Learning English

World's largest telescope

The world's largest radio telescope has been built in China. It is the size of 30 football fields and may even be able to detect alien life!

Language challenge

This kitchen is so CLEAN! Which one of these extreme adjectives means 'very clean'?

a) minuscule
b) hideous
c) spotless

Watch the video and complete the activity

The story

China has completed the installation of the world's largest radio telescope. The last panel was fitted into the centre of the giant dish located on a remote mountain in the South Western province of Guizhou.

Celia Hatton - BBC News
It's difficult to overstate the size of China's new radio telescope. With a diameter of 500 meters, it equals 30 football fields. Or, as one of its creators explains, if the dish-like telescope was filled with wine, every individual on earth - about seven billion people - could drink about five bottles from it. The radio telescope will function like a giant ear, detecting sounds from far-off galaxies. Scientists say the new instrument will explore distant places like never before, finding new stars and even searching for alien life.

Key words and phrases

giant / massive / gigantic
very big

extraterrestrial
from outside planet Earth

eavesdrop
secretly listen to a conversation

To do

Try our quiz to see how well you've learned today's language.

Downloads

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Language challenge - answer

This kitchen is so CLEAN! Which one of these extreme adjectives means 'very clean'?
c) spotless

End of Session 2

Join us in Session 3 for Lingohack - our video which teaches you words from the news using the latest BBC World News bulletins.