The Reading / Listening - Income Inequality - Level 0

A report from the charity Oxfam said eight billionaires are as rich as half the world. They have as much money as the 3.6 billion poorest people. The richest man is Microsoft's founder. He is worth $75 billion. Oxfam said: "The gap between rich and poor is far greater than [we thought]." It said this was unfair.

Oxfam said it was shocking that one in 10 people survive on less than $2 a day. This means millions of people are very, very poor. Oxfam said: "Across the world, people are being left behind. Their wages are [not going up] yet…bosses take home million-dollar bonuses." An economist said Oxfam should not attack rich people.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Income Inequality - Level 1,  Income Inequality - Level 2   or  Income Inequality - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/business-38613488
  • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/income-inequality-oxfam_us_58792e6ee4b0b3c7a7b13616
  • https://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2017-01-16/just-8-men-own-same-wealth-half-world


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. eight
  2. as rich
  3. the 3.6 billion
  4. The richest man is Microsoft's
  5. He is worth
  6. The gap between rich
  7. far greater
  8. It said this was
  1. as half the world
  2. and poor
  3. founder
  4. unfair
  5. billionaires
  6. than we thought
  7. poorest people
  8. $75 billion

Paragraph 2

  1. Oxfam said it was
  2. one in
  3. survive on
  4. millions of people
  5. people are being left
  6. Their wages are not
  7. bosses take home million-
  8. Oxfam should not
  1. less than $2 a day
  2. dollar bonuses
  3. are very, very poor
  4. shocking
  5. attack rich people
  6. 10 people
  7. behind
  8. going up

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A report (1) ___________________ Oxfam said eight billionaires (2) ___________________ as half the world. They have as much money as the (3) ___________________ poorest people. The richest man is Microsoft's founder. (4) ___________________ $75 billion. Oxfam said: "The (5) ___________________ rich and poor is far greater than [we thought]." It (6) ___________________ unfair.

Oxfam said it was shocking (7) ___________________ 10 people survive (8) ___________________ $2 a day. This means millions of people are very, (9) ___________________. Oxfam said: "Across the world, people (10) ___________________ behind. Their wages are [not going up] (11) ___________________ home million-dollar bonuses." An economist said Oxfam should not attack (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AreportfromthecharityOxfamsaideightbillionairesareasrichashalfth
eworld.Theyhaveasmuchmoneyasthe3.6billionpoorestpeople.Theri
chestmanisMicrosoft'sfounder.Heisworth$75billion.Oxfamsaid:"Th
egapbetweenrichandpoorisfargreaterthan[wethought]."Itsaidthisw
asunfair.Oxfamsaiditwasshockingthatonein10peoplesurviveonlesst
han$2aday.Thismeansmillionsofpeoplearevery,verypoor.Oxfamsai
d:"Acrosstheworld,peoplearebeingleftbehind.Theirwagesare[notgo
ingup]yet…bossestakehomemillion-dollarbonuses."Aneconomistsa
idOxfamshouldnotattackrichpeople.

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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