🎯 Learning Objectives
- Read and understand a science news article (NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto)
- Understand social networking platforms (Blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc.)
- Understand WWF's work to protect coral reefs
- State TV preferences clearly with convincing reasons
- Write a first-person news report
- Use Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous tenses correctly
- Use contractions correctly
1.1 Reading — NASA's New Horizons Mission to Pluto
📰 Article Background
Source: Sapa-AP Wire Service |
Date: 19th January 2006
Topic: NASA's $700-million unmanned spacecraft mission to study Pluto, delayed by storms.
| Key Detail | Information |
|---|
| Mission name | New Horizons — an unmanned probe to study Pluto and the Kuiper Belt |
| Mission cost | $700 million |
| Delay Reason 1 | High winds at the launch pad in Orlando |
| Delay Reason 2 | Strong winds knocked out power at the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab |
| Scientists' reaction | Unfazed — "Two or three days doesn't mean a hill of beans" |
| Years worked | 17 years |
| Journey duration | 9-year voyage to Pluto (5 billion kilometres) |
| Launch benefit | January launch uses Jupiter's gravity to shave 5 years off journey — arriving July 2015 |
| Spacecraft description | Size and shape of a concert piano attached to a satellite dish |
| Mission objective | Study Pluto AND the Kuiper Belt (frozen, sunless outer reaches of the solar system) |
| Power source | 10.8 kg of plutonium — radioactive decay generates electricity |
Comprehension Answers:
| Question | Answer |
|---|
| What led to power failure? | Strong winds in Maryland knocked out power at the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. |
| How many years of work? | 17 years |
| Advantage of January launch? | Uses Jupiter's gravity to shave 5 years off — arriving as early as July 2015 |
| What powers the spacecraft? | 10.8 kg of plutonium — natural radioactive decay generates electricity |
| T/F: Couldn't take off due to high winds? | TRUE |
| T/F: Voyage takes 19 years? | FALSE — 9-year voyage (scientists worked on it for 17 years) |
| T/F: Kuiper Belt is part of solar system? | TRUE |
1.2 Vocabulary — Social Networking Platforms
| Platform | Type | What It Does |
|---|
| Blogs | Publishing | Sites to share info, opinions, photos, videos on any topic. Growing exponentially. |
| Twitter/X | Micro-blogging | Free service — post short TWEETS (140 chars). Others can follow your posts. |
| Facebook | Social Network | Create profiles, upload photos/video, send messages, stay connected with friends and family. |
| LinkedIn | Professional | Business networking. Employers post jobs; job seekers post CVs. |
| Telegram | Messaging | Cloud-based messaging with photos, videos, audio. Has 'secret chat' feature. |
| Wikipedia | Encyclopedia | Free, collaborative online encyclopedia. Anyone registered can create/edit articles. |
| Instagram | Photo/Video | Share photos and videos publicly or privately to pre-approved followers. |
| YouTube | Video Platform | Upload and watch videos for free. Anyone can share videos. |
1.3 Listening — WWF and Coral Reefs
| Question | Answer |
|---|
| Work of WWF? | Conserve endangered species and stop the causes of their destruction. |
| Features of coral reefs? | Found in fantastic shapes: mushrooms, moose antlers, cabbages, tabletops, wire strands, fluted pillars. |
| Marine life found? | Beautiful fish, mollusks, and urchins |
| Main cause of coral destruction? | Global warming and increasing sea temperatures |
| Two uses of coral reefs? | 1. Food and protection from storms/erosion. 2. Benefits for medical research, tourism, and natural beauty. |
1.4 Grammar — Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous
PRESENT PERFECT (have/has + V3)
COMPLETED action — result visible NOW.
• She has repaired her bike. (Done — bike is ready)
• He has stopped smoking. (Result: doesn't smoke now)
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS (have/has + been + V-ing)
Action STILL CONTINUING from past till now. Use FOR or SINCE.
• Scientists have been working for 17 years. (Still working)
• It has been raining since yesterday. (Still raining)
⚡ FOR vs SINCE
FOR + a period/duration of time (how long): for 17 years, for two days
SINCE + a specific point in time (from when): since morning, since yesterday, since he was six
| Sentence | Answer | Tense & Why |
|---|
| My cousin ___ his house for nearly one year. | has been building | PPC — still in progress (FOR + period) |
| We ___ our breakfast, ready to leave. | have finished | PP — completed (result: ready) |
| She ___ her bike. It is ready. | has repaired | PP — completed (result: bike ready) |
| Grandfather ___ plants since morning. | has been watering | PPC — still doing (SINCE + time) |
| Roads full of water. It ___ since yesterday. | has been raining | PPC — still raining (SINCE + time) |
| He ___ smoking. | has stopped | PP — completed (result: doesn't smoke) |
| The telephone bell ___ for five minutes. | has been ringing | PPC — still ringing (FOR + period) |
Practice Questions & Answers
Q1. What is 'media'? Name 6 examples.
Media = channels used for MASS COMMUNICATION.
Print: Newspapers, magazines, books
Electronic: Radio, TV
Digital/Social: Internet, mobile phones, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
Q2. What is social networking? Name 4 platforms and their features.
Social networking = using internet-based tools to listen, interact, engage, and collaborate. It is interactive by nature.
1. Facebook: profiles, photos/video, messages, friends
2. Twitter/X: short tweets, follow others, micro-blogging
3. LinkedIn: professional networking, CVs, jobs
4. Wikipedia: free collaborative encyclopedia
Q3. Difference between Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous?
PP (have/has + V3): COMPLETED action — result visible now.
• She has repaired her bike. (Done — bike is ready)
PPC (have/has + been + V-ing): Action STILL CONTINUING from past till now.
• Scientists have been working for 17 years. (Still working)
Q4. When do we use FOR and when do we use SINCE?
FOR + a period/duration (how long): for 17 years, for two days, for half an hour
SINCE + a specific point in time (from when): since morning, since 2010, since he was six
Example: She has been studying FOR 3 hours. / She has been studying SINCE 6 PM.
Q5. Write contractions for: a) I am b) They have not c) Did not d) We would e) She is
a) I'm | b) They haven't | c) Didn't | d) We'd | e) She's
Q6. Complete: 'The telephone bell ___ for the last 5 minutes. Grandfather ___ plants since morning.'
The telephone bell HAS BEEN RINGING for the last five minutes. (PPC — FOR + period, still ringing)
My grandfather HAS BEEN WATERING the plants since morning. (PPC — SINCE + time, still watering)
Q7. How to write a first-person news report?
Plan: Setting/Scene → Characters involved → What happened → Why (cause) → Consequences → Importance to reader.
Sample: 'I am standing at the junction of Park Avenue and Palm Street, which has seen yet another accident. A truck carrying grains and vegetables collided with a pick-up van...'
Q8. What is WWF? What threats do coral reefs face?
WWF = World Wildlife Fund — protects endangered species and their habitats, fights causes of species destruction.
Threats to Coral Reefs: GLOBAL WARMING and INCREASING SEA TEMPERATURES destroy corals. Also: pollution, coastal development, overfishing.
Importance: food, protection from storms, medical research, tourism, natural beauty.
Q9. Write in Present Perfect or PPC: a) My cousin ___ house for nearly one year (build). b) Neha ___ part-time job for 3 years (do).
a) My cousin HAS BEEN BUILDING his house for nearly one year. (PPC — FOR + period, still building)
b) Neha HAS BEEN DOING a part-time job for nearly three years. (PPC — FOR + period, still doing it)
Q10. Why is diversity of news important?
We often think news = only politics, crime, economics. But the NASA article shows SCIENCE NEWS is equally important:
• It teaches about space exploration and the solar system
• It covers human determination — 17 years of persistent work!
• It discusses nuclear safety and risk management
Diverse news broadens vocabulary, widens knowledge, helps us become informed citizens.
Let Us Sum Up — Quick Revision
- NASA Article: $700M probe, 17 years work, delayed by storms, studies Pluto and Kuiper Belt
- Social Networking: Facebook (social), Twitter (tweets), LinkedIn (professional), Wikipedia (encyclopedia)
- Coral Reefs: Food, protection from storms, medical research, tourism. Destroyed by global warming.
- Present Perfect: have/has + V3 → COMPLETED action with visible result
- Present Perf. Cont.: have/has + been + V-ing → STILL CONTINUING. FOR (duration) / SINCE (starting point)
- Contractions: I'm, It's, Haven't, Doesn't, Don't, Didn't, We'd, She's, You're, We're, They've