The Reading / Listening - Level 5

Venezuela has taken a drastic step to deal with the country's growing energy problems. It has told all state employees to work just two days a week. Public workers were already on four days a week after Fridays became a no-work day two months ago. The country's 2.8 million public workers will now have five days off a week. The president said in a televised statement: "From tomorrow, for at least two weeks, we are going to have Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays as non-working days." Employees will still be paid in full, despite the reduced working week.

The government blames the energy crisis on droughts and on El Nino. Water in dams is dangerously low. The Guri region, home to the nation's biggest dam, was likened to a desert. Critics say bad management, a lack of investment and corruption are behind the current mess. Venezuelans are facing daily disruptions to their lives. The government asked women to use hair dryers less and shopping malls to use their own electricity generators. Electricity is rationed in most of the country. The president even turned the clocks back to provide half-an-hour of extra evening sunlight.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 4 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://time.com/4308909/venezuela-two-day-work-week-energy-crisis/
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/27/pic--pub-venezuela-introduces-two-day-week-to-save-energy/
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36145184


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.

Venezuela has taken a drastic

a.

employees

2.

deal

b.

paid in full

3.

the country's growing

c.

off a week

4.

state

d.

statement

5.

have five days

e.

step

6.

in a televised

f.

with

7.

for at least

g.

energy problems

8.

Employees will still be

h.

two weeks



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.

blames the energy crisis

a.

in most of the country

2.

likened

b.

on droughts

3.

a lack

c.

to their lives

4.

facing daily disruptions

d.

sunlight

5.

electricity

e.

to a desert

6.

Electricity is rationed

f.

clocks back

7.

turned the

g.

generators

8.

evening

h.

of investment

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Venezuela has taken (1) ___________________ deal with the country's growing energy problems. It has told (2) ___________________ to work just two days a week. Public workers were already on four days a week after Fridays became (3) ___________________ two months ago. The country's 2.8 million public workers will now have (4) ___________________ week. The president said in (5) ___________________: "From tomorrow, for at least two weeks, we are going to have Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays as non-working days." Employees will still (6) ___________________, despite the reduced working week.

The government (7) ___________________ crisis on droughts and on El Nino. Water in dams is dangerously low. The Guri region, home to the nation's biggest dam, (8) ___________________ desert. Critics say bad management, a (9) ___________________ and corruption are behind the current mess. Venezuelans (10) ___________________ disruptions to their lives. The government asked women to (11) ___________________ and shopping malls to use their own electricity generators. Electricity is rationed in most of the country. The president even turned the clocks back to provide half-an-hour (12) ___________________ sunlight.

THE WORKING WEEK SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about the working week in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

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)

________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about the working week for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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