The Reading / Listening - Riyadh - Level 5

Saudi Arabia's government will invest $23 billion in a huge makeover for its capital city, Riyadh. This is part of a project to beautify the city, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, boost leisure and tourism, and create "one of the world's most livable cities". In addition, a further $15 billion in private sector funding will finance investment opportunities for businesses. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will oversee the ambitious project. It is part of his Vision 2030 initiative aimed at diversifying the kingdom's revenue sources and move away from relying on oil.

Other world capitals can only dream of receiving such vast amounts of money. Saudi aims to improve the quality of life for Riyadh's 5 million residents. A focus on leisure will make people happier. There will be over 130km of cycling track, a huge new park and hundreds of art installations. Riyadh will be a greener city. The amount of green space per person will increase 16-fold. Over 7.5 million trees will be planted and dozens of community gardens created. Work on the project will begin in the second half of the year. It will create 70,000 jobs and take around 10 years to complete.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Riyadh - Level 4 or  Riyadh - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/20/saudi-arabia-is-giving-its-capital-a-23-billion-makeover.html
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-19/saudi-king-launches-23-billion-riyadh-beautification-program
  • https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-economy/saudi-arabia-invests-23-billion-to-improve-living-in-riyadh-idUSKCN1R01IT


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. part of a project to
  2. boost leisure
  3. one of the world's most
  4. private sector
  5. finance investment
  6. oversee the ambitious
  7. diversifying the kingdom's
  8. move away from relying
  1. project
  2. funding
  3. on oil
  4. beautify the city
  5. revenue sources
  6. and tourism
  7. opportunities
  8. livable cities

Paragraph 2

  1. such vast
  2. A focus
  3. The amount of green space
  4. 7.5 million trees will
  5. dozens of community
  6. begin in the second
  7. It will create
  8. take around 10
  1. be planted
  2. 70,000 jobs
  3. amounts of money
  4. years to complete
  5. half of the year
  6. per person
  7. on leisure
  8. gardens

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Saudi Arabia's government will invest $23 billion (1) ___________________ makeover for its capital city, Riyadh. This is part (2) ___________________ to beautify the city, create hundreds (3) ___________________ jobs, boost leisure and tourism, and create "one of the world's most livable cities". In addition, a further $15 billion (4) ___________________ funding will finance investment opportunities for businesses. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (5) ___________________ ambitious project. It is part of his Vision 2030 initiative aimed at diversifying the kingdom's revenue sources and move away (6) ___________________ oil.

Other world capitals can (7) ___________________ receiving such vast amounts of money. Saudi aims to improve the (8) ___________________ for Riyadh's 5 million residents. A focus on leisure (9) ___________________ happier. There will be over 130km of cycling track, a huge new park and hundreds (10) ___________________. Riyadh will be a greener city. The amount of green space per person will increase 16-fold. Over 7.5 million trees will be planted (11) ___________________ community gardens created. Work on the project will begin in the (12) ___________________ the year. It will create 70,000 jobs and take around 10 years to complete.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

SaudiArabia'sgovernmentwillinvest$23billioninahugemakeoverfori
tscapitalcity,Riyadh.Thisispartofaprojecttobeautifythecity,createhu
ndredsofthousandsofjobs,boostleisureandtourism,andcreate"oneof
theworld'smostlivablecities".Inaddition,afurther$15billioninprivate
sectorfundingwillfinanceinvestmentopportunitiesforbusinesses.Cro
wnPrinceMohammedbinSalmanwilloverseetheambitiousproject.Itis
partofhisVision2030initiativeaimedatdiversifyingthekingdom'sreve
nuesourcesandmoveawayfromrelyingonoil.Otherworldcapitalscano
nlydreamofreceivingsuchvastamountsofmoney.Saudiaimstoimprov
ethequalityoflifeforRiyadh's5millionresidents.Afocusonleisurewillm
akepeoplehappier.Therewillbeover130kmofcyclingtrack,ahugenew
parkandhundredsofartinstallations.Riyadhwillbeagreenercity.Thea
mountofgreenspaceperpersonwillincrease16-fold.Over7.5milliontr
eeswillbeplantedanddozensofcommunitygardenscreated.Workonth
eprojectwillbegininthesecondhalfoftheyear.Itwillcreate70,000jobsa
ndtakearound10yearstocomplete.

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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