The Reading / Listening - Babies - Level 1

The world's smallest baby left hospital after 13 months. Yu Xuan weighed 212 grams was 24 centimeters when she was born. She was born prematurely at around 25 weeks. Doctors gave her a "limited chance of survival". They did everything to help her live. They said: "We are happy…and proud of the care provided by our team. Our best wishes to little Yu Xuan as she continues to grow, thrive and beat the odds every day."

Yu Xuan's mother said: "We are very grateful to the doctors and nurses…for the attentive and wonderful medical care and treatment." Yu Xuan still has problems. She has a lung disease and other medical problems. She has a special machine at home to help her breathe. Her doctors said she would get better. They said she has inspired people because she never gave up. They called her "an extraordinary 'Covid-19' baby" and "a ray of hope".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Babies - Level 0 Babies - Level 2   or  Babies - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.newsweek.com/smallest-baby-ever-weigh-apple-hospital-singapore-1617455
  • https://www.foxnews.com/health/worlds-smallest-infant-discharged-hospital-13-months
  • https://metro.co.uk/2021/08/09/smallest-ever-newborn-is-allowed-home-after-13-months-in-hospital-15061335/


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. Yu Xuan weighed
  2. She was born
  3. Doctors gave her a limited
  4. They did everything
  5. We are happy
  6. care provided
  7. as she continues
  8. beat the
  1. and proud
  2. to grow
  3. 212 grams
  4. odds every day
  5. chance of survival
  6. prematurely
  7. by our team
  8. to help her live

Paragraph 2

  1. We are very grateful
  2. the attentive and wonderful
  3. She has a lung
  4. other medical
  5. a special machine at home to help
  6. Her doctors said she
  7. she never
  8. a ray
  1. gave up
  2. disease
  3. her breathe
  4. of hope
  5. would get better
  6. to the doctors
  7. problems
  8. medical care

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The world's smallest baby (1) ___________________ 13 months. Yu Xuan (2) ___________________ was 24 centimeters when she was born. She (3) ___________________ at around 25 weeks. Doctors gave her a "(4) ___________________ survival". They did everything to (5) ___________________. They said: "We are happy...and proud of the care provided by our team. Our best wishes to little Yu Xuan as she continues to grow, thrive and (6) ___________________ every day."

Yu Xuan's mother said: "We are (7) ___________________ the doctors and nurses...for the (8) ___________________ medical care and treatment." Yu Xuan still has problems. She has a lung disease and (9) ___________________. She has a special machine at home to (10) ___________________. Her doctors said she would get better. They said she (11) ___________________ because she never gave up. They called her "an extraordinary 'Covid-19' baby" and "a (12) ___________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Theworld'ssmallestbabylefthospitalafter13months.YuXuanweighed
212gramswas24centimeterswhenshewasborn.Shewasbornpremat
urelyataround25weeks.Doctorsgavehera"limitedchanceofsurvival".
Theydideverythingtohelpherlive.Theysaid:"Wearehappy...andprou
dofthecareprovidedbyourteam.OurbestwishestolittleYuXuanasshec
ontinuestogrow,thriveandbeattheoddseveryday."YuXuan'smothers
aid:"Weareverygratefultothedoctorsandnurses...fortheattentivean
dwonderfulmedicalcareandtreatment."YuXuanstillhasproblems.Sh
ehasalungdiseaseandothermedicalproblems.Shehasaspecialmachi
neathometohelpherbreathe.Herdoctorssaidshewouldgetbetter.The
ysaidshehasinspiredpeoplebecauseshenevergaveup.Theycalledher
"anextraordinary'Covid-19'baby"and"arayofhope".

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