Science & making things · News English
A new material for space
A close-up picture shows a material made on Earth.
Your goal: practise this and these.
Small pieces, new ideas
Where do scientists make this material?
1Scientists in Cleveland, in the United States, are making a new material. They mix a special plastic with dust. The dust is like dust on the Moon or Mars. It is not real dust from those places.
2Look at the picture. A microscope helps us see very small things. This picture shows a small piece of the material. NASA shared the report on 29 September. The picture is from work on Earth.
3The dust makes the plastic stronger. In the future, people may use this material to make things in space. A chair is one possible example. This is an idea for the future. It is not a chair on the Moon today.
Original teaching summary. Language examples and models are illustrative, not news quotations.
Word help · Three useful words
Read the meanings and examples. Choose one word to use in your own sentence.
material
what something is made from
Wood is a material.
dust
very small, dry pieces
There is dust on the shelf.
strong
not easy to break
This bag is strong.
Check your reading · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Useful English: this and these
Use this is for one thing near you. Use these are for two or more. Examples: This is a book. These are two pens.
Show one thing, then two things. Say one sentence with this and one with these.
Model and help
Model: This is a pen. These are two books.
Alone: repeat without reading. Tutor: ask for one more example.
Speak: your ideas
Name one thing you want in a room. Say what it is and describe it. Speak for 20 seconds.
Labelled model answer
This is a chair. It is strong. I want a chair in my room.
This model is an illustrative learning example, not a news quotation.
Alone: record yourself or repeat once. Tutor: What two things are near you?
Mastery check · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Sources and reporting date
Original source date: 29 September 2026. Visible original date: 29 September 2026. Exact time unavailable in HTML. Conservative earliest worldwide instant for that date (UTC+14) is 28 September at 10:00 UTC. This is an age bound, not an asserted publication time. Entire date uncertainty is inside seven days.
- NASA: Under the Microscope: NASA-Made Material for Moon Manufacturing
Original report: 29 September 2026. Visible original date: 29 September 2026. Exact time unavailable in HTML. Conservative earliest worldwide instant for that date (UTC+14) is 28 September at 10:00 UTC. This is an age bound, not an asserted publication time. Entire date uncertainty is inside seven days.