The Reading / Listening - Level 1

Venezuela's government took 4 million children's toys from a toy company. It will give them to children for free or at low prices. The government says the company charged high prices for the toys. Only rich people could buy them. Venezuela has one of the highest rates of inflation in the world. Many people can't afford things like toys. The monthly minimum salary does not buy much. Venezuela has also cut the price of clothes.

The government tweeted: "Our children are sacred….Boys and girls of this country will have a happy Christmas." The government said the toy company kept the toys out of the shops to increase prices. The government also said the company tried to sell the toys at much higher prices. The company said it did nothing wrong and was not trying to sell the toys at high prices. It said many of the toys were not in fashion.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-09/venezuela-seizes-millions-of-toys-accuses-importer-of-hoarding
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-38274267
  • http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/11/505189281/venezuela-seizes-nearly-4-million-toys-saying-theyre-overpriced


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 will give them to children
  2. the company charged high
  3. Only rich people could
  4. the highest rates of inflation
  5. Many people can't afford things
  6. The monthly minimum
  7. does not buy
  8. cut the price
  1. in the world
  2. much
  3. like toys
  4. for free
  5. of clothes
  6. buy them
  7. salary
  8. prices for the toys

Paragraph 2

  1. Boys and girls
  2. have a
  3. the toy company kept the toys
  4. increase
  5. sell the toys at much
  6. The company said it did
  7. trying to sell the toys
  8. the toys were not in
  1. higher prices
  2. at high prices
  3. of this country
  4. fashion
  5. out of the shops
  6. happy Christmas
  7. nothing wrong
  8. prices

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Venezuela's government (1) ___________________ children's toys from a toy company. It will (2) ___________________ children (3) ___________________ low prices. The government says the company charged high prices for the toys. Only rich people could buy them. Venezuela has (4) __________________ rates of inflation in the world. Many people (5) ___________________ like toys. The monthly minimum salary does not buy much. Venezuela has (6) ________________ of clothes.

The government tweeted: "Our children are sacred….Boys and girls (7) ___________________ will have a happy Christmas." The government said the toy company (8) __________________ out of the shops to (9) ___________________. The government also said the company (10) ___________________ the toys at much higher prices. The company said it (11) _______________ and was not trying to sell the toys at high prices. It said many of the toys (12) ___________________ fashion.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Venezuela'sgovernmenttook4millionchildren'stoysfromatoycompa
ny.Itwillgivethemtochildrenforfreeoratlowprices.Thegovernmentsa
ysthecompanychargedhighpricesforthetoys.Onlyrichpeoplecouldbu
ythem.Venezuelahasoneofthehighestratesofinflationintheworld.Ma
nypeoplecan'taffordthingsliketoys.Themonthlyminimumsalarydoes
notbuymuch.Venezuelahasalsocutthepriceofclothes.Thegovernme
nttweeted:"Ourchildrenaresacred….Boysandgirlsofthiscountrywillh
aveahappyChristmas."Thegovernmentsaidthetoycompanykeptthet
oysoutoftheshopstoincreaseprices.Thegovernmentalsosaidthecom
panytriedtosellthetoysatmuchhigherprices.Thecompanysaiditdidno
thingwrongandwasnottryingtosellthetoysathighprices.Itsaidmanyo
fthetoyswerenotinfashion.

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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