Total lunar eclipse creates rare blood moon

admin 2022年5月23日

Intermediate

world news, world news - intermediate

© REUTERS via BBC

Pre-reading questions:

I will read each question. Then, please answer them.

Have you taken a picture of an eclipse before? How was it?
Would you like to visit the moon? Why or why not?

Vocabulary:

I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.

eclipse /ih-KLIPS/

[noun] – an occasion when the sun disappears from view, either completely or partly, while the moon is moving between it and the earth, or when the moon becomes darker while the shadow of the earth moves over it
Lunar eclipses are rare phenomena.

shade /sheyd/

[noun] – a type or degree of a color
She decided to paint her room a subtle shade of green.

visible /VIZ-uh-buhl/

[adjective] – able to be seen
The stars are visible tonight thanks to the clear skies.

predict /pri-DIKT/

[verb] – to say that an event or action will happen in the future
Earthquakes are nearly impossible to predict, so always be ready.

tribe /trahyb/

[noun] – a group of people, often of related families, who live together, sharing the same language, culture, and history, especially those who do not live in towns or cities
Alcohol and cigarettes are banned in this tribe.

Article reading:

Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

The moon turned crimson after a total lunar eclipse occurred from 03:29 GMT on Monday, May 16. The moon was completely covered by the Earth’s shadow, giving it a rich, dark red shade. Because of this, lunar eclipses are often referred to as “blood moons.” A supermoon occurred by chance during the eclipse: This is when the moon is at the closest point in its orbit to the Earth, it appears larger than usual. Crowds gathered near Athens at the Temple of Poseidon in Greece to see the super blood moon. In Europe, however, the phenomenon was only visible for a portion of that time due to the setting sun. Meanwhile, clear skies in the Americas captured the incident.

Eclipses only happen twice a year, but the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts seven more full moons in 2022:

June 14: Strawberry moon
July 13: Buck moon
August 11: Sturgeon moon
September 10: Harvest moon
October 9: Hunter’s moon
November 8: Beaver moon
December 7: Cold moon

These are the names given by Native American tribes to the monthly full moons. The titles vary from tribe to tribe since a full moon has distinct associations for different ethnic groups month to month or season to season.

Comprehension questions

I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.

At what time did the total lunar eclipse happen?
What is a supermoon?
Based on the article, why was the super blood moon only visible for a portion of time in Europe?
How many more full moons does the Old Farmer’s Almanac predict in 2022?
When is Hunter’s moon?

Discussion questions