The Reading / Listening - Slave Trade - Level 4

The king of the UK will face a $260 billion bill for compensation for Britain's role in the slave trade. The king will attend a Commonwealth leaders' summit. The annual meeting brings together 56 former colonies of the British Empire. Fifteen nations will ask for slave trade reparations at the summit. Barbados said the UK should pay the price for its past. A UN judge said the price for damage done by Britain during the slave trade was $25 trillion.

The UK foreign secretary spoke about how his ancestors heard "twisted lies of imperialism as they were…turned into slaves". In 2018, he tweeted: "As Caribbean people…we want reparations." Conversely, a UK politician suggested Commonwealth countries should pay the UK for its role in abolishing slavery. He tweeted: "They ought to pay us for ending slavery…We were motivated by Christian charity."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Slave Trade - Level 5 or  Slave Trade - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0qzkg0ldqzo
  • https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/jacob-rees-mogg-suggests-former-british-territories-should-pay-us-for-ending-slavery-384267/
  • https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/king-and-keir-starmer-asked-to-pay-200bn-in-slavery-reparations/ar-AA1s9Wg6


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 king
  2. face a
  3. Britain's role in
  4. a Commonwealth leaders'
  5. former
  6. slave trade
  7. the UK should pay the price
  8. the price for damage
  1. done by Britain
  2. the slave trade
  3. reparations
  4. for its past
  5. summit
  6. of the UK
  7. colonies
  8. $260 billion bill

Paragraph 2

  1. The UK foreign
  2. twisted lies
  3. they were turned
  4. Caribbean
  5. we want
  6. its role in abolishing
  7. They ought to pay us
  8. We were motivated
  1. slavery
  2. people
  3. by Christian charity
  4. reparations
  5. for ending slavery
  6. into slaves
  7. secretary
  8. of imperialism

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The king of the UK (1) ________________________________________________ $260 billion bill for compensation for Britain's role in the slave trade. The king (2) ________________________________________________ Commonwealth leaders' summit. The annual meeting brings together 56 (3) ________________________________________________ the British Empire. Fifteen nations will ask for slave trade reparations (4) ________________________________________________. Barbados said the UK should (5) ________________________________________________ for its past. A UN judge said the price for (6) ________________________________________________ Britain during the slave trade was $25 trillion.

The UK (7) ________________________________________________ about how his ancestors heard "(8) ________________________________________________ imperialism as they were…turned into slaves". In 2018, he tweeted: "As Caribbean people… (9) ________________________________________________." Conversely, a UK politician suggested Commonwealth (10) ________________________________________________ the UK (11) ________________________________________ in abolishing slavery. He tweeted: "They ought to pay us for ending slavery…We (12) ________________________________________________ Christian charity."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThekingoftheUKwillfacea$260billionbillforcompensationforBritain's
roleintheslavetrade.ThekingwillattendaCommonwealthleaders'sum
mit.Theannualmeetingbringstogether56formercoloniesoftheBritish
Empire.Fifteennationswillaskforslavetradereparationsatthesummit.
BarbadossaidtheUKshouldpaythepriceforitspast.AUNjudgesaidthep
ricefordamagedonebyBritainduringtheslavetradewas$25trillion.Th
eUKforeignsecretaryspokeabouthowhisancestorsheard"twistedlies
ofimperialismastheywere…turnedintoslaves".In2018,hetweeted:"A
sCaribbeanpeople…wewantreparations."Conversely,aUKpoliticians
uggestedCommonwealthcountriesshouldpaytheUKforitsroleinaboli
shingslavery.Hetweeted:"Theyoughttopayusforendingslavery…We
weremotivatedbyChristiancharity."

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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