The Reading / Listening - Level 4

Mathematicians are trying to make the perfect cup of coffee. It might seem strange that mathematicians are trying to do this, but coffee has 1,800 chemical components. If you combine these with the different ways of making coffee, there are a lot of numbers. The mathematicians had to use many complex calculations to find the perfect method. Researchers focused on what happens to coffee as it goes through coffee machines.

The research could change the way coffee machines are made. A researcher said he wanted, "a complete mathematical model of coffee brewing that you could use to design coffee machines, rather like we use a theory…to design racing cars". Coffee lovers might soon be able change the taste of the coffee as they filter and brew it. They could change the water temperature, the size of the ground coffee, the length of time needed to make it, and more.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37989169
  • http://phys.org/news/2016-11-mathematics-coffee-ideal-brew.html
  • http://dailycoffeenews.com/2016/11/15/extraction-in-drip-filter-machines-science-asks-whats-up-with-that/
  • http://epubs.siam.org /doi/pdf/10.1137/15M1036658


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. It might seem
  2. mathematicians are trying to
  3. 1,800 chemical
  4. different ways of
  5. there are a lot
  6. use many complex
  7. find the perfect
  8. what happens to coffee as it goes
  1. making coffee
  2. method
  3. strange
  4. through coffee machines
  5. do this
  6. components
  7. of numbers
  8. calculations

Paragraph 2

  1. change the way coffee machines
  2. mathematical model of coffee
  3. coffee
  4. change the
  5. they filter and
  6. They could change the water
  7. the size of the
  8. the length of time needed
  1. brew it
  2. ground coffee
  3. are made
  4. to make it
  5. brewing
  6. lovers
  7. temperature
  8. taste of the coffee

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Mathematicians are trying to (1) ___________________ cup of coffee. It might (2) ___________________ mathematicians are trying to do this, but coffee (3) ___________________ components. If you combine these with the different ways of making coffee, there are (4) ___________________. The mathematicians had to use many (5) ___________________ to find the perfect method. Researchers focused on what happens to coffee (6) ___________________ coffee machines.

The research could (7) ___________________ coffee machines are made. A researcher said he wanted, "a complete (8) ___________________ coffee brewing that you could (9) ___________________ coffee machines, rather like (10) ___________________…to design racing cars". Coffee lovers might soon be able change the taste of the coffee (11) ___________________ and brew it. They could change the water temperature, the size of the ground coffee, (12) ___________________ needed to make it, and more.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Mathematiciansaretryingtomaketheperfectcupofcoffee.Itmightsee
mstrangethatmathematiciansaretryingtodothis,butcoffeehas1,800
chemicalcomponents.Ifyoucombinethesewiththedifferentwaysofm
akingcoffee,therearealotofnumbers.Themathematicianshadtousem
anycomplexcalculationstofindtheperfectmethod.Researchersfocuse
donwhathappenstocoffeeasitgoesthroughcoffeemachines.Theresea
rchcouldchangethewaycoffeemachinesaremade.Aresearchersaidhe
wanted,"acompletemathematicalmodelofcoffeebrewingthatyoucou
ldusetodesigncoffeemachines,ratherlikeweuseatheory…todesignra
cingcars".Coffeeloversmightsoonbeablechangethetasteofthecoffee
astheyfilterandbrewit.Theycouldchangethewatertemperature,thesi
zeofthegroundcoffee,thelengthoftimeneededtomakeit,andmore.

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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