How we’ll find life on other planets KEY Ted talk: Aomawa Shields

1. Aomawa’s job is to look for ... a. other planets in the universe. b. planets where life exists. c. a planet that can host life.

2. One day she ... a. will see this planet with a telescope. b. will see this planet with her naked eyes. c. may prove that this planet is there.

3. What are they looking for? Planets that ... a. orbit at the right distance from their stars. b. have water on their surfaces. c. are similar to the Earth.

4. What does she do? a. She tries to find planets where water exists. b. She models the possible climates of exoplanets. c. She investigates the surface of exoplanets and stars.

5. Venus ... a. was thought to be mild. b. is a bit warm. c. may host life some day.

6. What is the most important aspect for a planet to host life? a. its distance from the star. b. its atmosphere. c. the water on the surface.

7. She compares planet Gliese 667 CC to: a. a car’s headlight far away. b. a fly passing in front of a car’s headlight. c. a fruit fly passing in front of a star.

8. This iceberg looks blue because it ... a. reflects the blue light from the sun. b. absorbs the blue light from the sun. c. absorbs redder and warmer lights.

9. She can easily appreciate contradictions in nature because ... a. she is an African-American astronomer. b. her tastes are also contradictory. c. science and art do not often go together.

10. She believes that ... a. she can help these girls be good actresses. b. these girls will surely prove we are not alone in the universe. c. we are not alone in the universe, but it has not been proved it yet.