The Reading / Listening - Somalia - Level 4

Somalia has been elected as a member of the UN Security Council. It is the first time for Somalia to hold that position since the 1970s. Three decades of brutal civil wars and bloody factional fighting brought the country to its knees. A coalition government in 2009 then brought the return of stability. Somalia's recent turmoil, and its struggles to defeat terrorism, mean it can be very helpful in promoting peace around the world.

The UN Security Council was formed in 1945 to help keep world peace. It has five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the UK and the US – and 10 revolving non-permanent members. To win a seat, a nation must get the support of two thirds of UN representatives. Somalia was elected unopposed. It will serve for two years. Somalia said: "Our tenure will be guided by our…respect of the principles of international law."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Somalia - Level 5 or  Somalia - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgee4j71ypqo
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council


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. brutal
  2. bloody factional
  3. brought the country
  4. A coalition
  5. brought the return
  6. Somalia's recent
  7. its struggles to
  8. promoting peace
  1. of stability
  2. defeat terrorism
  3. civil wars
  4. around the world
  5. fighting
  6. to its knees
  7. turmoil
  8. government

Paragraph 2

  1. The UN Security Council
  2. It has five permanent
  3. 10 revolving non-
  4. win a
  5. Somalia was elected
  6. It will
  7. Our tenure will be guided
  8. the principles
  1. permanent members
  2. by our respect
  3. unopposed
  4. of international law
  5. members
  6. seat
  7. serve for two years
  8. was formed in 1945

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Somalia has (1) ___________________ a member of the UN Security Council. It is the first time for Somalia to (2) ___________________ since the 1970s. Three decades of (3) ___________________ and bloody factional fighting brought the country (4) ___________________. A coalition government in 2009 then (5) ___________________ of stability. Somalia's recent turmoil, and its struggles (6) ___________________, mean it can be very helpful in promoting peace around the world.

The UN Security Council (7) ___________________ 1945 to help keep world peace. It has (8) ___________________ – China, France, Russia, the UK and the US – and 10 revolving non-permanent members. To win a seat, a nation must (9) ___________________ of two thirds of UN representatives. Somalia (10) ___________________. It will serve for two years. Somalia said: "(11) ___________________ be guided by our…respect of (12) ___________________ international law."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

SomaliahasbeenelectedasamemberoftheUNSecurityCouncil.Itisthe
firsttimeforSomaliatoholdthatpositionsincethe1970s.Threedecades
ofbrutalcivilwarsandbloodyfactionalfightingbroughtthecountrytoits
knees.Acoalitiongovernmentin2009thenbroughtthereturnofstabilit
y.Somalia'srecentturmoil,anditsstrugglestodefeatterrorism,meanit
canbeveryhelpfulinpromotingpeacearoundtheworld.TheUNSecurity
Councilwasformedin1945tohelpkeepworldpeace.Ithasfivepermane
ntmembers–China,France,Russia,theUKandtheUS–and10revolving
non-permanentmembers.Towinaseat,anationmustgetthesupportof
twothirdsofUNrepresentatives.Somaliawaselectedunopposed.Itwill
servefortwoyears.Somaliasaid:"Ourtenurewillbeguidedbyour…resp
ectoftheprinciplesofinternationallaw."

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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