The Reading / Listening - Cost of Living - Level 5

The cost of living crisis is hitting people all across the world. Soaring oil and gas prices have made basic necessities unaffordable for many people. In the UK recently, the debate has been over the dilemma of "heating or eating". Energy prices have doubled this year for many consumers. Those on low incomes or on benefits face the choice of heating their home, or eating. Life is so hard for some that they do not have enough money to boil potatoes. This situation will be worsened by rises in contributions to the country's health care system. These come into effect next week.

A former prime minister criticised the man responsible for Britain's finances, chancellor Rishi Sunak. He said: "Any compassionate chancellor would want to do something about this poverty.…You cannot ignore the needs of parents who are having to choose between putting their heating up and feeding their children." He added that the ruling Conservative Party could be known as the "nasty" party. More price hikes and food shortages are coming as the war in Ukraine will see the price of wheat rise. Critics want a one-off tax on energy company profits to help the poor.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Cost of Living - Level 4 or  Cost of Living - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/mar/23/food-bank-users-declining-potatoes-as-cooking-costs-too-high-says-iceland-boss
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60858113
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10643039/Iceland-boss-claims-food-banks-users-turning-donations-potatoes-amid-energy-price-rises.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. The cost of living crisis is
  2. Soaring
  3. basic
  4. the dilemma of
  5. Those on low incomes
  6. This situation will be
  7. the country's health
  8. These come into
  1. care system
  2. or on benefits
  3. worsened
  4. necessities
  5. effect next week
  6. oil and gas prices
  7. "heating or eating"
  8. hitting people

Paragraph 2

  1. A former
  2. the man responsible for
  3. do something
  4. You cannot ignore the needs
  5. putting their
  6. feeding
  7. price
  8. a one-off tax on
  1. hikes
  2. about this poverty
  3. their children
  4. energy company profits
  5. of parents
  6. prime minister
  7. heating up
  8. Britain's finances

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The cost of living (1) ___________________ people all across the world. Soaring oil and gas prices have (2) ___________________ unaffordable for many people. In the UK recently, the debate has been (3) ___________________ of "heating or eating". Energy prices have doubled this year for many consumers. Those on low incomes or (4) ___________________ the choice of heating their home, or eating. Life is so hard for some that they do not have enough money to boil potatoes. This situation will (5) ___________________ rises in contributions to the country's health care system. These (6) ___________________ next week.

A former prime minister criticised the (7) ___________________ Britain's finances, chancellor Rishi Sunak. He said: "Any compassionate chancellor would want to do something about this poverty....You cannot (8) ___________________ of parents who are having to choose between putting (9) ___________________ and feeding their children." He added that the ruling Conservative Party could be known as (10) ___________________. More price hikes and food shortages are coming as the war in Ukraine will see the price (11) ___________________. Critics want a one-off (12) ___________________ company profits to help the poor.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thecostoflivingcrisisishittingpeopleallacrosstheworld.Soaringoiland
gaspriceshavemadebasicnecessitiesunaffordableformanypeople.In
theUKrecently,thedebatehasbeenoverthedilemmaof"heatingoreati
ng".Energypriceshavedoubledthisyearformanyconsumers.Thoseon
lowincomesoronbenefitsfacethechoiceofheatingtheirhome,oreating
.Lifeissohardforsomethattheydonothaveenoughmoneytoboilpotato
es.Thissituationwillbeworsenedbyrisesincontributionstothecountry'
shealthcaresystem.Thesecomeintoeffectnextweek.Aformerprimem
inistercriticisedthemanresponsibleforBritain'sfinances,chancellorRi
shiSunak.Hesaid:"Anycompassionatechancellorwouldwanttodosom
ethingaboutthispoverty....Youcannotignoretheneedsofparentswho
arehavingtochoosebetweenputtingtheirheatingupandfeedingtheirc
hildren."HeaddedthattherulingConservativePartycouldbeknownast
he"nasty"party.Morepricehikesandfoodshortagesarecomingasthew
arinUkrainewillseethepriceofwheatrise.Criticswantaone-offtaxone
nergycompanyprofitstohelpthepoor.

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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