The Reading / Listening - Missiles - Level 5

Russia has responded to the USA withdrawing from an arms treaty by announcing it would build more missiles. The USA suspended the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INFT) on February 1st. Russia did the same the day after. In addition, Russian media stated that Russia's military would develop a "100 megaton nuclear doomsday device" in response to the USA withdrawal. The INFT was signed in 1987 to limit the number of missiles that could hit European capitals. It banned both countries from using short- and medium-range missiles.

Russia's media have written a lot about the 100-megaton nuclear warhead. They say it is too fast for missile defense systems to spot. It is powerful enough to cause devastation and 100-meter tsunami waves, and create enough radiation to wipe out life for a thousand kilometers. One newspaper wrote: "One of the...warheads will sit off the US coast. Any US attack on Russia would be a suicidal misadventure." The paper didn't mention the concept of M.A.D. - Mutually Assured Destruction. This scenario sees both countries wiping each other out.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Missiles - Level 4 or  Missiles - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47134028
  • https://www.thisisinsider.com/russia-threatens-us-with-nuclear-doomsday-device-after-inf-failure-2019-2
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/05/russia-plans-land-based-intermediate-missiles-in-two-years


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. Russia has responded
  2. it would build more
  3. Russia did the same
  4. develop a 100 megaton nuclear
  5. in response to the
  6. signed in 1987 to limit
  7. missiles that could
  8. medium-range
  1. doomsday device
  2. hit European capitals
  3. USA withdrawal
  4. missiles
  5. to the USA
  6. the day after
  7. the number
  8. missiles

Paragraph 2

  1. it is too fast for missile
  2. powerful enough to
  3. 100-meter tsunami
  4. create enough radiation
  5. warheads will sit off
  6. a suicidal
  7. The paper didn't mention
  8. both countries wiping each
  1. misadventure
  2. waves
  3. other out
  4. cause devastation
  5. to wipe out life
  6. the concept
  7. the US coast
  8. defense systems

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Russia has responded to the USA (1) ___________________ arms treaty by announcing it would (2) ___________________. The USA suspended the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INFT) on February 1st. Russia did the (3) ___________________ after. In addition, Russian media stated that Russia's military would develop a "100 megaton nuclear doomsday device" (4) ___________________ the USA withdrawal. The INFT was signed in 1987 to limit the number of missiles (5) ___________________ European capitals. It (6) ___________________ from using short- and medium-range missiles.

Russia's media have (7) ___________________ about the 100-megaton nuclear warhead. They say it is (8) ___________________ missile defense systems to spot. It is powerful (9) ___________________ devastation and 100-meter tsunami waves, and create enough radiation to wipe out life for a thousand kilometers. One newspaper wrote: "One of the...warheads will sit off (10) ___________________. Any US attack on Russia would be a suicidal misadventure." The paper didn't (11) ___________________ of M.A.D. - Mutually Assured Destruction. This (12) ___________________ countries wiping each other out.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

RussiahasrespondedtotheUSAwithdrawingfromanarmstreatybyann
ouncingitwouldbuildmoremissiles.TheUSAsuspendedtheIntermedia
teNuclearForcesTreaty(INFT)onFebruary1st.Russiadidthesamethe
dayafter.Inaddition,RussianmediastatedthatRussia'smilitarywould
developa"100megatonnucleardoomsdaydevice"inresponsetotheUS
Awithdrawal.TheINFTwassignedin1987tolimitthenumberofmissilest
hatcouldhitEuropeancapitals.Itbannedbothcountriesfromusingshor
t-andmedium-rangemissiles.Russia'smediahavewrittenalotaboutt
he100-megatonnuclearwarhead.Theysayitistoofastformissiledefe
nsesystemstospot.Itispowerfulenoughtocausedevastationand100-
metertsunamiwaves,andcreateenoughradiationtowipeoutlifeforath
ousandkilometers.Onenewspaperwrote:"Oneofthe...warheadswillsi
tofftheUScoast.AnyUSattackonRussiawouldbeasuicidalmisadventur
e."Thepaperdidn'tmentiontheconceptofM.A.D.-MutuallyAssuredDe
struction.Thisscenarioseesbothcountrieswipingeachotherout.

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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