The Reading / Listening - Beetle Camera - Level 0

Scientists made a tiny camera that can be put on a beetle. It records where the beetle goes. It gives a beetle's view of the world. A researcher said: "Insects can [cross] rocky environments, which is really challenging for robots....This system can also help us out by letting us see...hard-to-navigate spaces."

The camera is light enough for bugs to wear. It weighs just 250 grams*. It has a wireless camera. A big challenge was making the battery. It had to be small, light, and have enough power for a few hours. The researchers said no beetles were hurt in their tests. All the beetles "lived for at least a year" after the tests finished.

* Error: The camera weighs 250 milligrams and not 250 grams.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Beetle Camera - Level 1 Beetle Camera - Level 2   or  Beetle Camera - Level 3

Sources
  • https://bgr.com/2020/07/16/coronavirus-spread-at-home-birthday-party-cluster/
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53445772
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/15/us/beetle-tiny-cameras-scli-scn-intl/index.html


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. Scientists made
  2. put on a
  3. It records where
  4. It gives a beetle's view
  5. rocky
  6. help us
  7. letting
  8. hard to-
  1. us see
  2. environments
  3. out
  4. a tiny camera
  5. of the world
  6. navigate
  7. beetle
  8. the beetle goes

Paragraph 2

  1. The camera is light enough
  2. It weighs
  3. A big challenge was making
  4. It had to
  5. enough power for a
  6. no beetles were hurt
  7. the beetles lived for
  8. after the tests
  1. in their tests
  2. be small
  3. finished
  4. just 250 grams
  5. at least a year
  6. for bugs to wear
  7. the battery
  8. few hours

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists made a tiny camera (1) ___________________ put on a beetle. It (2) ___________________ beetle goes. It gives a beetle's view (3) ___________________. A researcher said: "Insects (4) ___________________ environments, which is really challenging for robots.... (5) ___________________ also help us out by letting us (6) ___________________ navigate spaces."

The camera is (7) ___________________ bugs to wear. It weighs just 250 grams. It (8) ___________________ camera. A big challenge was (9) ___________________. It had to be small, light, and have enough power (10) ___________________ hours. The researchers said no beetles (11) ___________________ their tests. All the beetles "lived for at least a year" (12) ___________________ finished.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistsmadeatinycamerathatcanbeputonabeetle.Itrecordswhere
thebeetlegoes.Itgivesabeetle'sviewoftheworld.Aresearchersaid:"In
sectscan[cross]rockyenvironments,whichisreallychallengingforrob
ots....Thissystemcanalsohelpusoutbylettingussee...hard-to-navig
atespaces."Thecameraislightenoughforbugstowear.Itweighsjust25
0grams.Ithasawirelesscamera.Abigchallengewasmakingthebattery
.Ithadtobesmall,light,andhaveenoughpowerforafewhours.Theresea
rcherssaidnobeetleswerehurtintheirtests.Allthebeetles"livedforatle
astayear"afterthetestsfinished.

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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