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Nuclear fusion test could start an energy revolution   (22nd August, 2021)

There has been a relentless quest to find sustainable energy sources in the past decades. One source of energy that has thus far eluded scientists is nuclear fusion. This is the Holy Grail of clean energy. Generations of physicists have tried to replicate this reaction. Scientists in the USA say they recreated the power of the Sun for a minuscule fraction of a second. Powerful lasers blasted a tiny target to create a reaction. The burst lasted just 100 trillionths of a second, but it created 10 quadrillion watts of power. Ten quadrillion is equal to 1 followed by 16 zeros. The power the scientists created is the equivalent of 6 per cent of all the energy from the Sun hitting Earth's surface at any given moment.

Nuclear fusion powers the Sun and other stars. The website cnet.com said it is "a long-sought-after panacea for many energy and environmental challenges". Nuclear fusion power plants could solve our clean energy conundrum and provide infinite, safe, clean and green power. It could also reverse the damage we do to the environment. Physicist Dr Debbie Callahan, who worked on the experiment, spoke about the breakthrough. She said it is a "huge advance for fusion" and a big step toward generating "a net-positive amount of energy". Futurism.com said: "The promise is as lucrative as it has ever been – an infinite supply of carbon-neutral energy without ever running the risk of a nuclear meltdown."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

1.	relentless	a.	Extremely small; tiny.
2.	quest	b.	A long search for something.
3.	sustainable	c.	Failed to attain an achievement, or something desired or pursued.
4.	eluded	d.	Non-stop.
5.	replicate	e.	Equal in value, amount, function, meaning, etc.
6.	minuscule	f.	Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
7.	equivalent	g.	Make an exact copy of; reproduce.

    Paragraph 2

8.	panacea	h.	A sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development.
9.	conundrum	i.	Limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate.
10.	infinite	j.	Making no net release of CO2 to the atmosphere, especially through offsetting emissions by planting trees.
11.	breakthrough	k.	A solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases.
12.	lucrative	l.	A confusing and difficult problem or question.
13.	carbon-neutral	m.	A disastrous event caused by the overheating or the reactor core in a nuclear reactor.
14.	nuclear meltdown	n.	Producing a great deal of profit.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

1. The article calls nuclear fusion the Holy Grail of clean energy.     T / F
2. Scientists recreated the power of the Sun for a split second.     T / F
3. Scientists created a reaction that lasted a billionth of a second.     T / F
4. One quadrillion is a zero followed by 15 zeros.     T / F
5. A website said nuclear fusion would address many challenges.     T / F
6. The article says nuclear fusion wouldn't reverse damage done to Earth.   T / F
7. A scientist called the test a huge advance for nuclear fusion.     T / F
8. Nuclear fusion would end the risk of nuclear meltdowns.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. relentless
2. eluded
3. replicate
4. minuscule
5. equivalent
6. panacea
7. conundrum
8. breakthrough
9. lucrative
10. risk

1. cure-all
2. tiny
3. advance
4. evaded
5. problem
6. possibility
7. non-stop
8. profitable
9. copy
10. parallel

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1. a relentless quest
2. One source of energy that has thus
3. This is the Holy Grail
4. for a minuscule
5. the equivalent of 6 per cent of
6. a long-sought-after
7. solve our
8. reverse the damage we do
9. a net-positive
10. without ever running the risk of a

1. panacea
2. fraction of a second
3. amount of energy
4. far eluded scientists
5. clean energy conundrum
6. all the energy from the Sun
7. nuclear meltdown
8. to find sustainable energy
9. to the environment
10. of clean energy

Comprehension questions

1. What has there been a relentless quest to find?
2. What does the article say is the Holy Grail of clean energy?
3. What did lasers blast?
4. How long did the laser burst last?
5. What was the power generated the equivalent of?
6. What did the website cnet.com call nuclear fusion?
7. What could nuclear fusion do to our environmental damage?
8. What conundrum could nuclear fusion solve?
9. What did a scientist say the test was a big step toward generating?
10. What does nuclear fusion mean there is no risk of?

 

 

Multiple choice quiz

1) What has there been a relentless quest to find?
a) the key to perpetual motion
b) the meaning of life
c) the elixir of life
d) sustainable energy sources
2) What does the article say is the Holy Grail of clean energy?
a) solar power
b) nuclear fusion
c) wind power
d) air power
3) What did lasers blast?
a) nuclear
b) a reactor
c) a tiny target
d) a conundrum
4) How long did the laser burst last?
a) just 100 trillionths of a second
b) 100 billionths of a second
c) 100 trillionths of a second
d) 10 quadrillionths of a second
5) What was the power generated the equivalent of?
a) six suns
b) 10 quadrillion volts
c) six per cent of the Sun's energy
d) 826 nuclear reactors

6) What did the website cnet.com call nuclear fusion?
a) a much-needed pick-me-up
b) a long-sought-after panacea
c) mind-blowing
d) mind-bending
7) What could nuclear fusion do to our environmental damage?
a) maintain a status quo
b) cancel it
c) exacerbate it
d) reverse it
8) What conundrum could nuclear fusion solve?
a) our clean energy conundrum
b) one of Einstein's theories
c) the overpopulation conundrum
d) the conundrum of all conundrums
9) What did a scientist say the test was a big step toward generating?
a) free energy
b) a non-polluted world
c) a net-positive amount of energy
d) huge profits for energy companies

10) What does nuclear fusion mean there is no risk of?
a) pollution
b) a nuclear meltdown
c) accidents
d) running out of power