The Reading / Listening - River Nile Dam - Level 4

A dam is increasing tensions between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. There are fears that filling the dam across the Blue Nile in Ethiopia could lead to war. Ethiopia needs the dam to supply electricity to its rural areas. It will be Africa's largest hydroelectric dam. Egypt says the dam is an "existential threat". It worries the dam will reduce its water supplies. Most of Egypt's water comes from the Nile. This is important when there is a drought.

The Blue Nile originates in natural springs in Ethiopia. It merges with the White Nile near Khartoum in Sudan and becomes the River Nile. Ethiopia calls the dam an "existential necessity". Nearly half the country's population has no electricity. Egypt said it could share electricity with Ethiopia instead of using the dam. A politician said: "One nation's need for electricity is pinned to another nation's need for water."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    River Nile Dam - Level 5 or  River Nile Dam - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/egypt-ethiopia-nile-dam-sudan-conflict-war-al-sisi-a9620041.html
  • https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02124-8
  • https://www.arabnews.com/node/1705251/middle-east


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. A dam is increasing
  2. lead to
  3. supply electricity to its
  4. Africa's largest hydroelectric
  5. Egypt says the dam is an
  6. reduce its water
  7. Most of Egypt's water comes
  8. when there is a
  1. rural areas
  2. from the Nile
  3. tensions
  4. drought
  5. war
  6. dam
  7. "existential threat"
  8. supplies

Paragraph 2

  1. originates in natural
  2. It merges
  3. an existential
  4. Nearly half the country's
  5. Egypt said it could
  6. instead
  7. One nation's need for
  8. another nation's need
  1. with the White Nile
  2. electricity
  3. population
  4. of using the dam
  5. for water
  6. share electricity
  7. springs
  8. necessity

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A dam (1) ___________________ between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. There are (2) ___________________ the dam across the Blue Nile in Ethiopia could lead to war. Ethiopia needs the (3) ___________________ electricity to (4) ___________________. It will be Africa's largest hydroelectric dam. Egypt says the dam is (5) ___________________. It worries the dam will reduce (6) ___________________. Most of Egypt's water comes from the Nile. This is important when there is a drought.

The Blue Nile (7) ___________________ springs in Ethiopia. It merges with the White Nile near Khartoum in Sudan (8) ___________________ River Nile. Ethiopia calls the dam (9) ___________________. Nearly half the country's (10) ___________________ electricity. Egypt said it could share electricity with Ethiopia (11) ___________________ the dam. A politician said: "One nation's need for electricity (12) ___________________ another nation's need for water."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AdamisincreasingtensionsbetweenEthiopia,EgyptandSudan.Therear
efearsthatfillingthedamacrosstheBlueNileinEthiopiacouldleadtowar
.Ethiopianeedsthedamtosupplyelectricitytoitsruralareas.ItwillbeAfrica
'slargesthydroelectricdam.Egyptsaysthedamisan"existentialthreat"
.Itworriesthedamwillreduceitswatersupplies.MostofEgypt'swaterco
mesfromtheNile.Thisisimportantwhenthereisadrought.TheBlueNile
originatesinnaturalspringsinEthiopia.ItmergeswiththeWhiteNilenea
rKhartouminSudanandbecomestheRiverNile.Ethiopiacallsthedama
n"existentialnecessity".Nearlyhalfthecountry'spopulationhasnoelec
tricity.EgyptsaiditcouldshareelectricitywithEthiopiainsteadofusingt
hedam.Apoliticiansaid:"Onenation'sneedforelectricityispinnedtoan
othernation'sneedforwater."

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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