The Reading / Listening - Potato Chips - Level 0

There is a potato problem in New Zealand. Potato chip lovers are calling it a "chipocalypse". A very wet winter has hit potato farmers. In some areas, farmers lost a third of the potatoes used to make potato chips. Companies will make fewer potato chips. The price of potato chips will be higher.

The Potatoes New Zealand group said: "It started raining in March, and it…hasn't stopped. We've had the entire year's worth of rainfall already." The ground never dries out. He said potatoes need to breathe, but they are drowning and rotting. A big supermarket said it was working to make sure potatoes are in the shops.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Potato Chips - Level 1,  Potato Chips - Level 2   or  Potato Chips - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41633997
  • http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/341595/chips-are-down-as-potato-shortage-bites
  • http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11933616


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 potato
  2. Potato chip
  3. A very wet winter has
  4. In some
  5. farmers lost a third of
  6. used to
  7. Companies will make
  8. The price
  1. fewer potato chips
  2. areas
  3. problem
  4. of potato chips
  5. hit potato farmers
  6. the potatoes
  7. lovers
  8. make potato chips

Paragraph 2

  1. It started raining
  2. it hasn't
  3. the entire year's worth
  4. The ground never dries
  5. potatoes need to
  6. they are
  7. it was working to make
  8. potatoes are
  1. of rainfall
  2. drowning and rotting
  3. in the shops
  4. stopped
  5. sure
  6. breathe
  7. in March
  8. out

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There is a potato problem in New Zealand. Potato (1) ___________________ calling it a "chipocalypse". A (2) _________________ has hit potato farmers. (3) __________________, farmers lost (4) _________________ the potatoes (5) ___________________ potato chips. Companies will make fewer potato chips. The price of potato chips (6) ___________________.

The Potatoes New Zealand group said: "It (7) ___________________ March, and it…hasn't stopped. We've had the entire (8) ___________________ rainfall already." The ground (9) ___________________. He said potatoes need to breathe, (10) ___________________ drowning and rotting. A big supermarket (11) ___________________ working to make sure potatoes (12) ___________________ shops.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThereisapotatoprobleminNewZealand.Potatochiploversarecallingita
"chipocalypse".Averywetwinterhashitpotatofarmers.Insomeareas,f
armerslostathirdofthepotatoesusedtomakepotatochips.Companies
willmakefewerpotatochips.Thepriceofpotatochipswillbehigher.TheP
otatoesNewZealandgroupsaid:"ItstartedraininginMarch,andit…has
n'tstopped.We'vehadtheentireyear'sworthofrainfallalready."Thegro
undneverdriesout.Hesaidpotatoesneedtobreathe,buttheyaredrown
ingandrotting.Abigsupermarketsaiditwasworkingtomakesurepotat
oesareintheshops.

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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