The Reading / Listening - Trade War - Level 0

A USA-China trade war may start. Stock markets in Asia fell because people are worried. President Donald Trump wants to put tariffs on Chinese goods. A tariff is a tax on imports (things bought from other countries). Mr Trump wants to put tariffs on $60 billion of Chinese imports. China said it would do the same.

If the USA uses tariffs, China will hit back. Then the U.S. will hit back further. A researcher said: "This can turn ugly...very quickly." Trump wants to protect U.S. workers. He is not happy because the USA buys $385 billion more goods from China than China buys from the USA. Mr Trump wants to cut this imbalance.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Trade War - Level 1,  Trade War - Level 2   or  Trade War - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-markets-slump-as-fears-of-trade-war-mount/2018/03/23/f641e906-2e0b-11e8-8dc9-3b51e028b845_story.html
  • https://sg.news.yahoo.com/asian-markets-plunge-wall-street-trump-sparks-trade-020817042--finance.html
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/business-43510802


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 USA-China trade war
  2. Stock
  3. people are
  4. Trump wants to put tariffs
  5. A tariff is a tax on
  6. things bought from other
  7. put tariffs on $60 billion
  8. China said it would
  1. worried
  2. imports
  3. may start
  4. do the same
  5. of Chinese imports
  6. markets in Asia
  7. countries
  8. on Chinese goods

Paragraph 2

  1. China will
  2. the U.S. will hit back
  3. This can turn
  4. very
  5. Trump wants to protect
  6. He is
  7. the USA buys $385 billion more
  8. Mr Trump wants to cut this
  1. ugly
  2. goods from China
  3. hit back
  4. U.S. workers
  5. imbalance
  6. quickly
  7. not happy
  8. further

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A USA-China (1) ___________________ start. Stock markets in Asia (2) ___________________ people are worried. President Donald Trump wants (3) ___________________ on Chinese goods. A tariff is (4) ___________________ imports (things bought from (5) ___________________). Mr Trump wants to put tariffs on $60 billion of Chinese imports. China said it would (6) ___________________.

If the USA uses tariffs, China (7) ___________________. Then the U.S. will hit (8) ___________________. A researcher said: "This (9) ___________________...very quickly." Trump wants to protect U.S. workers. He (10) ___________________ because the USA buys $385 billion (11) ___________________ China than China buys from the USA. Mr Trump wants (12) ___________________ imbalance.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AUSA-Chinatradewarmaystart.StockmarketsinAsiafellbecausepeop
leareworried.PresidentDonaldTrumpwantstoputtariffsonChinesego
ods.Atariffisataxonimports(thingsboughtfromothercountries).MrTr
umpwantstoputtariffson$60billionofChineseimports.Chinasaiditwo
ulddothesame.IftheUSAusestariffs,Chinawillhitback.ThentheU.S.wi
llhitbackfurther.Aresearchersaid:"Thiscanturnugly...veryquickly."T
rumpwantstoprotectU.S.workers.HeisnothappybecausetheUSAbuy
s$385billionmoregoodsfromChinathanChinabuysfromtheUSA.MrTr
umpwantstocutthisimbalance.

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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