The Reading / Listening - Tea on the Moon - Level 2

It might be possible to grow tea on the Moon. Researchers from a UK university believe the lunar soil is good enough to grow plants. The lead researcher said: "We are at the very earliest stages of research into space agriculture." He added that it was good news that astronauts could take part in the British tradition of having a tea break. He said they would be able to have a cup of Moon-grown tea. It could also be good news for farmers who have difficulty growing crops. The researchers hope farmers worldwide will be able to farm even in poor soil.

The research team looked into whether tea plants could grow on the Moon and Mars. They said plants like tea may be grown in greenhouses. This would give astronauts some independence "and access to fresh food". The researchers planted tea in a special soil like the soil found on the Moon and on Mars. Another researcher was happy with her findings. She said: "The results of this project are very encouraging, as they demonstrate that tea…can be grown in lunar soil." She said that sadly, the tea plants did not grow in the soil like that on Mars.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Tea on the Moon - Level 0 Tea on the Moon - Level 1   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. It might be
  2. the lunar soil is good
  3. We are at the very earliest
  4. research into space
  5. He added that it was good
  6. the British tradition of a
  7. farmers who have difficulty growing
  8. farmers worldwide
  1. having a tea break
  2. stages
  3. will be able to farm
  4. news
  5. possible
  6. crops
  7. agriculture
  8. enough to grow plants

Paragraph 2

  1. tea may be grown in
  2. This would give astronauts some
  3. access to fresh
  4. The researchers planted tea
  5. Another researcher was happy
  6. The results of this project are
  7. the tea plants did not
  8. grow in the soil like
  1. that on Mars
  2. greenhouses
  3. with her findings
  4. grow
  5. food
  6. independence
  7. very encouraging
  8. in a special soil

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

It (1) _________________________________________________ to grow tea on the Moon. Researchers from a UK university believe the lunar soil (2) _________________________________________________ to grow plants. The lead researcher said: "We are at (3) _________________________________________________ stages of research into space agriculture." He added that it was (4) _________________________________________________ astronauts could take part in the British tradition of having a tea break. He said they would be able to have (5) _________________________________________________ Moon-grown tea. It could also be good news for farmers who have difficulty growing crops. The researchers hope farmers worldwide will be able to (6) _________________________________________________ poor soil.

The research (7) _________________________________________________ whether tea plants could grow on the Moon and Mars. They said plants like tea may (8) _________________________________________________ greenhouses. This would give astronauts some independence "and (9) _________________________________________________ food". The researchers planted tea in a special soil like the soil (10) _________________________________________________ Moon and on Mars. Another researcher was happy with her findings. She said: "The (11) _________________________________________________ project are very encouraging, as they demonstrate that tea...can be grown in lunar soil." She said that sadly, the tea plants did not grow in (12) _________________________________________________ that on Mars.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ItmightbepossibletogrowteaontheMoon.ResearchersfromaUKunive
rsitybelievethelunarsoilisgoodenoughtogrowplants.Theleadresearc
hersaid:"Weareattheveryearlieststagesofresearchintospaceagricult
ure."Headdedthatitwasgoodnewsthatastronautscouldtakepartinthe
Britishtraditionofhavingateabreak.Hesaidtheywouldbeabletohavea
cupofMoon-growntea.Itcouldalsobegoodnewsforfarmerswhohaved
ifficultygrowingcrops.Theresearchershopefarmersworldwidewillbea
bletofarmeveninpoorsoil.Theresearchteamlookedintowhetherteapl
antscouldgrowontheMoonandMars.Theysaidplantsliketeamaybegro
wningreenhouses.Thiswouldgiveastronautssomeindependence"an
daccesstofreshfood".Theresearchersplantedteainaspecialsoilliketh
esoilfoundontheMoonandonMars.Anotherresearcherwashappywith
herfindings.Shesaid:"Theresultsofthisprojectareveryencouraging,a
stheydemonstratethattea...canbegrowninlunarsoil."Shesaidthatsa
dly,theteaplantsdidnotgrowinthesoillikethatonMars.

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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