The Reading / Listening - Banknotes - Level 0

People in the UK are angry about their banknotes. The Bank of England will replace famous historical figures with wildlife. More than 26,000 people voted. Nature was the most popular theme. An expert on sustainability said: "This is a powerful reminder of how deeply people feel connected to…British wildlife."

Pictures of wildlife are more secure and make banknotes more difficult to fake. However, politicians are unhappy about the change. One politician called it "silly". She said removing historical figures was "erasing our history". Another leader said: "I can't think of a worse time to do this with a war…in Europe."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Banknotes - Level 1 Banknotes - Level 2   or  Banknotes - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.euronews.com/2026/03/11/putting-biodiversity-in-our-hands-british-wildlife-will-soon-be-celebrated-on-banknotes
  • https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-official-warns-labour-over-183244760.html
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy03zy1lr8go


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. People in the UK are angry
  2. The Bank of
  3. replace famous historical
  4. More than 26,000 people
  5. Nature was the most
  6. an expert
  7. this is a
  8. feel connected
  1. popular theme
  2. figures
  3. to British wildlife
  4. about their banknotes
  5. powerful reminder
  6. voted
  7. on sustainability
  8. England

Paragraph 2

  1. Pictures of wildlife
  2. make banknotes more
  3. politicians are unhappy
  4. One politician called
  5. removing
  6. erasing our
  7. I can't think of a worse
  8. a war
  1. historical figures
  2. it "silly"
  3. time to do this
  4. difficult to fake
  5. in Europe
  6. about the change
  7. history
  8. are more secure

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

People in the UK (1) _________________________________________________ their banknotes. The Bank of England (2) _________________________________________________ historical (3) _________________________________________________. More than 26,000 people voted. Nature was the (4) _________________________________________________. An expert on sustainability said: "This is a powerful (5) _________________________________________________ deeply people (6) _________________________________________________...British wildlife."

Pictures of wildlife (7) _________________________________________________ and make banknotes more (8) _________________________________________________. However, politicians are unhappy (9) _________________________________________________. One politician (10) _________________________________________________. She said removing historical figures was "(11) _________________________________________________". Another leader said: "I can't think of a (12) _________________________________________________ do this with a war...in Europe."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

PeopleintheUKareangryabouttheirbanknotes.TheBankofEnglandwil
lreplacefamoushistoricalfigureswithwildlife.Morethan26,000people
voted.Naturewasthemostpopulartheme.Anexpertonsustainabilitys
aid:"Thisisapowerfulreminderofhowdeeplypeoplefeelconnectedto...
Britishwildlife."Picturesofwildlifearemoresecureandmakebanknotes
moredifficulttofake.However,politiciansareunhappyaboutthechang
e.Onepoliticiancalledit"silly".Shesaidremovinghistoricalfigureswas"
erasingourhistory".Anotherleadersaid:"Ican'tthinkofaworsetimetod
othiswithawar...inEurope."

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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