The Reading / Listening - U.K. Knighthood - Level 4

The U.K. awarded one of its top honours to an ex-minister who was fired twice. Gavin Williamson, 45, will get a knighthood for services to public life. He will be a "Sir". Many politicians are angry. He was fired as Defence Secretary by then Prime Minister Theresa May in 2019 because of a leak about national security. Ms May said she had, "lost confidence in his ability". Current PM Boris Johnson fired him from being Education Secretary in 2021 after a series of gaffes.

Knighthoods are for Britons who have excelled and have been great leaders or winners. Williamson became a politician in 2010. One politician said he did not deserve the award, and was the "worst Education Secretary in history". Another called his record "disgraceful". She said he "left children to go hungry" and created two years of exam chaos. Some newspapers say the award is for Williamson's silence over allegations about Boris Johnson.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    U.K. Knighthood - Level 5 or  U.K. Knighthood - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-tory-ex-education-secretary-26379946
  • https://news.sky.com/story/ex-education-secretary-gavin-williamson-given-a-knighthood-12556701
  • https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-awards-knighthood-minister-who-was-fired-over-security-leak-2022-03-03/


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. The U.K. awarded one
  2. an ex-minister who was fired
  3. a knighthood for service
  4. He will be a
  5. Many politicians
  6. because of a leak about
  7. she had lost confidence
  8. a series
  1. are angry
  2. to public life
  3. in his ability
  4. of gaffes
  5. of its top honours
  6. "Sir"
  7. twice
  8. national security

Paragraph 2

  1. Knighthoods are for Britons
  2. great leaders or
  3. Williamson became a
  4. he did not deserve
  5. the worst Education Secretary
  6. Another called his record
  7. created two years of exam
  8. the award is for Williamson's silence
  1. over allegations
  2. politician in 2010
  3. in history
  4. disgraceful
  5. who have excelled
  6. chaos
  7. winners
  8. the award

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The U.K. (1) ___________________ its top honours to an ex-minister who was fired twice. Gavin Williamson, 45, will get a knighthood (2) ___________________ public life. He will be a "Sir". Many politicians are angry. He (3) ___________________ Defence Secretary by then Prime Minister Theresa May in 2019 because of (4) ___________________ national security. Ms May said she had, "lost confidence (5) ___________________". Current PM Boris Johnson fired him from being Education Secretary in 2021 after a (6) ___________________.

Knighthoods are for Britons (7) ___________________ and have been great (8) ___________________. Williamson became a politician in 2010. One politician said he did not (9) ___________________, and was the "worst Education Secretary in history". Another called (10) ___________________. She said he "left children (11) ___________________" and created two years of exam chaos. Some newspapers say the award is for Williamson's (12) ___________________ about Boris Johnson.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheU.K.awardedoneofitstophonourstoanex-ministerwhowasfiredt
wice.GavinWilliamson,45,willgetaknighthoodforservicestopubliclife
.Hewillbea"Sir".Manypoliticiansareangry.HewasfiredasDefenceSecr
etarybythenPrimeMinisterTheresaMayin2019becauseofaleakabout
nationalsecurity.MsMaysaidshehad,"lostconfidenceinhisability".Cur
rentPMBorisJohnsonfiredhimfrombeingEducationSecretaryin2021a
fteraseriesofgaffes.KnighthoodsareforBritonswhohaveexcelledand
havebeengreatleadersorwinners.Williamsonbecameapoliticianin20
10.Onepoliticiansaidhedidnotdeservetheaward,andwasthe"worstE
ducationSecretaryinhistory".Anothercalledhisrecord"disgraceful".S
hesaidhe"leftchildrentogohungry"andcreatedtwoyearsofexamchao
s.SomenewspaperssaytheawardisforWilliamson'ssilenceoverallega
tionsaboutBorisJohnson.

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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