The Reading / Listening - Level 4

People in Kaikoura, the town hardest hit by last week's magnitude 7.8 earthquake in New Zealand, have received an unusual air delivery – fast food. The food flight was arranged by Robert Coombes, 49, from a town 130 kilometres away. Mr Coombes spent three days collecting donations and bought as much fast food as he could. He filled a friend's plane with 400 pieces of KFC chicken, 300 McDonald's burgers, 50 Domino's pizzas, and a lot of candy.

Mr Coombes wanted to "put a smile on people's faces, even if it's only for one day". He added: "With kids, you need a bit more than bread and water. I just thought I'd…bring a little bit of happiness to the place…. It's just being a good human being." The managers of KFC and McDonald's helped him. Staff there started work two hours earlier to help. Transport links to Kaikoura were cut in the quake. There have been over 2,000 aftershocks and more will come.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www. bbc.com/news/world-asia-38023362
  • http://www. nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11750955
  • http://www. stuff.co.nz/national/nz-earthquake/86643001/earthquake-burgers-pizzas-flown-in-to-quakehit-kaikoura


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. magnitude
  2. received an unusual air
  3. from a town
  4. collecting
  5. bought as much fast food
  6. He filled
  7. 400 pieces of
  8. a lot
  1. donations
  2. KFC chicken
  3. 7.8 earthquake
  4. of candy
  5. 130 kilometres away
  6. as he could
  7. delivery
  8. a friend's plane

Paragraph 2

  1. put a smile on
  2. even if it's
  3. a bit more than
  4. bring a little bit of
  5. It's just being a good
  6. Staff there started work
  7. There have been
  8. more will
  1. happiness to the place
  2. only for one day
  3. two hours earlier
  4. over 2,000 aftershocks
  5. people's faces
  6. come
  7. bread and water
  8. human being

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

People in Kaikoura, the town (1) ___________________ last week's magnitude 7.8 earthquake in New Zealand, (2) ___________________ unusual air delivery – fast food. The food flight (3) ___________________ Robert Coombes, 49, from a town 130 kilometres away. Mr Coombes spent three days (4) ___________________ and bought as much fast food as he could. He (5) ___________________ plane with 400 pieces of KFC chicken, 300 McDonald's burgers, 50 Domino's pizzas, (6) ___________________ candy.

Mr Coombes wanted to "(7) ___________________ people's faces, even if it's only for one day". He added: "With kids (8) ___________________ more than bread and water. I (9) ___________________ bring a little bit of happiness to the place…. (10) ___________________ a good human being." The managers of KFC and McDonald's helped him. Staff there started work two hours (11) ___________________. Transport links to Kaikoura were cut in the quake. There have been over 2,000 aftershocks (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

PeopleinKaikoura,thetownhardesthitbylastweek'smagnitude7.8ear
thquakeinNewZealand,havereceivedanunusualairdelivery–fastfoo
d.ThefoodflightwasarrangedbyRobertCoombes,49,fromatown130ki
lometresaway.MrCoombesspentthreedayscollectingdonationsandb
oughtasmuchfastfoodashecould.Hefilledafriend'splanewith400piec
esofKFCchicken,300McDonald'sburgers,50Domino'spizzas,andalot
ofcandy.MrCoombeswantedto"putasmileonpeople'sfaces,evenifit's
onlyforoneday".Headded:"Withkidsyouneedabitmorethanbreadand
water.IjustthoughtI'd…bringalittlebitofhappinesstotheplace….It'sju
stbeingagoodhumanbeing."ThemanagersofKFCandMcDonald'shelp
edhim.Stafftherestartedworktwohoursearliertohelp.Transportlinkst
oKaikourawerecutinthequake.Therehavebeenover2,000aftershock
sandmorewillcome.

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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