The Reading / Listening - The Big Bang - Level 4

The Earth contains many mysteries about how it formed, and what is at its centre. A recent study has clues as to what shaped our planet and solar system. Scientists say vast amounts of a primordial form of the gas helium may be trapped inside Earth. It is called helium-3. Scientists believe it is from a giant cloud of gas and dust that gelled to create different planets. It has been inside Earth's core for billions of years. It is occasionally released in volcanic eruptions.

The research is very exciting for planetary geologists. They think the helium-3 could unlock secrets of the Big Bang. The presence of helium-3 could mean that Earth was created faster than we thought. A geophysicist in the USA said: "There is evidence that has been interpreted to say the Earth formed very slowly, requiring 100 million years. [However], you wouldn't get much helium deep in the Earth if the Earth formed that slowly."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    The Big Bang - Level 5 or  The Big Bang - Level 6

Sources
  • https://scitechdaily.com/earths-core-may-hold-hidden-reservoirs-of-helium-scientists-discover/
  • https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/primordial-helium-from-the-birth-of-the-solar-system-may-be-stuck-in-earths-core/ar-AA1AagXf
  • https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/centre-of-the-earth-could-hold-large-reservoir-of-iron-helium-compounds/4021097.article


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. The Earth contains many
  2. about how it
  3. what is at
  4. clues as to what shaped
  5. a primordial form
  6. gas and dust that gelled to create
  7. It has been inside Earth's
  8. occasionally released in volcanic
  1. of the gas helium
  2. core
  3. formed
  4. different planets
  5. our planet
  6. mysteries
  7. eruptions
  8. its centre

Paragraph 2

  1. The research is very
  2. planetary
  3. unlock secrets
  4. The presence
  5. Earth was created faster
  6. A geophysicist
  7. the Earth formed very
  8. you wouldn't get much helium
  1. in the USA
  2. of the Big Bang
  3. of helium-3
  4. slowly
  5. exciting
  6. deep in the Earth
  7. geologists
  8. than we thought

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The Earth (1) ________________________________________________ about how it formed, and what is at its centre. A recent study has (2) ________________________________________________ what shaped our planet and solar system. Scientists say (3) ________________________________________________ a primordial form of the gas helium may be trapped inside Earth. It is called helium-3. Scientists believe it is from a giant cloud of gas and dust that (4) ________________________________________________ different planets. It has been inside Earth's (5) ________________________________________________ of years. It is occasionally released (6) ________________________________________________.

The research is very exciting (7) ________________________________________________. They think the helium-3 could (8) ________________________________________________ the Big Bang. The presence of helium-3 could mean that Earth was created faster than we thought. A (9) ________________________________________________ USA said: "There is evidence that has been (10) ________________________________________________ the Earth formed very slowly, (11) ________________________________________________ years. [However], you wouldn't get much helium deep in the Earth if the Earth (12) ________________________________________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheEarthcontainsmanymysteriesabouthowitformed,andwhatisatits
centre.Arecentstudyhascluesastowhatshapedourplanetandsolarsys
tem.Scientistssayvastamountsofaprimordialformofthegasheliumm
aybetrappedinsideEarth.Itiscalledhelium-3.Scientistsbelieveitisfro
magiantcloudofgasanddustthatgelledtocreatedifferentplanets.Itha
sbeeninsideEarth'scoreforbillionsofyears.Itisoccasionallyreleasedin
volcaniceruptions.Theresearchisveryexcitingforplanetarygeologists
.Theythinkthehelium-3couldunlocksecretsoftheBigBang.Thepresen
ceofhelium-3couldmeanthatEarthwascreatedfasterthanwethough
t.AgeophysicistintheUSAsaid:"Thereisevidencethathasbeeninterpr
etedtosaytheEarthformedveryslowly,requiring100millionyears.[Ho
wever],youwouldn'tgetmuchheliumdeepintheEarthiftheEarthforme
dthatslowly."

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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_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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