The Reading / Listening - U.K. Economy - Level 4

The UK economy is at its worst for 300 years. The UK's Office for National Statistics said the economy was 25 per cent smaller in April than in February. The Bank of England said there was a 20.4 per cent drop in GDP in April. However, it was positive about the future. It said there were signs the economy was coming back to life. Much of the economy shut down to curb coronavirus. It has the biggest economic collapse among the world's developed nations.

The UK economy saw 20 years of growth wiped out because of lockdown. People are being encouraged to go shopping again, but people are worried. The number of daily deaths is still around 200. The Bank of England said: "The economy clearly closed out substantially….The big question is what happens next." A UK newspaper was pessimistic about any recovery. It wrote: "Britain's economy has fallen off a cliff. It will be a long climb back."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    U.K. Economy - Level 5 or  U.K. Economy - Level 6

Sources
  • https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-bank-of-england-ready-to-take-action-after-economy-tanks-20-12005488
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/uk-economy-shrinks-20-percent-april-2002-level-200612091955524.html
  • https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jun/12/calamitous-gdp-figures-show-uk-economy-has-fallen-off-a-cliff


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. The UK economy is
  2. there was a 20.4 per cent
  3. it was positive about
  4. It said there were
  5. coming back
  6. shut down to
  7. the biggest economic
  8. among the world's
  1. the future
  2. collapse
  3. to life
  4. developed nations
  5. at its worst
  6. signs
  7. curb coronavirus
  8. drop in GDP

Paragraph 2

  1. 20 years
  2. wiped out because of
  3. People are being encouraged
  4. people are
  5. The number of
  6. pessimistic about
  7. Britain's economy has
  8. It will be a long climb
  1. lockdown
  2. worried
  3. fallen off a cliff
  4. to go shopping
  5. back
  6. of growth
  7. daily deaths
  8. any recovery

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The UK economy is (1) ___________________ for 300 years. The UK's Office for National Statistics said (2) ___________________ 25 per cent smaller in April than in February. The Bank of England said there was a 20.4 per cent drop in GDP in April. However, (3) ___________________ about the future. It said there were signs the economy was coming (4) __________________. Much of the economy shut (5) ___________________ coronavirus. It has the biggest economic (6) ___________________ world's developed nations.

The UK economy saw 20 years of (7) ___________________ because of lockdown. People are (8) ___________________ go shopping again, but people are worried. The (9) ___________________ deaths is still around 200. The Bank of England said: "The (10) ___________________ out substantially….The big question is what happens next." A UK newspaper was (11) ___________________ recovery. It wrote: "Britain's economy has fallen off a cliff. It will be a (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUKeconomyisatitsworstfor300years.TheUK'sOfficeforNationalS
tatisticssaidtheeconomywas25percentsmallerinAprilthaninFebruar
y.TheBankofEnglandsaidtherewasa20.4percentdropinGDPinApril.H
owever,itwaspositiveaboutthefuture.Itsaidthereweresignstheecon
omywascomingbacktolife.Muchoftheeconomyshutdowntocurbcoro
navirus.Ithasthebiggesteconomiccollapseamongtheworld'sdevelop
ednations.TheUKeconomysaw20yearsofgrowthwipedoutbecauseofl
ockdown.Peoplearebeingencouragedtogoshoppingagain,butpeople
areworried.Thenumberofdailydeathsisstillaround200.TheBankofEn
glandsaid:"Theeconomyclearlyclosedoutsubstantially….Thebigques
tioniswhathappensnext."AUKnewspaperwaspessimisticaboutanyre
covery.Itwrote:"Britain'seconomyhasfallenoffacliff.Itwillbealongcli
mbback."

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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