Speed Reading — Earth Prize - Level 3 — 300 wpm

Now do this put-the-text-back-together activity.


This is the text (if you need help).

Three sixteen-year-olds from India have won this year's Earth Prize. This award is the world's largest environmental sustainability competition for teenagers. Teens can win by developing innovative solutions to global eco-challenges. The three Indian teenagers won by inventing a biodegradable powder made from old tamarind seeds. A tamarind is a tropical fruit that is used in sauces and desserts. The powder attracts microplastics when it is put in water. The microplastics stick together and form a mass that we can see. The mass of microplastics and powder can then be removed from the water with a magnet. The powder is a simple, cheap way to make water safer to drink in rural areas.

The three teenagers called their invention 'Plas-Stick'. They were extremely happy to win an award for it. They said: "Being named the global winners of the Earth Prize is incredibly special for all of us, especially as the first team from India to receive it." They added: "Tiny bits of plastic hide in our drinking water, but they're too small to see. We made a special powder from thrown-away tamarind seeds that acts like a magnet for these tiny plastics." Their website outlines another benefit. It said: "The collected plastic is safely turned into small useful items… so it can't return to nature. This simple method helps protect people, animals, and our planet from invisible plastic pollution."

Comprehension questions
  1. Who can enter the Earth Prize competition?
  2. What did the three Indian teenagers invent?
  3. What is a tamarind?
  4. How are the microplastics and powder removed from the water?
  5. Why could this powder be useful in rural areas?
  6. What is the name of the teenagers' invention?
  7. How did the teenagers feel about winning the Earth Prize?
  8. How many times has India now won the Earth Prize?
  9. What do the collected microplastics not go back to?
  10. What is the collected plastic turned into after it is removed?

Back to the Earth Prize lesson.

More Activities