The Reading / Listening - Solar Energy - Level 2

There is a climate crisis, so we must change how we get our power. We need to stop using fossil fuels, like oil and gas. The European Space Agency (ESA) has started a three-year project to test huge solar farms in space. The ESA hopes to send energy wirelessly from space into millions of people's homes. An ESA spokesperson said one solar-farm satellite could make the same amount of electricity as a power station. She added that the ESA's aim is to have many of these giant satellites in orbit. They could cut our use of fossil fuels and end energy shortages.

The ESA project is called Solaris. The ESA wants Solaris to create "a clean and secure energy future". The agency told the BBC that solar power from space could be of "enormous" help. It said: "We need to convert into carbon-neutral economies, and therefore change the way we produce energy. We especially need to reduce the fossil fuels." It added: "If you can do it from space…this would be absolutely fantastic. It would solve a lot of problems." The satellites will be around 1.7 km long. This is bigger than the International Space Station, which is 110 m in length.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Solar Energy - Level 0 Solar Energy - Level 1   or  Solar Energy - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/SOLARIS/SOLARIS2
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62982113
  • https://scitechdaily.com/esa-solaris-wireless-power-beamed-down-from-space/


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. There is a climate
  2. we must change how
  3. We need to stop
  4. send energy wirelessly
  5. make the same
  6. have many of these giant
  7. They could cut our use
  8. end energy
  1. amount of electricity
  2. using fossil fuels
  3. shortages
  4. crisis
  5. of fossil fuels
  6. we get our power
  7. from space
  8. satellites in orbit

Paragraph 2

  1. The ESA project is
  2. create a clean and secure
  3. solar power
  4. be of "enormous"
  5. We need to convert into carbon-
  6. this would be absolutely
  7. It would solve a lot of
  8. bigger than the International
  1. fantastic
  2. from space
  3. help
  4. problems
  5. called Solaris
  6. Space Station
  7. energy future
  8. neutral economies

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There is (1) ___________________, so we must change how we get our power. We need to stop using (2) ___________________ oil and gas. The European Space Agency (ESA) has started a three-year project to test (3) ___________________ in space. The ESA hopes to send energy wirelessly from (4) ___________________ of people's homes. An ESA spokesperson said one solar-farm satellite could make the same amount of electricity as a power station. She added that the ESA's (5) ___________________ have many of these giant satellites in orbit. They could cut our use of fossil fuels and (6) ___________________.

The ESA (7) ___________________ Solaris. The ESA wants Solaris to create "a (8) ___________________ energy future". The agency told the BBC that solar power from space could be of "enormous" help. It said: "We need to convert (9) ___________________ economies, and therefore change the way we produce energy. We especially (10) ___________________ the fossil fuels." It added: "If you can do it from space...this would be absolutely fantastic. It would (11) ___________________ of problems." The satellites will be around 1.7 km long. This (12) ___________________ the International Space Station, which is 110 m in length.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thereisaclimatecrisis,sowemustchangehowwegetourpower.Wenee
dtostopusingfossilfuels,likeoilandgas.TheEuropeanSpaceAgency(E
SA)hasstartedathree-yearprojecttotesthugesolarfarmsinspace.Th
eESAhopestosendenergywirelesslyfromspaceintomillionsofpeople's
homes.AnESAspokespersonsaidonesolar-farmsatellitecouldmaketh
esameamountofelectricityasapowerstation.SheaddedthattheESA's
aimistohavemanyofthesegiantsatellitesinorbit.Theycouldcutouruse
offossilfuelsandendenergyshortages.TheESAprojectiscalledSolaris.
TheESAwantsSolaristocreate"acleanandsecureenergyfuture".Thea
gencytoldtheBBCthatsolarpowerfromspacecouldbeof"enormous"he
lp.Itsaid:"Weneedtoconvertintocarbon-neutraleconomies,andther
eforechangethewayweproduceenergy.Weespeciallyneedtoreduceth
efossilfuels."Itadded:"Ifyoucandoitfromspace...thiswouldbeabsolut
elyfantastic.Itwouldsolvealotofproblems."Thesatelliteswillbearoun
d1.7kmlong.ThisisbiggerthantheInternationalSpaceStation,whichis
110minlength.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You