The Reading / Listening - ISS - Level 0

Astronauts fixed a hole in the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists usually do scientific experiments on the ISS. Last week, NASA said the station was slowly leaking air. An astronaut found the hole. He used a simple and quick way of doing this. He put his finger over the hole. Luckily, it was only two millimeters wide.

A small piece of space junk may have hit the ISS, which travels at around 28,000 kph. Flight controllers in the USA and Russia helped the crew. A cosmonaut used a "space tape" and a special glue from a "space repair kit". NASA said: "The crew are healthy and safe with weeks of air left in the International Space Station reserves."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    ISS - Level 1 ISS - Level 2   or  ISS - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/space/blogs/astronaut-uses-finger-plug-hole-space-station
  • https://www.yahoo.com/news/space-station-alert-crew-forced-073544223.html
  • https://www.rt.com/news/437382-iss-oxygen-leak-toothbrush/


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. Astronauts fixed a
  2. Scientists usually
  3. scientific
  4. the station was slowly
  5. An astronaut found
  6. a simple and quick
  7. He put his finger
  8. it was only two millimeters
  1. way of doing this
  2. hole
  3. wide
  4. experiments
  5. over the hole
  6. do
  7. the hole
  8. leaking air

Paragraph 2

  1. A small piece
  2. travels at
  3. Flight
  4. Russia helped
  5. space tape and
  6. a space repair
  7. The crew are healthy
  8. weeks of air
  1. kit
  2. the crew
  3. around 28,000 kph
  4. left
  5. of space junk
  6. and safe
  7. controllers in the USA
  8. a special glue

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Astronauts (1) ___________________ in the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists (2) ___________________ experiments on the ISS. Last week, NASA said the (3) ___________________ leaking air. An astronaut (4) ___________________. He used a simple and quick (5) ___________________ this. He put his finger over the hole. Luckily, it (6) ___________________ millimeters wide.

A small piece (7) ___________________ may have hit the ISS, which (8) ___________________ 28,000 kph. Flight controllers in the USA and Russia (9) ___________________. A cosmonaut used a "space tape" and (10) ___________________ from a "space repair kit". NASA said: "The (11) ___________________ and safe with weeks of (12) ___________________ the International Space Station reserves."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AstronautsfixedaholeintheInternationalSpaceStation(ISS).Scientis
tsusuallydoscientificexperimentsontheISS.Lastweek,NASAsaidthes
tationwasslowlyleakingair.Anastronautfoundthehole.Heusedasimpl
eandquickwayofdoingthis.Heputhisfingeroverthehole.Luckily,itwas
onlytwomillimeterswide.AsmallpieceofspacejunkmayhavehittheIS
S,whichtravelsataround28,000kph.FlightcontrollersintheUSAandR
ussiahelpedthecrew.Acosmonautuseda"spacetape"andaspecialglue
froma"spacerepairkit".NASAsaid:"Thecrewarehealthyandsafewith
weeksofairleftintheInternationalSpaceStationreserves."

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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