3
READING COMPREHENSION
Name: _______________________________________________
Course: _____ Date: _______
The core of the Earth rotates much slower than you think
PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL
/ © Oxford University Press España, S. A.
Geology 1.º ESO
The core moves at a different speed than the rest of the planet, which has important implications for our
magnetic field.
(ABC, Madrid 21/02/2011).
New research from the University of Cambridge confirms that the core of the Earth, located about 5,000
km below the surface, rotates more slowly than previously thought. Its rotation is still faster than the rest of
the planet, something that scientists had already assumed, but not as fast as expected. The discovery,
published in the journal
Nature
, sheds light on the
bowels of the earth
and how it influences the magnetic
fields that protect us, for example, from solar radiation.
The Earth’s core is a central sphere consisting mainly of iron and nickel and with a larger diameter than
the planet Mars. It increases in size very slowly as material from the fluid outer core – the layer
immediately above it - solidifies onto its surface. During this rotation process, an east-west
hemispherical
difference in velocity
is created in the structure of the inner core.
Activities
1.
Find the meaning of the words in bold.
2.
Circle five key words in the text.
3.
Summarise in no more than five lines the main idea of the text.
4.
Suggest another title for the text.
5.
What does the phrase “sheds light on the bowels of the earth” mean?
