ESL WORKSHEET - Energy

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

NEW TYPE OF CONCRETE

CAN STORE ENERGY

LinguaHouse

Nov. 22, 2024

Level: Upper-Intermediate (B2-C1)
Type of English: General English
Tags: Science and Technology; Innovation and Product Development; Homes and Buildings; Engineering; Environment and Nature; Article Based; Special Report; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ years old
Publication date: 11/22/2024

A special report lesson about a new type of concrete that can store energy, with a report focusing on the story and an article examining five ways to make homes more energy-efficient. Students will learn related vocabulary, practice reading and listening skills and reinforce their new vocabulary with conversation practice. (by David J Marriott)

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in British English.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Newsreader: Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a way to store energy in a modified type of concrete.
Roughly three cubic feet of the building material, which is made from water, cement and a soot-like substance known as carbon black, can store enough energy to power a ten-watt LED light bulb for thirty hours. The special concrete is a type of supercapacitor and works because carbon black is highly conductive. The material, which can quickly accumulate large amounts of charge, is not suitable for steady output, such as charging a phone or powering a house throughout the day.
Instead, possible uses include bolstering renewable energy grids based on wind or solar power, which can be intermittent and unreliable due to weather. Another possible application would be in the creation of tarmac in roads that could recharge electric cars as they passed by, using energy captured from the sun.
Although many existing buildings are made from concrete, structures would need to be made from scratch using the new material, leading to environmental concerns. Cement production is already responsible for between five and eight percent of carbon dioxide emissions. However, researchers from Teesside University are working on a more ecofriendly cement made from the by-products of the steel and chemical industries.
There are also hopes that other building materials could be turned into conductors, with a Californian company called Rondo Energy developing bricks that function as batteries. Other projects include steam generated from volcanic rock and sand batteries used to heat homes.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/new-type-of-concrete-can-store-energy. Accessed on November 25, 2024. © 2008–2024 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.