The Reading / Listening - Level 2

The Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has announced his country will move away from the USA and work with China. He made the announcement in a meeting in China's capital city. Mr Duterte also hinted he might get closer to Russia. He said: "Maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world - China, the Philippines and Russia." Duterte said he would end military and economic agreements with the USA. He told the USA: "Your stay in my country was for your own benefit. So it is time to say goodbye, my friend."

Things could now change in the Asia-Pacific region. China will be stronger and the USA will be weaker. Mr Duterte may ask the USA to leave its military bases in the Philippines. This would be a big problem for the USA. A US spokesman said: "That starts to raise questions about our whole approach to the region." This break from the US comes after 65 years of a close partnership between the two countries. The Russian newspaper 'Russia Today' commented on the changing relations. It wrote: "China has just turned a former rival into a regional ally."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/20/politics/rodrigo-duterte-us-interests-philippines/
  • http://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-announces-separation-us/292340/
  • https://www.rt.com/news/363465-duterte-china-goodbye-us/


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. The Philippines
  2. his country will move
  3. He made the announcement
  4. in China's capital
  5. Duterte also hinted he might get
  6. Maybe I will also go to Russia
  7. there are three of us
  8. Your stay in my country was for
  1. to talk to Putin
  2. in a meeting
  3. city
  4. closer to Russia
  5. president
  6. your own benefit
  7. away from the USA
  8. against the world

Paragraph 2

  1. Things could now change
  2. China will be
  3. Mr Duterte may ask the USA to
  4. This would be a big
  5. raise questions about
  6. after 65 years of a close
  7. changing
  8. China has just turned a former
  1. relations
  2. leave its military bases
  3. rival into a regional ally
  4. partnership
  5. in the Asia-Pacific region
  6. problem for the USA
  7. stronger
  8. our whole approach

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte (1) __________________ country will move away from the USA and work with China. He made (2) ___________________ in a meeting in China's capital city. Mr Duterte also (3) ___________________ get closer to Russia. He said: "Maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us (4) ___________________ - China, the Philippines and Russia." Duterte said (5) ___________________ military and economic agreements with the USA. He told the USA: "Your stay in my country was for (6) ___________________. So it is time to say goodbye, my friend."

Things (7) ___________________ in the Asia-Pacific region. China will be stronger and the USA will be weaker. Mr Duterte may ask the USA to leave (8) ___________________ in the Philippines. This would be (9) ___________________ for the USA. A US spokesman said: "That starts to raise questions about (10) ___________________ to the region." This break from the US comes after 65 years of a (11) ___________________ between the two countries. The Russian newspaper 'Russia Today' commented on the (12) ___________________. It wrote: "China has just turned a former rival into a regional ally."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThePhilippinespresidentRodrigoDutertehasannouncedhiscountrywil
lmoveawayfromtheUSAandworkwithChina.Hemadetheannouncem
entinameetinginChina'scapitalcity.MrDutertealsohintedhemightget
closertoRussia.Hesaid:"MaybeIwillalsogotoRussiatotalktoPutinandt
ellhimthattherearethreeofusagainsttheworld-China,thePhilippin
esandRussia."Dutertesaidhewouldendmilitaryandeconomicagreem
entswiththeUSA.HetoldtheUSA:"Yourstayinmycountrywasforyouro
wnbenefit.Soitistimetosaygoodbye,myfriend."Thingscouldnowchan
geintheAsia-Pacificregion.ChinawillbestrongerandtheUSAwillbewe
aker.MrDutertemayasktheUSAtoleaveitsmilitarybasesinthePhilippi
nes.ThiswouldbeabigproblemfortheUSA.AUSspokesmansaid:"That
startstoraisequestionsaboutourwholeapproachtotheregion."Thisbr
eakfromtheUScomesafter65yearsofaclosepartnershipbetweenthet
wocountries.TheRussiannewspaper'RussiaToday'commentedonthe
changingrelations.Itwrote:"Chinahasjustturnedaformerrivalintoare
gionalally."

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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