The Reading / Listening - The Klitschko Brothers - Level 5

Two former boxing world champions have joined the biggest fight of their lives. They are Vitali Klitschko, 50, and his brother Wladimir, 45. Both are Ukrainian, and they have vowed to take up arms to help defend their capital Kyiv. Vitali is currently the city's mayor. He retired from boxing in 2013, having been heavyweight champion for a decade. He said: "I don't have another choice.…I'll be fighting. It's already a bloody war." Wladimir tweeted: "Destruction and death come upon us.…We will defend ourselves with all our might and fight for freedom and democracy."

The boxing siblings have joined their fellow citizens in defending their city. Authorities have already given 18,000 rifles to residents to defend themselves. There are also images on social media of people learning to make Molotov cocktails. The two brothers have critisised Russia's President Putin and are aware of the danger they face. Yahoo Sports wrote: "There is an immense amount of bravery required to slip between the ropes and fight another man who has trained for months to defeat you. That's child's play compared to the fight the Klitschkos face today."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    The Klitschko Brothers - Level 4 or  The Klitschko Brothers - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/two-ukrainian-brothers-former-world-boxing-champs-ready-to-fight-russian-troops/ar-AAUjZiB
  • https://sports.yahoo.com/vitali-klitschko-an-outspoken-putin-critic-may-have-signed-his-own-death-warrant-145626700.html
  • https://www.boxinginsider.com/headlines/vitali-klitschko-shown-fully-engaged-in-military-defense-of-ukraine/


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. the biggest fight
  2. vowed to take
  3. help
  4. He retired
  5. I don't have another
  6. It's already a bloody
  7. We will defend ourselves with
  8. fight for freedom and
  1. from boxing in 2013
  2. of their lives
  3. democracy
  4. war
  5. defend their capital
  6. all our might
  7. up arms
  8. choice

Paragraph 2

  1. The boxing
  2. joined their fellow citizens in
  3. residents to defend
  4. There are also images
  5. aware of the danger
  6. an immense amount
  7. required to slip
  8. the fight the Klitschkos
  1. face today
  2. between the ropes
  3. they face
  4. defending their city
  5. of bravery
  6. themselves
  7. siblings
  8. on social media

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Two former boxing world champions have (1) ___________________ fight of their lives. They are Vitali Klitschko, 50, and his brother Wladimir, 45. Both are Ukrainian, and they have (2) ___________________ up arms to help defend their capital Kyiv. Vitali (3) ___________________ city's mayor. He retired from boxing in 2013, having been heavyweight champion (4) ___________________. He said: "I don't have another choice....I'll be fighting. It's already (5) ___________________." Wladimir tweeted: "Destruction and death come upon us....We will defend ourselves with all our (6) ___________________ for freedom and democracy."

The boxing siblings have joined (7) ___________________ in defending their city. Authorities have already given 18,000 rifles to (8) ___________________ themselves. There are also images on social media of people learning to make Molotov cocktails. The two brothers have critisised Russia's President Putin and (9) ___________________ the danger they face. Yahoo Sports wrote: "There is an immense (10) ___________________ required to slip between the (11) ___________________ another man who has trained for months to defeat you. That's (12) ___________________ to the fight the Klitschkos face today."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Twoformerboxingworldchampionshavejoinedthebiggestfightoftheir
lives.TheyareVitaliKlitschko,50,andhisbrotherWladimir,45.Bothare
Ukrainian,andtheyhavevowedtotakeuparmstohelpdefendtheircapit
alKyiv.Vitaliiscurrentlythecity'smayor.Heretiredfromboxingin20
13,havingbeenheavyweightchampionforadecade.Hesaid:"Idon'tha
veanotherchoice....I'llbefighting.It'salreadyabloodywar."Wladimirt
weeted:"Destructionanddeathcomeuponus....Wewilldefendourselv
eswithallourmightandfightforfreedomanddemocracy."Theboxingsib
lingshavejoinedtheirfellowcitizensindefendingtheircity.Authoritiesh
avealreadygiven18,000riflestoresidentstodefendthemselves.There
arealsoimagesonsocialmediaofpeoplelearningtomakeMolotovcockt
ails.ThetwobrothershavecritisisedRussia'sPresidentPutinandareaw
areofthedangertheyface.YahooSportswrote:"Thereisanimmensea
mountofbraveryrequiredtoslipbetweentheropesandfightanotherma
nwhohastrainedformonthstodefeatyou.That'schild'splaycomparedt
othefighttheKlitschkosfacetoday."

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You