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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition

Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. hacker nerd extradition lenient naive appellant bail contention disproportionate intolerable

1. If something is ___________________, it is much bigger (or smaller) than it should be. 2. If something is ___________________, it is impossible to bear or deal with. 3. If a law is ___________________, it punishes someone less severely than it could. 4. A ___________________ person is one who lacks experience of life and tends to believe things too easily. 5. An ___________________ is someone who appeals against the decision of a court of law. 6. ___________________ is money that is given to a court as a guarantee when someone is allowed to stay out of prison until their trial. 7. ___________________ is the process of sending a criminal back to the country where a crime was committed for a trial. 8. A ___________________ is an opinion or statement that something is true. 9. A ___________________ is someone who uses a computer to connect to other peoples computers illegally. 10. A ____________ is a boring person who is excessively interested in technical subjects, especially computers.

What do you know?

Decide whether these sentences are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. The Pentagon is the home of the US governments department of defence. 2. The European court of human rights is in Brussels. 3. The attacks on the Word Trade Centre and the Pentagon took place in 2002. 4. The UK has much tougher computer crime laws than the USA. 5. One UK pound is worth approximately two US dollars. 6. Terrorist suspects held at Guantanamo Bay are known as enemy combatants.

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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 3 Advanced
the same category applied to terrorist suspects interned at Guantnamo Bay. McKinnons lawyer, Karen Todner, said her client had now exhausted his options in the UK and would be taking his case to the European court of human rights in Strasbourg. Gary McKinnon is neither a terrorist nor a terrorist sympathizer, she said. His case could have been properly dealt with by our own prosecuting authorities. Instead, we believe that the British government declined to prosecute him to enable the US government to make an example of him. American officials involved in this case have stated that they want to see him fry. The consequences he faces if extradited are both disproportionate and intolerable and we will be making an immediate application to the European court to prevent his removal. 5 McKinnon, an unemployed IT worker from north London, has consistently argued that he was merely a bumbling computer nerd who caused no damage but was merely searching for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Between 2001 and 2002 he scanned thousands of US government computers from his bedroom, looking for loopholes which would help him get inside their networks in order to prove his contention that the existence of aliens had been covered up by the CIA. 6 He left messages on the desktops of computers he had hacked into, a mistake that allowed the authorities to trace him. It got a bit silly, he told the Guardian in 2005. I suppose it means Im not a secretive, sophisticated, checking-myselfevery-step-of-the-way type of hacker. 7 McKinnons lawyers have argued that he should face trial in the UK as the hacking raids were conducted in Britain. If the courts supported such a decision it would mean he would face a much smaller sentence under the UKs more lenient computer crime laws. The defence argued he was being unfairly targeted because his work embarrassed the US security services. 8 They also argued that an attempt by US prosecutors to make a deal with McKinnon in which he would be offered a six-month sentence
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Bumbling nerd who broke into Pentagon computers loses battle against extradition
British hacker could face 70-year jail term in US Hope that European court will overturn Lords ruling Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent July 31, 2008 1 A British hacker who broke into the Pentagons computer systems said he was disappointed and angry after the House of Lords yesterday dismissed his appeal against extradition to the US. Gary McKinnon called the worlds most dangerous hacker by the American authorities could face trial in the US for his actions, but vowed to continue fighting his case in the European courts. 2 Im very disappointed and very angry, but not too surprised, he told the Guardian. It might be naive of me but, perversely, I think I might have more chance in Europe than I do in my own country. McKinnon said the Home Office had delayed extraditing him by two weeks to allow him time to lodge a higher appeal. After that, the case could take two years to reach the courts. Right now Id be quite glad of a two-year delay, he said. Its better than being handed over to US marshals and being put on a plane straight away. He said the case had proved devastating in the six years since he was arrested. With his bail conditions barring him from using the Internet, his previous work in IT is near-impossible, while potential employers are scared off. Ive lost two jobs because of this my bosses just didnt want to be associated with the publicity, he said. 3 The 42-year-old hacked into 97 computers belonging to the US military shortly after the attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon in 2001, using the codename Solo. American officials claim he infiltrated systems belonging to the department of defence, the US armed forces and even Nasa causing $700,000 (354,000) damage and threatening national security. 4 If extradited, McKinnon faces up to 70 years in prison and his lawyers have argued that he could even be given enemy combatant status,
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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 3 Advanced
US is making a clear stand that anyone making any attempts to compromise its computers and data will face the consequences, said Graham Cluley, of IT security company Sophos.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 31/07/08

for his co-operation constituted an unfair derailment of British legal procedures. That contention was rejected by the law lords, who said that granting the appeal would endanger the integrity of the extradition process. In the written judgment they said: The difference between the American system and our own is not perhaps so stark as the appellants argument suggests. 9 Computer security experts said it was unlikely US prosecutors would give up their pursuit. The

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Gary McKinnon hacked into thousands of US government computers a. ... in order to show how easy it was to do so. b. ... in order to prove the CIA was hiding evidence about the existence of aliens. c. ... in order to protest about the treatment of prisoners at Guantnamo Bay. 2. Mr McKinnons lawyers believe that a. ... the US government wants to make an example of him. b. ... the European courts will be fairer than the British ones. c. ... his appeal will endanger the integrity of the extradition process. 3. Mr McKinnon describes himself as a. ... a thoroughly professional computer expert. b. ... a clumsy amateur. c. ... an enemy combatant. 4. Why do Mr McKinnons lawyers argue that he should be tried in Britain? a. Because they believe he will receive a more lenient sentence. b. Because the actual offences were committed in Britain. c. Because they believe he will not receive a fair trial in the USA.

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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Look in the text and find the following words and phrases. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. A verb meaning to promise that you will do something. (para 1) 2. An adjective meaning causing a lot of harm or damage. (para 2) 3. A verb meaning to officially say that someone must not do something. (para 2) 4. A verb meaning (in American English) to kill someone as a punishment using the electric chair. (para 4) 5. An adjective meaning behaving in a way that is confused an not properly organized. (para 5) 6. A phrasal verb meaning to hide the truth about something. (para 5) 7. A noun meaning the prevention of something from continuing in the way it was planned. (para 8) 8. An adjective meaning extreme and obvious. (para 8)

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column to make collocations from the text. 1. face 2. lodge 3. dismiss 4. threaten 5. exhaust 6. make 7. cause 8. leave a. damage b. national security c. all ones options d. an appeal e. the consequences f. a message g. an application h. an appeal

6 Phrasal verbs
Complete the phrasal verbs from the text using these particles. into up with over off up

1. scare __________________ 2. deal __________________ 3. cover __________________

4. give __________________ 5. hand __________________ 6. break __________________

7 Discussion
Do you think hackers like Gary McKinnon should be prosecuted? Why? Why not?
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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. disproportionate 2. intolerable 3. lenient 4. naive 5. appellant 6. bail 7. extradition 8. contention 9. hacker 10. nerd

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. vow devastating bar fry bumbling cover up derailment stark

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. e d/h d/h b c g a f

2 What do you know?


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T F F F T T

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b a b b

6 Phrasal verbs
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. off with up up over into

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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. nerd trial hacker delay extradition sympathizer bail fry appeal sophisticated

1. A ___________________ is someone who uses a computer to connect to other peoples computers illegally. 2. An ___________________ is a formal request to a court of law to change its decision. 3. To __________________ someone is an American expression meaning to kill someone using the electric chair. 4. A terrorist ___________________ is someone who supports terrorists. 5. A ___________________ is the process of examining a case in a court of law and deciding whether someone is guilty or innocent. 6. ___________________ is the process of sending a criminal back to the country where a crime was committed for a trial. 7. ___________________ is money that is given to a court as a guarantee when someone is allowed to stay out of prison until their trial. 8. If you are ___________________, you know and understand a lot about a subject. 9. If you ___________________ something, you make it late or slow it down. 10. A ____________________ is a boring person who is excessively interested in technical subjects, especially computers.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the following information as quickly as possible. 1. How many computers did Gary McKinnon hack into? 2. What was Gary McKinnons codename? 3. How much damage did he cause? 4. How much time could he spend in prison? 5. Where is the European court of human rights? 6. When did he hack into the US government computers?
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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 1 Elementary
lawyer, Karen Todner, said he would now take his case to the European court of human rights in Strasbourg. Gary McKinnon is neither a terrorist nor a terrorist sympathizer, she said. The British authorities could easily deal with his case. Instead, we believe that the British government did not prosecute him so that the US government could make an example of him. American officials involved in this case have said that they want to see him fry. We will make an immediate application to the European court to stop his extradition. 6 McKinnon, an unemployed IT worker from north London, has always said that he was just a computer nerd. He said he didnt cause any damage but was just searching for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Between 2001 and 2002 he scanned thousands of US government computers from his bedroom. He said he was trying to find evidence for his belief that the CIA was covering up the existence of aliens. 7 He left messages on the desktops of computers he hacked into. This was a mistake that allowed the authorities to find him. It was a bit silly, he told a newspaper in 2005. I suppose it means Im not a secretive, sophisticated type of hacker. 8 McKinnons lawyers have argued that he should face trial in the UK because the hacking happened in Britain. If the courts supported such a decision he would face a much shorter sentence because the UKs computer crime laws are not as strict as the laws in America. His lawyers also argued that he was a target because his work embarrassed the US security services. 9 Computer security experts said it was unlikely US prosecutors would give up their attempts to extradite Mr McKinnon. The US is clearly saying that anyone trying to hack into its computers and data will face the consequences, said Graham Cluley, of IT security company Sophos.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 31/07/08

Bumbling nerd who broke into Pentagon computers loses battle against extradition
British hacker could face 70-year jail term in US Hope that European court will overturn Lords ruling Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent July 31, 2008 1 A British computer nerd who broke into the Pentagons computer systems said he was disappointed and angry after a British court decided that he could be extradited to the United States. Gary McKinnon who the American authorities called the worlds most dangerous hacker could face trial in the US for his actions, but he has said he will continue to fight in the European courts. 2 Im very disappointed and very angry, but not too surprised, he said. I think I might have more success in Europe than I do in my own country. McKinnon said the British authorities had delayed his extradition by two weeks to allow him time to appeal to a higher court. After that, it could be two years before the case comes to court. Right now Id be quite happy with a two-year delay, he said. Its better than being put on a plane and sent to the US today. 3 He said the case had caused him terrible problems in the six years since he was arrested. His bail conditions prevented him from using the Internet, so his previous work in IT is almost impossible and employers just dont want to hire him. Ive lost two jobs because of this my bosses didnt want to be associated with the publicity in this case, he said. 4 Mr McKinnon hacked into 97 US military computers soon after the attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon in 2001, using the codename Solo. American officials say he broke into systems belonging to the department of defence, the US armed forces and even Nasa causing $700,000 (354,000) damage and putting American national security in danger. 5 If he is extradited to the US, McKinnon could spend up to 70 years in prison. McKinnons
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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. The American authorities call Gary McKinnon the worlds most dangerous hacker because 2. Mr McKinnons lawyers say he should face trial in the UK because 3. Mr McKinnon says he hacked into the computers because 4. Mr McKinnon says he is disappointed and angry but 5. Mr McKinnons lawyers 6. Mr McKinnons lawyers believe the British government did not prosecute him

a. want to stop his extradition to the United States. b. not too surprised at the courts decision. c. so the Americans could make an example of him. d. the hacking happened in Britain. e. he hacked into 97 US military computers. f. he wanted to find evidence of the existence of aliens.

4 Chunks
Rearrange these words to make phrases from the text. Check your answers in the text. 1. year a delay two 2. in to prison up years 70 3. human the of European rights court 4. from IT an worker London unemployed north 5. a just nerd computer 6. in not as laws America as strict the

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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 1 Elementary
5 Prepositions
Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. Check your answers in the text. 1. soon ______________ the attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon 2. he broke ______________ the Pentagons computer systems 3. prevented him ______________ using the Internet 4. associated ______________ 5. up ______________ 70 years in prison 6. searching ______________ evidence 7. covering ______________ the existence of aliens 8. give ______________ their attempts

6 Word building
Complete the table using words from the text.

verb
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. hack apply exist defend sympathize extradite

noun

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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. hacker 2. appeal 3. fry 4. sympathizer 5. trial 6. extradition 7. bail 8. sophisticated 9. delay 10. nerd

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. a two-year delay up to 70 years in prison the European court of human rights an unemployed IT worker from north London just a computer nerd not as strict as the laws in America

5 Prepositions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. after into from with to for up up

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 97 Solo $700,000 (354,000) up to 70 years Strasbourg in 2001

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. hacker/hacking application existence defence sympathizer extradition

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e d f b a c

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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. nerd lenient hacker intolerable extradition appeal bail endanger bumbling disproportionate

1. __________________ is money that is given to a court as a guarantee when someone is allowed to stay out of prison until their trial. 2. __________________ is the process of sending a criminal back to the country where a crime was committed for a trial. 3. A ________________ is a boring person who is excessively interested in technical subjects, especially computers. 4. If something is __________________, it is impossible to bear or deal with. 5. If something is __________________, it is much bigger (or smaller) than it should be. 6. A __________________ is someone who uses a computer to connect to other peoples computers illegally. 7. If you __________________ something, you put it in a position where it might be harmed. 8. A __________________ person is one who behaves in a way that is confused an not properly organized. 9. An __________________ is a formal request to a court of law to change its decision. 10. If a law is __________________, it punishes someone less severely than it could.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the following information as quickly as possible. 1. How many computers did Gary McKinnon hack into? 2. How much damage did he cause? 3. How much time could he spend in prison? 4. When did he hack into the US government computers? 5. Where is the European court of human rights? 6. What was Gary McKinnons codename?

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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 2 Intermediate
could even be given enemy combatant status, the same category applied to terrorist suspects interned at Guantnamo Bay. McKinnons lawyer, Karen Todner, said her client had now used up all his options in the UK and would take his case to the European court of human rights in Strasbourg. Gary McKinnon is neither a terrorist nor a terrorist sympathizer, she said. His case could have been properly dealt with by our own authorities. Instead, we believe that the British government did not prosecute him to enable the US government to make an example of him. American officials involved in this case have said that they want to see him fry. If he is extradited, he faces disproportionate and intolerable consequences and we will be making an immediate application to the European court to prevent his extradition. 6 McKinnon, an unemployed IT worker from north London, has always argued that he was simply a bumbling computer nerd who caused no damage but was just searching for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Between 2001 and 2002 he scanned thousands of US government computers from his bedroom, looking for ways to get inside their networks in order to find evidence for his belief that the existence of aliens had been covered up by the CIA. 7 He left messages on the desktops of computers he had hacked into, a mistake that allowed the authorities to find him. It got a bit silly, he told the Guardian in 2005. I suppose it means Im not a secretive, sophisticated type of hacker. 8 McKinnons lawyers have argued that he should face trial in the UK because the hacking took place in Britain. If the courts supported such a decision it would mean he would face a much smaller sentence under the UKs more lenient computer crime laws. The defence argued he was being unfairly targeted because his work embarrassed the US security services. 9 They also argued that an attempt by US prosecutors to make a deal with McKinnon in which he would be offered a six-month sentence for his co-operation was unfair interference in
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Bumbling nerd who broke into Pentagon computers loses battle against extradition
British hacker could face 70-year jail term in US Hope that European court will overturn Lords ruling Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent July 31, 2008 1 A British hacker who broke into the Pentagons computer systems said he was disappointed and angry after a British court rejected his appeal against extradition to the US. Gary McKinnon called the worlds most dangerous hacker by the American authorities could face trial in the US for his actions, but he has said he will continue fighting his case in the European courts. 2 Im very disappointed and very angry, but not too surprised, he told the Guardian. I think I might have more chance in Europe than I do in my own country. McKinnon said the Home Office had delayed extraditing him by two weeks to allow him time to lodge a higher appeal. After that, the case could take two years to reach the courts. Right now Id be quite glad of a two-year delay, he said. Its better than being handed over to US marshals and being put on a plane straight away. 3 He said the case had caused him terrible problems in the six years since he was arrested. His bail conditions prevented him from using the Internet, so his previous work in IT is almost impossible and potential employers dont want to hire him. Ive lost two jobs because of this my bosses just didnt want to be associated with the publicity, he said. 4 The 42-year-old hacked into 97 computers belonging to the US military soon after the attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon in 2001, using the codename Solo. American officials say he broke into systems belonging to the department of defence, the US armed forces and even Nasa causing $700,000 (354,000) damage and endangering national security. 5 If he is extradited, McKinnon faces up to 70 years in prison and his lawyers have argued that he
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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 2 Intermediate
attempts to extradite Mr McKinnon. The US is clearly saying that anyone trying to hack into its computers and data will face the consequences, said Graham Cluley, of IT security company Sophos.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 31/07/08

British legal procedures. That argument was rejected by the court, which said that allowing his appeal would endanger the extradition process. In a written judgment the court said: The difference between the American system and our own is not perhaps as great as Mr McKinnons argument suggests. 10 Computer security experts said it was unlikely US prosecutors would give up their

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements True (T) or False (F) according to the text? 1. Gary McKinnon hacked into US government computers to steal military secrets. 2. Mr McKinnon believed the CIA was hiding information about the existence of aliens. 3. He was very careful not to leave any traces on the computers he hacked into. 4. His lawyers believe the trial should be in the UK because the crime was committed there. 5. They believe the US government wants to make an example of him. 6. The court believed that the extradition process would not be endangered if they allowed Mr McKinnons appeal.

4 Find the word


Look in the text and find the following words and expressions. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. A verb meaning to formally make something such as a claim or a complaint. (para 2) 2. A verb meaning to put someone in prison without officially accusing them of a crime. (para 5) 3. A two-word expression meaning someone who approves of and supports terrorists. (para 5) 4. A verb meaning (in American English) to kill someone as a punishment using the electric chair. (para 5) 5. An adjective meaning relating to things that exist on planets other than Earth. (para 6) 6. A phrasal verb meaning to hide the truth about something. (para 6) 7. A verb meaning to try to attack someone. (para 8) 8. A four-word expression meaning reach an agreement with. (para 9)

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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Phrasal verbs
Complete the phrasal verbs from the text using these particles. into up with over into up

1. hack __________________ 2. break __________________ 3. cover __________________ 4. give __________________ 5. hand __________________ 6. deal __________________

6 Word building
Complete the table with words from the text.

verb
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 extradite appeal apply exist defend prosecute argue employ

noun

7 Discussion
Should hacking be classified as a crime?

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Bumbling nerd loses battle against extradition


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. bail 2. extradition 3. nerd 4. intolerable 5. disproportionate 6. hacker 7. endanger 8. bumbling 9. appeal 10. lenient

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. lodge intern terrorist sympathizer fry extraterrestrial cover up target make a deal with

5 Phrasal verbs
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. into into up up over with

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 97 $700,000 (354,000) up to 70 years in 2001 Strasbourg Solo

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. extradition appeal application existence defence prosecutor argument employer

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F T F T T F

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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. vulnerable bleak bushmeat fragment habitat turmoil extinct primate unprecedented thriving

1. If something that happens is ________________, this means that it has never happened before. 2. If a business or trade is described as ________________, it is very successful. 3. A ________________ species is one that is easy to hurt or attack. 4. ________________ is a state of excitement or uncontrolled activity. 5. A ________________ is a small piece of a larger object. 6. ________________ is the meat of wild animals killed for food or commerce in tropical countries. 7. A ________________ is any animal belonging to the same group as humans, including monkeys and apes. 8. An ________________ animal, plant or language no longer exists. 9. An animals ________________ is the type of place that it normally lives in. 10. A ________________ outlook or prospect is one that does not offer people any reasons to feel happy or hopeful.

Correct the information

Each of these statements contains a factual error. Look in the text, find the relevant information and correct the error. 1. IUCN stands for the International Union for the Consolidation of Nature. 2. The highest threat category is vulnerable. 3. In south-east Asia, 17% of all Asian primates are listed as threatened. 4. The mountain gorilla lives in central Asia. 5. The situation is less severe than scientists imagine. 6. The black lion tamarin is critically endangered.

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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 3 Advanced
and hunting to satisfy the Chinese medicine and pet trade. What is happening in south-east Asia is terrifying, said Dr Jean-Christophe Vi, the deputy head of the IUCN species programme. To have a group of animals under such a high level of threat is, quite frankly, unlike anything we have recorded among any other group of species to date. 5 In Africa, 11 of 13 kinds of red colobus monkey have been listed as critically endangered or endangered. Two may already be extinct. Overall, 69 species and sub-species (11% of the total) are considered critically endangered, including the mountain gorilla in central Africa, a snub-nosed monkey in Vietnam and an Asian langur. In the endangered category are another 137 species and sub-species (22%) including the Javan gibbon from Indonesia, golden lion tamarin from Brazil and Berthes mouse lemur from Madagascar. 6 Species are judged to be in these categories if they have a small population size, are suffering rapid population declines and have a limited geographic range. The apparent jump in the numbers of threatened primates from 39% to 48% has not in reality happened in the course of one year. The major new analysis has filled in missing data that was not available previously, according to Michael Hoffman at Conservation International. The last major assessment was carried out in 1996. The situation could well have been as bad as this, say, five years ago, we just didnt know. But now we have a much better indication of the state of the worlds primates and the news is not good, he said. 7 The review, which is funded by Conservation International, the Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, Disneys Animal Kingdom and the IUCN is part of an unprecedented examination of the state of the worlds mammals to be released at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona in October. 8 However, there was some good news for primates. In Brazil, the black lion tamarin has been brought back from the brink of extinction and shifted from the critically endangered to

Nearly half of all the worlds primates at risk of extinction


Study paints bleak picture for hundreds of species Loss of habitat and boom in bushmeat trade blamed James Randerson, science correspondent August 5, 2008 1 Nearly half of all primate species are now threatened with extinction, according to an evaluation by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The study, which drew on the work of hundreds of scientists and is the most comprehensive analysis for more than a decade, found that the conservation outlook for monkeys, apes and other primates has dramatically worsened. In some regions, the thriving bushmeat trade means the animals are being eaten to extinction. 2 The 2007 IUCN red list has 39% of primate species and sub-species in the three highest threat categories vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered. In todays revised list, 303 of the 634 species and sub-species 48% are in these most threatened categories. 3 The biggest threats faced by primates are habitat destruction through logging, hunting for bushmeat and the illegal wildlife trade. Weve raised concerns for years about primates being in peril, but now we have solid data to show the situation is far more severe than we imagined, said Dr Russell Mittermeier, the chairman of the IUCN Species Survival Commissions primate specialist group and the president of Conservation International. Tropical forest destruction has always been the main cause but now it appears that hunting is just as serious a threat in some areas, even where the habitat is still quite intact. In many places, primates are quite literally being eaten to extinction. 4 The picture in south-east Asia is particularly bleak, where 71% of all Asian primates are now listed as threatened, and in Vietnam and Cambodia, 90% are considered at risk. Populations of gibbons, leaf monkeys and langurs have dropped due to rapid habitat loss
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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 3 Advanced
9 The scientists also came close to downlisting the mountain gorilla to endangered following population increases in their forest habitat that spans the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. However, political turmoil in the region and an incident in which eight animals were killed in 2007 led to the decision to delay the planned reclassification.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 05/08/08

endangered category. This is the result of a concerted conservation effort which has also benefited the golden lion tamarin it was downlisted to endangered in 2003. The work with lion tamarins shows that conserving forest fragments and reforesting to create corridors that connect them is not only vital for primates, but offers the multiple benefits of maintaining healthy ecosystems and water supplies, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, said Dr Anthony Rylands, the deputy chair of the IUCN primate specialist group.

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. The biggest threats faced by primates are a. ... logging and the Chinese medicine trade. b. ... hunting and the illegal trade in bushmeat. c. ... habitat destruction and the illegal wildlife trade. 2. Why does the mountain gorilla remain in the critically endangered category? a. Because of continuing political unrest in the region. b. Because the last major assessment was carried out a long time ago. c. Because their forest habitat has not increased. 3. What does eaten to extinction mean? a. The animals are eating so much there will soon be nothing for them to feed on. b. They are all being killed for their meat. c. People are beginning to eat bushmeat as an alternative to regular meat. 4. Why are primates hunted in south-east Asia? a. To satisfy the Chinese medicine and pet trade. b. To provide bushmeat. c. To keep their populations down.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and expressions in the text. 1. A phrasal verb meaning to use something you have gradually accumulated or saved. (para 1) 2. An adjective meaning not harmed, damaged or lacking any parts. (para 3) 3. A two-word expression meaning to be absolutely honest. (para 4) 4. A two-word expression meaning with a short nose that looks rather flat. (para 5) 5. A phrasal verb meaning to add missing information. (para 6) 6. A noun meaning the point in time when something very good or bad is about to happen. (para 8) 7. An adjective meaning involving a lot of people or organizations working together in a determined way. (para 8) 8. A verb meaning to cover or cross an area completely. (para 9)
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Half of all primates face extinction / Advanced
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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 3 Advanced
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs from the left-hand column with the nouns from the right-hand column to form phrases from the text. 1. raise 2. fill in 3. carry out 4. offer 5. reduce 6. cause a. climate change b. an assessment c. greenhouse gas emissions d. concerns e. multiple benefits f. missing data

6 Expressions with prepositions


Complete the phrases using prepositions. 1. _______ risk 2. _______ threat 3. _______ peril 4. _______ reality 5. due _______ 6. back _______ the brink

7 Discussion
Is it worth spending millions of pounds to protect endangered species? Is it so important if a few rare species of primate become extinct?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Half of all primates face extinction / Advanced

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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. unprecedented 2. thriving 3. vulnerable 4. turmoil 5. fragment 6. bushmeat 7. primate 8. extinct 9. habitat 10. bleak

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. draw on intact quite frankly snub-nosed fill in brink concerted span

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f b e c a

2 Correct the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. conservation critically endangered 71% central Africa more severe endangered

6 Expressions with prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. at under in in to from

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. c a b a

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Half of all primates face extinction / Advanced

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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. vulnerable primate bushmeat rapidly habitat logging extinct unrest endangered conservation

1. An ________________ animal, plant or language no longer exists. 2. A ________________ species is one that is easy to hurt or attack. 3. ________________ is the cutting down of trees for wood. 4. ________________ is angry or violent behaviour by people who are protesting about something. 5. ________________ is the meat of wild animals killed for food or commerce in tropical countries. 6. If something happens ________________, it happens very quickly. 7. ________________ is the management of land and water to stop it being damaged or destroyed. 8. A ________________ is any animal belonging to the same group as humans, including monkeys and apes. 9. If a species is ________________, it may soon become extinct. 10. An animals ________________ is the type of place that it normally lives in.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the following information as quickly as possible. 1. What does IUCN stand for? 2. How many species and sub-species of primates are there in 2008? 3. What percentage of these species and sub-species are in the most threatened categories? 4. What percentage of primates in Vietnam and Cambodia are endangered? 5. When was the last major study carried out? 6. How many species and sub-species are endangered in Africa?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Half of all primates face extinction / Elementary

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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 1 Elementary
have also been hunting primates for the Chinese medicine and pet trade. What is happening in south-east Asia is terrifying, said Dr JeanChristophe Vi, the deputy head of the IUCN species programme. To have a group of animals in such a dangerous situation is not like anything we have ever seen among any other group of species. 5 In Africa, 11 of 13 kinds of red colobus monkey have been listed as critically endangered or endangered. Two may already be extinct. Overall, 69 species and sub-species (11% of the total) are listed as critically endangered, including the mountain gorilla in central Africa. Another 137 species and sub-species (22%) are in the endangered category. 6 Species are listed in these categories if they have a small population size, if their population is falling rapidly and if they have a limited geographic range. The increase in the numbers of primates at risk from 39% to 48% has not just happened in the course of one year. The major new analysis has provided missing data that was not available before, according to Michael Hoffman of Conservation International. The last major study was in 1996. Perhaps the situation was as bad as this five years ago but we just didnt know. Now we have a much better idea of the state of the worlds primates and the news is not good, he said. 7 However, there was some good news for primates. In Brazil, one species, the black lion tamarin, that was almost extinct has now been moved from the critically endangered to endangered category. This is the result of a conservation programme which has also helped the golden lion tamarin it was moved to endangered in 2003. The work with lion tamarins shows that conserving parts of the forest and planting new forests to create corridors that connect them is extremely important for primates. It also helps to maintain healthy ecosystems and water supplies and reduces the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, said Dr Anthony Rylands, of the IUCN primate specialist group.
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Nearly half of all the worlds primates at risk of extinction


Study paints bleak picture for hundreds of species Loss of habitat and boom in bushmeat trade blamed James Randerson, science correspondent August 5, 2008 1 Primates are animals related to humans like monkeys and apes. Today almost half of all primate species could soon become extinct, according to a study carried out by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The study used the work of hundreds of scientists and is the most detailed analysis for more than ten years. It found that the situation for monkeys, apes and other primates is now much worse. In some regions species are becoming extinct because people are killing animals for bushmeat. 2 The IUCN has a red list. The 2007 list showed that 39% of primate species and sub-species were in the three highest risk categories vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered. In the 2008 list, 303 of the 634 species and sub-species 48% are in these categories. 3 The biggest problems primates face are the destruction of their habitat through logging, hunting for bushmeat and the illegal wildlife trade. Weve said for years that primates are in danger, but now we have solid data to show the situation is much more serious than we thought, said Dr Russell Mittermeier, the chairman of the IUCN primate specialist group. The main cause has always been the destruction of the tropical rain forests but now it appears that hunting is just as serious a problem in some areas. In many places, primates are becoming extinct because people are eating them. 4 The picture in south-east Asia is particularly bad. 71% of all Asian primates are now listed as endangered. In Vietnam and Cambodia, 90% are considered at risk. Primate populations have fallen as they have lost their habitat and people

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Half of all primates face extinction / Elementary

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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 1 Elementary
8 The scientists were also going to move the mountain gorilla from critically endangered to endangered after population increases in their forest habitat along the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. However, political unrest in the region and an incident in which eight animals were killed in 2007 have delayed the plans to move it to a lower risk category.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 05/08/08

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Many species and sub-species of primates are endangered 2. The situation in south-east Asia 3. A conservation programme in Brazil has helped some species 4. The mountain gorilla 5. People kill primates 6. The situation today d. because of logging and hunting for bushmeat. e. is worse than 10 years ago. f. is particularly serious. b. to survive. c. is still on the critically endangered list. a. for bushmeat and Chinese medicine.

4 Chunks
Rearrange these words to make phrases from the text. 1. ten for than more years 2. than much serious we thought more 3. tropical the forests rain of the destruction 4. one course the in year of 5. good the not is news 6. trade the wildlife illegal

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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 1 Elementary
5 Adjectives and nouns
Match the adjectives in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to form expressions from the text. 1. detailed 2. biggest 3. illegal 4. tropical 5. dangerous 6. geographic 7. political 8. major a. rain forest b. study c. range d. trade e. analysis f. unrest g. situation h. problems

6 Word stress
Put these words from the text into two groups according to their stress. species major human result extinct create wildlife connect appear maintain increase (n) climate

0o

o0

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Half of all primates face extinction / Elementary

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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. extinct 2. vulnerable 3. logging 4. unrest 5. bushmeat 6. rapidly 7. conservation 8. primate 9. endangered 10. habitat

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. for more than ten years much more serious than we thought the destruction of the tropical rain forests in the course of one year the news is not good the illegal wildlife trade

5 Adjectives and nouns


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. e h d a g c f b

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. International Union for the Conservation of Nature 634 48% 71% 1996 137

6 Word stress A 0o
species human wildlife increase major climate

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f b c a e

o0
extinct appear result create connect maintain

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Half of all primates face extinction / Elementary

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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. vulnerable primate bushmeat thriving habitat decade extinct rapid unprecedented release

1. ________________ is the meat of wild animals killed for food or commerce in tropical countries. 2. An ________________ animal, plant or language no longer exists. 3. If you ________________ a document, you make it available. 4. An animals ________________ is the type of place that it normally lives in. 5. A ________________ is a period of ten years. 6. If something is ________________, it happens very quickly. 7. If something that happens is ________________, this means that it has never happened before. 8. A ________________ species is one that is easy to hurt or attack. 9. A ________________ is any animal belonging to the same group as humans, including monkeys and apes. 10. If a business or trade is described as ________________, it is very successful.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the following information as quickly as possible. 1. What does IUCN stand for? 2. How many species and sub-species of primates are there? 3. What percentage of these species and sub-species are in the most threatened categories? 4. What percentage of primates in Vietnam and Cambodia are considered to be at risk? 5. When was the last major study carried out? 6. How many species and sub-species are considered to be endangered in Africa?

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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 2 Intermediate
and hunting to satisfy the Chinese medicine and pet trade. What is happening in south-east Asia is terrifying, said Dr Jean-Christophe Vi, the deputy head of the IUCN species programme. To have a group of animals under such a high level of threat is, quite frankly, not like anything we have ever recorded among any other group of species. 5 In Africa, 11 of 13 kinds of red colobus monkey have been listed as critically endangered or endangered. Two may already be extinct. Overall, 69 species and sub-species (11% of the total) are considered critically endangered, including the mountain gorilla in central Africa. Another 137 species and sub-species (22%) are in the endangered category. 6 Species are judged to be in these categories if they have a small population size, are suffering rapid population declines and have a limited geographic range. The apparent jump in the numbers of threatened primates from 39% to 48% has not just happened in the course of one year. The major new analysis has provided missing data that was not available before, according to Michael Hoffman at Conservation International. The last major study was carried out in 1996. The situation might have been as bad as this five years ago but we just didnt know. Now we have a much better indication of the state of the worlds primates and the news is not good, he said. The review is part of an unprecedented examination of the state of the worlds mammals which will be released at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona in October. 7 However, there was some good news for primates. In Brazil, one species, the black lion tamarin, that was almost extinct has now been moved from the critically endangered to endangered category. This is the result of a huge conservation effort which has also benefited the golden lion tamarin it was downlisted to endangered in 2003. The work with lion tamarins shows that conserving parts of the forest and reforesting to create corridors that connect them is not only vital for primates, but offers
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Nearly half of all the worlds primates at risk of extinction


Study paints bleak picture for hundreds of species Loss of habitat and boom in bushmeat trade blamed James Randerson, science correspondent August 5, 2008 1 Nearly half of all primate species could soon become extinct, according to a study carried out by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The study, which used the work of hundreds of scientists and is the most comprehensive analysis for more than a decade, found that the outlook for monkeys, apes and other primates has got much worse. In some regions, the thriving bushmeat trade means the animals are being eaten to extinction. 2 The 2007 IUCN red list has 39% of primate species and sub-species in the three highest threat categories vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered. In todays revised list, 303 of the 634 species and sub-species 48% are in these most threatened categories. 3 The biggest threats faced by primates are the destruction of their habitat through logging, hunting for bushmeat and the illegal wildlife trade. Weve raised concerns for years about primates being in danger, but now we have solid data to show the situation is much more serious than we imagined, said Dr Russell Mittermeier, the chairman of the IUCN Species Survival Commissions primate specialist group and the president of Conservation International. Tropical forest destruction has always been the main cause but now it appears that hunting is just as serious a threat in some areas, even where the habitat is still relatively undamaged. In many places, primates are quite literally being eaten to extinction. 4 The picture in south-east Asia is particularly pessimistic. 71% of all Asian primates are now listed as threatened, and in Vietnam and Cambodia, 90% are considered at risk. Primate populations have fallen due to rapid habitat loss

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Half of all primates face extinction / Intermediate

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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 2 Intermediate
Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. However, political unrest in the region and an incident in which eight animals were killed in 2007 led to the decision to delay the planned reclassification.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 05/08/08

the multiple benefits of maintaining healthy ecosystems and water supplies, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, said Dr Anthony Rylands, the deputy chair of the IUCN primate specialist group. 8 The scientists almost downlisted the mountain gorilla from critically endangered to endangered following population increases in their forest habitat along the borders of Rwanda,

3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences True (T) or False (F) according to the text? 1. The main danger to primates has always been the destruction of tropical forests. 2. Primates are only hunted for their meat. 3. The situation is south-east Asia is not as bad as the situation in Africa. 4. Conserving parts of the forest can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 5. The mountain gorilla is no longer on the critically endangered list. 6. 48% of primate species and sub-species are on the critically endangered list.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and expressions in the text. 1. An adjective meaning including many details. (para 1) 2. A noun meaning an idea about what a situation will be like in the future. (para 1) 3. A noun meaning cutting down trees for wood. (para 3) 4. A two-word expression meaning in danger. (para 4) 5. A two-word expression meaning to be absolutely honest. (para 4) 6. A noun meaning the management of land and water in ways that prevent it from being damaged or destroyed. (para 7) 7. An adjective meaning extremely important. (para 7) 8. A noun meaning putting in a different category. (para 8)

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Half of all primates face extinction


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Adjectives and nouns
Match the adjectives in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to form expressions from the text. 1. main 2. serious 3. threatened 4. huge 5. good 6. multiple 7. political 8. healthy a. species b. news c. benefits d. threat e. ecosystems f. unrest g. effort h. cause

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. destroy threaten examine indicate conserve emit reclassify decline noun

7 Discussion
Do you think it is important to preserve rare species of animals and prevent them from becoming extinct? Why? Why not?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Half of all primates face extinction / Intermediate

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Half of all primates face extinction


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. bushmeat 2. extinct 3. release 4. habitat 5. decade 6. rapid 7. unprecedented 8. vulnerable 9. primate 10. thriving

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. comprehensive outlook logging at risk quite frankly conservation vital reclassification

5 Adjectives and nouns


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. h d a g b c f e

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. International Union for the Conservation of Nature 634 48% 90% 1996 69

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T F F T F F

6 Word building
verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. destroy threaten examine indicate conserve emit reclassify decline noun destruction threat examination indication conservation emission reclassification decline

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Half of all primates face extinction / Intermediate

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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. breathtaking undoubtedly subsequently farcical inevitably awry tantalizing unbeatable impassive disproportionate

1. If something is ________________, it is so badly organized, unsuccessful or unfair that it seems funny. 2. An ________________ athlete is better than everyone else and cannot be beaten. 3. If something is ________________, it is extremely impressive or beautiful. 4. If your face is ________________, you do not show any emotion. 5. If something happens ________________, it happens after something else happened. 6. When something goes ________________, it does not happen in the way that was hoped or planned. 7. If something is ________________ true, it is certainly true or is accepted by everyone. 8. A ________________ number is one that is bigger or smaller than it should be. 9. The adverb ________________ is used for saying that something is certain to happen. 10. If something is ________________, it makes you feel excited or hopeful about having something you want, often something that you never get.

What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. The new Olympic 100 metres champion, Usain Bolt, is from the USA. 2. The 2004 Olympics were held in Athens. 3. The world record for the 100 metres is just over 10 seconds. 4. The 100 metres is regarded as the main event in track and field at the Olympics. 5. Before Usain Bolt, the previous world record holder was Ben Johnson. 6. Usain Bolts victory was completely unexpected.

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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 3 Advanced
5 In the semi-finals Bolt was slowly away, slow at the finish and still won in 9.85, exactly the time the now-banned Justin Gatlin had run to win in Athens in 2004. He was a tenth of a second ahead of college champion Dix in second, a margin he would more than double in the final. Even then, Bolt looked sensational, unbeatable, scarcely credible. Imagine what he might achieve if he broke into a trot. 6 His path was eased when Gay, suffering from injury, did not even break 10 seconds and missed a place in the final, which went instead to his compatriot, Darvis Patton. Powell won his semifinal easily in 9.91 and the final of the 100 metres had become a Jamaican contest. They even had a third finalist in Frater who, along with two Trinidadians, two Americans and the man from Netherlands Antilles, completed the field. Six from the Caribbean, two from the United States. 7 As the competitors appeared for the final, hundreds of cameras flashed round the stadium to create a twinkling star effect. The backdrop was near perfect, the stadium being the greatest in modern Olympics, in a Games that may be remembered as much for its architecture as its athletes. Bolt was in lane four, jigging around at the start. Powell, impassive, was three lanes to his right. In between were Thompson and Dix. This, surely, would be where the medals would be contested. The introductions to the most explosive event in all of sport were made. Bolt smiled, pointed and made the archer sign. Powell swung from side to side as if in a trance. The drums rolled. Bolt continued jigging; Powell remained impassive. 8 Silence, and then bang! Before anyone, least of all Bolt, could breathe, he had streaked away to win. Astonishingly, the first man to break 9.7 seconds eased up towards the end. Like a jockey astride a wonder-horse, he even took a quick look over his shoulder in the last five metres. I could see him slowing down ahead as I was still pumping away, said Thompson. If the semi-final was scarcely credible, this was even less so. Bolt, having produced the most electric 100
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Olympics: Usain Bolt takes Olympic glory with new 100m world record
Will Buckley August 17, 2008 1 Weve never seen anything like that before, was the verdict of the great Olympian, Michael Johnson, after a breathtaking 100 metres final. Usain Bolt was so far ahead of the rest he had time to slow down and smile for the cameras before crossing the line in a world record time of 9.69 seconds, beating by three-hundredths of a second the record he had set 11 weeks ago. He looks unbeatable. 2 The rest were nowhere. A fifth of a second behind a long, long way in sprinting was Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago. With Tyson Gay having failed to make the final, the best American was Walter Dix, who took bronze in 9.91 sec. Asafa Powell and Michael Frater, Bolts Jamaican compatriots, were fifth and sixth respectively, a distance behind the unbelievable Bolt. 3 This event is top of the bill and, for that reason, it is also the race most likely to disgrace the sport. If the fastest man in the world is a cheat, who cares about, or for, the rest? The 100 metres is the diva event. It makes or breaks the show. Recently, the Games have been broken. Of the previous four winners, Justin Gatlin and Linford Christie subsequently failed drugs tests. This meant that, inevitably, some would be looking at yesterdays encounter with suspicion. The world record holder, Bolt, former world record holder, Powell, and world champion, Gay, are the three fastest men of all time and, uniquely, they were on a collision course. 4 There was some talk of people needing to go as low as 9.6 in order to win it, which was tantalizing, except 20 years ago Ben Johnson had gone as low as 9.7, running quicker than anyone until yesterday had managed in an Olympics since. Of course, Johnson then lost his gold medal after testing positive for drugs.

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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 3 Advanced
10 Asked why he slowed down, Bolt said: I wasnt interested in the world record. I didnt even know I had it until after the victory lap. This medal means a lot to my country, and to me. Explaining the archer sign, he said: I just like to have fun. I like dancing. Far from a breakfast of champions, Bolt had given the meal a miss and had nuggets for lunch, rested, and then had nuggets for tea. It was a nugget diet which had led to a golden performance. The history, however, casts its shadow. Johnsons downfall was tragic: if anything were to be awry with Bolt, it would be farcical.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 17/08/08

metres performance for 20 years, contented himself with hitting his left breast and then disco dancing around the stadium. 9 It was expected, said the Jamaican team doctor, Herb Elliott. I dont know how fast he can go; his coach doesnt know how fast he can go; he doesnt know how fast he can go. He went on to say that Bolt had been tested half-a-dozen times in Beijing. It was an historic night for Jamaica, who have long aspired to win the diva event. In 1952, Herb McKenlay lost the closest 100 metres in history, now Bolt had won the easiest. For a country of two-anda-half million they have undoubtedly produced a disproportionate number of top quality sprinters. Yet this was the first time their efforts had been rewarded with 100 metres gold.

11

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. The article describes the 100 metres as the diva event. What does this mean? a. An event in which only famous and successful athletes appear. b. The highest profile event in the Olympic Games. c. The event which is finished most quickly. 2. Why did Bolt slow down over the last 20 metres? a. Because he was saving his energy for the 200 metres final. b. Because he was only interested in winning the race, not in breaking the world record. c. In order to humiliate his rivals. 3. Why is the 100 metres the race which is most likely to bring disgrace to athletics? a. Because most past winners of the race have subsequently failed drugs tests. b. Because many 100 metre runners use drugs to enhance their performance. c. Because it is top of the bill and therefore attracts the most attention. 4. Why didnt Usain Bolt have to worry about the challenge of Tyson Gay? a. Because Gay had never run faster than 10 seconds. b. Because Gays fastest time this year was 10.3 seconds. c. Because Gay failed to qualify for the final.

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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Find the following words and expressions in the text. 1. A four-word expression meaning moving towards each other and likely to run into each other. (para 3) 2. A phrasal verb meaning to start doing something. (para 5) 3. A noun meaning someone who is from the same country as someone else. (para 6) 4. A noun meaning everything you can see behind the main thing you are looking at. (para 7) 5. A verb meaning to make small movements with your whole body, usually in a nervous or excited way. (para 7) 6. A phrasal verb meaning to run very quickly. (para 8) 7. A phrasal verb meaning to go more slowly. (para 8) 8. A noun meaning a sudden loss of power, status or success. (para 11)

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns or noun phrases they go with in the right-hand column. 1. set a. a (drug) test b. the final (of an event) c. something a miss d. an event e. a shadow f. a record g. an effort h. the line

2. cast 3. cross 4. fail

5. win 6. reward 7. give 8. make

6 Expressions with prepositions


Use prepositions to complete these phrases from the text. 1. suffering _______ injury 2. remembered _______ its architecture 3. swing _______ side _______ side 4. smile _______ the cameras 5. so far ahead _______ the rest 6. top _______ the bill 7. look at something _______ suspicion 8. a quick look _______ his shoulder

7 Discussion
Some past winners of the 100 metres have used performance-enhancing drugs. What do you think should happen to athletes who use such drugs? Should they be banned for life or should drugs be allowed in sport to give everyone an equal chance?
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record / Advanced
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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. farcical 2. unbeatable 3. breathtaking 4. impassive 5. subsequently 6. awry 7. undoubtedly 8. disproportionate 9. inevitably 10. tantalizing

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. on a collision course 2. break into 3. compatriot 4. backdrop 5. jig 6. streak away 7. ease up 8. downfall

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. f 2. e 3. h 4. a 5. d 6. g 7. c 8. b

2 What do you know?


1. F 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. F 6. F

3 Comprehension check
1. b 2. b 3. c 4. c

6 Expressions with prepositions


1. from 2. for 3. from/to 4. for 5. of 6. of 7. with 8. over

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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. cheat disgrace farce sprint coach event lane suspicious unbeatable lap

1. An ________________ athlete is better than everyone else and cannot be beaten. 2. If something brings ________________ to a competition, it damages its reputation by doing something bad or immoral. 3. A ________________ is someone who behaves dishonestly in order to win a competition. 4. A ________________ is a short race at a fast speed. 5. A ________________ is someone who trains a sports player or team. 6. If you are ________________ about something, you believe that someone has probably done something wrong. 7. A ________________ is one complete turn around a course in a race. 8. If something is a ________________, it is so badly organized, unsuccessful or unfair that it seems funny. 9. An ________________ is one type of activity in athletics. 10. A ________________ is one of the parts that an athletics track is divided into, intended for one runner.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the following information as quickly as possible. 1. Where is Usain Bolt from? 2. What is Usain Bolts new 100 metres world record? 3. Who came second in the race? 4. How fast did Usain Bolt run the 100 metres in the semi-final? 5. Where were the 2004 Olympic Games held?

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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 1 Elementary
in 2004. He was a tenth of a second ahead of Dix in second. Even then Bolt looked fantastic, unbeatable, incredible. 6 Bolts path to the gold medal was made easier when Tyson Gay, who was suffering from an injury, ran slower than 10 seconds and missed a place in the final. Powell won his semi-final easily in 9.91 and the final of the 100 metres was a contest between the two Jamaicans. They even had a third finalist in Michael Frater. Two Trinidadians, two Americans and the man from Netherlands Antilles completed the line-up six from the Caribbean, two from the United States. 7 When the competitors appeared for the final, hundreds of cameras flashed round the stadium like stars. The location was almost perfect the stadium was the greatest in modern Olympics. Bolt was in lane four. Powell was three lanes to his right. In between were Thompson and Dix. The introductions to the fastest race in the whole of sport were made. Bolt smiled and pointed. Powell moved slowly from side to side. 8 Silence, and then bang! Before anyone could breathe, Bolt had won. Amazingly, the first man to run faster than 9.7 seconds slowed down towards the end. I could see him slowing down ahead as I was still running hard, said Thompson. If the semi-final was incredible, this was even more unbelievable. Bolt produced the most electric 100 metres performance for 20 years and then celebrated by disco dancing around the stadium. 9 We expected him to win, said the Jamaican team doctor, Herb Elliott. I dont know how fast he can run; his coach doesnt know how fast he can run; he doesnt know how fast he can run. He also said that Bolt had been tested six times in Beijing. It was an historic night for Jamaica, who had never won the Olympic 100 metres before. In 1952, Herb McKenlay lost the closest 100 metres in history, now Bolt had won the easiest. 10 When Bolt was asked why he slowed down, he said: I wasnt interested in the world record. I didnt even know I had the world record until after

Olympics: Usain Bolt takes Olympic glory with new 100m world record
Will Buckley August 17, 2008 1 Weve never seen anything like that before, said the great Olympian, Michael Johnson, after an amazing 100 metres final. Jamaican runner, Usain Bolt, was so far in front of the other runners that he had time to slow down and smile for the cameras before he crossed the finishing line. His time was a world record 9.69 seconds, three-hundredths of a second faster than the record he set 11 weeks ago. He looks unbeatable. 2 The other runners were nowhere. A fifth of a second behind a long, long way in sprinting was Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago. The best American was Walter Dix, who was third in 9.91sec. Asafa Powell and Michael Frater, also from Jamaica, were fifth and sixth, a long way behind the incredible Bolt. 3 The 100 metres is the main event at the Olympic Games and for that reason it is also the race which can bring disgrace to the sport of athletics. If the fastest man in the world is a cheat, who cares about the others? Two of the previous four winners of the 100 metres, Justin Gatlin and Linford Christie, failed drugs tests after the Olympics. This meant that, of course, some people were very suspicious about this years race. 4 The world record holder, Bolt, and the former world record holder, Powell, are the two fastest men in the world and some people said the winner would need a time of 9.6 to win the race. 20 years ago Ben Johnson won the Olympic 100 metres in 9.7, running quicker than anyone did in the four Olympics that followed. He then tested positive for drugs and lost his gold medal. 5 In the semi-finals Bolt started slowly, was slow at the finish and still won in 9.85. This was exactly the time Justin Gatlin (who is now banned after failing a drugs test) ran to win in Athens
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NEWS LESSONS / Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record / Elementary

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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 1 Elementary
the victory lap. This medal means a lot to my country, and to me. Bolt had missed breakfast and had chicken nuggets for lunch. He then rested, and then had more nuggets for tea. He won the gold medal on a diet of chicken nuggets. The shadow of history was there though. Johnson was tragic but if there was anything suspicious about Bolts victory, it would be a farce not a tragedy.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 17/08/08

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Some people are suspicious about the 100 metres final because 2. The Jamaican team were not surprised because a. Jamaican. b. ... it was the first time they had won the 100 metres at the Olympics. c. American. d. they expected Usain Bolt to win. e. two of the previous four winners have failed drugs tests. f. a fifth of a second in front of the runner who came second.

3. It was an historic night for Jamaica because 4. Usain Bolt was 5. Three of the eight finalists were 6. Two of the the eight finalists were

4 Chunks
Rearrange these words to make phrases from the text. 1. former holder the record world 2. previous the of two winners four 3. the in the fastest two world men 4. man faster 9.7 seconds to first than run the 5. him expected we win to 6. wasnt record in I the interested world
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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 1 Elementary
5 Prepositions
Fill the gaps in the phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text. 1. _______ front of the other runners 2. suspicious _______ this years race 3. the fastest men _______ the world 4. slow _______ the finish 5. suffering _______ an injury 6. from side _______ side 7. not interested _______ the world record 8. _______ a diet

6 Word building
Complete the table using words from the text.

verb
1. compete 2. perform 3. introduce 4. 5. 6. cheat 7. 8.

noun
appearance celebration breath test

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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. unbeatable 2. disgrace 3. cheat 4. sprint 5. coach 6. suspicious 7. lap 8. farce 9. event 10. lane

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. the former world record holder two of the previous four winners the two fastest men in the world the first man to run faster than 9.7 seconds we expected him to win I wasnt interested in the world record

5 Prepositions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. in about in at from to in on

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Jamaica 9.69 seconds Richard Thompson 9.85 seconds Athens

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e d b f a c

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. competitor performance introduction appear celebrate cheat breathe test

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record / Elementary

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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. breathtaking disproportionate cheat lane undoubtedly subsequently farcical lap unbeatable disgrace

1. A ________________ number is one that is bigger or smaller than it should be. 2. If something ________________ a competition, it harms its reputation by doing something bad or immoral. 3. An ________________ athlete is better than everyone else and cannot be beaten. 4. If something happens ________________, it happens after something else happened. 5. A ________________ is one of the parts that an athletics track is divided into, intended for one runner. 6. A ________________ is one complete turn around a course in a race. 7. The adverb ________________ is used for saying that something is certainly true or is accepted by everyone. 8. If something is ________________, it is so badly organized, unsuccessful or unfair that it seems funny. 9. If something is ________________, it is extremely impressive or beautiful. 10. A ________________ is someone who behaves dishonestly in order to win a competition.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the following information as quickly as possible. 1. What is Usain Bolts new 100 metres world record? 2. Who came second in the race? 3. Where is Usain Bolt from? 4. How fast did Usain Bolt run the 100 metres in the semi-final? 5. How many times have Jamaica won the 100 metres gold medal at the Olympics? 6. Where were the 2004 Olympic Games held?

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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 2 Intermediate
He was a tenth of a second ahead of college champion Dix in second, a margin he would more than double in the final. Even then Bolt looked sensational, unbeatable, incredible. 6 Bolts path to the gold medal was made easier when Tyson Gay, suffering from injury, did not even break 10 seconds and missed a place in the final, which went instead to fellow American Darvis Patton. Powell won his semi-final easily in 9.91 and the final of the 100 metres had become a Jamaican contest. They even had a third finalist in Frater who, along with two Trinidadians, two Americans and the man from Netherlands Antilles, completed the field. Six from the Caribbean, two from the United States. 7 As the competitors appeared for the final, hundreds of cameras flashed round the stadium to create a twinkling star effect. The backdrop was near perfect the stadium was the greatest in modern Olympics, in a Games that may be remembered as much for its architecture as its athletes. Bolt was in lane four. Powell was three lanes to his right. In between were Thompson and Dix. This, surely, would be where the medals would be contested. The introductions to the most explosive event in all of sport were made. Bolt smiled and pointed. Powell swung from side to side. 8 Silence, and then bang! Before anyone could breathe Bolt had won. Astonishingly, the first man to break 9.7 seconds slowed down towards the end. Like a jockey riding a wonder-horse, he even took a quick look over his shoulder in the last five metres. I could see him slowing down ahead as I was still running hard, said Thompson. If the semi-final was incredible, this was even more unbelievable. Bolt had produced the most electric 100 metres performance for 20 years and then disco danced around the stadium. 9 It was expected, said the Jamaican team doctor, Herb Elliott. I dont know how fast he can go; his coach doesnt know how fast he can go; he doesnt know how fast he can go. He also said that Bolt had been tested half-a-dozen times in Beijing. It was an historic night for Jamaica,
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Olympics: Usain Bolt takes Olympic glory with new 100m world record
Will Buckley August 17, 2008 1 Weve never seen anything like that before, said the great Olympian, Michael Johnson, after a breathtaking 100 metres final. Usain Bolt was so far ahead of the rest, he had time to slow down and smile for the cameras before crossing the line in a world record time of 9.69 seconds, beating by three-hundredths of a second the record he had set 11 weeks ago. He looks unbeatable. 2 The rest were nowhere. A fifth of a second behind a long, long way in sprinting was Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago. The best American was Walter Dix, who took the bronze medal in 9.91 seconds. Asafa Powell and Michael Frater, Bolts Jamaican compatriots, were fifth and sixth, a long way behind the unbelievable Bolt. 3 The 100 metres is the main event at the Olympic Games, and for that reason it is also the race which is most likely to disgrace the sport. If the fastest man in the world is a cheat, who cares about the rest? Of the previous four winners of the 100 metres, Justin Gatlin and Linford Christie subsequently failed drugs tests. This meant that, of course, some people would be looking at yesterdays race with suspicion. 4 The world record holder, Bolt, and the former world record holder, Powell, are the two fastest men in the world and there was some talk of people needing to go as low as 9.6 in order to win it. 20 years ago Ben Johnson won it in 9.7, running quicker than anyone until yesterday had managed in an Olympics since then. Of course, Johnson then lost his gold medal after testing poitive for drugs. 5 In the semi-finals Bolt was slowly away, slow at the finish and still won in 9.85, exactly the time Justin Gatlin (who is now banned after a drugs test failure) had run to win in Athens in 2004.
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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 2 Intermediate
medal means a lot to my country, and to me. Bolt had missed breakfast and had chicken nuggets for lunch. He then rested, and then had nuggets for tea. It was a nugget diet which had led to a golden performance. The history, however, casts its shadow. Johnsons downfall was tragic: if anything were found to be wrong with Bolt, it would be farcical.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 17/08/08

who have been trying to win the 100 metres for a long, long time. In 1952, Herb McKenlay lost the closest 100 metres in history, now Bolt had won the easiest. For a country of just two-and-a-half million they have undoubtedly produced a disproportionate number of top quality sprinters but this was the first time they had won 100 metres gold. 10 Asked why he slowed down, Bolt said: I wasnt interested in the world record. I didnt even know I had it until after the victory lap. This

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements True (T) or False (F) according to the text? 1. Usain Bolt ran faster in this years semi-final than Justin Gatlin ran in the 2004 final. 2. Tyson Gay didnt run in the final because he was injured. 3. Bolt was not tested for drugs in Beijing. 4. Two of the last four Olympic 100 metres champions failed drugs tests. 5. Bolt wasnt interested in the world record. 6. Bolt slowed down in the last five metres.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and expressions in the text. 1. A noun meaning someone who is from the same country as someone else. (para 2) 2. A five-word expression meaning the previous person to hold the world record. (para 4) 3. A past participle meaning officially prevented from competing. (para 5) 4. A noun meaning the amount by which a competition is won. (para 5) 5. An adjective meaning very exciting and surprising. (para 5) 6. A noun meaning all the people taking part in a race. (para 6) 7. A noun meaning everything you can see behind the main thing you are looking at. (para 7) 8. A noun meaning someone whose job is to ride horses in races. (para 8)

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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Word building: Adjectives
Complete the table with adjectives that match the definitions.

adjective
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

definition
cannot be believed cannot be beaten cannot be imagined cannot be avoided cannot be controlled cannot be accepted cannot be forgotten cannot be mistaken (for someone or something else)

6 Word building
Complete the table using words from the text.

verb
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. perform suspect compete introduce disgrace contest cheat fail

noun

7 Discussion
Should performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sport? What are the arguments for and against such a step?

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Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. disproportionate 2. disgraces 3. unbeatable 4. subsequently 5. lane 6. lap 7. undoubtedly 8. farcical 9. breathtaking 10. cheat

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. compatriot 2. the former world record holder 3. banned 4. margin 5. sensational 6. field 7. backdrop 8. jockey

5 Word building: Adjectives


1. unbelievable (incredible) 2. unbeatable 3. unimaginable 4. unavoidable (inevitable) 5. uncontrollable 6. unacceptable 7. unforgettable 8. unmistakable

2 Find the information


1. 9.69 seconds 2. Richard Thompson 3. Jamaica 4. 9.85 seconds 5. once (this was the first time) 6. Athens

3 Comprehension check
1. F 2. F 3. F 4. T 5. T 6. T

6 Word building
1. performance 2. suspicion 3. competition/competitor 4. introduction 5. disgrace 6. contest 7. cheat 8. failure

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Olympics: Usain Bolts new 100m world record / Intermediate

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The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

a) What do you consider to be a teachers tools of the trade? b) What do you think your teacher needs to carry in his / her teaching bag for work purposes?

Key words

Find the key words in the article. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. Containing bullets: ______________________. (para 1) 2. To be offended or shocked: ______________________. (para 3) 3. Someone who strongly supports something: ______________________. (para 3) 4. Hidden from view: ______________________. (para 3) 5. A person who is the prisoner of someone who threatens to kill them if they do not get what they want: ______________________. (para 6) 6. The process of checking someone to see if theyre suitable for something: ______________________. (para 9) 7. To hit a surface at an angle and immediately move away from it at a different angle: _____________________. (para 9) 8. An action or movement that you need care or skill to do: ______________________. (para 10) 9. When a weapon is fired it is ______________________. (para 11) 10. Not sorry / show no regret: ______________________. (para 14)

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The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 3 Advanced
8 Weve had a very disturbing trend of school shootings in the US, said Thweatt. It is my belief that this is caused by making schools gun-free zones. When schools were made gun-free zones, they became targets for people who wanted a high body count. As is commonplace in America, Harrolds school already has tough security including card-swipe entry for rooms and screening for visitors. Armed teachers must get a state gun licence and will be required to use bullets of a type less liable to ricochet off walls or desks. But teachers unions in Texas have expressed horror.

The American school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun
Teachers in Texan town allowed to carry pistols Remote location could make it a target, say locals Andrew Clark August 18, 2008 1 School authorities in Harrold, Texas, say loaded pistols in the hands of trained teachers will make its students and staff safer. 2 When teachers return for a new school term in the tiny Texas farming town of Harrold, they can bring an extra tool of the trade alongside books, pens and worksheets. To defend pupils from any gun-toting maniacs, they can carry loaded pistols into the classroom. 3 With barely 300 residents, the remote rural community in the states northern dustbowl has appalled gun control advocates by becoming the first in the US to allow its teachers to carry concealed firearms. 4 Harrolds school board maintains that the plan is necessary because the town is 25 miles from the nearest sheriffs office, making it hard to get swift help in an emergency. Its location just yards from a major highway, Americas north-south Interstate 287, makes it a potential target for armed maniacs. 5 We are 30 minutes from law enforcement, Harrolds school superintendent, David Thweatt, told The Guardian. How long do you think it would take to kill all 150 of us? It would be a bloodbath. 6 Carefully selected teachers are to be trained in crisis management including handling hostage situations. Thweatt said: When you have good guys with guns, the bad guys do less damage. 7 More than a dozen mass shooting tragedies have hit US educational establishments over the last decade, including the Columbine massacre which claimed 15 lives at a Colorado high school in 1999 and last years Virginia Tech massacre which left 33 people dead.

10 Its a disaster waiting to happen, Gayle Fallon, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers said. She described it as the sort of manoeuvre that makes Texas a laughing stock: Its up there with the worst ideas in the history of education. 11 Ken Trump, an Ohio-based specialist in advising school boards on security, suggested it would be more sensible to hire security guards than to give guns to minimally supervised, minimally trained teachers. You could have a gun accidentally taken away, or a gun could be discharged while a teachers breaking up a fight in the cafeteria, said Trump. 12 Harrolds gun policy was praised by the pro-gun nationwide Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Its chairman, Alan Gottlieb, said the towns school buildings would be safer: Allowing armed staff and teachers will provide a last line of defence if other security measures at the school fail. 13 He argued that teachers would be able to respond faster to a classroom shooting than a security guard: Officers cant be everywhere and in an emergency every second counts. 14 Harrolds school board is unapologetic about the controversy. Thweatt said the thick brick walls of Harrolds school protected pupils from tornadoes and the school authorities had a duty to protect children from human attacks.
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The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 3 Advanced
15 When you hear about these shootings, the reports always start out with this is a sleepy little place, nobody thought this would ever happen here, said Thweatt.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 18/08/08

Background: Gun violence in US schools


April 1999 Students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 12 students and a teacher at Columbine high school in Littleton, Colorado, before shooting themselves February 2000 Six-year-old Kayla Rolland is shot dead at Buell Elementary School near Flint, Michigan, by a six-year-old boy May 2000 13 year-old Nate Brazill kills a teacher at Lake Worth school, Florida, after being sent home March 2005 16-year-old Jeff Weise guns down five students, a teacher and a security guard at Red Lake High School in northern Minnesota before killing himself. He had also just killed his grandfather and his grandfathers companion September 2006 15-year-old student kills his school principal in western Wisconsin October 2006 Charles Roberts kills five girls at a one-classroom Pennsylvanian Amish school April 2007 Cho Seung-hui kills 32 students at Virginia Tech university February 2008 Gunman kills five students at Northern Illinois University

3 Comprehension check
Find the answers to the questions in the article. 1. School authorities in Harrold, Texas, are allowing... a) ... pupils to protect themselves from armed maniacs. b) ... teachers to carry guns in the classroom. c) ... security guards to check parents. 2. The schools superintendent thinks that... a) ... the sheriffs office should be moved closer to the school. b) ... a gunman could kill all 150 pupils and teachers before outside help arrived. c) ... there needs to be stricter security at the school gates. 3. Shooting tragedies in US schools and colleges are... a) ... becoming more frequent. b) ... decreasing. c) ... common in Texas. 4. Teachers unions in Texas are... a) ... behind the plan. b) ... unsure if this is the right plan. c) ... horrified by the plan.

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The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 3 Advanced
4 Multi-word phrases
Tools of the trade is a multi-word phrase that means: the skills and equipment needed to do a particular job. Find other multi-word phrases in the article that mean: 1. A deranged or mad person carrying a weapon (3 words) 2. A collective term for police and other security or emergency services (2 words) 3. Methods for dealing with extremely difficult situations (2 words) 4. A foreseeable tragedy (4 words) 5. Terrible and sad situations in which many people get shot (3 words) 6. An area where no firearms are allowed (3 words) 7. A method of going into a building using a plastic card (3 words) 8. Someone or something that everyone thinks is silly (2 words) 9. A small town or area where nothing much happens (3 words)

5 Discussion
Do you agree with Thweatts statement: When you have good guys with guns, the bad guys do less damage.? Why / why not?

6 Group task: In case of emergency...


What would you do if there was an emergency at your school? Decide on a type of emergency (fire, flood, terrorist attack, etc.) and write a step-by-step emergency/ escape plan.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun / Advanced

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The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 3 Advanced KEY
2 Key words
1. loaded 2. appalled 3. advocate 4. concealed 5. hostage 6. screening 7. ricochet 8. manoeuvre 9. discharged 10. unapologetic

4 Multi-word phrases
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. gun-toting maniac law enforcement crisis management disaster waiting to happen mass shooting tragedies gun-free zones card-swipe entry laughing stock sleepy little place

Teachers notes:

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b b a c

Internet tasks: Ask students to check the schools website: www.harroldisd.net What kind of school is it? Can they pinpoint it on a map? Ask them to discuss other ways to protect the pupils in the school from possible attack. Write Harrold Texas into the search field in YouTube to see TV reports about the controversy.

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The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 1 Elementary
1 Warmer
a) Which of these items does your teacher need for work? pens pencils computer CD player gun ruler book worksheets

b) Can you add any more? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 Key words
Write the key words from the article next to their meanings. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. armed disaster staff dozen unapologetic controversy ricochet licence rural horrified authorities defend

1. An organization or institution that controls something, often a public service: ____________________. (para 1) 2. People who work at a company or other place of work: ____________________. (para 1) 3. To protect someone or something from attack: ____________________. (para 2) 4. In the countryside (not in the city): ____________________. (para 3) 5. Carrying a weapon (usually a gun): ____________________. (para 4) 6. Another word for twelve: ____________________. (para 7) 7. An official paper that allows you to do something: ____________________. (para 8) 8. To hit a surface at an angle and immediately move away from it at a different angle: ____________________. (para 8) 9. Shocked: ____________________. (para 8) 10. Something very bad that happens and may kill many people: ____________________. (para 9) 11. Not sorry / show no regret: ____________________. (para 13) 12. A disagreement that a lot of people have strong feelings about: ____________________. (para 13)
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The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


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8 Like many places in America, Harrolds school already has very tough security. The teachers must get a state gun licence and the bullets will be a special type less likely to ricochet off walls or desks. But teachers unions in Texas are horrified. Its a disaster waiting to happen, Gayle Fallon, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers said. She described it as the sort of plan that makes people laugh at Texas: Its one of the worst ideas in the history of education.

The American school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun
Teachers in Texan town allowed to carry guns Remote location could make it a target, say locals Andrew Clark August 18, 2008 1 School authorities in Harrold, Texas, say trained teachers with guns will make its students and staff safer. 2 When teachers return for a new school term in the tiny Texas farming town of Harrold, they can bring an extra piece of equipment in addition to books, pens and worksheets. To defend pupils, they can carry guns into the classroom. 3 With only 300 residents, the small rural town in northern Texas has shocked many people by becoming the first place in the US to allow its teachers to carry guns. 4 Harrolds school board says that the plan is necessary because the town is 25 miles from the nearest sheriffs office, which makes it hard to get immediate help in an emergency. They also say that because the town is very near to a major highway, Americas north-south Interstate 287, it could be a possible target for armed madmen. 5 The sheriffs office is 30 minutes away, said Harrolds school superintendent, David Thweatt. How long do you think it would take to kill all 150 of us? It would be a bloodbath. 6 Some teachers at the school will be trained in dealing with emergencies. Thweatt said: When you have good guys with guns, the bad guys do less damage. 7 There have been more than a dozen mass shooting tragedies in US schools over the last ten years, including the Columbine massacre in which 15 people died at a Colorado high school in 1999 and last years Virginia Tech massacre which left 33 people dead.

10 Ken Trump, an Ohio-based security specialist, said it would be more sensible to hire security guards than to give guns to minimally supervised, minimally trained teachers. You could have a gun accidentally taken away, or a gun could be accidently fired while a teachers breaking up a fight in the cafeteria, said Trump. 11 Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the pro-gun nationwide Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, said the towns school buildings would be safer: Allowing armed staff and teachers will provide a last line of defence if other security measures at the school fail. 12 He said that teachers would be able to deal more quickly with a classroom shooting than a security guard: Officers cant be everywhere and in an emergency every second counts. 13 Harrolds school board is unapologetic about the controversy. Thweatt said the thick brick walls of Harrolds school protected pupils from tornadoes and the school authorities had a duty to protect children from human attacks. 14 When you hear about these shootings, the reports always start out with this is a sleepy little place, nobody thought this would ever happen here, said Thweatt.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 18/08/08
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun / Elementary

CA

P H

The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 1 Elementary

Background: Gun violence in US schools


April 1999 Students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 12 students and a teacher at Columbine high school in Littleton, Colorado, before shooting themselves February 2000 Six-year-old Kayla Rolland is shot dead at Buell Elementary School near Flint, Michigan, by a six-year-old boy May 2000 13 year-old Nate Brazill kills a teacher at Lake Worth school, Florida, after being sent home March 2005 16-year-old Jeff Weise guns down five students, a teacher and a security guard at Red Lake High School in northern Minnesota before killing himself. He had also just killed his grandfather and his grandfathers companion September 2006 15-year-old student kills his school principal in western Wisconsin October 2006 Charles Roberts kills five girls at a one-classroom Pennsylvanian Amish school April 2007 Cho Seung-hui kills 32 students at Virginia Tech university February 2008 Gunman kills five students at Northern Illinois University

3 Summarizing
Re-read the article to find the answers to these questions. 1. What kind of town is Harrold and where is it? 2. What will teachers at Harrold School take into class next term? 3. How far away is the sheriffs office? 4. How many mass shootings have there been at US schools in the last ten years? 5. How many people died in the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre? 6. Are teachers unions happy about the idea?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun / Elementary

CA

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 1 Elementary
4 Prepositions
Fill in the missing prepositions (according to the article). at x2 in x2 for of to into

When teachers return ____________ a new school term they can carry guns ____________ the classroom small rural town ____________northern Texas help ____________ an emergency it is very near ____________ a major highway to kill all 150 ____________ us 15 people died ____________ a Colorado high school the sort of plan that makes people laugh ____________ Texas

5 Group task: In an emergency...


What would you do if there was an emergency at your school? Decide on a type of emergency (fire, flood, terrorist attack, etc.) and write a step-by-step emergency / escape plan. Step 1: ______________________________________________________ Step 2: ______________________________________________________ Step 3: ______________________________________________________ Step 4: ______________________________________________________ Step 5: ______________________________________________________ Step 6: ______________________________________________________ Step 7: ______________________________________________________ Step 8: ______________________________________________________ Step 9: ______________________________________________________ Step 10: ______________________________________________________

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 1 Elementary KEY
2 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. authorities staff defend rural armed dozen licence ricochet horrified disaster unapologetic controversy

Prepositions

for; into; in; in; to; of; at; at

Teachers notes: Internet tasks: Ask students to check the schools website: www.harroldisd.net What kind of school is it? Can they pinpoint it on a map? Ask them to discuss other ways to protect the pupils in the school from possible attack. Write Harrold Texas into the search field in YouTube to see TV reports about the controversy.

3 Summarizing
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. A small farming town in Texas, USA Guns 30 minutes away More than a dozen / 12 33 No (they think its a disaster waiting to happen)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

a) What teaching equipment is always in your classroom? b) What additional equipment do you think your teacher needs to carry in his/her teaching bag?

Key words

Match the key words from the article with their meanings. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. armed remote screening loaded hostage unapologetic gun-toting maniacs ricochet

crisis management card-swipe entry

authorities

1. An organization or institution that controls something, often a public service: ____________________. (para 1) 2. Containing bullets: ________________________. (para 1) 3. Mad people carrying weapons: ____________________________. (para 2) 4. Far away from any other cities or towns: ________________________. (para 3) 5. Methods for dealing with extremely difficult situations: ____________________________. (para 6) 6. A person who is the prisoner of someone who threatens to kill them if they do not get what they want: ________________________. (para 6) 7. A method of going into a building using a plastic card: ____________________________. (para 8) 8. The process of checking someone to see if theyre suitable for something: ________________________. (para 8) 9. Carrying a weapon (usually a gun): ________________________. (para 8) 10. To hit a surface at an angle and immediately move away from it at a different angle: ________________________. (para 8) 11. Not sorry / show no regret: ________________________. (para 13)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 2 Intermediate
entry for rooms and screening for visitors. Armed teachers must get a state gun licence and the bullets will be of a type less likely to ricochet off walls or desks. But teachers unions in Texas have expressed horror.

The American school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun
Teachers in Texan town allowed to carry guns Remote location could make it a target, say locals Andrew Clark August 18, 2008 1 School authorities in Harrold, Texas, say loaded
guns in the hands of trained teachers will make its students and staff safer.

Its a disaster waiting to happen, Gayle Fallon, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers said. She described it as the sort of plan that makes people laugh at Texas: Its one of the worst ideas in the history of education.

2 When teachers return for a new school term in the

tiny Texas farming town of Harrold, they can bring an extra piece of equipment alongside books, pens and worksheets. To defend pupils from any gun-toting maniacs, they can carry loaded guns into the classroom.

10 Ken Trump, an Ohio-based security specialist,

3 With barely 300 residents, the remote rural

suggested it would be more sensible to hire security guards than to give guns to minimally supervised, minimally trained teachers. You could have a gun accidentally taken away, or a gun could be accidently fired while a teachers breaking up a fight in the cafeteria, said Trump.

community in northern Texas has shocked groups in favor of gun control by becoming the first place in the US to allow its teachers to carry guns.

11 Harrolds gun policy was praised by the pro-gun

4 Harrolds school board says that the plan is

necessary because the town is 25 miles from the nearest sheriffs office, which makes it hard to get immediate help in an emergency. They also say that its location just yards from a major highway, Americas north-south Interstate 287, makes it a possible target for armed maniacs.

nationwide Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Its chairman, Alan Gottlieb, said the towns school buildings would be safer: Allowing armed staff and teachers will provide a last line of defence if other security measures at the school fail.

12 He argued that teachers would be able to respond


faster to a classroom shooting than a security guard: Officers cant be everywhere and in an emergency every second counts.

5 The sheriffs office is 30 minutes away, said

Harrolds school superintendent, David Thweatt. How long do you think it would take to kill all 150 of us? It would be a bloodbath.

13 Harrolds school board is unapologetic about the

6 Carefully selected teachers are to be trained in

crisis management including dealing with hostage situations. Thweatt said: When you have good guys with guns, the bad guys do less damage.

controversy. Thweatt said the thick brick walls of Harrolds school protected pupils from tornadoes and the school authorities had a duty to protect children from human attacks.

14 When you hear about these shootings, the reports


always start out with this is a sleepy little place, nobody thought this would ever happen here, said Thweatt.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 18/08/08

7 More than a dozen mass shooting tragedies have

hit US schools over the last ten years, including the Columbine massacre in which 15 people died at a Colorado high school in 1999 and last years Virginia Tech massacre which left 33 people dead.

8 Like many places in America, Harrolds school

already has tough security including card-swipe


N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun / Intermediate

CA

P H

The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 2 Intermediate

Background: Gun violence in US schools


April 1999 Students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 12 students and a teacher at Columbine high school in Littleton, Colorado, before shooting themselves February 2000 Six-year-old Kayla Rolland is shot dead at Buell Elementary School near Flint, Michigan, by a six-year-old boy May 2000 13 year-old Nate Brazill kills a teacher at Lake Worth school, Florida, after being sent home March 2005 16-year-old Jeff Weise guns down five students, a teacher and a security guard at Red Lake High School in northern Minnesota before killing himself. He had also just killed his grandfather and his grandfathers companion September 2006 15-year-old student kills his school principal in western Wisconsin October 2006 Charles Roberts kills five girls at a one-classroom Pennsylvanian Amish school April 2007 Cho Seung-hui kills 32 students at Virginia Tech university February 2008 Gunman kills five students at Northern Illinois University

Comprehension

According to the article, are these sentences True (T) or False (F)? 1. School authorities in Harrold, Texas, are allowing selected teachers to carry guns in the classroom. 2. Teachers unions are in favor of this plan. 3. Harrold is a small farming town in Ohio. 4. The schools superintendent thinks that the sheriffs office should be moved closer to the school. 5. Up to now there has been no security at Harrolds school. 6. The schools superintendent says tornadoes are a bigger problem than guns. 7. There have been more than 12 shooting incidents in US schools in the last decade. 8. A security specialist thinks that arming teachers is not the answer to the problem. 9. The teachers will not need a gun licence. 10. Thweatt says the threat of shootings is greater in big cities.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun


Level 2 Intermediate
4 Statements: Who said what?
Find the statements made by these four people in the article. Which, if any, do you agree with? The schools superintendent said, When you...__________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________. The chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said _____________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________. A security specialist said ___________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________. The president of the Houston Federation of Teachers said ________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________.

Make your own statement about the article.

Your statement: ........................................................................................................................................................


........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................

5 Group task: In case of emergency...


What would you do if there was an emergency at your school? Decide on a type of emergency (fire, flood, terrorist attack, etc.) and write a step-by-step emergency / escape plan.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS /The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun Addiction to Internet is an illness
Level 2 KEY
2 Key words
1. authorities 2. loaded 3. gun-toting maniacs 4. remote 5. crisis management 6. hostage 7. card-swipe entry 8. screening 9. armed 10. ricochet 11. unapologetic

Intermediate

4 Statements: Who said what?


The schools superintendent said, When you have good guys with guns, the bad guys do less damage. The Chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said, Allowing armed staff and teachers will provide a last line of defence if other security measures at the school fail. A security specialist said it would be more sensible to hire security guards than to give guns to minimally supervised, minimally trained teachers. You could have a gun accidentally taken away, or a gun could be accidently fired while a teachers breaking up a fight in the cafeteria. Gayle Fallon, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers said Its a disaster waiting to happen. Teachers notes: Internet tasks: Ask students to check the schools website: www.harroldisd.net What kind of school is it? Can they pinpoint it on a map? Ask them to discuss other ways to protect the pupils in the school from possible attack. Write Harrold Texas into the search field in YouTube to see TV reports about the controversy.

3 Comprehension
1. True 2. False 3. False 4. False 5. False 6. False 7. True 8. True 9. False 10. False

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The school where teachers carry a pen, a ruler and... a gun / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama says its time to change America


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer: Quiz
1. What and where is the White House? 2. Name the two major political parties in the United States. 3. Which colours are they represented by? 4. Who is Uncle Sam? 5. Who was Martin Luther King? 6. Who is the current US president and which party does he belong to? 7. Who is his deputy?

Key words

Find the words in the article that mean the following. 1. An official suggestion or decision that someone should get a job or prize: _____________________. (para 1) 2. A style of speaking or writing that is intended to influence people: ______________________. (para 2) 3. To pay _____________________ or tribute to someone shows you respect and admire them or their work. (para 3) 4. If you _____________________ your country or someone who needs your support, you deliberately do something that harms them or helps their opponents. (para 4, infinitive) 5. A verb meaning to promise seriously and publicly to do something: _____________________. (para 5) 6. The fact that something is based on accurate information. Often a synonym for truth: ____________________. (para 6) 7. An adjective, usually before a noun, meaning that something is not strong or successful: __________________ (para 6) 8. A word meaning negative comments or jibes: _____________________. (para 7) 9. Special clothes that you wear for a ceremony or official occasion: _____________________. (para 11) 10. When someone is _____________________ they are searched by someone with their hands in order to see if they are carrying anything illegal such as a gun or drugs. (para 13) 11. Acts of giving up something important or valuable so that you or other people can do or have something else: _____________________. (para 15) 12. Strong feelings of love, respect, and duty towards your country: _____________________. (para 16)
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Advanced

CA

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Obama says its time to change America


Level 3 Advanced
7 He finally went after McCain and made sly digs over McCains volatile temperament and age: McCain turns 72 today. To cheers from the crowd, he challenged McCains foreign policy judgment and rounded on him for supporting the Iraq war at the expense of failing to go after Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and Pakistan. John McCain likes to say that hell follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell but he wont even go to the cave where he lives. The Obama campaign had intended the speech to be a peoples event. He was only the third Democratic candidate to accept the partys presidential nomination outside a convention hall: Roosevelt did in Chicago in 1932, and Kennedy in Los Angeles in 1960.

Barack Obama gets down to policy as he wows a crowd of 80,000


Democratic nominee tackles Iraq, race and the Republicans during a rousing address in Denver Ewen MacAskill and Suzanne Goldenberg in Denver August 29, 2008 1 Barack Obama fulfilled the promise made when he entered the US political stage four years ago and the dream of Martin Luther King almost half a century ago, when he accepted the Democratic presidential nomination before tens of thousands of his supporters. 2 Obamas speech, at Denvers Mile High stadium, added policy to the rhetoric that had helped bring a man who was virtually unknown at the 2004 Democratic convention to within reach of the White House. 3 Speaking on the 45th anniversary of Kings I have a dream speech, the first African-American to secure the nomination of a major party brought the 80,000-plus who packed the stadium to their feet when, concluding a 47-minute speech, he paid homage to King. Obama said it was the promise of America that had brought people from every corner of the country to hear King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. 4 Bush had betrayed that promise during the last eight years and the country could not take the chance of another four under John McCain, Obama said. 5 Quoting from Kings call to march forward together and not turn back, he echoed the father of the civil rights movement: America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. 6 After months of criticism that there was no substance behind the words, Obama spoke about how he would deal with Americas ailing economy, the biggest election issue. He offered a programme of education, health and energy reforms, allied to job creation and tax cuts.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008

10 Tens of thousands of people took the chance to be part of the event, with long lines snaking for miles around the stadium under a blazing sun and filling the stadium three hours before he spoke. 11 They came in Martin Luther King T-shirts and in full Obama regalia T-shirts, hats and buttons. A few came in Native American traditional dress. Vendors sold Obama dolls and life-sized figures of Obama dressed as Uncle Sam. 12 Inside the stadium, there was a collective sense of history in the making. Flash bulbs from cameras popped incessantly from the stands, as people waved small American flags, danced to Motown and shouted Yes, we can! as Will.i.am and other performers took to the stage. 13 Obama came to his first Democratic convention eight years ago short of cash and was frequently frisked by security because of his name. He recalled his arrival on the national scene, Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who werent well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to, he said. 14 He used his own life story, too, to address the negative campaign that McCain has mounted over
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NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Advanced

Obama says its time to change America


Level 3 Advanced
women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan may have been of different political parties but all died under the same flag. 17 They have not served a red America or a blue America they have served the United States of America, he said. So Ive got news for you, John McCain: We all put our country first.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 29/08/08

the last two months, in particular that he was too fond of his new-found celebrity status. 15 Obama spoke about the sacrifices made by his family. I dont know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead but this has been mine, he said. 16 He also responded to charges by Republicans that question his patriotism. He adapted a line from his 2004 speech in Boston to argue that the men and

3 Comprehension check
Find the answers to the questions in the article. 1. Why was Barack Obama at Denvers Mile High stadium? a) To announce his decision to run for US President. b) To officially accept the Democratic Partys presidential nomination. c) To talk about Martin Luther King. 2. Where did Martin Luther King hold his famous I have a dream speech? a) In Denvers Mile High Stadium. b) In Boston. c) At the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. 3. Obama had been criticized for... a) ... paying homage to Martin Luther King. b) ... not giving enough details about his policies. c) ... talking about the USs ailing economy. 4. Obama criticized McCain for... a) ... not acting his age. b) ... supporting Bushs war in Iraq over pursuing bin Laden. c) ... not being patriotic. 5. Obamas parents are from... a) ... Kenya and the USA. b) ... Kansas and Hawaii. c) ... Kenya and Hawaii.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama says its time to change America


Level 3 Advanced
4 Vocabulary: Collocations
Match the words below to make collocations from the article. Then write an example sentence of your own for each collocation. 1. accept 2. conclude 3. pay 4. (be) frisked 5. mount 6. ailing 7. sly 8. volatile 9. celebrity homage to a negative campaign by security a nomination a speech dig status economy temperament

5 Discussion
Who is the presidential nominee for the Republican Party? Who is his running mate? Why are the world press so interested in the US presidential elections? How do US politics affect your country / you personally?

6 Webquest
You can watch a five minute video of Barack Obama speaking in Denver here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/29/uselections2008.democrats20082 You can also type Barack Obama Denver into YouTube to watch it there.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama says its time to change America


Level 3 Advanced KEY
1 Warmer: Quiz
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Democratic Party = blue, and the Republican Party = red. Uncle Sam is a national personification of the United States (US), with the first usage of the term dating from the War of 1812 and the first illustration dating from 1852. He is often depicted as a serious elderly white man with white hair and a goatee, and dressed in clothing that recalls the design elements of the flag of the United States for example, typically a top hat with red and white stripes and white stars on a blue band, and red and white striped trousers. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the American civil rights movement. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where King delivered his I Have a Dream speech. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. George W. Bush. The Republican Party. Richard (Dick) B. Cheney

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. b c b b a

4 Vocabulary: Collocations
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. accept a nomination conclude a speech pay homage to (be) frisked by security mount a negative campaign ailing economy sly dig volatile temperament celebrity status

Teachers notes: Set a time limit and use your discretion for the warmer quiz. Get the students to collaborate by working in teams. Award extra points for answers that supply further or interesting information. You can watch a video of Barack Obama accepting the nomination here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/ aug/29/uselections2008.democrats20082 A full text of Obamas speech is available here: http://www. guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/29/uselections2008. barackobama2 Other useful websites are http://www.democrats.org/ http://www.rnc.org/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/vicepresident/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Sam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_luther_king Motown is a type of African-American soul music from the US city of Detroit, popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Will.i.am is a member of the Black Eyed Peas pop group.
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

2 Key words
1. nomination 2. rhetoric 3. homage 4. betray 5. pledge 6. substance 7. ailing 8. digs 9. regalia 10. frisked 11. sacrifices 12. patriotism

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Advanced

Obama says its time to change America


Level 1
1

Elementary

Warmer: Brainstorming

In five minutes, make as many notes as you can about politics in the United States of America.

.................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................. ..................................................................................................................................................

2 Key words
Write the words from the article into the sentences below. The paragraph numbers will help you find the correct words. betray stadium supporters cheered vendor march patriotism economy reform candidate

1. Someone who stands behind a particular person and his/her ideas: _____________________. (para1) 2. A large building, usually without a roof, where people watch sports events such as football: _____________________. (para 1) 3. One of the people competing in an election: _____________________. (para 1) 4. To give a loud shout of happiness and approval: _____________________. (para 2, past tense) 5. If you _____________________ your country or someone who needs your support, you deliberately do something that harms them or helps their opponents. (para 3, infinitive) 6. To walk along a road as part of a group of people protesting about something: ___________________. (para 4) 7. A countrys business, industry, trade and money: _____________________. (para 5) 8. A change that corrects a situation that is wrong or unfair: _____________________. (para 5) 9. Someone who sells something especially outside: _____________________. (para 8) 10. Strong feelings of love, respect, and duty towards your country: _____________________. (para 11)
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Elementary

CA

P H

Obama says its time to change America


Level 1 Elementary
7 The people who work for Obama wanted the speech to be a peoples event. Tens of thousands of people attended and the stadium was full up three hours before he spoke. They came wearing Martin Luther King T-shirts and Obama T-shirts, hats, and buttons. A few came in Native American traditional clothes. Vendors sold Obama dolls. Inside the stadium cameras flashed and people waved small American flags. They danced to Motown music and shouted Yes, we can! as Will.i.am and other musicians performed on the stage.

Obama says its time to change America


Ewen MacAskill and Suzanne Goldenberg in Denver August 29, 2008 1 In front of tens of thousands of his supporters at the Mile High stadium in Denver, Barack Obama officially agreed to be the Democratic Partys presidential candidate for the next US elections. Obama is the first African-American to be nominated by a major US political party. 2 The crowd of over 80,000 people stood up and cheered when, speaking on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther Kings I have a dream speech, Obama repeated Kings words. He said it was the promise of America, of a country where everyone can go to school and get a job, that had brought people from every corner of the country to hear King speak on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. 3 President Bush had betrayed that promise during the last eight years and the country could not take the chance of another four years with another Republican, John McCain, as the next president, Obama said. 4 Quoting from Kings call to march forward together and not turn back, he said America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must promise once more to march into the future. 5 Obama spoke about what he would do about Americas weak economy. He talked about education, health and energy reforms, new jobs and less tax. 6 To cheers from the crowd, he said 72-year-old McCain was wrong because he supports the Iraq war but is not looking for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

10 Obama said, Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story of a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who didnt have much money, but who both believed that in America, their son could become whatever he wanted to be. 11 He answered negative comments made by Republicans that questioned his patriotism. He said that although the men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan may have supported different political parties, they all died for the same country. 12 They have not fought for a Republican America or a Democratic America they have served the United States of America, he said. So Ive got news for you, John McCain: We all put our country first.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 29/08/08

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama says its time to change America


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Join these sentence halves to give a summary of the article. 1. Barack Obama hopes to be the... 2. John McCain also wants to be the... 3. Obama is the first African-American to be... 4. Over eighty thousand people went to... 5. The current president of the US... 6. Barack Obama... a. b. ... nominated by a major US political party. ... is much younger than John McCain.

c. ... is George W. Bush. d. ... next president, but for the Republican Party. e. ... next president of the United States.

f. ... Denver to hear Obamas speech.

4 Vocabulary: Crossword
Across 3. a piece of equipment that takes photographs 6. a large number of people in one place 3 2 1

Down 1. the political leader of a country 2. money we all have to pay to the government 4. a time when people vote 5. past tense of fight 6

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama says its time to change America


Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion
Are you interested in the US presidential elections? Why / Why not?

6 Webquest: Quiz
Use the Internet to find the answers to these questions. 1. What and where is the White House? 2. What are the names of the two major political parties in the United States? 3. Who is Obamas running mate (= the Vice President if Obama wins)? 4. Who is Uncle Sam? 5. Who was Martin Luther King? 6. Where and what is the Lincoln Memorial? 7. When are the US elections?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama says its time to change America


Level 1 Elementary KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. supporter stadium candidate cheered betray march economy reform vendor patriotism 5. 6. 7. in clothing that recalls the design elements of the flag of the United Statesfor example, typically a top hat with red and white stripes and white stars on a blue band, and red and white striped trousers. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the American civil rights movement. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where he delivered his I Have a Dream speech. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis. The Lincoln Memorial is a United States Presidential memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C November 4th 2008

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e d a f c b

Teachers notes: Students can work in pairs or teams for the warmer and compare notes after five minutes. You could set the webquest quiz as homework. Get the students to collaborate by working in teams. Award extra points for answers that supply further or interesting information. You can watch a video of Barack Obama accepting the nomination here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/ aug/29/uselections2008.democrats20082 A full text of Obamas speech is available here: http://www. guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/29/uselections2008. barackobama2 Other useful websites are: http://www.democrats.org/ http://www.rnc.org/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/vicepresident/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Sam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_luther_king http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_memorial

4 Vocabulary: Crossword
Across 3. camera 6. crowd Down 1. president 2. tax 4. election 5. fought

6 Webquest: Quiz
1. The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. 2. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party. 3. Jo Biden. 4. Uncle Sam is a national personification of the United States (US), with the first usage of the term dating from the War of 1812 and the first illustration dating from 1852. He is often depicted as a serious elderly white man with white hair and a goatee, and dressed

Motown is a type of African-American soul music from the US city of Detroit, popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Will.i.am is a member of the Black Eyed Peas pop group.
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Elementary

Obama says its time to change America


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Write in the words from the article that mean the following. betray campaign supporter sacrifice patriotism march reform nomination well-off policy tribute regalia

1. An official suggestion or decision that someone should get a job or prize: ______________________. (para 1) 2. Someone who stands behind a particular person and his/her ideas: ______________________. (para1) 3. Plans or actions agreed on by a government or political party: ______________________. (para2) 4. To pay ______________________ to someone shows you respect and admire them or their work. (para 3) 5. If you ______________________ your country or someone who needs your support, you deliberately do some thing that harms them or helps their opponents. (para 4, infinitive) 6. To walk along a road as part of a group of people protesting about something: __________________. (para 5) 7. A change intended to correct a situation that is wrong or unfair: ______________________. (para 6) 8. A series of things that a politician or political party does to try to win an election: ______________________. (para 8) 9. Special clothes that you wear for a ceremony or official occasion: ______________________. (para 11) 10. An adjective meaning rich or having enough money to live off: ______________________. (para 11) 11. Giving up something important or valuable so that you or other people can do or have something else: ______________________. (para 12) 12. Strong feelings of love, respect, and duty towards your country: ______________________. (para 13)

Phrases

Match the phrases from the article to their meanings. 1. accept a nomination (para 1) 2. add policy to words (para 2) 3. bring a crowd to their feet (para 3) 4. the promise of America (para 3) 5. betray a promise (para 4) 6. ailing economy (para 6) 7. short of cash (para 11) 8. put your mind to something (para 11) 9. respond to charges (para 13) 10. die under a flag (para 13) a. to put meaning and opinion into what you say b. to go back on something you have said c. the commitment that everybody should have a good education which would lead to a job and good quality of living d. to agree to take on a job or position that has been offered e. when people stand and clap because they like what you say or do f. give answers to negative comments made about you g. decide to do something h. be killed (in a war) while fighting for your country i. have very little money j. weak financial situation in a country
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Intermediate

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Obama says its time to change America


Level 2 Intermediate
go to the cave where he lives.

Barack Obama gets down to policy as he wows a crowd of 80,000


Democratic nominee tackles Iraq, race and the Republicans during a rousing address in Denver Ewen MacAskill and Suzanne Goldenberg in Denver August 29, 2008 1 Barack Obama kept the promise he made four years ago, and the dream of Martin Luther King almost half a century ago, when he accepted the Democratic presidential nomination before tens of thousands of his supporters. 2 Obamas speech, at Denvers Mile High stadium,
added policy to the words that had helped bring him within reach of the White House. a dream speech, Obama, the first African-American to be nominated by a major US political party, brought the 80,000-plus crowd to their feet when, at the end of his speech, he paid tribute to King. Obama said it was the promise of America that had brought people from every corner of the country to hear King speak on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. eight years and the country could not take the chance of another four with another Republican, John McCain, as president, Obama said. and not turn back, he said America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must promise once more to march into the future. behind his words, Obama spoke about how he would deal with Americas ailing economy. He offered a programme of education, health and energy reforms, related to job creation and tax cuts. old McCains foreign policy judgment and spoke against him for supporting the Iraq war but not looking for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and Pakistan. John McCain likes to say that hell follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell but he wont even

The Obama campaign had intended the speech to be a peoples event. Tens of thousands of people attended, with long lines snaking for miles around the stadium under a blazing sun and filling the stadium three hours before he spoke. They came in Martin Luther King T-shirts and in full Obama regalia T-shirts, hats and buttons. A few came in Native American traditional dress. Vendors sold Obama dolls and life-sized figures of Obama dressed as Uncle Sam. the stands, as people waved small American flags, danced to Motown music and shouted Yes, we can! as Will.i.am and other musicians performed on the stage.

10 Inside the stadium cameras flashed constantly from

3 Speaking on the 45th anniversary of Kings I have

11 Obama came to his first Democratic convention

4 Bush had betrayed that promise during the last

eight years ago short of cash. At that time he was often searched by security because of his name. He said, Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story of a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who werent well-off or wellknown, but both believed that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to, he said. comments made by McCain over the last two months, in particular that Obama was too fond of his new celebrity status. Obama spoke about the sacrifices made by his family. I dont know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine, he said.

12 He used his own life story, too, to answer negative

5 Quoting from Kings call to march forward together

13 He also responded to charges by Republicans that


question his patriotism. He adapted a line from his 2004 speech in Boston to argue that although the men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan may have been of different political parties they all died under the same flag. America they have served the United States of America, he said. So Ive got news for you, John McCain: We all put our country first.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 29/08/08
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

6 After months of criticism that there was nothing

7 To cheers from the crowd, he challenged 72-year-

14 They have not served a red America or a blue

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Intermediate

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P H

Obama says its time to change America


Level 2
3

Intermediate

Comprehension check

Are the sentences True (T) or False (F)? Rewrite the false sentences to make them true according to the article. 1. Barack Obama officially accepted the Democratic Partys presidential nomination at Denvers Mile High stadium. 2. Martin Luther King previously held his famous I have a dream speech In Denvers Mile High Stadium. 3. Obama had been criticized for talking about the USs ailing economy. 4. Obama criticized McCain for not being patriotic. 5. Obamas parents are both from Kenya. 6. Obama is the first African-American to be nominated by a major US political party. 7. Many of Obamas supporters dress up as Native Americans. 8. Obama said that it doesnt matter which party you support when you die for your country.

4 Quiz

1. What and where is the White House? 2. Name the two major political parties in the United States. 3. Which colours are they represented by? 4. Who is Obamas running mate (= Vice President if Obama is elected)? 5. Who is Uncle Sam? 6. Who was Martin Luther King? 7. Where and what is the Lincoln Memorial? 8. Who is the current US president and which party does he belong to? 9. Who is his deputy? 10. Who is the presidential nominee for the Republican Party? Who is his running mate?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Intermediate

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Obama says its time to change America


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Discussion
Why do you think the world press is so interested in the US presidential elections? How do US politics affect your country / you personally?

6 Webquest
You can watch a five minute video of Barack Obama speaking in Denver here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/29/uselections2008.democrats20082 You can also type Barack Obama Denver into YouTube to watch it there.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Intermediate

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Obama says its timeis toan change America Addiction to Internet illness
Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. nomination 2. supporter 3. policy 4. tribute 5. betray 6. march 7. reform 8. campaign 9. regalia 10. well-off 11. sacrifice 12. patriotism 4. Jo Biden. 5. Uncle Sam is a national personification of the United States (US), with the first usage of the term dating from the War of 1812 and the first illustration dating from 1852. He is often depicted as a serious elderly white man with white hair and a goatee, and dressed in clothing that recalls the design elements of the flag of the United Statesfor example, typically a top hat with red and white stripes and white stars on a blue band, and red and white striped trousers. 6. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the American civil rights movement. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where King delivered his I Have a Dream speech. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. 7. The Lincoln Memorial is a United States Presidential memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. 8. George W. Bush. The Republican Party. 9. Richard (Dick) B. Cheney 10. John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Intermediate

2 Phrases
1. d 2. a 3. e 4. c 5. b 6. j 7. i 8. g 9. f 10. h

Teachers notes:
Set a time limit and use your discretion for the quiz. Get the students to collaborate by working in teams. Award extra points for answers that supply further or interesting information. You can watch a video of Barack Obama accepting the nomination here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/ aug/29/uselections2008.democrats20082 A full text of Obamas speech is available here: http://www. guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/29/uselections2008.barackobama2 Other useful websites are: http://www.democrats.org/ http://www.rnc.org/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/vicepresident/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Sam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_luther_king http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_memorial Motown is a type of African-American soul music from the US city of Detroit, popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Will.i.am is a member of the Black Eyed Peas pop group.
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. True False False False False True False True

4 Quiz
1. 2. 3. The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Democratic Party = blue, and the Republican Party = red.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Obama says its time to change America / Intermediate

UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

sacrifice consumption
graze

gluttony

contradictory simplistic feasibility flatulence

livestock ruminant

1. ____________________ is the process of eating or drinking something. 2. A ____________________ is an animal such as a cow or sheep that brings food back from its stomach into its mouth to chew it a second time. 3. ____________________ is when a person or animal has too much gas in their stomach or intestines. 4. When animals ____________________, they eat grass growing in a field. 5. ____________________ is the chance that something has of happening or being successful. 6. ____________________ is the bad habit of eating more than you need. 7. If two or more ideas are ____________________, they disagree with each other and cannot both or all be true. 8. ___________________ is the collective word for animals such as cows, sheep and pigs that are kept on farms. 9. If you make a ____________________, you give up something important or valuable so that you or other people can do or have something else. 10. A ____________________ idea treats something in a way that makes it seem simpler than it really is.

What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. Carbon dioxide is a more effective greenhouse gas than methane. 2. Meat production produces 10% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. 3. The average British person eats more meat than WHO guidelines recommend. 4. Reducing car use by half would cut greenhouse gases by more than reducing meat consumption by half. 5. If everyone became vegetarian, greenhouse gases would be reduced dramatically. 6. Keeping livestock indoors would be bad for their health.

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UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 3 Advanced
he also stressed other changes in lifestyle would help to combat climate change. Thats what I want to emphasize: we really have to bring about reductions in every sector of the economy. 5 Pachauri can expect some vociferous responses from the food industry to his advice, though last night he was given unexpected support by Masterchef presenter and restaurateur John Torode, who is about to publish a new book, John Torodes Beef. I have a little bit and enjoy it, said Torode. Too much for any person becomes gluttony. But theres a bigger issue here: where [the meat] comes from. If we all bought British and stopped buying imported food wed save a huge amount of carbon emissions. 6 Tomorrow, Pachauri will speak at an event hosted by animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming, which has calculated that if the average UK household halved meat consumption that would cut emissions more than if car use was cut in half. The group has called for governments to lead campaigns to reduce meat consumption by 60 per cent by 2020. Campaigners have also pointed out the health benefits of eating less meat. The average person in the UK eats 50g of protein from meat a day, equivalent to a chicken breast and a lamb chop a relatively low level for rich nations but 25-50 per cent more than World Heath Organization guidelines. 7 Professor Robert Watson, the chief scientific adviser for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who will also speak at tomorrows event in London, said government could help educate people about the benefits of eating less meat, but it should not regulate. Eating less meat would help, theres no question about that, but there are other things, Watson said. 8 However, Chris Lamb, head of marketing for pig industry group BPEX, said the meat industry had been unfairly targeted and was working hard to find out which activities had the biggest environmental impact and reduce those. Some ideas were contradictory, he said for example, one solution to emissions from livestock was
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Climate expert urges radical shift in diet Industry unfairly targeted farmers Juliette Jowit, environment editor September 7, 2008 1 People should have one meat-free day a week if they want to make a personal and effective sacrifice that would help tackle climate change according to the worlds leading authority on global warming. Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which last year earned a joint share of the Nobel Peace Prize, said that people should then go on to reduce their meat consumption even further. His comments are the most controversial advice yet provided by the panel on how individuals can help tackle global warming. 2 Pachauri, who was re-elected the panels chairman for a second six-year term last week, said diet change was important because of the huge greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems including habitat destruction associated with rearing cattle and other animals. It was relatively easy to change eating habits compared to changing means of transport, he said. 3 The UNs Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by the middle of the century. 4 In terms of immediacy of action and the feasibility of bringing about reductions in a short period of time, it clearly is the most attractive opportunity, said Pachauri. Give up meat for one day [a week] initially, and decrease it from there, said the Indian economist, who is a vegetarian. However,

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / UN says eat less meat to curb global warming / Advanced

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UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 3 Advanced
cows are a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas released through flatulence.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 07/09/08

to keep them indoors, but this would damage animal welfare. Climate change is a very young science and our view is there are a lot of simplistic solutions being proposed, he said. 9 Last year a major report into the environmental impact of meat eating by the Food Climate Research Network at Surrey University claimed livestock generated eight per cent of UK emissions but eating some meat was good for the planet because some habitats benefited from grazing. It also said vegetarian diets that included lots of milk, butter and cheese would probably not noticeably reduce emissions because dairy

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. What is the main problem associated with meat consumption? a. It is unhealthy. b. It produces greenhouse gases. c. It is expensive compared with vegetarianism. 2. Why wouldnt a vegetarian diet make much difference? a. Because vegetarians eat lots of dairy products produced by cows. b. Because it would cost a lot to grow more crops. c. Because some habitats benefit from grazing. 3. What does the restaurateur John Torode believe? a. That importing food is a more important issue than reducing consumption. b. That global warming is caused by meat consumption. c. That climate change is a very young science. 4. Professor Watson wants... a. the government to introduce laws to reduce meat consumption. b. the government to tell people that eating less meat would be good for them. c. the government to find out which activities have the biggest environmental impact.

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UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Look in the text and find the following words and expressions. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. A verb meaning to make an organized and determined attempt to deal with a problem. (para 1) 2. A noun meaning a group of people who make decisions or judgments. (para 1) 3. A noun meaning the type of place an animal normally lives. (para 2) 4. A verb meaning to look after an animal until it is fully grown. (para 2) 5. A verb meaning to do something to try to stop something bad from becoming worse. (para 4) 6. An adjective meaning loud and with force. (para 5) 7. A two-word expression meaning of the same value as something else. (para 6) 8. An adjective meaning powerful or effective. (para 9)

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs from the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column. 1. change 2. generate 3. bring about 4. tackle 5. host 6. halve 7. propose 8. lead a. climate change b. consumption c. a campaign d. a solution e. gases f. a reduction g. eating habits h. an event

6 Two-word expressions
Complete the expressions. Note that two words are used twice. Check your answers in the text.

g__________________ gases 2. c__________________ change 3. g__________________ warming 4. e__________________ problems


1.

5. 6. 7. 8.

c__________________ dioxide h__________________ benefits e__________________ impact c__________________ emissions

7 Discussion
Would you be willing to reduce your meat consumption to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions? What other ways could people help to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, methane and other gases that contribute to global warming?
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / UN says eat less meat to curb global warming / Advanced
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. consumption 2. ruminant 3. flatulence 4. graze 5. feasibility 6. gluttony 7. contradictory 8. livestock 9. sacrifice 10. simplistic

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. tackle panel habitat rear combat vociferous equivalent to potent

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. g e f a h b d c

2 What do you know?


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F F T F F T

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b a a b

6 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. greenhouse climate global environmental carbon health environmental carbon

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / UN says eat less meat to curb global warming / Advanced

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UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

consumption
emission

simplistic guidelines

contradictory benefit

livestock regulate

habitat reduce

1. An ____________________ is a substance, especially a gas, which goes into the air. 2. If you ____________________ something, you make it smaller or less in size or amount. 3. A ____________________ is something positive you get from a particular situation. 4. A ____________________ idea treats something in a way that makes it seem simpler than it really is. 5. ____________________ are official instructions or advice about how to do something. 6. If two or more ideas are ____________________, they disagree with each other and cannot both or all be true. 7. An animals ____________________ is the place it normally lives. 8. If a government decides to ____________________ something, it controls it by making rules or laws. 9. ___________________ is the collective word for animals such as cows, sheep and pigs that are kept on farms. 10. ____________________ is the process of eating or drinking something.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the answers to these questions as quickly as possible. 1. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization what percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions is produced by meat production? 2. How much meat protein does the average person in the UK eat each day? 3. How much is UK meat consumption more than WHO guidelines? 4. Which is the more effective global warming agent methane or carbon dioxide? 5. By what percentage does Compassion in World Farming want to reduce meat consumption by 2020? 6. What percentage of UK emissions is produced by livestock?

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UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 1 Elementary
is about to publish a new book, John Torodes Beef. I have a little bit of meat and enjoy it, said Torode. Too much meat for any person is just being greedy. But theres a more important question here: where the meat comes from. If we all buy British food and stop buying imported food, we will reduce our carbon emissions dramatically. 6 Pachauri will be speaking at an event organized by animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming. The group has calculated that if the average UK home reduced meat consumption by 50% that would reduce emissions more than cutting car use by 50%. The group wants the government to try to reduce meat consumption by 60% by 2020. They also say that eating less meat is good for your health. The average person in the UK eats 50g of protein from meat a day a relatively low level for rich nations but 25-50% more than World Heath Organization guidelines. 7 Professor Robert Watson, a government scientific adviser, said the government could help educate people about the benefits of eating less meat, but it should not regulate. Eating less meat would help, theres no question about that, but there are other things, Watson said. 8 But Chris Lamb, head of marketing for a pig industry group, said it wasnt fair to target the meat industry. He said the industry was working hard to find out which activities had the biggest environmental impact and was trying to reduce those activities. Some ideas were contradictory, he said. For example, one solution was to keep farm animals indoors, but this would be very bad for their health. Climate change is a very young science and we think that some of the solutions which people are proposing are very simplistic, he said. 9 Last year a report on the environmental impact of meat eating said livestock produced 8% of UK emissions but eating some meat was good for the planet because some habitats benefited from animals eating grass. It also said that vegetarian diets included lots of milk, butter and cheese so they would probably not reduce emissions much because dairy cows produce a lot of methane.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 07/09/08
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UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Climate expert urges radical shift in diet Industry unfairly targeted farmers Juliette Jowit, environment editor September 7, 2008 1 The worlds main expert on global warming says people should give up meat for one day a week if they want do something that would help stop climate change. Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that people should then continue to reduce the amount of meat they eat. 2 Dr Pachauri said it was important for people to change their diet because rearing cattle and other animals produced enormous amounts of greenhouse gases. It also caused other environmental problems, including the destruction of animal habitats. He said it was quite easy to change peoples eating habits much easier than changing means of transport, for example. 3 The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has said that meat production causes nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. These gases are made during the production of animal feeds, for example, while animals such as cows produce methane gas. Methane is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has also said that meat consumption will probably double by the middle of the century. 4 Reducing meat consumption is the best option because we can do it almost immediately and it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a short period of time, said Pachauri. Give up meat for one day [a week] at first, and then continue to decrease it, said the Indian economist, who is a vegetarian. However, he also said that other changes in lifestyle would help to stop climate change. We really have to reduce consumption in every sector of the economy, he said. 5 Pachauri can expect some strong opposition from the food industry, but he has received unexpected support from British restaurateur John Torode, who
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NEWS LESSONS / UN says eat less meat to curb global warming / Elementary

UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Reducing meat consumption by 50%... 2. Vegetarian diets do not hep reduce greenhouse gas emissions because... 3. It is easier to change peoples eating habits than... 4. If British people stop buying imported food... 5. Compassion in World Farming wants the government... 6. Other changes in lifestyle... a. ... changing means of transport. b. ... could also help to stop climate change. c. ... to cut meat consumption by 60% by 2020. d. ... would reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than cutting car use by 50%. e. ... carbon emissions will fall dramatically. f. ... they contain a lot of dairy products and dairy cows produce methane.

4 Two-word expressions
Match the words from the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to make expressions from the text. Check your answers in the text. 1. climate 2. global 3. environmental 4. animal 5. methane 6. imported 7. scientific 8. carbon a. food b. habitats c. dioxide d. adviser e. change f. impact g. gas h. warming
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / UN says eat less meat to curb global warming / Elementary

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UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 1 Elementary
5 Chunks
Rearrange these words to make phrases from the text. Check your answers in the text. 1. the every in sector economy of 2. week for day one a 3. meat eat reduce the they of amount 4. the by middle century the of 5. short time of a period in 6. less health good for eating meat is your

6 Word building
Complete the table.

verb

noun

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

consume emit destroy solve oppose support benefit produce

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / UN says eat less meat to curb global warming / Elementary

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UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. emission 2. reduce 3. benefit 4. simplistic 5. guidelines 6. contradictory 7. habitat 8. regulate 9. livestock 10. consumption

Elementary

4 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. e h f b g a d c

5 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. in every sector of the economy for one day a week reduce the amount of meat they eat by the middle of the century in a short period of time eating less meat is good for your health

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 20% 50g 25-50% methane 60% 8%

6 Word building
verb noun
consumption emission destruction solution opposition support benefit production

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f a e c b
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

consume emit destroy solve oppose support benefit produce

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / UN says eat less meat to curb global warming / Elementary

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UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. consumption graze ruminant livestock gluttony flatulence simplistic controversial contradictory habitat

1. An animals ____________________ is the place it normally lives. 2. ____________________ is when a person or animal has too much gas in their stomach or intestines. 3. If two or more ideas are ____________________, they disagree with each other and cannot both or all be true. 4. ____________________ is the process of eating or drinking something. 5. If an idea is ____________________, it causes strong disagreement or disapproval. 6. A ____________________ idea treats something in a way that makes it seem simpler than it really is. 7. When animals ____________________, they eat grass growing in a field. 8. ____________________ is the collective word for animals such as cows, sheep and pigs that are kept on farms. 9. A ____________________ is an animal such as a cow or sheep that brings food back from its stomach into its mouth to chew it a second time. 10. ____________________ is the bad habit of eating more than you need.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the answers to these questions as quickly as possible. 1. According to the UNs Food and Agriculture Organization how much of global greenhouse gas emissions are produced by meat production? 2. How much meat protein does the average person in the UK eat each day? 3. By what percentage is UK meat consumption above WHO guidelines? 4. Which is the more effective global warming agent methane or carbon dioxide? 5. By what percentage does Compassion in World Farming want to reduce meat consumption by 2020? 6. What percentage of UK emissions is generated by livestock?

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UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 2 Intermediate
enjoy it, said Torode. Too much meat for any person is gluttony. But theres a more important question here: where [the meat] comes from. If we all bought British food and stopped buying imported food wed save a huge amount of carbon emissions. 6 Pachauri will be speaking at an event organized by animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming, which has calculated that if the average UK home reduced meat consumption by 50%, that would reduce emissions more than if people cut car use by 50%. The group wants the government to lead campaigns to reduce meat consumption by 60% by 2020. Campaigners have also pointed out the health benefits of eating less meat. The average person in the UK eats 50g of protein from meat a day, equivalent to a chicken breast and a lamb chop a relatively low level for rich nations but 25-50% more than World Heath Organization guidelines. 7 Professor Robert Watson, a government scientific adviser, said the government could help educate people about the benefits of eating less meat, but it should not regulate. Eating less meat would help, theres no question about that, but there are other things, Watson said. 8 However, Chris Lamb, head of marketing for the pig industry group BPEX, said the meat industry had been unfairly targeted and was working hard to find out which activities had the biggest environmental impact and reduce those. Some ideas were contradictory, he said for example, one solution to emissions from livestock was to keep them indoors, but this would damage animal welfare. Climate change is a very young science and our view is there are a lot of simplistic solutions being proposed, he said. 9 Last year a report into the environmental impact of meat eating claimed livestock generated eight per cent of UK emissions but eating some meat was good for the planet because some habitats benefited from grazing. It also said vegetarian diets that included lots of milk, butter and cheese would probably not reduce emissions much because dairy cows produce the potent greenhouse gas methane, which is released through flatulence.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 07/09/08
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UN says eat less meat to curb global warming

Climate expert urges radical shift in diet Industry unfairly targeted farmers Juliette Jowit, environment editor September 7, 2008 1 According to the worlds leading expert on global warming, people should give up meat for one day a week if they want do something that would help tackle climate change. Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that people should then go on to reduce their meat consumption even further. So far this is the most controversial advice the panel has given on how individuals can help tackle global warming. 2 Dr Pachauri said diet change was important because of the huge greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems including habitat destruction associated with rearing cattle and other animals. It was relatively easy to change eating habits compared to changing means of transport, he said. 3 The UNs Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that meat production causes nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. These gases are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption will probably double by the middle of the century. 4 Reducing meat consumption is the most attractive option because it can be done almost immediately and it will bring about reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in a short period of time, said Pachauri. Give up meat for one day [a week] initially, and then continue to decrease it, said the Indian economist, who is a vegetarian. However, he also said that other changes in lifestyle would help to tackle climate change. Thats what I want to emphasize: we really have to reduce consumption in every sector of the economy. 5 Pachauri can expect some strong responses from the food industry to his advice, though he has received unexpected support from restaurateur John Torode, who is about to publish a new book, John Torodes Beef. I have a little bit of meat and
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008

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NEWS LESSONS / UN says eat less meat to curb global warming / Intermediate

UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these statements True (T) or False (F) according to the text? 1. If people reduced car use by 50% it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than if they reduced meat consumption by 50%. 2. Dairy cows release methane through flatulence. 3. Meat consumption is expected to double by the middle of the 21st century. 4. The average person in the UK eats less meat than the WHO guidelines recommend. 5. Eating less meat is good for your health. 6. If everyone became vegetarian, greenhouse gas emissions would decrease dramatically.

4 Find the word


Look in the text and find the following words and expressions. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. A verb meaning to make an organized and determined attempt to deal with a problem. (para 1) 2. A noun meaning a group of people who make decisions of judgments. (para 1) 3. An adjective meaning extremely large. (para 2) 4. A phrasal verb meaning to make something happen. (para 4) 5. A phrasal verb meaning to tell someone something. (para 6) 6. A two-word expression meaning of the same value as something else. (para 6) 7. A noun meaning effect. (para 8) 8. An adjective meaning powerful or effective. (para 9)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / UN says eat less meat to curb global warming / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Two-word expressions
Match the words from the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to make expressions from the text. 1. greenhouse 2. climate 3. global a. welfare b. benefits c. change d. diet e. impact f. dioxide g. warming h. gases

4. environmental 5. carbon 6. health 7. animal 8. vegetarian

6 Word building
Complete the table.

verb

noun

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

consume reduce emit destroy solve respond propose advise

7 Discussion
Apart from reducing the amount of meat you eat, what other ways can you reduce energy consumption?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / UN says eat less meat to curb global warming / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

UN says eat less meat to curb global warming


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. habitat 2. flatulence 3. contradictory 4. consumption 5. controversial 6. simplistic 7. graze 8. livestock 9. ruminant 10. gluttony

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. tackle panel huge bring about point out equivalent to impact potent

5 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. h c g e f b a d

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 20% 50g 25-50% methane 60% 8%

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F T T F T F

6 Word building
verb noun
consumption reduction emission destruction solution response proposal advice

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

consume reduce emit destroy solve respond propose advise

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / UN says eat less meat to curb global warming / Intermediate

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Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

In an inner city area, three young men in jeans and hooded tops are quickly running and jumping over walls, down stairs, across rooftops, through windows. Whats going on? What are they doing and why?

Key words and phrases

Find the word pairs (two words) in the article. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Growing quickly without any outside help: ____________________________. (para 1) A hobby, action or pastime kept secret from the public: ____________________________. (para 2) A first official meeting: ____________________________. (para 3) An older person who has had a long and respected career in a certain area: __________________________. (para 3) To say something quietly and with respect: ____________________________. (para 5) A stealthy act of entering a house in order to steal something: ____________________________. (para 5) When you are playful, full of high spirits, but doing nothing in particular: ____________________________. (para 5) A ruling organization; one that is in charge: ____________________________. (para 11)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Freerunning joins sport establishment / Advanced

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Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 3 Advanced
6 Few underground activities can claim to have made it into the mainstream with such dazzling speed. Many participants trace the birth of freerunning to a BBC ident (a TV stations symbol or logo, often accompanied by music, a jingle or an animation) in 2002, showing a Parkour runner adapting his skills on the rooftops of London. Urban Freeflow, the sports central organization, was founded a year later. Though closely related to Parkour, which originated in the Paris suburbs a decade ago, Parkour prizes speed and efficiency of movement, in contrast to the expressiveness of freerunners. As such, though it is practised worldwide last nights competitors hailed from 17 countries freerunning could reasonably be described as a brand new British sport. Urban Freeflow now trains the Metropolitan police and Royal Marines, as well as organizing workshops in schools, and estimates that 15,000 people now practise the sport in Britain (95% are male). The organization choreographed action sequences for the films Casino Royale, The Bourne Ultimatum and 28 Weeks Later, and also performs at public events. As the founder of Urban Freeflow and the organizer of last nights competition, Paul EZ Corkery could be considered the grandfather of freerunning at 34, he considers himself retired. He is in discussions with the 2012 Olympic organizers over how freerunning might be involved, perhaps in the opening ceremonies, or in workshops. The organizers are really eager to collaborate with anything that gets the kids off their arses, he said. Does he see a day when freerunning might be an Olympic sport? I dont really think it fits. Youd need to put in place a national governing body, things like that, and it would kill the sport, really. These guys are my YouTube idols, it means everything to be here with them, said Franck
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Freerunning joins sport establishment


Esther Addley at the Camden Roundhouse September 4, 2008 1 Five years ago, outside Liverpool Street station in London, a group of 13 young men gathered for what was, at the time, the biggest meeting of freerunners in history. The sport, in which participants perform balletic leaps and flips using walls, bars and any other street furniture available, was still in its earliest infancy, mushrooming spontaneously across Britain among young people who had seen films of the French urban sport Parkour and wanted to adapt it into a freer and more expressive form. 2 How times change. Last night, the once underground pursuit declared itself firmly in the sporting establishment by holding its first world championships, hosted in one of Londons top venues, sponsored by a major credit card company and filmed by Sky Sports. 3 I never, ever thought wed get to this place so quickly, said John Kerr, or Kerbie, one of the events organizers. Present at that inaugural gathering at Liverpool Street, he finds himself, at 21, one of the sports elder statesmen. 4 He said: We all feel amazingly blessed. Freerunning is so young and so new. A few years ago we were getting chased by police on a regular basis and property owners would shout at us. Now they pay us to come and perform on their properties. 5 Fifty feet above him, one of the events 23 competitors was warming up by balancing in a handstand on the edge of an enormous black box, part of the equipment on which he would later compete, before flipping on to a nearby bar, spinning around it, and dismounting. Below him, his peers those not already performing gainers and loser flips and layout backflips from a lattice of steel poles murmured approvingly. The sport might be said to combine the best qualities of gymnastics, cat burglary and teenage mucking about, but the skill of the participants is unarguable.

10

11

12

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Freerunning joins sport establishment / Advanced

Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 3 Advanced
Parkour is the art of moving through your environment using only your body and the surroundings to propel yourself. It can include running, jumping, climbing, even crawling, if that is the most suitable movement for the situation. Source: http://www.misterParkour.com/faq/ Freerunning is more expressive and creative in nature, with moves such as acrobatics, flips and spins. Source: www.AmericanParkour.com Cali Nelle, from France. Im not really thinking about winning. Its just being here alongside the best of the best. The first ever freerunning world championships? Thats a big event. Thats something for the history books.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 04/09/08

Freerunning uses the same movements as Parkour but with the emphasis being on aesthetics, fun and creativity. Source: www.UrbanFreeflow.com

3 Skim-reading for comprehension


Skim-read the article again to find the answers to the questions. 1. Where was Parkour invented? 2. Where was the first freerunning championships held? 3. What age and sex is a typical freerunner? 4. How has peoples attitude to the sport changed in the last few years? 5. With what and back to when do people associate the birth of freerunning? 6. What is the main difference between Parkour and freerunning? 7. What professional bodies are interested in the sport? 8. What connection does the sport have with the film industry? 9. Is freerunning likely to become an Olympic sport?

4 Vocabulary
Find at least eight movement and action words in the article and definition. Compare them paying particular attention to how and in which situations they can (and cannot) be used. Write an example sentence for each word. E.g. leap and flip ....................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................................................................................
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Freerunning joins sport establishment / Advanced

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Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 3 Advanced
5 Discussion: Debate
A group of freerunners want to hold workshops in your town. Opinion is divided as to whether this is a good thing or not. 1. Brainstorm reasons for or against providing freerunning workshops to male youths. 2. Divide into two teams: A freerunners and B concerned citizens and debate the topic. Decide: Should the workshops be allowed to take place? If yes, what will the organizers do to ensure the safety of citizens and their property? ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................

! Your ideas:

6 Webquest
Compare jumps and moves made by freerunners, Spiderman and flying squirrels by watching online videos, making notes and reporting back. Watch a Parkour/freerunning sequence in a James Bond 007 film: http://de.youtube.com/ watch?v=IPmJ73XRlUs Watch excellent non-professional freerunners here: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=LIBaVojYCfo Watch the founder of Parkour in a TV commercial: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=5BOUohniyJU Find out further information about Parkour and freerunning at: http://www.misterParkour.com/faq/

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Freerunning joins sport establishment / Advanced

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Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 3 Advanced KEY
2 Key words and phrases
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. mushrooming spontaneously underground pursuit inaugural gathering elder statesman murmured approvingly cat burglary mucking about governing body

4 Vocabulary
possible answers: leap; flip; balancing; handstand, spinning; dismounting; running; jumping; crawling, climbing

3 Skim-reading for comprehension


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. France. London, England. Under 21 and male. See para 4: A few years ago we were getting chased by police on a regular basis and property owners would shout at us. Now they pay us to come and per form on their properties. A BBC ident in 2002. See para 7: Parkour prizes speed and efficiency of movement, in contrast to the expressiveness of freerunners. The Metropolitan police and Royal Marines. Also some schools (para 8). See para 9: The organization choreographed action sequences for the films Casino Royale, the Bourne Ultimatum and 28 Weeks Later. No, see para 11: Youd need to put in place a national governing body, and it would kill the sport.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Freerunning joins sport establishment / Advanced

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Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 1 Elementary
1 Warmer
In the city you see three young men in jeans and hooded sweatshirts running quickly from roof to roof, jumping over walls, through windows and down stairs. What do you think is happening? Are they... a) ... running to catch a bus? b) ... running away from the police? c) ... doing an extreme sport?

2 Key words
Write the key words from the article next to their meanings. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. sequence expressive chasing idol sponsored participants cat burglary mucking about property owners organizers

1. People who take part in an event or competition are called the _____________________. (para 1) 2. When an event is _____________________, someone has given it money in exchange for advertising. (para 2) 3. The people who set up or organize an event are called the _____________________. (para 3) 4. _____________________ is another word for running after someone in order to catch them. (para 3) 5. People who own houses or other buildings are _____________________. (para 3) 6. The secret and quiet crime or act of going into a house to steal something: _____________________. (para 4) 7. When you are playful, having fun, but doing nothing special you are _____________________. (para 4) 8. When you are _____________________ you clearly show what your thoughts or feelings are. (para 6) 9. A part of a film that shows one event is called a _____________________. (para 7) 10. Somebody who you look up to and think is special and great is your _____________________. (para 9)

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Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 1 Elementary
7 Urban Freeflow now trains the London Metropolitan police and Royal Marines, and organizes workshops in schools. They say that 15,000 people now do the sport in Britain (95% are male). They planned action sequences for the films Casino Royale, the Bourne Ultimatum and 28 Weeks Later. They also perform at public events. The founder of Urban Freeflow and the organizer of the competition, 34 year old Paul EZ Corkery, is the grandfather of freerunning. He is talking to the 2012 London Olympic organizers about how freerunning might be involved in the next Olympics, perhaps in the opening ceremonies, or in workshops. These guys are my YouTube idols, it means everything to be here with them, said Franck Cali Nelle, from France. Im not really thinking about winning. Its just being here with the best of the best. The first ever freerunning world championships? Thats a big event. Thats something for the history books.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 04/09/08

Freerunning joins sport establishment


Esther Addley at the Camden Roundhouse September 4, 2008 1 Five years ago, outside Liverpool Street station in London, a group of 13 young men met for the biggest meeting, at that time, of freerunners in history. The sport, in which participants perform leaps and flips using walls, bars and anything else that is available, was just beginning. In Britain, it quickly became popular with young people who had seen films of the French urban sport Parkour. 2 In September 2008, freerunning held its first world championships in one of Londons top sports venues. The event was sponsored by a major credit card company, and filmed by TV company, Sky Sports. 3 We all feel amazingly pleased, said John Kerr, or Kerbie, one of the events organizers. Freerunning is so young and so new. A few years ago the police were chasing us and property owners shouted at us. Now they pay us to come and perform on their buildings. 4 Fifty feet above him, one of the events 23 competitors was warming up by doing a handstand on the edge of an enormous black box. Some people say that the sport is a mixture of gymnastics, cat burglary and teenage mucking about. All the participants are very skilled. 5 Many people say freerunning began when the BBC showed a film clip of a Parkour runner on the rooftops of London in 2002. Urban Freeflow, the sports central organization, began a year later. 6 Freerunning is very similar to Parkour, which began in Paris ten years ago. In Parkour the most important skills are speed and clever movements; freerunning is freer and more expressive. Therefore, although the competitors came from 17 countries, freerunning is a new British sport.

Parkour is the art of moving through your environment using only your body and the surroundings to propel yourself. It can include running, jumping, climbing, even crawling, if that is the most suitable movement for the situation. Source: http://www.misterParkour.com/faq/ Freerunning uses the same movements as Parkour but with the emphasis being on aesthetics, fun and creativity. Source: www.UrbanFreeflow.com Freerunning is more expressive and creative in nature, with moves such as acrobatics, flips and spins. Source: www.AmericanParkour.com
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Freerunning joins sport establishment / Elementary

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Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the sentence halves to summarize the article. 1. Parkour was invented... 2. Freerunning is a kind... 3. The first freerunning championships were held... 4. Many more men than women... 5. Freerunning has become very popular in the... 6. Freerunning will not be a new Olympic sport... 7. Some British police officers and marines... 8. You can see freerunning scenes... 9. You can watch videos of freerunning and Parkour on... ... learn freerunning. ... do freerunning. ... in Hollywood action films. ... last few years. ... of Parkour. ... in France. ... YouTube. ... in London in 2008. ... in 2012.

4 Vocabulary: Action words


Write the best action words to fit into the gaps. climb jump leap flip run crawl

1. Before they can walk most babies ___________________. 2. A ___________________ is a big jump. 3. The Olympic gymnast did a perfect backwards ___________________. 4. Im late! Ill have to ___________________ for the bus. 5. Cats sometimes ___________________ trees to get away from dogs. 6. A flea can ___________________ very high.

5 Webquest and talking: Giving an opinion


Watch one or more of these videos and then complete the sentence in your own words. I think freerunning is ___________________________________________________________________________ because ____________________________________________________________________________________. Watch a Parkour/freerunning sequence in a James Bond 007 film: http://de.youtube.com/ watch?v=IPmJ73XRlUs Watch excellent non-professional freerunners here: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=LIBaVojYCfo Watch the most famous Parkour/freerunner in a TV commercial: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=5BOUohniyJU Find out further information about Parkour and freerunning at: http://www.misterParkour.com/faq/
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Freerunning joins sport establishment / Elementary

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Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 1 Elementary KEY
2 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. participants sponsored organizers chasing property owners cat burglary mucking about expressive sequence idol

4
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Vocabulary: Action words


crawl leap flip run climb jump

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Parkour was invented in France. Freerunning is a kind of Parkour. The first freerunning championships were held in London in 2008. Many more men than women do freerunning. Freerunning has become very popular in the last few years. Freerunning will not be a new Olympic sport in 2012. Some British police officers and marines learn freerunning. You can see freerunning scenes in Hollywood action films. You can watch videos of freerunning and Parkour on YouTube.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Freerunning joins sport establishment / Elementary

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Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

In an inner city area, three young men in jeans and hooded tops are quickly running and jumping over walls, down stairs, across rooftops, through windows. Whats going on? What are they doing and why?

Key words and phrases

Match the key words from the article with their meanings. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. collaborate blessed eager elder statesman mucking about property owners sequence expressive cat burglary unarguable sponsored prize

1. When you are ____________________, you clearly show what your thoughts or feelings are. (para 1) 2. When an event is ____________________, someone has given it money in exchange for advertising. (para 2) 3. An older person who has had a long and respected career in a certain area: ____________________. (para 3) 4. When you feel ____________________, you feel happy and grateful. (para 4) 5. People who own houses or other buildings are ____________________. (para 4) 6. A stealthy act of entering a house in order to steal something: ____________________. (para 5) 7. When you are playful, having fun, but doing nothing in particular: ____________________. (para 5) 8. When something is ____________________, it is true and impossible to disagree with. (para 5) 9. A verb that means to value something: ____________________. (para 7) 10. A part of a film that deals with one event or that has a particular style is called a ____________________. (para 9) 11. When you are very keen to do something, you are ____________________. (para 11) 12. When you to work with someone in order to produce something, you ____________________ with them. (para 11)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Freerunning joins sport establishment / Intermediate

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Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 2 Intermediate
speed and efficiency of movement, in contrast to the expressiveness of freerunners. Therefore, although it is practised worldwide last nights competitors came from 17 countries freerunning can be described as a brand new British sport.

Freerunning joins sport establishment


Esther Addley at the Camden Roundhouse September 4, 2008 1 Five years ago, outside Liverpool Street station
in London, a group of 13 young men met for what was, at the time, the biggest meeting of freerunners in history. The sport, in which participants perform leaps and flips using walls, bars and anything else that is available, was just beginning. It quickly became popular across Britain with young people who had seen films of the French urban sport Parkour and wanted to adapt it into a freer and more expressive form. first world championships in one of Londons top sports venues, sponsored by a major credit card company, and filmed by Sky Sports.

Urban Freeflow now trains the Metropolitan police and Royal Marines, as well as organizing workshops in schools. They estimate that 15,000 people now practise the sport in Britain (95% are male). The organization planned action sequences for the films Casino Royale, The Bourne Ultimatum and 28 Weeks Later. They also perform at public events. the competition, 34 year old Paul EZ Corkery could be considered the grandfather of freerunning. He is talking to the 2012 London Olympic organizers about how freerunning might be involved, perhaps in the opening ceremonies, or in workshops. anything that gets the kids off their arses, he said. Does he see a day when freerunning might be an Olympic sport? I dont really think it fits, he said. everything to be here with them, said Franck Cali Nelle, from France. Im not really thinking about winning. Its just being here alongside the best of the best. The first ever freerunning world championships? Thats a big event. Thats something for the history books.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 04/09/08

2 How times change. Last night, freerunning held its

10 The founder of Urban Freeflow and the organizer of

3 I never, ever thought wed get to this place so

quickly, said John Kerr, or Kerbie, one of the events organizers. He was present at that first meeting at Liverpool Street and he finds himself, at 21, one of the sports elder statesmen. Freerunning is so young and so new. A few years ago we were getting chased by police on a regular basis and property owners would shout at us. Now they pay us to come and perform on their properties. competitors was warming up by balancing in a handstand on the edge of an enormous black box, part of the equipment on which he would later compete, before flipping on to a nearby bar, spinning around it, and jumping off. The sport might be said to combine the best qualities of gymnastics, cat burglary and teenage mucking about, but the skill of the participants is unarguable. the mainstream with such dazzling speed. Many participants say freerunning began when the BBC showed a Parkour runner on the rooftops of London in 2002. Urban Freeflow, the sports central organization, was founded a year later. the Paris suburbs a decade ago, Parkour prizes

11 The organizers are really eager to collaborate with

4 He said: We all feel amazingly blessed.

12 These guys are my YouTube idols, it means

5 Fifty feet above him, one of the events 23

6 Few underground activities have made it into

Parkour is the art of moving through your environment using only your body and the surroundings to propel yourself. It can include running, jumping, climbing, even crawling, if that is the most suitable movement for the situation. Source: http://www.misterParkour.com/faq/ Freerunning uses the same movements as Parkour but with the emphasis being on aesthetics, fun and creativity. Source: www.UrbanFreeflow.com Freerunning is more expressive and creative in nature, with moves such as acrobatics, flips and spins. Source: www.AmericanParkour.com
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

7 Though closely related to Parkour, which began in

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Freerunning joins sport establishment / Intermediate

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Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 2
3

Intermediate

Comprehension check

According to the article, are these sentences True (T) or False (F)? Correct any that are false. 1. Parkour was invented in London. 2. The first freerunning championships was held in Paris. 3. More men than women do freerunning. 4. Freerunning has become more popular in the last few years. 5. Freerunning is a kind of Parkour. 6. Freerunning will be a new Olympic sport in 2012. 7. Most freerunners are police officers or marines. 8. You can see examples of freerunning in Hollywood action films. 9. The organizers of the Olympic Games want kids to do more sports. 10. You can watch videos of freerunning and Parkour on a video sharing website.

4 Vocabulary: Action words


Write the action words into the gaps. There are two words left over. Write your own example sentences for these. climb jump leap flip run crawl

1. Before they can walk most babies ________________________. 2. Look before you ________________________ is an old English saying. 3. The Olympic gymnast did a perfect backwards ________________________. 4. Im late! Ill have to ________________________ for the bus. 5. _______________________________________________________________________________________ 6. _______________________________________________________________________________________

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Freerunning joins sport establishment / Intermediate

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Freerunning joins sport establishment


Level 2 Intermediate

5 Discussion: Exchanging ideas and opinions


1. Complete the sentence: Freerunning is __________________________________ because ____________________________________. 2. Find someone with a similar sentence to yours and expand your ideas (and your sentences) together. 3. Now find someone with a different sentence or opinion and swap views.

6 Webquest
Watch a Parkour/freerunning sequence in a James Bond 007 film: http://de.youtube.com/ watch?v=IPmJ73XRlUs Watch excellent non-professional freerunners here: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=LIBaVojYCfo Watch the most famous Parkour/freerunner in a TV commercial: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=5BOUohniyJU Find out further information about Parkour and freerunning at: http://www.misterParkour.com/faq/

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Freerunning joins sport establishment Addiction to Internet is an illness


Level 2 KEY
2 Key words and phrases
1. expressive 2. sponsored 3. elder statesman 4. blessed 5. property owners 6. cat burglary 7. mucking about 8. unarguable 9. prize 10. sequence 11. eager 12. collaborate

Intermediate

4 Vocabulary: Action words


1. 2. 3. 4. crawl leap flip run

3 Comprehension check
1. False 2. False 3. True 4. True 5. True 6. False 7. False 8. True 9. True 10. True

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Freerunning joins sport establishment / Intermediate

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Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. raffle sidestep slump acre downsize return punter overgrown scam hurdle

1. An ___________________ is a unit for measuring the surface area of land, equivalent to 4,047 square metres. 2. A ___________________ is someone who risks their money through betting or gambling. It can also mean a customer or someone who uses a particular service. 3. A __________________ is one of several problems you must solve before you can do something successfully. 4. Profit on money you have invested is called your ___________________. 5. If a garden is ___________________, it is covered with plants that have been allowed to grow in an uncontrolled way. 6. A ___________________ is a dishonest plan, especially for getting money. 7. In property, if you ___________________, you move to a smaller house. 8. A ___________________ is a competition in which you win a prize if the number on your ticket is selected. 9. If you ___________________ something, you avoid it. 10. A ___________________ is a period when the value of the economy or part of the economy falls dramatically.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How much will each ticket cost? 2. How much is the property worth? 3. How many tickets are they hoping to sell? 4. How much will they get if they sell all the tickets? 5. What are the annual costs of running the property? 6. How long have they lived at the property?

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Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 3 Advanced
year the Wilshaws reckon the timber lodges yield 25,000 income. Theyve had ticket buyers from Scandinavia, India and the US, and are quietly confident theyll hit the target of 46,000 sold by the December 7 close. 5 But is it legal to sell a home this way? And how can punters be sure this isnt some sort of scam? Wendy pounces on anyone who uses the words raffle or lottery to describe their scheme. This isnt a raffle, as its illegal to have prizes above a certain value. After that it becomes a lottery. And this isnt a lottery either. To be eligible to win, you have to answer a skill-based question. Only if you answer the question correctly do you get to enter. The question is: What is the cost of an adult full season coarse fishing licence for 2008/2009? The answer takes a millisecond to find on Google. Its illegal to run a lottery for personal profit, and while competitions can be run for profit they must involve an element of skill. The Wilshaws lawyers have advised them the competition meets legal requirements, but Antoinette Jucker, a gambling law expert with Pinsent Masons, is not so sure. How do you choose a winner when almost everyone gets the answer right? You take their name out of a hat. That makes it a game of chance, and therefore an illegal lottery. When the Gambling Act was going through parliament, the clear intention was that the only legal lotteries would be those operated for good causes ... This competition is sidestepping that, she says. The Wilshaws are adamant their scheme is legal. At one stage online payment group PayPal froze their account while lawyers went through the paperwork, but they gave it the thumbs-up. Several people who have tried to raffle their home have been charged by the police. One woman was ordered to pay nearly 8,000 compensation after she admitted breaking lottery laws. But the biggest hurdle is finding punters. One man set up a website to raffle his 110,000 home at 5 a ticket, but sold only 229 tickets, so
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Fancy a 1m home for 25?


After failing to find a buyer, a Devon couple are raffling their country estate. Is it a scam, or a genuine way to beat the property slump? Patrick Collinson and Ben Steele September 6, 2008 1 Is a raffle really the way to sidestep a cooling property market? A five-bedroom house, complete with 9.5 acres of woodland, a two-acre fishing lake and four separate two-bed holiday lodges one lucky person will win it all for 25. The owners, Brian and Wendy Wilshaw, will be winners too. Last year they were struggling to sell the property, marketed at 950,000 just as the housing slump took hold. But after launching an online prize competition on a website, theyve sold 34,000 tickets thats 850,000 and are in sight of their 46,000 target. 2 When all the tickets are sold, the Wilshaws will become the first property owners to successfully use a raffle to sell a house and make a decent profit. Sales of 46,000 tickets will earn them 1.15m they say the surplus will be used to cover the costs of running the raffle. But it will still leave them with a handsome return in a property market that virtually everywhere else has gone stone cold. 3 Wendy says: We needed to sell. Were getting old. This place doesnt run itself. The idea of selling tickets kind of evolved. So many of the people who have stayed here have said that if they won the lottery, its the sort of place theyd buy. Its that that got us thinking. The couple have lived at the estate for 14 years and are downsizing. I want an ordinary family to live here, people who would never normally be able to afford this place, people wholl be given a chance to start over, says Wendy. 4 The winners will get a 2,000 sq ft house and an estate (much of it overgrown) that includes a twoacre lake stocked with fish that Brian reckons are worth 1,000. Council tax and other basic annual running costs are around 6,000, but in a good

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fancy a 1m home for 25? / Advanced

Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 3 Advanced
he drew a name from a hat and the winner got 916 after his 20% costs. 9 The Wilshaws say theyll do the same if they dont reach their target. If there isnt a winner by the end of December, then someone gains a cash prize, simple as that, says Wendy. The prize will be the sum theyve collected minus 35% to cover expenses. The most common question they get is how the winning ticket will be selected. It will be done by random number software, overseen by our lawyers and in full view of television cameras and reporters, says Wendy.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 06/09/08

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Why are the Wilshaws selling their property by raffle? a. Because they will make a bigger profit. b. Because they think they will have a better chance of selling it this way in the present housing slump c. Because they want to sell it to someone who has stayed there in the past. 2. Why do participants in the raffle have to answer a skill-based question? a. Because this is the best way to choose a winner. b. Because competitions like this are illegal unless they have an element of skill. c. Because the Wilshaws only want fishermen to win the prize. 3. Why does the gambling law expert believe that this may be an illegal lottery? a. Because almost everyone will get the answer to the skill-based question right. b. Because it is illegal to sell houses in this way. c. Because the skill-based question is too easy and anyone can find the answer on Google. 4. What will the Wilshaws do if they dont sell all the tickets? a. They will stay in the house (and not sell it). b. They will accept a reduced price. c. They will give someone a cash prize (minus 35%).
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Find the following words and expressions in the text. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. A two-word expression meaning to become stronger and difficult to stop. (para 1) Two two-word terms that both mean good earnings. (para 2) A phrasal verb meaning to begin doing something again from the very beginning. (para 3) A two word expression meaning to react angrily to. (para 5) An adjective meaning determined not to change your belief or decision about something. (para 7) A verb meaning to legally stop a supply of money being available to someone. (para 7) A phrasal verb meaning to examine something very carefully. (para 7) A four-word expression meaning to give your approval to something. (para 7)

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column. 1. launch 2. win 3. make 4. hit 5. meet 6. freeze 7. pay 8. break a. compensation b. legal requirements c. the law d. a bank account e. a target f. a competition g. a profit h. the lottery

6 Expressions with prepositions


Fill the gaps in the phrases from the text using prepositions. Check your answers in the text. 1. in sight ____________ the target 2. stocked ____________ fish 3. ____________ personal profit 4. a game ____________ chance 5. ____________ good causes 6. going ____________ parliament 7. charged ____________ the police 8. ____________ the end of December

7 Discussion
Can you think of any other ways of selling a house in difficult market conditions? What other items could you or would you sell by lottery?
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fancy a 1m home for 25? / Advanced
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Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 3 Advanced KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. acre punter hurdle return overgrown scam downsize raffle sidestep slump

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. take hold decent profit; handsome return start over pounce on adamant freeze go through give the thumbs-up

5 Verb + noun collocations 2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 25 950,000 46,000 1.15m 6,000 14 years 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. f h g e b d a c

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b b a c

6 Expressions with prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. of with for of for through by by

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fancy a 1m home for 25? / Advanced

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Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. raffle estate slump property scam illegal acre afford lodge compensation

1. A _______________________ is a dishonest plan, especially for getting money. 2. _______________________ is money that someone received because something bad has happened to them. 3. A ______________________ is a competition in which you win a prize if the number on your ticket is selected. 4. If something is _______________________, it is not allowed by the law. 5. _______________________ is land and all the buildings on it. 6. A _______________________ is a small simple house in the countryside. 7. An _____________________ is a unit for measuring the surface area of land, equal to 4,047 square metres. 8. A ____________________ is a period when the value of the economy or part of the economy falls dramatically. 9. An ______________________ is a very large area of land that belongs to one person. 10. If you can _______________________ something, you have enough money to be able to pay for it.

2 Find the information


Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How much will each ticket cost? 2. How much is the property worth? 3. How many tickets have they sold? 4. How many tickets are they hoping to sell? 5. How much money will they get if they sell all the tickets? 6. How much money do the timber lodges provide?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fancy a 1m home for 25? / Elementary

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Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 1 Elementary
5 But is it legal to sell a home this way? And how can people who buy the tickets be sure this isnt some sort of scam? Wendy angrily criticizes anyone who uses the words raffle or lottery to describe their scheme. This isnt a lottery. To have a chance of winning, you first have to answer a skill-based question. You can only enter the competition if you answer the question correctly. The question is: What is the cost of a fishing licence for 2008/2009? It takes a second to find the answer on Google. Its illegal to run a lottery for personal profit, and while you can run competitions for profit, they must include an element of skill. The Wilshaws lawyers have told them the competition is legal, but Antoinette Jucker, an expert on gambling law is not so sure. How do you choose a winner when almost everyone gets the answer right? You take their name out of a hat. That makes it a game of chance, and therefore an illegal lottery. The intention of the Gambling Act is that the only legal lotteries are ones which operate for good causes. This competition is not doing that, she says. But the Wilshaws say that their scheme is legal. Several people who have tried to sell their home by raffle have been charged by the police. One woman had to pay nearly 8,000 compensation after she admitted breaking lottery laws. But the biggest problem is finding people to buy the tickets. One man set up a website to sell his 110,000 home at 5 a ticket, but sold only 229 tickets, so he drew a name from the hat and the winner got 916. The Wilshaws say theyll do the same if they dont sell all 46,000 tickets. If there isnt a winner by the end of December, then someone will get a cash prize, simple as that, says Wendy. The prize will be the total sum theyve collected minus 35% to cover costs. The most common question they get is how they will choose the winning ticket. We will use random number software in front of television cameras and reporters, says Wendy.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 06/09/08
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Fancy a 1m home for 25?


After failing to find a buyer, a Devon couple are raffling their country estate. Is it a scam, or a genuine way to beat the property slump? Patrick Collinson and Ben Steele September 6, 2008 1 Is a raffle really the best way to sell a house in the middle of a housing slump? A five-bedroom house, together with 9.5 acres of woodland, a two-acre fishing lake and four separate two-bed holiday lodges one lucky person will win all of this for just 25. The owners of the house, Brian and Wendy Wilshaw, will be winners too. Last year they were unable to sell the property at a price of 950,000. But after they started an online prize competition on a website, theyve sold 34,000 tickets thats 850,000 and are not far from their target of 46,000 tickets. 2 When they have sold all the tickets, Mr and Mrs Wilshaw will become the first property owners to successfully use a raffle to sell a house and make a good profit. If they sell 46,000 tickets they will earn 1.15m they say they will use the extra money to cover the costs of organizing the raffle. But they will still have a nice profit in a property market that is in a slump at the moment. 3 Wendy says: We needed to sell. Were getting old. This place is hard work. So many of the people who have stayed here have said that if they won the national lottery, they would buy a place like this. That gave us the idea. The Wilshaws have lived at the estate for 14 years and want to move to a smaller property. I want an ordinary family to live here, people who normally could not afford to buy this place; people who will have a chance to start a new life here, says Wendy. 4 The winners will get a large house and an estate that includes a two-acre lake full of fish. It costs around 6,000 a year to run the estate, but in a good year the timber lodges provide an income of 25,000. The Wilshaws have sold tickets to people from Scandinavia, India and the US, and are sure they will sell all 46,000 tickets by the closing date of December 7.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fancy a 1m home for 25? / Elementary

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Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the sentence halves to summarize the article. 1. The Wilshaws are selling their house by raffle because 2. If they dont reach their target of 46,000 tickets 3. The Wilshaws want to sell their house because 4. If you want to enter the competition,... 5. Some people think the scheme is illegal because... 6. If the Wilshaws sell all the tickets,... a. they will use the extra money to cover their costs. b. it is too big and they want to move to a smaller property. c. you have to answer a question first. d. they say it is a game of chance. e. they were unable to sell it in the normal way because of the housing slump. f. they will give someone a cash prize.

4 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. prize 2. property 3. national 4. closing 5. fishing 6. gambling 7. cash 8. random a. prize b. law c. licence d. number e. competition f. lottery g. owner h. date

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Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 1 Elementary
5 Numbers and dates
How do you say these numbers and dates from the text? Each one has got a mistake in it. Find the mistake and underline it. In three cases a word is missing. 1. thirty-four thousand of tickets 2. two thousand eight 3. two hundred twenty-nine 4. nine hundreds and sixteen 5. thirty-five per cents 6. nine and half acres

6 Irregular verbs
Complete the table. infinitive
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 tell choose draw paid buy ran told chosen drawn paid sell

past simple
sold won

past participle
won bought run

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fancy a 1m home for 25? / Elementary

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Freerunning Fancy a 1m joins home sport for 25? establishment


Level 1 Elementary KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. scam compensation raffle illegal property lodge acre slump estate afford

4
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Two-word expressions
e g f h c b a d

5 2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 25 950,000 34,000 46,000 1.15 million 25,000 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Numbers and dates


thirty-four thousand tickets (no of) two thousand and eight two hundred and twenty-nine nine hundred and sixteen thirty-five per cent nine and a half acres

6 3
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Irregular verbs
infinitive past simple past participle

Comprehension check
e f b c d a
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

sell win buy run tell choose draw pay

sold won bought ran told chose drew paid

sold won bought run told chosen drawn paid

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fancy a 1m home for 25? / Elementary

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Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. raffle return eligible overgrown slump lodge scam adamant acre estate

1. A _____________________ is a small simple house in the countryside. 2. A _____________________ is a dishonest plan, especially for getting money. 3. A _____________________ is a period when the value of the economy or part of the economy falls dramatically. 4. A _____________________ is a competition in which you win a prize if the number on your ticket is selected. 5. If you are _____________________ for something, you are allowed by rules or laws to do something or receive something. 6. If a person is _____________________, they are determined not to change their belief or decision about something. 7. If a garden is _____________________, it is covered with plants that have been allowed to grow in an uncontrolled way. 8. An _____________________ is a very large area of land that belongs to one person. 9. Profit on money you have invested is called your _____________________. 10. An ___________________ is a unit for measuring the surface area of land, equivalent to 4,047 square metres.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How much will each ticket cost? 2. How much is the property worth? 3. How many tickets have they sold? 4. How many tickets are they hoping to sell? 5. How much will they get if they sell all the tickets? 6. How much are the fish worth?
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fancy a 1m home for 25? / Intermediate

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Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 2 Intermediate
uses the words raffle or lottery to describe their scheme. This isnt a raffle, as its illegal to have prizes above a certain value. After that it becomes a lottery. And this isnt a lottery either. To be eligible to win, you have to answer a skill-based question. Only if you answer the question correctly do you get to enter.

Fancy a 1m home for 25?


After failing to find a buyer, a Devon couple are raffling their country estate. Is it a scam, or a genuine way to beat the property slump? Patrick Collinson and Ben Steele September 6, 2008 1 Is a raffle really the way to sell a house in a cooling 6
property market? A five-bedroom house, together with 9.5 acres of woodland, a two-acre fishing lake and four separate two-bed holiday lodges one lucky person will win it all for 25. The owners, Brian and Wendy Wilshaw, will be winners too. Last year they were struggling to sell the property, marketed at 950,000 just as the housing slump got worse. But after starting an online prize competition on a website, theyve sold 34,000 tickets thats 850,000 and are in sight of their 46,000 target. become the first property owners to successfully use a raffle to sell a house and make a good profit. If they sell 46,000 tickets, they will earn 1.15m they say the surplus will be used to cover the costs of running the raffle. But it will still leave them with a nice profit in a property market that almost everywhere else has gone stone cold. This place is hard work. So many of the people who have stayed here have said that if they won the lottery, its the sort of place theyd buy. That made us think. The couple have lived at the estate for 14 years and want to move to a smaller property. I want an ordinary family to live here, people who would never normally be able to afford this place, people wholl be given a chance to start a new life here, says Wendy. estate (much of it overgrown) that includes a two-acre lake full of fish that Brian says are worth 1,000. Basic annual running costs are around 6,000, but in a good year the Wilshaws say the timber lodges provide an income of 25,000. Theyve had ticket buyers from Scandinavia, India and the US, and are confident theyll hit the target of 46,000 sold by the December 7 close. people who buy the tickets be sure this isnt some sort of scam? Wendy angrily criticizes anyone who

The question is: What is the cost of an adult full season coarse fishing licence for 2008/2009? The answer takes a millisecond to find on Google. Its illegal to run a lottery for personal profit, and while competitions can be run for profit they must involve an element of skill. The Wilshaws lawyers have told them the competition meets legal requirements, but Antoinette Jucker, a gambling law expert is not so sure. How do you choose a winner when almost everyone gets the answer right? You take their name out of a hat. That makes it a game of chance, and therefore an illegal lottery. When the Gambling Act was going through parliament, the clear intention was that the only legal lotteries would be those operated for a good cause. This competition is not doing that, she says. The Wilshaws are adamant their scheme is legal. At one stage online payment group PayPal froze their account while lawyers went through the paperwork, but they gave it the thumbs-up. Several people who have tried to raffle their home have been charged by the police. One woman was ordered to pay nearly 8,000 compensation after she admitted breaking lottery laws. But the biggest problem is finding people to buy the tickets. One man set up a website to raffle his 110,000 home at 5 a ticket, but sold only 229 tickets, so he drew a name from the hat and the winner got 916. The Wilshaws say theyll do the same if they dont reach their target. If there isnt a winner by the end of December, then someone gains a cash prize, simple as that, says Wendy. The prize will be the sum theyve collected minus 35% to cover expenses. The most common question they get is how the winning ticket will be selected. It will be done by random number software, overseen by our lawyers and in full view of television cameras and reporters, says Wendy.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 06/09/08
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

2 When all the tickets are sold, the Wilshaws will

3 Wendy says: We needed to sell. Were getting old.

4 The winners will get a 2,000 sq ft house and an

5 But is it legal to sell a home this way? And how can

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fancy a 1m home for 25? / Intermediate

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Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 2
3

Intermediate

Comprehension check

According to the article, are these sentences True (T) or False (F)? 1. The couple are selling the property because they want to move to somewhere bigger. 2. By law competitions must involve an element of skill. 3. It is very difficult to find the answer to the skill-based question in this competition. 4. If they dont reach their target, they will give someone a cash prize. 5. They will use any surplus to cover their costs. 6. It is legal to run a lottery for personal profit.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and expressions in the text. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. A noun meaning an area of land filled with trees. (para 1) 2. A three-word expression meaning not far from. (para 1) 3. A noun meaning more of something than is necessary. (para 2) 4. A noun meaning an extremely short period of time. (para 6) 5. A noun meaning an activity in which you risk money in the hope of winning more money. (para 6) 6. A three-word expression meaning an organization, plan or activity that you are willing to support because it provides help to people who need it. (para 7) 7. A phrasal verb meaning to examine something very carefully. (para 7) 8. A four-word expression meaning to give your approval to something. (para 7)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fancy a 1m home for 25? / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Fancy a 1m home for 25?


Level 2 Intermediate

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column. 1. cover 2. pay 3. make 4. hit 5. meet 6. freeze 7. win 8. break a. compensation b. legal requirements c. the law d. a bank account e. a target f. costs g. a profit h. the lottery

6 Word building
Complete the table using words from the text. verb 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 compete see require intend pay compensate win cause noun

7 Discussion
Would you buy an expensive raffle ticket like this if it gave you a chance to win a house worth nearly 1 million? Why? Why not?

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Fancy a 1m home for 25? Addiction to Internet is an illness


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. lodge scam slump raffle eligible adamant overgrown estate return acre

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. woodland in sight of surplus millisecond gambling a good cause go through give it the thumbs-up

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. f a g e b d h c

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 25 950,000 34,000 46,000 1.15m 1,000

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F T F T T F

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. competition sight requirement intention payment compensation winner cause

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The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

Match the terminology with the definitions. 1. DNA 2. gene 3. chromosome 4. genetic marker 5. analysis A single piece of DNA, which contains many genes and other nucleotide sequences. The process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it. The basic biological units of inheritance. Composed of DNA. The material inside the nucleus of cells that carries genetic information. A known DNA sequence which can be used to study the relationship between an inherited disease and its genetic cause. a) domain name accepted b) deoxyribonucleic acid c) details not available

6. What does DNA stand for?

Skim-reading for gist

Skim-read the article to find the answers to these questions. 1. Why and when do scientists think a small group of our ancestors left Africa? 2. In which order (first, second, third) did they reach these continents? Europe, Asia, Australasia? 3. What happened approximately 10,000 years before they left Africa? 4. Which species was wiped out by Homo sapiens? 5. Who are the backers of the genographic project? 6. How much is the project costing? 7. What have the scientists discovered about the Crusaders and Genghis Khan? 8. Which people are genetically the closest to our original ancestors?

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The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 3 Advanced
Asian coast to reach Australia 50,000 years ago. Only later, about 40,000 years ago, did we enter Europe its cold and its Neanderthals making it far less hospitable while one group of Asians headed farther east over the land bridge that then connected their continent to America. 6 We can also see that just before humans left Africa, about 70,000 years ago, mankind was brought to the brink of extinction when Mount Toba, in Sumatra, erupted, said Wells. It was the most powerful volcanic eruption for two million years and dropped thick ash and killed vegetation across the globe. Our research now shows Homo sapiens numbers dropped alarmingly at this time and we only just hung on as a species. Nevertheless, humanity recovered, evolving new creative and intellectual talents. Since then, waves of men and women have moved round the planet and DNA analysis can detect traces of these movements often with intriguing results. One study, by project scientists Pierre Zalloua and Chris Tyler-Smith, has discovered a genetic marker typical of Europeans in modern Lebanese men. The inference is clear they say: this distinctive Y-chromosome was left behind by 11th-century Crusaders when they invaded Lebanon and then settled in the country. A similar sort of genetic legacy has been detected in regions where Genghis Khan ruled and which has been linked to the many male descendants he produced. As for Africa, it has the most genetically diverse population of all the continents, as would be expected of humanitys birthplace. And of those living today, the Khoisan people of southern Africa are probably the closest, genetically, to the founding mothers and fathers of humanity, say project scientists.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 31/08/08

The incredible journey taken by our genes


Project maps humanitys voyage out of Africa to new continents and domination of the world Robin McKie, science editor August 31, 2008 1 Sixty thousand years ago, a small group of African men and women took to the Red Sea in tiny boats and crossed the Mandab Strait to Asia. Their journey of less than 20 miles marked the moment Homo sapiens left its home continent. 2 The reason for our ancestors African exodus is not known, though scientists suspect food shortages, triggered by climate change, were involved. However, its impact cannot be overestimated. Two thousand generations later, descendants of these African migrs have settled our entire planet, wiped out all other hominids including the Neanderthals and have reached a population of 6.5 billion. 3 Now scientists are completing a massive study of DNA samples from a quarter of a million volunteers in different continents in order to create the most precise map yet of mankinds great dispersion. Last week, in Tallinn, Estonia, they outlined their most recent results. As the ultimate ancestor begat son, who begat son and so on, they picked up mutations in their DNA that we can now pinpoint by gene analysis, said project leader Dr Spencer Wells. When we look at these markers distributions we can see how our ancestors moved about. 4 Scientists have known for several years that modern humans emerged from sub-Saharan Africa within the past 100,000 years. However, the 25m Genographic project backed by National Geographic, IBM and the Waitt Family Foundation has recently transformed that knowledge by providing a mass of highly detailed information about our African exodus. 5 After emerging into the Arabian Peninsula, some of our ancestors took sea routes along the south

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The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 3 Advanced
3 Vocabulary: Synonyms
Find a word (or two) in the article that is a synonym of: 1. escape, exit, flight ____________________ (para 2) 2. activated by, set off by ____________________ para 2) 3. affect, result ____________________ (para 2) 4. expatriates, people in exile ____________________ (para 2) 5. scattering, spread ____________________ (para 3) 6. fathered, gave birth to, bred ____________________ (para 3) 7. modifications, variations ____________________ (para 3) 8. appeared, evolved ____________________ (para 4) 9. welcoming, warm, friendly ____________________ (para 5) 10. edge of ____________________ (para 6) 11. remained, stayed alive ____________________ (para 6) 12. clues, remains, evidence ____________________ (para 7) 13. interesting, complicated ____________________ (para 7) 14. assumption, conclusion, deduction ____________________ (para 8) 15. inheritance ____________________ (para 8)

4 Comprehension check
Write four multiple choice comprehension questions about the text and swap them with other students. ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................................................................................................
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 3 Advanced
5 Discussion
Would you like to trace your genetic ancestry? Why/Why not? What do you know about your ancestry? Have you (or anyone you know) tried to trace your family tree? How far back could you go? Did you find out anything interesting or surprising?

6 Webquest
Watch videos about the project and discover whats on the Globe of Human History on: https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic Go to www.dnaancestryproject.com or www.dnaheritage.com to find out how you can trace your ancestry. Can you find any other companies that offer these services? How much do the services cost? What else can DNA tests be used for?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The incredible journey taken by our genes / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 3 Advanced KEY
1 Warmer
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. DNA = The material inside the nucleus of cells that carries genetic information. gene = The basic biological units of inheritance. Composed of DNA. chromosome = A single piece of DNA, which contains many genes and other nucleotide sequences. genetic marker = A known DNA sequence which can be used to study the relationship between an inherited disease and its genetic cause. analysis = the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it. b) deoxyribonucleic acid

3 Vocabulary: Synonyms
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. exodus triggered by impact migrs dispersion begat mutations emerged hospitable brink of hung on traces intriguing inference legacy

2 Skim-reading for gist


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Food shortages triggered by climate change. 60,000 years ago. Asia, Australasia, Europe. Mount Toba erupted and dropped ash and killed vegetation across the globe. The Neanderthals. National Geographic, IBM and the Waitt Family Foundation. 25 million pounds. See paragraph 8. The Khoisan people of southern Africa.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The incredible journey taken by our genes / Advanced

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The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 1 Elementary
1 Warmer
Who or what are the following? Talk in your own language if necessary. The Crusaders The Red Sea Genghis Kahn National Geographic Neanderthals IBM scientists DNA

Homo sapiens

2 Key words
Write the key words from the article next to their meanings. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. peninsula ancestors shortages gene analysis sponsored genetic marker eruption volunteers descendants diverse

1. The people who came before us (e.g. your great-great-great grandparents): ____________________. (para 2) 2. A word meaning when theres not enough of something: ____________________. (para 2) 3. The people who follow on from us (e.g. your great-great-great grandchildren): ___________________. (para 2) 4. People who do something of their own free will: ____________________. (para 3) 5. The process of studying genetic material so you can understand it better: ____________________. (para 3) 6. When a study is ____________________, people or companies have given it money. (para 4) 7. A long piece of land surrounded by water but joined at one end to a larger piece of land: _____________________. (para 5) 8. The word for what happens when a volcano throws out fire and rocks: ____________________. (para 6) 9. A specific DNA pattern or sequence which can help to diagnose inherited diseases: ____________________. (para 8) 10. A word meaning very different from something else: ____________________. (para 9)

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The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 1 Elementary
friendly. At the same time, one group went east over the land bridge from Asia to America. 6 We can see that just before humans left Africa about 70,000 years ago, Mount Toba, in Sumatra, erupted, said Wells. It was the most powerful volcanic eruption for two million years. It dropped thick ash and killed plants and trees across the globe. Our research now shows that many Homo sapiens died at this time. Nevertheless, humanity recovered. Since then, groups of men and women have moved round the planet and DNA analysis can follow these movements often with interesting and surprising results. One study, by project scientists Pierre Zalloua and Chris Tyler-Smith, has discovered a genetic marker typical of Europeans in modern Lebanese men. It is a distinctive Y-chromosome that was left behind by 11th-century Crusaders when they invaded Lebanon, scientists say. Something similar has been found in regions where Genghis Khan ruled and which has been linked to the many sons he had. As for Africa, it has the most genetically diverse population of all the continents, as you would expect of humanitys birthplace. Today, the Khoisan people of southern Africa are probably the closest, genetically, to the founding mothers and fathers of humanity, say project scientists.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 31/08/08

The incredible journey taken by our genes


A new project shows Homo sapiens journey out of Africa Robin McKie, science editor August 31, 2008 1 Sixty thousand years ago, a small group of African men and women got into tiny boats and sailed across the Red Sea to Asia. Their journey of less than 20 miles marked the moment that Homo sapiens left its home continent. 2 The reason our ancestors left Africa is not known, but scientists think that food shortages caused by climate change could be part of the reason. Two thousand generations later, 6.5 billion descendants of these people live across our planet. 3 Now scientists are nearly at the end of a massive study of DNA samples from a quarter of a million volunteers in different continents. With the information from the DNA they have created a map which shows how mankind (Homo sapiens) spread across the globe. Last week, in Tallinn, Estonia, they talked about their latest results. As the first ancestor had a son, who had a son and so on, their DNA changed. Now, with the help of gene analysis, we can see how our ancestors moved about, said the project leader Dr Spencer Wells. 4 Scientists have known for many years that modern humans came out of sub-Saharan Africa in the past 100,000 years. However, the 25m Genographic project sponsored by National Geographic, IBM and the Waitt Family Foundation has provided new information about our journey out of Africa. 5 From the Arabian Peninsula, some of our ancestors took sea routes along the south Asian coast to reach Australia 50,000 years ago. They reached Europe later, about 40,000 years ago its cold and its Neanderthals making it far less

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The incredible journey taken by our genes / Elementary

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The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the sentence halves to summarize the article. 1. Homo sapiens left Africa... ... then Europe and America. ... before Homo sapiens travelled there. ... genetically the closest to our original ancestors. ... are sponsoring the genographic project. ... the Crusaders and Genghis Khan in unusual places. ... erupted 70,000 years ago. ... sixty-thousand years ago in small boats.

2. Our ancestors left Africa for Australia,... 3. Neanderthals lived in Europe... 4. Mount Toba, a volcano in Sumatra,... 6. The project is...

5. National Geographic, IBM and the Waitt Family Foundation... ... costing twenty-five million pounds.

7. Scientists have discovered DNA connected to... 8. The Khoisan people of southern Africa are...

4 Vocabulary: Special words


How many special scientific terms can you find in the article? Write them into the word molecule. Write a translation next to each word. Who might need to know these words for their job? Write example sentences for two of the words or terms.

e.g. genetic legacy, project scientist

Word molecule

Example sentences: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The incredible journey taken by our genes / Elementary

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The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion
Draw a simple family tree include your nearest ancestors and descendants. Explain your family tree to a partner. Ask you partner questions about his/her family tree.

My family tree

6 Webquest
Watch videos about the project and discover whats on the Globe of Human History on: https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic Go to www.dnaancestryproject.com or www.dnaheritage.com to find out how you can trace your ancestry. How much do the services cost? What else can DNA tests be used for?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The incredible journey taken by our genes / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 1 Elementary KEY
1 Warmer

The Crusaders: 13th century men who went on the crusades. The Crusades originally had the goal of recapturing Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim rule. Genghis Kahn: Genghis Khan was the Mongol founder. After founding the Mongol Empire and being proclaimed Genghis Khan, he pursued an aggressive foreign policy by starting the Mongol invasions of East and Central Asia. During his life, the Mongol Empire eventually occupied most of Asia. National Geographic: based in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history. IBM: International Business Machines Corporation, abbreviated to IBM, is a multinational computer technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, USA. The Red Sea: The Red Sea is a salt water inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. Homo sapiens: us DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid): The material inside the nucleus of cells that carries genetic information. scientists: A person who is an expert on one or more areas of science. Neanderthals: paleoanthropological specimens, species of the Homo genus. They once inhabited Europe and parts of western and central Asia. They disappeared in Asia by 50,000 years ago and in Europe by 30,000 years ago. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. ancestors shortages descendants volunteers gene analysis sponsored peninsula eruption genetic marker diverse

2 Key words

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Homo sapiens left Africa sixty-thousand years ago in small boats. Our ancestors left Africa for Australia, then Europe and America. Neanderthals lived in Europe before Homo sapiens travelled there. Mount Toba, a volcano in Sumatra, erupted 70,000 years ago. National Geographic, IBM and the Waitt Family Foundation are sponsoring the genographic project. The project is costing twenty-five million pounds. Scientists have discovered DNA connected to the Crusaders and Genghis Khan in unusual places. The Khoisan people of southern Africa are genetically the closest to our original ancestors.

4 Vocabulary: Special words


possible answers: DNA analysis; genetically diverse; gene analysis; Y-chromosome; DNA samples; genetic marker; project scientist; genographic

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The incredible journey taken by our genes / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

Match the terminology with the definitions. 1. DNA 2. gene 3. chromosome 4. genetic marker A pattern within a cell that carries information about things we inherit from our parents. It is made up of DNA. A DNA sequence or pattern which can help to diagnose inherited diseases. The material inside cells that carries genetic information. Also called deoxyribonucleic acid. A single piece of DNA, which contains many genes, and other nucleotide sequences.

Key words

Match the key words from the article with their meanings. traces intriguing mutations legacy descendants ancestors hospitable extinction exodus emerged volunteers diverse pinpoint 1. The people who came before us (e.g. your great-great-great grandparents): _____________________. 2. A word meaning escape, exit, flight (also a famous song by Bob Marley): _____________________. 3. The people who follow us (e.g. your great-great-great grandchildren): _____________________. 4. People who do something of their own free will: _____________________. 5. Modifications, variations, differences: _____________________. 6. To discover something and explain it exactly: _____________________. 7. Appeared, evolved, came from: _____________________. 8. Welcoming, warm, friendly: _____________________. 9. Dying out, never to be seen again on this planet: _____________________. 10. Small clues, remains, evidence: _____________________. 11. Interesting, complicated, making us want to know more: _____________________. 12. A kind of inheritance; things left to us by our ancestors: _____________________. 13. Very different from something else: _____________________.

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The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 2 Intermediate
hospitable at the same time one group of Asians headed farther east over the land bridge that then connected their continent to America.

The incredible journey taken by our genes


A new project maps humanitys journey out of Africa Robin McKie, science editor August 31, 2008 1 Sixty thousand years ago, a small group of African
men and women set off on the Red Sea in tiny boats and crossed the Mandab Strait to Asia. Their journey of less than 20 miles marked the moment that Homo sapiens left its home continent.

2 The reason for our ancestors African exodus is not


known, though scientists think that food shortages, caused by climate change, were involved. However, its importance cannot be overestimated. Two thousand generations later, 6.5 billion descendants of these African emigrants live across our planet. They have wiped out all other hominids including the Neanderthals.

We can also see that just before humans left Africa, about 70,000 years ago, mankind was in danger of extinction when Mount Toba, in Sumatra, erupted, said Wells. It was the most powerful volcanic eruption for two million years and dropped thick ash and killed vegetation across the globe. Our research now shows Homo sapiens numbers dropped alarmingly at this time and we only just remained as a species. Nevertheless, humanity recovered. Since then, groups of men and women have moved round the planet and DNA analysis can show traces of these movements often with intriguing results. One study, by project scientists Pierre Zalloua and Chris Tyler-Smith, has discovered a genetic marker typical of Europeans in modern Lebanese men. It is a distinctive Y-chromosome that was left behind by 11th-century Crusaders when they invaded Lebanon and then settled in the country, scientists say. A similar sort of genetic legacy has been found in regions where Genghis Khan ruled and which has been linked to the many male descendants he produced. As for Africa, it has the most genetically diverse population of all the continents, as would be expected of humanitys birthplace. And of those living today, the Khoisan people of southern Africa are probably the closest, genetically, to the founding mothers and fathers of humanity, say project scientists.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 31/08/08

3 Now scientists are completing a massive study of

DNA samples from a quarter of a million volunteers in different continents in order to create a map showing how mankind spread across the globe. Last week, in Tallinn, Estonia, they described their most recent results. As the ultimate ancestor had a son, who had a son and so on, they developed mutations in their DNA that we can now pinpoint by gene analysis, said project leader, Dr Spencer Wells. When we look at the distribution of these markers we can see how our ancestors moved about.

4 Scientists have known for several years that

modern humans emerged from sub-Saharan Africa within the past 100,000 years. However, the 25m Genographic project backed by National Geographic, IBM and the Waitt Family Foundation has recently provided highly detailed new information about our African exodus.

5 After reaching the Arabian Peninsula, some of

our ancestors took sea routes along the south Asian coast to reach Australia 50,000 years ago. We entered Europe later, about 40,000 years ago its cold and its Neanderthals making it far less
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The incredible journey taken by our genes / Intermediate

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The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 2
3

Intermediate

Comprehension check

Find the answers to these questions. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Why and when do scientists think a small group of our ancestors left Africa? In which order (first, second, third) did they reach these continents? Europe, Asia, Australasia? What happened approximately 10,000 years before they left Africa? Which species was wiped out by Homo sapiens? Who are the backers of the genographic project? How much is the project costing? What have the scientists discovered about the Crusaders and Genghis Khan? Which people are genetically the closest to our original ancestors?

4 Vocabulary: Special words


How many scientific terms can you find in the article? Write them into the word molecule. How many of these terms do you think it is important to know and understand? Write example sentences for five of the terms.
e.g. genetic legacy,

project scientist

Word molecule

Example sentences: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The incredible journey taken by our genes / Intermediate

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The incredible journey taken by our genes


Level 2 Intermediate

5 Discussion
Would you like to trace your genetic ancestry? Why/Why not? What do you know about your ancestry? Have you (or anyone you know) tried to trace your family tree? How far back could you go? Did you find out anything interesting or surprising?

6 Webquest
Watch videos about the project and discover whats on the Globe of Human History on: https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic Go to www.dnaancestryproject.com/ or www.dnaheritage.com/ to find out how you can trace your ancestry. How much do the services cost? What else can DNA tests be used for?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS /The incredible journey taken by our genes / Intermediate

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The incredible journey by our genes Addiction to Internet istaken an illness


Level 2 KEY
1 Warmer
1. 2. 3. 4. DNA: The material inside cells that carries genetic information. Also called deoxyribonucleic acid. gene: A pattern within a cell that carries information about things we inherit from our parents. It is made up of DNA. chromosome: A single piece of DNA, which contains many genes, and other nucleotide sequences. genetic marker: A DNA sequence or pattern which can help to diagnose inherited diseases.

Intermediate

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Food shortages triggered by climate change 60,000 years ago. Asia, Australasia, Europe. Mount Toba erupted and dropped ash and killed vegetation across the globe. The Neanderthals. National Geographic, IBM and the Waitt Family Foundation. 25 million pounds. See paragraph 8. The Khoisan people of southern Africa.

2 Key words
1. ancestors 2. exodus 3. descendants 4. volunteers 5. mutations 6. pinpoint 7. emerged 8. hospitable 9. extinction 10. traces 11. intriguing 12. legacy 13. diverse

4 Vocabulary: Special words


possible answers: DNA analysis; genetically diverse; gene analysis; Y-chromosome; DNA samples; genetic marker; project scientist; genetic legacy; genographic; mutations

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / The incredible journey taken by our genes / Intermediate

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Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text. frugality sluggish bankruptcy forage skip reel aperitif baguette obsession brasserie

1. If an economy is __________________, it does not perform as well as usual. 2. If you __________________ from the effects of something, you feel shocked, upset or confused. 3. __________________ is a situation in which a company formally admits it has no money and cannot pay what it owes. 4. A __________________ is a long, thin loaf of bread made in the French style. 5. __________________ is when people spend very little money and only on things that are really necessary. 6. If you __________________ for food, you search for it in a wide area, but especially in rubbish bins. 7. A __________________ is a restaurant or bar, especially one that serves French food. 8. An __________________ is an emotional state in which something is so important to you that you are always thinking about it in a way that seems extreme to other people. 9. An __________________ is an alcoholic drink that is drunk before a meal. 10. If you __________________ a meal, you avoid having it.

What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. The number of international tourists visiting Paris is increasing. 2. French people spend an average of one and a half hours eating a meal in a restaurant. 3. The three-course lunch is a French tradition. 4. Most bankruptcies in France this year have been in the restaurant sector. 5. The number of customers visiting restaurants in France is falling. 6. French restaurant-goers still enjoy a bottle of wine with their lunch.

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Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 3 Advanced
sector has seen the third highest number of bankruptcies in France this year, after the construction and building trades, according to the credit insurance group Euler Hermes SFAC. 5 The time French people spend on eating meals in restaurants has already gone down: in 1975, a lunch out would take an average of one and a half hours. By 2005, it had fallen to 32 minutes. Danile Deleval, vice president of the UMIH restaurant and hotel union, said: Were very worried. Since the start of the year, the number of restaurant customers has dropped, on average, 20% and were seeing no signs of improvement. Jean Guillaume, owner of Le Bouquet brasserie on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris smart 8th district, said: Lunch customers used to order a main course, dessert, coffee and a bottle of wine. Now theyre limiting themselves to a main course, tap water, and giving up the rest. Of 75 customers in this lunchtime, none had a bottle of wine ... Its the end of a tradition of lunching out and it looks like figures will stay this low for two to three years. The nearby bakery, however, was busy selling take-away baguettes, with queues down the street at midday. Restaurant and bar owners are reeling from a poor summer with fewer international tourists visiting Paris, especially Americans and Japanese. And in Toulouse, cafe owners complained that customers would try to make one drink last as long as possible. Even in French holiday destinations, like Arcachon in the west or the Cte dAzur in the south, restaurant owners said business was down by at least 10%.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 24/09/08

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


3,000 restaurants and bars go bust in three months Starters and wine out, baguettes and burgers in Angelique Chrisafis in Paris September 24, 2008 1 It is seen as the mark of civilized eating, distinguishing well-fed French workers from the English who wolf prawn sandwiches at their desks. But Frances tradition of the three-course restaurant lunch is in danger of being killed off by the economic crisis. Around 3,000 traditional French restaurants, cafs and bars went bust in the first three months of 2008 and unions predict a further rush of closures as people worry about making ends meet. The number of French restaurants going bankrupt rose by 25% from last year, and cafs forced to close were up by 56%. 2 Le Figaros renowned restaurant critic, Franois Simon, said yesterday that French consumers frugality had changed national eating habits and forced restaurant owners to the brink. Diners were now skipping the traditional aperitif, avoiding starters, drinking tap water, passing on wine and coffee and at most sharing a pudding. 3 Even the citys smartest restaurants were getting impatient with smaller orders. In one restaurant near Paris Gare de Lyon, he reported, two couples were asked to leave by a desperate restaurant owner because they would not order starters. The restaurant chain Hippopotamus was now running loyalty deals and special-offer hamburgers, which had become more popular than French steak dishes. Office workers were increasingly buying take-away baguettes and supermarket lunches. 4 Making ends meet with low salaries and rising food prices has become a national obsession as Frances economy continues to be sluggish. Regular TV reports describe the desperation of people forced to eat cheap tinned vegetables or forage in bins at markets. The restaurant

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Advanced

CA

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 3 Advanced

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. The number of people dining in restaurants in France is falling because a. there are fewer international tourists, especially Americans and Japanese. b. there are fewer and fewer restaurants to eat in. c. the economic crisis means people have less money to spend. 2. Why is the summer described as poor? a. Because there were fewer international tourists. b. Because the weather was bad so people stayed at home. c. Because most French people were away on holiday. 3. Why were two couples ordered to leave a restaurant near the Gare de Lyon? a. Because they only wanted to order starters. b. Because they didnt want to order starters. c. Because they asked for tap water with their meal. 4. By how much has the time French people spend on eating restaurant meals fallen since 1975? a. By about one third. b. By about 50%. c. It has shown almost a threefold decrease.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and expressions in the text. 1. A verb meaning to eat something very quickly. (para 1) 2. A phrasal verb meaning to make something stop or fail completely. (para 1) 3. A two-word expression meaning to become bankrupt. (para 1) 4. A three-word expression meaning to just have enough money to buy the things you need. (para 1) 5. An adjective meaning famous and admired for a special skill or achievement. (para 2) 6. A two-word expression meaning the point in time when something very bad or very good is about to happen. (para 2) 7. A two-word expression meaning a special offer for customers who return to the same shop or restaurant again. (para 3) 8. An adverb meaning more and more over a period of time. (para 3)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 3 Advanced
5 Words + prepositions
Which prepositions follow these words? Check your answers in the text. 1. distinguish _______ 2. impatient _______ 3. limit oneself _______ 4. in danger _______ 5. worry _______ 6. spend time _______ 7. reel _______ 8. pass _______

6 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. restaurant 2. office 3. eating 4. special 5. national 6. main 7. tap 8. holiday a. water b. offer c. course d. habits e. owner f. destination g. obsession h. worker

7 Discussion
How many ways of saving money in difficult economic times can you think of?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. sluggish 2. reel (are reeling) 3. bankruptcy 4. baguette 5. frugality 6. forage 7. brasserie 8. obsession 9. aperitif 10. skip

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. wolf 2. kill off 3. go bust 4. make ends meet 5. renowned 6. the brink 7. loyalty deal 8. increasingly

5 Words + prepositions
1. from 2. with 3. to 4. of 5. about 6. on 7. from 8. on

2 What do you know?


1. F 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. T 6. F

3 Comprehension check
1. c 2. a 3. b 4. c

6 Two-word expressions
1. restaurant owner 2. office worker 3. eating habits 4. special offer 5. national obsession 6. main course 7. tap water 8. holiday destination

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text. skip trade union aperitif tradition baguette go bust discount consumer bankruptcy dessert

1. __________________ is a situation in which a company formally admits it has no money and cannot pay what it owes. 2. __________________ is the sweet food that you eat after the main course. 3. If you __________________ a meal, you avoid having it. 4. A __________________ is someone who buys and uses goods and services. 5. A __________________ is a long, thin loaf of bread made in the French style. 6. A __________________ is a reduction in the price of something. 7. An __________________ is an alcoholic drink that is drunk before a meal. 8. A __________________ is a very old custom. 9. To __________________ is an informal way of saying to go bankrupt. 10. A __________________ is an organization that aims to improve pay and conditions of work.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many French restaurants, cafs and bars went bust in the first three months of 2008? 2. What was the average time people spent on restaurant meals in France in 1975? 3. What was the average time people spent on restaurant meals in France in 2005? 4. What is the percentage increase in restaurants going bankrupt compared to last year? 5. What has the fall in the percentage of restaurant customers been since the start of 2008? 6. What was the percentage loss of business in French holiday destinations?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Elementary

CA

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 1 Elementary
show people eating cheap tinned vegetables or looking through bins at markets for food. The restaurant sector has had the third highest number of bankruptcies in France this year, after the construction and building industries, according to one credit insurance group. 5 1 The three-course lunch is a French tradition, a sign of civilized eating. While the English eat sandwiches at their desks, well-fed French workers have always enjoyed their lunch at a local restaurant. But times are changing. The traditional French three-course restaurant lunch is in danger of disappearing for ever because of the world economic crisis. About 3,000 traditional French restaurants, cafs and bars went bust in the first three months of 2008 and trade unions are predicting that more will close as people worry about money. The number of French restaurants going bust rose by 25% from last year, and the number of cafs closing rose by 56%. 2 A well-known French food writer, Franois Simon, said yesterday that French consumers did not want to spend money. He said this had changed national eating habits and was pushing restaurant owners towards bankruptcy. Diners were now skipping the traditional aperitif, avoiding starters, drinking tap water, not having wine or coffee and at most sharing a pudding. 3 Even the citys smartest restaurants were getting impatient with smaller orders. In one restaurant near Paris Gare de Lyon, he reported, an angry restaurant owner asked two couples to leave because they did not want to order starters. The restaurant chain Hippopotamus is now offering discounts to regular customers and special-offer hamburgers, which are now more popular than French steak dishes. Office workers now prefer to buy take-away baguettes and supermarket lunches. 4 As problems in the French economy continue, low salaries and rising food prices are worrying for many French people. Regular TV reports
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


3,000 restaurants and bars go bust in three months Starters and wine out, baguettes and burgers in Angelique Chrisafis in Paris September 24, 2008

The time French people spend eating meals in restaurants has already gone down: in 1975, a lunch out took an average of one and a half hours. By 2005, it was 32 minutes. Danile Deleval, of the French restaurant and hotel union, said: Were very worried. Since the start of the year, the number of restaurant customers has dropped, on average, 20% and were seeing no signs of improvement. Jean Guillaume, owner of Le Bouquet restaurant on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris smart 8th district, said: In the past, lunch customers ordered a main course, dessert, coffee and a bottle of wine. Now theyre just having a main course with tap water, and not ordering the rest. We had 75 customers this lunchtime, but no-one ordered a bottle of wine ... Its the end of a tradition of going out for lunch and it looks like numbers will be this low for two to three years. The nearby bakers shop, however, was busy selling take-away baguettes, and there were long queues outside at midday. It was a bad summer for restaurant and bar owners, with fewer international tourists visiting Paris, especially American and Japanese visitors. And in Toulouse, caf owners complained that customers were trying to make one drink last as long as possible. Even in French holiday destinations, like Arcachon in the west or the Cte dAzur in the south, restaurant owners said business was down by at least 10%.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 24/09/08

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Elementary

CA

P H

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 1 Elementary

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings with the endings to make sentences about the text. 1. People are not eating lunch in restaurants because 2. When people eat lunch in restaurants now 3. 30 years ago French people spent more time eating... 4. Since the start of 2008 5. In French holiday destinations the number of people eating in restaurants 6. French workers now prefer take-away baguettes and supermarket lunches a. they only order a main course. b. the number of people eating in restaurants has fallen by 20%. c. fell by 10% this summer. d. they are worried about money. e. to traditional three-course restaurant lunches. f. than they do now.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text.

1. of crisis the economic world because 2. in 2008 months the of three first 3. average hours of an half a and one 4. the since the year of start 5. to years three for two 6. as last possible long as

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 1 Elementary

5 Word building
Complete the table with nouns from the text. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. own consume dine work write bake visit tour noun

6 Word stress
Divide these words from the text into two groups according to their stress pattern. sandwich crisis prefer discount report sector market

hotel

dessert A 0 o

midday

average B o 0

well-fed

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. bankruptcy 2. dessert 3. skip 4. consumer 5. baguette 6. discount 7. aperitif 8. tradition 9. go bust 10. trade union

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. because of the world economic crisis 2. in the first three months of 2008 3. an average of one and a half hours 4. since the start of the year 5. for two to three years 6. last as long as possible

5 Word building
verb noun owner consumer diner worker writer baker visitor tourist

2 Find the information


1. about 3,000 2. one and a half hours 3. 32 minutes 4. 25% 5. 20% 6. at least 10%

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

own consume dine work write bake visit tour

3 Comprehension check
1. d 2. a 3. f 4. b 5. c 6. e

6 Word stress
A 0 o
sandwich crisis discount sector average market

B o 0
prefer report hotel dessert midday well-fed

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text. bankruptcy brasserie skip critic aperitif discount obsession trade union baguette distinguishes

1. An __________________ is an alcoholic drink that is drunk before a meal. 2. A __________________ is an organization that aims to improve pay and conditions of work. 3. An __________________ is an emotional state in which something is so important to you that you are always thinking about it in a way that seems extreme to other people. 4. A __________________ is a reduction in the price of something. 5. __________________ is a situation in which a company formally admits it has no money and cannot pay what it owes. 6. A __________________ is someone whose job is to write their opinions about books, films or restaurants. 7. If something __________________ one thing from another thing, it highlights the difference or differences between them. 8. A __________________ is a restaurant or bar, especially one that serves French food. 9. If you __________________ a meal, you avoid having it. 10. A __________________ is a long, thin loaf of bread made in the French style.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many French restaurants, cafs and bars went bankrupt in the first three months of 2008? 2. What was the average time people spent on restaurant meals in France in 1975? 3. What was the average time people spent on restaurant meals in France in 2005? 4. What is the percentage increase in restaurants going bankrupt compared to last year? 5. What has the fall in the percentage of restaurant customers been since the start of 2008? 6. What was the percentage loss of business in holiday destinations like the Cte dAzur?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Intermediate

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P H

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 2 Intermediate
or look through bins at markets for food. The restaurant sector has experienced the third highest number of bankruptcies in France this year, after the construction and building trades, according to the credit insurance group Euler Hermes SFAC. 5 1 It is seen as a sign of civilized eating, one which distinguishes well-fed French workers from the English who eat sandwiches at their desks. But Frances tradition of the three-course restaurant lunch is in danger of disappearing for ever as a result of the economic crisis. Around 3,000 traditional French restaurants, cafs and bars went bust in the first three months of 2008 and trade unions are predicting that more will close as people worry about making ends meet. The number of French restaurants going bankrupt rose by 25% from last year, and the number of cafs forced to close rose by 56%. 2 Le Figaros well-known restaurant critic, Franois Simon, said yesterday that the unwillingness of French consumers to spend money had changed national eating habits and was pushing restaurant owners towards bankruptcy. Diners were now skipping the traditional aperitif, avoiding starters, drinking tap water, not having wine or coffee and at most sharing a pudding. 3 Even the citys smartest restaurants were getting impatient with smaller orders. In one restaurant near Paris Gare de Lyon, he reported, two couples were asked to leave by an angry restaurant owner because they would not order starters. The restaurant chain Hippopotamus was now offering discounts to regular customers and special-offer hamburgers, which had become more popular than French steak dishes. Office workers were increasingly buying take-away baguettes and supermarket lunches. 4 Making ends meet with low salaries and rising food prices has become a national obsession as problems in the French economy continue. Regular TV reports describe the desperation of people forced to eat cheap tinned vegetables
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


3,000 restaurants and bars go bust in three months Starters and wine out, baguettes and burgers in Angelique Chrisafis in Paris September 24, 2008

The time French people spend on eating meals in restaurants has already gone down: in 1975, a lunch out would take an average of one and a half hours. By 2005, it had fallen to 32 minutes. Danile Deleval, vice president of the UMIH restaurant and hotel union, said: Were very worried. Since the start of the year, the number of restaurant customers has dropped, on average, 20% and were seeing no signs of improvement. Jean Guillaume, owner of Le Bouquet brasserie on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris smart 8th district, said: Lunch customers used to order a main course, dessert, coffee and a bottle of wine. Now theyre just having a main course with tap water, and giving up the rest. Of 75 customers in this lunchtime, none had a bottle of wine ... Its the end of a tradition of lunching out and it looks like figures will stay this low for two to three years. The nearby bakery, however, was busy selling take-away baguettes, with queues down the street at midday. Restaurant and bar owners are still suffering from a poor summer with fewer international tourists visiting Paris, especially Americans and Japanese. And in Toulouse, caf owners complained that customers would try to make one drink last as long as possible. Even in French holiday destinations, like Arcachon in the west or the Cte dAzur in the south, restaurant owners said business was down by at least 10%.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 24/09/08

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Intermediate

CA

P H

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 2 Intermediate

3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences True (T) or False (F) according to the text? 1. French people are spending less money on going to restaurants. 2. French people are spending less time eating lunch in restaurants. 3. The tradition of the traditional French three-course meal might disappear for ever. 4. Peoples eating habits are changing because they are worried about their diet. 5. The restaurant sector has experienced the highest number of bankruptcies in France this year. 6. Business at bakeries has also fallen dramatically.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and expressions in the text. 1. A two-word expression meaning to become bankrupt. (para 1) 2. A three-word expression meaning to just have enough money to buy the things you need. (para 1) 3. A noun meaning a refusal to do something. (para 2) 4. An adverb meaning more and more over a period of time. (para 3) 5. A noun meaning the worry and anger people feel in a bad situation. (para 4) 6. A two-word expression meaning the person occupying the position immediately below the president. (para 5) 7. A noun meaning sweet food that you eat after the main course. (para 6) 8. A noun meaning a place where someone goes or is going. (para 7)

5 Word building
Complete the table. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Intermediate

verb close improve predict construct insure complain describe sell

noun

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 2 Intermediate
6 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. special 2. tap 3. eating 4. office 5. national 6. main 7. restaurant 8. holiday a. water b. offer c. course d. habits e. owner f. destination g. obsession h. worker

7 Discussion
Do you often eat in restaurants? What kind of food do you like? How much money would you spend on a restaurant meal?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. aperitif 2. trade union 3. obsession 4. discount 5. bankruptcy 6. critic 7. distinguishes 8. brasserie 9. skip 10. baguette

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. go bust 2. make ends meet 3. unwillingness 4. increasingly 5. desperation 6. vice president 7. dessert 8. destination

5 Word building
verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. close improve predict construct insure complain describe sell noun closure improvement prediction construction insurance complaint description sale

2 Find the information


1. around 3,000 2. one and a half hours 3. 32 minutes 4, 25% 5. 20% 6. at least 10%

3 Comprehension check
1. T 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. F 6. F

6 Two-word expressions
1. special offer 2. tap water 3. eating habits 4. office worker 5. national obsession 6. main course 7. restaurant owner 8. holiday destination

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Au revoir to long lunch as French tighten belts / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

In your country, what information can be obtained from vehicle licence plates? When, if ever, might a vehicle change its licence plate? What are the advantages and disadvantages of personalized licence plates?

Key words

Complete the sentences with words from the text. 1. __________________ is the process of carefully watching something or someone. (title and para 1) 2. When you __________________ something you use it to get the most out of it even though it may be wrong or unfair to do so. (para 3) 3. __________________ are the basic rights that all people in society should have. (para 4, two words) 4. When you are able to __________________ something, you know exactly where it is. (para 5) 5. The __________________ is the government department that is responsible for protecting the country from terrorist attacks. (para 5, two words) 6. Police cars that look like ordinary cars are called __________________. (para 7, two words) 7. When you are __________________ with something, you have all the necessary things you need for a particular purpose. (para 8) 8. When something is __________________ it is bigger or smaller that it should actually be in comparison to something else. (para 11) 9. A group that monitors the behaviour of other groups is called a __________________. (para 11) 10. When you __________________ someone you put them off; make them not want to do something. (para 14) 11. A set of plans or actions agreed on by a political party, a company or organization are its __________________. (para 15) 12. A __________________ is a supply of something that a company or organization can use when they need to. (para 16)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 3 Advanced
8 Police helicopters have been equipped with infrared cameras that can read licence plates from 610 metres (2,000ft). In four months time, when a nationwide network of cameras is fully operational, the National ANPR Data Centre in Hendon, north London, will record up to 50m licence plates a day.

Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Database will hold details of millions of journeys for five years Paul Lewis September 15, 2008 1 The police are to expand a car surveillance operation that will allow them to record and store details of millions of daily journeys for up to five years, the Guardian has learned. 2 A national network of roadside cameras will be able to read 50m licence plates a day, enabling officers to reconstruct the journeys of motorists. 3 Police have been encouraged to fully and strategically exploit the database, which is already recording the whereabouts of ten million drivers a day, during their investigations. 4 But it has raised concerns from civil rights campaigners, who question whether the details should be kept for so long. They want clearer guidelines on who might have access to the material. 5 The project relies on automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to pinpoint the precise time and location of all vehicles on the road. Senior officers had promised the data would be stored for two years. But responding to inquiries under the Freedom of Information Act, the Home Office has admitted the data is now being kept for five years. 6 Thousands of CCTV (closed-circuit television) cameras across the country have been converted to read ANPR data, capturing peoples movements in cars on motorways, main roads, airports and town centres. 7 Local authorities have since adapted their own CCTV systems to read licence plates on behalf of police, massively expanding the network of available cameras. Mobile cameras have been installed in patrol cars and unmarked vehicles parked by the side of roads.

10 The Home Office said in a letter that the Hendon database would store all ANPR data for five years. Additionally, a photograph of a persons licence plate will, in most cases, be stored for one year. 11 Human rights group Privacy International last night described the five-year record of peoples car journeys unnecessary and disproportionate, and said it had lodged an official complaint with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO), the governments data watchdog. 12 In 2005 the government invested 32m to develop the ANPR data-sharing programme after police concluded that road traffic cameras could be used for counter-terrorism and everyday criminal investigations. Senior police officers have said they intend the database to be integrated into everyday police work. 13 Half of all police forces in England and Wales have now been connected to the network, which reads between eight and ten million licence plates a day. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said the database would be linked to ANPR systems run by all but two police forces by the end of the year. The database will be able to store as many as 18 billion licence plate sightings in 2009. 14 Officers can access the database to find uninsured cars, locate illegal duplicate licence plates and track the movements of criminals. The ACPO adds that the database will deter criminals through increased likelihood of detection. 15 Experience has shown there are very strong links between illegal use of motor vehicles on the road and other types of serious crime, said
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project / Advanced

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Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 3 Advanced
17 Peter Fry, of the CCTV User Group, said that currently licence plate images captured by CCTV are generally retained for 31 days. Theres not a great deal of logic to explain keeping the same images for five years, he said.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 15/09/08

Merseyside Polices Assistant Chief Constable, Simon Byrne, who leads Acpos ANPR policy. 16 The director of Privacy International, Simon Davies, said last night the database would give police extraordinary powers of surveillance. This would never be allowed in any other democratic country, he said. This is possibly one of the most valuable reserves of data imaginable.

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Which methods will be used to record details of motorists journeys? a) Special number plate recognition cameras. b) Converted CCTV cameras. c) Infrared cameras in police helicopters. d) All of the above. 2. How long are CCTV images currently kept for? a) Five years. b) Two years. c) 31 days. d) One year. 3. Under the new laws, how long will images of number plates be kept for? a) Five years. b) Two years. c) 31 days. d) One year. 4. Under the new laws, how long will details of motorists journeys be stored? a) Five years. b) Two years. c) 31 days. d) One year. 5. By the end of 2009 the database would be linked to ANPR systems run by... a) ... nearly all of the police forces in England and Wales. b) ... two police forces. c) ... the Home Office. d) ... the Merseyside Police.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 3 Advanced
4 Vocabulary: Acronyms
Find an acronym in the text for: 1. a police association _______________ _______________

2. a special kind of surveillance camera

3. a common kind of surveillance camera _______________ 4. a government watchdog/group that monitors the behaviour of others _______________

5 Discussion
Look back at the article and find the advantages and disadvantages of this car surveillance operation. Add further ideas of your own.

Advantages

Disadvantages

............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................

Now discuss the following questions. How do you feel about the British police and government security services being able to trace the movements of motorists in Britain? Would you be for or against a scheme like this being set up in your country?

6 Webquest
Type ANPR or police surveillance into YouTube. Report on the most interesting video you find. Here you can hear a British police officer explain (and show) how ANPR works in practice: http://youtube.com/watch?v=s-4tRWMuLhM For technical information on ANPR go to: http://www.cctv-information.co.uk/cgi-bin/index.cgi?url=http://www.cctv-information.co.uk/constant3/anpr. html
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project / Advanced
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 3 KEY
2 Key words
1. surveillance 2. exploit 3. civil rights 4. pinpoint 5. Home Office 6. unmarked vehicles 7. equipped 8. disproportionate 9. watchdog 10. deter 11. policy 12. reserve

Advanced

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. d c d a a

4 Vocabulary: Acronyms
1. ACPO 2. ANPR 3. CCTV 4. ICO

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 1
1

Elementary

Warmer

In your country, what information can people find out from vehicle licence plates? when the car was made which town or area the car comes from other information _________________

who the vehicle belongs to

What does a typical licence plate look like in your country? Example: Three numbers followed by four letters ...

Key words

Match these key words with the explanations. recognition roadside camera surveillance database reconstruct infrared deter network civil rights campaigner counterterrorism

1. ____________________ is the process of carefully watching something or someone. (title and para 1) 2. A ____________________ is a system of things that are connected together over a large area. (para 2) 3. When you ____________________ something, you put ideas and information together to try to find out what happened in the past. (para 2) 4. A ____________________ is a machine that takes photographs of vehicles from the side of the road. (para 2, two words) 5. A ____________________ is a large amount of information that is stored in a computer in an organized way. (para 3) 6. A ____________________ is somebody who fights for the basic rights that all people should have. (para 4, three words) 7. ____________________ is the ability to see or take a photo of something and then know what it is. (para 5) 8. An ____________________ camera uses a type of light that cannot be seen. (para 7) 9. ____________________ is the actions and methods of a country that are intended to stop the activities of people who use violence to achieve political aims. (para 11) 10. When you ____________________ someone, you make them not want to do something. (para 13)

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 1 Elementary
9 The government said that the London database would store all ANPR data for five years. Additionally, a photograph of a persons licence plate will be stored for one year.

Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Database will hold details of millions of journeys for five years Paul Lewis September 15, 2008 1 The British police have a new car surveillance operation that will allow them to record and keep details of millions of daily car journeys for up to five years. 2 A national network of roadside cameras will be able to read 50 million licence plates a day. Then, police officers can reconstruct the journeys of motorists. 3 The police have been told to make use of the database which already records the movements of ten million drivers a day. 4 But civil rights campaigners are worried. They dont think the details should be kept for so long, and they want to know who can have access to the data. 5 The operation needs automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras which can show the exact time and location of all vehicles on the road. Senior police officers had promised the data would be kept for two years. But now, the government has said the data is being kept for five years. 6 Thousands of CCTV (closed-circuit television) cameras across Britain have been adapted so that they can read ANPR data. This means the cameras can watch peoples movements in cars on motorways, main roads, airports and town centres. 7 There are also mobile cameras in police cars parked by the side of roads, and police helicopters have got new infrared cameras that can read licence plates from 610 metres (2,000ft). 8 In four months time, when the nationwide network of cameras is working, the National ANPR Data Centre in London will record up to 50m licence plates a day.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008

10 Human rights group Privacy International last night said that keeping this information for five years is unnecessary. They also said that they had sent an official complaint to the government. 11 In 2005 the British government invested 32m to develop the ANPR data-sharing programme. This was after police decided that road traffic cameras could be used for counterterrorism and everyday criminal investigations. Senior police officers want the database to be used in everyday police work. 12 Half of all police forces in England and Wales are now connected to the network. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said the database would be linked to ANPR systems run by all but two police forces by the end of the year. In 2009, the database will be able to store the details of 18 billion licence plates. 13 Officers can access the database to find uninsured cars, to find illegal licence plates and to track the movements of criminals. The ACPO also said that the database will deter criminals as they know that they are more likely to be caught. 14 From experience we know that there are very strong links between the illegal use of motor vehicles on the road and other types of serious crime, said Merseyside Polices Assistant Chief Constable, Simon Byrne. 15 The director of Privacy International, Simon Davies, said last night the database would give police extraordinary powers of surveillance. This would never be allowed in any other democratic country, he said. 16 Peter Fry, of the CCTV User Group, said that at the moment CCTV photos and videos of licence plates are usually kept for 31 days. Its not logical to keep them for five years, he said.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 15/09/08

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NEWS LESSONS / Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project / Elementary

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match these sentence halves to retell the article. 1. British police can now keep details of... 2. ANPR cameras are special... ... and town centres. ... of car licence plates. ... the surveillance is undemocratic. ... nearly all of the police forces in England and Wales. ... cameras that can record details of car licence plates. ... take photos of licence plates. ... peoples car journeys for five years. ... the new surveillance operation will stop terrorism.

3. CCTV watches people in airports...

4. There are mobile cameras in parked police cars which... 5. Police helicopters can also record images...

6. By the end of 2008 the database will be linked to... 7. The police hope that... 8. Civil rights groups think...

4 Vocabulary: Pronunciation
Write these words into the table according to their stress pattern. surveillance assistant motorists illegal oOo database criminals campaigners motorways Ooo recording government

How many other words can you find in the article which have the same stress patterns?

5 Webquest
Type ANPR or police surveillance or CCTV into YouTube. What kinds of crimes can you see? Listen to and watch a British police officer explain how ANPR works in practice: http://youtube.com/watch?v=s-4tRWMuLhM

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 1 Elementary
6 Discussion
Look back at the article and find the advantages and disadvantages of the British car surveillance operation. Complete the sentence below: The advantages of the car surveillance operation are _______________________________________________ but the disadvantages are _______________________________________________. Now complete these sentences with your own words and feelings. I think the scheme is a _____________________________ idea. I would feel _____________________________ if the police in my country kept my car details for five years. Talk about your sentences in class.

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Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 1 KEY
2 Key words
1. surveillance 2. network 3. reconstruct 4. roadside camera 5. database 6. civil rights campaigner 7. recognition 8. infrared 9. counterterrorism 10. deter

Elementary

4 Vocabulary: Pronunciation
oOo surveillance campaigners recording assistant illegal Ooo motorists database criminals motorways government

3 Comprehension check
1. British police can now keep details of peoples car journeys for five years. 2. ANPR cameras are special cameras that can record details of car licence plates. 3. CCTV watches people in airports and town centres. 4. Police helicopters can also record images of car licence plates. 5. There are mobile cameras in parked police cars which take photos of licence plates. 6. By the end of 2009 the database will be linked to nearly all of the police forces in England and Wales. 7. The police and Home Office hope that the new surveillance operation will stop terrorism. 8. Civil rights groups think the surveillance is undemocratic.

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Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

In your country, what information can people find out from vehicle licence plates? Example: year of manufacture, where the car is registered, ... Are you able to choose your car number plate? Example: to include your birthday or initials? What are the advantages and disadvantages of personalized licence plates?

Key words

Write these key words into the sentences below. Home Office deter duplicate unmarked vehicles equipped locate disproportionate civil rights watchdog surveillance reconstruct motorist

1. __________________ is the process of carefully watching something or someone. (title and para 1) 2. When you __________________ something, you form an idea of what happened in the past by putting ideas and information together. (para 2) 3. A __________________ is someone who drives a motor vehicle such as a car. (para 2) 4. __________________ are the basic rights that all people in society should have. (para 4, two words) 5. The __________________ is the government department that is responsible for protecting the country from terrorist attacks. (para 5, two words) 6. Police cars that look like ordinary cars are called __________________. (para 7, two words) 7. When you are __________________ with something, you have all the necessary things you need for a particular purpose. (para 7) 8. When something is __________________ it is bigger or smaller that it should actually be in comparison to something else. (para 10) 9. A group that monitors the behaviour of other groups is called a __________________. (para 10) 10. __________________ is another word for find. (para 13) 11. A __________________ is an exact copy of something. (para 13) 12. When you __________________ someone you put them off; make them not want to do something. (para 13)

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Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 2 Intermediate
8 In four months time, when the nationwide network of cameras is fully operational, the National ANPR Data Centre in Hendon, north London, will record up to 50m licence plates a day. The Home Office said in a letter that the Hendon database would store all ANPR data for five years. Additionally, a photograph of a persons licence plate will, in most cases, be stored for one year.

Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Database will hold details of millions of journeys for five years Paul Lewis September 15, 2008 1 The British police are to expand a car surveillance operation that will allow them to record and store details of millions of daily car journeys for up to five years, the Guardian has learned. 2 A national network of roadside cameras will be able to read 50 million licence plates a day, which will allow police officers to reconstruct the journeys of motorists. 3 Police have been encouraged to make use of the database, which is already recording the whereabouts of ten million drivers a day, during their investigations. 4 But civil rights campaigners are worried. They question whether the details should be kept for so long, and they want clearer guidelines on who can have access to the material. 5 The project relies on automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras which can show the precise time and location of all vehicles on the road. Senior police officers had promised the data would be stored for two years. But now, the Home Office has admitted the data is now being kept for five years. 6 Thousands of CCTV (closed-circuit television) cameras across Britain have been converted so that they can read ANPR data which show peoples movements in cars on motorways, main roads, airports and town centres. This has massively expanded the network of available cameras. 7 Mobile cameras have been installed in patrol cars and unmarked vehicles parked by the side of roads, and police helicopters have been equipped with infrared cameras that can read licence plates from 610 metres (2,000ft).
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008

10 Human rights group Privacy International last night described the five-year record of peoples car journeys unnecessary and disproportionate, and said it had sent an official complaint to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO), the governments data watchdog. 11 In 2005 the government invested 32m to develop the ANPR data-sharing programme after police decided that road traffic cameras could be used for counter-terrorism and everyday criminal investigations. Senior police officers have said they intend the database to be integrated into everyday police work. 12 Half of all police forces in England and Wales have now been connected to the network, which reads between eight and ten million licence plates a day. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said the database would be linked to ANPR systems run by all but two police forces by the end of the year. The database will be able to store as many as 18 billion licence plate sightings in 2009. 13 Officers can access the database to find uninsured cars, locate illegal duplicate licence plates and track the movements of criminals. The ACPO adds that the database will deter criminals as they know that they are more likely to be caught. 14 Experience has shown there are very strong links between illegal use of motor vehicles on the road and other types of serious crime, said Merseyside Polices Assistant Chief Constable, Simon Byrne.
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NEWS LESSONS / Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project / Intermediate

Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 2 Intermediate
CCTV are generally kept for 31 days. Theres not a great deal of logic to explain keeping the same images for five years, he said.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 15/09/08

15 The director of Privacy International, Simon Davies, said last night the database would give police extraordinary powers of surveillance. This would never be allowed in any other democratic country, he said. 16 Peter Fry, of the CCTV User group, said that currently licence plate images captured by

3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Police helicopters are able to capture images of car licence plates. 2. Up to now, CCTV images of car licence plates have been kept for three years. 3. Under the new laws, the images of number plates can be kept for five years. 4. By the end of 2009 the database will be linked to ANPR systems run by nearly all of the police forces in England and Wales. 5. The data will be stored centrally in the City of London. 6. The police and Home Office hope that the new surveillance operation will prevent terrorism. 7. CCTV is already used to watch people in airports and town centres. 8. The director of Privacy International thinks that all democratic countries should implement surveillance systems such as this.

4 Vocabulary: Pronunciation
Write these words into the table according to their stress pattern. surveillance duplicate motorists converted oOo database illegal campaigners criminals Ooo recording motorways

How many other words can you find in the article which have the same stress patterns?
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Discussion
Look back at the article and make a note of the advantages and disadvantages of the British car surveillance operation. Can you think of any more advantages or disadvantages?

Advantages

Disadvantages

............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. Now discuss the following questions: Imagine you live in Britain: How do you feel about the police and government security services being able to trace your movements? Would you be for or against a scheme like this being set up in your country?

6 Webquest
Type ANPR or police surveillance or CCTV into YouTube. What kinds of crimes have been caught on CCTV? Listen to and watch a British police officer explain how ANPR works in practice: http://youtube.com/watch?v=s-4tRWMuLhM For technical information on ANPR go to: http://www.cctv-information.co.uk/cgi-bin/index.cgi?url=http://www.cctv-information.co.uk/constant3/anpr. html

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project / Intermediate

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Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project


Level 2 KEY
2 Key words
1. surveillance 2. reconstruct 3. motorist 4. civil rights 5. Home Office 6. unmarked vehicles 7. equipped 8. disproportionate 9. watchdog 10. locate 11. duplicate 12. deter

Intermediate

4 Vocabulary: Pronunciation
oOo surveillance campaigners recording converted illegal Ooo motorists database criminals motorways duplicate

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. T F T T F T T F

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Fears over privacy as police expand surveillance project / Intermediate

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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

crackdown
cumbersome

influx chronicle culprit cap ancillary flock

revenue impoverished

1. If you place a _______________________ on something, you limit its numbers. 2. If you _______________________ something, you make a record of events in the order in which they happened. 3. _______________________ means very poor. 4. An _______________________ is a large number of people coming to a particular place. 5. _______________________ services are connected to a main activity but are less important. 6. If people _______________________ to a place, they gather there in large numbers because there is something interesting to see or do there. 7. A _______________________ is strong action taken by the authorities to stop a particular activity. 8. _______________________ is income from business activities or taxes. 9. A _______________________ system is complicated, slow and ineffective. 10. The _______________________ is the cause of something bad happening.

What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. The Galpagos Islands are situated in the Pacific Ocean. 2. They belong to Peru. 3. No-one lives on the Galpagos Islands. 4. Charles Darwin studied wildlife on the Galpagos Islands. 5. Darwin was born in the 18th century. 6. The Galpagos Islands are home to exotic animals.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven / Advanced

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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 3 Advanced
6 1,000 migrant workers have returned to the mainland in the past year. Another 2,000 have been told to leave within 12 months. If they go, the permanent human population of 30,000 will have been decimated. However, there are no plans to curb the soaring number of tourists mostly well-heeled Europeans and Americans who visit for a few days which this year is set to reach 180,000. Of course the tourist numbers have an environmental impact, but we cannot forfeit the economic opportunity, said Macias. 7 The idea is to maintain the bonanza but lighten its environmental footprint by scaling back ancillary activities which require imported labour. Environmentalists welcomed the initiative, but worried it did not go far enough. The system is currently broken, or certainly strained, said Johannah Barry, president of the Galpagos Conservancy. The problem is not so much the number of tourists as the ancillary economy thats going up around it. It makes sense to limit the strain. 8 What Darwin chronicled in 1835 a living laboratory of flora and fauna whose interactions helped explain evolution has been disrupted not so much by people as by the alien species which accompanied them: goats, cats, cattle, pigs, mosquitoes, etc. They challenge local habitats in ways nature never intended. Another culprit is oil leaking from vessels notably the tanker Jessica which ran aground in 2001 and over-fishing. Populations of sharks and sea cucumbers have fallen. Scientists at Galpagos National Park have called for a cap on tourists, saying it is the only way to prevent further damage. 9 The annual revenue of the islands is now estimated at $200m, but much of this goes to tax-paying airlines and tour operators on the mainland. Last month Ecuadors Environment Minister, Marcela Aguiaga said there was no sign that tourism was oversaturated. President Rafael Correa, a self-proclaimed environmentalist, has acknowledged that the Galpagos are at risk and is trying to shake up the notoriously cumbersome and bureaucratic
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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Plants and animals are threatened by the number of visitors to the islands Darwin explored. Now illegal migrant workers in spin-off industries are being expelled to save the archipelagos ecology Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent October 12, 2008 1 The volcanic Galpagos archipelago off South Americas Pacific coast is famous for its exotic wildlife. Charles Darwins observations on the Galpagos Islands inspired his theory of natural selection and turned the islands into a symbol of adaptation and survival. Flightless birds, giant tortoises and marine iguanas all found a home in the lava-scarred landscape. 2 And so, for a time, did a new human arrival: the illegal migrant worker. For decades, thousands flocked from the impoverished Ecuadorean mainland and found jobs in the tourist industry as maids, waiters, cleaners and shop assistants. 3 Now, however, the migrants are vanishing targeted in an unprecedented Ecuadorean government crackdown intended to rein in a breakneck tourism boom and save the archipelagos unique ecology. 4 Record numbers of tourist developments have threatened endangered plant and animal species and prompted Unesco, the United Nations cultural agency, to place the Galpagos on its in danger list. The influx is expected to swell for next years 200th anniversary of the birth of Darwin. 5 Two centuries after Darwin, most of the islands species have survived human settlement, but the authorities have become alarmed and decided to crack down. But only on migrant workers, not the tourists. Checkpoints and patrols have been set up to catch illegal residents who are then marched on to aircraft and flown 600 miles east back to the mainland. It is a policy to send home all those who do not have legal status or the proper documentation, said Carlos Macias, a spokesman for the regional planning agency. We are enforcing the law.
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NEWS LESSONS / Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven / Advanced

Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 3 Advanced
estimated 6,000 undocumented workers, a fifth of the permanent population. 11 Expulsions were a bold start, but further steps were needed to protect the archipelagos ecology, said Henry Nicholls, author of a book on conservation. Kicking people out is one thing, but it would also be sensible to put a cap on tourist numbers and to reform the tourist industry. Neither of those decisions is easy.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 12/10/08

local government. It was apparently at Correas prompting that Unesco visited the archipelago last year and placed it on its danger list, a decision upheld in July. The government says it is working on a new tourism model to reconcile a continued tourism boom with environmental protection. Expelling illegal migrant workers is part of the new approach. 10 Upon arrival all visitors are now given identity cards to help authorities keep track of movements and departures. Most migrant workers who are obliged to leave do so under their own steam and only a minority are frogmarched to the airport, said Macias, the state official. There are an

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Why is the Ecuadorean government reluctant to limit the number of tourists visiting the Galpagos Islands? a. Because the tourists do not do as much damage as the migrant workers. b. Because they have no environmental impact. c. Because the government earns a lot of money from tourism. 2. What has caused the biggest disruption to flora and fauna on the Galpagos Islands? a. Illegal workers. b. Tourists. c. Alien species. 3. What is the significance of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Darwin for the Galpagos Islands? a. It will greatly increase the number of tourists visiting the islands. b. It will enable Unesco to take the islands off its danger list. c. It will encourage the Ecuadorean government to work on a new tourism model. 4. What is the reaction of conservationists to the expulsion of the illegal migrant workers? a. They are angry about it. b. They welcome it but say it is only a start. c. They think it will solve all the conservation problems experienced on the Galpagos Islands.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven / Advanced

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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Look in the text and find the following words and expressions. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. A noun meaning a large group of small islands. (para 1) 2. An adjective meaning the greatest in size or amount that has ever been known. (para 3) 3. A verb meaning to control or limit something that is harmful. (para 6) 4. A two-word adjective meaning rich. (para 6) 5. A two-word expression used for saying what a particular person describes themselves as, even though other people might not agree. (para 9) 6. A four-word expression meaning without the help of anyone else. (para 10) 7. A verb meaning to force someone to walk somewhere with their arms held tightly. (para 10) 8. An adjective meaning involving a risk. (para 11)

5 Phrasal verbs
Match these phrasal verbs from the text with their meanings. 1. rein in 2. crack down 3. set up 4. scale back 5. shake up 6. kick out a. make something smaller in size than it used to be b. organise or plan something such as an event or system c. make changes in the way something operates so that it is more effective d. limit or control something that has developed too much e. force someone to leave a place f. start dealing with something much more strictly

6 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns or noun phrases in the right-hand column. Check your answers in the text. 1. uphold 2. enforce 3. welcome 4. prevent 5. have 6. forfeit 7. keep 8. protect a. an opportunity b. track of c. an impact d. an initiative e. a decision f. further damage g. the environment/ecology h. the law

7 Discussion
Should tourists be banned from environmentally threatened regions? What are the arguments for and against such an initiative?
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven / Advanced
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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. cap 2. chronicle 3. impoverished 4. influx 5. ancillary 6. flock 7. crackdown 8. revenue 9. cumbersome 10. culprit

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. archipelago unprecedented curb well-heeled self-proclaimed under ones own steam frogmarch bold

5 Phrasal Verbs
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f b a c e

2 What do you know?


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T F F T F T

6 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. e h d f c a b g

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. c c a b

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven / Advanced

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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

revenue
expel

cap alien

migrant boom

mainland checkpoint

impoverished flora and fauna

1. ________________________ means from another country. 2. A ________________________ is a place where soldiers or police stop traffic. 3. ________________________ is money you get from business activities or taxes. 4. A ________________________ is a sudden increase in profits in a particular industry. 5. ________________________ are the plants and animals of a region or country. 6. If you place a ________________________ on something, you limit its numbers. 7. ________________________ means very poor. 8. A ________________________ is someone who travels to another country to find work. 9. If you ________________________ someone from a place, you force them to leave. 10. The ________________________ is the mass of land that forms the main part of a country and does not include any islands.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the answers to these questions as quickly as possible. 1. Where are the Galpagos Islands? 2. Which country are the Galpagos Islands part of? 3. What is the permanent population of the islands? 4. How many tourists will visit the islands this year? 5. How many migrant workers have already returned to the mainland? 6. When was Charles Darwin born? 1808 or 1809?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 1 Elementary
leave within 12 months. If they go, the human population of 30,000 will fall by 10%. But there are no plans to control the growing number of tourists mostly rich Europeans and Americans who visit for a few days which this year will probably reach 180,000. Of course the tourist numbers have an effect on the environment, but we cannot lose this economic opportunity, said Macias. 6 The idea is to keep the tourist boom but reduce activities related to tourism which require imported labour. Environmentalists are pleased the authorities have taken action, but they believe more action is needed. The system is broken, or certainly almost broken, said Johannah Barry, president of the Galpagos Conservancy. The problem is not the number of tourists but the related economy that is growing around tourism. We must try and reduce it. 7 In 1835 Darwin wrote about a living laboratory of flora and fauna whose interactions helped explain evolution. It is not people who have changed this living laboratory but the alien species which have accompanied them: goats, cats, cattle, pigs, mosquitoes, etc. They damage local habitats in ways nature never intended. Another problem is oil leaking from ships and over-fishing. Populations of sharks and other sea creatures have fallen. Scientists at Galpagos National Park have called for a cap on tourists, saying it is the only way to stop further damage. 8 The revenue of the islands is around $200m, but most of this goes to airlines and tour operators on the mainland. President Rafael Correa of Ecuador admits that the Galpagos are at risk and is trying to reform the slow and bureaucratic local government. People believe it was Correa who encouraged Unesco to visit the islands last year and place them on its danger list. The government says it is working on a new tourism model to continue the tourism boom and protect the environment at the same time. Expelling illegal migrant workers is part of the new strategy. 9 When they arrive all visitors now get an identity card so the authorities can follow their movements and departures but there are still around 6,000
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Plants and animals are threatened by the number of visitors to the islands Darwin explored. Now illegal migrant workers in spin-off industries are being expelled to save the archipelagos ecology Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent October 12, 2008 1 The exotic wildlife of the Galpagos Islands off the Pacific coast of South America is famous around the world. Charles Darwin spent some time in the Galpagos in the 19th century and developed his theory of natural selection from what he saw there. The islands became a symbol of adaptation and survival. The Galpagos were home to flightless birds, giant tortoises and marine iguanas. 2 Then a new human arrival came to the islands: the illegal migrant worker. For years thousands came from the impoverished Ecuadorean mainland and found jobs in the tourist industry as maids, waiters, cleaners and shop assistants. But now the migrants are leaving as the Ecuadorean government tries to save the unique ecology of the islands by controlling the level of tourist development. 3 Record numbers of tourists have endangered rare plant and animal species and now Unesco, the United Nations cultural agency, has placed the Galpagos on its in danger list. People expect that the number of tourists will increase for next years 200th anniversary of the birth of Darwin. 4 Two centuries after Darwin, most of the islands species have survived human settlement, but the authorities are worried and have decided to take action. But not on the tourists on the migrant workers. They have set up checkpoints to catch illegal residents who they then put on to aircraft and fly 600 miles east back to the mainland. It is our policy to send home all those who do not have the correct documentation and the right to be here, said Carlos Macias, a spokesman for the regional planning agency. This is the law. 5 In the past year 1,000 migrant workers have returned to the mainland. Another 2,000 have to
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008

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NEWS LESSONS / Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven / Elementary

Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 1 Elementary
workers without documents, a fifth of the permanent population. 10 Henry Nicholls, an author of a book on conservation, says that expelling the illegal migrant workers is a good start, but that further steps are needed to protect the ecology of the islands. Expelling people is one thing, but it would also be a good idea to put a cap on tourist numbers and to reform the tourist industry. Those are not easy decisions.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 12/10/08

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. The number of visitors to the Galpagos Islands will increase next year because 2. The number of migrant workers on the Galpagos Islands is falling because 3. The authorities are not planning 4. Environmentalists believe 5. Most of the money the islands earn from tourism 6. Putting a cap on tourist numbers and reforming the tourist industry a. goes to airlines and tour operators on the mainland. b. it is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Darwin. c. will not be easy decisions. d. the authorities are expelling them. e. the authorities should take more action. f. to reduce the number of tourists.

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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 1 Elementary
4 Two-word expressions
Match the words from the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. Check your answers in the text. 1. sea 2. migrant 3. local 4. giant 5. tourist 6. tour 7. alien 8. identity a. government b. operator c. card d. industry e. species f. worker g. creatures h. tortoise

5 Expressions with prepositions


Fill the gaps in the phrases from the text using prepositions. Check your answers in the text. 1. jobs _____________ the tourist industry 2. the level _____________ tourist development 3. fly back _____________ the mainland 4. have an effect _____________ the environment 5. activities related _____________ tourism 6. oil leaking _____________ ships 7. _____________ risk 8. part _______ the strategy

6 Word building
Complete the table.

verb

noun

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008

select adapt survive develop settle interact evolve depart


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NEWS LESSONS / Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven / Elementary

Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. alien 2. checkpoint 3. revenue 4. boom 5. flora and fauna 6. cap 7. impoverished 8. migrant 9. expel 10. mainland

Elementary

4 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. g f a h d b e c

5 Expressions with prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. in of to on to from at of

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. off the Pacific coast of South America Ecuador 30,000 180,000 1,000 1809

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. b d f e a c

6 Word building
verb noun
selection adaptation survival development settlement interaction evolution departure

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

select adapt survive develop settle interact evolve depart

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven / Elementary

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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. crack down migrant revenue mainland impoverished disrupt archipelago saturated cap expel

1. If you ____________________ something, you interrupt it and prevent it from continuing by causing a problem. 2. If something is ____________________, it is completely full. 3. The ____________________ is the mass of land that forms the main part of a country and does not include any islands. 4. If you place a ____________________ on something, you limit its numbers. 5. If you ____________________ someone from a place, you force them to leave. 6. A ____________________ is someone who travels to another country to find work. 7. ____________________ is income from business activities or taxes. 8. ____________________ means very poor. 9. If the authorities ____________________ on an activity, they start dealing with it much more strictly. 10. An ____________________ is a large group of small islands.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the answers to these questions as quickly as possible. 1. Where are the Galpagos Islands? 2. Which country are the Galpagos Islands part of? 3. What is the permanent population of the islands? 4. What is the predicted number of tourist visitors this year? 5. How many migrant workers have already returned to the mainland? 6. When did Charles Darwin visit the Galpagos Islands?

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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 2 Intermediate
there are no plans to control the growing number of tourists mostly rich Europeans and Americans who visit for a few days which this year will probably reach 180,000. Of course the tourist numbers have an environmental impact, but we cannot lose this economic opportunity, said Macias. 6 The idea is to keep the tourist boom but reduce activities related to tourism which require imported labour. Environmentalists welcomed the initiative, but worried it did not go far enough. The system is currently broken, or certainly almost broken, said Johannah Barry, president of the Galpagos Conservancy. The problem is not so much the number of tourists as the related economy thats going up around it. It makes sense to try and reduce it. 7 What Darwin described in 1835 a living laboratory of flora and fauna whose interactions helped explain evolution has been disrupted not so much by people as by the alien species which accompanied them: goats, cats, cattle, pigs, mosquitoes, etc. They disrupt local habitats in ways nature never intended. Another problem is oil leaking from ships notably the tanker Jessica which ran aground in 2001 and over-fishing. Populations of sharks and other sea creatures have fallen. Scientists at Galpagos National Park have called for a cap on tourists, saying it is the only way to prevent further damage. 8 The revenue of the islands is around $200m, but a lot of this goes to airlines and tour operators on the mainland. Last month Ecuadors Environment Minister, Marcela Aguiaga said there was no sign that tourism was saturated. President Rafael Correa admits that the Galpagos are at risk and is trying to shake up the slow and bureaucratic local government. Apparently it was Correa who encouraged Unesco to visit the archipelago last year and place it on its danger list. The government says it is working on a new tourism model to continue the tourism boom and protect the environment at the same time. Expelling illegal migrant workers is part of the new approach. 9 When they arrive all visitors are now given identity cards to help authorities keep track of movements and departures. Most migrant workers who have to leave go under their own steam and only a few have to be forced to go to the airport, said Macias, the state
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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven

Plants and animals are threatened by the number of visitors to the islands Darwin explored. Now illegal migrant workers in spin-off industries are being expelled to save the archipelagos ecology Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent October 12, 2008 1 The volcanic Galpagos archipelago off South Americas Pacific coast is famous for its exotic wildlife. Charles Darwins observations on the Galpagos Islands inspired his theory of natural selection and turned the islands into a symbol of adaptation and survival. Flightless birds, giant tortoises and marine iguanas all found a home in the islands. 2 And so, for a time, did a new human arrival: the illegal migrant worker. For years thousands came from the impoverished Ecuadorean mainland and found jobs in the tourist industry as maids, waiters, cleaners and shop assistants. But now the migrants are vanishing as the Ecuadorean government tries to save the archipelagos unique ecology by controlling the level of tourist development on the islands. 3 Record numbers of tourists have threatened endangered plant and animal species and has led to Unesco, the United Nations cultural agency, placing the Galpagos on its in danger list. The number of tourists is expected to increase for next years 200th anniversary of the birth of Darwin. 4 Two centuries after Darwin, most of the islands species have survived human settlement, but the authorities have become worried and have decided to crack down. But only on migrant workers, not the tourists. They have set up checkpoints and patrols to catch illegal residents who are then put on to aircraft and flown 600 miles east back to the mainland. It is a policy to send home all those who do not have legal status or the proper documentation, said Carlos Macias, a spokesman for the regional planning agency. We are enforcing the law. 5 In the past year 1,000 migrant workers have returned to the mainland. Another 2,000 have been told to leave within 12 months. If they go, the permanent human population of 30,000 will fall by 10%. However,
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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 2 Intermediate
official. There are an estimated 6,000 undocumented workers, a fifth of the permanent population. 10 Henry Nicholls, an author of a book on conservation, says that the expulsions are a bold start, but that further steps are needed to protect the archipelagos ecology. Kicking people out is one thing, but it would also be sensible to put a cap on tourist numbers and to reform the tourist industry. Neither of those decisions is easy.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 12/10/08

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. The Ecuadorean government wants to reduce the number of tourists. 2. The number of tourists will probably fall next year. 3. Most of the illegal migrant workers have now left the islands. 4. Most of the money the islands earn goes to the mainland. 5. Most of the tourists come from North America and Europe. 6. Conservationists believe that the expulsion of the migrant workers is enough to protect the ecology of the islands.

4 Find the word


Look in the text and find the following words and expressions. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. A noun meaning a place where traffic can be stopped by soldiers or police. (para 4) 2. A verb meaning to make sure that a law or rule is obeyed by people. (para 4) 3. A noun meaning an effect on something. (para 5) 4. A noun meaning an important action that is intended to solve a problem. (para 6) 5. An adjective meaning from a different country. (para 7) 6. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to make changes in the way something operates so that it is more effective. (para 8) 7. A four-word expression meaning without the help of anyone else. (para 9) 8. An adjective meaning involving a risk. (para 10)
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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Two-word expressions
Match the words from the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to make expressions from the text. 1. tourist 2. migrant 3. legal 4. environmental 5. run 6. tour 7. alien 8. identity a. card b. operator c. aground d. industry e. species f. worker g. impact h. status

6 Word building
Complete the table.

verb

noun

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

expel develop adapt survive settle evolve depart approach

7 Discussion
Should we try to help the environment by reducing air travel and tourism?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven / Intermediate

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Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. disrupt 2. saturated 3. mainland 4. cap 5. expel 6. migrant 7. revenue 8. impoverished 9. crack down 10. archipelago

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. checkpoint enforce impact initiative alien shake up under their own steam bold

5 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. d f h g c b e a

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. In the Pacific (off the coast of South America) Ecuador 30,000 180,000 1,000 1835

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F F F T T F

6 Word building
verb noun
expulsion development adaptation survival settlement evolution departure approach

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

expel develop adapt survive settle evolve depart approach

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Tourism curbed in bid to save Galpagos haven / Intermediate

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Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

What is the Man Booker prize? a) An award for the best work of fiction written by a young author (under 40 years old). b) A prize for a full-length novel written in English by a citizen of the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. c) A literary prize for the best international first-time novelist. Can you name any other literary prizes? What advantages are there in winning a literary prize? a) for the author b) for the publishing house c) for the authors agent

Key words

a) Write the key words from the article into the sentences below. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. An adjective meaning to behave in an immoral way. _____________________ (title) 2. An adjective meaning first. _____________________ (title) 3. When something is this, everyone (without exception) is in agreement. _____________________ (para 3) 4. An adjective used to describe someone who is behaving in a very self-confident and annoying way. _____________________ (para 4) 5. An adjective used to describe someone or something that is or has become very, very poor. _____________________ (para 5) 6. An adjective to describe someone who has advantages that others do not have because he has money or high social status. _____________________ (para 5) 7. A compound noun meaning the most modern and advanced point in the development of something. _____________________ (para 8) 8. A noun used to describe the prime minister or leader of a country. _____________________ (para 10) 9. Modern and up-to-date. _____________________ (para 10) 10. A noun that is used when we get a sudden feeling that we must have or must do something. _____________________ (para 10) b) In paragraph 7, Michael Portillo says that the book knocked his socks off. What does he mean by that? Is the expression positive or negative? Skim-read the article to find out. Give an example of something that has knocked your socks off.
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Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize


Level 3 Advanced
a common culture between rich and poor, but not anymore. Asked what he would do with the money, he said: The first thing is to find a bank I can put it in. 7 Portillo said that Adiga undertakes an extraordinary task he gains and holds the readers attention with a hero who is an absolute villain. He also praised the works attention to important social issues: the division between rich and poor, and issues on a global scale. And it is extremely readable. The main criterion for the prize, he said, was: Does this book knock my socks off? And this did. The feeling among the judges, Portillo said, was that here was a book on the cutting edge, dealing with a different aspect of India, unfamiliar perhaps to many readers. What set it apart was its originality. The feeling was that this was new territory. Portillo likened the novel to Macbeth. It is about ambition realised through murder, he said, but with a delicious twist. Whereas Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are driven mad by their crime, the hero of this book is only driven mad by the fact that he hesitated and might not have committed his crime. The novel takes the form of seven letters addressed by Balram to the Chinese premier on the eve of a state visit. The unpleasant reality of contemporary Indian society is revealed via sketches of characters, from millionaires in their air-conditioned tower blocks to the unfortunates who are trapped in poverty and who live literally below them, catering to their every whim. Kevin Rushby, reviewing the book for the Guardian, called it a witty parable of Indias changing society. Adiga was born in Chennai in 1974 and was raised partly in Australia. Having studied at Columbia and Oxford universities, he became a journalist, and has written for Time magazine and many British newspapers. He lives in Mumbai.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 15/10/08
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Out of the Darkness: Adigas White Tiger rides to Booker victory against the odds
Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 prize Debut novel now certain to become commercial hit Charlotte Higgins, chief arts writer October 15, 2008 1 After an emotionally draining and closely fought final judging session, Aravind Adiga, one of the two debut novelists on the Man Booker shortlist, was last night awarded the 50,000 prize for The White Tiger, a modern novel about the dark side of the new India. 2 Adiga, 33, was a surprise winner. He is only the fourth first-time novelist to win the prize, after Keri Hulme in 1985, Arundhati Roy in 1997 and DBC Pierre in 2003 and he is the second youngest after Ben Okri, who won in 1991 aged 32. 3 Michael Portillo, the chair of the judges, talked of a final panel meeting characterised by passionate debate. Adigas book won by a sufficient, but by no means unanimous, margin. It was pretty close, said Portillo, and in the last stages it was down to a battle between The White Tiger and one other book. 4 The White Tiger takes a sharp look at the reality of Indias economic miracle. Its antihero and narrator, Balram Halwai, is a cocksure, uneducated young man, the son of an impoverished rickshaw driver. By lying, betraying and using his sharp intelligence, Balram makes his way up into the heady heights of Bangalores big business. 5 The writing of the novel, said Adiga, had come out of his career as a journalist, and his encounters as a relatively privileged middleclass man with members of Indias underclass. Class is a boring topic to write about. Big divides are not what people are interested in. But its the most pressing concern because other things spring out of it, like terrorism and instability, he said. The book has done very well in India. 6 Something extraordinary is happening between the rich and the poor. Once, there was at least
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NEWS LESSONS / Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize / Advanced

Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article. 1. When deciding who would win the prize, the judges ... a) ... had a fight. b) ... had dinner together. c) ... had a hard time. d) ... had an easy job. 2. The youngest ever Man Booker prize winner is ... a) ... Keri Hulme. b) ... Arundhati Roy. c) ... Ben Okri. d) ... Aravind Adiga. 3. The main character in the novel is ... a) ... an upper-class student. b) ... an Indian businessman. c) ... the Chinese premier. d) ... the son of a rickshaw driver. 4. The author of the novel describes himself as ... a) ... a relatively privileged middle-class man. b) ... an absolute villain. c) ... the son of a rickshaw driver. d) ... being from the impoverished underclass. 5. The novel ... a) ... is written in the form of letters. b) ... is about class divisions. c) ... has been likened to a Shakespeare tragedy. d) ... is all of the above. 6: The winner of the Man Booker prize receives ... a) ... a guaranteed increase in sales. b) ... fifty-thousand British pounds. c) ... a handshake from the queen. d) ... fame and glory but nothing else.

4 Vocabulary: Collocations
Match the words to make collocations from the article. 1. emotionally 2. closely 3. passionate 4. sufficient 5. economic 6. pressing 7. extraordinary 8. delicious concern debate miracle task draining twist margin fought

Now write your own example sentences for the collocations.

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Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize


Level 3 Advanced
5 Discussion
What book are you reading at the moment / What was the last book you read? Who would you recommend it to? Give a rough description of the type of novel you would like to read next. Can anyone recommend you a book? Are there any novels youve read in the past that you can really recommend?

6 Webquest
Find out how much the book, The White Tiger, costs if you order it online. Which online bookshop offers the best price (dont forget to include potential postage costs). If you order the book today, when will you receive it? Is the book available in any other languages? If so which, and how much does the book cost in your preferred language? Read an online synopsis of the book. Does it make you want to read the book? Why / Why not?

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Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize


Level 3 Advanced KEY
1 Warmer
b) A prize for a full-length novel written in English by a citizen of the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. See http://www.themanbookerprize.com/

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c c d a d b

2 Key words
1. villainous 2. debut 3. unanimous 4. cocksure 5. impoverished 6. privileged 7. cutting edge 8. premier 9. contemporary 10. whim

4 Vocabulary: Collocations
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. emotionally draining closely fought passionate debate sufficient margin economic miracle pressing concern extraordinary task delicious twist

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize / Advanced

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Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize


Level 1 Elementary
1 Warmer
What is the Man Booker prize? a) A prize for the best short story by a young author (under 40 years old). b) A prize for a full-length novel written in English by a citizen of the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. c) A prize for the best international first-time novelist.

2 Key words
Write the key words from the article into the sentences below. This will help you understand the text. state visit economic miracle novelist debut underclass villainous sketches originality whim judge instability rickshaw

1. A word meaning behaving in an immoral, bad or criminal way. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (title) 2. An adjective meaning first. _ _ _ _ _ (title) 3. Someone who writes a fictional book. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (para 1) 4. Someone who decides who will win a competition. _ _ _ _ _ (para 2) 5. A financial wonder. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (para 3) 6. A small vehicle used for carrying people, usually pulled by someone riding a bicycle. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (para 3) 7. The people at the very bottom of society. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (para 4) 8. A worrying situation that keeps changing. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (para 4) 9. The quality of being new, interesting and unique. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (para 6) 10. A visit that involves the head or government of a country. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (para 7) 11. Short written descriptions. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (para 7) 12. A noun that is used when we get a sudden feeling that we must have or must do something. _ _ _ _ (para 7)

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Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize


Level 1 Elementary
with a different aspect of India, one perhaps that many readers do not know. What made it different was its originality. 7 The novel takes the form of seven letters written by Balram to the Chinese leader the evening before a state visit. The unpleasant reality of modern Indian society is shown via sketches of characters, from millionaires in their air-conditioned tower blocks to the unfortunate people who are trapped in poverty and who live literally below them, catering to their every whim. Kevin Rushby, who reviewed the book for the Guardian, called it a witty story of Indias changing society. Adiga was born in Chennai in 1974 and was raised partly in Australia. Having studied at Columbia and Oxford universities, he became a journalist, and has written for Time magazine and many British newspapers. He lives in Mumbai.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 15/10/08

Out of the Darkness: Adigas White Tiger rides to Booker victory against the odds
Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 prize Debut novel now certain to become commercial hit Charlotte Higgins, chief arts writer October 15, 2008 1 Aravind Adiga last night won the 50,000 Man Booker prize for The White Tiger, a modern novel about the dark side of the new India. Adiga, 33, was a surprise winner. He is only the fourth first-time novelist to win the prize, after Keri Hulme in 1985, Arundhati Roy in 1997 and DBC Pierre in 2003 and he is the second youngest after Ben Okri, who won in 1991 aged 32. 2 Michael Portillo, one of the judges, said It was pretty close, but in the end it was a battle between The White Tiger and one other book. 3 The White Tiger takes a sharp look at the reality of Indias economic miracle. The main character, Balram Halwai, is an uneducated young man, the son of a poor rickshaw driver. He lies and uses his sharp intelligence to make his way up to the top of Bangalores big business. 4 The decision to write the novel, said Adiga, came from his career as a journalist, and his encounters with members of Indias underclass. Class is a boring topic to write about. Big divides are not what people are interested in. But its important because other things come out of it, like terrorism and instability, he said. The book has done very well in India. 5 Portillo praised the books attention to important social issues: the division between rich and poor, and issues on a global scale. And it is extremely readable even though the hero is an absolute villain. 6 The feeling among the judges, Portillo said, was that here was an up-to-date book, which deals

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the sentence halves to summarize the article. 1. Aravind Adiga won ... 2. The winner of the Man Booker prize ... 3. The main character in his novel ... 4. The novel is written in the form of ... 5. The book is about class and ... 6. The author thinks class is a boring ... 7. The book is very ... 8. The White Tiger is Aravind Adigas ... ... receives 50,000. ... letters to the Chinese leader. ... money divisions in Indian society. ... popular in India. ... first work of fiction. ... this years Man Booker prize. ... but important topic to write about. ... is an unpleasant businessman.

4 Vocabulary: Questions
Write questions for these answers using the prompt words below and any other necessary words. question prompts E.g. When / Aravind Adiga / born 1. How much / prize 2. How old 3. What / title / book 4. Where / story / take place 5. What / main characters / father 6. Who / main character / write letters 7. What / Aravind Adigas / job questions When was Aravind Adiga born? answers 1974 50,000 33 The White Tiger India A rickshaw driver The Chinese leader A journalist

5 Discussion
Brainstorm as many book genres as possible, e.g. historical romances, detective stories, ... What type of books do you like to read? What book are you reading at the moment / What was the last book you read? Would you recommend it to the others in your group?

6 Webquest
How much does the book, The White Tiger, cost from an online bookshop? If you order the book today, when will you receive it? Can you buy the book in your language? If so, how much does it cost?
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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Freerunning Villainous tale joins of modern sport establishment India wins 50,000 Booker prize
Level 1 Elementary KEY
1 Warmer
1. b) A prize for a full-length novel written in English by a citizen of the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. See http://www.themanbookerprize.com/

Vocabulary: Questions

2 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. villainous debut novelist judge economic miracle rickshaw underclass instability originality state visit sketches whim

(suggested answers) 1. How much is the prize money? 2. How old is Aravind Adiga? 3. What is the title of the book? 4. Where does the story take place? 5. What does the main characters fathers job? 6. Who does the main character write letters to? 7. What is/was Aravind Adigas job?

3
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Comprehension check
Aravind Adiga won this years Man Booker prize. The winner of the Man Booker prize receives 50,000. The main character in his novel is an unpleasant businessman. The novel is written in the form of letters to the Chinese leader. The book is about class and money divisions in Indian society. The author thinks class is a boring but important topic to write about. The book is very popular in India. The White Tiger is Aravind Adigas first work of fiction.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize / Elementary

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Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

What is the Man Booker prize? a) A prize for the best short story written by a young author (under 40 years old). b) A prize for a full-length novel written in English by a citizen of the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. c) A prize for the best international first-time novelist. Can you name any other book prizes? What advantages are there in winning a book prize? a) for the author b) for the publishing house c) for the authors agent

Key words

a) Write the key words from the article into the sentences below. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. state visit impoverished novelist villainous privileged hesitated instability encounters parable debut whim passionate debate

1. An adjective meaning to behave in an immoral way. ______________________ (title) 2. An adjective meaning first. ______________________ (title) 3. Someone who writes a work of fiction. ______________________ (para 1) 4. An emotional discussion in which people state their opinions. ______________________ (para 2) 5. An adjective used to describe someone or something that is or has become very, very poor. ______________________ (para 3) 6. A noun meaning unplanned meetings. ______________________ (para 4) 7. An adjective to describe someone who has advantages that others do not have because he has money or high social status. ______________________ (para 4) 8. A worrying situation that keeps changing. ______________________ (para 4) 9. A verb meaning to pause before doing something (past participle). ______________________ (para 8) 10. A visit that involves the head or government of a country. ______________________ (para 9) 11. A noun that is used when we get a sudden feeling that we must have or must do something. ______________________ (para 9) 12. A simple story with a moral or (often religious) meaning. ______________________ (para 9) b) In paragraph 6, Michael Portillo says that the book knocked his socks off. What does he mean by that? Is the expression positive or negative? Skim-read the article to find out. Give an example of something that has knocked your socks off.
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Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize


Level 2 Intermediate
6
Portillo said that Adiga undertakes an extraordinary task he gains and holds the readers attention with a hero who is an absolute villain. He also praised the works attention to important social issues: the division between rich and poor, and issues on a global scale. And it is extremely readable. The main criterion for the prize, he said, was: Does this book knock my socks off? And this did. The feeling among the judges, Portillo said, was that here was an up-to-date book, dealing with a different aspect of India, unfamiliar perhaps to many readers. What set it apart was its originality. The feeling was that this was new territory. Portillo likened the novel to Macbeth. It is about ambition and murder, he said, but with a delicious twist. Whereas Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are driven mad by their crime, the hero of this book is only driven mad by the fact that he hesitated and might not have committed his crime. The novel takes the form of seven letters addressed by Balram to the Chinese leader on the eve of a state visit. The unpleasant reality of modern Indian society is shown via sketches of characters, from millionaires in their air-conditioned tower blocks to the unfortunate people who are trapped in poverty and who live literally below them, catering to their every whim. Kevin Rushby, reviewing the book for the Guardian, called it a witty parable of Indias changing society.

Out of the Darkness: Adigas White Tiger rides to Booker victory against the odds
Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 prize Debut novel now certain to become commercial hit Charlotte Higgins, chief arts writer October 15, 2008 1 Aravind Adiga, one of the two debut novelists on the
Man Booker shortlist, was last night awarded the 50,000 prize for The White Tiger, a modern novel about the dark side of the new India. Adiga, 33, was a surprise winner. He is only the fourth first-time novelist to win the prize, after Keri Hulme in 1985, Arundhati Roy in 1997 and DBC Pierre in 2003 and he is the second youngest after Ben Okri, who won in 1991 aged 32.

2 Michael Portillo, one of the judges, said the judges


final meeting was characterised by passionate debate. It was pretty close, said Portillo, and in the end it was down to a battle between The White Tiger and one other book.

3 The White Tiger takes a sharp look at the reality

of Indias economic miracle. The main character, Balram Halwai, is an uneducated young man, the son of an impoverished rickshaw driver. By lying, betraying and using his sharp intelligence, Balram makes his way up to the top of Bangalores big business.

4 The writing of the novel, said Adiga, had come out

of his career as a journalist, and his encounters as a relatively privileged middle-class man with members of Indias underclass. Class is a boring topic to write about. Big divides are not what people are interested in. But its the most important aspect because other things come out of it, like terrorism and instability, he said. The book has done very well in India.

10 Adiga was born in Chennai in 1974 and was raised


partly in Australia. Having studied at Columbia and Oxford universities, he became a journalist, and has written for Time magazine and many British newspapers. He lives in Mumbai.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 15/10/08

5 Something extraordinary is happening between

the rich and the poor. Once, there was at least a common culture between rich and poor, but not anymore. Asked what he would do with the money, he said: The first thing is to find a bank I can put it in.
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Villainous tale of modern India wins 50,000 Booker prize


Level 2
3

Intermediate

Comprehension check

Are the statements true (T) of false (F) according to the information in the article? 1. Aravind Adiga is the youngest ever Man Booker prize winner. 2. The main character in the novel is an upper-class student. 3. The author of the novel describes himself as a relatively privileged middle-class man. 4. The novel is written in the form of letters. 5. The winner of the Man Booker prize receives a guaranteed increase in sales. 6. The author thinks class is a boring but important topic to write about. 7. The book has not sold very well in India. 8. The books main character is a good, likeable man. 9. The judges thought there were similarities between the book and one of Shakespeares plays. 10. The White Tiger is Aravind Adigas first work of fiction.

4 Vocabulary: Questions
Write questions for the answers.

questions
E.g. When was Aravind Adiga born? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

answers
1974 50,000 33 The White Tiger India A rickshaw driver The Chinese leader A journalist

5 Discussion
Brainstorm as many book genres as possible, e.g. historical romances, detective stories, ... What type of books do you like to read? What book are you reading at the moment / What was the last book you read? Would you recommend it to the others in your group?

6 Webquest
Find out how much the book, The White Tiger, costs if you order it online. Which online bookshop offers the best price (dont forget to include potential postage costs)? If you order the book today, when will you receive it? Is the book available in your language? If so, how much does it cost? Read an online synopsis of the book. Would you like to read the book? Why / Why not?
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Villainousto tale of modern wins 50,000 Booker prize Addiction Internet is an India illness
Level 2 KEY
1 Warmer
b) A prize for a full-length novel written in English by a citizen of the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. See http://www.themanbookerprize.com/

Intermediate

3 Comprehension check
1. F 2. F 3. T 4. T 5. F 6. T 7. F 8. F 9. T 10. T

2 Key words
1. villainous 2. debut 3. novelist 4. passionate debate 5. impoverished 6. encounters 7. privileged 8. instability 9. hesitated 10. state visit 11. whim 12. parable

4 Vocabulary: Questions
Teachers note: There will be many different possible correct ways of writing the questions required in this task. The point is controlled practice in forming questions.

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El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

shanty town
galvanise

ruthless volatile

imminent impulsive

obesity wizardry

eject charisma

1. A ___________________ person is one who can quickly become angry or violent. 2. An ___________________ person is one who does things without thinking what will happen as a result. 3. A ___________________ person is one willing to make other people suffer so that he or she can achieve their aims. 4. A ___________________ is an area where very poor people live in badly built houses made of wood or metal or other thin material. 5. If something is ___________________, it is likely or certain to happen very soon. 6. ___________________ is a strong personal quality that makes other people like you. 7. ___________________ is a condition in which someone is too fat in a way that is dangerous for their health. 8. If you ___________________ someone, you make them leave a place, often using physical force. 9. If you ___________________ people, you affect them enough to produce a strong and immediate reaction. 10. ___________________ is a very high level of skill at something.

What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. Diego Maradona is Argentinian. 2. He still plays football. 3. He was voted best player of the 20th century. 4. He was thrown out of the 1994 World Cup after testing positive for drugs. 5. Most England football fans love Maradona. 6. Argentina won the 2006 World Cup.

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El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 3 Advanced
rein in his famously volatile emotions when he becomes boss. It makes me really happy that my parents will see me walk out as coach of the national team, he said. But I dont want to cry. The national team needs a man who will make people smile, not cry, who will give them something to enjoy, not suffer. 6 He also said his lack of managerial experience which runs to a total of 23 games with modest provincial club Deportivo Mandiyu and then Racing Club, in the mid 1990s would be no problem. They talk about my inexperience but Ive spent 20-odd years in the Argentina team, he said. Thats why it makes me laugh when people talk about inexperience. 7 But Maradona is impulsive, unpredictable and temperamental. For some in Argentina, it is almost as if Paul Gascoigne, whose personal and professional life has closely mirrored that of Maradona, had taken control of the England team an unthinkable prospect here. 8 Both number 10s were regarded as the greatest footballers of their era but lost control through drink and drugs. Among the Argentine public yesterday there seemed to be limited enthusiasm for Maradonas appointment, despite hopes it might deliver cheer as their economy is struggling again. Online polls for daily newspapers La Nacin and Clarin reported that around threequarters of respondents disapproved. 9 Reflecting Maradonas sometimes volatile character, Carlos Tevez, the Manchester United and Argentina striker who Maradona once described as the Argentine prophet for the 21st century, said: Diego needs to think more with his head than his heart now that hes coach. 10 If the appointment is confirmed, as expected in Argentina, there appeared to be trouble ahead for one of the teams star players. It was reported that Maradona has previously called Barcelona midfielder Lionel Messi too selfish in his play. Messi has been dubbed the new Maradona for his similar build and dribbling wizardry. There will be no problem, said Messi yesterday. He is a great. I admire him for what he has given to
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Surprise choice marks astonishing comeback by controversial star Robert Booth and Sam Jones October 30, 2008 1 In the shanty towns of Buenos Aires they used to call him el pibe, Argentine slang for the little kid. But yesterday Diego Maradona, the diminutive Argentine footballer whose ball skills and ruthless cunning have granted him almost mythical status in his home country, was on the verge of becoming el maestro with his imminent appointment as manager of the national team. 2 The decision by the normally conservative president of the Argentina Football Association, Julio Grondona, marks an astonishing comeback for a controversial player who came close to death in 2004 when he spent 10 days in intensive care with respiratory problems following what was thought to have been a cocaine-induced heart attack. 3 Only four years earlier, he had been voted the best footballer of the 20th century in a poll of fans for Fifa. He has also endured hospitalisation with alcohol-induced liver problems and underwent gastric bypass surgery for obesity in a Colombian clinic. In 1994 he was ejected from the World Cup in the US after he tested positive for ephedrine, a fact that might have been obvious to anyone who saw him run up to a pitchside camera and scream into its lens, eyes bulging unnaturally after he scored his only goal of the tournament against Greece. 4 But with Argentinas two-time World Cup winning side in the doldrums in recent internationals, drawing six in a row earlier this year, Grondona hopes Maradonas presence will galvanise the team. I have wanted Maradona to be coach of the national team since 1979, said Grondona in a radio interview on Wednesday, following talks with the 48-year-old. In Argentine football there is a before and an after Maradona. 5 Maradona indicated yesterday that he would
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El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 3 Advanced
his countrymen, he means more than that. On his 43rd birthday in 2003, fans in Rosario established the Church of Maradona and decided 2003 should be 43DD, despus de Diego or after Diego. Maybe hes risking too much, as always in his life, wrote Daniel Arcucci, a columnist for La Nacin, reflecting on his appointment. Even his status as a myth.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 30/10/08

Argentine soccer. I am optimistic. His charisma will make the players follow him 100%, said Italy coach Marcello Lippi, who lifted the 2006 World Cup. They will listen to him like an oracle. 11 Most England fans have a love-hate relationship with Maradona after the hand of God incident where he scored a goal with his hand to help knock England out of the 1986 World Cup. But he is also respected, alongside Pele, as perhaps the greatest footballer of all time. To some of

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Diego Maradona ... a. ... will definitely be the next manager of Argentina. b. ... is expected to be the next manager of Argentina. c. ... probably wont become the next manager of Argentina. 2. Maradona ... a. ... is regarded as the best footballer of all time. b. ... is regarded as one of the best two footballers of all time. c. ... is regarded as possibly one of the best two footballers of all time. 3. Maradona and Paul Gascoigne are compared in the text because ... a. ... they are both likely to become managers of their national teams. b. ... they both had drink and drugs problems. c. ... they were both great footballers who lost control through drink and drugs. 4. How is the current state of the Argentine national team described? a. They are not playing very well at the moment. b. They are improving rapidly. c. They are playing extremely badly this year.

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El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Look in the text and find the following words and expressions. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. An adjective meaning very short or small. (para 1) 2. An adjective meaning related to the process of breathing. (para 2) 3. An adjective meaning large and sticking out. (para 3) 4. A three-word expression meaning in a situation where there is a lack of activity or improvement. (para 4) 5. A phrasal verb meaning to bring under control. (para 5) 6. An adjective used after a number meaning approximately. (para 6) 7. An adjective meaning impossible to imagine. (para 7) 8. A three-word expression meaning a relationship in which your feelings about someone often change from positive to negative. (para 11)

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns they go with in the right-hand column. 1. undergo 2. score 3. take 4. lose 5. confirm 6. mark 7. induce 8. draw a. a comeback b. control c. an appointment d. surgery e. control f. a goal g. a game h. a heart attack

6 Expressions with prepositions


Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. slang ____________ little kid 2. close ____________ death 3. surgery ____________ obesity 4. ____________ the verge of 5. take control ____________ 6. enthusiasm ____________ something 7. obvious ____________ someone 8. lack ____________ experience

7 Discussion
If people have a history of drug-taking or alcoholism, should they be appointed to positions of authority?
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El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. volatile 2. impulsive 3. ruthless 4. shanty town 5. imminent 6. charisma 7. obesity 8. eject 9. galvanise 10. wizardry

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. diminutive respiratory bulging in the doldrums rein in odd unthinkable love-hate relationship

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. d f b or e b or e c a h g

2 What do you know?


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T F T T F F

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b c c a

6 Expressions with prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. for to for on of for to of

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El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

obesity

mythical

galvanise unpredictable

volatile disapprove

poll selfish

charisma depression

1. _____________________ is a strong personal quality that makes other people like you. 2. A _____________________ is an occasion when a lot of people are asked their opinion about something. 3. If something is described as _____________________, it is imaginary or not real. 4. An economic _____________________ is a time when there is a lot of unemployment and poverty because there is very little economic activity. 5. If you _____________________ of something, you have a negative feeling towards it. 6. If you _____________________ people, you affect them enough to produce a strong and immediate reaction. 7. _____________________ is a condition in which someone is too fat in a way that is dangerous for their health. 8. A _____________________ person is one who thinks only about himself or herself and not about other people. 9. An _____________________ person is one who changes very often in a way that is impossible to prepare for. 10. A _____________________ person is one who can quickly become angry or violent.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the answers to these questions as quickly as possible. 1. Where is Diego Maradona from? 2. In what year was he thrown out of the World Cup? 3. How old is he now? 4. How many games has he been in charge of as a manager? 5. How many years did he spend in the Argentina team? 6. How many times have Argentina won the World Cup?

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El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 1 Elementary
the Argentina team, he said. Thats why it makes me laugh when people talk about inexperience. 7 But Maradona is volatile and unpredictable. For some people in Argentina, it is almost as if Paul Gascoigne, whose personal and professional life has been similar to Maradonas, had taken control of the England team something that would be impossible in England. 8 Both players were probably the greatest footballers of their time but lost control through drink and drugs. Among the Argentine public there seems to be limited enthusiasm for Maradonas appointment, although some people hope it might make people happy in a time of economic depression. Opinion polls for daily newspapers La Nacin and Clarin reported that around three-quarters of people disapproved. 9 Talking about Maradonas sometimes volatile character, Carlos Tevez, the Manchester United and Argentina striker said: Diego needs to think more with his head than his heart now that hes coach. 10 If the appointment is confirmed, as expected in Argentina, there may be problems for one of the teams star players. Maradona has said that the Barcelona midfielder Lionel Messi is too selfish in his play. Messi has been called the new Maradona for his similar build and football skills. There will be no problem, said Messi yesterday. He is a great. I admire him for what he has given to Argentine soccer. I am optimistic. His charisma will make the players follow him 100%, said Italy coach Marcello Lippi, winning coach at the 2006 World Cup. The players will listen to him. 11 Most England fans have a love-hate relationship with Maradona after the hand of God incident where he scored a goal with his hand against England in the 1986 World Cup. But people also think that, along with Pele, he is probably the greatest footballer of all time. To some people in Argentina, he means more than that. Maybe hes risking too much, as he always does in his life, wrote Daniel Arcucci, a reporter for La Nacin. Even his status is a myth.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 30/10/08

El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager

Surprise choice marks astonishing comeback by controversial star Robert Booth and Sam Jones October 30, 2008 1 In the poor districts of Buenos Aires they used to call him the little kid. But now Diego Maradona, the Argentine footballer with an almost mythical status in his home country, might soon become the manager of the national team. 2 The decision by the normally conservative president of the Argentina Football Association, Julio Grondona, is an astonishing return for a controversial player who almost died in 2004 when he spent 10 days in intensive care with breathing problems following a heart attack caused by cocaine use. 3 Four years before that football fans voted Maradona the best footballer of the 20th century. He has also spent time in hospital with liver problems caused by alcohol and also had surgery for obesity in a Colombian clinic. In 1994 he was thrown out of the World Cup in the US after a positive drugs test. 4 Argentina have won the World Cup twice but the team is not playing well at the moment. Earlier this year they drew six games in a row. Grondona hopes Maradonas presence will galvanise the team. I have wanted Maradona to be coach of the national team since 1979, said Grondona in a radio interview on Wednesday, after meeting the 48-yearold former player. In Argentina we talk about football before Maradona and football after Maradona. 5 Maradona said that he would control his volatile emotions when he becomes boss. It makes me really happy that my parents will see me walk out as coach of the national team, he said. But I dont want to cry. The national team needs a man who will make people smile, not cry, who will give them something to enjoy, not suffer. 6 He also said his lack of managerial experience just 23 games with modest provincial club Deportivo Mandiyu and then Racing Club, in the mid 1990s would be no problem. They talk about my inexperience but Ive spent about 20 years in
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El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Maradonas return is astonishing because ... 2. Lionel Messi may have problems because ... 3. Maradona was thrown out of the 1994 World Cup because ... 4. Some people hope Maradonas appointment will make people happy because ... 5. The Italy coach thinks Maradona will be a success because ... 6. England football fans dont like Maradona because ... a. ... the players will listen to him. b. ... he cheated and scored a goal with his hand in a match against England. c. ... he almost died in 2004. d. ... Maradona has described him as selfish. e. ... he tested positive for drugs. f. ... it is a time of economic depression.

4 Chunks
Rearrange these words to make phrases from the text. 1. years that before four 2. managerial of lack experience 3. their the greatest time of footballers 4. hate a relationship love 5. test a drugs positive 6. national the the manager team of

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 1 Elementary
5 Opposites
Write the opposites of these words. 1. predictable 2. experience 3. negative 4. limited 5. happy 6. best _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

6 Two word expressions


Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make expressions from the text. 1. national 2. breathing 3. personal 4. daily 5. drugs 6. radio 7. lose 8. economic a. life b. interview c. team d. test e. control f. newspaper g. depression h. problems

8. economic

h. problems

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El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. charisma 2. poll 3. mythical 4. depression 5. disapprove 6. galvanise 7. obesity 8. selfish 9. unpredictable 10. volatile

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. four years before that lack of managerial experience the greatest footballers of their time a love-hate relationship a positive drugs test the manager of the national team

5 Opposites
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. unpredictable inexperience positive unlimited unhappy worst

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Buenos Aires, Argentina 1994 48 23 about 20 twice

6 Two word expressions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. c h a f d b e g

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c d e f a b

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El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. cunning galvanise shanty town unthinkable impulsive charisma obesity poll volatile oracle

1. ____________________ is a condition in which someone is too fat in a way that is dangerous for their health. 2. If something is ____________________, you cannot even imagine it happening. 3. If you ____________________ people, you affect them enough to produce a strong and immediate reaction. 4. ____________________ is a strong personal quality that makes other people like you. 5. An ____________________ person is one who does things without thinking what will happen as a result. 6. A ____________________ is an area where very poor people live in badly built houses made of wood or metal or other thin material. 7. An ____________________ is a person who gives the best advice or information. 8. A ____________________ person is one who can quickly become angry or violent. 9. ____________________ is the use of clever methods to get what you want, especially methods that involve tricking or cheating people. 10. A ____________________ is an occasion when a lot of people are asked their opinion about something.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the answers to these questions as quickly as possible. 1. Where is Diego Maradona from? 2. In what year was he thrown out of the World Cup? 3. How old is he now? 4. How many games has he been in charge of as a manager? 5. What other three footballers are mentioned in the text? 6. How many times have Argentina won the World Cup?

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 2 Intermediate
inexperience but Ive spent about 20 years in the Argentina team, he said. Thats why it makes me laugh when people talk about inexperience. 7 But Maradona is impulsive, unpredictable and temperamental. For some people in Argentina, it is almost as if Paul Gascoigne, whose personal and professional life has been similar to Maradonas, had taken control of the England team an unthinkable idea in England. 8 Both players were regarded as the greatest footballers of their era but lost control through drink and drugs. Among the Argentine public yesterday there seemed to be limited enthusiasm for Maradonas appointment, despite hopes it might make people happy in a time of economic depression. Opinion polls for daily newspapers La Nacin and Clarin reported that around three-quarters of people disapproved. 9 Talking about Maradonas sometimes volatile character, Carlos Tevez, the Manchester United and Argentina striker said: Diego needs to think more with his head than his heart now that hes coach. 10 If the appointment is confirmed, as expected in Argentina, there may be problems for one of the teams star players. It was reported that Maradona has previously called Barcelona midfielder Lionel Messi too selfish in his play. Messi has been called the new Maradona for his similar build and dribbling skills. There will be no problem, said Messi yesterday. He is a great. I admire him for what he has given to Argentine soccer. I am optimistic. His charisma will make the players follow him 100%, said Italy coach Marcello Lippi, who lifted the 2006 World Cup. They will listen to him like an oracle. 11 Most England fans have a love-hate relationship with Maradona after the hand of God incident where he scored a goal with his hand to help knock England out of the 1986 World Cup. But he is also respected, alongside Pele, as perhaps the greatest footballer of all time. To some of his countrymen, he means more than that. Maybe hes risking too much, as always in his life, wrote Daniel Arcucci, a columnist for La Nacin, reflecting on his appointment. Even his status as a myth.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 30/10/08
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Surprise choice marks astonishing comeback by controversial star Robert Booth and Sam Jones October 30, 2008 1 In the shanty towns of Buenos Aires they used to call him the little kid. But yesterday Diego Maradona, the Argentine footballer whose ball skills and cunning have given him almost mythical status in his home country, was close to becoming the manager of the national team. 2 The decision by the normally conservative president of the Argentina Football Association, Julio Grondona, marks an astonishing comeback for a controversial player who came close to death in 2004 when he spent 10 days in intensive care with respiratory problems following what was thought to have been a heart attack caused by cocaine use. 3 Only four years earlier, he had been voted the best footballer of the 20th century in a poll of fans for Fifa. He has also spent time in hospital with liver problems caused by alcohol and also had surgery for obesity in a Colombian clinic. In 1994 he was thrown out of the World Cup in the US after he tested positive for drugs. 4 But with Argentinas two-time World Cup winning side playing poorly in recent internationals, drawing six in a row earlier this year, Grondona hopes Maradonas presence will galvanise the team. I have wanted Maradona to be coach of the national team since 1979, said Grondona in a radio interview on Wednesday, following talks with the 48-year-old. We talk about football in Argentina before Maradona and after Maradona. 5 Maradona indicated yesterday that he would control his volatile emotions when he becomes boss. It makes me really happy that my parents will see me walk out as coach of the national team, he said. But I dont want to cry. The national team needs a man who will make people smile, not cry, who will give them something to enjoy, not suffer. 6 He also said his lack of managerial experience just 23 games with modest provincial club Deportivo Mandiyu and then Racing Club, in the mid 1990s would be no problem. They talk about my
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008

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NEWS LESSONS / El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager / Intermediate

El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Maradona nearly died in 2004. 2. Argentina have been playing well in recent international matches. 3. Maradona has had problems with drugs but not with alcohol. 4. England football fans love Maradona. 5. Lionel Messi has been called the new Maradona. 6. Maradona once scored a goal with his hand in a match against England. 7. Opinion polls show that most Argentines want Maradona to be the next manager of their national team. 8. Paul Gascoigne is likely to become manager of the England team

4 Find the word


Find the following words and expressions in the text. 1. A noun meaning a period when someone becomes successful or popular again. (para 2) 2. An adjective meaning related to the process of breathing. (para 2) 3. A verb meaning to get the same score as another team in sport. (para 4) 4. An adjective meaning quite good or successful but not excellent. (para 6) 5. An adjective meaning changing from one mood to another very easily. (para 7) 6. A noun meaning a period of time that has a particular quality or character. (para 8) 7. A three-word expression meaning a relationship in which your feelings about someone often change from positive to negative. (para 11)

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El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Opposites
Match these words from the text with their opposites. volatile 1. liberal 2. stable 3. complete 4. cosmopolitan 5. predictable 6. different similar provincial unpredictable limited conservative

___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________

6 Two word expressions


Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make expressions from the text. 1. national 2. test 3. take 4. economic 5. intensive 6. opinion 7. star 8. heart a. player b. control c. attack d. poll e. team f. depression g. positive h. care

7 Discussion
Do you think Maradona would make a good manager for Argentinas national team? Give reasons for your answer.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. obesity 2. unthinkable 3. galvanise 4. charisma 5. impulsive 6. shanty town 7. oracle 8. volatile 9. cunning 10. poll

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. comeback respiratory draw modest temperamental era love-hate relationship

5 Opposites
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. conservative volatile limited provincial unpredictable similar

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Argentina 1994 48 23 Paul Gascoigne, Lionel Messi and Pele Twice

6 Two word expressions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. e g b f h d a c

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. T F F F T T F F

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / El maestro Maradona: football legend to be Argentina manager / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

500 places to see before they die


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

What do the Tower of London and the Everglades in Florida have in common? a) They have both won environmental tourism awards. b) They are both up for sale. c) They are both at risk from climate change. Skim-read the beginning of the article to check your answer.

Key words
dwindling burgeoning devastation irrevocably eco-conscious degenerating intriguing merit intact folly derelict vulnerable

1. When something is ___________________, it is in a weak position and in danger. (para 1) 2. Damage and destruction affecting a large area or a lot of people: ___________________. (para 2) 3. When you are aware of what is happening to the environment and show your concern you can be called ___________________. (para 2) 4. When you ___________________ something, you deserve or are worth it. (para 3) 5. Something that is becoming worse is ___________________. (para 4) 6. Something that is becoming smaller or gradually less until (almost) nothing remains is ___________________. (para 4) 7. Something that is ___________________ is very interesting and a bit strange or mysterious. (para 5) 8. Something that is ___________________ is growing or developing quickly. (para 5) 9. When applied to a building this means old, run-down, not looked after, empty, and in a bad condition: ___________________. (para 6) 10. A ___________________ is a building that has no practical use and is built as decoration. (para 6) 11. Something that is ___________________ is complete, unharmed, all in one piece, despite something negative having happened. (para 7) 12. An adverb meaning no longer possible to change or stop: ___________________. (para 8)

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500 places to see before they die


Level 3 Advanced
dumping by sanitation companies and ships. The Nazca lines in Peru, one of the worlds most intriguing ancient sites, face destruction as roads are built and global warming and deforestation cause floods and mudslides. Also under threat is New Yorks Little Italy. Though a small part of the area, made famous by films such as The Godfather and Mean Streets, has been preserved, it is being gradually squeezed by the burgeoning Chinatown and SoHo districts. 6 Tourists could also visit some of Britains ancient architectural treasures which, she says, risk becoming derelict because of a lack of funding. Strawberry Hill, Sir Horace Walpoles folly in Twickenham, west London, which sparked the Gothic revival in the early 19th century, is struggling to raise 8m. One of the oldest parish churches in England, St Marys, in Stow in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, needs 3m for renovations. Another London landmark, Battersea power station, becomes more run-down every day as government, developers and local community boards argue over its future. Hughes also urges a trip to Kentish Town, north London, to visit Little Green Street, one of the last intact Georgian streets in London. This perfect slice of Regency London was celebrated by the poet John Betjeman and used as the setting for numerous music and photo shoots. Further north, the Holderness coast, in East Yorkshire, loses nearly 6ft a year due to rising sea levels caused by climate change and man-made interference, she said. West points out that the guidebooks message is not all gloom. Some of the destinations are already on the road to being saved, usually because theyve been championed by preservationists, he said. And even in the cases where a site has been lost, or irrevocably damaged, it often has become a rallying point for activists, inspiring them to fight on so that the same mistakes arent made again. The planet is poorer every time we allow something beautiful to die.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 26/10/08

500 places to see before they die

A new guidebook for travellers shows the sites most at risk Amelia Hill, social affairs correspondent October 26 2008 1 The first guidebook of last chance holidays will be published tomorrow for travellers who want to visit the most endangered tourist destinations across the world. Frommers 500 Places To See Before They Disappear provides a list of sites where it is still possible to see rare and vulnerable animal species, special landscapes and unique cultural sights in their unspoilt glory. 2 Co-author Holly Hughes, a former executive editor of Fodors Travel Publications, said: The devastation brought on by climate change and direct man-made interference is familiar to all of us. But this book is a carefully chosen list of last-chance destinations that eco-conscious travellers can enjoy if they move quickly for possibly the last time. 3 According to Hughes and co-author Larry West, an award-winning investigative journalist once nominated for a Pulitzer prize, more than 20 of Britains best-loved landmarks and lesser-known gems merit a place in their collection. The Tower of London and Greenwich Maritime Museum, for example, are at risk from rising sea levels which will lead the River Thames to flood its banks. 4 With 500 threatened destinations to choose from, she suggests heading to the Everglades in southern Florida. Filled with rare species, this ecosystem is degenerating with alarming rapidity. Already half has been lost to agricultural and urban development. Dwindling water levels and pollution have severely compromised what remains. The number of bird species has fallen by 93 per cent and many of the fish and even the alligators who remain show high mercury levels, said Hughes. 5 The Dead Sea may only be a tourist destination for three more decades. By then, says Hughes, it could be completely dry, because the rivers that feed it are being diverted. Marine life around the Falkland Islands is under severe threat from 7

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / 500 places to see before they die / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

500 places to see before they die


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Find these ecological words or phrases and make notes on what their connection is with the article. e.g. agricultural and urban developments These are taking away land and are damaging the ecosystem in the Everglades in Florida, USA, negatively affecting rare plants and wildlife that can be found there. a) deforestation _________________________________ b) dwindling water levels _________________________________ c) high mercury levels _________________________________ d) lack of funding _________________________________ e) rising sea levels _________________________________ f) dumping by sanitation companies _________________________________

4 Reading for detail


How many tourist destinations can you find in the article? Underline them. Have you been to any of the places that are mentioned? If not, would you like to go to any of the places?

5 Discussion
The guidebook will probably encourage (even) more tourists to visit these destinations. What positive and negative implications might this have? Look back at the article for some suggestions, then expand your opinion as much as possible and try to have a balanced discussion.

6 Webquest
a) Choose one of the destinations in the article and pinpoint it on Google Earth (weblink: http://earth.google.com/). b) Does the destination have an official website? c) What can you see or do there? d) How could you get there? e) Where can you stay while youre there? f) How much would a trip to visit this destination cost? g) What is the weather like there today?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / 500 places to see before they die / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

500 places to see before they die


Level 3 Advanced KEY
2 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. vulnerable devastation eco-conscious merit degenerating dwindling intriguing burgeoning derelict folly intact irrevocably

4 Reading for detail


The Tower of London The Greenwich Maritime Museum The Everglades in Florida The Dead Sea The Falkland Isalnds The Nazca Lines in Peru Little Italy in New York Strawberry Hill in London St Marys Church in Stow in Lindsey Battersea power station, London Little Green Street, London The Holderness coast, East Yorkshire

3 Comprehension check
a) deforestation (para 5) The Nazca lines in Peru, one of the worlds most intriguing ancient sites, face destruction as roads are built and global warming and deforestation cause floods and mudslides. dwindling water levels (para 4). Dwindling water levels and pollution have severely compromised what remains of the Everglades. high mercury levels (para 4) The number of bird species has fallen by 93 per cent and many of the fish and even the alligators who remain show high mercury levels. lack of funding (para 6) Britains ancient architectural treasures which, she says, risk becoming derelict because of a lack of funding e.g. Battersea power station, St Marys Church, in Stow in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, and Strawberry Hill, in Twickenham, west London. rising sea levels (paras 3 & 7) The Holderness coast, in East Yorkshire, loses nearly 6ft a year due to rising sea levels caused by climate change and man-made interference. The Tower of London and Greenwich Maritime Museum, for example, are at risk from rising sea levels which will lead the River Thames to flood its banks. dumping by sanitation companies (para 5) Marine life around the Falkland Islands is under severe threat from dumping by sanitation companies and ships.

Teachers notes
Here you can see photos of some of the places and wildlife (in Britain) mentioned in the book: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/gallery/2008/oct/26/endangered-britain-ireland?picture=338973178 You could show the pictures as a warmer or anytime during the lesson. This links directly to the book: http://www.frommers.com/bookstore/047018986X.html The new book title is an homage to / is inspired by the bestseller 1000 Places To See Before You Die: http://www.1000beforeyoudie.com/ The webquest can be done during class time if you have the technology available. If not, it can be set as homework and the students can present their findings in the next lesson.

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / 500 places to see before they die / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

500 places to see before they die


Level 1
1

Elementary

Warmer

Where in the world can you find these places? Match each place with a location on the map. Then skim-read the article to check your answers. a) Battersea power station b) The Nazca lines c) The Everglades d) Little Italy e) The Holderness coast South Florida, USA New York, USA East Yorkshire, UK

London, UK

Peru

Key words

Match these key words with the definitions. devastation landmark rare disappear at risk diverted marine life mercury Regency gloom ancient architectural 1. To vanish, to go and never return. (para 1) 2. Opposite of common. Unusual. (para 1) 3. Damage and destruction affecting a large area or a lot of people. (para 2) 4. A famous building or object that you recognize easily. (para 3) 5. Another way of saying in danger. (para 3) 6. A poisonous silver liquid metal (used in thermometers). (para 4) 7. When the course or way has been changed. (para 5) 8. Things that live in the sea. (para 5) 9. Very old. (para 5) 10. Relating to buildings. (para 6) 11. A period in history the time from 1811 to 1820 before George IV became King of England. (para 7) 12. Bad depressing news, the feeling of having no hope. (para 8)
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500 places to see before they die


Level 1 Elementary
are being built. Many trees are cut down to build the roads and this leads to floods and mudslides. New Yorks Little Italy, which was made famous by films such as The Godfather and Mean Streets, is also in danger as the districts around it grow. 6 Tourists should also visit some of Britains ancient architectural treasures which, she says, are in danger of falling down because there is no money to save them. Strawberry Hill, Sir Horace Walpoles building in west London needs 8m. One of the oldest churches in England, St Marys, in Stow in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, needs 3m. Another London landmark, Battersea power station, becomes more run-down every day as government, property developers and the local people argue about its future. Hughes also suggests a trip to Kentish Town, north London, to visit Little Green Street, one of the last complete Regency streets in London. Further north, the Holderness coast, in East Yorkshire, loses nearly 6ft (1.8 metres) a year due to rising sea levels caused by climate change and man, she said. West points out that the guidebooks message is not all gloom. Some of the destinations can be saved, he said. We have to learn from our mistakes because the planet is poorer every time we allow something beautiful to die.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 26/10/08

500 places to see before they die


A new guidebook for travellers shows the sites most at risk Amelia Hill, social affairs correspondent October 26, 2008 1 The first guidebook of last chance holidays will be published tomorrow for travellers who want to visit the most endangered tourist destinations across the world. Frommers 500 Places To See Before They Disappear lists places where it is still possible to see rare animals, special landscapes and cultural sights. 2 Holly Hughes, one of the authors and a former executive editor of Fodors Travel Publications, said: We all know about devastation brought on by climate change and humans. But this book is a list of last-chance destinations that travellers can visit if they go soon for possibly the last time. 3 According to Hughes and co-author Larry West, a journalist, more than 20 of Britains best-loved landmarks have a place in their book. The Tower of London and Greenwich Maritime Museum, for example, are at risk from rising sea levels which could cause the River Thames to flood. 4 Hughes suggests that tourists go to the Everglades in southern Florida. This ecosystem which is filled with rare animals, birds, fish and plants is disappearing very quickly. Already half has been lost to farms and towns. Low water levels and pollution have put the rest of the Everglades at risk. The number of birds has fallen by 93 per cent and many of the fish and even the alligators who still live there have high mercury levels in their blood, said Hughes. 5 The Dead Sea may only be a tourist destination for another thirty years. By then, says Hughes, it could be completely dry, because the rivers that run into it are being diverted. Marine life around the Falkland Islands is in great danger from pollution. The Nazca lines in Peru, one of the worlds most interesting and mysterious ancient sites, may disappear as too many roads

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / 500 places to see before they die / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

500 places to see before they die


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the sentence halves to find information from the article. 1. The two authors of the book are ... 2. The book lists the 500 most ... 3. Part of the film The Godfather was filmed ... 4. Fish and alligators in the Everglades ... 5. Little Green Street is a beautiful Regency street ... 6. The Nazca lines in Peru are in danger because ... 7. The Greenwich Maritime Museum ... 8. The Dead Sea could be dry ... 9. There is still hope for many of the places listed ... 10. If you are quick you will still be able ... ... in Little Italy, New York. ... to visit the places mentioned in the book. ... in Florida have too much mercury in their blood. ... within 30 years. ... a journalist and an editor. ... is near the River Thames in London. ... too many new roads have been built. ... in north London. ... endangered tourist destinations. ... in the book.

4 Vocabulary: Prepositions
Put the prepositions into the phrases from the article. from into across of (x3) in (x2) by (x2) 1. ... one ________ the authors 2. ... tourist destinations ________ the world 3. ... the Everglades ________ southern Florida 4. ... has fallen ________ 93 per cent 5. ... the rivers that run ________ it are being diverted 6. ... is also ________ danger 7. ... visit some ________ Britains ancient architectural treasures 8. ... in danger ________ falling down 9. ... rising sea levels caused ________ climate change 10. We have to learn ________ our mistakes ...

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / 500 places to see before they die / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

500 places to see before they die


Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion
How many tourist destinations can you find in the article? Underline them. Have you been to any of the places in the article? Which one would you most like to visit?

6 Webquest
a) Choose one of the destinations in the article and find it on Google Earth (weblink: http://earth.google.com/). b) Does the destination have an official website? c) What can you see or do there? d) How could you travel there? e) Where can you stay while youre there? f) How much would a trip to visit this destination cost? g) What is the weather like there at the moment?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / 500 places to see before they die / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

500 places to see before they die


Level 1 KEY
a) b) c) d) e)

Elementary
4 Vocabulary: Prepositions
1. of 2. across 3. in 4. by 5. into 6. in 7. of 8. of 9. by 10. from

1 Warmer
London, UK Peru South Florida, USA New York, USA East Yorkshire, UK

2 Key words
1. disappear 2. rare 3. devastation 4. landmark 5. at risk 6. mercury 7. diverted 8. marine life 9. ancient 10. architectural 11. Regency 12. gloom

5 Discussion
The Tower of London The Greenwich Maritime Museum The Everglades in Florida The Dead Sea The Falkland Isalnds The Nazca Lines in Peru Little Italy in New York Strawberry Hill in London St Marys Church in Stow in Lindsey Battersea power station, London Little Green Street, London The Holderness coast, East Yorkshire

3 Comprehension check
1. The two authors of the book are a journalist and an editor.

2. The book lists the 500 most endangered tourist destinations. 3. Part of the film The Godfather was filmed in Little Italy, New York. 4. Fish and alligators in the Everglades in Florida have too much mercury in their blood. 5. Little Green Street is a beautiful Regency street in north London. 6. The Nazca lines in Peru are in danger because too many new roads have been built. 7. The Greenwich Maritime Museum is near the River Thames in London. 8. The Dead Sea could be dry within 30 years. 9. There is still hope for many of the places listed in the book. 10. If you are quick you will still be able to visit the places mentioned in the book.

Teachers notes
Here you can see photos of some of the places and wildlife (in Britain) mentioned in the book: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/gallery/2008/oct/26/endangered-britain-ireland?picture=338973178 You could show the pictures as a warmer or anytime during the lesson. This links directly to the book: http://www.frommers.com/bookstore/047018986X.html The new book title is an homage to / is inspired by the bestseller 1000 Places To See Before You Die: http://www.1000beforeyoudie.com/ The webquest can be done during class time if you have the technology available. If not, it can be set as homework and the students can present their findings in the next lesson.
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / 500 places to see before they die / Elementary

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500 places to see before they die


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

Where in the world can you find ... a) ... Battersea power station? b) ... the Nazca lines? c) ... the Everglades? d) ... Little Italy? Skim-read the article to check your answers.

Key words

Match these key words with the definitions. interference landmark devastation threatened deforestation degenerating squeezed gloom Regency folly derelict vulnerable

1. When something is __________________ it is in a weak position and in danger. (para 1) 2. Damage and destruction affecting a large area or a lot of people: __________________. (para 2) 3. Becoming involved in a situation although you have no right to do so: __________________. (para 2) 4. Something that is __________________ is in danger of being harmed or destroyed. (para 3) 5. Something that is becoming worse is __________________. (para 4) 6. The process of removing trees from a piece of land: __________________. (para 5) 7. Something that is being __________________ is being pressed or pushed from all sides. (para 5) 8. When applied to a building this means old, run-down, not looked after, empty, and in a bad condition: __________________. (para 6) 9. A __________________ is a building that has no practical use and is built as decoration. (para 6) 10. A famous building or object that you recognize easily: __________________. (para 6) 11. A period in history the time from 1811 to 1820 before George IV became King of England: __________________. (para 7) 12. Bad depressing news, the feeling of having no hope: __________________. (para 8)

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

500 places to see before they die


Level 1 Intermediate
dumping by sanitation companies and ships. The Nazca lines in Peru, one of the worlds most interesting and mysterious ancient sites, face destruction as roads are built and global warming and deforestation cause floods and mudslides. Also under threat is New Yorks Little Italy. Though a small part of the area, made famous by films such as The Godfather and Mean Streets, has been preserved, it is being gradually squeezed by the rapidly growing Chinatown and SoHo districts. 6 Tourists should also visit some of Britains ancient architectural treasures which, she says, risk becoming derelict because of a lack of money. Strawberry Hill, Sir Horace Walpoles folly in west London is trying to raise 8m. One of the oldest churches in England, St Marys, in Stow in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, needs 3m for renovations. Another London landmark, Battersea power station, becomes more run-down every day as government, property developers and local community boards argue over its future. Hughes also suggests a trip to Kentish Town, north London, to visit Little Green Street, one of the last complete Georgian streets in London. This perfect piece of Regency London was used as the setting for numerous music and photo shoots. Further north, the Holderness coast, in East Yorkshire, loses nearly 6ft (1.8 metres) a year due to rising sea levels caused by climate change and man-made interference, she said. West points out that the guidebooks message is not all gloom. Some of the destinations are already on the road to being saved, he said. And even in the cases where a site has been lost, or irreversibly damaged, it often has become a place where activists meet and plan to fight on so that the same mistakes arent made again. The planet is poorer every time we allow something beautiful to die.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 26/10/08

500 places to see before they die


A new guidebook for travellers shows the sites most at risk Amelia Hill, social affairs correspondent October 26, 2008 1 The The first guidebook of last chance holidays will be published tomorrow for travellers who want to visit the most endangered tourist destinations across the world. Frommers 500 Places To See Before They Disappear provides a list of sites where it is still possible to see rare and vulnerable animals, special landscapes and unique cultural sights. 2 Holly Hughes, one of the authors and a former executive editor of Fodors Travel Publications, said: The devastation brought on by climate change and direct man-made interference is familiar to all of us. But this book is a carefully chosen list of last-chance destinations that travellers can enjoy if they go soon for possibly the last time. 3 According to Hughes and co-author Larry West, an award-winning investigative journalist, more than 20 of Britains best-loved landmarks deserve a place in their book. The Tower of London and Greenwich Maritime Museum, for example, are at risk from rising sea levels which will cause the River Thames to flood. 4 With 500 threatened destinations to choose from, she suggests that tourists go to the Everglades in southern Florida. Filled with rare species, this ecosystem is degenerating with alarming rapidity. Already half has been lost to agricultural and urban development. Low water levels and pollution have put what remains at risk. The number of birds has fallen by 93 per cent and many of the fish and even the alligators who remain have high mercury levels, said Hughes. 5 The Dead Sea may only be a tourist destination for three more decades. By then, says Hughes, it could be completely dry, because the rivers that run into it are being diverted. Marine life around the Falkland Islands is in great danger from

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / 500 places to see before they die / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

500 places to see before they die


Level 1 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) of false (F) according to the article? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. The co-authors of the book are a journalist and an editor. The book lists the 500 most endangered birds and animals. Part of the film The Godfather was filmed in New York. 93% of alligators in the Everglades have high mercury levels in their blood. Little Green Street is a district of New York. The Nazca lines are on the Falkland Islands. The Greenwich Maritime Museum is near the River Thames in London. There is no hope for any of the places mentioned in the book. The Dead Sea could be dry within 20 years. If you are quick you will still be able to visit the places mentioned in the book.

4 Pronunciation oooOo
renovations vulnerable destruction interference architectural sanitation

a) devastation has this pronunciation pattern ooOo - which other 3 words above have the same pattern? _______ _____________ ____________________ ____________________ b) Which word has the same pronunciation pattern as irreversibly ooOoo ____________________ c) Which word has the stress on the first syllable Oooo ? ____________________ d) Which 3-syllable word has the stress on the middle syllable oOo ? ____________________ e) These two nouns from paragraph 1 are pronounced in exactly the same way but their meanings are different. Write (or look up) a definition for each. a site ____________________ a sight ____________________

5 Discussion
a) How many tourist destinations can you find in the article? Underline them. Have you been to any of the places that are mentioned? If not, would you like to go to any of the places? b) Explain the last sentence of the article in your own words: The planet is poorer every time we allow something beautiful to die. Do you agree with this statement?

6 Webquest
a) Choose one of the destinations in the article and find it on Google Earth (weblink: http://earth.google.com/). b) Does the destination have an official website? c) What can you see or do there? d) How could you travel there? e) Where can you stay while youre there? f) How much would a trip to visit this destination cost? g) What is the weather like there at the moment?
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / 500 places to see before they die / Intermediate

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P H

500 places to see before they die


Level 1 KEY
1 Warmer
a) London, UK b) Peru c) Florida, USA d) New York, USA

Intermediate

5 Discussion
a) Tourist destinations:
The Tower of London The Greenwich Maritime Museum The Everglades in Florida The Dead Sea The Falkland Isalnds The Nazca Lines in Peru Little Italy in New York Strawberry Hill in London St Marys Church in Stow in Lindsey Battersea power station, London Little Green Street, London The Holderness coast, East Yorkshire

2 Key words
1. vulnerable 2. devastation 3. interference 4. threatened 5. degenerating 6. deforestation 7. squeezed 8. derelict 9. folly 10. landmark 11. Regency 12. gloom

Teachers notes
Here you can see photos of some of the places and wildlife (in Britain) mentioned in the book: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/gallery/2008/oct/26/endangered-britain-ireland?picture=338973178 You could show the pictures as a warmer or anytime during the lesson. This links directly to the book: http://www.frommers.com/bookstore/047018986X.html The new book title is an homage to / is inspired by the bestseller 1000 Places To See Before You Die: http://www.1000beforeyoudie.com/ The webquest can be done during class time if you have the technology available. If not, it can be set as homework and the students can present their findings in the next lesson. interference

3 Comprehension check
1. T 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. F 6. F 7. T 8. F 9. F 10. T

4 Pronunciation oooOo
a) sanitation b) architectural c) vulnerable d) destruction renovations

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / 500 places to see before they die / Intermediate

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text. perch vulture peck claws carcass thump precaution jab bird of prey negligence

1. The sharp, curved parts at the end of some animals toes are known as __________________. 2. A __________________ is the body of a dead animal. 3. If you __________________ someone, you hit them hard with your fist. 4. A __________________ is an informal word for an injection or vaccination. 5. A __________________ is an action taken to protect people or things against possible harm or damage. 6. A __________________ is an area or object that a bird uses for resting on, usually above the ground. 7. __________________ means failure to give care or attention, especially if this causes harm or damage. 8. A __________________ is a large bird that eats the bodies of dead animals. 9. A __________________ is a bird that hunts and eats other animals. 10. When a bird __________________, it moves its beak quickly forward to hit or bite something.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How much is two stone in kilograms? 2. How much is eight feet in metres? 3. How long was the vulture? 4. Why was the attack unusual? 5. What treatment did the victim receive? 6. Apart from vultures, what other birds of prey can be seen at the Jungle Park?

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 3 Advanced
5 She was then taken to hospital where she received antibiotics and a tetanus jab. After her wounds were dressed, she was sent back to her hotel in a wheelchair. I was shaking and shaking and shaking, she said. I couldnt speak about it for a few days afterwards. Every time someone asked me what happened I started crying. Ive never known any shock like it. She said she was hoping to claim compensation from the zoo for what she described as its negligence. A spokeswoman for Jungle Park said: The animals are free so we cannot control what they will do, because they are animals. I have only heard of this thing happening maybe twice in 15 years. The keepers are working with them every day and have insurance for that. Grahame Madge, of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said: The vultures look like barn doors coming towards you, so its no wonder [the women] were frightened. But they are not usually at all dangerous for humans. They are natures waste disposal units usually they are just carrion feeders. The Jungle Park, in Las Aguilas, south Tenerife, has two birds of prey shows a day, giving visitors the chance to see falcons, vultures and eagles in free flight.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 31/10/08

Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Helen Pidd October 31, 2008 1 Mary Corcoran had no doubt taken precautions against sunburn and been warned about timeshare touts. But nothing could have prepared her for the attack by a vulture on her Tenerife holiday. The 56-year-old from Ipswich, UK, has spoken of how she feared she was going to be eaten alive when the metre-long griffon vulture pinned her to the ground while she was watching a birds of prey show on the island. She was taken to hospital after the vulture swooped down and attacked her and her friend Teresa Largent at Tenerifes Jungle Park zoo. 2 The vulture, which has a wingspan of 2.5 metres (8ft), was eventually punched to the ground by its keeper. The attack was unusual because vultures normally only feast on dead animals. The attack happened on Sunday as the womens weeklong holiday was coming to an end. They were watching the show in the parks arena when one vulture flew from its perch and down to where the women were sitting. 3 We had been told not to move, so we sat totally still, but it pecked Teresa and then nicked her programme, said Corcoran, who is retired, yesterday from her home in Kesgrave, Suffolk. Then the bird went for me, and perched on my shoulder, and before I knew it, I was under it. Griffon vultures weigh between six and 13kg (1-2st); the weight of the bird pinned Corcoran down and she began to feel a burning sensation down her back and arm as its claws dug into her skin. 4 The keeper came over and got the bird off but as he was taking me out of the arena it flew back towards me and the keeper had to thump it really hard to the ground, she said. That is when the real fear and panic set in as I thought it was coming back to eat me. I was freaking out. I thought, Im not a dead carcass!

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Which of these best describes the vulture attack at Jungle Park? a. Such attacks happen quite often. b. Such attacks are extremely rare. c. Such attacks are unprecedented. 2. When did Mrs Corcoran begin to panic? a. When the vulture perched on her shoulder. b. When its claws dug into her skin. c. When the bird attacked her again as she was being taken out of the arena. 3. Griffon vultures ... a. ... are not normally dangerous to humans. b. ... only feed on dead human flesh. c. ... feed on dead animals not dead human flesh. 4. What was the effect of the attack on Mrs Corcoran? a. She was badly injured and hospitalised for a few days. b. She is now confined to a wheelchair. c. She was upset and unable to talk about her experience for a few days.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word expression meaning someone who tries to sell you a share in a holiday property. (para 1) 2. A phrasal verb meaning to eat a lot of a particular food. (para 2) 3. A noun meaning a large area that is surrounded by seats and is used for sports or entertainment. (para 2) 4. An informal verb meaning to steal. (para 3) 5. A verb meaning to rest on a small, narrow or high place. (para 3) 6. A noun meaning a physical feeling. (para 3) 7. An informal two-word expression meaning something very big. (para 7) 8. A noun meaning the decaying flesh of dead animals. (para 7)

5 Phrasal verbs
Match the phrasal verbs with their definitions. 1. swoop down 2. go for 3. pin down 4. dig into 5. come over 6. set in 7. freak out 8. get off a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. hold someone firmly on the ground so they cannot move become so frightened you cannot control yourself stop something touching someone move suddenly downwards through the air approach attack press hard into something start to take effect
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 3 Advanced
6 Verb + noun collocations
Fill the gaps using these verbs from the text. claim receive dress take feel watch

1. ____________ precautions 2. ____________ a show 3. ____________ a sensation 4. ____________ a wound 5. ____________ compensation 6. ____________ hospital treatment

7 Discussion
Do you agree with zoos? What are the arguments for and against keeping animals in captivity?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack / Advanced

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. claws 2. carcass 3. thump 4. jab 5. precaution 6. perch 7. negligence 8. vulture 9. bird of prey 10. pecks

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. timeshare tout 2. feast on 3. arena 4. nick 5. perch 6. sensation 7. barn door 8. carrion

5 Phrasal verbs
1. d 2. f 3. a 4. g 5. e 6. h 7. b 8. c

2 Find the information


1. 13kg 2. 2.5m 3. one metre 4. vultures normally only eat carcasses 5. antibiotics and a tetanus injection 6. falcons and eagles

3 Comprehension check
1. b 2. c 3. a 4. c

6 Verb + noun collocations


1. take 2. watch 3. feel 4. dress 5. claim 6. receive

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack / Advanced

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text. still keeper carcass pecks bird of prey wingspan vulture carrion claws arena

1. A ___________________ is someone who looks after a group of animals in a zoo. 2. A ___________________ is a large bird that eats the bodies of dead animals. 3. A ___________________ is a bird that hunts and eats other animals. 4. The sharp, curved parts at the end of some animals toes are known as ___________________. 5. When a bird ___________________, it moves its beak quickly forward to hit or bite something. 6. An ___________________ is a large area that is surrounded by seats and is used for sports or entertainment. 7. A ___________________ is the body of a dead animal. 8. ___________________ is the rotting flesh of dead animals. 9. The ___________________ of a bird or plane is the distance from the end of one wing to the end of the other. 10. If you are ___________________, you are not moving at all.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How long was the vulture? 2. Where did the attack take place? 3. What is the wingspan of vultures? 4. How much do vultures weigh? 5. What treatment did the victim receive? 6. What other birds of prey can you see at the Jungle Park?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack / Elementary

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 1 Elementary
in a wheelchair. I was shaking and shaking and shaking, she said. I couldnt speak about it for a few days afterwards. Every time someone asked me what happened I started crying. Ive never known any shock like it. 6 A spokeswoman for Jungle Park said: The animals are free so we cannot control what they will do, because they are animals. I have only heard of this thing happening maybe twice in 15 years. The keepers are working with them every day and have insurance for that. Grahame Madge, of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said: The vultures look enormous coming towards you, so its no wonder [the women] were frightened. But they are not usually at all dangerous for humans usually they just feed on carrion. The Jungle Park, in Las Aguilas, south Tenerife, has two birds of prey shows a day, giving visitors the chance to see falcons, vultures and eagles in free flight.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 31/10/08

Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Helen Pidd October 31, 2008 1 British tourist Mary Corcoran probably knew about the dangers of sunburn and other problems she might experience on her Spanish holiday. But she probably didnt include an attack by a vulture on her list of possible holiday problems. The 56-year-old woman has spoken of how the metre-long vulture attacked her while she was watching a birds of prey show on the island. Mrs Corcoran says she thought the bird was going to eat her alive. She was taken to hospital after the vulture attacked her and her friend, Teresa Largent, at Tenerifes Jungle Park zoo. 2 The birds keeper finally knocked it to the ground and stopped it attacking Mrs Corcoran. The attack was unusual because vultures normally only feed on dead animals. The attack happened when the womens week-long holiday was nearly finished. They were watching the show in the parks arena when one vulture flew down to where the women were sitting. 3 They had told us not to move, so we sat totally still, but it pecked Teresa, said Corcoran. Then the bird went for me, and sat on my shoulder, and before I knew it, I was under it. Vultures have a wingspan of 2.5 metres and weigh between six and 13kg; the weight of the bird held her down and it dug its claws into her back and arms. 4 The keeper came over and got the bird off, but as he was taking me out of the arena it flew back towards me and the keeper had to hit it really hard to the ground, she said. That is when I began to panic as I thought it was coming back to eat me. I was really frightened. I thought, Im not a dead carcass! 5 She was then taken to hospital where she received antibiotics and a tetanus injection. After treatment she was sent back to her hotel
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack / Elementary

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 1 Elementary

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. The attack was unusual because ... 2. Mrs Corcoran was frightened because ... 3. She cried for several days afterwards because ... 4. The zoo cannot control what the animals do because ... 5. Vultures usually ... 6. Attacks like this one ... a. ... have only happened twice in the last fifteen years. b. ... she was still shocked. c. ... feed on the carcasses of dead animals. d. ... she thought the vulture was going to eat her alive. e. ... vultures do not normally attack humans. f. ... they are free.

4 Prepositions
Complete the phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text. 1. list _______ problems 2. feed _______ 3. weigh _______ 6 and 13 kg 4. take _______ hospital 5. _______ a few days 6. twice _______ fifteen years

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 1 Elementary
5 Irregular past tenses
Complete the table. present tense 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. think dig hold fly begin fed irregular past tense

6 Word stress
Divide these words from the text into two groups according to their stress pattern. include between alive shoulder A 0 o sunburn treatment island human B o 0 attack control panic towards

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack / Elementary

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. keeper 2. vulture 3. bird of prey 4. claws 5. pecks 6. arena 7. carcass 8. carrion 9. wingspan 10. still

Elementary

4 Prepositions
1. of 2. on 3. between 4. to 5. for 6. in

5 Irregular past tenses


1. thought 2. dug 3. held 4. flew 5. began 6. feed

2 Find the information


1. one metre 2. at the Jungle Park zoo in Tenerife (Spain) 3. 2.5 metres 4. six to 13kg 5. antibiotics and a tetanus injection 6. falcons and eagles

6 Word stress
A 0 o
sunburn island panic shoulder treatment human

B o 0
include alive attack between control towards

3 Comprehension check
1. e 2. d 3. b 4. f 5. c 6. a

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack / Elementary

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps using these key words from the text. peck negligence carcass compensation bird of prey precaution vulture retired claws keeper

1. A __________________ is a large bird that eats the bodies of dead animals. 2. __________________ means failure to give care or attention, especially if this causes harm or damage. 3. A __________________ is action you take to protect yourself against possible harm. 4. A __________________ is someone who looks after a group of animals in a zoo. 5. __________________ is the money someone receives because something bad has happened to them. 6. A __________________ person no longer works because they have reached the age where they are too old to work. 7. A __________________ is the body of a dead animal. 8. A __________________ is a bird that hunts and eats other animals. 9. The sharp, curved parts at the end of some animals toes are known as __________________. 10. When a bird __________________, it moves its beak quickly forward to hit or bite something.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How much do griffon vultures weigh? 2. What was the wingspan of this vulture? 3. How long was the vulture? 4. Where did the attack take place? 5. What treatment did the victim receive? 6. Apart from vultures, what other birds of prey can be seen at the Jungle Park?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack / Intermediate

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 2 Intermediate
her wounds were dressed, she was sent back to her hotel in a wheelchair. I was shaking and shaking and shaking, she said. I couldnt speak about it for a few days afterwards. Every time someone asked me what happened I started crying. Ive never known any shock like it. She said she was hoping to claim compensation from the zoo for what she described as its negligence. 6 A spokeswoman for Jungle Park said: The animals are free so we cannot control what they will do, because they are animals. I have only heard of this thing happening maybe twice in 15 years. The keepers are working with them every day and have insurance for that. Grahame Madge, of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said: The vultures look enormous coming towards you, so its no wonder [the women] were frightened. But they are not usually at all dangerous for humans. They are natures waste disposal units usually they just feed on carrion. The Jungle Park, in Las Aguilas, south Tenerife, has two birds of prey shows a day, giving visitors the chance to see falcons, vultures and eagles in free flight.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 31/10/08

Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Helen Pidd October 31, 2008 1 Tourist Mary Corcoran had no doubt taken precautions against sunburn and other problems she might have experienced on her Spanish holiday. But she could never have imagined she would be attacked by a vulture. The 56-year-old from Ipswich, UK, has spoken of how she feared she was going to be eaten alive when the metrelong griffon vulture attacked her while she was watching a birds of prey show on the island. She was taken to hospital after the vulture swooped down and attacked her and her friend, Teresa Largent, at Tenerifes Jungle Park zoo. 2 The vulture, which has a wingspan of 2.5 metres, was eventually knocked to the ground by its keeper. The attack was unusual because vultures normally only feed on dead animals. The attack happened when the womens week-long holiday was nearly over. They were watching the show in the parks arena when one vulture flew down to where the women were sitting. 3 We had been told not to move, so we sat totally still, but it pecked Teresa and then took her programme, said Corcoran, who is retired, yesterday from her home in the UK. Then the bird went for me, and sat on my shoulder, and before I knew it, I was under it. Griffon vultures weigh between six and 13kg; the weight of the bird held her down and she began to feel a burning sensation down her back and arm as it dug its claws into her skin. 4 The keeper came over and got the bird off, but as he was taking me out of the arena it flew back towards me and the keeper had to hit it really hard to the ground, she said. That is when the real fear and panic began as I thought it was coming back to eat me. I was freaking out. I thought, Im not a dead carcass! 5 She was then taken to hospital where she received antibiotics and a tetanus injection. After
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NEWS LESSONS / Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack / Intermediate

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 2 Intermediate

3 Comprehension check
Are the following sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Vultures often attack humans. 2. Vultures normally feed on live animals like other birds of prey. 3. Mrs Corcoran did not suffer any injuries in the attack. 4. The attack was completely unexpected. 5. The keeper rescued Mrs Corcoran by hitting the bird. 6. She was unable to speak for a few days after the attack.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A phrasal verb meaning to fly down quickly from the sky. (para 1) 2. A noun meaning the distance from the end of one wing to the end of the other. (para 2) 3. A noun meaning a large area that is surrounded by seats and is used for sports or entertainment. (para 2) 4. An adjective meaning without moving. (para 3) 5. A phrasal verb meaning feeling so frightened that you lose control. (para 4) 6. A two-word expression meaning not a surprise. (para 7) 7. A three-word expression meaning a piece of equipment used for getting rid of waste. (para 7) 8. A noun meaning the decaying flesh of dead animals. (para 7)

5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. eaten 2. week-long 3. totally 4. claim 5. waste 6. tetanus a. disposal b. still c. compensation d. alive e. injection f. holiday

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack / Intermediate

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 2 Intermediate
6 Prepositions
Complete the phrases using prepositions. 1. take precautions _______ something 2. feed _______ 3. _______ six and 13kg 4. take _______ hospital 5. send back _______ 6. claim compensation _______ something 7. twice _______ fifteen years 8. dangerous _______ humans

7 Discussion
Should animals take part in shows like this?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack / Intermediate

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Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. vulture 2. negligence 3. precaution 4. keeper 5. compensation 6. retired 7. carcass 8. bird of prey 9. claws 10. pecks

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. swoop down 2. wingspan 3. arena 4. still 5. freaking out 6. no wonder 7. waste disposal unit 8. carrion

5 Two-word expressions
1. d 2. f 3. b 4. c 5. a 6. e

2 Find the information


1. between six and 13 kg 2. 2.5 metres 3. one metre 4. at a zoo in Tenerife (The Jungle Park) 5. antibiotics and a tetanus injection (and her wounds were dressed) 6. falcons and eagles

6 Prepositions
1. against 2. on 3. between 4. to 5. to 6. for 7. in 8. for / to

3 Comprehension check
1. F 2. F 3. F 4. T 5. T 6. F

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Holidaymakers terror at zoo vulture attack / Intermediate

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Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer: Guess the words

Write down ten words that you would expect to find in a news article about Iceland. _________________ __________________ _________________ _________________ ________________ _________________ __________________ _________________ _________________ ________________ Now skim-read the article to see whether your words appear or not.

Key words

Write the key words from the article into the sentences below. GDP (gross domestic product) barely outpost exploiting earner docks plunge stench spending spree privatize saga fundamentals

1. A story about what happens to a group of characters over a long period of time. _______________________ 2. An enclosed area of water in a port where ships unload their goods. _______________________ 3. A very bad smell, especially of decay. _______________________ 4. A short period of time in which people buy a lot of things. _______________________ 5. To sell a business or industry owned by the government so that it becomes a private business. _______________________ 6. A place far away from the place it belongs to. _______________________ 7. The total value of goods and services that a country produces in a year. _______________________ 8. To suddenly drop or become much lower. _______________________ 9. An adverb used to say that something almost didnt exist or happen. _______________________ 10. The most basic and important aspects of something. _______________________ 11. Taking advantage of a situation and using it to your benefit. _______________________ 12. A way of bringing in or making money. _______________________

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Advanced

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Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 3 Advanced
Hamleys, West Ham United football club and US department store chain, Saks Fifth Avenue. 6 Iceland borrowed way too much, piling up debts worth ten times the entire GDP. Iceland borrowed money from abroad, and now in a global credit squeeze the debts cannot be refinanced. Since the Reykjavik stock market has also sunk without trace (it reopened recently after a short closure, and instantly plunged 76%) and inflation is firmly in double-figures, the question is whether the government can bail everyone out. At present, it seems not. Twenty years ago, a world financial crisis might barely have touched Iceland. Today it is suffering more than the rest of us. If a couple of banks go bust in the US, said Icelands Prime Minister, Geir Haarde, its dramatic, but not fatal. If a couple of banks go bust in Iceland, this countrys entire financial sector disappears. What Iceland has learned from this frightening experience, he concludes, is that it is not wise for a small country to take a lead in international banking. Its going to be very tough for a lot of ordinary people who understand nothing of all this, says Asbjrn Jonsson, a third-generation fisherman. People are afraid. Ordinary, cautious Icelanders invested their savings in bank stocks, thinking theyd be more secure. We know now that money is not made in banks. Its made by real people working hard at real jobs. Iceland might, eventually, be all right. The fundamentals are good, is the mantra repeated on the streets of Reykjavik, and it is, largely, true. At least, Iceland has a real economy. It has spectacular natural resources: fish and green energy (it is a world leader in geo-thermal power, heating more than 90% of its homes this way and attracting big investment from energy-intensive industries such as aluminium). The average age is just 37, unemployment currently (though maybe not for much longer) stands at 1%, and women account for 46% of the workforce.

Saga of survival in Iceland


Jon Henley November 7, 2008

Nobody knows what will happen next in the bankrupt country.

1 Reykjavik docks smell, an overpowering stench of herring, haddock, halibut, whiting and deep sea redfish. Eggert Gudmundsson, boss of Icelands biggest fishing business, HB Grandi, looks at the docks in a philosophical mood as he reflects on his countrys financial crisis. We are hardworking, we Icelanders, but we are also a bit excitable. If we see a way to make quick money, we will jump. Now we are all going to have to work very hard together to get ourselves out of this. We will have to go back to what we know. 2 The artist Jn Saemundur Audarson, in his studio off the main street, says: Theres shame, yes, and humiliation. And anger at the country losing so much, all because a few bankers were playing around with other peoples money. But this whole thing, this long big spending spree, it was just a phase, you know? It hasnt changed Iceland. This could even be good for us. Take us back to what we really are. 3 Palme Vidar, with the wisdom of 73 years, says: We have always swung between feast and famine. There have been terrible times before. When I was a boy, if you went to the harbour to fish and you got wet, you could not fish again until the next day, because you had only one pair of trousers. Today people have too many trousers. 4 In 1943, Iceland was still a forgotten outpost of Denmark. In the 1970s, it fought a series of nasty fishing wars with Britain (and won). It had no functioning stock market until 1990. Then, in the mid-1990s, it privatized its banks, slashed corporation tax and a couple of Viking entrepreneurs made a load of money in Russia. 5 Last year Iceland was at the top of the UN Human Development Index of the most developed countries in the world, and it was, per capita, the fifth-richest nation on earth. Icelandic companies bought up London toy shop,
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Advanced

10 Its going to be a long and rocky road getting out of this, predicts Finnur Oddsson, managing
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Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 3 Advanced
are half of Icelands exports, and this company is 10% of Icelands fishing business: we are responsible for one in every 20 euros Iceland earns. Were a company this country really cannot do without.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 07/11/08

director of the chamber of commerce. But longer term, Iceland is solid. Were only exploiting about 30% of our energy potential right now. Tourism looks like being an important earner: with the krona now worth half what it was in April, interest in flights to Iceland from the UK alone is up 400% in a month. 11 Gudmundsson also has reason to be optimistic. Ive just come from a meeting with the companys employees, he says. They were worried; I told them they neednt be. What Iceland needs above all is a sustainable source of foreign currency, which means exports. Fish

3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article. 1. HB Grandi is ... a) ... the boss of Icelands biggest fishing business. b) ... Icelands biggest fishing business. c) ... the name of the docks where the fish are unloaded. 2. Palme Vidar says ... a) ... that this is the worst episode in Icelands financial history. b) ... that people have too many clothes and should give them to charity. c) ... that times have been difficult before and that people have become used to luxuries. 3. Iceland borrowed ... a) ... much more money than it is able to repay. b) ... money to buy London shops and football clubs. c) ... money from Russian businessmen. 4. Iceland is currently suffering financially because ... a) ... it tried to take a lead in international financing. b) ... it only had two banks. c) ... its stock market plunged. 5. Iceland has ... a) ... no natural resources. b) ... plenty of aluminium. c) ... plenty of clean environmentally-friendly power. 6. The Icelandic fishing industry is ... a) ... the cause of Icelands problems. b) ... the reason why Brits wont go to Iceland. c) ... a major business in Iceland.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Advanced

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Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 3 Advanced
4 Vocabulary: Multi-word phrases
Find multi-word phrases (two, three or four words) in the article that mean the following. 1. A time of too much, or a time of not enough. __________________________________ 2. A tax companies pay on their profits. __________________________________ 3. A Latin phrase meaning for each head / for each person. __________________________________ 4. To increase the amount of money that you owe. __________________________________ 5. A current phrase meaning the worldwide cut down on money lending. _______________________________ 6. To help someone out of a difficult situation by giving them money. ________________________________ 7. Go bankrupt, have no money left. __________________________________ 8. To disappear completely and to be forgotten. __________________________________ 9. A branch of manufacture or trade that uses as lot of heat or power. ________________________________ 10. Sources of energy that are considered to be environmentally friendly and non-polluting. __________________________________

5 Discussion: Geysers, midnight sun and the northern lights


Tourism looks like being an important earner: ... interest in flights to Iceland from the UK alone is up 400% ... (paragraph 10) Does a holiday in Iceland appeal to you? Why, why not?

6 Webquest: An Internet treasure hunt


In pairs or small groups visit all or some of these websites that contain information about Iceland. http://www.icetourist.is/ http://www.iceland.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland http://www.icelandtouristboard.com/news.php https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.html http://www.lonelyplanet.com/iceland

Write ten questions about Iceland for another pair or group to answer. Make sure the answers can be found on the Internet and that you know what the answers are!

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 3 Advanced KEY
2 Key words
1. saga 2. docks 3. stench 4. spending spree 5. privatize 6. outpost 7. GDP (gross domestic product) 8. plunge 9. barely 10. fundamentals 11. exploiting 12. earner

4 Vocabulary: Multi-word phrases


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. between famine and feast corporation tax per capita pile up debts global credit squeeze bail (someone) out go bust sink without a trace energy-intensive industry green energy

Teachers notes

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. b c a a c c

You could write the warmer question before handing out the photocopies to make sure that the students dont peek at the text before or while deciding which words might appear. Task 6 could be set as a two-part homework task if you dont have enough computers in the classroom connected to the Internet. There is a nice 3.5 minute video with commentary about Reykjavik (before the current financial situation) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHYIKvahcLA

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Advanced

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Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 1
1

Elementary

Warmer: Guess the words

You are going to read a news article about Iceland. Write down ten words that you think you will find in the article. _________________ __________________ _________________ _________________ ________________ _________________ __________________ _________________ _________________ ________________ Now skim-read the article. Can you find your words?

Key words

Write the key words from the article into the sentences below. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. GDP (gross domestic product) suffering phase optimistic inflation stock market spending spree global credit squeeze green energy privatize bankrupt saga fatal docks

1. A story about what happens to a group of people over a long period of time. _____________________ (title) 2. A country of state that is _____________________, owes more money than it can ever pay back. (subtitle) 3. An enclosed area of water in a port where ships unload their goods. _____________________ (para 1) 4. A short period of time in which people buy a lot of things. _____________________ (para 2) 5. A particular period of time. _____________________ (para 2) 6. The activities connected with buying and selling shares in companies. _____________________ (para 4) 7. To sell a business or industry owned by the government so that it becomes a private business. _____________________ (para 4) 8. The total value of goods and services that a country produces in a year. _____________________ (para 6) 9. A financial term meaning the worldwide cut back on money lending. _____________________ (para 6) 10. An economic process in which prices go up so money becomes less valuable. ____________________ (para 7) 11. Experiencing something very painful or unpleasant. _____________________ (para 7) 12. Deadly; having very serious negative effects. _____________________ (para 7) 13. Environmentally-friendly power (e.g. electricity). _____________________ (para 8) 14. Hopeful and positive about the future. _____________________ (para 10)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Elementary

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Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 1 Elementary
7 The Reykjavik stock market has disappeared (it reopened recently and immediately fell 76%) and inflation is high, the question is whether the government can help everyone out. At the moment, it seems not. Twenty years ago, a world financial crisis might not have affected Iceland. Today the country is suffering more than the rest of us. If a couple of banks go bust in the US, said Icelands Prime Minister, Geir Haarde, its dramatic, but not fatal. If a couple of banks go bust in Iceland, this countrys entire financial sector disappears. Iceland has learned that it is not wise for a small country to take a lead in international banking. Iceland might, eventually, be all right. At least, Iceland has a real economy. It has a lot of fish and green energy (it is a world leader in geo-thermal power, heating more than 90% of its homes this way). The average age is just 37, at the moment unemployment (though maybe not for much longer) stands at 1% and women make up 46% of the workforce. Its going to be a long and rocky road getting out of this, predicts Finnur Oddsson, managing director of Iceland Chamber of Commerce. But in the long term, Iceland is solid. Tourism looks like being an important way to earn money: with the krona now worth half what it was in April, interest in flights to Iceland from the UK alone is up 400% in a month.

Saga of survival in Iceland


Nobody knows what will happen next in the bankrupt country. Jon Henley November 7, 2008 1 Reykjavik docks smell of herring, haddock, halibut, whiting and deep sea redfish. Eggert Gudmundsson, boss of Icelands biggest fishing business, HB Grandi, looks at the docks and talks about his countrys financial crisis. We are hardworking, we Icelanders, but if we see a way to make quick money, we will jump. Now we are all going to have to work very hard together to get ourselves out of this. We will have to go back to what we know. 2 The artist Jn Saemundur Audarson, in his studio off the main street, says: Theres anger at the country losing so much, all because a few bankers were playing with other peoples money. But this whole thing, this long big spending spree, it was just a phase. It hasnt changed Iceland. This could even be good for us. Take us back to what we really are. 3 73-year-old Palme Vidar says: There have been bad times before. When I was a boy, if you went to the harbour to fish and you got wet, you could not fish again until the next day, because you had only one pair of trousers. Today, people have too many trousers. 4 Iceland had no real stock market until 1990. Then, in the mid-1990s, it privatized its banks, cut business tax and some businessmen made a lot of money in Russia. 5 Last year Iceland was the fifth-richest nation on earth. Icelandic companies bought up London toy shop, Hamleys, West Ham United football club and US department store chain, Saks Fifth Avenue. 6 Iceland borrowed too much money, until its debts were ten times the entire GDP. Iceland borrowed money from abroad, and now in a global credit squeeze the debts cannot be repaid.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Elementary

10 Gudmundsson is optimistic. Ive just come from a meeting with the companys employees, he says. They were worried; I told them they neednt be. What Iceland needs above all is foreign money from exports. Fish are half of Icelands exports, and this company is 10% of Icelands fishing business: we bring in one in every 20 euros Iceland earns. Were a company this country cannot do without.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 07/11/08

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Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the sentence halves to summarize the article. 1. Eggert Gudmundsson is the boss of Icelands ... 2. Palme Vidar says that people in Iceland ... ... have become used to luxuries. ... the two major industries in Iceland. ... from exporting fish. ... for people from Britain. ... environmentally-friendly power. ... in the future. ... a job. ... are women. ... biggest fishing business. ... money than it is able to repay.

3. Iceland borrowed much more ... 4. Iceland has a lot of clean ... 5. Fishing and green-energy production are ... 6. Most people in Iceland have ... 7. Nearly half of the Icelandic workforce ... 8. Icelands economy is probably going to be all right again ... 9. Iceland is currently an attractive tourist destination ... 10. Iceland makes a lot of money ...

4 Vocabulary: Prepositions
Write in the missing prepositions then look at the article to check your answers. from on for about to of (x2) until

1. Reykjavik docks smell ___________ fish. 2. Eggert Gudmundsson talks ___________ his countrys financial crisis. 3. This could be good ___________ us. 4. It had no stock market ___________ 1990. 5. ... the fifth-richest nation ___________ earth. 6. Iceland borrowed money ___________ abroad. 7. ... interest in flights ___________ Iceland from the UK ... 8. Fish are half ___________ Icelands exports.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Elementary

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Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion: A holiday in Iceland
Write five positive and five negative things about Iceland. Positive 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Negative

Would you like to go to Iceland for your next holiday? Why, why not?

6 Webquest: An Internet treasure hunt


In pairs or small groups visit all or some of these websites that contain information about Iceland. http://www.icetourist.is/ http://www.iceland.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland http://www.icelandtouristboard.com/news.php https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.html http://www.lonelyplanet.com/iceland

Write ten questions about Iceland for another pair or group to answer. Do you remember the W question words? W ... ______________________________________________________________________________________ W ... ______________________________________________________________________________________ W ... ______________________________________________________________________________________ W ... ______________________________________________________________________________________ W ... ______________________________________________________________________________________ W ... ______________________________________________________________________________________ W ... ______________________________________________________________________________________ You can ask questions about people, places, food, sights, weather, etc. Make sure the answers can be found on the Internet and that you know what the answers are!
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Elementary

Freerunning Saga of survival joins insport Iceland establishment


Level 1 Elementary KEY
2 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. saga bankrupt docks spending spree phase stock market privatize GDP (gross domestic product) global credit squeeze inflation suffering fatal green energy optimistic

4 Vocabulary: Prepositions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Reykjavik docks smell of fish. Eggert Gudmundsson talks about his countrys financial crisis. This could be good for us. It had no stock market until 1990. ...the fifth-richest nation on earth. Iceland borrowed money from abroad. ... interest in flights to Iceland from the UK ... Fish are half of Icelands exports.

6 Webquest: An Internet treasure hunt


W question words: who, what, where, why, when, which and how

3
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Comprehension check
Eggert Gudmundsson is the boss of Icelands biggest fishing business. Palme Vidar says that people in Iceland have become used to luxuries. Iceland borrowed much more money than it is able to repay. Iceland has a lot of clean environmentally-friendly power. Fishing and green-energy production are the two major industries in Iceland. Most people in Iceland have a job. Nearly half of the Icelandic workforce are women. Icelands economy is probably going to be all right again in the future. Iceland is currently an attractive tourist destination for people from Britain. Iceland makes a lot of money from exporting fish.

Teachers notes You could write the warmer question before handing out the photocopies to make sure that the students dont peek at the text before or while deciding which words might appear. Task 6 could be set as a two-part homework task if you dont have enough computers in the classroom connected to the Internet. There is a nice 3.5 minute video with commentary about Reykjavik (before the current financial situation) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHYIKvahcLA

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer: Guess the words

Write down ten words that you would expect to find in a news article about Iceland. _________________ __________________ _________________ _________________ ________________ _________________ __________________ _________________ _________________ ________________ Now skim-read the article. Can you find your words?

Key words

a) Write the key words from the article into the sentences below. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. GDP (gross domestic product) go bust shame and humiliation docks outpost exploiting privatize entrepreneur earner saga inflation plunge spending spree fundamentals 1. A story about what happens to a group of characters over a long period of time. ____________________ (title) 2. An enclosed area of water in a port where ships unload their goods. ____________________ (para 1) 3. Nouns to describe the feeling of guilt and embarrassment. __________________________________ (para 2) 4. A short period of time in which people buy a lot of things. ____________________ (para 2) 5. A place far away from the place it belongs to. ____________________ (para 4) 6. To sell a business or industry owned by the government so that it becomes a private business. ____________________ (para 4) 7. Someone who uses money to start businesses and make deals. ____________________ (para 4) 8. The total value of goods and services that a country produces in a year. ____________________ (para 6) 9. To suddenly drop or become much lower. ____________________ (para 7) 10. An economic process in which prices rise so money becomes less valuable. ____________________ (para 7) 11. To go bankrupt, have no money left to be unable to pay your debts. ____________________ (para 7) 12. The most basic and important aspects of something. ____________________ (para 8) 13. Taking advantage of a situation and using it to your benefit. ____________________ (para 9) 14. A way of bringing in or making money. ____________________ (para 9) b) In your own words, explain what you understand by the phrase global credit squeeze.
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Intermediate

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Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 2 Intermediate
7
The Reykjavik stock market has also disappeared (it reopened recently after a short closure, and instantly plunged 76%) and inflation is firmly in double-figures, the question is whether the government can help everyone out. At present, it seems not. Twenty years ago, a world financial crisis might not have touched Iceland. Today the country is suffering more than the rest of us. If a couple of banks go bust in the US, said Icelands Prime Minister, Geir Haarde, its dramatic, but not fatal. If a couple of banks go bust in Iceland, this countrys entire financial sector disappears. What Iceland has learned from this frightening experience, he concludes, is that it is not wise for a small country to take a lead in international banking. Iceland might, eventually, be all right. The fundamentals are good, is the mantra repeated on the streets of Reykjavik, and it is, largely, true. At least, Iceland has a real economy. It has spectacular natural resources: fish, and green energy (it is a world leader in geo-thermal power, heating more than 90% of its homes this way and attracting big investment from energy-intensive industries such as aluminium). The average age is just 37, unemployment currently (though maybe not for much longer) stands at 1%, and women account for 46% of the workforce. Its going to be a long and rocky road getting out of this, predicts Finnur Oddsson, managing director of Iceland Chamber of Commerce. But longer term, Iceland is solid. Were only exploiting about 30% of our energy potential right now. Tourism looks like being an important earner: with the krona now worth half what it was in April, interest in flights to Iceland from the UK alone is up 400% in a month. Ive just come from a meeting with the companys employees, he says. They were worried; I told them they neednt be. What Iceland needs above all is foreign currency from exports. Fish are half of Icelands exports, and this company is 10% of Icelands fishing business: we are responsible for one in every 20 euros Iceland earns. Were a company this country really cannot do without.
Guardian News & Media 2008
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Saga of survival in Iceland


Nobody knows what will happen next in the bankrupt country. Jon Henley November 7, 2008 1 Reykjavik docks smell of herring, haddock,
halibut, whiting and deep sea redfish. Eggert Gudmundsson, boss of Icelands biggest fishing business, HB Grandi, looks at the docks in a philosophical mood as he reflects on his countrys financial crisis. We are hardworking, we Icelanders, but if we see a way to make quick money, we will jump. Now we are all going to have to work very hard together to get ourselves out of this. We will have to go back to what we know. off the main street, says: Theres shame, yes, and humiliation. And anger at the country losing so much, all because a few bankers were playing around with other peoples money. But this whole thing, this long big spending spree, it was just a phase. It hasnt changed Iceland. This could even be good for us. Take us back to what we really are. There have been terrible times before. When I was a boy, if you went to the harbour to fish and you got wet, you could not fish again until the next day, because you had only one pair of trousers. Today people have too many trousers. Denmark. In the 1970s, it fought a series of nasty fishing wars with Britain (and won). It had no real stock market until 1990. Then, in the mid-1990s, it privatized its banks, cut business tax, and a couple of Viking entrepreneurs made a load of money in Russia. Development Index of the most developed countries in the world, and it was, per head, the fifth-richest nation on earth. Icelandic companies bought up London toy shop, Hamleys, West Ham United football club and US department store chain, Saks Fifth Avenue. ten times the entire GDP. Iceland borrowed money from abroad, and now in a global credit squeeze the debts cannot be repaid.

2 The artist Jn Saemundur Audarson, in his studio

3 Palme Vidar, with the wisdom of 73 years, says:

4 In 1943, Iceland was still a forgotten outpost of

10 Gudmundsson also has reason to be optimistic.

5 Last year Iceland was at the top of the UN Human

6 Iceland borrowed way too much, until its debts were

First published in The Guardian, 07/11/08

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Intermediate

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P H

Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 2
3

Intermediate

Comprehension check: True or false?

Are the statements true (T) of false (F) according to the information in the article? 1. HB Grandi is Icelands biggest fishing business. 2. Palme Vidar says that people have become used to luxuries. 3. Iceland borrowed much more money than it is able to repay. 4. Iceland is currently suffering financially because it stopped exporting fish. 5. Iceland has plenty of clean environmentally-friendly power. 6. The fishing and green-energy production are the two major industries in Iceland. 7. Iceland currently still has a very low rate of unemployment. 8. Women make up over half of the Icelandic workforce. 9. Icelands economy is likely to recover. 10. Iceland is currently an attractive tourist destination for people from Britain.

4 Vocabulary: Prepositions
Write in the missing prepositions then look at the article to check your answers. 1. Reykjavik docks smell __________ fish. 2. Eggert Gudmundsson reflects __________ his countrys financial crisis. 3. ... anger __________ the country losing so much. 4. This could be good __________ us. 5. ... it fought a series __________ wars ... 6. It had no stock market __________ 1990. 7. ... the fifth-richest nation __________ earth. 8. Iceland borrowed money __________ abroad. 9. Inflation is firmly __________ double-figures. 10. Fish are half __________ Icelands exports.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Intermediate

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Saga of survival in Iceland


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Discussion: Geysers, midnight sun and the northern lights
Tourism looks like being an important earner: ... interest in flights to Iceland from the UK alone is up 400% ... (paragraph 9) Does a holiday in Iceland appeal to you? Why, why not?

6 Webquest: An Internet treasure hunt


In pairs or small groups visit all or some of these websites that contain information about Iceland. http://www.icetourist.is/ http://www.iceland.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland http://www.icelandtouristboard.com/news.php https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.html http://www.lonelyplanet.com/iceland

Write ten questions about Iceland for another pair or group to answer. Make sure the answers can be found on the Internet and that you know what the answers are!

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Saga of survival in Iceland Addiction to Internet is an illness


Level 2 KEY
2 Key words
a) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. saga docks shame and humiliation spending spree outpost privatize entrepreneur GDP (gross domestic product) plunge inflation go bust fundamentals exploiting earner

Intermediate

3 Vocabulary: Prepositions
1. Reykjavik docks smell of fish. 2. Eggert Gudmundsson reflects on his countrys financial crisis. 3. ... anger at the country losing so much. 4. This could be good for us. 5. ... it fought a series of wars ... 6. It had no stock market until 1990. 7. ... the fifth-richest nation on earth. 8. Iceland borrowed money from abroad. 9. Inflation is firmly in double-figures. 10. Fish are half of Icelands exports.

b) A current financial phrase meaning the worldwide cut back on money lending.

Teachers notes You could write the warmer question before handing out the photocopies to make sure that the students dont peek at the text before or while deciding which words might appear. Task 6 could be set as a two-part homework task if you dont have enough computers in the classroom connected to the Internet. There is a nice 3.5 minute video with commentary about Reykjavik (before the current financial situation) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHYIKvahcLA

3 Comprehension check: True or false?


1. T 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. T 6. T 7. T 8. F 9. T 10. T

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Saga of survival in Iceland / Intermediate

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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. revenue rancour inundate retribution archipelago flogging broach banishment cuisine skim off

1. _________________ is the act of officially ordering someone to leave a country or a region as a punishment. 2. _________________ is a feeling of hate or anger that lasts for a long time. 3. If someone _________________ wealth or a profit, they remove it and keep it for themselves. 4. _________________ is income from business. 5. _________________ is a punishment where someone is hit many times with a stick or a whip. 6. An _________________ is a large group of small islands. 7. _________________ is a punishment that someone deserves because they have done something very bad. 8. If you _________________ a subject or an idea, you begin discussing it with someone, especially if you feel nervous about doing so because you may upset them. 9. The _________________ of a particular country or region is its style of cooking food. 10. _________________ means the same as flood.

What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. The Maldives are a group of islands not far from India. 2. The UN forecasts that sea levels are likely to rise by 5.9 metres by the year 2100. 3. The capital of the Maldives, Male, is the most densely populated city in the world. 4. Islam is the only religion in the Maldives. 5. The Maldives has a population of more than one million. 6. The Maldives used to be a democracy but is now a dictatorship.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland / Advanced

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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 3 Advanced
head of international climate change at Friends of the Earth. The Maldives is left to fend for itself. It is a victim of climate change caused by rich countries. 5 1 The Maldives will begin to divert part of the countrys billion-dollar annual tourist revenue into buying a new homeland as an insurance policy against climate change that threatens to turn the 300,000 islanders into environmental refugees, according to the countrys first democratically elected president. Mohamed Nasheed, who has recently taken power in the islands capital, Male, said the chain of 1,200 islands 500 miles from the tip of India is likely to disappear under the waves if the current pace of climate change continues to raise sea levels. 2 The UN forecasts that the seas are likely to rise by up to 59cm by 2100, due to global warming. Most parts of the Maldives are just 1.5m above water. The president said even a small rise in sea levels would inundate large parts of the archipelago. We can do nothing to stop climate change on our own and so we have to buy land elsewhere. Its an insurance policy for the worst possible outcome. After all, the Israelis [began by buying] land in Palestine, said Nasheed, also known as Anni. 3 The president, a human rights activist who swept to power in elections last month after ousting Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the man who once imprisoned him, said he had already broached the idea with a number of countries and found them to be receptive. He said Sri Lanka and India were targets because they had similar cultures, cuisines and climates. Australia was also being considered because of the amount of unoccupied land available. We do not want to leave the Maldives, but we also do not want to be climate refugees living in tents for decades, he said. 4 Environmentalists say the issue raises the question of what rights citizens have if their homeland no longer exists. Its an unprecedented wake-up call, said Tom Picken,
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2008 NEWS LESSONS / Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland / Advanced

Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy a new homeland


Randeep Ramesh in Male November 10, 2008

Nasheed said he intended to create a sovereign wealth fund from the dollars generated by importing tourists, in the way that Arab states have done by exporting oil. Kuwait might invest in companies; we will invest in land. The 41year-old is a rising star in Asia, where he has been compared to Nelson Mandela. Before taking office the new president asked Maldivians to move forward without rancour or retribution an astonishing call, given that Nasheed had gone to jail 23 times, been tortured and spent 18 months in solitary confinement. We have the latitude to remove anyone from government and prosecute them. But I have forgiven my jailers, the torturers. They were following orders ... I ask people to follow my example and leave Gayoom to grow old here, he said. The Maldives is one of the few Muslim nations to make a relatively peaceful transition from autocracy to democracy. The Gayoom sultanate was a dictatorship that ran the police, army and courts, and which banned rival parties. Public flogging, banishment to island gulags and torture were routinely used to suppress dissent and the young pro-democracy movement. Gayoom was elected president six times in 30 years but never faced an opponent. However, public pressure grew and last year he conceded that democracy was inevitable. Upmarket tourism was useful for the dictatorial regime. Gayooms Maldives became the richest country in South Asia, with average incomes reaching $4,600 a year. But the wealth created was skimmed off by Gayooms friends and supporters leaving a huge gap between rich and poor. Speedboats and yachts of local multimillionaires lie in the capitals harbour, while official figures show almost half of Maldivians earn less than a dollar a day. Male is the worlds most densely populated
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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 3 Advanced
university. Its desperate. We are a 100% Islamic country and democracy came from within. Do you want to lose that because we were denied the money to deal with the poverty created by the dictatorship? he said.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 10/11/08

town: 100,000 people live in just two square kilometres. We have unemployment at 20%. Heroin has become a serious social issue, with crime rising, Nasheed said, adding that the extra social spending he was planning would cost an immediate $243m. He said that without an emergency bailout from the international community, the future of the Maldives as a democracy would be in doubt. 10 To raise cash, his government will sell off state assets, reduce the cabinet and turn the presidential palace into the countrys first

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. What is the Maldives insurance policy against climate change? a. The billion-dollar annual income from tourism b. Buying land in another country c. Importing tourists rather than exporting oil 2. Why are Sri Lanka and India possible destinations for the Maldive islanders? a. Because they are not far from the Maldives. b. Because there is a large amount of unoccupied land available in those two countries. c. Because they have similar cultures, cooking and weather to the Maldives. 3. Why are the Maldives particularly at risk from global warming? a. Because most parts of the archipelago are just 1.5m above sea level. b. Because people there cannot stop global warming on their own. c. Because the pace of global warming is increasing. 4. What distinguishes the Maldives from most other Muslim nations? a. It earns a lot of its revenue from tourism. b. It made a relatively peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. c. Rival political parties are banned.

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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A three-word expression meaning to win an election by a very large number of votes. (para 3) 2. A verb meaning to remove someone from a position of power, especially in order to take that position. (para 3) 3. A three-word expression meaning a bad experience that warns people to change something, usually the way they behave. (para 4) 4. A three-word expression meaning to look after oneself without help from anyone else. (para 4) 5. A two-word expression meaning a punishment in which a prisoner is kept alone, separate from other prisoners. (para 5) 6. A noun meaning freedom to use your own methods and judgment in doing something. (para 6) 7. An adjective meaning designed for people who have a lot of money. (para 8) 8. A noun meaning financial assistance. (para 9)

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns or noun phrases in the right-hand column to make collocations from the text. 1. raise 2. follow 3. make 4. suppress 5. create 6. sell off 7. take 8. broach a. power b. wealth c. a transition d. a question e. assets f. an idea g. dissent h. someones example

6 Prepositions
Complete the phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text. 1. an insurance policy _______ climate change 2. due _______ global warming 3. invest _______ land 4. a peaceful transition _______ autocracy to democracy 5. the gap _______ rich and poor 6. the future of the islands is _______ doubt 7. deal _______ poverty 8. disappear _______ the waves

7 Discussion
If you were president of your country what measures would you take to slow down or even prevent global warming?

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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. banishment 2. rancour 3. skims off 4. revenue 5. flogging 6. archipelago 7. retribution 8. broach 9. cuisine 10. inundate

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. sweep to power 2. oust 3. a wake-up call 4. fend for oneself 5. solitary confinement 6. latitude 7. upmarket 8. bailout

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. d 2. h 3. c 4. g 5. b 6. e 7. a 8. f

2 What do you know?


1. T 2. F 3. T 4. T 5. F 6. F

6 Prepositions
1. against 2. to 3. in 4. from 5. between 6. in 7. with 8. under

3 Comprehension check
1. b 2. c 3. a 4. b

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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. refugee autocracy cuisine invest flogging torture outcome poverty receptive ban

1. ______________ is extreme physical pain used as a punishment or as a way to make someone say something. 2. If you ______________ something, you say officially that people cannot do it. 3. The ______________ of a particular country or region is its style of cooking food. 4. An ______________ is a form of government in which one person has complete power. 5. If someone is ______________, they are willing to consider suggestions. 6. ______________ is the noun from poor. 7. ______________ is a punishment where someone is hit many times with a stick or a whip. 8. If you ______________ money, you use it to make a profit in the future. 9. The ______________ is the final result of a process or activity. 10. A ______________ is someone who has to leave their home during a war or a natural disaster.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How far are the Maldives from India? 2. How many islands are there in the Maldives? 3. How many people live in the Maldives? 4. How many times was Mohamed Nasheed sent to jail? 5. What is the unemployment rate in the capital of the Maldives? 6. How many people live in the capital of the Maldives?

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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 1 Elementary
Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy a new homeland
Randeep Ramesh in Male November 10, 2008 1 If climate change continues to raise sea levels, the Maldives, a group of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean just 500 miles from India, could disappear beneath the waves. Mohamed Nasheed, the countrys new president, says the Maldives will soon spend part of its billiondollar annual tourist income on buying a new homeland. This would be an insurance policy against climate change that could make the 300,000 islanders refugees. 2 The UN forecasts that the seas will probably rise by up to 59cm by 2100, as a result of global warming. Most parts of the Maldives are just 1.5m above sea level. The president said even a small rise in sea levels would cover large parts of the island group. We can do nothing to stop climate change on our own and so we have to buy land somewhere else. Its an insurance policy for the worst possible outcome. After all, the Israelis [began by buying] land in Palestine, said Nasheed. 3 The president won the election last month after defeating Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the man who once put him in prison. He said he had already discussed buying a new homeland with a number of countries and said they were receptive to the idea. He said Sri Lanka and India were possible targets because they had similar cultures, cuisines and climates. Australia was also a possibility because there was so much unoccupied land there. We do not want to leave the Maldives, but we also do not want to be refugees living in tents for years and years, he said. 4 Nasheed said he was planning to create a wealth fund from the dollars earned by importing tourists, in the way that Arab states have done by exporting oil. Kuwait invests in companies; we will invest in land. The 41year-old president is a rising star in Asia, where some people compare him to Nelson Mandela. Before he took office the new president asked Maldivians to look to the future and not the past. This was a surprise because Nasheed had been sent to jail 23 times and been tortured. 5 We can remove anyone from government and prosecute them. But I have forgiven my jailers, the torturers. They were following orders ... I ask people to follow my example and leave Gayoom to grow old here, he said. Not many Muslim nations have moved from autocracy to democracy peacefully like the Maldives have. The Gayoom sultanate was a dictatorship that controlled the police, army and courts, and which banned all opposition. Gayoom used public flogging and torture to control the country. Gayoom was elected president six times in 30 years but there was never any opposition. However, public pressure grew and last year he agreed to hold democratic elections. Tourism was very useful for Gayooms government. The Maldives became the richest country in South Asia, with an average income of $4,600 a year. But Gayooms friends and supporters took most of the money and there was a huge gap between rich and poor. The harbour at Male, the capital city, is full of the speedboats and yachts of local multimillionaires, while almost half of Maldivians earn less than a dollar a day. Male, is the worlds most densely populated town: 100,000 people live in just two square kilometres. We have unemployment at 20%. Heroin is a serious social issue, and crime is rising, Nasheed said. He added that he needed an immediate $243m extra to pay for the extra social spending he was planning. He said that the future of the Maldives as a democracy was in doubt without emergency financial help from the international community. To raise money, the government will sell state property, reduce the number of people in the government and turn the presidential palace into
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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 1 Elementary
the countrys first university. Its a very difficult situation. We are a 100% Islamic country and our democracy came from inside. Do you want to lose that because we dont have the money to fight the poverty created by the dictatorship? he said.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 10/11/08

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. If global warming continues 2. If the Maldives disappear beneath the sea 3. If the government doesnt fight poverty ... 4. Some people in Asia 5. The government is planning to sell state property 6. The government of the Maldives is planning ... a. to buy a new homeland in another country. b. compare Mohamed Nasheed to Nelson Mandela. c. the Maldives will disappear beneath the sea. d. to raise money. e. the Maldives might lose their democracy. f. the population will move to a new homeland.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. result warming of as global a 2. above just level 1.5 metres sea 3. 30 six years in times 4. a income an year $4,600 average of 5. rich gap poor and between huge a 6. dollar less a than day a

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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 1 Elementary
5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. climate 2. insurance 3. global 4. sea 5. democratic 6. average 7. capital 8. densely a. city b. level c. income d. election e. policy f. warming g. populated h. change

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. elect move oppose employ insure raise govern tour noun

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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 1 Elementary KEY
1 Key words
1. torture 2. ban 3. cuisine 4. autocracy 5. receptive 6. poverty 7. flogging 8. invest 9. outcome 10. refugee

4 Chunks
1. as a result of global warming 2. just 1.5 metres above sea level 3. six times in 30 years 4. an average income of $4,600 a year 5. a huge gap between rich and poor 6. less than a dollar a day

5 Two-word expressions
1. h 2. e 3. f 4. b 5. d 6. c 7. a 8. g

2 Find the information


1. 500 miles 2. 1,200 3. 300,000 4. 23 5. 20% 6. 100,000

6 Word building
1. election 2. movement 3. opposition 4. (un)employment 5. insurance 6. rise 7. government 8. tourist / tour

3 Comprehension check
1. c 2. f 3. e 4. b 5. d 6. a

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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. pace outcome archipelago unprecedented cuisine receptive flogging autocracy banishment inevitable

1. An _________________ is a form of government in which one person has complete power. 2. If someone is _________________, they are willing to consider suggestions. 3. If something is _________________, it is impossible to avoid or prevent. 4. _________________ is the act of officially ordering someone to leave a country or a region as a punishment. 5. An _________________ event is one that has never happened before. 6. _________________ is a punishment where someone is hit many times with a stick or a whip. 7. The _________________ is the final result of a process or activity. 8. An _________________ is a large group of small islands. 9. _________________ is the speed at which something happens. 10. The _________________ of a particular country or region is its style of cooking food.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How far are the Maldives from the tip of India? 2. How many islands make up the Maldives? 3. How many people live in the Maldives? 4. How far above sea level are most of the Maldives? 5. What was the average income in the Maldives under the previous government? 6. How many people live in the capital of the Maldives?

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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 2 Intermediate
itself. It is a victim of climate change caused by rich countries. 5 Nasheed said he was planning to create a sovereign wealth fund from the dollars generated by importing tourists, in the way that Arab states have done by exporting oil. Kuwait might invest in companies; we will invest in land. The 41-year-old president is a rising star in Asia, where he has been compared to Nelson Mandela. Before taking office the new president asked Maldivians to look to the future and not seek revenge for the past. This was an astonishing call as Nasheed had gone to jail 23 times, been tortured and spent 18 months in solitary confinement. We have the ability to remove anyone from government and prosecute them. But I have forgiven my jailers, the torturers. They were following orders ... I ask people to follow my example and leave Gayoom to grow old here, he said. The Maldives is one of the few Muslim nations that has moved from autocracy to democracy relatively peacefully. The Gayoom sultanate was a dictatorship that controlled the police, army and courts, and which banned rival parties. Gayoom used public flogging, banishment and torture to suppress dissent and the young prodemocracy movement. Gayoom was elected president six times in 30 years but never faced an opponent. However, public pressure grew and last year he agreed that democracy was inevitable. Upmarket tourism was useful for the dictatorial regime. Gayooms Maldives became the richest country in South Asia, with the average income $4,600 a year. But Gayooms friends and supporters took much of the wealth and there was a huge gap between rich and poor. The speedboats and yachts of local multimillionaires fill the capitals harbour, while almost half of Maldivians earn less than a dollar a day. The capital of the Maldives, Male, is the worlds most densely populated town: 100,000 people live in just two square kilometres. We have
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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy a new homeland


Randeep Ramesh in Male November 10, 2008 1 Mohamed Nasheed, the new president of the Maldives, a group of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean, says the country will soon spend part of its billion-dollar annual tourist income on buying a new homeland as an insurance policy against climate change that could turn the 300,000 islanders into environmental refugees. The Maldives, just 500 miles from the tip of India, could disappear under the waves if the current pace of climate change continues to raise sea levels. 2 The UN forecasts that the seas are likely to rise by up to 59cm by 2100, due to global warming. Most parts of the Maldives are just 1.5m above water. The president said even a small rise in sea levels would cover large parts of the archipelago. We can do nothing to stop climate change on our own and so we have to buy land somewhere else. Its an insurance policy for the worst possible outcome. After all, the Israelis [began by buying] land in Palestine, said Nasheed, also known as Anni. 3 The president swept to power in elections last month after defeating Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the man who once imprisoned him. He said he had already discussed the idea with a number of countries and found them to be receptive. He said Sri Lanka and India were targets because they had similar cultures, cuisines and climates. Australia was also a possibility because of the amount of unoccupied land available. We do not want to leave the Maldives, but we also do not want to be climate refugees living in tents for decades, he said. 4 Environmentalists say the issue raises the question of what rights citizens have if their homeland no longer exists. Its an unprecedented wake-up call, said Tom Picken, head of international climate change at Friends of the Earth. The Maldives is left to fend for
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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 2 Intermediate
government and turn the presidential palace into the countrys first university. Its a very difficult situation. We are a 100% Islamic country and democracy came from inside. Do you want to lose that because we dont have the money to deal with the poverty created by the dictatorship? he said.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 10/11/08

unemployment at 20%. Heroin has become a serious social issue, and crime is rising, Nasheed said. He added that the extra social spending he was planning would cost an immediate $243m. He said that without emergency financial help from the international community, the future of the Maldives as a democracy would be in doubt. 10 To raise money, his government will sell state assets, reduce the number of people in the

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. All of the Maldives will be under water by the year 2100. 2. The Maldives have a similar culture and climate to Australia. 3. Indian cooking is similar to Maldivian cooking. 4. The inhabitants of the Maldives want to leave the islands and settle elsewhere. 5. The Maldives have recently become a democracy. 6. Under the dictatorship the Maldives was the richest country in South Asia.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A three-word expression meaning to win an election by a very large number of votes. (para 3) 2. A noun meaning a period of ten years. (para 3) 3. A three-word expression meaning a bad experience that warns people to change something, usually the way they behave. (para 4) 4. A three-word expression meaning to look after oneself without help from anyone else (para 4) 5. A two-word expression meaning a punishment in which a prisoner is kept alone, separate from other prisoners. (para 5) 6. A verb meaning to say officially that people must not do something. (para 7) 7. A verb meaning to stop an activity, especially by making laws or using your authority. (para 7) 8. A noun meaning strong disagreement with what people in authority think. (para 7)
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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. global 2. climate 3. sea 4. insurance 5. pro-democracy 6. densely 7. social 8. state a. assets b. movement c. change d. populated e. policy f. warming g. level h. issue

6 Word building: Noun endings


Add endings to these words to form nouns. Check your answers in the text. 1. dictator_______ 2. confine_______ 3. environment_______ 4. move_______ 5. jail_______ 6. support_______ 7. employ_______ 8. govern_______

7 Discussion
What can the inhabitants of the Maldives do to save their homeland?

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Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy new homeland


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. autocracy 2. receptive 3. inevitable 4. banishment 5. unprecedented 6. flogging 7. outcome 8. archipelago 9. pace 10. cuisine

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. sweep to power 2. decade 3. a wake-up call 4. fend for oneself 5. solitary confinement 6. ban 7. suppress 8. dissent

5 Two-word expressions
1. f 2. c 3. g 4. e 5. b 6. d 7. h 8. a

2 Find the information


1. 500 miles 2. 1,200 3. 300,000 4. 1.5m 5. $4,600 a year 6. 100,000

3 Comprehension check
1. F 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. T 6. T

6 Word building: Noun endings


1. ship 2. ment 3. alist 4. ment 5. er 6. er 7. ment 8. ment

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

a) How do people feel when they are disillusioned? b) Why do you think British bankers are feeling disillusioned? Note: In Britain, when someone talks or writes about the City they are referring to the City of London and, in particular, its banking and financial sector.

Key words

Find the key words in the article. 1. To leave a job or stop doing something. _______________________ (title) 2. A verb meaning to make a decision from a choice of possibilities. _______________________ (para 1) 3. A place where traders or stock brokers meet to buy and sell. _______________________ (para 3) 4. When something is acceptable or to your liking, it is _______________________. (para 4) 5. A verb meaning to make up for the loss of something else. _______________________ (para 4) 6. Someone whose job it is to buy and sell shares for other people. _______________________ (para 5) 7. When something is _______________________, it brings in a lot of money. (para 7) 8. A verb meaning to publically promise. _______________________ (para 9) 9. A noun meaning a new member of a company or organization. _______________________ (para 11) 10. An adjective meaning older, but in a positive way. _______________________ (para 11) 11. An adjective meaning fairly good, but not great. _______________________ (para 12) 12. When something is _______________________, it gives you satisfaction and/or pleasure. (para 14)

3 Find the information


Read the article and find the information. 1. Why have science graduates been working in the financial sector instead of in schools? 2. What sort of positions have science graduates been taking up in the City? 3. Which four school subjects have suffered in the recent past from lack of good teachers? 4. Why is Elizabeth Baldwin leaving the City and becoming a teacher? 5. What are the British government doing to encourage science graduates to become teachers? 6. Why, in the past years, have there been fewer scientifically trained people available to work for British industry? 7. Which two common pieces of science laboratory equipment are mentioned in the article? 8. Find the two-word term which describes the current financial situation. 9. Complete this saying, which means that something good is behind everything that at first seems to be bad, with words from the article: Every cloud has a ________________ _________________. 10. Find a two-word expression for the time a woman takes off work when she has a baby.
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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 3 Advanced
the teaching of chemistry, physics and biology. 7 Science teaching has been a cause of considerable concern for education experts for decades. The City has attracted large numbers who are employed, often with lucrative salaries, as business analysts and IT experts. As a result, fewer graduates with top degrees have become teachers. Physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics classes have suffered and fewer children have been inspired to take up science. Because of this, fewer graduates has meant fewer scientifically trained people available to work for British industry and not enough good graduates available to become teachers. The British government pledged years ago to halt this trend and has introduced a number of ways of doing so, including increased salaries for science teachers compared with those in other subjects. A total of 3,114 science trainees entered colleges during the academic year 2008-09, a rise of 2.5 per cent on the previous year. That is the highest number of science teachers since the TDA began 13 years ago, said Holley. Most of these new recruits have been encouraged by schemes that ensure that salaries start at around 24,000 for science teachers, and can eventually rise to 50,000 for more mature teachers, according to the TDA. It is a reasonable reward, but it certainly does not match what a science graduate can earn in the City, Baldwin stressed. I will be earning a third of what I would have got had I stayed in the City, she said. But money is not everything. Instead of going to work early and leaving very late, I will get a chance to come home and be with my boys, Matthew and Thomas. My father was a teacher, so I know what to expect and what I will get out of the job. I know teaching wont be easy, but I know as well that it can be very rewarding.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 23/11/08

Disillusioned bankers quit the City for the rewards of teaching science
Hundreds of university graduates are moving from finance to education Robin McKie, science editor November 23, 2008 1 The thrill of City life appears to be fading for hundreds of investment bankers who are preparing to turn their back on the financial sector and opt for a career in science teaching. 2 The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) has revealed that inquiries about science teaching posts rose by a third last September compared with the same month in 2007. The agency has revealed that formal applications for science teaching posts have reached record levels and that further significant rises are expected next year due to the world financial crisis. Many of those applicants are coming from the City, it says. 3 Among those swapping the trading floor for the school laboratory is Elizabeth Baldwin. The 44year-old worked for almost 20 years for major banks, including Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers, until she found, a few months ago, that the excitement of the job was disappearing. 4 I had just had my second child, Thomas, and the thought of going back to the City became less and less palatable, she said. The high pay no longer compensated for the long hours and lack of social life. 5 So the business analyst who has a degree in chemistry and biology from Kings College London quit and is now applying to join a training course to become a science teacher. The City is a major employer of science graduates. As it cuts back on jobs, and as more people like Baldwin become disillusioned with the financial sector, the numbers of science teachers are set to soar as stockbrokers and analysts quit their Ferraris and stock options for test tubes and Bunsen burners, say experts. 6 There is no doubt that the credit crunch has a huge silver lining in terms of science education in Britain, said Graham Holley, the agencys chief executive. It is going to do a great deal of good for

10

11

12

13

14

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 3 Advanced
4 Vocabulary: The language of graphs
a) Put the missing prepositions into these expressions from the article. ... rose ______ a third. ... cut back ______ jobs. ... a rise ______ 2.5% ... can eventually rise ______ 50,000 b) Which other expressions can you find for describing graphs and trends? c) Use some of the vocabulary to describe one of the following by sketching a graph and explaining it to another student. fuel/oil prices the housing market the annual rainfall or temperatures in your country the rise and fall of your enthusiasm for learning English over the years

5 Discussion: Change of career


In your own words, explain Elizabeth Baldwins personal situation and the reasons for her career change. Do you know anyone who has made a dramatic change in their career? Would you like to change your career path? Why / Why not?

6 Webquest: Job search and salaries


a) Type currency converter into a search engine and convert the salaries mentioned in the article to your currency. b) Find job advertisements online for investment bankers and science teachers. What qualifications are required? What salary is offered? Where is the position available?

c) How do the salaries for investments bankers and science teachers in your country compare with the salaries offered for similar vacancies around the world?

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 3 Advanced KEY
2 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. quit opt trading floor palatable compensate stockbroker lucrative pledge recruit mature reasonable rewarding

4 Vocabulary: The language of graphs


a) by; on; of; to b) significant rises; soar; increased salaries; earning a third of; fewer graduates; reached record levels

Teachers notes
Some helpful websites for task 6: http://www.careers-in-finance.com/ibsal.htm http://www.careeroverview.com/investment-bankingcareers.html http://investment.banker.jobs.com/ http://www.jobs.ac.uk/ http://www.simplyhired.com/a/jobs/list/tscience+teacher Alternatively, type in investment banker job (or position) and science teacher job (or position or vacancy) into any search engine to get thousands of up-to-date results. There are currently many videos available online about the current world financial situation. One you could use to kick start a discussion of how the credit crunch affects students is The Credit Crunch Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_iMS31mqmU This one is particularly nice for class as it has subtitles.

3 Find the information


1. Because the salaries are very much higher in the financial sector. 2. Business analysts, investment bankers and IT experts. 3. Chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics. 4. To spend more time at home with her family and to feel better in herself. 5. Offering good salaries higher than for other subjects. 6. Fewer students have been inspired (by their own teachers) to study science subjects at university and so there have been fewer graduates. 7. Test tubes and Bunsen burners. 8. Credit crunch. 9. Silver lining. 10. Maternity leave.

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 1 Elementary
(to be) disillusioned: (adjective) to be or feel disappointed because you have found out that someone or something is not as good as you had believed Note: In Britain, when someone talks or writes about the City they are referring to the City of London and in particular its banking and financial sector.

Warmer

How many jobs can you find in the article in one minute?

Key words

Find these key words in the article and write them into the definitions below. inquiries lack of expert quit positions laboratory soar earn applications credit crunch graduate rewarding trend salary

1. To leave a job or stop doing something. _____________________ (title) 2. Someone who has finished their studies at a high school, college or university. _____________________ (sub-title) 3. Questions that are asked to get information. _____________________ (para 2) 4. Jobs that are free or available. _____________________ (para 2) 5. Written requests for a job or place at a college or university. _____________________ (para 2) 6. A place where people do scientific research or teaching. _____________________ (para 3) 7. When there isnt enough of something, there is a _____________________ it. (para 4) 8. To quickly increase to a high level. _____________________ (para 5) 9. A two-word term which describes the current difficult financial situation. _____________________ (para 6) 10. Someone who knows a lot about a particular subject. _____________________ (para 6) 11. The fixed amount of money you get every month for your job. _____________________ (para 7) 12. A gradual change or development that leads to a particular result. _____________________ (para 8) 13. A verb meaning to receive money for work you do. _____________________ (para 10) 14. When something is _____________________, it makes you happy or satisfied. (para 11)

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 1 Elementary
7 Science teaching has been a problem for education experts for decades. Large numbers of science graduates are employed in the City, often earning high salaries, as business analysts and IT experts. Because of this, fewer graduates with top degrees have become teachers. Physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics classes have suffered. The British government wants to stop this trend, and is offering science teachers better salaries compared to teachers of other subjects. Salaries start at around 24,000 for science teachers, and can rise to 50,000. It is a good salary, but it certainly does not match what a science graduate can earn in the City, Baldwin said.

Disillusioned bankers quit the City for the rewards of teaching science
Hundreds of university graduates are moving from finance to education Robin McKie, science editor November 23, 2008 1 Hundreds of investment bankers are leaving City life and the financial sector for a career in science teaching. 2 Inquiries about science teaching positions rose by a third last September compared with the same month in 2007. Applications for science teaching jobs have reached record levels and even more applications are expected next year because of the world financial crisis. Many applications are coming from people who work in the City. 3 Elizabeth Baldwin is leaving the banking business for the school laboratory. The 44-yearold worked for almost 20 years for major banks, including Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers. But a few months ago she realised that her job was no longer exciting. 4 I had just had my second child, Thomas, and going back to the City became less and less attractive, she said. The good money no longer made up for the long hours and lack of social life. 5 So the business analyst who has a degree in chemistry and biology from Kings College London quit and is now applying to join a training course to become a science teacher. The City is a major employer of science graduates. As there are now fewer jobs, and more people like Baldwin become disillusioned with the financial sector, the numbers of science teachers will soar, say experts. 6 There is no doubt that the credit crunch has hidden benefits for science education in Britain, said education expert Graham Holley. It is going to do a lot of good for the teaching of chemistry, physics and biology.

10 I will earn a third of what I got in the City, she said. But money is not everything. Instead of going to work early and leaving very late, I will be able to come home and play with my boys, Matthew and Thomas. 11 My father was a teacher, so I know what to expect. I know teaching wont be easy, but I know as well that it can be very rewarding.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 23/11/08

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the sentence halves to to summarize the article. 1. Many British science graduates work in ... 2. The four school subjects that have suffered from lack of good teachers are ... 3. This year there have been more applications from people ... 4. The British government have decided to pay ... 5. Elizabeth Baldwin is leaving the financial sector to ... 6. Elizabeth Baldwins father and sister are both teachers, ... 7. As a science teacher, she will earn about ... 8. Elizabeth Baldwin thinks that spending time with her family is ... ... maths, biology, chemistry and physics. ... who want to become science teachers. ... science teachers more than teachers of other subjects. ... become a science teacher. ... a third of what she earned in the City. ... banking and not in education. ... more important than a high salary. ... so she knows its not an easy job.

4 Vocabulary: Past participles


a) Find the past participles of these verbs in the article and write them into the table. verb rise have work make reach employ get is b) Are the verbs regular or irregular? How do we form a regular past participle in English? Underline all the past participles in the article. How many can you find? c) Write a new sentence for each past participle in 4a. past participle regular / irregular

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion: Change of career
Elizabeth Baldwin has decided to leave banking and become a science teacher so she can spend more time with her family. Do you think this is a good decision? Why / Why not? Would you like to change your job? Why / Why not? What would your dream job be?

6 Webquest: Job search and salaries


a) Type currency converter into a search engine and find out how much 24,000 and 50,000 are in your currency. b) Search for job advertisements online for investment bankers and science teachers. How high are the salaries in the job ads?

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 1 KEY
1 Warmer
investment banker; business analyst, IT expert, education expert; science teacher, teacher

Elementary
4 Vocabulary: Past participles
rise rose (irregular) have had (irregular) work worked (regular) make made (irregular) reach reached (regular) employ employed (regular) get got (irregular) is was (irregular)

2 Key words
1. quit 2. graduate 3. inquiries 4. positions 5. applications 6. laboratories 7. lack 8. soar 9. credit crunch 10. expert 11. salary 12. trend 13. earn 14. rewarding

Teachers notes Some helpful websites for task 6: http://www.careers-in-finance.com/ibsal.htm http://www.careeroverview.com/investment-bankingcareers.html http://investment.banker.jobs.com/ http://www.jobs.ac.uk/ http://www.simplyhired.com/a/jobs/list/tscience+teacher Alternatively, type in investment banker job (or position) and science teacher job (or position or vacancy) into any search engine to get thousands of up-to-date results.

3 Comprehension check
1. Many British science graduates work in banking and not in education. 2. The four school subjects that have suffered from lack of good teachers are maths, biology, chemistry and physics. 3. This year there have been more applications from people who want to become science teachers. 4. The British government have decided to pay science teachers more than teachers of other subjects. 5. Elizabeth Baldwin is leaving the financial sector to become a science teacher. 6. Elizabeth Baldwins father and sister are both teachers, so she knows its not an easy job. 7. As a science teacher, she will earn about a third of what she earned in the City. 8. Elizabeth Baldwin thinks that spending time with her family is more important than a high salary.

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 2 Intermediate
(to be) disillusioned: (adjective) to be or feel disappointed because you have found out that someone or something is not as good as you had believed Note: In Britain, when someone talks or writes about the City they are referring to the City of London and in particular its banking and financial sector.

Warmer

a) Why do you think British bankers are feeling disillusioned? b) All these words appear in the article. Which is the odd word out? Why? test tube laboratory Ferrari Bunsen burner

Key words

Find the key words in the article. recruit inspire maternity leave quit mature attract stockbroker graduate

trading floor thrill

rewarding

credit crunch

1. To leave a job or stop doing something. ____________________ (title) 2. Someone who has finished their studies at a high school, college or university. ____________________ (sub-title) 3. A feeling of being excited or very pleased. ____________________ (para1) 4. A place where traders or stock brokers meet to buy and sell. ____________________ (para 3) 5. Someone whose job it is to buy and sell shares for other people. ____________________ (para 5) 6. A two-word term which describes the current difficult financial situation with a reduction in the availability of loans. ____________________ (para 6) 7. A verb meaning to make someone interested in something. ____________________ (para 7) 8. A verb meaning to give someone the enthusiasm to create or do something. ____________________ (para 7) 9. A noun meaning a new member of a company or organization. ____________________ (para 10) 10. An adjective meaning older, but in a positive way. ____________________ (para 10) 11. When something is ____________________, it gives you satisfaction and/or pleasure. (para 13) 12. A two-word expression for the time a woman takes off work when she has a baby. _____________________ (para 14)

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 2 Intermediate
7 Science teaching has been a problem for education experts for decades. The City has attracted large numbers of science graduates who are employed, often with high salaries, as business analysts and IT experts. As a result, fewer graduates with top degrees have become teachers. Physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics classes have suffered and fewer children have been inspired to take up science. The British government has introduced a number of ways of stopping this trend, including better salaries for science teachers compared with those in other subjects. A total of 3,114 science trainees entered colleges during the academic year 2008-09, a rise of 2.5 per cent on the previous year. That is the highest number of science teachers since the TDA began 13 years ago, said Holley.

Disillusioned bankers quit the City for the rewards of teaching science
Hundreds of university graduates are moving from finance to education Robin McKie, science editor November 23, 2008 1 The thrill of City life appears to be fading for hundreds of investment bankers who are leaving the financial sector for a career in science teaching. 2 The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) has said that inquiries about science teaching positions rose by a third last September compared with the same month in 2007. The agency has said that formal applications for science teaching posts have reached record levels and that further significant rises are expected next year due to the world financial crisis. Many of those applicants are coming from the City, it says. 3 Elizabeth Baldwin is swapping the trading floor for the school laboratory. The 44-year-old worked for almost 20 years for major banks, including Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers, until she found, a few months ago, that the excitement of the job was disappearing. 4 I had just had my second child, Thomas, and going back to the City became less and less attractive, she said. The high pay no longer made up for the long hours and lack of social life. 5 So the business analyst who has a degree in chemistry and biology from Kings College London quit and is now applying to join a training course to become a science teacher. The City is a major employer of science graduates. As there are now fewer jobs, and as more people like Baldwin become disillusioned with the financial sector, the numbers of science teachers are set to soar as stockbrokers and analysts quit their Ferraris for test tubes and Bunsen burners, say experts. 6 There is no doubt that the credit crunch has a huge hidden benefit for science education in Britain, said Graham Holley, the agencys chief executive. It is going to do a lot of good for the teaching of chemistry, physics and biology.

10 Most of these new recruits have been encouraged by salaries that start at around 24,000 for science teachers, and which can eventually rise to 50,000 for more mature teachers, according to the TDA. 11 It is a good salary, but it certainly does not match what a science graduate can earn in the City, Baldwin stressed. 12 I will be earning a third of what I would have got had I stayed in the City, she said. But money is not everything. Instead of going to work early and leaving very late, I will get a chance to come home and be with my boys, Matthew and Thomas. 13 My father was a teacher, so I know what to expect and what I will get out of the job. I know teaching wont be easy, but I know as well that it can be very rewarding.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 23/11/08

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the article? Correct any false sentences. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Many science graduates have been working in the financial sector instead of in schools. The four school subjects that have suffered from lack of good teachers are maths, science, sports and English. This year there have been a third fewer applications from people wanting to become science teachers. The British government have decided to pay science teachers more than teachers of other subjects to encourage science graduates to become teachers. Elizabeth Baldwin is leaving the financial sector to become a teacher. Elizabeth Baldwins father and sister are both teachers. As a science teacher, she will take home about half of what she earned in the City. Elizabeth Baldwin thinks that spending time with her family is more important than a high salary.

4 Writing: A personal profile


a) Write a short profile of Elizabeth Baldwin.
Elizabeth Baldwin Curriculum Vitae

Personal details Age: Sex: Family status: Family background: Qualifications: Current position: Previous position: Reasons for career change: Experience

b) Create a similar profile for yourself or someone else in your class. Change the categories if necessary.

5 Discussion: Change of career


In your own words, explain Elizabeth Baldwins personal situation and the reasons for her career change. Do you know anyone who has made a dramatic change in their career? Would you like to change your career path? Why / Why not?

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 2 Intermediate
6 Webquest: Job search and salaries
a) Type currency converter into a search engine and convert the salaries mentioned in the article to your currency. b) Find job advertisements online for investment bankers and science teachers. What qualifications are required? What salary is offered? Where is the position available?

c) How do the salaries for investment bankers and science teachers in your country compare with the salaries offered for similar vacancies around the world?

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Disillusioned bankers quit the City to teach science


Level 2 KEY
1 Warmer
b) Ferrari is the odd word out.

Intermediate

4 Writing: A personal profile


(possible answers) Age: 44 Sex: female Family status: has two small children Family background: father and sister are both teachers Qualifications: a degree in chemistry and biology from Kings College London Current position: applying to join a training course to become a science teacher Previous position: worked for almost 20 years for major banks, including Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers Reasons for career change: to spend quality time at home with her family, to see her home in the daylight, and to regain her social life. Teachers notes Task 4 will work well in a class that doesnt mind sharing personal information. The profiles could be anonymous and students could guess whose they are. If your students do not want to share this information, they can make up information or pretend to be a famous person and give their details instead. Some helpful websites for task 6: http://www.careers-in-finance.com/ibsal.htm http://www.careeroverview.com/investment-bankingcareers.html http://investment.banker.jobs.com/ http://www.jobs.ac.uk/ http://www.simplyhired.com/a/jobs/list/tscience+teacher Alternatively, type in investment banker job (or position) and science teacher job (or position or vacancy) into any search engine to get thousands of up-to-date results.

2 Key words
1. quit 2. graduate 3. thrill 4. trading floor 5. stockbroker 6. credit crunch 7. attract 8. inspire 9. recruit 10. mature 11. rewarding 12. maternity leave

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. T F (biology, physics, chemistry, maths) F (there have been a third more) T T T F (she will earn about a third) T

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

machismo
deride

homophobia bastion

diversity inclusive

come out deter out high-profile

1. If you ______________________, you tell people that you are gay. 2. If you are ______________________, you are an openly gay person. 3. ______________________ is hate or fear of homosexuals. 4. A ______________________ person is one who is often seen in public, is frequently mentioned in newspapers and regularly appears on television. 5. ______________________ is behaviour that is traditionally considered typical of a man such as being strong and willing to fight. 6. A ______________________ is an organization, community or system that supports and defends a particular way of life, tradition or belief. 7. If something ______________________ you from doing something, it makes you decide not to do it. 8. If you ______________________ someone, you make fun of them by suggesting that they are stupid, unimportant or useless or have some other characteristic you disapprove of. 9. If something is ______________________, it deliberately aims to involve all types of people. 10. ______________________ is the fact that very different types of people exist within a group or place.

What do you know?

Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. Rugby league is one of the worlds toughest sports. 2. It is normally played in southern England. 3. Many of Englands 350 professional rugby league players are openly gay. 4. Stonewall is an organization that campaigns for gay rights. 5. All heterosexual boys are attracted by the macho culture of rugby league. 6. Around 6% of the population of the UK is believed to be homosexual.

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 3 Advanced
came from the success of clubs in Oldham and Salford which had been working with local gay, lesbian and bisexual groups. It was not prompted by concerns that spectators or players were homophobic. Rugby league is probably not most peoples idea of a supportive working environment but Im pleased to be able to challenge assumptions by tackling homophobia and creating a genuinely inclusive organization where people can be out in the workplace and where gay, lesbian and bisexual people want to work. She added: The ultimate aim would be if a high-profile coach or player sent a really positive message by coming out. 6 Stonewall said that since an estimated 6% of the population was lesbian or gay it assumed that the community was represented in rugby league as it was in other sports and professions. Summerskill quoted the case of Nigel Owens, from rugby union, who last year became the first openly gay referee to officiate in a world cup. Owens decision to come out helped him earn the title of Stonewalls sportsman of the year 2007. 7 The RFL campaign, which will be officially launched after the start of the season in February, has the potential to reach a large audience. Almost two million people a year attend super league games and around a quarter of a million men, women and children take part in the sport. 8 Stonewall will also be hoping the RFLs involvement in its diversity champions programme will encourage other major sporting bodies particularly the English Football Association to follow suit. The FA has a campaign on tackling homophobia and has a champion on the issue in the former Chelsea and Celtic defender Paul Elliott. There are plans for an FA film on tackling homophobia and the Gay Football Supporters Network has liaison officers in clubs including Aston Villa, which has just launched the countrys first club-level gay fans group.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 28/11/08
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


First major sport to join Stonewall programme Forum to be set up for staff and players Jenny Percival November 28, 2008 1 As one of the worlds toughest sports, rugby league is more usually associated with northern English machismo and cauliflower ears than gay rights. But the Rugby Football League (RFL) has just become the first national governing body of a major sport to sign up to Stonewalls campaign against homophobia. The sport has joined the groups diversity champions programme, which promotes lesbian, gay and bisexual equality. 2 Posters and logos proclaiming Some people are gay. Get over it! will appear at rugby league grounds and in programmes and fanzines to discourage homophobia, and the RFL is setting up a lesbian, gay and bisexual forum for staff and players. Stonewall, the gay rights group, will provide clubs with information packs on how to ensure their culture, policies and practices are fully inclusive, including helpline numbers for people seeking confidential advice. 3 Neither Stonewall nor the RFL knows of anyone among the sports 350 professional players who is openly gay but they hope the campaign could encourage a British Ian Roberts to come out. Roberts came out as gay in 1995 while playing Australian rugby league. The rugby league community was overwhelmingly supportive towards Roberts, now 43 and an actor. 4 Ben Summerskill, Stonewalls chief executive, said sport was one of the last great bastions of homophobia. Boys, including those who are heterosexual, can be deterred by the macho culture, while girls can be put off sport because so many leading sportswomen are derided as being lesbian. The vision shown by the RFL is an absolutely ground-breaking step in making sport more accessible. 5 Sarah Williams, the RFLs equality and diversity manager, said the decision to join the campaign
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NEWS LESSONS / Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign / Advanced

Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Why is it surprising that rugby league has become the first English sport to sign up to Stonewalls campaign against homophobia? a. Because there are no gay rugby league players. b. Because players and spectators of the sport are not homophobic. c. Because its a macho sport that is not usually associated with gay rights. 2. How did the Australian rugby league community react to its first openly gay player? a. People reacted very negatively. b. People didnt care one way or the other. c. People reacted very supportively. 3. Why are some boys deterred from playing sports? a. Because sport is one of the last bastions of homophobia. b. Because sport has a very macho culture. c. Because so many leading sportswomen are derided for being lesbian. 4. What percentage of rugby league players can statistically be assumed to be gay? a. 6% b. 12% c. 0%

4 Find the word


Look in the text and find the following words and expressions. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. A two-word expression describing an injury typical of rugby and boxing. (para 1) 2. A three-word expression meaning stop worrying, complaining or being upset about something. (para 2) 3. A noun meaning a magazine written for and by fans. (para 2) 4. An adverb used to emphasize the amount or strength of something. (para 3) 5. A two-word adjective meaning using new methods or achieving new results. (para 4) 6. A form of rugby in which there are 15 players in a team. (para 6) 7. A two-word expression meaning to conform to someone elses actions. (para 8) 8. A noun meaning someone who publicly supports or defends a set of beliefs, political aims or a group of people. (para 8)
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 3 Advanced
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions. 1. challenge 2. promote 3. set up 4. seek 5. send 6. launch 7. attend 8. reach a. a campaign b. advice c. a large audience d. a game (a match) e. assumptions f. a forum g. equality h. a message

6 Words followed by prepositions


Fill the gaps in these phrases with prepositions. Check your answers in the text. 1. supportive __________ 2. associated __________ 3. provide __________ 4. take part __________ 5. involvement __________ 6. sign up __________

7 Discussion
Do you think campaigns like this help to change peoples attitudes? Can you think of other ways to promote inclusiveness and diversity?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign / Advanced

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. come out 2. out 3. homophobia 4. high-profile 5. machismo 6. bastion 7. deters 8. deride 9. inclusive 10. diversity

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. cauliflower ear get over it fanzine overwhelmingly ground-breaking rugby union follow suit champion

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. e g f b h a d c

2 What do you know?


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T F F T F T

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. c c b a

6 Words followed by prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. towards with with in in to

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

macho

high-profile

forum tackle

diversity homophobia

come out heterosexual

inclusive confidential

1. If something is ______________________, it deliberately aims to involve all types of people. 2. ______________________ is the fact that very different types of people exist within a group or place. 3. If you ______________________ a problem, you make an organized and determined attempt to deal with it. 4. ______________________ is hate or fear of homosexuals. 5. If you ______________________, you tell people that you are gay. 6. If you are ______________________, you are sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex. 7. ______________________ behaviour is behaviour that is traditionally considered typical of a man, such as being strong and willing to fight. 8. A ______________________ person is one who is often seen in public, is frequently mentioned in newspapers and regularly appears on television. 9. If something is ______________________, it is secret. 10. A ______________________ is a website where people can express their ideas and opinions.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. What does RFL stand for? 2. What is Stonewall? 3. How many professional rugby league players are there? 4. When did Ian Roberts come out? 5. How many people watch super league matches every year? 6. How many people play rugby league?

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 1 Elementary
5 Sarah Williams, the RFLs equality and diversity manager, said the decision to join the campaign followed the success of clubs in Oldham and Salford which had been working with local gay, lesbian and bisexual groups. It was not because spectators or players were homophobic. Rugby league is probably not most peoples idea of a supportive working environment but Im pleased to be able to try and fight homophobia and create the kind of organization where people can be openly gay in the workplace and where gay, lesbian and bisexual people want to work. She added: It would be great if a high-profile coach or player sent a really positive message by coming out. 6 Stonewall said that since an estimated 6% of the UK population was lesbian or gay there must be a similar percentage in rugby league as there were in other sports and professions. Summerskill mentioned the case of Nigel Owens, from rugby union, who last year became the first openly gay referee to referee in a world cup. Owens was Stonewalls sportsman of the year in 2007. 7 The RFL campaign, which will officially begin after the start of the season in February, could reach a large audience. Almost two million people a year watch super league matches and around a quarter of a million men, women and children actively play rugby league. 8 Stonewall will also hope the RFLs involvement in its diversity champions programme will encourage other major sporting bodies particularly the English Football Association to do the same. The FA has a campaign to tackle homophobia and there are also plans for an FA film on tackling homophobia.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 28/11/08

Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


First major sport to join Stonewall programme Forum to be set up for staff and players Jenny Percival November 28, 2008 1 Rugby league is a macho sport, normally played in the north of England and is one of the toughest sports in the world. It is not a sport that people normally associate with gay rights. But the Rugby Football League (RFL) has just become the first major sports organization to join a campaign against homophobia. The sport has joined Stonewalls diversity champions programme, which fights for lesbian, gay and bisexual equality. 2 Posters and logos stating Some people are gay. Get over it! will appear at rugby league grounds and in match programmes and fanzines to discourage homophobia, and the RFL is setting up a lesbian, gay and bisexual forum for staff and players. Stonewall, the gay rights group, will provide clubs with information packs which will tell them how to make sure that their working practices are fully inclusive, including helpline numbers for people seeking confidential advice. 3 Neither Stonewall nor the RFL knows of anyone among the sports 350 professional players who is openly gay but they hope the campaign could encourage a British Ian Roberts to come out. Roberts came out as gay in 1995 while playing Australian rugby league. Most people in the rugby league community were very supportive towards Roberts. 4 Ben Summerskill, Stonewalls chief executive, said sport was one of the last areas where homophobia is very strong. Boys, including many heterosexual boys, often do not like the macho culture of sport, while girls sometimes also avoid sport because so many famous sportswomen are laughed at for being lesbian. The RFL is taking a very important step in making sport more attractive to gay and lesbian people.

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Posters and logos will appear at rugby league grounds 2. Information packs will provide 3. The campaign wants to make sport 4. The campaign will probably 5. Some boys do not like 6. The campaign also wants to encourage a. reach a large audience. b the macho culture of sport. c. to discourage homophobia. d. more attractive to gay and lesbian people. e. inclusive working practices. f. helpline numbers for people wanting confidential advice.

4 Chunks
Put the words into the correct order to make phrases from the text. 1. toughest one the of world sports the in 2. major first organization the sports 3. attractive more making sport 4. a almost million year two people 5. million a around quarter a of 6. of north in England the

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 1 Elementary
5 Two-word phrases
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. chief 2. working 3. helpline 4. confidential 5. gay 6. information a. pack b. number c. rights d. executive e. advice f. practices

6 Word building
Complete the table using words from the text.

verb
1 2 3 4 5 6 decide organize advise succeed referee involve

noun

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. inclusive 2. diversity 3. tackle 4. homophobia 5. come out 6. heterosexual 7. macho 8. high-profile 9. confidential 10. forum

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. one of the toughest sports in the world the first major sports organization making sport more attractive almost two million people a year around a quarter of a million people in the north of England

5 Two-word phrases
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f b e c a

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Rugby Football League a gay rights group 350 1995 almost two million around a quarter of a million

6 Word building
verb 1 2 3 4 5 6 decide organize advise succeed referee involve noun decision organization advice success referee involvement

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c f d a b e

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign / Elementary

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. macho inclusive homophobia high-profile diversity tackle come out accessible ridicule heterosexual

1. If you are _____________________, you are sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex. 2. _____________________ behaviour is behaviour that is traditionally considered typical of a man, such as being strong and willing to fight. 3. If you _____________________ someone, you make fun of them in an unkind way. 4. If something is _____________________, it deliberately aims to involve all types of people. 5. _____________________ is the fact that very different types of people exist within a group or place. 6. If something is _____________________, it is easy for anyone to obtain, use or take part in. 7. If you _____________________ a problem, you make an organized and determined attempt to deal with it. 8. If you _____________________, you tell people that you are gay. 9. _____________________ is hate or fear of homosexuals. 10. A _____________________ person is one who is often seen in public, is frequently mentioned in newspapers and regularly appears on television.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the answers to these questions as quickly as possible. 1. What does RFL stand for? 2. What is Stonewall? 3. How many professional rugby league players are there? 4. What percentage of the UK population is believed to be lesbian or gay? 5. How many people watch super league matches every year? 6. How many people actively take part in rugby league?

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 2 Intermediate
came from the success of clubs in Oldham and Salford which had been working with local gay, lesbian and bisexual groups. It was not the result of worries that spectators or players were homophobic. Rugby league is probably not most peoples idea of a supportive working environment but Im pleased to be able to try and fight homophobia and create a genuinely inclusive organization where people can be openly gay in the workplace and where gay, lesbian and bisexual people want to work. She added: The ultimate aim would be if a high-profile coach or player sent a really positive message by coming out. 6 Stonewall said that since an estimated 6% of the population was lesbian or gay there must be an equivalent percentage in rugby league as there were in other sports and professions. Summerskill mentioned Nigel Owens, from rugby union, who last year became the first openly gay referee to referee in a world cup. Owenss decision to come out helped him earn the title of Stonewalls sportsman of the year 2007. 7 The RFL campaign, which will be officially launched after the start of the season in February, has the potential to reach a large audience. Almost two million people a year watch super league matches and around a quarter of a million men, women and children actively take part in the sport. 8 Stonewall will also be hoping the RFLs involvement in its diversity champions programme will encourage other major sporting bodies particularly the English Football Association to do the same. The FA has a campaign on tackling homophobia and has a champion on the issue in the former Chelsea and Celtic defender Paul Elliott. There are plans for an FA film on tackling homophobia and the Gay Football Supporters Network has members in clubs including Aston Villa, which has just launched the countrys first club-level gay fans group.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Observer, 28/11/08

Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


First major sport to join Stonewall programme Forum to be set up for staff and players Jenny Percival November 28, 2008 1 Rugby league is a macho sport, normally played in the north of England and is one of the worlds toughest sports. It is not a sport that people would normally associate with gay rights. But the Rugby Football League (RFL) has just become the first national governing body of a major sport to join a campaign against homophobia. The sport has joined Stonewalls diversity champions programme, which promotes lesbian, gay and bisexual equality. 2 Posters and logos stating Some people are gay. Get over it! will appear at rugby league grounds and in match programmes and fanzines to discourage homophobia, and the RFL is setting up a lesbian, gay and bisexual forum for staff and players. Stonewall, the gay rights group, will provide clubs with information packs on how to ensure their culture, policies and practices are fully inclusive, including helpline numbers for people seeking confidential advice. 3 Neither Stonewall nor the RFL knows of anyone among the sports 350 professional players who is openly gay but they hope the campaign could encourage a British Ian Roberts to come out. Roberts came out as gay in 1995 while playing Australian rugby league. Most people in the rugby league community were very supportive towards Roberts. 4 Ben Summerskill, Stonewalls chief executive, said sport was one of the last areas where homophobia is very strong. Boys, including heterosexual boys, can be put off by the macho culture, while girls can also be put off sport because so many leading sportswomen are ridiculed for being lesbian. The vision shown by the RFL is an absolutely ground-breaking step in making sport more accessible. 5 Sarah Williams, the RFLs equality and diversity manager, said the decision to join the campaign

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. People usually associate rugby league with gay rights. 2. Homophobia is not common in sport. 3. Clubs in Oldham and Salford have been successful in their work with gay and lesbian groups. 4. High-profile coaches and players have already come out in England. 5. The rugby league campaign could reach a large audience. 6. Nigel Owens refereed in the rugby league world cup.

4 Find the word


Look in the text and find the following words and expressions. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. A two-word expression meaning an official organization that is responsible for making the rules for an organization and for making sure that people follow those rules. (para 1) 2. A three-word expression meaning stop worrying, complaining or being upset about something. (para 2) 3. A noun meaning a magazine written for and by fans. (para 2) 4. An adjective meaning helpful and sympathetic. (para 3) 5. A two-word adjective meaning using new methods or achieving new results. (para 4) 6. An adverb meaning really. (para 5) 7. A form of rugby in which there are 15 players in a team. (para 6) 8. A noun meaning someone who publicly supports or defends a set of beliefs, political aims or a group of people. (para 8)

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Two-word phrases
Match the words from the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to make expressions from the text. 1. gay 2. governing 3. information 4. chief 5. working 6. positive 7. macho 8. helpline a. number b. executive c. message d. pack e. culture f. rights g. environment h. body

6 Word building: Adjectives and nouns


Complete the table.

verb
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 successful equal diverse

noun
homophobia confidence profession access support

7 Discussion
This is one idea to promote diversity. Can you think of some other ways to discourage homophobia in sport?

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Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. heterosexual 2. macho 3. ridicule 4. inclusive 5. diversity 6. accessible 7. tackle 8. come out 9. homophobia 10. high-profile

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. governing body get over it fanzine supportive ground-breaking genuinely rugby union champion

5 Two-word phrases
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. f h d b g c e a

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Rugby Football League a gay rights group 350 6% almost two million around a quarter of a million

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F F T F T F

6 Word building: Adjectives and nouns


verb noun
diversity homophobia equality confidence profession access support success

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

diverse homophobic equal confidential professional accessible supportive successful

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Rugby league to kick off anti-homophobia campaign / Intermediate

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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Complete the sentences using these key words from the text. downturn cataclysmic gloom rotation underestimate light year galaxy spiral squidgy molecule

1. A _________________ is the distance that light travels in a year. 2. A _________________ is a very small group of atoms that form a particular substance. 3. If you _________________ something, you think that it is smaller or less powerful than it really is. 4. A _________________ event is one that changes a situation in a sudden, violent and unpleasant way. 5. In an economic _________________, there is a significant reduction in business activity. 6. A _________________ shape is one that looks like a set of circles inside each other, made up by one line curving inside itself. 7. _________________ is a feeling of having no hope. 8. If something is _________________, it is very soft. 9. A _________________ is an extremely large group of stars and planets. 10. _________________ is a movement in a circle around a fixed central point.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Does the latest research show that our solar system is travelling faster or more slowly than previously thought? 2. When will the sun burn up the last of its nuclear fuel? 3. How far is our solar system from the centre of the Milky Way? 4. Which galaxy is the Milky Way expected to collide with? 5. Why is there no cause for alarm? 6. How fast is our solar system travelling?

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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 3 Advanced
6
The scientists recorded intense radiowaves coming from the galaxys four spiral arms, where new stars are born. Heat from the stars warms up molecules of alcohol in interstellar gas clouds, which release the energy as radiowaves. The measurements showed that our solar system is hurtling along at 600,000mph, 100,000mph faster than thought. These measurements are revising our understanding of the structure and motions of our galaxy, said Menten. The speedier rotation of the galaxy means its mass must be similar to that of Andromeda, around 270bn times the mass of the sun, or 33% greater than earlier calculations have suggested. No longer will we think of the Milky Way as the little sister of the Andromeda galaxy, said Reid. The research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Long Beach, California. Astronomers believe the crunch to end all crunches could happen around the same time our sun is due to burn up the last of its nuclear fuel, within the next 7bn years. It is highly unlikely that planets and stars will collide. Instead the two galaxies will merge to form a new, large galaxy. The galaxies will be dramatically stirred up, but they are very squidgy, so they will stick together and eventually all the stars will die out, and it will become one huge, dead galaxy, said Gerry Gilmore at the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge university, who was not involved in the study. One thing we dont know yet is whether Andromeda will hit us square on, or whether it will be a glancing blow. If the galaxy strikes the side of the Milky Way, it is expected to be pulled back again for further collisions. The whole collision could take many millions of years. bring forward the date of our galactic demise. The work also sheds fresh light on the nature of dark matter, the invisible substance believed to hold galaxies together. Gilmore said the findings point to more dark matter at the centre of the galaxy that may be colder and more compacted than astronomers thought.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 05/01/09
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Get out of the way! Galactic collision will happen sooner than scientists thought
Ian Sample, science correspondent 5 January, 2009 1 If the return to work, grim weather and global

economic downturn were not enough to contend with, astronomers added to the seasonal gloom today by announcing that the Milky Way will crash into a nearby galaxy sooner than they thought. scientists admitted to having grossly underestimated the mass of the Milky Way, and so the gravitational pull it exerts on our cosmic neighbours, including the giant Andromeda galaxy. The oversight means that the two galaxies, which are on a cataclysmic collision course, will slam into one another earlier than scientists had previously predicted. will compress interstellar gas clouds within them, producing a dazzling flourish of newborn stars, in a last heavenly display before the giant wreckage slowly dims and dies out. Fortunately the galactic disaster still lies billions of years in the future.

2 According to their most detailed measurements yet,

3 When the two galaxies meet, powerful shockwaves

4 Our solar system is around 28,000 light years from

the centre of the Milky Way, itself one of more than 35 galaxies in our cosmic neighbourhood. The Andromeda galaxy, which is twice as wide, is around 2m light years away. Karl Menten, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Germany, said that while the galactic collision would happen sooner than expected, there was no cause for alarm. We still expect it to happen billions of years in the future, he said. Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Massachusetts, used a radio telescope to make precise measurements of the Milky Way as it moved through space. As the galaxy rotates, parts that emit radiowaves move relative to Earth, allowing the researchers to work out how fast the galaxy is spinning.

10 According to Gilmore, the research does more than

5 A team, led by Menten and Mark Reid at the

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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Why did scientists believe that the collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda would take place later than they now believe it will take place? a. Because they didnt realize how fast Andromeda was travelling. b. Because they miscalculated the mass of the Milky Way. c. Because they werent sure when the sun would use the last of its nuclear fuel. 2. How did the scientists work out how fast the Milky Way is spinning? a. They compared its position to that of Andromeda. b. They measured the movement of radiowaves relative to Earth. c. They measured its mass in comparison with the sun. 3. What does the research do apart from tell us when our galaxy will come to an end? a. It tells us more about the nature of dark matter. b. It tells us when the sun will use up the last of its nuclear fuel. c. It shows the relationship between dark matter and the end of the universe. 4. Will the planets and stars collide? a. Probably. b. Possibly. c. Almost certainly not.

4 Find the word


Look in the text and find the following words and phrases. 1. An adjective meaning unpleasant and upsetting. (para 1) 2. An adjective meaning between the stars. (para 3) 3. An adjective meaning extremely impressive. (para 3) 4. A verb meaning to become less bright. (para 3) 5. A noun meaning the time when something important or difficult happens or must be decided. (para 8) 6. A two-word expression meaning an indirect hit. (para 9) 7. A noun meaning the time when something stops existing. (para 10) 8. A four-word expression meaning to offer a new explanation for something. (para 10)

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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 3 Advanced
5 Phrasal verbs
Match the phrasal verbs in the left-hand column with the definitions in the right-hand column. 1. stir up 2. bring forward 3. slam into 4. work out 5. contend with 6. hurtle along 7. burn up 8. die out a. to travel at an incredibly fast speed b. to crash into at great speed c. to disappear completely d. to have to deal with problems or difficulties e. to consume f. to calculate g. to move around h. to change the date of something so it happens earlier

6 Adjective + noun collocations


Match the adjectives in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column. 1. economic 2. grim 3. seasonal 4. gravitational 5. nuclear 6. dark 7. solar 8. detailed a. weather b. matter c. downturn d. fuel e. gloom f. system g. measurements h. pull

7 Discussion
Do you think it is important for us to be able to understand the universe and how it is formed?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Galactic collision: Get out of the way! / Advanced

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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. light year 2. molecule 3. underestimate 4. cataclysmic 5. downturn 6. spiral 7. gloom 8. squidgy 9. galaxy 10. rotation

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. grim 2. interstellar 3. dazzling 4. dim 5. crunch 6. glancing blow 7. demise 8. shed fresh light on

5 Phrasal verbs
1. g 2. h 3. b 4. f 5. d 6. a 7. e 8. c

2 Find the information


1. faster 2. within the next 7bn years 3. 28,000 light years 4. Andromeda 5. because it wont happen for billions of years 6. 600,000 mph

3 Comprehension check
1. b 2. b 3. a 4. c

6 Adjective + noun collocations


1. c 2. a 3. e 4. h 5. d 6. b 7. f 8. g

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Galactic collision: Get out of the way! / Advanced

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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Complete the sentences using these key words from the text. astronomer rotation light year collision mass precise galaxy solar system squidgy invisible

1. A _________________ is a crash between two moving objects. 2. _________________ is a movement in a circle around a fixed central point. 3. If something is _________________, you cannot see it. 4. _________________ is the amount of material in an object. 5. A _________________ is a star and the planets that go round it. 6. If something is _________________, it is very exact and accurate. 7. An _________________ is a scientist who studies the stars and planets. 8. A _________________ is an extremely large group of stars and planets. 9. If something is _________________, it is very soft. 10. A _________________ is the distance that light travels in a year.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How far is our solar system from the centre of the Milky Way? 2. How many galaxies are there in our cosmic neighbourhood? 3. How far away is the Andromeda galaxy? 4. How fast is our solar system moving? 5. What is the mass of Andromeda? 6. When will the sun use the last of its nuclear fuel?

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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 1 Elementary
changing our understanding of the structure and motions of our galaxy, said Menten. 6 The faster rotation of the galaxy means its mass must be similar to that of Andromeda, around 270bn times the mass of the sun, or 33% greater than earlier calculations have suggested. We will no longer think of the Milky Way as the little sister of the Andromeda galaxy, said Reid. The research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Long Beach, California. Astronomers believe the crash to end all crashes could happen around the same time our sun uses the last of its nuclear fuel, within the next 7bn years. It is highly unlikely that planets and stars will collide. Instead the two galaxies will come together to form a new, large galaxy. There will be a dramatic shake-up in the galaxies, but they are very squidgy, so they will stick together and eventually all the stars will die out, and it will become one huge, dead galaxy, said Gerry Gilmore of Cambridge University, who did not take part in the study. One thing we dont know yet is whether Andromeda will hit us directly, or whether it will hit us from the side. If the galaxy strikes the side of the Milky Way, the whole collision could take many millions of years. According to Gilmore, the research also gives us more information about the nature of dark matter, the invisible substance that holds galaxies together. Gilmore said the findings indicate there is more dark matter at the centre of the galaxy and that it may be colder and more compacted than astronomers previously believed.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 05/01/09

Get out of the way! Galactic collision will happen sooner than scientists thought
Ian Sample, science correspondent 5 January, 2009 1 The world is in the middle of an economic crisis. The weather is awful. People have to go back to work after the winter holidays. And now, along with all that bad news, scientists have some more depressing news for us. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is going to crash into a neighbouring galaxy sooner than they previously thought. 2 According to their most detailed measurements yet, scientists say that they made a serious mistake when they calculated the mass of the Milky Way. It is much greater than they thought and, as a result, its gravity has a much greater effect on our neighbours in space, including the giant Andromeda galaxy. The mistake means that the two galaxies will crash into each other earlier than scientists had previously believed. 3 When the two galaxies meet, the powerful shockwaves will produce hundreds of new stars before the light of the giant galaxy slowly dies out. Fortunately this galactic disaster is billions of years in the future. 4 Our solar system is around 28,000 light years from the centre of the Milky Way, itself one of more than 35 galaxies in our cosmic neighbourhood. The Andromeda galaxy, which is twice as wide, is around 2m light years away. Karl Menten, a German astronomer, said that the galactic collision will happen sooner than expected, but there is no reason to be worried. We still expect it to happen billions of years in the future, he said. 5 A team, led by Menten and American Mark Reid, used a radio telescope to make precise measurements of the Milky Way as it moved through space. By measuring radiowaves, the scientists showed that our solar system is moving at 600,000mph, 100,000mph faster than they previously thought. These measurements are
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NEWS LESSONS / Galactic collision: Get out of the way! / Elementary

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. The Milky Way is going to 2. There is no need to worry because 3. Scientists believe the collision 4. They also believe the sun 5. Our solar system 6. The mass of the Milky Way a. is much greater than scientists previously believed. b. will form a new, large galaxy. c. is moving at 600,000 mph. d. crash into the Andromeda galaxy. e. will use up the last of its nuclear fuel around the same time. f. this is going to happen billions of years in the future.

4 Two-word phrases
Match the words in the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. light 2. solar 3. radio 4. dark 5. nuclear 6. Milky 7. detailed 8. dramatic a. Way b. matter c. fuel d. telescope e. year f. measurement g. shake-up h. system

4 Word building
Complete the table. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Galactic collision: Get out of the way! / Elementary

verb collide measure rotate calculate

noun

presentation belief indication expectation


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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 1 Elementary
6 Prepositions
Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. similar ____________ 2. in the middle ____________ 3. along ____________ 4. according ____________ 5. have an effect ____________ 6. billions of years ____________ the future 7. take part ____________ the study 8. ____________ the centre of

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Galactic collision: Get out of the way! / Elementary

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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. collision 2. rotation 3. invisible 4. mass 5. solar system 6. precise 7. astronomer 8. galaxy 9. squidgy 10. light year

Elementary

4 Two-word phrases
1. e 2. h 3. d 4. b 5. c 6. a 7. f 8. g

5 Word building
1. collision 2. measurement 3. rotation 4. calculation 5. present 6. believe 7. indicate 8. expect

2 Find the information


1. around 28,000 light years 2. more than 35 3. around 2m light years 4. 600,000 mph 5. 270bn times the mass of the sun 6. within the next 7bn years

3 Comprehension check
1. d 2. f 3. b 4. e 5. c 6. a

6 Prepositions
1. to 2. of 3. with 4. to 5. on 6. in 7. in 8. at

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Galactic collision: Get out of the way! / Elementary

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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Complete the sentences using these key words from the text. astronomer squidgy light year rotation downturn molecule underestimate collision galaxy merge

1. A __________________ is a very small group of atoms that form a particular substance. 2. If something is __________________, it is very soft. 3. __________________ is a movement in a circle around a fixed central point. 4. An __________________ is a scientist who studies the stars and planets. 5. A __________________ is a crash between two moving objects. 6. A __________________ is an extremely large group of stars and planets. 7. If you __________________ something, you think that it is smaller or less powerful than it really is. 8. A __________________ is the distance that light travels in a year. 9. If two things __________________, they join together to become one, bigger unit. 10. In an economic __________________, there is a significant reduction in business activity.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How far is our solar system from the centre of the Milky Way? 2. How many galaxies are there in our cosmic neighbourhood? 3. How far away is the Andromeda galaxy? 4. How fast is our solar system travelling? 5. What is the mass of Andromeda? 6. How long will the collision between Andromeda and the Milky Way take?

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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 2 Intermediate
new stars are born. Heat from the stars warms up molecules of alcohol in interstellar gas clouds, which release the energy as radiowaves. The measurements showed that our solar system is moving at 600,000mph, 100,000mph faster than thought. These measurements are revising our understanding of the structure and motions of our galaxy, said Menten.

Get out of the way! Galactic collision will happen sooner than scientists thought
Ian Sample, science correspondent 5 January, 2009 1 The world is in the middle of an economic downturn.
The weather is awful. People are going back to work after the winter holidays. And now, as if all of that wasnt bad enough, astronomers are telling us that the Milky Way will crash into a nearby galaxy sooner than they thought. yet, scientists admit that they have seriously underestimated the mass of the Milky Way and, as a result, the gravitational pull the Milky Way exerts on our neighbours in space, including the giant Andromeda galaxy. The mistake means that the two galaxies will crash into each other earlier than scientists had previously predicted. will compress interstellar gas clouds inside them, producing hundreds of newborn stars before the light of the giant galaxy slowly grows dim and dies out. Fortunately this galactic disaster still lies billions of years in the future. the centre of the Milky Way, itself one of more than 35 galaxies in our cosmic neighbourhood. The Andromeda galaxy, which is twice as wide, is around 2m light years away. Karl Menten, a German astronomer, said that while the galactic collision would happen sooner than expected, there was no reason to be worried. We still expect it to happen billions of years in the future, he said. Reid, used a radio telescope to make precise measurements of the Milky Way as it moved through space. As the galaxy rotates, parts that emit radiowaves move relative to Earth and this allows the researchers to work out how fast the galaxy is spinning. coming from the four arms of the galaxy where

2 According to their most detailed measurements

The speedier rotation of the galaxy means its mass must be similar to that of Andromeda, around 270bn times the mass of the sun, or 33% greater than earlier calculations have suggested. We will no longer think of the Milky Way as the little sister of the Andromeda galaxy, said Reid. The research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Long Beach, California. Astronomers believe the crash to end all crashes could happen around the same time our sun is predicted to burn up the last of its nuclear fuel, within the next 7bn years. It is highly unlikely that planets and stars will collide. Instead the two galaxies will merge to form a new, large galaxy. There will be a dramatic shake-up in the galaxies, but they are very squidgy, so they will stick together and eventually all the stars will die out, and it will become one huge, dead galaxy, said Gerry Gilmore of Cambridge University, who was not involved in the study. One thing we dont know yet is whether Andromeda will hit us square on, or whether it will hit us from the side. If the galaxy strikes the side of the Milky Way, it is expected to be pulled back again for further collisions. The whole collision could take many millions of years. than simply give us the date when our galaxy will come to an end. The work also sheds fresh light on the nature of dark matter, the invisible substance believed to hold galaxies together. Gilmore said the findings indicate there is more dark matter at the centre of the galaxy and that it may be colder and more compacted than astronomers thought.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 05/01/09
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

3 When the two galaxies meet, powerful shockwaves

4 Our solar system is around 28,000 light years from

10 According to Gilmore, the research does more

5 A team, led by Menten and American Mark

6 The scientists recorded intense radiowaves

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Galactic collision: Get out of the way! / Intermediate

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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Everyone should be really worried about the news of the collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda. 2. Scientists made an error in calculating the mass of the Milky Way. 3. Scientists dont know how fast the Milky Way is spinning. 4. The mass of the Milky Way is similar to that of Andromeda. 5. The sun will use the last of its nuclear fuel within the next 7 million years. 6. Scientists believe that dark matter holds galaxies together.

4 Find the word


Look in the text and find the following words and phrases. 1. A verb meaning to force into a smaller space. (para 3) 2. An adjective meaning between the stars. (para 3) 3. An adjective meaning less bright. (para 3) 4. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to calculate. (para 5) 5. A verb meaning to change your opinion or judgment of something. (para 6) 6. A two-word noun meaning a dramatic change in the way something is organized. (para 9) 7. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to disappear completely. (para 9) 8. A four-word expression meaning to offer a new explanation for something. (para 10)

5 Adjective + noun phrases


Match the adjectives in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column. 1. detailed 2. dramatic 3. little 4. gravitational 5. nuclear 6. dark 7. solar 8. economic
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Galactic collision: Get out of the way! / Intermediate

a. sister b. matter c. downturn d. fuel e. shake-up f. system g. measurements h. pull


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Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 2 Intermediate
6 World building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. collide measure rotate calculate admit involve compress expect noun

7 Discussion
Should money be spent on researching space and the universe? What benefits could such research bring?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Galactic collision: Get out of the way! / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Galactic collision: Get out of the way!


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. molecule 2. squidgy 3. rotation 4. astronomer 5. collision 6. galaxy 7. underestimate 8. light year 9. merge 10. downturn

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. compress 2. interstellar 3. dim 4. work out 5. revise 6. shake-up 7. die out 8. shed fresh light on

5 Adjective + noun phrases


1. g 2. e 3. a 4. h 5. d 6. b 7. f 8. c

2 Find the information


1. 28,000 light years 2. more than 35 3. 2m light years 4. 600,000 mph 5. 270bn times the mass of the sun 6. many millions of years

3 Comprehension check
1. F 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. F 6. T

6 Word building
1. collision 2. measurement 3. rotation 4. calculation 5. admission 6. involvement 7. compression 8. expectation

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Galactic collision: Get out of the way! / Intermediate

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Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. posthumous animated sequel bizarre feelgood sombre score downside rejuvenated glitz

1. If something is described as _____________________, it is strange and difficult to explain. 2. If something is described as _____________________, it has become good or effective again. 3. An _____________________ film is a cartoon, a film consisting of a series of drawings. 4. If an event is _____________________, it is serious or sad. 5. A _____________________ award is one given to someone after they have died. 6. _____________________ is a special quality that makes something seem very exciting and attractive even though it has no value. 7. A _____________________ is a film that continues the story of a previous one. 8. The _____________________ of something represents its negative aspects or disadvantages. 9. A _____________________ film makes you feel happy and satisfied. 10. The music written for a film is known as its _____________________.

What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. The Oscar ceremony always takes place before the Golden Globes. 2. Kate Winslet is an American actress. 3. Kate Winslets husband is also an actor. 4. The Golden Globes ceremony did not take place in 2008. 5. The Golden Globes ceremony is held in New York. 6. The actor Heath Ledger died last year.

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Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 3 Advanced
Springsteen winning for best song. Rourke, seen by many as this years comeback kid, dedicated the award to his canine companions, past and present. Its been a very long road back for me, he told the audience. Several years ago I was almost out of this business. Id like to thank all my dogs. Sometimes when a mans alone his dogs are all hes got. 6 The rejuvenated awards ceremony it was cancelled last year because of the scriptwriters strike celebrated its return with a night of classic Hollywood glitz. The red carpet, the frocks and the tearful acceptance speeches were all in attendance as a collection of Hollywood stars turned out for the relatively informal evening at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. One of the biggest surprises of the evening came as Sally Hawkins won the best actress in a comedy or a musical prize for her role as a schoolteacher in Mike Leighs Happy-Go-Lucky. The British actor beat off strong competition from some famous Hollywood names, including Frances McDormand, Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson. The distance from her table to the stage was an indication of the unexpectedness of her victory. The Pixar-Disney collaboration paid off with a win for the robot romance WALL-E in the best animated feature category beating Kung Fu Panda, an attempt to capitalize on last years Olympics-inspired enthusiasm for things Chinese. Another animated feature, the Israeli film Waltz With Bashir, won the best foreign language film award. An animated documentary that examines the massacres of Palestinians during the 1982 Lebanon war, the highly political film has received multiple nominations this awards season. Speaking backstage after accepting the award, director Ari Folman said that he did not regret the films relevance: Unfortunately, the film is always relevant, he said. Theres only one major statement, which is an antiwar statement, and it is relevant now and unfortunately it was relevant two years ago, when we were working on it.
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Kate Winslet wins best actress and best supporting actress Danny Boyles Slumdog Millionaire on course for Oscar glory Dan Glaister in Los Angeles January 12, 2009 1 UK actress Kate Winslet has won the two Golden Globe categories for which she was nominated: best dramatic actress for Revolutionary Road and best supporting actress for The Reader. 2 In her acceptance speech, Winslet said that she never won awards, a remark picked up later by presenter Ricky Gervais, who remembered telling her: Do a Holocaust movie, the awards come. In an emotional address for her surprise win for Revolutionary Road, Winslet paid tribute to her spectacular co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, and to her husband, Sam Mendes, who directed the film. 3 Perhaps the most highly anticipated award of the night was the posthumous Golden Globe given to Heath Ledger for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. Acknowledging his contribution, Christopher Nolan, who directed the Batman sequel, paid tribute: We will miss him, but he will never be forgotten. 4 The Globes are traditionally seen as an indication of form for Oscar night, a month and a half away. Sunday nights awards made the feelgood movie Slumdog Millionaire one of the favourites for the Oscar, as well as dealing a blow to other hopefuls. While Slumdog Millionaire also won awards for best script and best score, Frost/ Nixon failed to pick up a single award, despite being nominated in the best drama, director, actor, screenplay and score categories. Likewise, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt, directed by David Fincher and nominated in five categories, was not a winner on the night. 5 The Wrestler, another Oscar frontrunner, did better, with its star Mickey Rourke winning the best dramatic actor award and Bruce
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NEWS LESSONS /Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Advanced

Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 3 Advanced
to designers, the red carpet was rolled up and Steven Spielberg and Rumer Willis had to wait an extra year for their moment in the spotlight. 11 This year amends were made: Spielberg was duly given the Cecil B DeMille award for lifetime achievement, and la Willis offspring of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore was acknowledged as Miss Golden Globes, an accomplishment reserved for the children of the stars.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 12/01/09

10 The ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel represented a turnaround from last years bizarre event. A year ago, in the midst of a writers strike that had seen most production in Hollywood shut down, the Golden Globes dropped the glamorous prize-giving in favour of a more sombre press conference at which a list of winners was read out. The advantages of last years arrangement were that it was shorter, cheaper and more reflective of the significance of the Globes. The downside was that it deprived Hollywood of one of its primary love-ins of the year as gowns were returned

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. The Golden Globes a. always give awards to the same people that get awards in the Oscars. b. usually give people a good idea of who will do well in the Oscars. c. traditionally give awards to people who do not win Oscars. 2. Why was it surprising that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button didnt win any Golden Globes? a. Because it was clearly the best film. b. Because it starred Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt. c. Because it had been nominated in five different categories. 3. What did the distance from Sally Hawkins table to the stage indicate? a. That she was not an important guest. b. That she was not expected to win an award. c. That she had strong competition from some famous names. 4. How did last years Golden Globes differ from this years? a. The ceremony was followed by a press conference. b. Steven Spielberg was given an award for lifetime achievement last year. c. There was no ceremony at all just a press conference.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word expression meaning an important part but not the main part in a film. (para 1) 2. A three-word expression meaning to praise someone publicly. (para 2) 3. A noun meaning the person considered most likely to win a competition. (para 5) 4. An adjective meaning relating to dogs. (para 5) 5. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to succeed in winning or gaining something from an opponent. (para 7) 6. A noun meaning a complete change in a situation. (para 10) 7. An adjective meaning attractive and interesting in an exciting and unusual way. (para 10) 8. A two-word expression meaning to try to make a situation better after you have done something wrong. (para 11)

5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. press 2. awards 3. red 4. strong 5. acceptance 6. feelgood 7. lifetime 8. comeback a. kid b. competition c. achievement d. speech e. carpet f. conference g. movie h. ceremony

6 Expressions with prepositions


Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. pay tribute _______ 2. capitalize _______ 3. enthusiasm _______ 4. in the midst _______ 5. in favour _______ 6. deprive someone _______ 7. _______ the spotlight 8. work _______ a film

7 Discussion
Do you think awards ceremonies like the Oscars and Golden Globes are important or a waste of time? Give your reasons.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Advanced
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. bizarre rejuvenated animated sombre posthumous glitz sequel downside feelgood score

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. supporting actress (actor) pay tribute to frontrunner canine beat off turnaround glamorous make amends

5 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. f h e b d g c a

2 What do you know?


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F F F T F T

6 Expressions with prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. to on for of of of in on

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b c b c

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. feelgood animated tribute glitz award tearful score glamorous posthumous achievement

1. If you pay __________________ to someone, you praise them in public. 2. An __________________ is a prize given to someone who has achieved something. 3. __________________ is a special quality that makes something seem very exciting and attractive even though it has no value. 4. If someone gives a __________________ speech, they cry a lot during it. 5. An __________________ film is a cartoon, a film consisting of a series of drawings. 6. If you succeed in doing something after a lot of hard work and effort, this is an __________________. 7. The music written for a film is known as its __________________. 8. If something is __________________, it is attractive and interesting in an exciting and unusual way. 9. A __________________ film makes you feel happy and satisfied. 10. A __________________ award is one given to someone after they have died.

Find the information

Find the answers to the following questions in the text. 1. How many Golden Globe awards did Kate Winslet win this year? 2. Who was her co-star in Revolutionary Road? 3. Who directed Revolutionary Road? 4. When do the Oscars take place? 5. Where did the Golden Globes ceremony take place this year? 6. Which film won the best foreign language film award?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 1 Elementary
5 The Golden Globes ceremony was cancelled last year because of the scriptwriters strike. This year it celebrated its return with a night of classic Hollywood glitz. The red carpet, the dresses and the tearful acceptance speeches were all there as a collection of stars arrived for the ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Hollywood. One of the biggest surprises of the evening was Sally Hawkins winning the best actress in a comedy award for her role as a schoolteacher in Mike Leighs Happy-Go-Lucky. The British actor won against some strong competition from some famous Hollywood names, including Frances McDormand, Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson. An animated feature, the Israeli film Waltz With Bashir, won the best foreign language film award. An animated documentary that examines the massacres of Palestinians during the 1982 Lebanon war, the highly political film has received multiple nominations this awards season. Speaking after accepting the award, director Ari Folman said that the film was very relevant: Unfortunately, the film is always relevant, he said. Theres only one major statement, which is an antiwar statement, and it is relevant now and unfortunately it was relevant two years ago, when we were working on it. The ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel was a complete change from last years strange event. A year ago, in the middle of a writers strike that had seen most production in Hollywood shut down, the Golden Globes cancelled the glamorous prize-giving and simply held a press conference at which a list of winners was read out. The advantages of last years arrangement were that it was shorter and cheaper. The disadvantage was that it Hollywood lost one of its big evenings of the year. This year Steven Spielberg was given the Cecil B DeMille award for lifetime achievement, and Rumer Willis whose parents are Bruce Willis and Demi Moore was given the Miss Golden Globes award.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 12/01/09
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Kate Winslet wins best actress and best supporting actress Danny Boyles Slumdog Millionaire on course for Oscar glory Dan Glaister in Los Angeles January 12, 2009 1 British actress Kate Winslet has won two awards at the Golden Globes ceremony in Hollywood. She won the award for best dramatic actress for Revolutionary Road and best supporting actress for The Reader. In an emotional acceptance speech for her surprise win for Revolutionary Road, Winslet paid tribute to her spectacular co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, and to her husband, Sam Mendes, who directed the film. 2 Heath Ledger, who died last year, was given a posthumous Golden Globe for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. Christopher Nolan, who directed the film, paid tribute to Ledger: We will miss him, but he will never be forgotten. 3 The Globes are usually an indication of who will win the Oscars a month and a half later. This years awards made the feelgood movie Slumdog Millionaire one of the favourites for the Oscar. While Slumdog Millionaire also won awards for best script and best score, one of the favourites for the Oscars, Frost/Nixon, did not pick up a single award, even though it was nominated in five categories in the best drama, director, actor, screenplay and score. Likewise, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt, directed by David Fincher and also nominated in five categories, was not a winner on the night. 4 The Wrestler, another Oscar favourite, did better, with its star Mickey Rourke winning the best dramatic actor award and Bruce Springsteen winning a Globe for best song. Rourke dedicated the award to his dogs, past and present. Its been a very long road back for me, he told the audience. Several years ago I was almost out of this business. Id like to thank all my dogs. Sometimes when a mans alone his dogs are all hes got.
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NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Elementary

Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Last years Golden Globes ceremony did not take place 2. Steven Spielberg was given 3. Heath Ledger was given 4. Mickey Rourke was given ... 5. Bruce Springsteen was given 6. The Golden Globes are usually ... a. an indication of who will win the Oscars. b. a posthumous award. c. because of the Hollywood writers strike. d. the award for best song. e. the best dramatic actor award. f. a lifetime achievement award.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. never he forgotten be will 2. half a later month and a 3. surprises the of the one biggest evening of 4. film best the language foreign 5. middle strike a in of the writers 6. the one the evenings of year big of

5 Word building
Complete the table with nouns from the text.

verb
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. achieve produce perform state accept arrange nominate indicate

noun

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 1 Elementary
6 Word stress
Divide these words from the text into two groups according to their stress. award surprise cancel return tribute classic husband foreign drama complete alone arrive

A 0 o

B o 0

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Elementary

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Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. tribute award glitz tearful animated achievement score glamorous feelgood posthumous

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. he will never be forgotten a month and a half later one of the biggest surprises of the evening the best foreign language film in the middle of a writers strike one of the big evenings of the year

5 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. achievement production performance statement acceptance arrangement nomination indication

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. two Leonardo DiCaprio Sam Mendes one and a half months after the Golden Globes Hollywood Waltz with Bashir

6 Word stress
A 0 o: tribute; husband; drama; cancel; classic; foreign B o 0: award; surprise; alone; return; complete; arrive

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c f b e d a

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Elementary

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Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. award bizarre sequel animated feelgood glitz score tearful posthumous glamorous

1. The music written for a film is known as its ____________________. 2. A ____________________ award is one given to someone after they have died. 3. If someone gives a ____________________ speech, they cry a lot during it. 4. A ____________________ is a film that continues the story of a previous one. 5. A ____________________ film makes you feel happy and satisfied. 6. ____________________ is a special quality that makes something seem very exciting and attractive even though it has no value. 7. If something is ____________________, it is attractive and interesting in an exciting and unusual way. 8. An ____________________ film is a cartoon, a film consisting of a series of drawings. 9. An ____________________ is a prize given to someone who has achieved something. 10. If something is described as ____________________, it is strange and difficult to explain.

Find the information

Find the answers to the following questions in the text. 1. How many Golden Globes did Kate Winslet win this year? 2. Who was her co-star in Revolutionary Road? 3. Who directed Revolutionary Road? 4. How many awards did Frost/Nixon get? 5. Where did the Golden Globes ceremony take place this year? 6. Who won the lifetime achievement award?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 2 Intermediate
Sometimes when a mans alone his dogs are all hes got. 5 The Golden Globes ceremony, which was cancelled last year because of the scriptwriters strike, celebrated its return with a night of classic Hollywood glitz. The red carpet, the dresses and the tearful acceptance speeches were all there as a collection of stars turned out for the relatively informal evening at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Hollywood. One of the biggest surprises of the evening was Sally Hawkins winning the best actress in a comedy award for her role as a schoolteacher in Mike Leighs Happy-Go-Lucky. The British actor won in the face of some strong competition from famous Hollywood names, including Frances McDormand, Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson. The distance from her table to the stage was an indication of just how unexpected her win was. An animated feature, the Israeli film Waltz With Bashir, won the best foreign language film award. An animated documentary that examines the massacres of Palestinians during the 1982 Lebanon war, the highly political film has received multiple nominations this awards season. Speaking backstage after accepting the award, director Ari Folman said that he did not regret the films relevance: Unfortunately, the film is always relevant, he said. Theres only one major statement, which is an antiwar statement, and it is relevant now and unfortunately it was relevant two years ago, when we were working on it. The ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel represented a complete change from last years bizarre event. A year ago, in the midst of a writers strike that had seen most production in Hollywood shut down, the Golden Globes cancelled the glamorous prize-giving and simply held a press conference at which a list of winners was read out. The advantages of last years arrangement were that it was shorter, cheaper and a better indication of the significance of the Globes. The disadvantage was that it deprived Hollywood of one of its big evenings of the year

Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Kate Winslet wins best actress and best supporting actress Danny Boyles Slumdog Millionaire on course for Oscar glory Dan Glaister in Los Angeles January 12, 2009 1 British actress Kate Winslet has won the two Golden Globe categories for which she was nominated: best dramatic actress for Revolutionary Road and best supporting actress for The Reader. In an emotional acceptance speech for her surprise win for Revolutionary Road, Winslet paid tribute to her spectacular co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, and to her husband, Sam Mendes, who directed the film. 2 Perhaps the most highly anticipated award of the night was the posthumous Golden Globe given to Heath Ledger for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. Christopher Nolan, who directed the Batman sequel, paid tribute to Ledger: We will miss him, but he will never be forgotten. 3 The Globes are traditionally seen as an indication of how the Oscars will go in a month and a halfs time. Sunday nights awards made the feelgood movie Slumdog Millionaire one of the favourites for the Oscar. While Slumdog Millionaire also won awards for best script and best score, Frost/ Nixon did not pick up a single award, despite being nominated in the best drama, director, actor, screenplay and score categories. Likewise, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt, directed by David Fincher and nominated in five categories, was not a winner on the night. 4 The Wrestler, another Oscar favourite, did better, with its star Mickey Rourke winning the best dramatic actor award and Bruce Springsteen winning a Globe for best song. Rourke dedicated the award to his dogs, past and present. Its been a very long road back for me, he told the audience. Several years ago I was almost out of this business. Id like to thank all my dogs.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

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P H

NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Intermediate

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 2 Intermediate
as dresses were returned to designers, the red carpet was rolled up and Steven Spielberg and Rumer Willis had to wait an extra year for their moment in the spotlight. 9 This year Spielberg was given the Cecil B DeMille award for lifetime achievement, and la Willis whose parents are Bruce Willis and Demi Moore was acknowledged as Miss Golden Globes, an award reserved for the children of the stars.
Guardian News & Media 2008 First published in The Guardian, 12/01/09

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. The Golden Globes take place after the Oscar awards. 2. No Golden Globes were awarded in 2008. 3. All the favourites for the Oscars won Golden Globes. 4. The best foreign language film was a cartoon. 5. Last years event was cancelled because of the writers strike. 6. This years Golden Globe event was very similar to last years.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word expression meaning an important part but not the main part in a film. (para 1) 2. A three-word expression meaning to praise someone publicly. (para 1) 3. A noun meaning a story someone writes for a film. (para 3) 4. A noun meaning the person considered most likely to win a competition. (para 4) 5. A four-word expression meaning in a situation where you have to deal with something difficult. (para 6) 6. An adjective meaning several. (para 7) 7. An adverb meaning in the area behind the stage in a theatre. (para 7) 8. A four-word expression meaning while something else is happening. (para 8)
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Intermediate

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Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Expressions with prepositions
Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. pay tribute _______ someone 2. work _______ a project 3. deprive someone _______ something 4. in the face _______ strong opposition 5. in the midst _______ the writers strike 6. win an award _______ something

6 Word building
Complete the table with nouns from the text.

verb
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. perform nominate accept compete indicate state arrange achieve

noun

7 Discussion
Which film and which actors do you think should win Golden Globes? What are your reasons for choosing them?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Intermediate

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Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. score posthumous tearful sequel feelgood glitz glamorous animated award bizarre

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. supporting actress (actor) pay tribute to screenplay favourite in the face of multiple backstage in the midst of

5 Expressions with prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. to on of of of for

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. two Leonardo DiCaprio Sam Mendes (Kase Winslets husband) none Hollywood (the Beverly Hilton Hotel) Steven Spielberg

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. performance nomination acceptance competition indication statement arrangement achievement

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F F F T T F

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Brits have the Midas touch at Golden Globe awards / Intermediate

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Complete the sentences using these key words from the text. flock buoyancy ditch perennial sink eyewitness raft glider stricken bound for

1. If an aircraft is described as __________________, it is seriously damaged. 2. A __________________ problem is one that always exists or never seems to change. 3. A __________________ is a large group of birds flying together. 4. An __________________ is someone who actually sees a crime or an accident. 5. If a plane is __________________ a particular place, that place is its destination. 6. If the pilot __________________ a plane, he lands it on water (in the sea or on a lake or river). 7. If something __________________, it disappears below the surface of the water. 8. A __________________ is a plane without an engine. 9. A __________________ is a simple flat boat. 10. __________________ is the ability of something to float on water.

2 Find the information


Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Where is LaGuardia airport? 2. Where was flight 1549 flying to? 3. What type of aircraft was flight 1549? 4. How many passengers were on board the flight? 5. How long after take-off was it when the problem happened? 6. How many investigators are looking into the causes of the accident?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Advanced

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 3 Advanced
crash landing on the Hudson. Brace yourself for impact, he told the passengers. Seconds later the plane struck the Hudson, on a line with 48th Street in midtown Manhattan, turning a stretch of waterway normally populated by tourists enjoying a waterside view of the skyscrapers into an astonishing fight for survival. 5 Eyewitnesses reported seeing a splash and the plane coming to an immediate stop; it looked so controlled that some witnesses mistook it for the landing of a seaplane. I just thought, Why is it so low? And splash, it hit the water, said one witness, Barbara Sambriski. Jeff Kolodjay, one of the passengers, said that after take-off they had heard a bang and the plane filled with smoke from the left engine. It was pretty scary, man. We got out by the luck of God. I take my hat off to the pilot it was incredible we all made it off alive. Another passenger, Alberto Panero, said: I want to say thank you to that pilot. It was as good a landing as you can make in a river. He said that passengers had begun praying as it came in low over the river, but all had remained calm. The survival of all on board appears to have been thanks to a combination of the plane remaining intact on impact and almost immediate assistance from at least seven water taxis and tugs which swarmed around the jet. Doors were opened quickly at the front of the aircraft and over the wings, and passengers either stepped straight into the boats or stood in line on rafts, or on top of the wings which acted as buoyancy and kept the plane afloat. By the time all had been taken on to the rescue boats, the plane had water up to its windows and was floating rapidly southwards in the outgoing tide. Several passengers were taken to hospitals in New York and New Jersey, but their injuries were reported to be no more serious than mild hypothermia, shock, cuts and bruises. Normally this isnt the way people arrive in New York, said the citys mayor Michael Bloomberg. But as long as everyone got off safely thats secondary.
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Miracle on the Hudson: 155 survive crash as jet hits river in New York
Pilot of US Airways plane avoids disaster and saves lives of 155 people after engine catches fire due to suspected bird strike Ed Pilkington in New York 16 January, 2009 1 The pilot of a US Airways jet managed to avoid disaster and save the lives of all 155 people on board his stricken plane when he ditched into the icy waters of the Hudson river moments after taking off from New Yorks LaGuardia airport. The extraordinary escape was immediately called the miracle on the Hudson and an example of the ability of New York to cope with disaster in the wake of 9/11. Flight 1549 was carrying 148 passengers, including a baby, five crew and two pilots, and all of them escaped. 2 The captain, named last night as Chesley Sullenberger, has 29 years experience with commercial airlines and is a former US airforce fighter pilot. With both his twin engines in trouble, one apparently on fire, and with the nearest airport out of range, he calmly brought the plane to land on the river on the west side of Manhattan. Sullenberger then helped passengers escape to rescue boats, and twice walked the length of the passenger cabin inside the sinking jet to check that everyone had got out safely, before escaping himself. We have had a Miracle on 34th Street. Now we have a miracle on the Hudson, said the governor of New York, David Patterson. 3 The Airbus 320 took off from LaGuardia bound for Charlotte in North Carolina at 3.26pm. A mere 30 to 45 seconds after take-off there was a bang and the aircraft shook, believed to have been caused by it striking a flock of geese. 4 The pilot reported to air traffic control that he was experiencing engine problems and requested to return to ground. The nearest identified airport was in New Jersey, but when it became clear he could not make it, the pilot prepared for a

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Advanced

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 3
10

Advanced
fire, but pilots are usually able to bring a plane into an emergency landing with just one engine working. An air incident investigator, David Gleave, told the BBC that the incident was quite remarkable, but not unique. He said if both engines of the plane had failed, the aircraft would become like a glider.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 16/01/09

A team of 20 investigators from the National Transportation and Safety Board has been dispatched to root out the causes of the plane failure. Witnesses suggested that the engine trouble was caused by the plane flying into a flock of geese a perennial threat at New York airports as a result of the city lying on a well-used migratory path for birds. One puzzle, though, is why both engines cut out. The left engine appeared to have caught

11

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. What was the probable cause of the accident? a. engine failure b. pilot error c. bird strike 2. Why didnt the pilot fly to the nearest airport? a. It was too far. b. The runway was too short. c. He didnt have enough fuel. 3. Why did the plane stay afloat on the river? a. The wings acted as buoyancy. b. The plane wasnt full. c. Ships and buoys helped it to stay afloat. 4. Why is bird strike a constant problem in New York? a. Because there are a lot of birds there. b. Because the New York airports are on the paths along which birds migrate. c. Because birds there are not afraid of planes.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to deal successfully with a difficult situation. (para 1) 2. A four-word expression meaning happening after an event or as a result of it. (para 1) 3. A three-word expression meaning not within a distance which can be reached. (para 2) 4. A two-word expression meaning get ready for something unpleasant. (para 4) 5. A five-word expression used to show admiration or respect for someone because of something impressive they have done. (para 6) 6. A noun meaning a small powerful boat used for pulling large boats. (para 8) 7. A noun meaning a serious medical condition in which your body temperature is very low. (para 9) 8. A verb meaning to send someone or something somewhere. (para 10)
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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 3 Advanced
Phrasal verbs 5
Match the phrasal verbs with their definitions. 1. root out 2. swarm around 3. cut out 4. get out 5. take off 6. come in a. (of a plane) leave the ground b. (of a train or plane) approach the destination c. surround something in large numbers d. (of an engine) suddenly stop working e. find something bad or illegal and get rid of it f. escape from inside somewhere

6 Phrases with prepositions


Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. _______ trouble 2. _______ fire 3. _______ board 4. _______ range 5. thanks _______ 6. bound _______ 7. stand _______ line 8. prepare _______

7 Discussion
Experts believe that flying is the safest form of transport. Do you agree? Compare flying with other means of transport.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Advanced

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. stricken 2. perennial 3. flock 4. eyewitness 5. bound for 6. ditches 7. sinks 8. glider 9. raft 10. buoyancy

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. cope with 2. in the wake of 3. out of range 4. brace yourself 5. I take my hat off 6. tug 7. hypothermia 8. dispatch

5 Phrasal verbs
1. e 2. c 3. d 4. f 5. a 6. b

2 Find the information


1. New York 2. Charlotte, North Carolina 3. Airbus 320 4. 148 5. 30 to 45 seconds 6. 20

6 Phrases with prepositions


1. in 2. on 3. on 4. out of 5. to 6. for 7. in 8. for

3 Comprehension check
1. c 2. a 3. a 4. b

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Advanced

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Complete the sentences using these key words from the text. miracle bruise flock tug sink migrate raft splash eyewitness hypothermia

1. _________________ is a medical condition in which your body temperature is very low. 2. An _________________ is someone who sees a crime or an accident. 3. A _________________ is a simple flat boat. 4. A _________________ is a mark you get on your body if you are hit or you knock into something. 5. A _________________ is the sound or sight of something falling into water. 6. Birds _________________ when they fly from one part of the world to another at a particular time of year. 7. If something _________________, it disappears below the surface of the water. 8. A _________________ is a small powerful boat used for pulling large boats. 9. A _________________ is something extremely lucky that would not normally be possible. 10. A _________________ is a large group of birds flying together.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many people were on the flight? 2. What was the flight number? 3. How many passengers were on the plane? 4. What time did the plane take off? 5. Where did the plane take off? 6. Where was it flying to?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Elementary

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 1 Elementary
controlled that some witnesses thought it was a seaplane. I just thought, Why is it so low? And then there was a splash when it hit the water, said one witness. 6 Jeff Kolodjay, one of the passengers, said that after take-off they had heard a bang and the plane filled with smoke from the left engine. It was very frightening. We got out by the luck of God. I give my thanks to the pilot it was incredible that we all escaped alive. Another passenger said: I want to say thank you to that pilot. You couldnt make a better landing in a river. He said that passengers had started to pray as the plane flew over the river, but that everyone was calm. The fact that no-one died was probably because the plane did not break up when it hit the water and also because at least seven water taxis and tugs surrounded the plane almost immediately. Doors were opened quickly at the front of the aircraft and over the wings, and passengers either stepped straight into the boats or waited on rafts, or on top of the wings. By the time everyone was in the rescue boats, the plane had water up to its windows and was floating quickly down the river. Several passengers were taken to hospitals in New York and New Jersey, but their injuries were no more serious than mild hypothermia, shock, cuts and bruises. A team of 20 investigators from the National Transportation and Safety Board has been sent to find the causes of the accident. Witnesses said that the engine trouble was caused by the plane flying into a flock of geese a constant problem at New York airports because the city lies on a path that birds use when they migrate. One question, though, is why both engines stopped working. It seems that the left engine caught fire, but pilots are usually able to make an emergency landing with just one engine working.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 16/01/09

Miracle on the Hudson: 155 survive crash as jet hits river in New York
Pilot of US Airways plane avoids disaster and saves lives of 155 people after engine catches fire due to suspected bird strike Ed Pilkington in New York 16 January, 2009 1 The pilot of a US Airways jet avoided a disaster and saved the lives of all 155 people on board his damaged plane when he landed in the icy waters of the Hudson river moments after taking off from New Yorks LaGuardia airport. People immediately called the extraordinary escape the miracle on the Hudson. Flight 1549 was carrying 148 passengers, including a baby, five crew and two pilots, and everyone escaped. 2 The pilot, Chesley Sullenberger, has 29 years experience with commercial airlines and is a former US airforce pilot. He had problems with both engines and one was probably on fire. The nearest airport was too far away. But Sullenberger calmly landed the plane on the river on the west side of Manhattan. He then helped the passengers to escape to rescue boats, and twice walked through the passenger cabin inside the sinking jet to check that everyone had got out safely, before he escaped himself. We have had a Miracle on 34th Street. Now we have a miracle on the Hudson, said the governor of New York. 3 The Airbus 320 took off from LaGuardia on its way to Charlotte in North Carolina at 3.26pm. Just 30 to 45 seconds after take-off there was a bang and the aircraft shook, probably as a result of it hitting a flock of geese. 4 The pilot reported to air traffic control that he was having engine problems and asked to return to ground. The nearest airport was in New Jersey, but when he realized that he could not reach that airport, the pilot prepared for a crash landing on the Hudson. Get ready for a crash, he told the passengers. Seconds later the plane hit the river. 5 Eyewitnesses reported seeing a splash and the plane coming to an immediate stop; it looked so

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. The plane had to make a crash landing because 2. The pilot couldnt land at the airport in New Jersey because 3. People thought the plane was a seaplane because 4. People are calling it a miracle because 5. No-one died because 6. The cause of the engine trouble ... a. no-one died. b. the plane didnt break up and the rescue boats came quickly. c. both its engines stopped working. d. was probably the plane hitting a flock of birds. e. the landing was so controlled. f. it was too far away.

4 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. land 2. avoid 3. save 4. give 5. find 6. catch a. thanks b. someones life c. the cause of something d. a plane e. fire f. a disaster

5 Chunks
Rearrange these words to make phrases from the text. 1. 45 take-off to seconds 30 after 2. 20 a of investigators team 3. was frightening very it 4. the as over plane the river flew 5. of aircraft the at front the 6. accident the of causes the
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Elementary

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 1 Elementary
6 Word grammar
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets. 1. The experience was very _________________. [FRIGHTEN] 2. The pilot landed the plane very _________________.[CALM] 3. He had to make an emergency _________________.[LAND] 4. A team of 20 _________________ will try to find the causes of the accident. [INVESTIGATE] 5. The pilot checked that everyone had got out _________________. [SAFE] 6. The National Transportation and _________________ Board. [SAFE]

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Elementary

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. hypothermia 2. eyewitness 3. raft 4. bruise 5. splash 6. migrate 7. sinks 8. tug 9. miracle 10. flock

Elementary

4 Verb + noun collocations


1. d 2. f 3. b 4. a 5. c 6. e

5 Chunks
1. 30 to 45 seconds after take-off 2. a team of 20 investigators 3. it was very frightening 4. as the plane flew over the river 5. at the front of the aircraft 6. the causes of the accident

2 Find the information


1. 155 2. 1549 3. 148 4. 3.26pm 5. LaGuardia 6. Charlotte, North Carolina

6 Word grammar
1. frightening 2. calmly 3. landing 4. investigators 5. safely 6. safety

3 Comprehension check
1. c 2. f 3. e 4. a 5. b 6. d

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Elementary

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 2 Intermediate
1
Key words

Complete the sentences using these key words from the text. flock apparently sink bound for raft survival eyewitness bruise glider hypothermia

1. If something __________________, it disappears below the surface of the water. 2. A __________________ is a plane without an engine. 3. __________________ means continuing to be alive. 4. __________________ is a medical condition in which the temperature of your body becomes very low. 5. If a plane is __________________ a particular place, that place is its destination. 6. A __________________ is a large group of birds flying together. 7. An __________________ is someone who actually sees a crime or an accident. 8. A __________________ is a simple flat boat. 9. __________________ means that something is based only on what you have heard and not on what you are certain is true. 10. A __________________ is a mark you get on your body if you are hit or you knock into something.

Find the information 2


Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many people were on the flight? 2. What was the flight number? 3. How many passengers were on the plane? 4. What time did the plane take off? 5. How long after take-off was it when the problem happened? 6. How many investigators are investigating the accident?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Intermediate

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 2 Intermediate
Miracle on the Hudson: 155 survive crash as jet hits river in New York
Pilot of US Airways plane avoids disaster and saves lives of 155 people after engine catches fire due to suspected bird strike Ed Pilkington in New York 16 January, 2009 1 The pilot of a US Airways jet managed to avoid disaster and save the lives of all 155 people on board his damaged plane when he landed in the icy waters of the Hudson river moments after taking off from New Yorks LaGuardia airport. The extraordinary escape was immediately called the miracle on the Hudson. Flight 1549 was carrying 148 passengers, including a baby, five crew and two pilots, and all of them escaped. 2 The captain, Chesley Sullenberger, has 29 years experience with commercial airlines and is a former US airforce fighter pilot. With both his engines in trouble, one apparently on fire, and with the nearest airport too far away, he calmly landed the plane on the river on the west side of Manhattan. Sullenberger then helped passengers escape to rescue boats, and twice walked through the passenger cabin inside the sinking jet to check that everyone had got out safely, before escaping himself. We have had a Miracle on 34th Street. Now we have a miracle on the Hudson, said the governor of New York, David Patterson. 3 The Airbus 320 took off from LaGuardia bound for Charlotte in North Carolina at 3.26pm. Just 30 to 45 seconds after take-off there was a bang and the aircraft shook, apparently as the result of it striking a flock of geese. 4 The pilot reported to air traffic control that he was experiencing engine problems and requested to return to ground. The nearest airport was in New Jersey, but when it became clear that he could not reach that airport, the pilot prepared for a crash landing on the Hudson. Brace yourself for impact, he told the passengers. Seconds later the plane hit the river. 6 5 Eyewitnesses reported seeing a splash and the plane coming to an immediate stop; it looked so controlled that some witnesses thought it was a seaplane. I just thought, Why is it so low? And splash, it hit the water, said one witness. Jeff Kolodjay, one of the passengers, said that after take-off they had heard a bang and the plane filled with smoke from the left engine. It was pretty frightening. We got out by the luck of God. I take my hat off to the pilot it was incredible we all escaped alive. Another passenger, Alberto Panero, said: I want to say thank you to that pilot. It was as good a landing as you can make in a river. He said that passengers had begun praying as the plane flew over the river, but that everyone was calm. The survival of everyone on board seems to have been the result of a combination of the plane not breaking up when it hit the water and almost immediate assistance from at least seven water taxis and tugs which surrounded the plane. Doors were opened quickly at the front of the aircraft and over the wings, and passengers either stepped straight into the boats or stood in line on rafts, or on top of the wings which kept the plane afloat. By the time everyone had been taken on to the rescue boats, the plane had water up to its windows and was floating rapidly down the river. Several passengers were taken to hospitals in New York and New Jersey, but their injuries were reported to be no more serious than mild hypothermia, shock, cuts and bruises.

10 A team of 20 investigators from the National Transportation and Safety Board has been sent to find the causes of the plane failure. Witnesses suggested that the engine trouble was caused by the plane flying into a flock of geese a constant problem at New York airports because the city lies on a well-used migratory path for birds. One question, though, is why both engines stopped working. The left engine appeared to have caught fire, but pilots are usually able to bring a plane into an emergency landing with just
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Intermediate

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 2 Intermediate
one engine working. An air incident investigator, David Gleave, told the BBC that the incident was quite remarkable, but not unique. He said if both engines of the plane had failed, the aircraft would be like a glider.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 16/01/09

3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct alternative to complete the sentences. 1. The accident was probably / definitely caused by a bird strike. 2. The plane was flying from / to Charlotte, North Carolina. 3. The nearest airport was too far away / too small to land the plane. 4. Some water taxis and tugs surrounded the plane quite soon / almost immediately after the crash landing. 5. Several people were taken to hospital with serious / minor injuries. 6. Birds are a frequent / occasional problem at New York airports.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A noun meaning something extremely lucky that would not normally be possible. (para 1) 2. A two-word expression meaning get ready for something unpleasant. (para 4) 3. A noun meaning the sound or sight of something falling into water. (para 5) 4. An adverb meaning quite or very. (para 6) 5. A five-word expression used to show admiration or respect for someone because of something impressive they have done. (para 6) 6. A noun meaning a small powerful boat used for pulling large boats. (para 8) 7. A three-word expression meaning wait in a queue. (para 8) 8. A two-word expression meaning the route birds take when they fly from one part of the world to another at a particular time of year. (para 10)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Intermediate

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 2 Intermediate
Phrases with prepositions 5
Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. _______ board 2. _______ fire 3. _______ trouble 4. bound _______ 5. as the result _______ 6. _______ the front of 7. stand _______ line 8. taken _______ hospital

6 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. emergency 2. commercial 3. engine 4. rescue 5. catch 6. passenger a. fire b. trouble c. cabin d. airline e. boat f. landing

7 Discussion
Are you afraid of flying? Why? Why not? What are some of the things that can possibly go wrong with an aircraft?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Intermediate

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Miracle on the Hudson


Level 2 Intermediate KEY
1 Key words
1. sinks 2. glider 3. survival 4. hypothermia 5. bound for 6. flock 7. eyewitness 8. raft 9. apparently 10. bruise

4 Find the word


1. miracle 2. brace yourself 3. splash 4. pretty 5. I take my hat off 6. tug 7. stand in line 8. migratory path

5 Phrases with prepositions


1. on 2. on 3. in 4. for 5. of 6. at 7. in 8. to

2 Find the information


1. 155 2. 1549 3. 148 4. 3.26pm 5. 30 to 45 seconds 6. 20

3 Comprehension check
1. probably 2. to 3. too far away 4. almost immediately 5. minor 6. frequent

6 Two-word expressions
1. f 2. d 3. b 4. e 5. a 6. c

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Miracle on the Hudson / Intermediate

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Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Match the following words with the definitions. converging mired expedience adversaries sentiments grave sapped unflinching implicit shuttered sworn in sacrifice harness inauguration oath sombre

1. The day on which a recently elected US president begins his job. _____________________ (title) 2. When a US president has put his hand on a bible and has promised to do his job, we say he has been _____________________. (para 1) 3. Sad, serious, gloomy. _____________________ (para 2) 4. When you are _____________________ in something you are entangled or caught up in it. (para 2) 5. When confidence or energy has been _____________________ it has been made weak. (para 2) 6. The act of giving up something important or valuable so that you or other people can do or have something else. _____________________ (para 2) 7. A formal promise. _____________________ (para 3) 8. When people are doing this, they are meeting or coming together in one place. _____________________ (para 4) 9. So serious that you feel worried. _____________________ (para 6) 10. Closed, or (here) ceased trading. _____________________ (para 8) 11. Ones enemies or opponents. _____________________ (para 8) 12. Speed, especially when used to get an immediate result. _____________________ (para 9) 13. Not stated directly, but understood from the way people say things. _____________________ (para 10) 14. To get control of something in order to use it for a particular purpose. _____________________ (para 10) 15. An adjective that describes the way you do something without stopping, despite difficulties. _____________________ (para 12) 16. Beliefs or attitudes towards something. _____________________ (para 13)

Find the information

Skim-read the article to find the information. 1. How many previous presidents have there been in the United States? 2. What changes in attitude does Obama expect of the American people? 3. What was the weather like in Washington on 20 January 2009? 4. Where was the crowd of people and how large was it? 5. Which of the current problems facing the USA did Obama mention? 6. What did he say about the environment? 7. What changes does he plan for US policy on Iraq and Afghanistan? 8. Who was the final cheer for?
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Advanced
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Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 3 Advanced
shimmering sea of upturned faces in front of him. 7 That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood, he said. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our healthcare is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. In one of the few lines to be greeted by enthusiastic applause, he turned to defence, proclaiming we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. In a thinly-veiled reference to Guantnamo and torture he promised not to abandon the rule of law and human rights for expediences sake. There was further implicit criticism of his predecessors policies in his comments on science and the environment. He vowed to restore science to its rightful place and made several references to climate change, acknowledging the threat to our planet and saying America would in future harness the sun and the winds and the soil for energy. On international affairs, he singled out the Muslim world, offering a new way forward based on mutual interest and mutual respect. America would leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. Obamas serious tone and his unflinching acknowledgement of the economic hurricane blowing through America echoed Roosevelts speech at the time of the last serious global depression, in which an incoming president vowed to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. The endless crowd listened solemnly to the same sentiments today. They might have come wishing for something more uplifting, but, for many, the
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Alan Rusbridger in Washington January 20, 2009 1 Barack Hussein Obama was today sworn in as 44th president of the United States of America in front of quite possibly the largest crowd of people ever to have gathered in one place for a single political moment. 2 As many as two million people in Washingtons National Mall heard their new president deliver a sombre 20-minute speech in which he acknowledged that the country was in the midst of crisis mired in wars, its economy struggling and its national confidence sapped. He promised the largely silent crowd that the challenges would be met, but warned it would take time, some sacrifice, a new form of politics and a re-engagement with the world, in which America would recognize that power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. 3 President Obama took the oath just after midday under a crisp and cloudless azure sky in front of the glistening cream dome of the Capitol, which was partly built by slaves. 4 The day, cold enough to freeze breath, had begun with millions of individual journeys by coach, train and on foot as the crowds began converging before dawn. This was to be the end of the last eight years of Republican rule and of the obstructions which, at any previous time in history, would have made the election of an African-American president unthinkable. 5 They had come to celebrate and for days they had been doing just that in parties and balls all over town. The cheer as Obama swore his oath on Lincolns Bible rippled and roared all the way from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol, nearly two miles away. 6 But when Obama spoke it was immediately apparent that the tone of this inauguration was grave, addressed as much to the hundreds of millions tuned in around the world as to the

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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Advanced

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 3 Advanced
day reached beyond symbolism to a moment of genuine transformation after which nothing could be the same again. 14 As Obama headed back into the Capitol building at the end of the ceremony, clouds began rolling over what had until then been a pure blue sky. But there was one final, rousing cheer as the helicopter carrying George W. Bush rose over the gleaming dome of government and took the former president off to Texas and out of public life forever.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/01/09

3 Language
1. The author uses some almost poetic phrases in the article. Keeping the same meaning, explain or rewrite the phrases below using everyday language. ... a single political moment __________________________________________________ ... the glistening cream dome of the Capitol __________________________________________________ ... cold enough to freeze breath __________________________________________________ The cheer rippled and roared all the way from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol __________________________________________________ ... the shimmering sea of upturned faces __________________________________________________ ... the economic hurricane blowing through America __________________________________________________ ... clouds began rolling over what had until then been a pure blue sky __________________________________________________

2. Why do you think the author used these phrases? Take the following factors into consideration: emotion, style, type of article, importance in history ...

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 3 Advanced
4 Collocations
1. Match the word pairs from the article. Decide which are verb-noun (vn) collocations and which are adjective-noun (an) collocations. unflinching shed mutual harness cloudless swear sombre deliver meet enthusiastic take thinly-veiled forge rousing challenges sky an oath jobs respect applause the wind reference cheer speech acknowledgement a speech time peace

2. Write example sentences for five of the collocations.

5 Discussion
Many people around the world are expecting great things of President Obama. Why do you think this is? Give some examples.

6 Webquest
Watch an online video of Obama delivering his inauguration speech. Each student or small group of students should listen to or watch a particular aspect. For example: 1. The words and language structures Obama uses. 2. Obamas use of pauses. 3. Obamas body language. 4. The crowds response. 5. Obamas accent and pronunciation. 6. How loudly or quietly Obama speaks. 7. The emotional aspect. 8. Who Obama is addressing.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 3 Advanced KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. inauguration sworn in sombre mired sapped sacrifice oath converging grave shuttered adversaries expedience implicit harness unflinching sentiments

4 Collocations
verb noun word pairs
deliver a speech meet challenges take time swear an oath shed jobs harness the wind forge peace

adjective noun word pairs


sombre speech cloudless sky enthusiastic applause thinly-veiled reference mutual respect rousing cheer unflinching acknowledgement

Teachers notes
You can watch Obamas whole 20-minute inauguration speech here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/20/barackobama-presidential-inauguration-washington

2 Find the information


1. 2. 43 People should recognize that power does not allow them to do what they want. There has to be some sacrifice. (see para 2) Extremely cold and sunny. The crowd stretched between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial nearly two miles away. There were probably two million people. (see paras 1, 4, 5, 6) War, violence, a weakened economy, greed, loss of housing & jobs, closing businesses. (see paras 7 & 8) He acknowledged the threat to our planet and spoke about alternative energy resources. (para 10) America would leave Iraq to its people and forge peace in Afghanistan. (see para 11) Former president George W. Bush.

3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Advanced

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Complete the gaps using these key words from the text. The paragraph numbers will help you. confidence acknowledge soil uplifting oath protect grave midst inauguration vowed entitle mutual frankly depression shed shuttered echoed adversaries policies threat

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

start, beginning, first time __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (title) accept, agree or admit __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 2) middle, centre, deep in __ __ __ __ __ (para 2) belief or faith in yourself __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 2) take care of, look after, keep from harm __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 3) allow, give authority to __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 3) a formal promise __ __ __ __ (para 4) serious, solemn, and worried __ __ __ __ __ (para 7) thrown off, lost __ __ __ __ (para 8) closed, gone out of business, or ceased trading __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 8) enemies or opponents __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 8) programmes, plans, strategies, tactics __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 9) officially and formally promised __ __ __ __ __ (para 9) danger, risk __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 9) earth, ground __ __ __ __ (para 9) shared, common __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 10) repeated, said again, sounded like __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 11) economic decline, financially bad times __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 11) honestly, openly, straightforwardly __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 11) inspiring, inspirational, makes you feel happy __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (para 12)

Find the information

Skim-read the article and decide whether the sentences are true (T) or false (F). 1. There have been more than 50 presidents in the history of the United States. 2. Obama wants the American people to change the way they live. 3. The weather in Washington on 20 January 2009 was cold, sunny and dry. 4. Slaves helped to build the US Capitol building in Washington. 5. Obama talked about war, torture, jobs, housing and guns. 6. Obama said that the Americans must do something about global warming. 7. The speech was positive and uplifting. 8. After the speech, former President George W. Bush flew to Texas.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 1 Elementary
8 That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood, he said. Our nation is at war, our economy is badly weakened ... homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our healthcare is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. There was criticism of George W. Bushs policies in his comments on science and the environment. He vowed to restore science to its rightful place and made several references to climate change, acknowledging the threat to our planet and saying America would in future use the sun and the winds and the soil for energy. On international affairs, he talked about the Muslim world, offering a new way forward based on mutual interest and mutual respect. America would leave Iraq to its people and make hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. Obamas serious tone and his acknowledgement of the economic hurricane blowing through America echoed Roosevelts speech at the time of the last serious global depression, in which a new president vowed to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. The endless crowd might have wanted to hear something more uplifting, but, for many, the day was a moment of real change after which nothing could be the same again. As Obama headed back into the Capitol building at the end of the ceremony, clouds began rolling over what had until then been a pure blue sky. But there was one final cheer as the helicopter carrying George W. Bush rose over the gleaming dome of government and took the former president off to Texas and out of public life forever.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/01/09

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Alan Rusbridger in Washington January 20, 2009 1 Barack Hussein Obama today became 44th president of the United States of America in front of quite possibly the largest crowd of people ever in one place for a single political moment. 2 As many as two million people in Washingtons National Mall heard their new president give a 20-minute speech in which he acknowledged that the country was in the midst of crisis with wars, a poor economy and a weak national confidence. 3 He promised the crowd that the problems would be met, but warned it would take time and a new type of politics, and that America would have to understand that power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. 4 President Obama took the oath just after midday under a crisp and cloudless blue sky in front of the glistening cream dome of the Capitol, which was partly built by slaves. 5 The day, cold enough to freeze breath, had begun with millions of individual journeys by coach, train and on foot as the crowds began arriving before dawn. This was to be the end of the last eight years of Republican rule and of the problems in the US which, at any previous time in history, would have made the election of an African American president unthinkable. 6 For days people had been celebrating in parties all over town. The cheer as Obama swore his oath on Lincolns Bible rippled and roared all the way from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol, nearly two miles away. 7 But when Obama spoke it was immediately clear that the tone of this inauguration was grave, addressed as much to the hundreds of millions watching and listening around the world as to the shimmering sea of upturned faces in front of him.

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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 1 Elementary
3 Language
The author uses some very nice language in the article. Match the phrases from the article with their meanings in simpler English. 1. ... a single political moment. 2. ... the glistening cream dome of the Capitol, ... 3. ... cold enough to freeze breath, ... 4. The cheer rippled and roared all the way from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol, ... 5. ... the shimmering sea of upturned faces ... 6. ... the economic hurricane blowing through America ... 7. ... clouds began rolling over what had until then been a pure blue sky. a. the weather got worse b. one short but important event in history and politics c. extremely cold d. the (sunny) roof of the government building e. the financial crisis in the USA f. the sound was carried all the way down from the front to the back of the crowd g. the people looking up at him (in the sun)

4 Pronunciation
Which of these words from the article have the same pronunciation pattern as the name Obama o0o? Write them into the table. Then write the other words under their pronunciation pattern. confidence acknowledge soil uplifting oath protect grave midst inauguration vowed entitle mutual frankly depression shed shuttered echoed adversaries policies threat

o0o
Obama

0oo

o0oo

What is the pronunciation pattern for inauguration ? __________ Write example sentences for four of the words. ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Elementary

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P H

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion
Do you think that the world will change with Obama as President? Will it be a better or a worse place? Why? Think, for example, about jobs, money, war, and the environment.

6 Webquest
Watch part of an online video of Obama giving his inauguration speech. Each student or small group of students should listen to or watch a particular aspect. For example: 1. The words and language structures Obama uses. (E.g. can you hear any of the quotes from the article? What other words do you understand?) 2. When Obama pauses and why. (E.g. before or after important words, to make people listen, etc.) 3. Obamas body language. (E.g. what does he do with his hands?) 4. When the people in the crowd cheer and clap. 5. Obamas accent and pronunciation. 6. When Obama speaks loudly or quietly. (E.g. at the beginning or end of a sentence.) 7. The emotional aspect. (E.g. is anyone smiling, crying, looking worried, etc.?) 8. Who Obama is talking to. (E.g. the crowd, Americans, his family, the world.)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 1 Elementary KEY
1 Key words
1. inauguration 2. acknowledge 3. midst 4. confidence 5. protect 6. entitle 7. oath 8. grave 9. shed 10. shuttered 11. adversaries 12. policies 13. vowed 14. threat 15. soil 16. mutual 17. echoed 18. depression 19. frankly 20. uplifting

4 Pronunciation
o0o Obama entitle acknowledge depression uplifting 0oo policies politics confidence president hurricane o0oo adversaries political economy environment Afghanistan

inauguration = ooo0o

Teachers notes
You can watch Obamas whole 20-minute inauguration speech here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/20/barackobama-presidential-inauguration-washington Unless your students are interested in watching the whole video, choose a section approximately five minutes long for task 6, the webquest. Students might like to use a synonym dictionary for task 1 either in paper format or online: http://thesaurus.reference.com http://www.synonym.com/synonyms/

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. F T T T F T F T

3 Language
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. b d c f g e a
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Elementary

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Match the following words with the definitions. obstructions struggling transformation shuttered acknowledge expedience oath adversaries inauguration sentiments grave collective failure consequence echoed sacrifice sombre

1. The day on which a recently elected US president begins his job. _____________________ (title) 2. Sad, serious, gloomy. _____________________ (para 2) 3. To accept or admit that something exists, is true, or is real. _____________________ (para 2) 4. Trying hard. Having to fight to keep itself going. _____________________ (para 2) 5. The act of giving up something important or valuable so that you or other people can do or have something else. _____________________ (para 3) 6. A formal promise. _____________________ (para 4) 7. Things that try to prevent someone from doing something or to prevent something from happening. _____________________ (para 5) 8. So serious that you feel worried. _____________________ (para 7) 9. A result or effect of something. _____________________ (para 8) 10. The lack of success of all members of a group, or the people of the country. ____________________ (para 8) 11. Closed, or (here) ceased trading. _____________________ (para 9) 12. Ones enemies or opponents. _____________________ (para 9) 13. Speed, especially when used to get an immediate result. _____________________ (para 10) 14. Expressed the ideas or feelings that someone else has expressed. _____________________ (para 13) 15. Beliefs or attitudes towards something. _____________________ (para 14) 16. A great change or the process by which this happens. _____________________ (para 14)

Find the information

Skim-read the article and decide whether the sentences are true (T) or false (F). 1. There have been 44 previous presidents in the United States. 2. Obama expects the American people to change their behaviour. 3. The weather in Washington on 20 January 2009 was cold, sunny and dry. 4. It is thought that slaves helped to build the US Capitol building in Washington. 5. The central topics of the speech were war, torture, jobs, housing and teenage pregnancies. 6. Obama denied that global warming is a problem. 7. The main tone of the speech was positive and uplifting.
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

8. After the speech, former President George W. Bush left Washington for his home in Texas.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Intermediate

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Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 2 Intermediate
tuned in around the world as to the shimmering sea of upturned faces in front of him. 8 That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood, he said. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our healthcare is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. In one of the few lines to be greeted by enthusiastic applause, he turned to defence, proclaiming we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. In a thinly-veiled reference to Guantnamo and torture he promised not to abandon the rule of law and human rights for expediences sake. There was criticism of his predecessors policies in his comments on science and the environment. He vowed to restore science to its rightful place and made several references to climate change, acknowledging the threat to our planet and saying America would in future use the sun and the winds and the soil for energy. On international affairs, he singled out the Muslim world, offering a new way forward based on mutual interest and mutual respect. America would leave Iraq to its people and make hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. Obamas serious tone and his acknowledgement of the economic hurricane blowing through America echoed Roosevelts speech at the time of the last serious global depression, in which an incoming president vowed to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. The endless crowd listened to the same sentiments today. They might have wanted to hear something more uplifting, but, for many, the day was a
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Alan Rusbridger in Washington January 20, 2009 1 Barack Hussein Obama today became 44th president of the United States of America in front of quite possibly the largest crowd of people ever to have gathered in one place for a single political moment. 2 As many as two million people in Washingtons National Mall heard their new president deliver a sombre 20-minute speech in which he acknowledged that the country was in the midst of crisis caught up in wars, its economy struggling and its national confidence weakened. 3 He promised the mostly silent crowd that the challenges would be met, but warned it would take time, some sacrifice, a new form of politics and a re-engagement with the world, in which America would recognise that power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. 4 President Obama took the oath just after midday under a crisp and cloudless azure sky in front of the glistening cream dome of the Capitol, which was partly built by slaves. 5 The day, cold enough to freeze breath, had begun with millions of individual journeys by coach, train and on foot as the crowds began arriving before dawn. This was to be the end of the last eight years of Republican rule and of the obstructions which, at any previous time in history, would have made the election of an African-American president unthinkable. 6 They had come to celebrate and for days they had been doing just that in parties all over town. The cheer as Obama swore his oath on Lincolns Bible rippled and roared all the way from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol, nearly two miles away. 7 But when Obama spoke it was immediately clear that the tone of this inauguration was grave, addressed as much to the hundreds of millions
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

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NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Intermediate

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 2 Intermediate
moment of genuine transformation after which nothing could be the same again. 15 As Obama headed back into the Capitol building at the end of the ceremony, clouds began rolling over what had until then been a pure blue sky. But there was one final, rousing cheer as the helicopter carrying George W Bush rose over the gleaming dome of government and took the former president off to Texas and out of public life forever.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/01/09

3 Language
The author uses some very nice language in the article. Look back and find a phrase that means: 1. one short but important event in history and politics (para 1) __________________________________________________ 2. the (sunny) roof of the government building (para 4) __________________________________________________ 3. extremely cold (para 5) __________________________________________________ 4. the sound was carried all the way down from the front to the back of the crowd (para 6) __________________________________________________ 5. the people looking up at him (in the sun) (para 7) __________________________________________________ 6. the financial crisis in the USA (para 13) __________________________________________________ 7. the weather got worse (para 15) __________________________________________________

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 2 Intermediate
4 Collocations
1. Match the word pairs from the article. verb-noun word pairs deliver meet take swear shed challenges time jobs a speech an oath

adjective-noun word pairs sombre cloudless enthusiastic thinly-veiled mutual rousing 2. speech applause reference cheer sky respect

Write example sentences for four of the collocations (two from each set). ............................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................................................................

5 Discussion
Many people around the world are hoping that the world will change with Obama as President. Why do you think this is? Give some examples.

6 Webquest
Watch part of an online video of Obama delivering his inauguration speech. Each student or small group of students should listen to or watch a particular aspect. For example: 1. The words and language structures Obama uses. 2. Obamas use of pauses. 3. Obamas body language. 4. The crowds response. 5. Obamas accent and pronunciation. 6. How loudly or quietly Obama speaks. 7. The emotional aspect. 8. Who Obama is addressing.
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Intermediate

Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today


Level 2 Intermediate KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. inauguration sombre acknowledge struggling sacrifice oath obstructions grave consequences collective failure shuttered adversaries expedience echoed sentiments transformation

3 Language
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. ... a single political moment .... he glistening cream dome of the Capitol ... cold enough to freeze breath The cheer rippled and roared all the way from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol ... the shimmering sea of upturned faces ... the economic hurricane blowing through America ... clouds began rolling over what had until then been a pure blue sky

4 Collocations
verb noun word pairs
deliver a speech meet challenges take time swear an oath shed jobs

adjective noun word pairs


sombre speech cloudless sky enthusiastic applause thinly-veiled reference mutual respect rousing cheer

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. F T T T F F F T

Teachers notes
You can watch Obamas whole 20-minute inauguration speech here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/20/barackobama-presidential-inauguration-washington Unless your students are interested in watching the whole video, choose a section approximately five minutes long for Task 6, the Webquest.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Obama inauguration: Let the remaking of America begin today / Intermediate

Websites must be saved for history


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

Which of these things do you have? laptop/notebook digital camera blog What do you use them for? PC USB stick scanner external hard drive website printer CD/DVD burner Twitter account

Key words

Find key words from the text to complete the sentences. The paragraph numbers will help you. 1. A verb meaning to gradually change and develop over a period of time. ___________________ (paragraph 2) 2. An adjective that describes something that is no longer used because it has been replaced by something newer and more effective. ___________________ (paragraph 2) 3. Passive form of a verb meaning to make a problem become worse. ___________________ (paragraph 4) 4. A plural noun for things that are useful or fashionable for only a short time. ___________________ (paragraph 5) 5. An adjective used when you want to say that you are lacking something that you need. ___________________ (paragraph 6) 6. The first word of a phrase used for emphasizing that something is true, even though it is opposite to what other people say or believe. ___________________ (paragraph 7) 7. A place where large quantities of things are stored or kept safe. ___________________ (paragraph 8) 8. An address on the Internet. ___________________ (paragraph 9) 9. Notes or items that appear around the edge of a page (used here metaphorically). ___________________ (paragraph 13) 10. An uncountable noun meaning the people who will live in the future after you are dead. ___________________ (paragraph 14)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Websites must be saved for history


Level 3 Advanced
going to leave our grandchildren bereft, Brindley states. I call it personal digital disorder. Think of those thousands of digital photographs that lie hidden on our computers. Few store them, so those who come after us will not be able to look at them. Its tragic. 7 She believes similar gaps could appear in the national memory, pointing out that, contrary to popular assumption, Internet companies such as Google are not collecting and archiving material of this type. It is left instead to the libraries and archives which have been gathering books, periodicals, newspapers and recordings for centuries. With an interim report from communications minister, Lord Carter, on the future of digital Britain due very soon, Brindley makes the case for the British Library as the repository that will ensure emails and websites are preserved as reliably as manuscripts and books. This vision of a digital Britain must include the critical public service of preserving digital Britains collective memory and digitizing the unrivalled content within the British Library. The library plans to create a comprehensive archive of such notoriously ephemeral material from the UK web domain there are about eight million .uk domain websites, growing at a rate of 15-20% every year. It also has a collecting and archiving project for the London 2012 Olympics.

Websites must be saved for history


The British Librarys head says that deleting websites will make the job of historians harder David Smith, technology correspondent 25 January, 2009 1 Historians face a black hole of lost material unless urgent action is taken to preserve websites and other digital records, the head of the British Library has warned. 2 Just as families store digital photos on computers which might never be passed on to their descendants, so Britains cultural heritage is at risk as the Internet evolves and technologies become obsolete, says Lynne Brindley, the librarys chief executive. 3 Writing in the Observer newspaper, Brindley gives two examples of losses overseas. When Barack Obama became US president, all traces of George Bush disappeared from the White House website, including a booklet entitled 100 Things Americans May Not Know About the Bush Administration, which is no longer accessible. 4 There were more than 150 websites relating to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, she continues, but these, too, vanished instantly at the end of the games and are now stored only by the National Library of Australia. If websites continue to disappear in the same way as those on President Bush and the Sydney Olympics perhaps exacerbated by the current economic climate that is killing companies the memory of the nation disappears too, Brindley writes. Historians of the future, citizens of the future, will find a black hole in the knowledge base of the 21st century. 5 Historians have become increasingly concerned that while the Domesday Book, written on sheepskin in 1086, is still easily accessible, the software for many decade-old computer files including thousands of government records already makes them unreadable. The ephemera of emails, text messages and online video add to the headache of the 21st-century archivist. 6 Too many of us suffer from a condition that is
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Advanced

10 In 2007 the library worked with Microsoft and the National Archives at Kew to prevent a digital dark age by unlocking millions of unreadable stored computer files. Microsoft installed the Virtual PC 2007, allowing users to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on the same computer and unlock old Microsoft Office formats dating back 15 years or more. 11 The library and national archives have set up projects to capture daily exchanges of information almost entirely now transmitted by emails and texts. Government departments are storing emails and archiving them at Kew, and the library is encouraging individuals to store theirs voluntarily.
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

CA

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Websites must be saved for history


Level 3
12

Advanced
actors or some of the marginalia around the edges of the Sydney Olympics? I dont think we necessarily do. 14 There is already one stark warning from history. The BBCs Doomsday Project of 1986, intended to record the state of the nation for posterity, was recorded on two 12-inch videodisks. By 2000 it was obsolete, and was rescued only thanks to a specialist team working with the only surviving laser disk player.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Observer, 25/01/09

Historians regard some of todays electronic data as a vital legacy that must be protected. Tristram Hunt, of Queen Mary College, London University, said: Its essential that mainstream institutions such as the National Gallery or the White House or the Ministry of Defence keep email correspondence, and I think theyre quite good about that now. They provide an absolutely essential historical record. Hunt argued that libraries and other institutions need to be selective. On the other hand, were producing much more information these days than we used to, and not all of it is necessary. Do we want to keep the Twitter account of

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3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article. 1. The way most of us store digital photos means that our grandchildren ... a. ... will easily be able to retrieve the images. b. ... wont know what we look like. c. ... may not be able to see them. 2. The booklet entitled 100 Things Americans May Not Know About the Bush Administration is now ... a. ... only available via George Bushs own website. b. ... linked to from Obamas presidential website. c. ... unavailable. 3. Future historians will be able to find out information from over 150 websites about the 2000 Olympics from ... a. ... the Internet. b. ... a library. c. ... nowhere; the information has been lost forever. 4. An official reports suggests that emails and websites should be saved and archived ... a. ... by the British Library. b. ... by Google. c. ... by volunteers. 5. The information recorded as part of the BBCs Doomsday Project of 1986 ... a. ... has been lost. b. ... may be saved by experts. c. ... was saved by experts.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Advanced

CA

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Websites must be saved for history


Level 3 Advanced
4 Language: Reading between the lines
What is meant by the following terms or phrases from the article? Write or give short explanations. 1. black hole of lost material 2. current economic climate 3. personal digital disorder 4. popular assumption 5. interim report 6. collective memory _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

7. notoriously ephemeral material _______________________________________________________________ 8. digital dark age 9. mainstream institutions _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

5 Discussion
How do you save your digital photos and other electronic data? Do you think people will still be able to look at your photos or read the documents you have written in 10 years time; 50 years time; 100 years time? How does this compare to the way your parents and grandparents stored photos and documents?

6 Webquest
Search the Internet for up-to-date articles on saving digital photos or saving files, data or similar. Give a synopsis of the information and recommendations in the article to your class.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Websites must be saved for history


Level 3 KEY
2 Key words
1. evolve(s) 2. obsolete 3. exacerbated 4. ephemera 5. bereft 6. contrary 7. repository 8. domain 9. marginalia 10. posterity

Advanced

4 Language
Possible answers: 1. black hole of lost material = a period of time from which there is no information available on materials that were once freely available but can no longer be found or retrieved. 2. current economic climate = this talks about the world financial crisis that is causing many companies to close. 3. personal digital disorder (according to Lynne Brindley) = she means that due to our lack of IT knowledge or forward thinking we may be in danger of losing our photos and files. 4. popular assumption = what the majority of people think or assume. 5. interim report = a report that is presented before the final report is ready. This usually provides the information and figures known up to that point in time. 6. collective memory = the things that a large group of people remember. 7. notoriously ephemeral material = material that is widely known to be useful or fashionable only for a short time (e.g. popular videos on YouTube). 8. digital dark age = a period from which we have no electronic information and know little or nothing about. 9. mainstream institutions = organizations, places or institutions that most people have heard of or have knowledge of (e.g. the White House in Washington and the National Gallery in London).

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. c c b a c

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Websites must be saved for history


Level 1
1

Elementary

Warmer

Which of these things do you have? laptop/notebook digital camera PC blog USB stick website scanner printer external hard drive CD/DVD burner

Key words

Write the key words from the text into the sentences. The paragraph numbers will help you. domain store cultural heritage black hole archive rescue collecting archivist accessible selective disorder disappear

1. An area in outer space where light and everything else is pulled into it and nothing can be found or seen again. ___________________ (paragraph 1) 2. A verb meaning to keep or save. ___________________ (paragraph 2) 3. Things that a society thinks are important to its history and culture. ___________________ (paragraph 2) 4. Easy for anyone to find and use. ___________________ (paragraph 3) 5. To be impossible to find. ___________________ (paragraph 4) 6. Someone whose job is to collect and keep historical documents and records. ___________________ (paragraph 5) 7. An illness or medical condition. ___________________ (paragraph 6) 8. Getting and keeping things because they are interesting or valuable. ___________________ (paragraph 7) 9. A group of historical documents and records. ___________________ (paragraph 8) 10. An address on the Internet. ___________________ (paragraph 8) 11. Careful about what you choose or accept. ___________________ (paragraph 10) 12. Saved (from disappearing). ___________________ (paragraph 11)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Elementary

CA

P H

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Websites must be saved for history


Level 1 Elementary
6 Too many of us suffer from a condition that is going to leave our grandchildren without information about us, Brindley says. I call it personal digital disorder. Think of those thousands of digital photographs that are hidden on our computers. Few people store them, so those people who come after us will not be able to look at them. Its very sad. She says that Internet companies such as Google are not collecting and archiving digital files. It is left instead to the libraries and archives which have been collecting books, magazines, newspapers and recordings for centuries. The British Library plans to create an archive of such material from the UK web domain there are about eight million .uk domain websites, and this number is growing by 15-20% every year. The library has set up projects to store emails and texts. It also has a collecting and archiving project for the London 2012 Olympics. Historians believe that some of todays electronic data must be protected. Tristram Hunt, of Queen Mary College, London University, said: Its essential that institutions such as the National Gallery in London or the White House in Washington keep emails as they provide an absolutely essential historical record.

Websites must be saved for history


The British Librarys head says that deleting websites will make the job of historians harder David Smith, technology correspondent 25 January, 2009 1 Historians face a black hole of lost material unless something is done to save websites and other digital records, the head of the British Library has warned. 2 The way many families store digital photos on computers means they might never be seen by their children and grandchildren. In the same way Britains cultural heritage is at risk as the Internet changes and technologies become old and out of date, says Lynne Brindley, the librarys chief executive. 3 In an article in the Observer newspaper, Brindley gives two examples of lost records. When Barack Obama became US president, all the articles and information about George Bush disappeared from the White House website, including a booklet called 100 Things Americans May Not Know About the Bush Administration, which is no longer accessible. 4 There were more than 150 websites about the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, she continues, but these, too, disappeared instantly at the end of the games and are now stored only by the National Library of Australia. If websites continue to disappear in the same way as those on President Bush and the Sydney Olympics, the memory of the nation disappears too, Brindley writes. Historians of the future, citizens of the future, will find a black hole in the records about the 21st century. 5 Historians have become more and more worried that although the Domesday Book, written on sheepskin in 1086, is still easily accessible, the software for many 10-year-old computer files including thousands of government records already makes them unreadable. The temporary nature of emails, text messages and online video adds to the headache of the 21st-century archivist.

10 But Hunt also said that libraries and other institutions need to be selective. Were producing much more information these days than we used to, and not all of it is necessary. 11 There is already one clear warning from history. The BBCs Doomsday Project of 1986, which contained information about Britain for people in the future, was recorded on two 12-inch videodisks. By 2000 no one could read it. Luckily it could be rescued by a specialist team working with the only surviving laser disk player.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Observer, 25/01/09

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Elementary

CA

P H

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Websites must be saved for history


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. The way we store digital photos will probably mean ... 2. It is no longer possible to find some special information ... a. ... is no longer available on the Internet. b. ... find information about us and what is happening now.

3. Websites with information about the 2000 Olympics in Sydney ... c. ... about George Bush on the White House website. 4. There are new plans to store electronic data ... 5. Google are not collecting and archiving ... 6. People in the future might not be able to ... 7. Official emails need to be saved ... 8. The BBCs Doomsday Project of 1986 ... d. ... that our grandchildren will not be able to see them. e. ... can now only be found in the National Library of Australia. f. ... as they provide a historical record. g. ... our websites, emails and online videos. h. ... connected with the 2012 London Olympics.

4 Language
1. Complete the word wheels with words from the article. head of a library websites
types of electronic data

jobs

2. Now chose four of the words and write one sentence to describe each word. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Elementary

CA

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Websites must be saved for history


Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion
Complete these sentences and then discuss them in class. I save my digital photos (where/how?) ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ In 20 years time people will/wont be able to read my emails and text messages because ____________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________

6 Webquest
What advice do big companies such as HP, Kodak or Microsoft give about storing digital photos? www.hp.com www.kodak.com www.microsoft.com

Can you find any other good, easy to understand, advice about saving digital photos on the Internet?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Websites must be saved for history


Level 1 KEY
2 Key words
1. black hole 2. store 3. cultural heritage 4. accessible 5. disappear 6. archivist 7. disorder 8. collecting 9. archive 10. domain 11. selective 12. rescue

Elementary

4 Language
president head of a library historian

jobs

chief executive archivist emails websites

technology correspondent

3 Comprehension check
1. d 2. c 3. e 4. h 5. g 6. b 7. f 8. a

online booklet
types of electronic data

text messages video

digital photos

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Websites must be saved for history


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

Which of these things do you have? laptop/notebook digital camera blog PC USB stick scanner external hard drive website printer CD/DVD burner Twitter account

What do you use them for?

Key words

Write the key words from the text into the sentences. The paragraph numbers will help you. bereft tragic archivist posterity trace domain legacy voluntarily obsolete selective heritage descendants

1. The people who will come after you. Relatives of someone who lived in the past. ______________ (paragraph 2) 2. Traditions and beliefs that a society considers important to its history and culture. ___________________ (paragraph 2) 3. An adjective that describes something that is no longer used because it has been replaced by something newer and more effective. ___________________ (paragraph 2) 4. A slight sign that something has happened or existed. ___________________ (paragraph 3) 5. Someone whose job is to collect and store historical documents and records. ________________ (paragraph 5) 6. An adjective used when you want to say that you are lacking something that you need. ___________________ (paragraph 6) 7. Very bad and sad; making you feel upset or angry. ___________________ (paragraph 6) 8. An address on the Internet. ___________________ (paragraph 8) 9. Doing something because you choose to do it, and not because you have to. ________________ (paragraph 9) 10. Something that someone has achieved that continues to exists after they stop working or die. ___________________ (paragraph 10) 11. Careful about what you choose or accept. ___________________ (paragraph 11) 12. An uncountable noun meaning the people who will live in the future after you are dead. ___________________ (paragraph 12)
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Intermediate
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

CA

P H

Websites must be saved for history


Level 2 Intermediate
our computers. Few store them, so those who come after us will not be able to look at them. Its tragic.

Websites must be saved for history


The British Librarys head says that deleting websites will make the job of historians harder David Smith, technology correspondent 25 January, 2009 1 Historians face a black hole of lost material unless
immediate action is taken to save websites and other digital records, the head of the British Library has warned.

She believes similar gaps could appear in the national memory, pointing out that Internet companies such as Google are not collecting and archiving material of this type. It is left instead to the libraries and archives which have been gathering books, magazines, newspapers and recordings for centuries. The British Library plans to create a comprehensive archive of such material from the UK web domain there are about eight million .uk domain websites, growing at a rate of 15-20% every year. It also has a collecting and archiving project for the London 2012 Olympics. The library has set up projects to capture daily exchanges of information transmitted by emails and texts. Government departments are storing emails and archiving them at the National Archives at Kew, in London, and the library is encouraging individuals to store theirs voluntarily. as a vital legacy that must be protected. Tristram Hunt, of Queen Mary College, London University, said: Its essential that institutions such as the National Gallery in London or the White House in Washington keep email correspondence, and I think theyre quite good about that now. They provide an absolutely essential historical record. need to be selective. Were producing much more information these days than we used to, and not all of it is necessary. Do we want to keep the Twitter account of actors or some of the unimportant information around the edges of the Sydney Olympics? I dont think we necessarily do.

2 Just as families store digital photos on computers


which might never be passed on to their descendants, so Britains cultural heritage is at risk as the Internet changes and develops and technologies become obsolete, says Lynne Brindley, the librarys chief executive.

3 Writing in the Observer newspaper, Brindley

gives two examples of lost records. When Barack Obama became US president, all traces of George Bush disappeared from the White House website, including a booklet entitled 100 Things Americans May Not Know About the Bush Administration, which is no longer available. 2000 Olympics in Sydney, she continues, but these, too, vanished instantly at the end of the games and are now stored only by the National Library of Australia. If websites continue to disappear in the same way as those on President Bush and the Sydney Olympics, the memory of the nation disappears too, Brindley writes. Historians of the future, citizens of the future, will find a black hole in the records about the 21st century.

10 Historians regard some of todays electronic data

4 There were more than 150 websites relating to the

11 Hunt argued that libraries and other institutions

5 Historians have become more and more concerned


that while the Domesday Book, written on sheepskin in 1086, is still easily accessible, the software for many 10-year-old computer files including thousands of government records already makes them unreadable. The temporary nature of emails, text messages and online video adds to the headache of the 21st-century archivist. to leave our grandchildren bereft, Brindley states. I call it personal digital disorder. Think of those thousands of digital photographs that lie hidden on

12 There is already one clear warning from history.

6 Too many of us suffer from a condition that is going

The BBCs Doomsday Project of 1986, intended to record the state of the nation for posterity, was recorded on two 12-inch videodisks. By 2000 it was obsolete, and was rescued only thanks to a specialist team working with the only surviving laser disk player.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Observer, 25/01/09
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Intermediate

CA

P H

Websites must be saved for history


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) acording to the article? Correct any sentences that are false. 1. The way we currently store digital photos will likely mean that our grandchildren will not be able to see them. 2. The new White House website makes it still possible to link to the documents put online by George Bushs administration. 3. Websites with information about the 2000 Olympics in Sydney have sadly been lost forever. 4. There are no plans to store electronic data surrounding the 2012 London Olympics. 5. Luckily Google are collecting and archiving our websites, emails and online videos. 6. The British Library is asking people to store their emails and text messages. 7. Government and national institutions have started to keep a record of their email exchanges. 8. The BBCs Doomsday Project of 1986 is easily available for everyone on the Internet.

4 Language: Prepositions
Write in the prepositions to complete the collocations. Then, match them with the things that they refer to in the article. of (x4) at (x2) with to

1. _______ risk 2. traces _______ 3. relating _______ 4. archive _______ 5. growing _______ a rate _______ 6. account _______ 7. working _______

a. emails, text messages and online video b. messages on Twitter written by actors c. the speed of increase in .uk domain websites d. George Bush e. websites about the 2000 Olympics f. the last laser disk player g. Britains cultural heritage

5 Discussion
How do you save your digital photos and other electronic data? Do you think people will still be able to look at your photos or read the documents you have written in 10 years time; 50 years time; 100 years time? How does this compare to the way your parents and grandparents stored photos and documents?

6 Webquest
Search the Internet for up-to-date articles on saving digital photos or saving files, data or similar. Give a synopsis of the main information in the article to your class.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Intermediate

CA

P H

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Websites must be saved for history


Level 2 Intermediate KEY
2 Key words
1. descendants 2. heritage 3. obsolete 4. trace 5. archivist 6. bereft 7. tragic 8. domain 9. voluntarily 10. legacy 11. selective 12. posterity

4 Language: Prepositions
1. at Britains cultural heritage 2. of George Bush 3. to websites about the 2000 Olympics 4. of emails, text messages and online video 5. at / of the speed of increase in .uk domain websites 6. of messages on Twitter written by actors 7. with the last laser disk player

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. T F F F F T T F

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Websites must be saved for history / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1
1

Advanced

Key words

Find key words from the text to complete the sentences. The paragraph numbers will help you. crucial subdued donor coalition intimidation asset perpetuate revival constitution scepticism embittered 1. Doubts that someone has about something that other people think is true or right. (paragraph 1) _____________________ 2. Quiet and slightly sad or worried; not very loud or bright; low-key. (paragraph 2) _____________________ 3. To make something such as a situation or process continue, especially one that is wrong, unfair, or dangerous. (paragraph 3) _____________________ 4. A temporary union of different political parties that agree to form a government together. (paragraph 5) _____________________ 5. Deliberately making someone feel frightened, especially so that they will do what you want. (paragraph 5) _____________________ 6. Something that is extremely important because it has a major effect on the result of something. (paragraph 7) _____________________ 7. A major benefit. (paragraph 8) _____________________ 8. A set of basic laws or principles for a country that describe the rights and duties of its citizens and the way in which it is governed. (paragraph 9) _____________________ 9. Angry and unhappy about things that have happened to you in the past. (paragraph 9) _____________________ 10. Someone who gives things such as money or goods to an organization, especially one that helps people. (paragraph 13) _____________________ 11. The process of becoming active, successful, or popular again; to bring back to life. (paragraph 13) _____________________ Source: Macmillan English Dictionary online

Find the information about Zimbabwe

Skim-read the article to find the answers to the questions about Zimbabwe. 1. Who is the prime minister? 2. Who is the president? 3. What is the name of the prime ministers political party? 4. How high is the unemployment rate? 5. How is the rate of inflation described? 6. What fraction of the population relies on foreign food aid? 7. Which are the only currencies accepted in many shops? 8. When are the next elections likely to be held?
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Advanced

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P H

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1 Advanced
7 Authority over home affairs is to be shared. This is seen as crucial to ensuring future elections are free after the widespread violence by Mugabes supporters in last years ballot. The MDC has control of the finance ministry and most social affairs ministries, such as health, which could prove to be an asset if the new government is able to deliver improved services. Tsvangirais main concern will be to put a new constitution in place and to hold new elections within two years when he will rely on embittered voters to reject Mugabe so clearly that he will be forced to accept defeat. For now, the new prime minister faces a myriad of challenges, including 94% unemployment, the worst harvest since independence and a currency so worthless that shops will only accept US dollars and South African rands. Tsvangirai said the most important cabinet post for reviving Zimbabwes fortunes was that of the finance minister and named the MDCs secretary general, Tendai Biti, for the job. Biti, a lawyer and the MDCs chief negotiator, is expected to use the power the finance ministry has with its control over budgets to influence Mugabes ministers. His appointment is also likely to help to reassure foreign donors, most importantly Britain and the US, whose money is seen as the key to Zimbabwes revival but who are sceptical over Mugabe remaining president. Britain has taken the highly unusual step of publishing a notice in the Zimbabwean press expressing its concerns about the new administration. While saying that it is not for the United Kingdom to accept or reject anything, the notice goes on to say that it regards any administration involving Mugabe as unacceptable. Britain says it wants to see the new administration reverse the political, economic and social decline as a condition for financial aid. The MDC says it cant do that without considerable financial support.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 11/02/09
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Chris McGreal in Harare and Mark Tran February 11, 2009 1 Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as Zimbabwes prime minister today joining a government of national unity with President Robert Mugabe amid deep scepticism that the two bitter rivals can work together to pull their country back from economic ruin. 2 The two men stood face to face in a white tent on the grounds of the presidential palace. In the presence of regional leaders, and as Zimbabweans across the country watched on state TV, Tsvangirai, of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, raised his right hand and declared: I will well and truly serve Zimbabwe in the office of prime minister of the republic of Zimbabwe, so help me God. Both men looked relaxed and smiled during the brief and subdued ceremony. 3 Other African leaders who attended the ceremony had put heavy pressure on Tsvangirai to accept the power-sharing deal but many Zimbabweans and some foreign governments, including Britain, fear the joint administration is a trap that will only perpetuate Mugabes rule. 4 Tsvangirai yesterday said that after months of disagreement with Mugabe over key cabinet posts, his party compromised and agreed to join the government to prevent Zimbabwe collapsing under hyperinflation and the almost total ruin of agriculture and industry that has left seven million people, twothirds of the population, dependent on foreign food aid. 5 Tsvangirai said joining a coalition with the man who used violence and intimidation to deny the MDC power was not a solution but a step towards democratic government. The power struggle is, however, likely to continue in the new administration. 6 Under the coalition agreement, Mugabe remains president, with Tsvangirai overseeing the daily administration of government as prime minister. Cabinet seats are almost equally divided. Mugabe won the struggle to retain control of the principal security ministries, particularly defence and justice, which sceptics fear he will continue to use as tools to attack and intimidate his opponents.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

10

11

12

13

14

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NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Advanced

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1 Advanced
3 Language: Collocations / word pairs
Match the words to make words pairs from the article. Then write a sentence containing the collocation. e.g. security ministries The main security ministries are the ministry of defence and the ministry of justice. 1. deep 2. democratic 3. bitter 4. power 5. economic 6. joint 7. widespread 8. cabinet 9. coalition 10. home post violence ruin government affairs scepticism agreement struggle rivals administration _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

4 Vocabulary: Politically-related words


Make a mind map of the political words in the article.

politically-related words mind map

jobs and positions politically-related words

other

ministries and departments

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Advanced

CA

P H

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1 Advanced
5 Discussion
Have you read any newspaper reports or seen or heard any television, radio or online news about Zimbabwe? What do you know about the current situation in Zimbabwe for normal people? How are they managing to survive? If possible, watch this partly sub-titled seven-minute film and discuss what you see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/11/zimbabwe-secret-film

6 Webquest: Comparisons
1. Compare these two short videos of the swearing in ceremonies of Morgan Tsvangirai and Barack Obama. Pay particular attention to spoken language, body language and spectator response. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/11/tsvangirai-zimbabwe-sworn-in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hde4s-xBhqE see also http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=97297&newsChannel=topNews https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ http://www.wikipedia.com http://www.nationmaster.com/index.php Zimbabwe country size capital city language(s) population average life expectancy currency average income recent rate of inflation resources and industry The USA

2. Complete the table below. Some of the many websites that will help you are:

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1 Advanced KEY
1 Key words
1. scepticism 2. subdued 3. perpetuate 4. coalition 5. intimidation 6. crucial 7. asset 8. constitution 9. embittered 10. donor 11. revival

3 Language: Collocations / word pairs


1. deep scepticism 2. democratic government 3. bitter rivals 4. power struggle 5. economic ruin 6. joint administration 7. widespread violence 8. cabinet post 9. coalition agreement 10. home affairs

2 Find the information about Zimbabwe


1. Morgan Tsvangirai 2. Robert Mugabe 3. Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) 4. 94% 5. Hyperinflation (recent figures put it at 231 million percent. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/ jan/30/zimbabwean-currency-worthless-patrick chinamasa) 6. Two-thirds 7. US dollars and South African rands 8. Within the next two years.
politically-related words mind map
secretary general leader president

4 Vocabulary: Politically-related words


See sample mind map key below

election administration

democratic

coalition jobs and positions politically-related words other government presidential palace

prime minister

cabinet (post/ minister)

ministries and departments

political party

security finance defence social affairs health justice

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1 Elementary
to be sworn in: to promise publically to do a job, especially a political one

Warmer: mind mapping

Write these politically-related words into the mind map. election security secretary general home affairs coalition justice health defence leader finance prime minister president administration cabinet social affairs government democratic presidential palace political party

politically-related words mind map

jobs and positions politically-related words

other

ministries and departments

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Elementary

CA

P H

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1 Elementary
7 Mugabe won control of the main security ministries, particularly defence and justice, which many people fear he will continue to use to attack and intimidate his opponents. Authority over home affairs is to be shared. This will make sure that future elections are free after the widespread violence by Mugabes supporters in last years elections. The MDC has control of the finance ministry and most social affairs ministries, such as health. Tsvangirai hopes that at the next election voters will reject Mugabe so clearly that he will be forced to accept defeat. For now, the new prime minister faces many challenges, including 94% unemployment, the worst harvest since independence and a currency so worthless that shops will only accept US dollars and South African rands. Tsvangirai said the most important job in the government was that of the finance minister and named the MDCs secretary general, Tendai Biti, for the job. He is expected to use the power the finance ministry has to influence Mugabes ministers. His appointment as finance minister will also help make foreign donors less worried, especially Britain and the US, whose money is necessary to help Zimbabwe but who are worried about Mugabe remaining president. Britain has taken the highly unusual step of placing a notice in the Zimbabwean newspapers which talks about its worries about the new administration. While saying that it is not for the United Kingdom to accept or reject anything, the notice also says that any administration involving Mugabe is unacceptable.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 11/02/09

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Chris McGreal in Harare and Mark Tran February 11, 2009 1 Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as Zimbabwes prime minister today joining a government of national unity with President Robert Mugabe. Many people though do not believe that the two men, who are bitter rivals, can work together to bring their country back from economic ruin. 2 The two men stood face to face in a white tent in the garden of the presidential palace. Zimbabweans across the country watched on state TV as Tsvangirai, from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, raised his right hand and promised: I will well and truly serve Zimbabwe in the office of prime minister of the republic of Zimbabwe, so help me God. Both men looked relaxed and smiled during the short ceremony. 3 Other African leaders had put heavy pressure on Tsvangirai to build a government with Mugabe. However, many Zimbabweans and some foreign governments, including Britain, are worried that the joint administration is a trap that will only keep Mugabe in power. 4 Tsvangirai yesterday said that after months of disagreement with Mugabe, his party agreed to join the government to prevent Zimbabwe collapsing under hyperinflation and the almost total ruin of agriculture and industry. Seven million people in Zimbabwe, two-thirds of the population, currently rely on foreign food aid. 5 Tsvangirai said joining a coalition with the man who used violence and intimidation to stop the MDC gaining power was not a solution but that it was a step towards democratic government. 6 Under the coalition agreement, Mugabe remains president and Tsvangirai will become prime minister. Seats in the new government are almost equally divided between the political parties.

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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Elementary

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Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1
2

Elementary

Key words
1 4 6 7 8 10 11 9 2 3 5

Complete the crossword with key words from the article. The paragraph numbers will help you.

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14

Across: 1. people that compete with one another (paragraph 1) 6. someone who gives money to help people (paragraph 12) 7. to make someone feel frightened so that they will do what you want (paragraph 7) 10. the people who are against you or disagree with you (paragraph 7) 11. attempts to persuade, threaten, or force someone to do something (paragraph 3) 12. to depend on something (paragraph 4) 13. to disagree with an idea, argument, or suggestion (paragraph 9) 14. a situation in which people, groups, or countries join together (paragraph 1) Down: 2. freedom from control by another country or organization (paragraph 10) 3. help (paragraph 4) 4. the loss of all your money or power (paragraph 1) 5. fail, cease to exist (change the verb to the infinitive) (paragraph 4) 8. stop something from happening (paragraph 4) 9. the amount of a crop that is collected (paragraph 10)

3 Comprehension check: Find the information about Zimbabwe


Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the article? Correct the sentences that are false. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Zimbabwe has a new prime minister. Zimbabwe has a new president. The unemployment rate in Zimbabwe is 90%. The rate of inflation in Zimbabwe is very high. Millions of people in Zimbabwe get food aid from other countries. The shops in Zimbabwe accept Zimbabwean dollars and British pounds. Mugabe and Tsvangirai are good friends. The economic situation in Zimbabwe is very bad. The British and US governments give money to help Zimbabwe. The MDC party has control of all the government ministries.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Elementary

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Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1 Elementary
4 Discussion
Have you read any newspaper reports or seen or heard any television, radio or online news about Zimbabwe? What do you know about the current situation in Zimbabwe for normal people?

5 Webquest: Comparisons
1. Watch these two short videos of the recent swearing in ceremonies of Morgan Tsvangirai and Barack Obama. Can you hear Tsvangirai speak the words quoted in paragraph 2 of the article? Does Obama use the same or similar words? http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/11/tsvangirai-zimbabwe-sworn-in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hde4s-xBhqE see also http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=97297&newsChannel=topNews https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ http://www.wikipedia.com http://www.nationmaster.com/index.php Zimbabwe country size capital city language(s) population currency recent rate of inflation main resources and industry ... ... The USA

2. Complete the table below. Some of the many websites that will help you are:

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1 Elementary KEY
1 Warmer: mind mapping
politically-related words mind map
secretary general leader president administration coalition jobs and positions politically-related words prime minister cabinet (post/ minister) presidential palace other government election democratic

ministries and departments

political party

security finance defence social affairs health justice

2 Key words
Across: 1. rivals 6. donor 7. intimidate 10. opponents 11. pressure 12. rely 13. reject 14. unity Down: 2. independence 3. aid 4. ruin 5. collapse 8. prevent 9. harvest

3 Comprehension check: Find the information about Zimbabwe


1. T 2. F 3. F 4. T 5. T 6. F 7. F 8. T 9. T 10. F Teachers notes: The last two lines of the table in task 5.2 are left empty in case you or the students decide to compare any other factors or things between the two countries.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Elementary

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Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1
1

Intermediate

Key words

Write the key words from the text next to their meanings. The paragraph numbers will help you. considerable collapsing constitution coalition reject sceptical sworn in opponents intimidation compromised myriad donor ballot revival 1. To promise publically to do a job: to be _____________________. (title) 2. To doubt and disbelieve something that other people think is true or right. (paragraph 1) _____________________ 3. Made to accept something they dont believe in. (paragraph 4) _____________________ 4. Failing, ceasing to exist. (paragraph 4) _____________________ 5. A temporary union of different political parties that agree to form a government together. (paragraph 5) _____________________ 6. Making someone feel frightened so that they will do what you want. (paragraph 5) _____________________ 7. The people who are against you or disagree with you. (paragraph 6) _____________________ 8. A secret vote. (paragraph 7) _____________________ 9. A set of basic laws for a country that describe the rights and the way in which it is governed. (paragraph 8) _____________________ 10. To refuse to accept something, to disagree with it, to get rid of something. (paragraph 8) ____________________ 11. Very many; too many to count. (paragraph 9) _____________________ 12. Someone who gives money to help people. (paragraph 12) _____________________ 13. The process of making something successful again; to bring it back to life. (paragraph 12) _____________________ 14. Large in size, amount or degree. (paragraph 14) _____________________ Source: Macmillan English Dictionary online

Find the information about Zimbabwe

Skim-read the article to find the answers to the questions about Zimbabwe. 1. Who is the prime minister? 2. Who is the president? 3. How high is the unemployment rate? 4. How is the rate of inflation described? 5. How many people rely on foreign food aid? 6. Which currencies are accepted in shops?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Intermediate

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Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1 Intermediate
use to attack and intimidate his opponents. 7 Authority over home affairs is to be shared. This is seen as essential to ensure future elections are free after the widespread violence by Mugabes supporters in last years ballot. The MDC has control of the finance ministry and most social affairs ministries, such as health. Tsvangirais main concern will be to put a new constitution in place and to hold new elections within two years. He hopes that at the next election voters will reject Mugabe so clearly that he will be forced to accept defeat. For now, the new prime minister faces a myriad of challenges, including 94% unemployment, the worst harvest since independence and a currency so worthless that shops will only accept US dollars and South African rands. Tsvangirai said the most important cabinet post for reviving Zimbabwes fortunes was that of the finance minister and named the MDCs secretary general, Tendai Biti, for the job. Biti, is a lawyer and the MDCs chief negotiator. He is expected to use the power the finance ministry has with its control over budgets to influence Mugabes ministers. His appointment as finance minister is also likely to help to reassure foreign donors, especially Britain and the US, whose money is seen as the key to Zimbabwes revival but who are sceptical over Mugabe remaining president. Britain has taken the highly unusual step of publishing a notice in the Zimbabwean newspapers expressing its concerns about the new administration. While saying that it is not for the United Kingdom to accept or reject anything, the notice also says that any administration involving Mugabe is unacceptable. Britain says it wants to see the new administration reverse the political, economic and social decline as a condition for financial aid. The MDC says it cant do that without considerable financial support.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 11/02/09
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Chris McGreal in Harare and Mark Tran February 11, 2009 1 Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as Zimbabwes prime minister today joining a government of national unity with President Robert Mugabe. Many people though are sceptical as to whether the two bitter rivals can work together to bring their country back from economic ruin. 2 The two men stood face to face in a white tent on the grounds of the presidential palace. Zimbabweans across the country watched on state TV as Tsvangirai, from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, raised his right hand and declared: I will well and truly serve Zimbabwe in the office of prime minister of the republic of Zimbabwe, so help me God. Both men looked relaxed and smiled during the brief ceremony. 3 Other African leaders who attended the ceremony had put heavy pressure on Tsvangirai to accept the deal but many Zimbabweans and some foreign governments, including Britain, fear the joint administration is a trap that will only keep Mugabe in power. 4 Tsvangirai yesterday said that after months of disagreement with Mugabe, his party compromised and agreed to join the government to prevent Zimbabwe collapsing under hyperinflation and the almost total ruin of agriculture and industry. Seven million people in Zimbabwe, two-thirds of the population, are currently dependent on foreign food aid. 5 Tsvangirai said joining a coalition with the man who used violence and intimidation to deny the MDC power was not a solution but a step towards democratic government. 6 Under the coalition agreement, Mugabe remains president and Tsvangirai will oversee the daily administration of government as prime minister. Cabinet seats are almost equally divided between the political parties. Mugabe won control of the main security ministries, particularly defence and justice, which many people fear he will continue to
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

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NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Intermediate

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1 Intermediate
3 Language: Collocations / word pairs
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the article? Correct the sentences that are false. 1. Match the words to make words pairs from the article. a. bitter b. economic c. heavy d. democratic e. coalition f. widespread g. home h. highly pressure affairs government ruin violence unusual rivals agreement

2. Now write the word pairs into the sentences to give information from the article. a. Tsvangirais and Mugabes political parties have made a _____________________. b. Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe are _____________________. c. Other African leaders had put _____________________ on Tsvangirai to work with Mugabe. d. There has been _____________________ in Zimbabwe and people are scared for their lives. e. The collapse of industry and farming has led to _____________________ in Zimbabwe. f. The Interior ministry usually deals with _____________________. g. The MDC and the people of Zimbabwe are hoping for a _____________________. h. In a _____________________ step, Britain published a notice in the Zimbabwean newspapers expressing its worries about the new administration.

4 Discussion
Have you read any newspaper reports or seen or heard any television, radio or online news about Zimbabwe? What do you know about the current situation in Zimbabwe for normal people? How are they managing to survive? If possible, watch this partly sub-titled seven-minute film and discuss what you see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/11/zimbabwe-secret-film

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Intermediate

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Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1 Intermediate
5 Webquest: Comparisons
1. Compare these two short videos of the recent swearing in ceremonies of Morgan Tsvangirai and Barack Obama. Can you hear Tsvangirai speak the words quoted in paragraph 2 of the article? Does Obama use the same or similar words? http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/11/tsvangirai-zimbabwe-sworn-in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hde4s-xBhqE see also http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=97297&newsChannel=topNews https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ http://www.wikipedia.com http://www.nationmaster.com/index.php Zimbabwe country size capital city language(s) population currency recent rate of inflation main resources and industry ... ... The USA

2. Complete the table below. Some of the many websites that will help you are:

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe


Level 1 Intermediate KEY
1 Key words
1. sworn in 2. sceptical 3. compromised 4. collapsing 5. coalition 6. intimidation 7. opponents 8. ballot 9. constitution 10. reject 11. myriad 12. donor 13. revival 14. considerable

3 Language: Collocations / word pairs


1. a. bitter rivals b. economic ruin c. heavy pressure d. democratic government e. coalition agreement f. widespread violence g. home affairs h. highly unusual

2 Find the information about Zimbabwe


1. Morgan Tsvangirai 2. Robert Mugabe 3. 94% 4. Hyperinflation (recent figures put it at 231 million percent. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/ jan/30/zimbabwean-currency-worthless-patrick chinamasa) 5. Two-thirds 6. US dollars and South African rands

2. a. coalition agreement b. bitter rivals c. heavy pressure d. widespread violence e. economic ruin f. home affairs g. democratic government h. highly unusual Teachers notes: The last two lines of the table in task 5.2 are left empty in case you or the students decide to compare any other factors or things between the two countries.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Tsvangirai sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe / Intermediate

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. knot kevlar update epic endurance cast catamaran feat turbulent log

1. __________________ is a synthetic fibre that is five times stronger than steel. 2. A __________________ is a sailing boat that looks like two boats joined together. 3. __________________ is the ability to continue doing something physically difficult for a long time. 4. To __________________ a distance means to travel a particular number of miles. 5. If something is described as __________________, it is very long and very difficult. 6. A __________________ is a unit for measuring the speed of ships, aircraft and wind, equal to one nautical mile (1,852 metres) per hour. 7. If you give someone an _________________, you give them a report containing all the latest news or information. 8. A __________________ is something impressive that someone manages to achieve. 9. A __________________ is a hard cover used to protect a broken or injured part of the body. 10. __________________ air or water moves suddenly and violently in different directions.

Correct the information

Each of these sentences contains an error. Look in the text and find the correct information. 1. Trinidad is 10,000 miles from the Bahamas. 2. The first woman to swim the English Channel performed the feat in 1936. 3. It is just over 4,000 miles from Cape Cod in the USA to Brittany in France. 4. The record for swimming the Atlantic is 173 days. 5. The record was set in 1898. 6. Jennifer Figges attempt to swim the Atlantic was disrupted by 25 knot winds and 300 foot waves.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Woman claims record Atlantic swim / Advanced

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 3

Advanced
Iowa. Twenty years later, the son is a racing driver, and she has logged 3,000 miles on foot, and nearly two dozen maritime crossings. On her list of achievements, she claims to have run 180 miles across Mexico in 1995 including the final 60 miles with a cast on her left leg. 5 She has said she was inspired to perform her latest feat by a turbulent trans-Atlantic flight and by Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926. Figge said she kept a picture of Ederle on board. We have a few things in common, she said. She wore a red hat and she was of German descent. We both talk to the sea, and neither one of us wanted to get out. For safety she was to make the journey within the confines of a steel and kevlar cage hooked to the rear of a catamaran, Carried Away, with a crew of NASA and Boeing engineers, a doctor, and a diver. An electro-magnetic device in the cage was meant to repel predators. In the event, there were no sharks though among the marine life she did see were a pod of pilot whales, turtles, dolphins and Portuguese men-of-war. Figge intended to swim to the Bahamas, but on January 21 Higden posted an update: Winds of 25 knots and waves as high as 30 feet have wreaked havoc with their movements and Jennifers swimming. They are forced to pursue a different route, in search of more favourable weather. The catamaran is heading south. She arrived at Chacachacare Island on 5 February. Basically [the storm] changed everything, Higden said yesterday. Like anyone who is trying to accomplish a goal, she had to make changes. Benit Lecomte of France holds the record for swimming the Atlantic in 73 days in 1998; he travelled the 3,716 miles from Cape Cod to Brittany himself, but was accompanied by a boat and did his swimming for six hours per day. He had no cage but a device with a 25ft electromagnetic field to protect him.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 09/02/09

Woman, 56, claims record Atlantic swim


Month-long feat in shark tank towed by catamaran Storm blew extreme sport enthusiast way off course Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington Monday 9 February, 2009 1 An American aged 56 has been hailed as the first woman to swim the Atlantic, after propelling herself across thousands of miles of ocean while inside a six metre by four metre cage to protect her from sharks. Jennifer Figge, an endurance athlete from Aspen, Colorado, said she took nearly a month to make the crossing from the Cape Verde Islands to Trinidad, propelling herself across 2,000 miles of ocean. 2 But her business manager admitted yesterday that some days the seas were so stormy Figge did not even get into the water, remaining aboard the catamaran which accompanied her epic journey. She swam 19 of 24 days, said David Higden. It turned from an endurance swim into an extreme adventure swim. She didnt get into the water as much as she wanted, because the waves were so high. The weather was so extreme the crew had trouble seeing her in the water. 3 Figge did not respond to requests for comment. In her defence, Higden said she had never set out to swim the entire distance. Nobody could swim across the Atlantic. Its physically impossible, he said. It would take literally years. The reply left unanswered exactly how many nautical miles Figge had logged during her crossing. A week after she began, Higden announced on her Facebook page that storms forced her to change course.She landed at Trinidad, 1,000 miles from her planned destination, the Bahamas. She told the press on arrival: I wouldnt have had it any other way. 4 Figge first took up endurance challenges in her 30s when her seven-year-old son asked her to give up smoking. Her new habit became extreme sports, starting with a run across the state of
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Woman claims record Atlantic swim / Advanced

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Which sentence best describes Jennifer Figges feat? a. She is the first woman to swim all the way across Atlantic Ocean. b. She never planned to swim all the way across the Atlantic and bad weather forced her to spend part of the crossing on the boat. c. It was an extreme adventure swim in which she swam occasionally with whales and dolphins. 2. Why did she take up endurance sports? a. Because she wanted to give up smoking. b. Because her son wanted her to give up smoking. c. Because she wanted to run across Mexico. 3. Why did they have to change course? a. Because they wanted to get to their destination more quickly. b. Because there were a lot of sharks. c. Because there were strong winds and rough seas. 4. Why did she swim inside a steel cage? a. To protect her from possible danger. b. To stop her being carried away by currents. c. To be near the doctor and the diver.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. The paragraph numbers will help you. 1. A verb meaning to say publicly how good or important something is. (para 1) 2. A noun meaning the origin of your parents or of older members of your family. (para 5) 3. A four-word expression meaning inside the borders or edges of something. (para 6) 4. A two-word expression meaning attached to. (para 6) 5. A noun meaning an animal that kills and eats other animals. (para 6) 6. A three-word expression used for saying what happened, especially when it is different from what was expected. (para 6) 7. A two-word expression meaning cause a lot of damage or harm. (para 7) 8. A verb meaning follow. (para 7)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Woman claims record Atlantic swim / Advanced

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 3 Advanced
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column. 1. change 2. take up 3. accomplish 4. have 5. wreak 6. hold 7. make 8. respond to a. something in common b. havoc c. changes d. a challenge e. a goal f. a request g. course h. a record

6 Word building
Fill the gaps with the correct form of the words in brackets. 1. Unfortunately, their question remained ____________________. [ANSWER] 2. The swim quickly turned into an ____________________ test. [ENDURE] 3. Gertrude Ederle was the ____________________ for Jennifer Figges swim. [INSPIRE] 4. It was Figges ____________________ to swim to the Bahamas. [INTEND] 5. Swimming for 19 out of 24 days in such dangerous waters must be regarded as an ____________________. [ACCOMPLISH]

6. The cage provided ____________________ from predators. [PROTECT] 7. Figge has an impressive list of ____________________. [ACHIEVE] 8. Both Figge and Ederle are of German ____________________. [DESCEND]

7 Discussion
Apart from swimming the Atlantic, are there any other great feats of endurance that people have accomplished? Would you like to attempt something like this? Why? Why not?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Woman claims record Atlantic swim / Advanced

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. kevlar 2. catamaran 3. endurance 4. log 5. epic 6. knot 7. update 8. feat 9. cast 10. turbulent

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. hail 2. descent 3. within the confines of 4. hooked to 5. predator 6. in the event 7. wreak havoc 8. pursue

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. g 2. d 3. e 4. a 5. b 6. h 7. c 8. f

2 Correct the information


1. 1,000 2. 1926 3. just under 4,000 miles (3,716 miles) 4. 73 days 5. 1998 6. 30 foot waves

3 Comprehension check
1. b 2. b 3. c 4. a

6 Word building
1. unanswered 2. endurance 3. inspiration 4. intention 5. accomplishment 6. protection 7. achievements 8. descent

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Woman claims record Atlantic swim / Advanced

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. destination crew update cage endurance catamaran cast turbulent habit route

1. A __________________ is a sailing boat that looks like two boats joined together. 2. __________________ air or water moves suddenly and violently in different directions. 3. A __________________ is something that you do often or regularly. 4. A __________________ is a container made of metal bars that is usually used for keeping animals inside. 5. Your __________________ is the place you are travelling to. 6. Your __________________ is the way you go to get from one place to another. 7. The __________________ are the people who work on a boat, a ship or a plane. 8. A __________________ is a hard cover used to protect a broken or injured part of the body. 9. If you give someone an _________________, you give them a report containing all the latest news or information. 10. __________________ is the ability to continue doing something physically difficult for a long time.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How old is Jennifer Figge? 2. How long did it take her to cross from Cape Verde to Trinidad? 3. How far is it from Trinidad to the Bahamas? 4. When did Gertrude Ederle swim the English Channel? 5. When did Figge arrive in Trinidad? 6. What is the record for swimming the Atlantic?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Woman claims record Atlantic swim / Elementary

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 1 Elementary
racing driver, and she has covered 3,000 miles on foot, and more than twenty sea crossings. On her list of achievements, she says she ran 180 miles across Mexico in 1995 including the final 60 miles with a plaster cast on her left leg. 5 She said the inspiration for the Atlantic swim was a turbulent transatlantic flight and also Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926. Figge said she had a picture of Ederle on board the catamaran. We are the same in many ways, she said. She wore a red hat and she was of German origin. We both talk to the sea, and neither of us wanted to get out of the water. For safety she made the journey inside a steel and plastic fibre cage fixed to the back of a catamaran with a crew of engineers, a doctor and a diver. There was an electro-magnetic device in the cage to keep sharks away. She didnt see any sharks during her swim but she did see whales, turtles and dolphins. Figge planned to swim to the Bahamas, but on January 21 Higden wrote an update on Facebook: Strong winds and ten-metre waves have caused problems for the boat and for Jennifers swimming. They have to follow a different route, where there is better weather. The catamaran is going south. She arrived at Chacachacare Island in Trinidad on 5 February. The storm changed everything, Higden said. She had to make some changes to her plans. Benit Lecomte of France holds the record for swimming the Atlantic in 73 days in 1998; he travelled the 3,716 miles from Cape Cod to Brittany himself, but a boat went with him. He swam for six hours per day. He had no cage but a device with a 25ft electro-magnetic field to protect him.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 09/02/09

Woman, 56, claims record Atlantic swim


Month-long feat in shark tank pulled by catamaran Storm blew extreme sport enthusiast far off course Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington Monday 9 February, 2009 1 A 56-year old American woman has swum across a large part of the Atlantic Ocean inside a six metre by four metre cage which protected her from sharks. Jennifer Figge, an athlete from Aspen, Colorado, said she took nearly a month to swim from the Cape Verde Islands to Trinidad, crossing 2,000 miles of ocean. 2 But her business manager said yesterday that some days the seas were so stormy that Figge could not get into the water and had to stay on board the catamaran which went with her on her long journey. She swam 19 of 24 days, said David Higden. It changed from an endurance swim to an extreme adventure swim. She didnt get into the water as much as she wanted, because the waves were so high. The weather was so bad that it was difficult for the crew to see her in the water. 3 Figge did not respond to requests for comment. In her defence, Higden said she had never planned to swim the whole way. Nobody could swim across the Atlantic. Its physically impossible, he said. It would take years. In his reply he did not say how many nautical miles Figge actually swam during her crossing. A week after she began, Higden announced on Figges Facebook page that storms forced her to change course. She finally landed at Trinidad, 1,000 miles from her planned destination, the Bahamas. 4 Figge first started doing endurance challenges in her 30s when her seven-year-old son asked her to give up smoking. Her new habit became extreme sports, starting with a run across the state of Iowa. Twenty years later, her son is a

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Woman claims record Atlantic swim / Elementary

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings with the endings to make sentences about the text. 1. The boat and the swimmer had to change their route 2. Jennifer Figge swam inside a metal cage 3. Figge started doing endurance challenges ... 4. The weather was so bad that 5. It took her almost a month ... 6. Benit Lecomte a. to make the Atlantic crossing. b. the crew couldnt see her in the water. c. because of the danger of sharks. d. because of strong winds and big waves. e. holds the record for the fastest crossing by a swimmer. f. because her son asked her to give up smoking.

4 Two-word phrases
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text.

1. extreme 2. racing 3. transatlantic 4. English 5. electro-magnetic 6. strong 7. business 8. physically

a. impossible b. winds c. Channel d. sports e. flight f. manager g. device h. driver

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 1 Elementary
5 Word building
Complete the table using words from the text. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. fly defend cross run achieve inspire response protection noun

6 Prepositions
Complete the sentences using these prepositions. for from to on across in

1. Benit Lecomte swam _______ the Atlantic in 1998. 2. He completed the swim _______ 73 days. 3. A cage protected him _______ sharks. 4. Strong winds and ten-metre waves caused problems _______ the boat and for Jennifers swimming. 5. Her business manager wrote an update _______ Facebook. 6. She had to make some changes _______ her plans.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Woman claims record Atlantic swim / Elementary

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. catamaran 2. turbulent 3. habit 4. cage 5. destination 6. route 7. crew 8. cast 9. update 10. endurance

Elementary

4 Two-word phrases
1. d 2. h 3. e 4. c 5. g 6. b 7. f 8. a

5 Word building
1. flight 2. defence 3. crossing 4. run 5. achievement 6. inspiration 7. respond 8. protect

2 Find the information


1. 56 2. nearly a month 3. 1,000 miles 4. 1926 5. 5 February 6. 73 days

3 Comprehension check
1. d 2. c 3. f 4. b 5. a 6. e

6 Prepositions
1. across 2. in 3. from 4. for 5. on 6. to

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Woman claims record Atlantic swim / Elementary

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. cast catamaran knot turbulent destination predator update head endurance accompany

1. __________________ is the ability to continue doing something physically difficult for a long time. 2. A __________________ is an animal that kills and eats other animals. 3. A __________________ is a hard cover used to protect a broken or injured part of the body. 4. If you give someone an __________________, you give them a report containing all the latest news or information. 5. If you are __________________ somewhere, you are travelling in a particular direction. 6. If you __________________ someone, you go with them to a place or an event. 7. __________________ air or water moves suddenly and violently in different directions. 8. A __________________ is a sailing boat that looks like two boats joined together. 9. A __________________ is a unit for measuring the speed of ships, aircraft and wind, equal to one nautical mile (1,852 metres) per hour. 10. Your __________________ is the place you are travelling to.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How far is it from Trinidad to the Bahamas? 2. Who was the first woman to swim the English Channel? 3. How far is it from Cape Cod in the USA to Brittany in France? 4. What is the record for swimming the Atlantic? 5. How far is it from Cape Verde to Trinidad? 6. How far did Jennifer Figge run in Mexico in 1995?

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 2

Intermediate
state of Iowa. Twenty years later, her son is a racing driver, and she has covered 3,000 miles on foot, and more than twenty sea crossings. On her list of achievements, she says she ran 180 miles across Mexico in 1995 including the final 60 miles with a plaster cast on her left leg. 5 She has said her latest challenge was inspired by a turbulent transatlantic flight and by Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926. Figge said she kept a picture of Ederle on board. We have a few things in common, she said. She wore a red hat and she was of German origin. We both talk to the sea, and neither of us wanted to get out of the water. For safety she made the journey inside a steel and plastic fibre cage attached to the back of a catamaran with a crew of engineers, a doctor, and a diver. There was an electro-magnetic device in the cage to repel predators. In the event, there were no sharks though among the marine life she did see were a group of pilot whales, turtles, dolphins, and Portuguese men-of-war. Figge intended to swim to the Bahamas, but on January 21 Higden posted an update: Winds of 25 knots and waves as high as 30 feet have wreaked havoc with their movements and Jennifers swimming. They are forced to follow a different route, in search of more favourable weather. The catamaran is heading south. She arrived at Chacachacare Island on 5 February. Basically [the storm] changed everything, Higden said yesterday. Like anyone who is trying to accomplish a goal, she had to make changes. Benit Lecomte of France holds the record for swimming the Atlantic in 73 days in 1998; he travelled the 3,716 miles from Cape Cod to Brittany himself, but was accompanied by a boat and did his swimming for six hours per day. He had no cage but a device with a 25ft electromagnetic field to protect him.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 09/02/09
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Woman, 56, claims record Atlantic swim


Month-long feat in shark tank towed by catamaran Storm blew extreme sport enthusiast way off course Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington Monday 9 February, 2009 1 An American aged 56 has been hailed as the first woman to swim the Atlantic, after swimming across thousands of miles of ocean while inside a six metre by four metre cage to protect her from sharks. Jennifer Figge, an endurance athlete from Aspen, Colorado, said she took nearly a month to make the crossing from the Cape Verde Islands to Trinidad, crossing 2,000 miles of ocean. 2 But her business manager admitted yesterday that some days the seas were so stormy Figge did not even manage to get into the water, remaining on board the catamaran which accompanied her long journey. She swam 19 of 24 days, said David Higden. It changed from an endurance swim to an extreme adventure swim. She didnt get into the water as much as she wanted, because the waves were so high. The weather was so bad the crew had trouble seeing her in the water. 3 Figge did not respond to requests for comment. In her defence, Higden said she had never planned to swim the entire distance. Nobody could swim across the Atlantic. Its physically impossible, he said. It would take years. The reply did not answer the question of how many nautical miles Figge had actually swum during her crossing. A week after she began, Higden announced on her Facebook page that storms forced her to change course. She landed at Trinidad, 1,000 miles from her planned destination, the Bahamas. 4 Figge first started doing endurance challenges in her 30s when her seven-year-old son asked her to give up smoking. Her new habit became extreme sports, starting with a run across the
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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Jennifer Figge swam the entire distance of 2,000 miles from Cape Verde to Trinidad. 2. Both Figge and Gertrude Ederle are of German origin. 3. Figges planned final destination was Trinidad. 4. Bad weather forced the catamaran to go further north. 5. Figges son asked her to start doing endurance challenges. 6. A cage protected Figge from predators. 7. Benit Lecomte also used a cage for protection. 8. Ederle was the first woman to swim the English Channel.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. The paragraph numbers will help you.

1. A verb meaning to say publicly how good or important something is. (para 1) 2. A noun meaning the people who work on a boat or a plane. (para 2) 3. An adjective meaning across the Atlantic. (para 5) 4. A verb meaning to keep something away or prevent it from entering somewhere. (para 6) 5. A three-word expression used for saying what happened, especially when it is different from what was expected. (para 6) 6. A verb meaning to put information on the Internet. (para 7) 7. A two-word expression meaning cause a lot of damage or harm. (para 7) 8. A noun meaning the way you use to go from one place to another. (para 7)

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Expressions with prepositions
Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. she ran 180 miles _______ Mexico 2. a six metre _______ four metre cage 3. _______ board the boat 4. attached _______ the back of the boat 5. in search _______ better weather 6. holds the record _______ swimming the Atlantic

6 Word building
Choose the correct form to complete the sentences. 1. Some days the seas were very storm / stormy. 2. Unfortunately, their question remained answered / unanswered. 3. The swim quickly turned into an endurance / enduring test. 4. Gertrude Ederle was the inspire / inspiration for Jennifer Figges swim. 5. It was Figges intention / intend to swim to the Bahamas. 6. They had to seek more favourable / favourite weather.

7 Discussion
Would you like to try something like this? Why? Why not?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Woman claims record Atlantic swim / Intermediate

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Woman claims record Atlantic swim


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. endurance 2. predator 3. cast 4. update 5. heading 6. accompany 7. turbulent 8. catamaran 9. knot 10. destination

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. hail 2. crew 3. transatlantic 4. repel 5. in the event 6. post 7. wreak havoc 8. route

5 Expressions with prepositions


1. across 2. by 3. on 4. to 5. of 6. for

2 Find the information


1. 1,000 miles 2. Gertrude Ederle 3. 3,716 miles 4. 73 days 5. 2,000 miles 6. 180 miles

6 Word building
1. stormy 2. unanswered 3. endurance 4. inspiration 5. intention 6. favourable

3 Comprehension check
1. F 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. F 6. T 7. F 8. T

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Woman claims record Atlantic swim / Intermediate

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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer: Brainstorm

1. What do you think of when you read milkman and drug dealer? In five minutes, write as many words as you can onto the word wheels.

milkman

drug dealer

2. Which of the phrases below describes a quantity of drugs, and which one describes a quantity of milk? a pint of gold top ___________ an eighth of hash ___________

Key words and synonyms

Find key words from the text that mean the following. The paragraph numbers will help you. 1. time that someone will have to spend in prison only if they commit another crime within a fixed period (subtitle) ___________________ 2. an electric delivery vehicle (para 1) ___________________ 3. a sticky substance from plants (para 2) ___________________ 4. hidden (para 3) ___________________ 5. admitted (para 6) ___________________ 6. aches and complaints (para 6) ___________________ 7. benefactor, Good Samaritan (para 7) ___________________ 8. extenuation, moderation, reduction, relief (para 8) ___________________ 9. mistaken, erroneous, wrong (para 8) ___________________ 10. doesnt drink alcohol (para 10) ___________________ 11. produced (para 14) ___________________ 12. obviously (para 16) ___________________ 13. excuse, forgive, over look, go along with (para 18) ___________________
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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 3 Advanced
philanthropist, but a drug dealer. Had he been a philanthropist, she said, he would have given it away. However, she had taken into consideration that his wife is suffering from Alzheimers and in a care home, and might not recognise him if he was jailed. 8 Philip Holden, in mitigation, told the court: From the outset there is a particularly peculiar set of circumstances, and it is a bizarre case. He said his client was acting in the misguided belief that he was providing a public service. He suffered from depression and had been extremely frank to police. Holding told the Guardian. I dont think what I was doing was that wrong. A couple of them have got multiple sclerosis (MS) and others have got arthritis. I was just giving them something to help. I have had letters of support from all over the country, including one from Scotland. I have had a lot of trouble with the papers and all the lies that have been published.

Pint of gold top and an eighth of hash milkman who also delivered drugs
Suspended sentence over sales to elderly customers 72-year-old said he did it to help their pain relief Helen Carter 6 February, 2009 1 To the casual observer, Robert Holding seemed a kindly milkman who was attentive to his elderly customers as he delivered their daily pints. To the less casual observer specifically, a surveillance team from Lancashire police Holding, 72, turned out to be a drug dealer who was supplying cannabis from his milk float to an elderly clientele. His customers, who smoked the resin to relieve their aches and pains, would leave notes with their empty milk bottles to say how much of the drug they required. His reputation as a drug dealer spread rapidly among 17 of his customers in Burnley, Lancashire. When detectives searched Holdings home last July they were astonished to find wraps of cannabis resin stashed among the eggs in his milk crates. Holding was given a 36-week jail sentence suspended for a year after he admitted possessing and supplying the drug. The prosecution said Holding would get through a 9oz (255g) bar of cannabis resin every three weeks in sales to his customers and would not make a great deal of profit. Sarah Statham, prosecuting, said: He said customers would leave notes saying, Can I have an ounce, or an eighth? He only sold to existing customers who were old and had aches and pains. The court heard Holding immediately confessed to supplying drugs but did not believe he was doing anything wrong. Judge Beverley Lunt said: You justify this by saying you are helping out elderly people with ailments. She said Holding was wrong in his belief that cannabis was not harmful and he was not a

10 Holding said his oldest customer had been 92 but was no longer with us. Although he is teetotal and does not smoke, he began dealing in cannabis after being horrified to hear how much one of his elderly customers was paying for the drug. 11 She had arthritis and her husband had MS and was in a wheelchair, he said. They wanted it for the pain relief but it was costing them a fortune. I would sell them an eighth of an ounce for 4.10. The street value is 9. 12 I had an old woman who I used to give a bit of cannabis to and she would put it under her tongue for the pain. He said he had never been tempted to try it. 13 Cannabis has been shown in studies to help ease pain from arthritis and other conditions but it was upgraded to class B last month after concerns by the government about mental health risks. 14 Acting on tip-offs from concerned residents, Lancashire police launched a discreet surveillance operation, tailing Holding as he completed his round in his milk float. A subsequent search of his home yielded 167g of cannabis.

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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 3 Advanced
but he is blatantly breaking the law and has to be dealt with. I would call him an eccentric. 17 A neighbour of Holdings said many residents were supportive of him. To be fair, he did know what he was doing was wrong but the people he supplied to all had medical problems, so it is said. Although he acts it, at the end of the day he is not a stupid bloke and he must have realised what he was doing was wrong. 18 The MS Society said it did not condone illegal drug use, although there are clinical trials under way about the benefits of cannabis.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 06/02/09

15 Local police beat manager John Fisher said: This was a good example of community policing after we received information from local residents that he was up to no good. The cannabis was wrapped and ready to go for the next days delivery. Whatever he delivered was left on the doorstep with the milk. 16 He added: However, there is a very serious side to this because at the end of the day he has broken the law supplying an illegal substance. It is certainly unusual in somebody so old. He probably thinks he is doing a community service

3 Comprehension check
Chose the correct answer according to the information in the article. 1. Mr Holdings crime was ... a. growing and dealing cannabis. b. smoking and supplying cannabis. c. possessing and supplying cannabis. 2. The cannabis resin was hidden ... a. in the milk bottles. b. in the milk crates. c. on the milk float. 3. Mr Holding ... a. knew what he was doing was very wrong. b. didnt know what he was doing was wrong. c. didnt realize how wrong what he was doing actually was. 4. Mr Holding made ... a. a small profit. b. a large profit. c. no profit at all. 5. His wife ... a. is 92 years old. b. doesnt live with him. c. has MS.

4 Language: Useful phrases


1. Find the common phrases in the text.

a. Para 8, 3 words: collection of facts ______________________ b. Para 10, 4 words: dead ______________________ c. Para 11, 3 words: be very expensive ______________________ d. Para 15, 4 words: doing something wrong or naughty ______________________ e. Para 16, 3 words: do something illegal ______________________ f. Paras 16 and 17, 6 words: finally, or when everything else has been taken into consideration ______________________ 2. One of these is said to be the most commonly used phrase in spoken English. Which one?
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The milkman who also delivered drugs / Advanced

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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 3 Advanced
5 Spoken grammar: would
Look at how the word would is used in paragraphs 2, 4, 5, 11 and 12. 1. Is it used: a. as a conditional? b. to refer to the past? c. to refer to the future? 2. What structure does it replace? a. will b. did c. used to

6 Interview and role play with web link


1. Write down questions that you would like to ask Mr Holding.

Why .............................................................. How .............................................................. Where ............................................................... Who .............................................................. What ............................................................... When ...............................................................

2. Now role play interview situations. Use a minimum of two of the following roles for each role play situation. A = A TV or newspaper reporter B = Mr Holding C = One of his elderly customers D = A concerned neighbour E = A local policeman 3. Then watch Mr Holding being interviewed as he leaves the court. What did he say? Were any of the reporters questions the same as yours? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8LtcRiEOxo&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU475iiYKtU

7 Discussion
Is it morally acceptable to do something illegal if it helps others?
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The milkman who also delivered drugs / Advanced

The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 3 Advanced KEY
2 Key words and synonyms
1. suspended sentence 2. milk float 3. resin 4. stashed 5. confessed 6. ailments 7. philanthropist 8. mitigation 9. misguided 10. teetotal 11. yielded 12. blatantly 13. condone

4 Language: Useful phrases


1. a. set of circumstances b. no longer with us c. cost a fortune d. up to no good e. break the law f. at the end of the day

2. at the end of the day

5 Spoken grammar: would


1. b 2. c

2 Comprehension check
1. c 2. 3. 4. 5. b c a b

Teachers notes
1/8 of an ounce is approximately 3.5 grams. 1 ounce is 28 grams. Use an online converter such as http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/weight to make and check further conversions.

For further (student-friendly) explanations on the use of would as a past form go to one of the many online grammar forums such as: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/ radio/specials/1837_aae/page6.shtml http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/usedtotext.htm http://www.proz.com/kudoz/english/ linguistics/1054769-used_to_would.html

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The milkman who also delivered drugs / Advanced

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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 1
1

Elementary

Warmer: Brainstorm

1. What do you think of when you read milkman and drug dealer? In five minutes, write as many words as you can onto the word wheels.

milkman

drug dealer

2. Which of the phrases below describes a quantity of drugs, and which one describes a quantity of milk? a pint of gold top ___________ an eighth of hash ___________

2 Key words and synonyms


Write in the key words from the text. The paragraph numbers will help you. prosecution milk float residents care home crate admitted suspended sentence community service teetotal

1. An electric delivery vehicle. __________________ (para 1) 2. A container that is divided into smaller individual sections and used for moving bottles. __________________ (para 3) 3. Time that someone will have to spend in prison - but only if they commit another crime. __________________ (para 3) 4. To freely say that he did the crime. __________________ (para 3) 5. The person in court who tries to prove that someone has done something illegal. __________________ (para 4) 6. A place for old people to live when they are unable to look after themselves, especially people who are old and ill. __________________ (para 7) 7. When you never drink alcohol, you are __________________. (para 9) 8. People who live in a particular or defined area. __________________ (para 12) 9. Work that helps the people in your area. __________________ (para 13)

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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 1 Elementary
8

Milkman who also delivered drugs


Helen Carter 6 February, 2009 1

Holding told the Guardian. I dont think what I was doing was that wrong. A couple of them have got multiple sclerosis (MS) and others have got arthritis. I was just giving them something to help. Holding said his oldest customer had been 92 but was no longer with us. Although he is teetotal and does not smoke, he began selling cannabis after being shocked to hear how much one of his elderly customers was paying for the drug. was in a wheelchair, he said. They wanted it for the pain relief but it was costing them a lot of money.

To most people, Robert Holding seemed a kindly milkman who looked after his elderly customers as he delivered their daily pints of milk. To the others specifically, the Lancashire police Holding, 72, was a drug dealer who was selling cannabis from his milk float to elderly customers. His customers, who smoked the drug to help their aches and pains, left notes with their empty milk bottles to say how much of the drug they needed. When detectives searched Holdings home last July they were surprised to find cannabis hidden next to the eggs in his milk crates. Holding was given a 36-week suspended sentence after he admitted to selling the drug. The prosecution said Holding sold a 9oz (255g) bar of cannabis every three weeks to his customers and would not make a great deal of profit. Sarah Statham, prosecuting, said: He said customers would leave notes saying, Can I have an ounce, or an eighth? He only sold to customers he knew and who were old and had aches and pains. The court heard Holding did not believe he was doing anything wrong. Judge Beverley Lunt said: You justify this by saying you are helping out elderly people. She said Holding was wrong in his belief that cannabis was not harmful. She said that he was a drug dealer. However, she said that his wife has Alzheimers and lives in a care home, and might not recognise him if he was sent to prison.

10 She had arthritis and her husband had MS and

11 I had an old woman who I used to give a bit

of cannabis to and she would put it under her tongue for the pain. He said he had never tried it. Cannabis has been shown in studies to help reduce pain from arthritis and other conditions. Holding, so they followed him as he delivered the milk. When they searched his home they found 167g of cannabis. very serious side to this because at the end of the day he has broken the law. It is certainly unusual in somebody so old. He probably thinks he is doing a community service but he is clearly breaking the law. did know what he was doing was wrong but the people he supplied to all had medical problems. At the end of the day he is not a stupid man and Im sure he knew what he was doing was wrong.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 06/02/2009

12 Worried residents told the police about

13 Local policeman John Fisher said, There is a

14 A neighbour of Holdings said, To be fair, he

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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the sentence halves to summarize the article. 1. Mr Holding did not 2. The judge gave him 3. He sold illegal drugs what he was doing was wrong. told the police that he was selling drugs. his customers who were old and in pain. have to go to prison. their morning milk. a 36-week suspended sentence. live with him anymore. to old people.

4. He delivered the drugs with 5. Mr Holding wanted to help 6. Mr Holding knew that 8. His wife is ill and cannot 7. Other people in the area

4 Language: A useful phrase


This is said to be the most commonly used phrase in spoken English. Write in the missing prepositions and then find it in the article. How is it used? What does it mean? Is there a similar phrase in your language? ________ the end ________ the day

5 Interview questions, role play, feedback and a web link


1. Write questions that a TV or newspaper reporter might want to ask Mr Holding.

Why .............................................................. How .............................................................. Where ............................................................... Who .............................................................. What ............................................................... When ...............................................................

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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 1 Elementary

2. Now work in pairs (A and B) and use your questions to role play an interview situation. A = A TV or newspaper reporter B = Mr Holding 3. Feed back to the rest of your class. Reporters tell the class about the answers you received. Students playing Mr Holding say how you felt when you were being interviewed. 4. Then watch Mr Holding being interviewed as he leaves the court. What did he say? Were any of the reporters questions the same as yours? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8LtcRiEOxo&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU475iiYKtU

6 Discussion: In my opinion ...


Is it ok to do something illegal if it helps others? The following phrases may help you say what you think: In my opinion ... I think its ok because ... I think its wrong because ... It depends (on) ...

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The milkman who also delivered drugs / Elementary

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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 1 Elementary KEY
2 Key words and synonyms
1. milk float 2. crate 3. suspended sentence 4. admitted 5. prosecution 6. care home 7. teetotal 8. residents 9. community service

4 Language: A useful phrase


at the end of the day used for saying what you consider is the most important thing about a situation after thinking about it

Teachers notes
1/8 of an ounce is approximately 3.5 grams. 1 ounce is 28 grams. Use an online converter such as http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/weight to make and check further conversions. Before watching the interview videos with the students, watch them yourself and make sure you can understand Mr Holding. You might want to write down some of his answers to have them ready in case the students dont understand him. If they find him difficult to understand, you could discuss why this is.

3 Comprehension check
1. Mr Holding did not have to go to prison. 2. The judge gave him a 36-week suspended sentence. 3. He sold illegal drugs to old people. 4. He delivered the drugs with their morning milk. 5. Mr Holding wanted to help his customers who were old and in pain. 6. Mr Holding knew that what he was doing was wrong. 7. Other people in the area told the police that he was selling drugs. 8. His wife is ill and cannot live with him anymore.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The milkman who also delivered drugs / Elementary

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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 1
1

Intermediate

Warmer: Brainstorm

1. In four minutes, write as many connected words as possible onto the word wheels.

milkman

drug dealer

2. Now read the title of the article. Can you find a connection between milkman and drug dealer?

2 Key words and synonyms


Write in the key words from the text. The paragraph numbers with help you. defending teetotal prosecuting ease casual observer confessed existing tip-off condone suspended sentence resin milk float

1. Time that someone will have to spend in prison - but only if they commit another crime. ________________ (subtitle) 2. Someone who is watching, but not very closely or carefully. ________________ (para 1) 3. An electric delivery vehicle. ________________ (para 1) 4. A sticky substance from plants. ________________ (para 2) 5. Trying to prove that someone has done something illegal. ________________ (para 5) 6. Not new, something or someone that was already there. ________________ (para 5) 7. Admitted to a crime. ________________ (para 6) 8. Representing someone who is said to have done something illegal. ________________ (para 8) 9. When you dont drink alcohol, you are ________________. (para 10) 10. To help relieve or make the pain less. ________________ (para 12) 11. A hint or warning. ________________ (para 13) 12. People who live in a particular or defined area. ________________ (para 13)

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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 1 Intermediate
and had been honest and open when talking to the police. 9 Holding told the Guardian. I dont think what I was doing was that wrong. A couple of them have got multiple sclerosis (MS) and others have got arthritis. I was just giving them something to help.

Pint of gold top and an eighth of hash milkman who also delivered drugs
Suspended sentence over sales to elderly customers 72-year-old said he did it to help their pain relief

Helen Carter 6 February, 2009 1 To the casual observer, Robert Holding seemed a kindly milkman who was attentive to his elderly customers as he delivered their daily pints. To the less casual observer specifically, a surveillance team from Lancashire police Holding, 72, was a drug dealer who was supplying cannabis from his milk float to elderly customers. 2 His customers, who smoked the resin to relieve their aches and pains, would leave notes with their empty milk bottles to say how much of the drug they needed. 3 When detectives searched Holdings home last July they were astonished to find wraps of cannabis resin hidden among the eggs in his milk crates. Holding was given a 36-week suspended sentence after he admitted possessing and supplying the drug. 4 The prosecution said Holding would get through a 9oz (255g) bar of cannabis resin every three weeks in sales to his customers and would not make a great deal of profit. 5 Sarah Statham, prosecuting, said: He said customers would leave notes saying, Can I have an ounce, or an eighth? He only sold to existing customers who were old and had aches and pains. 6 The court heard Holding immediately confessed to supplying drugs but did not believe he was doing anything wrong. Judge Beverley Lunt said: You justify this by saying you are helping out elderly people. 7 She said Holding was wrong in his belief that cannabis was not harmful and that he was a drug dealer. However, she had taken into consideration that his wife is suffering from Alzheimers and in a care home, and might not recognise him if he was sent to prison. 8 Philip Holden, defending, said: From the beginning there is a particularly peculiar set of circumstances, and it is a bizarre case. He said Mr Holding wrongly thought that he was providing a public service. He suffered from depression
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The milkman who delivered drugs / Intermediate

10 Holding said his oldest customer had been 92 but was no longer with us. Although he is teetotal and does not smoke, he began dealing in cannabis after being shocked to hear how much one of his elderly customers was paying for the drug. 11 She had arthritis and her husband had MS and was in a wheelchair, he said. They wanted it for the pain relief but it was costing them a fortune. I would sell them an eighth of an ounce for 4.10. 12 I had an old woman who I used to give a bit of cannabis to and she would put it under her tongue for the pain. He said he had never tried it. Cannabis has been shown in studies to help ease pain from arthritis and other conditions but the British government upgraded it to a class B drug last month. 13 Acting on tip-offs from concerned residents, Lancashire police followed Holding as he completed his round in his milk float. A search of his home found 167g of cannabis. 14 Local policeman John Fisher said: This was a good example of community policing after we received information from local residents that he was up to no good. The cannabis was prepared for the next days delivery. Whatever he delivered was left on the doorstep with the milk. 15 He added: However, there is a very serious side to this because at the end of the day he has broken the law. It is certainly unusual in somebody so old. He probably thinks he is doing a community service but he is clearly breaking the law. 16 A neighbour of Holdings said, To be fair, he did know what he was doing was wrong but the people he supplied to all had medical problems. Although he acts it, at the end of the day he is not a stupid man and he must have realised what he was doing was wrong.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 06/02/09

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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 1 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are the sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the information in the article? Correct any sentences that are false. 1. Mr Holding was sent to prison for 36 weeks. 2. His crime was possessing and supplying illegal drugs. 3. The cannabis resin was hidden in the milk bottles. 4. Mr Holding wanted to help his customers who were old and in pain. 5. Mr Holding didnt know that what he was doing was wrong. 6. Mr Holding didnt make any money from selling the cannabis. 7. Other people in the area told the police that he was selling drugs. 8. His wife doesnt live with him anymore.

4 Language: Useful phrases


1. Find the common phrases in the text that mean the following. a. Para 7, 3 words: keep something in mind when making a decision ___________________________ b. Para 10, 4 words: dead ___________________________ c. Para 11, 3 words: be very expensive ___________________________ d. Para 15, 3 words: do something illegal ___________________________ e. Para 15 and 16, 6 words: finally, or when everything else has been taken into consideration ___________________________ 2. One of these is said to be the most commonly used phrase in spoken English. Which one?

5 Spoken grammar: would


Look at how the word would is used in paragraphs 2, 4, 5, 11 and 12. 1. Is it used: a) as a conditional? b) to talk about the past? c) to talk about the future? 2. What means the same? a) will b) did c) used to
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The milkman who delivered drugs / Intermediate

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The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 1 Intermediate
6 Interview and role play with web link
1. Write down questions that you would like to ask Mr Holding.

Why .............................................................. How .............................................................. Where ............................................................... Who .............................................................. What ............................................................... When ...............................................................

2. Now role play interview situations. Use a minimum of two of the following roles for each role play situation. A = A TV or newspaper reporter B = Mr Holding C = One of his elderly customers D = A concerned neighbour E = A local policeman 3. Then watch Mr Holding being interviewed as he leaves the court. What did he say? Were any of the reporters questions the same as yours? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8LtcRiEOxo&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU475iiYKtU

7 Discussion
Is it ok to do something illegal if it helps others?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The milkman who delivered drugs / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The milkman who also delivered drugs


Level 1 Intermediate KEY
2 Key words and synonyms
1. suspended sentence 2. casual observer 3. milk float 4. resin 5. prosecuting 6. existing 7. confessed 8. defending 9. teetotal 10. ease 11. tip-off 12. residents

4 Language: Useful phrases


1. a. take into consideration b. no longer with us c. cost a fortune d. break the law e. at the end of the day 2. at the end of the day

5 Spoken grammar: would


1. b 2. c

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. F T F T F F T T

Teachers notes
1/8 of an ounce is approximately 3.5 grams. 1 ounce is 28 grams. Use an online converter such as http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/weight to make and check further conversions. For further (student-friendly) explanations on the use of would as a past form, go to one of the many online grammar forums such as: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish radio/specials/1837_aae/page6.shtml http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/usedtotext.htm http://www.proz.com/kudoz/english/ linguistics/1054769-used_to_would.html

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The milkman who delivered drugs / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. preconception podium symposium flagship ensemble panache heritage dearth elite virtuosity

1. An ___________________ is a group of musicians who perform together. 2. The ___________________ of a particular country consists of the art, buildings, traditions and beliefs that it considers important to its history and culture. 3. The ___________________ is the place where the conductor of an orchestra stands. 4. ___________________ is an impressive way of doing something that shows both great skill and confidence. 5. A ___________________ is an idea or opinion you have about something that you form before you have any information about it or experience of it. 6. A ___________________ is a chronic lack of something. 7. An ___________________ is a small group of people who have a lot of power. 8. ___________________ is a high level of skill, especially in playing music. 9. If something is described as a ___________________, it is the biggest, best or most important thing in a group. 10. A ___________________ is a meeting where experts discuss a particular subject.

Find the information

Find the answers to these questions in the article. 1. How much will tickets for the concert by the Simn Bolvar Brass Ensemble cost? 2. How many musicians are there in the National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela? 3. What is the age range of the members of the orchestra? 4. Why was the Sistema set up? 5. How many children are involved in the Sistema? 6. How many hours do they study each day?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Advanced

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Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1 Advanced
well known in its own right and praised for its unbelievable panache and astonishing virtuosity by Tim Ashley in the Guardian. A family concert on 17 April will be introduced by Dudamel. The orchestra will perform classical works as well as Venezuelan favourites. Some of the younger conductors following in Dudamels footsteps will take to the podium. 5 There will also be a series of symposiums. The first will involve a chance to hear Dudamel, members of the orchestra and maestro Jos Antonio Abreu talk about their work. Abreu is the visionary founder of the Sistema, the radical music education-cum-social project from which the orchestra springs. Other talks will look at the efforts being made to set up similar education projects in the UK, including Sistema Scotland, a pilot project in Raploch, near Stirling. The Sistema was set up in 1975 by Abreu partly as a response to the dearth of Venezuelan classical musicians. It was also from the beginning a social project using music as its means stemming from Abreus belief that every child, however poor, should have the opportunity to punch out of the poverty cycle. About 250,000 children are now involved in the Sistema. They study from 2pm to 6pm every day, with work focused on the idea of the orchestra rather than the individual. As soon as they are able, older children are encouraged to help mentor younger students or to conduct ensembles. Abreu told the Guardian in 2006: The philosophy of el Sistema shows that the vicious circle of poverty can be broken when a child poor in material possessions acquires spiritual wealth through music. Our ideal is of a country in which art is within the reach of every citizen so that we can no longer talk about art being the property of the elite, but the heritage of the people.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 27/02/09

Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Simn Bolvar Orchestra to take Southbank residence Events will sweep aside views on classical music Charlotte Higgins, chief arts writer February 27, 2009 1 They have been feted as leading the way towards a new, exciting, impassioned future for classical music; they have brought tears and cheers wherever they have performed. And this spring, the flagship orchestra of what the conductor Sir Simon Rattle has called the most important phenomenon in music today is to take up residence at the Southbank Centre in London. 2 The orchestra is the Simn Bolvar National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. For five days in April it will, according to Marshall Marcus, the centres head of music, seep like a liquid through every space in the Royal Festival Hall. They will sweep aside every preconception people have about classical music, he said. Anyone who ever thought classical music was not for them this is the one thing they should see. They demonstrate what weve perhaps been missing in Europe musicians performing out of a sheer, unbridled desire to live the music. 3 The orchestra of 200 18- to 25-year-olds had already announced a pair of concerts under its dynamic music director, Gustavo Dudamel, 28, who is also music director designate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The concerts sold out immediately but now the Southbank has unveiled a number of free and low-priced events throughout the residency. The main concerts, which feature works by Stravinsky, Bartk and Tchaikovsky as well as works by Latin American composers such as Revueltas, will also be relayed free in the Festival Hall. 4 The extra events will include an evening of Latin jazz and fusion featuring members of the orchestra. There will be a free concert by the 50-strong Simn Bolvar Brass Ensemble

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. What best describes the Sistema project? a. It is a music project. b. It is an education, music and social project. c. It is a social project that focuses on music education. a. It will play works by Latin American composers. b. It will play with passion and enthusiasm. c. It will use unusual instruments. a. The work of the orchestra and plans to set up similar schemes in the UK. b. Venezuelan classical music. c. How the Sistema was founded. a. To allow poor children to play music. b. To make art accessible to all the people of the country. c. To prevent the elite from attending concerts.

2. How will the orchestra destroy preconceptions that people have about classical music?

3. What will be discussed in the series of symposiums?

4. What, according to Abreu, is the philosophy of the Sistema?

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A three-word expression meaning to start to work in an institution as an artist. (para 1) 2. A verb meaning to flow into or out of something through very small holes. (para 2) 3. A phrasal verb meaning to destroy. (para 2) 4. An adjective meaning free and uncontrolled. (para 2) 5. An adjective (used after a noun) that means chosen for a particular job but not yet officially doing that job. (para 3) 6. A two-word expression meaning a piece of work done in only one place or with a few people in order to find out if something will be successful or popular. (para 5) 7. A two-word expression meaning a process in which the existence of a problem causes other problems and this makes the original problem worse. (para 7)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Advanced

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Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1 Advanced
5 Synonyms
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with their near synonyms in the right-hand column. 1. unveil 2. fete 3. relay 4. demonstrate 5. set up 6. break out 7. mentor 8. acquire a. teach b. show c. escape from d. praise e. gain f. announce g. establish h. transmit

6 Words followed by prepositions


Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. focus __________ 2. dearth __________ 3. response __________ 4. involved __________ 5. within the reach __________ 6. preconception __________

7 Discussion
If you could play a musical instrument, what instrument would you play and why? If you can already play an instrument, what other instrument would you like to play and why?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Advanced

Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. ensemble 2. heritage 3. podium 4. panache 5. preconception 6. dearth 7. elite 8. virtuosity 9. flagship 10. symposium

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. take up residence 2. seep 3. sweep aside 4. unbridled 5. designate 6. pilot project 7. vicious circle

5 Synonyms
1. f 2. d 3. h 4. b 5. g 6. c 7. a 8. e

2 Find the information


1. nothing (they are free) 2. 200 3. 18 to 25 4. as a response to the lack of classical musicians in Venezuela 5. 250,000 6. 4

6 Words followed by prepositions


1. on 2. of 3. to 4. in 5. of 6. about

3 Comprehension check
1. c 2. b 3. a 4. b

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. symposium composer fusion conduct phenomenon low-priced ensemble radical elite shortage

1. A ______________________ is something that is very impressive or surprising. 2. An ______________________ is a group of musicians who perform together. 3. An ______________________ is a small group of people who have a lot of power. 4. If something is ______________________, it doesnt cost very much. 5. If something is ______________________, it is new and very different from the past. 6. A ______________________ is someone who writes music, especially classical music. 7. ______________________ is a type of modern music that is a mixture of different styles. 8. If you ______________________ an orchestra, you stand in front of them and direct the way they play. 9. A ______________________ is a lack of something you need. 10. A ______________________ is a meeting where experts discuss a particular subject.

Find the information

Find the answers to these questions in the article. 1. Where is the Simn Bolvar National Youth Orchestra from? 2. How many musicians are there in the orchestra? 3. How old are the members of the orchestra? 4. When did the Sistema started? 5. How many children are involved in the Sistema?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Elementary

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Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1 Elementary
of 50 musicians who play with unbelievable confidence, skill and enthusiasm. Dudamel will also introduce a family concert on April 17. The orchestra will perform classical works as well as Venezuelan favourites. 5 There will also be a series of symposiums. The first will involve a chance to hear Dudamel, members of the orchestra and leading musician Jos Antonio Abreu talk about their work. Abreu is the founder of the Sistema, the radical music education and social project which produced the orchestra. Other talks will look at the possibility of introducing similar education projects in the UK. The Sistema was started in 1975 by Abreu partly as a response to the shortage of classical musicians in Venezuela. It was also from the beginning a social project using music to try to give every child, including those from the poorest families, the opportunity to break out of the poverty cycle. About 250,000 children are now involved in the Sistema. They study from 2pm to 6pm every day, with work focused on the idea of the orchestra rather than the individual. As soon as they are able to, older children teach younger students or conduct groups of musicians themselves. Abreu said in 2006: The philosophy of el Sistema shows children from poor families can become spiritually rich through music. We want a country in which art is open to all citizens so that we can no longer say that art is the property of the elite, but that it belongs to the people.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 27/02/09

Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Simn Bolvar Orchestra to take Southbank residence Events will completely change views on classical music Charlotte Higgins, chief arts writer February 27, 2009 1 People have described them as the new, exciting future of classical music; they have brought tears and cheers everywhere they have performed. And this spring, the leading orchestra in what some people are calling the most important phenomenon in music today will be performing at the Southbank Centre in London. 2 The orchestra is the Simn Bolvar National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. For five days in April it will perform at the Royal Festival Hall. They will question all the traditional ideas people have about classical music, said the director of music at the Southbank Centre. Anyone who thinks that classical music is not for them this is the one thing they should see. They demonstrate what weve perhaps been missing in Europe musicians performing out of a total enthusiasm for the music. 3 The orchestra of 200 18- to 25-year-olds had already announced a pair of concerts under its dynamic music director, Gustavo Dudamel, 28, who will also soon become the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The concerts sold out immediately but now the Southbank has announced a further series of free and low-priced events. In the main concerts the orchestra will play music by Stravinsky, Bartk and Tchaikovsky as well as works by Latin American composers such as Revueltas. 4 The extra events will include an evening of Latin jazz and fusion featuring members of the orchestra. There will also be a free concert by Simn Bolvar Brass Ensemble a group 7

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Elementary

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Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. The musicians of the Brass Ensemble 2. People have described the National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela 3. People who think classical music is not for them 4. Some people are planning 5. The Sistema gives 6. The philosophy of the Sistema is a. to make art open to all citizens. b. to introduce similar projects in the UK. c. perform with confidence, skill and enthusiasm. d. should go and see the National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela perform. e. children from the poorest families the chance to break out of the poverty cycle. f. as the new, exciting future of classical music.

4 Expressions with prepositions


Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. traditional ideas ___________ classical music classical music is not ___________ them a series ___________ symposiums a response ___________ the shortage a shortage ___________ musicians involved ___________ the project open ___________ everyone focus ___________ an idea

5 Word building
Complete the table using words from the text.

adjective
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. poor enthusiastic skilful confident phenomenal short

noun

6 Numbers and dates


Complete the expressions. Check your answers in the text. 1. __________ five days __________ April 2. two hundred 18- __________ 25-year-olds 3. __________ April 17
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Elementary

4. __________ 1975 5. __________ 2pm __________ 6pm each day


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Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. phenomenon ensemble elite low-priced radical composer fusion conduct shortage symposium

Elementary

4 Expressions with prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. about for of to of in to on

5 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. poverty enthusiasm skill confidence phenomenon shortage

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Venezuela 200 18 to 25 1975 250,000

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c f d b e a

6 Numbers and dates


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. for / in to on in from / to

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. symposium composer fusion panache ensemble maestro heritage conductor elite virtuosity

1. ________________________ is a high level of skill, especially in playing music. 2. _______________________ is an impressive way of doing something that shows both great skill and confidence. 3. ________________________ is a type of modern music that is a mixture of different styles. 4. A ________________________ is a meeting where experts discuss a particular subject. 5. A ________________________ is someone who writes music, especially classical music. 6. A ________________________ is a musician who is admired and respected a lot, particularly by the members of an orchestra. 7. An ________________________ is a group of musicians who perform together. 8. A ________________________ is someone who directs the members of an orchestra. 9. The ________________________ of a particular country consists of the art, buildings, traditions and beliefs that it considers important to its history and culture. 10. An ________________________ is a small group of people who have a lot of power.

Find the information

Find the answers to these questions in the article. 1. Where is the Simn Bolvar National Youth Orchestra from? 2. How many musicians are there in the orchestra? 3. What is the age range of the members of the orchestra? 4. When was the Sistema set up? 5. How many children are involved in the Sistema?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1 Intermediate
well known in its own right and praised for its unbelievable panache and astonishing virtuosity. A family concert on 17 April will be introduced by Dudamel. The orchestra will perform classical works as well as Venezuelan favourites. 5 There will also be a series of symposiums. The first will involve a chance to hear Dudamel, members of the orchestra and maestro Jos Antonio Abreu talk about their work. Abreu is the founder of the Sistema, the radical music education and social project from which the orchestra came. Other talks will look at the efforts being made to set up similar education projects in the UK, including Sistema Scotland, a pilot project in Raploch, near Stirling. The Sistema was set up in 1975 by Abreu partly as a response to the shortage of classical musicians in Venezuela. It was also from the beginning a social project using music as its means based on Abreus belief that every child, however poor, should have the opportunity to break out of the poverty cycle. About 250,000 children are now involved in the Sistema. They study from 2pm to 6pm every day, with work focused on the idea of the orchestra rather than the individual. As soon as they are able to, older children are encouraged to help teach younger students or to conduct ensembles. Abreu said in 2006: The philosophy of el Sistema shows that the vicious circle of poverty can be broken when a child poor in material possessions acquires spiritual wealth through music. Our ideal is of a country in which art is within the reach of every citizen so that we can no longer talk about art being the property of the elite, but the heritage of the people.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 27/02/09

Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Simn Bolvar Orchestra to take Southbank residence Events will sweep aside views on classical music Charlotte Higgins, chief arts writer February 27, 2009 1 They have been described as leading the way towards a new, exciting future for classical music; they have brought tears and cheers wherever they have performed. And this spring, the leading orchestra in what has been called the most important phenomenon in music today will be performing at the Southbank Centre in London. 2 The orchestra is the Simn Bolvar National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. For five days in April it will, according to Marshall Marcus, the centres head of music, fill every space in the Royal Festival Hall. They will question all the traditional ideas people have about classical music, he said. Anyone who ever thought classical music was not for them - this is the one thing they should see. They demonstrate what weve perhaps been missing in Europe musicians performing out of a total unbridled desire to live the music. 3 The orchestra of 200 18- to 25-year-olds had already announced a pair of concerts under its dynamic music director, Gustavo Dudamel, 28, who is also music director designate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The concerts sold out immediately but now the Southbank has announced a further series of free and low-priced events. The main concerts, which feature works by Stravinsky, Bartk and Tchaikovsky as well as works by Latin American composers such as Revueltas, will also be relayed free in the Festival Hall. 4 The extra events will include an evening of Latin jazz and fusion featuring members of the orchestra. There will be a free concert by the 50-strong Simn Bolvar Brass Ensemble

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. The National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela perform classical music in a traditional way. 2. The Sistema is a music education and social project. 3. The Sistema helps young people to break out of the poverty cycle. 4. In the Sistema the individual is more important than the orchestra. 5. Abreu wants to bring art to ordinary people. 6. The orchestra only performs Venezuelan music.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. An adjective meaning free and uncontrolled. (para 2) 2. An adjective (used after a noun) that means chosen for a particular job but not yet officially doing that job. (para 3) 3. A verb meaning to transmit or broadcast. (para 3) 4. A four-word expression meaning as a result of their own ability. (para 4) 5. An adjective meaning very surprising. (para 4) 6. A two-word expression meaning a piece of work done in only one place or with a few people in order to find out if something will be successful or popular. (para 5) 7. A two-word expression meaning a process in which the existence of a problem causes other problems and this makes the original problem worse. (para 7) 8. A four-word expression meaning available or accessible to people. (para 7)

5 Expressions with prepositions


Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. classical music is not __________ me 2. music director __________ the LA Philharmonic 3. praised __________ its panache and virtuosity 4. a series __________ symposiums 5. a response __________ the shortage 6. a shortage __________ musicians 7. involved __________ the project 8. focus __________ an idea

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1 Intermediate
6 Word building
Complete the table.
verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. perform announce respond believe encourage possess noun

6 Discussion
What kind of music do you like? Do you enjoy classical music? Why? Why not?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2006 Title text here

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. virtuosity panache fusion symposium composer maestro ensemble conductor heritage elite

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. unbridled designate relay in its (their) own right astonishing pilot project vicious circle within the reach of

5 Expressions with prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. for of for of to of in on

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Venezuela 200 18 to 25 1975 250,000

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F T T F T F

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. performance announcement response belief encouragement possession

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Venezuelas vibrant young music stars to wow London / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer: A five-minute discussion

Have you been to any art galleries or museums recently? Are there any special exhibitions on in your town or country at the moment?

Key words

Fill the gaps with these words from the article. honorary late plunder razed bidder loot rankles merely artefact relics coarsely figure

1. An ___________________ is an object that was made a long time ago and is historically important. 2. A ___________________ is someone who tries to buy something at an auction. 3. An adjective used before noun when talking about someone who has died, especially recently: ___________________. 4. A verb meaning to steal things from houses or shops during a war or after a disaster such as a fire or flood: ___________________. 5. Another verb meaning to take valuable things from a place using force, sometimes causing a lot of damage: ___________________. 6. ___________________ is an adjective used to emphasize that something is small or unimportant; a synonym of simply. 7. ___________________ are objects that have been kept from the past. 8. When a building or town has been completely destroyed, we can say it has been ___________________. 9. When something ___________________ you, it upsets or annoys you for a long time. 10. An ___________________ job is one you do without getting paid for it. 11. ___________________ is used here to mean be able to know or work something out. 12. The opposite of finely: ___________________.

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 3 Advanced
7 Wang Weiming, one of the heads of Chinas Lost Cultural Relics Recovery Programme the foundation which Cai advises said she was not sure if or when the bronzes would return to China. These national treasures are probably still in France, Wang said. Well have to see how the situation develops. The rabbit and rat heads were part of an elaborate fountain which stood in the Yuanmingyuan, the imperial summer residence, until it was razed and looted by French and British troops in 1860. The destruction of the Old Summer Palace still rankles and Pierre Berg Saint Laurents partner and co-owner of a vast art collection further upset Chinese patriots when he offered to return the relics without charge if China would give the Tibetans back their freedom.

Chinese bidder refuses to pay for Yves Saint Laurent-owned artefacts


Art collector says bidding for treasures belonging to late fashion designer was act of patriotism Tania Branigan in Beijing March 2, 2009 1 A Chinese bidder who bought two sculptures owned by the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent at a controversial auction has said he will not pay for the treasures, which were looted from a Beijing palace during the opium wars. 2 The relics were sold in Paris last week, to the anger of many in China. The telephone bidder paid 31m (27m) for the two bronze sculptures. 3 The Chinese government warned that the sale would affect auctioneer Christies development in China, and even the action movie star Jackie Chan described the auction as shameful. While a French court ruled that the auction was legal, Beijing argued that the sculptures should be returned to China. 4 Today, the argument took a fresh twist as Cai Mingchao, an adviser to a Chinese foundation which seeks to retrieve plundered treasures, told a news conference that he was the collector who won the auction. 5 What I need to stress is that this money cannot be paid, he added, describing his bid as a patriotic act. I think any Chinese person would have stood up at that moment. It was just that the opportunity came to me. I was merely fulfilling my responsibilities. 6 Christies had no immediate comment and could not confirm Cai as the bidder, the spokeswoman Yvonne So told the Associated Press. She said that if a bidder couldnt or wouldnt pay, Christies usually worked with the buyer and vendor to find a solution. The auction house said the legal ownership of the pieces had been clearly confirmed, a view upheld by French courts.

10 One Chinese expert said the objects were overpriced. Luo Zhewen, the honorary chairman of the Cultural Artefact Association, told Shanghais Oriental Morning Post that the two heads were worth less than 1m Yuan (103,000). More than that, and the buyer should figure that hes been cheated. 11 He claimed their real value was as criminal evidence of the destruction of the palace, saying that they were coarsely made compared with other imperial artefacts. These days, they can be easily manufactured at small factories in Beijing or Guangzhou, he said. 12 Five of the other fountain heads have been bought by Chinese business figures and repatriated, while experts fear the other five may have been destroyed. Christies three-day sale of Saint Laurents art collection earned a total of more than 373m.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 02/03/09

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article. 1. When did the Opium wars take place? a. In the early-nineteenth century. b. In the mid-nineteenth century. c. In the mid-eighteenth century. 2. What were the bronze sculptures a part of? a. A temple. b. A throne. c. A fountain. 3. How many heads were on the complete sculpture? a. 2 b. 10 c. 12 4. Under what conditions did YSLs partner offer to return the bronzes to China for free? a. If China allows freedom in Tibet. b. Only if all the other bronze heads are returned. c. Only if China returns stolen French paintings. 5. How much did a Chinese artefact expert say the bronzes were worth? a. 373m b. 1m Yuan (118,000) c. 31m

4 Role play: A solution-finding meeting


In the article, Yvonne So said that Christies usually works with the buyer and vendor to find a solution. Below is a similar (imaginary) situation in which a valuable artefact has been auctioned. Divide these role cards up among groups of four to six students. Take a few minutes to each prepare what you want to say and then have a meeting. Your objective is to find a solution that is acceptable to the majority of the people at the meeting. The auction house representative should chair the meeting.

1. auction house representative You are the Chair of the meeting. You need to make sure that there is a satisfactory solution to the problem and that your auction house doesnt lose money or its good reputation. 4. curator of a museum You believe that artefacts such as these should be kept in a museum for everybody to see. Also you know that the artefacts are safest in your museum as they would be kept in conditions that will ensure their preservation.

2. private collector You were the highest bidder at the auction. You believe you are now the rightful owner of the artefact. You plan to keep the artefact in your private collection which is not open to the public. 5. vendor / seller The artefact has been in your family for many years and you see it as a family heirloom. Unfortunately you are now forced to sell it so that you can finance repairs to your stately home.

3. adviser to the government The artefact originally came from your country and you think it should be returned for free. It was taken from a tomb by foreign archaeologists. It is rumoured that many slaves died whilst building the tomb. 6. another role / wild card This is a wild card. You can bring in a further point of view using this role card. Who are you? What is your opinion?

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 3 Advanced
5 Discussion
Have you ever placed a bid in an auction? What type of auction was it? What did you bid for? Did you win the auction?

6 Webquest
What can you find out about other artefacts from around the world that have been removed from their countries of origin and whose governments are demanding their return? For example: The Elgin Marbles (or Parthenon Marbles) The bust of Queen Nefertiti Inca relics from Machu Picchu Antique Khmer sculptures

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 3 KEY
2 Key words
1. artefact 2. bidder 3. late 4. loot 5. plunder 6. merely 7. relics 8. razed 9. rankles 10. honorary 11. figure 12. coarsely

Advanced

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. b c c a b

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 1
1

Elementary

Warmer: A five-minute discussion

Have you been to any art galleries or museums recently? Are there any special exhibitions on in your town or country at the moment?

Key words

Fill the gaps with these words from the article. The paragraph numbers will help you. foundation bidder sculpture retrieve destroyed worth elaborate artefact late legal overpriced patriotic

1. A _________________ is someone who tries to buy something at an auction. (title) 2. An _________________ is an object that was made a long time ago and is historically important. (title) 3. A _________________ is a work of art made from stone, metal or wood. (para 1) 4. An adjective used before noun when talking about someone who has died, especially recently: _________________. (para 1) 5. When something is allowed by law, it is _________________. (para 3) 6. A _________________ is an organization that provides money for things. (para 4) 7. When you _________________ something, you find it and bring it back. (para 4) 8. A _________________ act is one done out of love, respect and duty towards your country. (para 5) 9. _________________ is an adjective we use to talk about something that has a lot of extra details or features that make it special. (para 7) 10. When something has been _________________, it is so badly damaged that there is nothing left. (para 7) 11. When something is far too expensive we can say it is _________________. (para 9) 12. When you say how much something is _________________, you give its value in money. (para 9)

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 1 Elementary
troops in 1860. At the same time many treasures were stolen. 8 The destruction of the Old Summer Palace still makes many people angry. Pierre Berg Yves Saint Laurents partner and co-owner of a huge art collection upset Chinese patriots when he offered to return the sculptures for free if China would give the Tibetans back their freedom. One Chinese expert said the sculptures were overpriced. He said that the two bronze heads were worth less than 1m Yuan (103,000). More than that and the buyer has paid too much.

Chinese bidder refuses to pay for Yves Saint Laurent-owned artefacts


Art collector says bidding for treasures belonging to late fashion designer was patriotic Tania Branigan in Beijing March 2, 2009 1 A Chinese bidder who bought two sculptures at an auction has said he will not pay for the treasures, which were taken from a Beijing palace during the opium wars. The sculptures were owned by the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. 2 Many people in China were angry that the sculptures were sold in Paris last week. The telephone bidder paid 31m (27m) for the two bronze sculptures. 3 Even though a French court said that the auction was legal, the Chinese government in Beijing said that the sculptures should be returned to China. 4 However, then Cai Mingchao, an adviser to a Chinese foundation which tries to retrieve stolen treasures, told a news conference that he was the collector who won the auction. 5 This money cannot be paid, he said, and described his bid as a patriotic act. I think any Chinese person would have done the same thing. 6 The auction house, Christies, had no immediate comment and could not confirm Cai as the bidder. A spokeswoman said that if a bidder couldnt or wouldnt pay, Christies usually worked with the buyer and seller to find a solution. The auction house and the French courts said the legal ownership of the sculptures had been clearly confirmed. 7 The bronze rabbit and rat heads were part of an elaborate fountain which stood in the Yuanmingyuan, the imperial summer residence, until it was destroyed by French and British

10 Five of the other heads from the fountain have been bought by Chinese business people and returned to China. Experts fear the other five may have been destroyed. Christies three-day sale of Saint Laurents art collection made a total of more than 373m.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 02/03/09

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 1 Elementary
3 Find the information
Answer these questions with information from the article 1. Where did the auction take place? 2. What are the sculptures of? 3. What are they made of? 4. Where did the sculptures come from? 5. Who stole the sculptures in 1860? 6. Which French fashion designer owned the sculptures? 7. What was the nationality of the man who won the auction? 8. Was he at the auction?

4 Language: Reporting
Which of these sentences are in the simple past, and which are in the past passive simple? 1. The sculptures were owned by the late fashion designer. 2. Many people in China were angry. 3. He described his bid as a patriotic act. 4. It was destroyed by French and British troops. 5. Many treasures were stolen. 6. Christies three-day sale made more than 373m. Say why these tenses were used for these sentences.

5 Discussion
Have you ever bought anything in an auction? Did you go to the auction house or was it an online auction?

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 1 Elementary
6 Webquest
Search the Internet to complete the table with information about other artefacts from around the world.

artefacts The Elgin Marbles (or Parthenon Marbles)

Where are they now?

Where did they come from?

The bust of Queen Nefertiti

Inca relics from Machu Picchu

Antique Khmer sculptures

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts / Elementary

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 1 KEY
2 Key words
1. bidder 2. artefact 3. sculpture 4. late 5. legal 6. foundation 7. retrieve 8. patriotic 9. elaborate 10. destroyed 11. overpriced 12. worth

Elementary

3 Find the information


1. Paris, France 2. a rat head and a rabbit head 3. bronze 4. The Yuanmingyuan, a Chinese summer palace 5. British and French troops 6. Yves Saint Laurent 7. Chinese 8. no (he bid by phone)

4 Language: Reporting
1. past passive simple 2. simple past 3. simple past 4. past passive simple 5. past passive simple 6. simple past

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer: A five-minute discussion

Have you been to any art galleries or museums recently? Are there any special exhibitions on in your town or country at the moment?

Key words

Fill the gaps with these words from the article. The paragraph numbers will help you. foundation bidder repatriated looted controversial artefact coarsely relics late patriotic

1. A ____________________ is someone who tries to buy something at an auction. (title) 2. An ____________________ is an object that was made a long time ago and is historically important. (title) 3. An adjective used before a noun when talking about someone who has died, especially recently: ____________________. (para 1) 4. A ____________________ subject, opinion or decision is one that people disagree about or do not approve of. (para 1) 5. A verb meaning to steal things from houses or shops during a war or after a disaster such as a fire or flood: ____________________. (para 1, past tense) 6. ____________________ are objects that have been kept from the past. (para 2) 7. A ____________________ is an organization that provides money for things. (para 4) 8. A ____________________ act is one done out of love, respect and duty towards your country. (para 5) 9. The opposite of finely is ____________________. (para 11) 10. When something has been ____________________ it has been returned to its own country. (para 12)

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 2 Intermediate
7 Wang Weiming, one of the heads of Chinas Lost Cultural Relics Recovery Programme the foundation which Cai advises said she was not sure if or when the bronzes would return to China. These national treasures are probably still in France, Wang said. Well have to see how the situation develops. The rabbit and rat heads were part of an elaborate fountain which stood in the Yuanmingyuan, the imperial summer residence, until it was destroyed and looted by French and British troops in 1860. The destruction of the Old Summer Palace still annoys many people. Pierre Berg Yves Saint Laurents partner and co-owner of a huge art collection further upset Chinese patriots when he offered to return the relics without charge if China would give the Tibetans back their freedom.

Chinese bidder refuses to pay for Yves Saint Laurent-owned artefacts


Art collector says bidding for treasures belonging to late fashion designer was act of patriotism Tania Branigan in Beijing March 2, 2009 1 A Chinese bidder who bought two sculptures owned by the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent at a controversial auction has said he will not pay for the treasures, which were looted from a Beijing palace during the opium wars. 2 The relics were sold in Paris last week, to the anger of many people in China. The telephone bidder paid 31m (27m) for the two bronze sculptures. 3 The Chinese government warned that the sale would affect auctioneer Christies development in China, and even the action movie star Jackie Chan described the auction as shameful. Even though a French court ruled that the auction was legal, Beijing argued that the sculptures should be returned to China. 4 Today, the argument took a fresh twist as Cai Mingchao, an adviser to a Chinese foundation which seeks to retrieve stolen treasures, told a news conference that he was the collector who won the auction. 5 This money cannot be paid, he said and described his bid as a patriotic act. I think any Chinese person would have done the same thing at that moment. I was simply fulfilling my responsibilities. 6 Christies had no immediate comment and could not confirm Cai as the bidder, the spokeswoman Yvonne So told the Associated Press. She said that if a bidder couldnt or wouldnt pay, Christies usually worked with the buyer and seller to find a solution. The auction house and the French courts said the legal ownership of the pieces had been clearly confirmed.

10 One Chinese expert said the objects were overpriced. Luo Zhewen, the chairman of the Cultural Artefact Association, told Shanghais Oriental Morning Post that the two heads were worth less than 1m Yuan (103,000). More than that and the buyer should realize that hes been cheated. 11 He claimed their real value was as criminal evidence of the destruction of the palace, saying that they were coarsely made compared with other imperial artefacts. These days, they can be easily manufactured at small factories in Beijing or Guangzhou, he said. 12 Five of the other fountain heads have been bought by Chinese business figures and repatriated, while experts fear the other five may have been destroyed. Christies three-day sale of Saint Laurents art collection earned a total of more than 373m.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 02/03/09

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check: A summary
Are the sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the article? Correct any sentences that are false. 1. The artefacts were stolen by Chinese troops in the Opium wars. 2. The Opium wars took place in the mid-eighteenth century. 3. The bronze sculptures were part of a fountain in a palace. 4. All the heads from the sculpture have now been returned. 5. YSLs partner offered to return the bronzes to China for free if China allows freedom in Tibet. 6. The Chinese accepted Pierre Bergs offer. 7. A Chinese artefact expert said the bronzes are worth 373m. 8. French courts ruled that YSL was the lawful owner of the sculptures. 9. The bidder cannot pay for the sculptures. 10. The auction house is trying to find a solution to the situation.

4 Role play: A solution-finding meeting


In the article, Yvonne So said that the auction house usually works with the buyer and seller to find a solution. Below is a similar (imaginary) situation in which a valuable artefact has been sold at an auction. Divide these role cards up among groups of four to six students (cards 1-4 are essential, 5 and 6 are optional). Take a few minutes to make notes about what you want to say and then have a meeting. Set a time limit. Your aim is to find a solution that is acceptable to as many people as possible. The auction house representative is the Chair of the meeting. 1. auction house representative You are the Chair of the meeting. You need to make sure that there is a satisfactory solution to the problem and that your auction house doesnt lose money or its good reputation. 4. director of a museum You believe that the artefacts should be kept in a museum for everybody to see. You know that the artefacts will be safe in your museum. 2. private collector You were the highest bidder at the auction. You believe you are now the owner of the artefact. You plan to keep the artefact in your private collection where it will be safe. 5. seller The artefact has been in your family for many years. Unfortunately you now have to sell it. You need the money to repair the roof of your large country home. 3. adviser to the government The artefact originally came from your country and you think it should be returned for free. It was taken from a palace by foreign archaeologists. It is said that many slaves died whilst building the palace. 6. another role / wild card This is a wild card. You can bring in a further point of view using this role card. Who are you? What is your opinion?
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Discussion
Have you ever placed a bid in an auction? Was it in an auction house or online or somewhere else? What did you bid for? Did you win the auction?

6 Webquest
What can you find out about these other artefacts from around the world? Where are they now and where did they come from? The Elgin Marbles (or Parthenon Marbles) The bust of Queen Nefertiti Inca relics from Machu Picchu Antique Khmer sculptures

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Chinese bidder refuses to pay for artefacts


Level 2 KEY
2 Key words
1. bidder 2. artefact 3. late 4. controversial 5. looted 6. relics 7. foundation 8. patriotic 9. coarsely 10. repatriated

Intermediate

3 Comprehension check: A summary


1. F 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. T 6. F 7. F 8. T 9. T 10. T

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New York store gives away goods for free


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. goods transaction launch throng proviso browse utopian packed replenish veteran

1. A ___________________ is the action or process of buying or selling something. 2. A ___________________ is a condition attached to an agreement. 3. A ___________________ is someone who was in the armed forces, especially during a war. 4. ___________________ are objects that are produced for sale. 5. If a place is ___________________, it is extremely crowded (informal). 6. A ___________________ is someone who believes that the world can be perfect. 7. If you ___________________ something, you make it full again by replacing what has been used. 8. To ___________________ a business means to start it. 9. If people ___________________ somewhere, a lot of them go there. 10. To ___________________ means to look at things in a shop without being sure whether you want to buy something.

What do you know?

Decide whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. The site of the Twin Towers destroyed on 9/11 is known as Ground Hero. 2. Haight-Ashbury is a district of San Francisco. 3. Wall Street is in Brooklyn, New York. 4. The movie Breakfast at Tiffanys starred Audrey Hepburn. 5. The words Free Store usually mean the opposite. 6. Disaster tourists are people who cause damage to the environment through their travelling.

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New York store gives away goods for free


Level 3 Advanced
welcome to take whatever they liked, with the only proviso being that they felt they needed it. Each transaction was noted in their records and the customer given a receipt as they would be in any money-based shop. 5 Richard, a travel agent who works in Wall Street, chose a large framed photograph of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys. Its a great time to be cheering people up with gifts, and why not? he said. Weve bailed out the car companies, weve bailed out the banks, so its nice to get something back for once. Kevin walked away with a free copy of a book called Great Sex Trips. So why did he feel he needed a book with a title like that? Why not? Theres always something to be learned. Robles and Stein based their idea for the shop on the free stores that cropped up in San Francisco and New York in 1967. They were set up by the hippy group the Diggers, themselves named after the 17th century English agrarian utopians of the same name. In San Francisco, the Diggers set up two shops in the Haight-Ashbury district called Free Frame of Reference and Trip Without A Ticket. There, returning Vietnam veterans would exchange their uniforms for tie-dyed clothes and feed themselves on vegetable soup known as Digger Stew. The Diggers went so far as to set up free hospitals for those who did not have insurance, not to mention free concerts with bands such as the Grateful Dead. Stein and Robles dont claim to have as expansive ambitions as the 1960s Diggers, and their project leans more towards the artistic, where the Diggers were political and rebellious. But they do plan to keep the store open until the end of March, replenishing the free items with donations from people who use the shop. When we started I was terrified we would run out of stuff, Robles said. But after two days thats no longer a worry as people are bringing in bagfuls of lovely things.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 16/03/09
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Dont pay as you go: New York store gives away goods for free
Ed Pilkington in New York 16 March, 2009 1 In recent months downtown Manhattan has seen a new pastime you might call it disaster tourism. Every day thousands of people throng its narrow streets, attracted to Ground Zero rising slowly out of the ashes of 9/11. This week, though, visitors expecting to experience terrorist and economic catastrophe at close range have been amazed to stumble on something far more positive, even joyful, just around the corner. 2 It is a shop front in Nassau Street, a couple of blocks away from Wall Street, that would be utterly forgettable were it not for the two words stamped across its glass: Free Store. In the age of postmodern advertising, slogans like free store usually mean the opposite they are probably being used to market hyper-exclusive shops selling nothing under $1,000. But in this case free store is precisely what it says. Every item on offer inside the small shop is free. Anyone off the street can browse through its goods, select an item, and if they think they need it, walk out with it utterly without charge. 3 Last week it traded a variety of goods, from kids dresses and art supplies, to DVDs, posters, postcards and a dauntingly large stained-glass ceiling fitting. The shop is the creation of two artists, Athena Robles and Anna Stein, who have launched it with the help of a $9,000 grant from a local cultural body and the September 11 fund. They began planning it 18 months ago but believe the timing of its opening now is singularly appropriate. Its a certain time in history in this country when people really need to help each other out. 4 Within five minutes of the store opening its doors on Friday, it was packed to overflowing with shoppers browsing through its T-shirts, woolly scarves, baskets and pair of black riding boots. Robles and Stein explained that they were

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New York store gives away goods for free


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. What is the difference between the project started by Stein and Robles and that of the Diggers in the 1960s? a. The Diggers were more artistic. b. Stein and Robles are artistic rather than political and rebellious. c. The Diggers didnt stock clothes in their free stores. 2. Why do so many tourists visit the part of Manhattan where the free store is located? a. To get free clothes and other items. b. To look at the site of 9/11 and the site of the economic catastrophe. c. To find something more positive and joyful. 3. What is the main similarity between the free store and a money-based shop? a. People can only have things if they need them. b. The free store sells a variety of goods. c. The free store issues receipts. 4. Where do Stein and Robles get the items they stock in their store? a. They buy them in cheap stores. b. People bring in bagfuls of stuff. c. At the local market.

4 Find the word


Look in the text and find the following words and phrases. The paragraph number will help you. 1. A three-word expression meaning from a very short distance. (para 1) 2. An adverb meaning completely. (para 2) 3. An adverb meaning exactly. (para 2) 4. An adverb meaning in a way that makes you worried because it will be difficult or dangerous to do. (para 3) 5. An adverb meaning in a noticeable way. (para 3) 6. An adjective meaning relating to or involving farming or farmers. (para 6) 7. A two-word adjective meaning with unusual patterns made by tying the cloth before it is dyed. (para 6) 8. An adjective meaning including many things or a large area. (para 7)

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New York store gives away goods for free


Level 3 Advanced
5 Phrasal verbs
Match the verbs from the text with their meanings. 1. bail out 2. crop up 3. cheer up 4. lean towards 5. stumble on 6. walk away a. tend to choose or support something b. find something by accident c. leave a place d. make someone feel less sad e. help an organization that is having financial problems f. appear or happen suddenly or unexpectedly

6 Word building
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the words in brackets. 1. It was an ________________ experience. I will always remember it! [FORGET] 2. People looked at the store window in ________________. [AMAZE] 3. Please can you give me a ________________. [RECEIVE] 4. In the article the Diggers are described as being ________________. [REBEL] 5. Frame of ________________ means the set of principles you base your behaviour or attitudes on. [REFER] 6. The founders of the free store believe the ________________ of its opening is highly appropriate. [TIME]

7 Discussion
Do you think a project like this would work in your town or city? Why? Why not?

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New York store gives away goods for free


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. transaction 2. proviso 3. veteran 4. goods 5. packed 6. utopian 7. replenish 8. launch 9. throng 10. browse

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. at close range 2. utterly 3. precisely 4. dauntingly 5. singularly 6. agrarian 7. tie-dyed 8. expansive

5 Phrasal verbs
1. e 2. f 3. d 4. a 5. b 6. c

2 What do you know?


1. F 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. T 6. F

6 Word building
1. unforgettable 2. amazement 3. receipt 4. rebellious 5. reference 6. timing

3 Comprehension check
1. b 2. b 3. c 4. b

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New York store gives away goods for free / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

New York store gives away goods for free


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. catastrophe grant amazed browse packed goods launch gift transaction slogan

1. A __________________ is something that you give to someone as a present. 2. A __________________ is an event that causes a lot of damage or makes a lot of people suffer. 3. A __________________ is the action or process of buying or selling something. 4. __________________ are objects that are produced for sale. 5. If a place is __________________, it is very crowded. 6. A __________________ is a short phrase used for advertising something. 7. If you are __________________, you feel very surprised. 8. To __________________ a business means to start it. 9. A __________________ is an amount of money given to you by the government or an organization for a specific purpose. 10. To __________________ means to look at things in a shop without being sure whether you want to buy something.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Where are Ground Zero and Wall St? 2. Where is the New York free store located? 3. How much do items in the free store cost? 4. How much did the founders of the free store get as a grant? 5. When did the founders of the store start planning the project? 6. When did free stores appear in San Francisco?

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New York store gives away goods for free


Level 1 Elementary
customer a receipt just like in any normal shop. 5 Richard, a travel agent who works in Wall Street, chose a large framed photograph of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys. Its a great time to make people happy by giving them gifts, and why not? he said. The government has given money to the car companies and the banks, so its nice to get something back for once. Kevin walked away with a free copy of a book called Great Sex Trips. So why did he think he needed a book with a title like that? Why not? You can always learn something. Robles and Stein got the idea for the shop from the free stores that appeared in San Francisco and New York in 1967. They were set up by the hippy group the Diggers. In San Francisco, the Diggers set up two shops in the Haight-Ashbury district. In these shops, men returning from the war in Vietnam exchanged their uniforms for hippy clothes and ate vegetable soup known as Digger Stew. The Diggers even set up free hospitals for those who did not have insurance, as well as free concerts. Stein and Robles dont have the same kind of ambitions as the 1960s Diggers, and their project is more artistic, where the Diggers were more political. But they are planning to keep the store open until the end of March. When we started I was worried we would run out of stuff, Robles said. But after two days thats no longer a worry because people are bringing in bagfuls of lovely things.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 16/03/09

Dont pay as you go: New York store gives away goods for free
Ed Pilkington in New York 16 March, 2009 1 Every day for the past few months thousands of people have crowded into the narrow streets of downtown Manhattan. Some people describe them as disaster tourists because they have come to look at Ground Zero, the site of the 9/11 attacks, or to look at Wall St, where the current financial crisis began. This week, though, visitors expecting to take a close look at terrorist and economic catastrophe have been amazed to find something far more positive just around the corner. 2 It is a shop front in Nassau Street, a couple of blocks away from Wall Street, that would be completely ordinary without the two words on the shop window: Free Store. These days, slogans like free store usually mean the opposite they are often used to market exclusive shops that sell nothing cheaper than $1,000. But in this case free store means exactly what it says. Every item on offer inside the small shop is free. Anyone can come in off the street and browse through its goods, select an item and, if they think they need it, walk out with it completely free of charge. 3 Last week it sold a variety of goods, from kids dresses and art supplies, to DVDs, posters and postcards. The shop is the idea of two artists, Athena Robles and Anna Stein, who launched it with the help of a $9,000 grant from a local cultural body and the September 11 fund. They began planning it 18 months ago but believe it is opening at the right time. Its a certain time in history in this country when people really need to help each other out. 4 Five minutes after the store opened on Friday, it was packed with shoppers browsing through its T-shirts, scarves, baskets and boots. Robles and Stein explained that people could take whatever they wanted. The only condition was that they thought they needed it. They wrote down each transaction in their records and gave the

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

New York store gives away goods for free


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Correct the mistakes in these sentences. 1. The free store has a three-word slogan on its window. 2. The shop is the idea of two businesswomen. 3. Five hours after the shop opened on Friday, it was packed with shoppers. 4. Robles and Stein gave each customer a plastic bag. 5. They got the idea for the shop from the free stores that appeared in San Francisco in the 1970s. 6. They are planning to keep the store open until the end of May.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. of end March until the 2. blocks a away of couple Wall St from 3. months every for the few day past 4. the around corner just 5. of free charge completely 6. $9,000 help a of the grant with

5 Prepositions
Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. take a look _______ 2. free _______ charge 3. a variety _______ goods 4. packed _______ shoppers 5. _______ the right time 6. _______ the end of March 7. _______ this case 8. come in _______ the street
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New York store gives away goods for free


Level 1 Elementary
6 Word stress
Divide these words from the text into two groups according to their stress. thousands supplies crisis certain amazed explain slogan receipt select district project exchange

0o

o0

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New York store gives away goods for free / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

New York store gives away goods for free


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. gift 2. catastrophe 3. transaction 4. goods 5. packed 6. slogan 7. amazed 8. launch 9. grant 10. browse

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. until the end of March 2. a couple of blocks away from Wall St 3. every day for the past few months 4. just around the corner 5. completely free of charge 6. with the help of a $9,000 grant

5 Prepositions
1. at 2. of 3. of 4. with 5. at 6. until 7. in 8. off

2 Find the information


1. Manhattan (New York) 2. Nassau St (Manhattan) 3. nothing (they are free) 4. $9,000 5. 18 months ago 6. 1967

6 Word stress
A 0o thousands crisis slogan project certain district B o0 amazed select supplies explain receipt exchange

3 Comprehension check
1. The free store has a two-word slogan on its window. 2. The shop is the idea of two artists. 3. Five minutes after the shop opened on Friday, it was packed with shoppers. 4. Robles and Stein gave each customer a receipt. 5. They got the idea for the shop from the free stores that appeared in San Francisco in the 1960s. 6. They are planning to keep the store open until the end of March.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New York store gives away goods for free / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

New York store gives away goods for free


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. transaction goods browse catastrophe packed amazed veteran grant launch slogan

1. A noun meaning objects that are produced for sale: __________________. 2. A __________________ is a short phrase used for advertising something. 3. If you are __________________, you feel extremely surprised. 4. To __________________ a business means to start it. 5. A __________________ is an amount of money given to you by the government or an organization for a specific purpose. 6. To __________________ means to look at things in a shop without being sure whether you want to buy something. 7. A __________________ is an event that causes a lot of damage or makes a lot of people suffer. 8. A __________________ is the action or process of buying or selling something. 9. A __________________ is someone who was in the armed forces, especially during a war. 10. If a place is __________________, it is extremely crowded (informal).

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How much money did the Free Store get as a grant? 2. When did free stores appear in San Francisco? 3. Where is the New York free store located? 4. When did the founders of the store start planning the project? 5. Who starred in the movie Breakfast at Tiffanys? 6. What was Digger Stew?

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New York store gives away goods for free


Level 2 Intermediate
it. They noted down each transaction in their records and gave the customer a receipt as in any money-based shop. 5 Richard, a travel agent who works in Wall Street, chose a large framed photograph of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys. Its a great time to be cheering people up with gifts, and why not? he said. The government has given money to the car companies and the banks, so its nice to get something back for once. Kevin walked away with a free copy of a book called Great Sex Trips. So why did he feel he needed a book with a title like that? Why not? Theres always something to be learned. Robles and Stein based their idea for the shop on the free stores that appeared in San Francisco and New York in 1967. They were set up by the hippy group the Diggers. In San Francisco, the Diggers set up two shops in the Haight-Ashbury district. There, returning Vietnam veterans exchanged their uniforms for hippy clothes and ate vegetable soup known as Digger Stew. The Diggers even set up free hospitals for those who did not have insurance, not to mention free concerts. Stein and Robles dont have the same kind of ambitions as the 1960s Diggers, and their project is more artistic, where the Diggers were political and rebellious. But they do plan to keep the store open until the end of March, replenishing the free items with gifts from people who use the shop. When we started I was worried we would run out of stuff, Robles said. But after two days thats no longer a worry because people are bringing in bagfuls of lovely things.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 16/03/09

Dont pay as you go: New York store gives away goods for free
Ed Pilkington in New York 16 March, 2009 1 In recent months downtown Manhattan has seen a new phenomenon you might call it disaster tourism. Every day thousands of people crowd into its narrow streets, attracted to Ground Zero rising slowly out of the ashes of 9/11. This week, though, visitors expecting to take a close look at terrorist and economic catastrophe have been amazed to find something far more positive just around the corner. 2 It is a shop front in Nassau Street, a couple of blocks away from Wall Street, that would be completely ordinary without the two words on the shop window: Free Store. These days slogans like free store usually mean the opposite they are probably being used to market hyperexclusive shops selling nothing under $1,000. But in this case free store is precisely what it says. Every item on offer inside the small shop is free. Anyone can come in off the street and browse through its goods, select an item and, if they think they need it, walk out with it completely free of charge. 3 Last week it traded a variety of goods, from kids dresses and art supplies, to DVDs, posters, postcards and a huge stained-glass ceiling fitting. The shop is the creation of two artists, Athena Robles and Anna Stein, who launched it with the help of a $9,000 grant from a local cultural body and the September 11 fund. They began planning it 18 months ago but believe the timing of its opening now is very appropriate. Its a certain time in history in this country when people really need to help each other out. 4 Within five minutes of the store opening its doors on Friday, it was packed with shoppers browsing through its T-shirts, woolly scarves, baskets and boots. Robles and Stein explained that they were welcome to take whatever they liked, with the only condition being that they felt they needed 6

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New York store gives away goods for free / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

New York store gives away goods for free


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Thousands of tourists visit Ground Zero every day. 2. The free store sells nothing under $1,000. 3. The free store only stocks clothes. 4. Shoppers have to feel that they need something before they can take it. 5. The timing of the shops opening is appropriate because it is a time of recession. 6. The free store is the first free store in American history.

4 Find the word


Look in the text and find the following words and phrases. The paragraph number will help you. 1. A noun meaning the distance along a city street from where one road crosses it to the next road. (para 2) 2. A prefix meaning more than usual or normal. (para 2) 3. An adverb meaning exactly. (para 2) 4. A plural noun meaning pieces of cloth you wear around your neck. (para 4) 5. A phrasal verb meaning to write so you have a record of something. (para 4) 6. A phrasal verb meaning to make someone less sad. (para 5) 7. A three-word expression used for adding a comment that emphasizes the main idea of what you have already said. (para 6) 8. An adjective meaning opposing authority or the accepted rules of society. (para 7)

5 Word building
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the words in brackets. 1. Every customer is given a __________________. [RECEIVE] 2. There were free hospitals for people who did not have __________________. [INSURE] 3. Stein and Robles are not as __________________ as the Diggers. [AMBITION] 4. They believe their project is more __________________. [ART] 5. They were __________________ they would run out of stuff. [WORRY] 6. The shop is the __________________ of two artists. [CREATE]
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New York store gives away goods for free


Level 2 Intermediate
6 Words followed by prepositions
Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. attracted _______ 2. take a look _______ 3. free _______ charge 4. with the help _______ 5. packed _______ 6. base an idea _______ 7. exchange something _______ 8. until the end _______ March

7 Discussion
What do you think of this idea? What are its advantages and disadvantages? What new things do you really need?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New York store gives away goods for free / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

New York store gives away goods for free


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. goods 2. slogan 3. amazed 4. launch 5. grant 6. browse 7. catastrophe 8. transaction 9. veteran 10. packed

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. block 2. hyper3. precisely 4. scarves 5. note down 6. cheer up 7. not to mention 8. rebellious

5 Word building
1. receipt 2. insurance 3. ambitious 4. artistic 5. worried 6. creation

2 Find the information


1. $9,000 2. 1967 3. Nassau St (Manhattan) 4. 18 months ago 5. Audrey Hepburn 6. vegetable soup

6 Words followed by prepositions


1. to 2. at 3. of 4. of 5. with 6. on 7. for 8. of

3 Comprehension check
1. T 2. F 3. F 4. T 5. T 6. F

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New York store gives away goods for free / Intermediate

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Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer: A five-minute discussion

What type of car do you drive? What is its fuel consumption around town / on the motorway? If you had the money, what kind of new car would you buy next?

Key words

Fill the gaps with these words from the article. initiative consortium valve offset subsidize take a swipe emissions interim ailing protagonist caution (v) low-carbon economy

1. Substances that go into the air. ___________________ 2. A group of companies or people with similar interests or aims who have agreed to work together. ___________________ 3. An important action that is intended to solve a problem. ___________________ 4. To balance the effect of something, with the result that there is no advantage or disadvantage. ___________________ 5. An ___________________ organization or economy is neither strong nor successful. 6. A country that produces a minimal output of C0. ___________________ 7. Something that is ___________________ is intended to last or perform an activity only until something permanent or final is available. 8. A ___________________ is one of the main people or groups involved in an argument. 9. To tell someone about a danger or problem that they need to know about or avoid. ___________________ 10. The part of a machine or piece of equipment that opens and closes in order to control the flow of air or liquid. ___________________ 11. A way of saying to criticize someone. ___________________ 12. To pay some of the cost of goods or services so that they can be sold to other people at a lower price. ___________________

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Advanced

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Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 3 Advanced
year, equivalent to half the total current emissions of the EU. 8 Based on emission levels in new cars built in 2005, the scheme sets interim targets to be achieved by 2020 and 2030 in line with those set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It comes with the claim that it could cut global oil import bills by more than $300 billion a year by 2025 and by $600 billion by 2050. The protagonists insisted that it should begin now because of the crisis in the car industry, not despite it. More than ever, clear signals are needed regarding where vehicle designs and markets should be heading over the coming decades, they said. But Tanaka cautioned that electric cars fuelled by power from old-style coal-fired plants made no sense or contribution to cutting emissions. We have first to de-carbonise the power sector and then use new technologies that make a genuine difference. The initiative came just hours after Fiat launched a new internal combustion engine, both petrol and diesel, that, it claimed, could cut emissions by at least 10% and produce 10% more power. The Multiair engine, to be used initially in Alfa Romeos Mito supermini car, directly controls air through the intake engine valves. Alfredo Altavilla, head of Fiat Powertrain Technologies, said the turbo version in small cars could be 25% more fuel-efficient and reduce emissions by the same proportion making the Mito one of the first models to emit less than 80g per km. He took a swipe at rival manufacturers such as Toyota, which have placed huge investments in hybrids, electric vehicles and alternative fuels. It makes no sense to put engines on the market which cost thousands more than conventional engines and hope someone will subsidise these exotic technologies. What were doing is reducing consumption and emissions but remaining affordable. But he refused to set a price for the new engine or the car.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 04/03/09
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Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Consortium claims 50 by 50 initiative could save equivalent of half EUs current C0 emissions David Gow in Geneva March 4, 2009 1 The global auto industry and governments were today set a target of halving emissions from cars by 2050 by an international agency consortium which includes the UN. 2 The number of cars on the worlds roads is forecast to have tripled by then, as billions in developing countries take to the roads. The aim of the 50 by 50 initiative, launched at the annual motor show in Geneva, is to offset that growth with improved fuel efficiency to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at their current levels. 3 Were not saying that nobody can have a car, said Jack Short, of the International Transport Forum, one of the consortium members. We have not set a ceiling here, but a floor, added Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Programme. 4 Nobuo Tanaka, executive director of the International Energy Agency, said the target could be achieved with existing technologies, including electric vehicles, hybrids and hydrogen fuel cellpowered cars, as well as with more fuel-efficient internal combustion engines. 5 The consortium is already in talks with governments and auto industry executives about its initiative which, it says, should be started at once and be integrated into financial support for the ailing industry. 6 This is a building-block towards making the transport sector part of the solution towards a low-carbon economy, Short said. The era of cheap oil is simply over and government policy to accommodate this change must include setting fuel standards, added Tanaka, saying transport accounted for a quarter of global emissions. 7 The consortium, which also includes the FIA Foundation, claims the programme could save six billion barrels of oil and two gigatonnes of CO a
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

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NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Advanced

Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article. 1. How many agencies and groups, who are members of the consortium, are mentioned in the article? a) 5 b) 7 c) 9 2. What does the programme want to save? a) $300 billion a year. b) 10% of the current emissions. c) Two gigatonnes of CO a year. 3. Nobuo Tanaka thinks this can be achieved by ... a) ... raising fuel prices. b) ... refining existing technologies. c) ... inventing new technologies. 4. Worldwide, the auto industry is currently ... a) ... experiencing difficulties. b) ... in a boom phase. c) ... stagnant. 5. Fiats new Multiair engine is ... a) ... an improved internal combustion engine. b) ... a hybrid. c) ... electrically driven.

4 Vocabulary
Match the trend words with the information they are connected with in the article, then summarise the article using this information as a basis. 1. halve 2. triple 3. save 4. cut 5. reduce 6. 25% more two gigatonnes of CO fuel efficient emissions by 10% emissions number of cars oil import bills

5 Discussion
Do you think that changing engines in the cars we drive is the best way to try to halve emissions? Why / why not? What other ways can you think of for your country to become a low-carbon economy?

6 Webquest
Choose one of the following, conduct some Internet research and present an overview of your findings to the class. electric vehicles hybrid vehicles hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars Multiair engine

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Advanced

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Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 3 Advanced KEY
2 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. emissions consortium initiative offset ailing low-carbon economy interim protagonist caution (v) valve take a swipe subsidize

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. b c b a a

4 Vocabulary
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. halve emissions triple number of cars save two gigatonnes of CO cut oil import bills reduce emissions by 10% 25% more fuel efficient

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 1
1

Elementary

Warmer: A five-minute discussion

What type of car do you drive? Or what type of car would you like to drive? How much fuel does it need (litres per 100km) around town / on the motorway? How much money do you spend on fuel every month?

Key words

Fill the gaps with these words from the article. The paragraph numbers will help you. designs initiative emissions save achieve consortium reduce 1. Substances that go into the air. ___________________. (title) 2. A group of companies or people with similar interests or aims who have agreed to work together. ___________________ (sub-title) 3. To increase something so it is three times bigger than before. ___________________ (para 2) 4. An important action that is intended to solve a problem. ___________________ (para 2) 5. Something that is ___________________ works well and produces good results for little money, time or effort. (para 3) 6. To use less of something such as money, time or energy, or to use less of it. ___________________ (para 6) 7. To succeed in doing or having what you planned. ___________________ (para 7) 8. The process of deciding how something will be made, including how it will work and what it will look like. ___________________ (para 8) 9. To make something smaller or less in size, amount, importance, etc. ___________________ (para 11) efficient triple

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 1 Elementary
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The initiative could cut global oil bills by more than $300 billion a year by 2025 and by $600 billion by 2050. 8 The consortium said that the initiative should begin now because of the crisis in the car industry. They said that clear signals are needed to show where vehicle designs and markets should go in the future. But Tanaka said that electric cars fuelled by coal power made no sense. We have to use new technologies that make a real difference. The initiative came just hours after Fiat introduced a new internal combustion engine, both petrol and diesel, that, Fiat claimed, could cut emissions by at least 10% and produce 10% more power. The Multiair engine, which will be used at first in Alfa Romeos Mito supermini car, directly controls air through the intake engine valves. Alfredo Altavilla, head of Fiat Powertrain Technologies, said the turbo version in small cars could be 25% more fuel-efficient and reduce emissions by the same amount. He criticized other car manufacturers such as Toyota, which have invested large amounts of money in hybrids, electric vehicles and alternative fuels. It makes no sense to put engines on the market which cost thousands more than normal engines. What were doing is reducing consumption and emissions but staying affordable.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 04/03/09

Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


David Gow in Geneva March 4, 2009 1 The global auto industry and governments have been told to cut CO emissions from cars in half by 2050. The target was set by an international agency consortium which includes the UN. 2 Billions of new drivers in developing countries such as India mean that the number of cars on the worlds roads will triple by 2050. The aim of the 50 by 50 initiative, which was introduced at the annual motor show in Geneva, is to make the new cars on the roads more fuel efficient. 3 Nobuo Tanaka, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, said that it would be possible to halve CO emissions using technologies that are available at the moment, for example, electric vehicles, hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars, as well as with more fuel-efficient internal combustion engines. 4 The consortium is already talking with governments and auto industry executives about its initiative which, it says, should begin immediately. They say that the initiative should be a part of the financial help governments are currently giving the automotive industry. 5 The time of cheap oil is simply over and governments must set fuel standards when they make new policies, added Tanaka, who also said that a quarter of all global emissions came from vehicles. 6 The consortium, which also includes the FIA Foundation, says that the programme could save six billion barrels of oil and two gigatonnes of CO a year. That is the same as half the EUs total current CO emissions. 7 The scheme sets targets which the auto industry should achieve by 2020 and 2030. This is necessary in order to reach the standards set by

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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check: Find the information
Complete the mind map with the information below. International Energy Agency hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars Multiair engine Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) electric vehicles save 60bn barrels of oil a year FIA Foundation Fiat reduce CO emissions by 50%

UN

Toyota

International Agency Consortium Members

Car manufacturers mentioned News article summary

What the 50 by 50 initiative aims to do hybrids

Types of car (technology)

4 Grammar: If sentences (conditional type 2)


Decide whether you agree or disagree with the statements. Discuss your opinions with a partner. Countries could reduce their CO emissions if they: made fewer cars. made cars with different engines. improved the train and bus services. I agree / I disagree I agree / I disagree I agree / I disagree

Look at the sentences again and discuss how you write this kind of structure. Use these terms: modal verb, comma, if, past simple, ...

5 Webquest
Choose one of the following, do some Internet research and present the basic facts and / or a simple diagram to the other students. electric vehicles hybrid vehicles hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars Multiair engine
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Elementary

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Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 1 Elementary KEY
2 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. emissions consortium triple initiative efficient save achieve designs reduce

3 Comprehension check: Find the information


FIA Foundation Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Fiat

Toyota

UN

International Agency Consortium Members

Car manufacturers mentioned

News article summary

International Energy Agency

What the 50 by 50 initiative aims to do hybrids save 60bn barrels of oil a year

Types of car (technology)

reduce CO emissions by 50%

Multiair engine

electric vehicles

hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer: A five-minute discussion

What type of car do you drive? What is its average fuel consumption around town / on the motorway? If you had enough money to buy whatever kind of car you want, which would you buy?

Key words

Fill the gaps with these words from the article. The paragraph numbers will help you. integrate consortium initiative fuel efficient launch offset emissions

1. Substances that go into the air. ___________________ (title) 2. A group of companies or people with similar interests or aims who have agreed to work together. ___________________ (sub-title) 3. An important action that is intended to solve a problem. ___________________ (para 2) 4. To start selling a new product or service. ___________________ (para 2) 5. To balance the effect of something, with the result that there is no advantage or disadvantage. ___________________ (para 2) 6. Petrol or diesel used in vehicles. ___________________ (para 2) 7. Something that is ___________________ works well and produces good results for little money, time or effort. (para 3) 8. To connect or combine two or more things so that together they form an effective unit or system. ___________________ (para 4) conventional valve subsidize low-carbon economy alternative power plant import

9. A country that produces a low output of C0. ___________________ (para 5) 10. To buy a product and bring it into your country. ___________________ (para 7) 11. Another word for a power station; a place that makes energy. ___________________ (para 9) 12. The part of a machine or piece of equipment that opens and closes in order to control the flow of air or liquid. ___________________ (para 10) 13. Different from something else and able to be used instead of it. ___________________ (para 12) 14. Something that is usual, traditional or accepted, instead of new and different is ___________________. (para 12) 15. To pay some of the cost of goods or services so that they can be sold to other people at a lower price. ___________________ (para 12)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Intermediate

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Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 2 Intermediate
7 Based on emission levels in new cars built in 2005, the scheme sets targets which should be achieved by 2020 and 2030 in order to reach standards that have been set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The initiative could cut global oil import bills by more than $300 billion a year by 2025 and by $600 billion by 2050. The consortium insists that the initiative should begin now because of the crisis in the car industry. They said that clear signals are needed regarding where vehicle designs and markets should be heading in the future. But Tanaka warned that electric cars fuelled by power from old-style coal-fired power plants made no sense. We have to use new technologies that make a genuine difference. The initiative came just hours after Fiat launched a new internal combustion engine, both petrol and diesel, that, Fiat claimed, could cut emissions by at least 10% and produce 10% more power. The Multiair engine, which will be used at first in Alfa Romeos Mito supermini car, directly controls air through the intake engine valves. Alfredo Altavilla, head of Fiat Powertrain Technologies, said the turbo version in small cars could be 25% more fuel-efficient and reduce emissions by the same amount making the Mito one of the first models to emit less than 80g per km. He criticized other car manufacturers such as Toyota, which have invested huge amounts of money in hybrids, electric vehicles and alternative fuels. It makes no sense to put engines on the market which cost thousands more than conventional engines and hope someone will subsidise these exotic technologies. What were doing is reducing consumption and emissions but remaining affordable.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 04/03/09

Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Consortium claims 50 by 50 initiative could save the equivalent of half the EUs current C0 emissions David Gow in Geneva March 4, 2009 1 The global auto industry and governments have been set a target of halving emissions from cars by 2050. The target was set by an international agency consortium which includes the UN. 2 Billions of new drivers in developing countries will cause the number of cars on the worlds roads to triple by 2050. The aim of the 50 by 50 initiative, which was launched at the annual motor show in Geneva, is to offset the increase in cars on the roads with improved fuel efficiency. 3 Nobuo Tanaka, executive director of the International Energy Agency, said the target could be achieved with technologies that are available at the moment, such as, electric vehicles, hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars, as well as with more fuel-efficient internal combustion engines. 4 The consortium is already talking with governments and auto industry executives about its initiative which, it says, should be started at once. They say that the initiative should be integrated into the financial support governments are giving the automotive industry. 5 This is a building-block towards making the transport sector part of the solution towards a low-carbon economy, Short said. The time of cheap oil is simply over and governments must set fuel standards when they make new policies. added Tanaka, who also said that a quarter of global emissions came from transport. 6 The consortium, which also includes the FIA Foundation, claims the programme could save six billion barrels of oil and two gigatonnes of CO a year, equivalent to half the total current emissions of the EU.

10

11

12

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Intermediate

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Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check: Find the information
Complete the mind map with information from the article. Then use the completed mind map to summarize the article. International Energy Agency hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars Multiair engine Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) electric vehicles save 60bn barrels of oil a year FIA Foundation Fiat reduce CO emissions by 50%

UN

Toyota

International Agency Consortium Members

Car manufacturers mentioned News article summary

What the 50 by 50 initiative aims to do hybrids

Types of car (technology)

4 Vocabulary: Pronunciation
Write these words from the article into the table according to their pronunciation pattern. industry developing criticized solution existing technologies director combustion subsidize efficiency environment Can you find any other words in the article with the same pronunciation pattern? Add them to the table. Ooo oOo oOoo

hydrogen

emissions

executive

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Discussion
Do you think that changing types of car engines is the best way to try to halve emissions? Why / why not? Can you think any other ways a country could reduce its CO emissions?

6 Webquest
Choose one of the following, do some Internet research and present the basic facts to the other students. electric vehicles hybrid vehicles hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars Multiair engine

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told


Level 2 Intermediate KEY
2 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. emissions consortium initiative launch offset fuel efficient integrate low-carbon economy import power plant valve alternative conventional subsidize

3 Comprehension check: Find the information


FIA Foundation Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Toyota

Fiat

UN

International Agency Consortium Members

Car manufacturers mentioned

News article summary

International Energy Agency

What the 50 by 50 initiative aims to do hybrids save 60bn barrels of oil a year

Types of car (technology)

reduce CO emissions by 50%

Multiair engine

electric vehicles

hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars

4 Vocabulary: Pronunciation
Ooo = subsidize criticized industry oOo = director combustion solution existing oOoo = environment developing efficiency technologies
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Halve emissions from cars by 2050, auto industry told / Intermediate
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. culmination deem privacy address thrilled zealous blur boost anonymity fleet

1. A _____________________ is a group of vehicles belonging to one organization. 2. _____________________ is a situation in which a persons name or identity is kept secret. 3. If you _____________________ a problem or a concern, you deal with it. 4. If you _____________________ something to be true, you consider it to be true. 5. To _____________________ means to help something to increase or become more successful. 6. If you are _____________________, you are full of energy and enthusiasm. 7. If a person is _____________________, they are very pleased and excited about something. 8. The _____________________ of a process is its final result. 9. If you _____________________ a picture or an image, you make it difficult to see it clearly. 10. ___________________ is the freedom to do things without other people watching or knowing what you are doing.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many British cities have been filmed at street level by Googles new Street View service? 2. How long did the Street View UK project take? 3. How far (how many miles) did the Google Street View cars travel? 4. How does Google Street View guarantee privacy? 5. How can people register their objections to Google Street View? 6. Can Number 10 Downing Street be seen on Google Street View?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Advanced

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Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 3 Advanced
point of view, they are happy with it, there are no issues there. 5 The many people caught on a cigarette break outside their offices might disagree. And the man slumped outside a pub in Hoxton Square, north London, might feel he has not been preserved at his absolute best. He seems to have just been sick and is being comforted by a friend who appears to be wearing reindeer antlers on his head. Google has developed sophisticated technology to automatically blur human faces and car number plates to guarantee privacy. If anything, the software may be over-zealous in respecting anonymity: in one picture of a red-brick house in Leeds, the head of a not particularly distinctive floor mop has been obscured. At the bottom of each photograph is a link which people can follow to report a concern to Google. We have got 99.9% of it right, Parsons said. But sometimes it does not work completely. Those who do not wish to be featured or who want their home to be taken off the photographic database can register their objections by filling in an online form. Although Parsons said that the images on Street View are the same as the ones people would see if they walked or drove through the area in question, he added: If people do not want their homes featured we will take them down, or cut them out of the image. We have a dedicated team whose job is to look at these pictures if there are any concerns. It is something that happens very rarely but nevertheless it is very important for us to have this tool so that the pictures can be easily removed if there are any concerns.

Right up your street (and everyone elses) as millions of online pictures map the UK
Google captures the nation on film but insists peoples privacy will be respected Sam Jones and Richard Wray March 20, 2009 1 Some people will see it as the beginning of an Orwellian nightmare, while others will despair at the scenes of debauchery it occasionally reveals. But most of the people who visit Googles new Street View service will probably do so to discover if they have won a place in online posterity or to decide whether they can put off repainting the house until next year.

2 The new mapping application, which was launched in the UK yesterday, allows users to enjoy 360-degree views of 25 cities from Southampton to Aberdeen through their computers and mobile phones. Street View UK is the culmination of a year-long project that saw a fleet of specially modified cars driving along 22,369 miles of roads and taking pictures of their surroundings. 3 Although the images include millions of residential addresses, people and cars, Google insists that they will respect individual privacy and that in almost all cases it will remove pictures deemed to breach privacy or display inappropriate content. Ed Parsons, who is geospatial technologist at Google, said: Street View has been hugely popular with our users in Europe and worldwide and were thrilled its now available in the UK ... enabling users to see street-level panoramas of major city roads and look up and print out useful driving directions. 4 He said the Information Commissioners Office had been consulted about privacy concerns as were police. We recognize that there have been concerns about [privacy] and we think we have addressed those concerns, he said. We have spoken to Scotland Yard and, from a crime

10 He said no government buildings visible from public roads had been left out of the database. This means that 10 Downing Street is not visible, nor is Buckingham Palace. Parsons said this was because of a technical fault with that car, rather than any deliberate intention to give the Queen
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Advanced

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Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 3 Advanced
more privacy than other Britons. It hopes to put Buckingham Palace on to Street View in the near future. VisitBritain, which has assisted Google in the project, suggested that it might boost tourism. 11 Many of the images that make up the vast mosaic were taken last summer and, viewed today, they give a glimpse of an already vanished British high street. Some of the shops shown have since closed as a result of the economic crisis.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/03/09

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Why is Google Street View controversial? a. Because it plans to show every house on every street at street level. b. Because some people think it is an invasion of privacy. c. Because it is very expensive. 2. What, apart from enabling users to see street-level views of major roads, is the main purpose of Google Street View? a. To enable people to look up and print out driving directions. b. To allow people to decide whether their houses need repainting. c. To catch people taking an illegal cigarette break. 3. What is the attitude of the British police to Google Street View? a. They think it will be useful in detecting crimes. b. They say there are no privacy issues involved. c. They are happy provided peoples faces and car number plates are blurred. 4. Why is Buckingham Palace not featured on Google Street View? a. To protect the Queens privacy. b. Because it is not visible from a public road. c. Because there was a technical fault with the car that filmed it.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Look in the text and find the following words and phrases. 1. An adjective linked to the novel 1984 that means relating to a political system in which the government controls every aspect of peoples lives. (para 1) 2. A noun meaning behaviour that is considered immoral because it involves a lot of sex, alcohol or illegal drugs. (para 1) 3. A noun meaning the people who will live in the future after you are dead. (para 1) 4. A verb meaning to break a law, rule or agreement. (para 3) 5. An adjective meaning not suitable. (para 3) 6. An adjective meaning sitting still in a position that is not upright. (para 5) 7. A two-word expression meaning an object with a long handle and a mass of thick strings at one end used for washing floors. (para 6) 8. A noun meaning an occasion when you see someone or something for only a moment. (para 11)

5 Phrasal verbs
Match the phrasal verbs from the text with their meanings. 1. take down 2. cut out 3. put off 4. leave out 5. look up 6. fill in a. omit b. find (in a dictionary or a database) c. complete (a form) d. remove (from a website) e. postpone f. remove (from an image)

6 Word building
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. Google Street View is a mapping __________________. [APPLY] 2. The pictures were taken by specially __________________ cars. [MODIFY] 3. Millions of __________________ addresses are included in the pictures. [RESIDENCE] 4. Some people claim it is a breach of __________________. [PRIVATE] 5. Google says that __________________ is guaranteed. [ANONYMOUS] 6. __________________ can be registered by filling in an online form. [OBJECT]

7 Discussion
Discuss the following statement: There are more and more cameras in the streets, in shops, railway stations and even in pubs. We no longer have any privacy. This is just another example of Big Brother.
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Advanced

Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. fleet Anonymity address deem boost zealous thrilled culmination blur Privacy

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Orwellian debauchery posterity breach inappropriate slumped floor mop glimpse

5 Phrasal verbs
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f e a b c

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 25 one year 22,369 miles by blurring human faces and car number plates by filling in an online form No

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. application modified residential privacy anonymity objections

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b a b c

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Advanced

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Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. panorama sophisticated privacy inappropriate thrilled objection blur visible address Big Brother

1. If you ______________________ a problem or a concern, you deal with it. 2. If you ______________________ a picture or an image, you make it difficult to see it clearly. 3. ____________________ is the freedom to do things without other people watching or knowing what you are doing. 4. ______________________ is a person or organization that watches people all the time and tries to control what they do. 5. If something is ______________________, you are able to see it. 6. An ______________________ is a statement that shows you disagree with something. 7. If something is ______________________, it is complicated and advanced in design. 8. If a person is ______________________, they are very pleased and excited about something. 9. A ______________________ is a view of a large area of land or sea. 10. If something is ______________________, it is not suitable in a particular situation.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. When did Google launch its new mapping application? 2. How many British cities did Googles new Street View service film? 3. How many miles of road did the Google Street View cars drive along? 4. Can you see Number 10 Downing Street on Google Street View? 5. Can you see Buckingham Palace on Google Street View? 6. When were many of the images that make up Google Street View taken?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Elementary

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Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 1 Elementary
a pub in Hoxton Square, north London, might feel he was not looking great when the picture was taken. 6 Google has developed sophisticated technology to automatically blur human faces and car number plates to guarantee privacy. At the bottom of each photograph is a link which people can follow to report a concern to Google. We have got 99.9% of it right, Parsons said. But sometimes it does not work completely. Those who do not wish to be shown on Street View or who want their home to be taken off the photographic database can register their objections by filling in an online form. Although Parsons said that the images on Street View are the same as the ones people would see if they walked or drove through the area in question, he added: If people do not want their homes shown we will remove them from the image. We have a special team whose job is to look at these pictures if there are any concerns. It is something that happens very rarely but it is very important for us to have this tool so that the pictures can be easily removed if there are any concerns. He said all government buildings visible from public roads were on the database. This means that 10 Downing Street is not visible because it cannot be seen from a public road. Buckingham Palace is not shown either but this is because of a technical fault. Google hopes to put Buckingham Palace on to Street View in the near future.

Right up your street (and everyone elses) as millions of online pictures map the UK
Google captures the nation on film but insists peoples privacy will be respected Sam Jones and Richard Wray March 20, 2009 1 Some people will see Googles new Street View service as another example of Big Brother. Others will be shocked by some of the things they see in the pictures people who are drunk or behaving badly. But most people who visit Google Street View will probably want to see if their picture is on the Internet or to decide if they need to repaint their house. 2 Google launched the new mapping application in the UK in March. It allows users to enjoy 360-degree views of 25 cities from Southampton to Aberdeen through their computers and mobile phones. Street View UK is the result of a year-long project in which specially modified cars drove along 22,369 miles of roads taking pictures. 3 Although the images include millions of residential addresses, people and cars, Google says that it will respect individual privacy and that in almost all cases it will remove any pictures which could breach privacy or show inappropriate content. Ed Parsons of Google, said: Street View has been very popular with our users in Europe and worldwide and were thrilled its now available in the UK ... Users will be able to see street-level panoramas of major city roads and look up and print useful driving directions. 4 He said they had consulted the police about privacy worries. We recognize that there have been concerns about [privacy] and we think we have addressed those concerns, he said. We have spoken to the police and, from a crime point of view, they are happy with it, there are no problems there. 5 The many people photographed while taking a cigarette break outside their offices might disagree. And the man lying in the street outside
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Elementary

10 Many of the images that make up the Google Street View were taken last summer and, when you watch them today, you can see British streets that have changed over the past year. Some of the shops shown have since closed as a result of the economic crisis.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/03/09

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Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Correct the errors in these sentences. 1. Google Street View allows users to enjoy 180-degree views. 2. Google Street View UK took two years to complete. 3. Google Street View has been very unpopular with users in Europe. 4. Ed Parsons says that Google has got about 90% of it right. 5. Number 10 Downing Street can be seen from a public road. 6. Buckingham Place is not shown on Google Street View because it is not visible from a public road.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. the future in near the over year past economic the as result a crisis of a result the project year-long of almost in cases all UK available in now the

5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. mobile a. road b. fault c. form d. break e. phone f. plate

2. cigarette 3. number 4. online 5. public 6. technical

6 Puzzle: Words connected with computer technology


Rearrange the letters to make words from the text. 1. e n t e r t i n ________________________ 2. e m g i a ________________________ 3. n e l i o n ________________________ 4. b a d s e a t a ________________________ 5. k i l n ________________________
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

6. r u s e ________________________
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Elementary

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Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. address blur Privacy Big Brother visible objection sophisticated thrilled panorama inappropriate

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. in the near future over the past year as a result of the economic crisis the result of a year-long project in almost all cases now available in the UK

5 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e d f c a b

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. in March 25 22,369 no no last summer

6 Puzzle: Words connected with computer technology


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Internet image online database link user

3 Comprehension check
1. Google Street View allows users to enjoy 360-degree views. 2. Google Street View UK took one year to complete. 3. Google Street View has been very popular with users in Europe. 4. Ed Parsons says that Google has got about 99.9% of it right. 5. Number 10 Downing Street cannot be seen from a public road. 6. Buckingham Place is not shown on Google Street View because of a technical fault.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Elementary

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Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. panorama address privacy glimpse thrilled sophisticated blur fleet anonymity inappropriate

1. If something is ______________________, it is complicated and advanced in design. 2. A ______________________ is an occasion when you see someone or something for only a moment. 3. If something is ______________________, it is not suitable in a particular situation. 4. A ______________________ is a view of a large area of land or sea. 5. If you ______________________ a problem or a concern, you deal with it. 6. If a person is ______________________, they are very pleased and excited about something. 7. If you ______________________ a picture or an image, you make it difficult to see it clearly. 8. ____________________ is the freedom to do things without other people watching or knowing what you are doing. 9. A ______________________ is a group of vehicles belonging to one organization. 10. ______________________ is a situation in which a persons name or identity is kept secret.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many British cities have been filmed at street level by Googles new Street View service? 2. How long did the Street View UK project take? 3. How many miles of road did the Google Street View cars drive along? 4. Can Number 10 Downing Street be seen on Google Street View? 5. Can Buckingham Palace be seen on Google Street View? 6. When were many of the images that make up Google Street View taken?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Intermediate

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Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 2 Intermediate
man lying in the street outside a pub in Hoxton Square, north London, might feel he was not looking his best when the picture was taken. He seems to have just been sick and is being comforted by a friend who appears to be wearing reindeer antlers on his head. 6 Google has developed sophisticated technology to automatically blur human faces and car number plates to guarantee privacy. At the bottom of each photograph is a link which people can follow to report a concern to Google. We have got 99.9% of it right, Parsons said. But sometimes it does not work completely. Those who do not wish to be featured or who want their home to be taken off the photographic database can register their objections by filling in an online form. Although Parsons said that the images on Street View are the same as the ones people would see if they walked or drove through the area in question, he added: If people do not want their homes shown we will remove them from the image. We have a special team whose job is to look at these pictures if there are any concerns. It is something that happens very rarely but nevertheless it is very important for us to have this tool so that the pictures can be easily removed if there are any concerns. He said no government buildings visible from public roads had been left out of the database. This means that 10 Downing Street is not visible, nor is Buckingham Palace. Parsons said this was because of a technical fault with that car, rather than any intention to give the Queen more privacy than other Britons. It hopes to put Buckingham Palace on to Street View in the near future.

Right up your street (and everyone elses) as millions of online pictures map the UK
Google captures the nation on film but insists peoples privacy will be respected Sam Jones and Richard Wray March 20, 2009 1 Some people will see it as another example of Big Brother, while others will be shocked by the scenes of drunkenness and bad behaviour it occasionally reveals. But most of the people who visit Googles new Street View service will probably do so to discover if their picture will be displayed on the Internet or to decide whether they can put off repainting the house until next year. 2 The new mapping application, which was launched in the UK recently, allows users to enjoy 360-degree views of 25 cities from Southampton to Aberdeen through their computers and mobile phones. Street View UK is the result of a year-long project that saw a fleet of specially modified cars driving along 22,369 miles of roads, taking pictures of their surroundings. 3 Although the images include millions of residential addresses, people and cars, Google insists that they will respect individual privacy and that in almost all cases it will remove pictures considered to breach privacy or display inappropriate content. Ed Parsons of Google, said: Street View has been hugely popular with our users in Europe and worldwide and were thrilled its now available in the UK ... enabling users to see street-level panoramas of major city roads and look up and print out useful driving directions. 4 He said they had consulted the Information Commissioners Office about privacy worries and also the police. We recognize that there have been concerns about [privacy] and we think we have addressed those concerns, he said. We have spoken to the police and, from a crime point of view, they are happy with it, there are no issues there. 5 The many people caught on a cigarette break outside their offices might disagree. And the
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Intermediate

10 Many of the images that make up the Google Street View were taken last summer and, viewed today, they give a glimpse of an already vanished British high street. Some of the shops shown have since closed as a result of the economic crisis.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/03/09
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Most people who visit Google Street View will probably just want to see if they or their houses are shown on it. 2. Google Street View shows all the towns and cities in the UK. 3. The UK is the first country to have Google Street View. 4. It is not possible for pictures to be removed from Google Street View. 5. Google has the technology to blur human faces and car number plates. 6. Buckingham Place is not shown on Google Street View because of a technical fault.

4 Find the word


Look in the text and find the following words and phrases. 1. A two-word expression that means a person or organization that watches people all the time and tries to control what they do. (para 1) 2. A two-word phrasal verb meaning postpone. (para 1) 3. A verb meaning to break a law, rule or agreement. (para 3) 4. An adverb meaning extremely. (para 3) 5. A noun meaning a feeling of worry about something. (para 4) 6. A noun meaning the horns on the head of a deer. (para 5) 7. A noun meaning a statement that shows you disagree with something. (para 7) 8. A adjective meaning able to be seen. (para 9)

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column. 1. display 2. respect 3. address 4. develop 5. follow 6. fill in a. a link b. concerns c. a form d. an image e. technology f. privacy

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 2 Intermediate
6 Word building
Complete the table using words from the text.
noun 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. popularity direct thrill drunk photograph economy residence private adjective

7 Discussion
Do you think Google Street View is an invasion of privacy or an interesting and useful tool for drivers and other Internet users?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Intermediate

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Millions of online pictures map the UK


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. sophisticated glimpse inappropriate panorama address thrilled blur Privacy fleet Anonymity

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Big Brother put off breach hugely concern antlers objection visible

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f b e a c

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 25 a year 22,369 no no last summer

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. photographic economic residential privacy thrilled drunkenness popular direction

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T F F F T T

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Millions of online pictures map the UK / Intermediate

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Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 3 Advanced
smoothie a blended, chilled sweet drink made from fruit, see http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/things_we_make/

Key words

Match the keywords from the article with their meanings. 1. lucrative 2. strive 3. stake 4. adamant 5. pioneer 6. donate 7. rail against 8. niche 9. create from scratch 10. prosper 11. meddle 12. turnover 13. plain sailing criticize loudly make from nothing interfere money-making try hard be the first to do something make money share value of goods sold give voluntarily determined easy small specific market

2 Company quiz
Skim-read the article to find out what these ethically aware companies produce and which global corporation they belong to.

ethically-aware company

what it produces

sold out to / bought out by ...

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 3 Advanced
food group McDonalds in 2001. The Body Shop whose late founder, Dame Anita Roddick, had often railed against the big corporations running the beauty business sold to the French cosmetics group LOral in 2006. 6 The reason that these niche operators choose to sell up, apart from making millions from businesses they have created from scratch, is that they need the power of the big companies if they want to grow further. Innocent is using Coca-Colas investment to increase its presence in Europe. Sweet returns Craig Sams, the founder of the organic chocolate company Green & Blacks, said his company had prospered since it sold up to Cadbury in 2005. Overall its worked fantastically well, said Sams, who remains in place as president and continues to offer advice to Green & Blacks owners. They have had the resources to really support the brand and take it to places. Its all very well to say if we spent half a million pounds on marketing we could increase sales by 2m first you have to have the half a million pounds. Brand identity Sams advised Coca-Cola not to put its name over the Innocent product range. Reed said there was little danger of Coca-Cola meddling with the Innocent brand. They absolutely buy into the brand, the people, the system. Its a minority investment in Innocent, which will remain a standalone company. Innocent had a difficult birth ten years ago. The three founders Reed and his Cambridge University friends Adam Balon and Jon Wright had come up with the idea on a snowboarding holiday in February 1998 and tried out their smoothies at a music festival later that year, using 500 of fruit.

Smoothie operators Innocent tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Like other niche brands, Innocent must convince customers it hasnt sold out Chris Tryhorn and Mark Sweney 7 April, 2009 1 For a company that strives to do business in a more enlightened way and even has a halo in its logo to go into business with one of the worlds corporate giants presents a real danger that such a deal could look like a pact with the devil. 2 The founders of Innocent, the ethically-aware smoothie business that yesterday sold a stake of between 10% and 20% of the company to the US drinks group Coca-Cola for 30m, are adamant that their ideals and eco-friendly sentiments will not be crushed as a result of the deal with a company best known for its less than healthy fizzy drinks. 3 Every promise that Innocent has made, about making only natural healthy products, pioneering the use of better, socially and environmentallyaware ingredients, packaging and production techniques, donating money to charity and having a point of view on the world will remain, co-founder Richard Reed yesterday. Well just get to do them even more. The founders will continue to lead and run the company, we will be the same people in the same offices making the same products in the same way. 4 Innocent joins a long line of companies that have started small and built a loyal following on the back of a values-led approach, only to sell up to the kind of businesses which they might once have defined themselves against. Sell-outs 5 Ice-cream maker Ben & Jerrys, was one of the first to sell up to a corporation, when it was bought for 175m by the consumer goods group Unilever in 2000. Four years later it admitted: We are beginning to look like the rest of corporate America. British sandwich chain Pret A Manger sold a minority stake to the fast 7

10 The company now sells two million smoothies a week and their turnover is expected to be 105m to 110m this year. Despite Innocents remarkable rise over the past ten years, not everything has been plain sailing. Last year it had to fight off competition from two rival products,
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 3 Advanced
The Body Shop LOral Founded on an ethical basis by Anita Roddick, the company was sold to LOral in 2006. Roddick said at the time: Having LOral come in and say we like you, we like your ethics, we want to be part of you, we want you to teach us things its a gift. Pret A Manger McDonalds Pret was founded in 1986. It claims to avoid additives, uses recycled packaging and tries to buy organic. A third of the company was sold to McDonalds in 2001.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 07/04/09

Pepsicos Tropicana and Nestls Boost, which caused annual sales to fall for the first time. Although its share of the UK smoothie market fell as low as 50%, it has recovered strongly to reach 83%, Reed said.

Extra

info

Green & Blacks Cadbury Schweppes Set up in 1991 by Craig Sams and his wife Josephine Fairley, the company produced organic and Fairtrade chocolate. In 2005 it was bought out by Cadbury Schweppes. Ben & Jerrys Unilever All-natural ice cream company founded in 1978 by Jerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen. Bought by Unilever in 2000.

3 Find the information


Skim-read the article to find the answers to these questions. 1. What does Innocent produce? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What is their logo? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What key business practices and policies make Innocent different to other companies? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Where and when was the company founded? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Where did the founders meet? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 6. What was their initial investment? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 7. What is their predicted turnover for 2009? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 8. In paragraph 1, who is the devil and who is the angel? _____________________________________________________________________________________

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 3 Advanced
4 Language: Behind the headlines
Decide what the idioms mean and then explain what the article headline means. 1. A smooth operator is ... a. ... a clean-shaven businessman. b. ... a person who accomplishes tasks with efficiency and grace. c. ... someone who removes lumps from products.

2. To tread a path means ... a. ... to build roads. b. ... to move to a rural area. c. ... to take a particular course of action.

5 Discussion
Do you think that companies that have built up their businesses due to their reputation of being eco-friendly and ethically-aware can justify selling a stake in the company to global corporate giants?

6 Webquest
Research one of the companies in task 2. Find out what has happened since they sold stakes to a global giant. Have there been any changes to their product range, their work ethics, their share prices, etc?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009


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NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Advanced

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. lucrative 2. strive 3. stake 4. adamant 5. pioneer 6. donate 7. rail against 8. niche 9. create from scratch 10. prosper 11. meddle 12. turnover 13. plain sailing money-making try hard share determined be the first to do something give voluntarily criticize loudly small specific market make from nothing make money interfere value of goods sold easy

Advanced

3 Find the information


Suggested answers: 1. smoothies / blended fruit drinks 2. a halo 3. They use only natural healthy products, they use better, socially and environmentally aware ingredients, packaging and production techniques, and they donate money to charity. 4. ten years ago at a music festival 5. at Cambridge University 6. 500 worth of fruit 7. 105m to 110m 8. Coca-Cola is the devil and Innocent is the angel.

2 Company quiz
ethically-aware company Innocent Ben & Jerrys Pret A Manger The Body Shop Green & Blacks what it produces smoothies ice cream sandwiches cosmetics chocolate sold out to / bought out by ... Coca-Cola Unilever McDonalds LOral Cadbury Schweppes

4 Language: Behind the headlines


1. b 2. c

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Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 1 Elementary
smoothie a blended, cold sweet drink made from fruit, see http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/things_we_make/

Key words: Crossword

Find the key words in the article and write them into the crossword. The paragraph numbers are given to help you.

Across

T
3

1. Substances that are put into something in small amounts, especially food, in order to make it last longer, look more attractive, or improve it in some way. (extra info) 4 3. An _______________ is money used in a way that may earn you more money. (para 6)

D
6

4. A _______________ is a business that works in a very specialized market. (para 6, 2 words) 5. If you are _______________, then you are interfering and not leaving something alone. (para 8) 6. Someone who is _______________ has attitudes that are considered modern and reasonable. (para 1) 8. Something that brings in a lot of money is _______________. (title)
10

G
7

R
12

10. A _______________ drink has bubbles of gas in it. (para 2) 11. The value of the goods and services that a company sells in a particular period of time is its _______________. (para 10)
11

12. A _______________ is a circle of light around the head of a holy person. (para 1)

Down
2. Someone who is _______________ thinks about the effects of their actions on the world around them. (para 3, 2 words) 7. A _______________ is a large company or business organization. (para 4) 9. An _______________ is your idea about what is good and right that you try to follow in your life and behaviour. (para 2)
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Elementary

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Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 1 Elementary
2 Company quiz
Decide where these words fit into the table and then skim-read the article to find out what the ethicallyaware companies produce and which global corporation they belong to. sandwiches Cadbury Schweppes Unilever LOral ice cream cosmetics smoothies Coca Cola McDonalds chocolate

ethically-aware company Innocent Ben & Jerrys Pret A Manger The Body Shop Green & Blacks

what it produces

sold out to / bought out by ...

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 1 Elementary
6 The reason that these niche operators choose to sell up, apart from making millions from businesses they have created from nothing, is that they need the power of the big companies if they want to grow further. Innocent is using Coca-Colas investment to increase its sales in Europe. Craig Sams, the founder of the organic chocolate company Green & Blacks, said his company had done well since it sold up to Cadbury in 2005. Overall its worked fantastically well, said Sams, who has stayed as company president and continues to offer advice to Green & Blacks owners. We wanted to spend half a million pounds on marketing to increase our sales by 2m, but we didnt have half a million pounds. Sams advised Coca-Cola not to put its name over the Innocent product range. Reed said there was little danger of Coca-Cola meddling with the Innocent brand. They completely believe in the brand, the people, the system; its a minority investment in Innocent, which will remain a standalone company. Innocent was started ten years ago. The three founders Reed and his Cambridge University friends Adam Balon and Jon Wright thought of the idea on a snowboarding holiday in February 1998 and tried out their smoothies at a music festival later that year, using 500 of fruit. The company now sells two million smoothies a week and their turnover is expected to be 105m to 110m this year.

Smoothie operators Innocent tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Like other niche brands, Innocent must convince customers it hasnt sold out Chris Tryhorn and Mark Sweney 7 April, 2009 1 A company that tries to do business in a more enlightened way and even has a halo in its logo is going into business with one of the worlds corporate giants. To some people it seems like they have made a deal with the devil. 2 The founders of Innocent, the ethically-aware smoothie business that yesterday sold between 10% and 20% of the company to the US drinks group Coca-Cola for 30m, are certain that their ideals will not be changed as a result of the deal with a company best known for its unhealthy fizzy drinks. 3 Every promise that Innocent has made, about making only natural healthy products, using better, environmentally-aware ingredients, packaging and production techniques, giving money to charity and having a point of view on the world will remain, co-founder Richard Reed said. Well just get to do them even more. The founders will continue to lead and run the company; we will be the same people in the same offices making the same products in the same way. 4 There are many more eco-companies that have started small and then sold up to global giants. Ice-cream maker Ben & Jerrys was one of the first to sell up to a corporation, when it was bought for 175m by Unilever in 2000. Four years later it said: We are beginning to look like the rest of corporate America. 5 British sandwich chain Pret A Manger sold shares to the fast food group McDonalds in 2001. The Body Shop whose founder, Dame Anita Roddick, often spoke out against the big corporations that run the beauty business sold to the French cosmetics group LOral in 2006.

Extra

info

Green & Blacks Cadbury Schweppes Set up in 1991 by Craig Sams and his wife Josephine Fairley, the company produced organic and Fairtrade chocolate. In 2005 it was bought out by Cadbury Schweppes. Ben & Jerrys Unilever All-natural ice cream company founded in 1978 by Jerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen. Bought by Unilever in 2000.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 1 Elementary
Pret A Manger McDonalds Pret was founded in 1986. It says it doesnt use additives, uses recycled packaging and tries to buy organic. A third of the company was sold to McDonalds in 2001.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 07/04/09

The Body Shop LOral Founded on an ethical basis by Anita Roddick, the company was sold to LOral in 2006. Roddick said at the time: Having LOral come in and say we like you, we like your ethics, we want to be part of you, we want you to teach us things its fantastic.

3 Comprehension check
Match these sentence halves to give a summary of the article. 1. Innocent is an ethically aware company ... 2. Their logo is ... 3. Innocent use ... 4. The company gives ... 5. The company was ... 6. The founders met ... 7. Their initial investment was ... 8. Innocent is expected to make ... 9. The company has sold shares ... 10. The founders say that ... ... at university. ... that produces smooth fruit drinks. ... 500 of fruit. ... Innocent wont change their ideals. ... only natural ingredients. ... to Coca-Cola. ... founded ten years ago. ... money to charity. ... an angel with a halo. ... millions of pounds in 2009.

4 Language: Prepositions
Write in the correct prepositions. Then check your answers by reading back through the article. to in x2 by into of x2 on with x2

1. do business _______ an enlightened way 2. go _______ business _______ a corporate giant 3. give money _______ charity 4. have a point _______ view _______ the world 5. it was bought _______ Unilever 6. increase its sales _______ Europe 7. little danger _______ Coca-Cola meddling _______ the Innocent brand
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Elementary
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion
Which of these sentences do you most agree with? Discuss your answers. a. Its ok for eco-friendly companies to sell shares to a global corporation. b. Eco-friendly companies should never sell shares to a global corporation.

6 Webquest
Research one of the companies in task 2. What can you find out about the company? Are their share prices going up or down?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words: Crossword
Across 1. additives 3. investment 4. niche operator 5. meddling 6. enlightened 8. lucrative 10. fizzy 11. turnover 12. halo Down 2. environmentally aware 7. corporation 9. ideal

Elementary

3 Comprehension check
1. Innocent is an ethically-aware company that produces smooth fruit drinks. 2. Their logo is an angel with a halo. 3. Innocent use only natural ingredients. 4. The company gives money to charity. 5. The company was founded ten years ago. 6. The founders met at university. 7. Their initial investment was 500 of fruit. 8. Innocent is expected to make millions of pounds in 2009. 9. The company has sold shares to Coca-Cola. 10. The founders say that Innocent wont change their ideals.

4 Language: Prepositions
1. do business in an enlightened way 2. go into business with a corporate giant 3. give money to charity 4. have a point of view on the world 5. it was bought by Unilever 6. increase its sales in Europe 7. little danger of Coca-Cola meddling with the Innocent brand

2 Company quiz
ethically-aware company Innocent Ben & Jerrys Pret A Manger The Body Shop Green & Blacks what it produces smoothies ice cream sandwiches cosmetics chocolate sold out to / bought out by ... Coca-Cola Unilever McDonalds LOral Cadbury Schweppes

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 2 Intermediate
smoothie a blended, chilled sweet drink made from fruit, see http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/things_we_make/

Key words

Match the key words from the article with their meanings. The paragraph numbers will help you. corporation additives environmentally-aware lucrative investment ideal fizzy halo turnover enlightened niche operator meddling

1. Something that brings in a lot of money is __________________. (title) 2. Someone who is __________________ has attitudes that are considered modern and reasonable. (para 1) 3. A __________________ is a circle of light around the head of a holy person. (para 1) 4. An __________________ is your idea about what is good and right that you try to follow in your life and behaviour. (para 2) 5. A __________________ drink has bubbles of gas in it. (para 2) 6. Someone who is __________________ thinks about the effects of their actions on the world around them. (para 3) 7. A __________________ is a large company or business organization. (para 5) 8. A __________________ is a business that works in a very specialized market. (para 6) 9. An __________________ is money used in a way that may earn you more money. (para 6) 10. If you are __________________, then you are interfering and not leaving something alone. (para 8) 11. The value of the goods and services that a company sells in a particular period of time is its __________________. (para 10) 12. __________________ are substances that are put into something in small amounts, especially food, in order to make it last longer, look more attractive, or improve it in some way. (extra info)

2 Company quiz
Skim-read the article to find out what these ethically aware companies produce and which global corporation they belong to.

ethically-aware company

what it produces

sold out to / bought out by ...

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 2 Intermediate
run the beauty business sold to the French cosmetics group LOral in 2006. 6 The reason that these niche operators choose to sell up, apart from making millions from businesses they have created from nothing, is that they need the power of the big companies if they want to grow further. Innocent is using Coca-Colas investment to increase its sales in Europe. Craig Sams, the founder of the organic chocolate company Green & Blacks, said his company had done well since it sold up to Cadbury in 2005. Overall its worked fantastically well, said Sams, who remains in place as president and continues to offer advice to Green & Blacks owners. They have had the resources to really support the brand and take it to places. Its all very well to say if we spent half a million pounds on marketing we could increase sales by 2m first you have to have the half a million pounds. Sams advised Coca-Cola not to put its name over the Innocent product range. Reed said there was little danger of Coca-Cola meddling with the Innocent brand. They absolutely buy into the brand, the people, the system. Its a minority investment in Innocent, which will remain a standalone company. Innocent was started ten years ago. The three founders Reed and his Cambridge University friends Adam Balon and Jon Wright came up with the idea on a snowboarding holiday in February 1998 and tried out their smoothies at a music festival later that year, using 500 of fruit.

Smoothie operators Innocent tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Like other niche brands, Innocent must convince customers it hasnt sold out Chris Tryhorn and Mark Sweney 7 April, 2009 1 For a company that tries to do business in a more enlightened way and even has a halo in its logo to go into business with one of the worlds corporate giants might look like they have made a deal with the devil. 2 The founders of Innocent, the ethically-aware smoothie business that yesterday sold between 10% and 20% of the company to the US drinks group Coca-Cola for 30m, are certain that their ideals will not be crushed as a result of the deal with a company best known for its less than healthy fizzy drinks. 3 Every promise that Innocent has made, about making only natural healthy products, using better, socially and environmentally aware ingredients, packaging and production techniques, giving money to charity and having a point of view on the world will remain, cofounder Richard Reed yesterday. Well just get to do them even more. The founders will continue to lead and run the company; we will be the same people in the same offices making the same products in the same way. 4 Innocent joins a long line of companies that have started small and built a loyal following because of their values-led approach, who then sell up to global giants. 5 Ice-cream maker Ben & Jerrys was one of the first to sell up to a corporation, when it was bought for 175m by the consumer goods group Unilever in 2000. Four years later it admitted: We are beginning to look like the rest of corporate America. British sandwich chain Pret A Manger sold a minority stake to the fast food group McDonalds in 2001. The Body Shop whose founder, Dame Anita Roddick, often spoke out against the big corporations that 8

10 The company now sells two million smoothies a week and their turnover is expected to be 105m to 110m this year.

Extra

info

Green & Blacks Cadbury Schweppes Set up in 1991 by Craig Sams and his wife Josephine Fairley, the company produced organic and Fairtrade chocolate. In 2005 it was bought out by Cadbury Schweppes.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 2 Intermediate
Pret A Manger McDonalds Pret was founded in 1986. It says it doesnt use additives, uses recycled packaging and tries to buy organic. A third of the company was sold to McDonalds in 2001.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 07/04/09

Ben & Jerrys Unilever All-natural ice cream company founded in 1978 by Jerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen. Bought by Unilever in 2000. The Body Shop LOral Founded on an ethical basis by Anita Roddick, the company was sold to LOral in 2006. Roddick said at the time: Having LOral come in and say we like you, we like your ethics, we want to be part of you, we want you to teach us things its a gift.

3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the article? Correct any false sentences. 1. Innocent produces ice cream. 2. Their logo is an angel with a halo. 3. Innocent use only natural products and packaging. 4. The company is a charity. 5. The company was founded in Cambridge in 2000. 6. The founders met on a snowboarding holiday. 7. Their initial investment was in fruit. 8. Innocent is expected to make millions of pounds in 2009.

4 Language: Prepositions
Write in the correct prepositions and then check your answers by reading back through the article. to in x2 by into of x2 on with x3

1. do business _______ an enlightened way 2. go _______ business _______ a corporate giant 3. make a deal _______ the devil 4. give money _______ charity 5. have a point _______ view _______ the world 6. it was bought _______ Unilever 7. increase its sales _______ Europe 8. little danger _______ Coca-Cola meddling _______ the Innocent brand
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Intermediate
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Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Discussion
Do you think that its ok for eco-friendly companies to sell out to global corporate giants?

6 Webquest
Research one of the companies in task 2. Find out what has happened since they sold stakes to a global giant. Have there been any changes to their product range, their work ethics, their share prices, etc?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009


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NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Intermediate

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. lucrative 2. enlightened 3. halo 4. ideal 5. fizzy 6. environmentally aware 7. corporation 8. niche operator 9. investment 10. meddling 11. turnover 12. additives

Intermediate

3 Comprehension check
1. F: Innocent produces smoothies (fruit drinks). 2. T 3. T 4. F: The company donates money to charity. 5. F: The company was founded in 1999 at a music festival. 6. F: The founders met at Cambridge University. 7. T 8. T

4 Language: Prepositions
1. do business in an enlightened way 2. go into business with a corporate giant 3. make a deal with the devil 4. give money to charity 5. have a point of view on the world 6. it was bought by Unilever 7. increase its sales in Europe 8. little danger of Coca-Cola meddling with the Innocent brand

2 Company quiz
ethically-aware company Innocent Ben & Jerrys Pret A Manger The Body Shop Green & Blacks what it produces smoothies ice cream sandwiches cosmetics chocolate sold out to / bought out by ... Coca-Cola Unilever McDonalds LOral Cadbury Schweppes

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009


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NEWS LESSONS / Smoothie makers tread familiar path to lucrative deal / Intermediate

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. speculation indefinitely dominance revenue custom rival grandstanding back catalogue dent slice

1. _____________________ is the income you get from business activities. 2. In business, a _____________________ is a competitor. 3. _____________________ is the practice of buying goods from a particular company. 4. If a company has _____________________ in a particular market, it has more power or influence than other companies. 5. A _____________________ is a part or a share of something. 6. A _____________________ is all the records a company or an artist has produced in the past. 7. ____________________ is a situation in which people make guesses about what has happened or might happen. 8. _____________________ is behaviour that is intended to get public attention and approval. 9. If something happens _____________________, it continues for a period of time that has no fixed end. 10. If you make a _____________________ in something, you reduce the amount of it.

Correct the statements

These statements are all false. Look in the text and correct the information. 1. Amazon has the largest share of the music download market. 2. Apple has cut the price of more than 100 tracks to just 29p. 3. More competition is bad news for digital music consumers. 4. Amazon sells album downloads for as little as 2. 5. The Managing Director of Record of the Day thinks music is overvalued. 6. Calvin Harris new song is on sale at a supermarket for 75p.

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 3 Advanced
toppled any time soon. If Amazon are going to compete they are going to have to throw everything at iTunes or they just wont make a dent. Even if they are cheaper it will take time to change peoples habits and it is still that bit more inconvenient. He added that the real challenge for digital online services such as Amazon and Apple would be to convert traditional music buyers to digital while finding new ways to bridge the gulf between physical and digital music revenue. Companies have to find ways of selling to people who dont want to pay. Variable and aggressive pricing is one weapon in their armoury, but its only part of the battle. The question is not who can beat iTunes but who can take the industry on from what iTunes have achieved, he said. 6 Paul Scaife, managing director of the music industry newsletter Record of the Day, said more competition was good news for digital music consumers, and variable pricing was welcomed by labels who have long lobbied for songs to be priced according to fans perceived value. But he warned: Music has been pretty devalued already. If they continue to sell at a discount that becomes the de facto price and anything else seems expensive. A single track has got to be worth more than 29p. Record labels are not the only ones concerned about pricing. Scottish dance artist Calvin Harris, whose single Im Not Alone is expected to reach the top five in the singles chart, posted a shocked comment on Twitter after discovering the price of his song at Tesco. He wrote: Good Lord! I just saw you can buy it at Tescos for 57p! 57p! That track took me two years! 57p! Two years! 57p! No wonder musics in trouble.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 08/04/09

Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Online retailers cheap tracks may spark price war Fears that music will be devalued by discounting Alexandra Topping April 8, 2009 1 The giant online retailer Amazon declared an MP3 price war yesterday by slashing the price of many top-selling downloads in an attempt to grab a bigger slice of the legal music download market. In a move seen by experts as an aggressive attempt to steal custom from its rival iTunes, Amazon cut the price of more than 100 tracks including Lily Allens The Fear and Lady GaGas Poker Face to 29p. 2 On the bargain list, which spans pop, hip-hop, rock, classical and jazz, music fans can also find older tracks such as Oasiss Wonderwall and Neil Youngs Rockin in the Free World for up to 70p less than on Apples iTunes. Amazon, which also offers albums for as little as 3, said the reductions were being made indefinitely. 3 The news comes as Apple which is estimated to control upwards of 70% of the legal downloading market announced some of its hit tracks would increase in price, while other back catalogue songs would be reduced, as part of the companys introduction of variable pricing. A spokesman confirmed that songs would now be available at the iTunes store at 59p, 79p and 99p but refused to fuel speculation about an MP3 price war, saying the company did not comment on competitors or future pricing strategy. 4 Music industry analyst Mark Mulligan, vice-president of Forrester Research, said Amazons actions were the first serious threat to Apples dominance of the music download market. Until this point Amazon have been something of a sleeping giant, we are now seeing some real grandstanding, he said. 5 But despite the online retailers marketing offensive, the Apple crown was unlikely to be

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Amazon has cut the prices of its music downloads a. in order to change peoples habits. b. ... in order to move away from selling physical music. c. in order to take a share of a market dominated by Apple. 2. Apple has announced it intends a. to increase the price of its online music. b. to reduce the price of its online music. c. to increase the price of some online tracks and reduce the price of others. 3. Music industry analyst Mark Mulligan believes a. Amazon will soon challenge Apples dominance of the music download market. b. Apples dominance of the music download market is unlikely to end soon. c. traditional music buyers will soon convert to digital. 4. Mulligan also believes a. the main question is who can build on the achievements of iTunes. b. the main question is who can challenge the dominance of iTunes. c. the main question is whether aggressive pricing can work.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word expression meaning a situation in which businesses compete to attract customers by lowering prices. (para 1) 2. A two-word expression meaning a plan or method to set prices. (para 3) 3. A two-word expression meaning an important player in a particular sector who has, up to now, been inactive. (para 3) 4. A verb meaning to make someone in a position of power lose that power. (para 4) 5. A three-word expression that means to reduce the differences that separate two things. (para 4) 6. A two-word expression meaning an approach to fixing prices that allows them to rise and fall. (para 4) 7. A five-word expression meaning something that is available to help you achieve something difficult. (para 4) 8. A two-word expression that means actual, even though not official. (para 5)

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 3 Advanced
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns or noun phrases in the right-hand column to form phrases from the text. 1. slash 2. make 3. change 4. bridge 5. fuel 6. find 7. post 8. control a. the market b. peoples habits c. speculation d. a comment e. the gulf f. prices g. ways of doing something h. reductions

6 Word building
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. Amazon may soon be a serious _________________ to Apple in the music download business. [COMPETE] 2. Both companies have adopted _________________ pricing strategies. [VARY] 3. This is seen as the first serious threat to Apples _________________ of the market. [DOMINATE] 4. Mark Mulligan is a music industry _________________. [ANALYSE] 5. Amazon has launched a marketing _________________. [OFFENCE] 6. The price _________________ are being made indefinitely. [REDUCE]

7 Discussion
Do you buy music online? Why? Why not? If you buy music online, what are the most important factors in deciding which retailer you use?

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. revenue rival custom dominance slice back catalogue speculation grandstanding indefinitely dent

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. price war pricing strategy sleeping giant topple bridge the gulf variable pricing a weapon in your armoury de facto

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. f h b e c g d a

2 Correct the statements


1. Apple has the largest share of the music download market. 2. Amazon has cut the price of more than 100 tracks to just 29p. 3. More competition is good news for digital music consumers. 4. Amazon sells album downloads for as little as 3. 5. The Managing Director of Record of the Day thinks music is devalued. 6. Calvin Harris new song is on sale at a supermarket for 57p.

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. competitor variable dominance analyst offensive reductions

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. c c b a

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. retailer track rival hit variable discount label newsletter dominance sleeping giant

1. A ___________________ is written information sent regularly to members of an organization . 2. A ___________________ is a person or company that sells direct to the public for their own use. 3. If something is ___________________, it can change. 4. A ___________________ is a company that produces records. 5. If a company has ___________________ in a particular market, it has more power or influence than other companies. 6. In business, a ___________________ is a competitor. 7. A ___________________ is a single song on an album. 8. A ___________________ is an important company in a particular market sector who has, up to now, been inactive. 9. A ___________________ is a song that sells a very large number of copies. 10. If you sell something at a ___________________, you sell it at less than the usual price.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How much will Amazons 100 best-selling music downloads cost? 2. How much do the cheapest albums cost at Amazon? 3. What percentage of the legal downloading market does Apple control? 4. How much will iTunes cost under Apples variable pricing policy? 5. How long did it take Calvin Harris to write Im Not Alone? 6. How much does Calvin Harris new single cost?

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 1 Elementary
peoples habits. He added that the real task for digital online services such as Amazon and Apple is to change the habits of traditional music buyers and encourage them to buy digital music. Companies have to find ways of selling to people who dont want to pay. Variable and aggressive pricing is one way they can do this, but its only part of the battle. The question is not who can beat iTunes but who can move the online music industry on from what iTunes have achieved, he said. 6 Paul Scaife, managing director of the music industry newsletter Record of the Day, said more labels have been asking for songs to cost what fans want to pay and have welcomed variable pricing. But he warned: Music has been pretty devalued already. If they continue to sell at a discount that will become the regular price and anything else seems expensive. A single track must be worth more than 29p. Record labels are not the only ones worried about pricing. Scottish dance artist Calvin Harris, whose single Im Not Alone is expected to reach the top five in the singles chart, posted a shocked comment on Twitter after he discovered the price of his song at Tesco. He wrote: Good Lord! I just saw you can buy it at Tescos for 57p! 57p! That track took me two years! 57p! Two years! 57p! No wonder musics in trouble.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 08/04/09

Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Online retailers cheap tracks may spark price war Fears that music will be devalued by discounting Alexandra Topping April 8, 2009 1 The giant online retailer Amazon has started an MP3 price war by cutting the price of 100 best-selling music downloads to just 29 UK pence each. Amazon is trying to get a bigger share of the legal music download market and experts say that it is trying to steal customers from its rival iTunes. 2 The list of cheap songs includes pop, hip-hop, rock, classical and jazz and music fans can also find older tracks such as Oasiss Wonderwall and Neil Youngs Rockin in the Free World for up to 70p less than on Apples iTunes. Amazon, which also offers albums for as little as 3, said it was introducing the reductions for an indefinite period. 3 Apple controls more than 70% of the legal downloading market and it recently announced some of its hit tracks would increase in price, while the price of other older songs would fall, as part of the companys introduction of variable pricing. A spokesman confirmed that customers could now buy songs at the iTunes store for 59p, 79p and 99p but did not want to discuss an MP3 price war, saying the company did not comment on competitors or future prices. 4 Music industry analyst Mark Mulligan said Amazons actions were the first serious threat to Apples dominance of the music download market. Up to now Amazon has been a bit of a sleeping giant, but we are now seeing some real action from Amazon, he said. 5 But despite Amazons marketing offensive, Apple will probably not lose their market leader position any time soon. If Amazon is going to compete it is going to have to throw everything at iTunes or it just wont have any effect. Even if they are cheaper it will take time to change

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Amazon has cut the price of music downloads because 2. It will be difficult for Amazon and Apple 3. More competition is probably 4. If companies continue to sell their product at discounted prices 5. It took Calvin Harris 6. Harris was shocked a. two years to write Im Not Alone. b. those prices will become normal. c. to find a supermarket was selling his song very cheaply. d. it wants a bigger share of the music downloads market. e. good news for people who buy digital music. f. to change peoples habits.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. little as for 3 as than market 70% the of more dont people who pay to want at if continue they sell discount a to music no is trouble wonder in share a the market of bigger

5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. variable 2. serious 3. managing 4. record 5. online 6. music a. downloads b. retailer c. label d. pricing e. director f. threat
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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 1 Elementary
6 Prepositions
Complete the phrases using prepositions. 1. a bigger share ___________ the market 2. ___________ an indefinite period 3. increase ___________ price 4. comment ___________ something 5. a serious threat ___________ Apple 6. only part ___________ the battle 7. in line ___________ something 8. sell ___________ a discount

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. newsletter 2. retailer 3. variable 4. label 5. dominance 6. rival 7. track 8. sleeping giant 9. hit 10. discount

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. for as little as 3 more than 70% of the market people who dont want to pay if they continue to sell at a discount no wonder music is in trouble a bigger share of the market

5 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f e c b a

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 29 pence 3 more than 70% 59p, 79p and 99p 2 years 57p

6 Prepositions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. of for in on to of with at

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f e b a c

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. retailer bargain dominance variable custom label grandstanding challenge rival track

1. _____________________ is the practice of buying products from a particular company. 2. A _____________________ is a single song on an album. 3. _____________________ is behaviour that is intended to get public attention and approval. 4. A _____________________ is a person or company that sells direct to the public for their own use. 5. If something is _____________________, it can change. 6. A _____________________ is a company that produces records. 7. A _____________________ is something that you buy that costs less than normal. 8. A _____________________ is something that needs a lot of skill, energy and determination to achieve. 9. If a company has _____________________ in a particular market, it has more power or influence than other companies. 10. In business, a _____________________ is a competitor.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Which company has the largest share of the music download market? 2. How much will 100 popular tracks cost at Amazon? 3. How much will iTunes cost under Apples variable pricing policy? 4. How much cheaper is Oasiss Wonderwall at Amazon than at iTunes? 5. How much do the cheapest albums cost at Amazon? 6. How much does Calvin Harris new single cost?

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 2 Intermediate
leader position any time soon. If Amazon are going to compete they are going to have to throw everything at iTunes or they just wont make any impact. Even if they are cheaper it will take time to change peoples habits and it is still that bit more inconvenient. He added that the real challenge for digital online services such as Amazon and Apple would be to change the habits of traditional music buyers and encourage them to buy digital music. Companies have to find ways of selling to people who dont want to pay. Variable and aggressive pricing is one way they can do this, but its only part of the battle. The question is not who can beat iTunes but who can move the industry on from what iTunes have achieved, he said. 6 Paul Scaife, managing director of the music industry newsletter Record of the Day, said more competition was good news for digital music consumers, and variable pricing was welcomed by labels who have long asked for songs to be priced according to what fans think they are worth. But he warned: Music has been pretty devalued already. If they continue to sell at a discount that becomes the de facto price and anything else seems expensive. A single track has got to be worth more than 29p. Record labels are not the only ones concerned about pricing. Scottish dance artist Calvin Harris, whose single Im Not Alone is expected to reach the top five in the singles chart, posted a shocked comment on Twitter after discovering the price of his song at Tesco. He wrote: Good Lord! I just saw you can buy it at Tescos for 57p! 57p! That track took me two years! 57p! Two years! 57p! No wonder musics in trouble.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 08/04/09

Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Online retailers cheap tracks may spark price war Fears that music will be devalued by discounting Alexandra Topping April 8, 2009 1 The giant online retailer Amazon has declared an MP3 price war by cutting the price of many top-selling music downloads in an attempt to grab a bigger share of the legal music download market. In a move seen by experts as an aggressive attempt to steal custom from its rival iTunes, Amazon cut the price of more than 100 popular tracks to just 29 UK pence. 2 On the bargain list, which covers pop, hip-hop, rock, classical and jazz, music fans can also find older tracks such as Oasiss Wonderwall and Neil Youngs Rockin in the Free World for up to 70p less than on Apples iTunes. Amazon, which also offers albums for as little as 3, said the reductions were being introduced for an indefinite period. 3 The news comes as Apple which is believed to control more than 70% of the legal downloading market announced some of its hit tracks would increase in price, while other older songs would be reduced, as part of the companys introduction of variable pricing. A spokesman confirmed that songs would now be available at the iTunes store at 59p, 79p and 99p but refused to discuss an MP3 price war, saying the company did not comment on competitors or future pricing strategy. 4 Music industry analyst Mark Mulligan, vice-president of Forrester Research, said Amazons actions were the first serious threat to Apples dominance of the music download market. Until this point Amazon have been a bit of a sleeping giant, but we are now seeing some real grandstanding, he said. 5 But despite the online retailers marketing offensive, Apple are unlikely to lose their market

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads / Intermediate

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Amazon sells more music downloads than Apple. 2. Amazon is introducing price reductions for a limited period. 3. Apple is planning to increase some of its prices and reduce others. 4. Apple is expected to lose its leading market position very soon. 5. More competition is good news for digital music consumers. 6. Calvin Harris is delighted that his new single is selling for 57p.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. A verb meaning to succeed in getting something, especially by being quick or the best at something. (para 1) A noun meaning a song that sells a very large number of copies. (para 3) A two-word expression meaning an approach to fixing prices that allows them to rise and fall. (para 3) A two-word expression meaning a plan or method to set prices. (para 3) A two-word expression meaning an important player in a particular sector who has, up to now, been inactive. (para 4) 6. A noun meaning written information sent regularly to members of an organization. (para 6) 7. A three-word expression meaning at less than the usual price. (para 6) 8. A two-word expression that means actual, even though not official. (para 6)

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns or noun phrases in the right-hand column to form phrases from the text. 1. cut 2. grab 3. change 4. make 5. post 6. control a. the market b. peoples habits c. an impact d. a comment e. a share of the market f. prices

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 2 Intermediate
6 Word building
Complete the table.

verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
reduce introduce dominate compete

noun

announcement encouragement achievement attempt

7 Discussion
How often do you buy music? Where do you buy it? What, in your opinion, is the best way to buy music?

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Amazon to challenge iTunes with 29p MP3 music downloads


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. custom 2. track 3. grandstanding 4. retailer 5. variable 6. label 7. bargain 8. challenge 9. dominance 10. rival

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. grab hit variable pricing pricing strategy sleeping giant newsletter at a discount de facto

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. f e b c d a

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Apple 29p 59p, 79p and 99p up to 70p less 3 57p

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. reduction introduction dominance competitor (competition) announce encourage achieve attempt

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F F T F T F

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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Complete the sentences using these key words from the text. turnout pundit electoral roll appeasement coalition tangible think-tank fulcrum astute ballot box

1. A ____________________ is an expert on a particular subject who is often asked to talk about that subject. 2. The ____________________ of something is the person or thing that everything else depends on. 3. The ____________________ is an official list of all the people in an area who have the right to vote in elections. 4. An ____________________ person is one who is good at judging situations quickly and is able to use this knowledge for personal benefit. 5. A ____________________ is the place where you put your voting paper after you have voted. 6. A ____________________ is a temporary union of different political parties that agree to form a government together or work together. 7. The ____________________ is the actual number of people who vote in an election. 8. ____________________ is the process of giving your opponents what they want. 9. A ____________________ is a group of people who work together to produce new ideas on a particular subject. 10. If something is ____________________, it is both important and noticeable.

What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. The currency of India is the rupee. 2. Mahatma Gandhi was Indias first prime minister. 3. The Congress Party coalition is currently the ruling political group in India. 4. India has atomic weapons. 5. Muslims are the main religious group in India. 6. More than one billion Indians work in agriculture.

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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 3 Advanced
personality. In an opinion poll this year for the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, a Delhi think-tank, no leader enjoyed 25% approval as a possible prime minister. 6 The most popular leader is probably Sonia Gandhi, president of the Congress party. Gandhi, who was born in Italy, is an astute politician, winning the last election against the odds but refusing to become prime minister, knowing her foreign birth would become too hot an issue. Instead, she appointed Manmohan Singh as prime minister, leaving him to formulate policy while she handled the complex deal-making involved in coalition building. The Congress party, say pundits, is the favourite because it is in power and can point to tangible achievements. For example, it pushed through big pay rises for 4.5 million government employees this year, creating goodwill in urban areas. The elite also praised Singh for securing a nuclear deal with the US that allowed India to keep its atomic weapons and still be sold nuclear reactors. Most important perhaps in terms of votes, the Congress coalition also set up the first social security scheme in India, guaranteeing 100 days of work to poor households in the countryside. Although the cost is estimated at 400bn rupees (5.4bn) this year, it should bring in votes among Indias 600 million agricultural workforce. In the opposite camp is the BJP, led by Lal Krishna Advani, 81. The partys pollsters say it should win votes based on three main issues: terror attacks, the dynastic politics of the Congress party and the appeasement of minorities, especially Muslims. These three issues came together in speeches by Varun Gandhi, 29, the great grandson of Indias first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Although he is a Gandhi, he has become a mascot for the BJP. In March he told cheering crowds that he would cut the head of Muslims (sic) and that if anyone raised a finger against Hindus he would cut that hand. Another powerful line of attack is that Indias economic growth, which has been at 8% for five
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

In the Indian election, 700m voters, 28 days, 250,000 police: worlds biggest democratic poll begins
Gandhis ruling Congress party remains favourite Big players expected to seek coalition partners Randeep Ramesh in New Delhi 16 April, 2009 1 When voters in parts of central and eastern India go to the polls, it will mark the start of the largest democratic ballot in history, a rolling wave of voting in five phases that will stretch over a month and demand formidable security measures, given the twin threats posed by Maoist rebels and jihadi terrorists. 2 To get some idea of the scale consider this: 43 million citizens, more than the adult population of England, have been added to the electoral roll since 2004. More than a million electronic voting machines will be used at 828,000 polling stations. No voter will be more than 2km from a ballot box. 3 Elections can be violent. In the first phase of polls five years ago more than 20 people died. Although the central government has a million-man army, most election security is handled by a 250,000-strong paramilitary force. In the light of the terrorist attack in Mumbai last year, election policing has been beefed up. 4 Ever since the Congress party and the Gandhi family lost their grip on power in 1989, no single party has been able to run India. At the last election, the Congress party took only 145 seats out of 543, with 26% of the vote. It took office by sharing power with partners. Despite the arrival of coalition politics, turnout has remained stable at around 60% and poor minorities are more likely to vote than anyone else. 5 There are three main groupings: the United Progressive Alliance, dominated by the Congress party; the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), built around the Bharatiya Janata Dal; and the Third Front, centred on the Communists. This means that, unlike in Britain or the US, the election will almost certainly not be dominated by a single
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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 3 Advanced
are designed to secure jobs through quotas for her supporters. Mayawatis victory in Uttar Pradesh was a political earthquake. Analysts say Mayawatis significance is the possible emergence of a third national party. If the regional parties unite around her, said Mahesh Rangarajan, a political commentator, she could be the fulcrum of a new power arrangement. If Mayawati gets 40 or more seats, she is possibly prime minister, he added.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 16/04/09

years, never reached the ordinary man. What has [he] seen? Price rises, joblessness and poverty, said one of Advanis aides. However, the real power lies with the regional parties. Congress and the BJP compete directly against each other in only seven out of 28 states. In almost every other state, the contest boils down to one of the national parties facing a local politician. 10 The most important of these is likely to be Kumari Mayawati, who caused an upset in 2007 when her party swept to power in Indias most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. Her policies are claimed to be about social justice but in reality

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. The outcome of the Indian election is ... a. ... absolutely certain. b. ... fairly certain. c. ... quite uncertain. 2. The Congress party is favourite to win because a. ... it is associated with Gandhi. b. ... it is currently in power and has some notable achievements. c. ... its policies are popular in the countryside. 3. The Congress Party and the BJP ... a. ... are directly opposed to each other in only a quarter of Indias states. b. ... both have policies based on three main issues. c. ... are likely to form a new coalition. 4. The Indian elections are threatened by ... a. ... Maoist rebels and jihadi terrorists. b. ... a 250,000-strong military force. c. ... appeasement of minorities.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. An adjective meaning very impressive in size or power and therefore deserving respect. (para 1) 2. A four-word expression meaning because of a particular fact. (para 3) 3. An adjective meaning not changing frequently. (para 4) 4. A three-word expression meaning in conditions that make success unlikely. (para 6) 5. A noun meaning a small group of people who have a lot of power or advantages. (para 7) 6. A noun meaning an animal, person or object that is considered to be lucky or is used as the symbol of a team or organization. (para 8) 7. A noun meaning unemployment. (para 9) 8. A three-word expression meaning to win an election by a very large number of votes. (para 10)
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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 3 Advanced
5 Phrasal verbs
Replace the underlined words in each sentence with the correct form of these phrasal verbs. point to boil down to beef up bring in push through bring in

1. Security has been strengthened after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. 2. They succeeded in getting the new law accepted quickly. 3. Some of the BJPs policies should attract a lot of votes. 4. In some states the election amounts to a contest between a national party and a local politician. 5. Gandhi has invited her son to help with her campaign. 6. The Congress party can show a number of important achievements.

6 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to make collocatons from the text. 1. secure 2. pose 3. formulate a. security b. votes c. ones grip d. a social security scheme e. a country f. a deal g. a policy h. a threat

4. win 5. beef up 6. lose 7. set up 8. run

7 Discussion
What are the most important factors that influence people when they vote in an election in your country?

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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. pundit 2. fulcrum 3. electoral roll 4. astute 5. ballot box 6. coalition 7. turnout 8. appeasement 9. think-tank 10. tangible

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. formidable 2. in the light of 3. stable 4. against the odds 5. elite 6. mascot 7. joblessness 8. sweep to power

5 Phrasal verbs
1. beefed up 2. pushed through 3. bring in 4. boils down to 5. brought in 6. point to

2 What do you know?


1. T 2. F 3. T 4. T 5. F 6. F

6 Verb + noun collocations


1. f 2. h 3. g 4. b 5. a 6. c 7. d 8. e

3 Comprehension check
1. c 2. b 3. a 4. a

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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Complete the sentences using these key words from the text. electoral roll ballot box coalition appeasement polling station dominate opinion poll joblessness seat dynasty

1. A _____________________ is the building where people go to vote in an election. 2. If a person or an organization _____________________, they control a particular activity because they have a lot of power. 3. The _____________________ is an official list of all the people in an area who have the right to vote in elections. 4. A _____________________ is a temporary union of different political parties that agree to form a government together or work together. 5. An _____________________ is an attempt to find out what people in general think about a subject by asking them questions about it. 6. _____________________ is another word for unemployment. 7. A _____________________ is a position as a member of parliament. 8. A _____________________ is a family whose members rule a country for a long period of time. 9. A _____________________ is the place where you put your voting paper after you have voted. 10. _____________________ is the process of giving your opponents what they want.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many Indian citizens have joined the electoral roll since 2004? 2. How many polling stations will there be at the election? 3. How many soldiers are there in the Indian army? 4. How many seats are there in the Indian parliament? 5. How many Indians work in agriculture? 6. How many states are there in India?

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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 1 Elementary
that a single personality will not dominate the election. In an opinion poll earlier this year, no political leader had more than 25% support to be prime minister. 6 The most popular leader is probably Sonia Gandhi, president of the Congress party. Gandhi, who was born in Italy, is a clever politician. It was a surprise when she won the last election but she refused to become prime minister, because she knew that her foreign birth would be a problem. Instead she appointed Manmohan Singh as prime minister. Experts say the Congress party is the favourite because it is in power and has done some positive things for many Indian people. For example, it gave big pay rises to 4.5 million government employees this year. The ruling class also praised Singh for his deal with the US that allowed India to keep its atomic weapons and still buy nuclear reactors. Most important perhaps in terms of votes, the Congress coalition also started the first social security scheme in India. This scheme guarantees 100 days of work to poor families in the countryside. Although it cost 400bn rupees (5.4bn) this year, it should attract votes from Indias 600 million agricultural workforce. Opposing the Congress party is the BJP, led by Lal Krishna Advani. The party will probably win votes on three main issues: terror attacks, the dynastic politics of the Congress party and the appeasement of minorities, especially Muslims. Another powerful weapon for the BJP is that Indias economic growth, which has been at 8% for five years, has never reached the ordinary man. What has [he] seen? Price rises, joblessness and poverty, said one BJP politician. But the real power lies with the regional parties. Congress and the BJP compete directly against each other in only seven out of 28 states. In almost every other state, the election is between one of the national parties and a local politician.

In the Indian election, 700m voters, 28 days, 250,000 police: worlds biggest democratic poll begins
Gandhis ruling Congress party remains favourite Big players expected to seek coalition partners Randeep Ramesh in New Delhi 16 April, 2009 1 This years election in India will be the largest democratic election in history. The five phases of the election will last for a month and will require extensive security measures, because of the danger of attacks by Maoist rebels and jihadi terrorists. 2 To get some idea of how big this election is, think about this: 43 million citizens, more than the adult population of England, have joined the electoral roll since 2004. More than a million electronic voting machines will be used at 828,000 polling stations. No voter will be more than 2km from a ballot box. 3 Indian elections are often violent. More than 20 people died in the first phase of the election five years ago. Although the central government has an army with one million soldiers, a 250,000strong paramilitary force will be responsible for the security of the election. After the terrorist attack in Mumbai last year, election security has been strengthened. 4 No single party has been able to govern India since the Congress party and the Gandhi family lost overall power in 1989. At the last election the Congress party won only 145 seats out of 543, with 26% of the vote. It became the governing party by sharing power with partners in a coalition. Despite the arrival of coalition politics, the number of people voting has remained the same, at around 60%. Poor minorities are more likely to vote than anyone else. 5 There are three main political groups: the United Progressive Alliance, dominated by the Congress party; the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), built around the Bharatiya Janata Dal; and the Third Front, built around the Communists. This means
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Worlds biggest democratic poll begins / Elementary

10 The most important of these local politicians is Kumari Mayawati. In 2007 it was a big surprise
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when her party won the state election in Indias most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. Her victory there was a political earthquake. Experts say that if the regional parties unite around Mayawati, she could be the centre of a new power arrangement and possibly the next prime minister.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 16/04/09

3 Comprehension check
Each sentence contains a mistake. Correct the mistakes. 1. The five phases of the Indian election will last for a week. 2. No voter will be more than 20km from a ballot box. 3. The Indian army will be responsible for the security of the election. 4. At the last election, the Congress party won 62% of the vote. 5. Sonia Gandhi was born in India. 6. Indias economic growth has been 18% for five years.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. in the history election largest democratic 2. are groups three there main political 3. machines more electronic than million voting a 4. people than died more 20 5. in first the security social India scheme 6. centre arrangement a of new power the

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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 1 Elementary
5 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. elect secure appease arrange arrive grow noun

6 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. democratic 2. prime 3. terrorist 4. polling 5. social 6. pay a. security b. attack c. minister d. rise e. poll f. election g. class h. station

7. opinion 8. ruling

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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. polling station 2. dominates 3. electoral roll 4. coalition 5. opinion poll 6. joblessness 7. seat 8. dynasty 9. ballot box 10. appeasement

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. the largest democratic election in history 2. there are three main political groups 3. more than a million electronic voting machines 4. more than 20 people died 5. the first social security scheme in India 6. the centre of a new power arrangment

5 Word building
verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. elect secure appease arrange arrive grow noun election security appeasement arrangement arrival growth

2 Find the information


1. 43 million 2. 828,000 3. one million 4. 543 5. 600 million 6. 28

3 Comprehension check

6 Two-word expressions

1. f 1. The five phases of the Indian election will last for 2. c a month. 3. b 2. No voter will be more than 2km from a ballot box. 4. h 3. A 250,000-strong paramilitary force will be 5. a responsible for the security of the election. 6. d 4. At the last election, the Congress party won 26% of 7. e the vote. 8. g 5. Sonia Gandhi was born in Italy. 6. Indias economic growth has been 8% for five years.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Worlds biggest democratic poll begins / Elementary

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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Complete the sentences using these key words from the text. threat appeasement electoral roll polling station coalition ballot box astute turnout opinion poll seat

1. A ____________________ is a position as a member of parliament. 2. The ____________________ is the actual number of people who vote in an election. 3. ____________________ is the process of giving your opponents what they want. 4. A ____________________ is the building where people go to vote in an election. 5. A ____________________ is a situation or activity that could cause harm or danger. 6. The ____________________ is an official list of all the people in an area who have the right to vote in elections. 7. An ____________________ person is one who is good at judging situations quickly and is able to use this knowledge for personal benefit. 8. A ____________________ is the place where you put your voting paper after you have voted. 9. A ____________________ is a temporary union of different political parties that agree to form a government together or work together. 10. An ____________________ is an attempt to find out what people in general think about a subject by asking them questions about it.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. What is the currency of India? 2. Who was Indias first prime minister? 3. How many seats are there in the Indian parliament? 4. How much did the new social security system cost? 5. How many states are there in India? 6. How many Indians work in agriculture?

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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 2 Intermediate
not be dominated by a single personality. In an opinion poll earlier this year, no leader had a 25% approval as a possible prime minister. 6 The most popular leader is probably Sonia Gandhi, president of the Congress party. Gandhi, who was born in Italy, is an astute politician. She won the last election against the odds but refused to become prime minister, knowing her foreign birth would become an issue. Instead, she appointed Manmohan Singh as prime minister, leaving him to formulate policy while she handled the complex deal-making involved in coalition building. Experts say the Congress party is the favourite because it is in power and can point to some real achievements. For example, it gave big pay rises to 4.5 million government employees this year, creating goodwill in the major cities. The elite also praised Singh for a nuclear deal with the US that allowed India to keep its atomic weapons and still be sold nuclear reactors. Most important perhaps in terms of votes, the Congress coalition also set up the first social security scheme in India, guaranteeing 100 days of work to poor families in the countryside. Although the cost is estimated at 400bn rupees (5.4bn) this year, it should bring in votes among Indias 600 million agricultural workforce. Opposing the Congress party is the BJP, led by Lal Krishna Advani. The party is expected to win votes based on three main issues: terror attacks, the dynastic politics of the Congress party and the appeasement of minorities, especially Muslims. These three issues came together in speeches by Varun Gandhi, 29, the great grandson of Indias first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Although he is a Gandhi, he has become a mascot for the BJP. In March he told cheering crowds that he would cut the head of Muslims (sic) and that if anyone raised a finger against Hindus he would cut that hand. Another powerful line of attack is that Indias economic growth, which has been at 8% for five years, has never reached the ordinary man. What has [he] seen? Price rises, joblessness
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In the Indian election, 700m voters, 28 days, 250,000 police: worlds biggest democratic poll begins
Gandhis ruling Congress party remains favourite Big players expected to seek coalition partners Randeep Ramesh in New Delhi 16 April, 2009 1 When voters in parts of central and eastern India vote in this years election, it will be the start of the largest democratic election in history. The five phases of the election will stretch over a month and require extensive security measures, in view of the threats posed by Maoist rebels and jihadi terrorists. 2 To get an idea of the scale of the election, consider this: 43 million citizens, more than the adult population of England, have been added to the electoral roll since 2004. More than a million electronic voting machines will be used at 828,000 polling stations. No voter will be more than 2km from a ballot box. 3 Indian elections can be violent. In the first phase of the election five years ago, more than 20 people died. Although the central government has a million-man army, most election security is handled by a 250,000-strong paramilitary force. Following the terrorist attack in Mumbai last year, election security has been beefed up. 4 Ever since the Congress party and the Gandhi family lost overall power in 1989, no single party has been able to run India. At the last election, the Congress party took only 145 seats out of 543, with 26% of the vote. It took office by sharing power with partners. Despite the arrival of coalition politics, turnout has remained stable at around 60% and poor minorities are more likely to vote than anyone else. 5 There are three main groupings: the United Progressive Alliance, dominated by the Congress party; the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), built around the Bharatiya Janata Dal; and the Third Front, centred on the Communists. This means that, unlike in Britain or the US, the election will
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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 2 Intermediate
Analysts say Mayawatis significance is the possible emergence of a third national party. If the regional parties unite around her, said Mahesh Rangarajan, a political commentator, she could be the centre of a new power arrangement. If Mayawati gets 40 or more seats, she could possibly become prime minister, he added.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 16/04/09

and poverty, said one of Advanis aides. However, the real power lies with the regional parties. Congress and the BJP compete directly against each other in only seven out of 28 states. In almost every other state, the contest is between one of the national parties and a local politician. 10 The most important of these is likely to be Kumari Mayawati, who caused an upset in 2007 when her party swept to power in Indias most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. Her victory in Uttar Pradesh was a political earthquake.

3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. It will take one month to complete the next Indian election. 2. There are 43 million people on the Indian electoral roll. 3. Voters have to be 2km from a ballot box in order to vote. 4. The Congress party rules India. 5. Sonia Gandhi is the Indian prime minister. 6. The Congress party has introduced measures that are popular in both the towns and in the countryside. 7. The Congress party and the BJP will not compete directly against each other in 75% of the Indian states. 8. Kumari Mayawati will definitely be the next prime minister of India.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. An adjective meaning organized and operating like an army. (para 3) 2. A two-word phrasal verb meaning strengthen. (para 3) 3. An adjective meaning not changing frequently. (para 4) 4. A three-word expression meaning in conditions that make success unlikely. (para 6) 5. A noun meaning a small group of people who have a lot of power or advantages. (para 7) 6. A two-word phrasal verb meaning attract. (para 7) 7. A noun meaning an animal, person or object that is considered to be lucky or is used as the symbol of a team or organization. (para 8) 8. A noun meaning unemployment. (para 9)
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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. achieve signify appease secure arrive grow arrange approve noun

6 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. security 2. central 3. terrorist 4. pay 5. social 6. economic 7. opinion 8. prime a. security b. attack c. poll d. measures e. growth f. minister g. government h. rise

7 Discussion
Many of these factors may be important when people decide how to vote in an election: unemployment, the economy, security, foreign policy, education, social welfare, health, transport, housing, law and order. Rank them in order of priority from 1 (most important) to 10 (least important).

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Worlds biggest democratic poll begins / Intermediate

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Worlds biggest democratic poll begins


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. seat 2. turnout 3. appeasement 4. polling station 5. threat 6. electoral roll 7. astute 8. ballot box 9. coalition 10. opinion poll

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. paramilitary 2. beef up 3. stable 4. against the odds 5. elite 6. bring in 7. mascot 8. joblessness

5 Word building
verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. achieve signify appease secure arrive grow arrange approve noun achievement significance appeasement security arrival growth arrangement approval

2 Find the information


1. the rupee 2. Jawaharlal Nehru 3. 543 4. 400 billion rupees (5.4 bn) 5. 28 6. 600 million

3 Comprehension check
1. T 2. F 3. F 4. F 5. F 6. T 7. T 8. F

6 Two-word expressions
1. d 2. g 3. b 4. h 5. a 6. e 7. c 8. f

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. brutal off-limits apocalyptic partial ubiquitous tranquil idyllic deserted stir crazy non-essential

1. If a scene is described as _____________________, it is extremely beautiful and peaceful. 2. A _____________________ place or scene is one which is calm, still and quiet. 3. If a place is _____________________, there are no people in it. 4. If a place is _____________________, you are not allowed to go there. 5. _____________________ services are ones which are not absolutely necessary. 6. An _____________________ situation is one in which very bad things happen or the whole world will be destroyed. 7. _____________________ is an American expression used to describe someone who is incredibly restless because they have been kept inside for too long. 8. If something is _____________________, you can find it everywhere. 9. A _____________________ action is one which is extreme and unpleasant. 10. A _____________________ action is one that is not complete.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Which are the only restaurants in Mexico City that remain open? 2. What is the population of Mexico City? 3. Where, according to the president of Mexico, is the safest place to avoid swine flu? 4. How much is the shutdown costing Mexico City each day? 5. What has happened to the number of people staying in hotels? 6. What commodity is selling particularly well?

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 3 Advanced
5 The few who venture out try to reduce risk of infection by keeping distance from others and not touching things with their hands. The church of Our Lady of Rosario was empty all morning save for one woman who opened the door with her foot. Parents are keeping children indoors, driving them stir crazy. My little ones are running riot but what can I do? Theres only so much TV and homework they can bear, said Carmen Ramos, a shopkeeper. Crime rates have fallen, air quality has greatly improved and birds are audible on what once were crowded streets. But anxiety and uncertainty prevents people enjoying that. The authorities have said the citys lockdown may last indefinitely. We have to get used to the idea that we are going to live with this virus for a long time, said Marcelo Ebrard, the mayor. 159 people are thought to have died from swine flu and 2,498 are suspected to have the virus. A mercifully small number of victims so far, given the apocalyptic warnings, but the economic impact has been brutal. Epidemic of losses, ran the banner headline in todays Excelsiors newspaper. The chamber of commerce says the shutdown is costing Mexico City $57m a day. Tourism has evaporated, proving there is such a thing as bad publicity. Archaeological sites, including Aztec pyramids and Maya temples, are off-limits nationwide. Hotel occupancy in Mexico City is down to under 10%. Argentina and Cuba have suspended flights and if France gets its way the European Union will follow, compounding Mexicans sense of isolation. The one trade which is booming is sales in surgical masks. Pharmacies ran out of stocks several days ago but masks can be bought on the black market for more than $1 each, a huge mark-up. This cant go on, said Daniel Martinez, 46, the driver of one of the citys mini-buses. Look at that, he pointed behind him. Every seat was empty save for one at the very back occupied by a middleaged man wearing a mask. Its like driving ghosts.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 30/04/09
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Swine flu outbreak brings normally bustling Mexico City to a near halt
Residents told to stay home for a five-day economic shutdown Almost all 30,000 city restaurants are shuttered Rory Carroll in Mexico City April 30, 2009 1 The scene looked idyllic. Two men on a bench on Avenida Alvaro Obregon sitting in the sunshine. Birds sang in the trees overhead. There was hardly a soul to break the tranquility. But Salvador Hellmer, a briefcase at his feet, was not feeling tranquil. Look at us! Its like a war, worse than war. This sort of thing doesnt happen in Iraq or Afghanistan. The immediate source of his anger was Wings, a restaurant which closed its doors and forced the lawyer and his client to hold their meeting on a bench opposite. Neither was in the mood to enjoy sunshine, birdsong or a deserted street. 2 To avoid spreading swine flu almost all of Mexico Citys estimated 30,000 restaurants have shut, with just a few operating a skeleton service for take-outs. Of all the edicts which have turned this metropolis of 20m people into a ghost town the one on eateries seems the most resented. Madness. Not even after the 1985 earthquake was it like this, said Juan Perez, 44, outside Julias, a closed taco restaurant on Avenida Cuauhtemoc. This is a disaster. 3 Mexicos president, Felipe Calderon, has now told citizens to stay home from Friday for a five-day partial shutdown of the economy. There is no safer place than your own home to avoid being infected with the flu virus, he said. The country will suspend non-essential work and services, including some government ministries, from May 15. 4 Mexico City, one of the worlds largest cities, a city full of chaos and movement and life, is slowing to a stop. Schools, cinemas, gyms and tourist sites have shut, businesses are suffering badly and crowds, a ubiquitous feature of this most social of capitals, have vanished.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt / Advanced

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. What benefits has the swine flu epidemic brought to Mexico City? a. The ubiquitous crowds have vanished from the streets and the city is deserted. b. Crime has fallen and air quality has improved. c. Hotel occupancy is below 10% and some countries have suspended flights. 2. Which of the emergency measures seems to be the most unpopular? a. The closure of some government ministries. b. The closure of most of the citys restaurants. c. The closure of famous tourist sites. 3. How do people who go outside try to avoid becoming infected? a. By using their feet to open doors. b. By holding business meetings in the open air. c. By avoiding close contact with other people and not touching things with their hands. 4. How long will the shutdown last? a. No-one knows. b. Until 5 May. c. Three months.

4 Find the word


Look in the text and find the following words and phrases. 1. A two-word expression meaning just enough workers to keep a business or service operating. (para 2) 2. A noun meaning an official order given by a government. (para 2) 3. A verb meaning to experience angry unhappy feelings because you feel you have been treated unfairly. (para 2) 4. A two-word expression meaning to exit to somewhere unpleasant or dangerous. (para 5) 5. A two-word preposition meaning except for. (para 5) 6. A two-word expression meaning behaving in a noisy and uncontrolled way. (para 5) 7. A three-word expression meaning an organization of people who own shops and businesses in a particular town or city. (para 7) 8. A three-word expression meaning to be allowed to have what you want. (para 7)

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 3 Advanced
5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. non-essential 2. crime 3. economic 4. bad 5. black 6. banner a. market b. headline c. publicity d. rate e. services f. impact

6 Word building
Fill the gaps using the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. The shutdown in Mexico City could last __________________. [definite] 2. There is a feeling of __________________ throughout the city. [anxious] 3. There is also a feeling of great __________________ as no-one knows exactly what is happening. [certain] 4. There has been a great __________________ in air quality. [improve] 5. There has also been a noticeable __________________ in crime. [reduce] 6. The __________________ of flights from the European Union would increase the sense of isolation. [suspend]

6 Discussion
Are you worried about catching swine flu? What measures would you take to avoid an infectious disease like this?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt / Advanced

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. idyllic 2. tranquil 3. deserted 4. off-limits 5. non-essential 6. apocalyptic 7. stir-crazy 8. ubiquitous 9. brutal 10. partial

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. skeleton service edict resent venture out save for running riot chamber of commerce get ones way

5 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e d f c a b

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. ones that sell take-away food 20 million in your own home $57 million it has fallen to less than 10% of the usual number surgical masks

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. indefinitely anxiety uncertainty improvement reduction suspension

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b b c a

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt / Advanced

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. deserted disaster non-essential crowded epidemic swine flu virus isolated ghost town black market

1. An ______________________ is a situation in which a disease spreads very quickly and infects many people. 2. ______________________ is an infectious disease which first appeared in pigs. 3. A ______________________ is a simple living thing which is smaller than a bacterium and can enter your body and make you ill. 4. If you feel ______________________, you feel alone and unhappy. 5. If a place is ______________________, there are no people in it. 6. A place where most people have left is called a ______________________. 7. The ______________________ is the illegal buying and selling of goods. 8. If a place is ______________________, there are a lot of people in it. 9. A ______________________ is something very bad that causes a lot of damage or kills a lot of people. 10. ______________________ services are ones which are not absolutely necessary.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many restaurants are there in Mexico City? 2. How many people live in Mexico City? 3. When was the earthquake in Mexico City? 4. How many people have died from swine flu? 5. How many people have the virus? 6. How much does a surgical mask cost on the black market?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt / Elementary

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 1 Elementary
5 The few people who do go outside try to reduce the risk of infection by keeping away from other people and not touching things with their hands. The church of Our Lady of Rosario was empty all morning except for one woman who opened the door with her foot. Parents are keeping children indoors, which is making them bored. My children are going crazy but what can I do? All they can do is watch TV and do their homework, said Carmen Ramos, a shopkeeper. Crime rates have fallen, there has been an improvement in air quality, and you can hear the sound of birds on the once crowded streets. But people are too worried and uncertain to enjoy it. The authorities have said they dont know how long the situation will last. We have to get used to the idea that we are going to live with this virus for a long time, said Marcelo Ebrard, the mayor. It is believed that 159 people have died from swine flu and 2,498 more have the virus. This is quite a small number of victims so far but the economic impact has been terrible. Epidemic of losses, said the headline in the Excelsiors newspaper. The shutdown is costing Mexico City $57m a day. Tourism has disappeared as a result of the bad publicity. Archaeological sites, including Aztec pyramids and Maya temples, are closed all over Mexico. Only 10% of hotel rooms in Mexico City have guests. Argentina and Cuba have stopped flights to Mexico and the European Union will probably do the same, making Mexicans feel even more isolated. The only business which is doing well is the surgical masks business. Pharmacies sold out several days ago but you can buy masks on the black market for more than $1 each, which is much more than the official price. This cant continue, said Daniel Martinez, 46, the driver of one of the citys mini-buses. Look at that, he said pointing behind him. Every seat on his bus was empty except for one at the very back occupied by a middle-aged man wearing a mask. Its like driving ghosts.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 30/04/09
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Swine flu outbreak brings normally bustling Mexico City to a near halt
Residents told to stay home for a five-day economic shutdown Almost all 30,000 city restaurants are shuttered Rory Carroll in Mexico City April 30, 2009 1 It was a peaceful scene. Two men were sitting on a bench on Avenida Alvaro Obregon in the sunshine. Birds were singing in the trees. There was hardly anyone to disturb the silence. But Salvador Hellmer, a lawyer, was not a happy man. Look at us! Its like a war, worse than war. This sort of thing doesnt happen in Iraq or Afghanistan. He was angry because a local restaurant had closed its doors and forced Salvador and his client to hold their meeting on a bench opposite. Neither of them was in the mood to enjoy the sunshine, the birdsong or the deserted street. 2 To prevent the spread of swine flu, almost all of Mexico Citys 30,000 restaurants have closed, with just a few operating a take-away service. The government has issued a number of orders that have made this huge city of 20m people a ghost town, but it is the order to close the restaurants that has made people really angry. This is madness. It wasnt even like this after the earthquake in 1985, said Juan Perez, 44, outside another closed restaurant. This is a disaster. 3 Mexicos president, Felipe Calderon, has now told citizens to stay home from Friday while parts of the economy close down for five days. Your home is the safest place to be if you want to avoid infection with the flu virus, he said. The country will stop all non-essential work and services, including some government ministries, from May 1st to 5th. 4 Mexico City, one of the worlds largest cities, a city full of movement and life, is slowing to a stop. Schools, cinemas, gyms and tourist sites have closed, businesses are suffering badly and the usually crowded streets are empty.
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NEWS LESSONS / Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt / Elementary

Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. If you want to avoid infection with the swine flu virus, ... 2. A lot of people in Mexico City are angry because 3. One good thing is that 4. As a result of the bad publicity, 5. People who go outside ... 6. Children are bored because a. tourists have stopped visiting Mexico. b. air quality has improved. c. try not to touch things with their hands. d. most of the restaurants in the city have closed down. e. they have to stay indoors. f. you should stay at home.

4 Numbers and dates


There is one mistake in the written version of each of these numbers or dates. Correct the mistakes. 1. 2,498 two thousand and four hundred and ninety-eight fifty-seven millions dollars twenty million of people nineteen hundred eighty-five hundred and fifty-nine people from the first to fifth of May

2. $57 million 3. 20m people 4. 1985 5. 159 people 6. May 15

5 Two-word phrases
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. air 2. tourist 3. ghost 4. crime 5. economic 6. black a. impact b. town c. market d. quality e. rate
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f. sites

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 1 Elementary
6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. govern meet move infect spread improve noun

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt / Elementary

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. epidemic 2. swine flu 3. virus 4. isolated 5. deserted 6. ghost town 7. black market 8. crowded 9. disaster 10. non-essential

Elementary

4 Numbers and dates


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. two thousand four hundred and ninety-eight fifty-seven million dollars twenty million people nineteen eighty-five a / one hundred and fifty-nine people from the first to the fifth of May

5 Two-word phrases
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f b e a c

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 30,000 20 million 1985 159 2,498 $1

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. government meeting movement infection spread improvement

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. f d b a c e

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt / Elementary

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. tranquil off-limits deserted edict non-essential metropolis brutal anxiety apocalyptic epidemic

1. An ___________________ situation is one in which very bad things happen or the whole world will be destroyed. 2. A ___________________ action is one which is extreme and unpleasant. 3. If a place is ___________________, there are no people in it. 4. An ___________________ is a situation in which a disease spreads very quickly and infects many people. 5. An ___________________ is an official order given by a government. 6. ___________________ is a worried feeling you have because you think something bad might happen. 7. A ___________________ place or scene is one which is calm, still and quiet. 8. ___________________ services are ones which are not absolutely necessary. 9. A ___________________ is a big city, especially considered as somewhere that is very busy and exciting. 10. If a place is ___________________, you are not allowed to go there.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many restaurants are there in Mexico City? 2. What is the population of Mexico City? 3. When was there a major earthquake in Mexico City? 4. How many people have died from swine flu? 5. How much is the shutdown costing Mexico City each day? 6. How much do surgical masks cost on the black market?

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 2 Intermediate
not touching things with their hands. The church of Our Lady of Rosario was empty all morning except for one woman who opened the door with her foot. Parents are keeping children indoors, driving them crazy. My children are running riot but what can I do? Theres only so much TV and homework they can bear, said Carmen Ramos, a shopkeeper. 6 Crime rates have fallen, air quality has greatly improved and you can hear the sound of birds on the once crowded streets. But anxiety and uncertainty prevents people enjoying that. The authorities have said they dont know how long this situation will last. We have to get used to the idea that we are going to live with this virus for a long time, said Marcelo Ebrard, the mayor. It is believed that 159 people have died from swine flu and 2,498 more have the virus. This is a relatively small number of victims so far, given the apocalyptic warnings, but the economic impact has been brutal. Epidemic of losses, said the headline in the Excelsiors newspaper. The shutdown is costing Mexico City $57m a day. Tourism has disappeared as a result of the bad publicity. Archaeological sites, including Aztec pyramids and Maya temples, are off-limits throughout Mexico. Hotel occupancy in Mexico City has fallen to under 10%. Argentina and Cuba have suspended flights and the European Union will probably follow, increasing Mexicans sense of isolation. The one trade which is booming is sales in surgical masks. Pharmacies ran out of them several days ago but masks can be bought on the black market for more than $1 each, which is much more than the official price. This cant go on, said Daniel Martinez, 46, the driver of one of the citys mini-buses. Look at that, he said pointing behind him. Every seat was empty except for one at the very back occupied by a middle-aged man wearing a mask. Its like driving ghosts.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 30/04/09

Swine flu outbreak brings normally bustling Mexico City to a near halt
Residents told to stay home for a five-day economic shutdown Almost all 30,000 city restaurants are shuttered Rory Carroll in Mexico City April 30, 2009 1 It was a peaceful scene. Two men were sitting on a bench on Avenida Alvaro Obregon in the sunshine. Birds were singing in the trees. There was hardly anyone to disturb the tranquility. But Salvador Hellmer, a lawyer with his briefcase at his feet, was not feeling tranquil. Look at us! Its like a war, worse than war. This sort of thing doesnt happen in Iraq or Afghanistan. The immediate source of his anger was Wings, a restaurant which closed its doors and forced Salvador and his client to hold their meeting on a bench opposite. Neither was in the mood to enjoy sunshine, birdsong or the deserted street. 2 To avoid spreading swine flu almost all of Mexico Citys 30,000 restaurants have closed, with just a few operating a take-away service. A number of edicts have turned this metropolis of 20m people into a ghost town but the people seem to resent the one on restaurants the most. Madness. Not even after the 1985 earthquake was it like this, said Juan Perez, 44, outside Julias, a closed taco restaurant. This is a disaster. 3 Mexicos president, Felipe Calderon, has now told citizens to stay home from Friday while parts of the economy close down for five days. There is no safer place than your own home to avoid being infected with the flu virus, he said. The country will suspend non-essential work and services, including some government ministries, from May 15. 4 Mexico City, one of the worlds largest cities, a city full of movement and life, is slowing to a stop. Schools, cinemas, gyms and tourist sites have shut, businesses are suffering badly and the usual crowds have vanished. 5 The few people who do go out try to reduce risk of infection by keeping distance from others and
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NEWS LESSONS / Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt / Intermediate

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. The closure of the citys restaurants has made people angry. 2. The safest place to be during the epidemic is at home. 3. All essential services will be suspended for five days at the start of May. 4. The epidemic has caused an increase in crime. 5. The air in the city is not as polluted as usual. 6. It is a good time to be in the surgical masks business.

4 Find the word


Look in the text and find the following words and phrases. 1. A noun meaning a hard seat for two or more people, usually outside in a public place. (para 1) 2. A two-word expression meaning a town where most people have left. (para 2) 3. A verb meaning to experience angry unhappy feelings because you feel you have been treated unfairly. (para 2) 4. A verb meaning to disappear. (para 4) 5. A two-word expression meaning behaving in a noisy and uncontrolled way. (para 5) 6. A two-word expression meaning places where you can see the remains of ancient societies. (para 7) 7. A verb meaning enjoying a period of economic success. (para 7) 8. A two-word expression meaning the illegal buying and selling of goods. (para 7)

5 Nouns and verbs


Match the nouns and noun phrases in the left-hand column with the verbs in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. crime rates 2. air quality 3. restaurants 4. businesses 5. tourism 6. hotel occupancy a. have closed b. are suffering badly c. has disappeared d. have fallen e. has fallen f. has improved

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 2 Intermediate
6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. warn meet move infect isolate publicize noun

6 Discussion
Imagine that you are the mayor of a large city threatened by a flu epidemic. What would you do to prevent the infection spreading?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt / Intermediate

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Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. apocalyptic 2. brutal 3. deserted 4. epidemic 5. edict 6. anxiety 7. tranquil 8. non-essential 9. metropolis 10. off-limits

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. bench ghost town resent vanish running riot archaeological sites booming black market

5 Nouns and verbs


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f a b c e

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 30,000 20 million 1985 159 $57 million $1

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. warning meeting movement infection isolation publicity

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T T F F T T

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Swine flu outbreak brings Mexico City to a near halt / Intermediate

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. footprint subsidy consumption secretive escalate overwhelmed revenue recession scrutiny exponential

1. If a system is _______________________, it is unable to cope with the amount of demand. 2. If something increases at an _______________________ rate, it grows very quickly. 3. A _______________________ company deliberately sets out not to tell people things. 4. _______________________ is the income a company gets for its business activities. 5. Your _______________________ is the impression you make on the environment. 6. _______________________ is the process of using fuel or energy. 7. If an activity is under _______________________, it is being investigated carefully. 8. A _______________________ is a period when trade and industry are not successful and there is a lot of unemployment. 9. A _______________________ is an amount of money given by the government or another organization to help reduce the cost of a product or a service. 10. If costs _______________________, they increase a lot.

What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. There are more than 1.5 billion people online around the world. 2. YouTube is now the worlds biggest website. 3. YouTube is owned by Microsoft. 4. The computer industry has a bigger carbon footprint than the airline industry. 5. The environmental impact of an Internet search is more than one mile of driving. 6. US computer data centres use more than 15% of entire electricity usage of the United States.

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 3 Advanced
of Internet use is that the computer industrys carbon debt is increasing drastically. From having a relatively small impact just a few years ago, it is now overtaking other sectors like the airline industry that are more widely known for their negative environmental impact. 6 However, tracking the growth of the Internets energy use is difficult, since internal company estimates of power consumption are rarely made public. A lot of this Internet stuff is fairly secretive, said Rich Brown, an energy analyst. Google is probably the best example: they see it as a trade secret: how many data centres they have, how big they are, how many servers they have. One study by Brown suggested that US data centres used 61bn kilowatt hours of energy in 2006. That is enough to supply the whole of the UK for two months, and 1.5% of the entire electricity usage of the US. Brown said that despite efforts to achieve greater efficiency, Internet use is growing at such a rate that it is outstripping technical improvements meaning that American data centres could account for as much as 80bn kWh this year. Efficiency is being more than overwhelmed by continued growth and demand for new services, he said. Its a common story technical improvements are often taken back by increased demand. Among the problems that could result from the Internets hunger for electricity are website failures and communications disruption costing millions in lost business every hour as well as power cuts at plants which supply data centres with electricity. To combat this, initiatives are taking place across the industry to cope with the problem, including new designs for data centres and more investment in renewable energy. Researchers at Microsofts research lab are even turning to older technology in an attempt to turn the clock back by replacing energyhungry new machines with the systems used in older, less powerful laptops. It turns out that those processors have been designed to be very energy efficient, basically to make batteries last, said Andrew Herbert of Microsoft Research. We
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Soaring online demand stretching companies ability to deliver content as net uses more power and raises costs Bobby Johnson in San Francisco May 3, 2009 1 The Internets increasing appetite for electricity is a major threat to companies such as Google, according to scientists and industry executives. They say that many Internet companies are struggling to manage the costs of delivering billions of web pages, videos and files online in a perfect storm that could even threaten the future of the Internet itself. 2 In an energy-constrained world, we cannot continue to grow the footprint of the Internet we need to rein in the energy consumption, said Subodh Bapat of Sun Microsystems, one of the worlds largest manufacturers of web servers. Bapat said the network of web servers and data centres that store online information is becoming more expensive, while profits come under pressure as a result of the recession. We need more data centres, we need more servers. Each server burns more watts than the previous generation and each watt costs more, he said. 3 With more than 1.5 billion people online around the world, scientists estimate that the energy footprint of the net is growing by more than 10% each year. This leaves many Internet companies caught in a bind: energy costs are escalating because of their increasing popularity, while at the same time their advertising revenues come under pressure from the recession. 4 One site under particular scrutiny is YouTube now the worlds third-biggest website, but one that requires a heavy subsidy from Google, its owner. Although the sites financial details are kept under wraps, a recent analysis suggested that it could lose as much as $470m (317m) this year, as a result of the high price of delivering power-intensive videos over the Internet. 5 And while the demand for electricity is a primary concern, a secondary result of the explosion
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NEWS LESSONS / Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts / Advanced

Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 3 Advanced
revenue at the same time, he said. With good engineering were trying to make those two even out but the power bill is going up. 12 Despite mounting evidence that the Internets energy footprint is in danger of running out of control, however, Hlzle dismissed concerns about the environmental impact of using the web. One mile of driving completely dwarfs the cost of a search, he said. Internet usage is part of our consumption, just like TV is, or driving. There is consumption there, but overall I think it is not the problem.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 03/05/09

found we can build more energy-efficient data centres with those than with the kind of high performance processors you find in a typical server. 10 Google was among the first Internet companies to take action to reduce its footprint by developing its own data centres but even though it pumped an estimated $2.3bn into infrastructure projects last year, it remains unclear whether it is winning the battle. 11 The companys vice-president of operations, Urs Hlzle, said that it was struggling to contain energy costs. You have exponential growth in demand from users, and many of these services are free so you dont have exponential growth of

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Why is YouTube expected to lose money this year? a. Because energy companies are increasing prices. b. Because it costs a lot of money to send power-intensive videos over the Internet. c. Because it is secretive about the number of servers it has. 2. Why is it difficult to know exactly how much energy the Internet consumes? a. Because Internet companies rarely publish how much energy they use. b. Because no-one knows how many servers they have. c. Because Internet use is growing faster than technical improvements. 3. Why are researchers at Microsoft turning to older technology? a. Because they have no money for research and development. b. Because older laptops are more energy efficient than new machines c. Because they think it is important to turn the clock back. 4. Why is Google having a problem keeping its energy costs under control? a. Because it has invested $2.3 billion in infrastructure projects. b. Because typical servers have high performance processors. c. Because there is growing demand but revenue is not growing at the same rate.

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A three-word expression meaning an event where a combination of circumstances make a situation much worse. (para 1) 2. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to limit or bring under control. (para 2) 3. A noun meaning a unit for measuring electrical power. (para 2) 4. A four-word expression meaning trapped in a difficult situation. (para 3) 5. A three-word expression meaning keep something secret. (para 4) 6. A verb meaning to exceed or become larger than something else. (para 7) 7. A four-word expression meaning to return to a time in the past. (para 9) 8. A verb meaning to make something seem small or unimportant. (para 12)

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. have achieve take win contain store burn cope with a. a battle b. action c. electricity d. online information e. greater efficiency f. a problem g. an impact h. costs

6 Word building
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. Energy _________________ is increasing drastically. [consume] 2. The _________________ of power-intensive videos is costing Internet companies a lot of money. [deliver] 3. Several industries have a negative _________________ impact. [environment] 4. There may be a significant amount of _________________ to services. [disrupt] 5. Typical servers contain high _________________ processors. [perform] 6. The increasing _________________ of Internet sites is leading to increasing energy costs. [popular]

7 Discussion
How many other ways of reducing your carbon footprint can you think of? Would you consider reducing your Internet use to help the environment?
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts / Advanced

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. overwhelmed 2. exponential 3. secretive 4. revenue 5. footprint 6. consumption 7. scrutiny 8. recession 9. subsidy 10. escalate

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. a perfect storm rein in watt caught in a bind keep under wraps outstrip turn the clock back dwarf

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. g e b a h d c f

2 What do you know?


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T F F T F F

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b a b c

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. consumption delivery environmental disruption performance popularity

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts / Advanced

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. energy-efficient consumption threat impact revenue recession power cut footprint server renewable

1. A _____________________ is a computer that controls all the computers in a network. 2. Your _____________________ is the impression you make on the environment. 3. If something is _____________________, it works well and doesnt use a lot of energy. 4. _____________________ energy replaces itself by natural processes so that it is never completely used up. 5. A _____________________ is a period when the electricity supply stops. 6. If something has an _____________________ on something else, it has an effect or influence on it. 7. _____________________ is the income a company gets for its business activities. 8. A _____________________ is a period when trade and industry are not successful and there is a lot of unemployment. 9. A _____________________ is a situation or activity that could cause harm or danger. 10. _____________________ is the process of using fuel or energy.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many people are online around the world? 2. Which company owns YouTube? 3. How much money could YouTube lose in 2009? 4. How much energy did US data centres use in 2006? 5. How much energy does the UK use in two months? 6. How much did Google invest in infrastructure in 2008?

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 1 Elementary
5 While the demand for electricity is a major worry, a secondary result of the rapid increase in Internet use is that the computer industrys carbon footprint is also increasing rapidly. A few years ago it had quite a small footprint, but now it is larger than other sectors like the airline industry that people usually associate with a negative environmental impact. However, it is difficult to monitor the growth of the Internets energy use because Internet companies rarely say how much energy they use. A lot of Internet companies keep this information secret, said Rich Brown, an energy analyst. Google is probably the best example. They see it as a secret: how many data centres they have, how big they are, how many servers they have. Brown says that US data centres used 61bn kilowatt hours of energy in 2006. That is enough electricity to supply the whole of the UK for two months, and 1.5% of all the electricity used in the US. The Internets hunger for electricity could lead to website failures and breaks in communication costing millions in lost business every hour. It could also cause power cuts at plants which supply data centres with electricity. To prevent this, computer companies are working on new designs for data centres and are investing more money in renewable energy. Researchers at Microsofts research lab are even turning to older technology by replacing energy-hungry new machines with the systems used in older, less powerful laptops. Those older processors were designed to be very energy efficient, to make batteries last, said Andrew Herbert of Microsoft Research. We have found that we can build more energy-efficient data centres with those older processors than with the kind of high performance processors you find in a typical server. Google was one of the first Internet companies to try to reduce its footprint by developing its own data centres but even though it invested about $2.3bn into infrastructure projects last year, it is
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Soaring online demand stretching companies ability to deliver content as net uses more power and raises costs Bobby Johnson in San Francisco May 3, 2009 1 Scientists and representatives of the computer industry have said that the Internets increasing use of electricity could be a major problem for companies such as Google. They say that many Internet companies are finding it difficult to manage the costs of providing billions of web pages, videos and files online, and this is creating an energy problem that could even be a threat to the future of the Internet itself. 2 In a world with a limited amount of energy, we cannot continue to increase the carbon footprint of the Internet we need to control our use of energy, said Subodh Bapat of Sun Microsystems. Bapat said the network of web servers and data centres that store online information is becoming more expensive. At the same time profits are falling as a result of the recession. We need more data centres, we need more servers. Each server burns more electricity than the previous generation and electricity costs are going up, he said. 3 More than 1.5 billion people are online around the world and scientists say that the energy footprint of the Internet is growing by more than 10% each year. This puts many Internet companies in a difficult situation: energy costs are rising rapidly because of their increasing popularity, but at the same time the money they get from advertising is falling because of the recession. 4 One example is YouTube now the worlds third-biggest website, but one that requires a lot of money from its owner, Google. Although YouTubes financial details are a secret, some experts say that it could lose as much as $470m (317m) this year, as a result of the high cost of providing power-intensive videos over the Internet.

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 1 Elementary
environmental impact of using the web. The cost of one mile of driving is much greater than the cost of an Internet search, he said. Internet usage is part of our consumption, just like TV is, or driving. There is consumption there, but overall I think it is not the problem.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 03/05/09

not clear whether it has been successful. Urs Hlzle of Google says that it is difficult to keep energy costs under control. You have rapid growth in demand from users, and many of these services are free so you dont have rapid growth of revenue at the same time, he said. 10 In spite of the growing evidence that the Internets energy footprint is getting out of control, Hlzle isnt worried about the

3 Comprehension check
There is one mistake in each of these sentences. Find the mistakes and correct them. 1. YouTube is the worlds biggest website. 2. YouTube is owned by Microsoft. 3. The computer industrys carbon footprint is decreasing rapidly. 4. It is easy to monitor the growth of the Internets energy use. 5. Profits are rising as a result of the recession. 6. The cost of one mile of driving is much smaller than the cost of an Internet search.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. each by more year 10% than 2. than people 1.5 more billion 3. in 1.5% the all US used electricity of the 4. data new centres for designs 5. energy keep control to costs under 6. amount a limited energy of

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 1 Elementary
5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with the ones in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. web 2. carbon 3. data 4. energy 5. rapid 6. environmental 7. high 8. power a. centre b. efficient c. performance d. page e. impact f. cut g. footprint h. growth

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. consume improve perform fail grow increase noun

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts / Elementary

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. server 2. footprint 3. energy-efficient 4. renewable 5. power cut 6. impact 7. revenue 8. recession 9. threat 10. consumption

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. by more than 10% each year more than 1.5 billion people 1.5% of all the electricity used in the US new designs for data centres to keep energy costs under control a limited amount of energy

5 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. d g a b h e c f

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. more than 1.5 billion Google $470 million 61bn kilowatt hours 61bn kilowatt hours about $2.3 billion

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. consumption improvement performance failure growth increase

3 Comprehension check
1. YouTube is the worlds third-biggest website. 2. YouTube is owned by Google. 3. The computer industrys carbon footprint is increasing rapidly. 4. It is difficult to monitor the growth of the Internets energy use. 5. Profits are falling as a result of the recession. 6. The cost of one mile of driving is much greater than the cost of an Internet search.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts / Elementary

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. footprint secretive recession consumption threat server revenue concern subsidy dismiss

1. _____________________ is the income a company gets for its business activities. 2. A ___________________ is a period when trade and industry are not successful and there is a lot of unemployment. 3. A _____________________ is an amount of money given by the government or another organization to help reduce the cost of a product or a service. 4. A _____________________ is a situation or activity that could cause harm or danger. 5. _____________________ is the process of using fuel or energy. 6. If you _____________________ something, you refuse to accept that it might be true or important. 7. A _____________________ is a feeling of worry about something. 8. A _____________________ is a computer that controls all the computers in a network. 9. Your _____________________ is the impression you make on the environment. 10. A _____________________ person or organization deliberately tries not to tell people anything about their activities.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many people are online around the world? 2. Which company owns YouTube? 3. How much energy are American data centres expected to use in 2009? 4. How much did Google invest in infrastructure in 2008? 5. How much money is YouTube expected to lose in 2009? 6. How much energy is needed to supply the whole of the UK for two months?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts / Intermediate

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 2 Intermediate
5 And while the demand for electricity is a primary concern, a secondary result of the rapid increase in Internet use is that the computer industrys carbon debt is increasing drastically. From having a relatively small impact just a few years ago, it is now overtaking other sectors like the airline industry that are more widely known for their negative environmental impact. However, monitoring the growth of the Internets energy use is difficult, Internet companies rarely say how much energy they use. A lot of this Internet stuff is fairly secretive, said Rich Brown, an energy analyst. Google is probably the best example. They see it as a trade secret: how many data centres they have, how big they are, how many servers they have. One study by Brown suggested that US data centres used 61bn kilowatt hours of energy in 2006. That is enough to supply the whole of the UK for two months, and 1.5% of the entire electricity usage of the US. Brown said that despite efforts to achieve greater efficiency, Internet use is growing at such a rate that it is outstripping technical improvements meaning that American data centres could account for as much as 80bn kWh this year. Efficiency cannot keep up with continued growth and demand for new services, he said. Its a common story technical improvements are often taken back by increased demand. Among the problems that could result from the Internets hunger for electricity are website failures and communications disruption costing millions in lost business every hour as well as power cuts at plants which supply data centres with electricity. To prevent this, initiatives are taking place to cope with the problem, including new designs for data centres and more investment in renewable energy. Researchers at Microsofts research lab are even turning to older technology by replacing energy-hungry new machines with the systems used in older, less powerful laptops. Those older processors were designed to be very energy
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Soaring online demand stretching companies ability to deliver content as net uses more power and raises costs Bobby Johnson in San Francisco May 3, 2009 1 The Internets increasing use of electricity is a major threat to companies such as Google, according to scientists and industry executives. They say that many Internet companies are finding it difficult to manage the costs of providing billions of web pages, videos and files online, creating an energy problem that could even threaten the future of the Internet itself. 2 In a world with a limited amount of energy, we cannot continue to grow the footprint of the Internet we need to control energy consumption, said Subodh Bapat of Sun Microsystems. Bapat said the network of web servers and data centres that store online information is becoming more expensive, while profits are falling as a result of the recession. We need more data centres, we need more servers. Each server burns more electricity than the previous generation and electricity costs are going up, he said. 3 With more than 1.5 billion people online around the world, scientists estimate that the energy footprint of the net is growing by more than 10% each year. This leaves many Internet companies in a difficult situation: energy costs are rising rapidly because of their increasing popularity, while at the same time their advertising revenues are falling because of the recession. 4 One site under particular scrutiny is YouTube now the worlds third-biggest website, but one that requires a heavy subsidy from Google, its owner. Although the sites financial details are a secret, a recent analysis suggested that it could lose as much as $470m (317m) this year, as a result of the high price of delivering power-intensive videos over the Internet.

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 2 Intermediate
growth in demand from users, and many of these services are free so you dont have rapid growth of revenue at the same time, he said. 12 Despite growing evidence that the Internets energy footprint is in danger of getting out of control, however, Hlzle dismissed concerns about the environmental impact of using the web. The cost of one mile of driving is much greater than the cost of a search, he said. Internet usage is part of our consumption, just like TV is, or driving. There is consumption there, but overall I think it is not the problem.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 03/05/09

efficient, to make batteries last, said Andrew Herbert of Microsoft Research. We found we can build more energy-efficient data centres with those than with the kind of high performance processors you find in a typical server. 10 Google was among the first Internet companies to take action to reduce its footprint by developing its own data centres but even though it invested about $2.3bn into infrastructure projects last year, it is unclear whether it is winning the battle. 11 The companys vice-president of operations, Urs Hlzle, said that it was struggling to keep energy costs under control. You have rapid

3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. The computer industry is having an increasing effect on the environment. 2. The airline industry has a bigger impact on the environment than the computer industry. 3. It is quite easy to find out how much energy computer companies use. 4. Demand for the Internet is growing all the time. 5. Older laptops are more energy efficient than new machines. 6. Google is clearly winning the battle to reduce its carbon footprint.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word expression meaning being checked or examined very carefully. (para 4) 2. An adverb meaning quite. (para 6) 3. A two-word expression meaning information that is only known inside a particular company or industry. (para 6) 4. A noun meaning a unit for measuring electrical power containing 1,000 watts. (para 7) 5. A verb meaning to exceed or become larger than something else. (para 7) 6. A three-word phrasal verb meaning to move at the same speed as something else. (para 7) 7. A noun meaning a situation in which something cannot continue because of a problem. (para 8) 8. A three-word expression meaning no longer able to be limited or stopped. (para 12)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts / Intermediate

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. burn 2. store 3. take 4. have 5. invest 6. achieve 7. win 8. cope with a. a battle b. action c. electricity d. online information e. greater efficiency f. a problem g. an impact h. money

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. consume disrupt subsidise improve perform fail noun

7 Discussion
Do you think the amount of time people spend on computers should be limited to help the environment? What other ways can you think of of reducing the amount of electricity you use?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts / Intermediate

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Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. revenue 2. recession 3. subsidy 4. threat 5. consumption 6. dismiss 7. concern 8. server 9. footprint 10. secretive

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. under scrutiny fairly trade secret kilowatt outstrip keep up with disruption out of control

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. c d b g h e a f

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. more than 1.5 billion Google 80bn kWh about $2.3 billion $470 million 61bn kilowatt hours

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T F F T T F

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. consumption disruption subsidy improvement performance failure

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Web providers must limit Internets carbon footprint, say experts / Intermediate

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. dementia neurological impairment prevalence onset cognitive vulnerable intake abstain widespread

1. _____________________ problems are related to the nervous system. 2. If someone is described as _____________________, they are easily affected by something damaging or harmful. 3. A _____________________ process is one that is connected with recognizing and understanding things. 4. If there is a _____________________ of something, it is very common in a particular place or among a particular group. 5. A _____________________ problem happens in many places or affects many people. 6. _____________________ is a serious illness that affects the brain and memory and is particularly common in old people. 7. If you _____________________ from an activity, you deliberately avoid doing it because, although it may be enjoyable, it may not be healthy. 8. Your _____________________ is the amount of something that you eat or drink. 9. The _____________________ of a disease is the point at which it begins to affect a person. 10. _____________________ is the fact that a part of your body is unable to do something fully.

What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. Men are less able physiologically to cope with the effects of alcohol than women. 2. Alzheimers disease is a form of dementia. 3. Women have more body water and less body fat than men. 4. Abstaining from alcohol does not help brain cells to regenerate. 5. Dementia linked to alcohol intake is more common among richer people with rich diets. 6. Some research has shown that drinking up to two alcoholic drinks a day can protect against the onset of dementia.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Binge drinking increases risk of dementia / Advanced

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 3 Advanced
5 These findings follow research in America last year indicating that consuming more than two drinks a day can bring forward the onset of Alzheimers by as much as 4.8 years. Two thirds of all the 700,000 people in the UK with dementia have Alzheimers. Drink is more likely to help induce dementia in women than men because women have more body water and less body fat, which means that they metabolize alcohol differently and so are more vulnerable, said Marshall. Women who drink the same as men have a higher risk of cognitive impairment for that reason, in the same way that they are at higher risk of getting alcohol-related liver disease. However, a heavy drinker of either sex who abstains from alcohol can expect to see brain cells regenerate and improvements in key areas of brain activity. Gayle Willis of the Alzheimers Society said: We know that the prolonged use of alcohol can lead to memory deficiencies. Only one third of the people with Alzheimers are diagnosed, but the problem of under-diagnosis of people with alcohol-related memory impairment could be even greater. But the society believes that only a handful of all cases of dementia, perhaps as few as 3%, are directly attributable to alcohol. Marshall and her colleagues examined Korsakoffs syndrome, a little-known form of dementia linked to alcohol intake, characterized by short-term memory loss, changes in behaviour and confusion. It is increasingly common in Scotland and the Netherlands, especially among poorer people with poor diets. One study of sufferers found that half were under 50. Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: It is really concerning that awareness among clinical staff of this important link between alcohol and dementia remains poor, yet detection of early signs often gives a real chance of successfully heading off the condition. It is vital that we improve understanding among doctors and nurses about the links between heavy drinkers
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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


More under-65s and women in particular will suffer alcohol-related brain damage, say doctors Denis Campbell, health correspondent 10 May, 2009 1 Heavy drinking may be to blame for one in four cases of dementia. Doctors have linked alcohol intake to the development of the brain-wasting condition in between 10 and 24% of the estimated 700,000 people in the UK with the disease. They warn that binge drinking and increased consumption are likely to produce an epidemic of alcohol-related brain damage in the future, which could see drinkers starting to experience serious memory problems in their 40s. 2 Women who drink a lot are at much greater risk than men of suffering problems with their cognitive functions, because they are physiologically less well able to cope with alcohols effects. 3 Drink is known to kill brain cells, but the estimate of its impact on neurological health, contained in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, indicates that the problem may be much more widespread than previously thought. The rise in the amounts that people drink means it is therefore likely that prevalence rates of alcohol-related brain damage are currently underestimated and may rise in future generations, say the authors. 4 Dr Jane Marshall, one of the co-authors and consultant psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital in south London, said: People think that dementia is something that happens to people over 65. But a lot of those under 65 have got cognitive problems and a large proportion of the problems in that group are related to alcohol. Alcohol-related brain damage may account for 10-24% of all cases of all forms of dementia. We know that alcohol is associated with serious cognitive impairment. It reduces memory and general cognition, she added.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Binge drinking increases risk of dementia / Advanced

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 3 Advanced
Council on Alcohol, has written to Dawn Primarolo, the UK public health minister, warning that the National Health Service must give alcohol-related brain damage the same priority it has put into liver problems linked to heavy drinking.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Observer, 10/05/09

and neurological damage. Equally important is that people understand that alcohol-related brain damage can strike at any time of life. 10 Other research has shown that moderate drinking, of up to two drinks a day, can help protect against the onset of dementia. Dr Allan Thomson, the guest editor of Alcohol and Alcoholism and spokesman for the Medical

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Why are women more likely to develop dementia from drinking alcohol than men? a. Because their metabolism is different. b. Because they drink more than men. c. Because they dont like the effects of alcohol. 2. According to the Alzheimers Society, what percentage of cases of dementia are directly attributable to alcohol? a. 10 24% b. Two thirds c. 3% 3. When can alcohol-related brain damage strike? a. When people are in their 40s. b. Over the age of 65. c. At any time of life. 4. What happens if people abstain from alcohol? a. It successfully prevents the onset of dementia. b. Some important areas of brain activity show improvements. c. It will delay Alzheimers disease by an average of 4.8 years.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word expression meaning consuming too much alcohol over a short period of time. (para 1) 2. A verb meaning to cause something, especially a mental or physical change. (para 5) 3. A verb meaning to change food or drink in the body into energy. (para 5) 4. A noun meaning a lack of something that your body needs. (para 7) 5. A noun meaning a very small number of people or things. (para 7) 6. An adjective meaning caused by a particular situation, event or activity. (para 7) 7. An adjective meaning extremely important. (para 9) 8. A verb meaning happen suddenly and unexpectedly causing harm or damage. (para 9)

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 3 Advanced

5 Phrasal verbs
Match the phrasal verbs with their meanings. 1. head off 2. put into 3. bring forward 4. account for 5. cope with 6. abstain from a. avoid doing something that is enjoyable but may not be healthy b. be the reason for c. spend time and effort doing something d. deal successfully with e. change the date so that something happens earlier f. prevent something from happening

6 Word building
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. The report says that rates of alcohol-related brain damage have been _______________ and there may be more cases than previously thought. [ESTIMATE] 2. Men and women metabolize alcohol _______________. [DIFFERENT] 3. _______________ use of alcohol can lead to memory deficiencies. [LONG] 4. Korsakoffs syndrome is _______________ by short-term memory loss. [CHARACTER] 5. It is _______________ common in Scotland and the Netherlands. [INCREASE] 6. _______________ of early signs of dementia gives a real chance of preventing the condition. [DETECT]

7 Discussion
Discuss this statement: If you give up smoking and drinking, you dont actually live longer. It just seems longer. Clement Freud (1924-2009, English broadcaster, writer and politician)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Binge drinking increases risk of dementia / Advanced

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. neurological 2. vulnerable 3. cognitive 4. prevalence 5. widespread 6. dementia 7. abstain 8. intake 9. onset 10. impairment

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. binge drinking 2. induce 3. metabolize 4. deficiency 5. handful 6. attributable 7. vital 8. strike

5 Phrasal verbs
1. f 2. c 3. e 4. b 5. d 6. a

2 What do you know?


1. F 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. F 6. T

6 Word building
1. underestimated 2. differently 3. prolonged 4. characterized 5. increasingly 6. detection

3 Comprehension check
1. a 2. c 3. c 4. b

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Binge drinking increases risk of dementia / Advanced

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. dementia brain damage condition liver binge drinking priority epidemic cope with diagnosis reduce

1. If you give something _____________________, it is more important than anything else. 2. If you _____________________ something, you make it smaller or less in size, amount or importance. 3. A medical _____________________ is an illness or health problem. 4. _____________________ is drinking a lot of alcohol over a short period of time. 5. The _____________________ is an organ in your body that cleans your blood. 6. An _____________________ is a situation in which a large number of people are suffering from a disease. 7. _____________________ is a serious illness that affects the brain and memory and is particularly common in old people. 8. If you suffer from _____________________, your brain does not function correctly because of an accident or an illness. 9. A _____________________ is a statement made after a medical examination of a person about what disease that person has. 10. If you _____________________ a problem, you deal with it successfully.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many people in the UK suffer from dementia? 2. How many dementia sufferers in the UK have Alzheimers disease? 3. If you drink more than two drinks a day, how much earlier can Alzheimers disease begin? 4. According to the Alzheimers Society, what percentage of dementia cases are directly caused by alcohol? 5. In which two countries is Korsakoffs syndrome becoming more common? 6. How many drinks can help protect against dementia?

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 1 Elementary
drinks a day can cause Alzheimers to begin by up to 4.8 years earlier. Two thirds of all the 700,000 people in the UK with dementia have Alzheimers. Drink is more likely to cause dementia in women than men because women have more body water and less body fat, which means that they process alcohol differently and are in more danger as a result, said Marshall. 6 Women who drink the same as men are in more danger of loss of memory for that reason, in the same way that they are in more danger of getting alcohol-related liver disease. However, if a heavy drinker of either sex stops drinking alcohol, their brain cells will regenerate and there will be an improvement in key areas of brain activity. Gayle Willis of the Alzheimers Society said: We know that the use of alcohol over a long period of time can lead to memory problems. Only one third of the people with Alzheimers are actually diagnosed with the disease but the problem of under-diagnosis of people with alcohol-related memory loss could be even greater. But the society believes that only a few cases of dementia, perhaps as few as 3%, are directly caused by alcohol. Marshall and her colleagues studied Korsakoffs syndrome, a rare form of dementia linked to alcohol use, which leads to short-term memory loss, changes in behaviour and confusion. It is becoming more and more common in Scotland and the Netherlands, especially among poorer people with poor diets. One study of people suffering from the condition found that half of them were under the age of 50. Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: It is a real worry that some clinical staff do not recognize the important link between alcohol and dementia, because if the early signs of the condition are diagnosed quickly, it is possible to treat it. It is very important that we improve understanding among doctors and nurses about the links between heavy drinking and damage to the nervous system. It is equally important that people understand that alcohol-related brain damage can happen at any time of life.
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


More under-65s and women in particular will suffer alcohol-related brain damage, say doctors Denis Campbell, health correspondent 10 May, 2009 1 Heavy drinking could be the cause of one in four cases of dementia, a serious brain condition which leads to a loss of memory. Doctors have identified a connection between drinking alcohol and dementia in between 10 and 24% of the 700,000 people in the UK who have the disease. They say that binge drinking and increased use of alcohol will probably produce an epidemic of alcohol-related brain damage in the future, with drinkers beginning to experience serious memory problems in their 40s. 2 Women who drink a lot are in much greater danger than men of suffering problems because their bodies are less able to cope with the effects of alcohol. 3 It is well-known that alcohol kills brain cells, but an article in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism says that the problem may be much more common than people think. The increase in the amounts that people drink means it is probable that the amount of alcohol-related brain damage is greater than we thought and may rise in future generations, say the authors of the article. 4 Dr Jane Marshall, one of the co-authors of the report and a consultant psychiatrist at a hospital in London, said: People think that dementia is something that happens to people over the age of 65. But a lot of those under 65 have got memory problems and a large number of the problems in that group are related to alcohol. Alcohol-related brain damage may be the cause of 10-24% of all cases of all forms of dementia. We know that alcohol is associated with serious problems. It reduces memory and general awareness, she added. 5 These findings follow research in America last year which showed that drinking more than two

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 1 Elementary
10 Other research has shown that drinking up to two drinks a day, can help protect against dementia. Dr Allan Thomson, the guest editor of Alcohol and Alcoholism, has written to the UK public health minister, warning that the National Health Service must give alcohol-related brain damage the same priority it has given to liver problems linked to heavy drinking.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Observer, 10/05/09

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Dementia is a serious brain condition which 2. Doctors can treat dementia if 3. The number of people suffering from alcohol-related brain damage 4. Women who drink a lot 5. Women are in more danger because 6. The use of alcohol over a long period of time can

a. their bodies are less able to cope with alcohol. b. ... cause loss of memory. c. leads to a loss of memory.

d. will probably rise in future generations. e. are in more danger than men. f. they diagnose the early signs of the disease quickly.

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 1 Elementary
4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. the over people 65 age of 2. 4.8 earlier to up years 3. few perhaps as 3% as 4. 50 the under of age 5. period of over long a time 6. time any at life of

5 Phrases with prepositions


Complete the phrases from the text using these prepositions. of in to 5. lead _______ serious problems 6. up _______ 4 years earlier 7. the use _______ alcohol 8. a rare form _______ the disease

1. _______ the future 2. people _______ their forties 3. loss _______ memory 4. _______ danger

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. lose connect improve behave confuse diagnose noun

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Binge drinking increases risk of dementia / Elementary

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. priority 2. reduce 3. condition 4. binge drinking 5. liver 6. epidemic 7. dementia 8. brain damage 9. diagnosis 10. cope with

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. people over the age of 65 2. up to 4.8 years earlier 3. perhaps as few as 3% 4. under the age of 50 5. over a long period of time 6. at any time of life

5 Phrases with prepositions


1. in 2. in 3. of 4. in 5. to 6. to 7. of 8. of

2 Find the information


1. 700,000 2. two thirds 3. up to 4.8 years 4. 3% 5. Scotland and the Netherlands 6. up to two a day

6 Word building
verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. lose connect improve behave confuse diagnose noun loss connection improvement behaviour confusion diagnosis

3 Comprehension check
1. c 2. f 3. d 4. e 5. a 6. b

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Binge drinking increases risk of dementia / Elementary

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. dementia cognitive metabolize consumption onset moderate vulnerable impairment abstain prolonged

1. A _____________________ process is one that is connected with recognizing and understanding things. 2. _____________________ is a serious illness that affects the brain and memory and is particularly common in old people. 3. If you _____________________ from an activity, you deliberately avoid doing it because, although it may be enjoyable, it may not be healthy. 4. Your _____________________ is the amount of something that you eat or drink. 5. The _____________________ of a disease is the point at which it begins to affect a person. 6. When your body _____________________ food or drink it changes it into energy. 7. A _____________________ amount is neither very great nor very small. 8. _____________________ means continuing for a long time. 9. _____________________ is the fact that a part of your body is unable to do something fully. 10. If someone is described as _____________________, they are easily affected by something damaging or harmful.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many people in the UK suffer from dementia? 2. What percentage of dementia cases may be linked to alcohol consumption? 3. How many dementia sufferers in the UK have Alzheimers disease? 4. According to the Alzheimers Society, what percentage of dementia cases are caused by alcohol? 5. How many drinks constitute moderate drinking? 6. In which two countries is Korsakoffs syndrome becoming more common?

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 2 Intermediate
drinks a day can bring forward the onset of Alzheimers by as much as 4.8 years. Two thirds of all the 700,000 people in the UK with dementia have Alzheimers. Drink is more likely to help cause dementia in women than men because women have more body water and less body fat, which means that they metabolize alcohol differently and are more vulnerable as a result, said Marshall. 6 Women who drink the same as men have a higher risk of cognitive impairment for that reason, in the same way that they are at higher risk of getting alcohol-related liver disease. However, a heavy drinker of either sex who abstains from alcohol can expect to see brain cells regenerate and improvements in key areas of brain activity. Gayle Willis of the Alzheimers Society said: We know that the prolonged use of alcohol can lead to memory problems. Only one third of the people with Alzheimers are actually diagnosed with the disease, but the problem of underdiagnosis of people with alcohol-related memory impairment could be even greater. But the society believes that only a handful of all cases of dementia, perhaps as few as 3%, are directly caused by alcohol. Marshall and her colleagues examined Korsakoffs syndrome, a rare form of dementia linked to alcohol consumption, characterized by short-term memory loss, changes in behaviour and confusion. It is increasingly common in Scotland and the Netherlands, especially among poorer people with poor diets. One study of people suffering from the condition found that half of them were under the age of 50. Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: It is a real worry that clinical staff seem unaware of this important link between alcohol and dementia, because detection of early signs often gives a real chance of successfully preventing the condition. It is vital that we improve understanding among doctors and nurses about the links between heavy drinkers and damage to the nervous system. It
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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


More under-65s and women in particular will suffer alcohol-related brain damage, say doctors Denis Campbell, health correspondent 10 May, 2009 1 Heavy drinking may be the cause of one in four cases of dementia. Doctors have linked alcohol consumption to the development of the brainwasting condition in between 10 and 24% of the estimated 700,000 people in the UK who have the disease. They say that binge drinking and increased consumption are likely to produce an epidemic of alcohol-related brain damage in the future, with drinkers beginning to experience serious memory problems in their 40s. 2 Women who drink a lot are at much greater risk than men of suffering problems with their cognitive functions, because their bodies are less able to cope with the effects of alcohol. 3 It is well-known that alcohol kills brain cells, but the estimate of its impact on the nervous system, contained in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, indicates that the problem may be much more common than people previously thought. The increase in the amounts that people drink means it is likely that rates of alcohol-related brain damage are currently underestimated and may rise in future generations, say the authors. 4 Dr Jane Marshall, one of the co-authors of the report and a consultant psychiatrist at a London hospital, said: People think that dementia is something that happens to people over 65. But a lot of those under 65 have got cognitive problems and a large proportion of the problems in that group are related to alcohol. Alcohol-related brain damage may be the cause of 10-24% of all cases of all forms of dementia. We know that alcohol is associated with serious cognitive impairment. It reduces memory and general cognition, she added. 5 These findings follow research in America last year indicating that consuming more than two

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 2 Intermediate
has written to the UK public health minister, warning that the National Health Service must give alcohol-related brain damage the same priority it has given to liver problems linked to heavy drinking.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Observer, 10/05/09

is equally important that people understand that alcohol-related brain damage can happen at any time of life. 10 Other research has shown that moderate drinking, of up to two drinks a day, can help protect against dementia. Dr Allan Thomson, the guest editor of Alcohol and Alcoholism,

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Dementia only happens to people over 65. 2. Drinking more than two drinks a day can cause Alzheimers disease to begin earlier. 3. Women are more at risk than men from dementia caused by alcohol. 4. If you stop drinking alcohol, you wont get dementia. 5. Alcohol-related brain damage can only occur after the age of 50. 6. Moderate drinking can help protect against dementia.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word expression meaning consuming too much alcohol over a short period of time. (para 1) 2. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to deal successfully with something. (para 2) 3. A noun meaning effect. (para 3) 4. A verb meaning to think that something is smaller than it really is. (para 3) 5. A noun meaning a very small number of people or things. (para 7) 6. An adverb meaning more and more over a period of time. (para 8) 7. A noun meaning the process of finding something using scientific methods. (para 9) 8. An adjective meaning extremely important. (para 9)

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 2 Intermediate

5 Phrases with prepositions


Complete the phrases from the text using these prepositions. under between to among on in of with

1. changes _______ behaviour 2. the effects _______ alcohol 3. its impact _______ the nervous system 4. problems related _______ alcohol 5. associated _______ serious memory problems 6. common _______ poorer people 7. _______ the age of 50 8. the link _______ heavy drinking and memory loss

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. detect improve consume develop behave understand noun

7 Discussion
Why do you think alcohol is a problem in some societies? What measures can governments take to help people to reduce their alcohol consumption?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Binge drinking increases risk of dementia / Intermediate

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Binge drinking increases risk of dementia


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. cognitive 2. dementia 3. abstain 4. consumption 5. onset 6. metabolizes 7. moderate 8. prolonged 9. impairment 10. vulnerable

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. binge drinking 2. cope with 3. impact 4. underestimate 5. handful 6. increasingly 7. detection 8. vital

5 Phrases with prepositions


1. in 2. of 3. on 4. to 5. with 6. among 7. under 8. between

2 Find the information


1. 700,000 2. 10-24% 3. two thirds (66.6%) 4. 3% 5. up to two a day 6. Scotland and the Netherlands

3 Comprehension check
1. F 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. F 6. T

6 Word building
verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. detect improve consume develop behave understand noun detection improvement consumption development behaviour understanding

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. obsessed clogged unconventional role model sprint burst congregate lead up deters hip

1. A ____________________ is a sudden short period in which you do something with a lot of energy. 2. A ____________________ is a short race at a fast speed. 3. A ____________________ is someone whose behaviour is considered to be a good example for other people to follow. 4. If people ____________________, they gather together in a group. 5. If something ____________________ people, it makes them decide not to do something. 6. A ____________________ person is modern and fashionable. 7. If something is ____________________, it is different from what most people consider to be usual or normal. 8. A ____________________ is the period that comes before an important event. 9. If you are ____________________ with something, you think it is so important that you cannot stop thinking about it in a way that seems extreme to other people. 10. If streets are ____________________, they are blocked by heavy traffic.

What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. Usain Bolt won both the Olympic 100 metres and 200 metres at the Beijing Olympics. 2. He also holds the world record for the 100 metres but not for the 200 metres. 3. Usain Bolt is American. 4. The 2012 Olympic Games will be held in London. 5. Haile Gebrselassie holds the world 200 metre record. 6. Gebrselassie is Ethiopian.

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 3 Advanced
5 But his self-assurance and memorable celebrations endeared the runner to young fans brought up on a diet of Premier League football. The IOC has called on bidding cities for the 2016 Games to come up with fresh ideas to bring the Games to a younger audience. In the hours leading up to the 6.20pm race, it had rained heavily with gusts of wind yet the foul weather did little to deter the thousands of fans who congregated in the city to watch Bolt compete in a street race on a usually traffic-clogged main thoroughfare. The crowds were six-deep and as the starting gun fired a collective silence momentarily descended and it appeared as if everyone was taking photos as the Jamaican athlete and others took off. Joan Knight, who is of Jamaican origin, was waving the national flag in support two hours before his race began on a specially raised platform that took a day to build but just breathless seconds for Bolt to sprint across. She said of Bolt: As a person he is absolutely fantastic and as a Jamaican he is out of this world. I am so happy that he is here in Manchester and I think he will be an excellent role model for young people and he will inspire them to achieve. It is so important to have this here on the street because it is free rather than being in a stadium. In the lead up to the race, Usain Bolt spoke of the importance of street athletics in encouraging young people to take up athletics: Its unique, something new for the sport and it will help attract youngsters into athletics. I like to please the crowd and show them the person I am. Im just going to go out there and have some fun with the crowd and perform to the best of my ability. If I want to be a legend, I have to keep working at it. Thats what keeps me going.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 17/05/09

Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Owen Gibson and Helen Carter May 17, 2009 1 It was not just fans standing yards from the worlds fastest man who were banking on a burst of adrenaline from yesterdays 150m street sprint in Manchester, which Usain Bolt completed in a world record 14.35 seconds. 2 London 2012 organizers, Olympic gold medallists and international athletics chiefs were all hoping the unconventional race would help spark a wave of innovation that will bring the sport to a new, younger, hipper audience. In the event, the triple Olympic gold-medallist Bolt did not disappoint, cruising to victory in the fastest time run over 150m, breaking the world record of 14.8 seconds which has stood since 1983. It is one more to the tally, said Bolt. Im not in the best shape and I still have a lot of work to do but I am getting there. 3 Brendan Foster, the former athlete who established the Great North Run and came up with the idea of adding the street sprint to yesterdays Great Manchester Run, said it would help to give the sport a shot in the arm. There are high hopes that 100m and 200m world record holder Bolt can help reconnect football-obsessed youngsters with athletics. 4 Foster said he was inspired in the mid-1960s by seeing Peter Snell compete at Gateshead and wanted to do the same for a new generation by bringing the likes of Bolt and Haile Gebrselassie, the Ethiopian who holds the world record for the marathon and who competed in the Great Manchester Run 10k, to the streets. Some people have criticized it, but if I stand accused of bringing the two greatest athletes of our lifetime onto the streets of Manchester, then Im guilty, he said. The dilemma facing track and field was best highlighted by the situation in Beijing where IOC president Jaques Rogge criticized Bolt for showing a lack of respect to his fellow athletes following his victories in the 100m and 200m.

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. The organizers of the 150m street sprint hope a. ... that it will inspire young people to take up athletics. b. ... that it will stop young people from being interested in football. c. ... that the distance will be recognized at the 2012 Olympics. 2. Cities bidding to host the 2016 Olympics will have to ... a. ... show that they have some new ideas for the Games. b. ... show that they can make the Games more attractive to younger people. c. ... include special events for younger people. 3. Usain Bolt a. ... believes he is already a legend. b. ... thinks he still has some work to do if he is to become a legend. c. ... is not interested in becoming a legend. 4. The 150m sprint was held in the street in order to a. ... enable the runners to run in a straight line. b. ... avoid the cost of hiring a stadium. c. ... bring the race to a bigger live audience.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A verb, often used in journalism, meaning to make something happen. (para 2) 2. A three-word expression meaning to win easily in a race, game or competition. (para 2) 3. A noun meaning a record of the number of things that someone has done, won or achieved. (para 2) 4. A three-word expression meaning in a good physical condition. (para 2) 5. A five-word expression meaning something that quickly makes a bad situation better. (para 3) 6. A three-word expression meaning particular types of people. (para 4) 7. A noun meaning a sudden strong wind. (para 5) 8. A four-word expression meaning extremely good or impressive. (para 6)

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 3 Advanced
5 Phrasal verbs
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these phrasal verbs from the text. bank on bring up endear to take off take up come up with

1. If you _______________ yourself _______________ someone, you make them like you. 2. If you _______________ something, you think of an idea or a plan. 3. If you _______________ something, you depend on it happening. 4. If you _______________ a new activity or a sport, you start doing it. 5. If you _______________, you leave very suddenly and quickly. 6. The verb _______________ is used in its passive form to say how or where someone lived when they were a child.

6 Word building
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. The 150m sprint was an ____________________ race. [convention] 2. Before the race a silence descended ____________________ on the crowd. [moment] 3. The race began on a ____________________ raised platform. [special] 4. Young fans admire Bolt for his self-____________________. [assure] 5. The bad weather failed to act as a ____________________ . [deter] 6. It rained ____________________ before the race. [heavy]

7 Discussion
Did you have or do you have any sporting role models? If so, who were / are they? If not, what other types of role models did / do you have?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint / Advanced

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. burst 2. sprint 3. role model 4. congregate 5. deters 6. hip 7. unconventional 8. lead up 9. obsessed 10. clogged

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. spark cruise to victory tally in good (the best) shape a shot in the arm the likes of gust out of this world

5 Phrasal verbs
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. endear to come up with bank on take up take off bring up

2 What do you know?


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T F F T F T

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. unconventional momentarily specially assurance deterrent heavily

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. a b b c

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint / Advanced

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. inspires legend unique foul role model marathon self-assurance athletics sprint hip

1. A _____________________ is a short race at a fast speed. 2. A _____________________ person is modern and fashionable. 3. If someone has a lot of _____________________, they are confident and relaxed because they are sure about their abilities. 4. _____________________ weather is cold, wet and windy. 5. A _____________________ is a race of 42 kilometres. 6. _____________________ are sports events in which people compete in running, jumping and throwing. 7. If something is _____________________, it is not the same as anything else. 8. If something _____________________ you to do something, it gives you the enthusiasm to do it. 9. A _____________________ is someone whose behaviour is considered to be a good example for other people to follow. 10. A _____________________ is someone who very many people know about and admire.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How fast did Usain Bolt run the 150m race in Manchester? 2. What was the previous world record, which was set in 1983? 3. Who holds the world 100m and 200m records? 4. Where is the world marathon record-holder from? 5. What time did the Manchester race begin? 6. Where is Usain Bolt from?

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 1 Elementary
5 The problem for athletics could easily be seen in the situation at the Olympics in China when International Olympic Committee president, Belgian Jaques Rogge, criticized Bolt for showing a lack of respect to his fellow athletes after his victories in the 100m and 200m. But young fans brought up on a diet of football liked Bolts self-assurance and his memorable celebrations. Now the IOC has invited cities wishing to host the 2016 Games to think of fresh ideas to bring the Games to a younger audience. In the hours before the 6.20pm Manchester race, it had rained heavily and been very windy but the foul weather did not prevent thousands of fans from gathering in the city to watch Bolt compete in the race. The crowds were six-deep and as the starting gun fired at the start of the race it seemed as if everyone was taking photos. Joan Knight, who is of Jamaican origin, was waving the Jamaican national flag in support two hours before the race began. She said about Bolt: As a person he is absolutely fantastic and as a Jamaican he is out of this world. I am so happy that he is here in Manchester and I think he will be an excellent role model for young people and he will inspire them to achieve things in sport. It is so important to have this here on the street because it is free rather than being in a stadium. Before the race, Usain Bolt spoke about the importance of street athletics in encouraging young people to take up athletics: Its unique, something new for the sport and it will help attract youngsters into athletics. I like to please the crowd and show them the person I am. Im just going to go out there and have some fun with the crowd and perform to the best of my ability. If I want to be a legend, I have to keep working at it. Thats what keeps me going.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 17/05/09

Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Owen Gibson and Helen Carter May 17, 2009 1 The worlds fastest man, Usain Bolt, won the 150m street sprint in Manchester in a world record time of 14.35 seconds. But it was not only the fans standing just a few metres from Bolt who were hoping to see a fast run. 2 The organizers of the London 2012 Olympic Games, Olympic gold medallists and international athletics chiefs were all hoping the unusual race would lead to some new ideas that would bring athletics to a new, younger, hipper audience. In the end, the triple Olympic gold-medal winner Bolt did not disappoint anyone, winning the race easily in the fastest time ever run over 150m, and breaking the world record of 14.8 seconds which has stood since 1983. It is one more record to add to the list, said Bolt. Im not in very good shape and I still have a lot of work to do but I am getting there. 3 Brendan Foster, the former British athlete who established the Great North Run and had the idea of adding the street sprint to yesterdays Great Manchester Run ten kilometre race, said it would help to bring some publicity to athletics. A lot of people are hoping that the 100m and 200m world record holder Bolt can help popularize athletics with young people who are normally only interested in football. 4 Foster said that in the mid-1960s he was inspired when he saw the Olympic gold medal winner of 1960 and 1964, New Zealander Peter Snell, compete in his hometown. Foster said that he wanted to do the same for a new generation by bringing the people like Bolt and world marathon record holder, the Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie, to the streets of Manchester. Some people have criticized it, but if my crime is to bring the two greatest athletes of our lifetime onto the streets of Manchester, then Im guilty, he said.

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. The organizers of the 150m race want 2. Usain Bolt is 3. Usain Bolt holds 4. Usain Bolt won 5. Usain Bolt hopes that the 150m race 6. Usain Bolt enjoys a. pleasing the crowd. b. the world records for the 100m and the 200m. c. will help to attract young people to athletics. d. to attract young people to athletics. e. three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. f. the fastest man on earth.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. the 1960s in mid ever the time run fastest in the fastest world man the world 100m the holder record young a model people for role this out world of

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns or noun phrases in the right-hand column to make expressions from the text. 1. break 2. show 3. take 4. take up 5. have 6. win a. photos b. fun c. a record d. respect e. a race f. athletics
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 1 Elementary
6 Countries and people
Complete the table. Country 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Jamaica Ethiopia New Zealand Britain Belgium Chinese (person only) (nationality only)

Person / Nationality

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. sprint 2. hip 3. self-assurance 4. foul 5. marathon 6. athletics 7. unique 8. inspires 9. role model 10. legend

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. in the mid 1960s the fastest time ever run the fastest man in the world the 100m world record holder a role model for young people out of this world

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c d a f b e

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 14.35 seconds 14.8 seconds Usain Bolt Ethiopia 6.20pm Jamaica

6 Countries and people


Country Person / Nationality
Jamaican Ethiopian New Zealander British Belgian Chinese

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f b e c a

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Jamaica Ethiopia New Zealand Britain Belgium China

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint / Elementary

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. dilemma inspires obsessed unique unconventional role model sprint foul deters hip

1. A _____________________ is a short race at a fast speed. 2. If something is _____________________, it is not the same as anything else. 3. If something _____________________ you to do something, it gives you the enthusiasm to do it. 4. _____________________ weather is very unpleasant, with rain, snow or wind. 5. A _____________________ is a situation in which you have to make a difficult decision. 6. A _____________________ is someone whose behaviour is considered to be a good example for other people to follow. 7. If something _____________________ people, it makes them decide not to do something. 8. A _____________________ person is modern and fashionable. 9. If something is _____________________, it is different from what most people consider to be usual or normal. 10. If you are _____________________ with something, you think it is so important that you cannot stop thinking about it in a way that seems extreme to other people.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Who holds the world record for the 100m and the 200m? 2. Where is the world marathon record-holder from? 3. How fast did Usain Bolt run the 150m race in Manchester? 4. Where will the 2012 Olympic Games be held? 5. What time did the Manchester race begin? 6. Where is Usain Bolt from?

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 2 Intermediate
Jaques Rogge criticized Bolt for showing a lack of respect to his fellow athletes after his victories in the 100m and 200m. 5 But young fans brought up on a diet of football liked Bolts self-assurance and memorable celebrations. The IOC has called on cities wishing to host the 2016 Games to think of fresh ideas to bring the Games to a younger audience. In the hours leading up to the 6.20pm race, it had rained heavily and been very windy but the foul weather did not deter the thousands of fans who gathered in the city to watch Bolt compete in the race. The crowds were six-deep and as the starting pistol fired a collective silence descended for a moment and it appeared as if everyone was taking photos as the race began. Joan Knight, who is of Jamaican origin, was waving the national flag in support two hours before his race began on a specially raised platform that took a day to build but just a few seconds for Bolt to sprint across. She said of Bolt: As a person he is absolutely fantastic and as a Jamaican he is out of this world. I am so happy that he is here in Manchester and I think he will be an excellent role model for young people and he will inspire them to achieve. It is so important to have this here on the street because it is free rather than being in a stadium. Before the race, Usain Bolt spoke about the importance of street athletics in encouraging young people to take up athletics: Its unique, something new for the sport and it will help attract youngsters into athletics. I like to please the crowd and show them the person I am. Im just going to go out there and have some fun with the crowd and perform to the best of my ability. If I want to be a legend, I have to keep working at it. Thats what keeps me going.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 17/05/09

Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Owen Gibson and Helen Carter May 17, 2009 1 It was not just fans standing just a few metres from the worlds fastest man who were hoping for a fast run in the 150m street sprint in Manchester, which Usain Bolt completed in a world record 14.35 seconds. 2 London 2012 organizers, Olympic gold medallists and international athletics chiefs were all hoping the unconventional race would lead to some new ideas that would bring athletics to a new, younger, hipper audience. In the event, the triple Olympic gold-medallist Bolt did not disappoint, winning easily in the fastest time ever run over 150m, breaking the world record of 14.8 seconds which has stood since 1983. It is one more to add to the list, said Bolt. Im not in very good shape and I still have a lot of work to do but I am getting there. 3 Brendan Foster, the former athlete who established the Great North Run and came up with the idea of adding the street sprint to yesterdays Great Manchester Run, said it would help to publicize athletics. There are high hopes that 100m and 200m world record holder Bolt can help reconnect football-obsessed youngsters with athletics. 4 Foster said he was inspired in the mid-1960s by seeing Peter Snell compete in his hometown and he wanted to do the same for a new generation by bringing the people like Bolt and Haile Gebrselassie, the Ethiopian who holds the world record for the marathon and who competed in the Great Manchester Run 10k, to the streets. Some people have criticized it, but if they are accusing me of bringing the two greatest athletes of our lifetime onto the streets of Manchester, then Im guilty, he said. The dilemma facing athletics was best highlighted by the situation in Beijing where International Olympic Committee president

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Usain Bolt beat Haile Gebrselassie in the 150m race in Manchester. 2. Bolt broke a record that has stood since 1983. 3. The aim of the event was to encourage young people to take up athletics. 4. Bolt won two gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. 5. The crowds were much smaller than expected because of the bad weather. 6. Usain Bolt says that he is already a legend.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A three-word expression meaning in a good physical condition. (para 2) 2. A three-word phrasal verb meaning to think of an idea or plan. (para 3) 3. A two-word expression meaning relaxed confidence that comes from being sure of your abilities. (para 5) 4. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to raise. (para 5) 5. A two-word expression meaning a small gun used for signalling the start of a race. (para 5) 6. A four-word expression meaning extremely good or impressive. (para 6) 7. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to start a new activity or sport. (para 7) 8. A noun meaning someone who very many people know about and admire. (para 7)

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns or noun phrases in the right-hand column to make expressions from the text. 1. break 2. come up with 3. show 4. take 5. take up 6. have 7. win 8. hold a. a lack of respect b. photos c. fun d. a record e. a record f. a race g. an idea h. athletics

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 2 Intermediate
6 Expressions with prepositions
Complete these phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. ___________ good shape 2. ___________ the mid-1960s 3. compete ___________ a race 4. a role model ___________ young people 5. to the best ___________ my ability 6. keep working ___________ something

7 Discussion
What sports do you like and what do you like about them? If you dont like any sports, why dont you like them?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint / Intermediate

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Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. sprint 2. unique 3. inspires 4. foul 5. dilemma 6. role model 7. deters 8. hip 9. unconventional 10. obsessed

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. in good shape come up with self-assurance bring up starting pistol out of this world take up legend

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. d/e g a b h c f d/e

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Usain Bolt Ethiopia 14.35 seconds London 6.20pm Jamaica

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F T T F F F

6 Expressions with prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. in in in for of at

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Usain Bolt bags 150m world record in street sprint / Intermediate

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Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. delicacy devastating longevity culprit curative poaching extinct unsustainable decline endangered

1. An __________________________ animal is one that no longer exists. 2. An __________________________ species is one that may soon become extinct. 3. A ____________ is an individual or organization that is responsible for doing something bad or illegal. 4. If a process is described as __________________________, it is not capable of continuing at the same rate or level. 5. __________________________ is the fact of having a long life or existence. 6. __________________________ is the illegal hunting of animals for commercial purposes. 7. A __________________________ is a rare or expensive type of food. 8. If a substance has __________________________ properties, it can be used to treat an illness or a medical condition. 9. Something which has a __________________________ effect can cause a lot of harm or damage. 10. A __________________________ is a gradual reduction in the amount of quality of something.

Find the information

Complete the sentences using information from the text. 1. Eating rare animals is __________________________ in southern China. 2. Crocodile meat is believed to relieve the symptoms of __________________________. 3. __________________________ is the richest and most powerful province in southern China. 4. Demand for exotic animals fell in 2003 as a result of the __________________________ crisis. 5. __________________________ is the biggest market for illegally harvested wildlife products. 6. Chinese traditional __________________________ is the main reason for the wildlife trade.

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Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 3 Advanced
as extreme even in most other regions of China. The main reason is Chinese traditional medicine, which lists curative qualities in many exotic animals. It is believed that the wilder the animal or plant, the better the effects. A popular saying has it that people here will eat anything with four legs except a chair, anything that flies except a plane and anything in the water except a boat. 5 Demand dropped briefly after 2003, when the Sars crisis was blamed on pathogens spread by civet cats and other wild animals. But it has surged back since as rising incomes allow more consumers to indulge in foods that were once considered delicacies for the very rich. A survey by the conservation group Traffic last year found that almost half of city dwellers had eaten wild animals in the previous 12 months. The impact has been devastating. While international attention tends to focus on big mammals such as the Sumatran tiger and the giant panda, many reptiles are on the brink of extinction. Turtles are among the most threatened because they breed slowly and their meat is considered good for longevity. Raising awareness takes a number of forms. The group has secretly taken images of a turtle being butchered and posted them online. But its main job is monitoring. On a recent visit to the citys Qingping and Huadiwan markets, Wen Zhenyu identified a number of different types of turtles among the many species that are meant to be protected by international treaty. While China is not the only culprit in the consumption of wild animals, it is the biggest. And its impact is being felt across the region. In February, Vietnamese authorities seized a record haul of illegally harvested wildlife products, including two tons of tiger bones. Reports the same month from Laos revealed that tiger poaching is still going on. The biggest market for these products is China. The authorities launch occasional raids on restaurants and dealers. Last month, Guangzhou wildlife protection officials intercepted a cargo of
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


As some rare wildlife species approach extinction, conservation groups are working to change Chinas appetite for exotic animals Jonathan Watts in Taiping 15 May, 2009 1 Stewed turtle cures cancer, crocodile meat relieves asthma, pangolin scales regulate menstruation and scorpion venom helps stroke victims. These are traditional beliefs in Guangdong province in southern China, where animal markets teem with snakes, scorpions, salamander and dozens of different species of birds and turtles, some of which are endangered and all of which will end their lives in restaurants, pharmacies or pet cages. 2 Eating rare wildlife is normal in southern China, but a growing group of student activists is trying to do something considered far stranger: they are trying to save them. The newly-formed NGO conservation movement is stepping in where the authorities have had limited success by monitoring markets and restaurants, reporting sales of endangered species and trying to change the consumer culture. Among the youngest of several small groups is the Asian Turtle Rehabilitation Project, established earlier this year to save the reptiles from the soup pot. 3 The founding members say they are trying to cross the divide between the culture in which they were raised and the global conservation concerns they have been exposed to via the Internet and schooling. They are surrounded by people who think its a wasted effort. They disapprove of this activity. They think turtles are small animals only good for eating, so why bother saving them, says Luo Xinmei, a local student. Almost no one in Guangzhou realizes this is a centre of the illegal wildlife trade. 4 They are up against tradition and economic growth. Guangdong is the richest and most powerful province in southern China, where the appetite for exotic animals and plants is seen
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

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NEWS LESSONS / Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu / Advanced

Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 3 Advanced
in the diversity of freshwater turtles, snakes and frogs in the wild, though many species, including crocodiles, are being bred successfully in captivity. The activists say the key is changing attitudes. We try to educate people that turtles are not only pets and not only food; they are also a friend of humans, Wen Zhenyu says.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 15/05/09

smuggled animals and birds. Conservationists believe police alone cannot solve the problem. We need to build consumer awareness so people move away from unsustainable consumption towards a feeling of stewardship, said James Compton, the Asia Pacific co-ordinator of Traffic. 10 For many species, it may be too late. The Wildlife Conservation Society reports a sharp decline

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. What are the founding members of the Asian Turtle Rehabilitation Project hoping to achieve? a. They want to stop people eating turtles. b. They want to make people realize that Guangzhou is the centre of the illegal wildlife trade. c. They want to bridge the gap between Chinese culture and global conservation concerns. 2. What are the two main factors that the founding members of the Asian Turtle Rehabilitation Project are up against? a. Rising sales and falling stocks. b. Smuggling and poaching. c. Tradition and economic growth. 3. How do conservationists believe the problem can be solved? a. By raising awareness among consumers and changing attitudes. b. By a police crackdown. c. By launching occasional raids on restaurants and dealers. 4. What do traditional practitioners of Chinese traditional medicine believe? a. The wilder the animal, the better the effects. b. The appetite for exotic animals and plants is extreme. c. Turtles are small animals only good for eating.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu / Advanced

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Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A verb meaning to cook slowly in liquid. (para 1) 2. A noun meaning poison produced by some animals, especially snakes and insects. (para 1) 3. A phrasal verb meaning to contain an extremely large number of something. (para 1) 4. A phrasal verb meaning to become involved in an argument or a controversial situation. (para 2) 5. A verb meaning to increase a lot very quickly. (para 5) 6. A four-word expression meaning at the point in time when something very bad (or good) is about to happen. (para 6) 7. A verb meaning to kill a living creature in a cruel or violent way. (para 7) 8. A noun meaning the way in which someone organizes and looks after something. (para 9)

5 Expressions with prepositions


Complete the expressions from the text using prepositions. 1. be up _______________ 2. focus _______________ 3. expose someone _______________ 4. disapprove _______________ 5. blame something _______________ 6. indulge _______________

6 Word building
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. There are a number of ____________________________ species in south-east Asia. [DANGER] 2. Economic ____________________________ is one of the main reasons. [GROW] 3. Many animals are on the brink of ____________________________. [EXTINCT] 4. Conservation groups are trying to raise ____________________________. [AWARE] 5. The current rate of consumption is ____________________________ and cannot continue. [SUSTAIN] 6. Many animals are bred successfully in ____________________________. [CAPTIVE]

7 Discussion
Should local culture and traditions be respected or should it be made illegal worldwide to hunt and consume exotic animals?
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu / Advanced

Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. extinct 2. endangered 3. culprit 4. unsustainable 5. longevity 6. poaching 7. delicacy 8. curative 9. devastating 10. decline

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. stew venom teem with step in surge on the brink of butcher stewardship

5 Expressions with prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. against on to of on in

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. normal asthma Guangzhou Sars China medicine

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. endangered growth extinction awareness unsustainable captivity

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. c c a a

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu / Advanced

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Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences below using these key words from the text. conservation poaching turtle endangered demand activist mammal exotic extinct reptile

1. __________________________ is the illegal hunting of animals for commercial purposes. 2. An __________________________ animal is one that no longer exists. 3. An __________________________ species is one that may soon become extinct. 4. A __________________________ is an animal that lays eggs like a snake or a crocodile. 5. A __________________________ is an animal that is born from its mothers body, not from an egg, and drinks its mothers milk as a baby. 6. __________________________ is the amount of a product or service that people want. 7. A __________________________ is an animal with a shell and four short legs that mainly lives in the sea. 8. If something is __________________________, it is interesting or exciting because it is unusual. 9. An __________________________ is someone who takes part in activities that are intended to achieve political or social change. 10. __________________________ is the management of land and water in ways that prevent it from being destroyed.

Find the information

Complete the sentences using information from the text. 1. Where is Guangdong province? 2. What disease is eating turtle supposed to cure? 3. What is the capital of Guangdong province? 4. When was the Sars virus epidemic? 5. What is Traffic? 6. Which country is the biggest market for illegal wildlife products?

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Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 1 Elementary
for its extreme appetite for exotic animals and plants. The main reason is Chinese traditional medicine, which uses exotic animals in its treatments. People believe that the wilder the animal or plant is, the better the effects are. A popular saying in China is that people here will eat anything with four legs except a chair, anything that flies except a plane and anything in the water except a boat. 5 The demand for wild animals fell for a short time after 2003, when the spread of the Sars virus was blamed on wild animals. But it has risen again as higher incomes allow more people to eat foods that were once only for the very rich. A survey by the conservation group Traffic last year found that almost half the people living in cities had eaten wild animals in the previous 12 months. The effect of this has been terrible. International attention usually focuses on big mammals such as the Sumatran tiger and the giant panda, but many reptiles are now almost extinct. Turtles are in a particularly difficult situation because they breed slowly and people believe that if they eat turtle meat they will have a longer life. The activists are trying to raise public awareness of the problem in different ways. The group has secretly taken pictures of a turtle being killed and posted the pictures online. But its main job is monitoring. On a recent visit to the citys markets, Wen Zhenyu saw a number of different types of turtles among the many species that are meant to be protected by international law. China is not the only country that consumes wild animals, but it is the biggest. The effects of Chinas actions are felt all over the region. In February, Vietnamese authorities seized a record number of illegal wildlife products, including two tons of tiger bones. Reports in the same month from Laos showed that tiger poaching is still continuing. The biggest market for these products is China. From time to time the authorities raid restaurants and animal dealers. Last month, Guangzhou
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


As some rare wildlife species approach extinction, conservation groups are working to change Chinas appetite for exotic animals Jonathan Watts in Taiping 15 May, 2009 1 In Guangdong province in southern China, people believe that eating turtle can cure cancer, crocodile meat helps to treat asthma and scorpion poison helps people who have suffered strokes. Animal markets in Guangdong are full of snakes, scorpions, salamander and dozens of different species of birds and turtles. Some of these species are endangered and all of them will end their lives in restaurants, pharmacies or pet cages. 2 Eating wild animals is normal in southern China, but now student activists are trying to do something that many people think is much stranger: they are trying to save these wild animals. A new conservation movement is checking markets and restaurants, reporting sales of endangered species and trying to change the consumer culture. One of the groups in the movement is the Asian Turtle Rehabilitation Project, established earlier this year to help protect turtles. 3 Members of the group say there is a big difference between the local culture and the global conservation concerns they read about on the Internet and hear about at school. Most of the people around them think that what they are doing is a waste of time. They dont like what we are doing. They think turtles are small animals only good for eating, so why try to save them, says Luo Xinmei, a local student. Almost no one in Guangzhou (the capital of Guangdong province) knows that the city is a centre of the illegal wildlife trade. 4 The two main problems for the activists are tradition and economic growth. Guangdong is the richest and most powerful province in southern China. It is well known in other parts of China

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu / Elementary

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Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 1 Elementary
different species of freshwater turtles, snakes and frogs in the wild, though many species, including crocodiles, are breeding successfully in zoos. The activists say the answer is to change peoples attitudes. We try to educate people that turtles are not only pets and not only food; they are also a friend of humans, Wen Zhenyu says.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 15/05/09

wildlife protection officials seized a cargo of smuggled animals and birds. Conservationists believe the police cannot solve the problem alone. We need to build awareness so people understand the need to protect these species rather than kill and eat them, said James Compton, the Asia Pacific co-ordinator of Traffic. 9 For many species, it may be too late. The Wildlife Conservation Society reports a sharp fall in

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and the endings to make sentences about the text. 1. The main reason for the Chinese appetite for exotic animals is ______ 2. Guangdong province is ______ 3. Turtles are in a very bad situation because ______ 4. The Sars virus of 2003 ______ 5. Groups of activists ______ 6. China is ______ a. ______ the main market for exotic animals and plants. b. ______ they breed slowly and people believe eating turtle meat leads to a longer life. c. ______ Chinese traditional medicine. d. ______ are trying to save endangered species. e. ______ led to a fall in demand for wild animals. f. ______ the richest and most powerful province in China.

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Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 1 Elementary

4 Definitions
Match the words from the text with their definitions.

1. asthma
2. stroke 3. consumer 4. saying 5. survey 6. awareness

a. someone who buys and uses goods and services b. knowledge or understanding of a subject or situation c. a set of questions you ask a large number of people d. a medical condition in which the blood is suddenly blocked and cannot reach the brain e. a medical condition that makes it difficult to breathe f. a well-known statement about what often happens in life

5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to form expressions from the text. 1. conservation 2. endangered 3. economic 4. traditional 5. public 6. popular a. species b. awareness c. medicine d. group e. saying f. growth

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. sell move grow treat produce protect
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noun

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu / Elementary

Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. poaching 2. extinct 3. endangered 4. reptile 5. mammal 6. demand 7. turtle 8. exotic 9. activist 10. conservation

Elementary

4 Definitions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e d a f c b

5 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d a f c b e

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. southern China cancer Guangzhou 2003 a conservation group China

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. sale movement growth treatment product protection

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c f b e d a

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu / Elementary

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Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. extinct endangered curative activist devastating exotic culprit reptile poaching treaty

1. __________________________ is the illegal hunting of animals for commercial purposes. 2. A __________________________ is an official written agreement between two or more countries. 3. A __________________________ is an animal that lays eggs like a snake or a crocodile. 4. An __________________________ is someone who takes part in activities that are intended to achieve political or social change. 5. An __________________________ animal is one that no longer exists. 6. An __________________________ species is one that may soon become extinct. 7. If something is __________________________, it is interesting or exciting because it is unusual. 8. Something which has a __________________________ effect can cause a lot of harm or damage. 9. If a substance has __________________________ properties, it can be used to treat an illness or a medical condition. 10. A __________________________ is an individual or organisation that is responsible for doing something bad or illegal.

Find the information

Complete the sentences using information from the text. 1. Where is Guangdong province? 2. When was the Sars epidemic? 3. Apart from China, which other two Asian countries are mentioned in the article? 4. What disease is eating turtle supposed to cure? 5. Which country is the biggest market for illegal wildlife products? 6. What is the capital of Guangdong province?
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu / Intermediate
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Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 2 Intermediate
China. It is a place where the appetite for exotic animals and plants is seen as extreme; even in most other regions of China. The main reason is Chinese traditional medicine, which lists curative qualities in many exotic animals. It is believed that the wilder the animal or plant, the better the effects. A popular saying has it that people here will eat anything with four legs except a chair, anything that flies except a plane and anything in the water except a boat. 5 Demand dropped briefly after 2003, when the spread of Sars was blamed on wild animals. But it has risen again as higher incomes allow more consumers to eat foods that were once only for the very rich. A survey by the conservation group Traffic last year found that almost half of city dwellers had eaten wild animals in the previous 12 months. The impact has been devastating. While international attention tends to focus on big mammals such as the Sumatran tiger and the giant panda, many reptiles are almost extinct. Turtles are among the most threatened because they breed slowly and people believe that eating their meat will lead to a longer life. Raising awareness takes a number of forms. The group has secretly taken images of a turtle being butchered and posted them online. But its main job is monitoring. On a recent visit to the citys markets, Wen Zhenyu identified a number of different types of turtles among the many species that are meant to be protected by international treaty. While China is not the only culprit in the consumption of wild animals, it is the biggest. And its impact is being felt across the region. In February, Vietnamese authorities seized a record haul of illegal wildlife products, including two tons of tiger bones. Reports the same month from Laos revealed that tiger poaching is still going on. The biggest market for these products is China. The authorities occasionally raid restaurants and dealers. Last month, Guangzhou wildlife protection officials intercepted a cargo of smuggled animals and birds. Conservationists
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


As some rare wildlife species approach extinction, conservation groups are working to change Chinas appetite for exotic animals Jonathan Watts in Taiping 15 May, 2009 1 Eating turtle cures cancer, crocodile meat relieves asthma and scorpion poison helps stroke victims. These are traditional beliefs in Guangdong province in southern China, where animal markets are full of snakes, scorpions, salamander and dozens of different species of birds and turtles, some of which are endangered and all of which will end their lives in restaurants, pharmacies or pet cages. 2 Eating rare wildlife is normal in southern China, but now student activists are trying to do something considered far stranger: they are trying to save them. The newly-formed conservation movement is monitoring markets and restaurants, reporting sales of endangered species and trying to change the consumer culture. Among the newest of several small groups is the Asian Turtle Rehabilitation Project, established earlier this year to help protect turtles. 3 The founding members say the culture in which they were raised and the global conservation concerns they have been exposed to via the Internet and schooling are two very different things. They are surrounded by people who think that what they are doing is a waste of time. They disapprove of this activity. They think turtles are small animals only good for eating, so why bother saving them, says Luo Xinmei, a local student. Almost no one in Guangzhou (the capital of Guangdong province) realizes this is a centre of the illegal wildlife trade. 4 The activists are fighting the effects of both tradition and economic growth. Guangdong is the richest and most powerful province in southern

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu / Intermediate

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Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 2 Intermediate
including crocodiles, are being bred successfully in captivity. The activists say the key is changing attitudes. We try to educate people that turtles are not only pets and not only food; they are also a friend of humans, Wen Zhenyu says.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 15/05/09

believe police alone cannot solve the problem. We need to build consumer awareness so people understand the need to protect these species rather than kill and eat them, said James Compton, the Asia Pacific co-ordinator of Traffic. 9 For many species, it may be too late. The Wildlife Conservation Society reports a sharp fall in the diversity of freshwater turtles, snakes and frogs in the wild, though many species,

3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Eating rare animals is unusual in southern China. 2. The activists think what they are doing is probably a waste of time. 3. Chinese traditional medicine is the main reason for the trade in exotic animals and plants. 4. People blamed the Sars epidemic on domestic animals. 5. The main job of the activists is to post images online. 6. The Chinese authorities do not often raid restaurants and dealers.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A noun meaning a medical condition that makes it difficult to breathe. (para 1) 2. A noun meaning a medical condition in which the blood is suddenly blocked and cannot reach the brain. (para 1) 3. A noun meaning someone who buys and uses goods and services. (para 2) 4. A noun meaning a well-known statement about what often happens in life. (para 4) 5. A noun meaning the amount of a product or service that people want. (para 5) 6. A verb meaning to kill a living creature in a cruel or violent way. (para 6) 7. A noun meaning a large amount of something illegal that is found by the police. (para 7) 8. A noun meaning the fact that very different people or things exist within a group or place. (para 9)
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu / Intermediate

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Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 2 Intermediate

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column to form expressions from the text. 1. cure 2. raise 3. post 4. solve 5. breed 6. intercept a. images online b. a problem c. animals in captivity d. an illegal cargo e. a disease f. awareness

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. believe move grow consume consume protect (person) (process) noun

7 Discussion
Should people be allowed to eat what they want to eat?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu / Intermediate

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Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. poaching 2. treaty 3. reptile 4. activist 5. extinct 6. endangered 7. exotic 8. devastating 9. curative 10. culprit

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. asthma stroke consumer saying demand butcher haul diversity

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e f a b c d

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. southern China 2003 Laos and Vietnam cancer China Guangzhou

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. belief movement growth consumer consumption protection

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F F T F F T

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Student activists try to save wildlife on Chinas menu / Intermediate

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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. sibling sedated rumour sneer distress divulge switch dismiss tease bereavement

1. If you _____________________ at someone, you speak to them in an unpleasant way that shows you do not respect them and think you are better than them. 2. If you _____________________ someone, you have fun by saying things that embarrass or annoy them slightly in a friendly or unkind way. 3. If you _____________________ something, you refuse to accept that it might be true or important. 4. A _____________________ hospital patient has been given drugs to make them calmer or to make them sleep. 5. Your _____________________ is your brother or sister. 6. To _____________________ means to give people information about something, especially something that should be kept secret. 7. _____________________ is the situation you are in when a close friend or a family member has just died. 8. _____________________ is a feeling that you have when you are very unhappy, worried or upset. 9. To _____________________ means to replace one object with another. 10. A _____________________ is unofficial information that may or may not be true.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. When were the two women born? 2. Where were they born? 3. How far apart were their family homes? 4. How much did each baby weigh at birth? 5. What was the difference between Dee Ann Angell and her siblings? 6. What method was used to determine their real identity?

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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 3 Advanced
been mistakenly switched at birth. When the nurse brought the babies back from bathing them Marjorie had cried out, This is not my baby! But the nurse ignored her protests, and she had spent the rest of her life privately convinced she was raising the wrong child. 5 When Kay Rene heard the news it rang a bell for her. Her own mother, Donalda Reed, had been heavily sedated giving birth and had never harboured any doubts. She had only once referred to the rumours about the family. She told Kay Rene they were not true. You are my daughter and you always will be, she said. But those doubts were now impossible to ignore. The two women contacted each other earlier this year and arranged to meet. One of Dee Anns sisters, Juanita, joined them and for Kay Rene it was like lightning had struck. They were identical. Thats me! she exclaimed, pointing at her natural sister. Juanita replied: Theres no point having a DNA test, just look at us! They did go ahead with a test, and while they were waiting for the results they cracked jokes. Whos my mama? shouted Dee Ann, Whos my daddy? echoed Kay Rene. The test measured the genetic possibility of Kay Rene being related to her brother and sister: zero. It also tested the genetic possibility of her being related to Dee Anns brother and sister: 99.99%. The few weeks since the discovery have been an emotional roller-coaster for both women. In some ways it has been a bereavement, accepting the fact that they will never meet their natural parents, that the lives that had been intended for them have been lost for ever. Its sad, Dee Ann told ABC television today, close to tears. I think that I missed out on knowing my own parents, my own family. Kay Rene said she felt very guilty because she had stolen the other womans memories. When she looked at her family now she felt I have cheated them it shouldnt have been me. Im glad it was because Ive had a wonderful life. But another part of the experience has been very enriching. On their 56th birthday earlier this month the two families came together for the first
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US women discover they were switched at birth


Dee Ann Angell and Kay Rene Reed have managed to forge a bond 56 years after hospitals error Ed Pilkington in New York 15 May, 2009 1 Dee Ann Angell was used to the jokes and the sneering she had to put up with at school. She was blonde-haired and blue-eyed and she was teased because she looked so different from her brown-eyed brunette siblings. Did your mother go with another man? her friends would say, and she would just laugh and brush it off. 2 Kay Rene Reed would sometimes hear a rumour in her family that a terrible mistake had been made at birth and she had been switched with another baby. That explained why she looked so different from her siblings, so the rumour went. But she also dismissed it and moved on. 3 Fifty-six years after the two women were born on the same day in 1953 they no longer dismiss anything. Through DNA testing they now know they are not who they thought they were, that their lives have been led in the wrong family. Each baby weighed about 6lbs (2.8kg) at birth on 3 May 1953. Each was hairless. They were the only two babies delivered that day at the tiny hospital in Heppner, Oregon. A nurse took them both to be bathed, sharing the facilities for conveniences sake, then returned them to their mothers. They were taken to homes 20 miles apart and in the course of time married and had children and grandchildren of their own. Their paths never crossed again until earlier this year. 4 The truth began to emerge last summer when a neighbour of Marjorie Angell, Dee Anns mother, divulged a secret she had been carrying inside her for years. Aged 86, the unidentified neighbour had waited until all four parents of the women had died, because she didnt want to cause any distress. Now she came forward and told one of Kay Renes brothers that while she was still alive Marjorie had told her that the babies had
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NEWS LESSONS / US women discover they were switched at birth / Advanced

US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 3 Advanced
cowboy. Kay Rene chewed gum in a distinctive way; when she met her natural sisters for the first time they chewed it in the same way. The ups and downs continue. The hospital that made the switch has offered them counselling to help them deal with the shock but they politely declined. We are old women now, said Kay Rene.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 15/05/09

time. It was as if each woman had been given a gift of a second family. We just had a ball together, Kay Rene said. 8 There is also the gift of friendship between the two women. They call each other twisters. They have shared notes about each others lives that have revealed some strange similarities. Dee Ann grew up loving horses which was unlikely in her family that had no tradition of riding; she learnt that Kay Rene had been brought up on a ranch by her father who saw himself as a

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Who revealed the truth about the switched babies? a. Dee Anns mother. b. Dee Anns mothers neighbour. c. Marjories mother. 3. Why is Dee Ann sad? a. Because she knows the truth. b. Because the last few weeks have been an emotional roller-coaster. c. Because she will never know her own parents. 4. Why did the two women refuse to have counselling? a. Because they dont need it. b. Because they are old now. c. Because they dont think it will help.

2. When were they switched? a. When they left the hospital. b. Just after they had been bathed by a nurse. c. As soon as they were born.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to refuse to listen to someone or accept that something is true. (para 1) 2. A verb meaning to help a woman give birth to a baby. (para 3) 3. A four-word expression meaning they didnt meet each other by chance. (para 3) 4. An adverb meaning wrongly. (para 4) 5. A two-word expression meaning to be suspicious about something for a long period of time. (para 5) 6. A two-word expression meaning to tell funny stories. (para 6) 7. A three-word expression meaning a situation in which your feelings and your mood change radically several times. (para 6) 8. A three-word expression meaning to have a good time. (para 7)
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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 3 Advanced
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns they go with in the right-hand column. 1. share 2. deliver 3. divulge 4. harbour 5. cause 6. raise 7. decline 8. have a. doubts b. a secret c. a ball d. children e. facilities f. an offer g. distress h. a baby

6 Phrasal verbs
Match each phrasal verb with its definition. 1. put up with 2. move on 3. come forward 4. miss out 5. go ahead 6. confide in a. lose an opportunity to do something b. continue to do something especially after waiting for permission c. tell someone a secret d. accept something unpleasant in a patient way e. offer help or information f. continue your life

7 Discussion
Imagine that you were in a similar situation. Would you prefer to know the truth or would you prefer to keep things as they were? Why? Do you think the neighbour did the right thing?

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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. sneer 2. tease 3. dismiss 4. sedated 5. sibling 6. divulge 7. bereavement 8. distress 9. switch 10. rumour

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. brush off 2. deliver 3. their paths never crossed 4. mistakenly 5. harbour doubts 6. crack jokes 7. emotional roller-coaster 8. have a ball

5 Verb + noun collocations

2 Find the information

1. e 2. h 1. 3 May 1953 3. b 2. Heppner, Oregon 4. a 3. 20 miles 5. g 4. 2.8kg (6lbs) 6. d 5. Dee Ann had blue eyes and blonde hair; her siblings 7. f had brown eyes and brown hair 8. c 6. DNA testing

3 Comprehension check
1. b 2. b 3. c 4. b

6 Phrasal verbs
1. d 2. f 3. e 4. a 5. b 6. c

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / US women discover they were switched at birth / Advanced

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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. identical sedative sibling brunette rumour DNA upset distinctive switch tease

1. To _____________________ means to replace one object with another. 2. If you feel _____________________, you feel sad, worried or angry about something. 3. If you _____________________ someone, you have fun by saying things that embarrass or annoy them slightly in a friendly or unkind way. 4. A _____________________ is a drug you give to people to make them calmer or to help them sleep. 5. If something is _____________________, it is easy to recognise because it is different from other things of the same type. 6. Your _____________________ is your brother or sister. 7. If two or more things are _____________________, they are exactly the same. 8. A _____________________ is a woman with brown hair. 9. A _____________________ is unofficial information that may or may not be true. 10. _____________________ is a chemical substance that is found in the cells of all living things.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. In what year were the two women born? 2. How much did each baby weigh at birth? 3. What was their exact birthday? 4. In which American state were they born? 5. How old was the neighbour who revealed the secret? 6. What test did they take to determine their real identity?

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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 1 Elementary
had been switched at birth by mistake. When the nurse brought the babies back after bathing them Marjorie had said, This is not my baby! But the nurse said she was wrong, so she had spent the rest of her life sure she was raising the wrong child. 6 When Kay Rene heard the news she remembered something. Her mother, Donalda Reed, was given sedatives during the birth and had never had any doubts. She only once mentioned the rumours about the family. She told Kay Rene they were not true. You are my daughter and you always will be, she said. But now it was impossible to ignore the doubts. The two women contacted each other earlier this year and arranged to meet. One of Dee Anns sisters, Juanita, joined them and for Kay Rene it was a real shock. They were identical. Thats me! she said, pointing at her natural sister. Juanita replied: Theres no point having a DNA test, just look at us! They had the test anyway, and while they were waiting for the results they made jokes. Whos my mama? shouted Dee Ann, Whos my daddy? replied Kay Rene. The test measured the genetic possibility of Kay Rene being related to her brother and sister: zero. It also tested the genetic possibility of her being related to Dee Anns brother and sister: 99.99%. The few weeks since the test have been quite difficult for both women. In some ways it has been very sad. They have to accept the fact that they will never meet their natural parents and that they have lost forever the lives that they were meant to have. Its sad, Dee Ann told ABC television, almost crying. I think that I never knew my own parents, my own family. Kay Rene said she felt very guilty because she had stolen the other womans memories. When she looked at her family now she felt I have cheated them but Im glad because Ive had a wonderful life. But another part of the experience has been very positive. On their 56th birthday earlier this month the two families met for the first time. For each woman it was like a gift of a second family. We just had a great time
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

US women discover they were switched at birth


Dee Ann Angell and Kay Rene Reed have managed to forge a bond 56 years after hospitals error Ed Pilkington in New York 15 May, 2009 1 When Dee Ann Angell was at school the other children made jokes about her and teased her. She was blonde-haired and blue-eyed and the other children teased her because she looked so different from her brown-eyed brunette siblings. Did your mother go with another man? her friends used to say, and she just laughed and ignored it. 2 Kay Rene Reed sometimes heard a rumour in her family that someone had made a terrible mistake when she was born and switched her with another baby. That explained why she looked so different from her siblings, people said. But she also ignored the rumour and got on with her life. 3 Fifty-six years after the two women were born on the same day in 1953 they now know the truth. After a DNA test they now know they are not who they thought they were and that they have lived their lives in the wrong family. Each baby weighed about 6lbs (2.8kg) at birth on 3 May 1953. Each had no hair. They were the only two babies born that day at the tiny hospital in 4 Heppner, Oregon. A nurse took them away and bathed them in the same bath and then returned them to their mothers. They were taken to homes 20 miles apart and, when they were older, married and had children and grandchildren of their own. They never met again until earlier this year. 5 The truth came out last summer when a neighbour of Marjorie Angell, Dee Anns mother, revealed a secret she had known for years. The neighbour, aged 86, had waited until all four parents of the women had died, because she didnt want anyone to be upset. Now she decided to tell one of Kay Renes brothers that while she was still alive Marjorie told her that the babies

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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 1 Elementary
sisters for the first time they chewed it in the same way. The ups and downs continue. The hospital that made the mistake has offered to help them deal with the shock but they have said no to the offer. We are old women now, said Kay Rene.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 15/05/09

together, Kay Rene said. 10 The two women have become good friends. They tell each other about their lives. Dee Ann grew up loving horses which was strange in a family that had no tradition of horse riding; Kay Rene grew up on a ranch with a father who saw himself as a cowboy. Kay Rene chewed gum in a distinctive way; when she met her natural

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Dee Ann Angells schoolmates made jokes about her because ... 2. Kay Rene Reeds mother told her ... 3. The two babies 4. A neighbour of Dee Anns mother ... 5. The DNA test 6. Now the two women ... a. confirmed who the women really were. b. were switched at birth. c. she looked different from her brothers and sisters.

d. have become the best of friends. e. finally revealed the truth about what happened. f. the rumours about the family were not true.

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 1 Elementary
4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. blue and haired eyed brown 2. the women born two same on were day the 3. again met this earlier they year 4. since the weeks few test the 5. this on birthday their month 56th earlier 6. met time they for the first

5 Verbs and nouns


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column. Check your answers in the text. 1. become 2. make 3. reveal 4. hear 5. have 6. chew a. a great time b. gum c. a rumour d. good friends e. a secret f. a mistake

6 Word stress
Put these words into two groups according to their word stress. different neighbour rumour alive A 0o ignore arrange B return parents o0 married accept mistake summer

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / US women discover they were switched at birth / Elementary

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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. switch 2. upset 3. tease 4. sedative 5. distinctive 6. sibling 7. identical 8. brunette 9. rumour 10. DNA

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. blue-eyed and brown-haired (brown-haired and blue-eyed) 2. the two women were born on the same day 3. they met again earlier this year 4. the few weeks since the test 5. on their 56th birthday earlier this month 6. they met for the first time

5 Verbs and nouns


1. d 2. f 3. e 4. c 5. a 6. b

2 Find the information


1. 1953 2. 6lbs (2.8kg) 3. 3 May 1953 4. Oregon 5. 86 6. a DNA test 3 Comprehension check 1. c 2. f 3. b 4. e 5. a 6. d

6 Word stress
A 0o different rumour married neighbour parents summer B o0 ignore return mistake alive arrange accept

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / US women discover they were switched at birth / Elementary

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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. sibling sedated rumour brunette distress identical switch DNA tease distinctive

1. If you _____________________ someone, you have fun by saying things that embarrass or annoy them slightly in a friendly or unkind way. 2. _____________________ is a feeling that you have when you are very unhappy, worried or upset. 3. To _____________________ means to replace one object with another. 4. _____________________ is a chemical substance that is found in the cells of all living things. 5. If something is _____________________, it is easy to recognize because it is different from other things of the same type. 6. Your _____________________ is your brother or sister. 7. If two or more things are _____________________, they are exactly the same. 8. A _____________________ is a woman with brown hair. 9. A _____________________ is unofficial information that may or may not be true. 10. A _____________________ hospital patient has been given drugs to make them calmer or to make them sleep.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. When were the two women born? 2. How much did each baby weigh at birth? 3. Where were they born? 4. How far apart were their family homes? 5. How old was the neighbour who revealed the secret? 6. What test was used to determine their real identity?

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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 2 Intermediate
nurse brought the babies back from bathing them Marjorie had cried out, This is not my baby! But the nurse ignored her protests, and she had spent the rest of her life privately convinced she was raising the wrong child. 5 When Kay Rene heard the news it rang a bell for her. Her own mother, Donalda Reed, had been heavily sedated giving birth and had never had any doubts. She had only once referred to the rumours about the family. She told Kay Rene they were not true. You are my daughter and you always will be, she said. But those doubts were now impossible to ignore. The two women contacted each other earlier this year and arranged to meet. One of Dee Anns sisters, Juanita, joined them and for Kay Rene it was a real shock. They were identical. Thats me! she exclaimed, pointing at her natural sister. Juanita replied: Theres no point having a DNA test, just look at us! They had the test anyway, and while they were waiting for the results they cracked jokes. Whos my mama? shouted Dee Ann, Whos my daddy? echoed Kay Rene. The test measured the genetic possibility of Kay Rene being related to her brother and sister: zero. It also tested the genetic possibility of her being related to Dee Anns brother and sister: 99.99%. The few weeks since the test have been an emotional roller-coaster for both women. In some ways it has been very sad, accepting the fact that they will never meet their natural parents, that the lives that had been intended for them have been lost for ever. Its sad, Dee Ann told ABC television today, close to tears. I think that I missed out on knowing my own parents, my own family. Kay Rene said she felt very guilty because she had stolen the other womans memories. When she looked at her family now she felt I have cheated them it shouldnt have been me. Im glad it was because Ive had a wonderful life. But another part of the experience has been very positive. On their 56th birthday earlier this month the two families came together for the first time. It
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

US women discover they were switched at birth


Dee Ann Angell and Kay Rene Reed have managed to forge a bond 56 years after hospitals error Ed Pilkington in New York 15 May, 2009 1 Dee Ann Angell was used to the jokes and the teasing at school. She was blonde-haired and blue-eyed and the other children teased her because she looked so different from her browneyed brunette siblings. Did your mother go with another man? her friends would say, and she would just laugh and ignore it. 2 Kay Rene Reed would sometimes hear a rumour in her family that a terrible mistake had been made at birth and she had been switched with another baby. That explained why she looked so different from her siblings, so the rumour went. But she also ignored it and got on with her life. 3 Fifty-six years after the two women were born on the same day in 1953 they now know the truth. DNA testing means that they now know they are not who they thought they were, that their lives have been led in the wrong family. Each baby weighed about 6lbs (2.8kg) at birth on 3 May 1953. Each was hairless. They were the only two babies born that day at the tiny hospital in Heppner, Oregon. A nurse took them both to be bathed, sharing the same bath, then returned them to their mothers. They were taken to homes 20 miles apart and in the course of time married and had children and grandchildren of their own. They never met again until earlier this year. 4 The truth began to come out last summer when a neighbour of Marjorie Angell, Dee Anns mother, revealed a secret she had been carrying inside her for years. Aged 86, the unidentified neighbour had waited until all four parents of the women had died, because she didnt want to cause any distress. Now she came forward and told one of Kay Renes brothers that while she was still alive Marjorie had told her that the babies had been switched at birth by mistake. When the

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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 2 Intermediate
cowboy. Kay Rene chewed gum in a distinctive way; when she met her natural sisters for the first time they chewed it in the same way. The ups and downs continue. The hospital that made the switch has offered them counselling to help them deal with the shock but they have refused it. We are old women now, said Kay Rene.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 15/05/09

was as if each woman had been given a gift of a second family. We just had a ball together, Kay Rene said. 9 There is also the gift of friendship between the two women. They call each other twisters. They have shared notes about each others lives that have revealed some strange similarities. Dee Ann grew up loving horses which was unlikely in her family that had no tradition of riding; she learnt that Kay Rene had been brought up on a ranch by her father who saw himself as a

3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the test? 1. The two babies were deliberately switched at birth. 2. Dee Anns mother revealed the secret. 3. It was 56 years before the two women finally learned the truth. 4. They werent sure until they received the results of the DNA test. 5. Kay Rene looked very different from Dee Anns sister Juanita. 6. Dee Ann and Kay Rene are now friends.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. An adjective meaning having no hair. (para 3) 2. A verb meaning to let something become known. (para 4) 3. An adjective meaning absolutely sure. (para 4) 4. A three-word expression meaning to sound familiar although you cannot remember the exact details. (para 5) 5. A two-word expression meaning to tell funny stories. (para 6) 6. A three-word expression meaning a situation in which your feelings and your mood change radically several times. (para 7) 7. A three-word expression meaning to have a good time. (para 8) 8. A noun meaning advice and help given to people who have problems. (para 9)

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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns they go with in the right-hand column. 1. reveal 2. raise 3. crack 4. have 5. cause 6. hear 7. refuse 8. ring a. a rumour b. a bell c. a test d. an offer e. a secret f. jokes g. distress h. a child

6 Expressions with prepositions


Complete the phrases using prepositions. 1. to be used _______ something 2. look different _______ someone 3. to get on _______ your life 4. switch _______ birth 5. _______ mistake 6. point _______ someone 7. _______ the first time 8. a tradition _______ something

7 Discussion
Imagine that you were in the same situation. What would you do? Why? Do you think the neighbour did the right thing?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / US women discover they were switched at birth / Intermediate

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US women discover they were switched at birth


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. tease 2. distress 3. switch 4. DNA 5. distinctive 6. sibling 7. identical 8. brunette 9. rumour 10. sedated

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. hairless 2. reveal 3. convinced 4. ring a bell 5. crack jokes 6. emotional roller-coaster 7. have a ball 8. counselling

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. e 2. h 3. f 4. c 5. g 6. a 7. d 8. b

2 Find the information


1. 3 May 1953 2. 6lbs (2.8kg) 3. Heppner, Oregon 4. 20 miles 5. 86 6. a DNA test

3 Comprehension check
1. F 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. F 6. T

6 Expressions with prepositions


1. to 2. from 3. with 4. at 5. by 6. at 7. for 8. of

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / US women discover they were switched at birth / Intermediate

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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. decry upcoming free up scrap outdated nonsensical updated hard-bound deficit inmate

1. If the authorities __________________________ a project, they decide not to continue with it. 2. An __________________________ is someone who is kept in a prison, mental hospital or other institution. 3. If you __________________________ money, you make it available so that it can be used for other purposes. 4. If you __________________________ something, you say publicly that you do not approve of it. 5. If something is described as __________________________, it is not true or sensible. 6. An __________________________ system is one that is old and no longer suitable for modern purposes. 7. __________________________ material includes the most recent information and data. 8. An __________________________ event, is one that is happening soon. 9. A __________________________ is the amount by which something is less than you need or should have. 10. A __________________________ book is one that has a hard cover.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How much is the budget deficit in California? 2. How much did California set aside last year to buy school books? 3. How many books would hold the same amount of information as a digital textbook? 4. How much does a digital textbook cost? 5. How many official contracts did the state of California sign between 2005 and 2008? 6. How many contracts has it already signed this year?

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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 3 Advanced
buy books, including textbooks, on their phones and also copy and email large chunks. Basically kids are feeling as comfortable with their electronic devices as I was with my pencils and crayons. Textbooks are outdated, in my opinion, Schwarzenegger told pupils. For so many years, weve been trying to teach the kids exactly the same way. 5 Holding up four large books he joked: I can use these in the gym, in a reference to his bodybuilding days before he became one of Hollywoods biggest stars. But some teachers wonder whether Schwarzeneggers idea of getting rid of textbooks might end up costing more not less, with digital textbooks going for $300. Kristina Fierro, a high school teacher in Bakersfield, said it would be expensive to get the materials, train the teachers and train the students to use the materials properly. She was also worried about the students once they are out of the classroom. I would say out of a class of 30, maybe 10 or less ... have a computer at home. The governor hasnt given many details about the programme, but so far the digital addition isnt looking like a subtraction for Californias budget, she told KGET, a local TV station. In an effort to cut the state budget deficit, Schwarzenegger has signed an executive order to scrap funding on contracts from 1 March, and bar state agencies from entering into new ones. Between 2005 and 2008, the state of California signed an average of 65,000 contracts a year, which ranged from peanut butter for prison inmates to consultants for computer system upgrades. This year the number stands at about 36,000. Schwarzenegger said: Every state agency and department will scrutinise how every penny is spent on contracts to make sure the state is getting the best deal for every taxpayer dollar.
* Johannes Gutenberg (13981468) was the inventor of the printing press. Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 30/04/09
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Arnold Schwarzenegger to scrap school textbooks in favour of e-books


Governor of California seeks to cut budget deficit by replacing outdated textbooks with electronic reading devices Mark Tran June 9, 2009 1 In the first Terminator movie he tried to extinguish all human life. Now, as governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to make textbooks history in favour of digital formats. Schwarzenegger, trying to plug a budget hole of $24.3bn (15bn), thinks he can make savings by getting rid of what he decries as expensive textbooks. The governor is serious about an idea that might make Gutenberg* turn in his grave. He appeared in class yesterday to push an idea he set out in the San Jose Mercury News newspaper. 2 Its nonsensical and expensive to look to traditional hard-bound books when information today is so readily available in electronic form, Schwarzenegger wrote. Especially now, when our school districts are strapped for cash and our state budget deficit is forcing further cuts to classrooms, we must do everything we can to untie educators hands and free up dollars so that schools can do more with fewer resources. 3 Schwarzenegger points out that California last year set aside $350m for school books and argues that even if teachers have to print out some of the material, it will be far cheaper than regularly buying updated textbooks. Schwarzenegger plans to launch the scheme in August next year when Californias high-school pupils will have access to online maths and science texts. They would also use a digital textbook such as Sony reader, which can hold the same information as up to 160 books. 4 E-book readers are gaining in popularity. Yesterday, Apple presented an upcoming application for its iPhone that allows users to

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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Why does Schwarzenegger want to introduce electronic textbooks in California? a. Because he thinks they are better. b. Because he believes traditional textbooks are too expensive. c. Because a digital textbook can hold a lot of information. 2. Why are some teachers sceptical about the plan? a. Because they dont like digital textbooks. b. Because they dont like Schwarzenegger and his policies. c. Because they think it will cost just as much as buying traditional textbooks. 3. Why does Schwarzenegger believe textbooks are outdated? a. Because teachers have been trying to teach kids the same way for years. b. Because people can buy textbook on their phones. c. Because the children of today are comfortable using electronic devices. 4. What other decision has Schwarzenegger recently made? a. He has decided to stop state agencies entering into new contracts. b. He has decided to offer peanut butter to prison inmates. c. He has decided to check personally how every penny is spent.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A four-word expression meaning to get rid of something for ever (para 1) 2. A six-word expression meaning to do something that would surprise or sadden someone who is now dead (para 1) 3. A three-word expression meaning to provide what is missing from something (para 1) 4. A three-word expression meaning needing money (para 2) 5. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to allocate money for specific purposes (para 3) 6. A three-word expression meaning becoming more popular (para 4) 7. A verb meaning to prohibit (para 6) 8. A verb meaning to examine very carefully (para 6)

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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 3 Advanced
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column. 1. launch 2. plug 3. make 4. enter into 5. cut 6. have a. access to b. savings c. a deficit d. a scheme e. a contract f. a hole

6 Word building
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. Information is ____________ available in electronic form. [ready] 2. Schwarzenegger has said he wants to untie the hands of ____________. [educate] 3. Students will need to know how to use the materials ____________ . [proper] 4. Every state agency and department will be under intense ____________. [scrutinise] 5. Schwarzenegger believes it is a ____________ idea to buy traditional textbooks. [nonsense] 6. The ____________ of e-book readers is growing. [popular]

7 Discussion
Do you think it is a good idea to replace traditional school textbooks with electronic materials? Why? Why not?

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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. scrap 2. inmate 3. free up 4. decry 5. nonsensical 6. outdated 7. updated 8. upcoming 9. deficit 10. hard-bound

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. make something history make someone turn in their grave plug a hole strapped for cash set aside gaining in popularity bar scrutinise

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f b e c a

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. $24.3 billion (15bn) $350m 160 $300 65,000 a year (195,000) 36,000

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. readily educators properly scrutiny nonsensical popularity

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3 4. b c c a

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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. outdated chunk updated get rid of deficit digital resources properly access application

1. An ___________________________ is a piece of computer software that is designed to do a particular job. 2. An ___________________________ system is one that is old and no longer suitable for modern purposes. 3. 4. ___________________________ material includes the most recent information and data. ___________________________ systems store information as numbers or electronic signals.

5. If you do something ___________________________, you do it correctly. 6. If you ___________________________ of something, you throw it away, give it away or sell it because you no longer need it. 7. A ___________________________ is the amount by which something is less than you need or should have. 8. If you have ___________________________ to something, you have the right or opportunity to use it. 9. A ___________________________ is a large amount or part of something. 10. ___________________________ are money, equipment and staff that can be used to help an institution or a business.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the information to complete the sentences as quickly as possible. 1. California has a budget deficit of ___________________. 2. Last year California spent ___________________ on school books. 3. Sony reader can hold the same amount of information as up to ___________________ books. 4. Digital textbooks cost ___________________. 5. Between 2005 and 2008 California signed ___________________ contracts a year. 6. It has already signed ___________________ contracts this year.

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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 1 Elementary
4

Arnold Schwarzenegger to scrap school textbooks in favour of e-books


Governor of California seeks to cut budget deficit by replacing outdated textbooks with electronic reading devices Mark Tran June 9, 2009 1 In the first Terminator movie, Arnold

Schwarzenegger tried to destroy all human life on earth. Now, as governor of California, he wants to get rid of school textbooks and replace them with digital formats. California has a budget deficit of $24.3 billion and Schwarzenegger thinks he can save money by getting rid of expensive textbooks, as he calls them. The governor is serious about the idea and appeared at a school yesterday to promote the idea, which he first described in an article in a local newspaper. books when information today is easily available in electronic form, Schwarzenegger wrote. Especially now, when our school districts are short of money and our state budget deficit is forcing further cuts to classrooms, we must do everything we can to save money so that schools can do more with fewer resources. spent $350 million on school books and argues that even if teachers have to print out some of the material, it will be much cheaper than regularly buying updated textbooks. Schwarzenegger plans to start the scheme in August next year when Californias high-school pupils will have access to online maths and science texts. They would also use a digital textbook such as Sony reader, which can hold the same amount of information as up to 160 books.

E-book readers are becoming more and more popular. Yesterday, Apple presented a new application for its iPhone that allows users to buy books, including textbooks, on their phones and also copy and email large chunks. Basically kids are feeling as comfortable with their electronic devices as I was with my pencils and crayons. Textbooks are outdated, in my opinion, Schwarzenegger told pupils. For so many years, weve been trying to teach the kids exactly the same way. Holding up four large books he joked: I can use these in the gym, in a reference to his bodybuilding days before he became one of Hollywoods biggest stars. But some teachers wonder whether Schwarzeneggers idea of getting rid of textbooks might cost more not less, with digital textbooks costing $300. Kristina Fierro, a high school teacher, said it would be expensive to get the materials, train the teachers and train the students to use the materials properly. She was also worried about the students when they are out of the classroom. I would say out of a class of 30, maybe 10 or less ... have a computer at home. The governor hasnt given many details about the programme, but so far the digital option doesnt look like it will save California any money, she told a local TV station. Schwarzenegger wants to reduce the budget deficit so he has decided to stop funding contracts from 1 March, and to prevent state agencies from signing new ones. Between 2005 and 2008, the state of California signed an average of 65,000 contracts a year. This year the number is already about 36,000. Schwarzenegger said: Every state agency and department will look carefully at how every penny is spent on contracts to make sure the state is getting the best deal for every taxpayer dollar.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 09/07/09

2 Its crazy and expensive to use traditional

3 Schwarzenegger says that last year California

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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings with the endings to make sentences about the text.
1. Some teachers think Schwarzeneggers plan ____ 2. Schwarzenegger wants ____ 3. Schwarzenegger believes that ____ 4. In his opinion, textbooks ____ 5. According to Schwarzenegger, the children of today ____ 6. The scheme will begin ____ a. ____ it will be cheaper to use electronic books than traditional textbooks. b. ____ in August next year. c. ____ are comfortable using electronic devices. d. ____ to reduce Californias budget deficit. e. ____ will actually cost more money. f. ____ are outdated.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. local an in a article newspaper electronic in easily form available everything we do we must can of same information amount the more becoming and popular more the exactly way same

5 Words followed by prepositions


Complete the phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text. 1. get rid _______________ 2. serious _______________ 3. short _______________ money 4. have access _______________ 5. comfortable _______________ 6. a reference _______________ 7. worried _______________ 8. an average _______________

6 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. local 2. budget 3. digital 4. electronic 5. state 6. high-school
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books / Elementary

a. format b. pupils c. agency d. newspaper e. devices f. deficit


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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. application 2. outdated 3. updated 4. digital 5. properly 6. get rid of 7. deficit 8. access 9. chunk 10. resources

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. an article in a local newspaper easily available in electronic form we must do everything we can the same amount of information becoming more and more popular exactly the same way

5 Words followed by prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. of about of to with to about of

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. $24.3 billion $350 million 160 $300 65,000 36,000

6 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f a e c b

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e d a f c b

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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. outdated inmate updated resources deficit access upcoming chunk hard-bound upgrade

1. A __________________________ is the amount by which something is less than you need or should have. 2. A __________________________ book is one that has a hard cover. 3. If you have __________________________ to something, you have the right or opportunity to use it. 4. A __________________________ is a large amount or part of something. 5. __________________________ are money, equipment and staff that can be used to help an institution or a business. 6. An __________________________ is a piece of equipment or software designed to make a computer more powerful. 7. An __________________________ system is one that is old and no longer suitable for modern purposes. 8. __________________________ material includes the most recent information and data. 9. An __________________________ event is one that is happening soon. 10. An ____________ is someone who is kept in a prison, mental hospital or other institution.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How much is the budget deficit in California? 2. How much did California set aside last year to buy school books? 3. How many books would hold the same amount of information as a digital textbook? 4. How much does a digital textbook cost? 5. How many official contracts did the state of California sign each year between 2005 and 2008? 6. How many contracts has it already signed this year?

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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 2 Intermediate
4

Arnold Schwarzenegger to scrap school textbooks in favour of e-books


Governor of California seeks to cut budget deficit by replacing outdated textbooks with electronic reading devices Mark Tran June 9, 2009 1 In the first Terminator movie Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to get rid of all human life on earth. Now, as governor of California, he wants to get rid of school textbooks in favour of digital formats. California has a budget deficit of $24.3bn (15bn) and Schwarzenegger thinks he can make savings by getting rid of what he describes as expensive textbooks. The governor is serious about an idea that would shock Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. He appeared at a school yesterday to push the idea he first set out in a local newspaper. 2 Its crazy and expensive to use traditional hardbound books when information today is easily available in electronic form, Schwarzenegger wrote. Especially now, when our school districts are strapped for cash and our state budget deficit is forcing further cuts to classrooms, we must do everything we can to save money so that schools can do more with fewer resources. 3 Schwarzenegger points out that California last year set aside $350m for school books and argues that even if teachers have to print out some of the material, it will be far cheaper than regularly buying updated textbooks. Schwarzenegger plans to launch the scheme in August next year when Californias high-school pupils will have access to online maths and science texts. They would also use a digital textbook such as Sony reader, which can hold the same amount of information as up to 160 books.

E-book readers are becoming increasingly popular. Yesterday, Apple presented an upcoming application for its iPhone that allows users to buy books, including textbooks, on their phones and also copy and email large chunks. Basically kids are feeling as comfortable with their electronic devices as I was with my pencils and crayons. Textbooks are outdated, in my opinion, Schwarzenegger told pupils. For so many years, weve been trying to teach the kids exactly the same way. Holding up four large books he joked: I can use these in the gym, in a reference to his bodybuilding days before he became one of Hollywoods biggest stars. But some teachers wonder whether Schwarzeneggers idea of getting rid of textbooks might end up costing more not less, with digital textbooks costing $300. Kristina Fierro, a high school teacher, said it would be expensive to get the materials, train the teachers and train the students to use the materials properly. She was also worried about the students once they are out of the classroom. I would say out of a class of 30, maybe 10 or less ... have a computer at home. The governor hasnt given many details about the programme, but so far the digital addition doesnt look like it will save California any money, she told a local TV station. In an effort to cut the state budget deficit, Schwarzenegger has decided to stop funding contracts from 1 March, and to prevent state agencies from entering into new ones. Between 2005 and 2008, the state of California signed an average of 65,000 contracts a year, which ranged from peanut butter for prison inmates to consultants for computer system upgrades. This year the number is already about 36,000. Schwarzenegger said: Every state agency and department will look carefully at how every penny is spent on contracts to make sure the state is getting the best deal for every taxpayer dollar.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 09/06/09
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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the governor of California. 2. Some teachers think Schwarzeneggers plan will actually cost more money. 3. California still has $24.3bn to spend on state contracts. 4. All school students have a computer at home. 5. State agencies in California are no longer able to enter into new contracts. 6. Schwarzenegger believes that e-book readers are outdated.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A three-word expression meaning to promote a plan (para 1) 2. A three-word expression meaning needing money (para 2) 3. A noun meaning reductions in funding (para 2) 4. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to allocate money for specific purposes (para 3) 5. A verb meaning to start a major activity such as a new project (para 3) 6. A noun meaning a piece of computer software that is designed to do a particular job (para 4) 7. A noun meaning a programme of regular physical activity designed to make your muscles bigger (para 5) 8. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to agree to be part of an official agreement or contract (para 6)

5 Words followed by prepositions


Complete the phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text. 1. get rid ___________ 2. have access ___________ 3. comfortable ___________ 4. a reference ___________ 5. worried ___________ 6. serious ___________ 7. range ___________ ___________ 8. prevent ___________

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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 2
and Word 6 data.

Intermediate
building

Complete the table.

verb
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. save apply refer add consult cut invent govern

noun

(person) (person) (person)

7 Discussion
Do you prefer reading traditional books or reading documents online? Why?

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Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. deficit 2. hard-bound 3. access 4. chunk 5. resources 6. upgrade 7. outdated 8. updated 9. upcoming 10. inmate

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. push an idea strapped for cash cuts set aside launch application bodybuilding enter into

5 Words followed by prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. of to with to about about from/to from

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 24.3 billion dollars 350 million dollars up to 160 300 dollars 65,000 36,000

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T T F F T F

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. saving(s) application reference addition consultant cut inventor governor

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Schwarzenegger to scrap textbooks in favour of e-books / Intermediate

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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

Answer the questions and use them as the basis of a five-minute discussion. Are you ticklish? Do you know anyone who giggles a lot? What makes you laugh?

Key words

Match the key words from the article with their meanings. 1. ancestor 2. primate 3. to tickle 4. to trace 5. trait 6. to mock 7. mirth 8. evolution a. to breathe very loudly with your mouth open b. the way in which something gradually changes and develops c. someone who is related to you and lived a long time ago d. a man who is violent, especially a criminal e. to breathe very fast in a way that is not normal f. an animal belonging to the same group as humans

g. to discover how something developed h. to move your fingers gently on someones skin to make them laugh i. j. the action of using your voice a feeling of being sexually excited

9. arousal 10. to bond 11. to pant 12. to hyperventilate 13. to saw 14. vocalization

k. to develop feelings of love or friendship towards other people l. happy laughter

m. to make someone look stupid by laughing at them n. a particular quality in someones character o. to cut something in a backwards and forwards motion

15. a thug

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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 3 Advanced
bonobos and added recordings of three babies that were tickled to make them laugh. 8 To analyze the recordings, the team fed them into a computer program that arranged them on an evolutionary tree based on how related to each other they seemed to be. Remarkably, the laughter recorded from different primates linked together in a way that matched the evolutionary tree linking all of the species to one common ancestor. Our evolutionary tree based on these acoustic recordings alone showed that humans were closest to chimps and bonobos, but furthest from orang-utans, with gorillas somewhere intermediate. And that is what you see in the well-established evolutionary tree of great apes, said Davila Ross. What this shows is strong evidence to suggest that laughing comes from a common primate ancestor.

Our primate ancestors have been laughing for 10 million years


A study that involved tickling apes suggests laughter is not a uniquely human trait after all Ian Sample, science correspondent 4 June, 2009 1 The first hoots of laughter from an ancient ancestor of humans rippled across the land at least 10 million years ago, according to a study of giggling primates. 2 Researchers used recordings of apes and babies being tickled to trace the origins of laughter back to the last common ancestor that humans shared with the modern great apes, which include chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans. 3 The finding challenges the view that laughter is a uniquely human trait, suggesting instead that it emerged long before humans split from the evolutionary path that led to our primate cousins, between 10m and 16m years ago. 4 In humans, laughing is a complex and intriguing expression. It can be the strongest way of expressing how much we are enjoying ourselves, but it can also be used in other contexts, like mocking, said Marina Davila Ross, a psychologist at Portsmouth University. I was interested in whether laughing had a pre-human basis, whether it emerged earlier on than we did. 5 Davila Ross travelled to seven zoos around Europe and visited a wildlife reserve in Sabah, Borneo, to record baby and juvenile apes while their caretakers tickled them. Great apes are known to make noises that are similar to laughter when they are excited and while they are playing with each other. 6 The caretakers play with the apes all the time and tickling is a very important part of that. There are certain body parts that are more ticklish than others, depending on the individual. Some were tickled on their necks or armpits, while others offered their feet to be tickled, said Davila Ross. 7 In total, Davila Ross collected recordings of mirth from 21 chimps, gorillas, orang-utans and
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Primates have been laughing for 10m years / Advanced

10 Writing in the journal Current Biology, the researchers describe how the earliest laughterlike sounds were shorter and noisier, but with time became longer and clearer as the great apes evolved. 11 Human laughter sounds very different from the noises produced by great apes. The differences are thought to have arisen when certain acoustic features became exaggerated in early humans after they split from ancestors they shared with chimps and bonobos around 5.5m years ago. 12 Humans laugh as they exhale, but chimps can laugh as they breathe in as well. The human laugh is also produced by more regular vibrations of the vocal cords than in any of the apes. 13 Few studies have been carried out into the role of laughter in primates, but at least one study has suggested that it is important in expressing excitement and arousal. Laughing might also have been important for bonding within groups of animals. 14 Robert Provine, a psychologist and neuroscientist at the University of Maryland and author of the book Laughter: A Scientific Investigation, said students who took part in his own studies likened
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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 3 Advanced
nature of human behaviour. The 31-year-old male, Santino, regularly displayed thuggish behaviour by preparing piles of rocks while the zoo was closed and then throwing them at visitors when the gates opened. The chimp has since been castrated. 18 Zookeepers at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC have reported another human trait in one of its long-time residents, Bonnie, a 30-year-old orang-utan. Researchers believe Bonnie learned to whistle by copying the zookeepers. Although she is unable to hold a tune, other apes at the zoo have reportedly begun copying her.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 04/06/09

chimp laughter to a dog panting, an asthma attack or hyperventilation. Some even thought the noise was caused by someone sawing. 15 The means of production of human and ape laughter are as different as the sound, with the ape vocalization being produced during both inward and outward breaths, while humans parse an outward breath into ha-ha, he said. 16 The simplicity and stereotypy of laughter provides a valuable tool with which to trace vocal evolution, much as simpler systems of molecular biology are useful for investigating complex life processes, he added. 17 In March 2009, researchers reported that a chimp at a zoo in Sweden had started to challenge scientists views about the unique

3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article. 1. According to the results of the study ... a. apes are extremely ticklish. b. laughter is not only a human characteristic. c. apes should not be kept in a zoo. 2. Humans laugh ... a. without using their vocal chords. b. when they breathe out. c. when they hyperventilate. 3. Apes laugh ... a. in the same way that dogs pant. b. when they are happy. c. when they are excited. 4. The apes recorded for the study live ... a. at Portsmouth University. b. in the jungle. c. in captivity. 5. How many apes were recorded laughing? a. 21 b. 24 c. 23 6. The researcher at Portsmouth University is ... a. a neuroscientist. b. a zookeeper. c. a psychologist.

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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 3 Advanced
4 Language: Phrases
Match the halves of the phrases then check your answers by finding them in the article. Notice in which context they were used and then write your own example sentences for at least four of the phrases. 1. to hold 2. a hoot 3. a valuable 4. a uniquely 5. an evolutionary 6. a common 7. a means 8. to display thuggish tool of production human trait path behaviour a tune of laughter ancestor

........................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................... ...........................................................................................................................................

5 Discussion: Whats your opinion?


Read the four statements and mark your opinion by placing a cross on each line. Be prepared to justify and talk about your opinions in a follow-up discussion. 1. We should not try to humanize animals by searching for human traits in their behaviour.
strongly agree not sure strongly disagree

2. Great apes should not be kept in zoos.


strongly agree not sure strongly disagree

3. The money used to fund this study would have been better spent on medical research.
strongly agree not sure strongly disagree

4. Apes are cleverer than we currently realize.


strongly agree not sure strongly disagree

6 Webquest: Laughter recordings


Listen to the laughter recordings here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jun/04/laughter-primates-apes-evolution-tickling Close your eyes while you listen then try to describe the sound you have just heard. Watch the short video that can be found at the same URL. Describe what you can see and hear.
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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 3 KEY
2 Key words
1. c 2. f 3. h 4. g 5. n 6. m 7. l 8. b 9. j 10. k 11. a 12. e 13. o 14. i 15. d

Advanced

4 Language: Phrases
1. to hold a tune 2. a hoot of laughter 3. a valuable tool 4. a uniquely human trait 5. an evolutionary path 6. a common ancestor 7. a means of production 8. to display thuggish behaviour

Teachers notes
You can read the other two ape stories mentioned in the article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/mar/09/chimpzoo-stones-science http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/2009/1/ BrainyBonnie.cfm And here you can watch a short video report about an orang-utan who escaped from her cage in an Australian zoo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4bwp90dOTU http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/10/adelaidezoo-orang-utan-escape

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. b b c c a c

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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 1 Elementary
tickle (verb) To move your fingers gently on someones skin in order to give them a pleasant feeling or to make them laugh Example: The dog rolled over, waiting for his tummy to be tickled.

Warmer

Answer the questions and talk about your answers with another student. Are you ticklish? Do you know anyone who likes (or hates) to be tickled? What makes you laugh?

Key words

Match the key words from the article with their meanings. The paragraph number will help you. evolutionary path acoustic bonding excitement pile ancestor uniquely origin primate ancient analyze exhale trait whistle

1. __________________ an animal belonging to the same group as humans (title) 2. 3. 4. 5. __________________someone who is related to you and lived a long time ago (title) __________________a particular quality / something special in someones character (subtitle) __________________very, very old (para 1) __________________in a way that is different from any similar thing or person (para 3)

6. __________________ the way (or road) along which something slowly changes and develops (para 3) 7. 8. 9. __________________one particular person or animal (rather than a group) (para 6) __________________to study or examine something in detail in order to understand or explain it (para 8) __________________relating to sound and the way people hear things (para 8)

10. __________________to breathe out (para 10) 11. __________________a feeling of being very happy and enthusiastic (para 10) 12. __________________developing feelings of love or friendship towards other people (para 10) 13. __________________ heaps of things put on top of each other (para 12) 14. __________________to make a tune or musical notes by putting your lips together and blowing (para 13)
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 1 Elementary
and bonobos and added recordings of three babies that were tickled to make them laugh. 8 To analyze the recordings, the team put them into a computer program. Our evolutionary tree based on these acoustic recordings showed that humans were closest to chimps and bonobos, but furthest from orang-utans, with gorillas somewhere in the middle. said Davila Ross. What this shows is strong evidence to suggest that laughing comes from a common primate ancestor. 9 Human laughter sounds very different from the noises produced by great apes. Humans laugh as they exhale but chimps can laugh as they breathe in as well. The human laugh is also produced by more regular vibrations of the vocal cords than in any of the apes. 10 Few studies have been carried out into the role of laughter in primates but at least one study said that it is important to show excitement. Laughing might also have been important for bonding within groups of animals. 11 The ways human and ape laughter is produced is as different as the sound. The ape laughter is produced during both inward and outward breaths, while humans turn an outward breath into a ha-ha sound, said Robert Provine, a psychologist and neuroscientist at the University of Maryland. 12 In March, there were reports that Santino, a 31-year-old male chimp at a zoo in Sweden, prepared piles of rocks while the zoo was closed and then threw them at visitors when the zoo opened. 13 Zookeepers at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC have reported another human trait in one of its apes, Bonnie, a 30-year-old orang-utan. Bonnie has learned to whistle by copying the zookeepers.

Our primate ancestors have been laughing for 10 million years


A study that involved tickling apes suggests laughter is not a uniquely human trait after all Ian Sample, science correspondent 4 June, 2009 1 The results of a new study say that the first laughter from an ancient ancestor of humans could be heard at least 10 million years ago. 2 Researchers used recordings of apes and babies being tickled to discover that laughter goes back to a common ancestor that humans shared with the modern great apes, which include chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans. 3 The study suggests that laughter is not a uniquely human trait. It says that laughter could be heard long before humans split from the evolutionary path that led to our primate cousins, between 10m and 16m years ago. 4 In humans, laughing can be the strongest way of showing how much we are enjoying ourselves, but it can also be used for other things, such as making fun of someone, said Marina Davila Ross, a psychologist at Portsmouth University. I was interested in whether laughing came before we (humans) did. 5 Davila Ross travelled to seven zoos around Europe and visited a wildlife reserve in Sabah, Borneo, to record baby and juvenile apes while their caretakers tickled them. Great apes are known to make noises that are similar to laughter when they are excited and while they are playing with each other. 6 The caretakers play with the apes all the time and tickling is a very important part of that. There are certain body parts that are more ticklish than others, depending on the individual ape. Some were tickled on their necks or armpits, while others offered their feet to be tickled, said Davila Ross. 7 In total, Davila Ross collected recordings of laughter from 21 chimps, gorillas, orang-utans

Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 04/06/09

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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orang-utans 2. The study says that humans 3. Laughter has been around 4. Humans laugh 5. Apes laugh 6. Most of the apes recorded 7. 21 apes 8. The laughter was 9. Tickling the apes 10. Apes often like

a. for millions of years. b. when they are excited. c. for the study live in zoos. d. were recorded laughing. e. is part of a zookeepers job. f. to have their feet tickled.

g. when they breathe out. h. are all kinds of great apes. i. j. compared to the laughter of babies. are not the only creature that can laugh.

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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 1 Elementary
4 Grammar: for and since
Look at the title of the article again: Our primate ancestors have been laughing for 10 million years. 1. Write in for and since to complete these grammar rules. We use ___________ when we talk about a period of time, e.g. a few days, half an hour, two years. We use ___________ when we talk about the time when the action started, e.g. last year, June 8, 1999. 2. Now complete these sentences for yourself and compare them with another students sentences. I have been living here for ____________________________________________. I have been living here since __________________________________________. I have been learning English for _________________________________________. I have been learning English since _______________________________________.

5 Discussion: Whats your opinion?


Read the statements and put a cross in the box that is closest to what you think / your opinion. Compare your answers in groups. 1. Apes and humans are very different we should not try to find human traits in animals. strongly agree agree dont know disagree strongly disagree

2. Great apes should not be kept in zoos. strongly agree agree dont know disagree strongly disagree

3. The money spent on this study should have been used for medical research. strongly agree agree dont know disagree strongly disagree

4. Apes are more intelligent than we think. strongly agree agree dont know disagree strongly disagree

6 Webquest: Laughter recordings


Listen to the laughter recordings here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jun/04/laughter-primates-apes-evolution-tickling Close your eyes while you listen then try to describe the sound you have just heard. Watch the short video that can be found at the same URL. Describe what you can see and hear.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Primates have been laughing for 10m years / Elementary
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 1 KEY
2 Key words
1. primate 2. ancestor 3. trait 4. ancient 5. uniquely 6. evolutionary path 7. individual 8. analyze 9. acoustic 10. exhale 11. excitement 12. bonding 13. piles 14. whistle

Elementary

5 Grammar: for and since


We use for when we talk about a period of time, e.g. a few days, half an hour, two years. We use since when we talk about the time when the action started, e.g. last year, June 8, 1999.

6 Teachers notes
You can read the other two ape stories mentioned in the article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/mar/09/chimpzoo-stones-science http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/2009/1/ BrainyBonnie.cfm

3 Comprehension check
1. h 2. j 3. a 4. g 5. b 6. c 7. d 8. i 9. e 10. f

And here you can watch a short video report about an orang-utan who escaped from her cage in an Australian zoo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4bwp90dOTU

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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 2 Intermediate
tickle (verb) To move your fingers gently on someones skin in order to give them a pleasant feeling or to make them laugh Example: The dog rolled over, waiting for his tummy to be tickled.

Warmer

Answer the questions and talk about your answers with another student. Are you ticklish? Do you know anyone who likes (or hates) to be tickled? What makes you laugh?

Key words

Match the key words from the article with their meanings. The paragraph number will help you. evolutionary path whistle 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. unique bonding emerge ancestor trait primate acoustic exhale trace origin

___________________________ an animal belonging to the same group as humans (title) ___________________________ someone who is related to you and lived a long time ago (title) ___________________________ a particular quality in someones character (subtitle) ___________________________ to discover the origin of something or how something developed (para 2) ___________________________ the place or moment where something begins to exist (para 2) ___________________________ the way along which something gradually changes and develops (para 3) ___________________________ to appear, or to become recognized (para 4) ___________________________ relating to sound and the way people hear things (para 9) ___________________________ to breathe out (para 11)

10. ___________________________ developing feelings of love or friendship towards other people (para 12) 11. ___________________________ not the same as anything or anyone else (para 14) 12. ___________________________ to make a tune or musical notes by forcing air through your mouth (para 15)

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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 2 Intermediate
7 In total, Davila Ross collected recordings of laughter from 21 chimps, gorillas, orang-utans and bonobos and added recordings of three babies that were tickled to make them laugh. To analyze the recordings, the team put them into a computer program. Remarkably, the laughter recorded from different primates linked together in a way that matched the evolutionary tree linking all of the species to one common ancestor. Our evolutionary tree based on these acoustic recordings alone showed that humans were closest to chimps and bonobos, but furthest from orang-utans, with gorillas somewhere in the middle. said Davila Ross. What this shows is strong evidence to suggest that laughing comes from a common primate ancestor.

Our primate ancestors have been laughing for 10 million years


A study that involved tickling apes suggests laughter is not a uniquely human trait after all Ian Sample, science correspondent 4 June, 2009 1 The first hoots of laughter from an ancient ancestor of humans could be heard at least 10 million years ago, according to the results of a new study. 2 Researchers used recordings of apes and babies being tickled to trace the origin of laughter back to the last common ancestor that humans shared with the modern great apes, which include chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans. 3 The finding challenges the opinion that laughter is a uniquely human trait, suggesting instead that it emerged long before humans split from the evolutionary path that led to our primate cousins, between 10m and 16m years ago. 4 In humans, laughing can be the strongest way of expressing how much we are enjoying ourselves, but it can also be used in other contexts, like making fun of someone, said Marina Davila Ross, a psychologist at Portsmouth University. I was interested in whether laughing emerged earlier on than we (humans) did. 5 Davila Ross travelled to seven zoos around Europe and visited a wildlife reserve in Sabah, Borneo, to record baby and juvenile apes while their caretakers tickled them. Great apes are known to make noises that are similar to laughter when they are excited and while they are playing with each other. 6 The caretakers play with the apes all the time and tickling is a very important part of that. There are certain body parts that are more ticklish than others, depending on the individual ape. Some were tickled on their necks or armpits, while others offered their feet to be tickled, said Davila Ross.

10 Writing in the journal Current Biology, the researchers describe how the earliest laughterlike sounds were shorter and noisier, but with time became longer and clearer as the great apes evolved. 11 Human laughter sounds very different from the noises produced by great apes. Humans laugh as they exhale, but chimps can laugh as they breathe in as well. The human laugh is also produced by more regular vibrations of the vocal cords than in any of the apes. 12 Few studies have been carried out into the role of laughter in primates, but at least one study has suggested that it is important in expressing excitement. Laughing might also have been important for bonding within groups of animals. 13 The ways human and ape laughter is produced are as different as the sound. The ape laughter is produced during both inward and outward breaths, while humans turn an outward breath into a ha-ha sound, said Robert Provine, a psychologist and neuroscientist at the University of Maryland and author of the book Laughter: A Scientific Investigation. The simplicity of laughter provides a valuable tool with which to trace vocal evolution, he added.
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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 2 Intermediate
15 Zookeepers at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC have reported another human trait in one of its apes, Bonnie, a 30-year-old orang-utan. Bonnie has learned to whistle by copying the zookeepers.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 04/06/09

14 In March 2009, researchers reported that a chimp at a zoo in Sweden had started to challenge scientists views about the unique nature of human behaviour. The 31-year-old male, Santino, regularly prepared piles of rocks while the zoo was closed and then threw them at visitors when the gates opened.

3 Comprehension check
Match the sentence halves to summarize the information from the article. 1. According to the results of the study, laughter 2. Laughter has been 3. Laughter existed when humans and apes 4. Humans laugh 5. Apes laugh 6. The apes recorded for the study 7. 21 apes were 8. The laughter was compared to 9. Tickling the apes is part of 10. Apes often present their when they are excited. the laughter of babies. recorded laughing. live in captivity. had a common ancestor. is not only a human characteristic. feet to be tickled. when they breathe out. around for millions of years. a zookeepers job.

4 Language: Phrases
Match the halves of the phrases and check your answers by finding them in the article. Then write your own example sentences for at least four of the phrases. 1. a hoot 2. 10 million 3. a uniquely 4. making fun 5. analyze 6. one common 7. a valuable 8. to challenge years ago human trait the recordings scientists views tool of someone of laughter ancestor

.................................................................................... .................................................................................... .................................................................................... .................................................................................... .................................................................................... .................................................................................... .................................................................................... .................................................................................... .................................................................................... .................................................................................... ....................................................................................
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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Discussion: Whats your opinion?
Read the four statements and mark your opinion by placing a cross on each line. Be prepared to justify and talk about your opinions in a follow-up discussion. 1. We should not try to humanize animals by searching for human traits in their behaviour.
strongly agree not sure strongly disagree

2. Great apes should not be kept in zoos.


strongly agree not sure strongly disagree

3. The money used to fund this study would have been better spent on medical research.
strongly agree not sure strongly disagree

4. Apes are cleverer than we currently realize.


strongly agree not sure strongly disagree

6 Webquest: Laughter recordings


Listen to the laughter recordings here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jun/04/laughter-primates-apes-evolution-tickling Close your eyes while you listen then try to describe the sound you have just heard. Watch the short video that can be found at the same URL. Describe what you can see and hear.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Primates have been laughing for 10m years / Intermediate

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Primates have been laughing for 10m years


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. primate 2. ancestor 3. trait 4. trace 5. origin 6. evolutionary path 7. emerge 8. acoustic 9. exhale 10. bonding 11. unique 12. whistle

Intermediate

4 Language: Phrases
1. a hoot of laughter 2. 10 million years ago 3. a uniquely human trait 4. making fun of someone 5. analyze the recordings 6. one common ancestor 7. a valuable tool 8. to challenge scientists views

Teachers notes
You can read the other two ape stories mentioned in the article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/mar/09/ chimp-zoo-stones-science

3 Comprehension check

1. According to the results of the study laughter is not http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ only a human characteristic. ZooGoer/2009/1/BrainyBonnie.cfm 2. Laughter has been around for millions of years. 3. Laughter existed when humans and apes had a And here you can watch a short video report about common ancestor. an orang-utan who escaped from her cage in an 4. Humans laugh when they breathe out. Australian zoo: 5. Apes laugh when they are excited. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4bwp90dOTU 6. The apes recorded for the study live in captivity. 7. 21 apes were recorded laughing. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/10/ 8. The laughter was compared to the laughter of babies. adelaide-zoo-orang-utan-escape 9. Tickling the apes is part of a zookeepers job. 10. Apes often present their feet to be tickled.

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Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. sponsor physique endorsement eloquence transfer fee insular predecessor likeable rival lampoon

1. If you ____________ someone, you publicly criticize them by making jokes about them. 2. An ____________ country is one that is not interested in learning new ideas or ways of doing things, especially from outside that country. 3. A ____________ is a business that pays money to support a sports team. 4. If someone is ____________ , they are pleasant and friendly and easy to like. 5. ____________ is the ability to express what you mean using clear and effective language. 6. A ____________ is a person, team or business that competes with another. 7. A ____________ is the amount of money that one professional football team pays to another for one of their players. 8. An ____________ is when a famous person says in an advertisement that they like a particular product. 9. A persons ____________ is the shape of their body. 10. A ____________ is the person who had a job or a particular position before someone else.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Where is the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo from? 2. Who was the 2008 World Player of the Year? 3. How much did David Beckham earn last year from product endorsements? 4. 5. 6. How much did US golfer Tiger Woods earn from endorsements last year? How much was Ronaldo paid at Manchester United for playing football? How much of Real Madrids income comes from overseas markets?

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Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 3 Advanced
5
Ronaldo does not possess, however, the same likeability as Beckham, which may affect his global brand. Fans have lampooned and cursed him over the years. Three years ago, the Daily Mail raged, Get lost Ronaldo! when he was accused of encouraging the referee to send off Wayne Rooney in an England v Portugal match at the 2006 World Cup. An agent for a leading England player yesterday said, Theres a question about his likeability factor. How much Ronaldo earns for himself and his club depends on how well his image is sold into emerging markets and how well he develops his own public personality, according to Simon Chadwick, a professor of sport business strategy. European football is a saturated market and the crucial areas for Real Madrid to work on are overseas markets like China, Japan, Brazil and Argentina, he said. Real Madrid currently generates less than 5% of its income from those sources. According to research conducted by Chadwick into what makes a strong sports player brand, Ronaldo already has some of the key personal attributes to become like Beckham, his predecessor in Manchester Uniteds number seven shirt. Hes good looking, glamorous and has a good physique and the people we surveyed said that was important, he said. You have to play with clubs that are associated with success and our research shows it has to be sustained success. That is one of the reasons that Tiger Woods emerged so strongly as a brand. People also said they liked Woodss intelligence and eloquence. Beckham struggled with that which is one of the reasons why he has not come close to Woods earnings. This is a challenge for Ronaldo too. Off-field lifestyle is important: who you are married to and where you live. This is where Beckham has done well and Ronaldo has work to do. Man or woman, he needs to find a steady partner and ideally someone who is famous in their own right. Finally you have to be seen as good team player. In his later career, Beckham has had a fantastic reputation as a team player and I think Ronaldo has a problem in this area because he is seen too much as an individual. Ronaldo is more likely to appeal to Hispanic markets because he is Portuguese, and that might
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Can Cristinao Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


From 175 to 80m in 14 years - now the new king of soccer can establish the Ronaldo brand Robert Booth, 11 June, 2009 1 Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo was a child practising his tricks at the tiny Andorinha football club on his home island of Madeira, his talent has always been measured in money. The club turned down an offer of 175 for their promising 10-yearold in the belief his skills and speed were worth far more. And how right they were. Real Madrid have been granted permission to open negotiations with Manchester United, talks that are likely to end with the 24-year-old Portuguese player moving to Madrid for a transfer fee of 80m and a salary that could add 60m to the bill. 2 For the marketing executives at Madrid and those surrounding Ronaldo and his agent, the worldrecord deal is far more than a sporting concern; sports marketing executives believe that the transfer could make the 2008 World Player of the Year a serious rival to David Beckham. Ronaldo is destined to become the worlds most valuable football brand, a status that will also put him in the top league of sports earners. 3 At Manchester United Ronaldo earned 7m a year in salary and 12m from product endorsements, not far behind Beckhams earnings last year of 3.4m from football and 26m off the pitch. Ronaldo has already starred in adverts for Coca Cola and the video game FIFA Street 2 amongst others. His sponsorship deal with Nike is understood to be worth 9m. Now, as part of a revitalized Real Madrid team which is likely to allow him an even higher profile, those earnings are set to rise. 4 Florentino Perez, the re-elected Real Madrid president, was already thinking along those lines prior to yesterdays announcement. When Beckham came we went from earning 7m a year to 45m a year through our deals with our sponsors, Perez said. If Cristiano Ronaldo comes, even though he is currently with Nike, he then puts on an Adidas shirt every week. There are certain players who are very profitable because they have a spectacular commercial effect that can earn the club money.

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Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 3 Advanced
earning 64m in endorsements alone last year.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 11/06/09

help him break into the US, although it remains a very insular place when it comes to accepting football, said Jon Holmes, a football agent. Whatever happens to Ronaldos bank balance during his time at Madrid he will struggle to match Tiger Woods, who heads the sporting rich list

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. What is one of the reasons that Beckham has not come close to earning as much money as Tiger Woods? a. Beckham has struggled to be a professional sportsman. b. He is no longer the worlds most valuable football brand. c. He is not as eloquent or intelligent as Woods. 3. a. b. c. What effect did the signing of David Beckham have on Real Madrid? They became immediately successful on the pitch. Their sponsorship earnings increased more than 600%. They became instantly more likeable.

4. Which market is Ronaldo likely to appeal to? a. The American market. b. The Far Eastern market. c. The Hispanic market.

2. a. b. c.

What does Ronaldo have to do to emerge strongly as a brand? Get married. Find a famous partner and be seen as a good team player. Continue to be seen as an individual.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to refuse (para 1) 2. An adjective meaning strong and successful again (para 3) 3. A two-word expression meaning before something happened (para 4) 4. A verb meaning to say or think offensive or impolite words about someone (para 5) 5. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to tell a player officially to leave the field because they have done something that is not allowed by the rules (para 5) 6. An adjective meaning completely full (para 6) 7. A plural noun meaning features or qualities of someone or something (para 7) 8. An adjective meaning continuing at the same level or rate for a long time (para 7)
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Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 3 Advanced
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to form phrases from the text. 1. turn down 2. grant 3. open 4. break into 5. conduct 6. sell a. negotiations b. a survey c. an image d. permission e. a market f. an offer

6 Word building
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. Certain players are very ____________ because of their image. [profit] 2. They earn a lot of money in ____________. [endorse] 3. Real Madrid have been granted permission to open ____________ with Manchester United for the purchase of Ronaldo. [negotiate] 4. Ronaldo has a 9 million ____________ deal with Nike. [sponsor] 5. Ronaldos ____________ will almost certainly rise. [earn] 6. Ronaldo was a ____________ footballer as a child. [promise]

7 Discussion
Do you think it is right that professional footballers can earn in a week what it takes a nurse or a building workers seven or eight years to earn? What are the arguments for and against limiting the salaries of top sportsmen and women?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham? / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. lampoon 2. insular 3. sponsor 4. likeable 5. eloquence 6. rival 7. transfer fee 8. endorsement 9. physique 10. predecessor

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. turn down 2. revitalized 3. prior to 4. curse 5. send off 6. saturated 7. attributes 8. sustained

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. f 2. d 3. a 4. e 5. b 6. c

2 Find the information


1. Madeira (Portugal) 2. Ronaldo 3. 26 million 4. 64 million 5. 7 million a year 6. less than 5%

6 Word building
1. profitable 2. endorsements 3. negotiations 4. sponsorship 5. earnings 6. promising

3 Comprehension check
1. c 2. b 3. b 4. c

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham? / Advanced

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Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. rival sponsorship physique profitable earnings brand deal agent likeable lifestyle

1. If someone is ____________, they are pleasant and friendly and easy to like. 2. An ____________ is someone whose job is to help a writer, performer or sports player by finding them work. 3. A persons ____________ is the type of life they have. 4. A ____________ is a product or group of products that has its own name. 5. If something is ____________, it makes a lot of money. 6. ____________ is money paid by a business to support something. 7. A ____________ is a person, team or business that competes with another. 8. A persons ____________ is the shape of their body. 9. A ____________ is a formal agreement in business. 10. A persons ____________ are the amount of money they get by working.

Find the information

Look in the text and choose the best answer. 1. Cristiano Ronaldo was 10/24 years old when a club offered 175 for him. 2. 3. 4. 5. Ronaldo is from Manchester/Madeira. He earned 7 million/12 million a year in salary when he was at Manchester United. Ronaldos deal with Adidas/Nike is worth around 9 million. Real Madrid gets more than/less than 5% of its income from overseas markets.

6. The highest paid sportsman in the world is David Beckham/Tiger Woods.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham? / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 1 Elementary
for himself and his club depends on how well his image is sold in growing markets and how well he develops his own public personality, according to Simon Chadwick, a professor of sport business strategy. The European football market is full and the important areas for Real Madrid are overseas markets like China, Japan, Brazil and Argentina, he said. Real Madrid currently gets less than 5% of its income from those sources. 6 According to research by Chadwick into what makes a strong sports player brand, Ronaldo already has some of the key personal qualities to become like Beckham. Hes good looking, glamorous and has a good physique and the people we surveyed said that was important, he said. You have to play with clubs that are associated with success and our research shows the success has to continue over a long period of time. That is one of the reasons Tiger Woods is such a strong brand. People also said they liked Woodss intelligence and the way he speaks. Beckham has a problem with that which is one of the reasons why he earns much less than Woods. This is a challenge for Ronaldo too. Off-field lifestyle is important: who you are married to and where you live. This is where Beckham has done well and Ronaldo has work to do. Man or woman, he needs to find a regular partner and ideally someone who is famous too. Finally you have to be seen as good team player. In his later career, Beckham has had a fantastic reputation as a team player and I think Ronaldo has a problem in this area because he is seen too much as an individual. Ronaldo is more likely to be popular in Hispanic markets because he is Portuguese, and that might help him become popular in the US too, although it is the hardest market for football to sell itself, said Jon Holmes, a football agent. Whatever happens to Ronaldos bank balance during his time at Madrid he will find it difficult to match Tiger Woods, who is top of the sporting rich list earning 64m just from advertising last year.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 11/0/09
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Can Cristinao Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


From 175 to 80m in 14 years - now the new king of soccer can establish the Ronaldo brand Robert Booth, 11 June, 2009 1 When Cristiano Ronaldo was just 10 years old and playing for the tiny Andorinha football club on his home island of Madeira another club offered 175 for him. Andorinha said no, believing that his skills and speed were worth far more money than that. And they were right. Ronaldo is now the worlds most expensive footballer. Real Madrid are going to pay Manchester United 80m for the 24-year-old Portuguese player and his salary could add 60m to the bill. 2 For the marketing executives at Madrid and for Ronaldo and his agent, the world-record deal is not just about football; sports experts believe that the transfer could make Ronaldo a serious rival to David Beckham as the worlds most famous player. Ronaldo will almost certainly become the worlds most valuable football brand, which will also make him one of the richest men in sport. 3 At Manchester United Ronaldo earned 7m a year in salary and 12m from advertising, not far behind Beckhams earnings last year of 3.4m from football and 26m off the pitch. Ronaldo has already appeared in adverts for Coca Cola and the video game FIFA Street 2 amongst others. His deal with Nike is worth around 9m. Now he is joining a Real Madrid team which will probably allow him to earn even more money. 4 Florentino Perez, the Real Madrid president, was already thinking this way before yesterdays announcement. When Beckham came, we increased our earnings from sponsorship from 7m a year to 45m a year, Perez said. If Cristiano Ronaldo comes, even though he is currently with Nike, he then puts on an Adidas shirt every week. There are certain players who are very profitable because they have a spectacular commercial effect that can earn the club money. 5 Ronaldo is not as likeable as Beckham, and this may affect his global brand. How much he earns
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NEWS LESSONS / Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham? / Elementary

Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Cristiano Ronaldo will 2. Cristiano Ronaldo was 3. Last year Ronaldo 4. A lot of people say that Ronaldo is 5. Ronaldo has 6. Ronaldo will probably be

a. ... a good physique. b. ... earned 7 million in salary and 12 million from advertising. c. born on the Portuguese island of Madeira. d. popular in Hispanic markets. e. probably become one of the richest men in sport. f. not as likeable as David Beckham.

4 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to form phrases from the text. 1. football 2. world 3. 4. 5. 6. global good personal bank a. record b. looking c. balance d. qualities e. club f. brand

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Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 1 Elementary
5 Superlatives
Complete the table (for example, poor poorest).

adjective 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. rich valuable popular expensive famous hard

superlative

6 Spelling
Use vowels to complete these words from the text. Check your answers in the text. 1. _ x _ c _ t _ v _ 2. sp _ ct _ c _ l _ r 3. sp _ ns _ rsh _ p 4. c _ mm _ rc _ _ l 5. _ dv _ rt _ s _ ng 6. P _ rt _ g _ _ s _

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham? / Elementary

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Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. likeable 2. agent 3. lifestyle 4. brand 5. profitable 6. sponsorship 7. rival 8. physique 9. deal 10. earnings

Elementary

4 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e a f b d c

5 Superlatives
adjective 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. rich valuable popular expensive famous hard superlative richest most valuable most popular most expensive most famous hardest

2 Find the information


1. 10 2. Madeira 3. 7 million 4. Nike 5. less than 6. Tiger Woods

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e c b f a d

6 Spelling
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. executive spectacular sponsorship commercial advertising Portuguese

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham? / Elementary

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Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. transfer fee eloquence rival likeable physique sponsor earnings endorsement deal crucial

1. A ____________ is a business that pays money to support a sports team. 2. ____________ is the ability to express what you mean using clear and effective language. 3. A ____________ is a person, team or business that competes with another. 4. A ____________ is the amount of money that one professional football team pays to another for one of their players. 5. An ____________ is when a famous person says in an advertisement that they like a particular product. 6. A persons ____________ is the shape of their body. 7. If something is ____________, it is extremely important. 8. A ____________ is a formal agreement in business. 9. A persons ____________ are the amount of money they get by working. 10. If someone is ____________, they are pleasant and friendly and easy to like.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How old is Cristiano Ronaldo?

2. Where is he from? 3. 4. 5. 6. How much did he earn at Manchester United? How much did David Beckham earn last year from product endorsements? What percentage of Real Madrids income comes from overseas markets? How much did US golfer Tiger Woods earn from endorsements last year?

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Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 2 Intermediate
have a spectacular commercial effect that can earn the club money. 5 Ronaldo is not as likeable as Beckham, and this may affect his global brand. Fans have criticized and cursed him over the years. Three years ago, the Daily Mail headline was, Get lost Ronaldo! when he was accused of encouraging the referee to send off Wayne Rooney in an England v Portugal match at the 2006 World Cup. An agent for a leading England player said, Theres a question about his likeability factor. How much Ronaldo earns for himself and his club depends on how well his image is sold in emerging markets and how well he develops his own public personality, according to Simon Chadwick, a professor of sport business strategy. European football is a saturated market and the crucial areas for Real Madrid are overseas markets like China, Japan, Brazil and Argentina, he said. Real Madrid currently gets less than 5% of its income from those sources. According to research by Chadwick into what makes a strong sports player brand, Ronaldo already has some of the key personal qualities to become like Beckham. Hes good looking, glamorous and has a good physique and the people we surveyed said that was important, he said. You have to play with clubs that are associated with success and our research shows it has to be sustained success. That is one of the reasons Tiger Woods is such a strong brand. People also said they liked Woodss intelligence and eloquence. Beckham had a problem with that which is one of the reasons why he earns much less than Woods. This is a challenge for Ronaldo too. Off-field lifestyle is important: who you are married to and where you live. This is where Beckham has done well and Ronaldo has work to do. Man or woman, he needs to find a regular partner and ideally someone who is famous too. Finally you have to be seen as good team player. In his later career, Beckham has had a fantastic reputation as a team player and I think Ronaldo has a problem in this area because he is seen too much as an individual.
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Can Cristinao Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


From 175 to 80m in 14 years - now the new king of soccer can establish the Ronaldo brand Robert Booth, 11 June, 2009 1 When Cristiano Ronaldo was just 10 years old and playing for the tiny Andorinha football club on his home island of Madeira, the club turned down an offer of 175 for him in the belief his skills and speed were worth far more. And how right they were. Real Madrid have opened negotiations with Manchester United for the 24-year-old Portuguese player and it seems likely he will move to Madrid for a transfer fee of 80m and a salary that could add 60m to the bill. 2 For the marketing executives at Madrid and for Ronaldo and his agent, the world-record deal is far more than a sporting concern; sports marketing executives believe that the transfer could make the 2008 World Player of the Year a serious rival to David Beckham. Ronaldo will almost certainly become the worlds most valuable football brand, a status that will also make him one of the highest earners in sport. 3 At Manchester United Ronaldo earned 7m a year in salary and 12m from product endorsements, not far behind Beckhams earnings last year of 3.4m from football and 26m off the pitch. Ronaldo has already starred in adverts for Coca Cola and the video game FIFA Street 2 amongst others. His sponsorship deal with Nike is worth around 9m. Now he is joining a Real Madrid team which will probably allow him an even higher profile and his earnings are set to rise. 4 Florentino Perez, the Real Madrid president, was already thinking along those lines before yesterdays announcement. When Beckham came, we increased our earnings from sponsorship from 7m a year to 45m a year, Perez said. If Cristiano Ronaldo comes, even though he is currently with Nike, he then puts on an Adidas shirt every week. There are certain players who are very profitable because they

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Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 2 Intermediate
9 Ronaldo is more likely to appeal to Hispanic markets because he is Portuguese, and that might help him break into the US, although it remains a difficult place when it comes to accepting football, said Jon Holmes, a football agent. Whatever happens to Ronaldos bank balance during his time at Madrid he will find it difficult to match Tiger Woods, who heads the sporting rich list earning 64m in endorsements alone last year.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 11/06/09

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements True or False according to the text? 1. David Beckham earns more from endorsements than Tiger Woods. 2. Big stars like Beckham and Ronaldo earn more from endorsements than from playing football. 3. Ronaldo is more likeable than David Beckham. 4. Tiger Woods is more eloquent than David Beckham. 5. Ronaldo has a famous partner. 6. The 80 million transfer fee is a world record.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to refuse (para 1) 2. A noun meaning a product that has its own name and is made by a particular company (para 2) 3. An adjective meaning making a lot of money (para 4) 4. A verb meaning to say or think offensive or impolite words about someone (para 5) 5. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to tell a player officially to leave the field because they have done something that is not allowed by the rules (para 5) 6. An adjective meaning completely full (para 6) 7. An adjective meaning attractive, rich and famous (para 7) 8. An adjective meaning continuing at the same level or rate for a long time (para 7)
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Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to form phrases from the text. 1. marketing 2. product 3. sponsorship 4. emerging 5. team 6. bank a. market b. balance c. player d. endorsement e. executive f. deal

6 Word building
Complete the table.

verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. announce endorse believe succeed negotiate earn

noun

7 Discussion
Is anyone worth 80 million? Should the amount of money paid to top sportsmen be limited?

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Can Cristiano Ronaldo earn it like Beckham?


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. sponsor 2. eloquence 3. rival 4. transfer fee 5. endorsement 6. physique 7. crucial 8. deal 9. earnings 10. likeable

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. turn down 2. brand 3. profitable 4. curse 5. send off 6. saturated 7. glamorous 8. sustained

5 Two-word expressions 2 Find the information


1. 24 2. Madeira (Portugal) 3. 7 million a year 4. 26 million 5. less than 5% 6. 64 million 1. e 2. d 3. f 4. a 5. c 6. b

6 Word building 3 Comprehension check


1. F 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. F 6. T 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. verb announce endorse believe succeed negotiate earn noun announcement endorsement belief success negotiation earnings

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Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

Which of the following are illegal in your country? Smoking in cars in which children are passengers Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving Eating and drinking while driving Not wearing a seatbelt in the back seat of a vehicle Riding a motorbike while not wearing a helmet

Key words

Write the keywords from the article next to the definitions. The paragraph numbers have been given to help you. measures exposing offence paediatrics prosecuted harm urge intrusive legislation draconian case inflict

1. A verb meaning to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take. ______________________________ (title) 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 9. ______________________________ is the part of medical science that deals with children and the treatment of their illnesses. (para 1) A ______________________________ measure is one that is extremely strict and severe. (para 1) A verb that means to cause something unpleasant to happen. ______________________________ (para 2) A noun for a law, or a set of laws. ______________________________ (para 4) A ______________________________is a set of facts and arguments that you can state for or against something. (para 5) ______________________________ are actions that are intended to achieve or deal with something. (para 5) When someone is ______________________________, a lawyer in court tries to prove that they are guilty of a crime. (para 7) 10. When something is ______________________________ it becomes involved in something in a way that is not welcome. (para 9) 11. When you are ______________________________ someone to something you are failing to protect them from something harmful or dangerous. ______________________________ (para 10) 12. A noun that describes the injury, damage or problems caused by something that you do. ______________________________ (para 10) 8. An ______________________________ is a crime or illegal activity for which there is a punishment. (para 7)

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Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 3 Advanced
we hope that necessary measures are viewed not as the nanny state but as common sense. 6 Deborah Arnott, chief executive of pressure group Action on Smoking and Health, said: Cars are small tin boxes, with not much air in them. Smoking just one cigarette, even with the window open, creates a greater concentration of second-hand smoke than a whole evenings smoking in a pub or a bar. Thats not just bad for children but for adults too, especially those who already have heart or lung diseases. In the UK, there is already a ban on smoking in commercial vehicles. A spokeswoman from the road safety charity Brake said it also supported a ban on smoking in cars. There is no specific offence at the moment that says you can be charged with smoking at the wheel, she said. But you can be prosecuted for not having proper control of your vehicle. Having one hand off the wheel and dropping ash over yourself, or obstructing your view with smoking, means you are not concentrating on your driving. All that can add up to not having proper control of your vehicle, or dangerous driving. She said it might be useful to have a law banning smoking similar to the one regarding hand-held mobile phones. Simon Clark, director of the smokers lobby group Forest, said today: Adults should be careful when young children are in the car, but a ban is far too heavy-handed. Its unnecessarily intrusive. You cant legislate for every aspect of peoples behaviour.

Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


A child health expert warns that one cigarette creates pollution 100 times higher than accepted standard
David Batty June 17, 2009 1 Smoking should be banned in cars carrying children, the head of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said today. Professor Terence Stephenson denied his proposal was draconian, pointing to research that found smoking just one cigarette in a car created pollution that was 100 times higher than accepted US standards. 2 We should make it illegal to smoke in cars when children are in the vehicle, Stephenson said. Why on earth would you light up in your car whilst your children are sitting quite happily in the back? You wouldnt pass the packet round and invite the kids to light up, so why make them breathe tobacco smoke at all? You cant inflict this on your colleagues at work anymore. Why should we treat our childrens health as a lower priority than our employees? 3 Writing for the BBC website, the professor said that protecting children from smoking should not be seen as the nanny state but as common sense. We are naturally risk-averse with our own children and with other peoples this is legitimate nanny territory, he said. Second-hand smoke has been found to be strongly linked to chest infections in children, asthma, ear problems and sudden infant death syndrome, or cot death. We should be making cars totally smoke-free if there are children travelling in them. 4 Bans on smoking in cars carrying children have already been introduced in Canada, with New Brunswick the latest province to introduce legislation, which covers children under 16. A study published by the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit showed that smoking just one cigarette created pollution inside a car that was 100 times greater than accepted US standards. 5 Stephenson acknowledged that the proposal would meet with opposition. But he said: Those of us in the medical profession, who see the results of passive smoking first-hand, need to be ready to lead and make a convincing case. Only then can
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10 A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the government would review its legislation on smoking bans next year, which would include considering whether to extend smoke-free environments. She added: The Department of Health would always strongly recommend that people do not smoke in cars, especially those used to transport children. Exposing children to secondhand tobacco smoke is very dangerous. Around 17,000 children are admitted to hospital every year as a direct result of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke; this figure could be greatly reduced and the harm done to children greatly reduced if people stopped smoking in their cars and in their homes.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 17/06/09

NEWS LESSONS / Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges / Advanced

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Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article. 1. Who is requesting a ban on smoking in cars carrying children? a. The British government b. British nannies c. A British paediatrician 2. Brake is ... a. ... a government agency. b. ... a charity. c. ... a lobby group. 3. Brake says that ... a. ... smoking should be allowed on buses. b. ... passive smoking is ruining childrens health. c. ... people cant concentrate on driving when they smoke. 4. In Britain people are currently allowed to smoke ... a. ... on buses. b. ... in cars. c. ... in public buildings. 5. Breathing in other peoples tobacco smoke ... a. ... has been linked to many serious illnesses and conditions. b. ... is the main reason why children are admitted to hospital. c. ... is acceptable at work. 6. A ban on smoking in cars is currently supported by ... a. ... the Department of Health. b. ... Brake. c. ... Forest.

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Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 3 Advanced
4 Language multi-word phrases
Look at the text and find the following multi-word phrases.
1. A two-word phrase which means to ignite a cigarette. ___________________________________ (para 2) 2. A two-word phrase which describes a government that tries to protect its people and control their lives in a way that stops them being independent. ___________________________________ (para 3) 3. A two-word phrase that means the ability to use good judgment and make sensible decisions. ___________________________________ (para 3) 4. A two-word phrase which describes being opposed to taking risks, or only willing to take small risks. ___________________________________ (para 3) 5. A three-word phrase for smoke from other peoples cigarettes. ___________________________________(para 3) 6. A more common two-word term for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. ___________________________________ (para 3) 7. A two-word phrase for the action of having to breathe in other peoples tobacco smoke. ___________________________________ (para 5) 8. A two-word phrase that means in a direct way from someone who is involved in something. ___________________________________ (para 5) 9. A two-word phrase which describes an organized group of people who try to persuade people and influence political decisions about a particular issue. ___________________________________ (para 6) 10. A two-word phrase for types of vehicles that are used for carrying goods or passengers. ___________________________________ (para 7) 11. A three-word phrase that means you are officially accused of committing a crime. ___________________________________ (para 7) 12. Another two-word phrase that means an organization that seeks to influence political decisions. ___________________________________ (para 9) 13. A two-word phrase that means using too much force, or not considering peoples feelings enough when dealing with a situation. ___________________________________ (para 9)

5 Discussion
The article tells us that a senior paediatrician has called for a smoking ban in cars, for the sake of childrens health. Do you think this is a good move for public health or an unwarranted invasion of private space? After you have discussed this question, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/poll/2009/jun/17/smoking-transport and read some of the comments readers have left online. (Warning: they are not always 100% serious!)

6 Webquest
What advice would you give to someone who wants to give up smoking? Make notes of your own ideas and then search online for treatments, therapies and other help. The following websites may be helpful: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/smoking-treatments http://smokefree.nhs.uk/ http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/Stopping_smoking.html http://www.stop-smoking-updates.com/quitsmoking/magazine/edition/Giving-Up-Smoking.htm
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... and many many more.


Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges / Advanced

Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 3 Advanced KEY
1 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. urge paediatrics draconian inflict legislation case measures offence prosecuted intrusive exposing harm

4 Language: Multi-word phrases


1. light up 2. nanny state 3. common sense 4. risk-averse 5 second-hand smoke 6. cot death 7. passive smoking 8. first-hand 9. pressure group 10. commercial vehicles 11. be charged with 12. lobby group 13. heavy-handed

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c b c b a b

Teachers notes
A poll on guardian.co.uk connected to this article asked: Should smoking in cars be banned to protect childrens health? The results were as follows: Yes: 47.8%. There is a public interest involved No: 52.2%. Its an invasion of privacy Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/ poll/2009/jun/17/smoking-transport

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges / Advanced

Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 1 Elementary
ban: verb [transitive] [often passive] to say officially that someone is not allowed to do something urge: verb [transitive] to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take

Warmer

Which of the following are banned in your country? Smoking in cars in which children are passengers Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving Eating and drinking while driving

Key words

Match the key words from the article with their meanings. The paragraph number will help you. common sense second-hand smoke pollution recommend prosecute environment reduce expose employees smoke-free heavy-handed review harm

1. _______________________ the place in which people live and work (and the natural world) (sub-title) 2. _______________________ the process of making the air, water or land dirty, usually with chemicals or other substances (para 1) 3. _______________________ people who work for a company (para 2) 4. _______________________ People who have this can make sensible decisions. (para 3) 5. _______________________ other peoples tobacco smoke (para 3) 6. _______________________ This describes a place where no one is allowed to smoke. (para 3) 7. _______________________ to try to prove in court that someone is guilty of a crime (para 6) 8. _______________________ a two-word phrase that describes using too much force or not thinking about other peoples feelings (para 8) 9. _______________________ to (re)examine all the information about a situation or subject (para 9) 10. _______________________ to advise someone that they should or should not do something (para 10) 11. _______________________ to put someone in danger because you do not protect them from something dangerous or harmful (para 10) 12. _______________________ to make something smaller or less in size, amount, importance, etc. (para 10) 13. _______________________ the hurt, damage or problems caused by something that you do (para 10)
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoking in cars / Elementary
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Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 1 Elementary
6 In the UK, there is already a ban on smoking in passenger and goods vehicles. A spokeswoman from the road safety group Brake said it also supported a ban on smoking in cars. At the moment you cannot be prosecuted for smoking at the wheel, she said. But you can be prosecuted for not having proper control of your vehicle. 7 Having one hand off the wheel and dropping cigarette ash over yourself means you are not concentrating on your driving. That can mean not having proper control of your vehicle, or dangerous driving. She said it might be useful to have a law banning smoking similar to the one that bans people using hand-held mobile phones while driving. 8 Simon Clark, director of the smokers group Forest, said today: Adults should be careful when young children are in the car, but a ban is far too heavyhanded. 9 A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the government would review the laws on smoking bans next year, and would decide whether to make more smoke-free environments. 10 She added: The Department of Health would always strongly recommend that people do not smoke in cars, especially those used to transport children. Exposing children to second-hand tobacco smoke is very dangerous. Around 17,000 children stay in hospital every year as a direct result of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke; this number could be greatly reduced and the harm done to children greatly reduced if people stopped smoking in their cars and in their homes.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 04/06/09

Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


A child health expert warns that one cigarette smoked in a car creates a worse environment than an evening smoking in a pub David Batty, Wednesday 17 June 2009 1 Smoking should be banned in cars carrying children, a child health expert said today. Professor Terence Stephenson said that a study has found that smoking just one cigarette in a car created pollution that was 100 times higher than accepted US standards. 2 We should make it illegal to smoke in cars when children are in the vehicle, Stephenson said. Why on earth would you smoke in your car whilst your children are sitting quite happily in the back? You cant smoke at work anymore. Why should our childrens health be less important than that of employees? 3 Writing for the BBC website, the professor said that keeping children away from smoking should be common sense. Second-hand smoke has been found to be strongly linked to chest infections in children, asthma, ear problems and sudden infant death syndrome. We should be making cars totally smoke-free if there are children travelling in them, he said. 4 Bans on smoking in cars carrying children have already been introduced in Canada. A study published by the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit showed that smoking just one cigarette created pollution inside a car that was 100 times greater than what is acceptable in the US. 5 Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said: Cars are small tin boxes, with not much air in them. Smoking just one cigarette, even with the window open, creates more second-hand smoke than a whole evenings smoking in a pub or a bar. Thats not just bad for children but for adults too, especially those who already have heart or lung diseases.

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Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. A top childrens doctor wants to ban ... 2. One cigarette in a car creates more ... 3. In Britain people are not ... 4. In Britain it is illegal to use a 5. In Britain most work 6. Brake is a road 7. Forest is a 8. Brake says that people cant concentrate properly on driving 9. The Department of Health will review the 10. Around 17,000 children have to go to hospital every year because of

a. laws on smoking bans next year. b. places are smoke-free. c. pro-smoking group. d. smoking in cars carrying children. e. hand-held mobile phone while you are driving. f. allowed to smoke on a bus.

g. second-hand smoke than a whole evenings smoking in a pub or a bar. h. breathing in second-hand tobacco smoke. i. j. when they smoke. safety group.

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Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 1 Elementary
4 Language: Word wheels
Which words go together with smoke and smoking? Look at the article and write all the word pairs you can find onto the wheels. Can you think of any other words? Add them to the wheels, too.

passive

smoke
-free

smoking

5 Discussion: Should smoking in cars be banned?


Tick the sentence you agree with most and discuss your answers in class. Smoking in cars should be banned. Smoking in cars in which children are travelling should be banned. People should be allowed to smoke in their own cars when they want to.

6 Webquest: Laughter recordings


Your friend wants to give up smoking. What advice can you give her? Make notes of your own ideas and then look at websites for other help. These websites might help: http://smokefree.nhs.uk/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/smoking-treatments http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/Stopping_smoking.html http://www.stop-smoking-updates.com/quitsmoking/magazine/edition/Giving-Up-Smoking.htm

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoking in cars / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 1 KEY
2 Key words
1. environment 2. pollution 3. employees 4. common sense 5. second-hand smoke 6. smoke-free 7. prosecute 8. heavy-handed 9. review 10. recommend 11. expose 12. reduce 13. harm

Elementary

5 Language: Word wheels


Suggestions: smoke: second-hand, -free, tobacco, cigarette smoking: passive, no, ban, pro-, anti-, give up

6 Teachers notes
A poll on guardian.co.uk connected to this article asked: Should smoking in cars be banned to protect childrens health? The results were as follows: Yes: 47.8%. There is a public interest involved

3 Comprehension check
1. d 2. g 3. f 4. e 5. b 6. j 7. c 8. i 9. a 10. h

No: 52.2%. Its an invasion of privacy Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/ poll/2009/jun/17/smoking-transport

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Smoking in cars / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 2 Intermediate
ban: verb [transitive] [often passive] to say officially that someone is not allowed to do something

Warmer

Which of the following are banned in your country? Smoking in cars in which children are passengers Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving Eating and drinking while driving

Key words: Verbs and nouns

Match the keywords from the article with to the definitions. The paragraph numbers have been given to help you. Verbs inflict obstruct acknowledge prosecute expose charge urge

1. ____________________ to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take (title) 2. ____________________ to cause something unpleasant to happen (para 2) 3. ____________________ to accept or admit that something exists, is true or is real (para 5) 4. ____________________ to officially accuse someone of committing a crime (para 7) 5. ____________________ to try to prove in court that someone is guilty of a crime (para 7) 6. ____________________ to prevent you from seeing something by being between you and the object that you want to see (para 8) 7. ____________________ to fail to protect someone or something from something harmful or dangerous (para 10) Nouns proposal charity case harm legislation

8. A law or a set of laws ____________________ (para 4) 9. A plan or suggestion, especially a formal one that a group has to consider ____________________ (para 5) 10. A ____________________ is a set of facts and arguments that you can state for or against something. (para 5) 11. A ____________________ is an organization to which you give money to help people who are poor or ill, or who need advice and support. (para 7) 12. The injury, damage or problems caused by something that you do ____________________ (para 10)
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges / Intermediate

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Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 2 Intermediate
6 Deborah Arnott, chief executive of pressure group Action on Smoking and Health, said: Cars are small tin boxes, with not much air in them. Smoking just one cigarette, even with the window open, creates a greater concentration of second-hand smoke than a whole evenings smoking in a pub or a bar. Thats not just bad for children but for adults too, especially those who already have heart or lung diseases. In the UK, there is already a ban on smoking in passenger and goods vehicles. A spokeswoman from the road safety charity Brake said it also supported a ban on smoking in cars. At the moment you cannot be charged with smoking at the wheel, she said. But you can be prosecuted for not having proper control of your vehicle. Having one hand off the wheel and dropping ash over yourself, or obstructing your view with smoking, means you are not concentrating on your driving. All that can add up to not having proper control of your vehicle, or dangerous driving. She said it might be useful to have a law banning smoking similar to the one regarding hand-held mobile phones. Simon Clark, director of the smokers group Forest, said today: Adults should be careful when young children are in the car, but a ban is far too heavyhanded. You cant legislate for every aspect of peoples behaviour. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the government would review its legislation on smoking bans next year, which would include considering whether to extend smoke-free environments. She added: The Department of Health would always strongly recommend that people do not smoke in cars, especially those used to transport children. Exposing children to second-hand tobacco smoke is very dangerous. Around 17,000 children are admitted to hospital every year as a direct result of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke; this figure could be greatly reduced and the harm done to children greatly reduced if people stopped smoking in their cars and in their homes.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 17/06/09
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


A child health expert warns that one cigarette smoked in a car creates a worse environment than an evening smoking in a pub
David Batty June 17, 2009 1 Smoking should be banned in cars carrying children, the head of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said today. Professor Terence Stephenson said that a study has found that smoking just one cigarette in a car created pollution that was 100 times higher than accepted US standards. 2 We should make it illegal to smoke in cars when children are in the vehicle, Stephenson said. Why on earth would you smoke in your car whilst your children are sitting quite happily in the back? You cant inflict this on your colleagues at work anymore. Why should we treat our childrens health as a lower priority than our employees? 3 Writing for the BBC website, the professor said that protecting children from smoking should not be seen as the nanny state but as common sense. Second-hand smoke has been found to be strongly linked to chest infections in children, asthma, ear problems and sudden infant death syndrome. We should be making cars totally smoke-free if there are children travelling in them, he said. 4 Bans on smoking in cars carrying children have already been introduced in Canada, with New Brunswick the latest province to introduce legislation, which covers children under 16. A study published by the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit showed that smoking just one cigarette created pollution inside a car that was 100 times greater than accepted US standards. 5 Stephenson acknowledged that the proposal would meet with opposition. But he said: Those of us in the medical profession, who see the results of passive smoking, need to be ready to lead and make a convincing case.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

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NEWS LESSONS / Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges / Intermediate

Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true or false according to the information in the article? Correct any sentences that are false. 1. The British government is requesting a ban on smoking in cars carry children. T/F 2. Professor Terence Stephenson is a doctor who specialises in childrens health. T/F 3. Brake is a road safety charity. T/F 4. Forest is an anti-smoking group. T/F 5. Brake says that people cant concentrate properly on driving when they smoke. T/F 6. Debbie Arnot says that there is a greater concentration of smoke in a bar than in a car. T/F 7. Simon Clark thinks a ban would be a good idea. T/F 8. In Britain people are currently allowed to smoke in buses. T/F

4 Language: Two-word phrases


Match the phrases with the descriptions then write a sentence of your own for each phrase. 1. This describes a government that tries to protect its people and control their lives in a way that stops them being independent. _______________________________ (para 3) 2. A phrase that means the ability to use good judgment and make sensible decisions. _______________________________ (para 3) 3. A phrase used to describe a place where no one is allowed to smoke. _______________________________ (para 3) 4. This describes the action of breathing in other peoples tobacco smoke. _______________________________ (para 5) 5. A phrase which describes an organized group of people who try to persuade people and influence political decisions about a particular issue. _______________________________ (para 6) 6. A phrase that describes using too much force, or not considering peoples feelings enough when dealing with a situation. _______________________________ (para 9)

common sense

heavy-handed smoke-free pressure group passive smoking

nanny state

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Discussion
Do you think smoking in cars should be banned to protect childrens health? After you have discussed this question, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/poll/2009/jun/17/smoking-transport and read some of the comments. (Warning: they are not always 100% serious!)

6 Webquest
What advice would you give to someone who wants to give up smoking? Make notes of your own ideas and then search online for treatments, therapies and other help. The following websites may be helpful: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/smoking-treatments http://smokefree.nhs.uk/ http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/Stopping_smoking.html http://www.stop-smoking-updates.com/quitsmoking/magazine/edition/Giving-Up-Smoking.htm ... and many many more.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges


Level 2 Intermediate KEY
1 Key words: Verbs and nouns
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. urge inflict acknowledge charge prosecute obstruct expose legislation proposal case charity harm

4. Language: Two-word phrases


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. nanny state common sense smoke-free passive smoking pressure group heavy-handed

Teachers notes
A poll on guardian.co.uk connected to this article asked:

3 Comprehension check
1. F 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. T 6. F 7. F 8. F

Should smoking in cars be banned to protect childrens health? The results were as follows: Yes: 47.8%. There is a public interest involved No: 52.2%. Its an invasion of privacy Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/ poll/2009/jun/17/smoking-transport

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Ban smoking in cars carrying children, expert urges / Intermediate

Money well lent


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

1. Write down the names of as many banks as you can in two minutes. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Which of these are private or local, which are national banks, and which are international banks? ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Do any of the banks have distinguishing features? For example, they only offer online banking. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. loan shark creditworthy default loan

borrowers

recession in debt

poverty

1. A _____________________ is a period when trade and industry are not successful and there is a lot of unemployment. (subtitle) 2. When you live in _____________________ you do not have enough money to pay for your basic needs. (subtitle) 3. _____________________ are people who receive money from a bank and promise to give it back later. (para 2) 4. A _____________________ is an amount of money that a person, business, or country borrows, especially from a bank. (para 3) 5. When you _____________________, you fail to pay back money that you owe. (para 3) 6. When someone is _____________________, they owe a lot of money. (para 4) 7. A _____________________ is someone who lends money to people and charges them a very high rate of interest. (para 4) 8. When you are _____________________, you are likely to pay back money that you borrow. (para 4)
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Advanced
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Level 3 Advanced
reward tackle charity collateral deduct

equitable

preventive healthcare

welfare

9. _____________________ is the word for property that you agree to give to a bank if you fail to pay back money that you have borrowed. (para 5) 10. When something is _____________________ it is fair and reasonable because everyone is treated in the same way. (para 5) 11. _____________________ is money given to people who do not have work or who are in need. In Britain this is often called benefit. (para 8) 12. When you _____________________ someone you give them something, for example praise, success, or money, because they have done something good. (para 10) 13. To _____________________ means to take an amount or number from a total. (para 10) 14. A _____________________ is an organization to which you give money so that it can give money and help to people who are poor or ill, or who need advice and support. (para 12) 15. When you _____________________ a problem you make an organized and determined attempt to deal with it. (para 12) 16. _____________________ means identifying and minimizing risk factors for disease, and screening for early symptoms of disease. (para 13)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Advanced

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Money well lent


Level 3 Advanced
collateral, are paying every penny of it and changing lives, he told a packed audience last week in London. His lecture, entitled A Framework for a Better Future, outlined how the recession provides opportunities not just for banks, but for businesses and governments to create a more equitable world. 6 The biggest difficulty when setting up Grameen America last year, he explained, was finding a mainstream bank that would open a savings account for its borrowers. Under Grameen rules, borrowers are required to save a small weekly amount, but in the US, Grameen is a programme, not a bank. It took time to persuade the Citibank to open accounts for customers who wanted to deposit only $2 a week. These are the lessons that we need to now bring together to ask ourselves what kind of financial system we should be creating when we move out of this crisis, Yunus said. After the lecture, I ask him how the Grameen model will work in inner-city Glasgow, where three generations of unemployment is not uncommon in some families. He admits it will be difficult to get people off welfare and make them more self-reliant. He is openly critical of welfare systems. Today, the welfare recipient doesnt have an incentive to move out of welfare, he says. If you earn a dollar it is deducted from your welfare cheque.

Money well lent


As a bank created for poor women in Bangladesh prepares to open in Britain, Alison Benjamin talks to its Nobel Peace Prize-winning founder Muhammad Yunus about how the recession can help people out of poverty Alison Benjamin 3 June, 2009 1 There is a banker who is still respected across the world. The institution he founded more than 20 years ago is untouched by the current financial crisis, and his opinion is more sought after than ever before. 2 Muhammad Yunus is to economic development what Nelson Mandela is to world peace his Grameen Bank has helped millions of Bangladeshis out of rural poverty by lending them small amounts of money, or microfinance, to set up their own businesses. It has 8 million borrowers, 97% of whom are women, and since 1982 has issued more than $6bn (3.65bn), with the average loan just $220, and repayments of near 100%. Its model has now been introduced worldwide, from China and Zimbabwe to New York, and there are plans to open the first British Grameen Bank in Glasgow, Scotland. 3 Yunus attributes its success to trust-based banking. Money is lent to women who he says use money more effectively than men for the wellbeing of their children in groups of five. If one defaults, they all suffer, so they support each other to pay it back. 4 In 1976, when he approached conventional banks asking them to lend money to villagers deep in debt to loan sharks, the young economics student was told it couldnt be done because the poor are not creditworthy. He has proved them wrong, as has the collapse of the global banking system. 5 2009 is a good year to ask again: Who is creditworthy? Is it the large banks with large clients? They cannot obtain their money back ... whereas the poor taking tiny loans, without
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Advanced

10 Yunus believes a better system would reward people for finding work by matching every dollar earned, rather than deducting it. In the US, Grameen has negotiated a welfare holiday that allows borrowers to claim welfare for three years while they build up their small business. 11 He is currently involved in a series of social businesses, in partnership with multinational companies, that are designed to improve the health of poor Bangladeshis. Grameen Danone provides malnourished children with a cheap, nutritional yoghurt; Grameen Veolia, set up with a French water company, created a small water treatment plant to provide clean drinking
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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Level 3
12 13

Advanced
14 A shortage of doctors at Grameens 51 village health clinics has led it to adopt this approach. It is training female graduates, many from the villages, who have put themselves through high school or nursing college with a Grameen scholarship or loan, to run their own health management centres or become self-employed health providers visiting homes with portable diagnostic equipment and mobile phones. 15 It is no surprise then that, at 68, Yunus has no plans to retire. Its still real fun, he says. Social business, no matter what you say or do, must be a matter of joy. Thats the fantastic thing about it. You cant beat this, even by making tons of money.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 03/06/09

water in a country where, Yunus says, millions of people drink poison every day; and BASF Grameen will result in the German chemical company providing treated mosquito nets to protect against malaria. Yunus is convinced that social business, rather than charity, is the way to tackle social problems. Your money will be recycled again and again. The charity dollar has only one life; you give and it never comes back. Nowhere is this more important,he believes, than in healthcare. He points to Grameens proposed doctorless healthcare programme as providing lessons for other countries, including the UK. Health problems are everywhere, and the costs are jumping as populations age or expand, he says. One way to cut costs is to focus on preventive healthcare, early detection, and to cut out the doctor until absolutely necessary.

Muhammad Yunus Age: 68 Family: Married, two daughters Home: Dhaka

Curriculum Vitae

Education: Collegiate school, Chittagong; Dhaka University, MA in economics; Vanderbilt University, US, PhD, economics Career: 1983-present: managing director, Grameen Bank; April 1996-June 1996: adviser in caretaker government of Bangladesh; 1976-83: project director, Grameen Bank Project; 1975-89: professor of economics, Chittagong University, and director, rural economics programme; 1972-75: associate professor of economics and head of economics department, Chittagong University; 1972: deputy chief, general economics division, planning commission, Bangladesh government; 1969-72: assistant economics professor, MTSU Tennessee, US; 1962-65: economics lecturer, Chittagong college. Awards: Close on 100 awards, including the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Money well lent


Level 1 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article. 1. Grameen Bank started in ... a. South Africa. b. Bangladesh. c. the USA. 2. Grameen prefers to lend to ... a. companies. b. people who are unemployed. c. small groups of women. 3. Grameen Bank is a ... a. social business. b. charity. c. cooperative. 4. The main difference between a charity and a social business is ... a. social businesses try to help people to help themselves and take financial responsibility for their lives. b. charities expect the money to be paid back. c. social businesses are always cooperatives. 5. Where in Britain is Grameen planning to open a bank? a. In a Welsh mining town. b. In the north of England. c. In a large city in Scotland. 6. Grameens proposed doctorless healthcare programme aims to a. encourage people to go to the doctor more often. b. train other healthcare professionals to ease doctors workloads. c. build more hospitals.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Advanced

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Money well lent


Level 3 Advanced
4 Language: Rephrasing
Rearrange these sentences from the article to put the words into the correct order. Then explain the meaning of each sentence in your own words. 1. what Nelson Mandela / is to economic development / is to world peace / Muhammad Yunus ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. than ever before / is more / sought after / his opinion ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. banking / based / trust ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. they all suffer, / to pay it back / so they support / if one defaults, / each other ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. creditworthy / are not / the poor ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. of unemployment / three generations / in some families / is not uncommon ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. of welfare / doesnt have / the welfare recipient / an incentive / to move out ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. one life / has only / the charity dollar ___________________________________________________________________________________________

5 Discussion
Where in your country do you think it would be helpful or necessary to set up a Grameen Bank and / or a system of microfinancing? If not in your country, then where else in the world?

6 Webquest
Research further information on one of the following topics and present your findings to the class. Grameen Bank Grameen Phone Grameen Education Grameen Shakti Microfinance microcredit
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Advanced

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Money well lent


Level 3 KEY
2 Key words
1. recession 2. poverty 3. borrowers 4. loan 5. default 6. in debt 7. loan shark 8. creditworthy 9. collateral 10. equitable 11. welfare 12. reward 13. deduct 14. charity 15. tackle 16. preventive healthcare

Advanced

4 Language: Rephrasing
1. Muhammad Yunus is to economic development what Nelson Mandela is to world peace. 2. His opinion is more sought after than ever before. 3. trust-based banking 4. If one defaults, they all suffer, so they support each other to pay it back. 5. The poor are not creditworthy. 6. Three generations of unemployment is not uncommon in some families. 7. The welfare recipient doesnt have an incentive to move out of welfare. 8. The charity dollar has only one life.

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. b c a a c b

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O T

Money well lent


Level 1
1

Elementary

Warmer

1. Write down the names of as many banks as you can in two minutes. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Which of these are private or local, which are national banks, and which are international banks? ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. conventional creditworthy poverty borrowers collateral

founder

trust-based

1. A _________________________ is someone who starts a school, organization, business or company. (subtitle) 2. When you live in _________________________ you do not have enough money to pay for your basic needs. (para 1) 3. _________________________ are people who receive money from a bank and promise to give it back later. (para 1) 4. A _________________________ system is one that is run on the belief that people are honest, fair and reliable. (para 2) 5. A _________________________ bank is one that is usual or traditional; not new and different. (para 3) 6. Banks think that someone who is _________________________ is likely to pay back the money that they borrow. (para 3) 7. _________________________ is the word for property or other things that belong to you that you agree to give to a bank if you cannot pay back money that you have borrowed. (para 4)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Elementary

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Money well lent


Level 1 Elementary
malnourished opportunities charity welfare recession

deposit incentive

8. A _________________________ is a time when companies and businesses are not successful and there is a lot of unemployment. (para 4) 9. _________________________ are chances to do something. (para 4) 10. When you _________________________ money you pay it into a bank account. (para 5) 11. _________________________ is money given to people who do not have work or who need money to live on. In Britain this is often called benefit. (para 6) 12. An _________________________ is something that makes you want to do something or to work harder, because you know that you will benefit by doing this. (para 7) 13. Someone who is _________________________ is weak or ill because they do not have enough to eat. (para 8) 14. A _________________________ is an organization to which you give money so that it can give money and help to people who are poor or ill, or who need advice and support. (para 9)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Money well lent


Level 1 Elementary
account for its borrowers. Under Grameen rules, borrowers must put a small amount of money into a bank account every week; but in the US, Grameen is a programme, not a bank. In the end the Citibank agreed to open accounts for customers who wanted to deposit only $2 a week. 6 After the lecture, I ask him how the Grameen model will work in inner-city Glasgow, where all the adults in some families are unemployed. He says it will be difficult to get people off welfare and unemployment benefits. He is openly critical of welfare systems. Today, people who get money from the government do not have an incentive to look for work, he says. If you earn a dollar it is taken off your welfare cheque. Yunus is currently involved in a series of social businesses to improve the health of poor Bangladeshis. He is doing this in partnership with large multinational companies. For example, Grameen Danone provides malnourished children with a cheap, healthy yoghurt; Grameen Veolia, set up with a French water company, provides clean drinking water in a country where, Yunus says, millions of people drink poison every day; and BASF Grameen will result in the German chemical company providing treated mosquito nets to protect against malaria. Yunus is convinced that social business, rather than charity, is the way to deal with social problems. Your money will be recycled again and again. The charity dollar has only one life; you give and it never comes back.

Money well lent


A bank created for poor women in Bangladesh plans to open in Britain. Alison Benjamin talks to its Nobel peace prize-winning founder Muhammad Yunus. Alison Benjamin 3 June, 2009 1 Muhammad Yunuss Grameen Bank has helped millions of Bangladeshis out of rural poverty by lending them small amounts of money, or microfinance, to set up their own businesses. It has 8 million borrowers, 97% of whom are women, the size of an average loan is just $220, and nearly 100% of borrowers repay the money to the bank. There are Grameen banks and programmes worldwide, from China and Zimbabwe to New York, and now there are plans to open the first British Grameen Bank in Glasgow, Scotland. 2 Yunus says its success is due to trust-based banking. Money is lent to groups of five women who he says use money better than men for the wellbeing of their children. They support and help each other to pay it back. 3 In 1976, when he asked conventional banks to lend money to villagers, he was told it couldnt be done because the poor are not creditworthy. He has proved them wrong. 4 2009 is a good year to ask again: Who is creditworthy? Is it the large banks with large clients? They cannot get their money back ... but the poor, taking tiny loans, without collateral, are paying back every penny and changing lives, he said at a lecture last week in London. His lecture, entitled A Framework for a Better Future, explained how the recession provides opportunities not just for banks, but for businesses and governments to create a fairer world. 5 The biggest difficulty when setting up Grameen America last year, he explained, was finding a mainstream bank that would open a savings 9

10 It is no surprise then that, at 68, Yunus has no plans to retire. Its still real fun, he says. Social business, no matter what you say or do, must be a matter of joy. Thats the fantastic thing about it. You cant beat this, even by making tons of money.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 03/06/09
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Elementary

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Money well lent


Level 1
Muhammad Yunus Age: 68 Family: Married, two daughters Home: Dhaka Education: Collegiate school, Chittagong; Dhaka University, MA in economics; Vanderbilt University, US, PhD, economics Career: 1983-present: managing director, Grameen Bank; April 1996-June 1996: adviser in caretaker government of Bangladesh; 1976-83: project director, Grameen Bank Project; 1975-89: professor of economics, Chittagong University, and director, rural economics programme; 1972-75: associate professor of economics and head of economics department, Chittagong University; 1972: deputy chief, general economics division, planning commission, Bangladesh government; 1969-72: assistant economics professor, MTSU Tennessee, US; 1962-65: economics lecturer, Chittagong college. Awards: Nearly 100 awards, including the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize

Elementary
Curriculum Vitae

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Grameen Bank started 2. Its founder, Muhammad Yunus, has 3. It runs banking programmes for 4. Grameen prefers to lend money to 5. The borrowers do not need collateral to 6. Nearly 100% of the Grameen borrowers pay back 7. Grameen Bank is a social business, 8. Social businesses try to help people to help 9. Grameen is planning to open 10. Grameen also has social business partnerships with ... a. poor people all over the world. b. small groups of women. c. major companies around the world. d. a bank in a large city in Scotland. e. get a loan. f. themselves.

g. the money they borrow. h. in Bangladesh. i. j. won a Nobel Peace Prize. not a charity

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Elementary

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Money well lent


Level 1 Elementary
4 Language: Financial words
1. How many words can you find in the article that are connected with money and banking? Write them onto the word wheel.
lend

money and banking

2. Now write example sentences for five of the words. Example: I dont like to lend money to my friends. ................................................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................................................

5 Discussion
Are there many poor people in your country? Where in the world would you like to set up a new Grameen bank?

6 Webquest
Look online for further information on one of the following topics and present your findings to the class. Grameen Bank Grameen Phone Grameen Education Grameen Shakti social business microcredit Bangladesh Glasgow

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Money well lent


Level 1 KEY
2 Key words
1. founder 2. poverty 3. borrowers 4. trust-based 5. conventional 6. creditworthy 7. collateral 8. recession 9. opportunities 10. deposit 11. welfare 12. incentive 13. malnourished 14. charity

Elementary

4 Language: Financial words


some possible answers: lend, loan, creditworthy, collateral, borrow, borrower, save, pay back, deposit, bank account

3 Comprehension check
1. Grameen Bank started in Bangladesh. 2. Its founder, Muhammad Yunus, has won a Nobel Peace Prize. 3. It runs banking programmes for poor people all over the world. 4. Grameen prefers to lend money to small groups of women. 5. The borrowers do not need collateral to get a loan. 6. Nearly 100% of the Grameen borrowers pay back the money they borrow. 7. Grameen Bank is a social business not a charity. 8. Social businesses try to help people to help them selves. 9. Grameen is planning to open a bank in a large city in Scotland. 10. Grameen also has social business partnerships with major companies around the world.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Elementary

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Money well lent


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

1. Write down the names of as many banks as you can in two minutes. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Which of these are private or local, which are national banks, and which are international banks? ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.

collapse

creditworthy loan poverty

borrowers welfare

collateral

1. When you live in _________________________ you do not have enough money to pay for your basic needs. (para 1) 2. _________________________ are people who receive money from a bank and promise to give it back later. (para 1) 3. a _________________________ is an amount of money that a person borrows, especially from a bank. (para 1) 4. Banks think that someone who is _________________________ is likely to pay back the money that they borrow. (para 3) 5. A _________________________ is a sudden fall in the value or level of something. (para 3) 6. _________________________ is the word for property that you agree to give to a bank if you fail to pay back money that you have borrowed. (para 4) 7. _________________________ is money given to people who do not have work or who need money to live on. In Britain this is often called benefit. (para 7)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Intermediate

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Money well lent


Level 2

Intermediate

nutritional malnourished charity incentive deducting self-reliant

reward

8. Someone who is _________________________ is able to do things for themselves and not depend on other people. (para 7) 9. An _________________________ is something that makes you want to do something or to work harder, because you know that you will benefit by doing this. (para 8) 10. When you _________________________ someone you give them something, for example praise, success, or money, because they have done something good. (para 9) 11. _________________________ means taking an amount or number from a total. (para 9) 12. Someone who is _________________________ is weak or ill because they do not have enough to eat. (para 10) 13. Food that is _________________________ contains enough calories, vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy. (para 10) 14. A _________________________ is an organization to which you give money so that it can give money and help to people who are poor or ill or who need advice and support. (para 11)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Intermediate

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Money well lent


Level 2 Intermediate
mainstream bank that would open a savings account for its borrowers. Under Grameen rules, borrowers must save a small weekly amount, but in the US, Grameen is a programme, not a bank. In the end the Citibank agreed to open accounts for customers who wanted to deposit only $2 a week. 6 These are the lessons that we need to now bring together to ask ourselves what kind of financial system we should be creating when we move out of the crisis, Yunus said. After the lecture, I ask him how the Grameen model will work in inner-city Glasgow, where in some families three generations are unemployed. He admits it will be difficult to get people off welfare and make them more self-reliant. He is openly critical of welfare systems. Today, people who receive welfare do not have an incentive to move out of welfare, he says. If you earn a dollar it is taken off your welfare cheque. Yunus believes a better system would reward people for finding work by matching every dollar earned, rather than deducting it. In the US, Grameen has negotiated a welfare holiday that allows borrowers to claim welfare for three years while they build up their small business.

Money well lent


As a bank created for poor women in Bangladesh prepares to open in Britain. Alison Benjamin talks to its Nobel Peace Prize-winning founder Muhammad Yunus. Alison Benjamin 3 June, 2009 1 Muhammad Yunus is to economic development what Nelson Mandela is to world peace his Grameen Bank has helped millions of Bangladeshis out of rural poverty by lending them small amounts of money, or microfinance, to set up their own businesses. It has 8 million borrowers, 97% of whom are women, the average loan just $220, and repayments of near 100%. Its model has now been introduced worldwide, from China and Zimbabwe to New York, and now there are plans to open the first British Grameen Bank in Glasgow, Scotland. 2 Yunus says its success is due to trust-based banking. Money is lent to women who he says use money more effectively than men for the wellbeing of their children in groups of five. They support and help each other to pay it back. 3 In 1976, when he asked conventional banks to lend money to villagers, the young economics student was told it couldnt be done because the poor are not creditworthy. He has proved them wrong, as has the collapse of the global banking system. 4 2009 is a good year to ask again: Who is creditworthy? Is it the large banks with large clients? They cannot get their money back ... whereas the poor taking tiny loans, without collateral, are paying every penny of it and changing lives, he told a packed audience last week in London. His lecture, entitled A Framework for a Better Future, explained how the recession provides opportunities not just for banks, but for businesses and governments to create a fairer world. 5 The biggest difficulty when setting up Grameen America last year, he explained, was finding a
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Intermediate

10 He is currently involved in a series of social businesses that are designed to improve the health of poor Bangladeshis. He is doing this in partnership with multinational companies. For example, Grameen Danone provides malnourished children with a cheap, nutritional yoghurt; Grameen Veolia, set up with a French water company, created a small water treatment plant to provide clean drinking water in a country where, Yunus says, millions of people drink poison every day; and BASF Grameen will result in the German chemical company providing treated mosquito nets to protect against malaria. 11 Yunus is convinced that social business, rather than charity, is the way to deal with social
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Money well lent


Level 2 Intermediate
fantastic thing about it. You cant beat this, even by making tons of money.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 03/06/09

problems. Your money will be recycled again and again. The charity dollar has only one life; you give and it never comes back. 12 It is no surprise then that, at 68, Yunus has no plans to retire. Its still real fun, he says. Social business, no matter what you say or do, must be a matter of joy. Thats the

Muhammad Yunus Age: 68 Family: Married, two daughters Home: Dhaka

Curriculum Vitae

Education: Collegiate school, Chittagong; Dhaka University, MA in economics; Vanderbilt University, US, PhD, economics Career: 1983-present: managing director, Grameen Bank; April 1996-June 1996: adviser in caretaker government of Bangladesh; 1976-83: project director, Grameen Bank Project; 1975-89: professor of economics, Chittagong University, and director, rural economics programme; 1972-75: associate professor of economics and head of economics department, Chittagong University; 1972: deputy chief, general economics division, planning commission, Bangladesh government; 1969-72: assistant economics professor, MTSU Tennessee, US; 1962-65: economics lecturer, Chittagong college. Awards: Close on 100 awards, including the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.

3 Comprehension check
Are the sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the information in the article? Rewrite any incorrect sentences. 1. Grameen Bank started in South Africa. 2. It runs banking programmes for poor people all over the world. 3. Grameen prefers to lend money to small groups of women. 4. The borrowers need collateral to get a loan. 5. Only half of the Grameen borrowers pay back the loan. 6. Grameen Bank is not a social business, it is a charity. 7. Social businesses try to help people to help themselves and take financial responsibility for their lives. 8. Grameen is planning to open a bank in a large city in Scotland. 9. Grameen has business partnerships with major companies around the world to help improve the quality of life for the poor. 10. Muhammad Yunus thinks that the financial recession provides us with an opportunity to create a fairer world.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Intermediate
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Money well lent


Level 2 Intermediate
4 Language: Paraphrasing
Find where the phrase and the sentence appear in the article and then complete the sentences below to explain in your own words what they mean. Trust-based banking means / is / describes ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ The sentence Muhammad Yunus is to economic development what Nelson Mandela is to world peace means / is another way of saying / describes ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________

5 Discussion
Is there much poverty in your country? Where in your country do you think it would be helpful or necessary to set up a Grameen Bank and / or a system of microfinancing? If not in your country, then where else in the world?

6 Webquest
Research further information on one of the following topics, or any other that is mentioned in the article, and present your findings to the class. Grameen Bank Grameen Phone Grameen Education Grameen Shakti social business microcredit

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Money well lent


Level 2 KEY
2 Key words 3
1. F 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. F 6. F 7. T 8. T 9. T 10. T

Intermediate

Comprehension check

1. poverty 2. borrowers 3. loan 4. creditworthy 5. collapse 6. collateral 7. welfare 8. self-reliant 9. incentive 10. reward 11. deducting 12. malnourished 13. nutritional 14. charity

Comprehension check

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NEWS LESSONS / Money well lent / Intermediate

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

O T

New male beauty


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. bland grizzled interchangeable indistinguishable floppy rugged uncanny empathetic puffy simpering

1. If a man has a _____________________ face, it has strong features and is attractive. 2. If a person is described as _____________________, they are trying to be friendly and pleasant in a way that appears silly and not sincere. 3. If you are _____________________, you are able to understand how someone feels because you can imagine what it is like to be them. 4. _____________________ hair is soft and hangs down in a loose or heavy way. 5. If someone is _____________________ they are not interesting, exciting or original and are therefore boring. 6. If two things or two people are _____________________, you can use one instead of the other and the effect will be the same. 7. A _____________________ person has grey hair and looks old. 8. If something is _____________________, it is strange and mysterious. 9. A _____________________ face is one that is slightly swollen. 10. If two things are _____________________, you cannot see any difference between them.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Who wrote the book The Boy? 2. Which two actors starred in the movie Twilight? 3. In which decade was the film Footloose originally made? 4. Who starred in the teen movie High School Musical? 5. Which five actors are mentioned as examples of traditional male good looks?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty/ Advanced

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New male beauty


Level 3 Advanced
Aleksander. Compared to the new male beauty, even Justin Timberlake and Adrian Grenier seem distinctive and grizzled. Its a face that used to only be found in teen magazines. Now it dominates the box office. 5 Heroines used to be the interchangeable ones. With characters largely defined by their hair colour sizzling blonde or serious brunette a womans screen presence was intended a background against which leading men could define themselves and shine. But now, todays up-and-coming male stars are so similar that film industry bosses are able to replace one with another with barely a pause for thought. It is unthinkable that a director could replace, say, George Clooney with Clive Owen or Leonardo DiCaprio without substantial rewrites to suit the defining characteristics of his new leading man. But when Zac Efron recently made a last-minute decision to pull out of the remake of the 1980s hit, Footloose, Paramount replaced him with another wide-eyed, soft-faced beauty: Crawford. And continued shooting the film. The lure of the new male beauty is spreading beyond Hollywood. It is increasingly being seen on the catwalk, where a few years ago it was the size-zero boys, with their undernourished, sexually ambivalent figures who were in demand. Now, however, the physiques of the models have become rounded; their angular edges softened and their thin faces feminized. Steven Pearlman, a plastic surgeon, said his patients have started asking for Efrons features as their ideal, instead of the more manly look they have favoured in the past. Individuality, he said, has been overrun by the quest for perfect proportion. Fifteen years ago men absolutely wanted to maintain that rugged look, which meant stronger features. Now they want a softer look, he said. Even just a couple of years ago, we were talking about Orlando Bloom, Justin Timberlake and Leonardo DiCaprio. Now its Zac. Our culture is leaning towards a more empathetic man who can understand a
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Farewell to the rugged look as new male beauties sweep all before them
Amelia Hill 28 June, 2009 1 Something strange is happening to our leading men they are fading, blurring and losing their edge. Visit the cinema or turn on the television and youll see an endless string of interchangeable heroes whose unique selling point is that they dont have one. It seems that the days are largely gone when young actors were hired for their individual charms and charisma think Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson. A trend that started a few years ago has become so widespread that we are now presented with heroes whose looks are so bland they are defined by each film they make, instead of the other way round. 2 Far from insisting on acting ability or screen presence, directors and producers are demanding that their leading men are so indistinguishable that they end up blending together in audiences minds: Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner battle for Kristen Stewarts heart in Twilight, but their floppy hair and long-lashed eyes are so similar that it is no surprise that the fictional Bella has trouble making her choice. Blair faces the same problem in Gossip Girl when she is asked to choose between the babyfaced Ed Westwick and Chace Crawford. 3 All four boy-men have an uncanny similarity to Ian Somerhalder from Lost, who himself looks like Ashton Kutcher, Chris Pine from Star Trek, James Marsden from Hairspray and Mr Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds. The New York Observer is so convinced of the phenomenon it has called the new male beauty that it has identified a formula describing the precise science of the identikit look. 4 Those wide-set eyes, the narrow nose that flares up at the tip just so, the childish puffy cheeks and the soft jaw lines, the carefully placed strands of layered hair, wrote Irina
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty / Advanced

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New male beauty


Level 3 Advanced
11 Lynda Boothroyd, a psychologist at Durham University, agreed. When women are looking for the perfect man, she found, they usually choose pretty boys such as Leonardo DiCaprio and singer Enrique Iglesias rather than rougher men. Women may want muscle in the short term, but long term they prefer men with more feminine features, associating this with fidelity, warmth and better parenting. But Andrea Oliveri, of Details magazine, disagreed. For her, it is Hollywood that is creating these New Male Beauties, not the other way around. High School Musical was successful not because Zac Efron was in it: Zac became famous as a result of the huge phenomenon that it is, she said. This, say the experts, is where the lasting impact of New Male Beauty will be felt. If film studios can persuade audiences to accept an army of interchangeable drones in the place of specific stars with their sky-high salaries and outrageous demands then they are the overall winners.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Observer, 28/06/09

womans feelings, and that comes out in new facial features. 9 10 Historically, male sex appeal used to be Marlon Brando, the pronounced features of Sean Penn and the expressive eyes of Nicholson and Clooney. So why has it happened? In her 2003 book, The Boy, Germaine Greer lamented the increase in the number of simpering 30-year-olds with shaved chests who attempt to imitate the short-lived beauty of [real] boys. Why, instead of seeking out manly men, are girls preferring the big eyes and rounded features more usually associated with babies? It could be that female audiences are reacting to an era in which traditional masculinity has left a sinking economy, the possibility of environmental catastrophe and violent conflicts in the Middle East and beyond. Research by psychologists at St Andrews University found that women use a mans face to judge how he will behave in a relationship. Women find delicate features more trustworthy and caring, said Professor David Perret.

12

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty / Advanced

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New male beauty


Level 3 Advanced
3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text 1. How do the male film stars of today differ from the traditional male film stars? a. They are more trustworthy and caring. b. They dont demand sky-high salaries. c. They have bland, more feminine faces. 3. What advantage have actors like Efron and Crawford brought to film directors? a. b. They provide a background against which women actors can shine. They can easily replace one with another.

c. They define each film they make.

2. Why, according to psychologists, do women prefer men with delicate features to more rugged men? a. Because they associate delicate features with fidelity and better parenting. b. Because they like films like High School Musical. c. Because they like floppy hair and long-lashed eyes.

4. What has happened in the fashion industry? a . Size-zero boys with undernourished figures are in demand. b. Male models now have more rounded physiques and feminized faces.

c. Designers are looking for a rugged look.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A verb meaning to become difficult to see clearly, often because the edges are not clear. (para 1) 2. A three-word expression meaning the thing that makes a product or service special or different from others. (para 1) 3. An adjective meaning very hot or very exciting, especially because sex is involved. (para 5) 4. A three-word expression meaning likely to become successful or popular soon. (para 5) 5. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to stop being involved in an activity. (para 6) 6. A noun meaning the raised area at a fashion show that the models walk along. (para 7) 7. An adjective meaning very obvious or noticeable. (para 9) 8. A noun meaning someone who does boring work for very little money. (para 12)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

New male beauty


Level 3 Advanced
5 Two-word phrases
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. sex 2. leading 3. puffy 4. floppy 5. screen 6. last-minute 7. plastic 8. environmental a. decision b. hair c. catastrophe d. surgeon e. cheeks f. appeal g. presence h. man

6 Adjectives
Which of these adjectives apply to A (the traditional actors) and which to B (the new-wave actors)? delicate distinctive manly soft rugged strong grizzled expressive long-lashed bland baby-faced feminine

A traditional actors

B new-wave actors

7 Discussion
Which look do you prefer in a male actor the new look or the more traditional look? Why?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009


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NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty / Advanced

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

New male beauty


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. rugged 2. simpering 3. empathetic 4. floppy 5. bland 6. interchangeable 7. grizzled 8. uncanny 9. puffy 10. indistinguishable

Advanced

5 Two-word phrases
1. f 2. h 3. e 4. b 5. g 6. a 7. d 8. c

6 Adjectives
A traditional actors manly rugged grizzled distinctive strong B new-wave actors delicate long-lashed baby-faced soft bland feminine

2 Find the information


1. Germaine Greer 2. Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner 3. the 1980s 4. Zav Efron 5. Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, George Clooney and Sean Penn

3 Comprehension check
1. c 2. a 3. b 4. b

expressive

4 Find the word


1. blur 2. unique selling point 3. sizzling 4. up-and-coming 5. pull out 6. catwalk 7. pronounced 8. drone

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty / Advanced

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New male beauty


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. rugged brunette charisma physique bland delicate floppy strand puffy underfed

1. A ____________________ is a woman with brown hair. 2. A ____________________ is a single, long piece of hair. 3. If a man has a ____________________ face, it has strong features and is attractive. 4. If a person is ____________________, they do not eat enough food and are very thin. 5. A persons ____________________ is the shape of their body. 6. A ____________________ face is one that is thin and attractive. 7. If someone is ____________________, they are not interesting, exciting or original and are therefore boring. 8. ____________________ is a strong personal quality that makes other people like you and be attracted to you. 9. A ____________________ face is one that is slightly swollen. 10. ____________________ hair is soft and hangs down in a loose or heavy way.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Which two actors starred in the movie Twilight? 2. Which two actors starred in the movie Gossip Girl? 3. In which decade was the film Footloose originally made? 4. Who stars in Footloose instead of Zac Efron? 5. Who starred in the teen movie High School Musical?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty/ Elementary

CA

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

New male beauty


Level 1 Elementary
5 It is hard to imagine that a film director could replace George Clooney with Leonardo DiCaprio without rewriting the script of the film. But when Zac Efron recently made a last-minute decision to pull out of the filming of the remake of the 1980s movie Footloose, Paramount simply replaced him with another wide-eyed, soft-faced beauty, Chace Crawford, and continued shooting the film. You will not only find the new male beauty in the movies. You can also see it in the fashion industry. A few years ago male models were size zero and had underfed, sexually ambivalent bodies. Now, however, the physiques of the models are more rounded and their thin faces are more feminine. Steven Pearlman, a plastic surgeon, said his patients want to look like Zac Efron, instead of the more manly look they wanted in the past. Fifteen years ago men wanted to have a rugged look, which meant stronger features. Now they want a softer look, he said. Even just a couple of years ago, we were talking about Orlando Bloom, Justin Timberlake and Leonardo DiCaprio. Now its Zac. Historically, male sex appeal used to be Marlon Brando, Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson and George Clooney. So why has it happened? Why, instead of looking for manly men, do girls now prefer the big eyes and rounded features we usually associate with babies? Research by psychologists at St Andrews University found that women use a mans face to tell how he will behave in a relationship. Women think that men with delicate features are more caring and believe that they can trust them, said one of the researchers. Lynda Boothroyd, a psychologist, agreed. When women are looking for the perfect man, they usually choose pretty boys like Leonardo DiCaprio rather than rougher men. Women may want strong men in the short term, but long term they prefer men with more feminine features, because they think these men will be warmer and faithful and will make better fathers.
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Farewell to the rugged look as new male beauties sweep all before them
Amelia Hill 28 June, 2009 1 Something strange is happening to male movie actors they are all beginning to look the same. If you visit the cinema or turn on the television, youll see an endless stream of heroes who have no unique selling point. It seems that the days are over when young actors were hired for their individual charms and charisma think of Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson. A trend that started a few years ago has become so common that we now have heroes whose looks are so bland they no longer define the films they make. Now the films define them. 2 Directors and producers no longer look for acting ability or screen presence but want their leading men to be so similar that audiences cannot tell them apart: Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner fight for Kristen Stewarts heart in Twilight, but their floppy hair and long eyelashes are so similar that it is no surprise that Stewarts character Bella has trouble making her choice. Blair has the same problem in Gossip Girl when she is asked to choose between the baby-faced Ed Westwick and Chace Crawford. 3 The New York Observer has called this look the new male beauty and it has identified a formula to describe it. Wide-set eyes, a narrow nose, childish puffy cheeks and carefully placed strands of hair, wrote Irina Aleksander. Compared to the new male beauty, even Justin Timberlake seems distinctive and rugged. Its a face that you could find in teen magazines. Now it is everywhere in the movies. 4 It used to be the female actors who looked the same. Their characters were defined by their hair colour - sexy blonde or serious brunette. But now, todays new male stars are so similar that film industry bosses can replace one with another almost without thinking.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty / Elementary

CA

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New male beauty


Level 1
10

Elementary
of the film studios. If they can persuade audiences to accept an army of bland actors in the place of the big stars with their sky- high salaries then the film studios will be the winners.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Observer, 28/06/09

But Andrea Oliveri, of Details magazine, disagreed. For her, it is Hollywood that is creating these New Male Beauties, not the other way around. High School Musical was successful not because Zac Efron was in it: Zac became famous because the movie was a huge success, she said. But the main result of New Male Beauty may be in the profits

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. More and more male movie actors 2. Most of them have 3. Plastic surgery patients ... 4. Many women believe that 5. Zac Efron became famous 6. Fifteen years ago most men a. all want to look like Zac Efron. b. wanted a more rugged look. c. floppy hair and long eyelashes. d. as a result of the movie High School Musical. e. men with delicate features are more caring. f. are beginning to look the same.

4 Adjectives to describe features


Match the adjectives in the left-hand column with the features they describe in the right-hand column. 1. floppy a. nose b. face c. eyes d. hair e. hair f. cheeks

2. wide 3. narrow 4. puffy 5. soft 6. blonde

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New male beauty


Level 1 Elementary
5 Prepositions
Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. compared _______ 2. replace one person _______ another 3. _______ the past 4. associate _______ 5. _______ the short term 6. someone _______ long, floppy hair

6 Words and definitions


Match the words and phrases with their definitions. 1. unique selling point 2. plastic surgeon 3. sexually ambivalent 4. the other way round 5. an endless stream 6. last-minute a. one after the other all the time b. the exact opposite c. at the latest possible moment d. the thing that makes a product or service special e. someone who performs cosmetic surgery f. not clear if its a man or a woman

7 Discussion
Who is your favourite actor/actress and why?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

New male beauty


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. brunette 2. strand 3. rugged 4. underfed 5. physique 6. delicate 7. bland 8. charisma 9. puffy 10. floppy

Elementary

4 Adjectives to describe features


1. d/e 2. c 3. a 4. f 5. b 6. d/e

5 Prepositions
1. to 2. with 3. in 4. with 5. in 6. with

2 Find the information


1. Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner 2. Ed Westwick and Chace Crawford 3. the 1980s 4. Chace Crawford 5. Zac Efron

6 Words and definitions


1. d 2. e 3. f 4. b 5. a 6. c

3 Comprehension check
1. f 2. c 3. a 4. e 5. d 6. b

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009


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NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty / Elementary

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

New male beauty


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. charisma lament bland rugged interchangeable simpering floppy fidelity puffy trustworthy

1. If someone is ____________________, they are not interesting, exciting or original and are therefore boring. 2. If you ____________________ something, you state publicly that you are disappointed about it. 3. If a person is described as ____________________, they are trying to be friendly and pleasant in a way that appears silly and not sincere. 4. ____________________ is the state of remaining faithful to your partner and not having sex with anyone else. 5. A ____________________ person is honest, safe and reliable. 6. ____________________ is a strong personal quality that makes other people like you and be attracted to you. 7. A ____________________ face is one that is slightly swollen. 8. If two things or two people are ____________________ you can use one instead of the other and the effect will be the same. 9. ____________________ hair is soft and hangs down in a loose or heavy way. 10. If a man has a ____________________ face, it has strong features and is attractive.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Which two actors starred in the movie Twilight? 2. Which two actors starred in the movie Gossip Girl? 3. In which decade was the film Footloose originally made? 4. Who wrote the book The Boy? 5. Who starred in the teen movie High School Musical?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty/ Intermediate

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New male beauty


Level 2 Intermediate
todays up-and-coming male stars are so similar that film industry bosses can replace one with another almost without thinking. 5 It is hard to imagine that a director could replace George Clooney with Clive Owen or Leonardo DiCaprio without rewriting the script to suit the characteristics of his new leading man. But when Zac Efron recently made a last-minute decision to pull out of the filming of the remake of the 1980s movie Footloose, Paramount simply replaced him with another wide-eyed, soft-faced beauty: Crawford. And continued shooting the film. The new male beauty is not just to be found in the movies. It is increasingly being seen in the fashion industry. A few years ago it was the size-zero boys, with their underfed, sexually ambivalent bodies who were in demand. Now, however, the physiques of the models have become rounded and their thin faces have become feminized. Steven Pearlman, a plastic surgeon, said his patients have started saying that Efrons features are their ideal look, instead of the more manly look they wanted in the past. Fifteen years ago men wanted the rugged look, which meant stronger features. Now they want a softer look, he said. Even just a couple of years ago, we were talking about Orlando Bloom, Justin Timberlake and Leonardo DiCaprio. Now its Zac. Historically, male sex appeal used to be Marlon Brando, Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson and George Clooney. So why has it happened? In her 2003 book, The Boy, Germaine Greer lamented the increase in the number of simpering 30-yearolds with shaved chests who attempt to imitate the beauty of [real] boys. Why, instead of looking for manly men, are girls preferring the big eyes and rounded features more usually associated with babies? Research by psychologists at St Andrews University found that women use a mans face to judge how he will behave in a relationship.

Farewell to the rugged look as new male beauties sweep all before them
Amelia Hill 28 June, 2009 1 Something strange is happening to our leading men they are beginning to look the same. Visit the cinema or turn on the television and youll see an endless stream of interchangeable heroes whose unique selling point is that they dont have one. It seems that the days are over when young actors were hired for their individual charms and charisma think of Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson. A trend that started a few years ago has become so common that we are now presented with heroes whose looks are so bland they are defined by each film they make, instead of the other way round. 2 Directors and producers no longer look for acting ability or screen presence but demand that their leading men are so similar that audiences cannot tell them apart: Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner battle for Kristen Stewarts heart in Twilight, but their floppy hair and long eyelashes are so similar that it is no surprise that the fictional Bella has trouble making her choice. Blair has the same problem in Gossip Girl when she is asked to choose between the baby-faced Ed Westwick and Chace Crawford. 3 The New York Observer has called this phenomenon the new male beauty and it has identified a formula to describe it. The wide-set eyes, the narrow nose that spreads slightly at the tip, the childish puffy cheeks and the soft jaw lines, the carefully placed strands of hair, wrote Irina Aleksander. Compared to the new male beauty, even Justin Timberlake seems distinctive and rugged. Its a face that used to only be found in teen magazines. Now it is everywhere in the movies. 4 Heroines used to be ones who looked the same. With characters largely defined by their hair colour sexy blonde or serious brunette a womans screen presence was a background against which leading men could shine. But now,

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty / Intermediate

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New male beauty


Level 2 Intermediate
other way around. High School Musical was successful not because Zac Efron was in it: Zac became famous as a result of the huge phenomenon that the movie is, she said. This may be where the lasting impact of New Male Beauty will be felt. If film studios can persuade audiences to accept an army of bland actors in the place of the big stars with their sky-high salaries then the film studios will be the winners. Women find delicate features more trustworthy and caring, said the professor who led the research. Lynda Boothroyd, a psychologist at Durham University, agreed. When women are looking for the perfect man, she found, they usually choose pretty boys such as Leonardo DiCaprio rather than rougher men. Women may want muscle in the short term, but long term they prefer men with more feminine features, because they associate this with fidelity, warmth and better parenting. 10 But Andrea Oliveri, of Details magazine, disagreed. For her, it is Hollywood that is creating these New Male Beauties, not the

Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Observer, 28/06/09

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Young actors all look like Marlon Brando or Jack Nicholson. 2. Many young actors have wide eyes and soft faces. 3. When Zac Efron pulled out of Footloose, the script had to be rewritten. 4. Psychologists believe that women find men with delicate features more trustworthy. 5. Zac Efron was the reason that the movie High School Musical was a success. 6. The increasing use of bland actors will probably be welcomed by the film studios.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A three-word expression meaning the thing that makes a product or service special or different from others. (para 1) 2. A noun meaning a single, thin piece of something, e.g. hair. (para 3) 3. An adjective meaning easy to recognize because of being different. (para 3) 4. A three-word expression meaning likely to become successful or popular soon. (para 4) 5. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to stop being involved in an activity. (para 5) 6. A two-word expression meaning not sure if it is male or female. (para 6) 7. A verb meaning to copy. (para 8) 8. A two-word adjective meaning very high. (para 10)
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New male beauty


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Two-word phrases
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. sky 2. baby 3. puffy 4. floppy a. decision b. hair c. appeal d. surgeon e. cheeks f. eyed g. faced h. high

5. wide 6. last-minute 7. plastic 8. sex

6 Word building
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. Women seem to associate feminine features in men with __________________ and fidelity. [WARM] 2. They want to judge how the man will behave in a __________________. [RELATE] 3. Some directors no longer look for acting __________________. [ABLE] 4. The new male beauty is __________________ being seen in the fashion industry. [INCREASE] 5. In the past, plastic surgery patients wanted a more __________________ look. [MAN] 6. High School Musical was a very __________________ movie. [SUCCEED]

7 Discussion
What is more important in an actor the way he looks or the way he acts?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / New male beauty / Intermediate

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New male beauty


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. bland 2. lament 3. simpering 4. fidelity 5. trustworthy 6. charisma 7. puffy 8. interchangeable 9. floppy 10. rugged

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. unique selling point 2. strand 3. distinctive 4. up-and-coming 5. pull out 6. sexually ambivalent 7. imitate 8. sky-high

5 Two-word phrases
1. h 2. g 3. e 4. b 5. f 6. a 7. d 8. c

2 Find the information


1. Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner 2. Ed Westwick and Chace Crawford 3. the 1980s 4. Germaine Greer 5. Zac Efron

3 Comprehension check
1. f 2. t 3. f 4. t 5. f 6. t

6 Word building
1. warmth 2. relationship 3. ability 4. increasingly 5. manly 6. successful

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O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

In three minutes, write down as many words as you can you think of to describe (or connected with) the place in which prisoners are held after they have been convicted of committing a crime. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Key words

Find the key words from the article. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. 1. _______________________ to look at someone or something for a long time, often in a rude or stupid way (subtitle) 2. _______________________ people who are kept in a prison (subtitle) 3. _______________________ money given to someone so that they will help you by doing something dishonest or illegal (para 1) 4. _______________________ a (past tense) verb meaning to refuse to talk to someone or do what they suggest (para 4) 5. _______________________ a (past tense) verb meaning to stay somewhere longer than is necessary (para 4) 6. _______________________ the noun for putting someone in prison (para 6) 7. _______________________ dishonest or illegal behaviour by officials or people in positions of power, especially when they accept money in exchange for doing things for someone (para 8) 8. _______________________ particular qualities in someones (or somethings) character (para 9) 9. _______________________ an adjective meaning without responsibilities, difficulties or problems (para 9) 10. _______________________ a public service such as gas, water or electricity that is used by everyone (para 9) 11. _______________________ the process of sending someone accused of a crime back to the country where the crime was committed for a trial (para 14) 12. _______________________ the things that happen to someone or something, especially unpleasant things (para 15)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction / Advanced

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Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 3 Advanced
book Marching Powder, about the four-year incarceration of a British drug mule, Thomas McFadden, it details how tourists would pay for tours, overnight stays and cocainefuelled parties. 7 After years of turning a blind eye the authorities were forced to act after tourists uploaded a video of a visit on YouTube in February. Local TV picked up on the story and interviewed foreigners emerging from the jail. It turned into a media circus. Embarrassed, the government vowed to change San Pedro. The most alarming thing was the tourists, said Jorge Lopez, head of the prison service. We are now constantly rotating the guards so they do not develop a close relationship with inmates so we can cut off corruption. In addition to expelling tourists the authorities have banned other traits of San Pedro such as inmates renting, buying and selling their own cells, a real estate market which had its own bubbles and slumps. Office workers can no longer pop in for a cheap lunch in restaurants which, unencumbered by taxes and utility bills, undercut outside rivals.

Bolivia calls time on bizarre world of prison frequented by tourists


Tourists, who once came to gawk, shop, dine and even do drugs in jail, are banned, while inmates families face expulsion too Rory Carroll and Andres Schipani in La Paz 8 July, 2009 1 It used to be one of South Americas most talked about tourist attractions. Celebrated as unique in the world, San Pedro in La Paz, Bolivia, was a prison like no other. Foreign tourists would pay bribes to enter, gawk, shop, dine and even do drugs. Many deemed it better value than the Inca citadel Machu Picchu. 2 Not anymore. A sweeping crackdown has barred tourists from the complex, replaced corrupt guards and challenged bizarre practices which had become the stuff of lore. If Bolivias government has its way, San Pedros unique days are over. 3 This was a very original prison, very different from the others, said Juan Gonzalez, 39, a convicted thief, sitting on a bed in his cell. It was like a little village. It wasnt so bad. Now all thats at risk. 4 Out in the main courtyard other inmates huddled in small groups, nervous and resentful. They used to run mini-restaurants and craft stalls but now, with the tourist ban, business had collapsed. On the outside disappointed tourists regretted that they had come too late. Guards in green uniforms had rebuffed them but still they lingered. 5 What a bummer. This was one of Bolivias main attractions, said a British couple, Matt and Linda. Well, at least lets take a picture at the gate. 6 San Pedros fame is set to reach a wider audience with a new film produced by Brad Pitt and starring Don Cheadle. Based on the
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

10 What most upsets inmates is a threat to expel their families. Hundreds of wives and children voluntarily live in the prison with freedom to come and go during the day for want of accommodation and jobs in the impoverished capital. 11 We are very happy here. We have work, we have a home. Outside there is nothing, said Laura Gonzalez, wife of the convicted thief Juan, traipsing back in through the gates. She cooks in a restaurant and her husband, who is serving three years, works as an amateur dentist. They share their cell, cluttered with clothes and DVDs, with two children and a cat, Felix.

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NEWS LESSONS / Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction / Advanced

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 3
12

Advanced
here in 1983 before extradition to France. More recent arrivals include Leopoldo Fernndez, a provincial governor allegedly implicated in the murder of indigenous peasants, and Santos Ramirez, charged with corruption while heading the state energy company. 15 The fate of San Pedros businesses hairdressers, grocery shops, pool halls is uncertain. Nor is it clear what will happen to the football league in which the eight sections each have a team, with players bought and sold on a transfer market. The governor, Jose Cabrera, recently said, The prisoners have to understand that this is a penitentiary.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 08/07/09

Latin American prisons tend to be overcrowded, grim and violent, with riots and beheadings common. San Pedro, which is divided into eight sections ranging from slum-like to plush, is dangerous at night but relatively safe in the day. Having women and children here helps keep the men calm, said one guard. Cocaine, crack and marijuana are openly consumed a recent documentary showed a prisoner snorting a line of cocaine off a copy of the book Marching Powder but the cocaineprocessing laboratories have reportedly closed.

13

14 The arrivals of high-profile prisoners tend to coincide with crackdowns. Klaus Barbie, the Nazi war criminal, spent some months

3 Find the information


Find the answers to these questions in the article. 1. Where is the prison (town, country, continent)? 2. Why was it a tourist attraction? 3. Who is making a film about the prison? 4. What forced the Bolivian authorities into acting? 5. Apart from prisoners, who else lives in the prison? 6. Why would office workers visit the prison? 7. What drugs are available? 8. What tends to happen when high-profile prisoners arrive? 9. Which other Bolivian tourist attraction is mentioned in the article?

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Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 3 Advanced
4 Language: Phrases
Find a phrase that means the following. 1. abruptly stern measures or disciplinary action; increased enforcement covering a wide area and involving many people (two words, para 2) _______________________________ 2. things relating to legends and stories around a particular subject (three words, para 2) _______________________________ 3. someone who smuggles illegal substances for someone else (two words, para 6) _______________________________ 4. deliberately overlook something or look the other way when something happens (four words, para 7) _______________________________ 5. the area of business which involves the buying and selling of housing, property and land (three words, para 9) _______________________________ 6. the ups and downs of 5 (three words, para 9) _______________________________ 7. the main city which has no money and where not only the authorities but also many people are poor (two words, para 10) _______________________________ 8. to return somewhere while walking in a tired way (three words, para 11) ______________________________ 9. apparently involved in something illegal (two words, para 14) _______________________________ 10. poor, simple country people or agricultural workers who were born in that place (two words, para 14) _______________________________

5 Discussion
Make brief notes about your opinions and then discuss the questions. What is your opinion about the following groups of people visiting or staying at the prison? a. tourists b. local office workers c. prisoners families

6 Webquest
Watch the video that caused the prison authorities to act by going to www.youtube.com and typing in San Pedro prison. Then watch another video made by Prison Fellowship International (www.pfi.org): http://www.boliviabella.com/san-pedro-prison-tour.html Do either of these videos change the way you would answer the questions in task 5?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 3 KEY
2 Key words
1. gawk 2. inmates 3. bribes 4. rebuffed 5. lingered 6. incarceration 7. corruption 8. traits 9. unencumbered 10. utility 11. extradition 12. fate

Advanced

4 Language: Phrases
1. sweeping crackdown 2. stuff of lore 3. drug mule 4. turning a blind eye 5. real estate market 6. bubbles and slumps 7. impoverished capital 8. traipse back in 9. allegedly implicated 10. indigenous peasants

3 Find the information


Suggested answers: 1. La Paz, Bolivia, South America 2. Because it was like a village, with restaurants and craft stalls. It was also a place to buy and take drugs. Tourists could go on tours or even stay there. 3. Brad Pitt 4. Tourists uploaded a video of their visit to the prison onto video sharing website, YouTube. 5. prisoners families and pets 6. office workers who went there for cheap lunches 7. cocaine, crack and marijuana 8. Crackdowns tend to coincide with the arrivals of high-profile prisoners. 9. The Inca citadel Machu Picchu

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NEWS LESSONS / Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction / Advanced

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 1
1

Elementary

Warmer

Do these words describe people or buildings? Write them next to the correct diagram. cell guard prison inmate tourist restaurant penitentiary pool hall prisoner dentist

office worker

people

buildings

Key words

Find the key words from the article. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. corrupt crackdown banned cell penitentiary rotating inmates bribes amateur expel run

ignoring

1. ______________________ when someone is officially not allowed to do something or go somewhere (subtitle) 2. ______________________ money given to someone so that they will help you by doing something dishonest or illegal (para 1) 3. ______________________ strong action that someone in authority takes to stop a particular activity (para 2) 4. ______________________ an adjective used to describe people who do dishonest, illegal or immoral things in order to gain money or power (para 2) 5. ______________________ a small room where a prisoner is kept (para 3)

6. ______________________ people who are kept in a prison; another word for prisoners (para 4) 7. 8. 9. ______________________ to control and organize a business (para 4) ______________________ pretending that you have not seen something (para 7) ______________________ changing the order that people work in (para 8)

10. ______________________ to officially force someone to leave a place (para 10) 11. ______________________ this describes someone who does something without qualifications; the opposite of professional (para 11) 12. ______________________ a prison for people who have committed serious crimes (para 13)
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Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 1 Elementary
7 After years of ignoring what was happening the Bolivian government was forced to do something after tourists uploaded a video of their visit to the prison on YouTube in February. Embarrassed, the government promised to change San Pedro. We are now constantly rotating the guards so they do not develop a close relationship with inmates so we can stop corruption, said Jorge Lopez, head of the prison service. In addition to keeping tourists away the authorities have banned other things that were going on in San Pedro, for example, inmates renting, buying and selling their own cells. Also, office workers can no longer go to the prison for a cheap lunch in restaurants that didnt have to pay water, electricity or gas bills or taxes.

Bolivia calls time on bizarre world of prison frequented by tourists


Tourists, who once came to look, shop, eat and even take drugs, are banned Rory Carroll and Andres Schipani in La Paz 8 July, 2009 1 It used to be one of South Americas most talked about tourist attractions. Famous around the world, San Pedro in La Paz, Bolivia, was a prison like no other. Tourists paid bribes to enter, look, shop, eat and even take drugs. Many thought it better value than the Inca citadel Machu Picchu. 2 Not anymore. A Bolivian government crackdown has stopped tourists from entering the prison. The government has replaced corrupt guards and stopped the strange things which had made the prison infamous. Most likely, San Pedros days as a tourist attraction are over. 3 This was a very original prison, very different from the others, said Juan Gonzalez, 39, a prisoner, sitting on a bed in his cell. It was like a little village. It wasnt so bad. 4 Out in the main courtyard other unhappy inmates stood together in small groups. They used to run mini-restaurants and craft stalls but now, with the tourist ban, they have no business. Outside the prison disappointed tourists felt sad that they had come too late. Guards in green uniforms tried to send them away but they still stood and waited. 5 This was one of Bolivias main tourist attractions, said a British couple, Matt and Linda. Well, at least lets take a picture at the gate. 6 San Pedro is going to become more famous with a new film produced by Brad Pitt and starring Don Cheadle. Based on the book Marching Powder, about the four years a British man, Thomas McFadden, spent in the prison, it describes how tourists paid for tours, overnight stays and drugs parties.

10 What most upsets inmates is a threat to expel their families. Hundreds of wives and children voluntarily live in the prison. They have the freedom to come and go during the day. They chose to live in the prison because there are few houses or jobs in La Paz. 11 We are very happy here. We have work, we have a home. Outside there is nothing, said Laura Gonzalez, Juans wife. She cooks in a restaurant and her husband, who is in prison for three years for stealing, works as an amateur dentist. They share their cell with two children and a cat called Felix. 12 Latin American prisons are often violent places. San Pedro prison is dangerous at night but relatively safe in the day. Having women and children here helps keep the men calm, said one guard. 13 It is uncertain what will happen to San Pedros businesses hairdressers, grocery shops, pool halls. The prison governor, Jose Cabrera, recently said, The prisoners have to understand that this is a penitentiary.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 08/07/09

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check: Summarizing
Match the sentence halves to summarize the article. 1. San Pedro prison is in La Paz, 2. It used to be a secret but 3. Prisoners used to run 4. Tourists are unhappy because they 5. Brad Pitt is going to make 6. The Bolivian government decided to 7. Office workers used to eat their lunch 8. The government want to stop 9. Latin American prisons are 10. The women and children make the prison a film about the prison. often violent places. famous tourist attraction. prisoners families and pets from living in the prison. a less dangerous and violent place. the capital city of Bolivia. restaurants and craft stalls in the prison. in a cheap restaurant in the prison. are no longer allowed to visit the prison. ... stop people visiting the prison after tourists put a video on YouTube.

4 Language: Prepositions
Write in the missing prepositions and then check your answers by reading back through the article. around as on in x4 with of at from x2 by

1. famous ______________ the world 2. stopped tourists ______________ entering the prison 3. very different ______________ the others 4. sitting ______________ a bed ______________ his cell 5. stand together ______________ small groups 6. guards ______________ green uniforms

7. take a picture ______________ the gate 8. a new film produced ______________ Brad Pitt 9. head ______________ the prison service 10. Wives and children voluntarily live ______________ the prison.

11. Her husband works ______________ an amateur dentist.

12. They share their cell ______________ two children and a cat.
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction / Elementary

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Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion
Tick the box to show your opinion and then discuss your answers. I think the following people should be allowed to visit the prison regularly: I strongly agree I mostly agree tourists local office workers prisoners families I dont know I mostly disagree I strongly disagree

6 Webquest
1. Find a satellite picture of La Paz and describe what you see. 2. Find other photos of La Paz and its buildings and squares. 3. Find photos of San Pedro prison, La Paz, Bolivia. 4. Watch videos about the prison by going to www.youtube.com and typing in San Pedro prison.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 1 KEY
1 Warmer
buildings: cell; prison; penitentiary; restaurant; pool hall people: inmate; tourist; prisoner; guard; office worker; dentist

Elementary

4 Language: Prepositions
1. famous around the world 2. stopped tourists from entering the prison 3. very different from the others 4. sitting on a bed in his cell 5. stand together in small groups 6. guards in green uniforms 7. take a picture at the gate 8. a new film produced by Brad Pitt 9. head of the prison service 10. Wives and children voluntarily live in the prison. 11. Her husband works as an amateur dentist. 12. They share their cell with two children and a cat.

2 Key words
1. banned 2. bribes 3. crackdown 4. corrupt 5. cell 6. inmates 7. run 8. ignoring 9. rotating 10. expel 11. amateur 12. penitentiary

3 Comprehension check
1. San Pedro Prison is in La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia. 2. It used to be a secret but famous tourist attraction. 3. Prisoners used to run restaurants and craft stalls in the prison. 4. Tourists are unhappy because they are no longer allowed to visit the prison. 5. Brad Pitt is going to make a film about the prison. 6. The Bolivian government decided to stop people visiting the prison after tourists put a video on YouTube. 7. Office workers used to eat their lunch in a cheap restaurant in the prison. 8. The government wants to stop prisoners families and pets from living in the prison. 9. Latin American prisons are often violent places. 10. The women and children make the prison a less dangerous and violent place.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009


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NEWS LESSONS / Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction / Elementary

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

Complete the words wheels with as many words as you can think of that you relate to prisons and prisoners.

prison

prisoner

Key words

Find the key words from the article. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. corrupt crackdown lingered drug mule penitentiary rotating inmates bribes utility expel consumed impoverished

1.

____________________ money given to someone so that they will help you by doing something dishonest or illegal (para 1)

2. ____________________ strong action that someone in authority takes to stop a particular activity (para 2) 3. ____________________ an adjective used to describe people who do dishonest, illegal, or immoral things in order to gain money or power (para 2) 4. ____________________ people who are kept in a prison (para 4) 5. ____________________ a (past tense) verb meaning to stay somewhere longer than is necessary (para 4) 6. ____________________ someone who smuggles illegal substances for someone else (para 6)

7. ____________________ a method of replacing and changing things or people that work in a set order (para 8) 8. ____________________ a public service such as gas, water, or electricity that is used by everyone (para 9) 9. ____________________ to officially force someone to leave a place (para 10) 10. ___________________ an adjective used to describe a person or place that is very poor (para 10) 11. ___________________ another word for taken; also the past tense of eat or drink something (para 12) 12. ___________________ a prison for people who have committed serious crimes (para 13)
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Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 2 Intermediate
drug mule, Thomas McFadden, spent in the prison, it describes how tourists paid for tours, overnight stays and cocaine-fuelled parties. 7 After years of ignoring what was happening the authorities were forced to act after tourists uploaded a video of a visit on YouTube in February. Local TV picked up on the story and interviewed foreigners leaving the jail. Embarrassed, the government vowed to change San Pedro. The most alarming thing was the tourists, said Jorge Lopez, head of the prison service. We are now constantly rotating the guards so they do not develop a close relationship with inmates so we can stop corruption. In addition to keeping tourists away the authorities have banned other things that were going on in San Pedro such as inmates renting, buying and selling their own cells. Office workers can no longer pop in for a cheap lunch in restaurants which could undercut outside rivals as they didnt have to pay taxes or utility bills.

Bolivia calls time on bizarre world of prison frequented by tourists


Tourists, who once came to look, shop, dine and even do drugs in jail, are banned Rory Carroll and Andres Schipani in La Paz 8 July, 2009 1 It used to be one of South Americas most talked about tourist attractions. Famous for being unique in the world, San Pedro in La Paz, Bolivia, was a prison like no other. Foreign tourists would pay bribes to enter, look, shop, dine and even take drugs. Many thought it better value than the Inca citadel Machu Picchu. 2 Not anymore. A Bolivian government crackdown has stopped tourists from entering the prison, replaced corrupt guards and challenged the bizarre practices which had made the prison infamous. Most likely, San Pedros unique days are over. 3 This was a very original prison, very different from the others, said Juan Gonzalez, 39, a convicted thief, sitting on a bed in his cell. It was like a little village. It wasnt so bad. Now all thats at risk. 4 Out in the main courtyard other inmates stood together in small groups, nervous and resentful. They used to run mini-restaurants and craft stalls but now, with the tourist ban, business has collapsed. Outside the prison disappointed tourists regretted that they had come too late. Guards in green uniforms tried to send them away but they still lingered. 5 What a bummer. This was one of Bolivias main attractions, said a British couple, Matt and Linda. Well, at least lets take a picture at the gate. 6 San Pedros fame is set to reach a wider audience with a new film produced by Brad Pitt and starring Don Cheadle. Based on the book Marching Powder, about the four years a British
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

10 What most upsets inmates is a threat to expel their families. Hundreds of wives and children voluntarily live in the prison with freedom to come and go during the day due to a lack of accommodation and jobs in the impoverished capital city. 11 We are very happy here. We have work, we have a home. Outside there is nothing, said Laura Gonzalez, wife of the convicted thief Juan. She cooks in a restaurant and her husband, who is in prison for three years, works as an amateur dentist. They share their cell, cluttered with clothes and DVDs, with two children and a cat, Felix. 12 Latin American prisons tend to be overcrowded, grim and violent. Riots and beheadings are common. San Pedro, which is divided into eight sections, is dangerous at night but relatively safe in the day. Having women and children
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NEWS LESSONS / Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction / Intermediate

Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 2 Intermediate
pool halls. The prison governor, Jose Cabrera, recently said, The prisoners have to understand that this is a penitentiary.
Guardian News & Media 2009

here helps keep the men calm, said one guard. Cocaine, crack and marijuana are still openly consumed but the cocaine-processing laboratories have reportedly closed. 13 It is uncertain what will happen to San Pedros businesses hairdressers, grocery shops,

First published in The Guardian, 08/07/09

3 Comprehension check: True or false?


Are the sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the article? Correct any sentences that are false. 1. The prison is in the capital city of Bolivia. 2. It is a secret but often talked about tourist attraction. 3. Brad Pitt is going to star in a film about the prison. 4. The Bolivian authorities have tried to stop tourists going to the prison by putting a video up on YouTube. 5. Prisoners families and pets are allowed to live with them in the prison. 6. Office workers have opened a restaurant in the prison. 7. La Paz is the richest city in South America. 8. Latin American prisons are often violent places. 9. The presence of women and children make the prison a less violent place. 10. The prison is now free from drugs.

4 Language: Prepositions
Write in the missing prepositions and then check your answers by reading back through the article. In what context are the phrases used, i.e. what do they talk about or describe? 1. South Americas most talked _____________ tourist attractions 2. very different _____________ the others 3. stopped tourists _____________ entering the prison 4. all thats _____________ risk 5. take a picture _____________ the gate 6. a new film produced _____________ Brad Pitt 7. head _____________ the prison service 8. Wives and children voluntarily live _____________ the prison. 9. a lack _____________ accommodation and jobs 10. wife _____________ the convicted thief Juan 11. Her husband works _____________ a dentist. 12. They share their cell _____________ two children and a cat.
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Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Discussion
Tick the box to show your opinion and then discuss your answers. I think the following people should be allowed to visit the prison regularly: I strongly agree I mostly agree tourists local office workers prisoners families I dont know I mostly disagree I strongly disagree

6 Webquest
1. Find a satellite picture of La Paz and describe what you see. 2. Find other photos of La Paz and its buildings and squares. 3. Find photos of San Pedro prison, La Paz, Bolivia. 4. Watch videos about the prison by going to www.youtube.com and typing in San Pedro prison.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction / Intermediate

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Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction


Level 2 KEY
2 Key words
1. bribes 2. crackdown 3. corrupt 4. inmates 5. lingered 6. drug mule 7. rotating 8. utility 9. expel 10. impoverished 11. consumed 12. penitentiary

Intermediate

3 Comprehension check
1. T 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. T 6. F 7. F 8. T 9. T 10. F

4 Language: Prepositions
1. South Americas most talked about tourist attractions 2. very different from the others 3. stopped tourists from entering the prison 4. all thats at risk 5. take a picture at the gate 6. a new film produced by Brad Pitt 7. head of the prison service 8. Wives and children voluntarily live in the prison. 9. a lack of accommodation and jobs 10. wife of the convicted thief Juan 11. Her husband works as a dentist. 12. They share their cell with two children and a cat.
O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

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NEWS LESSONS / Bolivia brings end to bizarre tourist attraction / Intermediate

Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words and phrases from the text.

landmark demographic

ageing carer

unprecendented inducement

glaring pensioner

life expectancy census

1. A _______________________ is someone who has reached the age when they are officially old enough to stop working. 2. A _______________________ is someone who looks after a person who is ill or is unable to look after themselves. 3. A _______________________ is a major event that marks an important stage in a process. 4. _______________________ is the length of time that someone is likely to live. 5. A _______________________ is an occasion on which government officials count the people who live in a country and record other information about them. 6. An _______________________ is something that persuades someone to do something. 7. An _______________________ situation is one that has never happened or existed before. 8. An _______________________ person is one who is becoming old. 9. A _______________________ difference is one that is very obvious. 10. _______________________ means relating to populations.

Find the information

Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. On average, women live ten years longer than men. 2. In terms of the age of the population, Europe has 23 of the worlds 25 oldest countries. 3. The USA has the longest life expectancy in the world. 4. The worlds population will be more than ten billion by 2050. 5. Zimbabwe has the lowest life expectancy in the world. 6. France, Sweden and Italy all have life expectancies of more than 80 years.

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Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 3 Advanced
human organisation, starting with the structure of the family, which will be transformed as people live longer. That will in turn bring new burdens on carers and social services providers, while patterns of work and retirement will similarly have huge implications for health services and pensions systems. 5 People are living longer and, in some parts of the world, healthier lives, the authors conclude. This represents one of the crowning achievements of the last century but also a significant challenge as proportions of older people increase in most countries. Europe is the greyest continent, with 23 of the worlds 25 oldest countries. Such dominance of the regional league table will continue. By 2040, more than one in four Europeans are expected to be at least 65, and one in seven at least 75. The UK comes in at number 19 in the list of the worlds oldest countries. Top of the pile is Japan, which recently replaced Italy as the worlds oldest major country. Its life expectancy at birth 82 years is matched only by Singapore, though in western Europe, France, Sweden and Italy all have life expectancies of more than 80 years. In the UK it is 78.8. The contrast in life expectancy between rich and poor nations remains glaring. The report shows that a person born in a developed country can expect to outlive his or her counterpart in the developing world by 14 years. Zimbabwe holds the unfortunate record for the lowest life expectancy, which has been cut to 40 through a combination of Aids, famine and dictatorship. But an important finding of the report is that the wave of ageing that has until recently been considered a phenomenon of the developed world is fast encroaching on poorer countries too. More than 80% of the increase in older people in the year up to July 2008 was seen in developing countries. By 2040, the poor world is projected to be home to more than one billion people aged 65 and over fully 76% of the world total.
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Population of older people set to surpass number of children, report finds


Ed Pilkington, 20 July, 2009 1 The world is about to cross a demographic landmark of huge social and economic importance, with the proportion of the global population 65 and over set to outnumber children under five for the first time. A new report by the US census bureau highlights a huge shift towards not just an ageing but an old population, with enormous consequences for rich and poor nations alike. The transformation carries with it challenges for families and policymakers, ranging from how to care for older people living alone to how to pay for unprecedented numbers of pensioners more than 1 billion of them by 2040. 2 The report, An Ageing World: 2008, shows that within ten years older people will outnumber children for the first time. It forecasts that over the next 30 years the number of over-65s is expected to almost double, from 506 million in 2008 to 1.3 billion a leap from 7% of the worlds population to 14%. Already, the number of people in the world 65 and over is increasing at an average of 870,000 each month. 3 The rate of growth will shoot up in the next couple of years, with both overall numbers and proportions of older people rising rapidly. The shift is due to a combination of the time-delayed impact of high fertility levels after the Second World War and more recent improvements in health that are bringing down death rates at older ages. Separate UN forecasts predict that the global population will be more than nine billion by 2050. 4 The US census bureau has led the way in sounding the alarm over the changes. This is its ninth report drawing together data from around the globe since it first focused on the trend in 1987. Its latest projections warn governments and international bodies the tipping point will present widespread challenges at every level of

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Population of older people to surpass number of children / Advanced

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Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 3
9

Advanced
have begun to rise in developed countries, partly through inducements from governments to continue working, this still puts an extreme burden on public pensions funds. 11 Socially, too, there are intense pressures on individuals and families. With women living on average seven years longer than men, more older women are living alone. Around half of all women 65 and over in Germany, Denmark and Slovakia are on their own, with all the consequent issues of loneliness and access to care that ensue.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/07/09

Ageing will put pressure on societies at all levels. One way of measuring that is to look at the older dependency ratio, or ODR, which acts as an indicator of the balance between workingage people and the older population that must be supported by them. The ODR is the number of people aged 65 and over for every 100 people aged 20 to 64. It varies widely, from just six in Kenya and seven in Bangladesh, to 33 in Italy and also Japan. The UK has an ODR of 26, and the US has 21.

10 From that ratio, a number of profound challenges flow. Countries with a high ODR are already creaking under the burden of funding prolonged retirement for their older population. Life expectancy after retirement has already reached 21 years for French men and 26 years for French women. Though retirement ages

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Why has the number of old people around the world grown so rapidly in recent years? a. Because people are working longer. b. Because of the high birth-rate after World War II and improved health care. c. Because the birth-rate is currently increasing at an unprecedented rate. 2. What does the ODR show? a. The balance between the number of working people and the old people they have to support. b. The number of old people living with their families. c. The amount of money needed to fund the pensions of future generations. 3. What particular problem do countries with a high ODR have? a. Their retirement ages have begun to rise. b. Their public pension funds are under pressure. c. Older people are getting angry because they have to work longer. 4. What particular problem does the different life expectancy for men and women bring? a. Men have to retire later to earn enough money to pay for their pension. b. A large number of carers are needed to look after old women. c. More and more older women are living alone.
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Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A verb meaning to be more than. (para 1) 2. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to increase rapidly by a large amount. (para 3) 3. A three-word expression meaning to inform people about a danger. (para 4) 4. A two-word expression meaning the point at which the momentum for a change becomes unstoppable. (para 4) 5. A two-word expression meaning the latest and greatest of a series of successes. (para 5) 6. A four-word expression meaning the first in status. (para 6) 7. A verb meaning to cover more land gradually. (para 8) 8. A verb meaning (of a system, method or organization) to no longer work well. (para 10)

5 Two-word phrases
Match the adjectives in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to form phrases from the text. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. crowning widespread global demographic developing intense social unprecedented a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. landmark pressure services population achievement numbers countries challenges

6 Word building
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. Many countries are creaking under the burden of funding prolonged ___________________ for their older population. [RETIRE] 2. ___________________ levels after the second world war were particularly high. [FERTILE] 3. The fact that people are living longer is a major ___________________. [ACHIEVE] 4. Life ___________________ in Japan and Singapore is the highest in the world. [EXPECT] 5. Some governments are offering ___________________ to people to continue working. [INDUCE] 6. The ODR is an ___________________ of the balance between working people and pensioners. [INDICATE]

7 Discussion
Do you agree that working beyond the usual retirement age is the best solution to the problem of the ageing population? What other ways can you suggest to help resolve this problem?
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Population of older people to surpass number of children / Advanced

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Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. pensioner 2. carer 3. landmark 4. life expectancy 5. census 6. inducement 7. unprecedented 8. ageing 9. glaring 10. demographic

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. outnumber shoot up sound the alarm tipping point crowning achievement top of the pile encroach creak

5 Two-word phrases
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. e h d a g b c f

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F T F F T T

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b a b c

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. retirement fertility achievement expectancy inducements indicator

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Population of older people to surpass number of children / Advanced

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Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words and phrases from the text. ageing challenge pensioner retirement carer impact census outnumbers life expectancy pension fund

1. A _______________________ is someone who has reached the age when they are officially old enough to stop working. 2. _______________________ is the time when you stop working because you have reached the age when you are officially too old to work. 3. If a group of people _______________________ another group, there are more in the first group than in the second. 4. A _______________________ is the money that a government or organization uses to pay peoples pensions. 5. _______________________ is the length of time that someone is likely to live. 6. A _______________________ is an occasion on which government officials count the people who live in a country and record other information about them. 7. An _______________________ person is one who is becoming old. 8. A _______________________ is something that requires a lot of skill, energy and determination to deal with. 9. If something has an _______________________ on something else, it has an effect on it. 10. A _______________________ is someone who looks after a person who is ill or is unable to look after themselves.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. What will the worlds population be in 2050? 2. How many of the worlds 25 oldest countries are in Europe? 3. By 2040 how many Europeans will be at least 65? 4. Which country has the highest life expectancy in the world? 5. Which country has the lowest life expectancy? 6. How much longer (on average) do women live than men?
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Population of older people to surpass number of children / Elementary

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Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 1 Elementary
family, which will be transformed as people live longer. This will also bring new problems for carers and social services providers, while changes in work and retirement will have an impact on health services and pensions systems. 5 People are living longer and, in some parts of the world, healthier lives, the authors say. This represents one of the greatest achievements of the last century but also a significant challenge as numbers of older people increase in most countries. Europe is the oldest continent, with 23 of the worlds 25 oldest countries. By 2040, more than one in four Europeans are expected to be at least 65, and one in seven at least 75. The UK is number 19 in the list of the worlds oldest countries. Number one is Japan, which recently replaced Italy as the worlds oldest major country. Its life expectancy at birth is 82 years. In western Europe, France, Sweden and Italy all have life expectancies of more than 80 years. In the UK it is 78.8. The difference in life expectancy between rich and poor nations is huge. The report shows that a person born in a developed country can expect to live 14 years longer than someone in a developing country. Zimbabwe has the lowest life expectancy. It is just 40 years the result of a combination of Aids, famine and dictatorship. But an important finding of the report is that poorer countries are also experiencing the phenomenon of an ageing population. More than 80% of the increase in older people in the year up to July 2008 was seen in developing countries. By 2040, the poor world is expected to be home to more than 1 billion people aged 65 and over as much as 76% of the world total. Many countries with large numbers of old people are already having problems paying for a longer retirement for their older population. Life expectancy after retirement has already reached 21 years for French men and 26 years for French women. Retirement ages have begun to rise in developed countries, as governments encourage people to continue working, but public pensions
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Population of older people set to surpass number of children, report finds


Ed Pilkington, 20 July, 2009 1 The worlds population will soon experience a moment of huge social and economic importance. For the first time the number of people aged 65 or more will be greater than the number of children under five years old. A new report by the US census bureau shows the worlds population is ageing rapidly, with enormous consequences for both rich and poor nations. This situation will bring challenges for both families and politicians, including how to care for older people living alone to how to pay for enormous numbers of pensioners more than one billion of them by 2040. 2 The report, An Ageing World: 2008, shows that within ten years older people will outnumber children for the first time. It forecasts that over the next 30 years the number of over-65s will double, from 506 million in 2008 to 1.3 billion an increase from 7% of the worlds population to 14%. Already, the number of people in the world 65 and over is increasing at an average of 870,000 each month. 3 The number of people over 65 will increase rapidly in the next couple of years. The change is the result of a combination of the high birth rates after the Second World War and recent improvements in health that are bringing down death rates at older ages. United Nations forecasts predict that the global population will be more than nine billion by 2050. 4 The US census bureau was the first to draw attention to these changes. This is its ninth report using data from around the world since it first reported in 1987. Its latest forecasts warn governments and international bodies that this change in population structure will bring significant problems at every level of human organization, starting with the structure of the

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Population of older people to surpass number of children / Elementary

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Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 1 Elementary
10 funds may be unable to provide enough money to pay for old age pensions. Socially, too, there are pressures for both individuals and families. Women live on average seven years longer than men, so more and more older women are living alone. Around half of all women 65 and over in Germany, Denmark and Slovakia are on their own and loneliness is a major problem.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/07/09

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. People over 65 will soon 2. The number of people in the world over 65 years old 3. This change in population structure 4. People born in developed countries 5. By 2040, 76% of people aged 65 and over ... 6. Large numbers of older women live alone because

a. will live in poor, developing countries. b. will bring significant problems to families and social service providers. c. women live on average seven years longer than men. d. is increasing at an average of 870,000 each month. e. outnumber children under five years old for the first time. f. live on average 14 years longer than those born in developing countries.

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 1
4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. couple the in of years next 2. by than more billion 2050 nine 3. the over years 30 next 4. achievements of the greatest one last the of century 5. than one people more billion 6. men seven women than live longer years

Elementary

5 Word building
Complete the tables. adjective important healthy different lonely noun verb retire improve achieve expect noun

6 Prefixes
Match the prefixes in the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to make words from the text. 1. fore- 2. re- 3. out- 4. inter- 5. trans- 6. un- a. form b. number c. national d. cast e. able f. place

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Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. pensioner 2. retirement 3. outnumbers 4, pension fund 5. life expectancy 6. census 7. ageing 8. challenge 9. impact 10. carer

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. in the next couple of years 2. more than nine billion by 2050 3. over the next 30 years 4. one of the greatest achievements of the last century 5. more than one billion people 6. women live seven years longer than men

5 Word Building
adjective important healthy different lonely verb retire improve achieve expect noun importance health difference loneliness noun retirement improvement achievement expectancy

2 Find the information


1. more than nine billion 2. 23 3. more than one in four 4. Japan 5. Zimbabwe 6. seven years

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e d b f a c

6 Prefixes
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f b c a e

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Population of older people to surpass number of children / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words and phrases from the text.

ageing carer

burden census

landmark challenge

unprecendented retirement

pensioner life expectancy

1.

_______________________ is the length of time that someone is likely to live.

2. A _______________________ is an occasion on which government officials count the people who live in a country and record other information about them. 3. An _______________________person is one who is becoming old. 4. A _______________________ is something that requires a lot of skill, energy and determination to deal with. 5. A _______________________ is a serious or difficult responsibility that people have to deal with. 6. A _______________________ is someone who has reached the age when they are officially old enough to stop working. 7. _______________________ is the time when you stop working because you have reached the age when you are officially too old to work. 8. An _______________________ situation is one that has never happened or existed before. 9. A _______________________ is someone who looks after a person who is ill or is unable to look after themselves. 10. A _______________________ is a major event that marks an important stage in a process.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Which two countries have the highest life expectancy in the world?

2. Which country has the lowest life expectancy? 3. What will the worlds population be in 2050? 4. How many of the worlds 25 oldest countries are in Europe? 5. How long, on average, do women live longer than men? 6. By 2040 how many Europeans will be at least 65?
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Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 2 Intermediate
the family, which will be transformed as people live longer. This will in turn place new burdens on carers and social services providers, while patterns of work and retirement will have huge implications for health services and pensions systems. 5 People are living longer and, in some parts of the world, healthier lives, the authors conclude. This represents one of the greatest achievements of the last century but also a significant challenge as proportions of older people increase in most countries. Europe is the oldest continent, with 23 of the worlds 25 oldest countries. European dominance of the regional league table will continue. By 2040, more than one in four Europeans are expected to be at least 65, and one in seven at least 75. The UK comes in at number 19 in the list of the worlds oldest countries. Number one is Japan, which recently replaced Italy as the worlds oldest major country. Its life expectancy at birth 82 years is matched only by Singapore, though in western Europe, France, Sweden and Italy all have life expectancies of more than 80 years. In the UK it is 78.8. The contrast in life expectancy between rich and poor nations is huge. The report shows that a person born in a developed country can expect to outlive his or her counterpart in the developing world by 14 years. Zimbabwe holds the unfortunate record for the lowest life expectancy, which has been cut to 40 through a combination of Aids, famine and dictatorship. But an important finding of the report is that poorer countries are also experiencing the phenomenon of an ageing population. More than 80% of the increase in older people in the year up to July 2008 was seen in developing countries. By 2040, the poor world is expected to be home to more than 1 billion people aged 65 and over as much as 76% of the world total.

Population of older people set to surpass number of children, report finds


Ed Pilkington, 20 July, 2009 1 The worlds population is about to reach a landmark of huge social and economic importance, when the proportion of the global population 65 and over outnumbers children under five for the first time. A new report by the US census bureau shows a huge shift towards an ageing population, with enormous consequences for both rich and poor nations. The transformation will bring challenges for families and policymakers, ranging from how to care for older people living alone to how to pay for unprecedented numbers of pensioners more than one billion of them by 2040. 2 The report, An Ageing World: 2008, shows that within ten years older people will outnumber children for the first time. It forecasts that over the next 30 years the number of over-65s is expected to almost double, from 506 million in 2008 to 1.3 billion an increase from 7% of the worlds population to 14%. Already, the number of people in the world 65 and over is increasing at an average of 870,000 each month. 3 The rate of growth will shoot up in the next couple of years, with both overall numbers and proportions of older people rising rapidly. The change is due to a combination of the high birth rates after the Second World War and more recent improvements in health that are bringing down death rates at older ages. Separate UN forecasts predict that the global population will be more than nine billion by 2050. 4 The US census bureau was the first to sound the alarm about these changes. This is its ninth report using data from around the world since it first focused on the trend in 1987. Its latest forecasts warn governments and international bodies that this change in population structure will bring widespread challenges at every level of human organization, starting with the structure of

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 2
10 11

Intermediate
years for French women. Though retirement ages have begun to rise in developed countries, as governments encourage people to continue working, this still puts an extreme burden on public pensions funds. 12 Socially, too, there are pressures for both individuals and families. With women living on average seven years longer than men, more older women are living alone. Around half of all women 65 and over in Germany, Denmark and Slovakia are on their own and loneliness and access to care are major problems.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/07/09

Ageing will put pressure on societies at all levels. One way of measuring that is to look at the older dependency ratio, or ODR, which shows the balance between working-age people and the older population that must be supported by them. The ODR is the number of people aged 65 and over for every 100 people aged 20 to 64. It varies widely, from just six in Kenya and seven in Bangladesh, to 33 in Italy and also Japan. The UK has an ODR of 26, and the US has 21. Countries with a high ODR are already struggling with the burden of paying for prolonged retirement for their older population. Life expectancy after retirement has already reached 21 years for French men and 26

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. By 2018 there will be more pensioners than children under five. 2. Over the next 30 years the number of pensioners will increase from 7% to 14% of the worlds population. 3. By 2040 one in seven Europeans will be at least 65 years old. 4. The life expectancy of someone born in a developed country is on average 40 years longer than someone born in a developing country. 5. By 2040 76% of the worlds old people will live in developing countries. 6. Half of all women in Germany live alone.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A verb meaning to be more than. (para 1) 2. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to increase rapidly by a large amount. (para 3) 3. A three-word expression meaning to inform people about a danger. (para 4) 4. An adjective meaning happening or existing in many places and affecting many people. (para 4) 5. A verb meaning to live longer than. (para 8) 6. A verb meaning to be different in different situations. (para 10) 7. An adjective meaning continuing for a long time. (para 11) 8. A two-word expression meaning money that a government or organization uses to pay peoples pensions. (para 11)
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Population of older people to surpass number of children / Intermediate
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P H

Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Prepositions
Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. consequences _______ both rich and poor nations 2. challenges _______ families and policymakers 3. new burdens _______ social services and carers 4. focused _______ the trend 5. _______ every level of human organization 6. huge implications _______ health services and pensions systems 7. more than one _______ four Europeans 8. put pressure _______ societies

6 Word building
Complete the table.

verb retire achieve improve imply expect transform dominate find

noun

7 Discussion
At what age do men and women retire in your country? Do you think people should work longer instead of receiving a pension?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Population of older people to surpass number of children / Intermediate

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Population of older people to surpass number of children


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. life expectancy 2. census 3. ageing 4. challenge 5. burden 6. pensioner 7. retirement 8. unprecedented 9. carer 10. landmark

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. outnumbers 2. shoot up 3. sound the alarm 4. widespread 5. outlive 6. vary 7. prolonged 8. pension fund

5 Phrases with prepositions


1. for 2. for 3. on 4. on 5. at 6. for 7. in 8. on

2 Find the information


1. Japan and Singapore 2. Zimbabwe 3. more than nine billion 4. 23 5. seven years 6. more than one in four (more than 25%)

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T T F F T F

6 Word building
verb retire achieve improve imply expect transform dominate find noun retirement achievement improvement implication expectancy (expectation) transformation dominance (domination) finding

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Population of older people to surpass number of children / Intermediate

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Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. whistleblower manipulate trolley scupper wary recess appal waver mired testify

1. If you ___________________, you hesitate because you are not sure what to do. 2. If you ___________________ someones plans or hopes of success, you spoil them. 3. If something ___________________ you, it makes you feel very shocked or offended. 4. If you ___________________, you make a statement about something you know, saw or experienced, usually in a court of law. 5. A ___________________ is a short time between periods of work in an official organization, especially a court or a parliament. 6. A ___________________ is someone who reports dishonest or illegal activities within an organization to someone in authority. 7. A ___________________ is a bed with wheels used in hospitals. 8. If someone or something becomes ___________________, they are caught in an unpleasant situation from which there is no escape. 9. If you ___________________ people, you influence or control them in a clever or dishonest way. 10. If you are ___________________ of someone or something, you are nervous because you think they might cause you a problem.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How many US citizens do not have health insurance? 2. When did Bill Clinton attempt to reform the American healthcare system? 3. How have the Republicans described Obamas healthcare reform plans? 4. When did Wendell Potter become a whistleblower? 5. Where was the free medical clinic Potter visited? 6. How long did Potter work for the US healthcare firm Cigna?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 3 Advanced
5 Potters claims are at the centre of the biggest political crisis of Barack Obamas young presidency. Obama, faced with 47 million Americans without health insurance, has put reforming the system at the top of his agenda. If he succeeds, he will have pushed through one of the greatest changes to domestic policy of any president. If he fails, his presidency could be broken before it is even a year old. Last week, in a sign of how important this issue is, he addressed the nation in a live TV news conference. It is the sort of event usually reserved for a moment of deep national crisis, such as a terrorist attack. But Obama wanted to talk about healthcare. This is about every family, every business and every taxpayer who continues to shoulder the burden of a problem that Washington has failed to solve for decades, he told the nation. Obamas plans are now mired and the opponents of reform are winning. The Republican attack machine has cranked into gear, labelling reform as socialist and warning ordinary Americans that government bureaucrats, not doctors, will choose their medicines. The bills opponents say the huge cost can only be paid by massive tax increases on ordinary Americans and that others will have their current healthcare plans taken away. Many centrist Democratic congressmen, wary of their conservative voters, are wavering. The legislation has failed to meet Obamas August deadline and is now delayed until after the summer recess. Many fear that this loss of momentum could kill it altogether. To Potter that is no surprise. He has seen all this before. In his long years with Cigna he rose to be the companys top PR executive. He had an eagle-eye view of the industrys tactics of scuppering political efforts to get it to reform. This is a very wealthy industry and they use PR very effectively. They manipulate public opinion and the news media and they have built up these relationships with all these politicians through campaign contributions, Potter said.
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Whistleblower tells of Americas hidden nightmare for its sick poor


Paul Harris 26 July, 2009 1 Wendell Potter can remember exactly when he took the first steps on his journey to becoming a whistleblower and turning against one of the most powerful industries in America. It was July 2007 and Potter, a senior executive at giant US healthcare firm Cigna, was visiting relatives in the poverty-ridden mountain districts of northeast Tennessee. He saw an advert in a local paper for a touring free medical clinic just across the state border in Virginia. 2 Potter, who had worked at Cigna for 15 years, decided to check it out. What he saw appalled him. Hundreds of desperate people, most without any medical insurance, descended on the clinic from out of the hills. People queued in long lines to have the most basic medical procedures carried out free of charge. Some had driven more than 200 miles from Georgia. Many were treated in the open air. Potter took pictures of patients lying on trolleys on rain-soaked pavements. 3 For Potter it was a dreadful realization that healthcare in America had failed millions of poor, sick people and that he, and the industry he worked for, did not care about the human cost of their constant search for profits. It was over-powering. It was just more than I could possibly have imagined could be happening in America, he said. 4 Potter resigned shortly afterwards. Last month he testified in Congress, becoming one of the few industry executives to admit that what its critics say is true: healthcare insurance firms push up costs, buy politicians and refuse to pay out when many patients actually get sick. In chilling words he told a Senate committee: I worked as a senior executive at health insurance companies and I saw how they confuse their customers and dump the sick: all so they can satisfy their Wall Street investors.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Advanced

CA

P H

Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 3
8

Advanced
9 Comprehensive healthcare reform in the US has been an ambition of many presidents since the early part of the 20th century. None has succeeded in creating a system that gives all Americans the right to health cover. Barack Obama is desperate to avoid the same fate.

He says the industry is afraid of Obamas reforms and that is why it is fighting so hard. It scuppered Bill Clintons attempt at reform in the 1990s and Potter admits that he is worried the industry might win again. I have seen their tactics work. I have been a part of it, he said. He knows he has no chance of ever working again for a major firm. I am a whistleblower and corporate America does not like whistleblowers, he said. But there is one thing Potter is not sorry about: leaving the healthcare industry and speaking out. I have absolutely no regrets. I am doing the right thing, he said.

Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Observer, 26/07/09

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Why did Wendell Potter become a whistleblower? a. Because he wanted the USA to introduce a socialist healthcare system. b. Because he realized the healthcare industry was more interested in profits than people. c. Because he wanted to scupper Obamas health reform plans.

2. Why was it unusual for President Obama to use a live TV news conference to talk about healthcare? a. Because such events are usually reserved for moments of national crisis, such as terrorist attacks. b. Because Obama does not usually broadcast live to the American people. c. Because Obama has not previously expressed an interest in healthcare reform.

3. Why, according to Potter, will he never be able to work for a major company again? a. Because he resigned from Cigna. b. Because he supports healthcare reform. c. Because he is a whistleblower.

4. What did Potter see in Virginia in July 2007? a. A lot of poverty. b. People receiving medical treatment in the open air. c. People driving to the hills for medical treatment.

he people who visited the free medical clinic were people without health insurance. 2. Potter believes that the American healthcare has failed millions of poor, sick people. 3. The Republicans are in favour of Obamas healthcare reforms.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Advanced
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Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word expression meaning extremely poor. (para 1) 2. A two-word expression meaning very wet after rain. (para 2) 3. An adjective meaning so strong that you cannot control it. (para 3) 4. An adjective meaning making you feel suddenly very frightened or worried. (para 4) 5. A verb meaning to abandon. (para 4) 6. A three-word expression meaning bear the cost of a difficult problem. (para 5) 7. A three-word expression meaning to start working effectively. (para 6) 8. A three-word expression meaning an excellent view of something from a high position. (para 7)

5 Phrasal verbs
Match these phrasal verbs from the text with their meanings. 1. turn against 2. check out 3. push up 4. push through 5. carry out 6. speak out a. perform b. succeed in getting a law accepted quickly c. go and examine something to see if it is satisfactory d. state your opinion publicly about something e. make something increase f. stop supporting someone and start opposing them

6 Word building
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. ___________________ of Obamas healthcare reforms say they will lead to tax increases. [OPPOSE] 2. The healthcare industry is an extremely ___________________ one. [WEALTH] 3. The industry has built up ___________________ with politicians. [RELATE] 4. Healthcare companies have made ___________________ to political campaigns. [CONTRIBUTE] 5. The free medical clinic carried out basic medical ___________________. [PROCEED] 6. Obamas ___________________ is facing its first crisis. [PRESIDENT]

7 Discussion
What are the arguments for and against free healthcare for everyone?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Advanced

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Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. waver 2. scupper 3. appals 4. testify 5. recess 6. whistleblower 7. trolley 8. mired 9. manipulate 10. wary

Advanced

5 Phrasal verbs
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. f c e b a d

6 Word building
1. opponents 2. wealthy 3. relationships 4. contributions 5. procedures 6. presidency

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 47 million in the 1990s as socialist in July 2007 Virginia 15 years

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b a c b

4 Find the word


1. poverty-ridden 2. rain-soaked 3. overpowering 4. chilling 5. dump 6. shoulder the burden 7. crank into gear 8. eagle-eye view

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Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. abandon whistleblower trolley desperate resign patient reform refuse Congress legislation

1. A ____________________ is a change in the law to correct a situation that is wrong or unfair. 2. A ____________________ is someone who reports dishonest or illegal activities within an organization to someone in authority. 3. A ____________________ is a person who is receiving medical treatment. 4. ____________________ is a law or a set of laws. 5. If you ____________________ to do something, you say you will not do it even though someone has asked you to do it. 6. A ____________________ is a bed with wheels used in hospitals. 7. ____________________ is the group of people in the US who are elected to make laws. 8. If you ____________________, you state formally that you are leaving a job permanently. 9. If you ____________________ someone, you leave them when you should stay with them. 10. If you are ____________________, you need or want something very much.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. When did Wendell Potter become a whistleblower? 2. What was the name of the company Potter was working for? 3. Where was the free medical clinic Potter visited? 4. How long had Potter worked for the healthcare firm? 5. How many US citizens do not have health insurance? 6. When did Bill Clinton try to reform the American healthcare system?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Elementary

CA

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 1 Elementary
5 The healthcare issue is the biggest political crisis of Barack Obamas new presidency. 47 million Americans do not have health insurance and Obama has made reforming the system a priority. If he succeeds, he will have made one of the greatest changes to domestic policy that any president has ever made. If he fails, he will have a real crisis before his first year as president is over. Last week he addressed the nation in a live TV news conference. Such conferences are usually at moments of deep national crisis, such as terrorist attacks. But Obama wanted to talk about healthcare. This is about every family, every business and every taxpayer who continues to pay for a problem that Washington has failed to solve for decades, he told the nation. Obamas plans have now been delayed and the opponents of the reform are winning. The Republicans have attacked the reform as socialist and have warned ordinary Americans that government bureaucrats, not doctors, will choose their medicines. Opponents say the huge cost can only be paid by huge tax increases on ordinary Americans and that others will have their current healthcare plans taken away. The legislation has failed to meet Obamas August deadline and is now delayed until after the summer break. Many people fear that the delay could kill the reform completely. Potter is not surprised. He has seen all this before. In his long years with Cigna he became the companys top public relations executive. He had a birds eye view of the way the industry destroyed political efforts to persuade it to reform. This is a very wealthy industry and they use PR very effectively. They know how to influence public opinion and the news media and they have built up these relationships with a lot of politicians, Potter said. He says the industry is afraid of Obamas reforms and that is why it is fighting so hard. It blocked Bill Clintons attempt to reform healthcare in the 1990s and Potter admits that he is worried the industry might win again. I have seen their tactics work. I have been a part
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Whistleblower tells of Americas hidden nightmare for its sick poor


Paul Harris 26 July, 2009 1 Wendell Potter can remember exactly when he first decided to become a whistleblower and an opponent of one of the most powerful industries in America. It was July 2007 and Potter, a senior executive at giant US healthcare firm Cigna, was visiting relatives in one of the poor mountain districts of northeast Tennessee. He saw an advert in a local paper for a touring free medical clinic just across the state border in Virginia. 2 Potter, who had worked at Cigna for 15 years, decided to go and have a look. He was shocked by what he saw. Hundreds of desperate people, most without any medical insurance, came to the clinic from out of the hills. People stood in long lines waiting to have basic medical treatment free of charge. Some people had driven more than 200 miles from Georgia. Many were treated outside in the open air. Potter took pictures of patients lying on trolleys in the rain. 3 For Potter it was a dreadful realization that healthcare in America had failed millions of poor, sick people and that he, and the industry he worked for, did not care about the human cost of their constant search for profits. It was awful. It was just more than I could possibly imagine happening in America, he said. 4 Potter resigned soon after this. Last month he gave evidence to the US Congress, becoming one of the few industry executives to admit that what its critics say is true: healthcare insurance companies push prices up, buy politicians and refuse to pay out when many patients actually get sick. Potter told a Senate committee: I worked as a senior executive at health insurance companies and I saw how they confuse their customers and abandon the sick just so they can make bigger profits for their Wall Street investors.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Elementary

CA

P H

Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 1 Elementary
9 healthcare system since the early part of the 20th century. None has succeeded in creating a system that gives all Americans the right to health cover. Barack Obama does not want to suffer the same fate.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Observer, 26/07/09

of it, he said. He knows he has no chance of ever working again for a major firm. I am a whistleblower and big business in America does not like whistleblowers, he said. But there is one thing Potter is not sorry about: leaving the healthcare industry and speaking out. I have absolutely no regrets. I am doing the right thing, he said. Many presidents have tried to reform the

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Most of the people who visited the free health clinic 2. Potter says that American healthcare companies 3. President Obama wants 4. Opponents of healthcare reform say that 5. Potter believes that the American healthcare industry 6. Several American presidents a. uses PR very effectively. b. did not have health insurance. c. ordinary Americans will pay the costs of reforming the system. d. have tried to reform the healthcare system. e. to reform the US healthcare system. f. are more interested in profits than in sick people.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. 200 than miles more 2. domestic of one policy changes the greatest to 3. TV a conference live news 4. after break summer the until 5. the I right thing doing am 6. 20th the since part century the of early

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Elementary

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P H

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 1 Elementary
5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. medical 2. political 3. tax 4. public 5. healthcare 6. senior a. system b. increase c. executive d. insurance e. opinion f. crisis

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. oppose noun _______________ (person)

2.

invest

_______________ (person)

3.

insure

_______________

4.

confer

_______________

5.

realize

_______________

6.

treat

_______________

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Elementary

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Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. reform 2. whistleblower 3. patient 4. legislation 5. refuse 6. trolley 7. Congress 8. resign 9. abandon 10. desperate

Elementary

5 Two-word expressions
1. d 2. f 3. b 4. e 5. a 6. c

6 Word building
1. opponent 2. investor 3. insurance 4. conference 5. realization 6. treatment

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. July 2007 Cigna Virginia 15 years 47 million in the 1990s

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. b f e c a d

4 Chunks
1. more than 200 miles 2. one of the greatest changes to domestic policy 3. a live TV news conference 4. until after the summer break 5. I am doing the right thing 6. since the early part of the 20th century

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NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Elementary

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Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. waver trolley resign scupper reform massive Congress desperate

whistleblower manipulate

1. A ___________________ is someone who reports dishonest or illegal activities within an organization to someone in authority. 2. If you ___________________ people, you influence or control them in a clever or dishonest way. 3. A ___________________ is a change intended to correct a situation that is wrong or unfair or make a system work more effectively. 4. Something that is ___________________ is very large in amount or degree. 5. If you ___________________ someones plans or hopes of success, you spoil them. 6. If you are ___________________, you need or want something very much. 7. ___________________ is the group of people in the US who are elected to make laws. 8. If you ___________________, you state formally that you are leaving a job permanently. 9. If you ___________________, you hesitate because you are not sure what to do. 10. A ___________________ is a bed with wheels used in hospitals.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. When did Wendell Potter become a whistleblower? 2. Where was the free medical clinic Potter visited? 3. How far had some of the patients driven? 4. How long did Potter work for the US healthcare firm Cigna? 5. How many US citizens do not have health insurance? 6. Which president tried to reform the American healthcare system in the 1990s?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Intermediate

CA

P H

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Potters claims are at the centre of the biggest political crisis of Barack Obamas new presidency. Obama, faced with 47 million Americans without health insurance, has made reforming the system a priority. If he succeeds, he will have pushed through one of the greatest changes to domestic policy of any president. If he fails, his presidency could be in crisis before it is even a year old. Last week, in a sign of how important this issue is, he addressed the nation in a live TV news conference. Such conferences are usually reserved for moments of deep national crisis, such as terrorist attacks. But Obama wanted to talk about healthcare. This is about every family, every business and every taxpayer who continues to shoulder the burden of a problem that Washington has failed to solve for decades, he told the nation. Obamas plans have now been held up and the opponents of reform are winning. The Republicans have attacked the reform as socialist and have warned ordinary Americans that government bureaucrats, not doctors, will choose their medicines. Opponents say the huge cost can only be paid by massive tax increases on ordinary Americans and that others will have their current healthcare plans taken away. Many centrist Democratic congressmen, worried about their conservative voters, are wavering. The legislation has failed to meet Obamas August deadline and is now delayed until after the summer break. Many people fear that this loss of momentum could kill the reform completely. Potter is not surprised. He has seen all this before. In his long years with Cigna he rose to be the companys top PR executive. He had a birds eye view of the industrys tactics of scuppering political efforts to persuade it to reform. This is a very wealthy industry and they use PR very effectively. They manipulate public opinion and the news media and they have built up these relationships with all these politicians through campaign contributions, Potter said. He says the industry is afraid of Obamas reforms and that is why it is fighting so hard. It scuppered Bill Clintons attempt at healthcare
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Whistleblower tells of Americas hidden nightmare for its sick poor


Paul Harris 26 July, 2009 1 Wendell Potter can remember exactly when he first decided to become a whistleblower and turned against one of the most powerful industries in America. It was July 2007 and Potter, a senior executive at giant US healthcare firm Cigna, was visiting relatives in one of the poor mountain districts of northeast Tennessee. He saw an advert in a local paper for a touring free medical clinic just across the state border in Virginia. 2 Potter, who had worked at Cigna for 15 years, decided to go and have a look. He was shocked by what he saw. Hundreds of desperate people, most without any medical insurance, descended on the clinic from out of the hills. People queued in long lines to have the most basic medical procedures carried out free of charge. Some had driven more than 200 miles from Georgia. Many were treated in the open air. Potter took pictures of patients lying on trolleys on rainsoaked pavements. 3 For Potter it was a dreadful realization that healthcare in America had failed millions of poor, sick people and that he, and the industry he worked for, did not care about the human cost of their constant search for profits. It was awful. It was just more than I could possibly have imagined could be happening in America, he said. 4 Potter resigned soon after this. Last month he gave evidence in the US Congress, becoming one of the few industry executives to admit that what its critics say is true: healthcare insurance companies push up costs, buy politicians and refuse to pay out when many patients actually get sick. In chilling words he told a Senate committee: I worked as a senior executive at health insurance companies and I saw how they confuse their customers and abandon the sick: all so they can satisfy their Wall Street investors.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Intermediate

CA

P H

Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 2
8

Intermediate
9 Comprehensive healthcare reform in the US has been an ambition of many presidents since the early part of the 20th century. None has succeeded in creating a system that gives all Americans the right to health cover. Barack Obama is desperate to avoid the same fate.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Observer, 26/07/09

reform in the 1990s and Potter admits that he is worried the industry might win again. I have seen their tactics work. I have been a part of it, he said. He knows he has no chance of ever working again for a major firm. I am a whistleblower and big business in America does not like whistleblowers, he said. But there is one thing Potter is not sorry about: leaving the healthcare industry and speaking out. I have absolutely no regrets. I am doing the right thing, he said.

3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. The people who visited the free medical clinic were mostly people without health insurance. 2. Potter believes that the American healthcare has failed millions of poor, sick people. 3. Republicans are in favour of Obamas healthcare reforms. 4. Potter believes that healthcare companies are more interested in their customers than they are in making profits. 5. Obama is the first US president to try and reform the healthcare system. 6. Potter will probably find a job with another major company soon.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to stop supporting someone and start opposing them. (para 1) 2. A two-word expression meaning very wet after rain. (para 2) 3. An adjective meaning very unpleasant. (para 3) 4. An adjective meaning making you feel suddenly very frightened or worried. (para 4) 5. A verb meaning to leave someone when you should stay with them. (para 4) 6. A three-word expression meaning bear the cost of a difficult problem. (para 5) 7. A noun meaning a specific time or date by which something must be done. (para 6) 8. A three-word expression meaning a very good view of something from a high position. (para 7)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns from the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. carry out 2. give 3. solve 4. meet 5. manipulate 6. build up a. public opinion b. a problem c. a relationship d. medical procedures e. a deadline f. evidence

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. contribute noun _______________

2.

insure

_______________

3.

oppose

_______________ (person)

4.

realize

_______________

5.

invest

_______________ (person)

6.

attempt

_______________

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Intermediate

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Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. whistleblower 2. manipulate 3. reform 4. massive 5. scupper 6. desperate 7. Congress 8. resign 9. waver 10. trolley

Intermediate

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. d 2. f 3. b 4. e 5. a 6. c

6 Word building
1. contribution 2. insurance 3. opponent 4. realization 5. investor 6. attempt

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. July 2007 Virginia more than 200 miles 15 years 47 million Bill Clinton

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T T F F F F

4 Find the word


1. turn against 2. rain-soaked 3. dreadful 4. chilling 5. abandon 6. shoulder the burden 7. deadline 8. birds eye view

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NEWS LESSONS / Americas hidden nightmare for sick poor / Intermediate

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Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

The words that appear most often in the article are bigger than the other words in the word cloud. Try to predict the content of the article by looking at the word cloud.

2 Key words
Find single words or two-, three- or four-word phrases in the article that have the same or similar meanings to the phrases and sentences below. The paragraph number and the number of words are given to help you. 1. positive effects on the body from ingested food _________________________ (para 1, 2 words) 2. things to eat and drink that are grown and farmed in the usual way (not organically) _________________________ (para 1, 3 words) 3. the money and costs were covered by ... _________________________ (para 1, 2 words) 4. plants and animals on a farm _________________________ (para 2, 3 words) 5. when the positive effects on the body from ingested food are better than those from other sources _________________________ (para 2, 2 words) 6. the remainders of chemical substances added to soil or sprayed on crops _________________________ (para 5, 4 words) 7. When you accept or use only some things, and not the things that you do not want you are being _________________________. (para 5, 1 word) 8. Amounts that have not been calculated accurately can be called _________________________. (para 9, 2 words) 9. when someone or something is tightly controlled or influenced by rules _________________________ (para 11, 4 words) 10. relating to good living conditions for livestock _________________________ (para 12, 2 words) 11. worries about the natural world as well as places in which people live and work _________________________ (para 12, 2 words) 12. Something that you want to eat or drink because it is good for you is _________________________.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Advanced
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Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 3 Advanced
further, saying he found the conclusions very selective. 6 Peter Melchett, policy director at the Soil Association, said: We are disappointed in the conclusions the researchers have reached. It doesnt say organic food is not healthier, just that, according to the criteria they have adopted, theres no proof that it is. He criticized the methodology used by the team, which he said meant they didnt include the importance of some nutritional benefits they found in organic food. He said that this had led them to different conclusions from those reached by previous studies. Carlo Leifert, a professor of ecological agriculture at Newcastle University and the coordinator of a major EU-funded study which recently found nutrient levels were higher in organic foods, also said the conclusions of the study were selective. He said: Im worried about the conclusions. The ballpark figures they have come up with are similar to ours. I dont understand why the FSA are not saying, Right, theres something you can do on a farm to improve food. They are so blocked by not wanting to say positive things about organic farming. The appendix of the FSA report shows that some nutrients, such as beta-carotene, are as much as 53% higher in organic food, but such differences are not reflected in its conclusions. The farming of organic food, which is now worth 2bn in the UK alone, is governed by strict regulations that set it apart from conventional farming. Crops are not treated with artificial chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and antibiotics and drugs are not used routinely on livestock. Gill Fine, the FSA director of consumer choice, defended the study. She said: We are neither anti nor pro organic food. We
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Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Report finds organic food provides no significant nutritional benefit compared with conventionally produced food. Karen McVeigh 29 July, 2009 1 Organic food is no healthier and provides no significant nutritional benefit compared with conventionally produced food, according to a new, independent study funded by the Food Standards Agency. But its conclusions have been called into question by experts and organic food campaigners. The report looked at evidence published over the past 50 years of the different nutrient levels found in crops and livestock from both types of farming and also at the health benefits of eating organic food. The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, contradict previous work that has found organically grown food to be nutritionally superior. Dr Alan Dangour, who led the review by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: Most studies were based on the hypothesis that eating organic food is beneficial to health. Looking at all of the studies published in the last 50 years, we have concluded that theres no good evidence that eating organic food is beneficial to health based on the nutrient content. He said that while small differences in nutrient content were found between organic and conventionally produced food, they were unlikely to be of any public health relevance. Organic food campaigners criticized the study for failing to consider fertilizer and pesticide residues in food. They expressed disappointment at the limited nature of the study, saying that it did not provide a clear answer on whether eating organic food has health benefits. A leading food academic went

10

11

12

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Advanced

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Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 3 Advanced
said: If they are buying organic on the basis that it is healthier, then that is not the case. 15 The EU study coordinated by Carlo Leifert, which ended in May this year, involved 31 research and university institutes. It found that levels of nutritionally desirable compounds, such as antioxidants and vitamins, were higher in organic crops, while levels of nutritionally undesirable compounds such as toxic chemicals, mycotoxins and metals such as cadmium and nickel, were lower in organic crops.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 29/07/09

recognize there are many reasons why people choose to eat organic, such as animal welfare or environmental concerns. We specifically checked claims that organic food is better for you. 13 She continued: This study does not mean people should not eat organic food. What it shows is that there is little, if any, nutritional difference between organic and conventionally produced food and there is no evidence of additional health benefits from eating organic food. 14 When asked whether consumers had been misled over the benefits of organic food, she

3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article. 1. A new study concludes that ... a. ... we should not waste our money on organic food. b. ... organic food is not very much better for our health than non-organic food. c. ... organic food is significantly better for our health. 2. The study was carried out by ... a. ... Newcastle University. b. ... the Soil Association. 4. Organic food campaigners are ... a. ... shocked. b. ... disappointed. c. ... selective. 5. The methodology used in the study has been criticized because ... a. ... it didnt include the importance of some nutritional benefits found in organic food. b. ... it didnt take animal welfare or environmental concerns into consideration. c. ... it didnt take consumer preferences into consideration. 6. Another study funded by the EU found that ... a. ... there is no evidence of additional health benefits from eating organic food. b. ... antioxidants and vitamins were higher in organic crops. c. ... organic foods are not treated with artificial.

c. ... the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. 3. The study was funded by ... a. ... the Foods Standard Agency. b. ... the EU. c. ... the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 3 Advanced
5 Language: Negative forms
1. What words, expressions and prefixes are used to make negative statements? Underline as many different ways of making negative words, expressions or sentences as you can find in the article. 2. Explain the meaning of these sentences in your own words: Theres no good evidence that eating organic food is beneficial to health based on the nutrient content. _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ I dont understand why the FSA are not saying, Right, theres something you can do on a farm to improve food. _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ This study does not mean people should not eat organic food. ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

6 Discussion
Decide which of the following statements most reflect your own opinion, and then complete the following sentence in your own words. Discuss your decisions in groups or as a class. Organic food is the only sensible choice. Organic food is all about making money. Its wrong to believe that nature is always best. Cheap food damages the environment. In my opinion organic food is _________________________________________________________.

7 Webquest
Look at one of the following websites and summarize the information you find there for the rest of the class. What is the main message the website is trying to put across? http://www.organicfoodinfo.net/ http://www.organic.org/ http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/farmingfood/organicfood/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/organicfood.shtml http://www.organicfoodee.com/ http://www.orgfoodfed.com/

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 3 KEY
2 Key words
1. nutritional benefit 2. conventionally produced food 3. funded by 4. crops and livestock 5. nutritionally superior 6. fertilizer and pesticide residues 7. selective 8. ballpark figures 9. governed by strict regulations 10. animal welfare 11. environmental concerns 12. nutritionally desirable

Advanced

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. b c a b a b

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009


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NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Advanced

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Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 1
1

Elementary

Warmer

The words that appear most often in the article are bigger than the other words in the word cloud. Look at the word cloud and try to guess what the article is about.

Find the information

Write in the key words from the article. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. conventionally produced crops and livestock benefits funded by conclusions

1. things to eat and drink that are grown and farmed in the usual way (not organically) _______________________ (para 1) 2. another way of saying that the money and costs were paid by ... _______________________ (para 1) 3. something that you decide is true after thinking about it carefully _______________________ (para 1) 4. plants and animals on a farm _______________________ (para 2) 5. advantages you get from something _______________________ (para 2)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 1

Elementary
proof residues contradicts nutrient fertilizer and pesticides

6. If one statement or conclusion _______________________ the other, they disagree and cannot both be true. (para 2) 7. information or evidence that shows that something is definitely true _______________________ (para 3) 8. a substance in food that plants, animals, and people need to live and grow _______________________ (para 4) 9. chemical substances that are added to soil or sprayed on crops _______________________ (para 5) 10. the parts of something that remain after the rest has gone _______________________ (para 5) toxic selective compound agriculture welfare

11. the work, business, or study of farming _______________________ (para 8) 12. When you accept or use only some things, and not the things that you do not want you are being _______________________. (para 8) 13. good living conditions and the well-being of animals _______________________ (para 11) 14. something that consists of two or more substances mixed together _______________________ (para 13) 15. another word for poisonous _______________________ (para 13)

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NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Elementary

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Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 1 Elementary
conclusions from those reached by previous studies. 8 Carlo Leifert, a professor of ecological agriculture at Newcastle University and the co-ordinator of a major EU-funded study which found that nutrient levels were higher in organic foods, also said the conclusions of the study were selective. He said: Im worried about the conclusions. They are so blocked by not wanting to say positive things about organic farming. The appendix of the FSA report shows that some nutrients, such as beta-carotene, are as much as 53% higher in organic food, but these differences are not in its conclusions.

Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Karen McVeigh 29 July, 2009

1 Organic food is no healthier than conventionally produced food, according to a new, independent study funded by the Food Standards Agency. But experts and organic food campaigners are questioning the studys conclusions. 2 The study looked at the different nutrient levels found in crops and livestock from both organic and conventional farming. It also looked at the health benefits of eating organic food. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, contradicts previous reports that found organically grown food to have nutritional benefits. 3 Dr Alan Dangour, who led the study at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that they looked at all of the studies that were published in the last 50 years, and concluded that theres no proof that eating organic food is good for peoples health. 4 He said that although there were small differences in nutrient content between organic and conventionally produced food, they were unlikely to make any difference to peoples health. 5 Organic food campaigners criticized the study for not looking at fertilizer and pesticide residues in food. They were disappointed with the study, and said that it did not provide a clear answer on whether eating organic food has health benefits. 6 Peter Melchett, policy director at the Soil Association, said: We are disappointed in the conclusions the researchers have reached. It doesnt say organic food is not healthier, just that theres no proof that it is. 7 He criticized the methodology used by the team because they didnt include the importance of some nutritional benefits they found in organic food. He said that this had led them to different 9

10 Organic food is now worth 2bn in the UK alone. Crops are not treated with artificial chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and antibiotics and drugs are not used on livestock. 11 Gill Fine, from the FSA, defended the study. She said: We are not anti or pro organic food. We recognize there are many reasons why people choose to eat organic, such as animal welfare or environmental concerns. 12 She continued: This study does not say people should not eat organic food. What it shows is that there is little, if any, nutritional difference between organic and conventionally produced food and there is no evidence of additional health benefits from eating organic food. 13 An EU study coordinated by Carlo Leifert, which ended in May this year, involved 31 research and university institutes. It found that levels of beneficial compounds, such as antioxidants and vitamins, were higher in organic crops, while levels of compounds such as toxic chemicals, mycotoxins and metals such as cadmium and nickel, were lower in organic crops.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 29/07/09

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the sentence halves to summarize the article. 1. A new study says that organic food 2. The study was carried out by 3. The study was funded by 4. Organic food campaigners are 5. The study was criticized because it 6. Organic food is not treated with 7. The study does not say that people 8. Another study found that organic food contains more... unhappy with the findings. artificial chemical fertilizers or pesticides. didnt include the importance of some nutritional benefits found in organic food. good antioxidants and vitamins than conventionally produced food. is not significantly better for our health. the Foods Standards Agency. the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. should not eat organic food.

4 Language: Negative forms


1. Underline the parts of these sentences that make them negative. Organic food is no healthier than conventionally produced food. Theres no proof that eating organic food is good for peoples health. It doesnt say organic food is not healthier. This study does not say people should not eat organic food.

2. Now rewrite the sentences to make them positive (it doesnt matter if you change the meanings).

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion
Answer and then discuss these questions: Do you buy organic food? If so, how often? What kind of organic foods do you buy? If not, why not? Do you grow your own vegetables or fruit? If so, do you use fertilizers or pesticides? Why? / Why not?

6 Webquest
Look at one of the following websites. What kind of organization or group made the website? What do they want to tell people? http://www.organicfoodinfo.net/ http://www.organic.org/ http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/farmingfood/organicfood/ http://www.organicfoodee.com/ http://www.orgfoodfed.com/

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 1 KEY
2 Key words
1. conventionally produced 2. funded by 3. conclusions 4. crops and livestock 5. benefits 6. contradicts 7. proof 8. nutrient 9. fertilizer and pesticides 10. residues 11. agriculture 12. selective 13. welfare 14. compound 15. toxic

Elementary

4 Language: Negative forms


1. 2. Organic food is no healthier than conventionally produced food. Theres no proof that eating organic food is good for peoples health. It doesnt say organic food is not healthier. This study does not say people should not eat organic food. Organic food is healthier than conventionally produced food. Theres proof that eating organic food is good for peoples health. It says organic food is healthier. This study says people should eat organic food.

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. A new study says that organic food is not significantly better for our health. The study was carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The study was funded by the Foods Standards Agency. Organic food campaigners are unhappy with the findings. The study was criticized because it didnt include the importance of some nutritional benefits found in organic food. Organic food is not treated with artificial chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The study does not say that people should not eat organic food. Another study found that organic food contains more good antioxidants and vitamins than conventionally produced food.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 2
1

intermediate

Warmer

The words that appear most often in the article are bigger than the other words in the word cloud. Try to predict the content of the article by looking at the word cloud.

2 Key words
Fill the gaps with the words from the article that have the same or similar meanings to the phrases and sentences below. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. nutritional crops and livestock selective relevance contradict toxic conventionally produced welfare fertilizer and pesticide compound proof agriculture residues funded by

1. an adjective used to describe food that keeps you healthy ____________________ (para 1) 2. things to eat and drink that are grown and farmed in the usual way (not organically) ____________________ (para 1) 3. another way of saying that the money and costs were paid by... ____________________ (para 1) 4. plants and animals on a farm ____________________ (para 2) 5. a verb that means to say that the opposite of what someone has said is true ____________________ (para 2) 6. the quality of being directly connected with and important to something else ____________________ (para 4) 7. chemical substances that are added to soil or sprayed on crops ____________________ (para 5) 8. the parts of something that remain after the rest has gone ____________________ (para 5)
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Intermediate
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Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 2 intermediate
9. When you accept or use only some things, and not the things that you do not want you are being ____________________. (para 5) 10. information or evidence that shows that something is definitely true ____________________ (para 6) 11. the work, business, or study of farming ____________________ (para 8) 12. good living conditions and the well-being of animals ____________________ (para 12) 13. something that consists of two or more substances mixed together ____________________ (para 14) 14. another word for poisonous ____________________ (para 14)

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NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Intermediate

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 2 intermediate
theres no proof that it is. 7 He criticized the methodology used by the team because they didnt include the importance of some nutritional benefits they found in organic food. He said that this had led them to different conclusions from those reached by previous studies. Carlo Leifert, a professor of ecological agriculture at Newcastle University and the coordinator of a major EU-funded study which recently found nutrient levels were higher in organic foods, also said the conclusions of the study were selective. He said: Im worried about the conclusions. I dont understand why the FSA dont say, Right, theres something you can do on a farm to improve food. They are so blocked by not wanting to say positive things about organic farming.

Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Karen McVeigh 29 July, 2009 1 Organic food is no healthier and provides no significant nutritional benefit compared with conventionally produced food, according to a new, independent study funded by the Food Standards Agency. But experts and organic food campaigners are questioning the studys conclusions. 2 The study looked at reports of the different nutrient levels found in crops and livestock from both organic and conventional farming. It also looked at the health benefits of eating organic food. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, contradicts previous reports that found organically grown food to have nutritional benefits. 3 Dr Alan Dangour, who led the study carried by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: Most studies were based on the idea that organic food is good for peoples health. Looking at all of the studies that were published in the last 50 years, we have concluded that theres no good evidence that eating organic food is beneficial to health. 4 He said that although there were small differences in nutrient content between organic and conventionally produced food, they were unlikely to be of any health relevance. 5 Organic food campaigners criticized the study for not looking at fertilizer and pesticide residues in food. They were disappointed at the limited nature of the study, and said that it did not provide a clear answer on whether eating organic food has health benefits. A leading food academic went further, saying he found the conclusions very selective. 6 Peter Melchett, policy director at the Soil Association, said: We are disappointed in the conclusions the researchers have reached. It doesnt say organic food is not healthier, just that
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Intermediate

10 The appendix of the FSA report shows that some nutrients, such as beta-carotene, are as much as 53% higher in organic food, but these differences are not in its conclusions. 11 Organic food is now worth 2bn in the UK alone. Crops are not treated with artificial chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and antibiotics and drugs are not used routinely on livestock. 12 Gill Fine, from the FSA, defended the study. She said: We are neither anti nor pro organic food. We recognize there are many reasons why people choose to eat organic, such as animal welfare or environmental concerns. We specifically checked claims that organic food is better for you. 13 She continued: This study does not mean people should not eat organic food. What it shows is that there is little, if any, nutritional difference between organic and conventionally produced food and there is no evidence of additional health benefits from eating organic food.
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Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 2 intermediate
as toxic chemicals, mycotoxins and metals such as cadmium and nickel, were lower in organic crops.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 29/07/09

14 An EU study coordinated by Carlo Leifert, which ended in May 2009, involved 31 research and university institutes. It found that levels of beneficial compounds, such as antioxidants and vitamins, were higher in organic crops, while levels of compounds such

3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the information in the article? Correct any sentences that are false. 1. A new study concludes that organic food is significantly better for our health. 2. The study was carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. 3. The study was funded by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 4. Organic food campaigners are happy with the findings. 5. The study has been criticized because it didnt include the importance of some nutritional benefits found in organic food. 6. Gill Fine said the FSA is against organic food. 7. Organic food is not treated with artificial chemical fertilizers or pesticides. 8. Another study funded by the EU found that beneficial antioxidants and vitamins were higher in organic crops.

4 Language: Negative forms


Organic food is no healthier than conventionally produced food. Theres no proof that eating organic food is good for peoples health. It doesnt say organic food is not healthier. This study does not say people should not eat organic food.

1. Underline the parts of these sentences that make them negative.

2. Now rewrite the sentences to make them positive (it doesnt matter if you change the meanings).

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 2 intermediate
5 Discussion
Answer and then discuss these questions: Do you buy organic food? If so, how often? What kind of organic foods do you buy? If not, why not? Do you grow your own vegetables or fruit? If so, do you use fertilizers or pesticides? Why? / Why not?

6 Webquest
Look at one of the following websites. What kind of organization or group runs the website? Where are they based? What is their message? http://www.organicfoodinfo.net/ http://www.organic.org/ http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/farmingfood/organicfood/ http://www.organicfoodee.com/ http://www.orgfoodfed.com/

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Organic food not healthier, says FSA


Level 2 KEY
2 Key words
1. nutritional 2. conventionally produced 3. funded by 4. crops and livestock 5. contradict 6. relevance 7. fertilizer and pesticide 8. residues 9. selective 10. proof 11. agriculture 12. welfare 13. compound 14. toxic

intermediate

4 Language: Negative forms


1. 2. Organic food is no healthier than conventionally produced food. Theres no proof that eating organic food is good for peoples health. It doesnt say organic food is not healthier. This study does not say people should not eat organic food. Organic food is healthier than conventionally produced food. Theres proof that eating organic food is good for peoples health. It says organic food is healthier. This study says people should eat organic food.

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. F T F F T F T T

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Organic food not healthier, says FSA / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The new witch of Wookey Hole


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. cackle pizzazz witch raven broomstick hex spell cauldron incumbent wizard

1. A ___________________ is a woman who claims she has magic powers. 2. A ___________________ is a man who claims he has magic powers. 3. A ___________________ consists of words or actions that are intended to make magic things happen. 4. A ___________________ is a curse or an evil spell. 5. A ___________________ is a large, round metal container used for cooking over a fire. 6. In fairy stories, witches are often shown riding through the air on a ___________________. 7. ___________________ is an exciting quality or style together with a lot of energy. 8. If you ___________________, you laugh in a loud and unpleasant way. 9. A ___________________ is a large bird with shiny black feathers. 10. An ___________________ is someone who is holding an official position at the present time.

Find the information

1. How many people turned up for the audition? 2. What will the annual salary be? 3. How many letters of complaint have been received? 4. What job did the successful candidate have? 5. How many applications did the Wookey Hole cave attraction send out? 6. How old was the successful applicant?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The new witch of Wookey Hole / Advanced

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The new witch of Wookey Hole


Level 3 Advanced
by Father Bernard, appointed by the Abbot of Glastonbury to rid villagers of her curse. Earlier in the day, one of the first to try to impress the panel was a green-eyed Irish witch who claimed her name was Ettedanreb Dnarud, meaning Brave as a Bear. Actually it was just her name, Bernadette Durand, spelled backwards. She had come all the way from Co. Waterford and said she definitely followed the Wicca lifestyle. I follow the moon and seasons, I dance in the dark. Its all about goodness. Theres a lot of bad in the world, this job would help me do good. 5 Alison Dike was also into good works. A witch from Somerset, she was handing out herbs that she claimed would prevent swine flu. She had a mouthful of black teeth and (following the script) said she had been wronged in love by a monk and his bad habits. Further along the queue was statuesque Ishtar, real name Leonine from Devon. She wore a real fur around her neck. 3 in a jumble sale, she admitted. But she too claimed to be a real witch. I studied at Glastonbury for three years, she said. What did she study? Going in the woods, visualization and energy work, she said. It was not just women in the queue. There were many men dressed as women, and a few men who believed that wizards also ought to be allowed. Among them was Tony Durant, who has appeared on chat shows around the world showing off his amazing skills imitating birdsong. His raven impression went down very well today. My skill is a sort of magic thats why Im here, he said, looking to his manager who was also in the line to check he wasnt saying the wrong thing. Other candidates included Silvia Moscati, an Italian who claims she is an ancestor of Casanova and wore a typical 17th-century Venetian witch costume. Helen Chadfield from Bath brought her raven, Bran, with her. The judges seemed to be more interested in Bran than me though, she said.

Carla Calamity named new witch of Wookey Hole


Steven Morris 28 July, 2009 1 They had one thing in common they could all really cackle. Apart from that, the would-be applicants for the post of the witch of Wookey Hole could not have been more diverse. Some were clearly there just for fun, in outfits they must have hired from fancy dress shops. Others seemed like professional entertainers who saw the gig and the 50,000 salary as a pretty good career move. There were even some who said they fancied a change of direction in life. Two teachers and an accountant were among the 500 or so hopefuls who arrived at the cave in cars rather than on broomsticks. And then there were the real witches; those that said they really could cast spells, heal the sick and perhaps cause a little mischief. 2 The attraction in south-west England was looking for a new witch to teach visitors about witchcraft and magic after the previous incumbent retired. The job offer comes with a salary of 50,000 pro rata based on work during school holidays and at weekends. The job advert, placed in local newspapers and job centres earlier this month, says the successful applicant must be able to cackle and must not be allergic to cats. Wookey Hole said it has since sent out 2,319 applications, and has received 23 letters of complaint from church or religious groups. 3 In the end, the judges opted for 40-year-old estate agent Carole Bohanan. She will resign from her job and go by the name of Carla Calamity. Carole or Carla said: I am going to be a great witch. All it takes is a little bit of magic and a little pizzazz. Its a natural progression from my old job as an estate agent. I have been using my witching skills to sell houses for a long time. 4 Legend has it that the caves were home to the Wookey witch who was turned to stone

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The new witch of Wookey Hole / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The new witch of Wookey Hole


Level 3
8

Advanced
as a transsexual woman looking for a new role after running a carpet fitting business. She said: I am the Wookey Witch and I am here to reclaim my cave.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 28/07/09

Some threatened to put hexes on the judges if they didnt get the job and two offered to drink a cauldron of their own urine. One couple drew gasps from the shocked judges when they produced their 11-week-old daughter from underneath their flowing robes. Bridget Vallance, 45, from Dorset, described herself

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Why was the Wookey Hole caves attraction looking for a witch? a. Because they wanted to attract more visitors to the attraction. b. Because they wanted someone to lift the curse on the caves. c. Because the previous witch had retired.

2. What were the basic requirements for the job? a. That applicants should have a cat and a broomstick. b. That applicants should be able to cackle and not be allergic to cats. c. That applicants should be witches in real life.

3. What was the salary for the job? a. 50,000 per year. b. 50,000 for working during school holidays and at weekends. c. A percentage of 50,000 depending on the number of days worked.

4. What does the successful applicant think a good witch needs? a. To do a little bit of magic and to have a lot of exciting style and energy. b. Going in the woods, visualization and energy work. c. Following the moon and the seasons and dancing in the dark

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A noun meaning a public performance, especially a musical one. (para 1) 2. A noun meaning behaviour that causes trouble but not serious harm to other people. (para 1) 3. A two-word expression meaning calculated according to the number of hours worked. (para 2) 4. A verb meaning to treat someone unfairly. (para 5) 5. A two-word expression meaning an event where people raise money by selling old clothes. (para 5) 6. A noun meaning forming a picture of someone or something in your mind. (para 5) 7. A noun meaning a sudden, noisy breath that is usually caused by surprise, shock or pain. (para 8) 8. A noun (or adjective) meaning someone who has changed sex. (para 8)
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Titlenew witch of Wookey Hole The


Level 3 Advanced
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. cast 2. cause 3. follow 4. prevent 5. show off 6. wear 7. run 8. heal a. a particular lifestyle b. a costume c. a spell d. ones skills e. mischief f. a disease g. the sick h. a business

6 Word building
Complete the sentences using an appropriate form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. Witches should not be _______________ to cats. [ALLERGY] 2. Wookey Hole caves are a famous tourist _______________. [ATTRACT] 3. Several letters of _______________ have been received. [COMPLAIN] 4. One of the witches had a _______________ of black teeth. [MOUTH] 5. If you are _______________, you are tall and beautiful like a statue. [STATUE]

7 Discussion
Imagine that you are applying for this job. What qualities would you bring to the job and why would you want to do it?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The new witch of Wookey Hole / Advanced

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The new witch of Wookey Hole


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. witch 2. wizard 3. spell 4. hex 5. cauldron 6. broomstick 7. pizzazz 8. cackle 9. raven 10. incumbent

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. gig mischief pro rata to be wronged jumble sale visualization gasp transsexual

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. c e a f d b h g

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 500 or so (about 500) 50,000 pro rata 23 estate agent 2,319 40

3 Comprehension check
1 2. 3. 4. c b b a

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. allergic attraction complaint mouthful statuesque

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The new witch of Wookey Hole


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. witch spell wizard applicant broomstick curse cackle witchcraft audition raven

1. A ___________________ consists of words or actions that are intended to make magic things happen. 2. ___________________ is the practice of magic, usually for evil purposes. 3. A ___________________ is a large bird with shiny black feathers. 4. An ___________________ is a short performance in which you sing, dance or act so that someone can decide if you are good enough to perform in a concert or play or to do a particular job. 5. If you ___________________, you laugh in a loud and unpleasant way. 6. A ___________________ is a man who claims he has magic powers. 7. A ___________________ is a woman who claims she has magic powers. 8. An ___________________ is someone who applies for a job. 9. A ___________________ is a bad situation or event caused by someones deliberate use of their magic powers. 10. In childrens stories, witches often ride through the air on a ___________________.

Find the information

1. How many people came to the audition? 2. Where is Wookey Hole? 3. How many application forms did the Wookey Hole cave attraction send out? 4. How many letters of complaint have been received? 5. How old is the successful candidate? 6. How much did Leonine pay for her fur?

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The new witch of Wookey Hole


Level 1 Elementary
4 A legend says that the caves were home to a witch who was turned to stone. One of the first applicants to try to impress the judges was a green-eyed witch who said her name was Ettedanreb Dnarud, meaning Brave as a Bear. Actually it was just her name, Bernadette Durand, spelled backwards. She had come all the way from Ireland and said she definitely had the lifestyle of a witch. I follow the moon and seasons, I dance in the dark. Its all about goodness. Theres a lot of bad in the world, this job would help me do good. Alison Dike was also doing good. She was handing out herbs that she said would prevent swine flu. Further along the queue was Ishtar, real name Leonine, from Devon. She wore a real fur around her neck. I bought it for 3 in a sale, she said. But she also said she was a real witch. I studied at Glastonbury for three years, she said. What did she study? Going in the woods, visualization and energy work, she said. It was not just women in the queue. There were many men dressed as women, and a few men who believed that wizards should also be allowed. One of them was Tony Durant, who has appeared on chat shows around the world showing off his amazing skills imitating birdsong. His raven imitation was particularly popular at this event. My skill is a sort of magic thats why Im here, he said. Other candidates included Silvia Moscati, an Italian who says she is an ancestor of Casanova and wore a typical 17th-century Venetian witch costume. Helen Chadfield from Bath brought her raven, Bran, with her. The judges seemed to be more interested in Bran than me though, she said. Some said they would put curses on the judges if they didnt get the job. Bridget Vallance, 45, from Dorset, said she was looking for a new role after managing a carpet business. She said: I am the Wookey Witch and I am here to take back my cave.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 28/07/09
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Carla Calamity named new witch of Wookey Hole


Steven Morris 28 July, 2009 1 All of the people who applied for the job had one thing in common they could cackle really well. Apart from that, the people hoping to be the next witch of Wookey Hole were all very different from each other. Some of them were clearly there just for fun, in costumes they had probably hired from fancy dress shops. Others seemed like professional entertainers who thought the event and the 50,000 salary was a very good career move. There were even some who said they were looking for a change of direction in life. Five hundred applicants came to the audition, including two teachers and an accountant, but they travelled to the cave in cars rather than on broomsticks. And then there were the real witches; those that said they really could cast spells and heal the sick. 2 The tourist attraction in south-west England was looking for a new witch to teach visitors about witchcraft and magic after the previous witch retired. The salary was a percentage of 50,000 per year depending on the amount of work done during school holidays and at weekends. The job advert, placed in local newspapers and job centres earlier this month, says the successful applicant must be able to cackle and must not be allergic to cats. Wookey Hole said it had since sent out 2,319 application forms, and had received 23 letters of complaint from church and religious groups. 3 In the end, the judges chose a 40-year-old estate agent called Carole Bohanan. She will leave her current job and call herself Carla Calamity. Carole or Carla said: I am going to be a great witch. You just need to be energetic and to use a little bit of magic. Its a natural progression from my old job as an estate agent. I have been using my witching skills to sell houses for a long time.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The new witch of Wookey Hole / Elementary

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The new witch of Wookey Hole


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Choose one of the underlined words to make sentences about the story. 1. All of / some of the applicants could cackle really well. 2. The previous witch died / retired. 3. The successful candidate must not be / must be allergic to cats. 4. The Wookey Hole witchs job will be to heal the sick / to teach visitors about magic. 5. There were a lot of / a few men at the audition. 6. Tony Durant imitates birdsong / has a pet raven.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make short phrases from the text. 1. very from all other each different 2. good move very career a 3. direction in of a life change 4. 50,000 percentage of per a year 5. of bit a magic little 6. the Ireland way from all

5 Word building
Complete the table. noun 1 2 3 4 5 6 profession allergy success religion nature energy adjective

6 Two-word phrases
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. fancy 2. tourist 3. application 4. estate 5. local 6. job a. b. c. d. e. f. newspaper form centre attraction agent dress
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The new witch of Wookey Hole


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. spell 2. witchcraft 3. raven 4. audition 5. cackle 6. wizard 7. witch 8. applicant 9. curse 10. broomstick

Elementary

4 Chunks
1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. all very different from each other a very good career move a change of direction in life a percentage of 50,000 per year a little bit of magic all the way from Ireland

5 Word building
1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. professional allergic successful religious natural energetic

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 500 or so (about500) south-west England 2,319 23 40 3

6 Two-word phrases
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. f d b e a c

3 Comprehension check
1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. All of retired must not be to teach visitors about magic a lot of imitates birdsong

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NEWS LESSONS / The new witch of Wookey Hole / Elementary

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The new witch of Wookey Hole


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. robe curse cackle cauldron broomstick wizard raven witch spell witchcraft

1. A ___________________ is a man who claims he has magic powers. 2. A ___________________ is a woman who claims she has magic powers. 3. A ___________________ is a large, round metal container used for cooking over a fire. 4. A ___________________ is a bad situation or event caused by someones deliberate use of their magic powers. 5. In fairy stories, witches are often shown riding through the air on a ___________________. 6. A ___________________ consists of words or actions that are intended to make magic things happen. 7. ___________________ is the practice of magic, usually for evil purposes. 8. A ___________________ is a large bird with shiny black feathers. 9. A ___________________ is a long, loose piece of clothing worn during a ceremony. 10. If you ___________________, you laugh in a loud and unpleasant way.

Find the information

1. Where is Wookey Hole? 2. How many people turned up for the audition? 3. How many letters of complaint have been received? 4. What job did the successful candidate have? 5. How many application forms did the Wookey Hole cave attraction send out? 6. How much did Leonine pay for her fur?

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The new witch of Wookey Hole


Level 2 Intermediate
Glastonbury to rid villagers of her curse. Earlier in the day, one of the first to try to impress the judges was a green-eyed witch who claimed her name was Ettedanreb Dnarud, meaning Brave as a Bear. Actually it was just her name, Bernadette Durand, spelled backwards. She had come all the way from Ireland and said she definitely followed the lifestyle of a witch. I follow the moon and seasons, I dance in the dark. Its all about goodness. Theres a lot of bad in the world, this job would help me do good. 5 Alison Dike was also doing good. She was handing out herbs that she said would prevent swine flu. She had a mouthful of black teeth and said she had been betrayed in love by a monk and his bad habits. Further along the queue was the tall Ishtar, real name Leonine from Devon. She wore a real fur around her neck. 3 in a jumble sale, she admitted. But she too claimed to be a real witch. I studied at Glastonbury for three years, she said. What did she study? Going in the woods, visualization and energy work, she said. It was not just women in the queue. There were many men dressed as women, and a few men who believed that wizards also ought to be allowed. One of them was Tony Durant, who has appeared on chat shows around the world showing off his amazing skills imitating birdsong. His raven imitation was particularly popular at this event. My skill is a sort of magic thats why Im here, he said. Other candidates included Silvia Moscati, an Italian who claims she is an ancestor of Casanova and wore a typical 17th-century Venetian witch costume. Helen Chadfield from Bath brought her raven, Bran, with her. The judges seemed to be more interested in Bran than me, though, she said. Some threatened to put curses on the judges if they didnt get the job and two offered to drink a cauldron of their own urine. One couple shocked the judges when they produced their 11-week-old daughter from underneath their
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Carla Calamity named new witch of Wookey Hole


Steven Morris 28 July, 2009 1 All of the job applicants had one thing in common they could all really cackle. Apart from that, the people hoping to be the next witch of Wookey Hole could not have been more diverse. Some were clearly there just for fun, in outfits they had probably hired from fancy dress shops. Others seemed like professional entertainers who saw the event and the 50,000 salary as a pretty good career move. There were even some who said they were looking for a change of direction in life. Two teachers and an accountant were among the 500 applicants who arrived at the cave in cars rather than on broomsticks. And then there were the real witches; those that said they really could cast spells, heal the sick and perhaps cause a little mischief. 2 The attraction in south-west England was looking for a new witch to teach visitors about witchcraft and magic after the previous witch retired. The job offer comes with a salary of 50,000 per year pro rata based on work during school holidays and at weekends. The job advert, placed in local newspapers and job centres earlier this month, says the successful applicant must be able to cackle and must not be allergic to cats. Wookey Hole said it has since sent out 2,319 application forms, and has received 23 letters of complaint from church or religious groups. 3 In the end, the judges chose 40-year-old estate agent Carole Bohanan. She will resign from her current job and call herself Carla Calamity. Carole or Carla said: I am going to be a great witch. All it takes is a little bit of magic and a bit of energy. Its a natural progression from my old job as an estate agent. I have been using my witching skills to sell houses for a long time. 4 A legend says that the caves were home to the Wookey witch who was turned to stone by Father Bernard, appointed by the Abbot of

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The new witch of Wookey Hole / Intermediate

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The new witch of Wookey Hole


Level 2 Intermediate
flowing robes. Bridget Vallance, 45, from Dorset, described herself as a transsexual woman looking for a new role after running a carpet business. She said: I am the Wookey Witch and I am here to reclaim my cave.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 28/07/09

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. The successful candidate will receive a salary of 50,000 per year. 2. The successful candidate must have a cat. 3. All of the applicants were real witches. 4. The job vacancy arose because the previous witch was turned to stone. 5. One witch was handing out herbs that she said would prevent swine flu. 6. The successful candidate sees the job as a natural progression from her previous job.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. An adjective meaning very different from each other. (para 1) 2. A noun meaning behaviour that causes trouble but not serious harm to other people. (para 1) 3. A two-word expression meaning calculated according to the number of hours worked. (para 2) 4. A two-word expression meaning someone whose job is to help people buy or rent property. (para 3) 5. A two-word expression meaning an event where people raise money by selling old clothes. (para 5) 6. A noun meaning forming a picture of someone or something in your mind. (para 5) 7. A verb meaning to copy something. (para 6) 8. A noun (or adjective) meaning someone who has changed sex. (para 8)

5 Expressions with prepositions


Complete the phrases from the text using prepositions. 1. to have something _______ common 2. there _______ fun 3. based _______ the number of hours worked 4. allergic _______ cats 5. letter _______ complaint 6. resign _______ a job 7. put a curse _______ someone 8. interested _______ something
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The new witch of Wookey Hole / Intermediate
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Titlenew witch of Wookey Hole The


Level 2 Intermediate
6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1 2 3 4 5 6 apply apply entertain complain visualise curse (person) (person) noun

4 Discussion
Would you like to do this job? Why? Why not?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The new witch of Wookey Hole / Intermediate

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The new witch of Wookey Hole


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. wizard 2. witch 3. cauldron 4. curse 5. broomstick 6. spell 7. witchcraft 8. raven 9. robe 10. cackle

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. diverse mischief pro rata estate agent jumble sale visualization imitate transsexual

5 Expressions with prepositions


1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. in for on to of from on in

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. south-west England 500 or so (about 500) 23 estate agent 2,319 3

3 Comprehension check
1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F F F F T T

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. application applicant entertainer complaint visualization curse

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Human rights summer camp


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer Our job is to promote equality and human rights, and to create a fairer Britain.

This quote comes from the the Equality and Human Rights Commissions website. What do you associate with the words equality, human rights and fair?

Key words

Skim-read the article to find words to fill the gaps in the sentences below. The paragraph numbers and numbers of letters in the word have been given to help you. 1. different from each other; or including people from many different cultures or races ____________________ (7 letters, para 1) 2. trying to achieve political or social change by persuading other people or the government to do something ____________________ (11 letters, para 1) 3. past form of a verb meaning to try something with a small group of people to find out if it would be successful or popular ____________________ (7 letters, para 3) 4. formal statements expressing the aims and plans of a group or organization ____________________ (10 letters, para 4) 5. a basic belief, theory, or rule that has a major influence on the way in which something is done ____________________ (9 letters, para 5) 6. a hill or area of high land, especially in northern England ____________________ (4 letters, para 5) 7. collections of flowers, cut and tied together in an attractive way ____________________ (8 letters, para 6) 8. someone who belongs to the same social or professional group as another person and/or is the same age ____________________ (4 letters, para 7) 9. a way of thinking about things ____________________ (7 letters, para 8) 10. people who are considered to represent an activity, organization, company, etc. ____________________ (11 letters, para 9) 11. unreasonable opinions or feelings, especially the feelings of not liking a particular group of people ____________________ (10 letters, para 9) 12. having existed for a long time, and therefore recognized as good or successful ____________________ (11 letters, para 10) 13. small and not very noticeable; unlikely to attract attention ____________________ (8 letters, para 12) 14. attempting to stop something bad or to solve a difficult problem ____________________ (9 letters, para 13) 15. A ____________________ person or thing has qualities that make people respect them. (6 letters, para 15) 16. good qualities that a person or thing has, especially moral ones ____________________ (7 letters, para 15)
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Human rights summer camp


Level 3 Advanced
things like ask the quiet ones if they have any ideas, rather than just assuming theyll speak up. 7 The gelling of opposite types, essential for Our Space to work, is helped by peer leaders, who include 15-year-old Dakota Blue Richards, star of the film The Golden Compass. She was told about the camp by an aunt and her five days last summer inspired her to come back. Its great when you go home afterwards and try to show other people what youve learned here, she says. Everyone who comes to Our Space goes home with a different mindset. Its completely different from being told these things in lessons or speeches. We sort it out together. Its interactive. And what you do afterwards is what really counts, because thats when we can make a difference. That is the long-term purpose of the camp creating equality ambassadors to reach young people before prejudices of all kinds can take root. In between outdoor sessions, the teenagers brainstorm about ways they can work in the future towards the commissions aims: running school assemblies, getting groups of friends together, or making an effort to explore other culturally or socially different communities.

Rowing back on inequality


Martin Wainwright 19 August, 2009 1 A camp run by the Equality and Human Rights Commission might seem an unlikely attraction for teenagers, but the outdoor course in the Lake District is inspiring a diverse group of young people to start campaigning for human rights. 2 Punit Patel, 16, calls the commissions second Our Space summer camp simply the best five days of my life. Callum Dixon, propelling his wheelchair along a track by Lake Windermere, says: Its hard work, but no way would I have missed it. 3 Life isnt as exciting or as diverse for either teenager back home, and that is the camps point. Its a simple idea, successfully piloted last year, of gathering around 100 people, aged 14 to 16, from the widest possible range of backgrounds and placing them together in the wild and lovely grounds of Lakeside YMCA. 4 Board, lodging and everything else are free, but to win a place the teenagers had to write manifestos about equality and human rights, and how their energy and imagination could promote both. We got some marvellous ideas, says Gabriela Flores, the commissions camp leader. We wanted to tap that feeling young teenagers have that they can change the world and do a better job than we have done. 5 The students dont need any extra spark, but they do need guidance. The camp uses the principle of always providing something to do, from breakfast at 8am to bed at 11pm. If there is surplus energy, the last day exhausts it with a night-time hike up the fell behind the camp, using skills and mutual trust developed earlier on. 6 14-year-old Katie Briggs, from Berkshire, is giving a lesson in how to take charge firmly but fairly. I got them focused by telling them to tuck in their shirts, she says, after winning bouquets from her 10-strong team for a leadership test that got them through a spiders web net without touching any of the ropes. You need to do
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Advanced

10 We get established young campaigners to come to the camp, says Flores. It gets across the idea that young people can actually do things, rather than dream about them. Sessions were led this year by Tom Robbins, who set up the action group Random Acts of Kindness, and a group of teenagers who started their own free newspapers. 11 Everybody then wrote themselves a stamped addressed postcard with their ideas for action back at home, and handed them back in. Flores and her team will post them off in three weeks time to remind them that this is what they are now supposed to do. It works, says Neerali Pattni, 16, The equality commission said they would support us in anything we did afterwards, and thats just what they have done. 12 Campers get certificates, leaflets, one-to-one
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Human rights summer camp


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because that way you find out about all sorts of different backgrounds, which can be really interesting. 15 It sounds worthy, but teenagers know that they wont make equality and diversity cool by preaching about their virtues. Hannah Mezler, 15, says the attraction isnt that its just the thrill of meeting so many different but normal people her own age, from all over Britain. 16 Katie Briggs agrees. We have a sort of diversity at school, but this is something else. I keep saying to myself, look at all these people youd never ever meet in the little town where I live. And hey, theyre really nice.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 19/08/2009

support sessions and discreet help to win over headteachers or parents who may be cautious about unofficial activism. But plenty still rests on the teenagers shoulders. Its kind of scary, says Claire McLaughlin, 14, from Belfast. But I reckon that if I can get through to even just one person, that person might tell their friends, and theyll tell their friends. Thats how you get a chain reaction. 13 As one of the first of the ambassadors to graduate from the camp, Neerali Pattni started off that way, spreading the word to friends and family, one by one. Combating prejudice is one challenge but so is convincing people in her own community to go out and make different friends. 14 Sometimes thats hard, she says, but I keep saying to them: Look, its really better to mix,

3 Comprehension check
Answer the questions about the article. 1. Who is the camp for? ____________________________________ 2. Who is it run by? ____________________________________ 3. What are its aims? ____________________________________ 4. Where does it take place? ____________________________________ 5. What do people have to do to be able to take part in the camp? ____________________________________ 6. How much does it cost? ____________________________________ 7. What sort of guest speakers come to the camp? ____________________________________ 8. What happens after the camp? ____________________________________

4 Language: Phrases and sentences


Find phrases in the article that mean the following. 1. an unexpected subject of interest (2 words, para 1) ____________________________ 2. to benefit from that feeling (4 words, para 4) ____________________________ 3. additional interest, enthusiasm or energy (2 words, para 5)____________________________ 4. trust between two or more people or parties (2 words, para 5) ____________________________ 5. neatly place shirts behind a waistband (4 words, para 6) ____________________________ 6. making sure that different types of people get on and connect with each other (4 words, para 7) ____________________________ 7. what definitely matters (3 words, para 8) ____________________________ 8. to become established or accepted (2 words, para 9) ____________________________ 9. meetings in which people are helped by others (2 words, para 12) ____________________________ 10. a bit frightening (3 words, para 12) ____________________________
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Advanced
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Human rights summer camp


Level 3 Advanced
5 Discussion
Would you consider sending your children to a camp such as this? Have you ever been to a (summer) camp either as a child or an adult?

6 Webquest
Research one of these places or organizations mentioned in the article and give a short presentation of your findings to the class. http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/fairer-britain/youth-projects/our-space/ http://www.actsofkindness.org/ http://www.lakesideymca.co.uk/ http://www.lake-district.gov.uk/

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Advanced

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Human rights summer camp


Level 3 KEY
2 Key words
1. diverse 2. campaigning 3. piloted 4. manifestos 5. principle 6. fell 7. bouquets 8. peer 9. mindset 10. ambassadors 11. prejudices 12. established 13. discreet 14. combating 15. worthy 16. virtues

Advanced

4 Language: Phrases
1. unlikely attraction 2. to tap that feeling 3. extra spark 4. mutual trust 5. tuck in their shirts 6. gelling of opposite types 7. what really counts 8. take root 9. support sessions 10. kind of scary

Teachers notes
You can listen to a four-minute audio report by Martin Wainwright at the camp in which he talks to one of the peer leaders, Dakota Blue Richards: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/audio/2009/aug/19/ equality-commission-youth-camp It is possible to download the file in MP3 format and play it in class.

3 Comprehension check
Suggested answers: 1. teenagers from all backgrounds (14-16 year olds) 2. the Equality and Human Rights Commission 3. to create equality ambassadors to reach young people before prejudices of all kinds can take root 4. the Lake District in the north of England 5. write a manifesto about equality and human rights, and how their energy and imagination could promote both 6. Nothing, its free. 7. established young campaigners 8. Campers get certificates, leaflets, one-to-one support sessions and discreet help to win over head teachers or parents who may be cautious about unofficial activism.

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NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Advanced

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Human rights summer camp


Level 1
equality
noun [uncountable]

Elementary

the state of being equal, especially in having the same rights, status, and opportunities

human rights
noun [plural]

the rights that everyone should have in a society, including the right to express opinions about the government or to have protection from harm

Warmer

Underline the words you think you would find in an article about a summer camp. Add another three words of your own and then skim-read the article. How many of the words can you find? teenager film lake sleep tent fire food leader _________ rain exciting _________

_________

Key words

Write the words from the article into the gaps in the sentences below. The paragraph numbers have been given to help you. campaigning accommodation inspiring grounds diverse

1. giving someone the enthusiasm and energy to do something _______________________ (para 1) 2. different from each other; or including people from many different cultures or races _______________________ (para 1) 3. trying to make political or social change by talking to other people _______________________ (para 1) 4. an area of land (near a house) _______________________ (para 3) 5. a place for someone to stay, especially overnight _______________________ (para 4) skills essential guidance peer take charge

6. advice from an official organization on how to behave _______________________ (para 5) 7. something that you can do because you have special training and experience _______________________ (para 5) 8. to take control and be responsible for someone or something _______________________ (para 6) 9. completely necessary _______________________ (para 7) 10. someone who is the same age as another person _______________________ (para 7)
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Elementary
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Human rights summer camp


Level 1

Elementary
ambassadors prejudices mindset support

chain reaction

11. a way of thinking about things _______________________ (para 8) 12. people who represent an organization _______________________ (para 9) 13. unreasonable opinions or feelings, especially the feelings of not liking a particular group of people _______________________ (para 9) 14. another word for help _______________________ (para 11) 15. a series of events that happen very fast, with each event causing the next one _______________________ (para 12)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Human rights summer camp


Level 1 Elementary
of the film The Golden Compass. She was told about the camp by an aunt and after her five days last summer she wanted to come back. 8 Its great when you go home afterwards and try to show other people what youve learned here, she says. Everyone who comes to Our Space goes home with a different mindset. Its completely different from being told these things in lessons. We work through problems together. Its interactive. And what you do afterwards is what really matters, because thats when we can make a difference. The long-term purpose of the camp is to create equality ambassadors who will talk to young people before prejudices of all kinds appear. In between outdoor sessions, the teenagers brainstorm about ways they can work in the future towards the commissions aims: at school, with friends or in their communities.

Rowing back on inequality


Martin Wainwright 19 August, 2009 1 An outdoor summer camp run by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in the Lake District in the north of England is inspiring a diverse group of young people to start campaigning for human rights. 2 Punit Patel, 16, says the second Our Space summer camp was the best five days of my life. Callum Dixon says, Its hard work, but no way would I have missed it. for either 3 Life isnt as exciting or as diverse teenager back home, and that is the camps point. Its a simple idea, successfully started last year. It brings together around 100 people, aged 14 to 16, from different backgrounds and places them together in the wild and lovely grounds of Lakeside YMCA. 4 Food, accommodation and everything else are free, but to win a place the teenagers had to write a paper about equality and human rights. We got some marvellous ideas, says Gabriela Flores, the commissions camp leader. We want to use that feeling young teenagers have that they can change the world. 5 The students dont need any extra ideas and energy, but they do need guidance. The camp always provides something to do, from breakfast at 8am to bed at 11pm. On the last day there is a night-time walk up the hill behind the camp, using skills and trust developed earlier on. 6 14-year-old Katie Briggs, from Berkshire, is giving a lesson in how to take charge firmly but fairly. You need to do things like ask the quiet ones if they have any ideas. 7 Getting different types of teenagers to work together is essential for Our Space to work. The campers are helped by peer leaders, who include 15-year-old Dakota Blue Richards, star

10 We ask young campaigners to come to the camp, says Flores. It gets across the idea that young people can actually do things, rather than dream about them. Sessions were led this year by Tom Robbins, who set up the action group Random Acts of Kindness, and a group of teenagers who started their own free newspapers. 11 Everybody then wrote themselves a stamped addressed postcard with their ideas for action back at home, and handed them back in. Flores and her team will post them off in three weeks time to remind them that this is what they should now do. It works, says Neerali Pattni, 16. The equality commission said they would support us in anything we did afterwards, and thats just what they have done. 12 Campers get certificates, leaflets, one-to-one support sessions and help to win over head teachers or parents who may be unsure. But the teenagers have a lot to do. Its kind of scary, says Claire McLaughlin, 14, from Belfast. But I think that if I can get just one person to understand, that person might tell their friends,
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Human rights summer camp


Level 1 Elementary
14 Katie Briggs agrees. We have a sort of diversity at school, but this is something else. I keep saying to myself, look at all these people youd never ever meet in the little town where I live. And hey, theyre really nice.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 19/08/2009

and theyll tell their friends. Thats how you get a chain reaction. 13 Hannah Mezler, 15, says what she likes about the camp is that she gets to meet so many different but normal people her own age, from all over Britain.

3 Comprehension check
Match the sentence halves to summarize the article. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The camp is run by an Teenagers from all over The aim of the camp is It takes place in a beautiful area To get a place in the camp, teenagers have to It costs nothing to Successful campaigners come to After the camp, the teenagers get help to talk to in the north of England. to stop prejudices. write a paper about equality and human rights. go to the camp. their schools, friends and communities. talk to the campers. Britain can go to the camp. organization for equality and human rights.

4 Language: Phrases and sentences


Match the words to make phrases from the article. Then write one sentence of your own for each phrase. hard marvellous ideas sessions make support work a difference

1. _______________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________________________ 4. _______________________________________________________________

5 Discussion
Would you want your children to go to this camp? Have you ever been to a (summer) camp either as a child or an adult?

6 Webquest
Look at one of these websites and make a note of a few key words or ideas. Tell your class about what you have seen or read. http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/fairer-britain/youth-projects/our-space/ http://www.actsofkindness.org/ http://www.lakesideymca.co.uk/ http://www.lake-district.gov.uk/
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Elementary
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Human rights summer camp


Level 1 KEY
1 Warmer
teenager lake leader exciting film food

Elementary

4 Language: Phrases and sentences


hard work marvellous ideas make a difference support sessions

2 Key words
1. inspiring 2. diverse 3. campaigning 4. grounds 5. accommodation 6. guidance 7. skills 8. take charge 9. essential 10. peer 11. mindset 12. ambassadors 13. prejudices 14. support 15. chain reaction

Teachers notes
You can listen to a four-minute audio report by Martin Wainwright at the camp in which he talks to one of the peer leaders, Dakota Blue Richards: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/audio/2009/aug/19/ equality-commission-youth-camp It is possible to download the file in MP3 format and play it in class.

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The camp is run by an organization for equality and human rights. Teenagers from all over Britain can go to the camp. The aim of the camp is to stop prejudices. It takes place in a beautiful area in the north of England. To get a place in the camp, teenagers have to write a paper about equality and human rights. It costs nothing to go to the camp. Successful campaigners come to talk to the campers. After the camp, the teenagers get help to talk to their schools, friends and communities.
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Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009


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CA

NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Elementary

Human rights summer camp


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

Write ten words that you would expect to find in an article about a summer camp. Compare your words with those of other students, then skim-read the article to find out how many of your words appear.

summer camp

Key words

Write the words from the article into the gaps in the sentences below. The paragraph numbers have been given to help you. chain reaction virtues ambassadors fell campaigning peer hike prejudices manifestos mindset diverse promote guidance

assuming

1. different from each other; or including people from many different cultures or places _____________________ (para 1) 2. trying to achieve political or social change by persuading other people or the government to do something _____________________ (para 1) 3. formal statements expressing the aims and plans of a group or organization _____________________ (para 4) 4. to support or encourage something _____________________ (para 4) 5. advice from an official organization on how to deal with particular situations or how to behave _____________________ (para 5) 6. a long walk in the countryside _____________________ (para 5) 7. a hill or area of high land, especially in northern England _____________________ (para 5) 8. believing that something is true, even though no one has told you or even though you have no proof _____________________ (para 6) 9. someone who belongs to the same social or professional group as another person and/or is the same age _____________________ (para 7)
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Intermediate
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Human rights summer camp


Level 2 Intermediate
10. a way of thinking about things _____________________ (para 8) 11. people who are considered to represent an activity, organization, company, etc. _____________________ (para 9) 12. unreasonable opinions or feelings, especially the feelings of not liking a particular group of people _____________________ (para 9) 13. a series of events that happen very fast, with each event causing the next one _____________________ (para 12) 14. good qualities that a person or thing has, especially moral ones _____________________ (para 13)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Intermediate

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Human rights summer camp


Level 2 Intermediate
The campers are helped by peer leaders, who include 15-year-old Dakota Blue Richards, star of the film The Golden Compass. She was told about the camp by an aunt and her five days last summer inspired her to come back. 8 Its great when you go home afterwards and try to show other people what youve learned here, she says. Everyone who comes to Our Space goes home with a different mindset. Its completely different from being told these things in lessons or speeches. We sort it out together. Its interactive. And what you do afterwards is what really counts, because thats when we can make a difference. The long-term purpose of the camp is to create equality ambassadors who will reach young people before prejudices of all kinds appear. In between outdoor sessions, the teenagers brainstorm about ways they can work in the future towards the commissions aims: at school, with friends or in their communities.

Rowing back on inequality


Martin Wainwright 19 August, 2009 1 A summer camp run by the Equality and Human Rights Commission might seem an unlikely attraction for teenagers, but the outdoor course in the Lake District is inspiring a diverse group of young people to start campaigning for human rights. 2 Punit Patel, 16, says the commissions second Our Space summer camp was the best five days of my life. Callum Dixon, moving his wheelchair along a path by Lake Windermere, says, Its hard work, but no way would I have missed it. 3 Life isnt as exciting or as diverse for either teenager back home, and that is the camps point. Its a simple idea, successfully started last year, of gathering around 100 people, aged 14 to 16, from the widest possible range of backgrounds and placing them together in the wild and lovely grounds of Lakeside YMCA. 4 Food, accommodation and everything else are free, but to win a place the teenagers had to write manifestos about equality and human rights, and how their energy and imagination could promote both. We got some marvellous ideas, says Gabriela Flores, the commissions camp leader. We wanted to use that feeling young teenagers have that they can change the world. 5 The students dont need any extra ideas and energy, but they do need guidance. The camp always provides something to do, from breakfast at 8am to bed at 11pm. On the last day there is a night-time hike up the fell behind the camp, using skills and trust developed earlier on. 6 14-year-old Katie Briggs, from Berkshire, is giving a lesson in how to take charge firmly but fairly. You need to do things like ask the quiet ones if they have any ideas, rather than just assuming theyll speak up. 7 Getting different types of teenagers to work together is essential for Our Space to work.

10 We get young campaigners to come to the camp, says Flores. It gets across the idea that young people can actually do things, rather than dream about them. Sessions were led this year by Tom Robbins, who set up the action group Random Acts of Kindness, and a group of teenagers who started their own free newspapers. 11 Everybody then wrote themselves a stamped addressed postcard with their ideas for action back at home, and handed them back in. Flores and her team will post them off in three weeks time to remind them that this is what they are now supposed to do. It works, says Neerali Pattni, 16. The equality commission said they would support us in anything we did afterwards, and thats just what they have done. 12 Campers get certificates, leaflets, one-to-one support sessions and help to win over head teachers or parents who may be cautious about unofficial activism. But plenty still rests on the teenagers shoulders. Its kind of scary, says Claire McLaughlin, 14, from Belfast. But I think that if I can get just one person to understand, that person might tell their friends, and theyll tell their friends. Thats how you get a chain reaction.
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Intermediate

CA

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Human rights summer camp


Level 2 Intermediate
at school, but this is something else. I keep saying to myself, look at all these people youd never ever meet in the little town where I live. And hey, theyre really nice.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 19/08/2009

13 Teenagers know that they wont make equality and diversity cool by preaching about their virtues. Hannah Mezler, 15, says the attraction isnt that its just the thrill of meeting so many different but normal people her own age, from all over Britain. 14 Katie Briggs agrees. We have a sort of diversity

3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the information in the article? Correct any sentences that are false. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The summer camp is for teenagers from all backgrounds. The camp is run by the British government. The aim of the camp is to stop prejudices. It takes place in the north of England. To get a place in the camp, teenagers have to write a paper about equality and human rights. The camp is quite expensive. Movie stars come to talk to the campers. After the camp, the teenagers get help to win over head teachers or parents.

4 Language: Collocations and summarizing


Match the words to make collocations from the article. Then use these word pairs to retell the article. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. unlikely outdoor human hard marvellous take different support rights charge mindset sessions attraction work reaction ideas course

9. chain

5 Discussion
Would you send your children to a camp like this? Have you ever been to a (summer) camp either as a child or an adult?

6 Webquest
Research one of these places or organizations mentioned in the article and give a short presentation of your findings to the class. http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/fairer-britain/youth-projects/our-space/ http://www.actsofkindness.org/ http://www.lakesideymca.co.uk/ http://www.lake-district.gov.uk/
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Intermediate
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Human rights summer camp


Level 2 KEY
2 Key words
1. diverse 2. campaigning 3. manifestos 4. promote 5. guidance 6. hike 7. fell 8. assuming 9. peer 10. mindset 11. ambassadors 12. prejudices 13. chain reaction 14. virtues

Intermediate

Teachers notes
You can listen to a four-minute audio report by Martin Wainwright at the camp in which he talks to one of the peer leaders, Dakota Blue Richards: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/audio/2009/aug/19/ equality-commission-youth-camp It is possible to download the file in MP3 format and play it in class.

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. T F T T T F F T

4 Language: Collocations and summarizing


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. unlikely attraction outdoor course human rights hard work marvellous ideas take charge different mindset support sessions chain reaction

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009


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NEWS LESSONS / Human rights summer camp / Intermediate

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Open Book Alliance


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. rabble-rouser untraceable hotchpotch ramifications bedfellow digitize opt out monolith arcane rift

1. If something is ________________, it is mysterious and difficult to understand. 2. If a person is ________________, it is impossible to find any record of them and to know where they are. 3. If you ________________ of a scheme or an agreement, you decide not to take part in it. 4. A ________________ is someone who speaks to a group of people and encourages them to behave in a violent way. 5. A ________________ is a disagreement between two people or groups. 6. A ________________ is a collection of things that do not belong together or have been put together carelessly. 7. A ________________ is a large and very powerful organization or system that is not willing to change. 8. The ________________ of something are the complex or unexpected ways in which a decision, process or event affects other things. 9. A ________________ is someone or something that is connected with another person or thing in some way, often unexpectedly. 10. If you ________________ material, you change it into electronic signals.

True or false?

Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. Google is planning to digitize and sell every book in America. 2. Google is in a partnership with Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo. 3. Apple is allowed to sell copies of every recording ever made. 4. Google will pay $125 billion for the rights to digitize American books. 5. A variety of people are opposed to the Google plans. 6. Google still sees itself as a start-up company.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Advanced

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Open Book Alliance


Level 3 Advanced
but the major sticking point is straightforward: whether anyone has the right to decide what will happen to books whose ownership is not clear. Under the scheme as it stands proposals currently being scrutinized by a federal court in Manhattan Google would be handed the right to profit from any book whose owner does not opt out, regardless of whether they know about the agreement. 5 It is as if there was a version of iTunes that allowed Apple not only to sell recordings from the labels it agreed a deal with, but also every recording ever made, whether or not the publisher was still in business or the songwriter still alive. That, says Brantley, is something that campaigners worry will trample over the rights of millions of untraceable authors and potentially hamper innovation. He is also keen to point out that the alliance is not opposed to the idea of digitizing books just this way of doing it. After all, when Google first started its book search project which simply created a search engine that linked to books (rather than showing the books themselves) it was received positively by many of the same people who oppose the new deal. This was something that many of us at universities and at the Internet Archive generally supported: we think that digitizing analogue material and making it available for search is an important ability for gaining access to information that might otherwise be locked up, says Brantley. But the settlement is a very different creature from the application Google had originally created. In many ways, Googles actual intentions are less important than the way it presents itself. The idea that Google is fast becoming the new Microsoft might not be entirely accurate but mud sticks. Anil Dash, a vice president at the blogging company Six Apart, recently said that he thought Google was undergoing its Microsoft moment: experiencing a rift between the way the public sees the company (as another corporate monolith) and the way the company sees itself (as a plucky start-up company). The impression
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Peter Brantley and the Open Book Alliance throwing the book at Google
Bobbie Johnson 26 August, 2009 1 Peter Brantley doesnt look like a revolutionary. Bookish-looking and wearing a flat cap, he is quiet, composed and chooses his words with the precision of an academic not really typical of a rabble-rouser. And yet that is the position that Brantley who works for the non-profit Internet Archive has found himself in recently, as he becomes embroiled in a bizarre battle against the Internets most powerful company. 2 Brantley is a key figure in the Open Book Alliance, a hotchpotch of corporations and organizations that is opposing Googles $125m (76m) deal to gain the rights to digitize and sell every book in America. So far, the group has brought together a strange collection of bedfellows not only Google rivals such as Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo, but also librarians and writers united only in their opposition to the proposal. We see this as an organization thats really quite heterogeneous in its composition, he says, with understatement. There are writers groups now, there are library associations, there will be some publishing associations in this group, as well as those large companies each of which, by the way, has very distinct and very specific interests of their own. 3 The proposal in question is an agreement between Google and American publishers and authors groups: a deal announced late last year that sprang from the Internet giants project to digitize millions of books around the world. Under its terms, Google will pay $125m for what critics say amounts to an exclusive, industrywide contract despite the fact that millions of authors will never get the chance to opt out. 4 Brantley characterizes the case as incredibly complex, and he is right. The precise details are stuffed with jargon and sometimes arcane,

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Advanced

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Open Book Alliance


Level 3 Advanced
9 I think its that guiding principle of opening up the discovery of information that motivated Google, and has motivated many of us as we make digital information available online, he says. Although I cannot speak for their motivations, I think where they are now is a very different place from where they started. He is referring to a single, complicated case. But its a statement that might just as well apply to the whole of Google.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published on www.guardian.co.uk, 26/08/09

that Google is just another technological giant like Microsoft will grow, making the audience for Googles messages less tolerant of ambiguity and less forgiving of mistakes. 8 Next week the Manhattan court will finish taking representations from interested parties, while the European Commission is also to look into the potential ramifications for its member states. Brantley, meanwhile, hopes that the deal can be altered in some way to represent the interests of the people who created the books and to better reflect the reason for digitizing books in the first place.

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. What unites the different people and groups in the Open Book Alliance? a. An interest in books. b. Opposition to Googles proposals. c. Specific interests of their own. 2. What is the main objection of the critics? a. That Google is becoming a monolith. b. That Google will have the right to profit from any book whose owner does not opt out. c. That the deal will prevent innovation. 3. What is the attitude of the Open Book Alliance to the idea of digitizing books? a. They are in favour of it because it will make more material available. b. They are in favour of it because it will earn extra money for authors. c. They are opposed to it because they prefer analogue material. 4. What is the Microsoft moment? a. When a company becomes too big too quickly. b. When a company becomes the most powerful in its particular industry sector. c. When there is a difference between how a company sees itself and how the public sees it.

.
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Open Book Alliance


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. An adjective meaning more interested in reading books than in taking part in physical activities such as sports. (para 1) 2. An adjective meaning involved in a difficult situation. (para 1) 3. A noun meaning a statement that makes something seem less important or serious than it really is. (para 2) 4. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to come from a particular place or situation. (para 3) 5. A two-word expression meaning something that people cannot agree on and which stops them from continuing with a discussion. (para 4) 6. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to behave in an unfair way towards someone or something. (para 5) 7. An adjective meaning brave and determined, especially when success is unlikely. (para 7) 8. A two-word expression meaning people will believe the bad things said about someone. (para 7)

5 Prepositions
Complete the phrases using prepositions. 1. tolerant _______ 2. typical _______ 3. embroiled _______ 4. stuffed _______ 5. regardless _______ 6. opposed _______ 7. forgiving _______ 8. access _______

6 Word building
Complete the sentences using an appropriate form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. If you make ____________, you make formal complaints to a court or another official organization. [REPRESENT] 2. No-one is sure what will happen in the case of books whose ____________ is not clear. [OWN] 3. One expert believes the public is less tolerant of ____________ and less forgiving of mistakes. [AMBIGUOUS] 4. Academics are well-known for their ____________. [PRECISE] 5. A number of individuals and organizations are united in their ____________ to the proposals. [OPPOSE] 6. There are a large number of different groups and individuals in the ____________. [ALLY]

6 Discussion
If all books are digitized and placed on the Internet, what benefits should the authors receive? Who should profit from works by authors who cannot be traced?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Advanced

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Open Book Alliance


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. arcane 2. untraceable 3. opt out 4. rabble-rouser 5. rift 6. hotchpotch 7. monolith 8. ramifications 9. bedfellow 10. digitize

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. bookish embroiled understatement spring from sticking point trample over plucky mud sticks

5 Prepositions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. of of in with of to of to

2 True or false?
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T F F F T T

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b b a c

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. representations ownership ambiguity precision opposition alliance

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NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Advanced

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Open Book Alliance


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. digitize jargon opt out diverse untraceable exclusive bizarre innovation rival alliance

1. If something is described as ________________, it is strange and difficult to explain. 2. ________________ is specific words and phrases that are only understood by people who do the same kind of work. 3. If you ________________ of a scheme or an agreement, you decide not to take part in it. 4. An ________________ is an agreement between two or more people or groups by which they agree to work together to achieve something. 5. If an agreement is ________________, it is limited to a particular person, group or company and not shared with others. 6. If you ________________ material, you change it into electronic signals. 7. ________________ is the invention of new ideas, methods, equipment and so on. 8. If a person is ________________, it is impossible to find any record of them and to know where they are. 9. A companys business ________________ is a company that competes with them. 10. If things or people are ________________, they are very different from each other.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Who does Peter Brantley work for? 2. What is the Open Book Alliance fighting against? 3. How much is Google paying for the rights to digitize and sell every book in America? 4. Which three of Googles main rivals are mentioned in the text? 5. Where is the federal court that will rule on Googles proposals? 6. What is Six Apart?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Elementary

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Open Book Alliance


Level 1 Elementary
ownership is not clear. Under the agreement (the proposals are currently being examined by a federal court in Manhattan), Google would have the right to profit from any book whose owner does not opt out, regardless of whether they know about the agreement. 5 It is as if there was a version of iTunes that allowed Apple not only to sell recordings from the labels it agreed a deal with but also every recording ever made, whether or not the publisher was still in business or the songwriter still alive. Brantley says that this is against the rights of millions of authors who are untraceable at the moment and also that it could possibly prevent innovation. Brantley says that the alliance is not against the idea of digitizing books just this way of doing it. After all, when Google first started its book search project which simply created a search engine that linked to books (rather than showing the books themselves) many of the same people who oppose the new deal thought it was a good idea. This was something that many of us at universities and at the Internet Archive generally supported: we think that digitizing analogue material and making it available for search is important for gaining access to information that would otherwise be locked up, says Brantley. But this agreement is a very different thing from the application Google originally created. In many ways, Googles actual intentions are less important than the way it presents itself. Some people believe that Google is quickly becoming the new Microsoft. Anil Dash, of the blogging company Six Apart, recently said that he thought Google was having its Microsoft moment: a big difference between the way the public sees the company (as another huge company) and the way the company sees itself (as a brave little start-up company). People will start believing that Google is just another technological giant like Microsoft and will not be willing to accept any mistakes the company makes.
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Peter Brantley and the Open Book Alliance throwing the book at Google
Bobbie Johnson 26 August, 2009 1 Peter Brantley doesnt look like a revolutionary. He is bookish and quiet and chooses his words carefully. But Brantley who works for the non-profit Internet Archive is now involved in a bizarre battle against the Internets most powerful company. 2 Brantley is a leading figure in the Open Book Alliance, a group of corporations and organizations which is fighting against Googles $125m (76m) deal to gain the rights to digitize and sell every book in America. So far, the group has attracted a strange mixture of people and companies not only Google rivals such as Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo, but also librarians and writers united only in their opposition to the proposal. We see this as an organization thats really quite diverse, he says. There are writers groups now, there are library associations, there will be some publishing associations in this group, as well as those large companies each of which has very different and very specific interests of their own. 3 The proposal in question is an agreement between Google and American publishers and authors groups: a deal announced late last year based on the Internet giants project to digitize millions of books around the world. Under the terms of the agreement, Google will pay $125m for what critics say is an exclusive contract that will cover the entire book industry despite the fact that millions of authors will never get the chance to opt out. 4 Brantley describes the case as incredibly complex, and he is right. The exact details are full of jargon and sometimes difficult to understand, but the major sticking point is straightforward - whether anyone has the right to decide what will happen to books whose

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Elementary

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Open Book Alliance


Level 1
8

Elementary
9 I think that the principle of opening up the discovery of information motivated Google, and has motivated many of us as we make digital information available online, he says. Although I cannot speak for their motivations, I think where they are now is a very different place from where they started.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published on www.guardian.co.uk, 26/08/09

Next week the Manhattan court will finish listening to complaints from interested parties, while the European Commission will examine the potential effects on its member states. Brantley, meanwhile, hopes that the deal can be changed in some way to represent the interests of the people who created the books and to better reflect the reason for digitizing books in the first place.

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. The Open Book Alliance opposes the agreement because 2. Google will have the right 3. The Open Book Alliance is not against 4. Some people believe that 5. A court in Manhattan 6. Peter Brantley hopes ... a. the agreement can be changed in some way to represent the interests of the people who wrote the books. b. the idea of digitizing books. c. is examining the proposals at the moment. d. to profit from any book whose owner does not opt out of the agreement. e. Google is becoming the new Microsoft. f. it is against the rights of millions of authors and could prevent innovation.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. Internets most the company powerful 2. terms the agreement the under of 3. opposition their proposals in united the to 4. book the industry entire 5. ever every made recording 6. start-up little a company brave

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Elementary

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Open Book Alliance


Level 1 Elementary
5 Complete the phrases
Complete the phrases from the text using these words.

to in

of

1. full _______ jargon 2. access _______ information 3. _______ the first place 4. involved _______ a battle 5. linked _______ books 6. a way _______ doing something

6 Word building
Complete the table with words from the article. verb mix oppose propose agree record apply noun

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Open Book Alliance


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. bizarre 2. jargon 3. opt out 4. alliance 5. exclusive 6. digitize 7. innovation 8. untraceable 9. rival 10. diverse

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. the Internets most powerful company 2. under the terms of the agreement 3. united in their opposition to the proposals 4. the entire book industry 5. every recording ever made 6. a brave little start-up company

5 Complete the phrases


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. of to in in to of

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Internet Archive Googles deal to gain the rights to digitize and sell every book in America $125 million (76 million) Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo Manhattan a blogging company

6 Word building
1. mixture 2. opposition 3. proposal 4. agreement 5. recording 6. application

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. f d b e c a

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009


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NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Elementary

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Open Book Alliance


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. opt out rival untraceable jargon digitize hamper rabble-rouser ambiguous bizarre tolerant

1. If you _________________ material, you change it into electronic signals. 2. A _________________ person is someone who is willing to accept other peoples beliefs, way of life, etc., without criticizing them, even if they disagree with them. 3. A companys business _________________ is a company that competes with them. 4. _________________ is specific words and phrases that are only understood by people who do the same kind of work. 5. If something is _________________, it is not clear or can be understood in more than one way. 6. A _________________ is someone who speaks to a group of people and encourages them to behave in a violent way. 7. If you _________________ of a scheme or an agreement, you decide not to take part in it. 8. If something is described as _________________, it is strange and difficult to explain. 9. If a person is _________________, it is impossible to find any record of them and to know where they are. 10. To _________________ means to prevent something from happening or progressing normally.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Who does Peter Brantley work for? 2. How much is Google paying for the rights to digitize and sell every book in America? 3. Which three of Googles main rivals are mentioned in the text? 4. Where is the federal court that will rule on Googles proposals? 5. What is Six Apart? 6. What is the Open Book Alliance?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Intermediate

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Open Book Alliance


Level 2 Intermediate
straightforward: whether anyone has the right to decide what will happen to books whose ownership is not clear. Under the scheme as it stands proposals currently being examined by a federal court in Manhattan Google would be given the right to profit from any book whose owner does not opt out, regardless of whether they know about the agreement. 5 It is as if there was a version of iTunes that allowed Apple not only to sell recordings from the labels it agreed a deal with, but also every recording ever made, whether or not the publisher was still in business or the songwriter still alive. Brantley says that this goes against the rights of millions of untraceable authors and could potentially hamper innovation. He is also keen to point out that the alliance is not opposed to the idea of digitizing books just this way of doing it. After all, when Google first started its book search project which simply created a search engine that linked to books (rather than showing the books themselves) it was received positively by many of the same people who oppose the new deal. This was something that many of us at universities and at the Internet Archive generally supported: we think that digitizing analogue material and making it available for search is an important ability for gaining access to information that would otherwise be locked up, says Brantley. But this agreement is a very different thing from the application Google originally created. In many ways, Googles actual intentions are less important than the way it presents itself. The idea that Google is quickly becoming the new Microsoft may not be completely accurate but mud sticks. Anil Dash, of the blogging company Six Apart, recently said that he thought Google was experiencing its Microsoft moment: a big difference between the way the public sees the company (as another huge company) and the way the company sees itself (as a brave little start-up company). The impression that Google is just another technological giant like Microsoft will grow, making the people who listen
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Peter Brantley and the Open Book Alliance throwing the book at Google
Bobbie Johnson 26 August, 2009 1 Peter Brantley doesnt look like a revolutionary. He is bookish, quiet and composed and chooses his words carefully not really typical of a rabble-rouser. And yet that is the position that Brantley who works for the non-profit Internet Archive has found himself in recently, as he becomes involved in a bizarre battle against the Internets most powerful company. 2 Brantley is a key figure in the Open Book Alliance, a group of corporations and organizations that is opposing Googles $125m (76m) deal to gain the rights to digitize and sell every book in America. So far, the group has brought together a strange mixture of people and companies not only Google rivals such as Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo, but also librarians and writers united only in their opposition to the proposal. We see this as an organization thats really quite diverse in its composition, he says. There are writers groups now, there are library associations, there will be some publishing associations in this group, as well as those large companies each of which, by the way, has very different and very specific interests of their own. 3 The proposal in question is an agreement between Google and American publishers and authors groups: a deal announced late last year based on the Internet giants project to digitize millions of books around the world. Under the terms of the agreement, Google will pay $125m for what critics say is an exclusive, industrywide contract despite the fact that millions of authors will never get the chance to opt out. 4 Brantley describes the case as incredibly complex, and he is right. The precise details are full of jargon and sometimes difficult to understand, but the major sticking point is

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Intermediate

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Open Book Alliance


Level 2 Intermediate
9 I think that the principle of opening up the discovery of information motivated Google, and has motivated many of us as we make digital information available online, he says. Although I cannot speak for their motivations, I think where they are now is a very different place from where they started. He is referring to a single, complicated case. But its a statement that could also apply to the whole of Google.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published on www.guardian.co.uk, 26/08/09

to Googles messages less tolerant when those messages are ambiguous and less willing to forgive mistakes. 8 Next week the Manhattan court will finish listening to complaints from interested parties, while the European Commission is also to look into the potential effects on its member states. Brantley, meanwhile, hopes that the deal can be changed in some way to represent the interests of the people who created the books and to better reflect the reason for digitizing books in the first place.

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Google is the Internets most powerful company. 2. Only Googles rivals, Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo, are opposed to its proposals. 3. All the companies, associations and individuals in the Open Book Alliance share the same interests. 4. Google will have the right to profit from books whose authors opt out of the scheme. 5. Apple has the right to sell recordings of every recording ever made. 6. The Open Book Alliance is not against the idea of digitizing books.

4 Find the word

Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. An adjective meaning more interested in reading books than in taking part in physical activities such as sports. (para 1) 2. An adjective meaning limited to a particular person, group or company and not shared with others. (para 3) 3. A two-word expression meaning something that people cannot agree on and which stops them from continuing with a discussion. (para 4) 4. An adjective meaning not complicated or difficult to understand. (para 4) 5. A two-word adverbial phrase meaning without being affected by anything else that happens or exists. (para 4) 6. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to tell someone something. (para 6) 7. A two-word compound noun meaning a computer program used for looking for information on the Internet. (para 6) 8. A two-word expression meaning people will believe the bad things said about someone. (para 7)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Intermediate

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Open Book Alliance


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text. 1. oppose 2. opt out of 3. gain 4. represent 5. hamper 6. start a. the rights to something b. innovation c. a proposal d. a project e. peoples interests f. an agreement

6 Word building
Complete the table with words from the article. verb oppose propose agree compose own apply intend discovery noun

6 Discussion
Would you like to see all books available in digital form on the Internet? Why? Why not?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Open Book Alliance


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. digitize 2. tolerant 3. rival 4. jargon 5. ambiguous 6. rabble-rouser 7. opt out 8. bizarre 9. untraceable 10. hamper

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. bookish exclusive sticking point straightforward regardless of point out search engine mud sticks

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c f a e b d

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Internet Archive $125 million (76 million) Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo Manhattan a blogging company a group of corporations and organizations opposed to Googles proposals

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. opposition proposal agreement composition ownership application intention discovery

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. T F F F F T

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009


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NEWS LESSONS / Open Book Alliance / Intermediate

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

Do this quiz and then check your answers by skim-reading the article. 1. Where are the Cayman Islands? 2. What field of business provides their main source of income? 3. Which countrys government is responsible for the Cayman Islands? 4. What kind of natural disaster poses a constant threat to the islands?

Key words

Find key words from the article to complete the definitions below. The paragraph numbers have been given to help you. 1. to touch someone or something gently in a pleasant way ______________________ (para 1) 2. to gather together in a large group ______________________ (para 1) 3. a financial organization that invests money that has a high risk of being lost but which may make a very large profit ______________________ (para 2) 4. a situation a person or business is in once they have officially admitted that they have no money and cannot pay what they owe ______________________ (para 2) 5. to help a person or organization that is having problems, especially financial problems (2 words ______________________ (para 3) 6. people who work for a government department ______________________ (para 4) 7. people or companies whose job is to provide goods or to do work for another person, organization, company, etc. at a particular price ______________________ (para 4) 8. a small earthquake; or a sudden feeling of fear ______________________ (para 5) 9. the total amount of money paid by a company to the people it employs ______________________ (para 6) 10. a country or area in which a particular legal system operates ______________________ (para 7) 11. a large light brick made from cement and cinders that is used in building ______________________ (para 9) 12. the set of systems within a place or organization that affect how well it operates, for example the telephone and transport systems in a country ______________________ (para 10) 13. the difference between the amount of money or goods that a country or business has and the amount that it has spent or that it owes ______________________ (para 11) 14. capable of continuing for a long time at the same level ______________________ (para 13) 15. an amount of money that you owe ______________________ (para 15)
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes / Advanced

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Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 3 Advanced
including the financial services industry. 7 The wealth in the Caymans is staggering. Its hedge funds alone looks after $2.3tn (1.4tn), according to figures last year, and its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) places it as the worlds twelfth-richest jurisdiction, despite a population of only 51,900. It made the Caymans a high-profile target as the global financial storm clouds broke. The Caymans were singled out by Barack Obama last year in his presidential campaign. It was also placed on a grey list of harmful tax jurisdictions by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) last April. Chris Johnson, a British accountant who has lived there since 1968, is worried about his future for the first time in decades. I would say I am pessimistic now. The island is in terrible trouble financially, he said.

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to the Cayman Islands taxes


Trouble in paradise: the popular tax haven in the Caribbean has suffered after the collapse of the worlds financial system. Nick Mathiason and James Doran 1 September, 2009 1 The white sands of Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman have long caressed the toes of the worlds wealthiest financiers, who flock here to avoid the taxmans prying eyes. 2 But the worlds biggest hedge-fund venue and fifth-biggest bank centre is now threatened, as the government of the Cayman Islands heads for bankruptcy unable to pay its own staff and facing the prospect of introducing taxes as income from the worlds shrunken financial system collapses. 3 But the situation is about to get worse after the British government, which has ultimate responsibility for the islands, last week refused to bail out the Caribbean idyll. It is not convinced the country will have the money to pay it back. 4 At the same time, hundreds of civil servants found that pension contributions and health insurance payments were missing from their pay slips. Contractors and government suppliers also had bills unpaid. 5 The leader of government business, William McKeeva Bush, begged the British government to borrow $310m (190m) from banks. In a strongly worded response, Chris Bryant, a junior Foreign Office minister, has demanded the Caymans cut its borrowing and debt. And in a shockwave that will send tremors through the islands financial elite, Bryant even suggested that the tax haven introduce taxes. 6 I fear you will have no choice but to consider new taxes perhaps payroll and property taxes, Bryant wrote to Bush. I understand, of course, that in so doing you will want to consider carefully the implications for Caymans economy,

10 The Cayman Islands, like most Caribbean island nations, is deeply divided socially and economically. On the one hand there are the ultra-wealthy Microsofts Paul Allen and golf champion Tiger Woods both moor their yachts there. On the other there are the native Caymanians, many of whom live in simple single-storey breeze block homes typical of the islands, with chickens and goats running about on scrub-like surrounding land. They are poor people who largely exist on the island to serve the wealthy in the hotels, private clubs and staffed households. 11 Cayman islanders say the previous government spent a huge amount of money upgrading the islands ancient infrastructure, betting it would be able to pay back a budget deficit of $67.5m as its financial sector continued to grow. But the global financial crisis has created a huge black hole in its budget. 12 The government charges financial institutions a licence fee based on employee numbers. But as banks and hedge funds shrink, income has declined. More seriously, US tourists cannot afford to visit. To fix the hole, taxes on personal income, financial transactions and tourism
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes / Advanced

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Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 3 Advanced
Grand Cayman. The devastating hurricane Ivan in 2004 didnt help. 15 The problem was, the debt created to finance the capital expenditures was only affordable if the islands economy continued to grow rapidly. It was said many times that a US recession could lead to big problems. And so it has been proved. The British government will hope that the islands problems do not wash up on its shores.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 01/09/09

are being discussed. Most likely will be the introduction of a property tax. 13 Richard Murphy, of the campaign group Tax Justice Network, said: Cayman is proving that tax havens are not sustainable: their business model is bankrupt and that free-riding the tax system cant pay. 14 One hedge-fund insider who lived in the Caymans said: The heavy spending was wellintentioned because Caymans infrastructure schools, public health services, social services are quite poor, given the assumed wealth of

3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article. 1. Rich bankers and financiers go to the Cayman Islands to ... a. ... moor their yachts. b. ... avoid paying taxes. c. ... avoid the winter weather in New York and London. 2. The islands are the worlds ... a. ... biggest hedge fund centre. b. ... fifth-biggest hedge fund centre c. ... biggest bank centre. 3. The British government ... a. ... has said it will bail out the islands. b. ... does not want to put a lot of money into the current system. c. ... wants to sell the islands. 4. The financiers are shocked because a British government officer has suggested ... a. ... that the islands file for bankruptcy. b. ... that civil servants and contractors should not be paid. c. ... that the islands introduce taxes. 5. The Cayman Islands are ... a. ... poor. b. ... being supported by the US economy. c. ... the worlds twelfth-richest jurisdiction. 6. The native people of the islands ... a. ... have a share in the islands wealth. b. ... mostly work in hotels or as servants. c. ... have no schools or health services.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 3 Advanced
4 Language
The article contains many financial terms. Look back through the article and underline as many as you can. Then try to divide them into categories such as: negative financial terms, jobs and positions in the financial sector, types of payments, other words relating to finance, etc. Some may fit in more than one category.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 3 Advanced
5 Discussion
Now that you have read the article a few times, what mental picture do you have of the Cayman Islands?

6 Webquest
The Cayman Islands are not the only tax haven in the world. Can you name some of the others? Are they having similar problems to those that the Cayman Islands are experiencing? Do some research on one of them and report back to your group.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 3 KEY
1 Warmer
1. 2. 3. 4. in the Caribbean finance and banking Britains hurricanes

Advanced

6 Webquest
Other tax havens include Andorra, Luxembourg, the Isle of Man, Monaco, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.

2 Key words
1. caress 2. flock 3. hedge fund 4. bankruptcy 5. bail out 6. civil servants 7. contractors 8. tremor 9. payroll 10. jurisdiction 11. breeze block 12. infrastructure 13. deficit 14. sustainable 15. debt

Teachers notes
You can listen to a short minute audio report by Nick Mathiason about the article at http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/audio/2009/sep/02/ cayman-islands-bankrupt-tax It is possible to download the file in MP3 format and play it in class.

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. b a b c c b

4. Language
This task could be done as pair work. After the words have been divided into categories the students could compare their answers with other pairs and say why they have categorized the words in the way they have.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes / Advanced

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 1
1

Elementary

Warmer

Do this multiple choice quiz and then check your answers by skim-reading the article. 1. Where are the Cayman Islands? a. near Spain b. off the coast of India c. in the Caribbean

2. What type of business provides their main source of income? a. oil b. finance and banking c. illegal drug trade

3. Which countrys government is responsible for the Cayman Islands? a. the USA b. Spain c. Britain

Key words

Find key words from the article to compare the definitions below. The paragraph numbers have been given to help you. hedge fund responsible bankruptcy avoid pension

1. to try not to go near someone or something __________________________ (para 1) 2. a financial organization that invests money that has a high risk of being lost but which may make a very large profit __________________________ (para 2) 3. a situation a person or business is in once they have officially admitted that they have no money and cannot pay what they owe __________________________ (para 2) 4. to be in charge of someone or something __________________________ (para 3) 5. money that someone regularly receives after they have stopped working because of their age, paid either by their company or by the government __________________________ (para 4) debt suppliers tax haven contractors borrowing

6. people or companies whose job is to provide goods or to do work for another person, organization, company, etc. at a particular price __________________________ (para 4) 7. companies that provide or sell a product or service __________________________ (para 4) 8. money you get from somewhere else and promise to give back __________________________ (para 5) 9. the amount of money that you owe __________________________ (para 5) 10. a place where people go to live, or where they keep their money, so that they do not have to pay higher taxes in their home country __________________________ (para 5)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 1 Elementary
divided income jurisdiction payroll

property

11. the total amount of money paid by a company to the people it employs __________________________ (para 6) 12. a country or area in which a particular legal system operates __________________________ (para 7) 13. meaning that there are major differences in how the people live __________________________ (para 9) 14. money that someone gets from working or from investing money __________________________ (para 10) 15. things, especially valuable things such as houses and hotels, that are owned by someone __________________________ (para 10)

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 1 Elementary
worlds twelfth-richest jurisdiction, even though it only has a population of 51,900. 8 Chris Johnson, a British accountant who has lived in the Caymans since 1968, is worried about his future for the first time in decades. I would say I am pessimistic now. The island is in terrible trouble financially, he said. The Cayman Islands, like most Caribbean island nations, is deeply divided socially and economically. On the one hand, there are the ultra-wealthy Microsofts Paul Allen and golf champion Tiger Woods both moor their yachts there. On the other hand, there are the native Caymanians, many of whom live in simple homes with chickens and goats running about. They are poor people who mostly work for the rich people in hotels, private clubs and households.

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to the Cayman Islands taxes


Trouble in paradise: the popular tax haven in the Caribbean has suffered after the collapse of the worlds financial system Nick Mathiason and James Doran 1 September, 2009 1 For many years, the worlds wealthiest financiers have been coming to the white sands of Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman to avoid paying taxes. 2 But the worlds biggest hedge fund venue and fifth-biggest bank centre now has a problem, as the government of the Cayman Islands heads for bankruptcy. It is unable to pay its own staff and may have to introduce taxes. 3 The British government, which is responsible for the islands, last week said it would not give financial help to the Caribbean islands. It does not believe the country will have the money to pay it back. 4 Hundreds of people working for the Cayman Islands government found that their pension contributions and health insurance payments had not been paid. Contractors and government suppliers have also not been paid. 5 The leader of government business, William McKeeva Bush, asked the British government to borrow $310m (190m) from banks. Chris Bryant, a junior Foreign Office minister in the British government, has said that the Caymans must cut its borrowing and debt. Bryant even suggested that the tax haven introduce taxes. 6 I fear you will have no choice but to consider new taxes perhaps payroll and property taxes, Bryant wrote to William McKeeva Bush. 7 The wealth in the Caymans is enormous. Its hedge funds look after $2.3tn (1.4tn), and its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) places it as the

10 But, at the moment, US tourists cannot afford to visit. To get some money, taxes on personal income, financial business and tourism are being talked about, and the Cayman Islands government will most likely introduce a property tax. Cayman is proving that tax havens are no longer a good business model.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 01/09/09

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes / Elementary

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Rich bankers and financiers go to 2. The islands are the worlds biggest 4. The wealthy financiers are shocked 6. The Cayman Islands are the worlds 7. The native people of the islands are poor and mostly 8. Tax havens are not good business models for the future. work in hotels or as servants. hedge fund centre. had their pension and health insurance contributions paid. the Cayman Islands to avoid paying taxes. give a lot of money to the islands. fifth-richest jurisdiction. because a British government officer has suggested that the islands introduce taxes.

3. The British government does not want to 5. Government workers on the island have not

4 Language
Write these words or phrases onto the correct word wheels. Write four sentences of your own containing one word or phrase from one of the word wheels. financier tourism property contractor supplier income

leader of government business accountant business

payroll

Foreign Office minister

golf champion

jobs

taxes

________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________


Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes / Elementary
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion
Now that you have read the article, describe the picture you have in your head of the Cayman Islands what do they look like, whats the weather like, who lives there, who works there, etc?

6 Webquest
The Cayman Islands are not the only tax haven in the world. How many others can you find? Where are they?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 1 KEY
1 Warmer
1. c 2. b 3. c 7. 8. The native people of the islands are poor and mostly work in hotels or as servants. Tax havens are not good business models for the future.

Elementary

2 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. avoid hedge fund bankruptcy responsible pension

4 Language
jobs: financier, contractor, supplier, leader of government business, Foreign Office minister, accountant, golf champion taxes: property, income, tourism, business, payroll

6. contractors 7. suppliers 8. borrowing 9. debt 10. tax haven 11. payroll 12. jurisdiction 13. divided 14. income 15. property

6 Webquest
Other tax havens include Andorra, Luxembourg, the Isle of Man, Monaco, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.

Teachers notes
You can listen to a short minute audio report by Nick Mathiason about the article at http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/audio/2009/sep/02/ cayman-islands-bankrupt-tax It is possible to download the file in MP3 format and play it in class.

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Rich bankers and financiers go to the Cayman Islands to avoid paying taxes. The islands are the worlds biggest hedge fund centre. The British government does not want to give a lot of money to the islands. The wealthy financiers are shocked because a British government officer has suggested that the islands introduce taxes. Government workers on the island have not had their pension and health insurance contributions paid. 6. The Cayman Islands are the worlds fifth richest jurisdiction.

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Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

Do this quiz and then check your answers by skim-reading the article. 1. Where are the Cayman Islands? 2. What type of business provides their main source of income? 3. Which countrys government is responsible for the Cayman Islands?

Key words

Use the key words from the article to complete the definitions or fill the gaps in the sentences below. The paragraph numbers have been given to help you. breeze block implications bankruptcy tax haven hedge fund payroll transactions contractors ultimate jurisdiction elite tremor

civil servants prospect

sustainable

1. a financial organization that invests money that has a high risk of being lost but which may make a very large profit _____________________________ (para 2) 2. a situation a person or business is in once they have officially admitted that they have no money and cannot pay what they owe _____________________________ (para 2) 3. something that you expect or know is going to happen in the future _____________________________ (para 2) 4. If you have _____________________________ power or responsibility, you have more power or responsibility than anyone else. (para 3) 5. people who work for a government department _____________________________ (para 4) 6. people or companies whose job is to provide goods or to do work for another person, organization, company, etc. at a particular price _____________________________ (para 4) 7. a small earthquake; or a sudden feeling of fear _____________________________ (para 5) 8. a small group of people who have a lot of advantages and keep the most power and influence _____________________________ (para 5) 9. a place where people go to live, or where they keep their money, so that they do not have to pay higher taxes in their home country _____________________________ (para 5) 10. the total amount of money paid by a company to the people it employs _____________________________ (para 6) 11. possible effects or results _____________________________ (para 6) 12. a country or area in which a particular legal system operates _____________________________ (para 7) 13. a large light brick made from cement and cinders that is used in building _____________________________ (para 9) 14. activities related to business _____________________________ (para 10) 15. capable of continuing for a long time at the same level _____________________________ (para 11)
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Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 2 Intermediate
consider carefully the implications for Caymans economy, including the financial services industry. 7 The wealth in the Caymans is staggering. Its hedge funds alone look after $2.3tn (1.4tn), according to figures last year, and its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) places it as the worlds twelfth-richest jurisdiction, despite a population of only 51,900. The Caymans were singled out by Barack Obama last year in his presidential campaign. It was also placed on a grey list of harmful tax jurisdictions by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) last April. Chris Johnson, a British accountant who has lived there since 1968, is worried about his future for the first time in decades. I would say I am pessimistic now. The island is in terrible trouble financially, he said. The Cayman Islands, like most Caribbean island nations, is deeply divided socially and economically. On the one hand there are the ultra-wealthy Microsofts Paul Allen and golf champion Tiger Woods both moor their yachts there. On the other there are the native Caymanians, many of whom live in simple single-storey breeze block homes typical of the islands, with chickens and goats running about. They are poor people who largely exist on the island to serve the wealthy in the hotels, private clubs and staffed households.

Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to the Cayman Islands taxes


Trouble in paradise: the popular tax haven in the Caribbean has suffered after the collapse of the worlds financial system Nick Mathiason and James Doran 1 September, 2009 1 The white sands of Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman have long warmed the toes of the worlds wealthiest financiers, who come here to avoid the taxman. 2 But the worlds biggest hedge-fund venue and fifth-biggest bank centre is now threatened, as the government of the Cayman Islands heads for bankruptcy unable to pay its own staff and facing the prospect of introducing taxes as income from the worlds financial system falls dramatically. 3 But the situation is about to get worse after the British government, which has ultimate responsibility for the islands, last week refused to give financial help to the Caribbean islands. It is not convinced the country will have the money to pay it back. 4 At the same time, hundreds of civil servants found that their pension contributions and health insurance payments had not been paid. Contractors and government suppliers also had bills unpaid. 5 The leader of government business, William McKeeva Bush, begged the British government to borrow $310m (190m) from banks. In a strongly worded response, Chris Bryant, a junior Foreign Office minister, has demanded that the Caymans cut its borrowing and debt. And in a shockwave that will send tremors through the islands financial elite, Bryant even suggested that the tax haven introduce taxes. 6 I fear you will have no choice but to consider new taxes perhaps payroll and property taxes, Bryant wrote to William McKeeva Bush. I understand, of course, that you will want to 8

10 The government charges financial institutions a licence fee based on employee numbers. But as banks and hedge funds shrink, income has declined. More seriously, US tourists cannot afford to visit. To fix the hole, taxes on personal income, financial transactions and tourism are being discussed. Most likely will be the introduction of a property tax. 11 Richard Murphy, of the campaign group Tax Justice Network, said: Cayman is proving that tax havens are not sustainable and that freeriding the tax system cant pay.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 01/09/09
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Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 2 Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the information in the article? Correct any sentences that are false. 1. Rich bankers and financiers go to the Cayman Islands to avoid the winter weather in New York and London. 2. The islands are the worlds biggest hedge fund centre. 3. The British government has said it will bail out the islands. 4. The wealthy financiers are shocked because a British government officer has suggested that the islands introduce taxes. 5. Government workers on the island have not had their property tax paid. 6. The Cayman Islands are the worlds richest jurisdiction. 7. The native people of the islands mostly work in hotels or as servants. 8. Tax havens provide a good business model for the future.

4 Language
a. Underline all the jobs and positions mentioned in the article. How many of these are in the financial sector? Add more financial jobs and positions to your list (ones that arent mentioned in the article). How many other kinds of taxes can you think of?

b. What kind of taxes are mentioned in the article?

5 Discussion
Now that you have read the article, describe the picture you have in your head of the Cayman Islands what do they look like, whats the weather like, who lives there, who works there, etc?

6 Webquest
The Cayman Islands are not the only tax haven in the world. Can you name any others? Are they having similar problems to those that the Cayman Islands are experiencing? Do some research on one of them and report back to your group.

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Bankruptcy threat brings new concept to Caymans taxes


Level 2 KEY
1 Warmer
1. in the Caribbean 2. finance and banking 3. Britains

Intermediate

4 Language
a. financiers, the taxman, civil servant, contractors and suppliers, leader of government business, Foreign Office minister, accountant, golf champion b. property and payroll taxes, taxes on personal income, financial transactions and tourism

2 Find the information


1. hedge fund 2. bankruptcy 3. prospect 4. ultimate 5. civil servants 6. contractors 7. tremors 8. elite 9. tax haven 10. payroll 11. implications 12. jurisdiction 13. breeze block 14. transactions 15. sustainable

6 Webquest
Other tax havens include Andorra, Luxembourg, the Isle of Man, Monaco, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.

Teachers notes
You can listen to a short minute audio report by Nick Mathiason about the article at http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/audio/2009/sep/02/ cayman-islands-bankrupt-tax It is possible to download the file in MP3 format and play it in class.

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. F T F T F F T F

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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. wannabe turmoil gig insurgent thrive well-to-do hone renounce piracy strum

1. A _________________ person is rich and belongs to an upper-class family. 2. If you _________________ a guitar, you move your fingers quickly across its strings. 3. An _________________ is someone who belongs to a group of people fighting to take control of their country by force. 4. A _________________ is a public performance, especially of jazz or popular music. 5. If you _________________ something, you state formally that you no longer believe in it or support it. 6. If you _________________ a skill that you already have, you improve it even further. 7. A _________________ is someone who wants to be famous or successful. 8. _________________ is a state of excitement or uncontrolled activity. 9. If something _________________, it becomes very successful. 10. _________________ is the crime of making illegal copies of DVDs or CDs.

Find the information

Read the text quickly and find the answers to these questions. 1. How many people came to the new bands first gig? 2. How many came to their second gig? 3. How many students have signed up for the Guitar School? 4. Where did the band Bumbu Sauce find their name? 5. When did satellite television arrive in Pakistan? 6. What will the capacity of the Rock Musicarium be?

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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 3 Advanced
two reluctant-looking teenage daughters for lessons. It will do them good to learn, she said. But making it to the next stage is difficult and sometimes dangerous. For the past six months virtually all public performances in Lahore have stopped since extremist attacks on a performing arts festival and the Sri Lankan cricket team. The Pakistani music industry itself is disorganized and hamstrung by massive piracy. 5 But the countrys internal chaos is also feeding creativity. Pakistanis have a rich musical tradition, mostly rooted in Sufism, but modern musicians have generally avoided political issues. But the new single from co-VEN, which Jafri fronts, is a sharp parody of Pakistans controversial alliance with the US. Theres a lot of foreign pressure on our government to attack people in the tribal areas, he said. Others have a playful take on the turmoil. The Islamabad band Bumbu Sauce the name comes from a Pot Noodles packet recently brought out Jiggernaut, a single that mixes references to kung fu, talking dogs and the Taliban. Guitarist Shehryar Mufti is not worried the insurgents might take the joke badly. Their argument is with the government, not the people, he said. I think rock music is low on their list of priorities. Pakistani rock was boosted by the arrival of satellite television in the 1990s. Today the musicians, many self-taught, publicize themselves through networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace, and Pakistans growing number of FM radio stations. And despite the security concerns, a fresh concert scene is emerging. On a sultry Saturday night hundreds of young people, mostly dressed in jeans and T-shirts, crowded into a new outdoor auditorium on the edge of Islamabad called the Rock Musicarium. People are thirsting for music, they want to get out, said the venues founder, Zeejah Fazli. When it opens properly in November, the venue will have a recording studio and capacity for 600
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Never mind the Taliban Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll
Countrys internal turmoil is feeding underground music scene and popular guitar school Declan Walsh 1 September, 2009 1 Wannabe rock stars dont have it easy in Pakistan. Last month a new band, Poor Rich Boy, took to the stage of a cramped Islamabad caf for their breakthrough gig. On the first night, one person turned up. It was the night of the world cricket finals. Bad timing, said the groups guitarist, Zain Ahsan, ruefully. The second gig was better 30 people came along but brought its own dark worries. I asked the owner, What if a bomb goes off? said Ahsan. She said, Dont worry, Ill be with you. 2 Even in a summer of Taliban violence young Pakistanis are rocking on. An underground music scene is quietly thriving in the countrys major cities, nourished by the Internet and the passion of mostly amateur bands. In Lahore a pair of unemployed rockers have tapped into that enthusiasm with a new school for rocknroll. We werent getting a lot of gigs, and we needed to survive, said co-founder Hamza Jafri. So we thought wed try this. 3 The Guitar School, as it is known, has been surprisingly successful. Around 40 students have signed up, ranging from surly teenagers in drainpipe jeans to more practised musicians such as Ahsan looking to hone their skills. Classes take place in a small room lined with egg boxes; the schools teaching style is reflected in its motto: Play it like you feel it. Many come from wealthy families that might once have stigmatized music, Jafri said. People associated it with the red light district and sexual entertainment. But a popular new television show featuring live performances, Coke Studio, has given rock music an appearance of respectability. 4 On a recent afternoon a woman brought in

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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 3 Advanced
10 About five years ago Junaid Jamshed, the countrys most famous pop star, renounced music and returned to religion. Now he appears on religious chat shows with a long, curly beard. But most aspiring rock stars say they can live with the difference. In the soundproof room at the Lahore guitar school, 17-year-old Danish Khwaja strummed his guitar, long hair flopping over his forehead. Its kinda cool doing stuff you love, he said.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 01/09/09

people, said Fazli, who estimates there are 20 rock bands in Islamabad alone. But, he admitted, the project depends on a six-month lull in attacks on the capital continuing. 9 For some well-to-do Pakistanis, rock music represents the cultural tensions of their life, which is divided between western influences and the conservative direction their society is taking. On one side kids feel like they are in England; on the other this strict Islamic thing is going on. Its not good for peoples sanity, said Jafri.

3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct answers according to the text. 1. Why was Poor Rich Boys first gig poorly attended? a. Because they were relatively unknown. b. Because the venue was a cramped caf. c. Because it was the same night as the world cricket finals.

2. What is helping the underground music scene to thrive in Pakistan? a. Wealthy families that used to stigmatize music. b. The Internet and the passion of amateur bands. c. The rich musical tradition of Pakistan.

3. Why isnt Shehryar Mufti worried about the Taliban? a. Because he believes that their argument is with the government, not with the people. b. Because their music is simply a parody on the turmoil in Pakistan. c. Because Pakistan has a rich musical tradition rooted in Sufism.

4. How does rock music represent the cultural tensions in the lives of well-to-do Pakistanis? a. A new concert scene is developing despite the security concerns. b. Rock music is an example of western influence and Pakistan is moving in a conservative direction. c. Some people have renounced music and returned to religion.


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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A noun meaning a time when you begin to be successful at something. (para 1) 2. An adverb meaning in a way that shows you are sorry about something. (para 1) 3. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to use something in order to get benefit from it. (para 2) 4. A verb meaning to treat a particular type of behaviour as wrong or embarrassing and to try to make people who behave in this way ashamed. (para 3) 5. An adjective meaning not willing to do something. (para 4) 6. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to want something very much. (para 8) 7. A noun meaning a quiet period during a very active or violent situation. (para 8) 8. A verb meaning to hang in a loose, heavy and uncontrolled way. (para 10)

5 Adjectives
Match the adjectives from the text with their meanings. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. sultry controversial cramped hamstrung massive aspiring surly playful a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. prevented from doing what you want to do unfriendly and rude intended to be funny or friendly rather than serious hoping and trying to be successful at something unpleasantly hot and humid small and crowded extremely large in amount or degree causing disagreement or disapproval

6 Word building
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. A new TV show has given Pakistani rock music an air of ________________. [RESPECT] 2. Pakistans ________________ with the US is controversial. [ALLY] 3. The Guitar School has been ________________ successful. [SURPRISE] 4. The Pakistani music industry is ________________. [ORGANIZE] 5. The internal chaos in the country is feeding ________________. [CREATE] 6. Some people say the division between western influences and religious conservatism is not good for peoples ________________. [SANE]

7 Discussion
Can music change society? If so, how? If not, why?
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll / Advanced
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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. well-to-do 2. strum 3. insurgent 4. gig 5. renounce 6. hone 7. wannabe 8. Turmoil 9. thrives 10. Piracy

Advanced

4 Find the word


1. breakthrough 2. ruefully 3. tap into 4. stigmatize 5. reluctant 6. thirst for 7. lull 8. flop

5 Adjectives
1. e 2. h 3. f 4. a 5. g 6. d 7. b 8. c

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. one 30 40 on a Pot Noodles packet in the 1990s 600

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. c b a b

6 Word building
1. respectability 2. alliance 3. surprisingly 4. disorganized 5. creativity 6. sanity

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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. piracy parody gig chaos disapprove underground strum

surly motto insurgent

1. A __________________ is a public performance, especially of jazz or popular music. 2. An __________________ is someone who belongs to a group of people fighting to take control of their country by force. 3. An __________________ activity is one that is secret and usually illegal. 4. A __________________ is a literary or musical work that copies a serious work in a humorous way. 5. If you __________________ of something, you do not like it and are against it. 6. If you __________________ a guitar, you move all your fingers together quickly across the strings. 7. A __________________ person is unfriendly and rude. 8. __________________ is a situation in which everything is confused and in a mess. 9. __________________ is the crime of making illegal copies of DVDs or CDs. 10. A __________________ is a short statement that expresses the principle or aim of a company or an organization.

Find the information

Read the text quickly and find the answers to these questions. 1. How many people came to the new bands first gig? 2. How many came to their second gig? 3. Where is the Guitar School? 4. When did satellite television arrive in Pakistan? 5. Where is the Rock Musicarium? 6. What will the capacity of the Rock Musicarium be?

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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 1 Elementary
professional musician is difficult and sometimes dangerous. For the past six months almost all public performances in Lahore have stopped since extremist attacks on a performing arts festival and the Sri Lankan cricket team. The Pakistani music industry itself is disorganized and there is a lot of music piracy in Pakistan. 5 But the countrys internal chaos is also making people creative. Pakistanis have a rich musical tradition but modern musicians have generally avoided political issues. But the new single from Jafris band, co-VEN, is a parody of Pakistans controversial alliance with the US. Theres a lot of foreign pressure on our government to attack people in the tribal areas, he said. Others make fun of the chaos. The Islamabad band Bumbu Sauce recently brought out Jiggernaut, a single that has references to kung fu, talking dogs and the Taliban. Guitarist Shehryar Mufti is not worried the insurgents might not like the joke. Their argument is with the government, not the people, he said. I dont think rock music is something important to them. Pakistani rock was helped by the arrival of satellite television in the 1990s. Today the musicians, many self-taught, publicize themselves through networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace, and Pakistans growing number of FM radio stations. And despite the security situation, a new concert scene is appearing. On a hot Saturday night hundreds of young people, mostly dressed in jeans and T-shirts, crowded into a new outdoor theatre on the edge of Islamabad called the Rock Musicarium. People are hungry for music; they want to get out, said the founder, Zeejah Fazli. When it opens officially in November 2009, the Rock Musicarium will have a recording studio and capacity for 600 people, said Fazli, who believes there are 20 rock bands in Islamabad alone. But, he said, the project depends on the six-month break in terrorist attacks on the capital continuing. For some rich Pakistanis, rock music is an example of the cultural tensions of their life, which is divided between western influences and
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Never mind the Taliban Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll
Countrys internal turmoil is feeding underground music scene and popular guitar school Declan Walsh 1 September, 2009 1 Young people who want to be rock stars dont have an easy time in Pakistan. Last month a new band, Poor Rich Boy, appeared on the stage of a small caf in Islamabad for their first gig. On the first night, only one person came to listen. It was the night of the world cricket finals. Bad timing, said the groups guitarist, Zain Ahsan. The second gig was better 30 people came but the musicians were still worried. I asked the caf owner, What if a bomb goes off? said Ahsan. She said, Dont worry, Ill be with you. 2 There has been a lot of Taliban violence this summer but young Pakistanis are continuing to enjoy rock music. An underground music scene is quietly growing in the countrys major cities, helped by the Internet and by the passion of a number of non-professional bands. In Lahore a pair of unemployed rockers have used that enthusiasm to found a new school for rocknroll. We werent getting a lot of gigs, and we needed to survive, said co-founder Hamza Jafri. So we thought wed try this. 3 The Guitar School, as it is known, has been surprisingly successful. Around 40 students have signed up, from surly teenagers in jeans to more practised musicians such as Ahsan who want to improve their skills. Classes take place in a small room lined with egg boxes; the schools teaching style can be seen in its motto: Play it like you feel it. Many come from rich families that might once have disapproved of music, Jafri said. People associated it with sexual entertainment. But a popular new television show called Coke Studio, which shows live performances, has helped to make more people accept rock music. 4 On a recent afternoon a woman brought in her two teenage daughters for lessons. It will do them good to learn, she said. But becoming a
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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 1 Elementary
religious programmes with a long, curly beard. But most young people who want to become rock stars say they can live with the difference. At the Lahore guitar school, 17-year-old Danish Khwaja strummed his guitar. Its kind of cool doing stuff you love, he said.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 01/09/09

the conservative direction their society is taking. On one side kids feel like they are in England; on the other this strict Islamic thing is going on. Its not good for peoples mental health, said Jafri. 10 About five years ago Junaid Jamshed, the countrys most famous pop star, gave up music and returned to religion. Now he appears on

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text. 1. A popular new television show 2. Becoming a professional musician in Pakistan 3. Extremist attacks 4. Pakistani musicians use 5. A new music scene is appearing 6. For rich Pakistanis, there is a big difference ... a. have stopped almost all public performances in Lahore for the past six months. b. between western influences and the conservative nature of Pakistani society. c. in spite of the security situation. d. ... has helped to make more people accept rock music. e. networking sites like MySpace and Facebook to publicize themselves. f. is difficult and sometimes dangerous.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. past for six the months 2. number FM growing stations of radio 3. security the despite situation 4. five ago years about 5. hot night a Saturday on 6. good it to will them learn do

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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 1 Elementary
5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make expressions from the text. 1. rock 2. teaching 3. live 4. musical 5. political 6. recording 7. terrorist 8. caf a. attack b. performance c. studio d. issues e. star f. owner

g. tradition h. style

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. entertain perform refer arrive argue found (person) noun

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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. gig 2. insurgent 3. underground 4. parody 5. disapprove 6. strum 7. surly 8. Chaos 9. Piracy 10. motto

Elementary

4 Chunks
1. for the past six months 2. growing number of FM radio stations 3. despite the security situation 4. about five years ago 5. on a hot Saturday night 6. it will do them good to learn

5 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. e h b g d c a f

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. one 30 Lahore in the 1990s Islamabad 600

6 Word building
1. entertainment 2. performance 3. reference 4. arrival 5. argument 6. founder

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f a e c b

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NEWS LESSONS / Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll / Elementary

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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. parody turmoil insurgent wannabe piracy renounce hamstrung breakthrough gig auditorium

1. A __________________ is someone who wants to be famous or successful. 2. A __________________ is a public performance, especially of jazz or popular music. 3. If you __________________ something, you state formally that you no longer believe in it or support it. 4. __________________ is a state of excitement or uncontrolled activity. 5. __________________ is the crime of making illegal copies of DVDs or CDs. 6. A __________________ is a time when you begin to be successful at something. 7. An __________________ is the part of a theatre, cinema or concert hall where the audience sits. 8. A __________________ is a literary or musical work that copies a serious work in a humorous way. 9. If you are __________________, you are prevented from doing what you want to do. 10. An __________________ is someone who belongs to a group of people fighting to take control of their country by force.

Find the information

Read the text quickly and find the answers to these questions 1. How many people came to the new bands first gig? 2. How many came to their second gig? 3. How many students have signed up for the Guitar School? 4. When did satellite television arrive in Pakistan? 5. where do Pakistani musicians publicize themselves? 6. What will the capacity of the Rock Musicarium be?

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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 2 Intermediate
do them good to learn, she said. But making it to the next stage is difficult and sometimes dangerous. For the past six months almost all public performances in Lahore have stopped since extremist attacks on a performing arts festival and the Sri Lankan cricket team. The Pakistani music industry itself is disorganized and hamstrung by massive piracy. 5 But the countrys internal chaos is also producing creativity. Pakistanis have a rich musical tradition, with its roots in Sufism, but modern musicians have generally avoided political issues. But the new single from Jafris band, co-VEN, is a parody of Pakistans controversial alliance with the US. Theres a lot of foreign pressure on our government to attack people in the tribal areas, he said. Others make fun of the turmoil. The Islamabad band Bumbu Sauce the name comes from a Pot Noodles packet recently brought out Jiggernaut, a single that mixes references to kung fu, talking dogs and the Taliban. Guitarist Shehryar Mufti is not worried the insurgents might take the joke badly. Their argument is with the government, not the people, he said. I think rock music is low on their list of priorities. Pakistani rock was boosted by the arrival of satellite television in the 1990s. Today the musicians, many self-taught, publicize themselves through networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace, and Pakistans growing number of FM radio stations. And despite the security concerns, a new concert scene is appearing. On a sultry Saturday night hundreds of young people, mostly dressed in jeans and T-shirts, crowded into a new outdoor auditorium on the edge of Islamabad called the Rock Musicarium. People are hungry for music; they want to get out, said the venues founder, Zeejah Fazli. When it opens officially in November, the venue will have a recording studio and capacity for 600 people, said Fazli, who estimates there are 20 rock bands in Islamabad alone. But, he admitted,
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Never mind the Taliban Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll
Countrys internal turmoil is feeding underground music scene and popular guitar school Declan Walsh 1 September, 2009 1 Wannabe rock stars dont have an easy time in Pakistan. Last month a new band, Poor Rich Boy, appeared on the stage of a cramped caf in Islamabad for their breakthrough gig. On the first night, one person turned up. It was the night of the world cricket finals. Bad timing, said the groups guitarist, Zain Ahsan. The second gig was better 30 people came along but it brought its own dark worries. I asked the owner, What if a bomb goes off? said Ahsan. She said, Dont worry, Ill be with you. 2 Even in a summer of Taliban violence young Pakistanis are continuing to rock. An underground music scene is quietly growing in the countrys major cities, fed by the Internet and the passion of mostly amateur bands. In Lahore a pair of unemployed rockers have built on that enthusiasm with a new school for rocknroll. We werent getting a lot of gigs, and we needed to survive, said co-founder Hamza Jafri. So we thought wed try this. 3 The Guitar School, as it is known, has been surprisingly successful. Around 40 students have signed up, ranging from surly teenagers in jeans to more practised musicians, such as Ahsan, looking to improve their skills. Classes take place in a small room lined with egg boxes; the schools teaching style is reflected in its motto: Play it like you feel it. Many come from wealthy families that might once have disapproved of music, Jafri said. People associated it with the red light district and sexual entertainment. But a popular new television show featuring live performances, Coke Studio, has given rock music a new respectability. 4 On a recent afternoon a woman brought in two shy teenage daughters for lessons. It will

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll / Intermediate

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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 2 Intermediate
10 About five years ago Junaid Jamshed, the countrys most famous pop star, renounced music and returned to religion. Now he appears on religious chat shows with a long, curly beard. But most aspiring rock stars say they can live with the difference. In the soundproof room at the Lahore guitar school, 17-year-old Danish Khwaja strummed his guitar, long hair flopping over his forehead. Its kind of cool doing stuff you love, he said.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 01/09/09

the project depends on the six-month lull in attacks on the capital continuing. 9 For some wealthy Pakistanis, rock music represents the cultural tensions of their life, which is divided between western influences and the conservative direction their society is taking. On one side kids feel like they are in England; on the other this strict Islamic thing is going on. Its not good for peoples sanity, said Jafri.

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Its easy to become a rock star in Pakistan. 2. There have been no Taliban attacks on Islamabad for the past six months. 3. The Internet is helping the underground music scene to grow. 4. The founders of the Guitar School expected it to be a great success. 5. Rock music is high on the list of things the Taliban are planning to attack. 6. Most wannabe rock stars say they cannot live with the difference between western influences and the strict Islamic direction their country is taking.

4 Find the word


Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. A noun meaning a particular interest or activity and the places or people that are involved in it. (para 2) 5. An adjective meaning not arranged according to a clear plan or system. (para 4)

2. A noun meaning a short statement that expresses a 6. A three-word expression meaning to make jokes principle or aim. (para 3) about something in an unkind way. (para 6) 3. A three-word expression meaning an area with a lot of prostitutes. (para 3) 4. A noun meaning the quality of obeying the moral or social standards that are accepted by most people. (para 3) 7. A noun meaning a quiet period during a very active or violent situation. (para 8) 8. A verb meaning hanging in a loose, heavy and uncontrolled way. (para 10)

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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Adjectives
Match the adjectives from the text with their meanings. 1. cramped 2. amateur 3. surly 4. wealthy 5. massive 6. controversial 7. sultry 8. aspiring a. done for pleasure and not as a job b. unfriendly and rude c. having a large amount of money d. hoping and trying to be successful at something e. unpleasantly hot and humid f. small and crowded g. extremely large in amount or degree h. causing disagreement or disapproval

7 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. violent respectable sane creative enthusiastic entertaining noun

6 Discussion
Does music play an important part in your life? If so, how? If not, why not?

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Pakistans youth put their faith in rocknroll


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. wannabe 2. gig 3. renounce 4. Turmoil 5. Piracy 6. breakthrough 7. auditorium 8. parody 9. hamstrung 10. insurgent

Intermediate

4 Find the word


1. scene 2. motto 3. red light district 4. respectability 5. disorganized 6. make fun of 7. lull 8. flopping

5 Adjectives
1. f 2. a 3. b 4. c 5. g 6. h 7. e 8. d

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. one 30 40 in the 1990s through networking websites (Facebook and MySpace) 600

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F T T F F F

6 Word building
1. violence 2. respectability 3. sanity 4. creativity 5. enthusiasm 6. entertainment

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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

a. How many different species of tree can you list in two minutes? b. The five words you need to label this diagram can all be found in the article.

Find the information

Write the key words from the article into the gaps below. graze dens prone timber legacy nurtured charisma preservation circumvented conservationist

hollow out monument

dotage neglect

efficiency inadvertently

1. the failure to give someone or something the care or attention that they need _____________________________ 2. a strong personal quality that makes other people like you and be attracted to you _____________________________ 3. the period of time when you are old _____________________________ 4. being provided with the care and attention necessary to grow and develop _____________________________ 5. someone who works to protect the environment from damage or destruction _____________________________ 6. likely to do something or be affected by something, especially something bad _____________________________ 7. to make a hole in something by removing what is inside it _____________________________ 8. something good or bad that exists as a result of something that happened in the past _____________________________
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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 3 Advanced
9. the ability to work well and produce good results by using the available time, money, supplies, etc. in the most effective way _____________________________ 10. wood used for building houses or making furniture _____________________________ 11. to put an animal in a place where it can eat grass _____________________________ 12. secret places where children go to play _____________________________ 13. not deliberately, and without realizing what you are doing _____________________________ 14. a structure built in a public place to celebrate an important person or event, also a place of historical importance _____________________________ 15. the process of working to protect something valuable so that it is not damaged or destroyed _____________________________ 16. to find a way of avoiding a rule or law that limits you, especially using a clever trick that does not break the law (passive form) _____________________________

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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 3 Advanced
years old. Birch trees have even shorter lives; one that has lived for two centuries is very old. 5 Ancient trees are ecological treasures because they provide unique habitats for rare plants, insects, birds and mammals. When they become ancient, trees such as oaks and sweet chestnuts grow down, dying at the top and forming a new crown of leaves below so the tree shrinks and bends down like a very old man. Ancient trees also hollow out: rare beetles move into the hollows, followed by birds and bats. Threequarters of our 17 species of bat are known to roost in trees. Some plant species such as rare lichens can only survive on ancient trees. The mood an ancient tree puts you in, it just takes your breath away; you know you are by something extremely important and significant, Muelaner says. When you are under an ancient tree, its very good for your soul. You can learn so much from ancient trees; how does an organism survive for 1,000 years in the same spot? It doesnt get to move to a better position. So it adapts. Standing beneath the huge old beech, contemplating its warty imperfections and huge stretch-marks where its trunk has bent and twisted, it seems incredible that it has stood witness to four centuries of humans. Our wealth of long-lived trees is a happy accident: a legacy of our royal hunting forests, our aristocracy and our lack of efficiency compared with our north European neighbours in harvesting our forests for timber. The last century, however, has not been kind to ancient trees. We have ploughed too close to them, allowed animals to graze too intensively around them and used fertilizers and pesticides, killing both trees and species of fungi that have a symbiotic relationship with them. Then there was the ripping out of native broad-leaved trees and planting of supposedly more productive nonnative conifers after the Second World War. Trees may be impressively long-lived but they are more fragile than we imagine. Too many animals sheltering under a tree and defecating there can fatally damage it. Even a footpath
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Britains ancient trees


Britain is home to around 100,000 of the oldest trees in Europe. But is our neglect and ill-treatment threatening to kill them off? Patrick Barkham 22 July, 2009 1 Above grey roots like the enormous feet of a prehistoric elephant, leaves form a roof as grand as a cathedral. Huge limbs stretch out for 24 metres on each side. They smell damp. Stand beneath the Tree, as this magical old beech is called, and you feel that you are in the presence of something living and breathing. Its trunk is polished smooth from admirers, and it has even brought its charisma to films such as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. 2 This tree has lived for 400 years but now it is dying. The tree isnt capturing all the light that it once did, explains Bob Davis, head forester for the National Trusts 5,000-acre estate at Ashridge. It is slowly shutting down. Weve decided not to do any surgery on it and allow it to decline naturally. 3 In its dotage, this great tree is being carefully nurtured. Across the country, however, many of our estimated 100,000 ancient trees which could represent 70% of all ancient trees in Europe are neglected or at risk of being cut down. This week, they get a new guardian: Brian Muelaner, a forester turned conservationist, is to count all the ancient trees on land belonging to the National Trust. Muelaners new job as the Trusts ancient tree officer will help the Ancient Tree Hunt, a five-year project led by the Woodland Trust, which for the first time is recording every ancient tree in Britain. If we dont know where they are, we cant protect them, says Muelaner. 4 A tree is defined as ancient if it is unusually old for its species. It is said that an oak spends 300 years growing, 300 years living and 300 years dying. Such a long-lived species would have to be 600 years old to be classified as ancient. Beeches are prone to fungal attack and are less long-lived: an ancient beech is anything over 300

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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 3 Advanced
is a tree preservation order, which can be circumvented by developers if it is proved trees are dead, dying or dangerous (and most ancient trees, by definition, are dying: it just takes them three centuries). 12 Muelaner points to the enormous beech at Ashridge. If France, Germany or the Scandinavian countries had a tree like that, there would be plaques everywhere and it would be a national monument, he says. 13 The speed of our societies nowadays mean that trees are that much more important to us as places where we are grounded and are at peace, says Muelaner. We need them now more than we ever needed them before.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 22/07/09

under a tree can compress its roots and destroy it. Ancient trees are often hollow: the holes make fantastic dens but children often light small fires in them. You lose your ancient tree just like that, Muelaner snaps his fingers. We do things inadvertently and its gone. We cant put it back. If we kill an ancient tree, we have to wait 500 years to restore that habitat. 10 Trees can also die of sunburn. Beech has thin bark and, just like a pale-skinned human, if it has grown up protected from the sun and is suddenly exposed, it burns. Grey squirrels stripping bark is an increasing problem: holes in the bark allow fungal diseases in, which can weaken a tree and finally cause it to fall over. 11 Our great wealth of ancient trees is still relatively unprotected. Other countries preserve ancient trees by listing them like an old house or ancient monument. In Britain, the only protection

3 Comprehension check
Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article. 1. 2. 3. An ancient tree is one that is ... a. ... over 300 years old. b. ... unusually old for its species. c. ... dying from old age. The tree that was in the Harry Potter film is ... a. ... an old oak. b. ... an old witch-hazel. c. ... an old beech. The National Trust believes that .... a. ... it will cost too much to record all the ancient trees in Britain. b. ... Britains ancient trees cannot be saved. c. ... 70% of Europes existing ancient trees can be found in Britain. 4. Brian Muelaner says ancient trees ... a. ... are good for the soul. b. ... are good for the environment. c. ... are a good source of timber.

5. Britain has many ancient trees because... a. ... its royal families and noblemen preserved the woods for hunting purposes. b. ... it used to buy all the timber it needed from Scandinavia. c. ... in the past, foresters were very efficient. 6. Is there currently a tree preservation order in Britain? a. Yes it lists the trees too. b. No, not anymore. c. Yes, but not a very effective one.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The plight of Britains ancient trees / Advanced

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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 3 Advanced
4 Language: Similes
a phrase that describes something by comparing it to something else using the word like or as a. Look in the article and find what the author has likened these things to: 1. 2. 3. 4. the trees roots __________________________________________________________ the trees leaves _________________________________________________________ an ancient tree __________________________________________________________ thin bark _______________________________________________________________

simile (noun)

b. Look out of the window. Find a metaphor to describe an object you can see (e.g. a tree, a building, a vehicle, ...).

5 Discussion
Have you ever climbed a tree? Are there any ancient trees where you live? Talk about a tree that has a special significance, or holds certain memories, for you.

6 Webquest
Choose one of the following tasks, make notes and report back to the class about what you have learnt. Read about the Ancient Tree Hunt here: http://www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk/ Read about why woods matter here: http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/why-woods-matter/Pages/woods.aspx Read for more general information about what the National Trust is and what it does here: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-trust/w-thecharity.htm Read about the National Trusts tree map and Brian Muelaners work here: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-global/w-news/w-latest_news/w-news-ancientreemap.htm

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The plight of Britains ancient trees / Advanced

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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 3 KEY
1 Warmer
a. oak, beech, birch, sweet chestnut, etc. b. leaves, branches, trunk, bark, roots

Advanced
3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. b c c a a c

2 Key words
1. neglect 2. charisma 3. dotage 4. nurtured 5. conservationist 6. prone 7. hollow out 8. legacy 9. efficiency 10. timber 11. graze 12. dens 13. inadvertently 14. monument 15. preservation 16. circumvented

4 Language: Similes
1. 2. 3. 4. grey roots like the enormous feet of a prehistoric elephant leaves form a roof as grand as a cathedral the tree shrinks and bends down like a very old man thin bark just like a pale-skinned human

Teachers notes
Homework suggestion: You could ask your students to take a photo of a tree and bring it to the next lesson. They could then say why they chose to photograph that particular tree and what it means to them.

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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 1 Elementary
ancient (adjective) very old

Warmer

a. Scan the article to find the five words you need for this diagram.

b. Now look in the article for the names of four species of tree. How many other trees can you think of in two minutes? ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________

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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 1
2

Elementary

Find the information

Write the key words from the article into the gaps below. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. species protect grand neglected guardian smooth unique habitats estimated

1. very wonderful and impressive _____________________________ (para 1) 2. no rough areas or lumps _____________________________ (para 1) 3. an adjective used when people say what they think an amount should be but they are not certain _____________________________ (para 3) 4. when you do not give someone or something the care or attention that they need _____________________________ (para 3, past tense) 5. a person that looks after and protects something or someone _____________________________ (para 3) 6. to keep someone or something safe from harm, injury or damage _____________________________ (para 3) 7. a plant or animal group whose members all have similar general features _____________________________ (para 4) 8. very special places that particular animals usually live in or particular plants usually grow in _____________________________ (para 5) bark hollow plough fertilizers and pesticides grounded preserve monument adapt

9. an empty area inside the tree _____________________________ (para 5) 10. to change how you are or what you do so that you can deal with a new situation _____________________________ (para 6) 11. to turn over the soil (earth) before putting seeds into it _____________________________ (para 7) 12. natural or chemical substances added to soil in order to help plants grow _____________________________ (para 7) 13. the hard substance that covers a tree _____________________________ (para 8) 14. to take special care of a thing, place or building in order to stop it from being harmed or destroyed _____________________________ (para 9) 15. a structure built in a public place to celebrate an important person or event _____________________________ (para 9) 16. confident and sensible, because you know what is important in life _____________________________ (para 10)

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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 1 Elementary
chestnuts grow down. They die at the top and form new leaves below so the tree bends down like a very old man. Rare beetles then go to live in the hollows of ancient trees, followed by birds and bats. Some plant species only live on ancient trees. 6 Muelaner says, You can learn so much from ancient trees; how does a tree live for 1,000 years in the same place? It cant move to a better position. So it adapts. Britain has many ancient trees but in the last century we have not been kind to them. We plough too close to them, allow animals to eat grass around them and use fertilizers and pesticides, killing both trees and species of fungi that have a special relationship with them. Trees can also die of sunburn. Beech has thin bark and, just like a pale-skinned person, it can burn. Grey squirrels pulling off bark is also a problem: holes in the bark allow fungal diseases in, which can weaken a tree and cause it to fall over. Other countries preserve ancient trees by listing them like an old house or ancient monument. Muelaner points to the enormous beech. If France, Germany or the Scandinavian countries had a tree like that, there would be signs everywhere and it would be a national monument, he says.

Britains ancient trees


Britain is home to around 100,000 of the oldest trees in Europe. Patrick Barkham 22 July, 2009 1 Above grey roots like the feet of an elephant, leaves make a roof as grand as a cathedral. Huge branches stretch out for 24 metres on each side. Stand beneath this magical old beech, and you feel that you are next to something that is living and breathing. Its trunk is smooth because so many people touch it, and it has even been in films such as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. 2 This tree has lived for 400 years but now it is dying. The tree isnt getting all the light that it needs, explains Bob Davis, head forester for the National Trust. Weve decided not to do anything to it. We will let it die naturally. 3 In its old age, this great tree is being carefully looked after. Across the country, however, many of our estimated 100,000 ancient trees maybe 70% of all ancient trees in Europe are neglected or at risk of being cut down. This week, they get a new guardian: Brian Muelaner is going to count all the ancient trees on land belonging to the National Trust. Muelaners new job as the Trusts ancient tree officer will help the Ancient Tree Hunt, a five-year project led by the Woodland Trust, which is recording every ancient tree in Britain. If we dont know where they are, we cant protect them, says Muelaner. 4 A tree is ancient if it is unusually old for its species. It is said that an oak spends 300 years growing, 300 years living and 300 years dying. So an oak would have to be 600 years old to be called ancient. Beeches dont live as long: an ancient beech is anything over 300 years old. Birch trees have even shorter lives; one that has lived for two centuries is very old. 5 Ancient trees provide unique habitats for rare plants, insects, birds and mammals. When they become ancient, trees such as oaks and sweet

10 Trees are much more important to us nowadays; they are places where we are grounded and are at peace, says Muelaner. We need them now more than we ever needed them before.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 22/07/09

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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Match the sentence halves to summarize the article. 1. An ancient tree is one that 2. The beech tree in the article was 3. 70% of Europes ancient trees 4. In his new job, Brian Muelaner 5. Many insects, birds and animals 6. Muelaner thinks we can 7. If trees are not cared for they 8. When people are near an ancient tree can be found in Britain. live in ancient trees. learn a lot from ancient trees. can die very easily. is very old for its species. they feel peaceful and good. will help record all of Britains ancient trees. in a Harry Potter film.

4 Language: Nature words and prepositions


a. Choose the correct preposition to complete the sentences with information from the article. under on in off

1. Beetles and bats live ___________ ancient trees. 2. Cows eat the grass ___________ the trees. 3. Grey squirrels pull bark ___________ trees. 4. Rare plants live ___________ the trees. b. Draw a simple picture which includes these items and some more ideas of your own: a tree, flowers or other plants, animals and birds, and people.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The plight of Britains ancient trees / Elementary

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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion
Have you ever climbed a tree? When, where, why, what did it feel like? Are there any ancient trees where you live?

6 Webquest
Choose one of the following tasks, make notes and report back to the class about what you have learnt. Read about the Ancient Tree Hunt here: http://www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk/ Read about why woods matter here: http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/why-woods-matter/Pages/woods.aspx Read for more general information about what the National Trust is and what it does here: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-trust/w-thecharity.htm Read about the National Trusts tree map and Brian Muelaners work here: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-global/w-news/w-latest_news/w-news-ancientreemap.htm

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The plight of Britains ancient trees / Elementary

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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 1 KEY
1 Warmer
a. leaves, branches, bark, trunk, roots b. oak, beech, birch, sweet chestnut

Elementary
3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. An ancient tree is one that is very old for its species. The beech tree in the article was in a Harry Potter film. 70% of Europes ancient trees can be found in Britain. In his new job, Brian Muelaner will help record all of Britains ancient trees. Many insects, birds and animals live in ancient trees. Muelaner thinks we can learn a lot from ancient trees. If trees are not cared for they can die very easily. When people are near an ancient tree they feel peaceful and good.

2 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. grand smooth estimated neglected guardian protect species unique habitats

9. hollow 10. adapt 11. plough 12. fertilizers and pesticides 13. bark 14. preserve 15. monument 16. grounded

4 Language: Nature words and prepositions


1. in 2. under 3. off 4. on

Teachers notes
Task 1: The warmer can be carried out in the students own language (if you teach a monolingual class). Homework suggestion: You could ask your students to take a photo of a tree and bring it to the next lesson. They could then say why they chose to photograph that particular tree and what it means to them.

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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

Skim the article to find the names of four species of tree. How many other species of tree can you think of in two minutes?

Key words

Write the key words from the article into the gaps below. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. species protect hollow neglect presence polished unique habitats estimated

1. the failure to give someone or something the care or attention that they need _______________________________ (subtitle)

2. the existence of someone or something in a particular place _______________________________ (para 1) 3. when the surface of something has been rubbed in order to make it smooth and shiny _______________________________ (para 1) 4. an adjective used to say what you think an amount will be, either by guessing or by using available information to calculate it _______________________________ (para 3) 5. to keep someone or something safe from harm, injury or damage _______________________________ (para 3) 6. a plant or animal group whose members all have similar general features and are able to produce young plants or animals together _______________________________ (para 4) 7. very special places that particular animals usually live in or particular plants usually grows in _______________________________ (para 5) 8. an empty area inside the tree _______________________________ (para 5) bark efficiency significant fragile preserve monument timber

ploughed

9. very important, large or noticeable _______________________________ (para 6) 10. the ability to work well and produce good results by using the available time, money, supplies, etc. in the most effective way _______________________________ (para 7) 11. wood used for building houses or making furniture _______________________________ (para 7) 12. to turn over the soil before putting seeds into it _______________________________ (para 7, past tense) 13. delicate; easy to break or damage _______________________________ (para 8) 14. the hard substance that covers a tree _______________________________ (para 9) 15. to take care of a thing, place or building in order to prevent it from being harmed or destroyed _______________________________ (para 10) 16. a structure built in a public place to celebrate an important person or event, also a place of historical importance _______________________________ (para 10)
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The plight of Britains ancient trees / Intermediate
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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 2 Intermediate
ancient, trees such as oaks and sweet chestnuts grow down, dying at the top and forming a new crown of leaves below so the tree shrinks and bends down like a very old man. Rare beetles move into the hollows of ancient trees, followed by birds and bats. Some plant species can only survive on ancient trees. 6 The mood an ancient tree puts you in just takes your breath away; you know you are next to something extremely important and significant, Muelaner says. When you are under an ancient tree, its very good for your soul. You can learn so much from ancient trees; how does a tree survive for 1,000 years in the same place? It cant move to a better position. So it adapts. Britain has many ancient trees because of our royal hunting forests and our lack of efficiency compared with our north European neighbours in cutting down our forests for timber. The last century, however, has not been kind to ancient trees. We have ploughed too close to them, allowed animals to eat grass around them and used fertilizers and pesticides, killing both trees and species of fungi that have a two-way relationship with them. Trees may be long-lived but they are more fragile than we imagine. Too many animals sheltering under a tree can fatally damage it. Even a footpath under a tree can hurt its roots and destroy it. Ancient trees are often hollow: the holes make fantastic places to play but children often light small fires in them. You lose your ancient tree just like that, Muelaner snaps his fingers. If we kill an ancient tree, we have to wait 500 years to get that habitat back. Trees can also die of sunburn. Beech has thin bark and, just like a pale-skinned human, it can burn. Grey squirrels pulling off bark is an increasing problem: holes in the bark allow fungal diseases in, which can weaken a tree and cause it to fall over.

Britains ancient trees


Britain is home to around 100,000 of the oldest trees in Europe. But is our neglect and ill-treatment threatening to kill them off? Patrick Barkham 22 July, 2009 1 Above grey roots like the enormous feet of an elephant, leaves form a roof as grand as a cathedral. Huge branches stretch out for 24 metres on each side. They smell damp. Stand beneath this magical old beech, and you feel that you are in the presence of something living and breathing. Its trunk has been polished smooth by people touching it, and it has even been in films such as . 2 This tree has lived for 400 years but now it is dying. The tree isnt getting all the light that it once did, explains Bob Davis, head forester for the National Trust. Weve decided not to do any surgery on it and allow it to die naturally. 3 In its old age, this great tree is being carefully looked after. Across the country, however, many of our estimated 100,000 ancient trees which could represent 70% of all ancient trees in Europe are neglected or at risk of being cut down. This week, they get a new guardian: Brian Muelaner is to count all the ancient trees on land belonging to the National Trust. Muelaners new job as the Trusts ancient tree officer will help the Ancient Tree Hunt, a five-year project led by the Woodland Trust, which is recording every ancient tree in Britain. If we dont know where they are, we cant protect them, says Muelaner. 4 A tree is defined as ancient if it is unusually old for its species. It is said that an oak spends 300 years growing, 300 years living and 300 years dying. So an oak would have to be 600 years old to be called ancient. Beeches are often attacked by fungus and are less long-lived: an ancient beech is anything over 300 years old. Birch trees have even shorter lives; one that has lived for two centuries is very old. 5 Ancient trees are ecological treasures because they provide unique habitats for rare plants, insects, birds and mammals. When they become
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The plight of Britains ancient trees / Intermediate

10 Other countries preserve ancient trees by listing them like an old house or ancient monument. In Britain, the only protection is a tree preservation order, which developers can get around if it is proved trees are dead, dying or dangerous (and
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The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 2 Intermediate
12 Trees are much more important to us nowadays; they are places where we are grounded and are at peace, says Muelaner. We need them now more than we ever needed them before.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 22/07/09

most ancient trees, by definition, are dying: it just takes them three centuries). 11 Muelaner points to the enormous beech. If France, Germany or the Scandinavian countries had a tree like that, there would be signs everywhere and it would be a national monument, he says.

3 Comprehension check
According to the information in the article are these sentences true (T) or false (F)? Correct any incorrect. 1. An ancient tree is one that is over 300 years old. 2. The tree that was in the Harry Potter film is an old oak. 3. The National Trust believe that 70% of Europes existing ancient trees can be found in Britain. 4. In his new job, Brian Muelaner will help record all of Britains ancient trees. 5. He works for The Woodland Trust. 6. Brian Muelaner says ancient trees are a good source of timber. 7. Britain has many ancient trees because its royal families preserved the woods to hunt animals. 8. There is currently no tree preservation order in Britain.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The plight of Britains ancient trees / Intermediate

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 2 Intermediate
4 Language: Parts of a tree and similes
a. The five words you need to label this diagram can all be found in the article.

a phrase that describes something by comparing it to something else using the word like or as b. Match the metaphors from the article with the things they describe. 1. 2. 3. 4. a cathedral the skin of a pale person elephants feet an old man an ancient tree the trees roots the trees leaves thin bark

simile (noun)

c. Look out of the window. Find a metaphor to describe an object you can see (e.g. a tree, a building, a vehicle, ...).

5 Discussion
Have you ever climbed a tree? When, where, why, what did it feel like? Are there any ancient trees where you live?

6 Webquest
Choose one of the following tasks, make notes and report back to the class about what you have learnt. Read about the Ancient Tree Hunt here: http://www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk/ Read about why woods matter here: http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/why-woods-matter/Pages/woods.aspx Read for more general information about what the National Trust is and what it does here: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-trust/w-thecharity.htm Read about the National Trusts tree map and Brian Muelaners work here: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-global/w-news/w-latest_news/w-news-ancientreemap.htm
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / The plight of Britains ancient trees / Intermediate
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

The plight of Britains ancient trees


Level 2 KEY
1 Warmer
oak, beech, birch, sweet chestnut

Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. F F T T F F T F

2 Key words
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. neglect presence polished estimated protect species unique habitats hollow

4 Language: Parts of a tree and similes


a. leaves, branches, bark, trunk, roots b. 1. 2. 3. 4.

9. significant 10. efficiency 11. timber 12. ploughed 13. fragile 14. bark 15. preserve 16. monument

leaves form a roof as grand as a cathedral thin bark just like a pale-skinned human grey roots like the enormous feet of a prehistoric elephant the tree shrinks and bends down like a very old man

Teachers notes
Homework suggestion: You could ask your students to take a photo of a tree and bring it to the next lesson. They could then say why they chose to photograph that particular tree and what it means to them.

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NEWS LESSONS / The plight of Britains ancient trees / Intermediate

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Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 3
1

Advanced

Warmer

A bodice-ripper is: a. a book about the fashion industry b. a sexually passionate historical novel c. a medical text book How many other fiction genres can you think of in two minutes?

Key words

Write the key words from the article into the gaps below. 1. a hat that ties under your chin _________________________ (para 1) 2. not obvious, and therefore difficult to notice _________________________ (para 1) 3. always worried about things _________________________ (para 2) 4. ideas that groups of people secretly worked together to cause particular events _________________________ (two words, para 2) 5. to avoid doing something, especially for moral reasons _________________________ (para 3) 6. someone or something that is very impressive or surprising _________________________ (para 4) 7. to increase the feeling that you want to have or to do a particular thing _________________________ (three words, para 5) 8. current and up-to-date matters _________________________ (two words, para 9) 9. very religious or very enthusiastic in your support for something _________________________ (para 9) 10. in a very important or basic way _________________________ (para 11) 11. not giving much information because you do not want someone to know everything about something _________________________ (para 11) 12. used for saying that something is even less likely to happen than another unlikely thing _________________________ (two words, para 11)

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Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 3 Advanced
more next year. The phenomenon has gained mainstream media attention from the Wall Street Journal and Time magazine. 6 People like them for a lot of reasons. That is why they are such hot sellers, said Cindy Woodsmall, whose fifth Amish romance The Sound of Sleigh Bells is out next month. The Amish are holding on to a way of life that other Americans have let go of, and I think we all want to know the story behind that, she added. Woodsmalls sales have reached 134,000 copies and show no sign of letting up. She puts that down to the rich storytelling tradition among her Amish friends. With no televisions or computers, most Amish families have always kept alive a tradition of oral storytelling. It is rich, rich soil for an author to work with, Woodsmall said. Sex and violence do not play much of an open role. Drama tends to revolve around the comings and goings at church dances, teenagers testing the limits of Amish dress codes and behaviour, or flirting with outsiders. Kisses are not common on the printed page. Sex is virtually unknown. While contemporary issues do intrude one novel revolved around an Amish woman trying Prozac to cure her depression rather than the power of prayer and family most plots are set against the gentle rhythms of farming life, family and devout belief in God. Experts say that this taps into mass appeal with many Americans, who see the Amish as some sort of idealized group, living a life free from the stresses of the modern world. It is perhaps also no coincidence that Amish books are especially popular among evangelical Christians. The mild portrayals of sex and violence and the emphasis on faith and traditional family values are all strong selling points for many religious Americans. These are things that are highly valued. It reminds many of them of a sort of life many people led in America before the Second World War. They feel reading these books is like a trip down memory lane, said Professor Susan Trollinger, an expert on Amish issues at the
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Bonnet-ripper novels take readers back to simpler times when life revolved around church dances and family values Paul Harris 20 September, 2009 1 They have been called bonnet-rippers rather than bodice-rippers, and the sex is generally left to the readers imagination. But the subtle pleasures of a new brand of romantic fiction set in Americas Amish communities is proving one of the most surprising success stories in publishing. At a time when most bestsellers seem to involve angst-ridden teen vampires or thrillers based on murderous global conspiracy theories, a group of authors has been quietly racking up hundreds of thousands of sales by exploring the romantic entanglements of the Amish. At first, the Amish seem an unlikely inspiration for novels of lust and forbidden love. Scattered across the US, but most famously concentrated in Pennsylvania, the Amish, and similar sects like the Mennonites, live quiet lives in small farming communities. They eschew modern technology, often speak an old-fashioned form of German, have strong religious faith, wear 19th-century-looking clothing and bonnets, and usually drive horse-drawn buggies. Such a lifestyle has not stopped the bonnetripper phenomenon from taking off or spreading into other genres, such as Amish thrillers and mysteries. Bookseller Barnes and Noble recently reported that 15 of its top 100 religious fiction titles were Amish novels. The numbers involved are enough to whet the appetite of a struggling publishing industry. Author Beverly Lewis has sold 13.5 million copies of her books set among the Pennsylvania Amish; Wanda Brunstetters novels have sold four million copies. One publisher, Thomas Nelson, is releasing five Amish novels this year and has plans for six

10

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Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 3 Advanced
12 The irony is that they reject the culture that is so embracing them through these books. But no Amish person could really write a book like these novels. They could not do so and stay in an Amish church. They would be kicked out, Trollinger said.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/09/09

University of Dayton in Ohio. 11 Another attraction is the otherness of the Amish, who remain fundamentally apart from mainstream America. Their interactions with the outside world are often guarded, and there is a conscious refusal to enter the 20th century, let alone the 21st.

3 Comprehension check
Look back over the article to find the answers to these questions: 1. Which US state are the Amish usually associated with? 2. What language do they speak? 3. How do they deal with modern technology? 4. Which international bookseller is mentioned in the article? 5. How is a bonnet-ripper different to a bodice-ripper? 6. Why do American readers like these Amish love stories? 7. Are the authors members of the Amish community?

4 Language - prepositional phrases


a. Complete these phrases from the article with the correct prepositions. against up around out into off up

1. rack __________ sales 2. take __________ 3. (no sign of) letting __________ 4. tap __________ 5. revolve __________ 6. set __________ 7. kick __________ b. Find them in the article to read them in context. What do they mean? Check your answers in a dictionary. c. Write some example sentences of your own using the prepositional phrases above.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Amish love stories are bestsellers in America / Advanced

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 3 Advanced
5 Discussion
What types of books do you like to read? Would you like to read an Amish love story? Have you read any books recently that you could recommend?

6 Webquest
Which (fiction) books are currently at, or near, the top of these bestseller lists? www.amazon.co.uk www.barnesandnoble.com http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/series/bestsellers http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/ Which of these books would you be interested in reading? Is it available in your language?

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NEWS LESSONS / Amish love stories are bestsellers in America / Advanced

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 3 KEY
1 Warmer
b

Advanced
3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Pennsylvania An old-fashioned form of German They avoid it. Barnes and Noble There is hardly any sex or violence in a bonnet-ripper. It makes them think of the (quieter and more innocent) life many of them led before WWII. No. Amish people could not write these novels as they would not be able to do so and stay in the Amish church.

2 Key words
1. bonnet 2. subtle 3. angst-ridden 4. conspiracy theories 5. eschew 6. phenomenon 7. whet the appetite 8. contemporary issues 9. devout 10. fundamentally 11. guarded 12. let alone

4 Language prepositional phrases


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. rack up sales take off (no sign of) letting up tap into revolve around set against kick out

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NEWS LESSONS / Amish love stories are bestsellers in America / Advanced

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Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 1
1
1. A bodice is: a. a type of warm underwear b. an old-fashioned name for a body c. the part of a dress that covers a womans body from the waist up a. to tear something quickly and with a lot of force b. to go surfing c. to fall down a. a book about the fashion industry b. a sexy historical novel c. a medical text book

Elementary

Warmer

2. To rip means:

3. A bodice-ripper is:

Key words

Write the key words from the article into the gaps below. The paragraph numbers are given to help you. inspiration bonnet phenomenon imagination sects

1. an old-fashioned hat that ties under your chin ___________________________ (para 1) 2. the ability to form a picture, story or idea in your mind ___________________________ (para 1) 3. someone or something that gives you new ideas and the enthusiasm to create something with them ___________________________ (para 3) 4. religious groups whose beliefs are different from the beliefs of mainstream religions ___________________________ (para 3) 5. someone or something that is very impressive or surprising ___________________________ (para 4) outsiders devout sales figures dress code set

6. to say where a book, film, etc. takes place ___________________________ (para 5) 7. the number of items sold ___________________________ (para 7) 8. a set of rules about what you should wear ___________________________ (para 8) 9. people who do not belong to a particular group or organization ___________________________ (para 8) 10. very religious ___________________________ (para 9)

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Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 1 Elementary
faith emphasis family values kicked out valued

11. special importance or attention that is given to one thing in particular ___________________________ (para 9) 12. a strong religious belief ___________________________ (para 9) 13. the principles on which the traditional family is based, especially the importance of marriage ___________________________ (para 9) 14. thought to be important ___________________________ (para 10) 15. made to leave somewhere ___________________________ (para 11)

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Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 1 Elementary
Woodsmall, whose fifth Amish romance The Sound of Sleigh Bells is out next month. The Amish are holding on to a way of life that other Americans have lost, and I think we all want to know the story behind that, she added. 7 Woodsmalls sales figures have reached 134,000 copies and show no sign of slowing down. She puts that down to the rich storytelling tradition among her Amish friends. Because they have no televisions or computers, most Amish families have always kept alive a tradition of oral storytelling. The books are about church dances, teenagers not keeping to Amish dress codes and behaviour, or flirting with outsiders. Kisses are not common in the books. Sex is unknown. Most plots are set against the gentle rhythms of farming life, family and devout belief in God. Experts say that this appeals to many Americans, who see the Amish people living a life free from the stresses of the modern world. It is perhaps also no coincidence that Amish books are especially popular among evangelical Christians. Very little sex and violence and the emphasis on faith and traditional family values are all strong selling points for many religious Americans.

Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Bonnet-ripper novels take readers back to simpler times when life revolved around church dances and family values Paul Harris 20 September, 2009 1 They have been called bonnet-rippers rather than bodice-rippers, and the sex is only in the readers imagination. But a new type of romantic fiction set in Americas Amish communities is one of the most surprising success stories in publishing. 2 At a time when most bestsellers seem to involve teenage vampires or murder mysteries and thrillers, a group of authors has been quietly making hundreds of thousands of sales by writing about the romantic relationships of the Amish. 3 At first, the Amish seem an unlikely inspiration for novels of lust and forbidden love. The Amish, and similar sects like the Mennonites, live quiet lives in small farming communities across the US, but most famously in Pennsylvania. They do not use modern technology, often speak an oldfashioned form of German, have strong religious faith, wear 19th-century-looking clothing and bonnets, and usually drive horse-drawn buggies. 4 The Amish lifestyle has not stopped the bonnetripper phenomenon from becoming a success. There are also other types of books, such as Amish thrillers and mysteries. Bookseller Barnes and Noble recently said that 15 of its top 100 religious fiction titles were Amish novels. 5 Author Beverly Lewis has sold 13.5 million copies of her books which are set among the Pennsylvania Amish; Wanda Brunstetters novels have sold four million copies. One publisher, Thomas Nelson, is publishing five Amish novels this year and has plans for six more next year. Even the Wall Street Journal and Time magazine have written articles about the phenomenon. 6 People like the books for a lot of reasons. That is why they are such hot sellers, said Cindy
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

10 These are things that are highly valued. It reminds many of them of a sort of life many people led in America before the Second World War, said Professor Susan Trollinger, an expert on Amish issues at the University of Dayton in Ohio. 11 Another attraction is the otherness of the Amish, who remain apart from mainstream America. No Amish person could write a book like these novels. They could not do so and stay in an Amish church. They would be kicked out, Trollinger said.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/09/09

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NEWS LESSONS / Amish love stories are bestsellers in America / Elementary

N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 1 Elementary
3 Comprehension check
Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the article? 1. Many Amish people live in the US state of California. 2. They speak an old-fashioned form of German. 3. They travel around in big modern cars. 4. The Amish do not have computers or TV. 5. There is a lot of sex and violence in a bonnet-ripper. 6. American readers like the Amish love stories because it reminds them of the past. 7. The authors are members of the Amish community.

4 Language pronunciation
Write these words into the correct column according to their pronunciation pattern. Then look in the article to find more words to add to each column. popular bonnet phenomenon community novel clothing relationship emphasis teenager

Oo Amish

oOoo America

Ooo publisher

5 Discussion
What types of books do you like to read? Would you like to read an Amish love story? Have you read any books recently that you could recommend?

6 Webquest
Which are the top three (fiction) books on these bestseller lists? www.amazon.co.uk www.barnesandnoble.com http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/series/bestsellers http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/ Which of these books would you be interested in reading? Is it available in your language?
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Amish love stories are bestsellers in America / Elementary
CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 1 KEY
1 Warmer
1. c 2. a 3. b

Elementary
3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. F T F T F T F

2 Key words
1. bonnet 2. imagination 3. inspiration 4. sects 5. phenomenon 6. set 7. sales figures 8. dress code 9. outsiders 10. devout 11. emphasis 12. faith 13. family values 14. valued 15. kicked out

4 Language - pronunciation Oo Amish bonnet clothing novel oOoo America community relationship Ooo publisher teenager popular

phenomenon emphasis

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NEWS LESSONS / Amish love stories are bestsellers in America / Elementary

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Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Warmer

A bodice-ripper is: a. a book about the fashion industry b. a sexually passionate historical novel c. a medical text book How many other fiction genres can you think of in two minutes?

Key words

Write the key words from the article into the gaps below. portrayals devout bonnet idealized phenomenon entanglements guarded emphasis outsiders conspiracy theories sects contemporary issues

1. an old-fashioned hat that ties under your chin ____________________________ (para 1) 2. ideas that groups of people secretly worked together to cause particular events ____________________________ (para 2) 3. complicated situations or relationships ____________________________ (para 2) 4. religious groups whose beliefs are different from the beliefs of mainstream religions ____________________________ (para 3) 5. someone or something that is very impressive or surprising ____________________________ (para 4) 6. people who do not belong to a particular group or organization ____________________________ (para 8) 7. current and up-to-date matters ____________________________ (para 9) 8. very religious or very enthusiastic in your support for something ____________________________ (para 9) 9. to believe or suggest that someone or something is perfect or better than they really are ____________________________ (para 9) 10. particular ways in which people or things are described ____________________________ (para 9) 11. special importance or attention that is given to one thing in particular ____________________________ (para 9) 12. not giving much information because you do not want someone to know everything about something ____________________________ (para 11)

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 2 Intermediate
Wall Street Journal and Time magazine. 6 People like them for a lot of reasons. That is why they are such hot sellers, said Cindy Woodsmall, whose fifth Amish romance The Sound of Sleigh Bells is out next month. The Amish are holding on to a way of life that other Americans have let go of, and I think we all want to know the story behind that, she added. Woodsmalls sales have reached 134,000 copies and show no sign of letting up. She puts that down to the rich storytelling tradition among her Amish friends. With no televisions or computers, most Amish families have always kept alive a tradition of oral storytelling. Drama tends to revolve around the comings and goings at church dances, teenagers not keeping to Amish dress codes and behaviour, or flirting with outsiders. Kisses are not common in the books. Sex is virtually unknown. While contemporary issues do appear in the books one novel revolved around an Amish woman trying Prozac to cure her depression rather than the power of prayer and family most plots are set against the gentle rhythms of farming life, family and devout belief in God. Experts say that this appeals to many Americans, who see the Amish as some sort of idealized group, living a life free from the stresses of the modern world. It is perhaps also no coincidence that Amish books are especially popular among evangelical Christians. The mild portrayals of sex and violence and the emphasis on faith and traditional family values are all strong selling points for many religious Americans.

Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Bonnet-ripper novels take readers back to simpler times when life revolved around church dances and family values Paul Harris 20 September, 2009 1 They have been called bonnet-rippers rather than bodice-rippers, and the sex is generally left to the readers imagination. But a new brand of romantic fiction set in Americas Amish communities is proving one of the most surprising success stories in publishing. 2 At a time when most bestsellers seem to involve teenage vampires or thrillers based on murderous global conspiracy theories, a group of authors has been quietly making hundreds of thousands of sales by exploring the romantic entanglements of the Amish. 3 At first, the Amish seem an unlikely inspiration for novels of lust and forbidden love. Spread across the US, but most famously concentrated in Pennsylvania, the Amish, and similar sects like the Mennonites, live quiet lives in small farming communities. They do not use modern technology, often speak an old-fashioned form of German, have strong religious faith, wear 19thcentury-looking clothing and bonnets and usually drive horse-drawn buggies. 4 The Amish lifestyle has not stopped the bonnetripper phenomenon from taking off or spreading into other genres, such as Amish thrillers and mysteries. Bookseller Barnes and Noble recently reported that 15 of its top 100 religious fiction titles were Amish novels. 5 The numbers involved are enough to excite the struggling publishing industry. Author Beverly Lewis has sold 13.5 million copies of her books set among the Pennsylvania Amish; Wanda Brunstetters novels have sold four million copies. One publisher, Thomas Nelson, is releasing five Amish novels this year and has plans for six more next year. The phenomenon has gained mainstream media attention from the
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

10 These are things that are highly valued. It reminds many of them of a sort of life many people led in America before the Second World War. They feel reading these books is like a trip down memory lane, said Professor Susan Trollinger, an expert on Amish issues at the University of Dayton in Ohio. 11 Another attraction is the otherness of the Amish, who remain apart from mainstream America. Their interactions with the outside world are often guarded, and they refuse to enter the 20th or 21st century.
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NEWS LESSONS / Amish love stories are bestsellers in America / Intermediate

Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 2 Intermediate
12 No Amish person could really write a book like these novels. They could not do so and stay in an Amish church. They would be kicked out, Trollinger said.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/09/09

3 Comprehension check
Look back over the article to find the answers to these questions: 1. Which US state are the Amish usually associated with? 2. What language do they speak? 3. How do they deal with modern technology? 4. Which international bookseller is mentioned in the article? 5. How is a bonnet-ripper different to a bodice-ripper? 6. Why do American readers like these Amish love stories? 7. Are the authors members of the Amish community?

4 Language - prepositional phrases


a. Complete these phrases from the article with the correct prepositions. 1. take _________ 2. (no sign of) letting _________ 3. revolve _________ 4. set _________ 5. kick _________ b. Match them with the meanings and find them in the article to read them in context. to have something as a very important part or purpose slowing down become a success to force someone to leave a place or organization situated amongst against around out off up

c. Write some example sentences of your own using the prepositional phrases above.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Amish love stories are bestsellers in America / Intermediate

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Discussion
What types of books do you like to read? Would you like to read an Amish love story? Have you read any books recently that you could recommend?

6 Webquest
Which (fiction) books are currently at, or near, the top of these bestseller lists? www.amazon.co.uk www.barnesandnoble.com http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/series/bestsellers http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/ Which of these books would you be interested in reading? Is it available in your language?

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NEWS LESSONS / Amish love stories are bestsellers in America / Intermediate

O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Amish love stories are bestsellers in America


Level 2 KEY
1 Warmer
b

Intermediate
3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Pennsylvania An old-fashioned form of German They avoid it. Barnes and Noble There is hardly any sex or violence in a bonnet-ripper. It makes them think of the (quieter and more innocent) life many of them led before WWII. No. Amish people could not write these novels as they would not be able to do so and stay in the Amish church.

2 Key words
1. bonnet 2. conspiracy theories 3. entanglements 4. sects 5. phenomenon 6. outsiders 7. contemporary issues 8. devout 9. idealized 10. portrayals 11. emphasis 12. guarded

4 Language prepositional phrases


take off = become a success (no sign of) letting up = slowing down revolve around = to have something as a very important part or purpose set against = situated amongst kick out = to force someone to leave a place or organization

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. rehabilitation infamy invincible bland knack peak auction abusive phenomenal decline

1. If someone has a _________________ for doing something, they have the skill or ability to do it, even if it is something negative. 2. A _________________ person is one who is not interesting, exciting or original. 3. An _________________ person is one who treats another person in a cruel or violent way. 4. _________________ is the process of helping someone give up drugs or alcohol. 5. If someones career _________________, it reaches the highest level of performance before the person becomes less successful. 6. If something is _________________, it is extremely impressive or surprising. 7. An _________________ person is too strong to be defeated. 8. An _________________ is a public occasion where things are sold to the people who offer the most money for them. 9. If someones career is in _________________, it is becoming less successful. 10. _________________ is having a reputation for something bad.

What do you know?

Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. Whitney Houston is 56 years old. 2. She was born in California. 3. The song I Will Always Love You comes from the film The Bodyguard. 4. Whitney Houston is related to Dionne Warwick. 5. She is married to the R&B singer Bobby Brown. 6. Houstons co-star in The Bodyguard was Kevin Costner.

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 3 Advanced
5 Those dark years were a long way from her clean-cut childhood. She was born in New Jersey and educated at the best local school. Her father was a truck driver and later entered local politics. Her mother is singer Cissy Houston, her cousins include Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick and her godmother was Aretha Franklin. With this background, it might appear that Houston was always going to be a star but her father always said that it was not until she was 11 that they decided to put her on stage with her mother. By the time she was 21, she had signed her own record deal and shortly afterwards came her debut album, Whitney Houston, which had phenomenal success. Her appeal seemed to be universal black, white, rich, poor: everyone loved Whitney Houston. Later, Houston, who had been called a great cross-over artist for her ability to bridge the racial divide, found herself facing criticism for becoming too white but this had little effect on the Houston machine. In 1992, she starred with Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard and released I Will Always Love You from the soundtrack. As well as making her even more famous, the film provoked another round of criticism. Was her appeal universal or was she just too bland? Who exactly was she? People know who I am, she retorted. But did they? The world had met a clean-cut young star. She had supported Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid campaign and had raised money for charity. However, all this was about to be eclipsed by a very public personal decline. In 1992, after relationships with actor Eddie Murphy and American football star Randall Cunningham, she married R&B singer Bobby Brown. In her Oprah Winfrey interview, Houston insisted that Brown was not responsible for her subsequent drug taking and continues to deny that he ever beat her but she describes her marriage as emotionally abusive. During their marriage, Brown was twice in prison. He was also arrested for allegedly hitting Houston.
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Oliver Marre 20 September, 2009 1 On the release of her first album in 1985, Whitney Houston was hailed by the New York Times as an exceptional vocal talent. Last month, her latest album was welcomed more cautiously by the same newspaper, Shes tentatively climbing back into the pop machinery, no longer invincible but showing a divas determination. 2 In the intervening 24 years, Houston has achieved the heights of extraordinary fame according to one source, she is the fourthbiggest-selling female star of all time and the depths of tabloid infamy. She has spent evenings on the worlds biggest stages and months in drug rehabilitation centres. She has starred in blockbuster movies and in a much-criticized reality television show. And last week, she appeared on Oprah Winfreys chat show and is once again making headlines all over the world. 3 It is not hard to see why she remains a subject of such fascination. Her early talent was widely praised, she is a genuine Hollywood star and her most famous songs such as I Will Always Love You are instantly recognizable. And yet she has a knack for public confessions. Her reality TV show Being Bobby Brown was supposed to re-launch her then husbands musical career but became more famous for providing shocking details of his aggression towards her and the way they lived. 4 In 2002, she gave an interview to American TV journalist Diane Sawyer in which she denied taking crack cocaine. And in 2007, when she owed a storage company 100,000, she paid the bill by putting hundreds of items of clothing and furniture up for public auction. This time, Houston has spoken about how her mother forced her into rehab. She added that for a full seven months, while she was using drugs heavily, she wore her pyjamas and did not get dressed.

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 3 Advanced
ago and went straight to number one. It seems hard to believe that she is just 46 no reflection on her handsome looks. Partly, this is because so much has happened, and so publicly, in her relatively short life. But it is also because she peaked early, before hip-hop had hit the mainstream and revolutionized black American music, and seems to belong to a different era. We have, though, already seen two very different sides of Houston and her future remains unclear but phase three of her career may just be starting.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/09/09

10 Houston did not produce another studio album until 1998 but in the intervening years she starred in two more films and produced a soundtrack album to accompany each. Waiting to Exhale was marketed more directly to a black audience than any of her previous work but it proved a success, taking more than $80m across the world. In August 2001, she signed a new record contract with Arista worth $100m, which was the biggest deal in recording history. 11 She divorced Bobby Brown in April 2007 and people close to her say she has been quietly rebuilding her life and recording I Look to You, which was released in America three weeks

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. How has the New York Times reacted to Whitney Houstons new album? a. Enthusiastically, just as it did in 1985. b. Quite positively but with much less enthusiasm than in 1985. c. Very negatively, urging its readers to be cautious about buying the album.

2. Which of these statements best describes Whitney Houstons career? a. She has had a professional career that has been full of ups and downs. b. She has revolutionized black American music. c. She has starred in blockbuster movies and hit television shows.

3. How did Houston describe her marriage to Bobby Brown? 4. a. She insisted that Brown was responsible for her drug-taking. b. She said that there was some emotional abuse in the relationship. c. She said it was full of aggression. Why is it surprising that she is only 46 years old? a. Because she looks much older. b. Because so much has happened in her life. c. Because she is very good-looking.

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 3 Advanced
5 Two-word expressions
Find the words and phrases in the text. 1. an adverb meaning with a certain lack of confidence or certainty (para 1) 2. a two-word expression meaning very easy to recognize (para 3) 3. a two-word adjective meaning neat and tidy (para 5) 4. a noun meaning the type of family, social position or culture that someone comes from (para 6) 5. a verb meaning to make a film, video or CD available for people to see or buy (para 7) 6. a verb meaning to make someone or something seem less successful or important by becoming more successful or important than they are (para 8) 7. an adjective meaning happening or coming after something else (para 9) 8. a two-word noun phrase meaning ideas, methods or people that are considered ordinary or normal and accepted by most people (para 11)

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns or noun phrases they go with in the right-hand column. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. make re-launch sign release bridge raise support face a. an album b. money for charity c. a campaign d. headlines e. a contract/a deal f. criticism g. a career h. the divide

6 Word building
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. Brown was arrested for _________________ hitting Houston. [ALLEGE] 2. Whitney Houston has a great deal of _________________. [DETERMINE] 3. She has described her marriage as _________________ abusive. [EMOTION] 4. The Bodyguard attracted quite a lot of _________________. [CRITICIZE] 5. Houston was described as having an _________________ vocal talent. [EXCEPTION] 6. Hip-hop _________________ black American music. [REVOLUTION]

7 Discussion
Should the private lives of famous people be revealed to the rest of the world or should they be kept private?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva / Advanced

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. knack 2. bland 3. abusive 4. rehabilitation 5. peaks 6. phenomenal 7. invincible 8. auction 9. decline 10. infamy

Advanced
4 Find the word
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. tentatively instantly recognizable clean-cut background release eclipse subsequent the mainstream

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. d g e a h b c f

2 What do you know?


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F F T T F T

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. b a b b

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. allegedly determination emotionally criticism exceptional revolutionized

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NEWS LESSONS / Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva / Advanced

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. rehabilitation genuine allegedly release bland clean-cut abusive divorce vocal tabloid

1. If you ____________________ a film, video or CD, you make it available for people to see or buy. 2. A ____________________ person is very neat and tidy. 3. If you ____________________ someone, you take legal action to end your marriage. 4. ____________________ newspapers have fairly small pages and mostly contain stories about famous people and not much serious news. 5. If someone has ____________________ done something wrong, another person says they have done it, even though this has not been proved. 6. ____________________ is the process of helping someone give up drugs or alcohol. 7. An ____________________ person is one who treats another person in a cruel or violent way. 8. If something is ____________________, it is real rather than pretended or false. 9. ____________________ means relating to the voice, or done with the voice. 10. A ____________________ person is one who is not interesting, exciting or original.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. Where was Whitney Houston born? 2. Which well-known singer is Whitney Houstons godmother? 3. Which film does the song I Will Always Love You come from? 4. Who was Houstons co-star in The Bodyguard? 5. When did she divorce Bobby Brown? 6. How old is Whitney Houston?

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 1 Elementary
Her father was a truck driver and later entered local politics. Her mother is singer Cissy Houston, her cousins include Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick and her godmother was Aretha Franklin. 6 With this family background, Houston was always going to be a star but her father always said that they did not decide to put her on stage until she was 11. By the time she was 21, she had signed her own record deal and soon afterwards, she released her first album, Whitney Houston, which was extremely successful. Black, white, rich, poor: everyone loved Whitney Houston. Some people called her a great cross-over artist because she was able to bridge the racial divide between black and white but others criticized her for being too white. This did not have much effect on the Houston machine. In 1992, she starred with Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard and released the song I Will Always Love You from the films soundtrack. The film made her even more famous but it also attracted more criticism. Did everyone really like her or was she just too bland? Who exactly was she? People know who I am, she replied. But did they? At first, she was a clean-cut young star. She supported Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid campaign and raised money for charity. However, soon, her personal life began to make the newspaper headlines. In 1992, after relationships with actor Eddie Murphy and American football star Randall Cunningham, she married R&B singer Bobby Brown. In her Oprah Winfrey interview, Houston said that Brown was not responsible for her drugtaking and she says that he didnt beat her but she describes her marriage as emotionally abusive. During their marriage, Brown was twice in prison. He was also arrested for allegedly hitting Houston.

Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Oliver Marre 20 September, 2009 1 When she released her first album in 1985, the New York Times described Whitney Houston as an exceptional vocal talent. Last month, the same newspaper gave her latest album a more cautious welcome, Shes slowly returning to the pop scene, no longer the greatest but showing the determination of a real star. 2 In the 24 years since 1985, Houston has reached the heights of extraordinary fame she is the fourth-biggest-selling female star of all time but has also been the subject of numerous stories in the tabloid press. She has spent evenings on the worlds biggest stages and months in drug rehabilitation centres. She has starred in blockbuster movies and in a reality television show. And last week, she appeared on Oprah Winfreys chat show and is now making newspaper headlines all over the world again. 3 It is not difficult to see why people find her so interesting. As a young singer she was very talented, she is a genuine Hollywood star and most people know her most famous songs such as I Will Always Love You. But she often talks about her private life in public. The aim of her reality TV show Being Bobby Brown was to re-start her former husbands musical career but the show became more famous for providing shocking details of his behaviour towards her and the way they lived. 4 In 2002, she gave an interview to American TV journalist Diane Sawyer in which she said she had never taken crack cocaine. And in 2007, when she owed 100,000, she paid the bill by selling some of her clothes and furniture. This time, Houston has spoken about how her mother forced her into drug rehabilitation. She also said that for seven months, while she was using drugs heavily, she only wore pyjamas and did not get dressed. 5 Those dark years were a long way from her clean-cut childhood. She was born in New Jersey and educated at the best local school.
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009

10 Houston did not produce another studio album until 1998 but she starred in two more films and produced a soundtrack album for each of them. Waiting to Exhale was marketed more directly to a black audience than any of her previous work
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NEWS LESSONS / Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva / Elementary

Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 1 Elementary
is because so much has happened, and so publicly, in her relatively short life. But it is also because she became famous so early, before hip-hop revolutionized black American music, and seems to belong to a different time. We have already seen two very different sides of Houston and her future is unclear but part three of her career may just be starting.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/09/09

but it was a success, earning more than $80m around the world. In August 2001, she signed a new record contract with Arista worth $100m the biggest deal in recording history. 11 She divorced Bobby Brown in April 2007 and her friends say she has been quietly rebuilding her life and recording I Look to You, which was released in America three weeks ago and went straight to number one. It seems hard to believe that she is only 46. Partly, this

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings with the endings to make sentences about the text. 1. Whitney Houston has been a star 2. Her latest album 3. Her record contract with Arista 4. While she was using drugs, 5. The Bodyguard 6. Her ex-husband a. was her most famous film. b. was the biggest deal in recording history. c. was in prison twice. d. went straight to number one. e. since 1985. f. she didnt get dressed for seven months.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. the over world all 2. always I you love will 3. she 11 was until 4. time 21 the was by she 5. know am people I who 6. 6. around $80m than the world more

5 Word building: Adjectives


Complete the table. noun 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. fame caution music success race abuse
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

adjective

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 1 Elementary
6 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns or noun phrases in the right-hand column. Check your answers in the text. 1. release 2. give 3. take 4. sign 5. have 6. attract 7. raise 8. support a. an effect b. a contract c. criticism d. drugs e. an album f. money for charity g. a campaign h. an interview .

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva / Elementary

CA O N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. release 2. clean-cut 3. divorce 4. tabloid 5. allegedly 6. rehabilitation 7. abusive 8. genuine 9. vocal 10. bland

Elementary
4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. all over the world I will always love you until she was 11 by the time she was 21 people know who I am more than $80m around the world

5 Word building: adjectives


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. famous cautious musical successful racial abusive

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 3. 4. 5. New Jersey Aretha Franklin The Bodyguard Kevin Costner April 2007 46

6 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. e h d b a c f g

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e d b f a c

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NEWS LESSONS / Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva / Elementary

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. confession infamy re-launch bland invincible abusive auction decline rehabilitation debut

1. _______________________ is the process of helping someone give up drugs or alcohol. 2. An _______________________ person is too strong to be defeated. 3. If someones career is in _______________________, the person is becoming less successful. 4. _______________________ is having a reputation for something bad. 5. A _______________________ CD, album, appearance, etc. is the first one that a performer makes. 6. If you _______________________ a career, you start it again and hope that it will be more successful than before. 7. An _______________________ person is one who treats another person in a cruel or violent way. 8. An _______________________ is a public occasion where things are sold to the people who offer the most money for them. 9. A _______________________ person is one who is not interesting, exciting or original. 10. A _______________________ is a spoken or written statement in which you admit that you have done something wrong.

Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible. 1. How old is Whitney Houston? 2. Where was she born? 3. Which film does the song I Will Always Love You come from? 4. Which well-known singer is Whitney Houstons godmother? 5. Which R&B singer was Whitney Houston married to? 6. Who was Houstons co-star in The Bodyguard?

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Those dark years were a long way from her clean-cut childhood. She was born in New Jersey and educated at the best local school. Her father was a truck driver and later entered local politics. Her mother is singer Cissy Houston, her cousins include Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick and her godmother was Aretha Franklin. With this background, it might appear that Houston was always going to be a star but her father always said that it was not until she was 11 that they decided to put her on stage with her mother. By the time she was 21, she had signed her own record deal and shortly afterwards came her debut album, Whitney Houston, which was extremely successful. Her appeal was universal black, white, rich, poor: everyone loved Whitney Houston. Later, Houston, who had been called a great cross-over artist for her ability to bridge the racial divide, found herself facing criticism for becoming too white but this had little effect on the Houston machine. In 1992, she starred with Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard and released from the soundtrack. As well as making her even more famous, the film attracted more criticism. Was her appeal universal or was she just too bland? Who exactly was she? People know who I am, she replied. But did they? The world had met a clean-cut young star. She had supported Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid campaign and had raised money for charity. However, all this was about to be overshadowed by a very public personal decline. In 1992, after relationships with actor Eddie Murphy and American football star Randall Cunningham, she married R&B singer Bobby Brown. In her Oprah Winfrey interview, Houston insisted that Brown was not responsible for her drugtaking and continues to deny that he ever beat her but she describes her marriage as emotionally abusive. During their marriage, Brown was twice in prison. He was also arrested for allegedly hitting Houston.
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Oliver Marre 20 September, 2009 1 When she released her first album in 1985, the New York Times described Whitney Houston as an exceptional vocal talent. Last month, the same newspaper gave her latest album a more cautious welcome, Shes slowly climbing back into the pop machinery, no longer invincible but showing the determination of a real star. In the intervening 24 years, Houston has 2 reached the heights of extraordinary fame according to one source, she is the fourthbiggest-selling female star of all time and also the depths of infamy in the tabloid press. She has spent evenings on the worlds biggest stages and months in drug rehabilitation centres. She has starred in blockbuster movies and in a much-criticized reality television show. And last week, she appeared on Oprah Winfreys chat show and is once again making headlines all over the world. 3 It is not hard to see why she still fascinates people. Her early talent was widely praised, she is a genuine Hollywood star and most people know her most famous songs such as I Will Always Love You. And yet she has a tendency to make public confessions. Her reality TV show Being Bobby Brown was supposed to re-launch her then husbands musical career but became more famous for providing shocking details of his behaviour towards her and the way they lived. 4 In 2002, she gave an interview to American TV journalist Diane Sawyer in which she denied taking crack cocaine. And in 2007, when she owed 100,000, she paid the bill by putting hundreds of items of clothing and furniture up for public auction. This time, Houston has spoken about how her mother forced her into rehab. She added that for seven months, while she was using drugs heavily, she only wore pyjamas and did not get dressed.

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 2 Intermediate
weeks ago and went straight to number one. It seems hard to believe that she is just 46. Partly, this is because so much has happened, and so publicly, in her relatively short life. But it is also because she became famous so early, before hip-hop had hit the mainstream and revolutionized black American music, and seems to belong to a different era. We have, though, already seen two very different sides of Houston and her future remains unclear but phase three of her career may just be starting.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 20/09/09

10 Houston did not produce another studio album until 1998 but in the intervening years she starred in two more films and produced a soundtrack album to accompany each. Waiting to Exhale was marketed more directly to a black audience than any of her previous work but it proved a success, taking more than $80m across the world. In August 2001, she signed a new record contract with Arista worth $100m, which was the biggest deal in recording history. 11 She divorced Bobby Brown in April 2007and people close to her say she has been quietly rebuilding her life and recording I Look to You, which was released in America three

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The New York Times has described Whitney Houstons new album as exceptional. Her reality TV show was badly received by the critics. Houston is both a singer and an actress. She has admitted taking crack cocaine. Bobby Brown was sent to prison for hitting Houston. Houston is no longer married to Bobby Brown.

Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. an adjective meaning relating to the voice or done with the voice (para 1) 2. an adjective meaning happening between two events or times (para 2) 3. a verb meaning to attract and interest people very strongly (para 3) 4. a two-word adjective meaning neat and tidy (para 5) 5. a noun meaning the type of family, social position or culture that someone comes from (para 6) 6. a verb meaning to make a film, video or CD available for people to see or buy (para 7) 7. a verb meaning to make someone or something seem less successful or important by becoming more successful or important than they are (para 8) 8. a two-word noun phrase meaning ideas, methods or people that are considered ordinary or normal and accepted by most people (para 11) .

4 Find the word

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word expressions from the text. 1. tabloid 2. blockbuster 3. chat 4. drug 5. record 6. debut 7. public 8. racial a. show b. divide c. auction d. contract e. press f. taking g. album h. movie

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. criticize determine tend behave marry rehabilitate noun

7 Discussion
Do you like Whitney Houston? Why? Why not?

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Whitney Houston: Return of the troubled diva


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. rehabilitation 2. invincible 3. decline 4. infamy 5. debut 6. re-launch 7. abusive 8. auction 9. bland 10. confession

Intermediate
4 Find the word
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. vocal intervening fascinate clean-cut background release overshadow the mainstream

5 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. e h a f d g c b

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 3. 4. 5. 46 New Jersey The Bodyguard Aretha Franklin Bobby Brown Kevin Costner

3 Comprehension check
1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. F T T F F T

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. critic determination tendency behaviour marriage rehabilitation

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 3
1

Advanced

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. escalate rile scepticism citation snub windfall assertion inspired condemn breakthrough

1. A _______________________ is a large amount of money that you get when you are not expecting it. 2. A _______________________ is a discovery or achievement that comes after a lot of hard work. 3. A _______________________ is an official statement praising someone for something they have done. 4. An _______________________ is a definite statement or claim that something is true. 5. If people express _______________________ about something that other people think is true or right, they express doubts about it. 6. If you _______________________ a situation you make it worse or more serious. 7. If something _______________________ you, it makes you very annoyed. 8. If you _______________________ something, you say publicly that you think it is bad or wrong. 9. A _______________________ is a deliberate attempt to annoy someone by ignoring them. 10. If something is _______________________, it is very special or impressive.

What do you know?

Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text. 1. Barack Obama had been in office for just over a year when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 2. He is the first sitting US president to win the prize. 3. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee is Norwegian. 4. Kofi Annan is the current United Nations secretary general. 5. The Iranian president was upset by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama. 6. The Nobel Peace Prize comes with a cash award of $1.4m.

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 3 Advanced
said it was likely that more than one charity will benefit but that the president has yet to decide which charities will share the windfall. Amid the official congratulations from the rest of the world, the Prize touched off a verbal war in the US where Republicans said he had failed to achieve anything that justified the award and characterized it as a political statement. 6 The noisy and influential conservative talk show hosts described it as primarily intended as a snub to the former president, George Bush, rather than for any particular achievements by Obama. This is nonsensical, said radio host, Mike Gallagher, on Fox News. You guys cant let President Bush go, can you? Thats the reason for the Nobel Peace Prize. [Obama] doesnt act like a cowboy. Obamas Democratic Party responded to the attacks by accusing the Republicans of throwing their lot in with the terrorists the Taliban and Hamas in criticizing the president for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee rejected assertions that the Prize was awarded prematurely by pointing to Obamas speech to the Muslim world in Cairo and his attempts to start the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, his emphasis on dialogue over confrontation in international diplomacy and his commitment to nuclear disarmament. We want to emphasize that he has already brought significant changes, said the committee secretary, Geir Lundestad. All these things have already taken place and this has already had a very significant impact on international relations. We do, of course, hope that there will be many concrete changes over the years. But when a president makes all these changes on these ideals, which are the ideals the Norwegian Nobel Committee has had for a hundred years, we felt it was right to strengthen him as much as we can in this further struggle for these ideals. The former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, described the award as an unexpected but inspired choice. A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, thought otherwise.He has not taken a single step for peace in Afghanistan
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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Chris McGreal in Washington and Gwladys Fouch in Oslo 9 October, 2009 1 Barack Obama was as surprised as most of America, and much of the world, to be woken before dawn and told he had won the Nobel Peace Prize after just nine months in office and while he is deciding whether to escalate the war in Afghanistan. The Nobel Committee said it chose Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples and for creating a new international climate. Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the worlds attention and given its people hope for a better future, the Committee said in its citation. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the worlds population. Obama recognized the immediate scepticism from almost every quarter over awarding the Prize to a president who was in office less than a fortnight when the deadline passed for nominations and who, critics swiftly noted, has yet to achieve any significant breakthroughs in his attempts to foster Middle East peace or halt Irans alleged nuclear ambitions while continuing to oversee a major war in Afghanistan. I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many transformative figures that have been honoured by this Prize, the president said. But Obama said he would accept it as a recognition of the struggles of others for peace, and said it must be shared by everyone who strives for justice and dignity.I will accept this award as a call to action, a call to all nations, to confront the challenges of the 21st century, he said. Obama will donate to charity the $1.4m (880,000) cash award that comes with the Prize. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 3 Advanced
10 Thorbjrn Jagland, chairman of the Prize Committee, said that does not detract from the award. The situation in Afghanistan is very difficult but we cannot look away from all the other positive things he [Obama] is trying to do, he said. Its a conflict that concerns us all. Its not tricky with regards to the Nobel Peace Prize. The award also mystified many liberals who have become increasingly critical of Obama for failing to press ahead swiftly enough on commitments to close Guantnamo Bay and domestic issues such as on recognition of gay rights. Obama is only the third sitting president to win the prize, with the others awarded to Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in 1919.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 09/10/09

or to make this country stable ... We condemn this years Peace Prize as unjust, he said. The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said he was not upset by the award. 9 It remains to be seen whether the Prize will indeed strengthen Obamas hand or put him on the back foot in the US where there is acute sensitivity to perceived weakness in international affairs. The citations assertion that Obamas diplomacy reflects values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the worlds population riled conservatives who view the US presidents role as to stand up to hostile and untrustworthy foreigners. The award comes as Obama is under pressure from US military leaders to pour tens of thousands more troops into Afghanistan and from national security advisers to shift the conflict to pursuing al-Qaida in Pakistan.

3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text. 1. Which answer best describes the reaction to the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama? a. b. c. Most people felt that the choice of Obama was inspired. Most people felt that the award was unjust. Many people were sceptical because he had only been in office for two weeks when the deadline for nominations passed.

2. What will Barack Obama do with the money that comes with the Nobel Peace Prize? a. He will give it to a specific charity. b. He will probably give it to several charities. c. He will return it to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. a. Because he has initiated changes that reflect the ideals of the Nobel Committee. b. Because he spoke to the Muslim world in Cairo. c. Because he has made a significant breakthrough in fostering Middle East peace. a. send thousands more troops to Afghanistan b. pursue al-Qaida in Pakistan c. close Guantnamo Bay

3. Why, according to the Nobel Committee, was the award given to President Obama?

4. What are the presidents national security advisers urging him to do?

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Find the following words and phrases in the text. 1. a noun meaning a period of two weeks (para 3) 2. a verb meaning to promote or to help something develop over a period of time (para 3) 3. a two-word phrasal verb meaning to make a lot of effort to achieve something (para 4) 4. a two-word phrasal verb meaning to make something unpleasant or dangerous happen (para 5) 5. a five-word expression meaning to decide to support or join a particular group (para 6) 6. an adverb meaning too soon or before the usual time (para 7) 7. an four-word expression meaning on the defensive (para 9) 8. a two-word phrasal verb meaning to make something seem less good, attractive or important (para 10)

5 Verb + noun collocations


Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column. 1. achieve 2. donate 3. award 4. have 5. capture 6. strengthen a. someones attention b. an impact on something c. money to charity d. international cooperation e. a prize f. a breakthrough

6 Word building
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the words in brackets at the end of each sentence. 1. There has been a lot of _______________________ about awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama. [SCEPTIC] 2. He intends to accept the award in _______________________ of the struggle of others for peace. [RECOGNIZE] 3. Conservative talk show hosts are regarded as _______________________ in the US. [INFLUENCE] 4. They are sceptical about Obamas _______________________. [ACHIEVE] 5. The Nobel Committee highlighted Obamas _______________________ to nuclear disarmament. [COMMIT] 6. Kofi Annan described the award as _______________________. [EXPECT]

7 Discussion
Do you think it was right to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama? Why? Why not?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize / Advanced

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 3 KEY
1 Key words
1. windfall 2. breakthrough 3. citation 4. assertion 5. scepticism 6. escalate 7. riles 8. condemn 9. snub 10. inspired

Advanced
4 Find the word
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. fortnight foster strive for touch off throw ones lot in with prematurely on the back foot detract from

5 Verb + noun collocations


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. f c e b a d

2 What do you know?


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F F T F F T

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. scepticism recognition influential achievements commitment unexpected

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. c b a b

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NEWS LESSONS / Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize / Advanced

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 1
1

Elementary

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. 1. sceptical breakthrough deadline stable escalate challenge charity confrontation inspired disarmament

A ____________________ is a discovery or achievement that comes after a lot of hard work.

2. ____________________ is a situation in which people or groups are arguing angrily or fighting. 3. A ____________________ is a specific time or date by which you have to do something. 4. ____________________ is a process by which a country reduces or gets rid of its weapons. 5. If people are ____________________ about something that other people think is true or right, they express doubts about it. 6. A ____________________ is a task that needs a lot of skill, energy and determination to achieve. 7. A ____________________ country is one that is peaceful and in which the situation doesnt change suddenly or become worse. 8. If you ____________________ a situation, you make it worse or more serious. 9. A ____________________ is an organization to which you give money so that it can help people who are poor or ill. 10. If something is ____________________, it is very special or impressive.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the following information as quickly as possible. 1. How long has Barack Obama been US president? 2. How much money comes with the Nobel Peace Prize? 3. In which country is the Nobel Peace Prize Committee based? 4. Where did Barack Obama make his speech to the Muslim world? 5. Who is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? 6. When did Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson win the Nobel Peace Prize?

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 1 Elementary
angry debate in the US where Republicans said he had not done anything to deserve the award and called it a political statement. Some conservative talk show hosts described the award as an insult to the former president, George Bush, rather than for any particular achievements by Obama. This is crazy, said radio host, Mike Gallagher, on Fox News. Its all about President Bush. Thats the reason for the Nobel Peace Prize. Its because Obama doesnt act like a cowboy. 6 The Norwegian Nobel Committee said that it was not too early to award Obama the Prize. They highlighted his speech to the Muslim world in Cairo and his attempts to start the IsraeliPalestinian peace process, his emphasis on dialogue over confrontation in international diplomacy and his commitment to nuclear disarmament. We want to emphasize that he has already made significant changes, said the Committee secretary, Geir Lundestad. All these things have already taken place and this has already had a very significant impact on international relations. The former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, described the award as an unexpected but inspired choice. A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, thought differently. He has not taken a single step for peace in Afghanistan or to make this country stable ... We think this years Peace Prize is unfair, he said. The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said he was not upset by the award. It is not certain whether the award of the Prize will strengthen Obamas position or weaken it in the United States, where many people are critical of weakness in international affairs. Many conservatives expect the US president to confront unfriendly foreigners who cannot be trusted. Obama has received the award at a time when he is under pressure from US military leaders to send tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan and when his national security advisers are telling him he should hunt al-Qaida in Pakistan. The chairman of the Prize Committee said the war in Afghanistan does not affect the award.

Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Chris McGreal in Washington and Gwladys Fouch in Oslo 9 October, 2009 1 Barack Obama was as surprised as most of America, and much of the world, when he heard he had won the Nobel Peace Prize. He has been president for just nine months and he is still deciding whether to escalate the war in Afghanistan. The Nobel Committee said it chose Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples and for creating a new international climate. It is very rare for someone to capture the worlds attention and give its people hope for a better future like Obama has, the Committee said in a statement. His diplomacy is based on the idea that people who lead the world must lead it on the basis of values and attitudes that the majority of the worlds population also share. Obama recognized that many people were sceptical about giving the Prize to a president who had been in office less than two weeks when the deadline for nominations passed. Critics said that Obama has not yet achieved any significant breakthroughs in his attempts to promote Middle East peace or stop Irans nuclear plans and he is still running a major war in Afghanistan. I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many important figures that have won this Prize in the past, the president said. But Obama said he would accept the Prize as a recognition of the struggles of others for peace, and said it must be shared by everyone who works for justice and dignity.I will accept this award as a call to action, a call to all nations, to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, he said. He will give to charity the $1.4m (880,000) cash award that comes with the Prize. In the middle of the official congratulations from the rest of the world, the Prize led to an 9 7

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N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 1 Elementary
10 Obama is only the third sitting president to win the Prize, with the others awarded to Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in 1919.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 09/10/09

The situation in Afghanistan is very difficult but we cannot ignore all the other positive things he [Obama] is trying to do, he said. The award also surprised many liberals who have become more and more critical of Obama for failing to close Guantnamo Bay and make changes in American politics such as recognition of gay rights.

3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings with the endings to make sentences about the text. 1. President Obama did not expect 2. He is planning 3. His critics say that he did not deserve to 4. The Prize Committee said it was for 5. Some talk show hosts described the award as 6. Some liberals have criticized Obama for a. a political statement. b. win the Nobel Peace Prize. c. his failure to close Guantnamo Bay. d. to win the Nobel Peace Prize. e. his work in international diplomacy. f. to give all the money to charity.

4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. 1. just for months nine 2. the population of the worlds majority 3. two than weeks less 4. rest world the of the 5. challenges of the the century twenty-first 6. on significant relations a international impact

5 Prepositions
Complete the phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text. 1. hope _______ a better future 2. on the basis _______ values 3. sceptical _______ awarding the Prize 4. the deadline _______ nominations 5. his emphasis _______ dialogue 6. critical _______ weakness

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 1 Elementary
6 Two-word expressions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make expressions from the text 1. international 2. nuclear 3. political 4. peace 5. talk 6. security a. process b. adviser c. diplomacy d. statement e. disarmament f. show

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize / Elementary

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 1 KEY
1 Key words
1. breakthrough 2. Confrontation 3. deadline 4. Disarmament 5. sceptical 6. challenge 7. stable 8. escalate 9. charity 10. inspired

Elementary
4 Chunks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. for just nine months the majority of the worlds population less than two weeks the rest of the world the challenges of the twenty-first century a significant impact on international relations

5 Prepositions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. for of about for on of

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. nine months $1.4m (880,000) Norway Cairo the president of Iran 1906 and 1919

6 Two-word expressions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c e d a f b

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. d f b e a c

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 2
1

Intermediate

Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. condemn citation sceptical inspired snub justify escalate breakthrough charity detract

1. If you ______________________ a situation, you make it worse or more serious. 2. If something is ______________________, it is very special or impressive. 3. A ______________________ is an organization to which you give money so that it can help people who are poor or ill. 4. If you ______________________ something, you say publicly that you think it is bad or wrong. 5. If you ______________________ something, you show there is a good reason for it. 6. If something ______________________ from something else, it makes it less good, attractive or important. 7. A ______________________ is a discovery or achievement that comes after a lot of hard work. 8. If people are ______________________ about something that other people think is true or right, they express doubts about it. 9. A ______________________ is a deliberate attempt to annoy someone by ignoring them. 10. A ______________________ is an official statement praising someone for something they have done.

Find the information

Look in the text and find the following information as quickly as possible. 1. How long had Barack Obama been US president when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize? 2. How many sitting US presidents had won the Nobel Peace Prize before Barack Obama? 3. Which country is the Nobel Peace Prize Committee based in? 4. What position did Kofi Annan once hold? 5. How much money comes with the Nobel Peace Prize? 6. Where did Barack Obama make his speech to the Muslim world?

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 2 Intermediate
that more than one charity will benefit but that the president has yet to decide which charities will share the money. Amid the official congratulations from the rest of the world, the Prize led to an angry debate in the US where Republicans said he had failed to achieve anything that justified the award and called it a political statement. 6 The noisy and influential conservative talk show hosts described the award as being a snub to the former president, George Bush, rather than for any particular achievements by Obama. This is nonsensical, said radio host, Mike Gallagher, on Fox News. You guys cant let President Bush go, can you? Thats the reason for the Nobel Peace Prize. [Obama] doesnt act like a cowboy. Obamas Democratic Party responded to the attacks by accusing the Republicans of being on the same side as the terrorists the Taliban and Hamas in criticizing the president for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee denied that the Prize was awarded prematurely by pointing to Obamas speech to the Muslim world in Cairo and his attempts to start the IsraeliPalestinian peace process, his emphasis on dialogue over confrontation in international diplomacy and his commitment to nuclear disarmament. We want to emphasize that he has already brought significant changes, said the Committee secretary, Geir Lundestad. All these things have already taken place and this already has had a very significant impact on international relations. We do, of course, hope that there will be many concrete changes over the years. But when a president makes all these changes on these ideals, which are the ideals the Norwegian Nobel Committee has had for a hundred years, we felt it was right to support him as much as we can in this further struggle for these ideals. The former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, described the award as an unexpected but inspired choice. A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, thought differently. He has not taken a single step for peace in Afghanistan
N T O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Chris McGreal in Washington and Gwladys Fouch in Oslo 9 October, 2009 1 Barack Obama was as surprised as most of America, and much of the world, when he was woken up and told he had won the Nobel Peace Prize after just nine months as president and while he is still deciding whether to escalate the war in Afghanistan. The Nobel Committee said it chose Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples and for creating a new international climate. Only very rarely has a person captured the worlds attention and given its people hope for a better future like Obama has, the Committee said in its citation. His diplomacy is based on the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the worlds population. Obama recognized that many people were sceptical about awarding the Prize to a president who had been in office less than a fortnight when the deadline passed for nominations. Critics were also quick to point out that Obama has yet to achieve any significant breakthroughs in his attempts to promote Middle East peace or stop Irans alleged nuclear ambitions and he is still overseeing a major war in Afghanistan. I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many transformative figures that have been honoured by this Prize, the president said. But Obama said he would accept the Prize as a recognition of the struggles of others for peace, and said it must be shared by everyone who works for justice and dignity.I will accept this award as a call to action, a call to all nations, to meet the challenges of the 21st century, he said. Obama will give to charity the $1.4m (880,000) cash award that comes with the Prize. A White House spokesman said it was likely

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize / Intermediate

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 2 Intermediate
10 Thorbjrn Jagland, chairman of the Prize Committee, said this does not detract from the award. The situation in Afghanistan is very difficult but we cannot look away from all the other positive things he [Obama] is trying to do, he said. Its a conflict that concerns us all. Its not tricky with regards to the Nobel Peace Prize. The award also mystified many liberals who have become increasingly critical of Obama for failing to close Guantnamo Bay and proceed with domestic issues such as recognition of gay rights. Obama is only the third sitting president to win the prize, with the others awarded to Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in 1919.
Guardian News & Media 2009 First published in The Guardian, 09/10/09

or to make this country stable ... We condemn this years Peace Prize as unjust, he said. The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said he was not upset by the award. 9 It remains to be seen whether the Prize will strengthen Obamas position or put him on the defensive in the US where many people are sensitive to what they see as weakness in international affairs. The citations statement that Obamas diplomacy reflects values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the worlds population angered conservatives who believe the US presidents role is to stand up to hostile foreigners who cannot be trusted. The award comes as Obama is under pressure from US military leaders to send tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan and from national security advisers to shift the conflict to pursuing al-Qaida in Pakistan.

3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text? 1. Barack Obama was not surprised when he learnt that he had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 2. Obama will give the prize money to charity. 3. Some conservative talk show hosts believe that awarding the Prize to Barack Obama is intended as an insult to George Bush. 4. The Taliban, Hamas and Iran have all condemned the award. 5. US military leaders want the president to send tens of thousands more troops to Pakistan. 6. Obama promised to close Guantnamo Bay but hasnt done so yet.

4 Find the word


Find the following words in the text. 1. a noun meaning a period of two weeks (para 3) 2. an adjective meaning able to make things completely different (para 3) 3. an adjective meaning able to influence the way people think or behave (para 6) 4. an adjective meaning not true or sensible (para 6) 5. an adverb meaning too soon or before the usual time (para 7) 6. a noun meaning a situation in which people or groups are arguing angrily or fighting (para 7) 7. an adjective meaning behaving in a very unfriendly or threatening way (para 9) 8. a verb meaning to chase someone in order to catch them (para 9)
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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 2 Intermediate
5 Words followed by prepositions
Complete the phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text. 1. based _______ 2. on the basis _______ 3. a call _______ action 4. respond _______ 5. criticize someone _______ doing something 6. an emphasis _______ something 7. an impact _______ something 8. detract _______

6 Word building
Complete the table. verb 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. recognize state achieve emphasize confront disarm noun

7 Discussion
What are the arguments for and against the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2009 NEWS LESSONS / Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize / Intermediate

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Barack Obama surprised and humbled by Nobel Peace Prize


Level 2 KEY
1 Key words
1. escalate 2. inspired 3. charity 4. condemn 5. justify 6. detracts 7. breakthrough 8. sceptical 9. snub 10. citation

Intermediate
4 Find the word
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. fortnight transformative influential nonsensical prematurely confrontation hostile pursue

5 Words followed by prepositions


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. on of to to for on on from

2 Find the information


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. nine months two Norway UN secretary general $1.4m (880,000) Cairo

3 Comprehension check
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F T T F F T

6 Word building
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. recognition statement achievement emphasis confrontation disarmament

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