During the war between Russia and Ukraine last year, people stopped buying Russian vodka. Ukrainian vodka took its place. Yuriy Sorochynskiy, the boss of Nemiroff vodka, says he is proud that his vodka is selling well all over the world. He thinks this is because people want to show that they support Ukraine. Vodka is a very popular drink all over the world, and many people drink it with soft drinks or in cocktails. It is also a drink that people drink very quickly, called a “shot”. Because of the war, Nemiroff had to close its main factory for a month. This factory is in a town called Nemyriv. The owners of the company have also had to deal with power cuts. But they are still selling a lot of vodka. Other Ukrainian vodka companies have also done well, despite the war.
Original news source: Ukrainian vodka producers toast a rise in global sales (BBC)
Listen
Slow
Normal
Fast
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Brainstorm: War and its Effects on Businesses
Instructions: Write the word “war” on the board and ask the students to brainstorm any effects that war can have on businesses. Encourage them to use simple vocabulary and draw pictures if they can. Allow a few minutes for individual brainstorming and then ask students to share their ideas with the class.
– Group Discussion: Supporting Local Businesses
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups and ask them to discuss the following question: “Do you think it’s important to support local businesses? Why or why not?” Encourage students to use vocabulary words from the article in their discussion. After a few minutes, ask each group to share their thoughts with the class.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What happened during the war between Russia and Ukraine?
2. What did people stop buying during the war?
3. What did people start buying instead of Russian vodka?
4. Who is Yuriy Sorochynskiy and what does he do?
5. Why is Yuriy Sorochynskiy proud?
6. Why is vodka a popular drink all over the world?
7. What is a “shot” of vodka?
8. Did the war affect the sales of Nemiroff vodka?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
During the (1)________ between Russia and Ukraine last year, people stopped buying Russian vodka. Ukrainian vodka took its place. Yuriy Sorochynskiy, the (2)________ of Nemiroff vodka, says he is proud that his vodka is selling well all over the world. He thinks this is because people want to show that they (3)________ Ukraine. Vodka is a very (4)________ drink all over the world, and many people drink it with soft drinks or in cocktails. It is also a drink that people drink very quickly, called a “(5)________”. Because of the war, Nemiroff had to close its main factory for a month. This factory is in a town called Nemyriv. The owners of the company have also had to deal with (6)________ cuts. But they are still selling a lot of vodka. Other Ukrainian vodka companies have also done well, despite the war.
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. Do you like to drink vodka?
2. Have you ever tried Ukrainian vodka?
3. Why do you think people stopped buying Russian vodka?
4. Do you think it’s important to support Ukraine?
5. What is your favorite drink to have with vodka?
6. Have you ever had a shot of vodka?
7. Do you think vodka is a popular drink all over the world?
8. How do you feel about Nemiroff vodka selling well all over the world?
9. What is the name of the town where Nemiroff’s main factory is located?
10. Have you ever had to deal with power cuts?
11. What do you think the owners of the company did when the factory had to close?
12. Do you think other Ukrainian vodka companies did well during the war?
13. Do you think it’s important to support local businesses?
14. Would you like to try Nemiroff vodka?
15. How do you think Nemiroff vodka feels about their success?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. vodka
2. factory
3. war
4. Ukraine
5. drink
6. shot
7. owners
8. soft drinks
Meanings:
A) A country in Eastern Europe
B) A cold, alcoholic drink that people often mix with juice or soda
C) A conflict between two or more countries or groups
D) People who possess something, like a company or a house
E) A place where things are made
F) A small amount of a drink, usually drunk quickly
G) Non-alcoholic drinks, like juice or soda
H) To swallow liquid into your mouth and down your throat
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What type of alcohol is Nemiroff?
(a) vodka
(b) tequila
(c) beer
(d) wine
2. Why did people stop buying Russian vodka?
(a) it was too expensive
(b) it was not strong enough
(c) they wanted to support Ukraine
(d) they did not like the taste
3. Where is Nemiroff’s main factory located?
(a) Moscow
(b) Kiev
(c) Nemyriv
(d) St. Petersburg
4. Why did Nemiroff have to close its main factory for a month?
(a) because of war
(b) because of a fire
(c) because of a flood
(d) because of a strike
5. What is vodka often drunk with?
(a) cereal
(b) water
(c) coffee
(d) juice
6. What is a “shot” of vodka?
(a) a cocktail with vodka in it
(b) a small amount of vodka drank quickly
(c) a glass of vodka mixed with soft drinks
(d) a large bottle of vodka
7. How have other Ukrainian vodka companies done during the war?
(a) they have not done well
(b) they have done just as well as before
(c) they have done better than before
(d) they have stopped making vodka
8. Why is Yuriy Sorochynskiy proud of his vodka?
(a) because it is popular all over the world
(b) because it is expensive
(c) because it is the only Ukrainian vodka
(d) because it is made from special ingredients
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. People stopped buying Ukrainian vodka during the war between Russia and Ukraine.
2. Ukrainian vodka became less popular than Russian vodka during the war.
3. Yuriy Sorochynskiy is happy that Nemiroff vodka is selling well all over the world.
4. People want to show their support for Ukraine by buying Nemiroff vodka.
5. Vodka is a very popular drink all over the world, especially in cocktails.
6. The war did not affect the sales of Ukrainian vodka.
7. Nemiroff had to close its main factory for a month because of the war.
8. Other Ukrainian vodka companies did not do well during the war.
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. What is vodka?
2. Why did people stop buying Russian vodka?
3. What happened to the Nemiroff vodka factory during the war?
4. Is vodka a popular drink all over the world?
5. Are other Ukrainian vodka companies doing well too?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What happened during the war between Russia and Ukraine?
Answer: There was a war between Russia and Ukraine.
2. What did people stop buying during the war?
Answer: People stopped buying Russian vodka.
3. What did people start buying instead of Russian vodka?
Answer: People started buying Ukrainian vodka instead.
4. Who is Yuriy Sorochynskiy and what does he do?
Answer: Yuriy Sorochynskiy is the boss of Nemiroff vodka company.
5. Why is Yuriy Sorochynskiy proud?
Answer: Yuriy Sorochynskiy is proud because his vodka is selling well all over the world.
6. Why is vodka a popular drink all over the world?
Answer: Vodka is a popular drink all over the world because many people drink it with soft drinks or in cocktails.
7. What is a “shot” of vodka?
Answer: A “shot” of vodka is when people drink vodka very quickly. It is also the name for a small glass of vodka.
8. Did the war affect the sales of Nemiroff vodka?
Answer: Yes, the war affected the sales of Nemiroff vodka because they had to close their main factory for a month and deal with power cuts, but they are still selling a lot of vodka.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
1. Conflict
2. Head
3. Back
4. Common
5. Shot
6. Electricity
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. vodka
Answer: B) A cold, alcoholic drink that people often mix with juice or soda
2. factory
Answer: E) A place where things are made
3. war
Answer: C) A conflict between two or more countries or groups
4. Ukraine
Answer: A) A country in Eastern Europe
5. drink
Answer: H) To swallow liquid into your mouth and down your throat
6. shot
Answer: F) A small amount of a drink, usually drunk quickly
7. owners
Answer: D) People who possess something, like a company or a house
8. soft drinks
Answer: G) Non-alcoholic drinks, like juice or soda
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What type of alcohol is Nemiroff?
Answer: (a) vodka
2. Why did people stop buying Russian vodka?
Answer: (c) they wanted to support Ukraine
3. Where is Nemiroff’s main factory located?
Answer: (c) Nemyriv
4. Why did Nemiroff have to close its main factory for a month?
Answer: (a) because of war
5. What is vodka often drunk with?
Answer: (d) juice
6. What is a “shot” of vodka?
Answer: (b) a small amount of vodka drank quickly
7. How have other Ukrainian vodka companies done during the war?
Answer: (c) they have done better than before
8. Why is Yuriy Sorochynskiy proud of his vodka?
Answer: (a) because it is popular all over the world
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. People stopped buying Ukrainian vodka during the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Answer: False
2. Ukrainian vodka became less popular than Russian vodka during the war.
Answer: False
3. Yuriy Sorochynskiy is happy that Nemiroff vodka is selling well all over the world.
Answer: True
4. People want to show their support for Ukraine by buying Nemiroff vodka.
Answer: True
5. Vodka is a very popular drink all over the world, especially in cocktails.
Answer: True
6. The war did not affect the sales of Ukrainian vodka.
Answer: False
7. Nemiroff had to close its main factory for a month because of the war.
Answer: True
8. Other Ukrainian vodka companies did not do well during the war.
Answer: False
Go back to questions ⇧
