The Reading / Listening - 2018 World Cup - Level 1

France beat Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final. It was an exciting end to a great tournament. France also won it in 1998. The French coach became the third man to win as a player and coach. The final had good football, controversial refereeing decisions, an own goal, a pitch invasion, and a big goalkeeping mistake. Billions of people watched on TV. France's talented team included the next world star - the speedy 19-year-old forward Kylian Mbappe.

Croatia were best early on and looked like scoring first. However, a French free kick after 18 minutes was deflected in for an own goal by a Croatia forward. Croatia levelled 10 minutes later with a shot from Ivan Perisic. France restored its lead after the referee reviewed video evidence of a handball and scored a penalty. Two goals in six minutes extended France's lead. A mistake from France's goalkeeper gave Croatia a goal, but France held on to win.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    2018 World Cup - Level 0 2018 World Cup - Level 2   or  2018 World Cup - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44754965
  • https://sports.yahoo.com/france-storms-second-world-cup-title-final-victory-croatia-165354873.html
  • http://www.espn.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup/4/blog/post/3566255/mbappe-powers-france-to-world-cup-glory-croatia-reeling-after-var-controversy


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. an exciting end to a
  2. the third man to win as a
  3. controversial refereeing
  4. an own
  5. a big goalkeeping
  6. Billions of people
  7. France's talented team included
  8. the speedy 19-year-
  1. goal
  2. the next world star
  3. player and coach
  4. old forward
  5. decisions
  6. mistake
  7. great tournament
  8. watched on TV

Paragraph 2

  1. looked like scoring
  2. Croatia levelled
  3. France restored
  4. the referee reviewed video
  5. scored a
  6. Two goals in
  7. A mistake from France's goalkeeper
  8. France held
  1. gave Croatia a goal
  2. evidence
  3. six minutes
  4. on to win
  5. 10 minutes later
  6. its lead
  7. penalty
  8. first

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

France beat Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final. It was (1) ___________________ to a great tournament. France also won it in 1998. The French coach became (2) ___________________ to win as a (3) ___________________. The final had good football, controversial refereeing decisions, (4) ___________________, a pitch invasion, and a big goalkeeping mistake. (5) ___________________ watched on TV. France's talented team included the (6) ___________________ - the speedy 19-year-old forward Kylian Mbappe.

Croatia were (7) ___________________ and looked like scoring first. However, a French (8) ___________________ 18 minutes was deflected in for an own goal by a Croatia forward. Croatia levelled 10 minutes (9) ___________________ shot from Ivan Perisic. France restored its (10) ___________________ referee reviewed video evidence of a handball (11) ___________________ penalty. Two goals in six minutes extended France's lead. (12) ___________________ France's goalkeeper gave Croatia a goal, but France held on to win.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

FrancebeatCroatia4-2intheWorldCupfinal.Itwasanexcitingendtoag
reattournament.Francealsowonitin1998.TheFrenchcoachbecameth
ethirdmantowinasaplayerandcoach.Thefinalhadgoodfootball,contro
versialrefereeingdecisions,anowngoal,apitchinvasion,andabiggoalk
eepingmistake.BillionsofpeoplewatchedonTV.France'stalentedteam
includedthenextworldstar-thespeedy19-year-oldforwardKylianMb
appe.Croatiawerebestearlyonandlookedlikescoringfirst.However,a
Frenchfreekickafter18minuteswasdeflectedinforanowngoalbyaCroa
tiaforward.Croatialevelled10minuteslaterwithashotfromIvanPerisic
.Francerestoreditsleadaftertherefereereviewedvideoevidenceofaha
ndballandscoredapenalty.TwogoalsinsixminutesextendedFrance'sl
ead.AmistakefromFrance'sgoalkeepergaveCroatiaagoal,butFrance
heldontowin.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You