READING, LISTENING COMPREHENSION + WRITING

2021. november 15. - polly graph

I have put together a couple of tasks: I've used two recent articles to make READING COMPREHENSION tasks. The first one is a 'fill in the gaps' type one, the second one is 'answer the questions' type. Exercise number 3 offers more reading tasks (click on the link to access them), number 4 is a listening task. I also linked a matura exam test - you can do the listening part. And last but not least: two writing tasks with sample answers that you can use for ideas. Of course, you have to write your own letters.

READING COMPREHENSION:

1. Fill in the gaps with the missing parts:

A: meet the key summit goal B: the fatal mistake C: only agreed to D: that despite E: where climate change F: cannot force sovereign nations

G: was reached after H: in the right direction

The Glasgow climate deal is a "game-changing agreement" which sounds "the death knell for coal power", Boris Johnson says.

Although countries ........... (1) "phase down" rather than "phase out" coal, the prime minister said this was a fantastic achievement.

The wording change was made after a late intervention by China and India.

But it remains the first time plans to reduce coal have been mentioned in such a climate deal.

The agreement ............ (2) the two-week Glasgow COP26 summit went into overtime on Saturday.

Critics have said the deal does not go far enough and will not ........... (3) of limiting global warming to 1.5C by the end of the century.

Scientists say this would limit the worst impacts of climate change.

During a Downing Street news conference, Mr Johnson said:

"We can lobby, we can cajole, we can encourage, but we ............ (4) to do what they do not wish to do"
"For all our disagreements, the world is undeniably heading ............. (5) "
The "tipping point has been reached in people's attitudes" - with leaders "galvanised and propelled by their electorates"
But "........... (6) now would be to think that we in any way cracked this thing"

Mr Johnson said ........... (7) the achievements of the summit, his reaction was "tinged with disappointment".

He said there had been a high level of ambition - especially from countries .......... (8) was already "a matter of life and death".

Fill in the gaps with the missing parts:

A: meet the key summit goal B: the fatal mistake C: only agreed to D: that despite E: where climate change F: cannot force sovereign nations

G: was reached after H: in the right direction

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59284505

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2. Read the article and answer the questions:

Jasmine Joof said she has been sick with congestion, coughing and headaches for several weeks after discovering the mold growing in her Howard University dorm caused an allergic reaction.

The sophomore said she reported the mold issue to a residential adviser in September, but it was never addressed. So in October, she along with other students facing similar living conditions in their dorms decided they would sleep in tents and air mattresses at the university's Blackburn Center to protest and demand that officials address their concerns. Some have also complained about flooding, roach and mice infestation and non-working Wifi in their dorms at the historically Black university in Washington, DC.

"It's active negligence to their students," said Joof, who's also a spokeswoman for the #BlackburnTakeover. "They have had every opportunity to fix these dorms."

Student activists and civil rights leaders say the controversy is indicative of a widespread issue with crumbling buildings on century-old HBCU campuses that are often underfunded compared to predominately White institutions. The Howard protests have gained support from students at other historically Black colleges including Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse and Spelman. The Atlanta-based schools held a joint protest last month against poor living conditions and housing shortages on their own campuses.

The protests at Howard -- one of the most prestigious HBCUs in the country -- have now been going on for a month. The sit-ins have garnered national attention with lead civil rights activists that include Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. William Barber II and Martin Luther King III publicly supporting the students. Jackson was on campus earlier this month attempting to mediate the situation with students and Howard administration.

Rev. Jesse Jackson discharged from hospital after being treated for fall at Howard University

The student protesters have asked for a meeting or town hall with university officials and for them to provide a comprehensive plan to fix the building issues and be more transparent. More than 4,500 people have signed a petition for Howard to cancel its contract with Corvias Inc., the corporation that maintains and operates residential buildings on campus.

QUESTIONS:

1. What did Jasmine find in her dorm room?

2. What symptoms did she have?

3. What did the students decide to do in October?

4. What other problems did they have with the dorm room?

5. What did the Atlanta-based schools did last month?

6. How long have the protests at Howard been going on?

7. Which civil rights activist visited the campus?

8. What do the protesters demand?

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/14/us/howard-university-protests-dorm-conditions/index.html

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3. MORE C1 level reading tasks: