The Reading / Listening - COVID-19 - Level 0

Japan closed its schools. It wants to protect children from COVID-19. Schools will close until April the 8th. Parents are worried. They have to look after their children. Grandparents will look after some while their parents work. Many children have no grandparents or extended family, so parents may have to pay for childcare fees.

Japan's schools shut after an anti-virus task force meeting. It wants to stop children getting infected. The next two weeks are important to stop the virus. Companies should help parents take time off work to look after children. An angry mother said children should not stay at home alone. She said parents are still travelling in packed trains.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    COVID-19 - Level 1 COVID-19 - Level 2   or  COVID-19 - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13172009
  • https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/02/b341be1ebf20-breaking-news-children-should-stay-home-while-schools-closed-over-virus-japan-govt.html
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51639488


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. Japan closed
  2. protect
  3. close until
  4. They have to look
  5. while their parents
  6. extended
  7. parents may
  8. pay for
  1. family
  2. after their children
  3. childcare fees
  4. children
  5. have to
  6. work
  7. its schools
  8. April the 8th

Paragraph 2

  1. an anti-virus task
  2. stop children getting
  3. important to
  4. take time
  5. An angry
  6. children should not stay
  7. parents are still
  8. packed
  1. at home alone
  2. off work
  3. trains
  4. infected
  5. travelling
  6. force
  7. mother
  8. stop the virus

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Japan closed its schools. It (1) ___________________ children from COVID-19. Schools (2) ___________________ April the 8th. Parents are worried. They (3) ___________________ after their children. Grandparents will (4) ___________________ while their parents work. Many (5) ___________________ grandparents or extended family, (6) ___________________ have to pay for childcare fees.

Japan's schools (7) ___________________ anti-virus task force meeting. It (8) ___________________ children getting infected. The next two weeks are important to (9) ___________________. Companies should help parents (10) ___________________ work to look after children. An (11) ___________________ children should not stay at home alone. She said parents are still travelling (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Japancloseditsschools.ItwantstoprotectchildrenfromCOVID-19.Sch
oolswillcloseuntilAprilthe8th.Parentsareworried.Theyhavetolookaft
ertheirchildren.Grandparentswilllookaftersomewhiletheirparentsw
ork.Manychildrenhavenograndparentsorextendedfamily,soparents
mayhavetopayforchildcarefees.Japan'sschoolsshutafterananti-viru
staskforcemeeting.Itwantstostopchildrengettinginfected.Thenextt
woweeksareimportanttostopthevirus.Companiesshouldhelpparents
taketimeoffworktolookafterchildren.Anangrymothersaidchildrensh
ouldnotstayathomealone.Shesaidparentsarestilltravellinginpackedt
rains.

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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