Reading Anthology

Oral report
In order to prepare your oral report:

§ Tell what is the text about.

§ Give your opinion about the topic of the article.
- express whether you agree or disagree with the
ideas and why?
§ Talk about the advantages or disadvantages (if possible).
§ Suggest another strategy.
 1. China's artificial sun five times
THE ARTICLE
hotter than real sun
From https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2201/220106-artificial-sun.html

China has set a record for creating the highest heat ever recorded.

Scientists created temperatures of up to 70,000,000ºC in an "artificial

sun". The new record was for keeping the heat at a temperature that is

five times hotter than the sun. It did this for more than 17 minutes. The

extreme heat was created in a nuclear fusion reactor. The reactor is part

of the Experimental Advanced Super-conducting Tokamak project

(EAST). It reproduces the natural reactions that happen inside our sun

and other stars. The scientists want to develop the artificial sun to create

a near-endless supply of clean energy. The EAST project has cost China

more than $950 billion. Total costs will run over $1 trillion this year.

Scientists around the world have been trying for decades to develop

nuclear fusion. They say it is the best way to produce clean energy. The

nuclear fusion process needs no fossil fuels and leaves behind no

dangerous waste. If scientists can make it work, the world will become

greener and cleaner. It could also mean lower fuel bills. EAST set the new

record in a laboratory. Nuclear fusion technology is still not advanced

enough to become a global industry. However, researcher Dr Gong

Xianzu, a nuclear fusion expert, says the EAST project is an important

step. He said: "The recent operation lays a solid scientific and

experimental foundation towards the running of a fusion reactor."

Sources: http://www.china.org.cn/china/2022-01/01/content_77964589.htm
https://news.yahoo.com/china-switches-artificial-sun-five-105253561.html
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/20211231/415ad5413d0f4f4880de7cb64972bbf0/c.html

Level 3 China's artificial sun five times hotter than real sun – 6th January, 2022
More free lessons at breakingnewsenglish.com - Copyright Sean Banville 2022 2
THE ARTICLE
2. Brain-hacking chip could give us superpowers
From https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2008/200831-superhuman-powers.html

Technology trailblazer Elon Musk has unveiled a pig with a computer chip

implanted in her brain that could pave the way to computer-to-brain

interfaces in humans. Mr Musk has a near-unrivalled record in pioneering

technology, from electric cars and hyperloop travel to space tourism.

Gertrude the pig showcases his latest ambition - to allow us to control

computers with our brains. Conversely, computers could enhance our

brainpower and abilities. The interface is part of a tech startup called

Neuralink. Mr Musk announced that trials would soon begin on humans.

He believes the technology represents a giant leap into the future and will

considerably change our lives by giving us superhuman powers.

The results shown in Gertrude the pig were somewhat modest in

comparison to the potential Mr Musk envisages the technology will one

day deliver. He hopes Neuralink will help people with neurological

conditions like strokes, dementia and headaches. It could also mean our

brain is wired directly to the Internet. Just like in a science fiction movie,

we could control phones, computers and household devices simply with

the power of thought. The most mind-blowing aspect of the technology is

what Musk calls "superhuman cognition". This is to counter artificial

intelligence becoming powerful enough to destroy the human race. He

added the technology will "achieve symbiosis with artificial intelligence".

Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53921596
https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-neuralink-brain-implant-v2-demo/
https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/8/28/21404802/elon-musk-neuralink-brain-machine-interface-
research

Level 6 Brain-hacking chip could give us superpowers – 31st August, 2020

More free lessons at breakingnewsenglish.com - Copyright Sean Banville 2020 2
THE ARTICLE
3. Scientists 'talk' with a whale for 20 minutes
From https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2312/231228-chat-with-whale.html

Scientists say they have had a "conversation" with a whale. They also

say the chat could help them to one day talk to aliens. The scientists are

from the University of California, the Alaska Whale Foundation, and SETI

(Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence). The three organizations

teamed up and spoke to a humpback whale named Twain. They spoke to

her in "humpback language" for 20 minutes. Their conversation took

place after the scientists sent a "contact call" into the ocean off the coast

of Alaska. Twain heard the call and responded. She swam to the research

boat and chatted. SETI said it was the first ever communication between

humans and humpback whales.

The scientists say their conversation with Twain was not a deep one.

Professor Brenda McCowan said it was more like a series of greetings.

Whales use contact calls to let other whales know where they are. The

scientists made the same call 36 times over a 20-minute period. Each

time, Twain responded by calling back. She even matched the intervals

between each call the researchers made. Professor McCowan told the

Business Insider website that her research could make it easier to talk to

aliens. She said: "There are diverse intelligences on this planet. By

studying them, we can better understand what an alien intelligence might

be like because they are not going to be exactly like ours."

Sources: https://www.boredpanda.com/scientist-claim-having-20-minute-conversation-whale/
https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-20-minute-conversation-with-a-humpback-whale-
named-twain/
https://www.unilad.com/film-and-tv/news/freeview-best-takeaway-for-watching-tv-556889-
20231218

Level 3 Scientists 'talk' with a whale for 20 minutes – 28th December 2023
More free lessons at breakingnewsenglish.com - Copyright Sean Banville 2023 2
 4. Scientists create living
THE ARTICLE robots that can have babies

From https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2112/211202-xenobots.html

Scientists say that a new kind of robot can reproduce - it can create

baby robots. This is an example of science fiction becoming science fact.

The scientists, from the Universities of Vermont, Tufts and Harvard,

created the world's first "living" robots. They are called "xenobots".

Scientists created them in 2020 from the stem cells of an African frog. Its

scientific name - "xenopus laevis" - gave the xenobot its name. The

xenobots are less than a millimetre wide. They can move, work together

in groups and self-heal. Although they are not what we imagine robots to

be, scientists say they are technically robots. They are a machine-animal

hybrid. The scientists say xenobots are "an entirely new life-form".

The scientists explained that the bots reproduce because of their

shape. Researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) to test billions of body

shapes. The result was a C-shaped robot. It was able to find tiny stem

cells in a petri dish. It gathered the cells in its mouth. A few days later,

the cells became a new, "baby" xenobot. The xenobots are very early

technology. However, they could change science, medicine, technology

and the way we live. They could carry out tasks inside our body to repair

damage to organs. They could also help the environment by attacking

micro-plastics in our oceans, or by cleaning up oil spills. Despite the

possible benefits, some people are worried about robots that can

reproduce.

Sources: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/29/americas/xenobots-self-replicating-robots-scn/index.html
https://inews.co.uk/news/scientists-create-worlds-first-reproductive-robots-1325805
https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2021/11/xenobots-reproduce/

Level 3 Scientists create living robots that can have babies – 2nd December, 2021
More free lessons at breakingnewsenglish.com - Copyright Sean Banville 2021 2
THE ARTICLE
5. Scientists make biocomputer with brain tissue
From https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2312/231218-brainoware-biocomputer.html

The merging of human and machine has taken another step forward

as researchers have built a "biocomputer". Bioengineers at the University

of Indiana in the USA have combined laboratory-grown human brain

tissue with microelectrodes. The scientists have dubbed their creation

Brainoware. It is in its embryonic stage of development, but it can

already perform complex tasks such as voice recognition. Lead

researcher Dr Feng Guo hopes his softer-than-usual software will help to

advance AI technologies. It could also mean AI hardware uses far less

energy than solely using silicon chips. Dr Guo said: "This is just proof-of-

concept to show that we can do the job. We still have a long way to go."

The researchers said their Brainoware system utilizes "organoids".

These are artificially grown bundles of tissue and stem cells that

resemble an organ. Dr Guo said his team's organoids are like mini-brains.

They have transformed and developed neurons, akin to those found in

the human brain. The researchers say their next step is to investigate

how Brainoware can be adapted to undertake higher-level tasks. The

technology could one day be used to create improved models of the

brain, and move neuroscience research forward. It could also lead to

cures for neurological diseases. One major challenge for the researchers

is to find solutions for how to keep the living tissue alive.

Sources: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03975-7
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2407768-ai-made-from-living-human-brain-cells-performs-
speech-recognition/
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-built-a-functional-computer-with-human-brain-tissue

Level 6 Scientists make biocomputer with brain tissue – 18th December 2023
More free lessons at breakingnewsenglish.com - Copyright Sean Banville 2023 2
THE ARTICLE
6. Jeff Bezos wants a trillion humans in solar system
From https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2312/231225-a-trillion-humans.html

Just when demographers are ringing alarm bells about

overpopulation, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos says we need to populate our

solar system. Mr Bezos was asked for his thoughts on humanity living in

outer space in a thousand years' time. He replied: "I would love to see,

you know, a trillion humans living in the solar system. If we had a trillion

humans, we would have at any given time 1,000 Mozarts and 1,000

Einsteins.…Space would be full of life and intelligence and energy." He

added that he wants to help "build heavy infrastructure that will be used

by the space entrepreneurs of future generations…so that ingenuity and

imagination can really be unleashed".

Mr Bezos' thoughts are echoed by fellow multi-billionaire Elon Musk,

owner of X (formerly known as Twitter). In 2021, he said of the human

race: "We don't want to be one of those single-planet species; we want

to be a multi-planet species." Earlier this year, Mr Musk warned that:

"Population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to

civilization than global warming...mark these words." Mr Bezos conceives

of people living in giant space stations. He said most inhabitants of these

would visit Earth for vacations. He envisions our planet returning to its

pristine environment, as factories would be built in space. He said they

would exploit resources on the moon or on asteroids instead of using up

Earth's.

Sources: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jeff-bezos-elon-musk-human-170119555.html
https://www.sciencealert.com/bezoss-vision-for-1000-einsteins-doesnt-take-into-account-37000-
serial-killers
https://futurism.com/the-byte/jeff-bezos-trillion-people-live-cylindrical-space-stations

Level 6 Jeff Bezos wants a trillion humans in solar system – 25th December 2023
More free lessons at breakingnewsenglish.com - Copyright Sean Banville 2023 2
THE ARTICLE 7. France bans smartphones
in schools
From https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1808/180804-smartphone-ban.html

France has voted to ban smartphones and personal tablets from schools.

Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly by 62-1 on Monday to prohibit

students aged between 3 and 15 from even bringing their devices to

school. The ban is part of a campaign to reduce addiction to electronics.

It fulfills a campaign promise made by French President Emmanuel

Macron in 2017. French Minister of National Education Jean-Michel

Blanquer also campaigned for the ban saying devices were harmful to

children's development. He called mobile devices a public health crisis

and said the law protects children from the "phenomenon of screen

addiction and the phenomenon of bad mobile phone use."

The new ban extends a previous law made in 2010 that meant students

could not use their devices in lessons. There are exceptions to the ban for

students with disabilities and for using devices in the classroom for extra-

curricular activities. Many lawmakers do not believe the ban is enough to

bring about change. They believe the ban is little more than a publicity

stunt. Application of the ban to students aged 15 and older will depend

on the policy of individual schools. Experts have found that the increased

use of mobile devices causes cyber-addiction, sleep disruption and

bullying. Opponents of the ban say it is a backward step and will not lead

to an increase in learning.

Sources: https://mashable.com/2018/08/01/france-smartphone-tablet-ban-school/
https://www.engadget.com/2018/08/01/france-bans-smartphones-schools/
https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/1/17640476/france-bans-smartphone-cellphones-school-
emmanuel-macron

Level 6 France bans smartphones in schools – 4th August, 2018

More free lessons at breakingnewsenglish.com - Copyright Sean Banville 2018 2
THE ARTICLE 8. Work over 80 hours a week to
change the world
From https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1811/181129-working-week.html

One of the world's most successful business leaders, Elon Musk, has said

that people need to work from around 80 to over 100 hours per week to

"change the world". Mr Musk knows what he is talking about because he

has his finger in many pies. He is the founder, CEO and lead designer of

SpaceX; the co-founder and CEO of the car company Tesla; and the co-

founder of PayPal. He works very hard on many projects that have

changed and could change our lives. He said he is a workaholic but he

loves what he does. He talked about working hard in an interview with

the technology news website Recode. He said: "There are way easier

places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week."

It is not just Mr Musk who works hard. Workers at his companies also put

in very long hours. Musk said "everyone" at Tesla has worked 100 hours

per week at times this year. He said this was necessary to make sure the

Tesla Model 3 car could survive. He said: "There wasn't some other way

to do this." Musk acknowledged that some Tesla employees were

unhappy with working so hard. He said some workers called the hours

"excessive," while others said they prefer to work 70 or more hours per

week. Musk said the "pain level" of working hard increases above 80

hours a week, but he didn't say what the pain was. The average CEO of a

multi-billion-dollar company works around 70 hours a week.

Sources: https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-says-80-hours-per-week-needed-change-the-world-
2018-11
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/05/elon-musk-on-working-120-hours-a-week-youll-go-
bonkers.html
https://thetechportal.com/2018/11/04/elon-musk-minute-interview/

Level 3 Work over 80 hours a week to change the world – 29th November, 2018
More free lessons at breakingnewsenglish.com - Copyright Sean Banville 2018 2
 9. Paper books better than e-books
THE ARTICLE
for bedtime stories
From https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1903/190328-paper-books.html

The march of technology may seem unstoppable, but all things digital

may have a way to go before they replace the traditional bedtime book -

the paper one. A new study shows that paper books are better than e-

books for bedtime reading. The study suggests that the good old printed

book, with real pages that you turn with your fingers, makes parents and

children interact more than they do when reading with an electronic

book. Researchers from the University of Michigan studied how 37 pairs

of parents and toddlers interacted with e-books and paper books. The

researchers found that with electronic books, parents asked their children

fewer questions and made fewer comments about the story.

The study involved observing parents and children (aged two or three)

reading from three different book formats. These were printed books,

basic e-books on a tablet, and enhanced e-books with features such as

animation, graphics and sound effects. The researchers discovered that

the parents and toddlers interacted with each other less with both types

of e-books than they did with the printed books. A researcher said that

when they did speak, they were far likelier to talk about the device and

the technology rather than about the story. Children were likelier to say

things like, "don't push that button" or "don't change the volume" than

ask questions or make observations about the story.

Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47666948
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-childrens-e-books-are-ruining-storytime-2019-03-25
https://www.newsweek.com/parents-toddlers-interact-reading-paper-books-versus-e-books-
1372052

Level 6 Paper books better than e-books for bedtime stories – 28th March, 2019
More free lessons at breakingnewsenglish.com - Copyright Sean Banville 2019 2