The Reading / Listening - Macedonia - Level 2

The Republic of Macedonia will change its name. It agreed on the new name of the Republic of North Macedonia. The change is after a 27-year dispute with Greece. Macedonia became independent in 1991 after the former Yugoslavia broke up. It became a member of the United Nations in 1993. Its name caused an argument with Greece. Greece's largest region is also called Macedonia and said it owned the name "Macedonia". Greece blocked Macedonia from joining the EU because of the name "Macedonia". The Prime Minister said the change would, "open the doors to the future".

There was a decade of talks between Macedonia and Greece. Just over 67 per cent of Macedonia's 120-seat parliament voted for the change. Opposition politicians boycotted the vote. Several hundred people protested against the deal in front of Macedonia's parliament. An opposition leader was angry because of the talks to change the country's name. He said: "Look how publicly, how openly, this trade is going on with Macedonia's name and identity - just like at a market stall." The next step is for Greece to agree to the change.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Macedonia - Level 0,  Macedonia - Level 1   or  Macedonia - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.reuters.com/article/us-macedonia-name-parliament/macedonian-parliament-agrees-to-change-countrys-name-idUSKCN1P5238
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/11/macedonia-paves-way-eu-membership-agreeing-north-macedonia-name/
  • https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/macedonian-pm-struggles-secure-majority-change-60288809


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. It agreed
  2. after the former Yugoslavia
  3. Its name caused an argument
  4. Greece's largest
  5. it owned the
  6. Greece blocked Macedonia
  7. because of the name "
  8. open the doors to
  1. Macedonia"
  2. on the new name
  3. region
  4. the future
  5. from joining
  6. with Greece
  7. broke up
  8. name "Macedonia"

Paragraph 2

  1. Macedonia's 120-
  2. Opposition politicians boycotted
  3. talks to change
  4. this trade is
  5. Macedonia's name
  6. just like at a market
  7. The next
  8. agree
  1. stall
  2. seat parliament
  3. step
  4. the country's name
  5. to the change
  6. and identity
  7. the vote
  8. going on

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The Republic of Macedonia (1) ___________________ name. It agreed on the new name of the Republic of North Macedonia. The (2) ___________________ a 27-year dispute with Greece. Macedonia became independent in 1991 (3) ___________________ Yugoslavia broke up. It became a member of the United Nations in 1993. Its name caused (4) ___________________ Greece. Greece's largest region is also called Macedonia and said it owned the name "Macedonia". Greece blocked Macedonia (5) ___________________ EU because of the name "Macedonia". The Prime Minister said the change would, "(6) ___________________ to the future".

There was a (7) ___________________ between Macedonia and Greece. Just over 67 per cent of Macedonia's 120-seat parliament voted (8) ___________________. Opposition politicians boycotted the vote. Several hundred people protested (9) ___________________ in front of Macedonia's parliament. An opposition leader was angry because of the talks to change the country's name. He said: "(10) ___________________, how openly, this trade (11) ___________________ with Macedonia's name and identity - just like at (12) ___________________." The next step is for Greece to agree to the change.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheRepublicofMacedoniawillchangeitsname.Itagreedonthenewnam
eoftheRepublicofNorthMacedonia.Thechangeisaftera27-yeardispu
tewithGreece.Macedoniabecameindependentin1991aftertheformer
Yugoslaviabrokeup.ItbecameamemberoftheUnitedNationsin1993.I
tsnamecausedanargumentwithGreece.Greece'slargestregionisalso
calledMacedoniaandsaiditownedthename"Macedonia".Greeceblock
edMacedoniafromjoiningtheEUbecauseofthename"Macedonia".The
PrimeMinistersaidthechangewould,"openthedoorstothefuture".The
rewasadecadeoftalksbetweenMacedoniaandGreece.Justover67perc
entofMacedonia's120-seatparliamentvotedforthechange.Oppositio
npoliticiansboycottedthevote.Severalhundredpeopleprotestedagai
nstthedealinfrontofMacedonia'sparliament.Anoppositionleaderwas
angrybecauseofthetalkstochangethecountry'sname.Hesaid:"Lookh
owpublicly,howopenly,thistradeisgoingonwithMacedonia'snamean
didentity-justlikeatamarketstall."ThenextstepisfortheGreecetoagre
etothechange.

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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