The Reading / Listening - Diplomatic Posts - Level 1

China now has more diplomatic posts around the world than any other country. Diplomatic posts represent a country overseas. China now has 276 diplomatic posts, while the USA has 273. They have the same number of embassies. China has more consulates. China overtook the USA after it opened five new embassies in the past two years. The embassies are in Burkina Faso, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, the Gambia and Sao Tome and the Principe.

The diplomatic posts information is in a report called the Global Diplomacy Index. It shows China is having more influence in the world. It wants to be a bigger player in the world economy. A spokeswoman said: "China's network of overseas consulates can support...Beijing's economic ambitions." China is expanding its diplomatic presence around the world, but "U.S. diplomacy has entered a period of limbo".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Diplomatic Posts - Level 0,  Diplomatic Posts - Level 2   or  Diplomatic Posts - Level 3

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/26/asia/us-china-diplomacy-lowy-intl-hnk/index.html
  • https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-overtakes-us-number-diplomatic-missions-041540880.html
  • https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/


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. China now has the more
  2. around the
  3. Diplomatic posts represent
  4. China now
  5. They have the same number
  6. China overtook
  7. it opened five new
  8. in the past
  1. has 276
  2. embassies
  3. two years
  4. of embassies
  5. diplomatic posts
  6. a country overseas
  7. the USA
  8. world

Paragraph 2

  1. information is in a
  2. having more influence
  3. It wants to be a
  4. the world
  5. China's network of overseas
  6. Beijing's economic
  7. expanding its diplomatic
  8. entered a period
  1. presence
  2. consulates
  3. in the world
  4. of limbo
  5. ambitions
  6. bigger player
  7. report
  8. economy

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

China (1) ___________________ diplomatic posts around the world (2) ___________________ country. Diplomatic posts represent (3) ___________________. China now has 276 diplomatic posts, while the USA has 273. They have the same (4) ___________________. China has more consulates. China overtook the USA (5) ___________________ five new embassies in the past two years. The (6) ___________________ Burkina Faso, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, the Gambia and Sao Tome and the Principe.

The diplomatic posts information (7) ___________________ report called the Global Diplomacy Index. It shows China (8) ___________________ influence in the world. It wants to be a bigger player in (9) ___________________. A spokeswoman said: "China's (10) ___________________ consulates can support...Beijing's economic ambitions." China (11) ___________________ diplomatic presence around the world, but "U.S. diplomacy has entered a (12) ___________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Chinanowhasmorediplomaticpostsaroundtheworldthananyotherco
untry.Diplomaticpostsrepresentacountryoverseas.Chinanowhas27
6diplomaticposts,whiletheUSAhas273.Theyhavethesamenumberof
embassies.Chinahasmoreconsulates.ChinaovertooktheUSAafterito
penedfivenewembassiesinthepasttwoyears.TheembassiesareinBur
kinaFaso,theDominicanRepublic,ElSalvador,theGambiaandSaoTom
eandthePrincipe.Thediplomaticpostsinformationisinareportcalledth
eGlobalDiplomacyIndex.ItshowsChinaishavingmoreinfluenceinthe
world.Itwantstobeabiggerplayerintheworldeconomy.Aspokeswoma
nsaid:"China'snetworkofoverseasconsulatescansupport...Beijing's
economicambitions."Chinaisexpandingitsdiplomaticpresencearoun
dtheworld,but"U.S.diplomacyhasenteredaperiodoflimbo".

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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