US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in San Francisco next week. This is their second meeting since Biden became president. They will talk about a lot of things, like the war between Israel and Hamas, Taiwan, the war in Ukraine, and election interference. The relationship between the US and China has gotten worse in recent years. China did things like sending a spy balloon over US airspace, and the US gave weapons to Taiwan. Biden wants to fix things and talk to China’s military, but China doesn’t want to. The meeting will happen during a summit called the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) that the US is hosting.

One important thing they will talk about is Taiwan. China thinks it owns Taiwan, but Taiwan governs itself. Biden will probably say he’s worried about China’s military actions near Taiwan, and Xi might ask for reassurance that the US won’t support Taiwan’s independence. They will also talk about the US not letting China have certain technology and the tension over China’s claims to land in the South China and East China Seas. Biden will also ask for China’s help in stopping Iran and making sure violence doesn’t get worse in the Middle East.

Some experts think the meeting might lead to some small achievements, like fixing military communication and stopping the flow of a drug called Fentanyl from China. But they don’t expect any big changes that would make the relationship between the US and China better. China blames the US for the problems and says the US is trying to control and hurt China. Biden has been trying to make things better by talking to China and sending people to visit. The meeting is part of his plan to make things better.

Besides the meeting, Xi Jinping will have dinner with US business leaders in San Francisco. Tickets for the dinner start at $2,000 per person, and if you want to sit with the Chinese president, it costs $40,000. Before the meeting, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen talked to a Chinese leader about working together on the economy. Chinese media says it’s up to Biden to fix the problems between the US and China.

Original news source: Biden and Xi Jinping to meet in California (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Students pair up and take on the roles of American and Chinese reporters covering the upcoming meeting between President Biden and President Xi Jinping. Each student prepares a brief report on the issues to be discussed, highlighting the concerns of the country they represent. They then present their reports to each other, simulating a news broadcast.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements about the topics to be discussed at the meeting (e.g., “The US should support Taiwan’s independence,” “The US and China should cooperate on economic matters,” etc.). Students walk around the class and poll their classmates on whether they agree or disagree with each statement. Afterward, discuss the results as a class and explore the reasons for different opinions.

– Mind Map
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group creates a mind map on poster paper, centered around the US-China relationship. They should include branches for all the key issues mentioned in the article (e.g., Taiwan, military tensions, technology bans, trade, etc.). Once completed, each group presents their mind map to the class, explaining the connections they’ve made.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: Students work in pairs to create compelling newspaper headlines for articles about different aspects of the US-China meeting. Encourage students to use persuasive language and to consider the potential outcomes of the discussions. They can create headlines for both positive outcomes (e.g., “Historic Progress in US-China Relations”) and negative outcomes (e.g., “Talks Stalemate as Tensions Escalate”).

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Students individually write a short paragraph predicting the outcomes of the Biden-Xi meeting, based on the information in the article. They should consider possible advancements or setbacks in the relationship between the two countries. After writing, they share their predictions with a partner and discuss the likelihood and potential global impact of these predictions coming true.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Where will US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet next week?
2. What are some of the topics that Biden and Xi Jinping plan to discuss during their meeting?
3. How has the relationship between the US and China changed in recent years, according to the article?
4. Why is the issue of Taiwan likely to be a significant point of discussion between the two presidents?
5. What are some potential outcomes that experts anticipate from the meeting between Biden and Xi Jinping?
6. What does China believe about the reasons behind the tensions with the US?
7. What special event is Xi Jinping attending in San Francisco, and how much does it cost to sit with him?
8. Before the upcoming meeting, what did US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen do as part of the efforts to improve US-China relations?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

US (1)______ Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in San Francisco next week. This is their second meeting since Biden (2)______ president. They will talk about a lot of (3)______, like the war between Israel and Hamas, (4)______, the war in Ukraine, and election interference. The relationship between the US and China has gotten worse in recent years. China did things like sending a spy balloon over US airspace, and the US gave weapons to Taiwan. Biden wants to fix things and talk to China’s military, but China doesn’t want to. The meeting will happen during a summit (5)______ the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) that the US is hosting.

One important thing they will talk about is Taiwan. China (6)______ it owns Taiwan, but Taiwan governs itself. Biden will probably say he’s (7)______ about China’s (8)______ actions near Taiwan, and Xi might ask for reassurance that the US won’t support Taiwan’s independence. They will also talk about the US not letting China have certain technology and the tension over China’s claims to land in the South China and East China Seas. (9)______ will also ask for China’s help in stopping Iran and (10)______ sure violence doesn’t get worse in the Middle East.

Some (11)______ think the meeting might lead to some (12)______ achievements, like fixing military communication and stopping the flow of a drug called Fentanyl from China. But they don’t expect any big changes that would make the relationship between the US and China better. China blames the US for the problems and says the US is trying to control and hurt China. Biden has been trying to make things better by talking to (13)______ and sending people to visit. The meeting is part of his plan to make things better.

Besides the meeting, Xi (14)______ will have dinner with US business leaders in San Francisco. Tickets for the dinner start at $2,000 per person, and if you want to sit with the Chinese (15)______, it costs $40,000. Before the meeting, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen talked to a Chinese leader about (16)______ together on the economy. Chinese media says it’s up to Biden to fix the problems between the US and China.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is an important topic you think leaders like President Biden and President Xi should talk about? Why?
2. How would you feel if your country’s relationship with another country got worse?
3. Do you like the idea of countries having meetings to talk about their problems? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s fair for a country to claim ownership over another territory, like China does with Taiwan?
5. What would you do if you were a leader and another country sent a spy balloon over your country?
6. If you had the chance to meet a powerful leader at a dinner, but it was very expensive, would you go? Why or why not?
7. How important do you think it is for countries to work together on the economy?
8. What is one thing you think could improve the relationship between two countries that are not getting along?
9. Do you think it’s important for a country to have a strong military? Why or why not?
10. How would you react if you found out your country was interfering in another country’s elections?
11. What is a global issue you think all world leaders should focus on right now?
12. Do you think it’s possible for a meeting like the one between Biden and Xi to really change anything?
13. How do you feel about the idea of countries spying on each other?
14. Do you think it’s important for leaders to meet face-to-face instead of just talking on the phone or through the internet? Why?
15. If you were in charge of your country’s foreign policy, what would be your main goal in dealing with other countries?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. meeting
2. Taiwan
3. military
4. technology
5. relationship
6. communication
7. achievements
8. problems

Meanings:
(a) An island that China claims as its own, but governs itself
(b) A gathering of people to discuss something
(c) The connection or bond between two or more people or countries
(d) Accomplishments or successes
(e) The act of exchanging information or ideas
(f) The armed forces of a country
(g) Tools or machines used to do things
(h) Difficulties or challenges that need to be solved
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Where will the meeting between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping take place?
(a) Beijing
(b) San Francisco
(c) New York City
(d) Washington D.C.

2. How many times have Biden and Xi met since Biden became president?
(a) Two
(b) Three
(c) Four
(d) Five

3. What is one topic that Biden and Xi will discuss during their meeting?
(a) The war in Afghanistan
(b) The war in Syria
(c) The war in Iraq
(d) The war between Israel and Hamas

4. What is the name of the summit that the meeting will take place during?
(a) G7 Summit
(b) United Nations General Assembly
(c) Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
(d) NATO Summit

5. What is one issue that Biden will likely express concern about during the meeting?
(a) China’s military actions in Ukraine
(b) China’s military actions in the Middle East
(c) China’s military actions in Africa
(d) China’s military actions near Taiwan

6. What is one thing that China blames the US for?
(a) Trying to control and hurt Russia
(b) Trying to control and hurt China
(c) Trying to control and hurt Japan
(d) Trying to control and hurt Germany

7. What is one small achievement that experts think the meeting might lead to?
(a) Fixing military communication
(b) Solving the Israel-Palestine conflict
(c) Stopping the flow of drugs from Mexico
(d) Resolving the North Korea nuclear crisis

8. How much does it cost to sit with the Chinese president at the dinner with US business leaders?
(a) $2,000
(b) $10,000
(c) $40,000
(d) $100,000

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The relationship between the US and China has worsened in recent years due to actions like China sending a spy balloon over US airspace and the US providing weapons to Taiwan.
2. Biden does not want to improve the relationship and engage with China’s military, but China is not reluctant.
3. The meeting will not take place during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit hosted by the US.
4. Experts believe the meeting may not lead to small achievements, such as improving military communication and addressing the flow of Fentanyl from China, but major changes in the US-China relationship are expected.
5. One important topic of discussion will be Taiwan, with China claiming ownership and Biden expressing concern about China’s military actions near the island.
6. They will not discuss various topics, including the war between Israel and Hamas, Taiwan, the war in Ukraine, and election interference.
7. This is their second meeting since Biden became president.
8. US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in San Francisco next week.
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 the two presidents mentioned in the article, and where will they meet next week?
2. Can you list at least three topics that Presidents Biden and Xi Jinping plan to discuss during their meeting?
3. Why does the article suggest that the relationship between the US and China has been getting worse?
4. What are some possible outcomes that experts are predicting from the meeting between the two leaders?
5. What special event is President Xi Jinping attending in San Francisco, and how much does it cost to sit with him at the dinner?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Where will US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet next week?
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in San Francisco next week.

2. What are some of the topics that Biden and Xi Jinping plan to discuss during their meeting?
They plan to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas, Taiwan, the war in Ukraine, election interference, technology restrictions, military actions, and regional tensions.

3. How has the relationship between the US and China changed in recent years, according to the article?
The relationship between the US and China has gotten worse, with issues like China sending a spy balloon over US airspace and the US selling weapons to Taiwan.

4. Why is the issue of Taiwan likely to be a significant point of discussion between the two presidents?
Taiwan is a significant point of discussion because China claims it as part of its territory, but Taiwan governs itself independently. The US’s actions, like selling weapons to Taiwan, have caused tension, and China is concerned about US support for Taiwan’s independence.

5. What are some potential outcomes that experts anticipate from the meeting between Biden and Xi Jinping?
Experts anticipate potential outcomes like improvements in military communication and efforts to stop the flow of Fentanyl from China to the US, but they do not expect any major breakthroughs in the overall relationship.

6. What does China believe about the reasons behind the tensions with the US?
China believes the tensions are due to the US trying to control and harm China, and blames the US for the problems in the relationship.

7. What special event is Xi Jinping attending in San Francisco, and how much does it cost to sit with him?
Xi Jinping is attending a dinner with US business leaders in San Francisco. Tickets for the dinner start at $2,000 per person, and it costs $40,000 to sit with the Chinese president.

8. Before the upcoming meeting, what did US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen do as part of the efforts to improve US-China relations?
Before the upcoming meeting, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen talked to a Chinese leader about working together on economic issues as part of the efforts to improve US-China relations.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) President
(2) became
(3) things
(4) Taiwan
(5) called
(6) thinks
(7) worried
(8) military
(9) Biden
(10) making
(11) experts
(12) small
(13) China
(14) Jinping
(15) president
(16) working
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. meeting
Answer: (b) A gathering of people to discuss something

2. Taiwan
Answer: (a) An island that China claims as its own, but governs itself

3. military
Answer: (f) The armed forces of a country

4. technology
Answer: (g) Tools or machines used to do things

5. relationship
Answer: (c) The connection or bond between two or more people or countries

6. communication
Answer: (e) The act of exchanging information or ideas

7. achievements
Answer: (d) Accomplishments or successes

8. problems
Answer: (h) Difficulties or challenges that need to be solved
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Where will the meeting between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping take place?
Answer: (b) San Francisco

2. How many times have Biden and Xi met since Biden became president?
Answer: (a) Two

3. What is one topic that Biden and Xi will discuss during their meeting?
Answer: (d) The war between Israel and Hamas

4. What is the name of the summit that the meeting will take place during?
Answer: (c) Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

5. What is one issue that Biden will likely express concern about during the meeting?
Answer: (d) China’s military actions near Taiwan

6. What is one thing that China blames the US for?
Answer: (b) Trying to control and hurt China

7. What is one small achievement that experts think the meeting might lead to?
Answer: (a) Fixing military communication

8. How much does it cost to sit with the Chinese president at the dinner with US business leaders?
Answer: (c) $40,000
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The relationship between the US and China has worsened in recent years due to actions like China sending a spy balloon over US airspace and the US providing weapons to Taiwan. (Answer: True)
2. Biden does not want to improve the relationship and engage with China’s military, but China is not reluctant. (Answer: False)
3. The meeting will not take place during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit hosted by the US. (Answer: False)
4. Experts believe the meeting may not lead to small achievements, such as improving military communication and addressing the flow of Fentanyl from China, but major changes in the US-China relationship are expected. (Answer: False)
5. One important topic of discussion will be Taiwan, with China claiming ownership and Biden expressing concern about China’s military actions near the island. (Answer: True)
6. They will not discuss various topics, including the war between Israel and Hamas, Taiwan, the war in Ukraine, and election interference. (Answer: False)
7. This is their second meeting since Biden became president. (Answer: True)
8. US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in San Francisco next week. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧