The Reading / Listening - Halal Snack Pack - Level 2

A new fast food in Australia is helping to bring Australian people together. It was named as the People's Choice Word of the Year by an Australian dictionary. It is the "halal snack pack", also known as an "HSP". It is a mixture of kebab meat, potato fries and a special spicy sauce. The snack started in Australia, but it has its roots in the Middle East. It is now a symbol of multiculturalism in Australia. It is making people more aware of halal food. There is even an HSP group on Facebook with 180,000 members. People share HSP stories and discuss, "possibly the best snack pack in the world".

The halal snack pack has got people talking in Australia, especially after a far-right politician refused to eat one. She said halal meat was unacceptable in Australia and that "98% of Australians" were against it, but gave no proof to support this. Her words and actions have made the HSP more popular. The president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils said HSP winning word of the year was fantastic. He said: "If you're able to find it in the dictionary, it takes away the mystery. It brings people comfort and satisfaction…about the word 'halal'. It's all about what's positive."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Halal Snack Pack - Level 0 Halal Snack Pack - Level 1   or  Halal Snack Pack - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-38824058
  • http://www.smh.com.au/national/halal-snack-pack-named-peoples-choice-word-of-2016-by-macquarie-dictionary-20170201-gu2ui2.html
  • http://www.ibtimes.com.au/halal-snack-pack-peoples-choice-word-year-2016-1542096
  • https://www.facebook.com/groups/1671991646388258/


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. A new fast
  2. helping to bring Australian
  3. also known
  4. a special spicy
  5. it has its roots
  6. a symbol of
  7. making people more aware
  8. People share
  1. multiculturalism
  2. as an "HSP"
  3. in the Middle East
  4. HSP stories
  5. people together
  6. of halal food
  7. food
  8. sauce

Paragraph 2

  1. The halal snack pack has got
  2. a far-
  3. She said halal meat
  4. no proof
  5. Her words and
  6. find it in the
  7. it takes away the
  8. It brings people comfort and
  1. was unacceptable
  2. satisfaction
  3. right politician
  4. mystery
  5. people talking
  6. actions
  7. to support this
  8. dictionary

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A new fast food in Australia is (1) ___________________ Australian people together. It was named as the People's Choice Word of the Year by an Australian dictionary. It is the "halal snack pack", (2) ___________________ "HSP". It is a mixture of kebab meat, potato fries and a (3) ___________________. The snack started in Australia, but it (4) ___________________ the Middle East. It is now a symbol of multiculturalism in Australia. It is making people more aware of halal food. There (5) ___________________ HSP group on Facebook with 180,000 members. People share HSP stories and discuss, "(6) ___________________ snack pack in the world".

The halal snack pack has (7) ___________________ in Australia, especially after a far-right politician (8) ___________________ one. She said halal meat was unacceptable in Australia and that "98% of Australians" were against it, but (9) ___________________ to support this. Her words and actions have made (10) ___________________ popular. The president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils said HSP winning word of the year was fantastic. He said: "If (11) ___________________ find it in the dictionary, it takes away the mystery. It brings people comfort and satisfaction…about the word 'halal'. It's all about (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AnewfastfoodinAustraliaishelpingtobringAustralianpeopletogether.
ItwasnamedasthePeople'sChoiceWordoftheYearbyanAustraliandicti
onary.Itisthe"halalsnackpack",alsoknownasan"HSP".Itisamixtureof
kebabmeat,potatofriesandaspecialspicysauce.ThesnackstartedinA
ustralia,butithasitsrootsintheMiddleEast.Itisnowasymbolofmulticult
uralisminAustralia.Itismakingpeoplemoreawareofhalalfood.Thereis
evenanHSPgrouponFacebookwith180,000members.PeopleshareH
SPstoriesanddiscuss,"possiblythebestsnackpackintheworld".Thehal
alsnackpackhasgotpeopletalkinginAustralia,especiallyafterafar-
rightpoliticianrefusedtoeatone.Shesaidhalalmeatwasunacceptablei
nAustraliaandthat"98%ofAustralians"wereagainstit,butgavenoproo
ftosupportthis.HerwordsandactionshavemadetheHSPmorepopular.
ThepresidentoftheAustralianFederationofIslamicCouncilssaidHSPwi
nningwordoftheyearwasfantastic.Hesaid:"Ifyou'reabletofinditinthe
dictionary,ittakesawaythemystery.Itbringspeoplecomfortandsatisf
action…abouttheword'halal'.It'sallaboutwhat'spositive."

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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