In a very dry place called the Atacama desert in Chile, people are building a huge telescope. This telescope will be the biggest in the world and will help us see stars and planets better. A scientist named Dr. Elise is helping to make special mirrors for this telescope. The biggest mirror is as wide as 39 meters and is made of 798 pieces. These mirrors help the telescope see clearly by catching and fixing light.

In Germany, a company named Zeiss is making very smooth mirrors for tiny machines. These machines help make computer chips, which are like the brains of computers. The mirrors are so smooth that they can help see very tiny things clearly. This helps put more tiny parts on computer chips. By 2030, they want to make chips with lots and lots of tiny parts to make computers even smarter.

Original news source: The mind-bending mirrors behind advanced technology (BBC)

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Write down key words from the article on separate pieces of paper (e.g., telescope, Atacama desert, Chile, stars, planets, mirrors, Germany, Zeiss, computer chips). Have students take turns picking a word and acting it out without speaking while the others guess what it is.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key words from the article on the board. Divide the students into small groups. Each group takes turns choosing a word and drawing it while the others try to guess the word. Encourage them to use their English vocabulary to describe and guess the drawings.

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Have each pair read the article together and then summarize it in their own words. Encourage them to focus on the main points and practice speaking English to explain the article to their partner.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create simple questions related to the article (e.g., “Do you think building the world’s biggest telescope is important?”). Have students move around the classroom to ask their classmates the questions and record their answers. Afterwards, encourage them to share their findings with the class using English.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a key word from the article (e.g., telescope, mirrors, computer chips). One student describes the word to their partner, who then tries to sketch it. This activity helps students practice communication skills and expand their English vocabulary.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What are people building in the Atacama desert?
2. Who is helping to make special mirrors for the telescope in Chile?
3. How many pieces is the biggest mirror made of?
4. What is the company Zeiss in Germany making mirrors for?
5. What do the smooth mirrors help see clearly in Germany?
6. What are computer chips like?
7. Why do they want to make chips with lots of tiny parts by 2030?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a very dry (1)______ called the Atacama desert in Chile, people are building a huge (2)______. This telescope will be the biggest in the world and will help us see stars and planets better. A scientist named Dr. Elise is helping to make special mirrors for this telescope. The biggest mirror is as wide as 39 (3)______ and is made of 798 (4)______. These mirrors help the telescope see clearly by catching and fixing light.

In Germany, a company named (5)______ is making very smooth mirrors for (6)______ machines. These machines help make computer chips, which are like the brains of computers. The mirrors are so smooth that they can help see very tiny things clearly. This helps put more tiny parts on computer chips. By 2030, they want to (7)______ chips with lots and lots of tiny parts to make (8)______ even smarter.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What do you think about the big telescope in the desert?
2. Do you like looking at stars and planets?
3. How would you feel if you could see stars and planets better with a telescope?
4. What is a computer chip?
5. Why do you think it’s important to make computer chips with tiny parts?
6. Do you think it’s cool that mirrors can help make computer chips?
7. What do you think about the mirrors being made in Germany?
8. How do you feel about the idea of computers becoming smarter in the future?
9. Do you like learning about science and technology?
10. Why do you think it’s important to have big telescopes to see stars and planets?
11. How would you feel if you could help build a telescope or make computer chips?
12. What is your favorite thing to learn about in science class?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. telescope
2. desert
3. scientist
4. mirror
5. planet
6. company
7. machine
8. chip
9. smooth
10. tiny

Meanings:
(A) A very dry place with lots of sand
(B) A shiny thing that shows your face
(C) A group of people working together to make things
(D) Something that helps do work, like a robot
(E) A person who studies and learns about things
(F) A big tool that helps us see faraway stars
(G) Very flat and not bumpy
(H) A big round thing in space, like Earth
(I) Very small
(J) A small piece that helps computers think
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🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What are people building in the Atacama desert in Chile?
(a) A shopping mall
(b) A swimming pool
(c) A playground
(d) A huge telescope

2. Who is helping to make special mirrors for the telescope in Chile?
(a) Dr. Smith
(b) Dr. Elise
(c) Dr. Johnson
(d) Dr. Brown

3. How many pieces is the biggest mirror for the telescope made of?
(a) 500 pieces
(b) 100 pieces
(c) 798 pieces
(d) 1000 pieces

4. What is Zeiss making in Germany?
(a) Smooth mirrors for cars
(b) Smooth mirrors for tiny machines
(c) Smooth mirrors for houses
(d) Smooth mirrors for bicycles

5. What do the tiny machines with smooth mirrors help make?
(a) Computer chips
(b) Toys
(c) Shoes
(d) Books

6. What are computer chips compared to in the article?
(a) The eyes of computers
(b) The ears of computers
(c) The brains of computers
(d) The mouth of computers

7. What do the smooth mirrors help see very clearly?
(a) Very big things
(b) Very colorful things
(c) Very loud things
(d) Very tiny things

8. By what year do they want to make chips with lots of tiny parts to make computers even smarter?
(a) 2030
(b) 2020
(c) 2040
(d) 2050

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🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The biggest mirror is as wide as 39 meters.
2. These machines help make computer chips, which are like computer brains.
3. People in a dry place are making a huge telescope to see stars and planets.
4. Dr. Elise is not helping to make special mirrors for the telescope.
5. The mirrors are made of 799 pieces.
6. The telescope in Chile will not be the biggest in the world.
7. Zeiss in Germany is making smooth mirrors for tiny machines.
8. By 2030, they don’t want to make smarter computers with lots of tiny parts.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What are people building in the Atacama desert?
2. Who is helping to make special mirrors for the telescope in the Atacama desert?
3. What are the mirrors made of for the telescope?
4. What is the company Zeiss making in Germany?
5. Why are the smooth mirrors important for tiny machines?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What are people building in the Atacama desert?
They are building a huge telescope.

2. Who is helping to make special mirrors for the telescope in Chile?
Dr. Elise is helping to make the special mirrors.

3. How many pieces is the biggest mirror made of?
The biggest mirror is made of 798 pieces.

4. What is the company Zeiss in Germany making mirrors for?
Zeiss is making mirrors for tiny machines.

5. What do the smooth mirrors help see clearly in Germany?
The smooth mirrors help see very tiny things clearly.

6. What are computer chips like?
Computer chips are like the brains of computers.

7. Why do they want to make chips with lots of tiny parts by 2030?
They want to make computers even smarter by adding lots of tiny parts to the chips.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) place
(2) telescope
(3) meters
(4) pieces
(5) Zeiss
(6) tiny
(7) make
(8) computers
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. telescope
Answer: (F) A big tool that helps us see faraway stars

2. desert
Answer: (A) A very dry place with lots of sand

3. scientist
Answer: (E) A person who studies and learns about things

4. mirror
Answer: (B) A shiny thing that shows your face

5. planet
Answer: (H) A big round thing in space, like Earth

6. company
Answer: (C) A group of people working together to make things

7. machine
Answer: (D) Something that helps do work, like a robot

8. chip
Answer: (J) A small piece that helps computers think

9. smooth
Answer: (G) Very flat and not bumpy

10. tiny
Answer: (I) Very small
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What are people building in the Atacama desert in Chile?
Answer: (d) A huge telescope

2. Who is helping to make special mirrors for the telescope in Chile?
Answer: (b) Dr. Elise

3. How many pieces is the biggest mirror for the telescope made of?
Answer: (c) 798 pieces

4. What is Zeiss making in Germany?
Answer: (b) Smooth mirrors for tiny machines

5. What do the tiny machines with smooth mirrors help make?
Answer: (a) Computer chips

6. What are computer chips compared to in the article?
Answer: (c) The brains of computers

7. What do the smooth mirrors help see very clearly?
Answer: (d) Very tiny things

8. By what year do they want to make chips with lots of tiny parts to make computers even smarter?
Answer: (a) 2030
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🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The biggest mirror is as wide as 39 meters. (Answer: True)
2. These machines help make computer chips, which are like computer brains. (Answer: True)
3. People in a dry place are making a huge telescope to see stars and planets. (Answer: True)
4. Dr. Elise is not helping to make special mirrors for the telescope. (Answer: False)
5. The mirrors are made of 799 pieces. (Answer: False)
6. The telescope in Chile will not be the biggest in the world. (Answer: False)
7. Zeiss in Germany is making smooth mirrors for tiny machines. (Answer: True)
8. By 2030, they don’t want to make smarter computers with lots of tiny parts. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧