The Reading / Listening - Volcanoes - Level 5

For centuries, volcanologists have been predicting when volcanoes will erupt. Forecasting when a volcano might blow has been pretty unreliable. However, a study from NASA scientists and the Smithsonian Institution say they are a step closer to providing more accurate forecasts. They used images from space to detect changes in the colour of leaves near volcanoes. The study showed that an increase in carbon dioxide levels emitted by two active volcanoes in Costa Rica had an impact on the colour of foliage. Trees in the surrounding areas became greener.

Current methods of predicting volcanic explosions include checking seismic activity, changes in ground height, and carbon dioxide emissions. NASA said its new method of monitoring the colour of foliage from space could give better predictions. The science behind this is easy to understand. As magma moves upwards through Earth's crust, it releases carbon dioxide. Trees absorb this and their leaves become greener. The LiveScience website said: "These signs can help to protect communities against the worst effects of volcanic blasts, including lava flows…and toxic gas clouds."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Volcanoes - Level 4 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. predicting when
  2. Forecasting when a volcano
  3. pretty
  4. they are a step
  5. They used images from space
  6. carbon dioxide levels emitted
  7. the colour of
  8. Trees in the
  1. surrounding areas
  2. closer
  3. to detect changes
  4. volcanoes will erupt
  5. foliage
  6. unreliable
  7. by two active volcanoes
  8. might blow

Paragraph 2

  1. Current methods of predicting
  2. seismic
  3. carbon dioxide
  4. As magma
  5. through Earth's
  6. Trees absorb this and their
  7. the worst effects
  8. lava
  1. of volcanic blasts
  2. volcanic explosions
  3. crust
  4. emissions
  5. activity
  6. moves upwards
  7. flows
  8. leaves become greener

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

For centuries, volcanologists have (1) ________________________________________________ volcanoes will erupt. Forecasting when a volcano might blow has (2) ________________________________________________. However, a study from NASA scientists and the Smithsonian Institution say they are a step closer to providing (3) ________________________________________________. They used images from space to (4) ________________________________________________ the colour of leaves near volcanoes. The study showed that an increase in carbon dioxide (5) ________________________________________________ two active volcanoes in Costa Rica had an impact on the colour of foliage. Trees in (6) ________________________________________________ became greener.

Current (7) ________________________________________________ volcanic explosions include checking seismic activity, changes in ground height, and (8) ________________________________________________. NASA said its new method of monitoring the colour of (9) ________________________________________________ could give better predictions. The science behind this is easy to understand. As magma moves upwards (10) ________________________________________________, it releases carbon dioxide. (11) ________________________________________________ and their leaves become greener. The LiveScience website said: "These signs can help to protect communities against the worst effects of volcanic blasts, (12) ________________________________________________...and toxic gas clouds."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Forcenturies,volcanologistshavebeenpredictingwhenvolcanoeswille
rupt.Forecastingwhenavolcanomightblowhasbeenprettyunreliable.
However,astudyfromNASAscientistsandtheSmithsonianInstitutions
aytheyareastepclosertoprovidingmoreaccurateforecasts.Theyusedi
magesfromspacetodetectchangesinthecolourofleavesnearvolcanoe
s.Thestudyshowedthatanincreaseincarbondioxidelevelsemittedbyt
woactivevolcanoesinCostaRicahadanimpactonthecolouroffoliage.Tr
eesinthesurroundingareasbecamegreener.Currentmethodsofpredic
tingvolcanicexplosionsincludecheckingseismicactivity,changesingr
oundheight,andcarbondioxideemissions.NASAsaiditsnewmethodof
monitoringthecolouroffoliagefromspacecouldgivebetterpredictions.
Thesciencebehindthisiseasytounderstand.Asmagmamovesupwards
throughEarth'scrust,itreleasescarbondioxide.Treesabsorbthisandth
eirleavesbecomegreener.TheLiveSciencewebsitesaid:"Thesesignsc
anhelptoprotectcommunitiesagainsttheworsteffectsofvolcanicblast
s,includinglavaflows...andtoxicgasclouds."

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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