The Reading / Listening - Ukraine Crisis - Level 0

Germany has closed a gas pipeline from Russia to Europe. This is because Russia said two parts of eastern Ukraine were independent countries. Germany's leader said: "We must reassess the situation." He warned that Europe faced difficulties. He said there might be a new war in Europe, 80 years after the end of WWII.

Closing the gas pipeline is one action Western nations have taken against Russia. The U.K. took action against Russian banks and billionaires after Russia said it might enter eastern Ukraine. The USA will take action soon. Russia said it would not go into Ukraine. It said: "If there is a threat, then we will provide assistance."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Ukraine Crisis - Level 1 Ukraine Crisis - Level 2   or  Ukraine Crisis - Level 3

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/22/business/nord-stream-2-germany-russia/index.html
  • https://www.rt.com/russia/550244-recognize-sovereignty-dpr-lpr-end/
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60480734


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. Germany has closed
  2. from Russia
  3. two parts
  4. independent
  5. We must
  6. Europe faced
  7. there might be a new
  8. 80 years after the
  1. difficulties
  2. of eastern Ukraine
  3. end of WWII
  4. a gas pipeline
  5. war in Europe
  6. countries
  7. reassess the situation
  8. to Europe

Paragraph 2

  1. Closing the
  2. one action Western nations
  3. The U.K. took
  4. Russian banks and
  5. it might enter
  6. The USA will take action
  7. If there is a
  8. we will provide
  1. action
  2. eastern Ukraine
  3. assistance
  4. have taken
  5. threat
  6. gas pipeline
  7. billionaires
  8. soon

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Germany (1) ___________________ gas pipeline from Russia to Europe. (2) ___________________ Russia said (3) ___________________ eastern Ukraine were independent countries. Germany's leader said: "(4) ___________________ the situation." (5) ___________________ Europe faced difficulties. He said there might be a new war in Europe, 80 years (6) ___________________ of WWII.

Closing the gas pipeline (7) ___________________ Western nations (8) ___________________ Russia. The U.K. took action (9) ___________________ and billionaires after Russia (10) ___________________ enter eastern Ukraine. The USA will take action soon. Russia said it would (11) ___________________ Ukraine. It said: "If there is a threat, then (12) ___________________ assistance."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

GermanyhasclosedagaspipelinefromRussiatoEurope.Thisisbecause
RussiasaidtwopartsofeasternUkrainewereindependentcountries.Ge
rmany'sleadersaid:"Wemustreassessthesituation."HewarnedthatE
uropefaceddifficulties.HesaidtheremightbeanewwarinEurope,80ye
arsaftertheendofWWII.ClosingthegaspipelineisoneactionWesternn
ationshavetakenagainstRussia.TheU.K.tookactionagainstRussianb
anksandbillionairesafterRussiasaiditmightentereasternUkraine.The
USAwilltakeactionsoon.RussiasaiditwouldnotgointoUkraine.Itsaid:"
Ifthereisathreat,thenwewillprovideassistance."

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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