The Reading / Listening - NASA and Asteroids - Level 0

NASA said asteroids will not be a danger to Earth for 100 years. Some people worried about the end of the world. NASA has been checking a 335-metre asteroid called Apophis. In 2004, they thought it could be dangerous. They thought it could kill over 10 million people. They thought it could hit Earth in 2068.

The scientists used radar to look at the asteroid's path. They got very precise information about its distance. Apophis is now 10.6 million miles away from us. It will come within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029. Another scientist was happy that Apophis is no longer dangerous. He said he was looking forward to studying it.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    NASA and Asteroids - Level 1,  NASA and Asteroids - Level 2   or  NASA and Asteroids - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/mar/27/much-feared-asteroid-apophis-wont-hit-earth-for-at-least-100-years-nasa-says
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/27/world/asteroid-apophis-earth-impact-risk-scn-trnd/index.html
  • https://www.npr.org/2021/03/27/981917655/asteroid-apophis-not-a-risk-to-earth-for-at-least-100-years-nasa-says


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. asteroids will not be a
  2. Some people
  3. the end
  4. NASA has been
  5. a 335-metre asteroid
  6. it could
  7. it could kill over
  8. They thought it could hit
  1. checking
  2. 10 million people
  3. worried
  4. Earth
  5. of the world
  6. called Apophis
  7. danger to Earth
  8. be dangerous

Paragraph 2

  1. The scientists used
  2. look at the asteroid's
  3. They got very
  4. 10.6 million miles away
  5. It will come within
  6. Another scientist was
  7. Apophis is no longer
  8. he was looking forward
  1. from us
  2. dangerous
  3. happy
  4. to studying it
  5. precise information
  6. radar
  7. 20,000 miles of Earth
  8. path

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

NASA said asteroids will (1) ___________________ danger to Earth for 100 years. Some people worried (2) ___________________ of the world. NASA has (3) ___________________ 335-metre asteroid called Apophis. In 2004, (4) ___________________ could be dangerous. They thought it (5) ___________________ 10 million people. They thought (6) ___________________ Earth in 2068.

The scientists used radar (7) ___________________ the asteroid's path. They (8) ___________________ information about its distance. Apophis (9) ___________________ million miles (10) ___________________. It will come within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029. Another scientist (11) ___________________ Apophis is no longer dangerous. He said he was looking (12) ___________________ it.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

NASAsaidasteroidswillnotbeadangertoEarthfor100years.Somepeop
leworriedabouttheendoftheworld.NASAhasbeencheckinga335-met
reasteroidcalledApophis.In2004,theythoughtitcouldbedangerous.T
heythoughtitcouldkillover10millionpeople.TheythoughtitcouldhitEa
rthin2068.Thescientistsusedradartolookattheasteroid'spath.Theyg
otverypreciseinformationaboutitsdistance.Apophisisnow10.6millio
nmilesawayfromus.Itwillcomewithin20,000milesofEarthin2029.An
otherscientistwashappythatApophisisnolongerdangerous.Hesaidhe
waslookingforwardtostudyingit.

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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