The Reading / Listening - Level 2

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is taking a break from social media. He is fed up with spending so much time looking at small screens. The international superstar has 16 million followers on Twitter and 5.5 million on Instagram. He has been active in updating his fans on his personal life, but now he wants to have a rest. He wrote on his Instagram account: "Hello all. I'm taking a break from my phone, e-mails and all social media for a while." He added: "I've had such an amazing [time] over the last five years but I find myself seeing the world through a screen and not my eyes."

Sheeran has been touring the world since August 2014. He apologised to his friends and family for his upcoming online absence. He wrote: "I'm taking this opportunity of me not having to be anywhere or do anything to travel the world and see everything I missed." The singer will also use his time off to have an operation. He burst an eardrum while doing a concert. He has good news for his millions of fans. He announced that his third album is on its way. He said it was the best thing he has produced so far. He thanked his fans and said he would be back next autumn.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35086793
  • http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/6806070/ed-sheeran-social-media-break-instagram-twitter
  • http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/ed-sheeran-to-take-a-year-off-social-media-stop-seeing-life-through-a-screen-20151213-glmnfc.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 :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

taking a break from

a.

have a rest

2.

He is fed

b.

followers

3.

international

c.

up

4.

16 million

d.

through a screen

5.

his personal

e.

amazing time

6.

he wants to

f.

social media

7.

I've had such an

g.

life

8.

seeing the world

h.

superstar



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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

touring the world

a.

world

2.

He apologised

b.

this opportunity

3.

I'm taking

c.

next autumn

4.

travel the

d.

an eardrum

5.

use his time

e.

since August 2014

6.

He burst

f.

news

7.

good

g.

to his friends

8.

he would be back

h.

off

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is taking (1) ___________________ social media. He (2) ___________________ spending so much time looking (3) ___________________. The international superstar has 16 million followers on Twitter and 5.5 million on Instagram. He has been (4) ___________________ his fans on his personal life, but now he wants to have a rest. He wrote on his Instagram account: "Hello all. I'm taking a break from my phone, e-mails (5) ___________________ for a while." He added: "I've had such an amazing [time] over the last five years but I find myself seeing the world through a screen (6) ___________________."

Sheeran (7) ___________________ the world since August 2014. He apologised to his friends and family (8) ___________________ online absence. He wrote: "I'm taking this opportunity of me not (9) ___________________ anywhere or do anything to travel the world and see everything I missed." The singer will also use his time (10) ___________________ an operation. He burst an eardrum while doing a concert. He has good news (11) _________________ of fans. He announced that his third album is on its way. He said it was the best thing (12) ___________________ so far. He thanked his fans and said he would be back next autumn.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Singer-songwriterEdSheeranistakingabreakfromsocialmedia.Heisf
edupwithspendingsomuchtimelookingatsmallscreens.Theinternatio
nalsuperstarhas16millionfollowersonTwitterand5.5milliononInstag
ram.Hehasbeenactiveinupdatinghisfansonhispersonallife,butnowh
ewantstohavearest.HewroteonhisInstagramaccount:"Helloall.I'mt
akingabreakfrommyphone,e-mailsandallsocialmediaforawhile."H
eadded:"I'vehadsuchanamazing[time]overthelastfiveyearsbutIfind
myselfseeingtheworldthroughascreenandnotmyeyes."Sheeranhas
beentouringtheworldsinceAugust2014.Heapologisedtohisfriendsan
dfamilyforhisupcomingonlineabsence.Hewrote:"I'mtakingthisoppo
rtunityofmenothavingtobeanywhereordoanythingtotraveltheworld
andseeeverythingImissed."Thesingerwillalsousehistimeofftohavea
noperation.Heburstaneardrumwhiledoingaconcert.Hehasgoodnews
forhismillionsoffans.Heannouncedthathisthirdalbumisonitsway.Hes
aiditwasthebestthinghehasproducedsofar.Hethankedhisfansandsai
dhewouldbebacknextautumn.

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 social media 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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