The Reading / Listening - Potato Shortage - Level 0

Europe didn't grow many potatoes this summer. This means French fries will be 3cm shorter than usual. Europe had a very hot summer and there was very little rain, so farmers grew 25 per cent fewer potatoes. This increased potato prices. It also made potatoes smaller. Smaller potatoes means shorter French fries.

The potato shortage is big news in Belgium. Fries are Belgium's national dish. Many shops sell fries. Belgians call them "Belgian fries" because they say the fries were invented in Belgium. A farmer explained that long fries of 8 to 9 cm need big potatoes. This summer's smaller potatoes means fries will be shorter.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Potato Shortage - Level 1,  Potato Shortage - Level 2   or  Potato Shortage - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/2018/09/23/french-fries-likely-lose-inch-europe/1406665002/
  • https://potatonewstoday.com/2018/09/21/british-chips-to-become-much-shorter/
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/18/british-chips-3cm-shorter-usual-belgian-potatoes-hit-dry-hot/


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. Europe didn't grow
  2. 3cm shorter than
  3. a very hot
  4. there was very little
  5. farmers grew 25 per cent
  6. This increased potato
  7. It also made potatoes
  8. Smaller potatoes means
  1. fewer potatoes
  2. smaller
  3. usual
  4. shorter French fries
  5. many potatoes
  6. rain
  7. prices
  8. summer

Paragraph 2

  1. The potato shortage is big
  2. Belgium's national
  3. Many shops sell
  4. Belgians call them
  5. fries were invented
  6. long fries
  7. This summer's smaller
  8. fries will
  1. potatoes
  2. "Belgian fries"
  3. be shorter
  4. dish
  5. of 8 to 9 cm
  6. fries
  7. in Belgium
  8. news in Belgium

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Europe (1) ___________________ potatoes this summer. This means French (2) ___________________ 3cm shorter than usual. Europe (3) ___________________ hot summer and there was very little rain, (4) ___________________ 25 per cent fewer potatoes. (5) ___________________ prices. It also made potatoes smaller. Smaller potatoes (6) ___________________ fries.

The potato shortage (7) ___________________ in Belgium. Fries are (8) ___________________. Many shops sell fries. Belgians call them "Belgian fries" (9) ___________________ the fries were invented in Belgium. A (10) ___________________ long fries of 8 to 9 cm (11) ___________________. This summer's smaller potatoes means fries (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Europedidn'tgrowmanypotatoesthissummer.ThismeansFrenchfries
willbe3cmshorterthanusual.Europehadaveryhotsummerandtherew
asverylittlerain,sofarmersgrew25percentfewerpotatoes.Thisincrea
sedpotatoprices.Italsomadepotatoessmaller.Smallerpotatoesmean
sshorterFrenchfries.ThepotatoshortageisbignewsinBelgium.Friesar
eBelgium'snationaldish.Manyshopssellfries.Belgianscallthem"Belgi
anfries"becausetheysaythefrieswereinventedinBelgium.Afarmerex
plainedthatlongfriesof8to9cmneedbigpotatoes.Thissummer'ssmall
erpotatoesmeansfrieswillbeshorter.

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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