The Reading / Listening - Trade War - Level 1

A trade war may start between the USA and China. Stock markets in Asia fell on Friday because people are worried. U.S. President Donald Trump plans to put trade tariffs on Chinese goods. A tariff is a tax on imports - goods and services from other countries. President Trump wants to put tariffs on $60 billion of Chinese imports. China said it would use tariffs in reply. Tokyo's Nikkei share index fell by more than 4 per cent on Friday.

The tariffs could start a global trade war. A researcher said: "If the tariffs go ahead...China will retaliate....And then we expect the U.S. to retaliate further. This can turn ugly on a global scale very quickly." Mr Trump wants to protect U.S. workers. He is not happy with the trade imbalance with China. The USA buys $385 billion more goods from China than China buys from the USA. Trump wants to cut this imbalance by $100 billion.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Trade War - Level 0,  Trade War - Level 2   or  Trade War - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-markets-slump-as-fears-of-trade-war-mount/2018/03/23/f641e906-2e0b-11e8-8dc9-3b51e028b845_story.html
  • https://sg.news.yahoo.com/asian-markets-plunge-wall-street-trump-sparks-trade-020817042--finance.html
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/business-43510802


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 trade war
  2. Stock markets in Asia
  3. people are
  4. put trade tariffs on
  5. A tariff is a tax
  6. goods and services from
  7. put tariffs on $60 billion
  8. Tokyo's Nikkei share index fell
  1. Chinese goods
  2. by more than 4%
  3. other countries
  4. fell on Friday
  5. of Chinese imports
  6. worried
  7. on imports
  8. may start

Paragraph 2

  1. The tariffs could start
  2. If the tariffs go
  3. China will
  4. This can turn
  5. Trump wants to
  6. He is not happy with the trade
  7. The USA buys $385 billion more
  8. cut this imbalance
  1. retaliate
  2. protect US workers
  3. goods from China
  4. a global trade war
  5. by $100 billion
  6. ahead
  7. ugly
  8. imbalance

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A trade (1) ___________________ between the USA and China. Stock markets in Asia fell on Friday (2) ___________________ worried. U.S. President Donald Trump (3) ___________________ trade tariffs on Chinese goods. A tariff is a tax on imports - goods (4) ___________________ other countries. President Trump wants to put tariffs on $60 billion (5) ___________________. China said it would use tariffs in reply. Tokyo's Nikkei share index (6) ___________________ than 4 per cent on Friday.

The tariffs could (7) ___________________ trade war. A researcher said: "If the (8) ___________________...China will retaliate....And then (9) ___________________ U.S. to retaliate further. This can turn ugly on a global scale very quickly." Mr Trump (10) ___________________ U.S. workers. He is not happy (11) ___________________ imbalance with China. The USA buys $385 billion more goods from China than China buys from the USA. Trump wants to cut (12) ___________________ $100 billion.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AtradewarmaystartbetweentheUSAandChina.StockmarketsinAsiaf
ellonFridaybecausepeopleareworried.U.S.PresidentDonaldTrumppl
anstoputtradetariffsonChinesegoods.Atariffisataxonimports-goo
dsandservicesfromothercountries.PresidentTrumpwantstoputtariff
son$60billionofChineseimports.Chinasaiditwouldusetariffsinreply.T
okyo'sNikkeishareindexfellbymorethan4percentonFriday.Thetariffs
couldstartaglobaltradewar.Aresearchersaid:"Ifthetariffsgoahead...
Chinawillretaliate....AndthenweexpecttheU.S.toretaliatefurther.Thi
scanturnuglyonaglobalscaleveryquickly."MrTrumpwantstoprotectU
.S.workers.HeisnothappywiththetradeimbalancewithChina.TheUSA
buys$385billionmoregoodsfromChinathanChinabuysfromtheUSA.T
rumpwantstocutthisimbalanceby$100billion.

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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