The Reading / Listening - Beetle Camera - Level 1

Scientists made a tiny camera that can be put on a beetle. It records where bugs go. It gives a bug's-eye view of the world. Researchers can see places never seen before. A researcher said: "Insects can [cross] rocky environments, which is really challenging for robots to do....So this system can also help us out by letting us see...hard-to-navigate spaces." He added: "It is the first time that we've had a first-person view from the back of a beetle."

The scientists say their camera is light enough for bugs to wear. It weighs just 250 grams*. A researcher said: "We have created a low-power, low-weight, wireless camera system." He said a big challenge was making the battery. It had to be small and light, with enough power to last a few hours. The researchers said no beetles were hurt in their tests. They said all the beetles "lived for at least a year" after the experiments finished.

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

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Beetle Camera - Level 0 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. a tiny
  2. It records where
  3. It gives a bug's-eye
  4. Researchers can see places
  5. help us out by
  6. It is the
  7. we've had a first-person
  8. the back
  1. view of the world
  2. of a beetle
  3. camera
  4. view
  5. first time
  6. letting us see
  7. bugs go
  8. never seen before

Paragraph 2

  1. light enough for
  2. wireless
  3. a big challenge was
  4. It had to be small
  5. enough power to last
  6. no beetles were hurt in
  7. all the beetles lived
  8. after the experiments
  1. and light
  2. finished
  3. a few hours
  4. camera
  5. for at least a year
  6. bugs to wear
  7. making the battery
  8. their tests

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists (1) ___________________ camera that can be put on a beetle. It records (2) ___________________. It gives a bug's-eye view of the world. Researchers can see (3) ___________________ before. A researcher said: "Insects can [cross] rocky environments, (4) ___________________ challenging for robots to do....So this system can also help us out (5) ___________________ see...hard-to-navigate spaces." He added: "It is the first time that we've had a first-person view from (6) ___________________ a beetle."

The scientists say their camera (7) ___________________ for bugs to wear. It weighs just 250 grams. A researcher said: "We have (8) ___________________-power, low-weight, wireless camera system." He said (9) ___________________ was making the battery. It had to be (10) ___________________, with enough power to last (11) ___________________. The researchers said no beetles were hurt in their tests. They said all the beetles "lived (12) ___________________ a year" after the experiments finished.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistsmadeatinycamerathatcanbeputonabeetle.Itrecordswhere
bugsgo.Itgivesabug's-eyeviewoftheworld.Researcherscanseeplace
sneverseenbefore.Aresearchersaid:"Insectscan[cross]rockyenviro
nments,whichisreallychallengingforrobotstodo....Sothissystemcan
alsohelpusoutbylettingussee...hard-to-navigatespaces."Headde
d:"Itisthefirsttimethatwe'vehadafirst-personviewfromthebackofa
beetle."Thescientistssaytheircameraislightenoughforbugstowear.It
weighsjust250grams.Aresearchersaid:"Wehavecreatedalow-powe
r,low-weight,wirelesscamerasystem."Hesaidabigchallengewasmak
ingthebattery.Ithadtobesmallandlight,withenoughpowertolastafew
hours.Theresearcherssaidnobeetleswerehurtintheirtests.Theysaida
llthebeetles"livedforatleastayear"aftertheexperimentsfinished.

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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