The Reading / Listening - Wealth Inequality - Level 4

The wealth of the world's 26 richest people is equal to that of the 3.8 billion poorest. This shocking statistic is in a report from Oxfam. The number of billionaires has doubled since 2008. They are getting $2.5 billion richer every day. In contrast, the wealth of the poorest people is falling. Prices and rents are rising and wages are falling. Oxfam said the gap between the world's rich and poor is growing. This is creating a wealth inequality.

Oxfam says most wealthy people got rich from technology companies. The world's richest person is Amazon's CEO. He is worth $100 billion. This is 100 times more than Ethiopia's health budget. Oxfam wants to fix this imbalance in wealth. It wants fairer levels of tax, more tax on company profits, and an end to tax avoidance schemes that big companies and the super-rich use. In many countries, only the rich can afford quality education and healthcare.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Wealth Inequality - Level 5 or  Wealth Inequality - Level 6

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/20/business/oxfam-billionaires-davos/index.html
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/oxfam-world-richest-26-wealth-poorest-190121054249908.html
  • https://japantoday.com/category/world/world's-26-richest-own-same-as-poorest-half-of-humanity-oxfam


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 wealth of the world's
  2. This shocking
  3. The number of billionaires
  4. the wealth
  5. prices and
  6. wages are
  7. the gap between the world's
  8. This is creating a wealth
  1. rich and poor
  2. has doubled
  3. inequality
  4. statistic
  5. falling
  6. of the poorest people
  7. 26 richest people
  8. rents are rising

Paragraph 2

  1. people got rich from
  2. He is worth
  3. fix this imbalance
  4. It wants fairer levels
  5. more tax on
  6. an end to tax avoidance
  7. the super-
  8. quality education
  1. of tax
  2. rich
  3. company profits
  4. and healthcare
  5. $100 billion
  6. in wealth
  7. schemes
  8. technology companies

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The wealth of the world's 26 richest people (1) ___________________ that of the 3.8 billion poorest. This shocking (2) ___________________ a report from Oxfam. The number of billionaires (3) ___________________ 2008. They are getting $2.5 billion (4) ___________________. In contrast, the wealth of the poorest people is falling. Prices and (5) ___________________ and wages are falling. Oxfam said the gap between the world's rich and poor is growing. This (6) ___________________ wealth inequality.

Oxfam says most wealthy people (7) ___________________ technology companies. The world's richest person is Amazon's CEO. (8) ___________________ $100 billion. This is 100 times more than Ethiopia's health budget. Oxfam wants (9) ___________________ imbalance in wealth. It wants (10) ___________________ tax, more tax on company profits, and an end to tax (11) ___________________ big companies and the super-rich use. In many countries, only the rich (12) ___________________ education and healthcare.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thewealthoftheworld's26richestpeopleisequaltothatofthe3.8billion
poorest.ThisshockingstatisticisinareportfromOxfam.Thenumberofb
illionaireshasdoubledsince2008.Theyaregetting$2.5billionricherev
eryday.Incontrast,thewealthofthepoorestpeopleisfalling.Pricesandr
entsarerisingandwagesarefalling.Oxfamsaidthegapbetweentheworl
d'srichandpoorisgrowing.Thisiscreatingawealthinequality.Oxfamsa
ysmostwealthypeoplegotrichfromtechnologycompanies.Theworld's
richestpersonisAmazon'sCEO.Heisworth$100billion.Thisis100times
morethanEthiopia'shealthbudget.Oxfamwantstofixthisimbalancein
wealth.Itwantsfairerlevelsoftax,moretaxoncompanyprofits,andane
ndtotaxavoidanceschemesthatbigcompaniesandthesuper-richus
e.Inmanycountries,onlytherichcanaffordqualityeducationandhealth
care.

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