The Reading / Listening - Farmers' Protests - Level 4

A protest in India could be the largest in human history. Tens of thousands of farmers took to the streets of India's capital city to protest about new laws. Another 250 million people from a cross-section of society joined a 24-hour general strike. They came from all walks of life. They wanted to show solidarity with the farmers. The size of the protest made the government meet the protesters face-to-face rather than call in the police.

India's farmers are furious about agricultural reforms that will shake up India's farming society. Farmers are accusing the government of ignoring them for the benefit of big agri-business. Their protests around Delhi look like a blockade of the city. A farmers' union said: "We will block rail tracks if our demands are not met." It said agriculture was too important to play party politics with. The government said it was optimistic about finding a compromise.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Farmers' Protests - Level 5 or  Farmers' Protests - Level 6

Sources
  • https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/12/india-farmer-protests-modi.html
  • https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/why-indias-protesting-farmers-are-right-in-fearing-for-their-livelihoods-1.75807944
  • https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/farmers-protest-govt-asks-unions-to-reconsider-proposals-says-its-open-to-talks/articleshow/79670838.cms


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. the largest in human
  2. farmers took
  3. joined a 24-
  4. They came from all walks
  5. show solidarity
  6. The size of
  7. meet the protesters
  8. rather than
  1. the protest
  2. hour general strike
  3. face-to-face
  4. history
  5. call in the police
  6. of life
  7. with the farmers
  8. to the streets

Paragraph 2

  1. furious about agricultural
  2. accusing the government
  3. a blockade
  4. if our demands
  5. It said agriculture was too
  6. play party
  7. The government said it
  8. finding a
  1. politics
  2. are not met
  3. compromise
  4. reforms
  5. was optimistic
  6. of the city
  7. important
  8. of ignoring them

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A protest in India could be (1) ___________________ human history. Tens of thousands (2) ___________________ to the streets of India's capital city (3) ___________________ new laws. Another 250 million people from (4) ___________________ society joined a 24-hour general strike. They came from (5) ___________________ life. They wanted to show solidarity with the farmers. The size of the protest made the government meet the protesters face-to-face (6) ___________________ in the police.

India's (7) ___________________ about agricultural reforms that (8) ___________________ India's farming society. Farmers are accusing the government (9) ___________________ for the benefit of big agri-business. Their protests around Delhi look (10) ___________________ of the city. A farmers' union said: "We will block rail tracks if our (11) ___________________ met." It said agriculture was too important to play party politics with. The government said it (12) ___________________ finding a compromise.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AprotestinIndiacouldbethelargestinhumanhistory.Tensofthousands
offarmerstooktothestreetsofIndia'scapitalcitytoprotestaboutnewla
ws.Another250millionpeoplefromacross-sectionofsocietyjoineda
24-hourgeneralstrike.Theycamefromallwalksoflife.Theywantedtos
howsolidaritywiththefarmers.Thesizeoftheprotestmadethegovernm
entmeettheprotestersface-to-faceratherthancallinthepolice.India'
sfarmersarefuriousaboutagriculturalreformsthatwillshakeupIndia's
farmingsociety.Farmersareaccusingthegovernmentofignoringthem
forthebenefitofbigagri-business.TheirprotestsaroundDelhilooklike
ablockadeofthecity.Afarmers'unionsaid:"Wewillblockrailtracksifour
demandsarenotmet."Itsaidagriculturewastooimportanttoplayparty
politicswith.Thegovernmentsaiditwasoptimisticaboutfindingacompr
omise.

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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