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GENERAL ENGLISH · ENGLISH IN VIDEO · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

NUCLEAR
FUSION
BREAKTHROUGH

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19KG-Q5LC-XSP4

1 Warm up

Discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.

1. Do you try to save energy at home?

2. Have your energy bills increased in price recently?
3. Do you think governments should put a cap (an upper limit) on energy costs?
4. Are there many windfarms in your country? Do you think wind and solar energy are good alternatives
to fossil fuels?
5. What do you think humanity’s greatest technological achievement is so far?

2 Pre-listening task

You’re about to watch a video about a recent nuclear fusion experiment. Complete the pre-listening
task below.

1. What do you think of when you hear the phrase "nuclear power"?
2. In pairs or groups, think of three advantages and three disadvantages of nuclear power.

1 1

2 2

3 3

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NUCLEAR FUSION BREAKTHROUGH

3 Listening for comprehension

Listen to the report again. Decide if each statement is true, false or not given.

Tokamak: /­toUk@mæk/ A device that uses a powerful magnetic field to hold super-
heated gas in a doughnut shape.

1. JET is the most powerful and largest tokamak currently in operation worldwide.
2. JET stands for Joint European Torus.
3. Fusion energy is the process in which we use energy taken from the Sun.
4. Fusion energy promises an almost limitless source of clean electricity for humanity’s future.
5. Fernanda Rimini designed the JET machine.
6. JET has inspired scientists and engineers to conduct their own research.
4 Vocabulary: science
Part A: Complete the definitions of the words below by filling in the gaps with the correct words from
the list.
central chemical element dividing electrical charge
joining plant and animal power station

1. biomass (n): dead material suitable for use as fuel

2. fusion (n): the process of two nuclei to produce energy
3. plasma (n): a type of gas with almost no , found in the Sun and stars
4. fission (n): the process of the nucleus of an atom, resulting in the
release of energy
5. nucleus (n): the part of an atom, usually made up of protons and
neutrons
6. atom (n): the smallest unit of any , consisting of a positive nucleus
surrounded by negative electrons
7. meltdown (n): an extremely dangerous situation in a nuclear in which
nuclear fuel becomes very hot and melts through its container into the surrounding environment
Part B: Complete the sentences with the correct word from Part A.

1. For many, nuclear could be the solution to our future energy problems.
2. The protestors were worried that there could be another at the nuclear power
plant.
3. Unlike nuclear fusion, can be risky and may result in an accident with terrible
consequences.
4. Alternatives to fossil fuels, such as options like wood pellets can have negative
effects on the environment.
5. Unlocking the power of the changed the course of human history.
6. Scientists have created a special type of for the fusion experiments.
7. Splitting the of an atom can produce huge amounts of energy, but can also be
dangerous.

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5 Reading for general understanding

You are going to read a text about nuclear fusion (page 4). Scan the text quickly and match the
paragraph headings with the correct paragraphs. One heading cannot be matched to any of the
paragraphs and should be marked "not given".

a. Attracting global interest

b. Imitating nature

c. A dream that isn’t likely to be realised

d. A potential solution to a growing crisis

e. Humanity’s greatest achievement?

f. Promising progress

Fusion for the future

The Holy Grail of science?

1. In Europe, energy prices are soaring. Monthly bills of energy. What if, instead of harvesting power
have increased leaving some struggling to pay, and directly from the Sun, we could bottle our own star?
costs may well continue to rise. Fossil fuels remain
2. The principle of nuclear fusion is to mimic the process
a finite resource, meaning that, at some point in the
that occurs naturally inside the Sun and other stars,
future, we will no longer be able to rely on coal
in which atomic nuclei are forced together, releasing
and gas to provide energy. For decades, scientists
energy. Massive gravitational pressures within the
have been searching for alternatives. Wind farms,
core of our Sun allow fusion to take place at
solar power and biomass have all been put forward
temperatures of around 10 million Celsius. On Earth,
as potential solutions, but all have drawbacks. Solar
the temperature at which fusion can be produced
power, for instance, isn’t as effective in colder
must be much higher – over 100 million Celsius, as
climates, and can be expensive to implement on a
gravitational pressures are far lower. This presents
smaller scale. The Sun is, however, a fantastic source
a variety of challenges for scientists. There are no
materials on Earth which can resist the temperatures

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required to achieve fusion in a laboratory. In order
to overcome this particular obstacle, a magnetic field
was devised in the shape of a doughnut, which can
hold super-heated gas, known as plasma.
3. The recent JET tests in Oxfordshire were important
as they showed that scientists are on the right track.
The difficulties faced when trying to create fusion
energy are being successfully navigated, paving the
way for JET’s successor, the ITER facility in France,
to start fusion experiments in 2025. One of the
problems with fusion energy is that it has, so far,
required more energy to begin the experiments than
is generated by the experiment itself. This was still
the case with the latest JET test, but there is evidence
that this will no longer be an issue in the future,
with technological advancements, greater quantities
of plasma and superior materials allowing ITER, in
theory, to break even. From this point, it should be
possible to gain energy from fusion.
4. This may all seem like an unnecessary amount of
time and effort. In the final three months of 2021,
the total amount of money invested in fusion energy
reached $4.2 billion. Facilities in China and the US
have had success with their own experiments, and
governments around the world are backing the ITER
project. The strangest part is that, despite the success
of JET and others, fusion will not be available any
time soon. It is estimated to become widespread
at a commercial level in the second half of the 21st
century, and that’s a best-case scenario. So why is
there such a clamour for this elusive energy source,
and why are so many people gambling heavily on it?
5. Put simply, fusion is something to be excited about.
It could provide a potentially limitless supply of clean
energy for everyone on the planet, and crucially, it’s
safe. Unlike traditional nuclear energy, which relies
on a fission reaction (the process of splitting apart
the nucleus of an atom) nuclear fusion carries no
risk of an explosion or meltdown. It causes no harm
to the environment, and produces no toxins other
than trace amounts of short-lived nuclear waste.
For some, it is seen as the Holy Grail of science:
the invention that, if mastered, would change the
course of our species forever. However, with natural
resources running out and climate catastrophe on the
horizon, the arrival date for this promising technology
starts to appear a little distant. Hopefully, by the time
fusion energy arrives, we will still have a planet to
power.
Source: CCFE, BBC, The Guardian

6 Vocabulary

Match the words and phrases in bold with the correct definitions.

1. In many countries, costs of living are soaring, leading to protests and widespread anger.
2. In some countries, rainwater is harvested for domestic use.
3. If talent could be bottled, you can be sure it would sell for a high price.
4. Scientists may one day devise a way to allow humans to travel to other solar systems.
5. The WhyPhone 7 is the successor to the WhyPhone 6, although not many improvements appear
to have been made.
6. Advancements in technology have allowed us to greatly increase our life expectancy as a species.
7. In truth, there wasn’t much of a clamour for 3D cinema, and so production companies stopped
releasing 3D ready films.
8. A cure for the common cold is one of the most elusive goals of modern medicine.

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a. a loud demand for something

b. describing something difficult to find, achieve, describe or remember
c. someone or something that comes after another person or thing
d. the development or improvement of something
e. to capture or store something, as if it were held inside a container
f. to collect a natural resource in order to use it effectively
g. to invent a plan, system or object using your intelligence or imagination
h. to rise very quickly to a high level

Discuss these questions in pairs.

1. Can you think of any food item that has soared in price over the last few years?
2. If it was possible to harvest energy from the Moon, do you think it would be a good idea?
3. Do you believe scientists will devise an alternative solution to the energy crisis over the next few
decades?
4. Why do you think it’s so difficult to bottle the Sun’s power in an effective way? Could technological
advancements enable solar power to become a realistic alternative to fossil fuels?

7 Reading comprehension
Read the article again. Complete the sentences with between ONE to THREE words from the article.

1. An increase in energy costs has left some to pay their bills.

2. Some include wind farms, solar power and biomass.
3. Nuclear fusion is a occurring process that takes place inside the
Sun and other stars.
4. Lower gravitational pressures on Earth present a for scientists.
5. The success of the JET project will enable ITER to start in 2025.
6. Once ITER is able to break even, it will, in theory, be possible to
from fusion.
7. In total, the amount of money in fusion energy in the last three
months of 2021 reached $4.2 billion.
8. Although the JET project, amongst others, has proven successful, fusion energy won’t be available
.
9. The supply of energy provided by fusion technology will be clean,
safe and carry no risk of meltdown or explosion.
10. If we do manage to master fusion technology, it would of human
development forever.

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8 Talking point

In pairs or small groups, discuss the following questions.

1. Do you think that humans are likely to successfully produce energy on a commercial basis from
nuclear fusion? Why/why not?
2. Has the article changed your mind on nuclear fusion?
3. Should we focus on short-term fixes to the energy crisis rather than investing money in long-term
solutions like nuclear fusion?
4. Do you think nuclear fusion energy will be widely available in your lifetime?
5. Is the government in your county doing enough to help solve the energy crisis?

9 Extended activity: post-reading vocabulary

Match the words and phrases in bold with the correct definitions.

1. Decades of research into new techniques paved the way for the rapid development of many Covid
vaccines.
2. The Earth’s core is the hottest part of the planet.
3. Following the meltdown at the power plant, the best-case scenario is that we may be able to
prevent the radiation from spreading to other regions.
4. The build-up of nuclear waste in soil could be a problem for future generations.
5. Protestors gathered outside the animal testing facility to demand the release of the creatures
within.
6. The many small technological advancements on the horizon will make our lives easier.
7. The holy grail of medicine is thought to be the cure for cancer.

a. a place, including buildings, used for a particular purpose

b. leftover material which is radioactive, especially used fuel from nuclear power stations
c. likely to happen soon
d. something that is extremely difficult to achieve or find
e. the best possible outcome of a situation

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f. the central part of an object, especially planets

g. to create a situation in which somebody will be able to do something or something can happen

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