The Reading / Listening - Boris Johnson - Level 5

The U.K. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has thanked the National Health Service for saving his life. Mr Johnson, 55, tested positive for COVID-19 and self-isolated in his apartment in London. He continued to lead his country's response to the coronavirus pandemic. However, his symptoms persisted and his condition took a turn for the worse. He was admitted to a hospital for tests and was then moved to an intensive care unit as his condition worsened. This was a "precautionary move". He remained conscious and was able to breathe without needing help from a ventilator.

Mr Johnson said the care he received from nurses was "exemplary". He said: "I can't thank them enough. I owe them my life." He is now on a recovery ward in the hospital. He is making "very good progress". He is doing Sudoku puzzles and watching films. His biographer said: "Boris never used to believe in illness....He believed he was strong enough to keep going regardless of any symptoms from which he might be suffering. His strong inclination was to overwork, not to put his feet up. In the light of his experiences, one hopes he will change his outlook."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Boris Johnson - Level 4 or  Boris Johnson - Level 6

Sources
  • https://news.sky.com/story/boris-johnson-i-owe-doctors-and-nurses-my-life-after-coronavirus-treatment-11972103
  • https://www.theguardian.com/focus/2020/apr/11/boris-johnsons-darkest-hour-one-week-that-shook-the-nation
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/11/uk/boris-johnson-brother-max-coronavirus-intl-gbr/index.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. thanked the National Health Service
  2. his country's response to the
  3. his symptoms
  4. his condition took a turn
  5. moved to an intensive
  6. This was a precautionary
  7. He remained
  8. breathe without needing help
  1. persisted
  2. move
  3. coronavirus pandemic
  4. from a ventilator
  5. for the worse
  6. care unit
  7. for saving his life
  8. conscious

Paragraph 2

  1. the care he received from nurses
  2. I owe them
  3. He is now on a recovery
  4. keep going regardless of
  5. His strong inclination was
  6. to put his
  7. In the light
  8. one hopes he will change
  1. to overwork
  2. of his experiences
  3. any symptoms
  4. was "exemplary"
  5. his outlook
  6. ward in the hospital
  7. my life
  8. feet up

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The U.K. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, (1) ___________________ National Health Service for saving his life. Mr Johnson, 55, (2) ___________________ COVID-19 and self-isolated in his apartment in London. He continued to lead his country's (3) ___________________ coronavirus pandemic. However, his symptoms (4) ___________________ condition took a turn for the worse. He was admitted to a hospital for tests and was then moved to an intensive care unit as (5) ___________________. This was a "precautionary move". He remained conscious and was (6) ___________________ without needing help from a ventilator.

Mr Johnson said the care he received from (7) ___________________. He said: "I can't thank them enough. I (8) ___________________ life." He is now on a recovery ward in the hospital. He is making "(9) ___________________". He is doing Sudoku puzzles and watching films. His biographer said: "Boris never used to (10) ___________________....He believed he was strong enough to keep going regardless of any symptoms from which he might be suffering. His (11) ___________________ to overwork, not to put his feet up. In the light of his experiences, one hopes he will (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheU.K.PrimeMinister,BorisJohnson,hasthankedtheNationalHealth
Serviceforsavinghislife.MrJohnson,55,testedpositiveforCOVID-19
andself-isolatedinhisapartmentinLondon.Hecontinuedtoleadhisco
untry'sresponsetothecoronaviruspandemic.However,hissymptoms
persistedandhisconditiontookaturnfortheworse.Hewasadmittedtoa
hospitalfortestsandwasthenmovedtoanintensivecareunitashiscondi
tionworsened.Thiswasa"precautionarymove".Heremainedconsciou
sandwasabletobreathewithoutneedinghelpfromaventilator.MrJohns
onsaidthecarehereceivedfromnurseswas"exemplary".Hesaid:"Ican'
tthankthemenough.Iowethemmylife."Heisnowonarecoverywardint
hehospital.Heismaking"verygoodprogress".HeisdoingSudokupuzzl
esandwatchingfilms.Hisbiographersaid:"Borisneverusedtobelievein
illness....Hebelievedhewasstrongenoughtokeepgoingregardlessofa
nysymptomsfromwhichhemightbesuffering.Hisstronginclinationwa
stooverwork,nottoputhisfeetup.Inthelightofhisexperiences,onehop
eshewillchangehisoutlook."

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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