Two scientists, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, won a big award called the Nobel Prize. They found out important things about tiny parts in our body called microRNAs. These microRNAs help decide what jobs different cells do. This helps our bodies work in many different ways. The prize they won is worth a lot of money.

The scientists studied little worms to learn about microRNAs. They saw how these tiny parts help the worms grow properly. MicroRNAs stop some genes from working, which helps make the right proteins. This is important for making sure our bodies have all the right parts. If microRNAs don’t work right, it can make us sick.

Original news source: Nobel Prize goes to microRNA researchers (BBC)

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on small pieces of paper. Have students take turns drawing a word and acting it out without speaking while the rest of the class guesses the word.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a key concept from the article. One student describes the concept without saying the word, while the other student tries to draw it. Then, they switch roles.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on the board. Have students take turns coming up to the board to draw the word while the rest of the class guesses what it is.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on the board. Have students say a word that they associate with the word on the board, and then explain the connection in English.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into groups and have them discuss their opinions on the importance of microRNAs based on the information in the article. Each group then presents their opinion to the class and explains their reasoning.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who won a big award called the Nobel Prize?
2. What did the scientists study to learn about microRNAs?
3. What do microRNAs help decide in our bodies?
4. What do microRNAs do to genes?
5. Why is it important for microRNAs to work right?
6. How do microRNAs help worms grow properly?
7. Why did Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun win the Nobel Prize?
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🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Two scientists, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, won a big award called the (1)______ Prize. They found out important (2)______ about tiny parts in our body called microRNAs. These microRNAs help decide what jobs different cells do. This helps our (3)______ (4)______ in many different ways. The prize they won is worth a lot of money.

The scientists studied little worms to learn about microRNAs. They saw how these (5)______ (6)______ help the worms grow properly. MicroRNAs stop some genes from working, which helps (7)______ the (8)______ proteins. This is important for making sure our bodies have all the right parts. If microRNAs don’t work right, it can make us sick.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a Nobel Prize?
2. How would you feel if you won a big award like the Nobel Prize?
3. Do you like learning about tiny parts in our bodies called microRNAs?
4. How do you think microRNAs help our bodies work?
5. What do you think the scientists learned from studying little worms?
6. Do you think it’s important to study tiny parts like microRNAs?
7. Why do you think microRNAs are important for making sure our bodies have all the right parts?
8. What do you think can happen if microRNAs don’t work right?
9. How would you feel if you were a scientist studying microRNAs?
10. Do you like learning about how our bodies grow properly?
11. Why do you think it’s important to understand how microRNAs help decide what jobs different cells do?
12. What do you think you would do with a lot of money if you won a big award like the Nobel Prize?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. scientists
2. award
3. important
4. tiny
5. cells
6. studied
7. properly
8. genes
9. proteins
10. sick

Meanings:
(A) Not feeling well or healthy
(B) Something that matters a lot
(C) People who learn about things by doing tests
(D) Little parts that make up our body
(E) Doing something the right way
(F) Very, very small
(G) Looked at something carefully to learn about it
(H) Instructions in our body that tell it how to grow
(I) Building blocks in our body that help it work
(J) A special prize you get for doing something good
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🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun win?
(a) Grammy Award
(b) Nobel Prize
(c) Olympic Gold Medal
(d) Tony Award

2. What did the scientists study to learn about microRNAs?
(a) Little worms
(b) Birds
(c) Elephants
(d) Fish

3. What do microRNAs help decide in our bodies?
(a) What to eat for lunch
(b) What color to paint the walls
(c) What jobs different cells do
(d) What TV show to watch

4. How do microRNAs help the worms grow properly?
(a) By making the worms sleep all day
(b) By giving the worms candy
(c) By making the worms dance
(d) By stopping some genes from working

5. Why is it important for microRNAs to make the right proteins?
(a) To make sure our bodies have all the wrong parts
(b) To make sure our bodies have all the toys
(c) To make sure our bodies have all the right parts
(d) To make sure our bodies have all the pets

6. What can happen if microRNAs don’t work right?
(a) It can make us laugh
(b) It can make us jump
(c) It can make us sing
(d) It can make us sick

7. What do microRNAs do to some genes?
(a) Stop them from working
(b) Make them work faster
(c) Make them disappear
(d) Make them invisible

8. What did the scientists learn microRNAs help with in our bodies?
(a) Making sure our bodies only sleep
(b) Making sure our bodies work in many different ways
(c) Making sure our bodies only eat candy
(d) Making sure our bodies only watch TV

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The artists studied worms to learn about microRNAs.
2. Two artists won a big prize for learning about tiny parts in our bodies called microRNAs.
3. MicroRNAs stop some genes from working so the right proteins are made.
4. MicroRNAs help worms grow properly.
5. It’s unimportant for our bodies to have all the right parts.
6. MicroRNAs hinder cells in our bodies from doing their jobs.
7. If microRNAs don’t work right, it can make us sick.
8. The prize the scientists won is worth a lot of money.
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 won a big award called the Nobel Prize?
2. What did the scientists study to learn about microRNAs?
3. Why are microRNAs important for our bodies?
4. What do microRNAs do to help our bodies have all the right parts?
5. What can happen if microRNAs don’t work right?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who won a big award called the Nobel Prize?
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the Nobel Prize.

2. What did the scientists study to learn about microRNAs?
The scientists studied little worms to learn about microRNAs.

3. What do microRNAs help decide in our bodies?
MicroRNAs help decide what jobs different cells do in our bodies.

4. What do microRNAs do to genes?
MicroRNAs stop some genes from working.

5. Why is it important for microRNAs to work right?
It is important for microRNAs to work right so our bodies have all the right parts and we stay healthy.

6. How do microRNAs help worms grow properly?
MicroRNAs help worms grow properly by making sure the right proteins are made in their bodies.

7. Why did Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun win the Nobel Prize?
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the Nobel Prize for finding out important things about microRNAs and how they work in our bodies.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Nobel
(2) things
(3) bodies
(4) work
(5) tiny
(6) parts
(7) make
(8) right
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. scientists
Answer: (C) People who learn about things by doing tests

2. award
Answer: (J) A special prize you get for doing something good

3. important
Answer: (B) Something that matters a lot

4. tiny
Answer: (F) Very, very small

5. cells
Answer: (D) Little parts that make up our body

6. studied
Answer: (G) Looked at something carefully to learn about it

7. properly
Answer: (E) Doing something the right way

8. genes
Answer: (H) Instructions in our body that tell it how to grow

9. proteins
Answer: (I) Building blocks in our body that help it work

10. sick
Answer: (A) Not feeling well or healthy
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun win?
Answer: (b) Nobel Prize

2. What did the scientists study to learn about microRNAs?
Answer: (a) Little worms

3. What do microRNAs help decide in our bodies?
Answer: (c) What jobs different cells do

4. How do microRNAs help the worms grow properly?
Answer: (d) By stopping some genes from working

5. Why is it important for microRNAs to make the right proteins?
Answer: (c) To make sure our bodies have all the right parts

6. What can happen if microRNAs don’t work right?
Answer: (d) It can make us sick

7. What do microRNAs do to some genes?
Answer: (a) Stop them from working

8. What did the scientists learn microRNAs help with in our bodies?
Answer: (b) Making sure our bodies work in many different ways
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The artists studied worms to learn about microRNAs. (Answer: False)
2. Two artists won a big prize for learning about tiny parts in our bodies called microRNAs. (Answer: False)
3. MicroRNAs stop some genes from working so the right proteins are made. (Answer: True)
4. MicroRNAs help worms grow properly. (Answer: True)
5. It’s unimportant for our bodies to have all the right parts. (Answer: False)
6. MicroRNAs hinder cells in our bodies from doing their jobs. (Answer: False)
7. If microRNAs don’t work right, it can make us sick. (Answer: True)
8. The prize the scientists won is worth a lot of money. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧