The Reading / Listening - Beetle Camera - Level 2

Scientists developed a tiny camera that can be put on a beetle. The camera records where the bug goes. This gives scientists a bug's-eye view of the world. The researchers say the camera will explore places never seen before. A researcher explained why the camera could be useful. He said: "Insects can traverse rocky environments, which is really challenging for robots to do at this scale. So this system can also help us out by letting us see...hard-to-navigate spaces." He said: "This is the first time that we've had a first-person view from the back of a beetle while it's walking around."

The scientists are from the University of Washington. Their camera is light enough for bugs to wear. It weighs just 250 grams* and can record five frames per second. A researcher said: "We have created a low-power, low-weight, wireless camera system that can capture...what's happening from an actual live insect." 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 1   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. The camera records where
  2. explore places never
  3. Insects can traverse rocky
  4. challenging for robots to
  5. help us out
  6. the first time that we've had
  7. from the back
  8. while it's
  1. a first-person view
  2. environments
  3. walking around
  4. seen before
  5. of a beetle
  6. do at this scale
  7. by letting us see
  8. the bug goes

Paragraph 2

  1. Their camera is light enough
  2. It weighs
  3. record five frames
  4. It had to be small
  5. enough power to last
  6. no beetles were hurt
  7. all the beetles lived for
  8. after the experiments
  1. in their tests
  2. per second
  3. finished
  4. for bugs to wear
  5. at least a year
  6. and light
  7. a few hours
  8. just 250 grams

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists (1) ___________________ camera that can be put on a beetle. The camera records where (2) ___________________. This gives scientists a bug's-(3) ___________________ the world. The researchers say the camera will explore places (4) ___________________. A researcher explained why the camera could be useful. He said: "Insects can traverse rocky environments, which is really challenging for robots to do at this scale. So this system can also help us (5) ___________________ us see...hard-to-navigate spaces." He said: "This is the first time that we've had a first-person view from the back of a beetle (6) ___________________ around."

The scientists are from the University of Washington. Their camera (7) ___________________ for bugs to wear. It weighs just 250 grams and can record five (8) ___________________. A researcher said: "We have created a low-power, low-weight, wireless camera system (9) ___________________...what's happening from an actual live insect." He said a big challenge was (10) ___________________. It had to be small and light, with enough power to (11) ___________________ hours. 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

Scientistsdevelopedatinycamerathatcanbeputonabeetle.Thecamer
arecordswherethebuggoes.Thisgivesscientistsabug's-eyeviewofth
eworld.Theresearcherssaythecamerawillexploreplacesneverseenbe
fore.Aresearcherexplainedwhythecameracouldbeuseful.Hesaid:"In
sectscantraverserockyenvironments,whichisreallychallengingforro
botstodoatthisscale.Sothissystemcanalsohelpusoutbylettingussee.
..hard-to-navigatespaces."Hesaid:"Thisisthefirsttimethatwe'veha
dafirst-personviewfromthebackofabeetlewhileit'swalkingaround."T
hescientistsarefromtheUniversityofWashington.Theircameraislight
enoughforbugstowear.Itweighsjust250gramsandcanrecordfivefra
mespersecond.Aresearchersaid:"Wehavecreatedalow-power,low-
weight,wirelesscamerasystemthatcancapture...what'shappeningfr
omanactualliveinsect."Hesaidabigchallengewasmakingthebattery.I
thadtobesmallandlight,withenoughpowertolastafewhours.Theresea
rcherssaidnobeetleswerehurtintheirtests.Theysaidallthebeetles"liv
edforatleastayear"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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