The Reading / Listening - Level 0

Biologists have increased the size of crops by 20 per cent. They changed the how plants use photosynthesis. This is when plants use sunlight to change carbon dioxide into oxygen. The new plants use the energy from sunlight better. A professor said he is changing crops like rice, wheat, maize and soybean.

The scientists changed how plants keep safe in the Sun. Plants change energy into heat when they get hot. But, they also do this when it is cloudy. The scientists changed genes so plants can use more energy to grow. If crops can give 20 per cent more food, it will help us have more food in the future.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 1,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/11/how-turning-plants-sunshield-can-grow-bigger-crops
  • https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161117141231.htm
  • http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/47544/title/Genetic-Modification-Improves-Photosynthetic-Efficiency/
  • J. Kromdijk et al., "Improving photosynthesis and crop productivity by accelerating recovery from photoprotection," Science, 354:857-61, 2016.


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. Biologists have increased the
  2. They changed how plants
  3. plants use
  4. change carbon dioxide
  5. The new
  6. use the energy from sunlight
  7. he is
  8. rice, wheat, maize and
  1. plants
  2. into oxygen
  3. soybean
  4. changing the crops
  5. size of crops
  6. sunlight
  7. use photosynthesis
  8. better

Paragraph 2

  1. how plants keep safe in
  2. Plants change energy into
  3. when they
  4. they also do this
  5. plants can use more energy
  6. If crops can give 20 per cent
  7. it will help
  8. have more
  1. to grow
  2. us
  3. the Sun
  4. food in the future
  5. get hot
  6. when it is cloudy
  7. heat
  8. more food

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Biologists have increased (1) ___________________ by 20 per cent. They changed (2) ___________________ use photosynthesis. (3) ___________________ plants use sunlight to change carbon (4) ___________________. The new plants use (5) ___________________ sunlight better. A professor said he is changing (6) ___________________, wheat, maize and soybean.

The scientists changed how plants (7) ___________________ the Sun. Plants change (8) ___________________ when they get hot. But, they also do (9) ___________________ cloudy. The scientists changed genes (10) ___________________ use more energy to grow. If (11) ___________________ 20 per cent more food, it will (12) ___________________ more food in the future.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Biologistshaveincreasedthesizeofcropsby20percent.Theychanged
howplantsusephotosynthesis.Thisiswhenplantsusesunlighttocha
ngecarbondioxideintooxygen.Thenewplantsusetheenergyfromsunli
ghtbetter.Aprofessorsaidheischangingcropslikerice,wheat,maiz
eandsoybean.ThescientistschangedhowplantskeepsafeintheSun.Pl
antschangeenergyintoheatwhentheygethot.But,theyalsodothiswhe
nitiscloudy.Thescientistschangedgenessoplantscanusemoreenergy
togrow.Ifcropscangive20percentmorefood,itwillhelpushavemorefo
odinthefuture.

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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