The Reading / Listening - Baguette Prices - Level 4

France is famous for baguettes. They are currently facing a problem. High energy costs are forcing bakers to close their bakeries or raise baguette prices. Wheat supply issues caused by the Ukraine War are adding to bakers' woes. One baker is worried about his future. He may have to treble his baguette prices. He said: "I cannot pay an electricity bill of 12,000 euros with a turnover of 20,000 euros."

France's President Macron is worried about the baguette. He described it as "250 grams of magic and perfection". France introduced an "electricity damper" to limit how much bakers' electricity bills can rise by. Eligible bakers can benefit from this aid. Consumers also have tough choices. One said she didn't want to pay higher prices. She said she may have to "because there is no equivalent to a baguette".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Baguette Prices - Level 5 or  Baguette Prices - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/fears-for-french-baguettes-as-power-prices-burn-bakers-179888
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/04/french-bakers-allowed-to-renegotiate-bills-as-high-bills-bring-pain.html
  • https://abcnews.go.com/International/frances-bakers-forced-close-shops-raise-baguette-prices/story


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. France is famous
  2. They are currently
  3. High energy costs are
  4. Wheat supply
  5. adding to bakers'
  6. One baker is worried about
  7. He may have to treble
  8. a turnover of
  1. forcing bakers to close
  2. 20,000 euros
  3. woes
  4. his baguette prices
  5. facing a problem
  6. issues
  7. his future
  8. for baguettes

Paragraph 2

  1. 250 grams of magic
  2. an "electricity damper" to limit
  3. electricity
  4. Eligible bakers can benefit
  5. Consumers also have tough
  6. she didn't want to pay
  7. She said she may
  8. there is no equivalent to
  1. higher prices
  2. bills
  3. a baguette
  4. and perfection
  5. have to
  6. how much
  7. choices
  8. from this aid

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

France (1) ___________________ baguettes. They are currently (2) ___________________. High energy costs are forcing bakers to close their (3) ___________________ baguette prices. Wheat supply issues caused by the Ukraine War are adding (4) ___________________. One baker is worried about his future. He may (5) ___________________ his baguette prices. He said: "I cannot pay an electricity bill of 12,000 euros with (6) ___________________ 20,000 euros."

France's President Macron (7) ___________________ the baguette. He described it as "250 grams of (8) ___________________". France introduced an "electricity damper" to limit how much bakers' (9) ___________________ rise by. Eligible bakers can benefit (10) ___________________. Consumers also have tough choices. One said she didn't want to (11) ___________________. She said she may have to "because there is (12) ___________________ a baguette".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Franceisfamousforbaguettes.Theyarecurrentlyfacingaproblem.Hig
henergycostsareforcingbakerstoclosetheirbakeriesorraisebaguette
prices.WheatsupplyissuescausedbytheUkraineWarareaddingtobak
ers'woes.Onebakerisworriedabouthisfuture.Hemayhavetotreblehis
baguetteprices.Hesaid:"Icannotpayanelectricitybillof12,000eurosw
ithaturnoverof20,000euros."France'sPresidentMacronisworriedabo
utthebaguette.Hedescribeditas"250gramsofmagicandperfection".F
ranceintroducedan"electricitydamper"tolimithowmuchbakers'electr
icitybillscanriseby.Eligiblebakerscanbenefitfromthisaid.Consumers
alsohavetoughchoices.Onesaidshedidn'twanttopayhigherprices.Sh
esaidshemayhaveto"becausethereisnoequivalenttoabaguette".

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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