The Reading / Listening - Volcanoes - Level 4

For centuries, scientists have been predicting when volcanoes will erupt. This has been pretty unreliable. However, a study from scientists in the USA say they are a step closer to more accurate forecasts. They used images from space to detect changes in the colour of leaves near volcanoes. The scientists found an increase in carbon dioxide levels emitted by two active volcanoes in Costa Rica. This changed the colour of trees in the surrounding areas.

Current methods of predicting eruptions include checking seismic activity and carbon dioxide emissions. Monitoring the colour of leaves from space could give better predictions. The science is easy to understand. As magma moves up through Earth's crust, it releases carbon dioxide. Trees absorb this and their leaves become greener. A website said: "These signs can help to protect communities against the worst effects of volcanic blasts."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Volcanoes - Level 5 or  Volcanoes - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/volcanos/the-closer-a-volcano-is-to-erupting-the-greener-the-trees-around-it-look-from-space
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/trees-may-be-able-to-warn-us-when-a-volcano-is-about-to-erupt
  • https://scitechdaily.com/volcanoes-send-secret-signals-through-trees-and-nasa-satellites-can-see-them/


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 has been pretty
  2. they are a step
  3. more accurate
  4. They used images
  5. detect changes
  6. an increase in carbon dioxide
  7. emitted by
  8. in the surrounding
  1. from space
  2. two active volcanoes
  3. closer
  4. areas
  5. unreliable
  6. in the colour
  7. levels
  8. forecasts

Paragraph 2

  1. Current methods of
  2. checking seismic
  3. carbon dioxide
  4. Monitoring the colour
  5. The science is easy
  6. As magma moves up through
  7. Trees
  8. the worst effects of volcanic
  1. Earth's crust
  2. emissions
  3. to understand
  4. predicting eruptions
  5. absorb this
  6. activity
  7. blasts
  8. of leaves

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

For centuries, scientists have (1) ________________________________________________ volcanoes will erupt. This has (2) ________________________________________________. However, a study from scientists in the USA say they are a step closer to (3) ________________________________________________. They used images from space to (4) ________________________________________________ the colour of leaves near volcanoes. The scientists found an increase in carbon dioxide (5) ________________________________________________ two active volcanoes in Costa Rica. This changed the colour of trees in (6) ________________________________________________.

Current methods (7) ________________________________________________ include checking seismic activity and (8) ________________________________________________. Monitoring the colour of leaves from space could give better predictions. The science is easy to understand. (9) ________________________________________________ up (10) ________________________________________________, it releases carbon dioxide. Trees absorb this and their leaves become greener. A website said: "These signs can (11) ________________________________________________ communities against the (12) ________________________________________________ volcanic blasts."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Forcenturies,scientistshavebeenpredictingwhenvolcanoeswillerupt.
Thishasbeenprettyunreliable.However,astudyfromscientistsintheU
SAsaytheyareastepclosertomoreaccurateforecasts.Theyusedimage
sfromspacetodetectchangesinthecolourofleavesnearvolcanoes.The
scientistsfoundanincreaseincarbondioxidelevelsemittedbytwoactiv
evolcanoesinCostaRica.Thischangedthecolouroftreesinthesurround
ingareas.Currentmethodsofpredictingeruptionsincludecheckingseis
micactivityandcarbondioxideemissions.Monitoringthecolourofleave
sfromspacecouldgivebetterpredictions.Thescienceiseasytoundersta
nd.AsmagmamovesupthroughEarth'scrust,itreleasescarbondioxide
.Treesabsorbthisandtheirleavesbecomegreener.Awebsitesaid:"The
sesignscanhelptoprotectcommunitiesagainsttheworsteffectsofvolc
anicblasts."

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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