The Reading / Listening - Neckties - Level 5

Spain's Prime Minister has urged citizens to ditch their neckties to help save energy and the planet. Pedro Sanchez made his plea at a press conference. He addressed journalists tieless, and called on Spaniards to follow his lead in ditching his tie. He stated: "I have asked all ministers and public decision-makers to [go tieless]. That means we can all save energy." He added: "I would also like to ask the private sector that…they should not wear a tie either because, in that way, we will all be contributing to the energy savings that are so necessary for our country."

Spain will soon adopt "urgent" energy-saving measures to tackle the climate crisis, and to cut its reliance on Russian gas. Other European countries are moving away from Russian fuel because of the Ukraine War. Sanchez's government has already restricted the use of air conditioners and heating appliances in workplaces. The recent heatwaves and rising energy prices have taken their toll in Spain. More than 500 people have died in the past two weeks because of the heat. Spain has also introduced a relief package of $9.2 billion to help people with energy bills.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Neckties - Level 4 or  Neckties - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/07/29/tieless-pedro-sanchez-asks-spaniards-to-ditch-the-tie-to-save-energy
  • https://www.dw.com/en/spain-pm-sanchez-calls-on-office-workers-to-ditch-ties-to-save-on-energy/a-62654234
  • https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/spanish-pm-calls-on-workers-to-stop-wearing-ties/ar-AA106y16


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. help save energy
  2. at a press
  3. He addressed journalists
  4. called on Spaniards to follow
  5. ministers and public decision-
  6. the private
  7. we will all
  8. energy savings that
  1. be contributing
  2. tieless
  3. makers
  4. conference
  5. are so necessary
  6. and the planet
  7. his lead
  8. sector

Paragraph 2

  1. energy-saving
  2. tackle the climate
  3. cut its reliance
  4. moving away
  5. restricted the use
  6. energy prices have taken
  7. a relief
  8. help people with energy
  1. package
  2. from Russian fuel
  3. of air conditioners
  4. crisis
  5. their toll
  6. measures
  7. bills
  8. on Russian gas

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Spain's Prime Minister (1) ___________________ to ditch their neckties to help save energy and the planet. Pedro Sanchez made his (2) ___________________ press conference. He addressed journalists tieless, and called on Spaniards to (3) ___________________ in ditching his tie. He stated: "I have asked all ministers and public decision-makers to [go tieless]. That means we (4) ___________________ energy." He added: "I would also like to ask the (5) ___________________...they should not wear a tie either because, in that way, we will (6) ___________________ to the energy savings that are so necessary for our country."

Spain will (7) ___________________ energy-saving measures to tackle the climate crisis, and to (8) ___________________ on Russian gas. Other European countries are moving away from Russian (9) ___________________ the Ukraine War. Sanchez's government has already restricted the use of air conditioners and (10) ___________________ workplaces. The recent heatwaves and rising energy prices have (11) ___________________ in Spain. More than 500 people have died in the past two weeks because of the heat. Spain has also introduced (12) ___________________ of $9.2 billion to help people with energy bills.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Spain'sPrimeMinisterhasurgedcitizenstoditchtheirnecktiestohelpsa
veenergyandtheplanet.PedroSanchezmadehispleaatapressconfere
nce.Headdressedjournaliststieless,andcalledonSpaniardstofollowhi
sleadinditchinghistie.Hestated:"Ihaveaskedallministersandpublicd
ecision-makersto[gotieless].Thatmeanswecanallsaveenergy."He
added:"Iwouldalsoliketoasktheprivatesectorthat...theyshouldnotw
earatieeitherbecause,inthatway,wewillallbecontributingtotheenerg
ysavingsthataresonecessaryforourcountry."Spainwillsoonadopt"ur
gent"energy-savingmeasurestotackletheclimatecrisis,andtocutits
relianceonRussiangas.OtherEuropeancountriesaremovingawayfro
mRussianfuelbecauseoftheUkraineWar.Sanchez'sgovernmenthasal
readyrestrictedtheuseofairconditionersandheatingappliancesinwor
kplaces.Therecentheatwavesandrisingenergypriceshavetakentheir
tollinSpain.Morethan500peoplehavediedinthepasttwoweeksbecaus
eoftheheat.Spainhasalsointroducedareliefpackageof$9.2billiontohe
lppeoplewithenergybills.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You