The Reading / Listening - Level 4

Scientists have found a simple way to deal with carbon dioxide emissions – turn them back into stone. They pumped 220 tons of CO2 underground into volcanic rock. It reacted with the rock and changed into a substance like limestone. The team were surprised at how fast this happened. Dr Juerg Matter said: "Of our 220 tons of injected CO2, 95 per cent was converted to limestone in less than two years….It was a huge surprise…and we thought, 'Wow!'"

The scientists hope their research will go large scale to help the problem of CO2 in the atmosphere and a warming planet. It could be a key method in carbon capture and storage (CCS). Earlier CCS techniques also involved injecting CO2 underground, but it often leaked back into the atmosphere. Dr Matter enthusiastically said: "We need to deal with rising carbon emissions and this is the ultimate permanent storage – turn them back to stone."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36494501
  • http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/09/co2-turned-into-stone-in-iceland-in-climate-change-breakthrough
  • http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-figured-out-how-to-turn-co2-into-solid-rock-within-months


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 have found a
  2. deal
  3. They pumped 220 tons
  4. volcanic
  5. a substance
  6. surprised at how
  7. converted to limestone in
  8. It was a huge
  1. less than two years
  2. surprise
  3. rock
  4. fast this happened
  5. simple way
  6. like limestone
  7. with carbon dioxide
  8. of CO2 underground

Paragraph 2

  1. a warming
  2. It could be a key
  3. carbon capture
  4. earlier CCS
  5. injecting
  6. leaked back
  7. rising
  8. the ultimate permanent
  1. into the atmosphere
  2. and storage
  3. storage
  4. method
  5. carbon emissions
  6. planet
  7. CO2 underground
  8. techniques

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists have found a (1) ___________________ with carbon dioxide emissions – turn them (2) ___________________. They pumped 220 tons of CO2 underground (3) ___________________. It reacted with the rock and changed (4) ___________________ like limestone. The team were surprised at how fast this happened. Dr Juerg Matter said: "Of our 220 tons of injected CO2, 95 per cent (5) ___________________ limestone in less than two years….It was (6) ___________________ …and we thought, 'Wow!'"

The scientists hope their research (7) ___________________ to help the problem of CO2 in the atmosphere and (8) ___________________. It could be a key method in carbon (9) ___________________ (CCS). Earlier CCS techniques also (10) ___________________ CO2 underground, but it often leaked back into the atmosphere. Dr Matter enthusiastically said: "We need to (11) ___________________ carbon emissions and this is the ultimate (12) ___________________ – turn them back to stone."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistshavefoundasimplewaytodealwithcarbondioxideemissions
–turnthembackintostone.Theypumped220tonsofCO2undergroun
dintovolcanicrock.Itreactedwiththerockandchangedintoasubstance
likelimestone.Theteamweresurprisedathowfastthishappened.DrJue
rgMattersaid:"Ofour220tonsofinjectedCO2,95percentwasconverte
dtolimestoneinlessthantwoyears….Itwasahugesurprise…andwetho
ught,'Wow!"Thescientistshopetheirresearchwillgolargescaletohelpt
heproblemofCO2intheatmosphereandawarmingplanet.Itcouldbeak
eymethodincarboncaptureandstorage(CCS).EarlierCCStechniques
alsoinvolvedinjectingCO2underground,butitoftenleakedbackintoth
eatmosphere.DrMatterenthusiasticallysaid:"Weneedtodealwithrisin
gcarbonemissionsandthisistheultimatepermanentstorage–turnthe
mbacktostone."

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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