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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on China's Economy
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China Overtakes Japan as Second-Biggest Economy (16th August, 2010)

China is now the world’s second-largest economy. It has overtaken Japan, which became number two in 1968. Experts say China is on course to overtake the USA by 2030 to become the world’s biggest economic power. Newly-released figures value China’s economy at $1.33 trillion, just higher than Japan’s $1.28 trillion. Just five years ago, China’s economy was half as small as Japan’s. China still has a long way to go to get to number one - America’s economy is currently worth $14 trillion.

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China is experiencing extremely fast economic growth and is already the world’s biggest exporter. It is also the world’s biggest importer of cars and steel. Its rapidly growing and wealthy population is spending like there’s no tomorrow. In contrast, Japan has a rapidly aging and shrinking population which doesn’t want to spend. The Japanese are still among the richest people in the world. On average, a Japanese person earns nearly $38,000 a year, compared with $3,600 for a Chinese worker.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	It has overtaken	a.	to get to number one
2	China is on course to	b.	economic power
3.	become the world’s biggest	c.	as small as Japan’s
4.	China’s economy was half	d.	Japan
5.	a long way to go	e.	$14 trillion
6.	currently worth	f.	overtake the USA

Paragraph 2

1.	economic	a.	wealthy population
2	the world’s biggest	b.	nearly $38,000
3.	Its rapidly growing and	c.	exporter
4.	spending like	d.	population
5.	a rapidly aging and shrinking	e.	growth
6.	a Japanese person earns	f.	there’s no tomorrow

LISTENING GAP FILL

China is now the world’s second-largest economy. __________________ Japan, which became number two in 1968. Experts say China __________________ overtake the USA by 2030 to become the world’s biggest economic power. Newly-_____________________ China’s economy at $1.33 trillion, just higher than Japan’s $1.28 trillion. Just five years ago, China’s economy __________________ as Japan’s. China still has a long __________________ number one - America’s economy __________________ $14 trillion.

China is experiencing __________________ economic growth and is already the world’s biggest exporter. It is also the world’s __________________ cars and steel. Its rapidly growing and wealthy population is __________________ no tomorrow. In contrast, Japan __________________ and shrinking population which doesn’t want to spend. The Japanese __________________ richest people in the world. On average, a Japanese __________________ $38,000 a year, compared with $3,600 for a Chinese worker.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

China is now the world’s second-largest economy. It has (1) ____ Japan, which became number two in 1968. Experts say China is on (2) ____ to overtake the USA by 2030 to become the world’s biggest economic power. Newly-released figures value China’s economy (3) ____ $1.33 trillion, just higher than Japan’s $1.28 trillion. Just five years ago, China’s economy was half as small as Japan’s. China still has a long (4) ____ to go to get to number one - America’s economy is currently (5) ____ $14 trillion.

China is experiencing (6) ____ fast economic growth and is already the world’s biggest exporter. It is also the world’s biggest importer (7) ____ cars and steel. Its rapidly growing and wealthy population is spending like there’s no (8) ____. (9) ____ contrast, Japan has a rapidly aging and shrinking population which doesn’t want to spend. The Japanese are still among the richest people in the world. On (10) ____, a Japanese person earns nearly $38,000 a year, compared with $3,600 for a Chinese worker.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	overtaking	(b)	overtakes	(c)	overtaken
2.	(a)	course	(b)	cause	(c)	coarse
3.	(a)	at	(b)	on	(c)	in
4.	(a)	weigh	(b)	ways	(c)	way
5.	(a)	worthless	(b)	worth	(c)	worthwhile
6.	(a)	extremely	(b)	extremes	(c)	extremity
7.	(a)	at	(b)	by	(c)	of
8.	(a)	today	(b)	tomorrow	(c)	yesterday
9.	(a)	On	(b)	In	(c)	At
10.	(a)	average	(b)	available	(c)	avoid

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	It has nekrtveoa Japan
2.	esrEtxp say…
3.	economic eorpw
4.	just ergihh than Japan’s
5.	$1.28 rnoiillt
6.	enlrcytur worth $14
Paragraph 2
7.	fast economic trhgow
8.	the world’s biggest roeperxt
9.	rapidly owgrgni
10.	spending like there’s no omotworr
11.	In trtansoc
12.	On raevgea

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	China is experiencing extremely fast economic growth and is already the world’s biggest exporter. It is also the
( )	in 1968. Experts say China is on course to overtake the USA by 2030 to become the world’s biggest economic
( )	tomorrow. In contrast, Japan has a rapidly aging and shrinking population which doesn’t want to
( )	go to get to number one - America’s economy is currently worth $14 trillion.
( )	nearly $38,000 a year, compared with $3,600 for a Chinese worker.
( )	world’s biggest importer of cars and steel. Its rapidly growing and wealthy population is spending like there’s no
( )	power. Newly-released figures value China’s economy at $1.33 trillion, just higher than Japan’s $1.28
( )	trillion. Just five years ago, China’s economy was half as small as Japan’s. China still has a long way to
( 1 )	China is now the world’s second-largest economy. It has overtaken Japan, which became number two
( )	spend. The Japanese are still among the richest people in the world. On average, a Japanese person earns

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	now second economy is world’s largest China the -.
2.	on course to overtake the USA by 2030 China is.
3.	$1.33 value China’s economy trillion at Figures .
4.	as was Japan’s half as China’s small economy.
5.	$ economy 14 is trillion currently worth America’s.
6.	economic fast extremely experiencing is China growth.
7.	world’s and biggest steel importer of The cars.
8.	no there’s like Spending tomorrow.
9.	are Japanese The richest the among still.
10.	a 000 , 38 $ nearly earns person Japanese A year.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about China for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. ECONOMIES: Search the Internet and find more information about economies. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about China. Include imaginary an interview with China’s leader. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to China’s leader. Ask him three questions about China’s economy. Give him three of your opinions on China’s economic success. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on China's Economy (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)