The Reading / Listening - Border Wall - Level 4

The U.S. government will partially shut down because there is no agreement to find funds for the Mexico border wall. The closures will last until after Christmas. It is the third shutdown this year. Donald Trump promised a "very long" government shutdown if Democrats do not find $5.7 billion for the wall. The wall was one of the President's major election promises. He said: "We are totally prepared for a very long shutdown."

The shutdown affected Mr Trump's holiday plans. He will remain in Washington, D.C. and the First Lady will return from Florida so they can spend Christmas together. Large parts of the country are in gridlock. Many departments have run out of money, including homeland security, law enforcement, tax collection and transportation. About 400,000 government workers will stay at home without pay until there is a deal.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Border Wall - Level 5 or  Border Wall - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/shutdown-day-1-trump-warns-it-could-be-a-long-stay-amid-impasse-over-border-wall/2018/12/22/006ff10c-060b-11e9-9122-82e98f91ee6f_story.html
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46637638
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/22/politics/government-shutdown-day-1/index.html


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 U.S. government will
  2. there is
  3. find funds for the Mexico
  4. The closures will last until
  5. do not find
  6. the President's major
  7. We are totally
  8. a very long
  1. after Christmas
  2. prepared
  3. $5.7 billion
  4. border wall
  5. shutdown
  6. partially shut down
  7. no agreement
  8. election promises

Paragraph 2

  1. The shutdown affected Mr Trump's
  2. the First
  3. so they can spend
  4. Large parts of the country
  5. Many departments have run
  6. homeland
  7. tax
  8. workers will stay at home
  1. collection
  2. are in gridlock
  3. holiday plans
  4. without pay
  5. security
  6. Lady
  7. out of money
  8. Christmas together

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The U.S. government (1) ___________________ down because there is no agreement to (2) ___________________ the Mexico border wall. The closures will (3) ___________________ Christmas. It is the third shutdown this year. Donald Trump promised (4) ___________________ government shutdown if Democrats do not find $5.7 billion (5) ___________________. The wall was one of the President's (6) ___________________. He said: "We are totally prepared for a very long shutdown."

The shutdown affected Mr Trump's holiday plans. (7) ___________________ in Washington, D.C. and the First Lady (8) ___________________ Florida so they can spend Christmas together. (9) ___________________ the country are in gridlock. Many departments have run (10) ___________________, including homeland security, law enforcement, (11) ___________________ transportation. About 400,000 government workers will stay at home (12) ___________________ there is a deal.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheU.S.governmentwillpartiallyshutdownbecausethereisnoagreem
enttofindfundsfortheMexicoborderwall.Theclosureswilllastuntilafter
Christmas.Itisthethirdshutdownthisyear.DonaldTrumppromiseda"v
erylong"governmentshutdownifDemocratsdonotfind$5.7billionfort
hewall.ThewallwasoneofthePresident'smajorelectionpromises.Hesa
id:"Wearetotallypreparedforaverylongshutdown."Theshutdownaffe
ctedMrTrump'sholidayplans.HewillremaininWashington,D.C.andth
eFirstLadywillreturnfromFloridasotheycanspendChristmastogether.
Largepartsofthecountryareingridlock.Manydepartmentshaverunout
ofmoney,includinghomelandsecurity,lawenforcement,taxcollection
andtransportation.About400,000governmentworkerswillstayatho
mewithoutpayuntilthereisadeal.

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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