The Reading / Listening - Level 4

It could be 1,500 years before humans make contact with aliens. Astronomers joined two theories about the possibility of life on other planets. One theory is the Fermi Paradox. This states that while billions of Earth-like planets exist in our galaxy, not one has made contact yet. The other is the mediocrity principle. This suggests that because there is life on Earth, it will exist on Earth-like planets in the universe.

Researcher Evan Solomonides said: "We haven't heard from aliens yet, as space is a big place, but that doesn't mean no one is out there." He said extraterrestrials may not have decoded the signals we sent. They would also need to decode 3,000 human languages. Signals from Earth have reached 8,500 stars; our Milky Way galaxy has 200 billion stars. Solomonides said: "If we stop listening or looking, we may miss the signals, so we should keep looking."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/23863/20160617/contact-aliens-1500-years.htm
  • http://www.techtimes.com/articles/165512/20160617/alien-contact-new-calculations-say-we-should-wait-it-out-for-1500-years.htm
  • http://astronomy.com/news/2016/06/it-may-take-1500-years-to-meet-et


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 could be
  2. make contact
  3. astronomers joined
  4. the possibility of life
  5. billions of Earth-
  6. not one has made
  7. because there is life
  8. planets in the
  1. two theories
  2. universe
  3. contact yet
  4. with aliens
  5. on Earth
  6. 1,500 years
  7. like planets
  8. on other planets

Paragraph 2

  1. We haven't heard from
  2. space is a
  3. that doesn't mean no
  4. extraterrestrials may not have decoded
  5. Signals from Earth have
  6. our Milky Way galaxy has
  7. we may miss
  8. we should keep
  1. the signals
  2. one is out there
  3. 200 billion stars
  4. reached 8,500 stars
  5. aliens yet
  6. looking
  7. big place
  8. the signals

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

(1) ___________________ years before humans make contact with aliens. Astronomers joined (2) ___________________ the possibility of life on other planets. (3) ___________________ Fermi Paradox. This states that while billions of Earth-like planets (4) ___________________, not one has made contact yet. (5) ___________________ mediocrity principle. This suggests that because there is life on Earth, (6) ___________________ Earth-like planets in the universe.

Researcher Evan Solomonides said: "We (7) ___________________ aliens yet, as space is a big place, but that doesn't (8) ___________________ out there." He said extraterrestrials may not have decoded                             (9) ___________________. They would also need to decode 3,000 human languages. Signals from Earth have (10) ___________________; our Milky Way galaxy has (11) ___________________. Solomonides said: "If we stop listening or looking, (12) ___________________ signals, so we should keep looking."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Itcouldbe1,500yearsbeforehumansmakecontactwithaliens.Astrono
mersjoinedtwotheoriesaboutthepossibilityoflifeonotherplanets.One
theoryistheFermiParadox.ThisstatesthatwhilebillionsofEarth-likepl
anetsexistinourgalaxy,notonehasmadecontactyet.Theotheristhem
ediocrityprinciple.ThissuggeststhatbecausethereislifeonEarth,itwill
existonEarth-likeplanetsintheuniverse.ResearcherEvanSolomoni
dessaid:"Wehaven'theardfromaliensyet,asspaceisabigplace,buttha
tdoesn'tmeannooneisoutthere."Hesaidextraterrestrialsmaynothav
edecodedthesignalswesent.Theywouldalsoneedtodecode3,000hum
anlanguages.SignalsfromEarthhavereached8,500stars;ourMilkyWa
ygalaxyhas200billionstars.Solomonidessaid:"Ifwestoplisteningorlo
oking,wemaymissthesignals,soweshouldkeeplooking."

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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