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GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

TEXAS
SNOW
DISASTER
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1 Warm up

Think of some things that relate to the state of Texas in the USA.

What do you think the winters are normally like in Texas?

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TEXAS SNOW DISASTER

2 Vocabulary

You are going to watch a news report about Texas. Match the beginnings and endings of these phrases
from the report.

Group 1: noun phrases

1. arctic a. disaster

2. basic b. services

3. electricity c. supply

4. major d. toilets

5. portable e. weather

Group 2: verb phrases

1. boil a. access

2. have b. assistance

3. keep c. to normal

4. promised d. warm and dry

5. return e. water

3 Watch for main idea

Use the vocabulary from the last exercise to predict what the report will say.

Watch the report and check your ideas.

Work in pairs to remember how the phrases were used in the report.

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TEXAS SNOW DISASTER

4 Watch for detail

Use the phrases from the vocabulary exercise to complete the report. Watch again to check your
ideas.

1 2
Last week, hit the state of Texas in the US. The storm affected the
3
in the state and left people without like electricity, heating and water. Millions of
4
Texans have been struggling to in their homes and 58 people have died across the
5
country. An official in the city of Houston has said that this is a . She predicted
6
that the 4.5 million people in the Houston area would not be able to for at least
a few more days. The storm caused the electricity supply to fail, and this has affected the water
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supply. As a result, 12 million people in the state do not to clean water and must
8
before drinking. Hospitals have had to move out some of their patients and bring
9
in water trucks and . Although Texas does not experience snow every year, it has
snowed 94 times in the state since 1881, and most recently in 2017. There is some disagreement
about why this year’s snow has had such serious effects on the state. The federal government has
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for individuals and businesses.

5 Comprehension

Cover the text and explain why these numbers were important in the news report.

• 58
• 94
• 2017
• 4.5
• 12

Answer these questions:

1. Is there anything in the report which surprised you?
2. Have you ever had a similar experience? How did you keep warm and dry?

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TEXAS SNOW DISASTER

6 Speaking

These pictures show things that can help keep you warm and safe in cold weather if there is no power.
Some of the advice is about staying home and some is about going out.

Work in pairs to decide what the advice for each picture is. Use should or shouldn’t.

Example: You should wear lots of layers of clothes and a warm coat.

barbecue car antenna batteries cat litter caffeine

doors taps fireplace towel first aid kit

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Listening

Listen to the advice and write the sentences in the correct part of the table. You will hear each
sentence twice. The first time you hear the sentence, decide which box the advice goes in. The
second time, listen and write the advice. In one of the boxes, there will be two pieces of advice, while
two boxes will be empty.

what to do what not to do

what to wear You should wear lots of layers

of clothes and a warm coat.
1 2
staying home

3
food and drink You should keep lots of food
and bottled water in the
house.
4 5
heating and cooking

6
getting information

7
leaving the house on foot You shouldn’t try to move too
fast.
8
leaving the house by car You shouldn’t drive fast.

if you are stuck in your car in You should put on your You shouldn’t stay still for a
9
deep snow overhead lights. long time. You shouldn’t leave
your emergency supplies in
the boot.

1. Can you think of two more pieces of advice to go in the empty boxes?
2. Can you think of any other useful advice for keeping safe and warm?

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TEXAS SNOW DISASTER

Transcripts

3. Watch for main idea

Newsreader: Last week, arctic weather hit the state of Texas in the US. The storm affected the
electricity supply in the state and left people without basic services like electricity,
heating and water.

Newsreader: Millions of Texans have been struggling to keep warm and dry in their homes and 58
people have died across the country. An official in the city of Houston has said that
this is a major disaster.

Newsreader: She predicted that the 4.5 million people in the Houston area would not be able to
return to normal for at least a few more days.

Newsreader: The storm caused the electricity supply to fail, and this has affected the water supply.
As a result, 12 million people in the state do not have access to clean water and must
boil water before drinking.

Newsreader: Hospitals have had to move out some of their patients and bring in water trucks and
portable toilets. Although Texas does not experience snow every year, it has snowed
94 times in the state since 1881, and most recently in 2017.

Newsreader: There is some disagreement about why this year’s snow has had such serious effects
on the state. The federal government has promised assistance for individuals and
businesses.

6. Speaking

Reader: You shouldn’t / use a barbecue / or camping stove / inside.

Reader: You should / have lots / of extra batteries / for your radio and torch.

Reader: You shouldn’t / have alcohol or caffeine / because they lower / your body temperature.

Reader: You should / attach something bright / to the car antenna / so people can / find your car
/ in the snow.

Reader: You should / bring something / like cat litter or sand / to stop yourself slipping / on the
ice.

Reader: You should / stay in one room / with the door closed.

Reader: You shouldn’t / turn off / the taps completely, / so they don’t freeze.

Reader: You should / use your fireplace, / if you have one.

Reader: You should / bring a first aid kit, / blanket, food and drink.

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Reader: You should / put a towel / at the bottom / of the door to keep the heat in.

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TEXAS SNOW DISASTER

Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
Call attention to the map and work with the whole class to elicit at least five things that they associate with the
state of Texas. Accept any reasonable answers. Then pose the follow-up question. Students can see from the map
that Texas is in the south of the country, so they might expect winters to be mild normally, although they may also
be aware of the news story.

2. Vocabulary

10 mins.
In this stage, students define some key words which relate to the news report. These items will be a useful addition
to the active vocabulary of students at this level. Explain the task - students work alone initially and check answers
in pairs.
Variation: Set students up in A/B pairs and explain the task - each student in the pair has one matching exercise
to complete (Group 1 or Group 2) and must be prepared to share their answers and explain the vocabulary to
their partner. All students should work without dictionaries to complete the sentence matching - you could ask
students to check answers in A+A or B+B pairs initially. Then recombine the students into A+B pairs so they can
share answers and explain vocabulary.
Check answers with the whole class and at the same time make sure students are pronouncing the words accurately.

Group 1:

1. e 2. b 3. c 4. a 5. d
Group 2:

1. e 2. a 3. d 4. b 5. c

3. Watch for main idea

10 mins.
Demonstrate the first activity with the whole class, and then students could work in pairs to make predictions
about the report, using the vocabulary. Play the report for them to check their ideas and then allow a few additional
minutes for students to work in pairs again to confirm how the words were used. Check answers with the whole
class. It’s fine if there are a couple of items that they’re not sure about, as they will consolidate their understanding
in the next activity. However, if students are struggling with more than four items, it might be worth watching the
video again.

4. Watch for detail

10 mins.
Students can work in pairs to complete the exercise, and then watch and check. Elicit/explain the meaning of any
new vocabulary. If you have time, students could take turns to read sentences from the report in pairs.

1. arctic weather 2. electricity supply 3. basic services

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TEXAS SNOW DISASTER

4. keep warm and dry 5. major disaster 6. return to normal

7. have access 8. boil water 9. portable toilets
10. promised assistance

5. Comprehension

5 mins.
Ask students to remember the significance of these figures from the report without looking back at the text. Then
pose the follow-up questions and elicit a range of ideas from the class.

1. 58 people died as a result of the cold weather, across the US

2. it has snowed 94 times in Texas since 1881
3. 2017 this year was the last time in snowed in Texas
4. 4.5 (million) the number of people affected by the cold in Houston
5. 12 (million) the number of people without clean water to drink in Texas

6. Speaking

5 mins.
This activity helps to prepare students for the dictation which is to follow. Explain the task and target language
and call attention to the example. You could demonstrate with the first item as well. Students can work in pairs
to consider the items and formulate sentences. If they aren’t sure about an item, they can just move on the next
one. You don’t need to check answers at the end of the activity; the aim is for students to preview the content
for the dictation.
15 mins.
Call attention to the table and how it is organised. Go over the instructions and make sure that students understand
that the first listening is simply to locate the correct box for the advice, and the second is for writing the words
they hear. The items are not in the same order as the table. Play the recording. You may want to make longer
pauses for students during the second reading of each sentence to give them more time to write. If students need
an extra repetition, you could pause the recording and read the text yourself, slowly. Students can check answers
in pairs and then you can display the answers for them to verify. Pose the follow-up questions to the whole class.

1. You should stay in one room with the door closed./ You should put a towel at the bottom of the door to keep
the heat in.
2. You shouldn’t turn off the taps completely, so they don’t freeze.
3. You shouldn’t have alcohol or caffeine because they lower your body temperature.
4. You should use your fireplace, if you have one.
5. You shouldn’t use a barbecue or camping stove inside.
6. You should have lots of extra batteries for your radio and torch.
7. You should bring something like cat litter or sand to stop yourself slipping on the ice.
8. You should bring a first aid kit, blanket, food and drink.
9. You should attach something bright to the car antenna so people can find your car in the snow.
Questions:
Sample answers - what to wear: you shouldn’t worry about how you look. Getting information: you shouldn’t
waste your batteries watching videos on the Internet.

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