The Reading / Listening - Nuclear Weapons - Level 4

Pope Francis wants the nuclear arms race to end. He spoke while visiting Japan. He went to the only two cities to experience a nuclear attack - Nagasaki and Hiroshima. In Nagasaki, he condemned the "unspeakable horror" of nuclear weapons. Francis laid a wreath and prayed at a memorial. Nuclear bombs killed 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 people in Nagasaki in August 1945. The cities saw widespread devastation.

World leaders seem to want bigger nuclear arsenals. Francis believes a world without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary. He said weapons could not protect us from threats to international security. He said: "In a world where millions of children and families live in inhumane conditions, the money that is [wasted] and the fortunes made through the manufacture, upgrading, maintenance and sale of ever more destructive weapons, are an affront."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Nuclear Weapons - Level 5 or  Nuclear Weapons - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/24/pope-francis-calls-for-a-world-without-nuclear-weapons-during-nagasaki-visit
  • https://www.itv.com/news/2019-11-24/pope-francis-warns-of-perils-of-atomic-weapons-during-visit-to-nagasaki/
  • https://japantoday.com/category/national/pope-in-japan-says-world-must-rethink-reliance-on-nuke-power


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. the nuclear arms
  2. He spoke while
  3. the only two
  4. experience a nuclear
  5. the unspeakable
  6. Francis laid
  7. prayed at a
  8. The cities saw widespread
  1. a wreath
  2. attack
  3. devastation
  4. cities
  5. visiting Japan
  6. memorial
  7. race
  8. horror

Paragraph 2

  1. world leaders want bigger
  2. possible and
  3. weapons could not
  4. threats to international
  5. millions
  6. live in inhumane
  7. the money that
  8. ever more destructive
  1. security
  2. protect us
  3. conditions
  4. weapons
  5. nuclear arsenals
  6. is wasted
  7. necessary
  8. of children

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Pope Francis wants the nuclear (1) ___________________ end. He spoke while visiting Japan. He went to (2) ___________________ cities to experience (3) ___________________ - Nagasaki and Hiroshima. In Nagasaki, he condemned the (4) ___________________ nuclear weapons. Francis laid a wreath and prayed (5) ___________________. Nuclear bombs killed 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 people in Nagasaki in August 1945. (6) ___________________ widespread devastation.

World leaders (7) ___________________ bigger nuclear arsenals. Francis believes a world without nuclear weapons (8) ___________________ necessary. He said weapons could (9) ___________________ from threats to international security. He said: "In a world where millions of children and families (10) ___________________ conditions, the money that is [wasted] and the (11) ___________________ the manufacture, upgrading, maintenance and sale of ever more destructive weapons, (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

PopeFranciswantsthenucleararmsracetoend.HespokewhilevisitingJ
apan.Hewenttotheonlytwocitiestoexperienceanuclearattack-Nagas
akiandHiroshima.InNagasaki,hecondemnedthe"unspeakablehorror
"ofnuclearweapons.Francislaidawreathandprayedatamemorial.Nuc
learbombskilled140,000peopleinHiroshimaand74,000peopleinNag
asakiinAugust1945.Thecitiessawwidespreaddevastation.Worldlead
ersseemtowantbiggernucleararsenals.Francisbelievesaworldwithou
tnuclearweaponsispossibleandnecessary.Hesaidweaponscouldnotp
rotectusfromthreatstointernationalsecurity.Hesaid:"Inaworldwher
emillionsofchildrenandfamiliesliveininhumaneconditions,themoney
thatis[wasted]andthefortunesmadethroughthemanufacture,upgra
ding,maintenanceandsaleofevermoredestructiveweapons,areanaff
ront."

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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