The Reading / Listening - Hajj - Level 4

The annual Hajj pilgrimage is taking place in the sacred city of Mecca. It is the most important event in the Muslim calendar. It is a mandatory religious duty for adult Muslims, who should attend once in their lifetime. They must be physically and financially capable of going on the journey and must be able to support their family. This year's Hajj has been scaled down because of coronavirus. The pandemic has postponed numerous events.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj is limiting the number of pilgrims allowed into Mecca this year. It wants to avoid any outbreaks and lower the risk of infection. Many countries have cancelled their pilgrimages. This means Mecca will get a tiny fraction of the two million Hajj pilgrims it usually gets. Just a few thousand Saudi Arabian citizens can attend. A twenty-two-time pilgrim said: "There are plenty of other ways to take advantage of this precious spiritual time."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Hajj - Level 5 or  Hajj - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.arabnews.com/node/1711031/saudi-arabia
  • https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/hajj-2020-latest-updates-as-the-pilgrimage-begins-1.1055536
  • https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/haj-2020-pilgrims-from-160-nationalities-set-to-perform-rituals-1.72803704
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajj


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 annual Hajj
  2. the most important event in
  3. a mandatory religious
  4. attend once in their
  5. financially capable of
  6. be able to support
  7. scaled down because
  8. The pandemic has postponed
  1. going
  2. of coronavirus
  3. the Muslim calendar
  4. numerous events
  5. their family
  6. pilgrimage
  7. lifetime
  8. duty

Paragraph 2

  1. limiting the number
  2. It wants to avoid
  3. lower the
  4. a tiny
  5. A twenty-two-time
  6. There are plenty of
  7. take advantage
  8. precious spiritual
  1. other ways
  2. fraction
  3. time
  4. risk of infection
  5. of pilgrims allowed
  6. pilgrim
  7. any outbreaks
  8. of this

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The annual Hajj pilgrimage is taking place in the (1) ___________________ Mecca. It is the most important event in the Muslim calendar. It (2) ___________________ religious duty for adult Muslims, who should attend once (3) ___________________. They must be physically and financially (4) ___________________ on the journey and must be able to support their family. This year's Hajj (5) ___________________ down because of coronavirus. The pandemic has (6) ___________________.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj is (7) ___________________ of pilgrims allowed into Mecca this year. It (8) ___________________ any outbreaks and lower the (9) ___________________. Many countries have cancelled their pilgrimages. This means Mecca will get a (10) ___________________ the two million Hajj pilgrims it usually gets. Just a few thousand Saudi Arabian (11) ___________________. A twenty-two-time pilgrim said: "There are plenty of other ways (12) ___________________ of this precious spiritual time."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheannualHajjpilgrimageistakingplaceinthesacredcityofMecca.Itist
hemostimportanteventintheMuslimcalendar.Itisamandatoryreligio
usdutyforadultMuslims,whoshouldattendonceintheirlifetime.Theym
ustbephysicallyandfinanciallycapableofgoingonthejourneyandmust
beabletosupporttheirfamily.Thisyear'sHajjhasbeenscaleddownbeca
useofcoronavirus.Thepandemichaspostponednumerousevents.The
SaudiMinistryofHajjislimitingthenumberofpilgrimsallowedintoMecc
athisyear.Itwantstoavoidanyoutbreaksandlowertheriskofinfection.
Manycountrieshavecancelledtheirpilgrimages.ThismeansMeccawill
getatinyfractionofthetwomillionHajjpilgrimsitusuallygets.Justafewt
housandSaudiArabiancitizenscanattend.Atwenty-two-timepilgrim
said:"Thereareplentyofotherwaystotakeadvantageofthisprecioussp
iritualtime."

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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