The Reading / Listening - Level 2

USA-Cuban relations took a step towards becoming normal on Friday. The leaders of the two countries, Raul Castro and Barack Obama, shook hands at the Summit of the Americas in Panama. This is a meeting for North, Central and South America to discuss a better future for their continents. The historic handshake could end the bad relations between the USA and Cuba. The two countries have spoken very little for 50 years. America stopped its citizens from visiting Cuba and banned most Cuban exports to the USA. Over a decade ago, the USA said Cuba sponsored international terrorism.

Castro and Obama will have a sit-down meeting to discuss a better future together. The meeting will be the highest-level talks between the USA and Cuba since 1959. A US security advisor said: "The reason we're here is that the President strongly believes that an approach that was focused…totally on seeking to cut off the Cuban people from the USA had failed." President Obama said he thinks the Cuban people are "extraordinary" and have "huge potential". He said the majority of Cubans "are interested in moving forward". The two countries are only 151 km apart.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0,  Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/10/politics/obama-raul-castro-panama-cuba/index.html
  • http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article18102170.html


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 :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

a step towards becoming

a.

to the USA

2.

discuss a better

b.

for 50 years

3.

end the bad relations

c.

ago

4.

spoken very little

d.

between the USA and Cuba

5.

stopped its citizens from

e.

terrorism

6.

banned most Cuban exports

f.

normal

7.

Over a decade

g.

visiting Cuba

8.

sponsored international

h.

future


MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

have a sit-

a.

advisor

2.

the highest-

b.

forward

3.

A US security

c.

potential

4.

The reason we're

d.

apart

5.

huge

e.

here

6.

the majority

f.

level talks

7.

interested in moving

g.

of Cubans

8.

only 151 km

h.

down meeting

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

USA-Cuban relations took (1) ___________________ becoming normal on Friday. The leaders of the two countries, Raul Castro and Barack Obama, (2) ___________________ the Summit of the Americas in Panama. This (3) ___________________ North, Central and South America to discuss a better future for their continents. The historic handshake could (4) ___________________ relations between the USA and Cuba. The two countries have spoken very little for 50 years. America (5) ___________________ from visiting Cuba and banned most Cuban exports to the USA. Over a decade ago, the USA said Cuba sponsored (6) ___________________.

Castro and Obama will have (7) ___________________ to discuss a better future together. The meeting will (8) ___________________ talks between the USA and Cuba since 1959. A US security advisor said: "The reason (9) ___________________ the President strongly believes (10) ___________________ was focused…totally on seeking to cut off the Cuban people from the USA had failed." President Obama said he thinks the Cuban people (11) ___________________ and have "huge potential". He said the majority of Cubans "are interested (12) ___________________ ". The two countries are only 151 km apart.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

USA-CubanrelationstookasteptowardsbecomingnormalonFrida
y.Theleadersofthetwocountries,RaulCastroandBarackObama,shoo
khandsattheSummitoftheAmericasinPanama.ThisisameetingforNor
th,CentralandSouthAmericatodiscussabetterfuturefortheircontinen
ts.ThehistorichandshakecouldendthebadrelationsbetweentheUSAa
ndCuba.Thetwocountrieshavespokenverylittlefor50years.Americas
toppeditscitizensfromvisitingCubaandbannedmostCubanexportstot
heUSA.Overadecadeago,theUSAsaidCubasponsoredinternationalte
rrorism.CastroandObamawillhaveasit-downmeetingtodiscussabet
terfuturetogether.Themeetingwillbethehighest-leveltalksbetw
eentheUSAandCubasince1959.AUSsecurityadvisorsaid:"Thereason
we'rehereisthatthePresidentstronglybelievesthatanapproachthatw
asfocused…totallyonseekingtocutofftheCubanpeoplefromtheUSAha
dfailed."PresidentObamasaidhethinkstheCubanpeopleare"extraord
inary"andhave"hugepotential".HesaidthemajorityofCubans"areinte
restedinmovingforward".Thetwocountriesareonly151kmapart.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about Cuba for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Back to the top

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You