The Reading / Listening - Elections - Level 2

The year 2024 will be the biggest election year ever. An estimated two billion people in around 64 countries and the European Union will vote this year. That is almost half the global population. The elections will bring big changes for the future of many people. Voters in the world's four largest electoral blocs – the EU, India, Indonesia and the USA – will cast their votes. Taiwan goes to the polls first on January the 13th. For much of the year, eyes will be on events in the US. In November, there will be a repeat of the 2020 election if Donald Trump runs again.

Journalists are worried about how free and fair elections will be. Bloomberg.com has asked a question that is on the lips of many people: "Will 2024 be the year fake news destroys democracy?" Bloomberg said artificial intelligence will be used to change the way people vote. It said there will be "a storm of disinformation…unlike anything the world has ever seen". It added that disinformation "gets harder to spot as fake with every passing month". Fact checkers will have to work extra hard to reduce the number of AI-based fake news stories on social media.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Elections - Level 0 Elections - Level 1   or  Elections - Level 3

Sources
  • https://time.com/6550920/world-elections-2024/
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-12-28/elections-2024-fake-news-could-destroy-democracy
  • http://www.koreaherald.com/global_insite/view.php


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. An estimated
  2. That is almost half the global
  3. The elections will bring
  4. Voters in the world's four largest
  5. Taiwan goes to the
  6. eyes will be on
  7. there will be a repeat
  8. if Donald Trump
  1. electoral blocs
  2. two billion people
  3. of the 2020 election
  4. population
  5. events in the US
  6. runs again
  7. big changes
  8. polls first

Paragraph 2

  1. how free and fair
  2. a question that is on the lips
  3. the year fake news destroys
  4. change the way
  5. there will be a storm
  6. unlike anything the world has
  7. disinformation gets
  8. reduce the number of AI-based
  1. ever seen
  2. people vote
  3. of disinformation
  4. elections will be
  5. harder to spot
  6. democracy
  7. fake news stories
  8. of many people

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The year 2024 will be the biggest (1) ___________________. An estimated two billion people in around 64 countries and the European Union will (2) ___________________. That is almost half the global population. The elections will (3) ___________________ for the future of many people. Voters in the world's four (4) ___________________ - the EU, India, Indonesia and the USA - will cast their votes. Taiwan goes to the polls first on January the 13th. For much of the year, (5) ___________________ on events in the US. In November, there will be (6) ___________________ the 2020 election if Donald Trump runs again.

Journalists are worried about how (7) ___________________ elections will be. Bloomberg.com has asked a question that is on the (8) ___________________ people: "Will 2024 be the year fake news destroys democracy?" Bloomberg said artificial intelligence will be used to (9) ___________________ people vote. It said there will (10) ___________________ of disinformation…unlike anything the world has ever seen". It added that disinformation "gets harder to (11) ___________________ with every passing month". Fact checkers will have to work extra hard to (12) __________________ of AI-based fake news stories on social media.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Theyear2024willbethebiggestelectionyearever.Anestimatedtwobilli
onpeopleinaround64countriesandtheEuropeanUnionwillvotethisyea
r.Thatisalmosthalftheglobalpopulation.Theelectionswillbringbigcha
ngesforthefutureofmanypeople.Votersintheworld'sfourlargestelect
oralblocs-theEU,India,IndonesiaandtheUSA-willcasttheirvotes.Tai
wangoestothepollsfirstonJanuarythe13th.Formuchoftheyear,eyesw
illbeoneventsintheUS.InNovember,therewillbearepeatofthe2020el
ectionifDonaldTrumprunsagain.Journalistsareworriedabouthowfree
andfairelectionswillbe.Bloomberg.comhasaskedaquestionthatisont
helipsofmanypeople:"Will2024betheyearfakenewsdestroysdemocr
acy?"Bloombergsaidartificialintelligencewillbeusedtochangetheway
peoplevote.Itsaidtherewillbe"astormofdisinformation…unlikeanythi
ngtheworldhaseverseen".Itaddedthatdisinformation"getshardertos
potasfakewitheverypassingmonth".Factcheckerswillhavetoworkext
rahardtoreducethenumberofAI-basedfakenewsstoriesonsocialmedi
a.

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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