The Reading / Listening - Level 5

Myanmar was once ruled by a military junta but changed after returning to democratic ways. The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has just stated the country has the world's most generous people. It is the third successive year it has got this accolade. The CAF "World Giving Index" found that 91 per cent of Myanmar residents gave to charity in the past year, 62% helped a stranger, and 55% volunteered. A government spokesman said: "The results demonstrate very sharply how a 'poor' country can be a 'rich' one through its generosity, by focusing on giving rather than getting."

The report also found that people in Iraq are the kindest to strangers. Eight in 10 Iraqis helped someone they don't know in the past year. The BBC commented on the significance of this, given the turmoil Iraq has been in for years. It stated that: "It is the kindness of Iraqis…to complete strangers in the face of years of conflict and terrible violence which stands out in the list." The CAF said: "The generosity of people, even in countries suffering from disaster and turmoil, is truly humbling." It added: "Unconditional gifts of time and money are a life-changing force for good in the world."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 4 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37762753
  • http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/26/world/world-generosity-index-caf-2016/
  • https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/publications/2016-publications/caf-world-giving-index-2016
  • http://www.arabianbusiness.com/uae-named-in-world-s-top-10-most-generous-countries-650393.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. ruled by a military
  2. after returning to democratic
  3. the third successive
  4. it has got
  5. gave to charity
  6. The results demonstrate very
  7. a 'poor' country can be a 'rich' one
  8. focusing on giving rather
  1. ways
  2. this accolade
  3. sharply how
  4. than getting
  5. year
  6. junta
  7. in the past year
  8. through its generosity

Paragraph 2

  1. people in Iraq are the kindest
  2. Eight in
  3. The BBC commented on the
  4. given the turmoil Iraq
  5. in the face of
  6. countries suffering
  7. truly
  8. a life-changing
  1. significance of this
  2. years of conflict
  3. from disaster
  4. force for good
  5. to strangers
  6. humbling
  7. 10 Iraqis
  8. has been in

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Myanmar was (1) ___________________ military junta but changed after returning (2) ___________________. The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has just stated the country has the world's most generous people. It is the third successive year it has (3) ___________________. The CAF "World Giving Index" found that 91 per cent of Myanmar (4) ___________________ charity in the past year, 62% helped a stranger, and 55% volunteered. A government spokesman said: "The results demonstrate (5) ___________________ 'poor' country can be a 'rich' one through its generosity, (6) ___________________ giving rather than getting."

The report also found that people in Iraq are the (7) __________________. Eight in 10 Iraqis helped someone they don't know in the past year. The BBC commented on (8) ___________________ this, given the turmoil Iraq has been in for years. It stated that: "It is the kindness of Iraqis…to complete strangers (9) ___________________ years of conflict and terrible violence which (10) ___________________ list." The CAF said: "The generosity of people, even in countries suffering from disaster and turmoil, (11) ___________________." It added: "Unconditional gifts of time and money are a (12) ___________________ good in the world."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Myanmarwasonceruledbyamilitaryjuntabutchangedafterreturningt
odemocraticways.TheCharitiesAidFoundation(CAF)hasjuststatedth
ecountryhastheworld'smostgenerouspeople.Itisthethirdsuccessive
yearithasgotthisaccolade.TheCAF"WorldGivingIndex"foundthat91p
ercentofMyanmarresidentsgavetocharityinthepastyear,62%helped
astranger,and55%volunteered.Agovernmentspokesmansaid:"Ther
esultsdemonstrateverysharplyhowa'poor'countrycanbea'rich'oneth
roughitsgenerosity,byfocusingongivingratherthangetting."Therepo
rtalsofoundthatpeopleinIraqarethekindesttostrangers.Eightin10Ira
qishelpedsomeonetheydon'tknowinthepastyear.TheBBCcommente
donthesignificanceofthis,giventheturmoilIraqhasbeeninforyears.Its
tatedthat:"ItisthekindnessofIraqis…tocompletestrangersinthefaceo
fyearsofconflictandterribleviolencewhichstandsoutinthelist."TheCA
Fsaid:"Thegenerosityofpeople,evenincountriessufferingfromdisast
erandturmoil,istrulyhumbling."Itadded:"Unconditionalgiftsoftimea
ndmoneyarealife-changingforceforgoodintheworld."

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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