The Reading / Listening - Hacking - Level 5

There is a new crisis between the USA and Russia. It started with the U.S. presidential election in November. Hillary Clinton's team said Russia interfered in the election. U.S. officials claimed that Russian hackers stole e-mails from the servers of Ms Clinton's party and put them on the Wikileaks website. The officials said Vladimir Putin wanted American voters to vote for Donald Trump. President Barack Obama promised to take action over the allegations. He has expelled 35 Russian diplomats from Washington. He also shut down two Russian intelligence compounds.

Russia has responded angrily to the expulsions. It has denied any hacking. It called the U.S. actions "ungrounded". Moscow has promised an "appropriate response" and "counter-measures". Any tit-for-tat measures may be less severe due to Mr Trump becoming President on January 20th. A Russian spokesman said: "These decisions were taken by President Obama, but Trump will become the head of state in three weeks' time. Of course, this factor will certainly be taken into account." Mr Trump wants to put US-Russian relations on a better footing. He has good relations with Mr Putin.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Hacking - Level 4 or  Hacking - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/12/29/after-obama-sanctions-russia-trump-says-its-time-to-move-on-to-bigger-and-better-things
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38464612
  • http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/12/30/obama-sanctions-russia-good-move-that-comes-too-late.html


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. a new crisis between
  2. It started with the U.S.
  3. Hillary Clinton's
  4. interfered in the
  5. hackers stole e-mails
  6. Obama promised to take action over
  7. He has expelled 35 Russian
  8. shut down two Russian intelligence
  1. Russia has responded
  2. It has denied
  3. It called the U.S. actions
  4. Moscow has promised an
  5. tit-for-tat measures may be less
  6. Trump will become the head
  7. this factor will certainly be taken
  8. put US-Russian relations on a better

Paragraph 2

  1. Russia has responded
  2. It has denied
  3. It called the U.S. actions
  4. Moscow has promised an
  5. tit-for-tat measures may be less
  6. Trump will become the head
  7. this factor will certainly be taken
  8. put US-Russian relations on a better
  1. severe
  2. into account
  3. any hacking
  4. footing
  5. angrily
  6. "ungrounded"
  7. "appropriate response"
  8. of state

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There (1) ___________________ between the USA and Russia. It started with the U.S. (2) ___________________ in November. Hillary Clinton's team said Russia (3) ___________________ election. U.S. officials claimed that Russian hackers stole e-mails from the servers of Ms Clinton's party and put them on the Wikileaks website. (4) ___________________ Vladimir Putin wanted American voters to vote for Donald Trump. President Barack Obama promised to (5) ___________________ the allegations. He has expelled 35 Russian diplomats from Washington. He also shut down two Russian (6) ___________________.

Russia has responded (7) ___________________ expulsions. It has denied any hacking. It called the U.S. actions "ungrounded". Moscow has promised an (8) ___________________ and "counter-measures". Any tit-for-tat measures may be (9) ___________________ to Mr Trump becoming President on January 20th. A Russian spokesman said: "These decisions were taken by President Obama, but Trump will (10) ___________________ of state in three weeks' time. Of course, (11) ___________________ certainly be taken into account." Mr Trump wants to put US-Russian relations on a better footing. He (12) ___________________ with Mr Putin.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThereisanewcrisisbetweentheUSAandRussia.ItstartedwiththeU.S.p
residentialelectioninNovember.HillaryClinton'steamsaidRussiainter
feredintheelection.U.S.officialsclaimedthatRussianhackersstolee-
mailsfromtheserversofMsClinton'spartyandputthemontheWikileaks
website.TheofficialssaidVladimirPutinwantedAmericanvoterstovote
forDonaldTrump.PresidentBarackObamapromisedtotakeactionover
theallegations.Hehasexpelled35RussiandiplomatsfromWashington.
HealsoshutdowntwoRussianintelligencecompounds.Russiahasresp
ondedangrilytotheexpulsions.Ithasdeniedanyhacking.ItcalledtheU.
S.actions"ungrounded".Moscowhaspromisedan"appropriaterespon
se"and"counter-measures".Anytit-for-tatmeasuresmaybelesssever
eduetoMrTrumpbecomingPresidentonJanuary20th.ARussianspokes
mansaid:"ThesedecisionsweretakenbyPresidentObama,butTrump
willbecometheheadofstateinthreeweeks'time.Ofcourse,thisfactorwi
llcertainlybetakenintoaccount."MrTrumpwantstoputUS-Russianr
elationsonabetterfooting.HehasgoodrelationswithMrPutin.

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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