The Reading / Listening - Spaghetti - Level 5

Researchers from a U.K. university have created the world's thinnest spaghetti. It is about 200 times thinner than a human hair. It's so thin it cannot be captured in a photo, nor be seen with the naked eye, nor be viewed through a microscope. The nano-spaghetti is just 372 nanometres wide. The spaghetti was made using a technique called electro-spinning. This method uses an electric charge to push a flour liquid through microscopic holes. A researcher said: "I don't think it's useful as pasta, sadly, as it would overcook in less than a second."

The new spaghetti will be largely used for medicinal rather than culinary purposes. A researcher said it was edible. He said it was probably "chewier than you'd expect". Individual strands of the nano-pasta can be made into a pasta net. This could be used as a scaffold for regrowing tissue. It could also be used for bandages to help wounds heal. The bandages would allow moisture through, but keep bacteria out. They could also help bone regrowth. The scientists 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 4 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. 200 times thinner than
  2. it cannot be captured
  3. the naked
  4. viewed
  5. This method uses an electric
  6. microscopic
  7. I don't think it's useful
  8. it would overcook in
  1. charge
  2. as pasta
  3. through a microscope
  4. less than a second
  5. eye
  6. in a photo
  7. holes
  8. a human hair

Paragraph 2

  1. A researcher said it was
  2. made into a pasta
  3. used as a scaffold
  4. bandages to help wounds
  5. The bandages would allow moisture
  6. They could also help bone
  7. there are also non-medicinal
  8. These include uses in filtration
  1. regrowth
  2. heal
  3. systems
  4. net
  5. applications
  6. edible
  7. through
  8. for regrowing tissue

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Researchers from a U.K. university have created the world's thinnest spaghetti. It is about (1) ________________________________________________ than a human hair. It's so thin it cannot (2) ________________________________________________ a photo, nor be seen with the naked eye, nor be viewed                  (3) ________________________________________________. The nano-spaghetti is just 372 nanometres wide. The spaghetti was made                                   (4) ________________________________________________ called electro-spinning. This method uses an electric charge to push a (5) ________________________________________________ microscopic holes. A researcher said: "I don't think it's useful as pasta, sadly, as it would (6) ________________________________________________ than a second."

The new spaghetti will be largely used                                            (7) ________________________________________________ than culinary purposes. A researcher said it was edible. He said it was                                     (8) ________________________________________________ you'd expect". Individual strands of the nano-pasta can be made into a pasta net. This could be used as (9) ________________________________________________ regrowing tissue. It could also be used for bandages to (10) ________________________________________________. The bandages would allow moisture through, but keep bacteria out. They could also (11) ________________________________________________. The scientists say there are also non-medicinal applications. These include                 (12) ________________________________________________ systems and batteries.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ResearchersfromaU.K.universityhavecreatedtheworld'sthinnestspa
ghetti.Itisabout200timesthinnerthanahumanhair.It'ssothinitcannot
becapturedinaphoto,norbeseenwiththenakedeye,norbeviewedthro
ughamicroscope.Thenano-spaghettiisjust372nanometreswide.The
spaghettiwasmadeusingatechniquecalledelectro-spinning.Thisme
thodusesanelectricchargetopushaflourliquidthroughmicroscopichol
es.Aresearchersaid:"Idon'tthinkit'susefulaspasta,sadly,asitwouldo
vercookinlessthanasecond."Thenewspaghettiwillbelargelyusedfor
medicinalratherthanculinarypurposes.Aresearchersaiditwasedible.
Hesaiditwasprobably"chewierthanyou'dexpect".Individualstrandsof
thenano-pastacanbemadeintoapastanet.Thiscouldbeusedasascaf
foldforregrowingtissue.Itcouldalsobeusedforbandagestohelpwound
sheal.Thebandageswouldallowmoisturethrough,butkeepbacteriaou
t.Theycouldalsohelpboneregrowth.Thescientistssaytherearealsono
n-medicinalapplications.Theseincludeusesinfiltrationsystemsandb
atteries.

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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