The Reading / Listening - Level 2

Economists from the banking company Goldman Sachs have taken a break from looking at the world's economy. They have put their heads together to predict how many medals different countries will win at the 2016 Rio Olympics. There are no real surprises. Most people know that the USA and China will win the most medals. A small surprise is the economists predicted Great Britain will finish third. They predicted 23 gold medals for Team GB and 59 medals in total. They also think the world's second most populous country, India, will win just one gold medal.

There is good news for the host Brazil. The country that hosts the Olympics usually gets 50 per cent extra golds. Goldman Sachs predicts that Brazil will win 22 medals, including five golds. This would be Brazil's best ever Olympics performance. The economists also predicted the Olympics will benefit Brazil's economy. They said: "As the country welcomes thousands of athletes and visitors and cheers the local favorites, it silently hopes that the soaring Olympic spirit will also help lift the spirits of the Brazilian economy." The 2016 Rio Olympics is sure to be one of the best ever.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-2016-olympics-medal-predictions-2016-8
  • http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-01/goldman-s-economists-are-forecasting-olympic-medals
  • http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/01/rio-olympics-goldman-sachs-thinks-us-china-will-clinch-largest-medal-haul.html


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Economists from the
  2. taken a
  3. looking at the world's
  4. They have put their heads
  5. There are no real
  6. 59 medals
  7. the world's second most
  8. win just
  1. break
  2. populous country
  3. surprises
  4. banking company
  5. one gold medal
  6. together
  7. in total
  8. economy

Paragraph 2

  1. There is good news
  2. The country that
  3. Brazil will win 22 medals,
  4. the Olympics will
  5. thousands of athletes
  6. cheers the local
  7. also help lift the
  8. sure to be one of
  1. spirits
  2. and visitors
  3. the best ever
  4. including five golds
  5. favorites
  6. for the host Brazil
  7. benefit Brazil's economy
  8. hosts the Olympics

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Economists from the banking company Goldman Sachs have taken a (1) ___________________ at the world's economy. They have put their heads together to (2) ___________________ medals different countries will win at the 2016 Rio Olympics. There are (3) ___________________. Most people know that the USA and China will win the most medals. A (4) ___________________ the economists predicted Great Britain will finish third. They predicted 23 gold medals for Team GB and (5) ___________________. They also think the world's second (6) ___________________ country, India, will win just one gold medal.

There is good (7) ___________________ Brazil. The country that hosts the Olympics usually gets 50 per cent extra golds. Goldman Sachs predicts that Brazil will win 22 medals, (8) ___________________. This would be Brazil's best ever Olympics performance. The economists also predicted the Olympics will (9) ___________________. They said: "As the country welcomes thousands of (10) ___________________ and cheers the local favorites, it silently hopes that the soaring Olympic spirit will also help (11) ___________________ the Brazilian economy." The 2016 Rio Olympics is sure (12) ___________________ best ever.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

EconomistsfromthebankingcompanyGoldmanSachshavetakenabre
akfromlookingattheworld'seconomy.Theyhaveputtheirheadstogeth
ertopredicthowmanymedalsdifferentcountrieswillwinatthe2016Rio
Olympics.Therearenorealsurprises.MostpeopleknowthattheUSAand
Chinawillwinthemostmedals.Asmallsurpriseistheeconomistspredict
edGreatBritainwillfinishthird.Theypredicted23goldmedalsforTeamG
Band59medalsintotal.Theyalsothinktheworld'ssecondmostpopulou
scountry,India,willwinjustonegoldmedal.Thereisgoodnewsfortheho
stBrazil.ThecountrythathoststheOlympicsusuallygets50percentextr
agolds.GoldmanSachspredictsthatBrazilwillwin22medals,including
ivegolds.ThiswouldbeBrazil'sbesteverOlympicsperformance.Theec
onomistsalsopredictedtheOlympicswillbenefitBrazil'seconomy.They
said:"Asthecountrywelcomesthousandsofathletesandvisitorsandch
eersthelocalfavorites,itsilentlyhopesthatthesoaringOlympicspiritwil
lalsohelpliftthespiritsoftheBrazilianeconomy."The2016RioOlympicsi
ssuretobeoneofthebestever.

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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