The Reading / Listening - Hypersonic Missiles - Level 1

The USA is worried about China and Russia developing hypersonic missiles. These can travel 20 times the speed of sound. The U.S. military said hypersonic missiles are a security problem for the USA. It warned that the USA could not stop Russia or China using these missiles. It needs its nuclear weapons. U.S. President Donald Trump plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon to talk about the arms race.

Russia tested a hypersonic missile this month. China tested some last year. President Putin said Russia needed the weapons because "unlawful sanctions" from the USA and Europe have hurt Russia's development. He added: "You have failed to contain Russia." Mr Putin says the missiles can "strike like a fireball". Relations became worse this week after the UK and USA expelled Russian diplomats because of the poisoning of a Russian spy in England.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Hypersonic Missiles - Level 0,  Hypersonic Missiles - Level 2   or  Hypersonic Missiles - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/20/china-and-russia-aggressively-are-pursuing-hypersonic-weapons-general.html
  • https://www.livescience.com/62082-hypersonic-weapons-defense.html
  • http://thehill.com/policy/defense/380364-china-russia-eclipse-us-in-hypersonic-missiles-prompting-fears


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 USA is
  2. Russia developing
  3. travel 20 times the speed
  4. The U.S.
  5. a security problem
  6. the USA could not
  7. It needs its nuclear
  8. talk about the arms
  1. of sound
  2. weapons
  3. military
  4. race
  5. stop Russia
  6. worried
  7. hypersonic missiles
  8. for the USA

Paragraph 2

  1. China tested some
  2. unlawful
  3. hurt Russia's
  4. You have failed to
  5. the missiles can strike
  6. Relations became
  7. Russian
  8. the poisoning of
  1. worse this week
  2. last year
  3. a Russian spy
  4. sanctions
  5. diplomats
  6. contain Russia
  7. like a fireball
  8. development

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The USA (1) ___________________ China and Russia developing hypersonic missiles. These can travel 20 times the (2) ___________________. The U.S. military said hypersonic missiles are (3) ___________________ for the USA. It warned that the USA could not stop Russia or China (4) ___________________. It needs its nuclear weapons. U.S. President Donald Trump (5) ___________________ with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon to talk about (6) ___________________.

Russia tested a hypersonic missile this month. China tested (7) ___________________. President Putin said Russia needed the weapons because (8) ___________________ the USA and Europe have hurt Russia's development. He added: "You have (9) ___________________ Russia." Mr Putin says the missiles can "strike (10) ___________________". Relations became worse this (11) ___________________ UK and USA expelled Russian diplomats because of the poisoning of a (12) ___________________ England.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUSAisworriedaboutChinaandRussiadevelopinghypersonicmissil
es.Thesecantravel20timesthespeedofsound.TheU.S.militarysaidhy
personicmissilesareasecurityproblemfortheUSA.ItwarnedthattheU
SAcouldnotstopRussiaorChinausingthesemissiles.Itneedsitsnuclear
weapons.U.S.PresidentDonaldTrumpplanstomeetwithRussianPresi
dentVladimirPutinsoontotalkaboutthearmsrace.Russiatestedahype
rsonicmissilethismonth.Chinatestedsomelastyear.PresidentPutinsa
idRussianeededtheweaponsbecause"unlawfulsanctions"fromtheUS
AandEuropehavehurtRussia'sdevelopment.Headded:"Youhavefaile
dtocontainRussia."MrPutinsaysthemissilescan"strikelikeafireball".R
elationsbecameworsethisweekaftertheUKandUSAexpelledRussiand
iplomatsbecauseofthepoisoningofaRussianspyinEngland.

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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