A company in France made a special thing that can eat up plastic trash. This thing is like something found in old, dead leaves. It’s really good at eating a certain kind of plastic that is used to make things like bottles and clothes. The company wants to build a big place where they can use this special thing to eat up lots of plastic trash and make new plastic from it.

This new way to eat up plastic trash could help clean up the Earth. Right now, we don’t recycle much plastic, and it ends up in places where it shouldn’t be. With this special thing, we can make new plastic without needing to get new stuff from the Earth. The company wants to share its idea with others, but it might cost more money to make plastic this way.

There are other people trying to find ways to eat up plastic trash, too. The French company is doing the best so far. But it’s still hard to eat up other kinds of plastic, and some might never be eaten up. Even though it’s not easy, these new ideas could help us take better care of our planet and reuse plastic instead of throwing it away.

Original news source: The T-shirt chewing enzyme ready to tackle plastic waste (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and write a summary of the main points in their own words. They will then share their summaries with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into teams. Give each team a set of vocabulary words from the article. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and silently draw a picture representing one of the words. The team must guess the word within a time limit. Continue until all the words have been guessed.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Students will individually read the article and think about one question they have about the topic. They will then pair up with a partner and share their question. Finally, they will share their questions and answers with the whole class.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups – one representing the company in the article, and the other representing environmental activists. Each group will brainstorm the pros and cons of the company’s idea to eat up plastic trash. They will then present their arguments to the class and have a debate.

– Sketch It
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns describing a scene from the article while their partner sketches it. They will then compare their sketches and discuss any differences or similarities.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What did a company in France make that can eat up plastic trash?
2. How is this special thing like something found in old, dead leaves?
3. What kind of plastic can this special thing eat up?
4. What does the company want to build to use this special thing?
5. Why is this new way to eat up plastic trash good for the Earth?
6. What happens to plastic if we don’t recycle it?
7. Are there other people trying to find ways to eat up plastic trash?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A company in France made a special thing that can eat up (1)______ trash. This thing is like something found in old, dead leaves. It’s really good at eating a (2)______ kind of plastic that is (3)______ to make things like bottles and clothes. The company wants to build a big place where they can use this special thing to eat up lots of plastic (4)______ and make new plastic from it.

This new way to eat up plastic trash could help clean up the Earth. Right now, we don’t (5)______ much plastic, and it (6)______ up in places where it shouldn’t be. With this special (7)______, we can make new plastic without needing to get new (8)______ from the Earth. The company wants to share its idea with others, but it might cost more money to make plastic this way.

There are other people (9)______ to find ways to eat up plastic trash, too. The (10)______ company is doing the best so far. But it’s still hard to eat up other (11)______ of plastic, and some might never be eaten up. Even though it’s not easy, these new ideas could help us take better care of our planet and (12)______ plastic instead of throwing it away.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is the special thing that the company in France made?
2. How would you feel if there was a big place where plastic trash could be turned into new plastic?
3. Do you like the idea of recycling plastic? Why or why not?
4. What do you think might happen if we don’t recycle plastic?
5. How do you think this new way of eating up plastic trash could help clean up the Earth?
6. Do you know any other ways to take care of our planet? What are they?
7. How would you feel if you found out that some kinds of plastic can never be eaten up?
8. What are some things that can be made from recycled plastic?
9. Do you think it’s important for companies to share their ideas with others? Why or why not?
10. Have you ever seen plastic trash in a place where it shouldn’t be? Where was it?
11. What can we do to encourage more people to recycle plastic?
12. Why do you think it might cost more money to make plastic this new way?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. company
2. plastic
3. trash
4. recycle
5. Earth
6. idea
7. planet
8. reuse

Meanings:
(a) A thought or plan
(b) The place where we live
(c) To make new things from old things
(d) A material that is not natural and can be shaped
(e) A group of people who work together
(f) To use something again instead of throwing it away
(g) The world we live on
(h) Things that are thrown away and not wanted anymore
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did a company in France make that can eat up plastic trash?
(a) A new kind of plastic
(b) A recycling machine
(c) A big place
(d) A special thing

2. What is the special thing good at eating?
(a) Metal trash
(b) Paper waste
(c) Food leftovers
(d) A certain kind of plastic

3. What does the company want to do with the special thing?
(a) Sell it to other companies
(b) Use it to make new clothes
(c) Build a big place to eat up lots of plastic trash
(d) Throw it away

4. Why is this new way to eat up plastic trash important?
(a) It can make new things from the plastic
(b) It can recycle metal and paper
(c) It can help clean up the Earth
(d) It can make plastic cheaper

5. What is the problem with recycling plastic right now?
(a) It costs too much money
(b) We don’t recycle much plastic
(c) We don’t have enough plastic
(d) It’s not good for the environment

6. What might happen if the company shares its idea with others?
(a) It might become more popular
(b) It might cost more money to make plastic this way
(c) It might help clean up the Earth faster
(d) It might make the company go out of business

7. Who is doing the best job at finding ways to eat up plastic trash?
(a) The French company
(b) The recycling centers
(c) The government
(d) The other people

8. Why is it still hard to eat up some kinds of plastic?
(a) Some kinds of plastic might never be eaten up
(b) The special thing is not good enough
(c) The company doesn’t want to eat up all kinds of plastic
(d) It’s too expensive to eat up all kinds of plastic

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. It is very bad at eating a specific type of plastic used for making bottles and clothes.
2. Without this special thing, new plastic cannot be made without needing to extract new resources from the Earth.
3. Currently, not much plastic is recycled, and it ends up in places where it shouldn’t be.
4. Other people are not trying to find ways to eat up plastic trash, but the French company is currently the least successful.
5. The company wants to build a large facility to use this special thing to eat up a lot of plastic trash and make new plastic from it.
6. This new method of eating up plastic trash could help clean up the Earth.
7. A company in France has created something that can eat plastic trash.
8. This special thing is dissimilar to something found in old, dead leaves.
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 did a company in France make that can eat up plastic trash?
2. What is the special thing like that can eat plastic trash?
3. Why is it important to find ways to eat up plastic trash?
4. What can happen if we don’t recycle plastic?
5. Are there other people trying to find ways to eat up plastic trash?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did a company in France make that can eat up plastic trash?
A company in France made a special thing that can eat up plastic trash.

2. How is this special thing like something found in old, dead leaves?
This special thing is like something found in old, dead leaves because it’s really good at eating a certain kind of plastic that is used to make things like bottles and clothes.

3. What kind of plastic can this special thing eat up?
This special thing can eat up a certain kind of plastic that is used to make things like bottles and clothes.

4. What does the company want to build to use this special thing?
The company wants to build a big place where they can use this special thing to eat up lots of plastic trash and make new plastic from it.

5. Why is this new way to eat up plastic trash good for the Earth?
This new way to eat up plastic trash is good for the Earth because we can make new plastic without needing to get new stuff from the Earth.

6. What happens to plastic if we don’t recycle it?
If we don’t recycle plastic, it ends up in places where it shouldn’t be.

7. Are there other people trying to find ways to eat up plastic trash?
Yes, there are other people trying to find ways to eat up plastic trash.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) plastic
(2) certain
(3) used
(4) trash
(5) recycle
(6) ends
(7) thing
(8) stuff
(9) trying
(10) French
(11) kinds
(12) reuse
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. company
Answer: (e) A group of people who work together

2. plastic
Answer: (d) A material that is not natural and can be shaped

3. trash
Answer: (h) Things that are thrown away and not wanted anymore

4. recycle
Answer: (f) To use something again instead of throwing it away

5. Earth
Answer: (b) The place where we live

6. idea
Answer: (a) A thought or plan

7. planet
Answer: (g) The world we live on

8. reuse
Answer: (c) To make new things from old things
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did a company in France make that can eat up plastic trash?
Answer: (d) A special thing

2. What is the special thing good at eating?
Answer: (d) A certain kind of plastic

3. What does the company want to do with the special thing?
Answer: (c) Build a big place to eat up lots of plastic trash

4. Why is this new way to eat up plastic trash important?
Answer: (c) It can help clean up the Earth

5. What is the problem with recycling plastic right now?
Answer: (b) We don’t recycle much plastic

6. What might happen if the company shares its idea with others?
Answer: (b) It might cost more money to make plastic this way

7. Who is doing the best job at finding ways to eat up plastic trash?
Answer: (a) The French company

8. Why is it still hard to eat up some kinds of plastic?
Answer: (a) Some kinds of plastic might never be eaten up
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. It is very bad at eating a specific type of plastic used for making bottles and clothes. (Answer: False)
2. Without this special thing, new plastic cannot be made without needing to extract new resources from the Earth. (Answer: False)
3. Currently, not much plastic is recycled, and it ends up in places where it shouldn’t be. (Answer: True)
4. Other people are not trying to find ways to eat up plastic trash, but the French company is currently the least successful. (Answer: False)
5. The company wants to build a large facility to use this special thing to eat up a lot of plastic trash and make new plastic from it. (Answer: True)
6. This new method of eating up plastic trash could help clean up the Earth. (Answer: True)
7. A company in France has created something that can eat plastic trash. (Answer: True)
8. This special thing is dissimilar to something found in old, dead leaves. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧