The Reading / Listening - Joe Biden - Level 5

Joe Biden has promised to re-establish global alliances. Mr Biden was sworn in as the 46th U.S. President on Wednesday. There was tight security in Washington with around 25,000 National Guard troops positioned to make sure the inauguration took place peacefully. In his first days, Mr Biden will make executive orders to change the direction of America's foreign policy. He will rejoin the Paris climate accord. Biden wants to restore America's reputation. He said: "America has been tested....We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again."

Donald Trump left office vowing to "be back". His farewell words to the American public were: "Have a good life, we will see you soon." He broke with tradition by not attending the inauguration. Mr Trump said: "This has been an incredible four years. We've accomplished so much together. What we've done has been amazing by any standard." He added: "It's been a great honour and privilege to be your president....I wish the new administration great luck and great success. I think they will have great success. They have the foundation to do something really spectacular."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Joe Biden - Level 4 or  Joe Biden - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/20/trump-leaves-white-house-biden-to-be-sworn-in
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/01/20/inauguration-day-world-watches-trump-exits-biden-takes-over/4209958001/
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55736856


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. Mr Biden was sworn
  2. There was tight
  3. executive
  4. America's foreign
  5. He will rejoin the Paris climate
  6. Biden wants to restore America's
  7. We will repair
  8. engage with the world
  1. reputation
  2. policy
  3. once again
  4. security
  5. our alliances
  6. in
  7. accord
  8. orders

Paragraph 2

  1. Trump left office vowing to
  2. His farewell words
  3. He broke
  4. We've accomplished so
  5. It's been a great honour
  6. the new
  7. I think they will have
  8. do something really
  1. administration
  2. much together
  3. spectacular
  4. with tradition
  5. great success
  6. be back
  7. and privilege
  8. to the American public

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Joe Biden (1) ___________________ re-establish global alliances. Mr Biden (2) ___________________ as the 46th U.S. President on Wednesday. There was (3) ___________________ Washington with around 25,000 National Guard troops positioned to make sure the inauguration (4) ___________________. In his first days, Mr Biden will make executive orders to change the direction of America's foreign policy. He will rejoin the Paris climate accord. Biden (5) ___________________ America's reputation. He said: "America has been tested....We will repair our (6) ___________________ with the world once again."

Donald Trump (7) ___________________ to "be back". His farewell words to the American public were: "Have a good life, we will see you soon." He (8) ___________________ by not attending the inauguration. Mr Trump said: "This has been an incredible four years. We've (9) ___________________ together. What we've done has been amazing (10) ___________________." He added: "It's been a great honour and privilege to be your president....I wish the new administration great luck (11) ___________________. I think they will have great success. They have the foundation to (12) ___________________ spectacular."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

JoeBidenhaspromisedtore-establishglobalalliances.MrBidenwasswo
rninasthe46thU.S.PresidentonWednesday.Therewastightsecurityin
Washingtonwitharound25,000NationalGuardtroopspositionedtoma
kesuretheinaugurationtookplacepeacefully.Inhisfirstdays,MrBiden
willmakeexecutiveorderstochangethedirectionofAmerica'sforeignp
olicy.HewillrejointheParisclimateaccord.BidenwantstorestoreAmeri
ca'sreputation.Hesaid:"Americahasbeentested....Wewillrepairoural
liancesandengagewiththeworldonceagain."DonaldTrumpleftofficev
owingto"beback".HisfarewellwordstotheAmericanpublicwere:"Hav
eagoodlife,wewillseeyousoon."Hebrokewithtraditionbynotattendin
gtheinauguration.MrTrumpsaid:"Thishasbeenanincrediblefouryear
s.We'veaccomplishedsomuchtogether.Whatwe'vedonehasbeenam
azingbyanystandard."Headded:"It'sbeenagreathonourandprivilege
tobeyourpresident....Iwishthenewadministrationgreatluckandgreat
success.Ithinktheywillhavegreatsuccess.Theyhavethefoundationto
dosomethingreallyspectacular."

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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