Anastacia and Oleksiyy left Ukraine when they heard bombing in February 2022. They had to find a safe place to live and work. They arrived in the UK and found the people to be friendly, but it was hard to find jobs. So they started their own business dry-cleaning furniture. They had orders from local people wanting to help them grow their business. Ukrainian refugees have gone to many different countries to find work. Yulia, who used to run a wedding-dress business in Ukraine, moved to Nottingham. She found it hard to start the business in the UK, so she decided to find a full-time sewing job instead. Polina, who worked as a dance choreographer and instructor in Ukraine, moved to Canada. She started Polli’s Dance, teaching Canadian children and children of other Ukrainian refugees. Regina and Volodymyr left Ukraine in 2014 after their business was destroyed, and moved to Perth, Western Australia. They started another business selling plants.
Original news source: The Ukrainian refugees making a living somewhere new (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– DRAW YOUR JOURNEY
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and some colored pencils or markers. Ask them to draw a picture of their own journey so far, including where they were born, where they have lived or traveled, and where they are now. Then, have them share their picture with a partner and describe their journey in English.
– TELL YOUR STORY
Instructions: Have the students sit in a circle. Choose one student to start by telling a short story about themselves, such as where they were born, their favorite hobby, or something interesting they did recently. Then, the next student must repeat the first student’s story and add their own story. This continues around the circle until everyone has had a turn. This activity helps students practice listening and speaking skills.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Why did Anastacia and Oleksiyy leave Ukraine?
2. What did they do when they arrived in the UK?
3. Was it easy or hard for them to find jobs in the UK?
4. What kind of business did they start?
5. Did local people want to help them with their business?
6. Where did Yulia move to?
7. Did she start a wedding-dress business in the UK?
8. What kind of business did Regina and Volodymyr start in Australia?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Anastacia and Oleksiyy left Ukraine when they heard (1)_______ in February 2022. They had to find a safe place to live and work. They arrived in the UK and found the people to be friendly, but it was hard to find (2)________. So they started their own business dry-cleaning furniture. They had orders from local people wanting to help them grow their business. Ukrainian refugees have gone to many different (3)________ to find work. Yulia, who used to run a wedding-dress business in Ukraine, moved to (4)________. She found it hard to start the business in the UK, so she decided to find a full-time sewing job instead. Polina, who worked as a dance choreographer and instructor in Ukraine, moved to (5)________. She started Polli’s Dance, teaching Canadian children and children of other Ukrainian refugees. Regina and Volodymyr left Ukraine in 2014 after their business was destroyed, and moved to (6)________, Western Australia. They started another business selling plants.
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Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. Do you think it’s important to have a job you love?
2. What do you think it would be like to move to a new country where you don’t know anyone?
3. Do you think it would be easy or hard to find a job in a new country?
4. Have you ever started your own business? What was it?
5. Do you know anyone who has had to move to a new country to find work?
6. What kind of jobs do you think are easy to find in a new country?
7. What kind of plants do you like to have in your home?
8. Do you think it’s important to help refugees when they move to a new country?
9. Have you ever had to learn a new language (apart from English)? Was it easy or hard?
10. What kind of businesses do you think would be good for refugees to start?
11. Have you ever taken a dance class? What kind of dance was it?
12. Do you think it’s important to keep your culture alive when you move to a new country?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. refugees
2. sewing
3. business
4. dance
5. destroyed
6. plants
7. friendly
8. dry-cleaning
Meanings:
A) To move your body to music
B) People who have had to leave their home country because of war or persecution
C) The activity of making money by producing or selling goods or services
D) A job that involves using a needle and thread to make or repair clothes
E) Completely ruined or demolished
F) Living things that grow in soil, such as flowers or trees
G) The process of cleaning clothes without using water
H) Being kind and helpful to other people
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Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Why did Anastacia and Oleksiyy leave Ukraine?
(a) Because they wanted to travel
(b) Because they wanted to start their own business
(c) Because they heard bombing
(d) Because they wanted to find a new home
2. What kind of business did Anastacia and Oleksiyy start?
(a) Selling clothes
(b) Selling plants
(c) Dry-cleaning furniture
(d) A restaurant
3. What did Yulia do when she moved to Nottingham?
(a) She started a wedding-dress business
(b) She found a full-time sewing job
(c) She opened a restaurant
(d) She started a dance school
4. What did Polina do when she moved to Canada?
(a) She started a plant business
(b) She became a dance choreographer
(c) She started a furniture business
(d) She found a full-time job
5. How did the local people help Anastacia and Oleksiyy’s business?
(a) By buying their dry-cleaning service
(b) By giving them free furniture
(c) By donating money to their business
(d) By teaching them English
6. Why did Regina and Volodymyr leave Ukraine in 2014?
(a) They wanted to start a new business
(b) They wanted to travel
(c) Their business was destroyed
(d) They wanted to find a new home
7. What did Regina and Volodymyr do when they moved to Perth, Western Australia?
(a) They started a new business selling plants
(b) They started a dance school
(c) They found full-time jobs
(d) They started a restaurant
8. Why did Ukrainian refugees move to different countries?
(a) To find work
(b) To go on vacation
(c) To visit friends
(d) To learn a new language
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True or False Questions:
1. Anastacia and Oleksiyy went to the UK because they heard bombing in Ukraine.
2. They had a hard time finding friends in the UK.
3. They started a business cleaning furniture.
4. Local people wanted to help them grow their business.
5. Yulia ran a wedding-dress business in the UK.
6. Polina started a dance school in Canada.
7. Regina and Volodymyr left Ukraine in 2022.
8. They started a business selling plants in Australia.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. Who are Anastacia and Oleksiyy?
2. Why did they leave Ukraine?
3. What did they do when they arrived in the UK?
4. How did they get help to grow their business?
5. Where did Polina move to and what did she start teaching?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. Why did Anastacia and Oleksiyy leave Ukraine?
Answer: They left Ukraine because they heard bombing in February 2022 and wanted to find a safe place to live and work.
2. What did they do when they arrived in the UK?
Answer: They arrived in the UK and started their own business.
3. Was it easy or hard for them to find jobs in the UK?
Answer: It was hard for them to find jobs in the UK.
4. What kind of business did they start?
Answer: They started a dry-cleaning furniture business.
5. Did local people want to help them with their business?
Answer: Yes, local people wanted to help them with their business.
6. Where did Yulia move to?
Answer: Yulia moved to Nottingham.
7. Did she start a wedding-dress business in the UK?
Answer: No, she did not start a wedding-dress business in the UK. She found it hard to start the business, so she decided to find a full-time sewing job instead.
8. What kind of business did Regina and Volodymyr start in Australia?
Answer: They started a business selling plants.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
1. bombing
2. jobs
3. countries
4. Nottingham
5. Canada
6. Perth
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. refugees
Answer: B) People who have had to leave their home country because of war or persecution
2. sewing
Answer: D) A job that involves using a needle and thread to make or repair clothes
3. business
Answer: C) The activity of making money by producing or selling goods or services
4. dance
Answer: A) To move your body to music
5. destroyed
Answer: E) Completely ruined or demolished
6. plants
Answer: F) Living things that grow in soil, such as flowers or trees
7. friendly
Answer: H) Being kind and helpful to other people
8. dry-cleaning
Answer: G) The process of cleaning clothes without using water
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Why did Anastacia and Oleksiyy leave Ukraine?
Answer: (c) Because they heard bombing
2. What kind of business did Anastacia and Oleksiyy start?
Answer: (c) Dry-cleaning furniture
3. What did Yulia do when she moved to Nottingham?
Answer: (b) She found a full-time sewing job
4. What did Polina do when she moved to Canada?
Answer: (b) She became a dance choreographer
5. How did the local people help Anastacia and Oleksiyy’s business?
Answer: (a) By buying their dry-cleaning service
6. Why did Regina and Volodymyr leave Ukraine in 2014?
Answer: (c) Their business was destroyed
7. What did Regina and Volodymyr do when they moved to Perth, Western Australia?
Answer: (a) They started a new business selling plants
8. Why did Ukrainian refugees move to different countries?
Answer: (a) To find work
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. Anastacia and Oleksiyy went to the UK because they heard bombing in Ukraine.
Answer: True
2. They had a hard time finding friends in the UK.
Answer: False
3. They started a business cleaning furniture.
Answer: True
4. Local people wanted to help them grow their business.
Answer: True
5. Yulia ran a wedding-dress business in the UK.
Answer: False
6. Polina started a dance school in Canada.
Answer: True
7. Regina and Volodymyr left Ukraine in 2022.
Answer: False
8. They started a business selling plants in Australia.
Answer: True
Go back to questions ⇧
