The Reading / Listening - Nintendo Switch 2 - Level 5

Nintendo has launched its first major piece of hardware in eight years. The much-anticipated Switch 2 console was released last week. It is the follow-up to the hugely popular Switch, which sold 152 million units. The new Switch 2 can be used as a handheld device or as a tablet. It can be connected to an external display. It comes with two controllers, a power adaptor, a USB-C charging cable, a dock, and two wrist straps. It has 25 games, including an enhanced version of Mario Kart World. Nintendo expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles for the fiscal year to March 2026.

Gaming fans queued for hours outside stores, eager to get their hands on the new system. In Japan, the consoles were sold via a national lottery. Over 2.2 million applied. In Tokyo, winners of the draw lined up at dawn outside an electronics store. One Switch fan said: "It's fantastic that players can see each other while playing. I can't wait to…play." Another fan, who was unsuccessful in the lottery, went to the store's release event to savour the experience. He took a half-day off work to try the Switch 2. The console has a hefty $449.99 price tag, but fans say it's worth the money.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Nintendo Switch 2 - Level 4 or  Nintendo Switch 2 - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/jun/05/the-nintendo-switch-2-is-out-today-heres-everything-you-need-to-know
  • https://apnews.com/article/japan-nintendo-switch-launch-gaming-8289bd5f6e8ad9c3950d07849e2bd1c7
  • https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250605/p2g/00m/0bu/026000c


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. launched its first major
  2. The much-
  3. It is the follow-up to
  4. The new Switch 2 can be
  5. It can be connected
  6. a USB-C
  7. including an enhanced
  8. the fiscal
  1. the hugely popular Switch
  2. charging cable
  3. anticipated Switch 2 console
  4. version of Mario Kart
  5. year to March 2026
  6. to an external display
  7. piece of hardware
  8. used as a handheld device

Paragraph 2

  1. Gaming fans queued for
  2. eager to get their hands
  3. In Japan, the consoles were
  4. In Tokyo, winners of the draw
  5. savour
  6. He took a half-day
  7. The console has a hefty
  8. fans say it's worth
  1. sold via a national lottery
  2. the experience
  3. the money
  4. off work
  5. hours outside stores
  6. lined up at dawn
  7. on the new system
  8. $449.99 price tag

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Nintendo has launched its (1) ________________________________________________ of hardware in eight years. (2) ________________________________________________ Switch 2 console was released last week. It is the follow-up to (3) ________________________________________________ Switch, which sold 152 million units. The new Switch 2 can be used as (4) ________________________________________________ or as a tablet. It can be connected to an external display. It comes with two controllers, a power adaptor, a USB-C charging cable, a dock, and (5) ________________________________________________. It has 25 games, including an enhanced version of Mario Kart World. Nintendo expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles for the (6) ________________________________________________ March 2026.

Gaming (7) ________________________________________________ hours outside stores, eager to get their hands on the new system. In Japan, the consoles were sold (8) ________________________________________________ lottery. Over 2.2 million applied. In Tokyo, winners of the draw lined up (9) ________________________________________________ an electronics store. One Switch fan said: "It's fantastic that players can see each (10) ________________________________________________. I can't wait to...play." Another fan, who was unsuccessful in the lottery, went to the store's release event to savour the experience. He took a (11) ________________________________________________ work to try the Switch 2. The console has a hefty $449.99 price tag, but fans say it's (12) ________________________________________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Nintendohaslauncheditsfirstmajorpieceofhardwareineightyears.Th
emuch-anticipatedSwitch2consolewasreleasedlastweek.Itisthefol
low-uptothehugelypopularSwitch,whichsold152millionunits.Thene
wSwitch2canbeusedasahandhelddeviceorasatablet.Itcanbeconnect
edtoanexternaldisplay.Itcomeswithtwocontrollers,apoweradaptor,
aUSB-Cchargingcable,adock,andtwowriststraps.Ithas25games,inc
ludinganenhancedversionofMarioKartWorld.Nintendoexpectstosell
15millionSwitch2consolesforthefiscalyeartoMarch2026.Gamingfan
squeuedforhoursoutsidestores,eagertogettheirhandsonthenewsyst
em.InJapan,theconsolesweresoldviaanationallottery.Over2.2millio
napplied.InTokyo,winnersofthedrawlinedupatdawnoutsideanelectr
onicsstore.OneSwitchfansaid:"It'sfantasticthatplayerscanseeeacho
therwhileplaying.Ican'twaitto...play."Anotherfan,whowasunsucces
sfulinthelottery,wenttothestore'sreleaseeventtosavourtheexperien
ce.Hetookahalf-dayoffworktotrytheSwitch2.Theconsolehasaheft
y$449.99pricetag,butfanssayit'sworththemoney.

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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_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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