The Reading / Listening - Global Catastrophe - Level 0

Vladimir Putin said the North Korean crisis could cause a "planetary catastrophe". He said many people would die. He said talking was the only answer. Mr Putin warned that military action was very dangerous. He said North Korea would "eat grass" instead of stop its nuclear programme because they do not feel safe.

Tensions are dangerous because North Korea carried out its biggest ever nuclear test. The UN told North Korea to stop. Mr Putin said sanctions against North Korea will never work. The USA said North Korea was "begging for war". It said: "War is never something the US wants….We will defend our allies."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Global Catastrophe - Level 1,  Global Catastrophe - Level 2   or  Global Catastrophe - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/05/south-korea-minister-redeploying-us-nuclear-weapons-tensions-with-north
  • http://www.nation.co.ke/news/world/Putin-global-catastrophe-North-Korea/1068-4083486-w4xj8cz/index.html
  • https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0905/902328-korea/


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 North Korean
  2. a planetary
  3. He said many people
  4. talking was the
  5. military action
  6. eat grass
  7. stop its nuclear
  8. they do not feel
  1. catastrophe
  2. instead
  3. only answer
  4. safe
  5. crisis
  6. programme
  7. would die
  8. was very dangerous

Paragraph 2

  1. Tensions are
  2. its biggest
  3. nuclear
  4. The UN told North Korea
  5. sanctions against North Korea
  6. The USA said North Korea was
  7. War is never something
  8. We will defend
  1. begging for war
  2. will never work
  3. our allies
  4. dangerous
  5. to stop
  6. the US wants
  7. ever
  8. test

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Vladimir Putin said the North Korean (1) ___________________ a "planetary catastrophe". He said many people (2) ___________________. He said talking was (3) ___________________. Mr Putin warned that (4) ___________________ was very dangerous. He said North Korea would "eat (5) ___________________ of stop its nuclear programme because they do (6) ___________________.

Tensions (7) ___________________ because North Korea (8) ___________________ biggest ever nuclear test. The UN told North Korea to stop. Mr Putin said (9) __________________ North Korea will (10) ___________________. The USA said North Korea was "(11) ___________________". It said: "War is never something the US wants….We will (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

VladimirPutinsaidtheNorthKoreancrisiscouldcausea"planetarycatas
trophe".Hesaidmanypeoplewoulddie.Hesaidtalkingwastheonlyansw
er.MrPutinwarnedthatmilitaryactionwasverydangerous.HesaidNort
hKoreawould"eatgrass"insteadofstopitsnuclearprogrammebecause
theydonotfeelsafe.TensionsaredangerousbecauseNorthKoreacarrie
doutitsbiggestevernucleartest.TheUNtoldNorthKoreatostop.MrPuti
nsaidsanctionsagainstNorthKoreawillneverwork.TheUSAsaidNorth
Koreawas"beggingforwar".Itsaid:"WarisneversomethingtheUSwan
ts….Wewilldefendourallies."

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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