The Reading / Listening - Level 0

Scientists want to get humans to Mars. Getting to Mars will take two-and-a-half years. Scientists are trying to find out what can grow on Mars. Astronauts will grow their own food on the Red Planet from seeds. This may be difficult because Mars doesn't have good soil. It just has red dust.

Humans could be on Mars by 2030. NASA has tested "Martian gardens". They used volcanic dust. This is similar to Mars dust. The scientists grew lettuce in it. The lettuce tasted normal, but it had weaker roots and it took longer to grow. NASA said testing 'Martian gardens' on Earth would help to grow food on Mars in the future.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 1,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/1006/NASA-s-Martian-gardens-What-kinds-of-veggies-can-we-grow-on-Mars
  • http://www.techtimes.com/articles/181178/20161007/martian-gardens-key-to-surviving-mars-colonization-nasa.htm
  • http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/29858/20161008/survival-in-mars-nasa-scientists-developing-martian-garden.htm


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Scientists want to get
  2. Getting to
  3. take two-and-
  4. Scientists are trying to
  5. what can grow
  6. grow their own food on the Red Planet
  7. This may
  8. Mars doesn't have good
  1. on Mars
  2. find out
  3. be difficult
  4. Mars
  5. from seeds
  6. humans to Mars
  7. soil
  8. a-half years

Paragraph 2

  1. to Mars dust
  2. in the future
  3. gardens"
  4. lettuce in it
  5. grow
  6. on Mars by 2030
  7. dust
  8. normal
  1. to Mars dust
  2. in the future
  3. gardens"
  4. lettuce in it
  5. grow
  6. on Mars by 2030
  7. dust
  8. normal

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists (1) ___________________ humans to Mars. Getting to Mars (2) ___________________ -and-a-half years. Scientists are trying (3) ___________________ what can grow on Mars. Astronauts will (4) ___________________ food on the Red Planet from seeds. This (5) ___________________ because Mars doesn't have good soil. It just (6) ___________________.

Humans (7) ___________________ Mars by 2030. NASA has tested "Martian gardens". They (8) ___________________ dust. This (9) ___________________ Mars dust. The scientists grew lettuce in it. The lettuce (10) ___________________, but it had weaker roots and (11) ___________________ to grow. NASA said testing 'Martian gardens' on Earth would help to grow food on Mars (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ScientistswanttogethumanstoMars.GettingtoMarswilltaketwo-and-
a-halfyears.ScientistsaretryingtofindoutwhatcangrowonMars.Astro
nautswillgrowtheirownfoodontheRedPlanetfromseeds.Thismaybedi
fficultbecauseMarsdoesn'thavegoodsoil.Itjusthasreddust.Humansc
ouldbeonMarsby2030.NASAhastested"Martiangardens".Theyusedv
olcanicdust.ThisissimilartoMarsdust.Thescientistsgrewlettuceinit.T
helettucetastednormal,butithadweakerrootsandittooklongertogrow
.NASAsaidtesting'Martiangardens'onEarthwouldhelptogrowfoodon
Marsinthefuture.

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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