The Reading / Listening - Crowdfunding - Level 1

Malaysians gave $2 million to help their country with its debt. Malaysia has a new government for the first time since 1957. It promised to fix problems left by the old government, especially the huge national debt. The old government lost a lot of money. The government used a new way of raising money - crowdfunding. It made a special page on the Internet to raise money. People can give money to the page using their credit card.

The $2 million is very small. It is just a drop in the ocean because the country's debt is $251 billion. Malaysia's finance minister said it was important for people to help. He said: "The people voluntarily want to share their earnings." The idea came from a woman who said she was, "very much in love with and proud" of her country. She started to raise money, and that very quickly attracted interest from other people. They also wanted to help.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Crowdfunding - Level 0 Crowdfunding - Level 2   or  Crowdfunding - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/business-44327407
  • https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysians-donate-s235m-in-24-hours-to-hope-fund-set-up-to-help-reduce-national-debt
  • http://www.businessinsider.com/malaysia-started-a-crowdfunding-campaign-to-pay-off-debt-2018-6


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. Malaysians gave
  2. help their country
  3. for the first time
  4. It promised to fix
  5. lost a lot
  6. a new way
  7. People can
  8. using their credit
  1. give money
  2. since 1957
  3. problems
  4. of raising money
  5. with its debt
  6. card
  7. of money
  8. $2 million

Paragraph 2

  1. The $2 million is
  2. It is just a drop
  3. the country's debt
  4. Malaysia's finance
  5. it was important for people
  6. share their
  7. proud
  8. quickly attracted
  1. earnings
  2. is $251 billion
  3. to help
  4. interest
  5. very small
  6. of her country
  7. in the ocean
  8. minister

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Malaysians gave $2 million (1) ___________________ country with its debt. Malaysia has a new government (2) ___________________ time since 1957. It promised to fix problems (3) ___________________ old government, especially the huge national debt. The old government (4) ___________________ of money. The government used a (5) ___________________ raising money - crowdfunding. It made a special page on the Internet (6) ___________________. People can give money to the page using their credit card.

The $2 million is very small. It is (7) ___________________ in the ocean because the country's debt is $251 billion. Malaysia's finance minister said it was important (8) ___________________ help. He said: "The people voluntarily (9) ___________________ their earnings." The idea came from a woman who said she was, "very (10) ___________________ with and proud" of her country. She started (11) ___________________, and that very quickly attracted interest from other people. They (12) ___________________ help.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Malaysiansgave$2milliontohelptheircountrywithitsdebt.Malaysiaha
sanewgovernmentforthefirsttimesince1957.Itpromisedtofixproble
msleftbytheoldgovernment,especiallythehugenationaldebt.Theold
governmentlostalotofmoney.Thegovernmentusedanewwayofraisin
gmoney-crowdfunding.ItmadeaspecialpageontheInternettoraisem
oney.Peoplecangivemoneytothepageusingtheircreditcard.The$2mil
lionisverysmall.Itisjustadropintheoceanbecausethecountry'sdebtis
$251billion.Malaysia'sfinanceministersaiditwasimportantforpeoplet
ohelp.Hesaid:"Thepeoplevoluntarilywanttosharetheirearnings."The
ideacamefromawomanwhosaidshewas,"verymuchinlovewithandpr
oud"ofhercountry.Shestartedtoraisemoney,andthatveryquicklyattr
actedinterestfromotherpeople.Theyalsowantedtohelp.

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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