The Reading / Listening - Level 0

Venezuela's government took 4 million toys from a company. It will give them to children. The government says the company's prices were too high. Only rich people could buy them. Many people don't have money for things like toys. The minimum salary in Venezuela does not buy much.

The government said children are very important and should have toys. It said the toy company did not give any toys to shops, so prices went up. The government said the company tried to sell the toys at high prices. The company said it did nothing wrong. It said many of the toys were unfashionable.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 1,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-09/venezuela-seizes-millions-of-toys-accuses-importer-of-hoarding
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-38274267
  • http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/11/505189281/venezuela-seizes-nearly-4-million-toys-saying-theyre-overpriced


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. toys from
  2. It will give them
  3. the company's prices were
  4. Only rich
  5. Many people don't
  6. things like
  7. The minimum
  8. does not buy
  1. people could buy them
  2. toys
  3. a company
  4. much
  5. too high
  6. salary
  7. have money
  8. to children

Paragraph 2

  1. children are very important
  2. the toy company did not give
  3. prices went
  4. The government said the company
  5. sell the
  6. at high
  7. The company said it did
  8. many of the toys were
  1. tried
  2. nothing wrong
  3. toys
  4. unfashionable
  5. any toys to shops
  6. up
  7. and should have toys
  8. prices

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Venezuela's government took 4 million (1) __________________ company. It (2) ___________________ to children. The (3) ___________________ the company's prices were too high. Only rich people (4) ___________________. Many people don't have (5) ___________________ like toys. The minimum salary in Venezuela does (6) ___________________.

The government said children (7) ___________________ and should have toys. It said the toy company (8) _______________ any toys to shops, so (9) ___________________. The government said the company tried (10) ___________________ at high prices. The company said it did (11) ________________. It said many of the toys (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Venezuela'sgovernmenttook4milliontoysfromacompany.Itwillgivet
hemtochildren.Thegovernmentsaysthecompany'spricesweretoohig
h.Onlyrichpeoplecouldbuythem.Manypeopledon'thavemoneyforthi
ngsliketoys.TheminimumsalaryinVenezueladoesnotbuymuch.Theg
overnmentsaidchildrenareveryimportantandshouldhavetoys.Itsaid
thetoycompanydidnotgiveanytoystoshops,sopriceswentup.Thegov
ernmentsaidthecompanytriedtosellthetoysathighprices.Thecompa
nysaiditdidnothingwrong.Itsaidmanyofthetoyswereunfashionable.

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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