BBC BREAKING NEWS IN 2GT4

Scientists puzzled by flashes on the moon

Scientists across the world are puzzled as to why there are flashes appearing on the surface of the moon. This unusual phenomenon has been happening several times a week. Sometimes the flashes of ...

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1906/190604-moon-flashes.html

SCIENTISTS PUZZLED BY FLASHES ON THE MOON                             BBC BREAKING NEWS

4th June, 2019 

WARM-UPS

1. THE MOON: walk around the class and talk to other students about the moon. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. MOON AND SUN: 

Students A strongly believe the moon is more interesting than the sun; 

Students B strongly believe the opposite. 

Change partners again and talk about your conversations

3. MOON LIFE: Rank these with your partner. Put the best things about living on the moon at the top. 

• the view of Earth • weightlessness • exploration • the unknown • no pollution • the excitement • scientific discoveries • the cheese

LISTENING:  TRUE / FALSE 

Read the headline and listen. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F). 

a- Scientists are making a flashing puzzle about the moon.     T / F

b- The flashes on the moon happen just once a week.     T / F

c- Apart from flashes, some places on the moon become dark for a while.    T / F

d- A scientist said the flashes were solar dust reacting with moon wind.     T / F

e- The article said a solar telescope has been set up in Spain.     T / F

f- The flashes could be due to the moon's surface moving.     T / F

g- Scientists have been observing moon flashes for over 50 years.     T / F

h- A professor had a message for potential moon-base builders.   T / F

VOCABULARY MATCHING

COMPREHENSION

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

several > temporarily > surface > glow > occasion > particles > impact > times

Scientists across the world are puzzled as to why there are flashes appearing on the (1) ____________ of the moon. This unusual phenomenon has been happening (2) ____________ times a week. Sometimes the flashes of light are very short, while at other (3) ____________ the light lasts longer. Scientists have also observed that on (4) ____________, there are places on the moon's surface that darken (5) ____________. Experts on the moon have been speculating on what is behind the flashes. One scientist said the (6) ____________ of a meteorite can cause the moon's surface to (7) ____________ briefly. Another scientist wondered whether the flashes occurred when electrically charged (8) ____________ of solar wind reacted with moon dust.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

reflect >  transient  > familiar > head >  base > luminous >  lunar  > sufficiently

A (9) ____________ telescope has been set up in Spain to observe what is happening on the moon. The (10) ____________ of the team behind the telescope is Hakan Kayal, a professor of space technology. He said: "Seismic activities were observed on the moon. When the surface moves, gases that (11) ____________ sunlight could escape from the interior of the moon. This would explain the (12) ____________ phenomena, some of which last for hours." He added: "The so-called (13) ____________ lunar phenomena have been known since the 1950s, but they have not been (14) ____________ observed." Professor Kayal said: "Anyone who wants to build a lunar (15) ____________ at some point must of course be (16) ____________ with the local conditions."