The Reading / Listening - Greta Thunberg - Level 2

Greta Thunberg has been named TIME magazine's Person of the Year. The 16-year-old from Sweden beat New Zealand's Prime Minister and the Hong Kong democracy protestors to win the award. Ms Thunberg rose to fame in August 2018 when she decided to go on a climate strike outside the Swedish parliament. This started a global climate movement. Schoolchildren worldwide followed her example. She has addressed the United Nations in New York and has met the Pope this year. After hearing about the award, she said: "Wow, this is unbelievable! I will share this great honour."

Greta Thunberg is the youngest person to get the award. TIME magazine wrote that Greta has shifted millions of people's attitudes around the world. It said she got people to join a "worldwide movement calling for urgent change". It added: "Greta has offered a moral call to those who are willing to act, and put shame on those who are not." Not everyone is happy with TIME. Donald Trump Jr said the award to Greta was "a marketing gimmick". In contrast, Hillary Clinton tweeted: "I am grateful for all she's done to raise awareness of the climate crisis. [She] tells hard, motivating truths."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Greta Thunberg - Level 0 Greta Thunberg - Level 1   or  Greta Thunberg - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/16-greta-thunberg-youngest-time-173215953.html
  • https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/greta-thunberg-time-s-2019-person-year-n1099396
  • https://www.aol.com/article/news/2019/12/11/donald-trump-jr-slams-time-for-choosing-greta-thunberg-as-person-of-the-year/23879064/


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. Ms Thunberg rose
  2. go on a climate
  3. This started a global climate
  4. Schoolchildren worldwide
  5. She has addressed
  6. After hearing
  7. Wow, this is
  8. I will share this great
  1. followed her example
  2. honour
  3. strike
  4. unbelievable
  5. movement
  6. the United Nations
  7. about the award
  8. to fame

Paragraph 2

  1. the youngest person
  2. Greta has shifted millions of
  3. she got people to join a
  4. calling for urgent
  5. a marketing
  6. I am grateful for all
  7. raise awareness
  8. She tells hard, motivating
  1. of the climate crisis
  2. worldwide movement
  3. truths
  4. gimmick
  5. she's done
  6. change
  7. to get the award
  8. people's attitudes

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Greta Thunberg (1) ___________________ TIME magazine's Person of the Year. The 16-year-old from Sweden beat New Zealand's Prime Minister and the Hong Kong (2) ___________________ win the award. Ms Thunberg rose to fame in August 2018 when she decided to go (3) ___________________ strike outside the Swedish parliament. This started a (4) ___________________. Schoolchildren worldwide (5) __________________. She has addressed the United Nations in New York and has met the Pope this year. After hearing about the award, she said: "Wow, (6) ___________________! I will share this great honour."

Greta Thunberg is the youngest person to (7) ___________________. TIME magazine wrote that Greta has shifted millions (8) ___________________ around the world. It said she got people to join (9) ___________________ calling for urgent change". It added: "Greta has offered a moral call to those who are willing to act, and (10) ___________________ those who are not." Not everyone is happy with TIME. Donald Trump Jr said the award to Greta was (11) ___________________. In contrast, Hillary Clinton tweeted: "I am grateful for all she's done to raise awareness of the climate crisis. [She] tells (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

GretaThunberghasbeennamedTIMEmagazine'sPersonoftheYear.The16-year-oldfromSwedenbeatNewZealand'sPrimeMinisterandtheH
ongKongdemocracyprotestorstowintheaward.MsThunbergrosetofa
meinAugust2018whenshedecidedtogoonaclimatestrikeoutsidetheS
wedishparliament.Thisstartedaglobalclimatemovement.Schoolchil
drenworldwidefollowedherexample.ShehasaddressedtheUnitedNat
ionsinNewYorkandhasmetthePopethisyear.Afterhearingaboutthea
ward,shesaid:"Wow,thisisunbelievable!Iwillsharethisgreathonour."
GretaThunbergistheyoungestpersontogettheaward.TIMEmagazine
wrotethatGretahasshiftedmillionsofpeople'sattitudesaroundtheworl
d.Itsaidshegotpeopletojoina"worldwidemovementcallingforurgentc
hange".Itadded:"Gretahasofferedamoralcalltothosewhoarewillingt
oact,andputshameonthosewhoarenot."NoteveryoneishappywithTI
ME.DonaldTrumpJrsaidtheawardtoGretawas"amarketinggimmick".
Incontrast,HillaryClintontweeted:"Iamgratefulforallshe'sdonetorais
eawarenessoftheclimatecrisis.[She]tellshard,motivatingtruths."

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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