material adapted by Olga Pławska

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2102426/Could-artificial-leaf-technology-power-cars-
future-Scientists-aim-create-oil-using-photosynthesis.html

Could 'artificial leaf' technology power the cars of the future? Scientists
aim to create 'oil' using photosynthesis

1. Complete the following text by writing the missing words in the spaces provided. Use only
one word in each space. The first answer has been given as an example (0) .

An oil substitute made with ‘artificial leaf’ technology (0) could power ships and planes,
according to a leading British expert. Scientists have applied a new twist (1). ……….. the
process of photosynthesis - the method plants use to harness the energy of sunlight. Instead
(2). …………. producing organic material from carbon dioxide, (3). ………….plants do, they
plan to manufacture a hydrocarbon 'fuel' which could be used instead of oil, using
photosynthesising bacteria. The scientists hope to prove the technology in the (4). ……………
two years and to develop a small-scale demonstration system within five.
This has been tried before, (5). …………. little success. But just recently the University
of Glasgow team had a ‘eureka moment’ - the discovery that the process (6). …………… be
driven by electricity instead of light. The oil would be used to 'store' energy which could then
power vehicles. Professor Richard Cogdell, (7). …………. heads the research, believes the
greater efficiency this achieves could make the technology a major energy source in decades to
(8). ………….. .
Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science (AAAS) in Vancouver, Canada, he said: ‘The big issue at the moment is (9).
………….most renewable energy sources (10). …………….. electricity. That’s fine, but we
have not good (sic!) ways of storing electricity, and it’s intermittent. ‘What you need is to be
able to lock that energy up in some sort of storage fluid that’s available (11). …………. demand,
and that’s what fuel is. To really sustain our way of life after the oil runs (12). ……………we
have to be able to make, renewably and sustainably, dense portable fuels for transport,
especially for aeroplanes and ships. We’re looking at photosynthesis to see (13). ……………
we can learn to copy it in a more robust and efficient way. What we (14). …………… realised
in just the last couple of months is that we should be able to use electricity to power (15).
…………. reactions.
 [Wpisz tutaj]

2. For questions read the text below. Use the words in brackets to form words that fit in the
gaps. Write your answers in CAPITALS. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Prof Cogdell envisages power stations (0). ……. (contain) vats of (0) CONTAINING
bacteria churning out large quantities of (1). …. (burn) fuel. The bugs would (1) _________________
break down carbon dioxide in a (2). ….. (potential) carbon-neutral process, (2) _________________
and might even help reduce levels of the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.
Solar panels could provide some of the electricity needed, thereby simulating
true photosynthesis. Prof Cogdell hopes to prove the technology in the next
two years and to develop a small-scale (3). ….. (demonstrate) system within (3) _________________
five. He added: ‘I would be very (4). ….. (disappoint) if this wasn’t working (4) _________________
in the real world in 30 years time.’
The aim is to modify cyanobacteria, which contain all the necessary
(5). …. (machine) for photosynthesis, so they can power themselves with (5) _________________
electricity rather than sunlight. This would involve modifying them using
genes from another bacterium that draws electricity using a wire-like (6). …..
(grow) called a pilus. Normally the bug, geobacter, extracts electricity from
minerals. But it can also tap current from an electrode, the Glasgow (7). ….. (7) _________________
(science) have learned. Modified to behave the same way, cyanobacteria
would ‘connect’ themselves to a power source.
‘If the dream is (8). ….. (fill) we’d have vats of cyanobacteria connected to (8) _________________
electrodes,’ said Prof Cogdell. ‘A current would come in and that would power
them to convert carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons.’
The project has already received strong government (9). ….. (back) (9) _________________
with around £3 million in grants. ‘This is real blue skies research,’ Prof
Cogdell added. ‘We may fail, but it’s important that we try.’
[Wpisz tutaj]

ANSWERS:
1 ONE-CLOZE
1) ONE
2) OF
3) AS
4) NEXT
5) WITH
6) COULD
7) WHO
8) COME
9) THAT
10) MAKE
11) ON
12) OUT
13) WHETHER
14) HAVE
15) THESE

2 WORD FORMATION
1) BOURNABLE
2) POTENTIALLY
3) DEMONSTRATION
4) DISSAPPOINTED
5) MACHINERY
6) GROWTH
7) SCIENTISTS
8) FULFILLED
9) BACKING