The Reading / Listening - Level 2

In Beijing it's difficult to see the sun. The air is full of smog (a mixture of smoke and fog). It is so thick that it blocks the sun. People miss seeing the sun. Beijing's leaders want people to see the sunrise. They put giant screens in the city. People watch the sunrise on them. One screen has a special message on it. It read: "Protecting the atmosphere and environment is everyone's responsibility." The live, digital sunrise is popular with tourists. Ricardo Hernandez from Mexico said it looked like science fiction. He said it was cool, but also worrying.

The air in China's cities is often bad in winter. People burn more coal for heating. This makes more pollution. Beijing's mayor promised to make the air cleaner. He will use $2.4 billion this year to make things better. Many workers wore face masks to work. They could not breathe the bad air. One man said: "I couldn't see the tall buildings across the street this morning. The smog has become worse in the last two to three years." He often feels bad: "I often cough and my nose is always running,'' he said. The US embassy said people should not do any exercise outside.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2540955/Beijing-clouded-smog-way-sunrise-watch-giant-commercial-screens-Tiananmen-Square.html
  • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/17/beijing-fake-sunrise_n_4618536.html?utm_hp_ref=world


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 :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

In Beijing it's difficult

a.

responsibility

2.

It is so thick that it blocks

b.

message on it

3.

They put giant

c.

tourists

4.

One screen has a special

d.

the sun

5.

Protecting the

e.

to see the sun

6.

everyone's

f.

screens in the city

7.

popular with

g.

fiction

8.

it looked like science

h.

atmosphere



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ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

The air in China's cities is

a.

better

2.

People burn more

b.

any exercise outside

3.

Beijing's mayor promised to

c.

masks to work

4.

make things

d.

often bad in winter

5.

Many workers wore face

e.

is always running

6.

They could not breathe

f.

make the air cleaner

7.

I often cough and my nose

g.

coal for heating

8.

people should not do

h.

the bad air

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

From  http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1401/140121-sunrise-2.html

In Beijing (1) ___________________ the sun. The air is full of smog (a mixture of smoke and fog). It (2) ___________________ blocks the sun. People miss seeing the sun. Beijing's leaders want people to see the sunrise. They (3) ___________________ in the city. People watch the sunrise on them. One screen has a special message on it. It read: "(4) ___________________ and environment is everyone's responsibility." The live, digital sunrise is (5) ___________________. Ricardo Hernandez from Mexico said it looked like science fiction. He (6) ___________________, but also worrying.

The air in China's cities (7) ___________________ winter. People burn more coal for heating. This (8) ___________________. Beijing's mayor promised to make the air cleaner. He will use $2.4 billion this year to (9) ___________________. Many workers wore face masks to work. They (10) ___________________ the bad air. One man said: "I couldn't see the tall buildings across the street this morning. The smog has become worse in the last two to three years." He often feels bad: "I (11) ___________________ nose is always running,'' he said. The US embassy said people should not (12) ___________________.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

From  http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1401/140121-sunrise-2.html

InBeijingit'sdifficulttoseethesun.Theairisfullofsmog(amixtureofs
mokeandfog).Itissothickthatitblocksthesun.Peoplemissseeingthe
sun.Beijing'sleaderswantpeopletoseethesunrise.Theyputgiantscr
eensinthecity.Peoplewatchthesunriseonthem.Onescreenhasaspe
cialmessageonit.Itread:"Protectingtheatmosphereandenvironme
ntiseveryone'sresponsibility."Thelive,digitalsunriseispopularwith
tourists.RicardoHernandezfromMexicosaiditlookedlikescienceficti
on.Hesaiditwascool,butalsoworrying.TheairinChina'scitiesisoften
badinwinter.Peopleburnmorecoalforheating.Thismakesmorepollu
tion.Beijing'smayorpromisedtomaketheaircleaner.Hewilluse$2.4
billionthisyeartomakethingsbetter.Manyworkersworefacemaskst
owork.Theycouldnotbreathethebadair.Onemansaid:"Icouldn'tsee
thetallbuildingsacrossthestreetthismorning.Thesmoghasbecome
worseinthelasttwotothreeyears."Heoftenfeelsbad:"Ioftencougha
ndmynoseisalwaysrunning,''hesaid.TheUSembassysaidpeoplesh
ouldnotdoanyexerciseoutside.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

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c)

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d)

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e)

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f)

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g)

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h)

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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

From  http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1401/140121-sunrise-2.html

Write about the sunrise 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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