John McFall is a man who used to be a sports champion. He lost part of his leg in an accident but now wants to go to space. He is working with a group called the European Space Agency to see if people with disabilities can live and work in space. John is learning how to be an astronaut and is trying out special machines that feel like being in space. They want to find out if they need to change spaceships or spacesuits for people like John.

John is also a doctor but stopped working to focus on astronaut training. He is in Germany at a special astronaut center. Even if he doesn’t go to space, his work will help others with disabilities. John is testing different kinds of legs to see which ones work best in space. He hopes this study will show that people with disabilities can do amazing things.

Original news source: The man on a mission to open up space to disability (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and act out a word or phrase related to the article (e.g. astronaut, space, disability). The rest of the class will try to guess what they are acting out.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns summarizing the main points of the article to each other. Encourage them to use their own words and practice their speaking skills.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Give each student a small whiteboard or a piece of paper. Choose 5-10 vocabulary words from the article and write them on the board. Students will take turns drawing pictures to represent the words, while the rest of the class tries to guess what they are drawing.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will create a headline for the article using 6-8 words. Encourage them to be creative and use their understanding of the article to come up with a catchy headline.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Students will individually think about and write down one thing they learned from the article. Then, they will find a partner and share their thoughts. Finally, each pair will share their ideas with the rest of the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is John McFall?
2. What happened to John’s leg?
3. What is John trying to do now?
4. Who is John working with to learn about living and working in space?
5. What is John doing to feel like he is in space?
6. What did John used to do for work?
7. What is John testing to see which ones work best in space?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

John McFall is a man who used to be a sports (1)______. He lost part of his leg in an accident but now (2)______ to go to space. He is working with a group called the European Space Agency to see if people with disabilities can (3)______ and work in space. John is learning how to be an astronaut and is trying out special (4)______ that feel like being in space. They want to find out if they need to change spaceships or spacesuits for people like John.

John is also a doctor but (5)______ (6)______ to focus on astronaut training. He is in Germany at a special astronaut center. Even if he doesn’t go to space, his work will help others with disabilities. John is testing different kinds of legs to see which (7)______ work best in space. He hopes this study will (8)______ that people with disabilities can do amazing things.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is an astronaut?
2. How would you feel if you lost part of your leg in an accident?
3. Do you think people with disabilities can live and work in space? Why or why not?
4. What do you think John’s job is now that he stopped working as a doctor?
5. Do you like learning about space? Why or why not?
6. How do you think it feels to be in space?
7. What do you think John is testing different kinds of legs for?
8. Why do you think John wants to show that people with disabilities can do amazing things?
9. What do you think the European Space Agency does?
10. How would you feel if you were chosen to go to space?
11. Do you think it’s important for people with disabilities to have the same opportunities as everyone else? Why or why not?
12. What do you think John’s work will help others with disabilities do?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. champion
2. accident
3. disabilities
4. astronaut
5. spaceship
6. spacesuit
7. training
8. testing
9. study
10. amazing

Meanings:
(A) A vehicle that flies in space
(B) The best person in a game or sport
(C) A person who travels to space
(D) Things that make it hard for someone to do things
(E) Special clothes worn in space
(F) Trying things to see if they work
(G) Learning how to do something
(H) Looking at something carefully to learn about it
(I) Something bad that happens suddenly and hurts people
(J) Very, very good
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is John McFall learning how to be?
(a) A doctor
(b) An astronaut
(c) A teacher
(d) A chef

2. What happened to John McFall’s leg?
(a) He was born without a leg
(b) He lost part of it in an accident
(c) He hurt it playing sports
(d) He has two legs

3. Who is John McFall working with?
(a) The American Space Agency
(b) The Asian Space Agency
(c) The African Space Agency
(d) The European Space Agency

4. Where is John McFall currently in astronaut training?
(a) Germany
(b) France
(c) Spain
(d) Italy

5. What is John McFall testing to see which ones work best in space?
(a) Different kinds of arms
(b) Different kinds of eyes
(c) Different kinds of ears
(d) Different kinds of legs

6. What does John McFall hope his study will show?
(a) That people with disabilities cannot do anything
(b) That people with disabilities are lazy
(c) That people with disabilities can do amazing things
(d) That people with disabilities are not smart

7. What is the name of the group John McFall is working with?
(a) The European Space Agency
(b) The American Space Agency
(c) The Asian Space Agency
(d) The African Space Agency

8. What does John McFall want to do in space?
(a) Play and sleep
(b) Eat and drink
(c) Live and work
(d) Sing and dance

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Now, John wants to go to space and is working with a group called the European Space Agency.
2. John didn’t used to be a doctor, but now he is focusing on astronaut training.
3. Even if John goes to space, his work will only help other people with disabilities.
4. John is in Germany at a special astronaut center.
5. They don’t want to see if they need to change spaceships or spacesuits for people like John.
6. John is testing different kinds of legs to see which ones work best in space.
7. John used to be really good at sports, so he hurt his leg in an accident.
8. John is learning how to be an astronaut and is trying out special machines that feel like being in space.
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. Who is John McFall?
2. What happened to John’s leg?
3. What is John trying to do now?
4. Who is John working with?
5. What is John testing to see which ones work best in space?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who is John McFall?
John McFall is a man.

2. What happened to John’s leg?
He lost part of his leg in an accident.

3. What is John trying to do now?
John is trying to go to space.

4. Who is John working with to learn about living and working in space?
John is working with the European Space Agency.

5. What is John doing to feel like he is in space?
He is trying out special machines.

6. What did John used to do for work?
He used to be a doctor.

7. What is John testing to see which ones work best in space?
He is testing different kinds of legs.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) champion
(2) wants
(3) live
(4) machines
(5) stopped
(6) working
(7) ones
(8) show
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. champion
Answer: (B) The best person in a game or sport

2. accident
Answer: (I) Something bad that happens suddenly and hurts people

3. disabilities
Answer: (D) Things that make it hard for someone to do things

4. astronaut
Answer: (C) A person who travels to space

5. spaceship
Answer: (A) A vehicle that flies in space

6. spacesuit
Answer: (E) Special clothes worn in space

7. training
Answer: (G) Learning how to do something

8. testing
Answer: (F) Trying things to see if they work

9. study
Answer: (H) Looking at something carefully to learn about it

10. amazing
Answer: (J) Very, very good
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is John McFall learning how to be?
Answer: (b) An astronaut

2. What happened to John McFall’s leg?
Answer: (b) He lost part of it in an accident

3. Who is John McFall working with?
Answer: (d) The European Space Agency

4. Where is John McFall currently in astronaut training?
Answer: (a) Germany

5. What is John McFall testing to see which ones work best in space?
Answer: (d) Different kinds of legs

6. What does John McFall hope his study will show?
Answer: (c) That people with disabilities can do amazing things

7. What is the name of the group John McFall is working with?
Answer: (a) The European Space Agency

8. What does John McFall want to do in space?
Answer: (c) Live and work
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Now, John wants to go to space and is working with a group called the European Space Agency. (Answer: True)
2. John didn’t used to be a doctor, but now he is focusing on astronaut training. (Answer: False)
3. Even if John goes to space, his work will only help other people with disabilities. (Answer: False)
4. John is in Germany at a special astronaut center. (Answer: True)
5. They don’t want to see if they need to change spaceships or spacesuits for people like John. (Answer: False)
6. John is testing different kinds of legs to see which ones work best in space. (Answer: True)
7. John used to be really good at sports, so he hurt his leg in an accident. (Answer: False)
8. John is learning how to be an astronaut and is trying out special machines that feel like being in space. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧