The Reading / Listening - Millionaires say 'tax us more' - Level 1

Times are hard for people. COVID-19 and the Ukraine War have increased food and energy prices. In some countries, energy prices have tripled. Food is 20 per cent more expensive than last year. A group of rich people has asked governments to tax them more. The people were at a meeting of global leaders in Davos, Switzerland. They protested in the streets with left-wing activists. They asked for higher taxes for people like them.

The Davos meeting started in 1971. World leaders meet there every year to talk about global problems. The group of wealthy people said it was shocking that world leaders listen "to those who have the most but know the least" about the cost of living crisis. It said super-rich people are well known for paying very little in tax. One of the millionaire protestors said "another quarter of a billion people will be pushed into extreme poverty this year".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Millionaires say 'tax us more' - Level 0 Millionaires say 'tax us more' - Level 2   or  Millionaires say 'tax us more' - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61549155
  • https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/may/22/millionaires-join-davos-protests-demanding-tax-us-now-taxation-wealthy-cost-of-living-crisis
  • https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/05/22/tax-rich-say-millionaire-activists-protesting-davos-amid-record-wealth-inequality


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. Times are hard
  2. increased food and
  3. energy prices have
  4. Food is 20 per cent
  5. A group of
  6. tax them
  7. a meeting of global
  8. They protested in
  1. more
  2. tripled
  3. more expensive
  4. the streets
  5. for people
  6. rich people
  7. energy prices
  8. leaders

Paragraph 2

  1. The Davos meeting
  2. leaders meet
  3. those who have the most but
  4. the cost of
  5. paying very
  6. One of the millionaire
  7. another quarter of a
  8. extreme
  1. poverty
  2. living crisis
  3. protestors
  4. started in 1971
  5. billion people
  6. know the least
  7. little in tax
  8. there every year

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Times (1) ___________________ people. COVID-19 and the Ukraine War have increased (2) ___________________ prices. In some countries, energy (3) ___________________. Food is 20 per cent more expensive than last year. A group of rich people has asked governments (4) ___________________ more. The people were at a meeting (5) ___________________ in Davos, Switzerland. They protested in the streets with left-wing activists. They asked for (6) ___________________ people like them.

The Davos (7) ___________________ 1971. World leaders meet there every year to talk about global problems. The group of (8) ___________________ it was shocking that world leaders listen "to those who have the most but (9) ___________________" about the cost of living crisis. It said super-rich people are well known for (10) ___________________ in tax. One of the millionaire protestors said "(11) ___________________ a billion people will be pushed into extreme (12) ___________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Timesarehardforpeople.COVID-19andtheUkraineWarhaveincreas
edfoodandenergyprices.Insomecountries,energypriceshavetripled.
Foodis20percentmoreexpensivethanlastyear.Agroupofrichpeopleh
asaskedgovernmentstotaxthemmore.Thepeoplewereatameetingof
globalleadersinDavos,Switzerland.Theyprotestedinthestreetswithle
ft-wingactivists.Theyaskedforhighertaxesforpeoplelikethem.TheDa
vosmeetingstartedin1971.Worldleadersmeetthereeveryyeartotalka
boutglobalproblems.Thegroupofwealthypeoplesaiditwasshockingth
atworldleaderslisten"tothosewhohavethemostbutknowtheleast"ab
outthecostoflivingcrisis.Itsaidsuper-richpeoplearewellknownforpay
ingverylittleintax.Oneofthemillionaireprotestorssaid"anotherquarte
rofabillionpeoplewillbepushedintoextremepovertythisyear".

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You