The Reading / Listening - Babies - Level 2

The world's smallest baby left hospital after 13 months. Yu Xuan weighed 212 grams and measured 24 centimeters when she was born in Singapore on June the 9th, 2020. She was born prematurely at around 25 weeks. The standard is 40 weeks. Doctors gave her a "limited chance of survival". They did everything they could to help Yu Xuan. They said: "We are happy for the little fighter and her family, 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 thanked staff for helping her daughter. She said: "We are very grateful to the doctors and nurses…for the attentive and wonderful medical care and treatment of Yu Xuan." There is a long journey ahead for Yu Xuan. She has a serious lung disease and other medical problems. She has a special machine at home to help her breathe. Her doctors said she would slowly get better. They added: "She has inspired people around her with her perseverance." 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 1   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 they
  5. We are happy
  6. proud of the care provided
  7. Our best wishes
  8. beat the
  1. for the little fighter
  2. 212 grams
  3. to little Yu Xuan
  4. chance of survival
  5. could to help
  6. odds every day
  7. prematurely
  8. by our team

Paragraph 2

  1. thanked staff for helping her
  2. We are very grateful
  3. the attentive and wonderful medical
  4. There is a long
  5. a special machine at home to
  6. doctors said she would slowly
  7. inspired people around her with
  8. a ray
  1. journey ahead
  2. her perseverance
  3. daughter
  4. of hope
  5. care
  6. help her breathe
  7. get better
  8. to the doctors

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The world's smallest (1) ___________________ after 13 months. Yu Xuan weighed 212 (2) ___________________ 24 centimeters when she was born in Singapore on June the 9th, 2020. She was born (3) ___________________ 25 weeks. The standard is 40 weeks. Doctors gave her a "limited chance of survival". They did everything they (4) ___________________ Yu Xuan. They said: "We are happy for the little fighter and her family, and (5) ___________________ 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 thanked (7) ___________________ her daughter. She said: "We are (8) ___________________ the doctors and nurses...for the attentive and wonderful medical care and treatment of Yu Xuan." There is a (9) ___________________ for Yu Xuan. She has a serious lung disease and other medical problems. She has a special (10) ___________________ to help her breathe. Her doctors said she would (11) ___________________. They added: "She has inspired people around her with her perseverance." They called her "an extraordinary 'Covid-19' baby" and "a (12) ___________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Theworld'ssmallestbabylefthospitalafter13months.YuXuanweighed
212gramsandmeasured24centimeterswhenshewasborninSingapor
eonJunethe9th,2020.Shewasbornprematurelyataround25weeks.T
hestandardis40weeks.Doctorsgavehera"limitedchanceofsurvival".T
heydideverythingtheycouldtohelpYuXuan.Theysaid:"Wearehappyf
orthelittlefighterandherfamily,andproudofthecareprovidedbyourte
am.OurbestwishestolittleYuXuanasshecontinuestogrow,thriveandb
eattheoddseveryday."YuXuan'smotherthankedstaffforhelpingherd
aughter.Shesaid:"Weareverygratefultothedoctorsandnurses...fort
heattentiveandwonderfulmedicalcareandtreatmentofYuXuan."Ther
eisalongjourneyaheadforYuXuan.Shehasaseriouslungdiseaseandot
hermedicalproblems.Shehasaspecialmachineathometohelpherbrea
the.Herdoctorssaidshewouldslowlygetbetter.Theyadded:"Shehasin
spiredpeoplearoundherwithherperseverance."Theycalledher"anext
raordinary'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.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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