The Reading / Listening - Photos of the Sun - Level 1

Scientists have used a solar telescope to take the best-ever photos of the Sun. The photos are of the Sun's surface. They show lots of details. The scientists found hundreds of areas of activity that look like twisters of fire. They could help us know more about the Sun's energy and solar flares. An astronomer was excited about the photos. He said the Sun was a "unique laboratory". He said: "It can help us understand some very basic laws of physics."

The new photos are the closest ever to zoom in on the Sun. They show a 5,000-km-wide area. Scientists are interested in the borders between the dark and bright regions of the Sun. This is where huge spirals of fire are made. It happens when two fluids meet at different speeds. This causes lots of energy. Similar energy is created with ocean waves. Enough energy will release a solar flare. The photos will help us predict space weather one day.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Photos of the Sun - Level 0 Photos of the Sun - Level 2   or  Photos of the Sun - Level 3

Sources
  • https://physics.aps.org/articles/v19/112
  • https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/sharpest-image-of-the-sun-ever-captured-space-photo-of-the-day-for-aug-10-2026
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36d4376nd2o


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. Scientists have used a solar
  2. The photos are of the Sun's
  3. They show lots
  4. scientists found hundreds of
  5. help us know more about
  6. An astronomer was excited
  7. He said the Sun was a unique
  8. understand some very basic laws
  1. laboratory
  2. areas
  3. the Sun's energy
  4. surface
  5. of physics
  6. telescope
  7. about the photos
  8. of details

Paragraph 2

  1. the closest ever to zoom
  2. They show a 5,000-km-
  3. the borders between the dark
  4. This is where huge spirals of
  5. two fluids meet at
  6. energy is created with ocean
  7. Enough energy will release a solar
  8. help us predict space
  1. different speeds
  2. in on the Sun
  3. fire are made
  4. waves
  5. wide area
  6. weather
  7. and bright regions
  8. flare

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists have (1) _________________________________________________ telescope to take the best-ever photos of the Sun. The photos are of the Sun's surface. They show (2) _________________________________________________. The scientists found hundreds of areas of activity that (3) _________________________________________________ of fire. They could help us know more about the Sun's (4) _________________________________________________ flares. An astronomer was excited about the photos. He said the Sun (5) _________________________________________________ laboratory". He said: "It can help us understand some very (6) _________________________________________________ physics."

The new photos are the closest ever to (7) _________________________________________________ the Sun. They show a 5,000-km-wide area. Scientists (8) _________________________________________________ the borders (9) _________________________________________________ and bright regions of the Sun. This is where huge spirals of (10) _________________________________________________. It happens when two fluids meet at different speeds. This causes lots of energy. Similar energy is created (11) _________________________________________________. Enough energy will release a solar flare. The photos will help us predict (12) _________________________________________________ day.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistshaveusedasolartelescopetotakethebest-everphotosofthe
Sun.ThephotosareoftheSun'ssurface.Theyshowlotsofdetails.Thesci
entistsfoundhundredsofareasofactivitythatlookliketwistersoffire.Th
eycouldhelpusknowmoreabouttheSun'senergyandsolarflares.Anast
ronomerwasexcitedaboutthephotos.HesaidtheSunwasa"uniquelab
oratory".Hesaid:"Itcanhelpusunderstandsomeverybasiclawsofphys
ics."ThenewphotosaretheclosestevertozoominontheSun.Theyshow
a5,000-km-widearea.Scientistsareinterestedinthebordersbetwee
nthedarkandbrightregionsoftheSun.Thisiswherehugespiralsoffirear
emade.Ithappenswhentwofluidsmeetatdifferentspeeds.Thiscausesl
otsofenergy.Similarenergyiscreatedwithoceanwaves.Enoughenerg
ywillreleaseasolarflare.Thephotoswillhelpuspredictspaceweatheron
eday.

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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