The Reading / Listening - Saudi Drone Attacks - Level 1

Oil prices increased after the attacks on oil plants in Saudi Arabia. It was the biggest rise in ten years. Prices went up by nearly 20 per cent - the biggest one-day rise since the 1990-91 Gulf War. Saudi said the drone attacks cut the country's oil production in half, and global oil production by five per cent. It could take weeks to fix. We could pay higher gasoline prices. People may also have to pay higher prices for food and other things.

Yemen's Houthi group said it carried out the attacks because of Saudi attacks on its groups in Yemen. Iran supported this claim and called it self defense. It said: "The attack was a...response to years of Saudi aggression against Yemen." Arab countries say there is evidence that weapons used in the attack were made by Iran. U.S. officials say the attacks came from either Iraq or Iran, not Yemen. Iran called this "maximum lies".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Saudi Drone Attacks - Level 0 Saudi Drone Attacks - Level 2   or  Saudi Drone Attacks - Level 3

Sources
  • https://finance.yahoo.com/news/oil-surges-stock-futures-slip-233804359.html
  • https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-09-16/california-gas-prices-saudi-arabia
  • https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-aramco-iran-rouhani/irans-rouhani-says-aramco-attacks-were-a-reciprocal-response-by-yemen-idUSKBN1W12AE


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. It was the biggest rise
  2. the biggest one-
  3. since the 1990-91
  4. cut the country's oil production
  5. It could take weeks
  6. We could pay higher
  7. pay higher
  8. food and
  1. to fix
  2. other things
  3. day rise
  4. prices
  5. Gulf War
  6. in half
  7. in ten years
  8. gasoline prices

Paragraph 2

  1. it carried
  2. self
  3. a response to years of Saudi
  4. Arab countries say there
  5. weapons used
  6. made by
  7. the attacks came from
  8. Iran called this
  1. is evidence
  2. either Iraq or Iran
  3. in the attack
  4. "maximum lies"
  5. out the attacks
  6. aggression
  7. defense
  8. Iran

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Oil (1) ___________________ the attacks on oil plants in Saudi Arabia. It was the (2) ___________________ ten years. Prices went up by nearly 20 per cent - the biggest (3) ___________________ the 1990-91 Gulf War. Saudi said the drone attacks cut the country's oil (4) ___________________, and global oil production by five per cent. It could take (5) ___________________. We could pay higher gasoline prices. People may also have to pay higher prices for food (6) ___________________.

Yemen's Houthi group said it (7) ___________________ attacks because of Saudi attacks (8) ___________________ in Yemen. Iran supported this (9) ___________________ it self defense. It said: "The attack was a... (10) ___________________ of Saudi aggression against Yemen." Arab countries say there is evidence that (11) ___________________ the attack were made by Iran. U.S. officials say the attacks came from either Iraq or Iran, not Yemen. Iran called (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

OilpricesincreasedaftertheattacksonoilplantsinSaudiArabia.Itwasth
ebiggestriseintenyears.Priceswentupbynearly20percent-thebigge
stone-dayrisesincethe1990-91GulfWar.Saudisaidthedroneattack
scutthecountry'soilproductioninhalf,andglobaloilproductionbyfivep
ercent.Itcouldtakeweekstofix.Wecouldpayhighergasolineprices.Peo
plemayalsohavetopayhigherpricesforfoodandotherthings.Yemen's
HouthigroupsaiditcarriedouttheattacksbecauseofSaudiattacksonits
groupsinYemen.Iransupportedthisclaimandcalleditselfdefense.Itsai
d:"Theattackwasa...responsetoyearsofSaudiaggressionagainstYem
en."Arabcountriessaythereisevidencethatweaponsusedintheattack
weremadebyIran.U.S.officialssaytheattackscamefromeitherIraqorI
ran,notYemen.Irancalledthis"maximumlies".

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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