1. Before you read.
You are about to read an article about the discovery of a new planet. Before you read, predict which of the following facts appear in the article.
Now read the article quickly to check if you were right.
New Planet Found
A newly discovered planet has been detected orbiting a sun-like star outside our own solar system. The planet, Kepler-22b, is the smallest planet ever detected in a habitable band around a star, and astronomers believe it to be eerily similar to Earth in that its surface temperature is perfect to support life.
This latest discovery was made by the Kepler telescope, which is on the lookout for and registers the dimming of light coming from stars. This dimming is caused by a planet passing between the star and the telescope, an event termed transit.
According to project scientists, Kepler-22b could well be the best candidate yet for a life-bearing world beyond our solar system, as it is situated right in the middle of the habitable zone, a balmy band of space around a star where water can exist in liquid form. In addition, the star that Kepler-22b orbits appears to be very similar to our own Sun. This discovery adds more credence to the growing belief that there is an abundance of Earth-like planets in our galaxy, that in fact it is crowded with life.
The newly discovered planet lies 600 light years away from and is roughly 2.4 times as wide as Earth, or about 60 per cent the size of Neptune. The duration of its orbit even resembles that of Earth, taking 290 days to complete. However, scientists suspect that Kepler-22b could well be like gas-and-liquid Neptune, consisting mostly of ocean with a rock core. They are also of the opinion that it is not beyond the realm of possibility that life could exist in such an ocean.
Although transit observations are not able to actually pinpoint the mass of the planet, astronomers have used different telescopes to detect signs of gravitational tugs the planet asserts on its host star, causing it to wobble. This would only occur if the planet's mass were 36 times that of Earth; however, no signs of wobble have been found. On this evidence Kepler-22b is believed to belong to the category of so-called super-Earths, which can be up to twice the diameter of Earth.
To date the Kepler telescope has spotted over 2,000 such candidate planets outside our solar system, 139 of which are considered to be potentially habitable. When the opportunity arises, ground-based observations could help astronomers to nail down the planet's actual mass, in turn helping them to identify its composition. The Kepler telescope has been staring fixedly at over 150,000 stars between the constellations Cygnus and Lyra for the past 1,000 days.
Now that you have read it, decide which of the following facts appear in the article, checking your pre-reading answers.
2. Summarising.
Now read the article in more detail. Match a summarising sentence to each paragraph.
3. Meaning in context.
Read the first part of the article again and choose the best meaning for the underlined words.
New Planet Found
A newly discovered planet has been detected orbiting a sun-like star outside our own solar system. The planet, Kepler-22b, is the smallest planet ever detected in a habitable band around a star, and astronomers believe it to be eerily similar to Earth in that its surface temperature is perfect to support life.
This latest discovery was made by the Kepler telescope, which is on the lookout for and registers the dimming of light coming from stars. This dimming is caused by a planet passing between the star and the telescope, an event termed transit.
According to project scientists, Kepler-22b could well be the best candidate yet for a life-bearing world beyond our solar system, as it is situated right in the middle of the habitable zone, a balmy band of space around a star where water can exist in liquid form. In addition, the star that Kepler-22b orbits appears to be very similar to our own Sun. This discovery adds more credence to the growing belief that there is an abundance of Earth-like planets in our galaxy, that in fact it is crowded with life.
The newly discovered planet lies 600 light years away from and is roughly 2.4 times as wide as Earth, or about 60 per cent the size of Neptune. The duration of its orbit even resembles that of Earth, taking 290 days to complete. However, scientists suspect that Kepler-22b could well be like gas-and-liquid Neptune, consisting mostly of ocean with a rock core. They are also of the opinion that it is not beyond the realm of possibility that life could exist in such an ocean.
Although transit observations are not able to actually pinpoint the mass of the planet, astronomers have used different telescopes to detect signs of gravitational tugs the planet asserts on its host star, causing it to wobble. This would only occur if the planet's mass were 36 times that of Earth; however, no signs of wobble have been found. On this evidence Kepler-22b is believed to belong to the category of so-called super-Earths, which can be up to twice the diameter of Earth.
To date the Kepler telescope has spotted over 2,000 such candidate planets outside our solar system, 139 of which are considered to be potentially habitable. When the opportunity arises, ground-based observations could help astronomers to nail down the planet's actual mass, in turn helping them to identify its composition. The Kepler telescope has been staring fixedly at over 150,000 stars between the constellations Cygnus and Lyra for the past 1,000 days.
4. Reading between the lines.
Check your understanding of the article. Are the following statements true or false?
You can see the article again here.
5. Vocabulary review: Feelings and states of mind.
Check your understanding of the following nouns describing feelings and states of mind. Some of these nouns appear in the exercises that follow. Match the words to the definitions.
6. A film review.
Read a review of a film called Another Earth, and then mark the statements below true or false.
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Another Earth
On the night of the discovery of a duplicate planet in the solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.
User Reviews
A Fresh Spin
1 Rarely do we get to see a film that changes our personal perspective, that addresses our take on the world around us, not to mention that of our inner life. Even less frequently do we come across a science fiction movie that, despite an impossible premise, remains grounded in reality and never loosens its grip on the heart which lies at its core – a deeply human story. Mike Cahill's Another Earth, which opened to glowing reviews at the Sundance Film Festival, does both of these things, and, despite its minute budget, is one of the more impressive science fiction offerings in recent years.
2 Another Earth chronicles the detection of a new planet in our solar system, a planet that mirrors our own exactly – right down to the people that inhabit it. On the night of this bewildering discovery, MIT-bound Rhoda Williams recklessly crashes her car into that of Yale professor John Burroughs and, as a result of her distraction and negligence, is responsible for the death of the professor's son and pregnant wife; John is left in a coma. Four years later, Rhoda is released from prison and sets out to atone for her crime. This journey of Rhoda's, this quest for atonement, runs parallel to the revelations of more in-depth studies and discoveries about Earth 2, and it is the interplay of these two threads that really brings this story to life.
3 As you would expect, there are obvious science fiction undercurrents and elements in this movie, but in general, Earth 2 looms in the background while the human story of atonement, regret, and the possibility of second chances takes centre stage. In fact, a key moment in the film has nothing at all to do with Earth 2, but is a scene that shows the bonding of Rhoda and John over a simple video game. Throughout the film, Earth 2 takes on a secondary role, setting the scene, an ever-present embodiment of the chance at another life, its ubiquity in every shot suggesting that the possibility is always there.
4 This is the kind of science fiction film that we should see more of, as so often the genre offers us little more than an overdose of effects, explosive and mind-numbing action, and a presence of well-known faces. Another Earth gives us none of these things, and in their place we have silence, space and introspection. We have a deeply flawed main character at a loss as to how to manoeuvre within the limits of her ruined life. Some filmgoers may complain that we never get to explore the possibilities of Earth 2 in this film, but that would be an entirely different story and, in my opinion, a lesser film.
5 Director Mike Cahill, and lead actress Brit Marling co-wrote the screenplay together, and one can only hope that this is just the first of many such collaborations between them. Their shared passion for science is obvious, as is their commitment to creating a serious and profoundly real character study, putting fiction firmly in the back seat. Marling is a revelation on the screen and clearly has a deep understanding of the character she is playing, not afraid at all to show her as awkward, inept, scared and, above all, flawed. William Mapother's John Burroughs isn't nearly as fleshed out as Rhoda is, but Mapother still manages to excel in a role that we have not seen him take on before. John is angular and angry, a spiky type who gradually and movingly reveals his broken core. The score by Fall On Your Sword is in harmony with the tensions of the film, with a subtle electronic buzz and a moving theme at its centre.
6 Simply put, Another Earth is one of a kind, putting a fresh spin on the genre of science fiction. Perhaps one day it will be looked back on as being revolutionary in the way that it gives the human story complete dominance over the fictional backdrop. It is not just the best movie of the year so far, but has also become one of my all-time favourites as well.
Mark the statements true or false.
7. Language focus.
Can you remember? Use the words given to complete the first two paragraphs of the review.