Australia’s Hologram Zoo is a new kind of zoo that uses lasers to create lifelike pictures of animals. These pictures, called holograms, look real and people can touch them and walk around them. The zoo uses a special technology to make the animals look big and lets people smell the flowers and trees. Bruce Dell, who made the zoo, thinks holograms will change many things like shopping, entertainment, and medicine.

Scientists at the Australian National University are also studying holograms. They are using very small surfaces to change light beams and make small holograms. This could be used in healthcare to help doctors see inside the body with real-time pictures. A university in Queensland is using a hologram in a play to help people with eating problems.

People think holograms will change many things in the future. Bruce Dell thinks we will see holograms everywhere, like in fast food places and jewelry stores. There are many possibilities and holograms might become a normal part of life.

Original news source: Why a ‘hologram revolution’ could be on the way (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will take turns choosing a hologram animal from the article and acting out its movements and characteristics without speaking. The other groups must guess which hologram animal they are portraying.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. They should try to include as much detail as possible in their summary. After both partners have shared their summaries, they can compare and discuss any differences or additional information.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come to the board and have one minute to draw a picture representing one of the vocabulary words. Their team must guess the word based on the drawing. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will discuss the pros and cons of using holograms in various aspects of life, such as shopping, entertainment, and medicine. They should consider the potential benefits and drawbacks and present their ideas to the class.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns making predictions about how holograms might be used in the future. They should think about different industries and daily life activities. After both partners have made their predictions, they can discuss and compare their ideas.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is a hologram?
2. How does the Hologram Zoo make the animals look big?
3. What are scientists at the Australian National University studying with holograms?
4. How could holograms be used in healthcare?
5. How is a hologram being used in a play to help people with eating problems?
6. Where does Bruce Dell think we will see holograms in the future?
7. Do people think holograms will become a normal part of life?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Australia’s Hologram Zoo is a new kind of zoo that uses lasers to (1)______ lifelike pictures of (2)______. These pictures, called holograms, look real and people can touch them and walk around them. The zoo uses a (3)______ technology to make the animals look big and lets (4)______ smell the flowers and trees. Bruce Dell, who made the zoo, thinks holograms will change many things like (5)______, entertainment, and medicine.

(6)______ at the Australian National University are also studying holograms. They are (7)______ very small surfaces to (8)______ light (9)______ and make small holograms. This could be used in healthcare to help doctors see inside the body with real-time pictures. A university in Queensland is using a hologram in a play to help people with eating problems.

People think holograms will change many (10)______ in the future. Bruce Dell thinks we will see holograms everywhere, like in fast food (11)______ and jewelry stores. There are many (12)______ and holograms might become a normal part of life.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a hologram?
2. How would you feel if you could touch and walk around holograms of animals at a zoo?
3. Do you like the idea of holograms being used in shopping, entertainment, and medicine? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about scientists using holograms to help doctors see inside the body?
5. How do you think holograms could be used to help people with eating problems?
6. Do you think holograms will become a normal part of life in the future? Why or why not?
7. What other places do you think holograms could be used, besides fast food places and jewelry stores?
8. How do you think holograms could change the way we shop?
9. How would you feel if holograms were used in movies and TV shows?
10. Do you think holograms could be used to teach people about history or other subjects? Why or why not?
11. What would you like to see as a hologram?
12. How do you think holograms could make our lives better in the future?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. hologram
2. lasers
3. lifelike
4. technology
5. smell
6. surfaces
7. real-time
8. possibilities

Meanings:
(a) Different things that might happen in the future
(b) Happening right now, at the same time as you are watching
(c) The sense that lets you know what things are like by breathing in
(d) A special kind of light that can be used to make pictures
(e) Looking very real, like it could be alive
(f) A picture that looks real and you can touch
(g) The use of science and machines to solve problems or make things
(h) The outside of something, like the top of a table or the front of a book
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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is a hologram?
(a) A lifelike picture created by lasers
(b) A type of flower
(c) A type of tree
(d) A type of animal

2. What can people do with the holograms at the Hologram Zoo?
(a) Look at them from far away
(b) Take pictures of them
(c) Feed them
(d) Touch them and walk around them

3. How does the Hologram Zoo make the animals look big?
(a) Using real animals
(b) Using mirrors
(c) Using special technology
(d) Using hologram glasses

4. What are scientists at the Australian National University studying?
(a) Animals
(b) Flowers and trees
(c) Medicine
(d) Holograms

5. How could holograms be used in healthcare?
(a) To help doctors perform surgeries
(b) To help doctors see inside the body with real-time pictures
(c) To help doctors make hologram animals
(d) To help doctors grow flowers and trees

6. What is the university in Queensland using a hologram for?
(a) To entertain children
(b) To teach math
(c) To help people with eating problems
(d) To study animals

7. Where does Bruce Dell think holograms will be seen in the future?
(a) Everywhere, like in fast food places and jewelry stores
(b) Only in museums
(c) Only in zoos
(d) Only in hospitals

8. What do people think about holograms?
(a) They think holograms are scary
(b) They think holograms will change many things in the future
(c) They think holograms are useless
(d) They think holograms are expensive

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. These small holograms could not be used in healthcare to help doctors see inside the body with real-time pictures.
2. These pictures, called holograms, look real and people can touch them and walk around them.
3. The zoo uses special technology to make the animals look big and lets people smell the flowers and trees.
4. Bruce Dell, the creator of the zoo, does not believe that holograms will change many things like shopping, entertainment, and medicine.
5. Scientists at the Australian National University are not studying holograms and using small surfaces to make small holograms.
6. Australia has a new kind of zoo that uses lasers to create lifelike pictures of animals.
7. Holograms might become a normal part of life in the future, appearing in places like fast food restaurants and jewelry stores.
8. A university in Queensland is not using a hologram in a play to assist people with eating problems.
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 is a hologram?
2. How does the Hologram Zoo make the animals look big?
3. What are scientists at the Australian National University studying with holograms?
4. How could holograms be used in healthcare?
5. Where might we see holograms in the future, according to Bruce Dell?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is a hologram?
A hologram is a lifelike picture created using lasers that looks real and can be touched and walked around.

2. How does the Hologram Zoo make the animals look big?
The Hologram Zoo uses a special technology to make the animals look big.

3. What are scientists at the Australian National University studying with holograms?
Scientists at the Australian National University are studying how to use holograms to make small real-time pictures that can help doctors see inside the body.

4. How could holograms be used in healthcare?
Holograms could be used in healthcare to help doctors see inside the body and make diagnoses with real-time pictures.

5. How is a hologram being used in a play to help people with eating problems?
A hologram is being used in a play to help people with eating problems by showing them how to eat properly and overcome their difficulties.

6. Where does Bruce Dell think we will see holograms in the future?
Bruce Dell thinks we will see holograms everywhere in the future, like in fast food places and jewelry stores.

7. Do people think holograms will become a normal part of life?
Yes, people think holograms will become a normal part of life in the future.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) create
(2) animals
(3) special
(4) people
(5) shopping
(6) Scientists
(7) using
(8) change
(9) beams
(10) things
(11) places
(12) possibilities
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. hologram
Answer: (f) A picture that looks real and you can touch

2. lasers
Answer: (d) A special kind of light that can be used to make pictures

3. lifelike
Answer: (e) Looking very real, like it could be alive

4. technology
Answer: (g) The use of science and machines to solve problems or make things

5. smell
Answer: (c) The sense that lets you know what things are like by breathing in

6. surfaces
Answer: (h) The outside of something, like the top of a table or the front of a book

7. real-time
Answer: (b) Happening right now, at the same time as you are watching

8. possibilities
Answer: (a) Different things that might happen in the future
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is a hologram?
Answer: (a) A lifelike picture created by lasers

2. What can people do with the holograms at the Hologram Zoo?
Answer: (d) Touch them and walk around them

3. How does the Hologram Zoo make the animals look big?
Answer: (c) Using special technology

4. What are scientists at the Australian National University studying?
Answer: (d) Holograms

5. How could holograms be used in healthcare?
Answer: (b) To help doctors see inside the body with real-time pictures

6. What is the university in Queensland using a hologram for?
Answer: (c) To help people with eating problems

7. Where does Bruce Dell think holograms will be seen in the future?
Answer: (a) Everywhere, like in fast food places and jewelry stores

8. What do people think about holograms?
Answer: (b) They think holograms will change many things in the future
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. These small holograms could not be used in healthcare to help doctors see inside the body with real-time pictures. (Answer: False)
2. These pictures, called holograms, look real and people can touch them and walk around them. (Answer: True)
3. The zoo uses special technology to make the animals look big and lets people smell the flowers and trees. (Answer: True)
4. Bruce Dell, the creator of the zoo, does not believe that holograms will change many things like shopping, entertainment, and medicine. (Answer: False)
5. Scientists at the Australian National University are not studying holograms and using small surfaces to make small holograms. (Answer: False)
6. Australia has a new kind of zoo that uses lasers to create lifelike pictures of animals. (Answer: True)
7. Holograms might become a normal part of life in the future, appearing in places like fast food restaurants and jewelry stores. (Answer: True)
8. A university in Queensland is not using a hologram in a play to assist people with eating problems. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧