The Reading / Listening - Potato Chips - Level 1

There is a shortage of potatoes in New Zealand. This means there could be fewer potato chips until next year. Potato chip lovers are calling this a "chipocalypse". This is from the words "chip" and "apocalypse". New Zealand has had a very wet winter. This has hit potato farmers. In some areas, a third of the potatoes used to make potato chips has been lost. This means companies will make fewer potato chips, and prices for potato chips will be higher.

The Potatoes New Zealand group told a radio station: "It started raining in March, and it just simply hasn't stopped. We've had the entire year's worth of rainfall already….It's continuous, so the soils never get a chance to dry out." The group said potatoes are alive and need to breathe, but they are drowning and rotting because they are under water. A big supermarket said: "We are working…to manage supply as much as possible."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Potato Chips - Level 0 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
  2. there could
  3. Potato chip
  4. This is from the words
  5. a very
  6. a third of
  7. companies will make
  8. prices for potato chips
  1. the potatoes used
  2. lovers
  3. will be higher
  4. be fewer potato chips
  5. shortage of potatoes
  6. fewer potato chips
  7. wet winter
  8. "chip" and "apocalypse"

Paragraph 2

  1. radio
  2. It started
  3. it just simply hasn't
  4. We've had the entire year's
  5. the soils never get a chance
  6. potatoes are alive and
  7. they are drowning
  8. supply as much
  1. to dry out
  2. and rotting
  3. worth of rainfall
  4. stopped
  5. station
  6. as possible
  7. need to breathe
  8. raining in March

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There is (1) ___________________ potatoes in New Zealand. This means there could be fewer potato chips (2) ___________________. Potato chip lovers are calling this a "chipocalypse". (3) ___________________ the words "chip" and "apocalypse". New Zealand has had (4) ___________________ winter. This has hit potato farmers. (5) ___________________, a third of the potatoes used to make potato chips has been lost. This means companies will make fewer potato chips, and prices for potato chips (6) ___________________.

The Potatoes New Zealand (7) ___________________ radio station: "It started raining in March, and (8) ___________________ hasn't stopped. We've had the entire year's (9) ___________________ already….It's continuous, so the soils never get a chance (10) ___________________." The group said potatoes are alive and (11) ___________________, but they are drowning and rotting because they are under water. A big supermarket said: "We are working…to manage supply (12) ___________________ possible."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThereisashortageofpotatoesinNewZealand.Thismeanstherecouldbe
fewerpotatochipsuntilnextyear.Potatochiploversarecallingthisa"chi
pocalypse".Thisisfromthewords"chip"and"apocalypse".NewZealan
dhashadaverywetwinter.Thishashitpotatofarmers.Insomeareas,ath
irdofthepotatoesusedtomakepotatochipshasbeenlost.Thismeansco
mpanieswillmakefewerpotatochips,andpricesforpotatochipswillbehi
gher.ThePotatoesNewZealandgrouptoldaradiostation:"Itstartedrai
ninginMarch,anditjustsimplyhasn'tstopped.We'vehadtheentireyear
'sworthofrainfallalready….It'scontinuous,sothesoilsnevergetachanc
etodryout."Thegroupsaidpotatoesarealiveandneedtobreathe,butth
eyaredrowningandrottingbecausetheyareunderwater.Abigsuperma
rketsaid:"Weareworking…tomanagesupplyasmuchaspossible."

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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