The Reading / Listening - Europe's Floods - Level 4

Germany's Angela Merkel is worried about climate change after the flooding in Europe. She is horrified by the damage across large parts of the continent. She visited hard-hit areas in Germany and listened to local residents. She said: "It's shocking. I can pretty much say that the German language does not have words to describe the destruction." Ms Merkel said: "We have to be faster in the fight against climate change."

Torrential rain caused many rivers to burst their banks. This caused flash floods that washed away houses, roads and bridges across Germany, Belgium and other countries. The death toll is now 190 and many people are missing. Towns are covered in debris and are unrecognisable. Ms Merkel said it was "surreal". The clean-up operation will take years. A politician questioned Germany's preparedness for floods and the effectiveness of flood defences.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Europe's Floods - Level 5 or  Europe's Floods - Level 6

Sources
  • https://news.yahoo.com/merkel-visit-flood-zone-western-051016535.html
  • https://www.politico.eu/article/merkel-pledges-stronger-post-flood-focus-on-climate-protection/
  • https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/reuters/-it-s-terrifying---merkel-shaken-as-flood-deaths-rise-to-188-in-europe/46796240


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. after the flooding
  2. She is horrified
  3. across large parts
  4. She visited hard-
  5. listened to local
  6. I can pretty much
  7. words to describe
  8. faster in the fight
  1. by the damage
  2. against climate change
  3. hit areas
  4. of the continent
  5. the destruction
  6. residents
  7. in Europe
  8. say that

Paragraph 2

  1. Torrential rain caused many rivers
  2. This caused flash
  3. washed
  4. death
  5. Towns are covered
  6. The clean-
  7. Germany's preparedness
  8. the effectiveness of
  1. toll
  2. for floods
  3. flood defences
  4. floods
  5. away houses
  6. in debris
  7. to burst
  8. up operation

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Germany's Angela Merkel is worried about climate change (1) _________________ in Europe. She is (2) ___________________ damage across large parts (3) ___________________. She visited hard-hit areas in Germany and listened (4) ___________________. She said: "It's shocking. I can (5) ___________________ that the German language does not have words to describe the destruction." Ms Merkel said: "We have to (6) ___________________ the fight against climate change."

Torrential rain caused many rivers (7) ___________________ banks. This caused (8) ___________________ washed away houses, roads and bridges across Germany, Belgium and other countries. (9) ___________________ is now 190 and many people are missing. Towns are (10) ___________________ and are unrecognisable. Ms Merkel said it was "surreal". The (11) ___________________ will take years. A politician questioned Germany's preparedness for floods and the effectiveness (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Germany'sAngelaMerkelisworriedaboutclimatechangeaftertheflood
inginEurope.Sheishorrifiedbythedamageacrosslargepartsoftheconti
nent.Shevisitedhard-hitareasinGermanyandlistenedtolocalresiden
ts.Shesaid:"It'sshocking.IcanprettymuchsaythattheGermanlangua
gedoesnothavewordstodescribethedestruction."MsMerkelsaid:"We
havetobefasterinthefightagainstclimatechange."Torrentialraincaus
edmanyriverstobursttheirbanks.Thiscausedflashfloodsthatwasheda
wayhouses,roadsandbridgesacrossGermany,Belgiumandothercoun
tries.Thedeathtollisnow190andmanypeoplearemissing.Townsareco
veredindebrisandareunrecognisable.MsMerkelsaiditwas"surreal".T
heclean-upoperationwilltakeyears.ApoliticianquestionedGerma
ny'spreparednessforfloodsandtheeffectivenessofflooddefences.

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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