The Reading / Listening - Saudi Aramco IPO - Level 4

Saudi Aramco, the world's biggest oil producer, will float its shares on the Saudi Stock Exchange. This anticipated event is exciting speculators worldwide. Aramco will allocate 0.5 per cent of its shares to individual investors. It could be the largest ever IPO (Initial Public Offering). Investors have until December 4 to buy shares in the world's most profitable company. It is valued at up to $2.3 trillion. Its rival, Exxon Mobil, has a valuation of $300 billion.

Saudi Aramco's CEO hopes the IPO will help diversify Saudi Arabia's economy. Further share offerings may take place later worldwide. Saudi is heavily reliant on oil. The IPO is part of a plan from Saudi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to reform the kingdom's economy. He hopes it will boost many areas of the economy and society. He is heading the development of a range of non-oil industries, like healthcare, mining and tourism.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Saudi Aramco IPO - Level 5 or  Saudi Aramco IPO - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/09/saudi-aramco-ipo-prospectus-released.html
  • https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/saudi-aramco-ipo-an-offer-too-good-to-refuse
  • https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-aramco-ipo-retail/saudi-aramco-targets-sale-of-0-5-of-oil-firm-to-retail-investors-in-ipo-sources-idUSKBN1XJ0AW


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. float its
  2. exciting speculators
  3. individual
  4. It could be the largest ever
  5. Investors have until December 4
  6. the world's most profitable
  7. It is valued at up
  8. a valuation
  1. to $2.3 trillion
  2. investors
  3. to buy shares
  4. of $300 billion
  5. worldwide
  6. IPO
  7. shares
  8. company

Paragraph 2

  1. Saudi Aramco's CEO hopes
  2. Further share offerings may
  3. Saudi is heavily
  4. The IPO is part of a
  5. reform the kingdom's
  6. it will boost many
  7. the development of a range
  8. mining
  1. areas of the economy
  2. reliant on oil
  3. and tourism
  4. the IPO will help
  5. of non-oil industries
  6. plan
  7. take place later
  8. economy

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Saudi Aramco, the (1) ___________________ producer, will float its shares on the Saudi Stock Exchange. This anticipated (2) ___________________ speculators worldwide. Aramco will allocate 0.5 per cent (3) ___________________ to individual investors. It could be the largest ever IPO (Initial Public Offering). (4) ___________________ December 4 to buy shares in the world's most profitable company. It (5) ___________________ up to $2.3 trillion. Its rival, Exxon Mobil, (6) ___________________ of $300 billion.

Saudi Aramco's CEO hopes the IPO (7) __________________ Saudi Arabia's economy. Further share offerings (8) ___________________ later worldwide. Saudi is heavily (9) ___________________. The IPO is part of a plan from Saudi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (10) ___________________ kingdom's economy. He hopes it will (11) ___________________ of the economy and society. He is heading the development of a range of non-oil industries, like healthcare, (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

SaudiAramco,theworld'sbiggestoilproducer,willfloatitssharesonthe
SaudiStockExchange.Thisanticipatedeventisexcitingspeculatorswo
rldwide.Aramcowillallocate0.5percentofitssharestoindividualinvest
ors.ItcouldbethelargesteverIPO(InitialPublicOffering).Investorshav
euntilDecember4tobuysharesintheworld'smostprofitablecompany.I
tisvaluedatupto$2.3trillion.Itsrival,ExxonMobil,hasavaluationof$30
0billion.SaudiAramco'sCEOhopestheIPOwillhelpdiversifySaudiArabi
a'seconomy.Furthershareofferingsmaytakeplacelaterworldwide.Sa
udiisheavilyreliantonoil.TheIPOispartofaplanfromSaudi'sCrownPrin
ceMohammedbinSalmantoreformthekingdom'seconomy.Hehopesit
willboostmanyareasoftheeconomyandsociety.Heisheadingthedevel
opmentofarangeofnon-oilindustries,likehealthcare,miningandtour
ism.

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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