The Reading / Listening - Pearl Harbor - Level 1

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor. Japan's attack on the base in 1941 led to the USA joining World War II. Mr Abe did not apologize for the attack. He offered his "sincere" condolences to those who lost their lives. Mr Abe also said: "We must never repeat the horrors of war again. This is the serious vow the people of Japan have taken." President Obama welcomed Mr Abe, "in the spirit of friendship".

A total of 353 Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 people. The attack also damaged or destroyed 19 US warships. Mr Abe is the first Japanese leader to visit a special memorial there. He spoke about the US helping Japan after WWII. He said after the war, "Japan was a nation in burnt-out ruins as far as the eye could see, suffering miserable poverty" and the USA sent food and clothes. He said the two countries had an "alliance of hope".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Pearl Harbor - Level 0 Pearl Harbor - Level 2   or  Pearl Harbor - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38438714
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-12-27/abe-to-answer-obama-s-hiroshima-visit-with-trip-to-pearl-harbor
  • http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Policy-Politics/Japan-s-Abe-offers-condolences-at-Pearl-Harbor-for-victims-of-war


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. Japan's attack on the
  2. Mr Abe did not apologize
  3. He offered his "sincere"
  4. those who lost
  5. We must never repeat the horrors
  6. the serious vow the people of Japan
  7. President Obama
  8. in the spirit of
  1. have taken
  2. base in 1941
  3. friendship
  4. for the attack
  5. welcomed Mr Abe
  6. condolences
  7. of war again
  8. their lives

Paragraph 2

  1. A total of 353 Japanese planes
  2. damaged or destroyed
  3. He spoke about the US helping
  4. Japan was a nation in burnt-
  5. as far as the eye
  6. the USA sent food
  7. the two
  8. an alliance of
  1. and clothes
  2. could see
  3. hope
  4. countries
  5. 19 US warships
  6. attacked Pearl Harbor
  7. Japan after WWII
  8. out ruins

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (1) ___________________ naval base at Pearl Harbor. Japan's (2) ___________________ base in 1941 led to the USA joining World War II. Mr Abe did not apologize (3) ___________________. He offered his "sincere" condolences to those (4) ___________________ lives. Mr Abe also said: "We must never (5) ___________________ of war again. This is the serious vow the people of Japan have taken." President Obama welcomed Mr Abe, "(6) ___________________ friendship".

A (7) ___________________ Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 people. (8) ___________________ damaged or destroyed 19 US warships. Mr Abe (9) ___________________ Japanese leader (10) _______________ special memorial there. He spoke about the US helping Japan after WWII. He said after the war, "Japan (11) ___________________ in burnt-out ruins as far as the eye could see, suffering miserable poverty" and the USA sent food and clothes. He said the two countries had (12) ___________________ hope".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Japan'sPrimeMinisterShinzoAbevisitedtheU.S.navalbaseatPearlHar
bor.Japan'sattackonthebasein1941ledtotheUSAjoiningWorldWarII.
MrAbedidnotapologizefortheattack.Heofferedhis"sincere"condolenc
estothosewholosttheirlives.MrAbealsosaid:"Wemustneverrepeatth
ehorrorsofwaragain.ThisistheseriousvowthepeopleofJapanhavetak
en."PresidentObamawelcomedMrAbe,"inthespiritoffriendship".Atot
alof353JapaneseplanesattackedPearlHarbor,killing2,403people.Th
eattackalsodamagedordestroyed19USwarships.MrAbeisthefirstJap
aneseleadertovisitaspecialmemorialthere.HespokeabouttheUShelp
ingJapanafterWWII.Hesaidafterthewar,"Japanwasanationinburnt-
outruinsasfarastheeyecouldsee,sufferingmiserablepoverty"andthe
USAsentfoodandclothes.Hesaidthetwocountrieshadan"allianceofho
pe".

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