The Reading / Listening - World Peace - Level 2

The world is a little more peaceful than it was a year ago. The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) found that the world became 0.28% more peaceful in the past year. The IEP has reported on world peace for 10 years. Every year, it publishes its Global Peace Index (GPI). This ranks 163 countries and territories on how peaceful they are. It also gives advice on how to be peaceful. Iceland is the most peaceful country in the world. It has been number one since 2008. The next four most peaceful countries are New Zealand, Portugal, Austria and Denmark.

The report says that 93 countries have become more peaceful, and 68 became more violent. Researchers looked at many things to work out the level of peace. They looked at the murder rate, how easy it was to get weapons, terrorism, and the number of soldiers in each country. Syria is the least peaceful country. It has now been bottom of the list for five years. The next four most violent countries are Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan and Yemen. The IEP said that: "The world is still [stuck] with conflict in the Middle East, political turmoil in the US, refugee flows, and terrorism."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    World Peace - Level 0 World Peace - Level 1   or  World Peace - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-40118188
  • http://visionofhumanity.org/app/uploads/2017/06/GPI-2017-Report-1.pdf
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/01/us-plummets-global-peace-ranking-due-political-instability/


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. The world is a little more peaceful
  2. in the past
  3. IEP has reported on world peace for
  4. This ranks 163 countries
  5. It also gives advice on
  6. Iceland is the most peaceful
  7. It has been number one since
  8. The next four
  1. 10 years
  2. 2008
  3. how to be peaceful
  4. country in the world
  5. than it was a year ago
  6. most peaceful countries
  7. year
  8. and territories

Paragraph 2

  1. 93 countries have become
  2. 68 became more
  3. work out the level
  4. the murder
  5. how easy it was to get
  6. the number of soldiers
  7. bottom of the
  8. conflict in the Middle
  1. rate
  2. East
  3. weapons
  4. violent
  5. of peace
  6. list for five years
  7. more peaceful
  8. in each country

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The world (1) ___________________ peaceful than it was a year ago. The Institute for Economics (2) ___________________ found that the world became 0.28% more peaceful (3) ___________________. The IEP has reported on world peace for 10 years. Every year, it publishes its Global Peace Index (GPI). This (4) ___________________ and territories on how peaceful they are. It also gives (5) ___________________ to be peaceful. Iceland is the most peaceful country in the world. It has been number one since 2008. The (6) ___________________ peaceful countries are New Zealand, Portugal, Austria and Denmark.

The report (7) ___________________ countries have become more peaceful, and 68 became (8) ___________________. Researchers looked at many things (9) ___________________ the level of peace. They looked at the murder rate, how easy it was to get weapons, terrorism, and the number of soldiers (10) ___________________. Syria is the least peaceful country. It has now been bottom of the (11) ___________________ years. The next four most violent countries are Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan and Yemen. The IEP said that: "The world is still [stuck] (12) ___________________ the Middle East, political turmoil in the US, refugee flows, and terrorism."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Theworldisalittlemorepeacefulthanitwasayearago.TheInstituteforE
conomicsandPeace(IEP)foundthattheworldbecame0.28%morepea
cefulinthepastyear.TheIEPhasreportedonworldpeacefor10years.Ev
eryyear,itpublishesitsGlobalPeaceIndex(GPI).Thisranks163countri
esandterritoriesonhowpeacefultheyare.Italsogivesadviceonhowtob
epeaceful.Icelandisthemostpeacefulcountryintheworld.Ithasbeenn
umberonesince2008.ThenextfourmostpeacefulcountriesareNewZe
aland,Portugal,AustriaandDenmark.Thereportsaysthat93countries
havebecomemorepeaceful,and68becamemoreviolent.Researchersl
ookedatmanythingstoworkoutthelevelofpeace.Theylookedatthemu
rderrate,howeasyitwastogetweapons,terrorism,andthenumberofso
ldiersineachcountry.Syriaistheleastpeacefulcountry.Ithasnowbeen
bottomofthelistforfiveyears.ThenextfourmostviolentcountriesareAf
ghanistan,Iraq,SouthSudanandYemen.TheIEPsaidthat:"Theworldis
still[stuck]withconflictintheMiddleEast,politicalturmoilintheUS,refu
geeflows,andterrorism."

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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