Zimbabwe's new currency is U.S. dollar

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

Zimbabwe's central bank scrapped the country's currency to use the U.S. dollar. The Zimbabwean dollar became worthless because of hyperinflation. This peaked at 500 billion per cent in 2008. Since then, Zimbabweans liked the security of the U.S. dollar. Around 90 per cent of the economy uses the U.S. dollar. People have until September to change their local currency. The exchange rate is one U.S. dollar to 35 quadrillion Zimbabwean dollars.

Zimbabwe's old dollar will not disappear. The large number of zeroes on the bills is making them a collector's item. A 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollar note is selling online for US$35. This is over one hundred times more than the 40 U.S. cents the bill is worth. One hundred trillion is one plus 14 zeroes. One Zimbabwean is making money from the old currency by selling it to tourists. He said it was a waste of time to cash it in at a bank.

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN0OT0AS20150613?sp=true
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/zimbabwe-ditches-worthless-currency-dollar-article-1.2256966
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/06/13/count-zeroes-zimbabwe-central-bank-allows-banknote-exchange/

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.	scrapped the	a.	hyperinflation
2.	The Zimbabwean dollar became	b.	country's currency
3.	because of	c.	the U.S. dollar
4.	This peaked at	d.	currency
5.	the security of	e.	worthless
6.	Around 90 per cent of the economy	f.	rate
7.	local	g.	uses the U.S. dollar
8.	exchange	h.	500 billion per cent

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.	Zimbabwe's old dollar will	a.	for US$35
2.	The large number	b.	at a bank
3.	a collector's	c.	not disappear
4.	selling online	d.	tourists
5.	over one hundred	e.	of zeroes
6.	selling it to	f.	time
7.	a waste of	g.	times more
8.	cash it in	h.	item

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Zimbabwe's central (1) ___________________ country's currency to use the U.S. dollar. The Zimbabwean dollar (2) ___________________ because of hyperinflation. This (3) ___________________ billion per cent in 2008. Since then, Zimbabweans liked (4) ___________________ U.S. dollar. Around 90 per cent of (5) ___________________ the U.S. dollar. People have until September to change their local currency. The (6) ___________________ U.S. dollar to 35 quadrillion Zimbabwean dollars.

Zimbabwe's old dollar (7) ___________________. The large number of zeroes on the bills is making (8) ___________________. A 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollar note (9) ___________________ for US$35. This is over one hundred times more than the 40 U.S. cents (10) ___________________. One hundred trillion is one plus 14 zeroes. One Zimbabwean is making money (11) ___________________ by selling it to tourists. He said it was a waste of time to (12) ___________________.

CURRENCY SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about currency 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.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

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)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

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

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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