The Reading / Listening - Hacking - Level 4

There is a crisis between the USA and Russia. U.S. officials said Russia interfered in the U.S. election in November. They say Russian hackers stole Hillary Clinton's e-mails and put them on the Wikileaks website. The officials said Vladimir Putin wanted voters to vote for Donald Trump. President Barack Obama has now expelled 35 Russian diplomats from Washington. He also shut down two Russian intelligence buildings.

Russia is angry about the expulsions. It has denied hacking and says the U.S. actions are "ungrounded". Moscow has promised "counter-measures". However, any tit-for-tat measures may be less severe due to Mr Trump becoming President soon. A Russian spokesman said: "[Mr] Trump will become the head of state in three weeks' time. Of course, this factor will certainly be taken into account." Mr Trump wants better US-Russian relations.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Hacking - Level 5 or  Hacking - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/12/29/after-obama-sanctions-russia-trump-says-its-time-to-move-on-to-bigger-and-better-things
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38464612
  • http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/12/30/obama-sanctions-russia-good-move-that-comes-too-late.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. There is a crisis between
  2. U.S. officials said Russia
  3. the U.S. election
  4. Hillary Clinton's
  5. put them on the Wikileaks
  6. Putin wanted voters to vote
  7. expelled 35 Russian
  8. shut down two Russian intelligence
  1. interfered
  2. website
  3. diplomats
  4. the USA and Russia
  5. buildings
  6. e-mails
  7. in November
  8. for Donald Trump

Paragraph 2

  1. Russia is angry about the
  2. It has denied
  3. the U.S. actions are
  4. Moscow has promised
  5. any tit-for-tat measures may be
  6. Mr Trump will become the head
  7. this factor will certainly be taken
  8. Mr Trump wants better US-Russian
  1. "counter-measures"
  2. into account
  3. hacking
  4. of state
  5. expulsions
  6. relations
  7. "ungrounded"
  8. less severe

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

(1) ___________________ between the USA and Russia. U.S. officials said Russia interfered (2) ___________________ in November. They say Russian hackers stole Hillary Clinton's e-mails (3) ___________________ the Wikileaks website. The officials said Vladimir Putin (4) ___________________ vote for Donald Trump. President Barack Obama has (5) ___________________ Russian diplomats from Washington. He also shut down two Russian (6) ___________________.

Russia (7) ___________________ the expulsions. It has denied hacking and says the U.S. actions (8) ___________________. Moscow has promised "counter-measures". However, (9) ___________________ measures may be less (10) ___________________ Mr Trump becoming President soon. A Russian spokesman said: "[Mr] Trump will become (11) ___________________ in three weeks' time. Of course, this factor will certainly be (12) ___________________." Mr Trump wants better US-Russian relations.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThereisacrisisbetweentheUSAandRussia.U.S.officialssaidRussiainte
rferedintheU.S.electioninNovember.TheysayRussianhackersstoleHi
llaryClinton'se-mailsandputthemontheWikileakswebsite.Theofficia
lssaidVladimirPutinwantedvoterstovoteforDonaldTrump.PresidentB
arackObamahasnowexpelled35RussiandiplomatsfromWashington.
HealsoshutdowntwoRussianintelligencebuildings.Russiaisangryabo
uttheexpulsions.IthasdeniedhackingandsaystheU.S.actionsare"un
grounded".Moscowhaspromised"counter-measures".However,anyt
it-for-tatmeasuresmaybelesssevereduetoMrTrumpbecomingPre
sidentsoon.ARussianspokesmansaid:"[Mr]Trumpwillbecomethehea
dofstateinthreeweeks'time.Ofcourse,thisfactorwillcertainlybetakeni
ntoaccount."MrTrumpwantsbetterUS-Russianrelations.

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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