The Reading / Listening - NASA and Asteroids - Level 2

Scientists from 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 an asteroid called Apophis for 17 years. They found the 335-metre space rock in 2004. They thought it could be dangerous, so they put it on their list of the top asteroids that could harm Earth. They originally said the asteroid could kill over 10 million people if it hit Earth. They predicted it could hit our planet in 2068. Their latest prediction is that Earth will be safe from Apophis for the next 100 years.

The scientists used radar to predict the asteroid's orbit. A NASA scientist said: "We were able to acquire incredibly precise information about its distance to an accuracy of about 150 meters." She said Apophis is now "a safe distance of 10.6 million miles away from Earth". However, it will come closer in 2029. It will come within 20,000 miles of Earth in that year. Another scientist was glad Apophis is no longer dangerous. He said: "There's a certain sense of satisfaction to see it removed from the risk list, and we're looking forward to the science we might uncover."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    NASA and Asteroids - Level 0 NASA and Asteroids - Level 1   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. Scientists from NASA
  2. asteroids will not be a
  3. This is good
  4. NASA has been checking an asteroid
  5. They found the 335-metre space
  6. They thought it could
  7. the top asteroids that
  8. Their latest prediction is that
  1. rock in 2004
  2. news
  3. Earth will be safe
  4. confirmed that
  5. could harm Earth
  6. danger to Earth
  7. be dangerous
  8. called Apophis

Paragraph 2

  1. predict the asteroid's
  2. acquire incredibly precise
  3. an accuracy of
  4. it will come
  5. Apophis is no longer
  6. There's a certain sense
  7. removed from the
  8. the science we might
  1. of satisfaction
  2. about 150 meters
  3. uncover
  4. dangerous
  5. risk list
  6. information
  7. closer in 2029
  8. orbit

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists from NASA confirmed that asteroids will not (1) ___________________ to Earth for 100 years. This is good news for people worried about the (2) ___________________ world. NASA has been checking (3) ___________________ Apophis for 17 years. They found the 335-metre space rock in 2004. They thought it could be dangerous, so they put it on (4) ___________________ the top asteroids that could harm Earth. They originally said the asteroid (5) ___________________ 10 million people if it hit Earth. They predicted it could hit our planet in 2068. Their latest prediction is that Earth will (6) ___________________ Apophis for the next 100 years.

The scientists used (7) ___________________ the asteroid's orbit. A NASA scientist said: "We were (8) ___________________ incredibly precise information about its distance to an accuracy of about 150 meters." She said Apophis is now "(9) ___________________ of 10.6 million miles away from Earth". However, it will come closer in 2029. It (10) ___________________ 20,000 miles of Earth in that year. Another scientist was glad Apophis is no longer dangerous. He said: "There's (11) ___________________ of satisfaction to see it removed from the risk list, and we're (12) ___________________ the science we might uncover."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ScientistsfromNASAconfirmedthatasteroidswillnotbeadangertoEart
hfor100years.Thisisgoodnewsforpeopleworriedabouttheendofthew
orld.NASAhasbeencheckinganasteroidcalledApophisfor17years.The
yfoundthe335-metrespacerockin2004.Theythoughtitcouldbedan
gerous,sotheyputitontheirlistofthetopasteroidsthatcouldharmEarth
.Theyoriginallysaidtheasteroidcouldkillover10millionpeopleifithitEa
rth.Theypredicteditcouldhitourplanetin2068.Theirlatestpredictionis
thatEarthwillbesafefromApophisforthenext100years.Thescientistsu
sedradartopredicttheasteroid'sorbit.ANASAscientistsaid:"Wewerea
bletoacquireincrediblypreciseinformationaboutitsdistancetoanaccu
racyofabout150meters."ShesaidApophisisnow"asafedistanceof10.
6millionmilesawayfromEarth".However,itwillcomecloserin2029.Itw
illcomewithin20,000milesofEarthinthatyear.Anotherscientistwasgla
dApophisisnolongerdangerous.Hesaid:"There'sacertainsenseofsati
sfactiontoseeitremovedfromtherisklist,andwe'relookingforwardtoth
esciencewemightuncover."

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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