The Reading / Listening - Rocket Science - Level 4

We think that rocket scientists and brain surgeons are super-brainy. New research suggests ordinary people are just as smart. Researchers tested 329 aerospace engineers and 72 neurosurgeons on six areas of cognition. They compared their data with those from 18,257 "normal" people. The researchers said: "Only two differences were significant: the neurosurgeons' problem-solving speed was quicker and their memory recall speed was slower."

The research questions the use of phrases such as "this isn't rocket science" or "that isn't brain surgery". These suggest something is easy to understand. The researchers said using 'It's not brain surgery' is OK when we need rapid problem solving, but not when rapid information recall is needed. The research gives hope to those who want exciting careers. However, this could lead to millions of brain surgeons and rocket designers.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Rocket Science - Level 5 or  Rocket Science - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59647067
  • https://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/rocket-scientists-and-brain-surgeons-are-no-smarter-than-you-study-finds/
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/researchers-pit-rocket-scientists-and-brain-surgeons-against-each-other-in-a-battle-of-wits


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. brain surgeons are super-
  2. ordinary people
  3. aerospace
  4. six areas
  5. They compared their
  6. two differences were
  7. neurosurgeons' problem-solving
  8. their memory recall speed
  1. speed was quicker
  2. brainy
  3. of cognition
  4. was slower
  5. engineers
  6. are just as smart
  7. significant
  8. data

Paragraph 2

  1. The research questions the use
  2. this isn't rocket
  3. something is easy to
  4. rapid problem
  5. when rapid information
  6. The research gives
  7. those who want
  8. this could lead to millions
  1. understand
  2. hope to those
  3. solving
  4. of brain surgeons
  5. science
  6. exciting careers
  7. recall is needed
  8. of phrases

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

We (1) ___________________ rocket scientists and brain surgeons (2) ___________________. New research suggests ordinary people are just as smart. Researchers tested 329 aerospace engineers and 72 neurosurgeons (3) ___________________ of cognition. They compared (4) ___________________ those from 18,257 "normal" people. The researchers said: "(5) ___________________ were significant: the neurosurgeons' problem-solving speed was quicker and their (6) ___________________ was slower."

The research questions the (7) ___________________ such as "this isn't rocket science" or "that isn't brain surgery". These (8) ___________________ easy to understand. The researchers said using 'It's not brain surgery' is OK when (9) ___________________ problem solving, but (10) ___________________ information recall is needed. The research gives hope to those (11) ___________________ careers. However, this could lead (12) ___________________ brain surgeons and rocket designers.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Wethinkthatrocketscientistsandbrainsurgeonsaresuper-brainy.Ne
wresearchsuggestsordinarypeoplearejustassmart.Researcherstest
ed329aerospaceengineersand72neurosurgeonsonsixareasofcogniti
on.Theycomparedtheirdatawiththosefrom18,257"normal"people.T
heresearcherssaid:"Onlytwodifferencesweresignificant:theneurosu
rgeons'problem-solvingspeedwasquickerandtheirmemoryrecallsp
eedwasslower."Theresearchquestionstheuseofphrasessuchas"thisi
sn'trocketscience"or"thatisn'tbrainsurgery".Thesesuggestsomethin
giseasytounderstand.Theresearcherssaidusing'It'snotbrainsurgery'
isOKwhenweneedrapidproblemsolving,butnotwhenrapidinformatio
nrecallisneeded.Theresearchgiveshopetothosewhowantexcitingcar
eers.However,thiscouldleadtomillionsofbrainsurgeonsandrocketde
signers.

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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