The Reading / Listening - Level 4

Swiss voters rejected a plan to introduce a guaranteed monthly income for all citizens. Almost 77 per cent of voters said no. The idea was for a minimum salary of around $2,500 for those who have been a citizen for five years, whether they worked or not. Supporters said it was necessary to replace Switzerland's social welfare system, and fight poverty and inequality. It would also give more money to people who earned below the minimum wage.

Supporters argued that automation was reducing the number of jobs available. The campaign group Basic Income Switzerland said the money would not be for doing nothing. It said: "In Switzerland, over 50 per cent of total work that is done is unpaid. It's care work. It's at home. It's in different communities, so that work would be more valued with a basic income." Opponents said: "You would have billions of people who would try to move into Switzerland."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36454060
  • http://money.cnn.com/2016/06/05/news/economy/switzerland-basic-income-referendum/
  • http://www.expatica.com/ch/news/Swiss-say-no-thanks-to-basic-income-for-all_696861.html


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Swiss voters rejected
  2. a guaranteed
  3. for all
  4. a minimum salary
  5. Supporters said it
  6. replace Switzerland's social
  7. fight poverty
  8. people who earned below
  1. citizens
  2. was necessary
  3. monthly income
  4. and inequality
  5. a plan
  6. the minimum wage
  7. welfare system
  8. of around $2,500

Paragraph 2

  1. reducing the number
  2. campaign
  3. the money would not be
  4. 50 per cent of total work that
  5. It's care
  6. It's in different
  7. be more
  8. billions of
  1. is done is unpaid
  2. for doing nothing
  3. people
  4. communities
  5. of jobs available
  6. valued
  7. work
  8. group

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Swiss voters (1) ___________________ to introduce a guaranteed monthly income for all citizens. Almost 77 per cent of (2) ___________________. The idea was for a (3) ___________________ of around $2,500 for those who have been a citizen for five years, whether (4) ___________________. Supporters said it was (5) ___________________ Switzerland's social welfare system, and fight poverty and inequality. It would also give more money to people who earned (6) ___________________ wage.

Supporters argued (7) ___________________ reducing the number of jobs available. The (8) ___________________ Basic Income Switzerland said the money would not be (9) ___________________. It said: "In Switzerland, over 50 per cent of total work that is (10) ___________________. It's care work. It's at home. It's in different communities, so that work would be more valued with (11) ___________________." Opponents said: "You would have billions of people who would (12) ___________________ Switzerland."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Swissvotersrejectedaplantointroduceaguaranteedmonthlyincomef
orallcitizens.Almost77percentofvoterssaidno.Theideawasforamini
mumsalaryofaround$2,500forthosewhohavebeenacitizenforfiveye
ars,whethertheyworkedornot.Supporterssaiditwasnecessarytorepl
aceSwitzerland'ssocialwelfaresystem,andfightpovertyandinequalit
y.Itwouldalsogivemoremoneytopeoplewhoearnedbelowtheminimu
mwage.Supportersarguedthatautomationwasreducingthenumbero
fjobsavailable.ThecampaigngroupBasicIncomeSwitzerlandsaidthe
moneywouldnotbefordoingnothing.Itsaid:"InSwitzerland,over50pe
rcentoftotalworkthatisdoneisunpaid.It'scarework.It'sathome.It'sin
differentcommunities,sothatworkwouldbemorevaluedwithabasicinc
ome."Opponentssaid:"Youwouldhavebillionsofpeoplewhowouldtryt
omoveintoSwitzerland."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic 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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