Nature & observations · News English
Smoke over an island
A new report shares a dated picture of New Guinea.
Read the story, check the words, then answer the questions and speak.
Look at the island
What can you see over the land?
1NASA published a report about fires on New Guinea on 22 October. New Guinea is a large island. The report shows a satellite picture of thick smoke. The smoke comes from fires in the south of the island.
2NOAA-20, a satellite, took the picture on 11 October. There is smoke over a large area. The report says the island had very dry weather in September and October.
3The image date and the report date are different. This picture does not show today’s conditions. It is one view of a difficult fire season.
4Look at the smoke, the land and the sea. Describe two things you can see. Use a current local report for today’s conditions.
Original teaching summary. Models and learning examples are illustrative, not news quotations.
Word help · Three useful words
Read the meanings and examples. Choose one word to use in your own sentence.
island
land with water all around it
We visited an island.
smoke
the cloud that rises from a fire
Smoke rises above the trees.
dry
with very little water
The ground is dry.
Check your reading · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Useful English
There is smoke over the land. The ground is dry. Use is with smoke and the ground.
Speak for 20 seconds
Describe one thing over the land and one thing around an island.
Speak: your ideas
Describe one thing over the land and one thing around an island.
Labelled model answer
Model: There is smoke over the land. There is sea around the island.
Illustrative learning example, not a news quotation.
Alone: repeat without the model. Tutor: ask a follow-up question.
Mastery check · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Sources and reporting date
NASA Earth Observatory report published 22 October 2026 at 00:01 EDT, verified in original article:published_time. NOAA-20 image acquired 11 October 2026.
- Fires Char New Guinea
NASA Earth Observatory report published 22 October 2026 at 00:01 EDT, verified in original article:published_time. NOAA-20 image acquired 11 October 2026. - Photograph source
NOAA-20 VIIRS image, 11 October 2026; published 22 October. Not today’s conditions.