The Reading / Listening - Tokyo Olympics - Level 4

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka lit the 2020 Tokyo Olympics flame. The Games officially started, albeit a year late. A possible fifth wave of Covid-19 has put in doubt whether or not they would go ahead. The pandemic has greatly affected the event. There are no fans and several athletes have withdrawn after testing positive. Japan hopes the Games will showcase its culture to the world. The Opening Ceremony ended at midnight with a spectacular fireworks show.

Only 950 people attended the opening ceremony, in a venue with a capacity of 68,000. Japan's Emperor Naruhito declared the Games officially open. The IOC president said it is different from what we had imagined, but we should "cherish this moment because finally we are all here together". He called the Games "a moment of hope". Naomi Osaka said lighting the flame was: "The greatest athletic achievement and honour I will ever have in my life."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Tokyo Olympics - Level 5 or  Tokyo Olympics - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2021/07/23/olympics/summer-olympics/tokyo-2020-opening-ceremony/
  • https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/9c726a9b0904-tokyo-olympics-to-open-under-unprecedented-conditions-amid-pandemic.html
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/23/sport/tokyo-olympics-opening-ceremony-spt-intl/index.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. albeit a
  2. in
  3. whether or not
  4. The pandemic has greatly
  5. several athletes
  6. testing
  7. showcase its culture
  8. a spectacular fireworks
  1. show
  2. year late
  3. positive
  4. they would go ahead
  5. to the world
  6. doubt
  7. have withdrawn
  8. affected the event

Paragraph 2

  1. Only 950 people attended
  2. a venue with a capacity
  3. declared the Games
  4. different from what
  5. we should cherish this
  6. a moment
  7. lighting
  8. The greatest athletic
  1. officially open
  2. achievement
  3. of 68,000
  4. the flame
  5. the opening ceremony
  6. moment
  7. we had imagined
  8. of hope

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka (1) ___________________ Tokyo Olympics flame. The Games officially started, (2) ___________________ late. A possible fifth wave of Covid-19 has put (3) ___________________ or not they would go ahead. The pandemic has greatly (4) ___________________. There are no fans and several athletes have withdrawn (5) ___________________. Japan hopes the Games will showcase its culture to the world. The Opening Ceremony ended at midnight (6) ___________________ fireworks show.

Only 950 people (7) ___________________ ceremony, in a venue with a capacity of 68,000. Japan's Emperor Naruhito (8) ___________________ officially open. The IOC president said it is different from what we had imagined, but (9) ___________________ this moment because finally we are (10) ___________________". He called the Games "a moment of hope". Naomi Osaka said (11) ___________________ was: "The greatest athletic achievement and honour I will (12) ___________________ my life."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TennissuperstarNaomiOsakalitthe2020TokyoOlympicsflame.TheGa
mesofficiallystarted,albeitayearlate.ApossiblefifthwaveofCovid-19h
asputindoubtwhetherornottheywouldgoahead.Thepandemichasgre
atlyaffectedtheevent.Therearenofansandseveralathleteshavewithd
rawnaftertestingpositive.JapanhopestheGameswillshowcaseitscult
uretotheworld.TheOpeningCeremonyendedatmidnightwithaspecta
cularfireworksshow.Only950peopleattendedtheopeningceremony,i
navenuewithacapacityof68,000.Japan'sEmperorNaruhitodeclaredt
heGamesofficiallyopen.TheIOCpresidentsaiditisdifferentfromwhatw
ehadimagined,butweshould"cherishthismomentbecausefinallywear
eallheretogether".HecalledtheGames"amomentofhope".NaomiOsa
kasaidlightingtheflamewas:"Thegreatestathleticachievementandho
nourIwilleverhaveinmylife."

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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