B1 English News Roundup: Floods, AI, an Ancient Treaty

Level: B1

Printable: Student handout (PDF) | Teacher’s key (PDF)

Reading

India, Nepal and Thailand Struggle With Severe Floods
Heavy monsoon rain caused floods in India, Nepal, and Thailand in late September. In Uttar Pradesh, in northern India, officials said that at least 62 people died, and some reports gave a higher number. Officials in the eastern state of Odisha had to evacuate more than 75,000 people. Nepal reported at least 21 deaths between September 24 and 27. It had not yet recovered from floods in August that killed more than 1,400 people. In Thailand, floods have affected 41 provinces since September 16, and at least eight people have died, officials said on September 29. The numbers differ between reports, and they may change.

Disaster Barely Averted After Copilot Attack Forces Emergency Landing
On September 30, a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia after an alleged attack in the cockpit. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that one pilot stabbed the other and tried to crash the plane. Saudi Arabia’s first report said that the co-pilot attacked the captain. Both pilots went to hospital. The plane landed safely, and the more than 170 passengers later flew on to Tel Aviv on another plane. FlyDubai has said that it does not know the motive. Several countries have started to investigate. The attack is still only alleged, and no court has decided what really happened.

Japanese Court Recognizes Rights Over a Person’s Voice
On September 30, a court in Tokyo gave a ruling about artificial intelligence. Kenjiro Tsuda, a famous voice actor in Japan, had asked the court to order TikTok to remove videos that used an AI voice that imitated his. The court rejected his request because the videos had already been deleted. But it also said that a person’s voice, like a person’s face, can be protected by law. Reports say that this is the first time a Japanese court has said so. The court did not decide whether the videos broke Tsuda’s rights. TikTok argued that the voice was only an ordinary male voice. TikTok has said that it will study the decision.

AI chips in space.
On October 1, a SpaceX rocket launched a satellite for Google. It is about the size of a refrigerator, and it carries four computer chips made for artificial intelligence. Google wants to know if these chips can work in orbit around Earth, where satellites can use sunlight for power almost all the time. In the future, the company hopes to build data centers in space. On the ground, the chips survived more radiation than five years in space would give them. But there is no air in space to cool them, so they can run for only 15 minutes at a time. Google has said the satellite is working as expected. Nobody has shown that large data centers in space can work. Google plans to send two more test satellites in 2027.

World’s oldest surviving peace treaty
On September 21, Turkey’s culture minister announced that archaeologists have found a clay fragment at Hattusa, the old capital of the Hittite Empire, in what is now Turkey. After about a year of study, experts decided that it belongs to a copy of the Kadesh treaty. This peace agreement between the Egyptian king Ramesses II and the Hittite king Hattusili III is more than 3,000 years old, and many people call it the oldest peace treaty that still exists. The fragment has rules about refugees, people who escaped from one kingdom to the other. The rules protect them and their homes. Excavations at the site are continuing, and the team hopes to find more pieces.

Vocabulary

Each word has a frequency score, a rank, and a tag. The score shows how common the word is in modern English: higher means more common, and each full point means roughly ten times more common. The rank is the word’s position on a list of about 321,000 English word forms, from most to least common. The tag shows where you are most likely to meet the word: Current, Formal, Literary, or Dated. The paragraph number shows where the word first appears in the reading. The labels are information, not instructions. Deciding which words are worth your time is up to you. How to read the scores, ranks, and tags.

Heavy monsoon rain caused floods in India, Nepal, and Thailand.
The monsoon starts in June in many parts of India.

Officials in Odisha had to evacuate more than 75,000 people.
The school had to evacuate all the students when the fire alarm rang.

A FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia.
Our train was diverted because of a problem on the track.

The attack in the cockpit is still only alleged.
The alleged thief will go to court next month.

The attack allegedly happened in the cockpit.
The pilots checked the screens in the cockpit before takeoff.

FlyDubai has said that it does not know the motive.
The police still do not know the motive for the robbery.

A court in Tokyo gave a ruling about artificial intelligence.
The court’s ruling surprised both sides.

The videos used an AI voice that imitated his.
The child imitated his teacher’s voice.

A SpaceX rocket launched a satellite for Google.
The company launched its new phone last week.

Google wants to know if these chips can work in orbit around Earth.
The Moon is in orbit around the Earth.

The chips survived more radiation than five years in space would give them.
Doctors use radiation to treat some kinds of cancer.

Archaeologists have found a clay fragment at Hattusa.
Archaeologists spent the summer digging near the old castle.

Archaeologists have found a clay fragment at Hattusa.
She picked up a fragment of broken glass from the beach.

The fragment belongs to a copy of the Kadesh treaty.
The two countries signed a treaty to share the river water.

The fragment has rules about refugees.
Many refugees waited at the border for a safe place to live.

Activity Page

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Speed Challenge

Answer 12 questions against the clock. Every wrong answer adds 5 seconds, and the lowest score wins. Open the speed challenge in a new tab.

Shadow Reading and Typing: My Morning News

This short text uses many of the words from this lesson. Use it for shadow reading (reading aloud along with a model) and for typing practice.

Every morning I read the news on my phone before breakfast. Last week, one story about the floods made me stop. Officials had to evacuate more than 75,000 people in one state in India, and the monsoon rain also hit Nepal and Thailand. I live far away, but I felt worried.

Another story was about a plane. The flight was diverted after an alleged attack in the cockpit. The airline says it does not know the motive. It sounds frightening, but the facts may change, so I try not to guess. I want to wait for a court to decide what really happened.

My favorite story was about a clay fragment. Archaeologists found it in Turkey, and it comes from an ancient peace treaty. I like that rules about refugees were written down more than 3,000 years ago. It makes history feel close, and I would love to see the place one day.

A rocket launched a satellite into orbit for Google, and a court in Tokyo gave a ruling about voices. Both stories are about artificial intelligence. After the news, I put my phone down and go for a walk. The world is big, and sometimes I need a break from it.

How to practice

Read the text silently once and check any words you are unsure of.
Read it aloud slowly, one sentence at a time. On the typing page, the Listen button reads each line with your device’s voice, so you can listen first and then repeat.
Shadow: read aloud again at a natural speed, trying to keep a steady rhythm without stopping.
Record yourself, listen back, and note one sentence to practice again.
Type it on the typing page below and check your speed and accuracy.

Open the typing practice in a new tab

Comprehension Questions

Which three countries had floods in late September, and what caused the floods?
What did officials do in Odisha, and how many people did this affect?
Why does the writer say that the numbers about the floods may change?
According to the reading, what happened on the FlyDubai flight, and where did it land?
Why is the word “alleged” important in the story about the flight?
What did the Tokyo court decide about Kenjiro Tsuda’s request, and what else did it say?
Why do the chips on the Google satellite run for only 15 minutes at a time?
What is the Kadesh treaty, and what was found in Turkey?
Which of the five stories do you think is the most important? Give two reasons.

IELTS-Style Questions

True, False, or Not Given: “The Tokyo court decided that the videos on TikTok broke Kenjiro Tsuda’s rights.” Explain your answer using evidence from the reading.
Yes, No, or Not Given: “The writer believes that the attack on the flight has been proved.” Explain your answer using evidence from the reading.
Author’s purpose: Why does the writer give a date for each story, such as September 21 or October 1? Is the aim to show when each event was reported, to prove that the stories are connected, or to explain the history of each place?

AI Discussion Prompt

I just read a news roundup with five stories: floods in India, Nepal, and Thailand; an alleged attack in the cockpit of a FlyDubai flight; a Tokyo court ruling about AI copies of a voice; a Google satellite with AI chips; and a fragment of an ancient peace treaty found in Turkey. I am an English learner at about B1 level. Please ask me one question at a time, starting with how I get my news. Use simple language, respond to my ideas first, then briefly correct any language errors, and ask follow-up questions that make me explain my reasons.

AI Vocabulary Prompt

I want to practice vocabulary from a news roundup. Please quiz me on the following words one at a time, using a mix of question types: multiple choice, true/false, and sentence completion. Give me feedback after each answer before moving on, and bring back the words I miss later. Here are the words: monsoon, evacuate, diverted, alleged, cockpit, motive, ruling, imitated, launched, orbit, radiation, archaeologists, fragment, treaty, refugees.

Discussion Questions

How do you usually get your news: from websites, social media, television, or friends?
Which of the five stories was the most interesting to you? Why?
Have you ever been in a very big rain storm or a flood? What happened?
What would you take with you if officials told you to evacuate your home?
Have you ever had a flight that was diverted, delayed, or canceled? How did you feel?
Why do news reports use words such as “alleged” or “according to officials”? Do you think this is a good habit?
Would you be upset if someone used an AI copy of your voice? What if it was a famous person’s voice?
Should a person’s voice, face, and writing style be protected by law in the same way? Explain your view.
Would you like to visit an archaeological site such as Hattusa? What would you want to see there?
A peace treaty from more than 3,000 years ago can still teach us something. What do you think it can teach us?
Google wants to run AI chips in space with sunlight. Is this a good use of money and energy? Why or why not?
Floods are a big risk in many parts of the world. Who should pay to protect people: governments, companies, or families?
News about disasters can make people feel sad or afraid. How can you stay informed without feeling worse?
Many news stories come from a few big countries and companies. How can readers find news from more places?

Language Focus: Present Perfect for Recent News

What it is: We form the present perfect with have or has and a past participle. News writers use it for something that happened recently and still matters now, or for a situation that began in the past and continues.

Why writers use it: Reports often use the present perfect to connect a recent event with the present moment. The past simple then gives the details. Words such as since and already show the connection.

Examples from the reading:

“…floods have affected 41 provinces since September 16…”
“FlyDubai has said that it does not know the motive.”
“…archaeologists have found a clay fragment at Hattusa…”
“Google has said the satellite is working as expected.”

Practice task: Use the present perfect to rewrite this sentence as news: “SpaceX launched a satellite this morning.”

(Example answer: “SpaceX has launched a satellite this morning.”)

Online Resources

At least 90 dead after monsoon flooding hit India, Nepal, Myanmar (The Jerusalem Post). A report with the flood numbers for India, Nepal, and Thailand in paragraph 1.
What happened on the diverted Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv? (Al Jazeera). A report on the flight in paragraph 2, with the airline’s statement and the start of the investigation.
Tokyo court rules the human voice is protected, in a TikTok AI clone case (The Next Web). A report on the court decision in paragraph 3, with what both sides argued.
Google launches Project Suncatcher, a step towards AI data centers in space (OPB, from NPR). A report on the satellite in paragraph 4, with details about the four chips and the heat problem.
Fragment of Kadesh Peace Treaty discovered at Hattusa (HeritageDaily). A short report on the tablet fragment in paragraph 5 and the rules about refugees that it contains.