The Reading / Listening - Ambassador Recall - Level 4

A diplomatic row has started after France recalled its ambassadors to Australia and the USA. It is because Australia cancelled a $37 billion order to buy diesel-powered submarines from France. Australia will buy nuclear-powered submarines instead. France called Australia's cancellation a "stab in the back" and a "betrayal". France also recalled its top diplomat to the USA. The US and Australia will cooperate on nuclear-powered submarines.

AUKUS, a new alliance between Australia, the UK and the USA, is the cause of the split. It means Australia will get technology to operate nuclear-powered subs. France only knew of the alliance hours before it was announced to the world. France said its "exceptional decision" was because of the "exceptional gravity" of the situation. China accused the three AUKUS powers of displaying a "Cold War mentality".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Ambassador Recall - Level 5 or  Ambassador Recall - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.foxnews.com/politics/france-recalls-ambassadors-to-u-s-and-australia-in-response-to-aukus-nuclear-submarine-pact
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58604677
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/17/politics/french-ambassador-to-the-us-recalled/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. A diplomatic row
  2. France recalled
  3. Australia cancelled a
  4. diesel-
  5. buy nuclear-powered submarines
  6. a stab in
  7. recalled its top diplomat
  8. The US and Australia will
  1. $37 billion order
  2. to the USA
  3. has started
  4. cooperate
  5. instead
  6. its ambassadors
  7. the back
  8. powered submarines

Paragraph 2

  1. a new
  2. the cause of
  3. technology to operate nuclear-
  4. France only knew of the alliance
  5. it was announced
  6. exceptional
  7. the "exceptional gravity"
  8. displaying a Cold War
  1. to the world
  2. powered subs
  3. mentality
  4. the split
  5. alliance
  6. of the situation
  7. hours before
  8. decision

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A (1) ___________________ started after France recalled its ambassadors to Australia and the USA. It is because Australia cancelled a $37 billion (2) ___________________ diesel-powered submarines from France. Australia will buy nuclear-(3) ___________________. France called Australia's cancellation a "(4) ___________________ back" and a "betrayal". France also (5) ___________________ diplomat to the USA. The US and Australia (6) ___________________ nuclear-powered submarines.

AUKUS, a (7) ___________________ Australia, the UK and the USA, is the cause (8) ___________________. It means Australia will be get (9) ___________________ nuclear-powered subs. France only knew of the (10) ___________________ it was announced to the world. France said its "exceptional decision" was because of (11) ___________________ of the situation. China accused the three AUKUS powers of displaying a (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AdiplomaticrowhasstartedafterFrancerecalleditsambassadorstoAus
traliaandtheUSA.ItisbecauseAustraliacancelleda$37billionordertob
uydiesel-poweredsubmarinesfromFrance.Australiawillbuynuclear-
poweredsubmarinesinstead.FrancecalledAustralia'scancellationa"s
tabintheback"anda"betrayal".Francealsorecalleditstopdiplomattoth
eUSA.TheUSandAustraliawillcooperateonnuclear-poweredsubmar
ines.AUKUS,anewalliancebetweenAustralia,theUKandtheUSA,isthe
causeofthesplit.ItmeansAustraliawillbegettechnologytooperatenucl
ear-poweredsubs.Franceonlyknewofthealliancehoursbeforeitwasa
nnouncedtotheworld.Francesaidits"exceptionaldecision"wasbecaus
eofthe"exceptionalgravity"ofthesituation.ChinaaccusedthethreeAU
KUSpowersofdisplayinga"ColdWarmentality".

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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