READING
1 Read the article and tick (✓) A, B, or C.
When she was 17 years old, Jessica Matthews went to her uncle’s wedding in Nigeria. As a
Nigerian American, Jessica visited every summer to see her cousins and other family
members. She was not surprised when there was a power cut, or ‘black out’, because the
electricity usually went off at least once a day. She was not surprised when the family used
kerosene lamps (which are smelly and unhealthy) so that the wedding could continue. But
Jessica was upset by her cousins’ reaction. ‘Don’t worry about the lamps’, they said. ‘You’ll
get used to them.’
Jessica didn’t understand why her cousins accepted the situation as normal. In contrast, the
children around her in Nigeria thought anything was possible when it came to football. They
wanted to play like Pele, like Ronaldo — and they believed this dream would come true.
Jessica wished they could play and have the opportunity to change their society.
Two years after the wedding, Jessica had the idea for an invention during a science class at
university. She combined the problem of power cuts with the solution of football: she wanted
to build a football that created energy. But was it really possible? Since that class in 2008,
she’s been working hard to find out.
In 2011, Jessica started a company called Uncharted Play. It took several years to develop
her football, and people in the sports industry said it would never work. But after many different
designs, the finished football — called a Soccket ball — works perfectly. It is only 28 grams
heavier than a normal ball, but inside it contains special technology. The movement of the
football creates power. After 30 minutes of play, the ball can power a small lamp for 3 hours.
In fact, every ball comes with a free lamp too! Uncharted Play also developed a skipping rope
that uses the same technology.
Jessica still sells the Soccket ball, but her business has developed and grown. Recently, the
company has changed its name to Uncharted Power. In the company’s New York office,
Jessica has invented new products using the same idea of energy from movement. The
technology from the Soccket ball has been added to wheels for shopping trolleys, bicycles
and skateboards. And a new product allows energy to be created by walking or running on a
special floor. Jessica hopes this will be used in homes and businesses.
Jessica’s inventions tackle a huge problem. In 2017, the World Bank reported that countries
in sub-Saharan Africa lose 2.1% of their income each year through power cuts. And one in
three people in the region regularly have no access to electricity. Jessica imagines a new kind
of city where people create energy simply by doing their normal activities. She has been
visiting schools to discuss these ideas with the next generation of inventors. What will they
imagine?
Example: Jessica visited _____ every summer.
A America B her extended family ✓ C her uncle
1 _____ is one name for a period of time when electricity stops working.
A A lights out B A power stop C A black out
2 Jessica was sad because her cousins thought the kerosene lamps were _____ .
A unhealthy B good enough C dangerous
3 She wanted people to be as _____ as the children dreaming about football.
A happy B positive C free
4 Jessica had the idea for an invention _____.
A at school B in Nigeria C when she was 19
5 The first design for the Soccket ball _____.
A needed more work B was a huge success C broke after 30 minutes
6 The Soccket ball weighs _____ a normal football.
A less than B more than C the same as
7 People who buy the Soccket ball also receive a _____.
A lamp B skipping rope C book
8 Since the success of the Soccket ball, Jessica’s company has _____.
A moved office B changed name C developed a new idea
9 One new product creates power using the _____ of vehicles.
A wheels B motors lights
10 Jessica wants to change how people _____ live in the future.
A in Africa B without electricity C in cities
10
2 Read the article again. Mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).
Example: Jessica Matthews is Nigerian and American. T
1 The wedding guests were surprised by the power cut. _____
2 The idea for Jessica’s invention came from her experiences in Nigeria. _____
3 Jessica has been working on the Soccket ball for years. _____
4 In New York, Jessica has stopped inventing new products. _____
5 According to a study, sub-Saharan countries lose about a quarter of their income
through power cuts. _____
5
Reading total 15
