The Reading / Listening - Tea on the Moon - Level 0

Researchers say we could grow tea on the Moon. They said they were "at the very earliest stages of research into space agriculture". This might mean astronauts could take part in the British tradition of having a tea break. It could also be good news for farmers who have problems growing plants in bad soil.

The researchers wanted to know if plants could grow on the Moon and Mars. They made a special soil like the soil found there. The soil and special greenhouses in space could give astronauts fresh food. A researcher was happy that tea might be grown on the Moon. However, she said tea might not grow on Mars.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Tea on the Moon - Level 1 Tea on the Moon - Level 2   or  Tea on the Moon - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.earth.com/news/tea-plants-show-promise-for-growing-food-on-the-moon/
  • https://phys.org/news/2025-09-tea-lunar-soil.html
  • https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/tea-can-grown-moon-calls-35931787


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. we could grow tea
  2. at the very earliest
  3. research into space
  4. take part in the British
  5. having a tea
  6. It could also be good
  7. farmers who
  8. growing plants in bad
  1. break
  2. have problems
  3. on the Moon
  4. soil
  5. agriculture
  6. tradition
  7. stages
  8. news

Paragraph 2

  1. The researchers wanted
  2. They made a special
  3. like the soil found
  4. special greenhouses
  5. give astronauts fresh
  6. A researcher was
  7. tea might be grown
  8. tea might not
  1. in space
  2. on the Moon
  3. to know
  4. grow on Mars
  5. there
  6. food
  7. soil
  8. happy

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Researchers (1) _________________________________________________ grow tea on the Moon. They said they were "(2) _________________________________________________ earliest stages of (3) _________________________________________________ agriculture". This might mean astronauts (4) _________________________________________________ in the British tradition of having (5) _________________________________________________. It could also be good news for farmers who have problems growing (6) _________________________________________________ soil.

The researchers wanted (7) _________________________________________________ plants could (8) _________________________________________________ Moon and Mars. They (9) _________________________________________________ soil like the soil found there. The soil and special greenhouses (10) _________________________________________________ give astronauts fresh food. A researcher (11) _________________________________________________ tea might be grown on the Moon. However, she said tea (12) _________________________________________________ on Mars.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ResearcherssaywecouldgrowteaontheMoon.Theysaidtheywere"att
heveryearlieststagesofresearchintospaceagriculture".Thismightme
anastronautscouldtakepartintheBritishtraditionofhavingateabreak.
Itcouldalsobegoodnewsforfarmerswhohaveproblemsgrowingplants
inbadsoil.TheresearcherswantedtoknowifplantscouldgrowontheMo
onandMars.Theymadeaspecialsoillikethesoilfoundthere.Thesoiland
specialgreenhousesinspacecouldgiveastronautsfreshfood.Aresearc
herwashappythatteamightbegrownontheMoon.However,shesaidte
amightnotgrowonMars.

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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