The Reading / Listening - Polar Vortex - Level 0

It is colder than Antarctica in many parts of the USA. This is because of a polar vortex - freezing air and wind from the Arctic. This rarely happens. There is a state of emergency in many towns. Schools and businesses have closed. People were told not to travel. They were told not to go outside or breathe the icy air.

The temperature in a part of Minnesota fell to -60º Celsius. The Chicago River and Niagara Falls turned to ice. The cold killed eight people. Officials told people to go outside only if necessary. Freezing air can be dangerous for the skin. It can cause breathing problems. Shoveling snow can also be dangerous.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Polar Vortex - Level 1,  Polar Vortex - Level 2   or  Polar Vortex - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/30/us/extreme-cold-weather.html
  • https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/427652-how-dangerous-and-historic-is-the-polar-vortex-hitting-the-midwest
  • https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/75-below-zero-polar-vortex-yields-deadly-cold-as-thousands-endure-power-cuts-travel-issues-mount-in-midwest/70007291


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. This is because
  2. freezing air and wind
  3. This rarely
  4. a state of
  5. businesses have
  6. People were
  7. They were told not
  8. breathe the
  1. closed
  2. to go outside
  3. of a polar vortex
  4. icy air
  5. happens
  6. emergency
  7. from the Arctic
  8. told not to travel

Paragraph 2

  1. The temperature in a
  2. fell to
  3. Niagara Falls turned
  4. The cold killed
  5. Officials told people
  6. only if
  7. Freezing air can be dangerous
  8. It can cause breathing
  1. to go outside
  2. problems
  3. -60º Celsius
  4. for the skin
  5. part of Minnesota
  6. eight people
  7. necessary
  8. to ice

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

It (1) ___________________ Antarctica in many parts of the USA. This is (2) ___________________ polar vortex - freezing air and wind from the Arctic. (3) ___________________. There is a state of emergency (4) ___________________. Schools and businesses have closed. People were told (5) ___________________. They were told not to go outside or (6) ___________________ air.

The (7) ___________________ part of Minnesota fell to -60º Celsius. The Chicago River and Niagara Falls (8) ___________________. The cold killed eight people. Officials told (9) ___________________ outside only if necessary. Freezing (10) ___________________ dangerous for the skin. (11) ___________________ breathing problems. Shoveling snow can (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ItiscolderthanAntarcticainmanypartsoftheUSA.Thisisbecauseofapol
arvortex-freezingairandwindfromtheArctic.Thisrarelyhappens.Th
ereisastateofemergencyinmanytowns.Schoolsandbusinesseshavec
losed.Peopleweretoldnottotravel.Theyweretoldnottogooutsideorbr
eathetheicyair.ThetemperatureinapartofMinnesotafellto-60ºCels
ius.TheChicagoRiverandNiagaraFallsturnedtoice.Thecoldkilledeight
people.Officialstoldpeopletogooutsideonlyifnecessary.Freezingairc
anbedangerousfortheskin.Itcancausebreathingproblems.Shoveling
snowcanalsobedangerous.

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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