The Reading / Listening - Level 1

The bank Goldman Sachs has taken a break from looking at the world's economy. It has predicted how many medals countries will win at the 2016 Rio Olympics. There are no real surprises. Most people know the USA and China will win the most medals. One surprise is the bank predicted Great Britain will finish third, with 23 gold medals and 59 medals in total. It also thinks the world's second most populous country, India, will win just one gold medal.

There is good news for Brazil. The host of the Olympics usually gets 50 per cent more golds. The bank predicted that Brazil would win five gold medals. This would be Brazil's best ever performance. The bank also predicted the Olympics would be good for Brazil's economy. Thousands of athletes and visitors will come. They will spend money and get into the Olympic spirit. This will help the Brazilian economy. The Rio Olympics will be one of the best ever.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-2016-olympics-medal-predictions-2016-8
  • http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-01/goldman-s-economists-are-forecasting-olympic-medals
  • http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/01/rio-olympics-goldman-sachs-thinks-us-china-will-clinch-largest-medal-haul.html


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. taken a
  2. It has predicted how many medals
  3. There are no real
  4. China will win the
  5. Great Britain will
  6. 59 medals
  7. the world's second most
  8. win just
  1. finish third
  2. populous country
  3. break
  4. one gold medal
  5. countries will win
  6. most medals
  7. surprises
  8. in total

Paragraph 2

  1. There is good news
  2. The host of
  3. Brazil would
  4. Brazil's best ever
  5. the Olympics would be good for
  6. athletes and
  7. get into the
  8. one of the
  1. the Olympics
  2. visitors
  3. Olympic spirit
  4. best ever
  5. performance
  6. win five gold medals
  7. for Brazil
  8. Brazil's economy

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The bank Goldman Sachs (1) ___________________ from looking at the world's economy. (2) ___________________ how many medals countries (3) ___________________ 2016 Rio Olympics. There (4) ___________________. Most people know the USA and China will win the most medals. One surprise is the bank predicted Great Britain (5) ___________________ 23 gold medals and 59 medals in total. It also thinks the world's second most populous country, India, (6) ___________________ gold medal.

There (7) ___________________ Brazil. The host of the Olympics usually gets 50 per cent more golds. The (8) ___________________ Brazil would win five gold medals. This would be Brazil's (9) ___________________. The bank also predicted the Olympics (10) ___________________ Brazil's economy. Thousands of (11) ___________________ will come. They will spend money and get into the Olympic spirit. This will help the Brazilian economy. The Rio Olympics (12) ___________________ best ever.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThebankGoldmanSachshastakenabreakfromlookingattheworld'sec
onomy.Ithaspredictedhowmanymedalscountrieswillwinatthe2016R
ioOlympics.Therearenorealsurprises.MostpeopleknowtheUSAandC
hinawillwinthemostmedals.OnesurpriseisthebankpredictedGreatBri
tainwillfinishthird,with23goldmedalsand59medalsintotal.Italsothin
kstheworld'ssecondmostpopulouscountry,India,willwinjustonegold
medal.ThereisgoodnewsforBrazil.ThehostoftheOlympicsusuallyget
s50percentmoregolds.ThebankpredictedthatBrazilwouldwinfivegol
dmedals.ThiswouldbeBrazil'sbesteverperformance.Thebankalsopre
dictedtheOlympicswouldbegoodforBrazil'seconomy.Thousandsofat
hletesandvisitorswillcome.TheywillspendmoneyandgetintotheOlym
picspirit.ThiswillhelptheBrazilianeconomy.TheRioOlympicswillbeon
eofthebestever.

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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