The Reading / Listening - Border Dispute - Level 5

China and India resolved a border dispute that was a worrying source of tension. The past few weeks saw tit-for-tat attacks between the world's two most populous nations. The flashpoints between the two nuclear powers took place in the Himalayas along the long border that divides the two countries. Chinese and Indian officials met on Saturday in an area adjacent to the border. They agreed to "peacefully resolve" their dispute in a "cordial" meeting. India said: "Both sides agreed to peacefully resolve the situation...in accordance with various bilateral agreements."

The disputed area is called the Line of Actual Control (LAC). It was established in 1993 and is one of the world's longest land borders. Small conflicts have taken place since the Sino-Indian War (also known as the Indo-China War) in 1962. The icy terrain along the LAC means the border is shifting. This has made it difficult to know what areas of the landscape belong to which country. China said the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries meant that, "both sides agreed that an early resolution would contribute to the further development of that relationship".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Border Dispute - Level 4 or  Border Dispute - Level 6

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/07/asia/china-india-intl-hnk/index.html
  • https://www.arabnews.com/node/1686386/world
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/08/india-and-china-agree-to-peacefully-resolve-border-tensions.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. resolved a
  2. a worrying source
  3. the long border that divides
  4. officials met
  5. in an area adjacent
  6. Both sides
  7. peacefully resolve
  8. in accordance with various
  1. to the border
  2. the two countries
  3. bilateral agreements
  4. border dispute
  5. the situation
  6. on Saturday
  7. of tension
  8. agreed

Paragraph 2

  1. It was established
  2. one of the world's
  3. Small conflicts have taken
  4. the border is
  5. what areas of the landscape belong
  6. the 70th anniversary of
  7. both
  8. contribute to the further development
  1. sides agreed
  2. place since
  3. shifting
  4. of that relationship
  5. longest land borders
  6. to which country
  7. in 1993
  8. diplomatic relations

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

China and India resolved (1) ___________________ that was a worrying source of tension. The past few weeks (2) ___________________ between the world's two most populous nations. The flashpoints between the two nuclear (3) ___________________ in the Himalayas along the long border that divides the two countries. Chinese and Indian (4) ___________________ Saturday in an area adjacent to the border. They agreed to "peacefully resolve" their dispute in (5) ___________________. India said: "Both sides agreed to peacefully resolve the situation... (6) ___________________ various bilateral agreements."

The disputed (7) ___________________ the Line of Actual Control (LAC). It was established in 1993 and is one of the world's (8) ___________________. Small conflicts have taken place since the Sino-Indian War (also known as the Indo-China War) in 1962. The (9) ___________________ the LAC means the border is shifting. This has made it difficult to know what areas of the landscape (10) ___________________ country. China said the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries meant that, "both sides agreed that (11) ___________________ would contribute to the further development (12) ___________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ChinaandIndiaresolvedaborderdisputethatwasaworryingsourceofte
nsion.Thepastfewweekssawtit-for-tatattacksbetweentheworld's
twomostpopulousnations.Theflashpointsbetweenthetwonuclearpo
werstookplaceintheHimalayasalongthelongborderthatdividesthetw
ocountries.ChineseandIndianofficialsmetonSaturdayinanareaadjac
enttotheborder.Theyagreedto"peacefullyresolve"theirdisputeina"c
ordial"meeting.Indiasaid:"Bothsidesagreedtopeacefullyresolvethes
ituation...inaccordancewithvariousbilateralagreements."Thedisput
edareaiscalledtheLineofActualControl(LAC).Itwasestablishedin199
3andisoneoftheworld'slongestlandborders.Smallconflictshavetaken
placesincetheSino-IndianWar(alsoknownastheIndo-ChinaWar)in1
962.TheicyterrainalongtheLACmeanstheborderisshifting.Thishasm
adeitdifficulttoknowwhatareasofthelandscapebelongtowhichcountr
y.Chinasaidthe70thanniversaryofdiplomaticrelationsbetweenthetw
ocountriesmeantthat,"bothsidesagreedthatanearlyresolutionwould
contributetothefurtherdevelopmentofthatrelationship".

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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