The Reading / Listening - Level 4

There is hope for an end to hostilities in Syria. The USA, Russia and Syria signed an agreement to target ISIS. There is mixed reaction around the world to this as previous attempts at halting the fighting have failed. The new 10-day truce is hours away, but bombs continue to fall in areas around the capital Damascus. Syrian air strikes on ISIS-held areas killed at least 82 people over the weekend. At least 45 people died in Aleppo.

Most of the major players in Syria welcomed the ceasefire. An American official said: "This remains…the most promising way…to try to get this terrible situation to a better place." Another official said: "It is an opportunity and not more than that until it becomes a reality." Russia said the US and Russia had agreed on joint "strikes against terrorists". Turkey and the European Union warned that more action was needed. Iran has made no official statement.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37328945
  • http://www.npr.org/2016/09/10/493436461/new-syria-ceasefire-set-to-begin-monday
  • http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/09/syria-scores-killed-air-strikes-truce-deal-160910135209691.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. an end
  2. mixed
  3. The new 10-day truce is hours
  4. bombs continue to
  5. Syrian air
  6. ISIS-held
  7. over the
  8. At least 45 people
  1. reaction
  2. weekend
  3. areas
  4. died
  5. to hostilities
  6. fall
  7. strikes
  8. away

Paragraph 2

  1. Most of the major
  2. An American
  3. This remains…the most promising
  4. get this terrible situation to
  5. until it becomes
  6. agreed on joint strikes
  7. warned that more action
  8. Iran has made no official
  1. a better place
  2. way
  3. a reality
  4. statement
  5. players
  6. was needed
  7. official
  8. against terrorists

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There is (1) ___________________ to hostilities in Syria. The USA, Russia and Syria signed (2) ___________________ target ISIS. There is mixed reaction around the world (3) ___________________ attempts at halting the fighting have failed. The new (4) ___________________ hours away, but bombs continue (5) ___________________ around the capital Damascus. Syrian air strikes on ISIS-held areas (6) ___________________ 82 people over the weekend. At least 45 people died in Aleppo.

Most of (7) ___________________ in Syria welcomed the ceasefire. An American official said: "This remains…the (8) ___________________…to try to get this (9) ___________________ to a better place." Another official said: "It is an opportunity and not more than that                                   (10) ___________________ a reality." Russia said the US and Russia had (11) ___________________ "strikes against terrorists". Turkey and the European Union warned that more action was needed. Iran has                (12) ___________________ statement.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThereishopeforanendtohostilitiesinSyria.TheUSA,RussiaandSyriasi
gnedanagreementtotargetISIS.Thereismixedreactionaroundthewo
rldtothisaspreviousattemptsathaltingthefightinghavefailed.Thenew
10-daytruceishoursaway,butbombscontinuetofallinareasaroundth
ecapitalDamascus.SyrianairstrikesonISIS-heldareaskilledatleast
82peopleovertheweekend.Atleast45peoplediedinAleppo.Mostofthe
majorplayersinSyriawelcomedtheceasefire.AnAmericanofficialsaid:
"Thisremains…themostpromisingway…totrytogetthisterriblesituatio
ntoabetterplace."Anotherofficialsaid:"Itisanopportunityandnotmor
ethanthatuntilitbecomesareality."RussiasaidtheUSandRussiahadag
reedonjoint"strikesagainstterrorists".TurkeyandtheEuropeanUnion
warnedthatmoreactionwasneeded.Iranhasmadenoofficialstatemen
t.

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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