The Reading / Listening - Level 2

The toy maker Lego said it will not sign a new deal with the oil company Shell. Lego made toys with the Shell logo on them. Shell sold the toys in its gas stations worldwide. The deal was worth $110 million. Lego decided this after the environmental group Greenpeace made a video using Lego bricks. It showed an oil spill in the Arctic Ocean. Lego people and animals in the video become covered in oil. At the end of the video, oil has covered everything, except a Shell flag. The video is now Greenpeace's most-watched viral video in its history.

Greenpeace's video ran for three months. Over a million people asked Lego to end its deal with Shell. Greenpeace was very happy that Lego ended the partnership. It said: "Thanks a million, Lego….We're super happy Lego has finally decided to do the right thing. It's a massive victory." Lego said the decision was because it did not want to be part of an environmental campaign. It said Greenpeace should speak to Shell instead of making videos. Shell had plans to drill in the Arctic last year but stopped because of technical problems. It has not yet decided if it will drill in 2015.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0,  Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/lego-to-scrap-shell-deal-after-arctic-protest-1.2793537
  • http://www.businessinsider.com/lego-ends-shell-deal-after-greenpeace-viral-video-2014-10#ixzz3FhARZXy3
  • http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/save-the-arctic-lego-dumps-shell/blog/50917/


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 :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

it will not sign a new deal

a.

$110 million

2.

toys with the Shell

b.

become covered in oil

3.

The deal was worth

c.

spill

4.

environmental

d.

everything

5.

an oil

e.

with the oil company

6.

people and animals in the video

f.

viral video

7.

oil has covered

g.

logo on them

8.

Greenpeace's most-watched

h.

group


MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

Greenpeace's video ran

a.

in the Arctic

2.

Thanks a

b.

for three months

3.

Lego has finally decided to do

c.

victory

4.

It's a massive

d.

if it will drill

5.

an environmental

e.

the right thing

6.

Shell had plans to drill

f.

of technical problems

7.

stopped because

g.

million

8.

It has not yet decided

h.

campaign

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

The toy maker Lego said (1) ___________________ a new deal with the oil company Shell. Lego made toys (2) ___________________ on them. Shell (3) ___________________ its gas stations worldwide. The deal was worth $110 million. Lego decided this after the environmental group Greenpeace made a video using Lego bricks. It showed (4) ___________________ Arctic Ocean. Lego people and animals in the video (5) ___________________ oil. At the end of the video, oil has covered everything, except a Shell flag. The video is now Greenpeace's (6) ___________________ video in its history.

Greenpeace's video (7) ___________________. Over a million people asked Lego to (8) ___________________ Shell. Greenpeace was very happy that Lego ended the partnership. It said: "Thanks a million, Lego….We're super happy Lego (9) ___________________ to do the right thing. It's a massive victory." Lego said the decision was because it did not (10) ___________________ of an environmental campaign. It said Greenpeace should speak to Shell instead of making videos. Shell had (11) ___________________ the Arctic last year but stopped because of technical problems. It has (12) ___________________ it will drill in 2015.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

ThetoymakerLegosaiditwillnotsignanewdealwiththeoilcompanyShel
l.LegomadetoyswiththeShelllogoonthem.Shellsoldthetoysinitsgasst
ationsworldwide.Thedealwasworth$110million.Legodecidedthisaft
ertheenvironmentalgroupGreenpeacemadeavideousingLegobricks.
ItshowedanoilspillintheArcticOcean.Legopeopleandanimalsinthevid
eobecomecoveredinoil.Attheendofthevideo,oilhascoveredeverythin
g,exceptaShellflag.ThevideoisnowGreenpeace'smost-watche
dviralvideoinitshistory.Greenpeace'svideoranforthreemonths.Over
amillionpeopleaskedLegotoenditsdealwithShell.Greenpeacewasver
yhappythatLegoendedthepartnership.Itsaid:"Thanksamillion,Lego
….We'resuperhappyLegohasfinallydecidedtodotherightthing.It'sam
assivevictory."Legosaidthedecisionwasbecauseitdidnotwanttobepa
rtofanenvironmentalcampaign.ItsaidGreenpeaceshouldspeaktoShe
llinsteadofmakingvideos.ShellhadplanstodrillintheArcticlastyearbut
stoppedbecauseoftechnicalproblems.Ithasnotyetdecidedifitwilldrilli
n2015.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about oil for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Back to the top

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You