The Reading / Listening - 2020 - Level 2

At the start of 2020, billions of people thought it would be a great year. The year sounded like it was from science fiction - 2020. Many people had big hopes. Few knew what a rollercoaster ride it would be and how the world would change. The biggest news in 2020 was the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people died, there was economic chaos, lockdowns and people wore masks. Another huge event was the death of George Floyd in the USA. This started the Black Lives Matter movement and global protests. The year ended with Joe Biden being voted as the President-elect of the USA.

People will have different memories of 2020. Some told us what they would remember. Ahmed from Lebanon said he would never forget the huge explosion in Beirut in August. He said he thanked God none of his family or friends were hurt. He was sad at the damage to his city. Lucy Baxter, a nurse, said her happiest moment was the news of the vaccines for COVID-19. She said she could see light at the end of a dark tunnel. Ayumi Miyamoto of Japan was sad that the Tokyo Olympics were postponed. She is happy they will go ahead in 2021. She said 2021 would be a good year.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    2020 - Level 0 2020 - Level 1   or  2020 - Level 3

Sources
    BreakingNewsEnglish.com


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. people thought it would be
  2. a rollercoaster
  3. economic
  4. people wore
  5. Another huge
  6. started the Black Lives Matter
  7. global
  8. voted as the President-
  1. event
  2. chaos
  3. elect of the USA
  4. a great year
  5. protests
  6. masks
  7. movement
  8. ride

Paragraph 2

  1. Ahmed from Lebanon said he would
  2. He was sad at the damage
  3. her happiest
  4. news of the vaccines
  5. see light at the end
  6. the Tokyo Olympics were
  7. She is happy they will go
  8. She said 2021 would
  1. moment
  2. ahead in 2021
  3. to his city
  4. be a good year
  5. never forget
  6. of a dark tunnel
  7. for COVID-19
  8. postponed

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

At the start of 2020, billions of people thought it would (1) ___________________ year. The year (2) ___________________ was from science fiction - 2020. Many people had big hopes. Few knew what a rollercoaster ride it would be and (3) ___________________ would change. The biggest news in 2020 was the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people died, there (4) ___________________, lockdowns and people wore masks. Another huge event (5) ___________________ of George Floyd in the USA. This started the Black Lives Matter movement and global protests. The year ended with Joe Biden (6) ___________________ the President-elect of the USA.

People (7) ___________________ memories of 2020. Some told us what they would remember. Ahmed from Lebanon said he would never forget (8) ___________________ in Beirut in August. He said he thanked God (9) ___________________ family or friends were hurt. He was sad at the damage to his city. Lucy Baxter, a nurse, said her happiest moment was the news (10) ___________________ for COVID-19. She said she could (11) ___________________ the end of a dark tunnel. Ayumi Miyamoto of Japan was sad that the Tokyo Olympics were postponed. She is happy they will (12) ___________________ 2021. She said 2021 would be a good year.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Atthestartof2020,billionsofpeoplethoughtitwouldbeagreatyear.The
yearsoundedlikeitwasfromsciencefiction-2020.Manypeoplehadbig
hopes.Fewknewwhatarollercoasterrideitwouldbeandhowtheworldw
ouldchange.Thebiggestnewsin2020wastheCOVID-19pandemic.M
anypeopledied,therewaseconomicchaos,lockdownsandpeoplewore
masks.AnotherhugeeventwasthedeathofGeorgeFloydintheUSA.Thi
sstartedtheBlackLivesMattermovementandglobalprotests.Theyear
endedwithJoeBidenbeingvotedasthePresident-electoftheUSA.Peop
lewillhavedifferentmemoriesof2020.Sometolduswhattheywouldre
member.AhmedfromLebanonsaidhewouldneverforgetthehugeexpl
osioninBeirutinAugust.HesaidhethankedGodnoneofhisfamilyorfrien
dswerehurt.Hewassadatthedamagetohiscity.LucyBaxter,anurse,sai
dherhappiestmomentwasthenewsofthevaccinesforCOVID-19.Shes
aidshecouldseelightattheendofadarktunnel.AyumiMiyamotoofJapa
nwassadthattheTokyoOlympicswerepostponed.Sheishappytheywill
goaheadin2021.Shesaid2021wouldbeagoodyear.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You