The Reading / Listening - Thailand - Level 4

Protests are taking place in Thailand, despite a state of emergency. Police arrested dozens of pro-democracy demonstrators. Many of the protestors are students. Different kinds of people are joining them. They want a new constitution under a more democratic system. They also want the dissolution of parliament, the resignation of the Prime Minister, and an end to "the intimidation of government critics".

The government said the protests have affected its stability, safety, property and staff. It said they were, "no longer a peaceful assembly," and threatened national security. The government banned gatherings of more than five people and any online messages that could "harm national security". Police arrested 22 people for public disorder offences. Video of a woman being put into a police car went viral on social media.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Thailand - Level 5 or  Thailand - Level 6

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/14/asia/thailand-emergency-decree-protests-intl-hnk/index.html
  • https://www.npr.org/2020/10/15/924031210/thailand-declares-state-of-emergency-amid-anti-government-protests
  • https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2003319/cabinet-confirms-state-of-emergency-curfew-if-protests-escalate


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. despite a state
  2. dozens of pro-democracy
  3. Many of the protestors
  4. They want a new
  5. under a more democratic
  6. the resignation
  7. an end
  8. government
  1. of the Prime Minister
  2. of emergency
  3. critics
  4. demonstrators
  5. constitution
  6. to the intimidation
  7. system
  8. are students

Paragraph 2

  1. the protests have affected
  2. a peaceful
  3. gatherings of
  4. online
  5. harm national
  6. arrested 22 people for public
  7. a woman being put into
  8. went viral
  1. a police car
  2. messages
  3. on social media
  4. its stability
  5. disorder offences
  6. assembly
  7. security
  8. more than five people

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Protests (1) ___________________ in Thailand, despite a state of emergency. Police (2) ___________________ pro-democracy demonstrators. Many (3) ___________________ are students. Different kinds of people (4) ___________________. They want a new constitution under a more democratic system. They also (5) ___________________ of parliament, the resignation of the Prime Minister, and an end to "the intimidation (6) ___________________".

The government said the protests have (7) ___________________, safety, property and staff. It said they were, "no (8) ___________________ assembly," and threatened national security. The government (9) ___________________ more than five people and any online messages that could "(10) ___________________". Police arrested 22 people for (11) ___________________. Video of a woman being put into a police car went (12) ___________________ media.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ProtestsaretakingplaceinThailand,despiteastateofemergency.Poli
cearresteddozensofpro-democracydemonstrators.Manyoftheprote
storsarestudents.Differentkindsofpeoplearejoiningthem.Theywant
anewconstitutionunderamoredemocraticsystem.Theyalsowantthed
issolutionofparliament,theresignationofthePrimeMinister,andanend
to"theintimidationofgovernmentcritics".Thegovernmentsaidthepro
testshaveaffecteditsstability,safety,propertyandstaff.Itsaidtheywer
e,"nolongerapeacefulassembly,"andthreatenednationalsecurity.Th
egovernmentbannedgatheringsofmorethanfivepeopleandanyonline
messagesthatcould"harmnationalsecurity".Policearrested22people
forpublicdisorderoffences.Videoofawomanbeingputintoapolicecarw
entviralonsocialmedia.

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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