Word Pairs

HOW TO PLAY:

  • Type the correct word in the boxes from the pairs of words [in brackets].
  • Click the button at the bottom to check your answers.
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The words
[A / The] group of researchers from Sweden has [unlocked / unlocking] one of nature's biggest secrets. The scientists worked out [what / how] spiders make such strong silk when they spin their spider webs. The silk that spiders spin is [incredible / incredibly] strong and is [tougher / tough] than steel. For decades, scientists have been researching what makes the silk so amazing. Finally, researchers from Sweden's University of Agricultural Sciences and the Karolinska Institute have found [a/ the] answer. They found that the materials for webs [are / is] stored in a spider's silk gland [was / as] protein. The gland has a level of acidity that helps to make the protein [into / onto] very strong silk. The researchers copied this process to make enough artificial spider-web silk to stretch [for / of] one kilometer.

The new [artificial / artificially] silk could be very useful to humans. Doctors are interested [on / in] it to use for stitches. They also think it can help the skin recover after a [burnt / burn] . Some doctors believe the new silk could replace [tearing / torn] ligaments in the body. Airplane manufacturers and makers of protective [clothe / clothing] also see many uses for the new silk. Senior researcher Anna Rising spoke about how [importance / important] the discovery could be. She said: "This is the [firstly / first] successful example of copying spider silk spinning. [In / On] the future, this may allow industrial production of artificial silk for bio-material [applications / applies] or for the manufacture of advanced textiles." The silk could become an important new material for [us / they] in the future.

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