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French farmers cut off Paris with tractors

Before reading

TRUE / FALSE:
Read the headline: French farmers cut off Paris with tractors
Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

Multiple Choice

The French government is angry with French farmers. 

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Inflation in France is making it more difficult for farmers to survive. 

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

France's government is protecting farmers from cheap food imports. 

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Blue tape is making the cost of doing business higher. 

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Farmers used combine harvesters to block roads around Paris.  

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Farmers put bad-smelling waste outside government offices.   

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

A farmer said his aim was to make people in Paris hungry. 

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Some farmers said there would be famine if there were no farmers.

• True

• False

Reading

French farmers cut off Paris with tractors
(1st February 2024)

French farmers are angry with their government. They are blocking roads around France's capital city of Paris. There are many reasons for the farmers' anger. It is becoming more difficult for them to survive. Inflation in France is increasing because of high energy prices. This is making food more expensive for farmers to produce. The war in Ukraine is causing higher prices, especially for fertilizers. The farmers are also angry because the government is not protecting them from cheaper food coming from other countries, especially Eastern Europe. Finally, they are furious with European Union climate measures, which are adding to red tape and the costs of doing business.

The farmers blocked major highways around Paris. They parked their tractors on main roads to stop traffic going in and out of the city. They also dumped smelly agricultural waste outside government offices. Farmer Christophe Rossignol told the Associated Press news agency: "We've come to defend French agriculture. We go from crisis to crisis." Another farmer said: "Parisians are going to be hungry. The goal is to starve Parisians." A large farmers union said: "Our objective is to put pressure on the government so that we can quickly find a solution for a way out of the crisis." Some tractors had messages on them that said: "No food without farmers" and "The end of us would mean famine for you."

Vocabulary

Read again the two paragraphs

French farmers cut off Paris with tractors
(1st February 2024)

French farmers are angry with their government. They are blocking roads around France's capital city of Paris. There are many reasons for the farmers' anger. It is becoming more difficult for them to survive. Inflation in France is increasing because of high energy prices. This is making food more expensive for farmers to produce. The war in Ukraine is causing higher prices, especially for fertilizers. The farmers are also angry because the government is not protecting them from cheaper food coming from other countries, especially Eastern Europe. Finally, they are furious with European Union climate measures, which are adding to red tape and the costs of doing business.

The farmers blocked major highways around Paris. They parked their tractors on main roads to stop traffic going in and out of the city. They also dumped smelly agricultural waste outside government offices. Farmer Christophe Rossignol told the Associated Press news agency: "We've come to defend French agriculture. We go from crisis to crisis." Another farmer said: "Parisians are going to be hungry. The goal is to starve Parisians." A large farmers union said: "Our objective is to put pressure on the government so that we can quickly find a solution for a way out of the crisis." Some tractors had messages on them that said: "No food without farmers" and "The end of us would mean famine for you."

Match

Paragraph 1

• blocking

• survive

• inflation

• fertilizer

• red tape

The action of putting things in the way.

Continue to live when there is danger.

A rise in the prices of things we buy.

A chemical or natural substance.

Rules that can slow down business.

• The action of putting things in the way.

• Continue to live when there is danger.

• A rise in the prices of things we buy.

• A chemical or natural substance.

• Rules that can slow down business.

Match

Paragraph 1

• waste

• crisis

• starve

• objective

• famine

Unwanted material that we throw away.

A time of great difficulty or danger.

Have pain or die from not having food.

Goal.

A big shortage or lack of food.

• 
  Unwanted material that we throw away.

• A time of great difficulty or danger.

• 
  Have pain or die from not having food.

• Goal.

• A big shortage or lack of food.

Synonym match

Match the following synonyms from the article.

Match

Paragraph 2

• angry

• reasons

• protecting

• measures

• red tape

1. furious

causes

1. shielding

actions

1. bureaucracy

• 1. furious

• causes

• 1. shielding

• actions

• 1. bureaucracy

Match

Paragraph 1

• blocked

• dumped

• solution

• crisis

• famine

1. obstructed

threw away

answer

disaster

1. food shortages

• 1. obstructed

• threw away

• answer

• disaster

• 1. food shortages

Great! Keep up the good work!
:)