The Reading / Listening - Kashmir - Level 2

Tensions between India and Pakistan are growing. People are worried the two countries are heading for war. Pakistan shot down two Indian military jets on Wednesday. They captured an Indian fighter pilot. This happened after Indian jets dropped bombs on Pakistani territory. India said it was bombing a terrorist base linked to a suicide car bombing that killed at least 40 Indian police officers in Indian-controlled Kashmir. It is the first time Indian jets have hit Pakistan since a 1971 war. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for peace talks.

Pakistan closed its airspace on Wednesday. International airlines have suspended flights to Pakistan and some parts of India. Airlines that fly over India and Pakistan had to re-route flights to avoid the region. An aviation expert said about 800 flights a day use the India-Pakistan air route. He said it was "very critical". He added: "You can't fly over China, so you have to fly over Pakistan and India and go to Southeast Asia and Australia. Most of the traffic destined for Bangkok and Singapore will have to fly over Iran and then possibly take a detour."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Kashmir - Level 0 Kashmir - Level 1   or  Kashmir - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/india-pakistan-crisis-disrupts-international-flights-190227150404910.html
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/27/asia/pakistan-india-flight-disruption-intl/index.html
  • https://www.thenational.ae/uae/transport/uae-airlines-suspend-flights-to-pakistan-amid-military-escalation-1.830938


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 two countries are
  2. They captured an Indian
  3. India said it was bombing
  4. linked to a suicide
  5. in Indian-
  6. the first time Indian jets
  7. since a
  8. called for peace
  1. have hit Pakistan
  2. car bombing
  3. talks
  4. a terrorist base
  5. 1971 war
  6. fighter pilot
  7. controlled Kashmir
  8. heading for war

Paragraph 2

  1. Pakistan closed its
  2. airlines have suspended
  3. some parts
  4. re-route flights to
  5. An aviation
  6. about 800 flights a
  7. it was very
  8. take a
  1. critical
  2. of India
  3. expert
  4. detour
  5. day
  6. flights to Pakistan
  7. avoid the region
  8. airspace

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Tensions between India and Pakistan are growing. People are worried the two countries are (1) ___________________. Pakistan shot down two Indian (2) ___________________ Wednesday. They captured an Indian fighter pilot. This happened after Indian jets (3) ___________________ Pakistani territory. India said it was bombing a terrorist base linked (4) ___________________ car bombing that (5) ___________________ 40 Indian police officers in Indian-controlled Kashmir. It is the first time Indian jets have hit Pakistan since a 1971 war. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has called (6) ___________________.

Pakistan (7) ___________________ on Wednesday. International airlines (8) ___________________ to Pakistan and some parts of India. Airlines that fly over India and Pakistan had to re-route flights to avoid the region. An (9) ___________________ about 800 flights a day use the India-Pakistan air route. He said it (10) ___________________. He added: "You can't fly over China, so you have to fly over Pakistan and India and go to Southeast Asia and Australia. Most (11) ___________________ destined for Bangkok and Singapore will have to fly over Iran and then possibly (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TensionsbetweenIndiaandPakistanaregrowing.Peopleareworriedth
etwocountriesareheadingforwar.PakistanshotdowntwoIndianmilita
ryjetsonWednesday.TheycapturedanIndianfighterpilot.Thishappen
edafterIndianjetsdroppedbombsonPakistaniterritory.Indiasaiditwa
sbombingaterroristbaselinkedtoasuicidecarbombingthatkilledatlea
st40IndianpoliceofficersinIndian-controlledKashmir.Itisthefirsttim
eIndianjetshavehitPakistansincea1971war.Pakistan'sPrimeMinister
ImranKhanhascalledforpeacetalks.PakistancloseditsairspaceonWe
dnesday.InternationalairlineshavesuspendedflightstoPakistanands
omepartsofIndia.AirlinesthatflyoverIndiaandPakistanhadtore-rout
eflightstoavoidtheregion.Anaviationexpertsaidabout800flightsaday
usetheIndia-Pakistanairroute.Hesaiditwas"verycritical".Headded:"
Youcan'tflyoverChina,soyouhavetoflyoverPakistanandIndiaandgot
oSoutheastAsiaandAustralia.MostofthetrafficdestinedforBangkoka
ndSingaporewillhavetoflyoverIranandthenpossiblytakeadetour."

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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