Breaking News English Lesson: Tea on the Moon
It might be possible to grow tea on the Moon. Researchers believe the Moon's soil is good enough to grow plants. They said: "We are at the very earliest stages of research into space agriculture." This might be good news for astronauts. They could take part in the British tradition of having a tea break. He said they could have a cup of Moon-grown tea. It could also be good news for farmers worldwide who have problems growing crops in bad soil.
The researchers wanted to know if tea plants could grow on the Moon and Mars. Special greenhouses in space would give astronauts some independence "and access to fresh food". The researchers used a special soil like the soil found on the Moon and Mars. A researcher was happy with the results of her tests. She said it showed that tea can be grown on the Moon. However, she said the tea plants did not grow in the Mars-like soil.
Try the same news story at these levels:
- https://www.earth.com/news/tea-plants-show-promise-for-growing-food-on-the-moon/
- https://phys.org/news/2025-09-tea-lunar-soil.html
- https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/tea-can-grown-moon-calls-35931787
Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)
Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities, and more.
$US 9.99
News
"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."
The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)
"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."
Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)
"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."
Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.
Phrase Matching Paragraph 1- It might be
- research into space
- take part in the British
- having a tea
- they could have a cup of Moon-
- It could also be good
- farmers worldwide who
- growing crops in bad
- grown tea
- break
- have problems
- agriculture
- tradition
- soil
- news
- possible
- The researchers wanted
- tea plants could
- Special greenhouses
- access to fresh
- The researchers used a special
- like the soil found on
- A researcher was happy
- plants did not grow in the Mars-
- soil
- in space
- like soil
- with the results
- to know
- food
- grow on the Moon
- the Moon and Mars
It might (1) _________________________________________________ grow tea on the Moon. Researchers believe the Moon's soil (2) _________________________________________________ to grow plants. They said: "We are at the very earliest (3) _________________________________________________ into space agriculture." This (4) _________________________________________________ news for astronauts. They could take part in the British tradition of having a tea break. He (5) _________________________________________________ have a cup of Moon-grown tea. It could also be good news for farmers worldwide (6) _________________________________________________ growing crops in bad soil.
The researchers (7) _________________________________________________ if tea plants could grow on the Moon and Mars. Special greenhouses in space would give astronauts some independence "and access (8) _________________________________________________". The researchers (9) _________________________________________________ soil like the soil found on the Moon and Mars. A researcher (10) _________________________________________________ the results of her tests. She said it showed that tea (11) _________________________________________________ on the Moon. However, she said the tea plants did (12) _________________________________________________ the Mars-like soil.
Put a slash (/) where the spaces areItmightbepossibletogrowteaontheMoon.ResearchersbelievetheMoo n'ssoilisgoodenoughtogrowplants.Theysaid:"Weareattheveryearlie ststagesofresearchintospaceagriculture."Thismightbegoodnewsfor astronauts.TheycouldtakepartintheBritishtraditionofhavingateabre ak.HesaidtheycouldhaveacupofMoon-growntea.Itcouldalsobegoo dnewsforfarmersworldwidewhohaveproblemsgrowingcropsinbadso il.TheresearcherswantedtoknowifteaplantscouldgrowontheMoonan dMars.Specialgreenhousesinspacewouldgiveastronautssomeindep endence"andaccesstofreshfood".Theresearchersusedaspecialsoillik ethesoilfoundontheMoonandMars.Aresearcherwashappywiththeres ultsofhertests.ShesaiditshowedthatteacanbegrownontheMoon.How ever,shesaidtheteaplantsdidnotgrowintheMars-likesoil.
Student surveyWrite five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.
(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)
Discussion — Write your own questionsSTUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
(a) ________________
(b) ________________
(c) ________________
(d) ________________
(e) ________________
(f) ________________
(g) ________________
(h) ________________
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
(i) ________________
(j) ________________
(k) ________________
(l) ________________
(m) ________________
(n) ________________
(o) ________________
(p) ________________
Free writingWrite about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.
Answers(Please check your answers against the article above.
Help Support This Web Site- Please consider helping Breaking News English.com
- Download a sample of my book "1,000 Ideas & Activities for Language Teachers".