moon-sun-sofia-telescope


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. in larger amounts
  2. water
  3. Scientists thought ice
  4. on the dark
  5. blocked from
  6. the sunlit parts
  7. a third of a
  8. This was trapped
  1. side of the Moon
  2. litre of water
  3. than they thought
  4. sunlight
  5. in rock
  6. existed
  7. of the Moon
  8. molecules

Paragraph 2

  1. This discovery is a game-
  2. pave the way
  3. We could build permanent
  4. the water could be
  5. make rocket
  6. deep space
  7. we have an
  8. take other useful
  1. fuel
  2. opportunity
  3. drinkable
  4. items with us
  5. exploration
  6. changer
  7. to explore space
  8. moon bases

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

NASA scientists (1) ___________________ about water on the Moon. It may have water in (2) ___________________ they thought. The scientists analyzed two studies and confirmed there (3) ___________________ on the side of the Moon we can see. Scientists thought ice existed on (4) ___________________ of the Moon, which is blocked from sunlight. NASA said it found water on (5) ___________________ of the Moon. It found a third of a litre of water in one area. This was (6) ___________________.

This discovery is a game-changer and could (7) ___________________ to explore space. We could build (8) ___________________ because the water could be drinkable. It could make (9) ___________________ day. NASA explained: "Water is extremely (10) ___________________ space exploration. It's a resource of (11) ___________________ our astronauts. Any time we don't need to pack water for our trip, we have an opportunity to take other (12) ___________________ us."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

NASAscientistshaveamazingnewsaboutwaterontheMoon.Itmayhav
ewaterinlargeramountsthantheythought.Thescientistsanalyzedtwo
studiesandconfirmedtherearewatermoleculesonthesideoftheMoon
wecansee.ScientiststhoughticeexistedonthedarksideoftheMoon,wh
ichisblockedfromsunlight.NASAsaiditfoundwateronthesunlitpartsof
theMoon.Itfoundathirdofalitreofwaterinonearea.Thiswastrappedinr
ock.Thisdiscoveryisagame-changerandcouldpavethewaytoexplo
respace.Wecouldbuildpermanentmoonbasesbecausethewatercould
bedrinkable.Itcouldmakerocketfueloneday.NASAexplained:"Wateri
sextremelycriticalfordeepspaceexploration.It'saresourceofdirectval
ueforourastronauts.Anytimewedon'tneedtopackwaterforourtrip,we
haveanopportunitytotakeotherusefulitemswithus."

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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