The Reading / Listening - Compensation - Level 0

Holland's railway company, NS, will compensate Holocaust victims. NS will pay up to 15,000 euros to 500 victims and family members. After Germany invaded Holland in 1940, NS trains took thousands of Jews and other minorities to German trains. They then went to Nazi death camps. By 1944, there were few Jews left in Holland.

NS said the payments are its historical responsibility. The Nazis paid NS to take people to the border. NS said it was "a black page" in its history. It said no amount of money can compensate for the suffering. It called the payments "a moral gesture". NS accepted its role in the suffering.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Compensation - Level 1,  Compensation - Level 2   or  Compensation - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/world/europe/ns-dutch-railway-holocaust.html
  • https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Dutch-rail-company-to-pay-Holocaust-survivors-compensation-593836
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/holocaust-compensation-survivors-families-dutch-railway-ns-nazi-death-camps-a8977921.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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. compensate Holocaust
  2. NS will pay up
  3. family
  4. After Germany invaded
  5. NS trains
  6. Jews and other
  7. Nazi death
  8. there were few Jews
  1. took thousands
  2. camps
  3. to 15,000 euros
  4. left in Holland
  5. members
  6. Holland
  7. victims
  8. minorities

Paragraph 2

  1. the payments are its historical
  2. The Nazis
  3. take people
  4. a black page
  5. no amount
  6. compensate for
  7. a moral
  8. NS accepted its role
  1. of money
  2. gesture
  3. paid NS
  4. in the suffering
  5. to the border
  6. in its history
  7. the suffering
  8. responsibility

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Holland's railway company, NS, will compensate Holocaust victims. NS (1) ___________________to 15,000 euros to 500 victims (2) ___________________. After Germany invaded Holland in 1940, NS (3) ___________________ of Jews and (4) ___________________German trains. They then went to Nazi death camps. By 1944, (5) ___________________ Jews (6) ___________________ .

NS said the payments (7) ___________________ responsibility. The Nazis paid NS to (8) ___________________ the border. NS said it was "(9) ___________________" in its history. It said no (10) ___________________ can compensate for the suffering. It called the payments "(11) ___________________". NS accepted its (12) ___________________ suffering.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Holland'srailwaycompany,NS,willcompensateHolocaustvictims.NS
willpayupto15,000eurosto500victimsandfamilymembers.AfterGer
manyinvadedHollandin1940,NStrainstookthousandsofJewsandothe
rminoritiestoGermantrains.TheythenwenttoNazideathcamps.By19
44,therewerefewJewsleftinHolland.NSsaidthepaymentsareitshistor
icalresponsibility.TheNazispaidNStotakepeopletotheborder.NSsaidi
twas"ablackpage"initshistory.Itsaidnoamountofmoneycancompens
ateforthesuffering.Itcalledthepayments"amoralgesture".NSaccept
editsroleinthesuffering.

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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