The Reading / Listening - U.K. Economy - Level 5

The UK suffered its worst performance since a mini ice age 300 years ago, when the River Thames froze. The UK's Office for National Statistics said the economy was 25 per cent smaller in April than in February. The Bank of England acknowledged there was a 20.4 per cent drop in GDP in April. It called this "a dramatic and big number". It was positive about the future and that there were signs the economy was coming back to life. Much of the UK economy shut down to curb coronavirus. It is experiencing the biggest collapse among the world's developed economies.

The UK economy has seen nearly 20 years' worth of growth wiped out because of lockdown measures. This week, people are being encouraged to go shopping again. Many shoppers remain wary about venturing out to shops, as the number of daily deaths is still around 200. The Bank of England said: "The economy clearly closed out substantially at the end of March into April. The big question is what happens next." The UK's 'Guardian' 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 4 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. since a mini ice
  2. The Bank of England acknowledged
  3. there was a 20.4 per cent
  4. It was positive
  5. signs the economy was coming
  6. shut down to
  7. It is experiencing the biggest
  8. among the world's developed
  1. curb coronavirus
  2. drop in GDP
  3. collapse
  4. there was
  5. economies
  6. about the future
  7. back to life
  8. age 300 years ago

Paragraph 2

  1. nearly 20 years' worth
  2. wiped out because of lockdown
  3. people are being encouraged
  4. Many shoppers remain
  5. The big question is
  6. pessimistic about
  7. Britain's economy has fallen
  8. It will be a long
  1. any recovery
  2. to go shopping
  3. off a cliff
  4. of growth
  5. climb back
  6. wary
  7. what happens next
  8. measures

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The UK (1) ___________________ performance since a mini ice age 300 years ago, when the River Thames froze. The UK's Office (2) ___________________ said the economy was 25 per cent smaller in April than in February. The Bank of England (3) ___________________ a 20.4 per cent drop in GDP in April. It called this "a (4) ___________________ number". It was positive about the future and that there were signs the economy was coming (5) ___________________. Much of the UK economy shut down to curb coronavirus. It is experiencing the (6) ___________________ the world's developed economies.

The UK economy has seen nearly 20 years' (7) ___________________ wiped out because (8) ___________________. This week, people are being encouraged to go shopping again. Many shoppers (9) ___________________ venturing out to shops, as the number (10) ___________________ is still around 200. The Bank of England said: "The economy clearly closed out substantially at the end of March into April. The (11) ___________________ what happens next." The UK's 'Guardian' newspaper was pessimistic about any recovery. It wrote: "Britain's economy has fallen (12) ___________________. It will be a long climb back."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUKsuffereditsworstperformancesinceaminiiceage300yearsago,
whentheRiverThamesfroze.TheUK'sOfficeforNationalStatisticssaidt
heeconomywas25percentsmallerinAprilthaninFebruary.TheBankof
Englandacknowledgedtherewasa20.4percentdropinGDPinApril.Itca
lledthis"adramaticandbignumber".Itwaspositiveaboutthefutureand
thatthereweresignstheeconomywascomingbacktolife.MuchoftheUK
economyshutdowntocurbcoronavirus.Itisexperiencingthebiggestco
llapseamongtheworld'sdevelopedeconomies.TheUKeconomyhasse
ennearly20years'worthofgrowthwipedoutbecauseoflockdownmeas
ures.Thisweek,peoplearebeingencouragedtogoshoppingagain.Man
yshoppersremainwaryaboutventuringouttoshops,asthenumberofd
ailydeathsisstillaround200.TheBankofEnglandsaid:"Theeconomycl
earlyclosedoutsubstantiallyattheendofMarchintoApril.Thebigquesti
oniswhathappensnext."TheUK's'Guardian'newspaperwaspessimisti
caboutanyrecovery.Itwrote:"Britain'seconomyhasfallenoffacliff.Itw
illbealongclimbback."

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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