The Reading / Listening - Fire and Fury - Level 2

President Donald Trump warned North Korea again over its plans to fire weapons. The war of words between Mr Trump and North Korea is getting worse. Countries in the region are worried that the war of words could turn into a real war. Tensions increased a lot this week when North Korea said it had nuclear warheads small enough to fit inside its missiles. Trump then warned: "North Korea best not make any more threats….They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen." North Korea responded by promising to fire missiles off the coast of the US territory of Guam.

North Korea said Trump's words were "nonsense". Mr Trump then warned the North Koreans again. He said his "fire and fury" statement "wasn't tough enough" and that North Korea should "be very, very nervous". He said China could do more to reduce tensions. The USA's Arms Control Association said Mr Trump should stop using such strong words to avoid a military conflict. It said: "Recent [talk] from Trump is a dangerous and ineffective strategy to halt North Korea's nuclear development and could trigger a military conflict that would not be in the U.S. interest."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Fire and Fury - Level 0 Fire and Fury - Level 1   or  Fire and Fury - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40894529
  • http://time.com/4894701/north-korea-donald-trump-fire-fury-load-of-nonsense/
  • http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2017/08/103_234561.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. fire
  2. war of
  3. nuclear
  4. small enough to fit
  5. They will be met with fire
  6. North Korea
  7. promising to fire
  8. off the coast of the US
  1. and fury
  2. missiles
  3. weapons
  4. territory of Guam
  5. words
  6. warheads
  7. responded
  8. inside its missiles

Paragraph 2

  1. North Korea said Trump's words
  2. wasn't tough
  3. North Korea should be very,
  4. do more to reduce
  5. avoid a military
  6. halt North Korea's nuclear
  7. trigger a military
  8. would not be in
  1. conflict
  2. very nervous
  3. the U.S. interest
  4. were "nonsense"
  5. conflict
  6. enough
  7. development
  8. tensions

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

President Donald Trump warned North Korea (1) ___________________ plans to fire weapons. The war of words between Mr Trump and North Korea (2) ___________________. Countries in the (3) ___________________ that the war of words could turn into a real war. Tensions (4) ___________________ this week when North Korea said it had nuclear warheads small enough to fit inside its missiles. Trump then warned: "North Korea best not (5) ___________________ threats….They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen." North Korea responded by promising to fire (6) ___________________ coast of the US territory of Guam.

North Korea said Trump's (7) ___________________. Mr Trump then warned the North Koreans again. He said his "fire and fury" statement "wasn't (8) ___________________" and that North Korea should "be very, very nervous". He said China could do more (9) ___________________. The USA's Arms Control Association said Mr Trump should (10) ___________________ strong words to avoid a military conflict. It said: "Recent [talk] from Trump is a dangerous and ineffective (11) ___________________ North Korea's nuclear development and could (12) ___________________ conflict that would not be in the U.S. interest."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

PresidentDonaldTrumpwarnedNorthKoreaagainoveritsplanstofirew
eapons.ThewarofwordsbetweenMrTrumpandNorthKoreaisgettingw
orse.Countriesintheregionareworriedthatthewarofwordscouldturni
ntoarealwar.TensionsincreasedalotthisweekwhenNorthKoreasaidit
hadnuclearwarheadssmallenoughtofitinsideitsmissiles.Trumpthen
warned:"NorthKoreabestnotmakeanymorethreats….Theywillbemet
withfireandfuryliketheworldhasneverseen."NorthKorearespondedb
ypromisingtofiremissilesoffthecoastoftheUSterritoryofGuam.North
KoreasaidTrump'swordswere"nonsense".MrTrumpthenwarn
edtheNorthKoreansagain.Hesaidhis"fireandfury"statement"wasn'tt
oughenough"andthatNorthKoreashould"bevery,verynervous".Hesa
idChinacoulddomoretoreducetensions.TheUSA'sArmsControlAssoci
ationsaidMrTrumpshouldstopusingsuchstrongwordstoavoidamilitar
yconflict.Itsaid:"Recent[talk]fromTrumpisadangerousandineffectiv
estrategytohaltNorthKorea'snucleardevelopmentandcouldtriggera
militaryconflictthatwouldnotbeintheU.S.interest."

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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