The Reading / Listening - Spaghetti - Level 4

Researchers in the U.K. have made the world's thinnest spaghetti. The "nano-spaghetti" is 372 nanometres wide – 200 times thinner than a human hair. It cannot be captured in a photo, nor be seen with the naked eye, nor be viewed through a microscope. The spaghetti was made using a technique called electro-spinning. This uses electricity to push a flour liquid through microscopic holes. A researcher said it would overcook in a pan in less than a second.

The new spaghetti will be largely used in medicine rather than for cooking, even though it is edible. Individual strands of the spaghetti can be made into a pasta net. This could help to regrow tissue and bone. It could also be used for bandages to help wounds heal. The bandages would keep bacteria out. The researchers say there are also non-medicinal applications. These include uses in filtration systems and batteries.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Spaghetti - Level 5 or  Spaghetti - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.newscientist.com/article/2457260-worlds-thinnest-spaghetti-wont-please-gourmands-but-may-heal-wounds/
  • https://www.engadget.com/science/chemists-have-created-the-worlds-thinnest-spaghetti-201509365.html
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14110297/Scientists-create-worlds-thinnest-SPAGHETTI.html


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. Researchers in
  2. The "nano-spaghetti" is
  3. 200 times thinner than
  4. It cannot be captured
  5. the naked
  6. viewed
  7. microscopic
  8. it would overcook in a pan in
  1. holes
  2. a human hair
  3. less than a second
  4. through a microscope
  5. the U.K.
  6. in a photo
  7. eye
  8. 372 nanometres wide

Paragraph 2

  1. The new spaghetti will be largely
  2. even though it
  3. individual strands
  4. a pasta
  5. help to regrow tissue
  6. The bandages would keep
  7. there are also non-
  8. filtration
  1. systems
  2. net
  3. medicinal applications
  4. of the spaghetti
  5. bacteria out
  6. used in medicine
  7. and bone
  8. is edible

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Researchers in the U.K. (1) ________________________________________________ world's thinnest spaghetti. The "nano-spaghetti" is 372 nanometres wide - (2) ________________________________________________ than a human hair. It (3) ________________________________________________ in a photo, nor be seen with (4) ________________________________________________, nor be viewed through a microscope. The spaghetti was made using a technique (5) ________________________________________________. This uses electricity to push a flour liquid through microscopic holes. A researcher said it would overcook in a (6) ________________________________________________ than a second.

The new spaghetti will be largely used (7) ________________________________________________ than for cooking, even though (8) ________________________________________________. Individual strands of the spaghetti can be made into a pasta net. This could help to regrow (9) ________________________________________________. It could also be used for bandages to (10) ________________________________________________. The bandages would keep bacteria out. The researchers say there are also (11) ________________________________________________. These include uses in filtration (12) ________________________________________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ResearchersintheU.K.havemadetheworld'sthinnestspaghetti.The"n
ano-spaghetti"is372nanometreswide-200timesthinnerthanahuma
nhair.Itcannotbecapturedinaphoto,norbeseenwiththenakedeye,nor
beviewedthroughamicroscope.Thespaghettiwasmadeusingatechni
quecalledelectro-spinning.Thisuseselectricitytopushaflourliquidt
hroughmicroscopicholes.Aresearchersaiditwouldovercookinapaninl
essthanasecond.Thenewspaghettiwillbelargelyusedinmedicinerath
erthanforcooking,eventhoughitisedible.Individualstrandsofthespag
hetticanbemadeintoapastanet.Thiscouldhelptoregrowtissueandbon
e.Itcouldalsobeusedforbandagestohelpwoundsheal.Thebandagesw
ouldkeepbacteriaout.Theresearcherssaytherearealsonon-medicina
lapplications.Theseincludeusesinfiltrationsystemsandbatteries.

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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