The Reading / Listening - Snack Tax - Level 1

The UK wants people to eat more healthily. It asked a food expert for some ideas. The expert created the National Food Strategy. He showed it to the government. He has two main ideas. One is to tax food with salt and sugar. The media called this a "snack tax". The second one is to give poorer people free vegetables. The expert said what we eat is doing "terrible damage" to the environment and our health. Poor diets kill people and put pressure on hospitals.

The UK's leader is not happy with the strategy. It could increase the price of snack food by up to 13 per cent. He does not want to put "extra taxes on hard-working people". He said the best way to fight obesity was to exercise and eat less junk food. The expert said good leadership from government could "change the system so it makes both us and the planet healthier". He added that the country had to build a better food system "for our children and grandchildren".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Snack Tax - Level 0 Snack Tax - Level 2   or  Snack Tax - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.ft.com/content/9687484f-2703-4e55-a37a-827a056ac962
  • https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/national-food-strategy-calls-for-salt-and-sugar-tax-and-veg-on-prescription/
  • https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15597340/free-fruit-and-veg-snack-tax/


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. It asked a food expert
  2. He showed it
  3. He has two
  4. One is to tax food
  5. The media called this
  6. give poorer people
  7. doing terrible damage to
  8. put pressure
  1. on hospitals
  2. a "snack tax"
  3. to the government
  4. the environment
  5. for some ideas
  6. with salt
  7. free vegetables
  8. main ideas

Paragraph 2

  1. The UK's leader is
  2. It could increase the price
  3. by up
  4. extra taxes on hard-
  5. the best way to fight obesity
  6. good leadership
  7. it makes both us and the
  8. build a better
  1. was to exercise
  2. working people
  3. food system
  4. not happy
  5. planet healthier
  6. of snack food
  7. from government
  8. to 13 per cent

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The UK wants people to (1) ___________________. It asked a food expert for some ideas. The (2) ___________________ National Food Strategy. He showed it to the government. He has (3) ___________________. One is to tax food with salt and sugar. The media called this (4) ___________________. The second one is to give poorer people free vegetables. The expert said what we eat is (5) ___________________ to the environment and our health. Poor diets kill people and (6) ___________________ hospitals.

The UK's leader is not happy (7) ___________________. It could increase (8) ___________________ snack food by up to 13 per cent. He does not want to (9) ___________________ on hard-working people". He said the best way (10) ___________________ was to exercise and eat less junk food. The expert said good leadership from government could "(11) ___________________ so it makes both us and the planet healthier". He added that the country had to build a (12) ___________________ "for our children and grandchildren".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUKwantspeopletoeatmorehealthily.Itaskedafoodexpertforsome
ideas.TheexpertcreatedtheNationalFoodStrategy.Heshowedittothe
government.Hehastwomainideas.Oneistotaxfoodwithsaltandsugar.
Themediacalledthisa"snacktax".Thesecondoneistogivepoorerpeopl
efreevegetables.Theexpertsaidwhatweeatisdoing"terribledamage"t
otheenvironmentandourhealth.Poordietskillpeopleandputpressure
onhospitals.TheUK'sleaderisnothappywiththestrategy.Itcouldincre
asethepriceofsnackfoodbyupto13percent.Hedoesnotwanttoput"ext
rataxesonhard-workingpeople".Hesaidthebestwaytofightobesitywa
stoexerciseandeatlessjunkfood.Theexpertsaidgoodleadershipfrom
governmentcould"changethesystemsoitmakesbothusandtheplanet
healthier".Headdedthatthecountryhadtobuildabetterfoodsystem"fo
rourchildrenandgrandchildren".

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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