Batteries that could store energy with sweat and salt.
Today’s article is about scientists who are making new batteries to store energy from the sun and wind. These batteries could help people use more clean energy.
Page Content
🚀 Find your level and then practice the exercises below!
Beginner Level (A1/A2)
Scientists are making new kinds of batteries to store clean energy from the sun and wind. Some batteries use hot salt or warm sand. The batteries keep energy for many hours or even days. Later, people can use this energy when there is no sun or no wind. This can help homes, schools, and factories use clean electricity all the time.
Scientists are also making very small batteries that use human sweat. A special patch on the skin can make a little electricity when people walk, run, or exercise. These new ideas are different from normal batteries and may be better for the environment. They could help people use more renewable energy in the future.
- batteries — things that hold and give electricity
- store – to keep something for later
- clean energy – energy that does not make much pollution
- factories – A place where things are made
- sweat – water that comes from your skin when you are hot or exercise
- patch – a small piece of material that you put on your skin
- normal – usual; what people often use
- environment – the world around us: air, water, plants, and animals
- renewable energy – energy from the sun, wind, or water that does not run out
- future – the time after today
Intermediate Level (B1/B2)
Scientists are making new and unusual batteries to store renewable energy from the sun and wind. Some of these batteries use molten salt or hot sand to keep energy for a long time. People can use this energy later when there is not much sun or wind. These new ideas could make clean electricity more reliable and reduce the use of fossil fuels.
Researchers are also making very small batteries that use human sweat to produce electricity. These batteries could power small devices like health monitors or fitness trackers. Although these ideas may seem strange, they could be better for the environment and work more efficiently than traditional batteries. In the future, they may help more people use renewable energy.
- unusual – different from normal
- store – to keep something until you need it
- renewable energy – energy from the sun or wind that does not run out
- molten – so hot that it becomes liquid
- idea – a plan or new way of doing something
- reliable – working well when you need it
- reduce – to make something less
- fossil fuels – coal, oil, and gas used to make energy
- researcher – a person who studies and learns new things
- sweat – water that comes from your skin when you are hot or exercise
- produce – to make
- device – a small machine
- environment – the air, water, land, plants, and animals around us
- efficiently – in a way that works well without wasting energy or time
- traditional – old or used for a long time
Native Level (C1)
As the world depends more on renewable energy, scientists are rethinking how electricity can be stored when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. Instead of relying only on lithium-ion batteries, researchers are exploring alternatives such as molten salt and heated sand, which can retain energy for long periods before releasing it when demand increases. These technologies could make renewable power more dependable while reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
Some of the most innovative ideas are surprisingly simple. One team is developing tiny batteries that generate electricity from human perspiration, allowing wearable devices to power themselves while people exercise. Although many of these inventions are still experimental, they demonstrate how creative thinking could transform the way we produce, store, and use energy. As these technologies continue to evolve, they may become an important part of a cleaner and more sustainable energy system.
- rethink – to think about something again in a new way
- explore – to study or try new ideas
- molten – melted by very high heat
- retain – to keep or hold something
- dependable – reliable; something you can trust
- reliance – the need to depend on something
- innovative – using new and original ideas
- perspiration – sweat (a more formal word)
- experimental – still being tested; not yet fully developed
- transform – to change something completely or significantly
- evolve – to develop or change gradually over time
True or False Exercises
Can you get these 5 questions right?
1 . Renewable energy is not always available when people need it.
true / false
✅ true
ℹ️ Wind and solar energy depend on the weather.
2. Molten salt batteries can store energy for a long time.
true / false
✅ true
ℹ️ Salt and sand batteries can store energy for later.
3. Sweat-powered batteries can provide electricity for large buildings.
true / false
✅ false
ℹ️ They only power small devices.
4. New battery ideas could help reduce fossil fuel use.
true / false
✅ true
ℹ️ Better batteries can reduce fossil fuel use.
5. Scientists are only improving traditional batteries.
true / false
✅ false
ℹ️ Scientists are creating new types of batteries too.
Vocabulary Quiz
Which answer matches the meaning?
1 . renewable
A) Something that is very difficult to repair
B) Able to be replaced naturally and used again
C) A machine that stores electricity
2. reliable
A) Something that works well and can be trusted
B) Something that is expensive and rare
C) Something that is made from natural materials
3. molten
A) Broken into very small pieces
B) Changed into a liquid by very high heat
C) Stored for future use
4. device
A) A small piece of equipment or technology
B) A person who studies science
C) A type of energy that comes from the sun
✅ A
5. efficient
A) Producing a lot of waste and pollution
B) Being old and used for many years
C) Working well without wasting time, energy, or resources
