News by Levels · Level 1 · For teachers
Teacher guide & answers
Patients Change a Sound With Brain Signals
How to use these two pages
Give learners the student worksheet. It contains the story and questions, without the answers. Keep this guide for yourself. Use it to lead the activity and explain the answers afterwards.
Student worksheetA simple 15–20-minute lesson
- Before reading · 2 minutes
Show the title. Ask: “What do you think this story is about?”
- Read and answer · 8–10 minutes
Give out the student worksheet. Learners read for the main idea, then reread to answer the 2 questions. They can compare answers with a partner.
- Discuss and write · 5–8 minutes
Check the answers below together. Ask learners to point to the clue in the story, then finish with the open question.
Adjust the support: Let learners use word help or Level 1 if needed. For a challenge, compare the wording in another level. This activity is not a proficiency test.
Answers to the 2 questions
The question numbers match the student worksheet. Each answer includes a reason and the clue learners can find in the story.
Did every patient control the sound?
Correct answer: B — No, about one in three did
Why: One in three is not everyone.
Clue in the story: Columbia researchers tested 41 patients with serious brain injuries who could not respond normally. About one in three learned to change a beeping sound using brain signals.
Where were the recording wires?
Correct answer: C — On the head
Why: The text places the wires on the head.
Clue in the story: Wires on the head recorded the signals. This is an early step towards communication, not a cure.
The open question: accept different answers
Ask learners: Describe one result and one thing this test does not prove.
One possible answer: Some patients controlled sound; this does not establish ordinary conversation or a cure.
This is an example, not the only correct answer. Look for a relevant idea, a reason and the learner’s own words. Learners can answer aloud or write one or two sentences.