The Reading / Listening - Bank of England - Level 4

The Bank of England voted to strike for four days for higher pay. It will be the first strike by the Bank's staff in 50 years. Over 95 per cent of bankers who voted chose to strike. The Bank offered its workers a one per cent pay rise. However a third of staff may get no pay rise. The workers' union said that because the bank was unwilling to talk fairly, its offices in the City of London would not be able to work properly during the strike.

The Bank of England was set up in 1694. It is the world's second oldest central bank. Its workers are suffering financially. Their annual salary increase is capped at one per cent. Inflation is 2.9 per cent. The workers are taking action, "because of the bank's total refusal to accept that its workforce is struggling to meet their costs of living". It said it was "shameful" that an "iconic symbol of financial services is ignoring…hardworking staff."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Bank of England - Level 5 or  Bank of England - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/business-40478754
  • https://www.ft.com/content/fbc9639a-6f4c-34e8-9fc6-2c86ae15abd6
  • http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bank-england-staff-set-first-strike-50-years-1628702


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. strike for four days
  2. Over 95 per cent of bankers
  3. The Bank offered its workers a
  4. a third of staff may get
  5. The workers'
  6. the bank was unwilling
  7. be able to work
  8. during the
  1. no pay rise
  2. properly
  3. for higher pay
  4. strike
  5. who voted
  6. union said that
  7. 1% pay rise
  8. to talk fairly

Paragraph 2

  1. The Bank of England was set
  2. It is the world's second oldest
  3. Its workers are suffering
  4. Their annual salary increase is
  5. workers are
  6. accept that its workforce
  7. meet their costs
  8. an iconic
  1. capped at 1%
  2. is struggling
  3. symbol
  4. financially
  5. up in 1694
  6. of living
  7. taking action
  8. central bank

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The Bank of England (1) ___________________ for four days for higher pay. (2) ___________________ first strike by the Bank's staff in 50 years. Over 95 per cent of bankers (3) ___________________ to strike. The Bank offered its workers a one per cent pay rise. However                                  (4) ___________________ may get no pay rise. The workers' union said that because the bank was unwilling (5) ___________________, its offices in the City of London would not be able to work (6) ___________________ strike.

The Bank of England (7) ___________________ 1694. It is the world's second oldest central bank. Its workers are (8) ___________________. Their annual salary increase (9) ___________________ one per cent. Inflation is 2.9 per cent. The workers are taking action, "because of the bank's total (10) ___________________ that its workforce is struggling to meet their costs of living". It said it was "shameful" that (11) ___________________ of financial services is ignoring… (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheBankofEnglandvotedtostrikeforfourdaysforhigherpay.Itwillbeth
efirststrikebytheBank'sstaffin50years.Over95percentofbankerswh
ovotedchosetostrike.TheBankoffereditsworkersaonepercentpayrise
.Howeverathirdofstaffmaygetnopayrise.Theworkers'unionsaidthat
becausethebankwasunwillingtotalkfairly,itsofficesintheCityofLondo
nwouldnotbeabletoworkproperlyduringthestrike.TheBankofEnglan
dwassetupin1694.Itistheworld'ssecondoldestcentralbank.Itsworke
rsaresufferingfinancially.Theirannualsalaryincreaseiscappedatonep
ercent.Inflationis2.9percent.Theworkersaretakingaction,"becauseo
fthebank'stotalrefusaltoacceptthatitsworkforceisstrugglingtomeett
heircostsofliving".Itsaiditwas"shameful"thatan"iconicsymboloffina
ncialservicesisignoring…hardworkingstaff."

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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