The Reading / Listening - Learning to Read - Level 4

A 104-year-old woman from Kerala, India passed a literacy test with a score of 89 per cent. Kuttiyamma learned to read and write last year. She studied for just a year and passed with flying colours. The education minister congratulated her and wished her "the best". He uploaded a photo of her grinning from ear to ear. Another person tweeted: "I salute Kuttiyamma for her dedication. It will inspire others for sure."

Kerala has India's highest literacy rate. It invests heavily in adult education. Kuttiyamma did not go to school. She has shown that age is just a number and we can do anything when we put our minds to it. Her tutor called her a "sharp" woman. A state official said: "Kuttiyamma is a role model and motivation to all women in adult education". Kuttiyamma will now write letters and continue studying to improve her skills.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Learning to Read - Level 5 or  Learning to Read - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/104-year-old-kerala-woman-sets-to-inspire-scores-89-out-of-100-in-the-literacy-test-1876854-2021-11-15
  • https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/asia/2021/11/16/indian-woman-104-aces-test-after-learning-to-read-and-write/
  • https://www.india.com/viral/never-too-late-104-year-old-woman-kuttiyamma-scored-89-100-literacy-exam-joy-on-her-face-is-evident-see-pic-5095984/


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. passed a
  2. She studied for
  3. passed with flying
  4. wished her the
  5. He uploaded
  6. grinning from
  7. I salute Kuttiyamma for
  8. It will inspire
  1. a photo
  2. her dedication
  3. just a year
  4. others for sure
  5. best
  6. literacy test
  7. ear to ear
  8. colours

Paragraph 2

  1. Kerala has India's highest
  2. It invests heavily
  3. age is just
  4. when we put our
  5. Her tutor called her
  6. a state
  7. a role
  8. studying to improve
  1. a "sharp" woman
  2. minds to it
  3. literacy rate
  4. official
  5. her skills
  6. model
  7. in adult education
  8. a number

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A 104-year-old woman from Kerala, India (1) ___________________ test with a score of 89 per cent. Kuttiyamma (2) ___________________ and write last year. She studied for just a year and passed (3) _________________. The education minister congratulated her and wished (4) _________________. He uploaded a photo of her grinning from (5) _________________. Another person tweeted: "I salute Kuttiyamma for her dedication. It (6) _________________ for sure."

Kerala has India's (7) ___________________. It invests heavily in adult education. Kuttiyamma did not go to school. She (8) ___________________ age is just a number and we can do anything when we (9) ___________________ to it. Her tutor called her a "sharp" woman. (10) ___________________: "Kuttiyamma is a role model and motivation to all women (11) ___________________ ". Kuttiyamma will now write letters and continue studying (12) ___________________ skills.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

A104-year-oldwomanfromKerala,Indiapassedaliteracytestwithas
coreof89percent.Kuttiyammalearnedtoreadandwritelastyear.Shest
udiedforjustayearandpassedwithflyingcolours.Theeducationministe
rcongratulatedherandwishedher"thebest".Heuploadedaphotoofher
grinningfromeartoear.Anotherpersontweeted:"IsaluteKuttiyammaf
orherdedication.Itwillinspireothersforsure."KeralahasIndia'shighes
tliteracyrate.Itinvestsheavilyinadulteducation.Kuttiyammadidnotg
otoschool.Shehasshownthatageisjustanumberandwecandoanythin
gwhenweputourmindstoit.Hertutorcalledhera"sharp"woman.Astate
officialsaid:"Kuttiyammaisarolemodelandmotivationtoallwomenina
dulteducation".Kuttiyammawillnowwritelettersandcontinuestudyin
gtoimproveherskills.

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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