The Radar That Spots Polar Bears
B1+ homework - Grammar focus: the present simple passive
Reading: A Quiet Guard in the Snow
Eureka is a small weather station in Nunavut, in the far north of Canada. In winter, the sun is not seen for weeks, and polar bears sometimes walk near the buildings. Today, the station is protected by an unusual guard: a tall radar tower.
The area around the station is scanned day and night. Every moving object is checked by special software. Snow, wind and even small foxes are recognised and ignored, but large animals are identified in seconds. When a bear is detected, an alert is sent to the team. A warning is shown on their screens, and everyone is asked to stay inside for a short time. The bear is watched until it walks away, and no animal is ever hurt.
One dark morning, a mother bear and her two cubs were spotted by the radar before anyone saw them outside. Thanks to the system, people and bears are kept apart safely. Now the technology is being prepared for other Arctic communities along the coast, where it will help neighbours live calmly beside amazing wildlife.
Grammar Box: The Present Simple Passive
We use the present simple passive when the action is more important than the person or thing that does it. Form: am / is / are + past participle.
- Singular: The area is scanned day and night.
- Plural: Alerts are sent automatically.
- With a doer: The station is protectedby the radar.
Watch out for irregular past participles: send - sent, keep - kept, show - shown, see - seen.
Exercise 1: Gap Fill
Put the verb in brackets into the present simple passive.
1. The area around the station ______ (scan) day and night.
2. Every moving object ______ (check) by special software.
3. Large animals ______ (identify) in seconds.
4. An alert ______ (send) to the team.
5. A warning ______ (show) on the screens.
6. The workers ______ (ask) to stay inside for a short time.
7. The bear ______ (watch) until it walks away.
8. People and bears ______ (keep) apart safely.
Exercise 2: Active or Passive?
Choose the correct form to complete each sentence.
1. The radar
- scans
- is scanned
- are scanned
2. The software
- updates
- is updated
- are updated
3. Strong winds and falling snow
- ignore
- is ignored
- are ignored
4. The team
- checks
- is checked
- are checked
5. A short message
- sends
- is sent
- are sent
6. New visitors
- warn
- is warned
- are warned
Exercise 3: Rewrite in the Passive
Rewrite each sentence in the present simple passive. Keep the doer with "by".
1. The radar scans the area.
The area ______ .
2. The software checks every object.
Every object ______ .
3. The system sends an alert.
An alert ______ .
4. The team watches the bear.
The bear ______ .
5. The radar protects the station.
The station ______ .
Exercise 4: Technology and Wildlife Vocabulary
Match each word to its definition.
- radar
- alert
- detect
- software
- tower
- wildlife
- coast
- warning
- a system that uses radio waves to find objects far away
- a signal sent to people so they can act quickly
- to notice or find something that is hard to see
- the programs that run on a computer
- a tall, narrow structure that stands above the ground
- animals that live free in nature
- the land next to the sea
- a message or sign that tells you to be careful
Exercise 5: Comprehension Check
Choose the best answer according to the text.
1. Where is the weather station?
- In Nunavut, in the far north of Canada
- In a big city in the south of Canada
- In Greenland, near the ice sheet
2. What is recognised and ignored by the software?
- Large animals near the buildings
- Snow, wind and small foxes
- The station's own vehicles
3. What happens when a bear is detected?
- The bear is moved by helicopter
- The station is closed for the winter
- An alert is sent and people stay inside for a while
4. Who was spotted by the radar one dark morning?
- A mother bear and her two cubs
- A group of visiting scientists
- Two lost foxes
5. Why is this a positive story?
- The bears are caught and taken far away
- People and bears are kept apart safely, and no animal is hurt
- The radar scares the bears with loud sounds
Exercise 6: Your Turn to Write
Think of something in your town that is protected or looked after: a park, a school, a museum, a bridge. Write 60-80 words describing how it is protected. Use at least three passive sentences (for example: is locked, is cleaned, are checked, is watched).
This lesson is interactive: open this page in a browser to fill in the answers and get them checked automatically. Teachers can copy the lesson and edit every part of it.