The Reading / Listening - Level 2

Humans have learnt many things from nature that help us in our daily life. The latest thing is self-repairing clothing. Scientists have developed a way for cotton, linen and wool clothes to repair themselves, without the need for sewing. Scientists from the Naval Research Office and Pennsylvania State University in the USA looked at how squid can cling on to things so well. They found a protein in the teeth that cover the suckers on a squid. The protein is like the one found in the silk that spiders use to make spider webs. It is very strong and stretchy.

The new protein is now part of a coating, which is put on clothes. A rip or tear in clothes joins together in less than a minute after it is dipped in water. This could be useful for military and survival clothes. People will be safer with clothes that repair quickly and easily. A scientist spoke about the invention. He said: "The coatings are thin, less than a micron, so they wouldn't be noticed in everyday wear." He added: "Even thin, they increase the overall strength of the material. For the first time, we are making self-healing textiles."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.cnet.com/news/clothes-that-heal-themselves-through-the-power-of-squid-teeth/
  • http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/blogs/how-squid-teeth-will-one-day-fix-torn-clothing
  • https://www.engadget.com/2016/08/12/squid-protein-makes-textiles-self-healing/


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. Humans have learnt many
  2. help us in
  3. cotton, linen
  4. without the need
  5. how squid can cling
  6. the silk that spiders
  7. spider
  8. It is very strong
  1. webs
  2. for sewing
  3. and stretchy
  4. on to things so well
  5. things from nature
  6. and wool
  7. our daily life
  8. use

Paragraph 2

  1. The new protein is now part
  2. joins together in
  3. after it is dipped
  4. This could be useful for military
  5. clothes that repair quickly
  6. The coatings
  7. they wouldn't be noticed in
  8. they increase the overall
  1. and survival clothes
  2. in water
  3. are thin
  4. less than a minute
  5. everyday wear
  6. of a coating
  7. strength
  8. and easily

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Humans have learnt many things from nature (1) ___________________ our daily life. The latest thing is self-repairing clothing. Scientists have developed (2) ___________________, linen and wool clothes to repair themselves, without the (3) ___________________. Scientists from the Naval Research Office and Pennsylvania State University in the USA looked at how squid (4) ___________________ things so well. They found a protein in the teeth that (5) ___________________ on a squid. The protein is like the one found in the silk that spiders use to make spider webs. It is very (6) ___________________.

The new protein is now (7) ___________________, which is put on clothes. A rip or tear in clothes (8) ___________________ less than a minute after it is dipped in water. This could be useful for military and survival clothes. People (9) ___________________ clothes that repair quickly and easily. A scientist spoke about the invention. He said: "The (10) ___________________, less than a micron, so they wouldn't be (11) ___________________ wear." He added: "Even thin, they increase the (12) ___________________ the material. For the first time, we are making self-healing textiles."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Humanshavelearntmanythingsfromnaturethathelpusinourdailylife.
Thelatestthingisself-repairingclothing.Scientistshavedevelopedawa
yforcotton,linenandwoolclothestorepairthemselves,withoutthenee
dforsewing.ScientistsfromtheNavalResearchOfficeandPennsylvania
StateUniversityintheUSAlookedathowsquidcanclingontothingssowe
ll.Theyfoundaproteinintheteeththatcoverthesuckersonasquid.Thep
roteinisliketheonefoundinthesilkthatspidersusetomakespiderwebs.
Itisverystrongandstretchy.Thenewproteinisnowpartofacoating,whi
chisputonclothes.Ariportearinclothesjoinstogetherinlessthanaminu
teafteritisdippedinwater.Thiscouldbeusefulformilitaryandsurvivalcl
othes.Peoplewillbesaferwithclothesthatrepairquicklyandeasily.Asci
entistspokeabouttheinvention.Hesaid:"Thecoatingsarethin,lesstha
namicron,sotheywouldn'tbenoticedineverydaywear."Headded:"Eve
nthin,theyincreasetheoverallstrengthofthematerial.Forthefirsttime,
wearemakingself-healingtextiles."

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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