The Reading / Listening - Zealandia - Level 0

There used to be nine planets, but now there are eight. We are taught there are seven continents, but maybe there are eight. Geologists say Zealandia is number eight. It is in the Pacific Ocean. Six per cent of it is above water and is New Zealand. About 94 per cent is under the ocean. Scientists say it is big enough to be a continent.

Geologists said Zealandia does not have to be above water to be a continent. It is a lot higher than the area around it, it has a special geology, its shape is easy to see, and it is thicker than the ocean floor. It would be easy to see Zealandia is a continent if you could pull a plug and let the water out of the world's oceans.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Zealandia - Level 1 Zealandia - Level 2   or  Zealandia - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www. bbc.com/news/world-asia-39000936
  • https://www. tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/its-just-cool-isnt-scientists-excited-gigantic-new-global-continent-zealandia
  • http://www. nature.com/news/geologists-spy-an-eighth-continent-zealandia-1.21503


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. There used to be
  2. We are taught there are seven
  3. maybe there
  4. Geologists say Zealandia is
  5. It is in the Pacific
  6. Six per cent of it is
  7. About 94 per cent is under
  8. it is big
  1. Ocean
  2. are eight
  3. the ocean
  4. nine planets
  5. enough
  6. number eight
  7. continents
  8. above water

Paragraph 2

  1. Zealandia does not have to
  2. It is a lot
  3. the area
  4. it has a special
  5. its shape is easy
  6. thicker
  7. pull a
  8. let the water
  1. around it
  2. to see
  3. higher
  4. plug
  5. be above water
  6. out
  7. geology
  8. than the ocean floor

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There (1) ___________________ planets, but there are eight. We are (2) ___________________ seven continents, but maybe there are eight. Geologists say Zealandia (3) ___________________. It is in the Pacific Ocean. Six per cent (4) ___________________ water and is New Zealand. About 94 per cent (5) ___________________ ocean. Scientists say it (6) ___________________ to be a continent.

Geologists said Zealandia does (7) ___________________ above water to be a continent. It (8) ___________________ than the area around it, it has a (9) ___________________, its shape is (10) ___________________, and it is thicker than the ocean floor. It would (11) ___________________ Zealandia is a continent if you could pull a plug and (12) ___________________ of the world's oceans.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thereusedtobenineplanets,butnowthereareeight.Wearetaughtthereare
sevencontinents,butmaybethereareeight.GeologistssayZealandiais
numbereight.ItisinthePacificOcean.Sixpercentofitisabovewaterandi
sNewZealand.About94percentisundertheocean.Scientistssayitisbig
enoughtobeacontinent.GeologistssaidZealandiadoesnothavetobea
bovewatertobeacontinent.Itisalothigherthantheareaaroundit,ithas
aspecialgeology,itsshapeiseasytosee,anditisthickerthantheoceanfl
oor.ItwouldbeeasytoseeZealandiaisacontinentifyoucouldpullapluga
ndletthewateroutoftheworld'soceans.

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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