The Reading / Listening - Level 1

A Malaysian plane was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday. All 298 passengers and crew died. No one knows who did it. Ukraine blames pro-Russian rebels. The rebels say their technology cannot shoot an airplane flying at 10,000 metres. They blame Ukraine. The plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. The pilot heard the route above Ukraine was safe. There was fighting on the ground. Malaysians are shocked they have lost another airplane.

Investigators must find out what happened. They need the airplane's black box. This has important information about the flight's last seconds. The rebels control the crash area. Ukraine said rebels used a Russian surface-to-air missile to hit the plane. A rebel leader said the Ukrainian government shot the plane. Planes that were in the sky above Ukraine changed direction. All air space above Ukraine is now closed.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/wrap-malaysia-airlines-jet-mh17-believed-shot-down-ukraine-295-dead-#sthash.SRH6cMNt.dpuf
  • http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/breaking-passenger-plane-crashes-in-ukraine-near-russian-border/503647.html
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28357880


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

shot

a.

was safe

2.

passengers

b.

on the ground

3.

No one knows

c.

at 10,000 metres

4.

Ukraine blames

d.

lost another airplane

5.

an airplane flying

e.

pro-Russian rebels

6.

the route above Ukraine

f.

down over Ukraine

7.

There was fighting

g.

who did it

8.

Malaysians are shocked they have

h.

and crew

MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

Investigators must find

a.

information

2.

They need the airplane's

b.

is now closed

3.

This has important

c.

out what happened

4.

the flight's last

d.

area

5.

The rebels control the crash

e.

direction

6.

surface-to-

f.

black box

7.

changed

g.

air missile

8.

air space above Ukraine

h.

seconds

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

A Malaysian plane was (1) ___________________ Ukraine on Thursday. All 298 passengers and crew died. No one knows who did it. Ukraine (2) ___________________ rebels. The rebels say their technology cannot shoot (3) ___________________ at 10,000 metres. They blame Ukraine. (4) ___________________ from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. The (5) ___________________ above Ukraine was safe. There was fighting on the ground. Malaysians (6) ___________________ have lost another airplane.

Investigators (7) ___________________ what happened. They need the airplane's black box. This (8) ___________________ about the (9) ___________________. The rebels control the crash area. Ukraine said rebels used a Russian (10) ___________________ missile to hit the plane. A rebel leader said the Ukrainian government shot the plane. Planes that were (11) ___________________ Ukraine changed direction. All air space above Ukraine (12) ___________________.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

AMalaysianplanewasshotdownoverUkraineonThursday.All298pas
sengersandcrewdied.Nooneknowswhodidit.Ukraineblamespro-
Russianrebels.Therebelssaytheirtechnologycannotshootanairpla
neflyingat10,000metres.TheyblameUkraine.Theplanewasflyingfr
omAmsterdamtoKualaLumpur.ThepilotheardtherouteaboveUkrai
newassafe.Therewasfightingontheground.Malaysiansareshocked
theyhavelostanotherairplane.Investigatorsmustfindoutwhathapp
ened.Theyneedtheairplane'sblackbox.Thishasimportantinformati
onabouttheflight'slastseconds.Therebelscontrolthecrasharea.Ukr
ainesaidrebelsusedaRussiansurface-to-airmissiletohittheplan
e.ArebelleadersaidtheUkrainiangovernmentshottheplane.Planest
hatwereintheskyaboveUkrainechangeddirection.Allairspaceabov
eUkraineisnowclosed.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about airplanes for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Back to the top

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You