The Reading / Listening - Nonuplets - Level 4

Most of us know what twins, triplets and quadruplets are, but do we know the word for nine babies born at a single birth? The answer is nonuplets. A 25-year-old Malian woman, Halima Cisse, has given birth to nine babies. This is a new world record. People in Mali followed the pregnancy with great interest. They were surprised when doctors announced the nonuplets. After having scans, Ms Cisse thought she would have seven babies (septuplets).

Ms Cisse is in good health. Her five baby boys and four girls are doing well. Mali's health minister congratulated her on the "happy outcome". He thanked Mali's president for his "leadership and generosity" which helped Halima. It was a little touch-and-go in the early stages of the pregnancy. Doctors worried about Ms Cisse's welfare and the chances of her babies' survival. They asked a hospital in Morocco for help. She got good postnatal care there.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Nonuplets - Level 5 or  Nonuplets - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56994408
  • https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/05/341463/malian-woman-gives-birth-to-nine-children-in-moroccan-hospital/
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/05/africa/mali-nine-babies-intl-scli/index.html


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. twins, triplets
  2. nine babies born
  3. given birth to
  4. This is a new
  5. followed the pregnancy
  6. They
  7. doctors announced
  8. she would have seven babies
  1. were surprised
  2. world record
  3. the nonuplets
  4. with great interest
  5. at a single birth
  6. nine babies
  7. (septuplets)
  8. and quadruplets

Paragraph 2

  1. Ms Cisse is
  2. congratulated her on
  3. leadership
  4. It was a little
  5. in the early
  6. the chances of her
  7. They asked a hospital
  8. She got good postnatal
  1. babies' survival
  2. and generosity
  3. care there
  4. in good health
  5. in Morocco for help
  6. the "happy outcome"
  7. stages of the pregnancy
  8. touch-and-go

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Most (1) ___________________ what twins, triplets and quadruplets are, but do we know (2) ___________________ nine babies born at (3) ___________________? The answer is nonuplets. A 25-year-old Malian woman, Halima Cisse, has given birth to nine babies. This is a (4) ___________________. People in Mali followed the pregnancy (5) ___________________. They were surprised when doctors announced the nonuplets. After having scans, Ms Cisse (6) ___________________ have seven babies (septuplets).

Ms Cisse is (7) ___________________. Her five baby boys and four girls are doing well. Mali's health minister congratulated her on (8) ___________________. He thanked Mali's president for his "leadership and generosity" which helped Halima. It was (9) ___________________-and-go in the (10) ___________________ the pregnancy. Doctors worried about Ms Cisse's welfare and the chances of (11) ___________________. They asked a hospital in Morocco for help. She (12) ___________________ care there.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Mostofusknowwhattwins,tripletsandquadrupletsare,butdoweknowt
hewordforninebabiesbornatasinglebirth?Theanswerisnonuplets.A2
5-year-oldMalianwoman,HalimaCisse,hasgivenbirthtoninebabies.
Thisisanewworldrecord.PeopleinMalifollowedthepregnancywithgrea
tinterest.Theyweresurprisedwhendoctorsannouncedthenonuplets.
Afterhavingscans,MsCissethoughtshewouldhavesevenbabies(septu
plets).MsCisseisingoodhealth.Herfivebabyboysandfourgirlsaredoin
gwell.Mali'shealthministercongratulatedheronthe"happyoutcome".
HethankedMali'spresidentforhis"leadershipandgenerosity"whichhel
pedHalima.Itwasalittletouch-and-gointheearlystagesofthepregna
ncy.DoctorsworriedaboutMsCisse'swelfareandthechancesofherbabi
es'survival.TheyaskedahospitalinMoroccoforhelp.Shegotgoodpostn
atalcarethere.

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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