The Reading / Listening - Moon Bases - Level 0

A new kind of concrete could help build things on the Moon. It is a mix of moon dust and urine from astronauts. A chemical in urine helps things stick together. Scientists could use 3D printers to make the new material. NASA and other space agencies want to build research stations on the Moon.

The new concrete could save money. It costs $10,000 to take 0.45kg of materials to the Moon. The urine and moon dust would be cheaper. A scientist said: "The actual water in the urine could be used for the mixture." Scientists say they need to do more tests to find the best building material.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Moon Bases - Level 1,  Moon Bases - Level 2   or  Moon Bases - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.eurasiareview.com/27032020-astronaut-urine-to-build-moon-bases/
  • https://www.cnet.com/news/astronauts-could-use-their-own-pee-to-build-future-moon-habitats/
  • https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-03/f-sf-aut032720.php


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. build things
  2. It is a mix of moon dust
  3. helps things stick
  4. Scientists could
  5. make the new
  6. NASA and other
  7. want to
  8. research
  1. use 3D printers
  2. space agencies
  3. and urine
  4. stations
  5. together
  6. build
  7. material
  8. on the Moon

Paragraph 2

  1. The new concrete could save
  2. It costs
  3. 0.45kg
  4. moon dust would
  5. The actual water in
  6. be used
  7. they need to do
  8. the best building
  1. for the mixture
  2. be cheaper
  3. material
  4. $10,000
  5. more tests
  6. money
  7. the urine
  8. of materials

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A new (1) ___________________ could help build things on the Moon. It (2) ___________________ of moon dust and urine from astronauts. (3) ___________________ urine helps things stick together. (4) ___________________ 3D printers to make the new material. NASA (5) ___________________ agencies want to build research (6) ___________________ Moon.

The (7) ___________________ save money. It costs $10,000 to take 0.45kg (8) ___________________ the Moon. The urine and moon (9) ___________________ cheaper. A scientist said: "The (10) ___________________ the urine could be used (11) ___________________." Scientists say they need to do more tests to (12) ___________________ building material.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AnewkindofconcretecouldhelpbuildthingsontheMoon.Itisamixofmo
ondustandurinefromastronauts.Achemicalinurinehelpsthingsstickt
ogether.Scientistscoulduse3Dprinterstomakethenewmaterial.NAS
AandotherspaceagencieswanttobuildresearchstationsontheMoon.T
henewconcretecouldsavemoney.Itcosts$10,000totake0.45kgofma
terialstotheMoon.Theurineandmoondustwouldbecheaper.Ascientist
said:"Theactualwaterintheurinecouldbeusedforthemixture."Scienti
stssaytheyneedtodomoreteststofindthebestbuildingmaterial.

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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