The Reading / Listening - NASA and Asteroids - Level 1

NASA confirmed that asteroids will not be a danger to Earth for 100 years. This is good news for people worried about the end of the world. NASA has been checking a 335-metre asteroid called Apophis for 17 years. They thought it could be dangerous. They put it on their list of the most dangerous asteroids. They thought it could kill over 10 million people. They said it could hit Earth in 2068. Their latest prediction is that Earth will be safe for the next 100 years.

The scientists used radar to predict the asteroid's path. A scientist said: "We were able to acquire incredibly precise information about its distance to an accuracy of about 150 meters." Apophis is now 10.6 million miles away from us. It will come within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029. Another scientist was glad Apophis is no longer dangerous. He said he was looking forward to the science scientists might uncover from it.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    NASA and Asteroids - Level 0,  NASA and Asteroids - Level 2   or  NASA and Asteroids - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/mar/27/much-feared-asteroid-apophis-wont-hit-earth-for-at-least-100-years-nasa-says
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/27/world/asteroid-apophis-earth-impact-risk-scn-trnd/index.html
  • https://www.npr.org/2021/03/27/981917655/asteroid-apophis-not-a-risk-to-earth-for-at-least-100-years-nasa-says


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. asteroids will not be
  2. good news for people
  3. a 335-metre asteroid
  4. They put it on their
  5. it could kill over
  6. They said it could hit
  7. Their latest
  8. safe for the next
  1. worried about the end
  2. prediction
  3. 10 million people
  4. 100 years
  5. called Apophis
  6. a danger to Earth
  7. Earth in 2068
  8. list

Paragraph 2

  1. The scientists used
  2. predict the asteroid's
  3. incredibly
  4. an accuracy of
  5. 10.6 million miles away
  6. It will come within 20,000
  7. Apophis is no longer
  8. He said he was looking forward
  1. precise information
  2. dangerous
  3. from us
  4. path
  5. to the science
  6. radar
  7. about 150 meters
  8. miles of Earth

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

NASA confirmed that asteroids will not (1) ___________________ to Earth for 100 years. This is (2) ___________________ people worried about the end (3) ___________________. NASA has been checking a 335-metre asteroid called Apophis for 17 years. They thought it could be dangerous. They put it (4) ___________________ of the most dangerous asteroids. They thought it (5) ___________________ 10 million people. They said it could hit Earth in 2068. Their latest prediction is that Earth will be safe for the (6) ___________________.

The scientists (7) ___________________ predict the asteroid's path. A scientist said: "We were (8) ___________________ incredibly precise information about its distance (9) ___________________ of about 150 meters." Apophis is now 10.6 million miles (10) ___________________. It will come within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029. Another (11) ___________________ Apophis is no longer dangerous. He said he was looking forward to the science scientists (12) ___________________ it.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

NASAconfirmedthatasteroidswillnotbeadangertoEarthfor100years.
Thisisgoodnewsforpeopleworriedabouttheendoftheworld.NASAhas
beencheckinga335-metreasteroidcalledApophisfor17years.Theyt
houghtitcouldbedangerous.Theyputitontheirlistofthemostdangerou
sasteroids.Theythoughtitcouldkillover10millionpeople.Theysaiditco
uldhitEarthin2068.TheirlatestpredictionisthatEarthwillbesafeforthe
next100years.Thescientistsusedradartopredicttheasteroid'spath.A
scientistsaid:"Wewereabletoacquireincrediblypreciseinformationab
outitsdistancetoanaccuracyofabout150meters."Apophisisnow10.6
millionmilesawayfromus.Itwillcomewithin20,000milesofEarthin202
9.AnotherscientistwasgladApophisisnolongerdangerous.Hesaidhew
aslookingforwardtothesciencescientistsmightuncoverfromit.

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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