The Reading / Listening - Photos of the Sun - Level 2

Astronomers have taken the best-ever photos of the Sun. The researchers used a solar telescope in Hawaii. They took very detailed images of the Sun's surface. These show lots of details about the solar surface. The scientists pointed out hundreds of areas of activity that look like twisters of fire. These might explain a lot about the Sun's energy. They could help us know more about solar flares. An astronomer was excited about the photos. He called the Sun a "unique laboratory". He said: "It can help us understand some very basic laws of physics."

The new images are the closest ever that scientists have zoomed in on the Sun. The photographs show a 5,000-km-wide area of the Sun. Scientists are interested in photos of 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 move at different speeds and meet. This causes a build-up of energy. Similar energy is created with ocean water and waves. The astronomer said enough energy will release a solar flare. He said the photos could help us to "figure out and eventually predict space weather".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Photos of the Sun - Level 0 Photos of the Sun - Level 1   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. researchers used a solar
  2. very detailed images of the
  3. These show lots
  4. scientists pointed
  5. explain a lot about the Sun's
  6. help us know more about solar
  7. He called the Sun a unique
  8. understand some very basic
  1. Sun's surface
  2. energy
  3. laws of physics
  4. telescope
  5. flares
  6. laboratory
  7. out hundreds
  8. of details

Paragraph 2

  1. the closest ever that scientists have
  2. a 5,000-km-wide
  3. he borders between the dark and
  4. This is where huge spirals of
  5. two fluids move at
  6. This causes a build-
  7. Similar energy is created with ocean
  8. predict space
  1. different speeds
  2. bright regions
  3. fire are made
  4. water
  5. zoomed in
  6. weather
  7. up of energy
  8. area of the Sun

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Astronomers (1) _________________________________________________ best-ever photos of the Sun. The researchers used (2) _________________________________________________ in Hawaii. They took very detailed images of the Sun's surface. These show (3) _________________________________________________ about the solar surface. The scientists pointed out hundreds of areas of activity that look like twisters of fire. These might (4) _________________________________________________ about the Sun's energy. They could help us know more about solar flares. An astronomer (5) _________________________________________________ the photos. He called the Sun a "unique laboratory". He said: "It can help us understand some very (6) _________________________________________________ physics."

The new images are the (7) _________________________________________________ scientists have zoomed in on the Sun. The photographs show a 5,000-km-(8) _________________________________________________ the Sun. Scientists are interested in photos of the borders between (9) _________________________________________________ bright regions of the Sun. This is where huge spirals of fire are made. It happens when (10) _________________________________________________ at different speeds and meet. This causes a build-up of energy. Similar energy is created with ocean (11) _________________________________________________. The astronomer said enough energy will release a solar flare. He said the photos could help us to "(12) _________________________________________________ eventually predict space weather".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Astronomershavetakenthebest-everphotosoftheSun.Theresearch
ersusedasolartelescopeinHawaii.Theytookverydetailedimagesofthe
Sun'ssurface.Theseshowlotsofdetailsaboutthesolarsurface.Thescie
ntistspointedouthundredsofareasofactivitythatlookliketwistersoffir
e.ThesemightexplainalotabouttheSun'senergy.Theycouldhelpuskn
owmoreaboutsolarflares.Anastronomerwasexcitedaboutthephotos.
HecalledtheSuna"uniquelaboratory".Hesaid:"Itcanhelpusunderstan
dsomeverybasiclawsofphysics."Thenewimagesaretheclosesteverth
atscientistshavezoomedinontheSun.Thephotographsshowa5,000-
km-wideareaoftheSun.Scientistsareinterestedinphotosoftheborder
sbetweenthedarkandbrightregionsoftheSun.Thisiswherehugespiral
soffirearemade.Ithappenswhentwofluidsmoveatdifferentspeedsan
dmeet.Thiscausesabuild-upofenergy.Similarenergyiscreatedwithoc
eanwaterandwaves.Theastronomersaidenoughenergywillreleaseas
olarflare.Hesaidthephotoscouldhelpusto"figureoutandeventuallypr
edictspaceweather".

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You