The Reading / Listening - Turkey-Syria - Level 5

Donald Trump has asked Turkey's leader Recep Erdogan to end military actions in Syria. Turkey started attacking towns in northern Syria last week after the USA pulled out a group of its troops. Turkey launched attacks on Kurdish fighters to create a buffer zone on its border. Mr Trump called for an immediate ceasefire and for talks with the Kurds. US Vice-President told President Erdogan: "The USA wants Turkey to stop the invasion, implement an immediate ceasefire and to begin to negotiate with Kurdish forces in Syria to bring an end to the violence".

President Erdogan said Turkey would go ahead with its offensive in Syria, despite calls from around the world to stop. He said: "We will never declare a ceasefire. The USA is pressuring us to stop the operation. It is announcing sanctions. Our goal is clear. We are not worried about any sanctions." He added: "The international community missed its opportunity to prevent the Syrian crisis from pulling an entire region into a maelstrom of instability." He said the European Union and the world should support Turkey. Mr Trump said: "It is not our problem. It is time for us to go home."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Turkey-Syria - Level 4 or  Turkey-Syria - Level 6

Sources
  • https://news.sky.com/story/us-demands-syria-ceasefire-as-it-announces-sanctions-against-turkey-11835978
  • https://cyprus-mail.com/2019/10/16/trumps-light-sanctions-are-a-relief-for-bruised-turkish-lira/
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/erdogan-trump-turkey-syria-ceasefire-sanctions-a9157621.html


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. end military
  2. attacking towns
  3. a group
  4. create a buffer
  5. The USA wants Turkey
  6. implement an immediate
  7. negotiate
  8. bring an end
  1. with Kurdish forces
  2. zone on its border
  3. to the violence
  4. in northern Syria
  5. ceasefire
  6. actions in Syria
  7. to stop the invasion
  8. of its troops

Paragraph 2

  1. Turkey would go ahead
  2. despite calls from around
  3. We will never declare a
  4. It is announcing
  5. The international community
  6. an entire
  7. a maelstrom of
  8. It is time for
  1. ceasefire
  2. sanctions
  3. us to go home
  4. instability
  5. region
  6. with its offensive
  7. missed its opportunity
  8. the world to stop

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Donald Trump has asked Turkey's leader Recep Erdogan (1) ___________________ actions in Syria. Turkey started attacking towns in northern Syria last week after the USA pulled (2) ___________________ of its troops. Turkey launched attacks on Kurdish fighters to (3) ___________________ zone on its border. Mr Trump called for an immediate (4) ___________________ talks with the Kurds. US Vice-President told President Erdogan: "The USA wants Turkey to stop the invasion, implement an immediate ceasefire and to (5) ___________________ with Kurdish forces in Syria to bring an end (6) ___________________".

President Erdogan said Turkey (7) ___________________ with its offensive in Syria, (8) ___________________ around the world to stop. He said: "We will never declare a ceasefire. The USA (9) ___________________ to stop the operation. It is announcing sanctions. Our (10) ___________________. We are not worried about any sanctions." He added: "The international community missed its (11) ___________________ the Syrian crisis from pulling an entire region into (12) ___________________ instability." He said the European Union and the world should support Turkey. Mr Trump said: "It is not our problem. It is time for us to go home."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

DonaldTrumphasaskedTurkey'sleaderRecepErdogantoendmilitarya
ctionsinSyria.TurkeystartedattackingtownsinnorthernSyrialastwee
kaftertheUSApulledoutagroupofitstroops.Turkeylaunchedattackson
Kurdishfighterstocreateabufferzoneonitsborder.MrTrumpcalledfora
nimmediateceasefireandfortalkswiththeKurds.USVice-Presiden
ttoldPresidentErdogan:"TheUSAwantsTurkeytostoptheinvasion,im
plementanimmediateceasefireandtobegintonegotiatewithKurdishfo
rcesinSyriatobringanendtotheviolence".PresidentErdogansaidTurk
eywouldgoaheadwithitsoffensiveinSyria,despitecallsfromaroundthe
worldtostop.Hesaid:"Wewillneverdeclareaceasefire.TheUSAispress
uringustostoptheoperation.Itisannouncingsanctions.Ourgoalisclear
.Wearenotworriedaboutanysanctions."Headded:"Theinternationalc
ommunitymisseditsopportunitytopreventtheSyriancrisisfrompullin
ganentireregionintoamaelstromofinstability."HesaidtheEuropeanU
nionandtheworldshouldsupportTurkey.MrTrumpsaid:"Itisnotourpro
blem.Itistimeforustogohome."

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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