The Reading / Listening - Syrian refugees - Level 1

Millions of Syrian refugees could soon go home. They want to return after former president Bashar al-Assad left the country. He ruled Syria for 24 years. Thousands of refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt are waiting to go home. The U.N. believes there are around 5 million refugees in the Middle East. This includes two million school-aged children. Turkey's president said: "God willing…safe…returns will increase."

Many refugees spoke to journalists. One told the AP news agency: "I will return to Syria now. Thank God, the war is over." He left Syria in 2016, five years after civil war started. Another refugee told reporters he waited for 14 years to return. He said: "We can express ourselves. The country is free. The barriers have been broken down." He was hopeful for the future. He wants Syrians to create a "well-organized" country that takes care of its people.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Syrian refugees - Level 0 Syrian refugees - Level 2   or  Syrian refugees - Level 3

Sources
  • https://apnews.com/article/turkey-syrian-refugees-return-border-crossing-b0559be5103a7ef505e7206477f9db04
  • https://www.timesofisrael.com/hundreds-of-syrian-refugees-start-returning-from-turkey-lebanon-after-assads-fall/
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14171809/thousands-Syrians-home-end-civil-war-Families-reunited.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. Millions of Syrian
  2. former president
  3. waiting to go
  4. there are around
  5. in the Middle
  6. This includes two million school-
  7. God
  8. safe returns will
  1. East
  2. willing
  3. Bashar al-Assad
  4. increase
  5. aged children
  6. refugees
  7. home
  8. 5 million refugees

Paragraph 2

  1. Many refugees spoke
  2. the AP news
  3. I will return
  4. the war is
  5. five years after civil
  6. he waited for 14 years
  7. The barriers have been
  8. a "well-organized" country that takes
  1. over
  2. to Syria now
  3. to return
  4. broken down
  5. to journalists
  6. care of its people
  7. agency
  8. war started

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Millions of Syrian refugees (1) ___________________ home. They want to (2) ___________________ president Bashar al-Assad left the country. He (3) ___________________ 24 years. Thousands of refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt are waiting (4) ___________________. The U.N. believes there are around 5 million refugees in the Middle East. This (5) ___________________ school-aged children. Turkey's president said: "God willing…safe…(6) ___________________."

Many refugees (7) ___________________. One told the AP news agency: "I will return to Syria now. Thank God, the (8) ___________________." He left Syria in 2016, five years after civil war started. Another refugee told (9) ___________________ for 14 years to return. He said: "We can express ourselves. The (10) ___________________. The barriers have been broken down." He was hopeful (11) ___________________. He wants Syrians to create a "well-organized" country that (12) ___________________ its people.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

MillionsofSyrianrefugeescouldsoongohome.Theywanttoreturnafterf
ormerpresidentBasharal-Assadleftthecountry.HeruledSyriafor24y
ears.ThousandsofrefugeesinTurkey,Jordan,Lebanon,IraqandEgypt
arewaitingtogohome.TheU.N.believestherearearound5millionrefug
eesintheMiddleEast.Thisincludestwomillionschool-agedchildren.Tur
key'spresidentsaid:"Godwilling…safe…returnswillincrease."Manyref
ugeesspoketojournalists.OnetoldtheAPnewsagency:"IwillreturntoS
yrianow.ThankGod,thewarisover."HeleftSyriain2016,fiveyearsafter
civilwarstarted.Anotherrefugeetoldreportershewaitedfor14yearstor
eturn.Hesaid:"Wecanexpressourselves.Thecountryisfree.Thebarrie
rshavebeenbrokendown."Hewashopefulforthefuture.HewantsSyria
nstocreatea"well-organized"countrythattakescareofitspeople.

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