The Reading / Listening - Turkey-Syria - Level 4

Donald Trump has asked Turkey's President Erdogan to end military actions in Syria. Turkey attacked towns in northern Syria last week after the USA pulled out some troops. Turkey attacked Kurdish fighters to create a buffer on its border. Mr Trump called for a ceasefire and for talks with the Kurds. The US asked Turkey to stop the invasion, and to "begin to negotiate with Kurdish forces in Syria to bring an end to the violence".

Turkey said it would continue its actions in Syria, despite calls from around the world to stop. Mr Erdogan said: "We will never declare a ceasefire....The US is announcing sanctions....We are not worried about sanctions." He added: "The world missed its opportunity to prevent...pulling an entire region into a maelstrom of instability." He said the whole world should support Turkey. Mr Trump said: "It is not our problem. It is time for us to go home."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Turkey-Syria - Level 5 or  Turkey-Syria - Level 6

Sources
  • https://news.sky.com/story/us-demands-syria-ceasefire-as-it-announces-sanctions-against-turkey-11835978
  • https://cyprus-mail.com/2019/10/16/trumps-light-sanctions-are-a-relief-for-bruised-turkish-lira/
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/erdogan-trump-turkey-syria-ceasefire-sanctions-a9157621.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. end military
  2. Turkey attacked towns
  3. the USA pulled out
  4. create a buffer
  5. Mr Trump called for a
  6. asked Turkey to stop
  7. negotiate
  8. bring an end
  1. with Kurdish forces
  2. on its border
  3. to the violence
  4. in northern Syria
  5. the invasion
  6. some troops
  7. actions in Syria
  8. ceasefire

Paragraph 2

  1. Turkey said it would
  2. We will never declare
  3. The US is announcing
  4. The world missed its
  5. an entire
  6. a maelstrom of
  7. the whole world should
  8. It is time for
  1. support Turkey
  2. opportunity
  3. us to go home
  4. a ceasefire
  5. sanctions
  6. region
  7. continue its actions
  8. instability

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Donald Trump has asked Turkey's President Erdogan (1) ___________________ actions in Syria. Turkey (2) __________________ northern Syria last week after the USA pulled (3) ___________________. Turkey attacked Kurdish fighters to (4) ___________________ on its border. Mr Trump called for (5) ___________________ for talks with the Kurds. The US asked Turkey to stop the invasion, and to "begin to negotiate with Kurdish forces in Syria to (6) ___________________ to the violence".

Turkey said it would (7) ___________________ in Syria, despite calls from around the (8) ___________________. Mr Erdogan said: "We will never declare a ceasefire....The US (9) ___________________....We are not worried about sanctions." He added: "The world (10) ___________________ to prevent...pulling an entire region (11) ___________________ of instability." He said the whole world should support Turkey. Mr Trump said: "It is not our problem. It is (12) ___________________ to go home."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

DonaldTrumphasaskedTurkey'sPresidentErdogantoendmilitaryacti
onsinSyria.TurkeyattackedtownsinnorthernSyrialastweekaftertheU
SApulledoutsometroops.TurkeyattackedKurdishfighterstocreateab
ufferonitsborder.MrTrumpcalledforaceasefireandfortalkswiththeKu
rds.TheUSaskedTurkeytostoptheinvasion,andto"begintonegotiate
withKurdishforcesinSyriatobringanendtotheviolence".Turkeysaidit
wouldcontinueitsactionsinSyria,despitecallsfromaroundtheworldtos
top.MrErdogansaid:"Wewillneverdeclareaceasefire....TheUSisanno
uncingsanctions....Wearenotworriedaboutsanctions."Headded:"Th
eworldmisseditsopportunitytoprevent...pullinganentireregionintoa
maelstromofinstability."HesaidthewholeworldshouldsupportTurkey
.MrTrumpsaid:"Itisnotourproblem.Itistimeforustogohome."

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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