The Reading / Listening - United Kingdom - Level 2

An ex-UK prime minister, Gordon Brown, has warned that the union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is "sleepwalking" into disaster. He also warned of economic disaster after the UK leaves the European Union. The UK will leave the European Union on October 31st (which is also Halloween). Mr Brown believes that if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the four nations of the UK will be in trouble. He said this is because of nationalist thinking. He said many people in the UK want independence for their country. He said the United Kingdom is no longer a united kingdom.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is four countries - the three nations of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland. Brown thinks Brexit has made people in each country want independence. Most people in Scotland want to stay in the EU and voted against Brexit. There are talks of a vote for Scottish independence. There are also worries over a physical border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. People are talking about a possible reunited Ireland. Brown said: "We must recognize that nationalism is now driving British politics."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    United Kingdom - Level 0 United Kingdom - Level 1   or  United Kingdom - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49309113
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7345459/Growing-nationalism-pulling-UK-apart-sleepwalks-oblivion-Gordon-Brown-warns.html
  • https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/10/gordon-brown-says-no-deal-brexit-would-be-calamity-for-united-kingdom


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. An ex-UK
  2. sleepwalking into
  3. He also warned of economic
  4. if the UK leaves the EU without
  5. the four
  6. this is because of nationalist
  7. people in the UK
  8. the United Kingdom is no longer
  1. thinking
  2. a deal
  3. a united kingdom
  4. disaster
  5. want independence
  6. prime minister
  7. disaster
  8. nations of the UK

Paragraph 2

  1. people in each country want
  2. people in Scotland want to
  3. talks of a vote for Scottish
  4. There are also
  5. a physical
  6. talking about a possible reunited
  7. We must recognize
  8. nationalism is now driving
  1. that
  2. worries
  3. British politics
  4. border
  5. independence
  6. stay in the EU
  7. Ireland
  8. independence

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An ex-UK prime minister, Gordon Brown, (1) ___________________ the union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is "sleepwalking" into disaster. He (2) ___________________ economic disaster after the UK leaves the European Union. (3) ___________________ the European Union on October 31st (which is also Halloween). Mr Brown (4) ___________________ the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the four nations of the UK will be in trouble. He said (5) ___________________ of nationalist thinking. He said many people in the UK want independence for their country. He said the United Kingdom (6) ___________________ a united kingdom.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is four countries - the (7) ___________________ Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland. Brown thinks Brexit has made people (8) ___________________ want independence. Most people in Scotland want to stay in the EU (9) ___________________ Brexit. There are talks of a vote for Scottish independence. There are also worries (10) ___________________ border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. People (11) ___________________ a possible reunited Ireland. Brown said: "We must recognize that nationalism (12) ___________________ British politics."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Anex-UKprimeminister,GordonBrown,haswarnedthattheunionofEn
gland,Scotland,WalesandNorthernIrelandis"sleepwalking"intodisas
ter.HealsowarnedofeconomicdisasteraftertheUKleavestheEuropea
nUnion.TheUKwillleavetheEuropeanUniononOctober31st(whichisal
soHalloween).MrBrownbelievesthatiftheUKleavestheEUwithoutade
al,thefournationsoftheUKwillbeintrouble.Hesaidthisisbecauseofnati
onalistthinking.HesaidmanypeopleintheUKwantindependenceforth
eircountry.HesaidtheUnitedKingdomisnolongeraunitedkingdom.Th
eUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIrelandisfourcountries-
thethreenationsofGreatBritain(England,ScotlandandWales)andNor
thernIreland.BrownthinksBrexithasmadepeopleineachcountrywant
independence.MostpeopleinScotlandwanttostayintheEUandvoteda
gainstBrexit.TherearetalksofavoteforScottishindependence.Therea
realsoworriesoveraphysicalborderbetweenNorthernIrelandandtheR
epublicofIreland.PeoplearetalkingaboutapossiblereunitedIreland.B
rownsaid:"WemustrecognizethatnationalismisnowdrivingBritishpoli
tics."

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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