The Reading / Listening - Nuclear Weapons - Level 5

Pope Francis asked nations to end their nuclear arms race. It is the first visit by a Pope to Japan in 38 years. He visited the only two cities ever to experience a nuclear attack - Nagasaki and Hiroshima. While in Nagasaki, the Pope condemned the "unspeakable horror" of nuclear weapons. Nagasaki suffered widespread death and destruction as it was destroyed at the end of World War II. Francis laid a wreath and prayed at a memorial. Over 140,000 people perished in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, while 74,000 people lost their lives in the Nagasaki bombing three days later.

The Pope spoke to world leaders. They seem intent on building their nuclear arsenals. He said he was convinced that a world without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary. He said these weapons cannot protect us from current threats to international security. He condemned the amount of money spent on weapons. He said: "In a world where millions of children and families live in inhumane conditions, the money that is squandered and the fortunes made through the manufacture, upgrading, maintenance and sale of ever more destructive weapons, are an affront."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Nuclear Weapons - Level 4 or  Nuclear Weapons - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/24/pope-francis-calls-for-a-world-without-nuclear-weapons-during-nagasaki-visit
  • https://www.itv.com/news/2019-11-24/pope-francis-warns-of-perils-of-atomic-weapons-during-visit-to-nagasaki/
  • https://japantoday.com/category/national/pope-in-japan-says-world-must-rethink-reliance-on-nuke-power


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 their nuclear arms
  2. experience a nuclear
  3. the unspeakable
  4. widespread death
  5. Francis laid
  6. prayed
  7. Over 140,000 people
  8. 74,000 people lost
  1. perished
  2. race
  3. their lives
  4. a wreath
  5. horror
  6. and destruction
  7. attack
  8. at a memorial

Paragraph 2

  1. The Pope spoke to
  2. intent on building their nuclear
  3. these weapons cannot protect us
  4. current threats to international
  5. the amount of money spent
  6. families live in inhumane
  7. the money that is
  8. ever more destructive
  1. squandered
  2. conditions
  3. weapons
  4. arsenals
  5. security
  6. on weapons
  7. world leaders
  8. from current threats

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Pope Francis asked nations to end their (1) ___________________. It is the first visit by a Pope to Japan in 38 years. He visited the only two cities ever to (2) ___________________ attack - Nagasaki and Hiroshima. While in Nagasaki, the Pope condemned (3) ___________________ of nuclear weapons. Nagasaki suffered widespread (4) ___________________ as it was destroyed at the end of World War II. Francis (5) ___________________ and prayed at a memorial. Over 140,000 people perished in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, while 74,000 people (6) ___________________ in the Nagasaki bombing three days later.

The Pope spoke to world leaders. They (7) ___________________ building their nuclear arsenals. He said he (8) ___________________ a world without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary. He said these weapons cannot protect us (9) ___________________ to international security. He condemned the amount of (10) ___________________ weapons. He said: "In a world where millions of children and families live (11) ___________________, the money that (12) ___________________ the fortunes made through the manufacture, upgrading, maintenance and sale of ever more destructive weapons, are an affront."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

PopeFrancisaskednationstoendtheirnucleararmsrace.Itisthefirstvisi
tbyaPopetoJapanin38years.Hevisitedtheonlytwocitiesevertoexperi
enceanuclearattack-NagasakiandHiroshima.WhileinNagasaki,theP
opecondemnedthe"unspeakablehorror"ofnuclearweapons.Nagasak
isufferedwidespreaddeathanddestructionasitwasdestroyedattheen
dofWorldWarII.Francislaidawreathandprayedatamemorial.Over140
,000peopleperishedinHiroshimaonAugust6,1945,while74,000peopl
elosttheirlivesintheNagasakibombingthreedayslater.ThePopespoke
toworldleaders.Theyseemintentonbuildingtheirnucleararsenals.Hes
aidhewasconvincedthataworldwithoutnuclearweaponsispossiblean
dnecessary.Hesaidtheseweaponscannotprotectusfromcurrentthrea
tstointernationalsecurity.Hecondemnedtheamountofmoneyspento
nweapons.Hesaid:"Inaworldwheremillionsofchildrenandfamilieslive
ininhumaneconditions,themoneythatissquanderedandthefortunes
madethroughthemanufacture,upgrading,maintenanceandsaleofev
ermoredestructiveweapons,areanaffront."

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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