The Reading / Listening - Silk Road - Level 5

China has outlined an ambitious project to help global growth. President Xi has promised to invest $124 billion to increase global trade along the old Silk Road route. He spoke about the plan at a meeting of 29 world leaders, as well as the heads of the UN, IMF and World Bank. Xi stated that the new plan aimed to expand trade between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond. He said the project would invest billions of dollars in infrastructure and help with the free flow of goods. He told those at the summit that: "Trade is the important engine of economic development."

President Xi said increased global trade and cooperation would make the world more peaceful. He said: "We will not re-tread the old path of games between foes. Instead we will create a new model of cooperation and mutual benefit." Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had good words to say about President Xi's "vision". He said the huge scale of the cooperation and economic partnerships and investments were a world first. He added: "We stand at the cusp of a geo-economic revolution." Britain's finance minister said his country was a "natural partner" of the project.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Silk Road - Level 4 or  Silk Road - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-silkroad-africa-idUSKBN18A02I
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39912671
  • http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-05/14/c_136282137.htm


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. China has outlined an
  2. help global
  3. promised to invest
  4. the heads of the
  5. the new plan aimed to
  6. Asia, Africa, Europe
  7. invest billions of dollars
  8. help with the free
  1. $124 billion
  2. flow of goods
  3. UN, IMF and World Bank
  4. growth
  5. and beyond
  6. in infrastructure
  7. ambitious project
  8. expand trade

Paragraph 2

  1. make the world more
  2. We will not re-tread the old
  3. games between
  4. cooperation and mutual
  5. the huge scale of
  6. economic partnerships and
  7. at the cusp of a geo-
  8. his country was a "natural partner"
  1. benefit
  2. of the project
  3. the cooperation
  4. path
  5. economic revolution
  6. peaceful
  7. investments
  8. foes

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

China has (1) ___________________ project to help global growth. President Xi has promised to invest $124 billion to increase global (2) ___________________ old Silk Road route. He spoke about the plan at a meeting of 29 world leaders, (3) ___________________ heads of the UN, IMF and World Bank. Xi stated that the new plan (4) ___________________ trade between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond. He said the project would invest (5) ___________________ in infrastructure and help with the free flow of goods. He told those at the summit that: "Trade is (6) ___________________ of economic development."

President Xi said increased global (7) ___________________ would make the world more peaceful. He said: "We will not re-tread (8) ___________________ games between foes. Instead we will create a new model of cooperation (9) ___________________." Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had good words (10) ___________________ President Xi's "vision". He said the huge scale of the cooperation and economic partnerships and investments (11) ___________________ first. He added: "We stand at the cusp of a geo-economic revolution." Britain's finance minister said his country was a "natural (12) ___________________ project.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Chinahasoutlinedanambitiousprojecttohelpglobalgrowth.President
Xihaspromisedtoinvest$124billiontoincreaseglobaltradealongtheol
dSilkRoadroute.Hespokeabouttheplanatameetingof29worldleaders
,aswellastheheadsoftheUN,IMFandWorldBank.Xistatedthatthenew
planaimedtoexpandtradebetweenAsia,Africa,Europeandbeyond.He
saidtheprojectwouldinvestbillionsofdollarsininfrastructureandhelpw
iththefreeflowofgoods.Hetoldthoseatthesummitthat:"Tradeistheim
portantengineofeconomicdevelopment."PresidentXisaidincreasedgl
obaltradeandcooperationwouldmaketheworldmorepeaceful.Hesaid
:"Wewillnotre-treadtheoldpathofgamesbetweenfoes.Insteadwewil
lcreateanewmodelofcooperationandmutualbenefit."Pakistan'sPrim
eMinisterNawazSharifhadgoodwordstosayaboutPresidentXi's"visio
n".Hesaidthehugescaleofthecooperationandeconomicpartnershipsa
ndinvestmentswereaworldfirst.Headded:"Westandatthecuspofage
o-economicrevolution."Britain'sfinanceministersaidhiscountrywas
a"naturalpartner"oftheproject.

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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