The Reading / Listening - Bougainville - Level 5

There is a possibility of a new member being added to the global family of nations. Bougainville in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has voted overwhelmingly for independence. A two-week referendum was held on the island. It ended on the 7th of December. It was a non-binding referendum, which means the PNG government does not have to make it law. However, PNG should now consider acting on the result of the vote. Voters voted for greater autonomy or full independence. Over 181,000 people cast their vote and nearly 98 per cent of them voted in favour of independence.

Bougainville is the largest of the PNG chain of islands. It is geographically part of the Solomon Islands. It used to be called the Republic of North Solomons. It has a population of 250,000 people. Bougainvilleans started a fight for independence in the 1960s. This was a decade before PNG got independence in 1975. Bougainville became part of PNG in 1976. This started the Bougainville Civil War between 1988–1998, in which 20,000 people lost their lives. The Prime Minister of PNG said his government was committed to adhering to the poll's result.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Bougainville - Level 4 or  Bougainville - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-11/bougainville-independence-referendum-result/11787434
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50739203
  • https://www.smh.com.au/world/oceania/bougainville-votes-overwhelmingly-for-independence-from-png-20191211-p53iw6.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. added to the global
  2. voted overwhelmingly
  3. A two-week referendum
  4. It was a non-binding
  5. make it
  6. greater
  7. Over 181,000 people cast
  8. voted in favour
  1. for independence
  2. their vote
  3. referendum
  4. of independence
  5. autonomy
  6. family of nations
  7. was held
  8. law

Paragraph 2

  1. the largest of the PNG
  2. It is geographically part of
  3. started a fight for
  4. a decade before PNG
  5. Bougainville became part
  6. 20,000 people lost
  7. his government was
  8. adhering to the poll's
  1. independence
  2. got independence
  3. result
  4. their lives
  5. committed
  6. of PNG in 1976
  7. chain of islands
  8. the Solomon Islands

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There is (1) ___________________ a new member being added to the global (2) ___________________. Bougainville in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has voted overwhelmingly for independence. A two-week referendum was held on the island. It ended on the 7th of December. It (3) ___________________ referendum, which means the PNG government does not have to make it law. However, PNG should (4) ___________________ on the result of the vote. Voters voted for (5) ___________________ full independence. Over 181,000 people cast their vote and nearly 98 per cent of them (6) ___________________ of independence.

Bougainville is the largest of the PNG (7) ___________________. It is geographically part of the Solomon Islands. It used (8) ___________________ the Republic of North Solomons. It has a population of 250,000 people. Bougainvilleans (9) ___________________ for independence in the 1960s. This was (10) ___________________ PNG got independence in 1975. Bougainville became part of PNG in 1976. This started the Bougainville (11) ___________________ 1988–1998, in which 20,000 people lost their lives. The Prime Minister of PNG said his government was committed (12) ___________________ the poll's result.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thereisapossibilityofanewmemberbeingaddedtotheglobalfamilyofn
ations.BougainvilleinPapuaNewGuinea(PNG)hasvotedoverwhelmin
glyforindependence.Atwo-weekreferendumwasheldontheisland.It
endedonthe7thofDecember.Itwasanon-bindingreferendum,which
meansthePNGgovernmentdoesnothavetomakeitlaw.However,PNG
shouldnowconsideractingontheresultofthevote.Votersvotedforgrea
terautonomyorfullindependence.Over181,000peoplecasttheirvotea
ndnearly98percentofthemvotedinfavourofindependence.Bougainvil
leisthelargestofthePNGchainofislands.ItisgeographicallypartoftheS
olomonIslands.ItusedtobecalledtheRepublicofNorthSolomons.Ithas
apopulationof250,000people.Bougainvilleansstartedafightforindep
endenceinthe1960s.ThiswasadecadebeforePNGgotindependencein
1975.BougainvillebecamepartofPNGin1976.ThisstartedtheBougain
villeCivilWarbetween1988–1998,inwhich20,000peoplelosttheirlive
s.ThePrimeMinisterofPNGsaidhisgovernmentwascommittedtoadher
ingtothepoll'sresult.

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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