The Reading / Listening - U.K. Knighthood - Level 5

The U.K. has awarded one of its highest honours to an ex-minister who was fired twice. Gavin Williamson, 45, will get a knighthood for services to public life. He will be "Sir" Gavin. Many politicians are angry over this because of Mr Willamsons' record. He was fired as Defence Secretary by then Prime Minister Theresa May in 2019 because of a leak about discussions regarding the UK's national security. Ms May said she had, "lost confidence in his ability to serve". Current PM Boris Johnson fired Williamson from being Education Secretary in 2021 following a series of gaffes.

Knighthoods are for Britons who have excelled in their field. Recipients have spent decades as top leaders or winners. Williamson only became a politician in 2010. Other politicians say he is undeserving of the honour. One said the only award he should get was "worst Education Secretary in history". Another said his record was "disgraceful". She said: "Williamson left children to go hungry and created two years of complete chaos over exams." Some newspapers said the award is in return for Williamson keeping quiet about allegations about Boris Johnson.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    U.K. Knighthood - Level 4 or  U.K. Knighthood - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-tory-ex-education-secretary-26379946
  • https://news.sky.com/story/ex-education-secretary-gavin-williamson-given-a-knighthood-12556701
  • https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-awards-knighthood-minister-who-was-fired-over-security-leak-2022-03-03/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The U.K. has awarded one of
  2. an ex-minister who
  3. a knighthood for service
  4. He will be "Sir"
  5. politicians are angry
  6. regarding the UK's national
  7. Current PM Boris Johnson
  8. a series
  1. fired Williamson
  2. to public life
  3. over this
  4. was fired twice
  5. of gaffes
  6. Gavin
  7. security
  8. its highest honours

Paragraph 2

  1. Britons who have excelled
  2. Williamson only became a
  3. he is undeserving
  4. the only award he
  5. Another said his record
  6. Williamson left children
  7. two years of complete
  8. keeping quiet about allegations
  1. of the honour
  2. about Boris Johnson
  3. politician in 2010
  4. to go hungry
  5. chaos
  6. in their field
  7. was disgraceful
  8. should get

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The U.K. has awarded one (1) ___________________ honours to an ex-minister who (2) ___________________. Gavin Williamson, 45, will get a knighthood for services (3) ___________________. He will be "Sir" Gavin. Many politicians are angry over this because of Mr Willamsons' record. He was fired as Defence Secretary by then Prime Minister Theresa May in 2019 because of (4) ___________________ discussions regarding the UK's national security. Ms May said she had, "lost confidence in his (5) ___________________ ". Current PM Boris Johnson fired Williamson from being Education Secretary in 2021 following a (6) ___________________.

Knighthoods are for Britons (7) __________________ in their field. Recipients have spent decades as top (8) ___________________. Williamson only became a politician in 2010. Other politicians say he is undeserving of the honour. One said the only award he should (9) ___________________ Education Secretary in history". Another said his record was "disgraceful". She said: "Williamson left children to go (10) ___________________ two years of complete chaos over exams." Some newspapers said the award is (11) _______________ Williamson keeping (12) ___________________ about Boris Johnson.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheU.K.hasawardedoneofitshighesthonourstoanex-ministerwhow
asfiredtwice.GavinWilliamson,45,willgetaknighthoodforservicestop
ubliclife.Hewillbe"Sir"Gavin.Manypoliticiansareangryoverthisbecau
seofMrWillamsons'record.HewasfiredasDefenceSecretarybythenPri
meMinisterTheresaMayin2019becauseofaleakaboutdiscussionsreg
ardingtheUK'snationalsecurity.MsMaysaidshehad,"lostconfidencein
hisabilitytoserve".CurrentPMBorisJohnsonfiredWilliamsonfrombein
gEducationSecretaryin2021followingaseriesofgaffes.Knighthoodsa
reforBritonswhohaveexcelledintheirfield.Recipientshavespentdeca
desastopleadersorwinners.Williamsononlybecameapoliticianin2010
.Otherpoliticianssayheisundeservingofthehonour.Onesaidtheonlya
wardheshouldgetwas"worstEducationSecretaryinhistory".Anothers
aidhisrecordwas"disgraceful".Shesaid:"Williamsonleftchildrentogo
hungryandcreatedtwoyearsofcompletechaosoverexams."Somenew
spaperssaidtheawardisinreturnforWilliamsonkeepingquietaboutalle
gationsaboutBorisJohnson.

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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