The Reading / Listening - Level 2

A Malaysian airplane was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday. All 298 passengers and crew died. There are many questions over who shot the plane. The Ukrainian government blames pro-Russian rebels. The rebels say they do not have the technology to shoot down an airplane flying at 10,000 metres. They blame Ukraine for the tragedy. The plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Air traffic controllers said the route above Ukraine was safe, even though there was fighting on the ground. Malaysians are still in shock after another airplane disappeared in March.

All efforts are now to find out what happened to the flight. There are many problems with this. The crash site is in an area controlled by the rebels. Investigators need to find the airplane's black box. This provides important information about the flight's last seconds. Experts say a surface-to-air missile hit the plane. The Ukrainian government said rebels used a Russian-made missile launcher to shoot the plane. A rebel leader blamed the Ukrainian government. All air space above Ukraine has been closed. Planes already in the sky changed direction to fly around Ukraine.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   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 down

a.

at 10,000 metres

2.

passengers

b.

pro-Russian rebels

3.

There are many questions over

c.

shock

4.

The Ukrainian government blames

d.

who shot the plane

5.

an airplane flying

e.

Ukraine was safe

6.

Air traffic

f.

over Ukraine

7.

the route above

g.

and crew

8.

Malaysians are still in

h.

controllers



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.

All efforts are now to find

a.

air missile

2.

The crash

b.

by the rebels

3.

an area controlled

c.

last seconds

4.

find the airplane's black

d.

out what happened

5.

information about the flight's

e.

has been closed

6.

a surface-to-

f.

site

7.

All air space above Ukraine

g.

direction

8.

changed

h.

box

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

A Malaysian airplane (1) ___________________ Ukraine on Thursday. All 298 passengers and crew died. There are many questions over (2) ___________________. The Ukrainian government blames (3) ___________________. The rebels say they do not have the technology to shoot down an airplane flying at 10,000 metres. They blame Ukraine (4) ___________________. The plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Air traffic controllers said (5) ___________________ Ukraine was safe, even though there was fighting on the ground. Malaysians are still in (6) ___________________ airplane disappeared in March.

All efforts are now to find out what happened to the flight. There are many (7) ___________________. The crash site is in an area controlled by the rebels. Investigators need (8) ___________________ black box. This provides important information about the (9) ___________________. Experts say a surface-to-air missile hit the plane. The Ukrainian government said rebels used a Russian- (10) ___________________ to shoot the plane. A (11) ___________________ the Ukrainian government. All air space above Ukraine has been closed. Planes already in the sky (12) ___________________ fly around Ukraine.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

AMalaysianairplanewasshotdownoverUkraineonThursday.All298
passengersandcrewdied.Therearemanyquestionsoverwhoshotth
eplane.TheUkrainiangovernmentblamespro-Russianrebels.Ther
ebelssaytheydonothavethetechnologytoshootdownanairplaneflyi
ngat10,000metres.TheyblameUkraineforthetragedy.Theplanewa
sflyingfromAmsterdamtoKualaLumpur.Airtrafficcontrollerssaidth
erouteaboveUkrainewassafe,eventhoughtherewasfightingontheg
round.Malaysiansarestillinshockafteranotherairplanedisappeared
inMarch.Alleffortsarenowtofindoutwhathappenedtotheflight.Ther
earemanyproblemswiththis.Thecrashsiteisinanareacontrolledbyt
herebels.Investigatorsneedtofindtheairplane'sblackbox.Thisprovi
desimportantinformationabouttheflight'slastseconds.Expertssay
asurface-to-airmissilehittheplane.TheUkrainiangovernmentsaidr
ebelsusedaRussian-mademissilelaunchertoshoottheplane.Arebe
lleaderblamedtheUkrainiangovernment.AllairspaceaboveUkraine
hasbeenclosed.Planesalreadyintheskychangeddirectiontoflyarou
ndUkraine.

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)

________________________________________________________

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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.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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