The Reading / Listening - Level 1

It's difficult to see the sun in Beijing. The air is full of smoke and fog. This smog is so thick that it blocks the sun. People want to see the sun. Beijing's leaders put giant TV screens in the city. People watch the sunrise on them. One screen has a message that asks people to protect the atmosphere and environment. Tourists like the TV sunrise. Ricardo Hernandez from Mexico said it looked like science fiction. He said it was cool, but also worrying.

The air in China's cities is bad in winter. People burn more coal for heating. This makes more pollution. Beijing will use $2.4 billion to make things better. Workers wear face masks to work. They cannot breathe the bad air. One man said he couldn't see the tall buildings across the street. He said the smog has become worse in the last three years. He often feels bad. He coughs and his nose runs. The US embassy told people not to do any exercise outside.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2540955/Beijing-clouded-smog-way-sunrise-watch-giant-commercial-screens-Tiananmen-Square.html
  • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/17/beijing-fake-sunrise_n_4618536.html?utm_hp_ref=world


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

It's difficult to

a.

fiction

2.

The air is full of smoke

b.

sunrise

3.

it blocks

c.

protect the atmosphere

4.

Beijing's leaders put giant

d.

and fog

5.

asks people to

e.

TV screens in the city

6.

Tourists like the TV

f.

see the sun

7.

it looked like science

g.

also worrying

8.

He said it was cool, but

h.

the sun



MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

The air in China's cities is

a.

things better

2.

People burn more coal

b.

in the last three years

3.

This makes more

c.

for heating

4.

make

d.

the bad air

5.

Workers wear face

e.

nose runs

6.

They cannot breathe

f.

bad in winter

7.

the smog has become worse

g.

masks to work

8.

He coughs and his

h.

pollution

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

It's (1) ___________________ sun in Beijing. The air is full of smoke and fog. This smog (2) ___________________ it blocks the sun. People (3) ___________________ sun. Beijing's leaders put giant screens in the city. People watch the sunrise on them. One screen (4) ___________________ asks people to protect the atmosphere and environment. (5) ___________________ sunrise. Ricardo Hernandez from Mexico said it looked like science fiction. He said it was cool, (6) ___________________.

The air in China's cities (7) ___________________. People burn more coal for heating. This makes more pollution. Beijing's will use $2.4 billion to (8) ___________________. Workers wear face masks to work. They cannot (9) ___________________ air. One man said he couldn't see (10) ___________________ across the street. He said the smog (11) ___________________ the last three years. He often feels bad. He coughs and his nose runs. The US embassy told people (12) ___________________ exercise outside.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

It'sdifficulttoseethesuninBeijing.Theairisfullofsmokeandfog.Thiss
mogissothickthatitblocksthesun.Peoplewanttoseethesun.Beijing'
sleadersputgiantTVscreensinthecity.Peoplewatchthesunriseonth
em.Onescreenhasamessagethataskspeopletoprotecttheatmosph
ereandenvironment.TouristsliketheTVsunrise.RicardoHernandezf
romMexicosaiditlookedlikesciencefiction.Hesaiditwascool,butalso
worrying.TheairinChina'scitiesisbadinwinter.Peopleburnmorecoal
forheating.Thismakesmorepollution.Beijingwilluse$2.4billiontom
akethingsbetter.Workerswearfacemaskstowork.Theycannotbrea
thethebadair.Onemansaidhecouldn'tseethetallbuildingsacrossthe
street.Hesaidthesmoghasbecomeworseinthelastthreeyears.Heof
tenfeelsbad.Hecoughsandhisnoseruns.TheUSembassytoldpeople
nottodoanyexerciseoutside.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about the sunrise 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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