photo Tara Benwell Listen to News with Tara Benwell - Instructions:
1. Preview the vocabulary and read the gapfill text.
2. Play the news report and try to fill in the blanks.
3. Answer the comprehension questions by writing full sentences.
4. Use the discussion question to write an essay or discuss the story with other students.
5. Click "show Answers" to see the full text.
6. Pretend to be a news anchor by reading each story out loud.

dateline: 10 April 2019

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First Picture Taken of Massive Black Hole

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • black hole: a dead star that sucks up objects in space
  • telescope: an instrument that shows close-up pictures of stars and planets
  • massive: very large or heavy
  • astronomer: a person who studies space
  • keep under wraps: to keep hidden or secret
  • theoretical: based on calculations rather than physical proof

First Picture Taken of Massive Black Hole

Astronomers have released the first-ever picture of a black hole. The picture was taken by a group of telescopes as the Event Horizon Telescope Project. The black hole was first photographed in 2017, but the photo was kept under wraps until now. The black hole, which is almost the size of our solar system, looks like a dark with an orange ring around it. This is an important moment for astronomers because, until now, black holes were theoretical.

Comprehension Questions

  1. When was the black hole first photographed?
  2. How many telescopes are part of the Event Horizon Telescope Project?
  3. Why is this picture important for astronomers?

Discussion Question

Photographing a black hole was previously thought to be impossible. What other “impossibilities” do you think will be made possible in this century?

show Answers

Written and recorded by Tara Benwell for EnglishClub
Tara Benwell is a Canadian freelance writer and editor who specializes in materials and articles for the ELT industry.
© EnglishClub.com
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