- Reading Thinking Speaking Listening Writing Discussing FirstNews Look Closer Weekly In-Depth Reading Comprehension What do you think of Look Closer? Tell us how we could improve this resource for you at schools@firstnews.co.uk Look Closer Issue 368: 5-11 July 2013 Science: Electric car sets record Contents Page 2: This week s Look Closer Article Pages 3, 4 & 5: Pupil Questions, Answer Sheet & Extension Activities Page 6: Question-only Activity Sheet (for use if pupils are writing their answers in exercise books) Pages 7 & 8: Teacher Answers Resource Explanation Look Closer encourages pupils to look closer at one article in the week s newspaper and analyse it in detail. Each week the questions will enable children to find the facts, interpret the information and work out why journalists wrote and presented the story the way they did. These questions are based on the assessment focus strands (AF2-7) which are referenced in the Teacher Answers along with suggested levels. For a simpler activity for lower ability pupils, why not use the simplified story and discussion questions found in this week s Year 1, 2, 3 activities. For a more advanced look at stories in this week s newspaper, try the Year 7 & 8 Article Analysis on this week s Special Report, The 50,570 mile journey of Wimbledon s tennis balls. Uses Ideal for: guided reading booster sessions homework activities SATs practice whole class starters extension activities individual assessment focus (AF2-7) teaching opportunities by focusing on one question in a plenary session a handy record of pupils reading performance and ideal APP evidence
FirstNews Look Closer Weekly In-Depth Reading Comprehension SCIENCE: Electric car sets record 5-11 JULY 2013 6. SCIENCE FirstNews ISSUE 368 5-11 JULY 2013 Electric car sets record A NEW car built by Drayson Racing Technologies has broken the land speed record for electric cars. The car, named Lola B12, reached a speed of 328.6km/h (204.2mph) to beat the previous record of 281.6km/h (175mph) that was set way back in 1974. The driver of Lola B12, Lord Drayson, said he hoped the achievement would highlight the potential for electric cars to be used more in the future. He said: The technology that we developed for this car will filter down to the cars we use every day. Electric cars are becoming more and more common as manufacturers begin to face up to the challenges of running out of fossil fuels (things like oil and gas). It has taken a long time for engineers to create electric cars that can compete with regular cars in terms of speed. Companies like Drayson Racing Technologies are really important because they are inventing ways to make electric cars faster and cooler, so more people will buy them. In turn, this should help protect the environment. From the outside you would never guess that Lola B12 is an electric car, as it looks exactly like a standard racing car
v SCIENCE: ELECTRIC CAR SETS RECORD Carefully read this week s Science story, Electric car sets record, then answer the following questions: 1) What record has a car called Lola B12 broken?(af2) 2) When was the record last set? (AF2)... 3) The first paragraph of a newspaper article is called the lead paragraph and should sum up the news story in a sentence. Write down two facts contained in the lead for Electric car sets record. (AF2) FACT 1:... FACT 2:... 4) True or False?(AF2) The new speed record for an electric car is 49.6km/h faster than the old record.... 328.6km/h is the fastest speed recorded for an electric car in 49 years.... 5) Most cars run on petrol or diesel. They come from petroleum - or oil from the ground. What other fossil fuel is mentioned in the article? (AF2)... Can you: Find the facts? Interpret the information? Work out why the journalist wrote and presented the story in the way that they did? 6) What does Lola B12 s driver want to achieve with this new record? (AF2) 7) The article uses interesting and varied verbs, including beat and create, to describe the electric car record. A synonym for the verb beat is defeat. Can you think of at least one suitable synonym for create? (AF5)
SCIENCE: ELECTRIC CAR SETS RECORD 8) Look at the opening sentence of paragraph 5: Electric cars are becoming more and more common as manufacturers begin to face up to the challenge of running out of fossil fuels (things like oil and gas). How does this sentence persuade us that electric cars are the future? (AF5) 9) If the opening paragraph, the lead, sums up the main points of the story, what does the final paragraph do? (AF4) 10) In the final paragraph, the journalist states that the world will become a greener place if electric cars are made faster and cooler, so more people buy them. Do you agree with this viewpoint? Why/Why not? (AF3)
Getty SCIENCE: ELECTRIC CAR SETS RECORD Extension Activities A) If you could make one of these Science section articles the front page news story for First News, which one would you choose and why? B) Have a look through the rest of the paper can you find at least two more science-based stories? C) Science gets its very own page in First News. If you could choose a brand new section for the newspaper, what would it be about? Which section in First News would have to go to make way for your new page? List three good reasons in favour of your new page and three convincing reasons why a current section should go from First News. D) Design and label your own green car of the future. Email your picture to us at First News schools@firstnews.co.uk. 6. SCIENCE Electric car sets record A NEW car built by Drayson Racing Technologies has broken the land speed record for electric cars. The car, named Lola B12, reached a speed of 328.6km/h (204.2mph) to beat the previous record of 281.6km/h (175mph) that was set way back in 1974. The driver of Lola B12, Lord Drayson, said he hoped the achievement would highlight the potential for electric cars to be used more in the future. He said: The technology that we developed for this car will filter down to the cars we use every day. Electric cars are becoming more and more common as manufacturers begin to face up to the challenges of running out of fossil fuels (things like oil and gas). It has taken a long time for engineers to create electric cars that can compete with regular cars in terms of speed. Companies like Drayson Racing Technologies are really important because they are inventing ways to make electric cars faster and cooler, so more people will buy them. In turn, this should help protect the environment. From the outside you would never guess that Lola B12 is an electric car, as it looks exactly like a standard racing car Plants do maths at night, every night NEW research has revealed that in order to have enough food overnight, when plants aren t able to convert energy from the sun, they use a mathematical formula in order to release just the right amount of food. In order to survive at night, plants must do a lot of maths Scientists at the John Innes Centre have shown that plants use a combination of their own internal body clock and a mathematical equation to release the perfect amount of stored energy overnight so that they don t starve. The mathematical equation is so advanced that even if the night comes on early or lasts longer than normal, plants will survive. The calculations are precise so that plants prevent starvation but also make the most efficient use of their food, said Professor Smith. Computer brains by the year 2045 FUTURISTS believe that humans will be able to upload their brains to computers, creating virtual humans that can live forever! Ever since the invention of the computer, people have imagined that, one day, humans will be able to use the technology to create artificial intelligence and even be able to upload their personalities into a machine that would never die. Now, a group of scientists, spiritual leaders and politicians have predicted that this incredible event could happen by the year 2045. The idea is so common in science fiction circles that it has been given its very own name. The event is called the singularity. The reason scientists are so fascinated with the idea is that, unlike humans, computers can be made immune to disease and ageing, which could mean that everyone can live forever inside a computer. Scientists came up with the date 2045 by looking at how quickly current technology is moving, the type of technologies that are currently being developed and predicting how long it would take for humans to invent a way to do it. What do you think about living forever inside a computer? For more pictures and videos, go to firstnews.co.uk FirstNews ISSUE 368 5 11 JULY 2013 Try eating your breakfast with a fork and it could taste totally different! The cutlery we use affects how our food tastes NEW research suggests that our brains determine how food will taste before we even put it in our mouths, making decisions about how things taste based on what we eat with. A food journal called Flavour has carried out research which suggests that the human tasting process is a little more complicated than just sensing the flavour of the food we put into our mouths. According to the report, the type of cutlery we use has a massive effect on how the flavours taste when we eat food. For instance, when we eat a yoghurt it tastes sweetest when using a white spoon. Cheese also tastes different if we eat it with a knife. Why not try eating something with a different piece of cutlery to see if you agree! The next time you eat some chips, use a spoon. Or, instead of using your hands to eat a piece of fruit, try using a knife and fork. Professor Charles Spence and Dr Vanessa Harrar from the University of Oxford said: Even before we put food into our mouths our brains have made a judgment about it, which affects our overall experience. Understanding how our brains interpret taste means we can create more delicious food, help people diet more effectively and control the way we experience the meals we eat. Right, now it s time for us to try eating an orange with some chopsticks! YOU older than you think you are. Every single human being on the planet is made from a tiny egg that comes from inside their mother. But the egg that eventually turned into you was created when your mum was born! So, if you are seven years old and your mum was 30 when she had you, you are actually 37 years old!
SCIENCE: ELECTRIC CAR SETS RECORD Can you: Find the facts? Interpret the information? Work out why the journalist wrote and presented the story in the way that they did? Carefully read this week s Science story, Electric car sets record, then answer the following questions: Q1) What record has a car called Lola B12 broken?(af2) Q2) When was the record last set? (AF2) Q3) The first paragraph of a newspaper article is called the lead paragraph and should sum up the news story in a sentence. Write down two facts contained in the lead for Electric car sets record. (AF2) Q4) True or False?(AF2) The new speed record for an electric car is 49.6km/h faster than the old record. 328.6km/h is the fastest speed recorded for an electric car in 49 years. Q5) Most cars run on petrol or diesel. They come from petroleum - or oil from the ground. What other fossil fuel is mentioned in the article? (AF2) Q6) What does Lola B12 s driver want to achieve with this new record? (AF2) Q7) The article uses interesting and varied verbs, including beat and create, to describe the electric car record. A synonym for the verb beat is defeat. Can you think of at least one suitable synonym for create? (AF5) Q8) Look at the opening sentence of paragraph 5: Electric cars are becoming more and more common as manufacturers begin to face up to the challenge of running out of fossil fuels (things like oil and gas). How does this sentence persuade us that electric cars are the future? (AF5) Q9) If the opening paragraph, the lead, sums up the main points of the story, what does the final paragraph do? (AF4) Q10) In the final paragraph, the journalist states that the world will become a greener place if electric cars are made faster and cooler, so more people buy them. Do you agree with this viewpoint? Why/Why not? (AF3)
SCIENCE: ELECTRIC CAR SETS RECORD The teacher answers are intended to provide a guide as to the AF strand of the question and possible responses from pupils working at different levels. In the level 4/5 answers we try to provide the most complete answer possible in order to provide teaching points when discussing the answers with pupils. 1. What record has a car called Lola B12 broken? Lola B12 has broken the land speed record for electric cars 2. When was the record last set? 1974 3. The first paragraph of a newspaper article is called the lead paragraph and should sum up the news story in a sentence. Write down two facts contained in the lead for Electric car sets record. Fact 1: A new car has broken the land speed record for electric cars. Fact 2: Drayson Racing Technologies built this car. 4. True or False? The new speed record for an electric car is 49.6km/h faster than the old record. 328.6km/h is the fastest speed recorded for an electric car in 49 years. L3 the correct answers but no evidence/ workings out L4 the correct answers with explanation/ workings out The new speed record for an electric car is 49.6km/h faster than the old record. False The correct answer is 47.6km/h. 328.6km/h is the fastest speed, for an electric car, for 49 years. False The correct answer is 39 years. 5. Most cars run on petrol or diesel. They come from petroleum - or oil from the ground. What other fossil fuel is mentioned in the article? gas 6. What does Lola B12 s driver want to achieve with this new record? L4 identifying relevant points The driver, Lord Drayson, hopes that the car s record-breaking speed will make people aware of the capability/potential of electric cars. That other cars will use Lola B12 s (electric) technology. 7. The article uses interesting and varied verbs, including beat and create, to describe the electric car record. A synonym for the verb beat is defeat. Can you think of at least one suitable synonym for create? AF5 - explain and comment on the writer s use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level L3 one basic synonym given e.g. make L4/5 more sophisticated alternatives e.g. produce, construct, build, form, design, fashion etc.
SCIENCE: ELECTRIC CAR SETS RECORD 8. Look at the opening sentence of paragraph 5: Electric cars are becoming more and more common as manufacturers begin to face up to the challenge of running out of fossil fuels (things like oil and gas). How does this sentence persuade us that electric cars are the future? AF5 - explain and comment on the writer s use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level L3 a few basic features of writer s use of language identified L4/5 basic/various features identified with simple/more complex comment The journalist uses the repetition of more in more and more to emphasise the point and persuade us that electric cars are increasing in popularity. To face up to something is to accept a difficult situation, an unpleasant truth or reality. So this is quite an emotive and strong (verbal) phrase for the journalist to use. It suggests that the writer wants to convince us of the shortage of natural resources and make us favour electric car technology instead. The journalist writes of the challenges presented by fossil fuels running out, rather than simply writing, as manufacturers find an alternative to fossil fuels. These additions are more emotive and designed to persuade the reader that there is a fuel crisis and electric cars are the best solution. 9. If the opening paragraph, the lead, sums up the main points of the story, what does the final paragraph do? AF4 Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level. L3 a basic feature of the concluding paragraph identified L4/5 basic/various features identified with simple/more complex comment It concludes the news story by indicating that the future for electric cars is positive because if they do indeed become faster and look better, they will be more attractive to consumers and sell in greater numbers. The final paragraph goes further than the basic news story about an electric car beating a speed record. It also introduces a new idea that more electric cars will have a better impact upon the environment (because they will be bought instead of gas-guzzling cars that run on petrol). 10. In the final paragraph, the journalist states that the world will become a greener place if electric cars are made faster and cooler, so more people buy them. Do you agree with this viewpoint? Why/Why not? AF3 deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from the text L3 simple inference People like cool cars that are fast, so they will not care if the new cars are electric. L4/5 more complex inference with explanation Some people buy green cars because they want to be kinder to the environment but I m sure that more people buy cars because they are cool and fast. So, a green car, that is also fast, will attract many more customers. This will mean less pollution in the air with fewer petrol and diesel cars on our roads and will be better for the environment. With more electric cars, we will need to generate more electricity. This will mean building power stations. Can this be done without taking habitats away from wildlife? At least it s more sustainable and better for the planet than burning toxic fossil fuels.