DIAGNOSTIC UNIT: DISCOVERIES

1. Read the stories about discoveries and complete the gaps (1-8) with the words in the box. Which sentence
in the stories is false?
CAPSULE – DRUG – ELECTRICITY – HEADACHES – LIFE – MICROCHIP – RADAR – SPECIES

WORD FAMILIES Study the words in blue in the stories about discoveries and then complete the table below
with the base form (infinitive) and a noun for each of the verbs.

VERB (INFINITIVE) NOUN

invent invention
design design

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 VOCABULARY: DISCOVERIES AND INVENTIONS
2.

3. Choose the correct option.

1 Can you ___ life without computers or 6 There are many planets in the ___.
phones? a stars b meteor c universe
a imagine b cure c experiment 7 Scientists have found ___ for many diseases.
2 ___ makes apples fall from trees. a experiments b cures c designs
a Gravity b Species c Space 8 ___ are destroying the environment.
3 Would you like to travel into ___? a Humans b Astronauts c Aliens
a universe b space c meteor 9 My brother ___ his own house.
4 What’s the strangest ___ you have ever seen? a explored b tested c designed
a invention b radar c extinction 10 How long has there been life on ___ ?
5 Did you find it hard to __ to the heat in Africa? a Earth b planet c sun
a invent b create c adapt

LISTENING: INVENTIONS

A. Listen to four people talking about inventions. Write down the inventions or discoveries they mention.

TEGAN: ____________ DANIEL: ____________ KAITLIN: ____________ THEO: ____________

B. Listen again. Which phrases do you hear? Complete the sentences and write the name of the person who
says each phrase.

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 READING COMPREHENSION: BIOMIMICRY

If you don’t know the meaning of any words, look them up in the dictionary:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/translate/

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LISTENING COMPREHENSION: A SCIENCE PODCAST

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 GRAMMAR FOCUS: CONDITIONALS

LISTENING COMPREHENSION: SPACE EXPLORATION

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REVISION EXERCISES

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READING COMPREHENSION: A ONE-WAY TICKET TO MARS

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Vocabulary
Discovery and invention Life and the universe

1 Find and circle eight words in the wordsnake. 3 Label the photos with the words in the box.
Complete the table with the words. alien astronaut Earth space star sun

VERBS NOUNS alien 1 _________

adapt to adaptation to
(become) extinct (1) _________
(2) _________ creation
cure cure
design design
develop (3) _________
2 _________ 3 _________
discover (4) _________
experiment experiment
explore (5) _________
(6) _________ imagination
invent (7) _________
test test
4 _________ 5 _________
2 Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?
A cure is something that makes someone who is 4 Choose the correct words.
ill better again. T Ana Hi, Joel. What did you do last night?
1 Animals like dinosaurs and dodo birds became Joel I streamed a really good film about a fight
extinct many years ago, but there are still a lot between little green aliens / threats and us,
of them on Earth. __ the (1) gravity / humans.
2 When you first move to a new place you might Ana I think I've seen that film! Did the little green
need some time to adapt to your new life. __ men come from a (2) death / planet called
3 When you find a place that people have never Darkus?
seen before, you have made a discovery. __ Joel Yes, that's right. And if you remember, in the
4 Explorers like Christopher Columbus and film, Darkus is on the very edge of our
Amerigo Vespucci did lots of tests and (3) universe / stars, but the green men from
experiments. __ Darkus travel through (4) diseases / space to
5 People who always have good ideas usually get to Earth.
haven't got very good imaginations. __ Ana Yes, I remember. In the end, didn't the green
6 Sometimes after you create something for the men make the planet really cold because they
first time, you develop it to make it better. __ wanted lots of (5) life / species of animals to
7 People like Alexander Graham Bell, the man become extinct?
who made the telephone, like to invent Joel Well, they tried to do that, but the scientists
things. __ found a way to stop them.
Ana Oh, yes! I remember now!

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Language Focus
Conditionals, if and unless
Gerunds and infinitives
4 Choose the correct option to complete the
1 Rewrite the sentences using gerunds as subjects. sentences.
Use the -ing form of the underlined verbs.
If you will add / add white to red, you get pink.
It's hard to adapt to a new school.
1 Will they eat sushi if they visit / ’ll visit Japan?
Adapting to a new school is hard.
2 If he isn't / weren't a scientist, he'd probably be
1 It's fun to do experiments in science class.
a musician.
_______________________________________
3 You get / ’d get cold if you go outside in winter.
2 It isn’t easy to develop something useful.
4 If I save / ’ll save enough money, I'll buy a
_______________________________________
telescope to look at the stars.
3 It was exciting to explore the museum.
5 You wouldn't like space if you ’ll go / went there.
_______________________________________
4 It wasn't expensive to buy a guinea pig. 5 Are the underlined words in the story correct ()
_______________________________________ or incorrect ()?
5 It's interesting to create something new.
_______________________________________ I went into the garden because I heard a strange sound.
If I hadn't heard  a strange sound, I wouldn't have
2 Are the sentences correct () or incorrect ()?
gone into the garden. If I hadn't gone into the garden, I
We should study before doing a test. 
1 To cure people is important work. __ wouldn't see (1)  the alien. The alien wouldn't have
2 I went to university studying physics. __
asked (2)  me to travel to space if I hadn't seen it. If
3 I intend to discover something important. __
4 He dislikes to talk about his experiments. __ the alien didn't asked (3)  me to travel to space, I’d
5 It was wonderful to meet the famous inventor. __ never have seen so many stars and meteors. My night

3 Complete the pairs of sentences with the gerund or would have been very different if I’d stayed (4)  in the
infinitive form of the verb. house when I heard the strange sound! Would you have
do
travelled to space with the alien if you were (5)  me?
a Doing tests on animals is wrong.
b The scientists don't plan to do tests on animals.
1 eat
a I always brush my teeth after ____.
b I went to the café ____ a sandwich.
2 be
a I would like ____ a teacher some day.
b My dad enjoys ____ a teacher.
3 learn
a It's brilliant ____ about other countries.
b I went to Spain after ____ about it in school.
4 watch 6 Complete the sentences with if or unless.
a I turned on my laptop ____ a science video.
Unless we help the planet now, we'll have
b I spend a lot of time ____ videos on my
serious problems.
computer.
1 ____ you leave now, you won't get to the space
5 design
museum on time.
a It's challenging, but fun, ____ computer games.
2 ____ you look up, you'll see stars.
b ____ computer games is challenging, but lots of
3 We won't stop the meteor ____ we don't try.
fun.
4 They won't see the alien film ____ their friend
takes them to the cinema.
5 ____ he doesn't eat, he'll be hungry.
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Vocabulary
Discovery and invention Life and the universe

1 Complete the table with the noun forms of the 3 Read the clues and complete the crossword.
verbs in the box. You may have to change the 1

spelling of the word before you add the ending. S

adapt extinct create develop discover explore U
imagine invent 2
A N
-ation -ion -ment -y
3

adaptation S

4
L
5

2 Complete the two gaps in each speech bubble G

with the verb and noun form of a word in the
box.
cure discover adapt imagine explore
Down
1 something that provides the Earth with heat and
Last month, I moved to a new town and I light
changed schools. At first, I didn't like it, but 2 a person who travels into space
I'm slowly getting used to it. I know I'll adapt
4 living things of a certain kind, or in a certain
to my new life. Adaptation can be hard.
place
Across
Christopher Columbus was the man who 2 a creature that comes from space
was lucky enough to (1) ____ the New 3 it looks like a very small 'light' in the night sky
World. He was one of the first Europeans to 5 a force that causes things to fall down
see it. His huge (2) ____ changed history.
4 Complete the words in the paragraph.

I like to make new things. First, I sit down Are you worried about the future of Earth? Are you
and try to (3) ____ something interesting and afraid that a (1) m____ or something even bigger
useful. Then, when I’ve decided what to
make, I use my (4) ____ to make it look from space might hit it? Do you think that something
beautiful. like that might make the planet really cold and
cause a lot of deadly (2) d____ and human
Yesterday, I found the location of an old (3) d____, or the extinction of certain animal
cave on a map and I wanted to (5) ____ it. I
was a bit frightened, so I asked two of my (4) s____? Don't be. Things have been hitting our
friends to join me in my (6) ____ of the cave. (5) p____ since the beginning of time. In addition,
an organization called the Spaceguard Survey is
looking after us! They study what they can see of
Jonas Salk wanted to (7) ____ people who
were ill with polio. When he found a (8) ____ our (6) u____ and will warn us if (and that's a VERY
for these people, he helped them, but he big if) something might be a (7) t____ to us.
didn't ask them for money.

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Language Focus
Gerunds and infinitives Conditionals, if and unless

1 Order the words to make sentences. Use the 3 Write sentences in the conditional form in
gerund or infinitive form of the bold verbs. brackets.
is / imagine / on / difficult / other planets / life you heat water / it get hot (zero)
Imagining life on other planets is difficult. If you heat water, it gets hot.
1 a cure / exciting / it would be / for something / 1 I go with her / she ask me (2nd)
discover _______________________________________
_______________________________________ 2 the planet die / we not protect it (1st)
_______________________________________ _______________________________________
2 a science programme / watch / Magda / her 3 you get ice / you freeze water (zero)
laptop / turned on _______________________________________
_______________________________________ 4 I become an astronaut / I be better at physics
_______________________________________ (2nd)
3 during storms / bark / my dog / tends _______________________________________
_______________________________________ 5 he not study / he not learn (1st)
_______________________________________ _______________________________________
4 finish / he / a pilot / university / became / after
_______________________________________ 4 Read the text. Then complete the sentences
using the third conditional.
_______________________________________
5 new things / I / about / enjoy / in school / learn Neil Armstrong loved planes. He became a pilot. He
_______________________________________ got a job as an astronaut. He went into space. He
_______________________________________
was the first man to walk on the moon. He became
2 Choose the correct verbs then use them in the a national hero.
gerund or infinitive form to complete the
dialogues. If Neil hadn't loved planes, he wouldn't have
go / do become a pilot.
A Have you decided to do something this 1 He wouldn't have got a job as an astronaut ___
afternoon? ______________________________________
B Yes, I'd like to go to the science museum. 2 If he hadn't got a job as an astronaut, ________
1 jog / practise ______________________________________
A ____ is good for your body. 3 If he hadn't gone into space, _______________
B I know. I go to the park to ____ every day. ______________________________________
2 get / try
A I studied for my science test after ____ home 5 Rewrite the sentences using the words in
brackets.
late last night.
B It's not good ____ to learn things when you're He'll meet her if he's not working. (unless)
feeling tired. He'll meet her unless he's working.
3 stop / think 1 Unless we help, the animals will die. (don’t)
A I avoid ____ about the future of Earth. If _____________________________________
B I know, but we need ____ polluting it. 2 If she doesn't look, she won't see stars. (looks)
4 plan / learn Unless ________________________________
A I used this book ____ my experiment. 3 Anthony will come unless he's busy. (if)
B Oh, that's a great book for ____ about how to Anthony _______________________________
do tests! 4 They'll fail the test if they don't study. (unless)
5 hurt / use They __________________________________
A Do you think it's awful ____ guinea pigs for 5 Verity won't go unless you ask her. (if)
science experiments? Verity _________________________________
B Oh, yes. I can't stand people ____ animals.
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 FINAL ACTIVITY
DISCOVERIES AND INVENTIONS PRESENTATION

STEP 1: Go back to the first classes of this unit and re-read the examples we have seen of inventions and the
presentation about biomimicry.

STEP 2: Do research about an invention that interests you. Answer the questions below:

✔ What’s the name of the invention?

✔ Who invented it? When was it developed?
✔ If you have chosen an example of biomimicry, what was it inspired by?
✔ What is its purpose/function? What is it used for?
✔ Does it provide a solution to a particular problem? Which one/how?
✔ What other interesting facts can you add to your presentation?

Remember that you must answer these questions using your own words.

STEP 3: With all the information you have gathered, write a script for the presentation of your
invention (around 180-200 words) and add some visuals (pictures, graphics, etc.) to illustrate it. Include
the vocabulary and structures seen in the unit (conditional sentences, gerunds and infinitives).

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