The Reading / Listening - Platinum Wedding Anniversary - Level 5

The UK's Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 70th wedding anniversary on Monday with her husband Prince Philip. She was 21 when she walked down the aisle on November 20, 1947. She is the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary. She is also the UK's longest reigning monarch. The couple spent the day at a small private party at their home - Windsor Castle. They marked the occasion with a set of official portraits. Britain's post office also celebrated the anniversary with a set of commemorative postage stamps.

The royal couple met as teenagers during World War II. Prince Philip was the son of a Greek prince. He gave up his title to marry the then Princess Elizabeth. Before his wedding, he told his future mother-in-law that he had, "fallen in love completely" with her daughter. He said: "My job first, second and last, is never to let the Queen down." The Queen has always relied on her husband. She described him as her "rock". A former BBC journalist explained that humor helped their marriage. She said: "A big part of what has kept them going…is the fact they can share a joke together."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    November - Level 4 or  Platinum Wedding Anniversary - Level 6

Sources
  • http://metro.co.uk/2017/11/20/happy-anniversary-your-majesty-queen-releases-official-portraits-to-mark-70th-7092189/
  • http://gulfnews.com/news/europe/uk/elizabeth-ii-prince-philip-mark-70th-wedding-anniversary-1.2127229
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-pictures-queen-elizabeth-prince-philip-70th-wedding-anniversary/


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. The UK's Queen Elizabeth
  2. she walked down
  3. the first British monarch
  4. the UK's longest reigning
  5. a small private
  6. a set
  7. Britain's post office also celebrated
  8. a set of commemorative postage
  1. the anniversary
  2. to celebrate
  3. party
  4. stamps
  5. the aisle
  6. celebrated
  7. of official portraits
  8. monarch

Paragraph 2

  1. the son of a Greek
  2. He gave up his title
  3. he had fallen in
  4. never to let
  5. She described him as her
  6. humor helped their
  7. what has kept
  8. they can share a
  1. marriage
  2. prince
  3. joke together
  4. to marry
  5. the Queen down
  6. them going
  7. love completely
  8. "rock"

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The UK's Queen Elizabeth (1) ___________________ wedding anniversary on Monday with her husband Prince Philip. She was 21 when she walked down (2) ___________________ November 20, 1947. She is the first British (3) ___________________ a platinum wedding anniversary. She is also the UK's longest reigning monarch. The (4) ___________________ day at a small private party at their home - Windsor Castle. They marked the occasion with a set (5) ___________________. Britain's post office also celebrated the anniversary (6) ___________________ commemorative postage stamps.

The royal couple (7) ___________________ during World War II. Prince Philip was the son of a Greek prince. He (8) ___________________ to marry the then Princess Elizabeth. Before his wedding, he told his future mother-in-law that he had, "fallen (9) ___________________" with her daughter. He said: "My job first, second and last, is never to let the Queen down." The Queen has (10) ___________________ her husband. She described him as her "rock". A former BBC journalist explained (11) ___________________ their marriage. She said: "A big part of what has kept them going…is the fact they can (12) ___________________ together."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUK'sQueenElizabethcelebratedher70thweddinganniversaryonM
ondaywithherhusbandPrincePhilip.Shewas21whenshewalkeddownt
heaisleonNovember20,1947.SheisthefirstBritishmonarchtocelebrat
eaplatinumweddinganniversary.SheisalsotheUK'slongestreigningm
onarch.Thecouplespentthedayatasmallprivatepartyattheirhome-
WindsorCastle.Theymarkedtheoccasionwithasetofofficialportraits.
Britain'spostofficealsocelebratedtheanniversarywithasetofcomme
morativepostagestamps.TheroyalcouplemetasteenagersduringWor
ldWarII.PrincePhilipwasthesonofaGreekprince.Hegaveuphistitleto
marrythethenPrincessElizabeth.Beforehiswedding,hetoldhisfuture
mother-in-lawthathehad,"falleninlovecompletely"withherdaught
er.Hesaid:"Myjobfirst,secondandlast,isnevertolettheQueendown."T
heQueenhasalwaysreliedonherhusband.Shedescribedhimasher"roc
k".AformerBBCjournalistexplainedthathumorhelpedtheirmarriage.
Shesaid:"Abigpartofwhathaskeptthemgoing…isthefacttheycanshar
eajoketogether."

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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