The Reading / Listening - 2018 - Level 5

The year 2018 is new, but already there are signs it will be a great 12 months. This is according to a poll conducted by an international news service. The service asked about whether people were optimistic or pessimistic about the year ahead. An amazing 100 per cent of people responded positively. They all thought 2018 would be a wonderful year, both personally and in terms of global issues. Everyone was of the opinion that 2018 would be much better than 2017. A spokesman said the responses made him happy. He wished everyone good fortune.

The survey questioned people on their life, as well as on the fate of the Earth. A huge majority of people were sure they would carry out their New Year resolutions. In particular, people want to get in shape, stop procrastinating, save money, and improve their English. Others said they would use their smartphones less, eat less fast food, and make sure their homes are tidy. Most people were positive about the world in 2018. They thought there would be fewer wars, less pollution, and more kindness for the less fortunate. Everyone hoped for peace, love, happiness and prosperity.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    2018 - Level 4 or  2018 - Level 6

Sources
  • BreakingNewsEnglish.com


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. This is according
  2. asked about whether people
  3. pessimistic about
  4. people responded
  5. They all thought 2018 would be a
  6. in terms
  7. the responses made him
  8. He wished everyone good
  1. positively
  2. happy
  3. were optimistic
  4. fortune
  5. to a poll
  6. the year ahead
  7. of global issues
  8. wonderful year

Paragraph 2

  1. on the fate
  2. people want to get in
  3. improve their
  4. make sure their homes are
  5. Most people were positive
  6. They thought there would
  7. more kindness for the
  8. peace, love, happiness
  1. less fortunate
  2. tidy
  3. and prosperity
  4. shape
  5. be fewer wars
  6. English
  7. of the Earth
  8. about the world

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The year 2018 is new, but already (1) ___________________ it will be a great 12 months. This is according to a (2) ___________________ an international news service. The service asked about whether people were (3) ___________________ about the year ahead. An amazing 100 per cent of people (4) ___________________. They all thought 2018 would be a wonderful year, both personally and (5) ___________________ global issues. Everyone was of the opinion that 2018 would be much better than 2017. A spokesman said the responses (6) ___________________. He wished everyone good fortune.

The survey questioned people on their life, as well as (7) ___________________ of the Earth. A (8) ___________________ people were sure they would carry out their New Year resolutions. In particular, people want to (9) ___________________, stop procrastinating, save money, and improve their English. Others said they would use their smartphones less, eat less fast food, and make sure their (10) ___________________. Most people were positive about the world in 2018. They thought there would be fewer wars, less pollution, and (11) ___________________ the less fortunate. Everyone hoped for peace, love, (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Theyear2018isnew,butalreadytherearesignsitwillbeagreat12month
s.Thisisaccordingtoapollconductedfromaninternationalnewsservice
.Theserviceaskedaboutwhetherpeoplewereoptimisticorpessimistica
bouttheyearahead.Anamazing100percentofpeoplerespondedpositi
vely.Theyallthought2018wouldbeawonderfulyear,bothpersonallyan
dintermsofglobalissues.Everyonewasoftheopinionthat2018wouldbe
muchbetterthan2017.Aspokesmansaidtheresponsesmadehimhapp
y.Hewishedeveryonegoodfortune.Thesurveyquestionedpeopleonth
eirlife,aswellasonthefateoftheEarth.Ahugemajorityofpeopleweresu
retheywouldcarryouttheirNewYearresolutions.Inparticular,people
anttogetinshape,stopprocrastinating,savemoney,andimprovetheir
English.Otherssaidtheywouldusetheirsmartphonesless,eatlessfastf
ood,andmakesuretheirhomesaretidy.Mostpeoplewerepositiveabout
theworldin2018.Theythoughttherewouldbefewerwars,lesspollution
,andmorekindnessforthelessfortunate.Everyonehopedforpeace,lov
e,happinessandprosperity.

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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