The Reading / Listening - Level 5

There is a fresh hope for an end to hostilities in Syria. The United States, Russia and Syria have signed an agreement to target the group known as ISIS. It will come into effect on Monday. There is mixed reaction around the world to the latest plan as previous attempts at halting the fighting have failed. Even with the new 10-day truce being hours away, the bombs continued to fall in areas around the capital Damascus. Syrian government air strikes on ISIS-held areas killed at least 82 people over the weekend. At least 45 people died in Aleppo.

Most of the major players in Syria responded positively to the ceasefire, despite strained relations between Russia and the USA. An American official said: "This remains…the most promising way…to try to get this terrible situation to a better place." The US Secretary of State said: "It is an opportunity and not more than that until it becomes a reality." Russia's Foreign Minister said the US and Russia had agreed on joint "strikes against terrorists". Turkey and the European Union welcomed this but warned that more action was needed. There has been no official reaction from Iran.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 4 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37328945
  • http://www.npr.org/2016/09/10/493436461/new-syria-ceasefire-set-to-begin-monday
  • http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/09/syria-scores-killed-air-strikes-truce-deal-160910135209691.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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. fresh
  2. an end
  3. target the group known
  4. It will come into
  5. mixed
  6. previous attempts at
  7. the bombs continued
  8. air strikes on ISIS-
  1. halting the fighting
  2. as ISIS
  3. reaction
  4. held areas
  5. hope
  6. to fall
  7. to hostilities
  8. effect on Monday

Paragraph 2

  1. Most of the major
  2. Syria responded positively
  3. strained
  4. This remains the most promising
  5. get this terrible situation to
  6. until it becomes a
  7. agreed on joint strikes
  8. no official
  1. reality
  2. way
  3. reaction from Iran
  4. to the ceasefire
  5. relations
  6. against terrorists
  7. players
  8. a better place

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There is a fresh hope (1) ___________________ hostilities in Syria. The United States, Russia and Syria (2) ___________________ agreement to target the group known as ISIS. It will (3) ___________________ on Monday. There is mixed reaction around the world to the latest plan as previous (4) ___________________ the fighting have failed. Even with the new 10-day truce being hours away, the bombs continued to fall in areas   (5) ___________________ Damascus. Syrian government air strikes on ISIS-held areas killed at least 82 people (6) ___________________. At least 45 people died in Aleppo.

Most (7) ___________________ in Syria responded positively to the ceasefire, despite (8) ___________________ between Russia and the USA. An American official said: "This remains…the (9) ___________________…to try to get this terrible situation to a better place." The US Secretary of State said: "It is an opportunity and not more (10) ___________________ becomes a reality." Russia's Foreign Minister said the US and Russia had agreed on (11) ___________________ terrorists". Turkey and the European Union welcomed this but warned that more action was needed. There has been no (12) ___________________ Iran.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThereisafreshhopeforanendtohostilitiesinSyria.TheUnitedStates,Ru
ssiaandSyriahavesignedanagreementtotargetthegroupknownasISI
S.ItwillcomeintoeffectonMonday.Thereismixedreactionaroundthew
orldtothelatestplanaspreviousattemptsathaltingthefightinghavefail
ed.Evenwiththenew10-daytrucebeinghoursaway,thebombscontinu
edtofallinareasaroundthecapitalDamascus.Syriangovernmentairstr
ikesonISIS-heldareaskilledatleast82peopleovertheweekend.Atlea
st45peoplediedinAleppo.MostofthemajorplayersinSyriarespondedp
ositivelytotheceasefire,despitestrainedrelationsbetweenRussiaandt
heUSA.AnAmericanofficialsaid:"Thisremains…themostpromisingwa
y…totrytogetthisterriblesituationtoabetterplace."TheUSSecretaryof
Statesaid:"Itisanopportunityandnotmorethanthatuntilitbecomesar
eality."Russia'sForeignMinistersaidtheUSandRussiahadagreedonjoi
nt"strikesagainstterrorists".TurkeyandtheEuropeanUnionwelcome
dthisbutwarnedthatmoreactionwasneeded.Therehasbeennoofficialr
eactionfromIran.

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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