The Reading / Listening - Worldwide Internet - Level 4

A company has launched six satellites in a multi-billion-dollar project to make low-cost Internet accessible to every corner of Earth. The company, OneWeb, launched the satellites on board a Soyuz rocket. OneWeb is planning a network of 900 satellites and will send more satellites into space at the end of this year. It will launch several rockets every month, each carrying 39 satellites. Only 648 satellites can provide global Internet coverage.

OneWeb's CEO said the network would greatly change the lives of millions of people. He said: "We're going to connect lots of people who are not currently connected." His company will focus on connecting schools, boats, planes, and "huge swathes of the planet". Not everyone is happy. China is testing jammers to block the network. North Korea and Russia might fear the network could gather intelligence and damage national security.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Worldwide Internet - Level 5 or  Worldwide Internet - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47374246
  • https://www.dw.com/en/oneweb-of-900-Internet-satellites-in-space/a-47690785
  • https://onewebsatellites.com/


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. accessible to every
  2. on board a
  3. a network
  4. send more satellites
  5. at the end
  6. It will launch several
  7. each carrying
  8. provide global
  1. of 900 satellites
  2. Internet coverage
  3. of this year
  4. Soyuz rocket
  5. 39 satellites
  6. corner of Earth
  7. into space
  8. rockets every month

Paragraph 2

  1. change the lives of millions
  2. We're going to connect
  3. not currently
  4. His company will focus
  5. huge swathes
  6. testing jammers to
  7. gather
  8. damage national
  1. on connecting schools
  2. intelligence
  3. block the network
  4. security
  5. lots of people
  6. of the planet
  7. of people
  8. connected

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A company has launched six satellites (1) ___________________-dollar project (2) ___________________ Internet accessible to every corner of Earth. The company, OneWeb, launched the (3) ___________________ a Soyuz rocket. OneWeb is planning a network of 900 satellites and will send more satellites (4) ___________________ the end of this year. It will launch several rockets every month, (5) ___________________ satellites. Only 648 satellites (6) ___________________ Internet coverage.

OneWeb's CEO said the network would greatly (7) ___________________ of millions of people. He said: "We're going (8) ___________________ of people who are not currently connected." His company (9) ___________________ connecting schools, boats, planes, and "(10) ___________________ the planet". Not everyone is happy. China is testing (11) ___________________ the network. North Korea and Russia might fear the network could gather intelligence (12) ___________________ security.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Acompanyhaslaunchedsixsatellitesinamulti-billion-dollarprojectto
makelow-costInternetaccessibletoeverycornerofEarth.Thecompa
ny,OneWeb,launchedthesatellitesonboardaSoyuzrocket.OneWebis
planninganetworkof900satellitesandwillsendmoresatellitesintospac
eattheendofthisyear.Itwilllaunchseveralrocketseverymonth,eachca
rrying39satellites.Only648satellitescanprovideglobalInternetcover
age.OneWeb'sCEOsaidthenetworkwouldgreatlychangethelivesofmi
llionsofpeople.Hesaid:"We'regoingtoconnectlotsofpeoplewhoareno
tcurrentlyconnected."Hiscompanywillfocusonconnectingschools,bo
ats,planes,and"hugeswathesoftheplanet".Noteveryoneishappy.Chi
naistestingjammerstoblockthenetwork.NorthKoreaandRussiamight
fearthenetworkcouldgatherintelligenceanddamagenationalsecurity
.

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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