The Reading / Listening - Cash Handouts - Level 5

Japanese children may soon be smiling and have money in their pockets. Japan is planning to give ¥100,000 ($880) to all children under the age of 19 as part of a covid stimulus plan. Around 20 million children, from babies to 18-year-olds, will get the payment. This initiative is part of an election pledge from Japan's Prime Minister. He vowed to help "people in need," such as part-time workers and poorer families. The money will be given regardless of the financial status of a child's family and how many children are in a family. The plan will cost around ¥2 trillion ($17.6 billion).

The stimulus package has its critics. Many people have reservations about it when Japan has so much debt. Its debt is currently more than twice the size of its economy. Sources say the cash is available for the stimulus because of a surplus of funds from fiscal 2020. Skeptics are questioning the plan. They say most children will not be buying high-cost items, dining in upmarket restaurants or going on holidays. Most of the money will end up in savings accounts. One mother of three welcomed the plan. She said her children would benefit because they will buy new computers.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Cash Handouts - Level 4 or  Cash Handouts - Level 6

Sources
  • https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0007957410
  • https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/11/06/national/japan-ldp-cash-handout/
  • https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/11/37472f159862-breaking-news-japan-mulls-100000-yen-cash-handout-for-all-aged-18-or-younger.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. have money in
  2. part of a covid stimulus
  3. from babies
  4. an election
  5. He vowed to help
  6. part-time workers
  7. regardless of the financial
  8. The plan will cost
  1. people in need
  2. pledge
  3. status
  4. and poorer families
  5. to 18-year-olds
  6. around ¥2 trillion
  7. plan
  8. their pockets

Paragraph 2

  1. The stimulus package has
  2. Japan has so
  3. more than twice the
  4. because of a surplus
  5. the money will end up
  6. One mother of
  7. She said her children
  8. they will buy
  1. would benefit
  2. size of its economy
  3. new computers
  4. in savings accounts
  5. much debt
  6. of funds
  7. three
  8. its critics

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Japanese children may (1) ___________________ and have money in their pockets. Japan is (2) ___________________ ¥100,000 ($880) to all children under the age of 19 as part of a covid stimulus plan. Around 20 million children, from babies to 18-year-olds, will (3) ___________________. This initiative is part of an election pledge from Japan's Prime Minister. He (4) ___________________ "people in need," such as part-time workers and poorer families. The money will (5) ___________________ of the financial status of a child's family and how many children are in a family. The (6) ___________________ around ¥2 trillion ($17.6 billion).

The stimulus package (7) __________________. Many people have reservations about it when Japan has (8) ___________________. Its debt is currently more than twice the size of its economy. Sources say the cash is available (9) ___________________ because of a surplus of funds from fiscal 2020. Skeptics are questioning the plan. They say most children will not be buying high-cost items, (10) ___________________ restaurants or going on holidays. Most of the money will end up (11) ___________________. One mother of three welcomed the plan. She said her children (12) ___________________ they will buy new computers.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Japanesechildrenmaysoonbesmilingandhavemoneyintheirpockets.
Japanisplanningtogive¥100,000($880)toallchildrenundertheageof
19aspartofacovidstimulusplan.Around20millionchildren,frombabie
sto18-year-olds,willgetthepayment.Thisinitiativeispartofanelecti
onpledgefromJapan'sPrimeMinister.Hevowedtohelp"peopleinneed,
"suchaspart-timeworkersandpoorerfamilies.Themoneywillbegive
nregardlessofthefinancialstatusofachild'sfamilyandhowmanychildr
enareinafamily.Theplanwillcostaround¥2trillion($17.6billion).Thest
imuluspackagehasitscritics.Manypeoplehavereservationsaboutitwh
enJapanhassomuchdebt.Itsdebtiscurrentlymorethantwicethesizeof
itseconomy.Sourcessaythecashisavailableforthestimulusbecauseof
asurplusoffundsfromfiscal2020.Skepticsarequestioningtheplan.The
ysaymostchildrenwillnotbebuyinghigh-costitems,dininginupmarket
restaurantsorgoingonholidays.Mostofthemoneywillendupinsavings
accounts.Onemotherofthreewelcomedtheplan.Shesaidherchildren
wouldbenefitbecausetheywillbuynewcomputers.

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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