Tag Archive: Science & Technology – Intermediate

Breakthrough study links bacteria to decade-long sea star decline

sunflower sea stars

©(Grant Callegari/Hakai Institute via AP) Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. If you could explore the ocean, what animals or plants would you like to see? What do you think might happen to the ocean if one important animal suddenly disappeared? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. stretch /strech/ [verb] – to extend or reach over a certain distance or period of time The desert stretched from the northern border to the southern coastline. shellfish /SHEL-fish/ [noun] – small sea animals with shells, such as crabs, shrimp, oysters, or clams, that are eaten as food Many people…
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Streaming platforms respond to rise in AI-generated music

AI

Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What do you think makes music special or meaningful? Do you think it is important to know who created the music you listen to? Why or why not? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. role /rohl/ [noun] – the part someone or something plays in a situation or activity The article talks about the role of social media in spreading news. prompt /prompt/ [noun] – a short text or phrase given to a computer to help it create something (like music, writing, or images) Many AI art programs create pictures based…
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Fireflies illuminate U.S. northeastern skies amid environmental concerns

Fireflies

©(Allison Lee Isley/The Winston-Salem Journal via AP, File) Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What do you like or dislike about being outside at night? Why? Why do you think some people enjoy watching insects or animals in nature? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. mature /muh-TYOOR/ [verb] – to become fully grown or developed It takes several months for baby turtles to mature enough to live on their own. flash /flash/ [noun] – a quick burst of light The lighthouse sent out flashes of light to guide ships at night. decline /dih-KLAHYN/ [verb] – to become…
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Composting offers a sustainable solution to organic waste in landfills

composting

Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What do you usually do with leftover food at home? What do you think happens to trash after it is taken away from your house? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. landfill /LAND-fil/ [noun] – a place where waste is buried under the ground Many old electronic devices end up in landfills, harming the environment. leftover /LEFT-oh-ver/ [adjective] – remaining food that was not eaten She made soup using leftover vegetables from dinner. release /ri-LEES/ [verb] – to let something go or set something free Factories release smoke into the air,…
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Chinese researchers reveal mollusks living in deep ocean trench

creature

©(Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences via AP) Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What do you imagine the bottom of the ocean looks like? Why do you think people explore places that are hard to reach? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. presence /PREZ-uhns/ [noun] – the state of being in a particular place The doctor confirmed the presence of bacteria in the water sample. trench /trench/ [noun] – a long, narrow, and deep cut in the ground or ocean floor Researchers studied the trenches formed by tectonic activity on land. survive…
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Archaeologists uncover 100,000-year-old burial site in Israel

Archeo

©(AP Photo by Ariel Schalit) Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. Can you think of a time when you saw or heard about a ceremony to remember someone? If archaeologists dig in your town 1,000 years from now, what objects do you think they might find? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. skeleton /SKEL-i-tn/ [noun] – the structure of bones that supports a human or animal body Scientists found dinosaur skeletons deep underground in the desert. sense /sens/ [noun] – a feeling or understanding about something, often not based on facts The students had a strong sense…
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Storm reveals 18th-century warship on remote Scottish island

ship wreck

©(Wessex Archaeology via AP) Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. What do you imagine a ship from 200 years ago looked like? If you could find an old object from the past, what would you want to find? Why? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. shipwreck /SHIP-rek/ [noun] – the remains of a ship that has been destroyed or sunk at sea A famous shipwreck was discovered near the coast of Italy during a diving expedition. warship /WAWR-ship/ [noun] – a ship that is built and used for fighting in wars, usually by a navy The country…
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New reproductive technique helps eight babies avoid genetic diseases

DNA

©(Newcastle Fertility Centre, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust via AP) Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. If you could create a new invention to help sick people, what would it be? What do you think doctors and scientists can do to help prevent diseases in the future? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. weakness /WEEK-nis/ [noun] – a state of not being strong After staying up all night, she felt a sudden weakness in her legs. failure /FEYL-yer/ [noun] – the act of not working properly or not succeeding The medicine was created to prevent kidney failure…
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Australian dolphins use sponges as hunting tools, study finds

dolphinsponge

©(Meredith MacQueeney / Shark Bay Dolphin Research Project via AP) Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. Imagine you are in the ocean. What tools or objects would help you live there? If you could watch any animal in nature, what would you like to see it do? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. seafloor /SEE-flawr/ [noun] – the bottom part of the sea or ocean; the ground under the water Scientists found a new type of coral on the seafloor during a deep-sea mission. form /fawrm/ [noun] – a type or kind of something; a way that…
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India accelerates shift to renewable energy amid growing power demand and climate concerns

Brix-News (40)

©AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File Pre-reading questions: I will read each question. Then, please answer them. Have you learned about renewable energy before? If so, which kind did you learn about? If not, where can you learn about it? Do you know what kind of energy India used most in the past? If so, when did you learn about it? If not, what do you think it was? Vocabulary: I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me. preserve /pri-ZURV/ [verb] – to keep something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from decaying or being damaged or destroyed We plant trees to preserve clean…
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