The Reading / Listening - Third State - Level 4

An American study has claimed a "third state" exists after life and death. Researchers say cells in the organs of deceased bodies adopt new functions after the body dies. The scientists explained how cells transform after the host organism dies. They said their research demonstrates "the inherent plasticity of cellular systems and challenge the idea that cells and organisms can evolve only in predetermined ways".

The scientists say there are two kinds of "biobot" in the third state. A biobot is a biological robot that exists in nature and can carry out tasks like moving and reacting. One biobot is called a "xenobot". This divides cells into new multi-cellular organisms. Other biobots are "anthrobots". These self-assemble cells and move around. The scientists said xenobots exist "beyond the traditional boundaries of life and death".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Third State - Level 5 or  Third State - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a62244774/biobots-third-state/
  • https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/biobot
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/these-creatures-occupy-third-state-beyond-life-and-death-scientists-say
  • https://metro.co.uk/2024/09/16/bodies-dont-die-scientists-discover-third-state-life-21614609/


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. This mind-
  2. the cells in the organs of
  3. cells transform after the
  4. the inherent plasticity of
  5. challenge
  6. evolve only in predetermined
  7. play a significant
  8. how life transforms
  1. cellular systems
  2. over time
  3. blowing concept
  4. ways
  5. host organism dies
  6. role
  7. deceased bodies
  8. the idea

Paragraph 2

  1. The scientists say there are two
  2. the functioning
  3. A robot that is partly or wholly
  4. cells that can perform
  5. This divides cells into new multi-cellular
  6. These self-assemble cells and
  7. beyond the traditional boundaries of
  8. the bots could lead to personalized
  1. move around
  2. biological
  3. medicine
  4. organisms
  5. of the third state
  6. life and death
  7. kinds of biobot
  8. tasks

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An interesting study from the USA (1) ________________________________________________ "third state" exists after life and death. This mind-blowing concept suggests the cells in (2) ________________________________________________ deceased bodies adopt new functions after the body dies. Scientists Peter Nobel and Alex Pozhitkov explained (3) ________________________________________________ after the host organism dies. They wrote: "These findings demonstrate (4) ________________________________________________ of cellular systems and challenge the idea that cells and organisms can (5) ________________________________________________ predetermined ways." They added that the third state, "may (6) ________________________________________________ role in how life transforms over time".

The scientists say there are two kinds of "biobot" (7) ________________________________________________ of the third state. Wiktionary.org says a biobot is: "A robot that is partly or (8) ________________________________________________ nature [like] plant cells or animal cells that can (9) ________________________________________________ as moving and reacting." One biobot is called a "xenobot". This (10) ________________________________________________ new multi-cellular organisms. Other biobots are "anthrobots". These self-assemble cells and move around. The scientists said xenobots exist "beyond (11) ________________________________________________ of life and death". They added the bots could (12) ________________________________________________ medicine in the future.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AninterestingstudyfromtheUSAhassuggesteda"thirdstate"existsaft
erlifeanddeath.Thismind-blowingconceptsuggeststhecellsintheorga
nsofdeceasedbodiesadoptnewfunctionsafterthebodydies.Scientists
PeterNobelandAlexPozhitkovexplainedhowcellstransformaftertheh
ostorganismdies.Theywrote:"Thesefindingsdemonstratetheinheren
tplasticityofcellularsystemsandchallengetheideathatcellsandorgani
smscanevolveonlyinpredeterminedways."Theyaddedthatthethirdst
ate,"mayplayasignificantroleinhowlifetransformsovertime".Thescie
ntistssaytherearetwokindsof"biobot"inthefunctioningofthethirdstat
e.Wiktionary.orgsaysabiobotis:"Arobotthatispartlyorwhollybiologic
alinnature[like]plantcellsoranimalcellsthatcanperformtaskssuchas
movingandreacting."Onebiobotiscalleda"xenobot".Thisdividescellsi
ntonewmulti-cellularorganisms.Otherbiobotsare"anthrobots".Thes
eself-assemblecellsandmovearound.Thescientistssaidxenobotsexi
st"beyondthetraditionalboundariesoflifeanddeath".Theyaddedtheb
otscouldleadtopersonalizedmedicineinthefuture.

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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