The Reading / Listening - Moss and Forensics - Level 0

The police use fingerprints, CCTV, and DNA to find criminals. A new study shows that moss is also useful. In the study, scientists looked at when the police used moss to help solve crimes. One scientist said he wanted the police to understand more about how important and useful moss was.

Moss first helped the police in 1929. In 2013, moss on a man's shoes helped the police to find where the man's baby was buried. The baby's father was put in prison for murdering his baby. Another scientist said she wanted the police to understand more about how moss can help them in their work.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Moss and Forensics - Level 1 Moss and Forensics - Level 2   or  Moss and Forensics - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.greenmatters.com/pn/this-overlooked-plant-has-been-quietly-helping-forensic-experts-solve-crimes-new-study-reveals
  • https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/moss-is-so-unique-its-acted-like-fingerprints-to-help-solve-a-dozen-crimes/
  • https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251225080738.htm


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 police use
  2. CCTV
  3. A new study
  4. moss is also
  5. scientists looked
  6. the police used moss to help
  7. he wanted the police to
  8. how important and useful
  1. understand more
  2. useful
  3. moss was
  4. shows that
  5. solve crimes
  6. fingerprints
  7. at when
  8. and DNA

Paragraph 2

  1. Moss first helped
  2. moss on a
  3. helped the
  4. find where the man's baby
  5. The baby's father was put
  6. she wanted the police to
  7. understand more about
  8. help them
  1. how
  2. understand
  3. in their work
  4. in prison
  5. man's shoes
  6. police
  7. the police in 1929
  8. was buried

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The (1) _________________________________________________, CCTV, and DNA (2) _________________________________________________. A new study shows that moss (3) _________________________________________________. In the study, scientists looked at when (4) _________________________________________________ moss to help solve crimes. One scientist (5) _________________________________________________ the police to understand more about how important and (6) _________________________________________________.

Moss (7) _______________________________________________ police in 1929. In 2013, moss on a man's shoes helped the police (8) _______________________________________________ the man's (9) _________________________________________________. The baby's father was (10) _________________________________________________ for murdering his baby. Another scientist said she wanted the (11) _______________________________________________ more about how moss can help them (12) _________________________________________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thepoliceusefingerprints,CCTV,andDNAtofindcriminals.Anewstudy
showsthatmossisalsouseful.Inthestudy,scientistslookedatwhenthe
policeusedmosstohelpsolvecrimes.Onescientistsaidhewantedthepo
licetounderstandmoreabouthowimportantandusefulmosswas.Mossf
irsthelpedthepolicein1929.In2013,mossonaman'sshoeshelpedthep
olicetofindwheretheman'sbabywasburied.Thebaby'sfatherwasputin
prisonformurderinghisbaby.Anotherscientistsaidshewantedthepolic
etounderstandmoreabouthowmosscanhelpthemintheirwork.

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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