Weekly Lesson

The night-walkers of Uganda
Level 1 l Advanced
1 Key Words
Fill the gaps using these words from the text:

subdued encampment abduction fundamentalist breed
warp overwhelmed crave thug raid
1. If you something, you want it very much and in such a way that it is very hard to control.
2. If a place is by people, there are so many people in it that it is difficult to deal with them.
3. To a negative feeling or situation is to cause it to develop.
4. A is a man who is violent, especially a criminal.
5. An is the act of taking someone away from their home or family using force.
6. To something, for example a person’s character, is to affect it in a negative way.
7. A person or group believes that original religious and political laws should be followed
very strictly and not be changed.
8. A is a sudden short attack.
9. If someone looks , he looks slightly sad or worried.
10. An is a large group of tents or temporary shelters.
2 Pre-reading What do you know?
Choose the best answer for each question. Then look in the text and check your answers.
1. Where is Uganda?
a. In the Middle East. b. In Asia c. In Africa.
2. What is the main problem in northern Uganda?

a. A civil war. b. Severe floods. c. Severe droughts.
3. How long has this problem existed?

a. For almost 5 years. b. For almost 10 years. c. For almost 20 years.
4. What is the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)?

a. The group in power. b. A rebel group. c. The country’s army.

Mary Aciro has spent the day gathering grass to feed the cattle, weeding the vegetable patch and helping
her mother cook dinner over a charcoal fire: the life of any African girl in any African village. But as daylight
begins to fade, Mary slips away from the family’s tiny mud hut and strides down a sandy track into the
nearest town. The adults in the town of Lacor in northern Uganda are going home for dinner on buses. Mary,
along with hundreds of other children, is going the other way. The children are dressed in rags and flip-flops;
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Level 1 l Advanced
some carry sacks or rolled-up blankets on their shoulders. They scramble over grassy banks and hurry
down the sun-scorched roadside on the way to the night shelters, which are guarded by government troops.
In any other country a 14-year-old girl leaving her home and an anxious mother for the night would spell
rebellion. Here, it’s simply about survival. “We fear the rebels, we fear thugs and robbers who come at night
to disturb us,” says Mary as she walks with a swinging stride.
On a troubled continent, the war in this region stands out. It is Africa’s longest-running civil war, and perhaps
the only conflict in history in which children are both the main victims and the principal aggressors. Mary and
the other children walk to safety every night because they fear, with good reason, abduction by the Lord’s
Resistance Army (LRA), a Christian fundamentalist rebel group that uses children as soldiers, porters and
sexual slaves. The LRA carries out its raids at night, storming into villages from the surrounding bush, killing
adults and forcing children to beat their parents before marching them away to camps deep in the bush.
Mary’s 15-year-old brother, Geoffrey, was abducted by the rebels; he was held for three months. “They
made him carry heavy loads, beat him at times, he went without food,” says their mother, Agnes. Geoffrey
only escaped when a government helicopter gunship attacked the rebels holding him. Mary’s neighbour, a
girl named Florence, was abducted too. She spent three years with the rebels: she was forced into sexual
slavery and became pregnant.
Desperate to keep the child-snatchers from their doors, parents in northern Uganda began sending their
children into nearby towns at night in 2002. 40,000 children across the region started walking into towns to
sleep. Aid agencies set up shelters to give them somewhere safe to go, and it’s one of these that Mary is
heading for.
As she approaches Lacor, she walks past bars lit by a single lightbulb and tiny shops whose wooden
shelves are crammed with cooking oil, salt, soap powder and mobile phone top-up cards. As the shadows
spread, the shopkeepers open their thief-proof metal doors and step out. Mary lives near the town but
some of the other children walk for hours to reach safety. When she reaches the shelter, it is already full of
children, some of them barely toddlers, others in their late teens. The shelter is made up of stark concrete
buildings, bare as a barn inside, as well as rows of giant white canvas tents.
Lillian Apiyo, 14, is already inside. “I come here for protection,” she says. “I always get new friends from
here. There is nowhere to stay at home.” The children filter through the gates looking subdued, but a party
atmosphere soon develops. A dozen or so children begin dancing. At other shelters there is frenetic
singing of motivational songs. The shelters are busy enough as it is, and if food were provided, they would
be overwhelmed.
Adult wardens patrol with torches, breaking up the occasional fight over a blanket and checking on children
who look scared or upset. “When I am here, I feel I am somebody,” says Gabriel Oloya, who studies his
schoolbooks in the dim light. “When I am at home, I’m always upset. I feel lonely and so many thoughts
come into my mind. Here, I tend to forget such things.” Gabriel, 15, is responsible for the four younger
brothers who walk with him to the shelter. “My parents are dead, killed by the rebels,” he says.
Childhood is short in rural Africa, but it is rare for children to be thrown so completely on their own resources
as they are in this war-damaged society. The children who come to the shelters crave affection. Many of
them are orphans whose parents were murdered by the rebels and who have been taken in by their ex-
tended family. The girls comb each other’s hair while the boys spin bottle-tops or engage in play fights.
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Level 1 l Advanced
In the shelter the wardens keep boys and girls apart, but outside its gates young couples are cuddling in the
semi-darkness.
This sort of thing does worry Mary’s mother. “We can’t follow our children up to the shelter,” Agnes says.
“Sometimes a girl says she has gone there, but she has gone to a boyfriend, and she becomes pregnant
and drops out of school.” But then there is more to worry about than teenage boys. The Acholi and Lango
tribes of northern Uganda were once farmers, living in scattered villages amid their herds of cattle and fields
of maize. But 19 years of war have warped everything: almost the entire population of the north, 1.5 million
people, has been displaced into crowded, dusty encampments on the outskirts of towns. Despair has bred
alcoholism and violence; the horror of war is part and parcel of life.
As the older generation dies out, so does the hope of returning to a normal life. This is a culture with few
written records, which relies on memories to place the boundaries of farmland and the distance to the
nearest stream. When their parents are gone, the children’s link with their original villages will be broken for
ever. “For me, the worst thing that may happen here is a situation where officially there is no war, but
everybody remains in the camps,” says Father Carlos Rodriguez Soto, a Roman Catholic priest who has
spent 18 years in Uganda.
The sun has not quite risen when the wardens rouse the children. After a prayer and a wash, the children
who have blankets roll them on to their shoulders, the older ones gather up younger brothers and sisters
and they begin to slip out of the gates and stream on to the road. By 9 a.m. the sun will burn and sweat will
drip from every forehead, but now it is gentle. It is a good time to walk home.
3 Comprehension check
Match each fact with a reason or purpose.

Facts
1. In Uganda 40,000 children leave their home every night.
2. The LRA abducts children.
3. Aid agencies have set up shelters.
4. Food isn’t provided in night shelters.
5. Wardens patrol the shelters with torches.
6. A lot of children crave affection.
7. Childhood is very short in Uganda.
8. The children’s link with their villages will be lost.
Reasons or purposes
a. To avoid having overwhelmed shelters.
b. Because they fear abduction.
c. To break up fights and check on the children.
d. To use them as soldiers, porters and sexual slaves.
e. Because they are orphans.
f. To provide a safe place for children to go to.
g. Because there are few written records and the older generation is dying out.
h. Because children are thrown on their own resources at an early age.
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Level 1 l Advanced
4 Vocabulary 1 Adjective order
Put the words in order to make phrases from the text. Check your answers in the text.
1. mud / hut / tiny / a
2. tents / giant / canvas / white
3. concrete / buildings / stark
4. fundamentalist / Christian / a / group / rebel
5 Vocabulary 2 Compound modifiers

Write a compound word (a word made up of two or more words joined by dashes) to complete the
descriptions in column B. Check your answers in the text.
A B
1. the roadside scorched by the sun the roadside
2. blankets that have been rolled up blankets
3. a girl who is 14 years old a girl
4. the civil war that has run the longest the civil war
5. metal doors that are proof against thieves metal doors
6. a society that has been damaged by the war a society
6 Vocabulary 3 Phrasal verbs
Use these words to complete phrasal verbs from the text. Check your answers in the text.
in for out up without
1. The LRA carries raids at night. 6. Wardens patrol the shelters to break
2. Geoffrey had to go food. fights.
3. Aid agencies set shelters. 7. Gabriel was taken by his extended
4. Mary is heading a night shelter. family.
5. The shelter is made of buildings 8. The older generation is dying .
and tents.
7 Discussion
Of all the problems in Uganda, which do you think is the most serious of all? Why? What could be done to help
solve it?
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Level 1 l Advanced
KEY
1 Key Words
Fill the gaps using these words from the text:
1. crave
2. overwhelmed
3. breed
4. thug
5. abduction
6. warp
7. fundamentalist
8. raid
9. subdued
10. encampment
2 Find the information

1. c; 2. a; 3. c; 4.b
1. b; 2. d; 3. f; 4. a; 5. c; 6. e; 7. h; 8. g
4 Vocabulary 1 - Adjective order

1. a tiny mud hut
2. giant white canvas tents
3. stark concrete buildings
4. a Christian fundamentalist rebel group
5 Vocabulary 2 – Compound modifiers

1. the sun-scorched roadside
2. rolled-up blankets
3. a 14-year-old girl
4. the longest-running civil war
5. thief-proof metal doors
6. a war-damaged society
6 Vocabulary 3 - Phrasal verbs

1. out
2. without
3. up
4. for
5. up
6. up
7. in
8. out
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Level 1 l Elementary
1 Key Words
Fill the gaps using these words from the text.

aid agency pregnant capture hut warden
shelter slave bush rebel patrol
1. A is a small simple house with only one or two rooms.
2. A is a place where people are protected from bad weather or from danger.
3. A is someone who opposes their government and tries to remove it using force.
4. A is someone who is responsible for a place and checks that people follow rules.
5. If you a person, you take him or her prisoner.
6. If you a place, you move regularly around it in order to prevent trouble or crime.
7. The is an area in a hot country that is not used for growing food.
8. An is an organization that gives money, food or help to people in need.
9. A is someone who is forced to do what another person tells them to do and has to work for
him or her.
10. If a woman is , she is going to have a baby.
Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible:

1. Where is Mary Aciro from?
2. How old is she?
3. What is the LRA?
4. How many children spend the nights in shelters?
5. How many people live in shelters?

Mary Aciro lives near the town of Lacor in northern Uganda. Every day, she collects grass to feed the cattle,
works in the vegetable patch and helps her mother cook dinner over a fire. And then, just before the sun
sets, Mary leaves her family’s tiny hut and walks down a sandy road into Lacor. The adults are going home
for dinner on buses. Mary and hundreds of other children are going the other way. They are wearing dirty
old clothes and flip-flops. Some are carrying sacks or rolled-up blankets. They are going to night shelters
guarded by government troops.
In any other country, a mother wouldn’t let her 14-year-old daughter leave home for the night. Here, the
most important thing is to survive. “We fear the rebels and violent robbers who come at night to disturb us,”
says Mary as she walks.
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There are many problems in Africa but the war in this region is the worst problem of all. It is Africa’s longest
civil war. Mary and the other children walk to the shelters every night because they don’t want to be captured
by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The LRA is a religious rebel group that uses children as soldiers,
porters and sexual slaves. The rebels attack the villagers at night. They kill adults and take the children
away to camps in the bush.
Mary’s 15-year-old brother, Geoffrey, was captured by the rebels and he was a prisoner for three months.
“They made him carry heavy things. They hit him and didn’t give him any food,” says their mother, Agnes.
Geoffrey escaped when a government helicopter attacked the rebel camp he was in. Mary’s neighbour, a girl
named Florence, was captured too. She spent three years with the rebels: she was forced to have sex and
became pregnant.
In 2002, desperate parents in northern Uganda began sending their children—about 40,000 of them—into
nearby towns at night. Aid agencies built shelters to give them a safe place to go. Mary is going to one of
these places. When she reaches the shelter, it is full of children of all ages. The shelter is made up of
concrete buildings and large white tents.
Lillian Apiyo, 14, is already inside. “I come here for protection,” she says. The children look sad when they
reach the shelter, but soon they become happier. Some children begin dancing. At other shelters, they sing
songs. The children are not given anything to eat. The shelters are already very busy, and if food were given
to the children, they would be even busier.
Adult wardens patrol with torches. They stop fights occasionally and check on children who look frightened
or unhappy. “When I am here, I feel I am somebody. When I am at home, I’m always upset,” says Gabriel
Oloya, 15, who is responsible for the four younger brothers who walk with him to the shelter. “My parents
are dead, killed by the rebels,” he says. Childhood is short in rural Africa, but it is even shorter in this society.
The children are alone and they need love. Many of them live with their extended family because their
parents were killed by the rebels.

In the shelter the wardens keep boys and girls apart, but outside its gates young couples are alone in the
semi-darkness. This sort of thing worries Mary’s mother. “We can’t follow our children up to the shelter,”
Agnes says. “Sometimes a girl says she has gone there, but she has gone to a boyfriend, and she becomes
pregnant and leaves school.” But other things worry her more. The tribes of northern Uganda were once
farmers. They lived in small villages and had cattle and fields of maize. But 19 years of war have destroyed
everything. Almost all the population of the north, 1.5 million people, now lives in crowded temporary
shelters near the towns. As the war goes on, the situation gets worse.
There is little hope of returning to a normal life. This is a culture with few written records. When their
parents are gone, the children’s link with their villages will be lost. Who will tell the children the boundaries of
farmland or the distance to the nearest stream? “For me, the worst thing that may happen here is a situation
where there is no war, but everybody stays in the camps,” says Father Carlos Rodriguez Soto, a Roman
Catholic priest who has spent 18 years in Uganda.
The wardens wake up the children before the sun rises. The children pray and wash. Some children roll
their blankets, others call their younger brothers and sisters. They leave the shelter and walk to the road. At
9 a.m. the sun will be very hot, but now it is gentle. It is a good time to walk home.
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Match the beginnings and the endings to make complete sentences.

1. In northern Uganda 40,000 children
2. The rebels attack villages at night and
3. Aid agencies have built shelters to
4. In the shelters wardens walk around to
5. There are few written records, so older people
6. After 19 years of war, it will
a. provide safe places for children.

b. pass information on to children.
c. leave their home every night.
d. keep order and help children who are scared or sad.
e. capture children to use them as slaves.
f. be very difficult to return to a normal life.
4 Vocabulary 1 Collocations
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make phrases from the text.
1. feed a. dirty old clothes
2. look b. pregnant
3. wear c. home / school
4. carry d. shelters
5. leave e. the cattle
6. build f. sacks
7. become g. dinner
8. cook h. sad
5 Vocabulary 2 Prepositions
Complete these sentences based on the text using an appropriate preposition. Check your answers in the text.
1. Mary lives northern Uganda. 6. The rebels take the children to the
2. Mary’s mother cooks dinner a fire. camps in the bush.
3. Adults go home dinner on buses. 7. The shelter is full children and
4. The shelters are guarded teenagers.
government troops. 8. Wardens patrol torches.
5. The rebels attack the villagers night.

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6 Vocabulary 3 Verbs related to wars
Use these verbs to complete these sentences based on the text. Check your answers in the text.
escaped killed destroyed captured attacked
1. Geoffrey was by the rebels.
2. He after three months.
3. A government helicopter the camp.
4. Gabriel’s parents were by the rebels.
5. Almost 20 years of war have almost everything in northern Uganda.
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KEY
1 Key Words
1. hut
2. shelter
3. rebel
4. warden
5. capture
6. patrol
7. bush
8. aid agency
9. slave
10. pregnant

1. (northern) Uganda
2. 14
3. the Lord’s Resistance Army / a rebel group
4. 40,000
5. 1.5 million
1. c; 2. e; 3.a; 4. d; 5. b; 6. f
4 Vocabulary 1 Collocations
1. e; 2. h; 3. a; 4. f; 5. c; 6. d; 7. b; 8. g
1. in
2. over
3. for
4. by
5. at
6. away
7. of
8. with
6 Vocabulary 3 Verbs related to wars

1. captured
2. escaped
3. attacked
4. killed
5. destroyed
6 3
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Level 1 l Intermediate
1 Key Words
toddler rags warden thug rebellion

abduction beat aid agency damage alcoholism
1. An is an organization that helps people affected by wars or natural disasters.
2. A is a violent criminal.
3. A is a very young child who is learning to walk.
4. A is someone whose job is to be responsible for a place and check that rules are obeyed.
5. An is the act of taking someone way from their home or family using force.
6. If something causes , there is strong opposition to it.
7. To someone is to hit a person violently several times.
8. To something is to break it or spoil it.
9. are clothes that are old, torn and dirty.
10. is a medical condition that makes it difficult for people to control the amount of drinks such
as wine or beer that they drink.

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible.
1. What country is Mary Aciro from?
2. Where is this country?
3. What is the LRA?
4. When did children start going into towns?
5. Approximately how many children spend the nights in towns?
6. What problem has existed in Mary’s country for 19 years?

Mary Aciro has spent the day gathering grass to feed the cattle, weeding the vegetables and helping her
mother cook dinner over a fire: the life of any African girl in any African village. But before the sun sets, Mary
leaves the family’s tiny mud hut and walks down a sandy track into the nearest town. The adults in the town
of Lacor in northern Uganda are going home for dinner on buses. Mary and hundreds of other children are
going the other way. They are dressed in rags and flip-flops; some carry sacks or rolled-up blankets on their
shoulders. They are on the way to the night shelters, which are guarded by government troops.
In any other country, a 14-year-old girl leaving her home and an anxious mother for the night would cause
rebellion. Here, it is necessary to survive. “We fear the rebels, we fear thugs and robbers who come at night
to disturb us,” says Mary as she walks.
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On a continent with many wars, the war in this region is particularly bad. It is Africa’s longest civil war, and
perhaps the only conflict in history in which children are both the main victims and the main attackers. Mary
and the other children walk to safety every night because they fear, with good reason, abduction by the
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a religious rebel group that uses children as soldiers, porters and sexual
slaves. The LRA attacks the villagers at night, killing adults and forcing children to beat their parents before
taking them away to camps deep in the bush.
Mary’s 15-year-old brother, Geoffrey, was abducted by the rebels. He was held for three months. “They
made him carry heavy things, beat him at times, gave him no food,” says their mother, Agnes. Geoffrey only
escaped when a government helicopter attacked the rebel camp he was in. Mary’s neighbour, a girl named
Florence, was abducted too. She spent three years with the rebels: she was forced into sexual slavery and
became pregnant.
In 2002, desperate parents in northern Uganda began sending their children—about 40,000 of them—into
nearby towns at night. Aid agencies built shelters to give them somewhere safe to go, and it’s one of these
that Mary is going to. Mary lives near the town, but some of the other children walk for hours to reach safety.
When she reaches the shelter, it is already full of children of all ages. The shelter is made up of concrete
buildings and giant white canvas tents.
Lillian Apiyo, 14, is already inside. “I come here for protection,” she says. “I always get new friends from
here. There is nowhere to stay at home.” The children walk through the gates looking sad, but a party
atmosphere soon develops. A dozen or so children begin dancing. At other shelters, they sing songs that
cheer them up. The children are not given anything to eat. The shelters are busy enough as it is, and if food
were provided, they would be even busier.
Adult wardens patrol with torches, stopping occasional fights and checking on children who look scared or
upset. “When I am here, I feel I am somebody,” says Gabriel Oloya. “When I am at home, I’m always upset.
Here, I forget my worries.” Gabriel, 15, is responsible for the four younger brothers who walk with him to the
shelter. “My parents are dead, killed by the rebels,” he says.
Childhood is short in rural Africa, but it is even shorter in this society damaged by the war. The children who
come to the shelters are in need of affection. Many of them live with their extended family because their
parents were murdered by the rebels.
In the shelter the wardens keep boys and girls apart, but outside its gates young couples are alone in the
semi-darkness. This sort of thing worries Mary’s mother. “We can’t follow our children up to the shelter,” Agnes
says. “Sometimes a girl says she has gone there, but she has gone to a boyfriend, and she becomes pregnant
and leaves school.” But then there is more to worry about than teenage boys. The tribes of northern Uganda
were once farmers who kept cattle and grew maize. But 19 years of war have destroyed everything: almost
the entire population of the north, 1.5 million people, now live in crowded temporary shelters on the outskirts of
towns. There is alcoholism and violence, and the horror of war is part of everyday life.
The hope of returning to a normal life is slowly disappearing. This is a culture with few written records. When
their parents are gone, the children’s link with their villages will be lost. Who will tell the children the bounda-
ries of farmland or the distance to the nearest stream? “For me, the worst thing that may happen here is a
situation where there is no war, but everybody stays in the camps,” says Father Carlos Rodriguez Soto, a
Roman Catholic priest who has spent 18 years in Uganda.
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The wardens wake up the children before the sun rises. After a prayer and a wash, some children roll their
blankets on to their shoulders and the older ones gather up younger brothers and sisters. They walk out of
the gates on to the road. By 9 am the sun will burn, but now it is gentle. It is a good time to walk home.
Choose TWO correct answers to complete each sentence:

1. In northern Uganda 40,000 children
a. spend the night in shelters built by aid agencies.
b. leave their homes at the age of 14.
c. are afraid of being captured by the rebels.
2. The LRA is a rebel group that

a. captures children to use them as slaves.
b. attacks villages and murders people at night.
c. takes adults away to camps in the bush.
3. The shelters
a. provide children with food.
b. are a safe place for children to stay.
c. are guarded by government troops.
4. The war in Uganda has lasted so long that

a. it has completely destroyed society.
b. there is little hope of returning to a normal life.
c. people will have to stay in camps forever.
4 Vocabulary 1 Descriptions
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to form descriptions from the text.
1. a mud a. building
2. a sandy b. tent
3. a concrete c. hut
4. a canvas d. shelter
5. an extended e. track
6. a crowded f. family
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5 Vocabulary 2 Word building
Complete the table. Check your answers in the text.

Noun (person) Noun (thing)
1. governor _____________
2. rebel _____________
3. abductor _____________
4. slave _____________
5. child _____________
6. farmer _____________
6 Vocabulary 3 Find the wrong word
Cross out the word or phrase that CAN’T complete the sentence. The first one is done for you.
1. The children are dressed in rags / torches / flip-flops.
2. Some children carry tracks / sacks / blankets.
3. Villagers fear wardens / thugs / rebels.
4. The rebels use children as soldiers / slaves / victims.
5. Shelters are safe / desperate / crowded.

6. Some children are full / scared / upset.
7. Children need alcoholism / affection / protection.
8. In northern Uganda, the society is damaged / destroyed / murdered by war.
7 Discussion
Of all the problems in Uganda, which do you think is the most serious of all? Why? What could be done to help
solve it?
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KEY
1 Key Words
1. aid agency
2. thug
3. toddler
4. warden
5. abduction
6. rebellion
7. beat
8. damage
9. Rags
10. Alcoholism

1. Uganda
2. in Africa
3. the Lord’s Resistance Army / a rebel group
4. in 2002
5. 40,000
6. a (civil) war
1. a, c; 2. a, b; 3. b, c; 4. a, b
4 Vocabulary 1 Descriptions
1. c; 2. e; 3. a; 4. b; 5. f; 6. d

1. government
2. rebellion
3. abduction
4. slavery
5. childhood
6. farmland
6 Vocabulary 3 Find the wrong word

1. torches
2. tracks
3. wardens
4. victims
5. desperate
6. full
7. alcoholism
8. murdered
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No strawberries and cream for fruit pickers
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Pre-reading 1
Look at the headline. What do you think the article will be about?
2 Pre-reading 2 Key Words
Predict the meaning of these words from the text by matching them with the definitions.
a polytunnel a dozen a walking frame to witness something
defiance to cheer somebody on to object to something
to descend on (a place) to spring up a migrant
1. to say that you disagree with something
2. to see something happen
3. an open refusal to obey; a strong protest
4. to encourage somebody to continue what they are doing
5. twelve, or about twelve
6. someone who moves to another country to work or live
7. to appear suddenly and unexpectedly, as if by magic
8. a metal support that helps old or disabled people to move
9. a long, transparent polythene cover to protect growing

plants, tall enough for people to work inside
10. to arrive somewhere in large numbers
Now read the first four paragraphs and see if you were right.
1
When Val Salisbury walked down her lane in Herefordshire, in southern England, and into a giant plastic
polytunnel where dozens of Ukrainians, Lithuanians and other east Europeans were picking strawberries,
the workers were surprised. She was, after all, a 69-year-old Englishwoman using a walking frame. But
when she started pulling up the plants and throwing them to the ground, they realised why she was there.
2
Mrs Salisbury herself was surprised by what the east Europeans did next. According to some of the people
who witnessed her act of defiance against S&A Davies, Europe’s largest strawberry grower, the workers
started clapping, and then cheered her on. By the time the farm manager had arrived, Mrs Salisbury was a
hero. A hero, not just for those people in the county of Herefordshire who object to thousands of acres of
plastic-covered farmland, but also to an army of workers from all over eastern Europe who pick fruit for
British supermarkets.
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Level 3 l Advanced
3
“I felt so much better after my protest,” said Mrs Salisbury last weekend. “We don’t need these bloody
strawberries and these polytunnels in Herefordshire”.
4
Welcome to the English strawberry fields, where the beginning of summer sees at least 5,000 people from
eastern Europe descend on Herefordshire and Worcestershire to pick fruit. This year two villages, each of
more than 1,700 people, have sprung up without planning permission, each with 400 or more caravans,
football pitches, internet cafes and even saunas. The pickers are welcomed by the majority of local people,
but there is concern that the migrant labour force is being exploited. Last weekend an informal survey of
50 people working in the tunnels suggested that many pickers are as angry as Mrs Salisbury. Those who
spoke English said they were being paid less than they expected, that they had to wait for payment, that the
accommodation was expensive, that they had paid too much to get there, and that the management were
profiting excessively from their stay.
5
“In Lithuania I earn two hundred pounds a month,” said Mindaugas, a Vilnius policeman. “I thought I could
earn more here. It looks like I am not going to. It cost more than I thought to get here; it costs more to live.”
6
“None of us like strawberry picking,” said Svetlana, a Ukrainian student. “Today I have earned £23. But
I must pay £35 a week to live in a box with three other people. Perhaps I earn £150 in a week, but when I
have paid for food, accommodation, tax, everything, maybe I have £70 for a six days. It’s not good”.
7
“The money is bad,” said Artur, a waiter from the Czech Republic. “We waited days to have work. Last year
we heard there was a strike here; perhaps there will be one this year, too. It is like a prison. I have been
given a yellow card already. One more and I am sent home.”
8
Documents drawn up by S&A Davies and seen by the Guardian set out the terms and conditions for workers,
who live four or five to a room. They must pay £26.25 a week for accommodation, £3 a week for sewage and
waste collection, £2.25 for electricity and £2.75 for leisure facilities, including a TV set, football pitch and disco.
For £30, they have access to medical and translation advice.
9
The documents state that pickers can be sacked for eating a single strawberry, for stopping work, going to
the toilet in a hedge, or for smoking indoors. If rooms are not “clean and tidy”, the workers can be asked to
leave. If they want to invite a visitor to the camp, they must ask permission two days in advance. “I have
never been anywhere like this,” said Irynya, a Ukrainian housewife. The company said they guaranteed
pickers £5.05 an hour when there was work, and a bonus if they met targets. But they said that at the start
of the season or in bad weather they could not guarantee hours. “When 3,500 people turn up, it’s hard to get
everyone going at the same time. We reduced the accommodation charge to £10 when it was raining, two
weeks ago,” said Graham Neal, a manager with S&A Davies.
10
Mr Neal blamed agents in east European countries for sending them unsuitable workers. “The old student
agriculture workers quota scheme meant we could go to an east European university and know people’s
history and character. We had superb people. Now the government says that we must recruit EU people.
Some countries ... have sent over their unemployed drunks,” he said.
11
As a final irony, the east Europeans cannot afford to buy the fruit they pick. “Yes, we like strawberries but we
cannot pay for them,” said Linas Petraitis, a Ukrainian buying cheap white bread and margarine in the local
supermarket. “When you eat one, just think of us in the tunnels.”
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Level 3 l Advanced
3 Post-reading Point of view
Do you think the writer sympathizes more with the workers or with the management of the strawberry
farm? Why?
4 Detailed comprehension
Are the following statements true or false?

1. Mrs Salisbury was fit and healthy.
2. She didn’t want the countryside covered with plastic.
3. None of the local people agree with her.
4. The workers were angry that she was destroying their work.
5. There is nothing for the workers to do in their free time.
6. Some local people think the management are making an unfair profit out of the workers.
7. The migrants’ working conditions are severe.
8. Doctors and interpreters are provided free.
9. There is not always enough work for everyone.
10.The S&A Davies manager is critical of all European workers.
5 Vocabulary 1 Word search
Find words in paragraphs 7-10 that mean:
1. When workers refuse to work, to protest about their conditions (7)
2. A sign or warning (originally from football) that you have done something wrong,
and may be dismissed (7)
3. Waste material from the toilet (7)
4. Dismissed (8)
5. Promised (to pay) (8)
6. Reached the totals set (8)
7. A number that is officially permitted (9)
8. Find and employ ((9)
9. A strange or funny situation where things happen in the opposite way to what you
would expect (10)

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Level 3 l Advanced
6 Vocabulary 2 Phrasal Verbs
1. See if you can remember the missing particles in these phrasal verbs.
1. pulling the plants
2. cheered her
3. descend Hertfordshire
4. two villages have sprung
5. documents drawn by S&A Davies
6. set the terms and conditions
7. when 3,500 people turn
2. Now match numbers 1, 5, 6 and 7 to these definitions:

a) prepared and written
b) explained clearly in writing
c) arrive (sometimes unexpectedly)
d) removing, roots and all
3. Check your answers in the text.
7 Interpretation and discussion
1. Do you agree with the idea of richer countries importing workers from poorer countries to do manual jobs?
If so, under what circumstances and conditions?
2. With a partner, take the roles of:

A. a migrant worker
B. the manager of the fruit farm
Try to reach an agreement about wages and conditions.

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Key:
2. Pre-reading 2 Key Words 5. Vocabulary 1 Word Search
1. to object to sth 1. a strike
2. to witness sth 2. a yellow card
3. defiance 3. sewage
4. to cheer sb on 4. sacked
5. a dozen 5. guaranteed
6. a migrant 6. met targets
7. to spring up 7. (a) quota
8. a walking frame 8. (to) recruit
9. a polytunnel 9. (an) irony
10. to descend on (a place) 10. a strike
3. Post-reading Point of view 6. Vocabulary 2 Phrasal Verbs

The writer appears to sympathize more with the 1. 1. pulling up the plants
workers. He gives lots of space to various individual 2. cheered her on
workers, their complaints, and the unpleasant condi- 3. descend on Hertfordshire
tions of their contracts. He gives much less space to the 4. two villages have sprung up
manager, and gives the last word to one of the workers, 5. documents drawn up by S&A Davies
repeating and explaining the point made in the title. 6. set out the terms and conditions
7. when 3,500 people turn up
4. Detailed Comprehension
2. 1-d; 5-a; 6-b; 7-c
1. False; she used a walking frame
2. True

3. False; ‘a hero not just for those people in
Herefordshire who object…’
4. False; ‘the workers started clapping, and then
cheered her on’
5. False; ‘football pitches, internet cafes and even
saunas’.
6. True
7. True
8. False; ‘for £30 they have access to medical and
translation advice’
9. True
10.False; ‘We had superb people. Now ... Some
countries ... have sent over their unemployed
drunks’
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1 Pre-reading 1
Look at the title. What do you think the article is about?

a. The fact that strawberry pickers are not allowed to eat when working.
b. The fact that strawberry pickers are not paid a lot of money for the work they do.
Now read the first two paragraphs and see if you were right.
See if you can guess the meaning of these words from the text by matching them with the definitions.
to clap to cheer a yellow card a contract
leisure facilities a migrant to afford
1. is a piece of paper that two or more people sign to show that they agree to do
something (usually concerning work).
2. is to shout loudly to show that you are happy about something or somebody.
3. is someone who moves to another country to work or live.
4. is to hit your hands together, many times, to show that you think something is good.
5. is to have enough money to buy something.
6. (used in football) is a sign or warning that you have done something wrong.
7. are things you can use to help you enjoy your free time.
Now read the text quickly to check the words.
1
Val Salisbury lives in a country village in England. She loves the countryside, but just near her house there
is a big strawberry farm. So now the fields are covered with very big pieces of plastic, called polytunnels,
where the strawberries grow. And people have to work in the polytunnels, too. These workers come to
England from eastern Europe every summer, to pick the strawberries for British supermarkets.
2
Mrs Salisbury was very angry about all the plastic, and she was also angry that the workers were badly
paid. She wanted to show the farm company (S&A Davies, Europe’s largest strawberry grower) how she
felt. So one day she walked into one of the polytunnels, and started pulling the strawberry plants out of the
ground. The east Europeans understood why she was angry, and they clapped and cheered.
3
“I felt so much better after my protest,” said Mrs Salisbury last weekend. “We don’t need these strawberries
and these polytunnels in Herefordshire”.
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4
Every year, at the beginning of summer, at least 5,000 people from eastern Europe arrive in south-west
England to pick fruit. This year, two villages, with more than 1,700 people in each, have been built there.
Each one has about 400 caravans, football pitches, internet cafes and even saunas. Most local people
welcome the fruit-pickers, but some are afraid that the fruit company is making too much money out of them.
Last weekend, a reporter interviewed 50 people working in the tunnels, and many were as angry as Mrs
Salisbury. The workers who could speak English said that their conditions were terrible. They thought the
company was making too much money from their stay.
5
“In Lithuania I earn 200 pounds a month,” said a policeman from Vilnius. “I thought I could earn more here.
It looks like I am not going to. It cost more than I thought to get here; it costs more to live.”
6
“None of us like strawberry picking,” said a Ukrainian student. “Today I have earned 23 pounds. But I must
pay 35 pounds a week to live in a box with three other people. Perhaps I earn 150 pounds in a week, but
when I have paid for food, accommodation, tax, everything, maybe I have 70 pounds for a six days. It’s not
good”.
7
“The money is bad,” said a waiter from the Czech Republic. “We waited days to have work … It is like a
prison. I have been given a yellow card already. One more and I am sent home.”
8
The contracts S&A Davies gives the east Europeans make life hard for the workers. They have to pay
£26.25 a week to live four or five in one room. They must pay £3 a week for toilets and waste collection,
£2.25 for electricity, and £2.75 for leisure facilities, including a TV set, football pitch and disco. It costs them
£30 to see a doctor or a translator.
9
The contracts say that the pickers can lose their jobs if they eat a single strawberry, stop work, or go to the
toilet at the side of the field, or smoke indoors. If they want to have a visitor, they must ask permission two
days in advance. “I have never been anywhere like this,” said a Ukrainian housewife.
10
The company said they promised to pay pickers £5.05 an hour when there was work, and extra money if
they picked a lot of strawberries. But they said that they could not promise full-time work for everyone at the
start of the strawberry season. “When 3,500 people arrive, it’s hard to give everyone work at the same time.
And when it was raining, two weeks ago, we only charged £10 for accommodation,” said Graham Neal, a
manager with S&A Davies.
11
The strange but sad thing is that the east Europeans cannot even afford to buy the fruit they pick. “Yes, we
like strawberries but we cannot pay for them,” said a Ukrainian who was buying cheap white bread and
margarine in the local supermarket. “The next time you eat one, just think of us in the tunnels.”
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3 Reading for Information
Match the numbers (they are all in paragraphs 4-8):

£35 £70 5,000 £150 £200 4
1. How many foreign workers come to the strawberry farms every year?
2. How much does the policeman earn at home?
3. How much does the student earn each week?
4. How much rent does she pay?
5. How many people share her room?
6. How much does it cost to visit the doctor?
4 Vocabulary 1 Collocation
Match these word pairs from the article:
1 white a cafe
2 full-time b village
3 football c Europe
4 country d work
5 internet e paid
6 strawberry f bread
7 eastern g Republic
8 badly h money
9 Czech i pitch
10 extra j farm
Now read quickly to check.
Find words in the text that match the description on the left. (The first has been done for you.)
1 somebody who grows (fruit or vegetables) is called - a grower
2 somebody who manages (a company) is called -
3 somebody who picks (fruit or vegetables) is called -
4 somebody who works is called -

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Now do the same with these words from the text. (The names for these people are not in the text):
5 Somebody who buys things is called - a buyer
6 Somebody who has a farm is called -
7 Somebody who is in prison is called -
8 Somebody who smokes is called -
9 Somebody who cleans is called -
10 Somebody who drinks is called -
6 Discussion
Do you think Mrs. Salisbury was right to pull up the strawberry plants? Why / why not?
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Key
1. Pre-reading 1 5. Vocabulary 2 Word Building
The text is mainly about the fact that the workers are 1. (a grower)
badly paid, though it’s also stated that they aren’t 2. a manager
allowed to eat the strawberries (see paragraph 9). 3. a picker
4. a worker
2. Pre-reading 2 Key Words 5. (a buyer)
6. a farmer
1. a contract
7. a prisoner
2. to cheer
8. a smoker
3. a migrant
9. a cleaner
4. to clap
10.a drinker
5. to afford
6. a yellow card
7. leisure facilities
3. Reading for information

1. 5,000
2. £200
3. £150
4. £35 a week
5. 4
6. £30
(£ is the symbol for British pounds – also, GBP.)
4. Vocabulary 1 Collocation
1 white bread
2 full-time work
3 football pitch
4 country village
5 internet café
6 strawberry farm
7 eastern Europe
8 badly paid
9 Czech Republic
10 extra money
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1 Pre-reading 1 Discussion
1. Have you ever had a job like picking fruit? Was it hard work? Did you enjoy it?
2. Look at the headline. What do you think the article will be about?
See if you can guess the meaning of these words from the text by matching them with the definitions.
a polytunnel a walking frame to complain to cheer
a protest a strike a contract a migrant
1. is to say that you are not satisfied with something.
2. is a metal support that helps old or disabled people to move.
3. is a strong disagreement.
4. is to shout loudly to show that you are happy about something or somebody.
5. is a long, transparent polythene cover to protect growing plants,
tall enough for people to work inside.
6. is an agreement in writing, about work or business.
7. is someone who moves to another country to work or live.
8. is when the workers all stop work to show the management that
they are not happy about their working conditions.
Now read the text quickly to check the words, and to see if your answer to question 1 2 was right.
1
Val Salisbury walked down her road in the English countryside and went into a giant plastic polytunnel.
Inside, lots of people from eastern Europe were picking strawberries. The workers were surprised to see
a 69-year-old Englishwoman using a walking frame come in. But when she started pulling the strawberry
plants out of the ground, they began to understand that she was angry with the company they worked for.
2
Mrs Salisbury herself was surprised when the east Europeans clapped and cheered her act of protest against
S&A Davies, Europe’s largest strawberry grower. By the time the farm manager had arrived, Mrs Salisbury
was very popular. Popular, not just with the local people who don’t want large areas of farmland covered in
plastic, but also with the workers from all over eastern Europe who pick fruit for British supermarkets.
3
“I felt so much better after my protest,” said Mrs Salisbury last weekend. “We don’t need these strawberries
and these polytunnels in Herefordshire”.
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4
Every year, at the beginning of summer, at least 5,000 people from eastern Europe arrive in Herefordshire
and Worcestershire to pick fruit. This year, two villages, with more than 1,700 people in each, have been built
there. Each one has about 400 caravans, football pitches, internet cafes and even saunas. Most local people
welcome the fruit-pickers, but some are afraid that the fruit company is treating the migrant workers unfairly
to make money out of them. Last weekend, 50 people working in the tunnels were interviewed, and many
seemed as angry as Mrs Salisbury. Those who could speak English complained about their conditions, and
thought the company was making too much money from their stay.
5
“In Lithuania I earn 200 pounds a month,” said a policeman from Vilnius. “I thought I could earn more here.
It looks like I am not going to. It cost more than I thought to get here; it costs more to live.”
6
“None of us like strawberry picking,” said a Ukrainian student. “Today I have earned 23 pounds. But I must
pay 35 pounds a week to live in a box with three other people. Perhaps I earn 150 pounds in a week, but
when I have paid for food, accommodation, tax, everything, maybe I have 70 pounds for a six days. It’s not
good”.
7
“The money is bad,” said a waiter from the Czech Republic. “We waited days to have work. Last year we
heard there was a strike here; perhaps there will be one this year, too. It is like a prison. I have been given a
yellow card already. One more and I am sent home.”
8
The Guardian has seen the contracts S&A Davies gives the east Europeans. The rules and conditions are
hard. The workers have to pay £26.25 a week to live four or five in one room. They must pay GBP3 a week for
toilets and waste collection, £2.25 for electricity, and £2.75 for leisure facilities, including a TV set, football pitch
and disco. For £30, they can get medical and translation advice.
9
The contracts say that pickers can lose their jobs for eating a single strawberry, for stopping work, for going to
the toilet at the side of the field, or for smoking indoors. If their rooms are not “clean and tidy”, the workers can
be asked to leave. If they want to invite a visitor to the camp, they must ask permission two days in advance.
“I have never been anywhere like this,” said a Ukrainian housewife. The company said they promised to
pay pickers £5.05 an hour when there was work, and extra money if they picked more than a set amount of
strawberries. But they said that they could not promise full-time work for everyone at the start of the strawberry
season, or in bad weather. “When 3,500 people arrive, it’s hard to give everyone work at the same time.
We reduced the cost of accommodation to £10 when it was raining, two weeks ago,” said Graham Neal, a
manager with S&A Davies.
10
Mr Neal blamed agents in east European countries for sending the wrong kind of workers. “Under the old
system, where fixed numbers of students came to do farm work, we could go to an east European university
and get excellent people. Now the government says that we must take anyone from the EU. Some coun-
tries ... have sent over their unemployed drunks,” he said.
11
The strange but sad thing is that the east Europeans cannot even afford to buy the fruit they pick. “Yes, we
like strawberries but we cannot pay for them,” said a Ukrainian who was buying cheap white bread and
margarine in the local supermarket. “The next time you eat one, just think of us in the tunnels.”
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3 Reading for Information
Find the numbers (they are all in paragraphs 4-8).
1. How many foreign workers come to the strawberry farms every year?
2. How much does the policeman earn at home?
3. How much does the student earn each week?
4. How much rent does she pay?
5. How many people share her room?
6. How much does it cost to see the doctor?
4 Vocabulary 1 Find the word
Find words in the article that match the definitions. Use the paragraph numbers (in brackets) to help you.
1. Hit their hands together, many times, to show that they think something is good (2)
2. A sign or warning (used in football) that you have done something wrong (7)
3. Things you can use to help you enjoy your free time (8)
4. Made (it) less (9)
5. Says or thinks that somebody is responsible for something bad (10)
6. People who have no work, and drink too much alcohol (10)
7. To have enough money to buy something (11)
5 Vocabulary 2 Collocation
See if you can remember the missing propositions. Use the paragraph numbers (in brackets) to help you.
1. angry somebody (1)

2. work somebody (1)
3. complain something (4)
4. pay something (6, 8 and 10)
5. advance (9)
6. the same time (9)
7. the cost something (9)
8. blame somebody something (10)
Now quickly read the article to check.

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6 Word order
Put the words in these sentences in the right order:
1. could / thought / more / I / much / earn / here / I / money
2. never / anywhere / have / this / like / been / I
3. strawberries / them / like / pay / but / cannot / we / for / we

4. time / you / the / one / eat / next
5. of / think / us / tunnels / just / the / in
Now read the text quickly to check.
7 Discussion
Do you think Mrs Salisbury was right to pull up the strawberry plants? Why / why not?
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Key:
2. Pre-reading 2: Key words: 6. Word Order
1. to complain 1. I thought I could earn much more money here.
2. a walking frame 2. I have never been anywhere like this.
3. a protest 3. We like strawberries but we cannot pay for them.
4. to cheer. 4. The next time you eat one …
5. A polytunnel 5. Just think of us in the polytunnels.
6. a contract
7. a migrant
8. a strike
3. Reading for Information:

1. 5,000
2. £200
3. £150
4. £35 a week
5. 4
6. £30
(£ is the symbol for British pounds – GBP)
4. Vocabulary 1 – Find the Word

1. to clap
2. a yellow card
3. leisure facilities
4. to reduce
5. to blame somebody
6. unemployed drunks
7. to afford
5. Vocabulary 2 – Collocation:
1. with
2. for
3. about
4. for
5. in
6. at
7. of
8. for
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Modern pirates
1 Key vocabulary
Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.
pirate armed cabin safe (n) grenade
navy cargo crew target chaos
1. A is a small bomb that someone throws or fires from a gun.
2. The people who work on a ship are called the ship’s .
3. If someone is , they are carrying a weapon, usually a gun.
4. is a situation where everything is confused and in a mess.

5. The things that a ship carries are called its .
6. A is a strong metal box with a lock used to store valuable things and money.
7. A is someone who attacks ships while they are sailing in order to steal things from them.
8. The is the part of a country’s armed forces that fights at sea.
9. A is a private room on a ship.
10. A is something that someone plans to attack.

1. Where do most modern-day pirate attacks happen?
2. How many pirate attacks have happened since 1992?
3. How many people have died in these attacks?
4. When was the ‘golden age’ of the pirates?
5. What percentage of world trade goes by sea?
6. How much did the pirates steal from Captain Newton’s ship?
Return of the Pirates

A large container ship was sailing across the South China Sea on its way to New Zealand. It was evening
and Captain Peter Newton was in his cabin. As the ship passed the Indonesian island of Bintan, nine armed
men came into Captain Newton’s cabin. They held a knife against his neck and tied his hands with rope.
The gang leader told him to open the ship’s safe. The pirates took the $20,000 they found in the safe and
used a rope to leave the ship.
There are many Hollywood films about pirates but now real-life pirates are very active again. During the last
ten years attacks by modern pirates have increased by 168%. Since the attack on Captain Newton’s ship
in 1992, there have been 3,583 attacks by pirates around the world, and 340 people have died in these
attacks. Last November, a cruise liner called Seabourn Spirit was attacked off the coast of Somalia. The
pirates who attacked the ship used grenades.
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Modern pirates
The 17th century was the golden age of the pirates. European countries colonised the Caribbean and pirates
such as Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Teach and ‘Calico’ Jack Rackham attacked trading ships. During the 18th and
19th centuries, the navies of the great powers controlled the seas and attacks by pirates were rare. But now
pirate attacks are on the increase again. There are two main reasons. Firstly, shipping companies are trying
to save money so they do not spend much money on security. Secondly, there is no international law to
control pirates.
Most modern-day pirate attacks happen in the South China Sea. More than a third of last year’s 266
reported pirate attacks happened there. The seas around lawless countries are particularly dangerous. The
Indian Ocean coast of Somalia has had a lot of pirate attacks.
Modern pirates use inside information, satellite phones and tracking technology to plan attacks on ships with
valuable cargo. They attack the ships using ropes and special hooks. It is very difficult to climb onto a
moving ship and some experts believe that many pirates have had military training. Captain Newton says
that pirate attacks are increasing because there is almost no danger for the pirates.
‘Our ships don’t have armed guards and nobody is going to come after you because you are in international
waters,’ he says. ‘As soon as pirates are on your ship, there is nothing you can do if they are armed and you
are not.’ The pirates feel safe because many shipping companies do not report pirate attacks. They think
it is cheaper to lose $20,000 in cash than to pay much more money for insurance. In October 2002, there
was a suicide attack on a French oil tanker in Yemen. After that the cost of insurance increased by 300% for
ships entering Yemeni waters.
Navy vessels sometimes keep pirates away but they do not often arrest them in international waters. The
US navy recently arrested some pirates who attacked a Thai fishing vessel off the coast of Somalia, but had
to free the men because neither the Thai government nor any other government wanted to put them on trial.
Shipping companies are trying to save money and now there are only 20–24 crew members on modern
container ships. Usually, just two crew members sail the ship at night. Sometimes only five or six people are
up and working on a ship which is the size of two football pitches. This means that the risk of a pirate attack
is very great.
There has been an increase in pirate attacks in oceans with a lot of warships. There were no attacks in Iraqi
waters in 2004, but last year there were 10 attacks on oil tankers and cargo vessels near Basra. Ships are
easy targets for terrorists. Attacks in a key area like the Suez Canal could cause chaos. About 90% of world
trade goes by sea. ‘Piracy isn’t fantasy,’ says Andrew Linington of the ship officers’ union in London. ‘It is
happening every week. It is an advertisement to terrorists that it is easy to attack ships.’
Match the beginnings and endings of the sentences.

1. There is almost no danger for the pirates because …
2. Shipping companies do not report pirate attacks because …
3. Some experts believe many pirates have had military training because …
4. The South China Sea is dangerous for ships because …
5. Shipping companies do not spend much money on security because …
6. Navy ships often do not arrest pirates because …
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Modern pirates
a. it is very difficult to climb onto a moving ship.
b. they are trying to save money.
c. they are in international waters.
d. ships do not have armed guards.
e. more than one third of pirate attacks last year happened there.
f. they do not want to pay more money for insurance.
4 Sequence of events
These sentences tell the story of what happened to Captain Newton’s ship (paragraph 1). Put them in the
correct order. Check your answers in the text.
a. They tied his hands with rope.
b. Captain Newton was in his cabin.
c. They used a rope to leave the ship.
d. They told him to open the safe.
e. They held a knife against his neck.
f. They took the money from the safe.
g. Nine armed pirates came into the cabin.
5 Vocabulary – ships
Find the words in the text that are used with these words:
1. navy 5. cargo
2. container 6. war
3. fishing 7. trading
4. oil 8. cruise
6. Vocabulary – prepositions
Fill the gaps using prepositions.
1. sail the South China Sea 5. attacks ships
2. to increase 300% 6 to put someone trial
3. pirate attacks are the increase 7. 90% of world trade goes sea
4. spend money security 8. the coast of Somalia

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KEY
1 Key vocabulary 5 Vocabulary – ships
1. grenade 1. vessel
2. crew 2. ship
3. armed 3. vessel
4. chaos 4. tanker
5. cargo 5. vessel
6. safe 6. ship
7. pirate 7. ship
8. navy 8. liner
9. cabin
10. target
6 Vocabulary – prepositions
1. across
2 Find the information 2. by
1. the South China Sea 3. on
2. 3,583 4. on
3. 340 5. on
4. the 17th century 6. on
5. 90% 7. by
6. $20,000 8. off
.
1. d
2. f
3. a
4. e
5. b
6. c
1. b
2. g
3. e
4. a
5. d
6. f
7. c
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1 Key vocabulary
machete ambush secluded decline jurisdiction
risk free detain vulnerable non lethal cost-cutting
1. A place is private and peaceful and not near other people or places.
2. If something is , it does not involve any danger.
3. If something it gets smaller, less effective or weaker.
4. If you someone, you keep them under arrest.
5. If you someone, you attack them after hiding and waiting for them.
6. If something is it will not kill you.
7. is the process of taking certain actions to reduce the costs of a business.
8. is the right or power to make legal decisions.
9. A is a large knife with a long wide blade used as a weapon or tool.
10. If something is , it is weak or easy to attack.

1. Which area is the centre of modern-day piracy?
2. How many pirate attacks have been reported since 1992?
3. How many people have died in these attacks?
4. When was the ‘golden age’ of piracy?
5. What percentage of world trade is carried by sea?
6. How much do Filipino crew members on container ships earn each month?
The Return of the Pirates

A large container ship, the Australian Star, was sailing across the South China Sea on its way to New
Zealand. It was evening and Captain Peter Newton had returned to his cabin. As the ship passed the
Indonesian island of Bintan, nine armed men burst into Captain Newton’s cabin. They held a machete to his
neck and tied his hands with rope. The gang leader told him that if he didn’t open the ship’s safe – or if he
set off its alarm – they would kill him. When the pirates had taken the $20,000 they found in the safe, they
used a rope to leave the ship and climb down to their boat.
Pirates have always had a glamorous image. Hollywood loves to make films about pirates but now real-life
pirates are more active than ever before. Over the last ten years attacks by modern pirates have increased
by 168%. Since Captain Newton was attacked in 1992, there have been 3,583 piratical attacks reported
worldwide, causing 340 deaths. Last November, a ship called Seabourn Spirit was ambushed off the coast
of Somalia. The pirates who attacked the ship were armed with rocket-propelled grenades.
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The golden age of piracy was the 17th century, when European powers colonised the Caribbean. Pirates
such as Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Teach and ‘Calico’ Jack Rackham attacked trading ships, taking advantage of
the political vacuum and a secluded coastline that was perfect for ambushes. During the age of empire, the
navies of the great powers enforced order on the high seas and piracy declined; but now, as the empires
have vanished, piracy is on the increase again. It is helped by a number of things – from cost-cutting by the
shipping industry to fact that there are no international arrangements to deal with piracy.
The centre of modern-day piracy is the South China Sea, where more than a third of last year’s 266 reported
pirate attacks took place. The seas around failing states are particularly dangerous. The Indian Ocean off
Somalia is home to a special brand of piracy, in which ships are hijacked and crews are kidnapped and
ransomed.
Modern pirates use intelligence (including information from corrupt port officials), satellite phones and tracking
technology to plan attacks on valuable cargo, but one tool of modern pirates remains the same: the rope
and grappling hook. Climbing onto a ship in motion requires special forces-style skills and many in the
shipping industry believe some modern pirates have a military background. According to Newton, the
increase in piracy is also the result of the fact that there are few risks for the pirates.
‘Our ships don’t have armed guards and nobody is going to go after you because it is international waters
and no one has jurisdiction,’ he says. ‘Once they are on your ship, there is nothing you can do if they are
armed and you are not.’ Another reason why piracy is so risk free is that many victims fail to report the
crime. Shipping companies would rather lose $20,000 stolen from a safe than report it to their insurers and
face a large increase in premiums. Insurance premiums rose by 300% for vessels entering Yemeni waters
after a suicide boat crashed into Limburg, a French oil tanker, in October 2002. Ships sometimes do not
report piracy because they think that no country will bother to investigate crimes in international waters.
Naval vessels often discourage pirates but rarely want to capture and detain them in international waters.
The US navy recently caught and detained pirates who attacked a Thai fishing vessel near Somalia, but had
to release the men because neither the Thai government nor any other government was willing to put them
on trial. When ships have been seized and crews kidnapped off the coast of Somalia, shipping companies
simply pay the ransom demands.
About 90% of world trade is carried by sea. Cost-cutting has made modern cargo ships extremely vulnerable
to attack, according to Andrew Linington of Numas, the ship officers’ union in London. There are only 20–24
crew members on modern container ships. Usually, just two crew members patrol the bridge at night. ‘You
can have ships the size of two football pitches and at any one time you will have just five or six people up
and working,’ says Linington.
Few companies are willing to pay for security measures such as non-lethal electric fences or sonic weap-
ons. As well as being small in number, modern multinational crews are poorly paid. Many boats use Filipino
crew members, who earn just $400 a month. For that money, few captains expect their crew to risk their
lives by defending their ship.
Even oceans full of warships have seen an increase in pirate attacks. There were no attacks in Iraqi waters
in 2004, yet last year there were 10 attacks on oil tankers and cargo vessels near Basra. Ships are soft
targets for terrorists. It would only take couple of major incidents in a key area – such as the Suez canal – to
cause chaos. ‘Piracy isn’t fantasy,’ says Linington. ‘It is happening every week. It is an advertisement to
terrorists that it is easy to attack something that is so crucial to world trade.’
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Modern pirates
Choose the best answer according to the information in the text.

1. Why don’t navy ships capture and detain pirates?
a. because it’s too dangerous
b. because no country wants to put them on trial
c. because it’s too difficult to catch them
2. What is the main reason for the increase in piracy?

a. many victims do not report the crime
b. cost-cutting by the shipping industry makes piracy easy
c. the pirates often have inside information
3. Why don’t captains expect their crews to defend their ships?

a. because it’s impossible to defend a big ship
b. because the ships are the size of two football pitches
c. because they are poorly paid
4. Why do some experts believe some pirates have a military background?

a. because they are able to climb onto a moving ship
b. because they wear special uniforms
c. because they use intelligence
4. Vocabulary – two-word expressions
Match these two-word expressions from the text with their meanings:
1. failing state a. a metal hook attached to a rope and used for climbing
2. cargo vessel b. a military ship
3. political vacuum c. a country with no government or social order
4. golden age d. a ship carrying goods
5. grappling hook e. the money paid for an insurance policy
6. naval vessel f. the money kidnappers ask for to free their victim
7. insurance premium g. a period when something was the most successful
8. ransom demand h. a situation when political leadership is missing

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5 Vocabulary – prepositions
Complete these expressions from the text by adding a preposition. Check your answers in the text.
1. take advantage a situation
2. the coast of Somalia
3. the increase
4. deal a problem
5. put someone trial
6. vulnerable attack
7. armed grenades
8. shipping is crucial world trade
6 Vocabulary – word-building
Complete the table.
Verb Noun
1. arrange
2. hijack (person)
3. kidnap (person)
4. move
5. risk
6. investigate
7. advertise
8. insure
7 Discussion
What measures should countries adopt to defend themselves against pirates?

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KEY
1 Key vocabulary 5 Vocabulary – prepositions
1. secluded 1. of
2. risk free 2. off
3. declines 3. on
4. detain 4. with
5. ambush 5. on
6. non lethal 6. to
7. cost-cutting 7. with
8. jurisdiction 8. to
9. machete
10. vulnerable
1. arrangement
2 Find the information 2. hijacker
1. the South China Sea 3. kidnapper
2. 3,583 4. motion (movement)
3. 340 5. risk
4. the 17th century 6. investigation
5. 90% 7. advertisement
6. $400 8. insurance
1. b
2. b
3. c
4. a
4. Vocabulary – two-word expressions

1. c
2. d
3. h
4. g
5. a
6. b
7. e
8. f
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Modern pirates
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Key vocabulary
machete glamorous plunder vulnerable laden
secluded tip-off jurisdiction premium non lethal
1. A is a warning or secret information given to someone.
2. If something is , it is attractive and interesting in an exciting or unusual way.
3. A is the amount of money you pay regularly for an insurance policy.
4. A is a large knife with a long wide blade used as a weapon or tool.
5. is the right or power to make legal decisions.
6. If something is it will not kill you.
7. A place is private and peaceful and not near other people or places.
8. If something is , it is weak or easy to attack.
9. If a ship is heavily , it is full of cargo.
10. means the valuable things taken from a place by force.
2 What do you know?

1. What percentage of world trade is carried by sea?
a. 30% b. 60% c. 90%
2. Which area is the centre of modern-day piracy?

a. The South China Sea b. The Red Sea c. The Caribbean
3. The coast off which of these countries is particularly dangerous because of pirates?
a. Russia b. Tanzania c. Somalia
4. How many crew members does a modern container ship have?

a. Fewer than 10 b. 20–24 c. 60–70
5. How much money do Filipino sailors on international container ships earn each month?
a. $400 b. $1,000 c. $4,000
Latter-day pirates plunder the high seas

A large container ship, the Australian Star, was making its way across the South China Sea bound for New
Zealand. It was evening and Captain Peter Newton left the bridge for his cabin. As the ship passed the
Indonesian island of Bintan, nine armed men burst into Captain Newton’s cabin. They held a machete to his
neck and his hands were bound with rope. The gang leader told him that if he didn’t open the ship’s safe
– or if he triggered its alarm – he would be killed. Once the pirates had pocketed the $20,000 they found in
the safe, they descended to their small craft using a rope.
Pirates have seemed glamorous ever since the days of Robert Louis Stevenson. Pirate stories are adored
by Hollywood but real-life pirates are profiting from plunder of the high seas as never before. Attacks by
modern pirates have increased by 168% in the past decade. Since Captain Newton was attacked in 1992,
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there have been 3,583 piratical attacks reported worldwide, causing 340 deaths. Last November, a ship
called Seabourn Spirit was ambushed off the coast of Somalia. Pirates with rocket-propelled grenades in
two boats were repelled when the crew directed a ‘sonic blaster’ at their attackers.
Robbery at sea entered a golden age during the 17th century, when European powers colonised the Caribbean.
Pirates such as Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Teach and ‘Calico’ Jack Rackham attacked heavily laden trading ships,
taking advantage of the political vacuum and a secluded coastline perfect for ambushes. As the age of
empire took hold and naval forces imposed order on the high seas, piracy lost its vigour; now, with imperial
decline, it is regaining strength. A variety of conditions – from the cost-cutting of the shipping industry to the
absence of international arrangements to tackle piracy – is aiding modern pirates.
The centre of modern-day piracy is the South China Sea, scene of more than a third of last year’s 266
reported raids. Waters around failing states are particularly dangerous. The Indian Ocean off Somalia is
home to a special brand of piracy, in which ships are hijacked and crews are kidnapped and ransomed.
Modern pirates use intelligence (often tip-offs from corrupt port officials), satellite phones and tracking
technology to plan attacks on valuable cargo, but one tool of modern pirates remains the same: the rope
and grappling hook. Storming a ship in motion requires special forces-style skills and many in the shipping
industry believe some of the more sophisticated modern pirates have a military background. A relative
absence of risk also is behind the rise in piracy, according to Newton.
‘We don’t carry armed guards and nobody is going to pursue you because it is international waters and no
one has jurisdiction,’ he says. ‘Once they get on board, there is nothing you can do if they are armed and
you are not.’ Another reason why piracy is so risk free is that many victims fail to report the crime. Shipping
companies would rather bear the loss of $20,000 stolen from a safe than report it to their insurers and face
a large increase in premiums. Insurance premiums rose by 300% for vessels entering Yemeni waters after
a suicide boat rammed into Limburg, a French oil tanker, in October 2002. Ships sometimes do not report
piracy because they fear that no country will bother to investigate crimes in international waters.
Naval vessels often discourage pirates but rarely want to capture and detain them in international waters.
The US navy recently caught and detained pirates who attacked a Thai fishing vessel near Somalia, but had
to release the men because neither the Thai government nor any other would put them on trial. Where ships
have been seized and crews kidnapped off Somalia, shipping companies simply pay the ransom demands.
About 90% of world trade is carried by sea. Cost-cutting has made modern cargo ships more vulnerable
than ever to attack, according to Andrew Linington of Numas, the ship officers’ union in London. There are
only 20–24 crew members on modern container ships. Usually, just two crew patrol the bridge at night. ‘You
can have ships the size of two football pitches and at any one time you will have just five or six people up
and working,’ says Linington.
Few companies are willing to pay for security measures such as non-lethal electric fences or sonic weapons.
As well as being small in number, modern multinational crews are poorly paid. Many boats use Filipino crew
members, who take home $400 a month. For that money, few captains expect their crew to risk their lives by
defending their ship. Low wages also lead to the occasional inside job: crew members can be tempted to pro-
vide pirates with information on freight and opportune times to strike. Even oceans full of warships have seen
an increase. There were no attacks in Iraqi waters in 2004, yet last year there were 10 opportunistic assaults
on oil tankers and cargo vessels near Basra. Piracy provides a juicy example of soft targets for terrorists. It
would only take couple of major incidents in a key area – such as the Suez canal – to cause chaos.
‘Piracy isn’t fantasy,’ says Linington. ‘It is happening on a weekly basis. It is an advertisement to terrorists
that it is easy to attack something that is so crucial to world trade.’
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Level 3 l Advanced
Are these statements true or false according to the text?

1. Only about a quarter of a container ship’s crew are up and working at any one time.
2. Container ships would be a difficult target for terrorists.
3. Crew members are expected to risk their lives by defending their ships.
4. Storming a moving ship requires the kind of skills used by special forces.
5. The 17th century was the ‘golden age’ of piracy.
6. Shipping companies usually report piracy incidents to their insurance companies.
7. It is cheaper to lose $20,000 than to pay an increased insurance premium.
8. There are international arrangements to tackle piracy.
4 Vocabulary – find the verb
Find the verb that means …

1. to enter a room suddenly (para 1)
2. to put something in your pocket in order to steal it (para 1)
3. to like something very much (para 2)
4. to attack someone after hiding and waiting for them (para 2)
5. to force someone who is attacking to move back or stop attacking (para 2)
6. to chase (para 6)
7. to hit something very hard, usually when it is moving fast (para 6)
8. to arrest (para 7)
5 Vocabulary – verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column. Check your answers in the text.
1. trigger a. one’s life
2. repel b. a crime
3. take c. an alarm
4. regain d. a loss
5. investigate e. strength
6. bear f. advantage
7. pay g. an attack
8. risk h. a ransom
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Level 3 l Advanced
Complete the table.

Verb Noun (person) Noun (thing) Adjective
1. n/a pirate
2. seclude n/a
3. attack n/a
4. rob n/a
5. vary n/a
6. investigate n/a
7. secure n/a
8. hijack n/a
7 Discussion
What measures should countries adopt to defend themselves against pirates?
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KEY
1 Key vocabulary 5 Vocabulary – verb + noun collocations
1. tip-off 1. c
2. glamorous 2. g
3. premium 3. f
4. machete 4. e
5. jurisdiction 5. b
6. non lethal 6. d
7. secluded 7. h
8. vulnerable 8. a
9. laden
10. plunder
1. piracy, piratical
2 What do you know? 2. seclusion, secluded
1. c 3. attacker, attack
2. a 4. robber, robbery
3. c 5. variety, various/varied
4. b 6. investigator, investigation
5. a 7. security, secure
8. hijacker, hijacking6
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. T
5. T
6. F
7. T
8. F
4 Vocabulary – find the verb

1. burst in
2. pocket
3. adore
4. ambush
5. repel
6. pursue
7. ram
8. detain
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EXPRESS LESSON
An end to malaria?
1 Gap-fill exercise
These words have been removed from the text. Use them to fill the gaps in the text:
neglected estimated identified excited licensed developed
Cheap anti-allergy drug offers hope of malaria cure

A drug to treat allergies has been by US researchers as a
potential cure for malaria. Tests in mice show that the antihistamine astemizole also kills the malaria
parasite. It is for use in people, so it could be developed for use as a malaria drug in
about 12 months. And because it is no longer under patent, it can be made very cheaply.
The breakthrough has researchers because of the cost of developing other
anti-malarial treatments. “Time and money are major problems when it comes to developing new drugs for
diseases like malaria,” said David Sullivan at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of
public health. One study of drug development costs in the 1990s that each drug that
reached the market cost pharmaceutical companies $802m in research and development.
2 Find the words
Look at the text again and find the words or phrases that mean:
1. a medical condition in which your body reacts badly to something you eat, breathe or touch
2. a disease caused by mosquitoes
3. a document that protects a product that someone has invented or discovered so that other people cannot copy it
4. a discovery or achievement that comes after a lot of hard work
5. the work that companies do when they are developing new products, services or methods
3 Collocations
Look at these eight words from the text. Use them to make four collocations
(adjective + noun; preposition + noun). Check your answers in the text.
potential problem public patent major cure health under

4 Word game
Complete these words from the text. Check your answers in the text.
1. a er ie 2. p t ti 3. t e tm t
4. d s s s 5. d v l p t
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EXPRESS LESSON
An end to malaria?
KEY
1 Gap-fill exercise
A drug developed to treat allergies has been identified by US researchers as a potential cure for malaria. Tests
in mice show that the antihistamine astemizole also kills the malaria parasite. It is licensed for use in people, so it
could be developed for use as a malaria drug in about 12 months. And because it is no longer under patent, it can
be made very cheaply.
The breakthrough has excited researchers because of the cost of developing other anti-malarial treatments. “Time
and money are major roadblocks when it comes to developing new drugs for neglected diseases like malaria,” said
David Sullivan at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of public health. One study of drug development costs in
the 1990s estimated that each drug that reached the market cost pharmaceutical companies $802m in research
and development.
2. Find the words

1. allergy
2. malaria
3. patent
4. breakthrough
5. research and development
3 Collocations
potential cure; major problem; under patent; public health
4 Word game
1. allergies
2. potential
3. treatment
4. diseases
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An end to malaria?
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Put the words back
These words have been removed from the text. Put them back into the text - anywhere they will logically
and grammatically fit. Note that they are in the original order.
potential also about major new neglected
Cheap anti-allergy drug offers hope of malaria cure

A drug developed to treat allergies has been identified by US researchers as a cure for malaria. Tests in
mice show that the antihistamine astemizole kills the malaria parasite. It is licensed for use in people, so it
could be developed for use as a malaria drug in 12 months. And because it is no longer under patent, it can
be made at rock-bottom prices.
The breakthrough has excited researchers because of the cost of developing other anti-malarial treatments.
“Time and money are roadblocks when it comes to developing drugs for diseases like malaria,” said David
Sullivan at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of public health. One study of drug development costs in
the 1990s estimated that each drug that reached the market cost pharmaceutical companies $802m in
research and development.
2 Find the words
Look at the text again and find the words or phrases that mean:
1. a medical condition in which your body reacts badly to something you eat, breathe or touch
2. a drug used to treat an allergy
3. a small living creature that lives inside another animal and feeds on it
4. very low costs
5. obstacles

3 Collocations
Match the verbs with the nouns or noun phrases. Check your answers in the text.
1. treat a. a new drug
2. develop b. a disease
3. cure c. the market
4. reach d. an allergy

4 Word game
Re-order the letters to make words from the text. Check your answers in the text.
1. aarmail
2. aseapirt
3. tntape
4. mepratlacichau
5. erscheerars
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EXPRESS LESSON
An end to malaria?
Level 3 l Advanced
KEY
1 Put the words back
A drug developed to treat allergies has been identified by US researchers as a potential cure for malaria. Tests
in mice show that the antihistamine astemizole also kills the malaria parasite. It is licensed for use in people, so it
could be developed for use as a malaria drug in about 12 months. And because it is no longer under patent, it can
be made at rock-bottom prices.
The breakthrough has excited researchers because of the cost of developing other anti-malarial treatments. “Time
and money are major roadblocks when it comes to developing new drugs for neglected diseases like malaria,”
said David Sullivan at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of public health. One study of drug development costs
in the 1990s estimated that each drug that reached the market cost pharmaceutical companies $802m in research
and development.
2. Find the words

1. allergy
2. antihistamine
3. parasite
4. rock-bottom prices
5. roadblocks
3 Collocations
1. d; 2. a; 3. b; 4. c
4 Word game
1. malaria
2. parasite
3. patent
4. pharmaceutical
5. researchers
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No going back to Mugabe
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Pre-Reading 1 Key words

asylum threaten appeal funding
vouchers slum prohibited deport
1. A is a very poor area in or around a city.

2. If someone says that they will do something very bad to you if you don’t do what they say, they
you.
3. If something is not permitted, by law, it is .

4. People who are in danger in their own country sometimes move to another country and ask for
, or the right to stay there in safety.
5. Money that is provided by a government or organization to help people is called .
6. To is to formally ask a court to change its decision.
7. When a government forces someone to leave the country, they them.
8. are pieces of paper, instead of money, that let people buy what they need.
2 Pre-reading 2 Guess the facts
Do you think these statements are true or false?

1. The president of Zimbabwe is Robert Mugabe.
2. Political refugees have to ask for permission to stay in Britain.
3. If they don’t get it, they can stay in Britain anyway.
4. If they fail to get permission the first time, they can ask for another hearing.
5. The British attitude to refugees from Zimbabwe has never changed.
Now read the article and see if you were right.
No going back to Mugabe by Alison Benjamin 1

1
I first met Thomas last spring, when I asked him to write an article about living underground in Britain. He
had applied for asylum, afraid for his life in Zimbabwe because Robert Mugabe’s youth militia, the Green
Bombers, threatened to kill him for leaving their organisation.
2
Now, at the beginning of the summer, he looks happy and relaxed, living with his new partner, Tanya, in a
village in East Anglia. But it has been a long, hard journey surviving as a persona non grata in Britain. And it
is not over yet.
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Level 3 l Advanced
3
After his final appeal for asylum was rejected in 2004, Thomas lived rough in Manchester; on friends’ floors
and in a disused factory with other failed asylum seekers. One night, five white youths attacked him and
left him with bruised ribs and a swollen eye. But he wouldn’t go to the police. “I was terrified that they would
send me back to Zimbabwe.”
4
Shaken by the attack, he went to Glasgow to stay with friends, but an old illness forced him to go to hospital.
He was afraid to give his real name, so he didn’t attend his check-up, went back to Manchester and slept
in the bus station. The following day he contacted Refugee Action - the charity that had helped him with his
asylum case. But hostels in Manchester can’t take people like Thomas who can’t receive state funding, so
they had to send him to a homeless hostel in Liverpool. “It was full of drug addicts,” says Thomas. “There
was a massive room with lots of beds. Five o’clock, they gave me dinner, and six o’clock you had to be in
bed. I was scared of the other residents. They made racist jokes. I couldn’t sleep all night. The next morning
I took the first bus back to Manchester.” He spent his second night in the bus station before another friend
let him stay.
5
At this time, the asylum and immigration tribunal judged that failed asylum seekers deported to Zimbabwe
would be in danger. This gave Zimbabweans refugee status, and Thomas reapplied for asylum. But his
claim was rejected. His case worker at Refugee Action appealed, and Thomas was invited to attend an
appeal hearing in London.
6
He won the appeal, and returned to Manchester ready to move into a hostel and receive government food
vouchers, instead of having to rely on handouts from friends and charity, but it was another two months
before anything arrived. Three days before Christmas, he was finally given a room in a National Asylum
Support Service [Nass] hostel. But it was a disgusting place to live. “My bedroom floor was covered in
water, the kitchen ceiling leaked, there was mould growing everywhere.” And the first food vouchers didn’t
arrive until Christmas Eve, when the only supermarkets that accepted them were closed. “I spent Christmas
Day ill with hunger,” he says.
7
The new year, however, looked more promising: Thomas was transferred to a better- maintained Nass
hostel, and then he heard that his sister, who he hadn’t seen for three years since escaping from Zimbabwe,
was living in the Midlands. “I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “She had left the same night as myself, after the
Green Bombers had beaten me up in front of my family. None of us had heard from her.”
8
He remembered Sonia as a big woman. Now 43, also a failed asylum seeker, she was tiny. “We hated each
other when I was growing up,” Thomas laughs. “But now I just wanted to be with her. She is the only family I
have here.”
9
He has one brother still in Zimbabwe and another who died last year. Another brother and two other sisters
are in South Africa, where his mother now lives, too. Her house in Zimbabwe was destroyed by Mugabe’s
so-called slum clearance programme.
10
Thomas met Tanya through a mutual friend while he was staying with Sonia, and they clicked immediately.
She invited Thomas to move in with her and her four young children. With Tanya at work all day, Thomas be-
came a house husband. “It’s the happiest I have ever been,” he beams, clutching Tanya’s hand. They plan
to marry, but say they don’t want to tie the knot until Thomas has his refugee status. “I don’t want anyone to
think we are getting married so I can stay,” he insists. “She’s been there for me, more than anyone else in
my life. She took me in when I had nothing.”
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Level 3 l Advanced
11
Thomas is desperate to find work to support his new family, but asylum seekers are prohibited from
working. Five months on, the Home Office has told him nothing about his case. The uncertainty is making
him nervous. “It’s the not knowing what is going on that is stressful,” he says. In April the government
obtained permission to send failed asylum seekers back to Zimbabwe, and later this legislation was
confirmed, allowing it to forcibly remove up to 7,000 people.
12
What will he do if the Home Office does start deporting failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe? Thomas says:
“It’s harder now. I have a family here, but I’ll have to go underground again. No way am I going back.” And
Tanya? Without hesitation, she replies: “I’ll go wherever he is.”
Names have been changed. Thomas’s article, and more on asylum seekers, can be found at
SocietyGuardian.co.uk/asylumseekers
Put these events in the order in which they happened.

a. Thomas went to Liverpool.
b. He went to live in East Anglia.
c. He was attacked by five young white men.
d. He was a member of the Green Bombers in Zimbabwe.
e. He met Tanya.
f. He went to live in Manchester.
g. He went to his appeal in London.
h. He went to Glasgow.
i. He met his sister in the Midlands.
4 Vocabulary Development 1 Collocations
Match the nouns on the left with their collocations on the right.
1. asylum a. clearance
2. state b. status
3. refugee c. hearing
4. drug d. husband
5. appeal e. addicts
6. food f. funding
7. slum g. vouchers
8. house h. seekers
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Level 3 l Advanced
5 Vocabulary Development 2 Find the word
Find words or expressions in the text that mean:
1. someone who is not wanted in a particular place:
2. badly hurt, leaving a blue mark on the skin:
3. when part of your body becomes much bigger than usual, it is
4. upset and frightened:
5. a place where homeless people can stay:
6. green, blue or white bacteria growing on food or wet walls:

7. got on well and felt attracted to each other:
8. gives a big smile:
9. get married:
6 Discussion
How do you feel about Thomas’s situation?

What is your country’s immigration policy?
Do you think countries should have limits to the numbers and types of immigrants it accepts?
What kind of immigration policies do you think are ideal?
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Level 3 l Advanced
Key:
1. Pre-Reading 1 Key words. 4. Vocabulary development Collocations

1. slum 1. asylum seekers
2. threaten 2. state funding
3. prohibited 3. refugee status
4. asylum 4. drug addicts
5. funding 5. appeal hearing
6. appeal 6. food vouchers
7. deport 7. slum clearance
8. vouchers 8. house husband
2. Pre-reading 2 Guess the facts 5. Vocabulary development 2

Find the word
1. True, though the text doesn’t actually say so.
1. persona non grata
2. True.
(* Latin, but commonly used in English)
3. False; they are not supposed to, but many try to
2. bruised
remain secretly, ‘undergound’.
3. swollen
4. True, they can appeal.
4. shaken
5. False; see the title: ‘has been given the go-ahead’,
5. a hostel
para 5: ‘at this time the…tribunal judged that….’, and
6. mould
para 11: ‘in April…’
7. clicked
8. beams
3. Comprehension check 9. tie the knot
1. d
2. f
3. c
4. h
5. a
6. g
7. i
8. e
9. b
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1 Before you read 1 Key words
Fill the gaps using these words from the headline and the text.
asylum seekers militia threaten appeal
vouchers slum refugee status deport

2. If someone says that they will do something very bad to you if you don’t do what they say,
they you.
3. are people who are in danger in their own country

and move to another country and ask for the right to stay there in safety.
4. If the government allows these people to stay in the country, they have
5. A is a group of ordinary people trained to fight in an emergency.
6. If you against a court decision, you formally ask the court to change it.
2 Before you read 2 Scanning
Does Thomas now have permission to stay in Britain?

Read the article quickly to check.

1
Three years ago, Thomas came to Britain from Zimbabwe. He was afraid for his life, because when he left
Robert Mugabe’s youth militia, the Green Bombers, they threatened to kill him.
2
Now, he is living happily with his new partner, Tanya, in a village in East Anglia. But it has been a long, hard
journey surviving as an unwanted visitor in Britain. And it is not over yet.
3
After he was refused permission to stay in 2004, Thomas slept on friends’ floors and in an empty factor in
Manchester. One night, five white youths attacked and injured him badly. But he wouldn’t go to the police.
“I was terrified that they would send me back to Zimbabwe.”
4
Frightened by the attack, he went to Glasgow to stay with friends, but an old illness forced him to go to
hospital. He was afraid to give his real name, so he didn’t attend his check-up, went back to Manchester and
slept in the bus station. The next day, he went to Refugee Action – the charity that had helped him with his
asylum case. They couldn’t put him in a homeless hostel in Manchester because he didn’t have government
support, so they sent him to one in Liverpool. “It was a huge room full of drug addicts,” says Thomas. “Five
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o’clock, they gave me dinner, and six o’clock you had to be in bed. I was scared of the other residents. They
made racist jokes. I couldn’t sleep all night. The next morning I took the first bus back to Manchester.” He
spent his second night in the bus station before another friend let him stay.
5
At this time, the law decided that Zimbabweans would be in danger if they were sent home, so Thomas
asked for asylum again. His claim was rejected, but his case worker at Refugee Action appealed.
6
He won the appeal, and returned to Manchester expecting to move into a hostel and have government food
vouchers. He didn’t want to depend on friends and charity. But nothing changed for another two months.
At last, three days before Christmas, he was given a room in a National Asylum Support Service [Nass]
hostel. But it was horrible. “My bedroom floor was covered in water, the kitchen ceiling leaked, there was
mould growing everywhere.” And the first food vouchers didn’t arrive until Christmas Eve, when the only
supermarkets that accepted them were closed. “I spent Christmas Day ill with hunger,” he says.
7
But in the new year, life improved. Thomas was moved to a better Nass hostel, and then he heard that his
sister, who he hadn’t seen since he escaped from Zimbabwe, was living nearby! “I couldn’t believe it,” he
says. “She left the same night as me, after the Green Bombers beat me up in front of my family. None of us
had heard from her.”
8
other when I was growing up,” Thomas laughs. “But now I just wanted to be with her. She is the only family
I have here.”
9
He has one brother still in Zimbabwe; another died last year. Another brother and two other sisters are in
South Africa, where his mother now lives, too. Mugabe’s soldiers destroyed her house in Zimbabwe when
they were ‘clearing’ the slums.
10
Thomas met Tanya through a friend of Sonia’s. He now lives with her and looks after her four young children
while she is at work. “It’s the happiest I have ever been,” he smiles, holding Tanya’s hand. They plan to
marry when Thomas has his refugee status. “I don’t want anyone to think we are only getting married so I
can stay,” he insists. “She’s been there for me, more than anyone else in my life. She took me in when I had
nothing.”
11
Thomas wants to support his new family, but asylum seekers are not allowed to work. The Home Office
has told him nothing about his case for five months, and this makes him nervous. In April, the government
obtained permission to send failed asylum seekers back to Zimbabwe, so it could deport up to 7,000 people.
12
What will he do if the Home Office does deport failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe? Thomas says: “It’s
harder now. I have a family here, but I’ll have to go underground again. No way am I going back.” And
3 Reading for detail
1. Name all the places in Britain where Thomas has stayed.

2. What places in Manchester has he stayed in?
3. Why didn’t he go to the Police, or go back to hospital?
4. How many brothers and sisters did he have?
5. Why did his mother leave Zimbabwe?
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4 Vocabulary development 1
All these adjectives from the text are about fear. Put them in order, with the strongest first.
afraid frightened terrified nervous scared
5 Vocabulary development 2 Past tenses
Look in the text for the irregular past tenses of these verbs and complete the table.
VERB PAST SIMPLE

come came
leave
be
sleep
won’t
go
can’t
send
give
have
make
take
spend
let
will
win
hear
beat
meet
become
6 Discussion
Do you feel sorry for Thomas?

Do you think countries should stop refugees from living in them?
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Key:
1. Before you read 1 Key words 5. Vocabulary development 2 Past tenses
1. slum VERB PAST SIMPLE
2. threaten come came
3. asylum seekers leave left
4. refugee status be was, were
sleep slept
5. militia
won’t wouldn’t
6. appeal
go went
7. deport
can’t couldn’t
8.vouchers send sent
give gave
have had
2. Before you read 2 Scanning
make made
No. He has permission to stay and ask for asylum,
take took
but he hasn’t got refugee status, so he can’t get a job. spend spent
let let
3. Reading for detail will would
win won
1. Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, East Anglia
hear heard
2. Friends’ floors, an empty factory, the bus station,
beat beat
two different hostels.
meet met
3. He was afraid they would report him to the become became
government.
4. Three brothers and three sisters.
5. Because the government destroyed her house.
4. Vocabulary development 1
terrified
frightened
afraid
scared
nervous
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1 Before you read 1 Key words
Fill the gaps using these words from the headline and the text.
the go-ahead asylum seekers fled militia appeal
threaten vouchers slum refugee status deport

2. If someone says that they will do something very bad to you if you don’t do what they say, they
you.
3. are people who are in danger in their own country and move
to another country and ask for the right to stay there in safety.
4. If the government allows these people to stay in the country, they have .
5. If someone gives you permission to do something, they give you to do it.
6. A is a group of ordinary people trained to fight in an emergency.
7. means ‘ran away’, or ‘escaped’
8. If you against a court decision, you formally ask the court to change it.
2 Before you read 2 What do you think?
Look at the headline, and guess which answer is right:

1. Mugabe is:
a. a town in Zimbabwe; b. the president of Zimbabwe; c. the refugee’s girlfriend.
2. The refugee:
a. doesn’t have to go back; b. cannot go back; c. doesn’t want to go back.
3. The British government:
a. can now deport Zimbabwean refugees; b. can no longer deport them.
4. The refugee:
a. escaped from Zimbabwe; b. escaped from Britain; c. fought the militia..

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1
I first met Thomas last spring, when I asked him to write an article about living secretly in Britain. He had
applied for asylum, afraid for his life in Zimbabwe because Robert Mugabe’s youth militia, the Green Bombers,
threatened to kill him for leaving their organisation.
2
Now, months later, he looks more relaxed, living with his new partner, Tanya, in a village in East Anglia. But it
has been a long, hard journey surviving as an unwanted visitor in Britain. And it is not over yet.
3
After his final appeal for asylum was rejected in 2004, Thomas lived rough in Manchester; on friends’ floors
and in an empty factory with other failed asylum seekers. One night, five white youths attacked and injured
him badly. But he wouldn’t go to the police. “I was terrified that they would send me back to Zimbabwe.”
4
Frightened by the attack, he went to Glasgow to stay with friends, but an old illness forced him to go to
hospital. He was afraid to give his real name, so he didn’t attend his check-up, went back to Manchester
and slept in the bus station. The next day Refugee Action – the charity that had helped him with his asylum
case – sent him to a homeless hostel in Liverpool, because hostels in Manchester can’t take people like
Thomas without government support. “It was a huge room full of drug addicts,” says Thomas. “Five o’clock,
they gave me dinner, and six o’clock you had to be in bed. I was scared of the other residents. They made
racist jokes. I couldn’t sleep all night. The next morning I took the first bus back to Manchester.” He spent his
second night in the bus station before another friend let him stay.
5
At this time, the asylum and immigration tribunal decided that Zimbabweans would be in danger if they were
sent home, so Thomas reapplied for asylum. But his claim was rejected. His case worker at Refugee Action
appealed, and Thomas attended an appeal hearing in London.
6
He won the appeal, and returned to Manchester expecting to move into a hostel and receive government
food vouchers, instead of depending on friends and charity, but nothing arrived for another two months.
Three days before Christmas, he was finally given a room in a National Asylum Support Service [Nass]
hostel. But it was horrible. “My bedroom floor was covered in water, the kitchen ceiling leaked, there was
mould growing everywhere.” And the first food vouchers didn’t arrive until Christmas Eve, when the only
supermarkets that accepted them were closed. “I spent Christmas Day ill with hunger,” he says.
7
But in the new year, life improved: Thomas was transferred to a better Nass hostel, and then he heard that
his sister, who he hadn’t seen for three years since escaping from Zimbabwe, was living in the Midlands!
“I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “She had left the same night as myself, after the Green Bombers had beaten
me up in front of my family. None of us had heard from her.”
8
other when I was growing up,” Thomas laughs. “But now I just wanted to be with her. She is the only family
I have here.”
9
He has one brother still in Zimbabwe and another who died last year. Another brother and two other sisters
are in South Africa, where his mother now lives, too. Her house in Zimbabwe was destroyed by Mugabe’s
so-called slum clearance programme.
10
Thomas met Tanya through a friend of Sonia’s, and they liked each other immediately. She invited Thomas
to move in with her and her four young children. With Tanya at work all day, Thomas became a house
husband. “It’s the happiest I have ever been,” he smiles, holding Tanya’s hand. They plan to marry when
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Thomas has his refugee status. “I don’t want anyone to think we are only getting married so I can stay,” he
insists. “She’s been there for me, more than anyone else in my life. She took me in when I had nothing.”
11
Thomas wants to support his new family, but asylum seekers are not allowed to work. Five months on, the
Home Office has told him nothing about his case, and this makes him nervous. “It’s not knowing what is
going on that is stressful,” he says. In April, the government obtained permission to send failed asylum
seekers back to Zimbabwe, allowing it to deport up to 7,000 people.
12
What will he do if the Home Office does deport failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe? Thomas says: “It’s
harder now. I have a family here, but I’ll have to go underground again. No way am I going back.” And
Are the following statements true or false?

1. Alison Benjamin has written about Thomas before.
2. He was given permission to stay in 2004.
3. Manchester is his favourite place.
4. He was afraid that the police and the hospital would report him to the authorities.
5. The British government has never changed its ideas about refugees from Zimbabwe.
6. He wants to marry Tanya so that he can stay in Britain.
7. He still doesn’t have permission to stay.
4 Vocabulary Development 1 Word building
Change the word in brackets to fit the sentence. All the correct forms are in the text.
1. is the action of removing things that you don’t want. (CLEAR).
2. People who hate other people just because of the colour of their skin are . (RACE).
3. ‘Please can I have to leave the room?’ (PERMIT)
4. is when people move to another country to live there always. (IMMIGRATE).
5. A feeling of is when you cannot be sure what is going to happen. (CERTAIN)

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5 Vocabulary Development 2 Word groups
Put these words into three groups connected with ‘living’, ‘fear’ and ‘health’.
house afraid hospital hostel illness scared surviving
stressful move in with injured residents check-up slum
frightened took me in room terrified stay nervous
Living Fear Health

e.g. house e.g. afraid e.g. hospital
leave
be
sleep

won’t
go

can’t

send

give

have

6 Discussion
How do you feel about Thomas’s situation?

Do you think countries should restrict or refuse refugees?
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Key:
1. Before you read 1 Key words 4. Vocabulary Development 1

Word building
1. slum
2. threaten 1. clearance
3. asylum seekers 2. racist
4. refugee status 3. permission
5. the go-ahead 4. immigration
6. a militia 5. uncertainty
7. fled
8. appeal 5. Vocabulary Development 2 Word groups
9. deport
Living Fear Health
10.vouchers e.g. house e.g. afraid e.g. hospital
hostel scared illness
2. Before you read 2 What do you think? surviving stressful injured
move in with frightened check-up
1. b.
residents terrified
2. c.
slum nervous
3. a. took me in
4. a. room
homeless
3. Comprehension check stay
1. False: she asked him to write. (1)

2. False; his appeal was rejected. (3)
3. False; he keeps going back because he has
friends there.
4. True.
5. False; see the title: ‘has been given the go-ahead’,
para 5: ‘at this time the…tribunal judged that….’, and
para 11: ‘in April…’
6. False; he wants to marry her anyway, and to get
refugee status first, to prove that.
7. True.
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Marriage Indonesian-style
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Key Words
Fill in the gaps in the sentences with the words below.

flicker affection disinclined cuddle up cajole
deter conviction disobedient perpetuate widower
1. If you do something with , you do it with the feeling or appearance of being confident or
certain about it.
2. A person deliberately does the opposite of what someone in authority has told them to do.
3. A is a man whose wife has died.
4. A is a small, sudden movement.
5. If you are to do something, you are unwilling to do it.
6. is a feeling of liking and caring about someone
7. If you a process or a situation, you make it continue.
8. If you to someone, you sit or lie with your body against theirs because you want to feel
warm, protected or loved.
9. If you someone into doing something, you persuade them to do it by encouraging them
gently or being nice to them.
10. When something you from doing something, it makes you decide not to do it.
2 True or False?
Decide whether you think these statements are true or false and then read the article to see if your
predictions were correct.
1. Arranged marriages are commonplace in Indonesia.
2. Disasters like the tsunami are reducing the numbers of arranged marriages.
3. The tradition of arranged marriages is likely to die out soon.
4. Divorce rates are rising in Indonesia.
5. When a woman dies, their older sister often marries the widower.
“I do (not know who you are)”

Indonesian parents still pick children’s marriage partners
By John Aglionby in Bumi Agung
When Tri Cayono and Yanti caught sight of each other, their reactions were hardly what one would expect from
two people on their wedding day. Yanti greeted her future husband with a handshake and the merest flicker of
a smile. He gave a nod and moved on. The affection level barely rose throughout the evening. Yanti and Tri did
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Level 3 l Advanced
not kiss. They were disinclined to cuddle up, even when cajoled by the photographer. This reflects the
traditions that persist in many parts of Indonesia. Not only had Yanti, 22, a restaurant cook, and Tri, 24, a
farmer, just met, they barely knew anything about each other. “Er, what does he like to do in his spare time?’
Yanti asked a cousin the day before the wedding.
Two months ago Tri announced he wanted to marry a girl from central Java. “I think they’re cooler and
more fun,” he said. That he did not know any did not deter him. When an acquaintance, Fajar, said he had
a cousin, Mursiyati, who might be appropriate, Tri accepted immediately. Pressured by her parents into
accepting Tri’s offer - his possession of a 11/4-acre (0.5 hectare) farm being a tempting prospect for her
labourer father - Mursiyati agreed to the match. A month later Mursiyati met someone she liked and married
her new boyfriend instead. But Tri was still determined to marry a central Java woman and Fajar felt he had
to provide one.
So early in June the family came up with Yanti, a cousin. Again land proved the crucial factor. “As soon as
I heard her voice, saw her photo and learnt she was a cook, I knew that she was the woman for me,” Tri
said, without conviction. Yanti said she was “happy and excited” at the prospect of marrying Tri, but her
father, Saulusmin, was not. “I mean they haven’t even met - how can they get married?’ he said. But he did
not dare to stand up to his wife, Gina. “She would have got so angry with me if I’d objected it would not have
been pleasant,” Saulusmin said.
It is impossible to know how many Indonesians end up in such marriages. Saman, the cleric who married
Yanti and Tri, said “extreme” stories such as theirs, where the couple had not met, comprised perhaps 1% of
marriages. “But there are many where the children do what they’re told,” he said. Tini, a maid in Jakarta who
ran away after her parents tried to force her, at the age of 15, to marry a 28-year-old, reckons about a third
of all unions in her district are undertaken without full consent.
World Vision, an international aid agency, describes the practice as “still common” and experts say it is
unlikely to die out soon. “It’s the tradition and it’s hard to go against traditions,” said Gadis Arivia, of the
women’s group Jurnal Perempuan. “Parents don’t believe in modern practices, particularly when they see
divorce rates going up. On the daughter’s part if you obey your parents you are supported. The disobedient
ones have a much harder life.”
Indonesia’s string of recent natural disasters and communal conflicts have also perpetuated the tradition,
said Samsidar, a commissioner of the National Commission for Violence Against Women. “It’s traditional
in situations where women have died for their younger sisters to look after their children, and this usually
means they have to marry the widower,” she said. There is also a strong economic side to it. “After
something like the tsunami many people were in a very bad way financially,” Samsidar said. “So we saw
a lot of people hurrying to marry off their children to make their own lives that much easier.”
Back in Bumi Agung, Yanti was continuing to put a brave face on it. “As long as I don’t have to go to work
again - it’s his job to provide for me - and can have a couple of children, then I’ll be happy,” she said.
“And I’ll probably be able to come back and visit once a year.”
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Level 3 l Advanced
3 Comprehension Check
Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. When Tri and Yanti saw each other at their wedding
a. they were overjoyed to see each other
b. they didn’t acknowledge each other’s presence
c. they greeted each other in a rather formal way
2. Tri didn’t marry his friend’s cousin because

a. her father said his farm wasn’t big enough
b. she decided to marry someone else
c. she wasn’t from central Java
3. Yanti “put a brave face on” things. This means:

a. she tried to hide the fact that she was disappointed
b. she was enthusiastic
c. she was optimistic about the future
4. What has the effect of natural disasters and communal conflicts been?
a. they have resulted in a continuation of the tradition of arranged marriages
b. they have resulted in a reduction in the number of arranged marriages
c. they have resulted in a sharp increase in the number of arranged marriages
4 Vocabulary Find the word
Find the word that means:

1. another word for hardly (para 1)
2. a word that means attractive and making you want to have it (para 2)
3. another word for most important (para 3)
4. a general word for priest (para 4)
5. another word for permission (para 4)
6. another word for series (para 6)
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5 Vocabulary Phrasal verbs
Match the phrasal verbs with their meanings.
1. come up with a. not allow yourself to be bullied by someone else
2. stand up to b. care for
3. end up c. produce or provide something that someone else wants
4. die out d. oppose
5. go against e. find oneself finally in a particular situation
6. look after f. become less common and then disappear completely
7. marry off g. secretly leave a place because you are not happy there
8. run away h. find a husband or wife for someone
6 Vocabulary Prepositions
Fill the gaps in these phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.
1. catch sight
2. full consent
3. believe
4. provide
5. violence
6. conviction
7 Discussion
Do you agree with the idea of arranged or forced marriages? Make a list of points for and against the practice.
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KEY
1 Key Words 4 Vocabulary – Find the word

1. conviction; 1. barely;
2. disobedient; 2. tempting;
3. widower; 3. crucial;
4. flicker; 4. cleric;
5. disinclined; 5. consent;
6. affection; 6. string
7. perpetuate;
8. cuddle up;
5 Vocabulary Phrasal verbs
9. cajole;
1. c;
10. deters
2. a;
3. e;
2 True or False? 4. f;
1. T; 5. d;
2. F; 6. b;
3. F; 7. h;
4. T; 8. g
5. F
3 Comprehension check 1. of;
1. c; 2. without;
2. b; 3. in;
3. a; 4. for;
4. a 5. against;
6. without
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1 Key Words

bride bridegroom wedding cousin cleric common
divorce (n) conflict (n) widower arranged marriage
2. A is a ceremony in which two people get married.
3. is a general word for priest.
4. An is a marriage where parents choose a husband or wife for their children.
5. A child of your uncle or aunt is your .

6. A woman who is getting married is the .
7. A man who is getting married is the .
8. Fighting between different groups of people is called a .
9. is a legal way of ending a marriage.
10. If something is it happens very often.

1. How old is Yanti?
2. What is her job?
3. What does Tri do?
4. Where is Yanti from?
5. Where does Tini work?
6. How old was Tini when her parents told her to get married?

by John Aglionby in Bumi Agung
Tri Cayono, aged 24, is a farmer. Yanti, aged 22, is a cook. They both live in Indonesia. Recently they got
married. The wedding was rather strange. Tri, the bridegroom, and Yanti, the bride, met for the first time at
the wedding. They had never seen each other before. Instead of being happy, they were nervous and rather
quiet. When they met they shook hands and smiled nervously. They did not kiss each other or hold hands.
The photographer asked them to kiss each other for the wedding photograph but they did not want to.
This is an example of the tradition of arranged marriage that continues to exist in many parts of Indonesia.
Tri and Yanti had never met before the wedding and they knew almost nothing about each other. “Er, what
does he like to do in his spare time?’ Yanti asked her cousin the day before the wedding.
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Two months ago Tri told his friends and family that he wanted to marry a girl from central Java. “I think girls
from central Java are cool and more fun,” he said. But Tri didn’t know any girls from central Java. However,
this wasn’t a problem for him. A friend of Tri’s, Fajar, said he had a cousin called Mursiyati who would
be a good wife for him. Tri accepted the offer immediately. Mursiyati’s parents forced her to accept Tri’s
offer – Mursiyati’s father was pleased that Tri had some land – and she agreed to marry Tri. A month later
Mursiyati met someone she liked and she married her new boyfriend instead. But Tri still wanted to marry a
woman from central Java and Fajar had to find one for him.
So in June the family suggested Yanti, a cousin. “When I heard her voice, saw her photo and learnt she
was a cook, I knew that she was the woman for me,” said Tri. Yanti said she was “happy and excited” about
marrying Tri, but her father, Saulusmin, was unhappy. “They haven’t even met - how can they get married?’
he said. But he did want to argue with his wife, Gina. “She will be angry with me if I say no to the marriage. It
will not be pleasant,” Saulusmin said.
It is impossible to know how many Indonesians are married in arranged marriages. Saman, the cleric who
married Yanti and Tri, said situations like this, where the couple have never met, do not happen very often.
“But there are many where the children have to do what their parents tell them,” he said. Tini, who now
works as a maid in Jakarta, ran away from home when she was 15 after her parents told her to marry a
28-year-old man. She thinks about a third of all the marriages in her district take place without the full agree-
ment of the bride and bridegroom.
World Vision, an international aid agency, says that arranged marriages are “still common” and experts say
the tradition will probably continue. “It’s the tradition and it’s hard to fight against traditions,” one expert said.
“Parents don’t like modern ways, especially when they see that divorce rates are going up. Daughters who
listen to their parents get support. The ones that don’t listen have a much harder life.”
Natural disasters and conflicts in Indonesia also help the tradition to continue. In situations where women
have died, it is traditional for their younger sisters to look after their children, and this usually means they
have to marry the widower. Money is an important factor. After the tsunami many people had financial prob-
lems so a lot of people wanted to marry off their children to make their own lives easier.
Back at the wedding, Yanti told everyone she was happy. “If I don’t have to go to work again - it’s his job to
provide for me - and if I can have a couple of children, then I’ll be happy,” she said. “And I’ll probably be able
to come back and visit central Java once a year.”
3 Comprehension check 1
Put these sentences in the correct order to retell the story.

a. Unfortunately, he didn’t know any girls from central Java.
b. Unfortunately, Mursiyati married another man.
c. Finally, Tri and Yanti got married.
d. Tri wanted to marry a girl from central Java.
e. However, his friend Fajar said he had a cousin called Mursiyati who would be a good wife.
f. Luckily Fajar found another wife for Tri.
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4 Comprehension Check 2
1. Tri wanted to marry a girl from central Java because
2. Tri and Yanti were nervous because
3. Yanti will be happy if
4. Yanti’s father was unhappy about the marriage because
5. When women die
6. Experts believe
a. she doesn’t have to go to work and she can have a couple of children.
b. their younger sisters usually look after their children.
c. they had not met each other before.
d. the tradition of arranged marriages will probably continue.
e. he thinks they are cool and more fun.
f. his daughter hadn’t met her future husband.
5 Vocabulary Opposites
Find the opposites of these adjectives in the text:
1. relaxed 5. unpleasant
2. noisy 6. traditional
3. rare 7. easier
4. unhappy 8. possible
6 Vocabulary Women and men
Complete the table.
1. man woman 5. son
2. bridegroom 6. boyfriend
3. husband 7. cousin
4. uncle 8. brother
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1 Key Words 5 Vocabulary – Opposites

1. widower; 1. nervous;
2. wedding; 2. quiet;
3. cleric; 3. common;
4. arranged marriage; 4. happy/pleased;
5. cousin; 5. pleasant;
6. bride; 6. modern;
7. bridegroom; 7. harder;
8. conflict; 8. impossible
9. divorce;
10. common 6 Vocabulary – Women and men
2. bride;
2 Find the information 3. wife;
1. 22; 4. aunt;
2. she’s a cook; 5. daughter;
3. he’s a farmer; 6. girlfriend;
4. central Java (Indonesia); 7. cousin;
5. Jakarta; 6. 15 8. sister
9. aggressive
6 3
d; a; e; b; f; c
1. e;
2. c;
3. a;
4. f;
5. b;
6. d
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1 Key Words
bridegroom bride cuddle (vb) unconvincingly cleric

divorce (n) disobedient widower tsunami object (vb)
1. is a legal way of ending a marriage.
2. If someone is , they do not do what people in authority tell them to do.
3. If you to something, you are opposed to it.
4. The is a man who is getting married.
5. is a general word for priest.
7. If you someone, you put your arms round them and hold them close to show that you
like or love them.
8. A is a huge tidal wave.
9. The is a woman who is getting married.
10. If you do or say something , you do it in such a way that no-one really believes you.

1. How old is Tri?
2. What is Yanti’s job?
3. How big is Tri’s farm?
4. Where is Yanti from?
5. Where does Tini work?
6. How old was Tini when her parents tried to force her to marry?

by John Aglionby in Bumi Agung
When the bridegroom, Tri Cayono, and the bride, Yanti, saw each other on their wedding day, their reactions
were rather unusual for a future husband and wife. Yanti greeted Tri with a formal handshake and a nervous
smile. Tri nodded briefly at her and moved away. During the evening they did now show any affection towards
one another. They did not kiss. They didn’t want to cuddle one another, even when the photographer tried to
persuade them to do so.
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This is an example of the traditions that continue to exist in many parts of Indonesia. Not only had Yanti,
22, a restaurant cook, and Tri, 24, a farmer, just met for the first time, they hardly knew anything about each
other. “Er, what does he like to do in his spare time?’ Yanti asked a cousin the day before the wedding.
Two months ago Tri told his friends and family that he wanted to marry a girl from central Java. “I think
they’re cooler and more fun,” he said. The fact that he didn’t know any girls from central Java wasn’t a
problem for him. A friend of his, Fajar, said he had a cousin, Mursiyati, who might be a good wife. Tri accepted
the offer immediately. Mursiyati’s parents forced her to accept Tri’s offer – the fact that Tri has a one and a
quarter acre (0.5 hectare) farm was very attractive to her labourer father – and she agreed to marry Tri.
A month later Mursiyati met someone she liked and married her new boyfriend instead. But Tri was still
determined to marry a woman from central Java and Fajar felt he had to find one for him.
So early in June the family suggested Yanti, a cousin. Again land was the central factor. “As soon as I heard
her voice, saw her photo and learnt she was a cook, I knew that she was the woman for me,” Tri said,
unconvincingly. Yanti said she was “happy and excited” at the prospect of marrying Tri, but her father,
Saulusmin, was not. “I mean they haven’t even met - how can they get married?’ he said. But he did want
to argue with his wife, Gina. “She would have been angry with me if I had objected. It would not have been
pleasant,” Saulusmin said.
It is impossible to know how many Indonesians end up in arranged marriages like these. Saman, the cleric
who married Yanti and Tri, said “extreme” stories such as theirs, where the couple had not met, are rare and
perhaps only 1% of marriages are like this. “But there are many where the children do what they’re told,” he
said. Tini, a maid in Jakarta who ran away after her parents tried to force her, at the age of 15, to marry a
28-year-old, thinks about a third of all marriages in her district take place without the full agreement of the
bride and groom.
World Vision, an international aid agency, says that arranged marriages are “still common” and experts say
it is unlikely they will die out soon. “It’s the tradition and it’s hard to go against traditions,” said Gadis Arivia,
of the women’s group Jurnal Perempuan. “Parents don’t believe in modern practices, particularly when they
see divorce rates going up. Daughters who obey their parents get support. The disobedient ones have a
much harder life.”
The series of recent natural disasters and communal conflicts in Indonesia have also helped to maintain the
tradition, said Samsidar, a commissioner of the National Commission for Violence Against Women. “In
situations where women have died, it is traditional for their younger sisters to look after their children, and
this usually means they have to marry the widower,” she said. There is also a strong economic aspect. “After
something like the tsunami many people had financial problems,” Samsidar said. “So we saw a lot of people
hurrying to marry off their children to make their own lives that much easier.”
Back in Bumi Agung, Yanti tried to convince everyone she was happy. “If I don’t have to go to work again
- it’s his job to provide for me - and if I can have a couple of children, then I’ll be happy,” she said. “And I’ll
probably be able to come back and visit central Java once a year.”
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Are these statements True or False according to the text?

1. Arranged marriages are dying out in Indonesia.
2. Natural disasters have prolonged the tradition of arranged marriages.
3. Tri and Yanti were cool towards each other at their wedding.
4. Yanti’s father was happy and excited about his daughter’s wedding.
5. Most marriages in Indonesia are arranged marriages.
6. The bridegroom’s land is an important factor.
7. Yanti says she will be happy if she has a couple of children.
8. When women die, their older sisters look after their children.
4 Vocabulary Collocations
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make collocations from the text.
1. wedding a. agency
2. nervous b. rate
3. spare c. agreement
4. full d. day
5. aid e. conflict
6. divorce f. time
7. natural g. smile
8. communal h. disaster
5 Vocabulary Word Building
Complete the table.
Verb Noun Verb Noun

1. exist 5. accept
2. marry 6. agree
3. offer 7. obey
4. arrange 8. provide
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6 Vocabulary Word family
Look at the example with agree and then make a similar word family with obey.
agree obey
agreement
(adjective)
disagree
disagreement
(adjective)
7 Discussion
Do you agree with the idea of arranged or forced marriages? Make a list of points for and against the practice.
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1 Key Words 4 Vocabulary – Collocations

1. divorce; 1. d;
2. disobedient; 2. g;
3. object; 3. f;
4. bridegroom; 4. c;
5. cleric; 5. a;
6. widower; 6. b;
7. cuddle; 7. h;
8. tsunami; 8. e
9. bride;
10. unconvincingly
5 Vocabulary – Word building
1. existence;
2 Find the information 2. marriage;
1. 24; 3. offer;
2. cook; 4. arrangement;
3. 0.5 hectare; 5. acceptance;
4. central Java; 6. agreement;
5. Jakarta; 7. obedience;
6. 15 8. provision
3 Comprehension Check 6 Vocabulary – Word family

1. F; obedience, obedient, disobey, disobedience, disobedient
2. T;
3. T;
4. F;
5. F;
6. T;
7. T;
8. F
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Ceausescu’s child spies
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Key Vocabulary Verbs

Match these verbs from the text with their definitions.
1. to recruit a. to say that something is true even though it has not been proved
2. to blackmail b. to make someone in authority lose their power
3. to prompt c. to become weaker
4. to topple d. to remove someone from a position of power in order to take that position
5. to unearth e. to move someone to a job at a higher level
6. to fade f. to cause something to happen or be done
7. to target g. to get someone to join an organization
8. to allege h. to focus your attention on a particular group of people
9. to promote i. to make someone do something by threatening to tell people embarrassing
10. to oust information about them
j. to discover something that people had kept secret
2 What do you know?
Choose the best answer and then check by looking in the text.
1. Of what country was Nicolae Ceausescu leader?
a. Bulgaria b. Hungary c. Romania
2. Where is Transylvania?
a. Croatia b. Romania c. Bulgaria
3. n what year was Ceausescu removed from power?

a. 1979 b. 1989 c. 1999
4. What was the name of the Romanian secret police?

a. KGB b. STB c. Securitate
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NEWS LESSONS / Ceausescu’s child spies

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Ceausescu’s police forced children to become spies
by Daniel McLaughlin in Budapest
The secret police of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu recruited thousands of children to spy on
schoolfriends, parents and teachers, according to communist-era archives. They show that the Securitate
blackmailed children into becoming informers in the late 1980s, as the whiff of liberalisation in the Soviet
bloc prompted Ceausescu to tighten his grip on the country.
The files have prompted calls for an inquiry into why many agents who allegedly recruited the child spies
continued working for the security services after Ceausescu was toppled and executed in 1989. “In every
county there were complex networks of these children, aged between 12 and 14,” said Cazimir Ionescu, a
member of the state council created to study the Securitate archives. A Romanian historian, Marius Oprea,
unearthed a cache of such files in the Transylvanian town of Sibiu, the 2007 European Capital of Culture,
which was run like a fiefdom in the 1980s by Ceausescu’s son, Nicu.
“In Sibiu in 1989 the Securitate recruited 830 informers; 170 were under 18,” Mr Oprea said. “On the basis
of Sibiu, you could say perhaps 15% of the whole country’s informers were children.” Historians believe the
Securitate had hundreds of thousands of collaborators on its books by 1989, as Soviet power faded in eastern
Europe. “What kind of information could these children give, except on family, teachers, and so on?” Mr Oprea
asked. “This shows that, by then, the Securitate was being used to control its own ordinary people.”
The children were expected to tell Securitate handlers about their friends’ and families’ opinions on the
Communist party, and whether they listened to western radio stations, had contact with foreigners or made
jokes about Ceausescu.
“In the 1980s the situation in Romania made it hard to recruit anyone with appeals to patriotism, so they
blackmailed people, even children, with things they had done wrong at school or with information they
threatened to use against them,” Mr Oprea said.
The secret police targeted intelligent and sporty children, whose participation in teams and clubs gave them
access to many teachers, other children and their parents. “This was incredible abuse,” Dan Voinea, the
public prosecutor investigating the case, told Romanian reporters.
Several alleged recruiters were promoted in the secret police after 1989, and some brought their young
spies to work with them when they left school. “This is a tragedy which must not only be brought to light but
must also have clear consequences for the perpetrators,” said Stejarel Olaru, a historian working with Mr
Oprea at the state institute for studying communist crimes.
Mr Oprea found evidence of the child-spy programme soon after 1989, but at that time found no appetite for
such revelations among the ex-communists who seized power after the fall of Ceausescu and stayed quiet
for 15 years. Only when reformers ousted the old guard in 2004 elections did the Securitate archive begin
opening. Access is now increasing under pressure from the EU, which Romania hopes to join in January.
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Level 3 l Advanced

1. Ceausescu became more authoritarian in the late 1980s as a result of liberalization in the Soviet bloc.
2. Those agents who recruited child spies were sacked after Ceausescu was executed.
3. Ceausescu’s son ruled the town of Sibiu in a very liberal way.
4. The child spies gathered information on their own families and teachers.
5. The Securitate didn’t care whether people made jokes about Ceausescu.
6. The Securitate relied on patriotism rather than blackmail to recruit spies.
7. Intelligent and sporty children were of particular interest to the Securitate.
8. The Securitate archives remained unopened for 15 years after the death of Ceausescu.
4 Find the Word
Look in the text and find:

1. a noun which means a slight smell or sign of something. (para 1)
2. an expression which means to increase one’s control over. (para 1)
3. a noun which means a quantity of things that have been hidden. (para 2)
4. a noun which means an area that someone controls completely. (para 2)
5. a noun meaning the right or opportunity to have or use something that will bring you benefits (para 5)
6. a noun meaning someone who does something harmful, illegal or dishonest. (para 6)
7. an expression meaning publicise. (para 6)
8. a noun meaning the process of letting people know something that was previously a secret. (para 7)
Complete the table.
verb noun (person) noun (activity)

1. collaborate
2. recruit
3. investigate
4. blackmail
5. participate
6. prosecute
7. perpetrate
8. reform
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Level 3 l Advanced
6 Pronunciation Word Stress
Put these words from the text into two groups depending on their stress patterns:
inquiry foreigner reporter communist execute
ordinary opinion recruiter tragedy institute
1. o 0 o 2. 0 o o
7 Discussion
Can you think of any situation when it is right for people to spy on their friends, family and school or
workmates?
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Level 3 l Advanced
KEY
1 Key Vocabulary - Verbs 4 Find the Word

1. g; 1. whiff;
2. i; 2. tighten one’s grip on;
3. f; 3. cache;
4. b; 4. fiefdom;
5. j; 5. access;
6. c; 6. perpetrator;
7. h; 7. brought to light;
8. a; 8. revelation
9. e;
10. d
5. Vocabulary Word Building
1. collaborator, collaboration;
2 What do you know? 2. recruiter, recruitment;
1. c; 3. investigator, investigation;
2. b; 4. blackmailer, blackmail;
3. b; 5. participant, participation;
4. c. 6. prosecutor, prosecution;
7. perpetrator, perpetration;
8. reformer, reform
1. T;
2. F; 6 Pronunciation Word Stress
3. F; 1. inquiry, reporter, election, opinion, recruiter
4. T; 2. foreigner, execute, communist, tragedy, institute
5. F;
6. F;
7. T;
8. T
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1 Key Vocabulary
gradually dictator recruit (verb) spy blackmail (verb)
complex archive sporty informer secret police
1. If you are , you enjoy playing different sports.

2. An is a large collection of old documents.
3. A is someone who uses force to take power and control a country.
4. If something happens , it happens slowly and in small stages or amounts.
5. An is someone who gives information secretly to the police.
6. The is a police force that works secretly to protect the government.
7. If you someone, you ask them to join an organisation.
8. A is someone whose job is to find out secret information.
9. If you someone, you say that you will tell people secrets about them if they do not give you
money or do what you ask them to do.
10. is the opposite of simple.
2 Find the Information

1. What was the name of the Romanian dictator?
2. When did he die?
3. How did he die?
4. What was the name of his secret police?
5. What town did his son control?
6. How many child informers were there in this town?

In the late 1980s the countries of Eastern Europe were gradually becoming more liberal. The Romanian
dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu did not support this process and did not want Romania to become more liberal.
Now documents from the communist period in Romania have shown that Ceausescu’s secret police, known
as the Securitate, recruited thousands of children to spy on schoolfriends, parents and teachers.
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Ceausescu was shot in December 1989 and communist rule in Romania ended soon after. Now many peo-
ple in Romania are asking why some of the agents who recruited the child spies continued to work for the
security services after Ceausescu died in 1989. “In every Romanian county there were complex networks
of these children, aged between 12 and 14,” said Cazimir Ionescu, a member of the state council which is
studying all the Securitate documents. A Romanian historian, Marius Oprea, found a collection Securitate
documents in the Transylvanian town of Sibiu. Ceausescu’s son Nicu controlled Sibiu for many years.
“In Sibiu in 1989 the Securitate recruited 830 informers; 170 of them were under the age of 18,” Mr Oprea
said. “If this was the same all over Romania, you could say that possibly 15% of the informers in the country
were children.” Historians believe the Securitate had hundreds of thousands of informers by 1989, as Soviet
power began to weaken in Eastern Europe. “What kind of information could these children give, except
information about their family, teachers, and so on?” Mr Oprea asked. “This shows that, by 1989, the
Securitate was controlling its own people.”
The children had to tell Securitate agents about their friends’ and families’ opinions on the Communist party.
They also had to tell them if their friends and families listened to western radio stations, had any contacts
with foreigners or told jokes about Ceausescu.
“In the 1980s it was difficult for the secret police to recruit informers so they had to blackmail people, even
children, with things they had done wrong at school or with things the police knew about them,” Mr Oprea
said. The secret police were particularly interested in intelligent and sporty children because they were in
teams and clubs and had contact with many teachers, other children and their parents.
After 1989 many of those who recruited children got better jobs in the secret police, and some brought their
young spies to work with them when they left school. “This is a tragedy which we must tell the public about
but we must also punish the people responsible for this situation,” said Stejarel Olaru, a historian working
with Mr Oprea at the state institute for studying communist crimes.
Mr Oprea first heard about the child-spy programme soon after 1989, but at that time the ex-communists
who were in power after the fall of Ceausescu were not interested in his story. Mr Oprea remained silent for
15 years. After the elections of 2004, the old politicians lost power and the Securitate archives were opened
up. Romania hopes to join the EU next January and the EU wants Romania to open all the old Securitate
archives so the public can see them.
Match the beginnings with the endings to make sentences about the text.
1. The Securitate used children
2. Some of the agents who recruited the child spies continued
3. Historians think the Securitate had
4. The child spies had to tell the Securitate
5. In the 1980s it was difficult for the secret police
6. The secret police were interested in intelligent and sporty children because
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7. The EU wants Romania
8. By 1989 Soviet power was beginning
a. if their friends and families told jokes about Ceausescu.
b. they had contact with many teachers and other children.
c. to spy on their families, friends and teachers.
d. to recruit informers.
e. hundreds of thousands of informers by 1989.
f. to work for the security services after 1989.

g. to weaken in Eastern Europe.
h. to open up all the old Securitate archives.
4 Vocabulary Collocations: Verbs + Nouns
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make collocations.
Check your answers in the text.
1. do a. power
2. tell b. a job
3. get c. school
4. leave d. the radio
5. lose e. wrong
6. listen to f. a joke
Fill the gaps using prepositions
1. work the security services
2. listen western radio stations
3. opinions something
4. have contact somebody

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5. tell jokes somebody
6. interested somebody or something
7. responsible something
8. hear something
6 Vocabulary Word Stress
Put these words from the text into two groups according to their stress.
support process secret police agent complex
except recruit blackmail punish about believe
A. 0 o B. o 0
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KEY
1 Key Vocabulary 4 Vocabulary Collocations – Verbs + Nouns

1. sporty; 1. e;
2. archive; 2. f;
3. dictator; 3. b;
4. gradually; 4. c;
5. informer; 5. a;
6. secret police; 6. d
7. recruit;
8. spy;
9. blackmail;
1. for;
10. complex
2. to;
3. on;
2 Find the Information 4. with;
1. Nicolae Ceausescu; 5. about;
2. December 1989; 6. in;
3. He was shot; 7. for;
4. The Securitate; 8. about
5. Sibiu;
6. 170
6 Vocabulary Word Stress
A process, secret, agent, complex, blackmail, punish;
3 Comprehension Check B support, police, except, recruit, about, believe
1. c;
2. f;
3. e;
4. a;
5. d;
6. b;
7. h;
8. g
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1 Key Vocabulary
recruit (vb) blackmail (vb) allegedly archive collaborator
patriotic Abuse (n) prosecutor promote access
1. If you someone, you move them to a job at a higher level.
2. If someone does something, another person says they have done it, even though this has
not been proved.
3. means cruel, violent or unfair treatment.
4. A is a lawyer whose job is to prove in court that someone accused of a crime is guilty.
5. If you someone, you make them give you money or do what you want by threatening to tell
people embarrassing information about them.
6. A is someone who secretly helps an enemy or opponent by giving them information.
7. If you have to something, you have the right or opportunity to use it.
8. If you someone, you get them to join an organisation.
9. An is a collection of historical documents and records.
10. A person is someone who feels a lot of love, respect and duty towards their country.
2 Find the Information
Look in the text and find this information.

1. When was the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu shot?
2. What was the name of Ceausescu’s secret police?
3. Which town was ruled by Ceausescu’s son Nicu?
4. What percentage of police informers in Romania were children?
5. When were the secret police archives opened?
6. Which town is European Capital of Culture in 2007?

The secret police of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu recruited thousands of children to spy on
schoolfriends, parents and teachers, according to documents from the communist era. The documents show
that the Securitate blackmailed children into becoming informers in the late 1980s, when liberalisation in
other Eastern European countries forced a worried Ceausescu to increase his control over the people of
Romania.
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The information in the files has led many people to ask for an inquiry into why many agents who allegedly
recruited the child spies continued to work for the security services after Ceausescu was removed from power
and shot in 1989. “In every Romanian county there were complex networks of these children, aged between
12 and 14,” said Cazimir Ionescu, a member of the state council responsible for studying the Securitate
archives. A Romanian historian, Marius Oprea, found a collection of these files in the Transylvanian town of
Sibiu, the 2007 European Capital of Culture, which was controlled by Ceausescu’s son Nicu.
“In Sibiu in 1989 the Securitate recruited 830 informers; 170 were under 18,” Mr Oprea said. “On the basis
of Sibiu, you could say that possibly 15% of the whole country’s informers were children.” Historians believe
the Securitate had hundreds of thousands of collaborators by 1989, as Soviet power began to disappear
in eastern Europe. “What kind of information could these children give, except on family, teachers, and so
on?” Mr Oprea asked. “This shows that, by 1989, the Securitate was being used to control its own ordinary
people.”
The children were expected to tell Securitate agents about their friends’ and families’ opinions on the
Communist party, and whether they listened to western radio stations, had contact with foreigners or made
jokes about Ceausescu.
“In the 1980s the situation in Romania made it difficult to recruit anyone by asking them to do it for patriotic
reasons, so they had to blackmail people, even children, with things they had done wrong at school or with
information they threatened to use against them,” Mr Oprea said.
The secret police focused their attention on intelligent and sporty children, whose participation in teams and
clubs meant they had contact with many teachers, other children and their parents. “This was incredible
abuse,” Dan Voinea, the public prosecutor investigating the case, told Romanian reporters.
Several alleged recruiters were promoted in the secret police after 1989, and some brought their young
spies to work with them when they left school. “This is a tragedy which must not only be publicised but must
also have clear consequences for the people responsible for it,” said Stejarel Olaru, a historian working with
Mr Oprea at the state institute for studying communist crimes.
Mr Oprea found evidence of the child-spy programme soon after 1989, but at that time the ex-communists
who seized power after the fall of Ceausescu were not interested in his story so he remained silent for 15
years. It was only after reformers won the 2004 elections and removed the old guard that the Securitate
archive was opened. Access to the archive is now increasing under pressure from the EU, which Romania
hopes to join in January.

1. Why did Ceausescu increase control over the people of Romania in the late 1980s?
a. because the same thing was happening in other Eastern European countries.
b. because the Securitate was blackmailing children.
c. because other Eastern European countries were becoming more liberal.
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2. Why did the Securitate recruit children?
a. because they couldn’t find any adult informers.
b. because they wanted information about family members and teachers.
c. because they wanted to blackmail them.
3. Why did the Securitate have to use blackmail in order to recruit informers?
a. because few people wanted to become informers for patriotic reasons.
b. because a lot of children did things wrong at school.
c. because they needed to recruit intelligent and sporty children.
4. When were the Securitate archives opened?

a. after the death of Ceausescu in 1989.
b. after the reformers won the election in 2004.
c. they haven’t been opened yet.
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make collocations from the
text.
1. secret a. services
2. security b. guard
3. ordinary c. police
4. public d. people
5. old e. network
6. complex f. prosecutor
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Complete the table.

Verb Noun
1. collect
2. disappear
3. threaten
4. participate
5. investigate
6. promote
7. remove
8. blackmail
Use prepositions to complete these phrases from the text.
1. control someone
2. remove power
3. contact foreigners
4. make jokes someone
5. focus attention something
6. participation teams and clubs
7. spy someone
8. access something
7 Discussion
Can you think of any situation when it is right for people to spy on their friends, family and school or work-
mates?
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KEY
1 Key Vocabulary 4 Vocabulary Collocations

1. promote; 1. c;
2. allegedly; 2. a;
3. abuse; 3. d;
4. prosecutor; 4. f;
5. blackmail; 5. b;
6. collaborator; 6. e
7. access;
8. recruit;
5. Vocabulary Word Building
9. archive;
1. collection;
10. patriotic
2. disappearance;
3. threat;
2 Find the Information 4. participation;
1. 1989; 5. investigation;
2. the Securitate; 6. promotion;
3. Sibiu; 7. removal;
4. 15%; 8. blackmail or blackmailer (person)
5. 2004;
6. Sibiu
1. over;
3 Comprehension Check 2. from;
1. c; 3. with;
2. b; 4. about;
3. a; 5. on;
4. b 6. in;
7. on;
8. to
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Madame la Présidente?
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Pre-Reading 1
Have you heard of Ségolène Royal?

What do you know about her?
What would you want to know about a possible future president of France?
2 Pre-Reading 2 Key Words
outraged a clique an icon an elite the left erupt taboos hierarchical
1. A famous person who represents a particular idea is sometimes called .
2. A society or organization where levels of status are very important is .
3. People whose political ideas are more socialist than conservative are known as .
4. A problem or difficult situation that suddenly gets much worse, can , like a volcano.
5. is a small group of people with a lot of power or influence.
6. She shocked and annoyed people; she them.
7. is a small group of people who seem very unfriendly to others.
8. are subjects that a group or society agrees they should never talk about.
Madame La Présidente?
Could Ségolène Royal become France’s first female head of state, asks Angelique Chrisafis
1
In a sports hall in a small town outside Bordeaux, a crowd of more than 1,000 fans suddenly leapt to their feet,
arms in the air, and began stamping and clapping the furious rhythm of a second world war Italian partisan
song: “Bella, ciao! Bella, ciao! Bella, ciao, ciao, ciao!” From the back of the hall, smiling benevolently, waving
to the beat, stepped La Bella, Ségolène Royal.
2
In less than a year, Royal, the 53-year-old mother of four and head of the Poitou-Charentes regional government,
has rocketed from relative obscurity to the top of the opinion polls. She is now the only serving MP in France’s
top 50 list of most-loved personalities, and an icon of France’s celebrity gossip magazines. They revel in her
personal story of triumph over adversity: the shy teenage daughter of an ultra-Catholic, authoritarian army
colonel who brutally punished his children and believed women should stay at home like his wife, has grown
up to wage war on French male chauvinism.
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NEWS LESSONS / Madame la Présidente? / Advanced

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Level 3 l Advanced
3
Royal has challenged the hierarchical system of the male-dominated French left. Rather than wait around
helping the ageing men who run the socialist party - “les éléphants” - she has attracted cult status and an
army of devoted supporters of her movement, Désirs d’Avenir - “Wishes for the Future”. They tirelessly
campaign for her unpaid, and believe that she alone can rescue France from the depression and glaring
social inequalities of 12 years under President Jacques Chirac.
4
France certainly has problems. Youth unemployment is high, violent crime is rising and many fear that last
year’s riots in the run-down, immigrant suburbs, where teenagers say racism ruins their lives, could rapidly
erupt again. The centre-right presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy, the charismatic interior minister, is
making no secret of trying to appeal to far-right sympathisers with his tough position on immigration.
5
Royal’s huge popular support makes her seem the only Socialist capable of winning the presidential race.
But the elephants will not go down without a fight. They say she is inexperienced, and her popularity cannot
last. “It is going to be nasty,” admits one Royal supporter.
6
Like the last Socialist president, François Mitterrand, to whom she was once adviser, Royal is focusing on
the provinces, touring the country’s regions and promising to shift power away from the Paris elite. In one
village she so charmed more than 200 wine-makers who face losing their vines as Europe tries to drain its
surplus wine-lake that the old ladies lined up to kiss her and have their photographs taken with her.
7
“It’s all about the people,” she smiled between meetings in Bordeaux. I asked her what kept her going:
“My need to rise to the challenge of the trust that the people, the country, has given me.”
8
At the exclusive Ecole National d’Administration, training ground of the French ruling class, Royal was in
the same class as the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin. There, too, she met her partner, François
Hollande. Later, she held ministerial positions for education, environment, family and childhood, while he
became Socialist party leader in 2002. They have four children but have never married.
9
For months, Royal was ridiculed for vaguely promoting family values and public morals instead of defining
her political ideas. Now she is clarifying her vision to modernise France, but, like Mitterrand, she somehow
manages to swing both right and left. She outraged the left by suggesting a form of military service for
unruly teenagers and criticising the Socialists’ treasured 35-hour working week, yet she is strongly pro-trade
union, and has promised to ban genetically modified food. An admirer of Tony Blair within a party that was
always suspicious of him, she is nonetheless against the war in Iraq. “My diplomatic policy would not consist
of going and kneeling in front of George Bush,” she has said.
10
“I don’t think she always wanted to be president. I think she stood up because she had another message to
give,” says MEP Gilles Savary, part of Royal’s inner circle. “The Socialist party in France has been a clique
of men, cut off from the population. She’s not afraid to confront the taboos that the party once left alone,
like security, crime, and France’s ghettoes.” Royal’s promise is to give the people a voice in a society where
those in power have stopped listening to the street.
11
Socialist rivals have criticised her for avoiding difficult issues. “What is the first measure you’ll take if you’re
elected?” she was asked in Bondy, but she neatly sidestepped the question. Before she left, she promised
the crowd, “Power won’t change me.” But many outside the Segosphere still wonder who Royal really is,
and what won’t be changing.

© Guardian News & Media Ltd 2006
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Level 3 l Advanced
3 General comprehension
These statements about the article are all false. In what way? (The paragraph numbers are written after
each one, to help you.)
1. Ségolène Royal is the only female Member of Parliament in France (1)
2. She has joined the French army to fight against men. (1)
3. Her supporters are satisfied with Jaques Chirac’s government. (3)
4. Nicolas Sarkozy is a hopeful man who welcomes immigrants. (4)
5. People once thought she was stupid for supporting family values and morality. (9)
6. Tony Blair’s party was always suspicious of him. (9)
7. Ms Royal didn’t like sitting down to give people messages. (10)
8. She wants everyone in the country to have a microphone. (10)
9. Most people in France have never heard of her. (11)
4 Vocabulary Development Near synonyms
The writer uses a lot of near-synonyms to avoid repetition in her writing.

Put the words below into eight groups that have a similar meaning in this text. The first one is done for you:
1) fans, supporters, sympathizers
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
the people ideas question to confront sympathizers message the street

regions issue personalities provinces Royal’s inner circle challenged
vision supporters The Segosphere celebrity fans (a) measure
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Level 3 l Advanced
5 Useful Phrases 1 Word Order
Rearrange these words to make phrases from the text.

1. both / to / left / swing / and / right
2. surplus / drain / lake / wine / its / to
3. without / will / fight / down / a / go / not
4. listening / stopped / the / to / have / street
5. away / elite / shift / to / from / Pairs / power / the
6. no / of / appeal / trying / secret / is / to / making / to
7. ruling / training / French / of / class / the / ground
8. kneeling / front / going / Bush / in / and / of / George
9. relative / opinion / rocketed / obscurity / has / from / the / to / polls / of / top / the
6 Useful Phrases 2 Meaning
Now match the phrases you have rearranged to the meanings given below:
a. has quickly become very popular; people had hardly heard of her before.
b. will not give up their position of power easily
c. to take some control away from the capital and give it to the regions
d. is openly working to attract
e. to reduce the huge amounts of wine it produces
f. where the leaders of France are educated
g. to have opinions that are both socialist and capitalist
h. following US policies without question.
i. no longer take any notice of what ordinary people want
7 Discussion
Does your country have a woman president?

If not, do you think you are likely to have one in the future?
Why / why not?
What do you think of Ségolène Royal’s policies?
Would you vote for her?
Why / why not?
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Level 3 l Advanced
KEY
2. Pre-Reading Key Words 5. Useful Phrases Word Order
1. an icon 1. to swing both right and left
2. hierarchical 2. to drain its surplus wine-lake
3. the left 3. will not go down without a fight
4. erupt 4. have stopped listening to the street.
5. an elite 5. to shift power away from the Paris elite
6. outraged 6. is making no secret of trying to appeal to
7. a clique 7. training ground of the French ruling class
8. taboos. 8. going and kneeling in front of George Bush
9. has rocketed from relative obscurity to the top of the
opinion polls
3. General comprehension
1. No; she’s the only one in the top 50 most popular
French people (1) 6. Useful Phrases Meaning
2. No; she wants to change the system so that women 1. g
have equal power. (1) 2. e
3. No; they want Royal to ‘rescue’ them from his 3. b
government, which they think created inequality and 4. i
depression. (3) 5. c
4. No; he is ‘hopeful’ that he may become president, 6. d
and is against immigration. (4) 7. f
5. No; some people thought her ideas on these and 8. h
other issues were not clear enough. (9) 9. a
6. No; she admired Tony Blair, although most of ‘her’
party (not ‘his’) didn’t trust him. (9)
7. No; she decided to try to become president
because she had something new to say. (10)
8. No; she wants to speak for, or represent, the
ordinary people. (10)
9. No; people outside her circle are not sure of her real
opinions, because they seem to change quite a lot. (11)
4. Vocabulary Development 3
Near synonyms
(in any order…)
1. Fans, supporters, sympathisers
2. Personalities, celebrity
3. Ideas, vision, policy, message, measure
4. Problems, issues
5. Regions, provinces
6. Challenged, to confront
7. The people, the street
8. Royal’s inner circle, The Segosphere
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1 Pre-Reading 1

the left unemployed male chauvinism a clique

provinces a trade union riots social inequalities
1. is the belief that men are much better than women.
2. People whose political ideas are more socialist that conservative are known as .
3. are very big differences between the rich and the poor.
4. People who can’t find a job are .
5. People who are very angry about their situation sometimes take part in violent protests or .
6. Workers can join an organization called because they want better pay or working conditions.
7. Countries are sometimes divided into different areas or .
1
In a sports hall in a small town outside Bordeaux, a crowd of more than 1,000 fans suddenly jumped up,
arms waving, and began stamping and clapping to a popular Italian second world war song: “Bella, ciao!
Bella, ciao! Bella, ciao, ciao, ciao!” At the back of the hall, smiling warmly, appeared ‘La Bella’, Ségolène
Royal.
2
Royal, the 53-year-old mother of four and head of the regional government in Poitou-Charentes, is now very
popular. She is the only MP among the top 50 most-loved personalities in France, with her picture in all
France’s celebrity magazines. They love her personal success story: she was the shy teenage daughter of a
strict Catholic army colonel who punished his children brutally and thought women should stay at home like
his wife; now she is fighting against French male chauvinism.
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3
Royal doesn’t agree that only men should rule the French left. She has stopped helping the older men who
run the socialist party - “les éléphants”. She now has her own movement, Désirs d’Avenir - “Wishes for the
Future”, and an army of loyal supporters. They believe that she alone can save France from the poverty
and terrible social inequalities of 12 years under President Jacques Chirac.
4
France certainly has problems. Lots of young people are unemployed, and violent crime is increasing.
Last year, teenagers rioted against racism in the poor immigrant suburbs, and many are afraid it will happen
again. Nicolas Sarkozy, the centre-right interior minister who would also like to be president, is openly trying
to attract the far-right with his strict immigration policies.
5
Royal’s huge popular support makes her seem the only possible Socialist president. But the elephants don’t
agree. They say she is inexperienced, and her popularity cannot last. “It is going to be nasty,” admits one
Royal supporter.
6
Like the last Socialist president, François Mitterrand, who she once worked for, Royal is hoping to get
support from the provinces. She visits them, promising to give more power to the regions. In one village,
more than 200 wine-makers who may lose their vines as Europe tries to reduce its wine-lake were very
impressed. The old ladies lined up to kiss her and be photographed with her.
7
8
At the exclusive Ecole National d’Administration, where the French ruling class are trained, Royal was in the
same class as the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin. There, too, she met her partner, François Hollande.
Later, she worked in the ministries of education, environment, family and childhood, while he became Socialist
party leader in 2002. They have four children but have never married.
9
For months, people criticized Royal for having no clear policies, and just talking vaguely about family values
and public morals. Now she is explaining her plans to modernise France, but, like Mitterrand, her opinions
seem both right and left. She annoyed the left by suggesting a form of military service for difficult teenagers,
and criticising the Socialists’ popular 35-hour working week. However, she strongly supports trade unions,
and has promised to ban genetically modified food. Unlike the rest of her party, she admires Tony Blair,
but she is against the war in Iraq. “My diplomatic policy would not consist of going and kneeling in front of
George Bush,” she has said.
10
“The Socialist party in France has been a clique of men, cut off from the population.” says MEP Gilles
Savary, part of Royal’s inner circle. Royal is promising to speak for ordinary people in a society where those
in power don’t listen to them. She has also promised, “Power won’t change me.” But many outside the
Segosphere still wonder who Royal really is, and what won’t be changing.

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Match the beginnings to the ends of these sentences about the article.
1. Ségolène Royal… a. …but he is not her husband.
2. There are not enough… b. …are not typically socialist.
3. Madame Royal would like people… c. ...should go into the army.
4. Some members of the socialist party… d. …British and American policy on Iraq.
5. She lives with François Hollande… e. …to be more equal.
6. Some of her policies f. …had an unhappy childhood.
7. She thinks difficult teenagers… g. …don’t want her to be president.
8. She doesn’t agree with… h. …jobs for everyone in France.
4 Vocabulary development 1 Find the word
Find words in the text that mean:
1. very cruelly
2. being very very poor
3. areas on the edge of the town, away from the centre
4. plants that produce grapes, for making wine.
5. not very clearly, without any detail
6. when a plant is developed by changing its genes, or DNA
5 Vocabulary development 2 Political Anagrams
These political words come from the article. Put the letters in order; the first letter is there to help you.
1. NTOMVREENG G
2. TOIILSCAS S
3. NTMSRIEI M
4. SEIOLCPI P
5. CLATIMDOTI D
6. YESCITO S
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6 Prepositions practice
Each of these groups of phrases needs the same preposition. Can you remember which one?
1. a sports hall; a small town; the socialist party France;
2. a crowd fans; lots young people; at the back the hall; mother
four; an army supporters; a form military service;
3. she is fighting chauvinism; riots racism; she is the war in Iraq.
4. Wishes the future; military service difficult teenagers; to speak ordinary
people; who she once worked ;
Scan the text quickly again to check.

And now, put one of those prepositions in each of these sentences.
5. I hate cigarettes; I am smoking.
6. He lives a little village Italy.
7. I bought these flowers you, your birthday.
8. There is a group students over there, in the middle the square.
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KEY
2. Pre-Reading 2 Key Words 5. Vocabulary development 2
1. Male chauvinism Political Anagrams
2. the left 1. government
3. Social inequalities 2. socialists
4. unemployed 3. ministries
5. riots 4. policies
6. a trade union 5. diplomatic
7. provinces 6. society
8. a clique
6. Prepositions practice
3. General comprehension 1. in
1. f 2. of
2. h 3. against
3. e 4. for
4. g
5. a 5. against
6. b 6. in
7. c 7. for
8. d 8. of.
Find the word
1. brutally
2. poverty
3. suburbs
4. vines
5. vaguely
6. genetically modified
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1 Pre-Reading 1

an elite the left ageing a clique chauvinism run-down a trade union
1. Workers can join an organization called because they want to improve their pay or
working conditions.
2. is a polite word for ‘old’.
3. A building or district that is in very bad condition is .
4. People whose political ideas are more socialist than conservative are known as .
5. is the belief that your own country, race or sex is better than any other.
6. is a small group of people with a lot of power or influence.
1
In a sports hall in a small town outside Bordeaux, a crowd of more than 1,000 fans suddenly jumped up,
arms in the air, and began stamping and clapping to the rhythm of a second world war Italian partisan song:
“Bella, ciao! Bella, ciao! Bella, ciao, ciao, ciao!” From the back of the hall, smiling benevolently, waving to
the beat, stepped La Bella, Ségolène Royal.
2
In less than a year, Royal, the 53-year-old mother of four and head of the regional government in
Poitou-Charentes, has unexpectedly become very popular. She is now the only MP among the top 50
most-loved personalities in France, and appears in all France’s celebrity gossip magazines. They love her
personal story of success out of difficulty: she was the shy teenage daughter of an ultra-Catholic,
authoritarian army colonel who brutally punished his children and believed women should stay at home
like his wife; now she is fighting against French male chauvinism.
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NEWS LESSONS / Madame la Présidente? / Intermediate

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3
Royal doesn’t accept that the French left should be ruled by men. Instead of just helping the ageing men who
run the socialist party - “les éléphants” - she now has an army of devoted followers of her own movement,
Désirs d’Avenir - “Wishes for the Future”. They support her totally, unpaid, and believe that she alone can save
France from the depression and terrible social inequalities of 12 years under President Jacques Chirac.
4
France certainly has problems. Youth unemployment is high, violent crime is rising and many fear that last
year’s riots in the run-down, immigrant suburbs, where teenagers say racism ruins their lives, could rapidly
start again. Nicolas Sarkozy, the centre-right interior minister who would also like to be president, is openly
trying to attract the far-right with his strict immigration policies.
5
Royal’s huge popular support makes her seem the only possible Socialist president. But the elephants will
not go down without a fight. They say she is inexperienced, and her popularity cannot last. “It is going to be
nasty,” admits one Royal supporter.
6
Like the last Socialist president, François Mitterrand, who she once worked for, Royal is focusing on the
provinces, touring the country’s regions and promising to move power away from the Paris elite. In one
village, more than 200 wine-makers who may lose their vines as Europe tries to reduce its wine-lake were
so impressed that the old ladies lined up to kiss her and be photographed with her.
7
8
At the exclusive Ecole National d’Administration, where the French ruling class are trained, Royal was
in the same class as the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin. There, too, she met her partner, François
Hollande. Later, she worked in the ministries of education, environment, family and childhood, while he
became Socialist party leader in 2002. They have four children but have never married.
9
For months, people criticized Royal for talking vaguely about family values and public morals and having no
clear policies. Now she is clarifying her plans to modernise France, but, like Mitterrand, her opinions seem
both right and left. She annoyed the left by suggesting a form of military service for difficult teenagers, and
criticising the Socialists’ beloved 35-hour working week. However, she strongly supports trade unions, and
has promised to ban genetically modified food. Unlike the rest of her party, she admires Tony Blair, but she
is against the war in Iraq. “My diplomatic policy would not consist of going and kneeling in front of George
Bush,” she has said.
10
“I don’t think she always wanted to be president. I think she stood up because she had another message to
give,” says MEP Gilles Savary, part of Royal’s inner circle. “The Socialist party in France has been a clique
of men, cut off from the population.” Royal is promising to speak for ordinary people in a society where those
in power don’t listen to them.
11
Socialist rivals have attacked her for avoiding difficult subjects. “What is the first measure you’ll take if
you’re elected?” she was asked in Bondy, but she didn’t really answer. Before she left, she promised the
crowd, “Power won’t change me.” But many outside the Segosphere still wonder who Royal really is, and
what won’t be changing.

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Are the following statements True or False? If they are false, say why.
1. Ségolène Royal was not always so popular.
2. She had a happy childhood.
3. She wants to save the elephants.
4. She doesn’t think Jacques Chirac’s government helped the French people.
5. All her own party members support her.
6. François Hollande is her husband.
7. Not all her policies are typically socialist.
8. She wants to help ordinary men and women.
4 Vocabulary development 1 Collocations
Match an adjective on the left with a noun on the right to make common collocations from the text.
1. socialist a. values
2. violent b. service
3. immigration c. leader
4. prime d. crime
5. party e. unions
6. family f. minister
7. military g. policies
8. trade h. party
Now scan the article quickly to see if you were right.

(Different combinations are sometimes possible in other texts!)
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5 Vocabulary development 2 Adverbs 1
These adverbs come from the article. Match each one with a definition below.
strongly openly genetically brutally rapidly suddenly vaguely benevolently

1. very cruelly
2. warmly and kindly
3. not very clearly
4. very quickly
5. all at once
6. not trying to hide what you are doing
7. positively, without hesitation
8. connected with the genes, or DNA
6 Vocabulary development 3 Adverbs 2
See if you can remember which adverb fits each of the phrases below. The phrases are in the order in
which they appear; some have been shortened.
1. More than 1,000 fans leapt to their feet

2. … from the back of the hall, smiling ,
3. …an… authoritarian army colonel who punished his children
4. …last year’s riots… could start again
5. Nicolas Sarkozy… is targeting far-right sympathizers
6. Royal was ridiculed for talking about family values
7. She supports trade unions
8. …she… has promised to ban modified food.
Now re-read the article quickly to check.
7 Discussion
Does your country have a woman president?
If not, do you think you are likely to have one in the future?
Why / why not?
What do you think of Ségolène Royal’s policies?
Would you vote for her?
Why / why not?
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KEY
2. Pre-Reading 2 Key Words 5. Vocabulary Development 2 Adverbs 1
1. a trade union 1. brutally
2. Ageing 2. benevolently
3. run-down 3. vaguely
4. the left 4. rapidly
5. Chauvinism 5. suddenly
6. an elite 6. openly
7. a clique 7. strongly
8. genetically
3. General comprehension
6. Vocabulary Development 3 Replace the
1. True.
adverbs
2. False; her father was unkind to her.
3. False; the ‘elephants’ are the older male leaders of 1 suddenly
the socialist party, and she is critical of their attitudes. 2. benevolently
4. True. 3. brutally
5. False; the ‘elephants’ don’t agree with her. 4. rapidly
6. False; they are not married. 5. openly
7. True. 6. vaguely
8. True. 7. strongly
8. genetically
4. Vocabulary development 1: Collocations

1. h
2. d
3. g
4. f
5. c
6. a
7. b
8. e
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The colour of crime in South Africa
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Key words
backlash atrocity mass murderer scrutiny carnage

rainbow nation apartheid intruder slaughter killing spree
1. is the political system that existed in South Africa, in which only white people had
political rights and power.
2. A/An is a country that contains people of many different races.
3. A/An is someone who has killed several people.
4. A/An is a short period of time in which a large number of people are killed.
5. To a group of people is to kill them in a very violent way.
6. is a situation in which there is a lot of death and destruction.
7. A/An is a cruel and violent act.
8. Public is careful examination of someone or something by people in general.
9. A/An is someone who enters a place where he or she is not allowed to go, especially
to commit a crime.
10. A/An is a strong angry reaction to something that has happened.
2 What do you know?
Decide whether the statements below are true or false. Then look in the text and check your answers.
1. Apartheid has come to an end in South Africa.

2. Many black and coloured people were killed during this political system.
3. A large number of black and coloured people have taken revenge for the killings.
4. Most white people have expressed sorrow about what happened during the apartheid regime.
The Colour of Crime in South Africa

Sympathy for an apartheid mass murderer highlights the refusal of whites to take responsibility for the past
By Rory Carroll
South Africa’s most prolific mass murderer takes another sip of coffee, eases back in his chair and pauses
when asked if it is true he shot more than 100 black people. “I can’t argue with that,” says Louis Van Schoor.
“I never kept count.” Seated at a restaurant terrace in East London, a seaside town in the Eastern Cape, the
former security guard is a picture of relaxed confidence, soaking up sunshine while reminiscing about his
days as an apartheid folk hero.
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NEWS LESSONS / The colour of crime in S Africa / Advanced

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Level 3 l Advanced
Hired to protect white-owned businesses in the 1980s, he is thought to have shot 101 people, killing 39, in
a three-year spree. Some were burglars; others were passersby dragged in from the street. All were black
or coloured, the term for those of mixed race. Convicted of murder but released from jail after 12 years, Van
Schoor is unrepentant. “I was doing my job - I was paid to protect property. I never apologised for what I
did.”
He is not the only one. The whites in East London who turned a blind eye to his killing spree have not
apologised and whites in general, according to black clerics and politicians, have not owned up to
apartheid-era atrocities. That reluctance to atone has been laid bare in a book published last month,
The Colour of Murder, by Heidi Holland, which investigates the bloodsoaked trail not only of Van Schoor
but also his daughter, Sabrina, who hired a hitman to murder her mother.
The macabre tale is likely to reignite debate about those whites who shun the spirit of the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission and mock rainbow nation rhetoric. “The story is of a family but it is also the story
of a divided country and of the people of that country trying to find new ways to live with each other,” says
Holland.
Since his release two years ago, after benefiting from a sentence reduction for all convicts issued by Nelson
Mandela when he was president, Van Schoor, 55, has slimmed down, shaved off his beard and kept a low
profile, working as a cattle farm foreman outside East London.
During his 1992 trial white residents displayed “I Love Louis” stickers decorated with three bullet holes
through a bleeding heart. Sympathy endures, says Van Schoor. “The reaction is 90% positive. Strangers
say, ‘Hey, it’s good to see you.’” Magistrates and the police, grateful for the terror instilled in black people,
covered his tracks until local journalists and human rights campaigners exposed the carnage as apartheid
crumbled.
Van Schoor was convicted of seven murders and two attempted murders. Upon his release in 2004, Van
Schoor said he had found God and, when prompted, expressed sorrow to the relatives of his victims.
“I apologise if any of my actions caused them hurt.” In an interview last week, he tried to clarify his position.
“I never apologised for what I did. I apologised for any hurt or pain that I caused through my actions during
the course of my work.”
Thanks to his changed appearance and low profile he has faced no backlash. Few black people recognise
him, including the bookseller who took his order for The Colour of Murder. When Van Schoor gave his name
the penny dropped. “She nearly fell off her chair,” he says, smiling.
Married four times and now engaged once more to a local woman, Van Schoor, speaking softly and warily,
says he is “happy and content”. But he does not seem to approve of the new South Africa. “Everything has
changed - people’s attitudes, the service in shops, it’s not the same.”
On the contrary, lament black leaders, one crucial thing has stayed the same: the refusal of many whites to
admit past sins.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel peace laureate, recently said the privileged minority that once feared
retribution had not shown enough gratitude for peaceful inclusion in a multi-racial democracy. Nkosinathi
Biko, the son of the murdered anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, noted the dearth of white voices during the
recent commemorations of the June 1976 Soweto uprising, when police slaughtered black schoolchildren.
A liberal white commentator, Max du Preez, called the silence embarrassing. Nowhere is it more deafening
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Level 3 l Advanced
than East London.
Van Schoor’s rampage was made possible by a white establishment that made no outcry as his victims piled
up, many of them impoverished children such as Liefie Peters, 13, gunned down while hiding in the toilet of
a Wimpy restaurant after breaking in to steal cash. Eating a burger yards from where Van Schoor cornered
his prey, Jacques Durandt, a 33-year-old white former member of the security forces, defended the killer.
“I won’t say he’s a murderer. For him it was a job.”
Wannitta Kindness, a 36-year-old white taxi driver parked outside the restaurant, says the security guard
might have fired even if the intruder was white. “But you don’t find white people breaking into places.”
Others echoed the refrain: denied jobs reserved for black people, targeted by criminals, harassed in the
street, victims in South Africa these days have pale skin and they see no reason to apologise. “The blacks
don’t want equality,” says Kindness. “They want to be on top.”
East London does boast at least one white advocate of racial harmony: Van Schoor’s daughter, Sabrina,
25. While her father was in jail she shocked the white community by dating black men and giving birth to a
mixed-race child. In 2002, in a grisly irony, she hired a black man to slit her mother’s throat, claiming she
was a racist bully. Convicted of murder and sent to the same prison as her father, Sabrina Van Schoor is
seen as a martyr by some black people. She seems popular among fellow inmates at Fort Glamorgan jail.
“That girl, she’s not like the whites outside of here. She’s OK,” says one inmate.
Speaking through iron bars, Sabrina Van Schoor, powerfully built like her father, says she is nervous about
her family history coming under public scrutiny again because of the book. “I’m afraid it might open old
wounds.”

Match each sentence beginning with a suitable ending.

Beginnings Endings
1. Louis Van Schoor was sent to prison a. because he has kept a low profile.
2. He was released from prison b. when apartheid started crumbling.
3. During the apartheid regime no one knew about his c. so he does not think he should apologise for killing
rampage
intruders.
4. Magistrates and the police welcomed his killings
d. after being convicted of murder.
5. The truth about Van Schoor’s actions was revealed
e. because the police hid the evidence of his actions.
6. Van Schoor killed a lot of black people
f. while he worked as a security guard.
7. Van Schoor’s job was to protect property,
g. before completing his sentence.
8. So far, Van Schoor has faced no backlash
h. because he instilled terror in black people.

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Level 3 l Advanced
4 Vocabulary 1 – Idiomatic expressions
Complete the idiomatic expressions in these sentences based on the text.
1. Van Schoor never count of the number of people he killed.

2. When he was freed, he slimmed down and shaved off his beard to keep a low .
3. The bookseller didn’t recognize Van Schoor but when he gave his name, the penny .
4. The police covered his because they were grateful for the terror he instilled.
5. Most whites in East London have turned a eye to Van Schoor’s killing spree.
6. Their indifference has been laid in a book by Heidi Holland.
7. Van Schoor’s daughter is fearful that Holland’s book might open old .
Now match each expression with one of the explanations below.
a. To make something known that has been secret or hidden.

b. To try to stop people from noticing you.
c. To pretend not to notice something because you should do something about it but you do not want to.
d. To realize or understand something.
e. To make someone remember something bad that happened in the past.
f. To hide any evidence that you were somewhere or did something.
g. To remember or record a number as it changes over a period of time.
5 Vocabulary 2 – Taking responsibility and saying you are sorry
The text uses several expressions to state that most whites don’t take responsibility or say they are sorry for what
happened during the apartheid regime. Use the chart to classify the expressions below. There are four expressions
that you do not need to use.
1. reminisce about something

2. apologise for something
3. own up to something
4. atone
5. shun something
6. express sorrow about something
7. boast about something
8. admit something
9. be repentant about something
10. mock something
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Level 3 l Advanced
Take responsibility for something Say that you are sorry for something
Now match the expressions you didn’t use with the explanations below:
a. To make something seem silly

b. To deliberately avoid something
c. To think about experiences in your past
d. To have something good
6 Vocabulary 3 – Abstract nouns
Fill in the blanks with abstract nouns derived from the verbs or adjectives in parentheses.
1. Seated at a restaurant, Van Schoor is a picture of relaxed . (confident)

2. Van Schoor is now free because he benefited from a sentence . (reduce)
3. He has slimmed down and shaved off his beard to change his . (appear)
4. Black leaders complain about the whites’ to admit past sins. (refuse)
5. The whites have shown no for their in a multi-racial democracy.
(grateful, include)
6. Some people think that blacks don’t want . (equal)
7. With grisly , Van Schoor’s daughter hired a black man to kill her mother. (ironic)
7 Discussion
How do you think Van Schoor should be dealt with? Should he and the whites in general apologise for the
killings during the apartheid period? Why/Why not?
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Level 3 l Advanced
KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2 – Taking responsibility and
1. Apartheid saying you are sorry
2. A rainbow nation Take responsibility for something Say that you are
3. A mass murderer sorry for something
4. A killing spree
5. slaughter own up to something
6. Carnage admit something
7. An atrocity
8. scrutiny apologise for something
9. An intruder atone
10. A backlash express sorrow about something
be repentant about something
2 What do you know?
a – 10
1. True; 2. True; 3. False; 4. False b–5
c–1
3 Comprehension check d–7
1–d
2–g 6 Vocabulary 3 – Abstract nouns
3–e 1. confidence
4–h 2. reduction
5–b 3. appearance
6–f 4. refusal
7–c 5. gratitude; inclusion
8–a 6. equality
7. irony
1. kept
2. profile
3. dropped
4. tracks
5. blind
6. bare
7. wounds
a–6
b–2
c–5
d–3
e–7
f–4
g –1
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1 Key words

murderer apartheid regime folk hero revenge
evidence race sin support human rights
1. is the political system that existed in South Africa, in which only white people had political
rights and power.
2. A/An is a system or form of government.
3. A/An is a group of people who are similar because they have the same skin colour or other
physical features.
4. A/An is someone who commits the crime of killing someone.
5. A/An someone who is admired by the people of a region.
6. The of a crime is the facts or physical signs that help to prove it.
7. is something that you do to hurt or punish someone because they have hurt you or
someone else.
8. To an idea is to be in favour of it.
9. A/An is an action that is wrong according to religious laws.
10. are the things that everyone in a society should be morally or legally allowed to have or do.
Look in the text and find out who the following people are as quickly as possible.
1. Louis Van Schoor
2. Heidi Holland
3. Sabrina Van Schoor

By Rory Carroll
South Africa’s most famous murderer drinks some coffee, sits back in his chair and pauses when he is
asked if it is true that he shot more than 100 black people. “I don’t know,” says Louis Van Schoor. “I’ve never
counted them.” He is sitting at a restaurant terrace in East London, a seaside town in the Eastern Cape. He
enjoys the sunshine as he remembers his days as an apartheid folk hero.
In the 1980s, Van Schoor worked as a security guard. His job was to protect businesses owned by white
people. He shot 101 people and killed 39 of them in a period of three years. Some were burglars; others
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NEWS LESSONS / The colour of crime in S Africa / Elementary

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were people who were walking past. All were black or coloured – people of mixed race. Van Schoor was
convicted of murder but released from jail after 12 years. But he does not regret his actions. “I was doing my
job - I was paid to protect property. I never apologised for what I did.”
He is not the only one. According to black clerics and politicians, whites in general have never said that they
were sorry for what happened during the apartheid regime. Heidi Holland agrees. She is the author of The
Colour of Murder, a book published last month which reveals the cruel actions of Van Schoor and his daughter,
Sabrina, who hired a man to kill her mother. “The story is of a family but it is also the story of a divided country
and of the people of that country trying to find new ways to live with each other,” says Holland.
Judges and the police welcomed the fact that black people were terrified of Van Schoor. They hid any
evidence against him until local journalists and human rights campaigners revealed his actions when
apartheid started coming to an end.
During his 1992 trial, white residents displayed “I Love Louis” stickers to show sympathy for Van Schoor.
He was found guilty of seven murders and two attempted murders. He was released two years ago, thanks
to a sentence reduction for all convicts issued by Nelson Mandela when he was president.
Since he was freed in 2004, Van Schoor, 55, has slimmed down, shaved off his beard and started working
as a cattle farm foreman outside East London. So far, no one has taken revenge on him. Few black people
recognise him, including the bookseller who took his order for The Colour of Murder. When Van Schoor gave
his name, she realised who he was. “She nearly fell off her chair,” he says, smiling.
Van Schoor married four times and he is now engaged once more to a local woman. He says he is “happy
and content”. But he does not approve of the new South Africa. “Everything has changed - people’s attitudes,
the service in shops, it’s not the same.” On the contrary, say black leaders, one thing has stayed the same:
most whites still won’t admit past sins.
Van Schoor’s killings took place during a white government. No one protested as his victims increased.
Many of them were poor children such as Liefie Peters, 13, who was shot while he was hiding in the toilet of
a Wimpy restaurant after breaking in to steal cash. Jacques Durandt, a 33-year-old white former member of
the security forces, defended the killer. “I won’t say he’s a murderer. For him it was a job.”
But there is at least one person who supports racial equality in East London: Van Schoor’s daughter,
Sabrina, 25. While her father was in jail she shocked the white community by dating black men and giving birth
to a mixed-race child. In 2002, she hired a black man to kill her mother because she thought her mother was
a racist. She was convicted of murder and sent to the same prison as her father. She is seen as a martyr by
some black people and is popular among other prisoners at Fort Glamorgan jail. “That girl, she’s not like the
whites outside of here. She’s OK,” says one prisoner.

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Are these statements True or False?

1. Louis Van Schoor is famous for the number of black people he killed.
2. He was a member of the security forces during the apartheid regime.
3. He regrets killing people while he was doing his job.
4. During the apartheid regime, the police couldn’t find any evidence of his crimes.
5. When the apartheid regime ended, Van Schoor was tried and sent to prison.
6. He was freed before he completed his sentence.
7. He has changed his appearance to forget about his past and start a new life.
8. His daughter is in prison for hiring someone to kill her mother.
4 Vocabulary 1 Synonyms
Match the words or phrases used in the text that have the same meaning.
killer convict
jail released
freed murderer
convicted say you are sorry
apologise found guilty
prisoner prison

5 Vocabulary 2 Crime
Fill in the blanks with words related to crime. The first letter of each word is given.
1. Louis Van Schoor was c of murder.
2. He was found g of seven murders and two attempted murders.
3. During his t , white people showed sympathy for him.
4. He was r from prison before completing his sentence.
5. A s reduction issued by Nelson Mandela benefited all c .
6. He benefited from the sentence reduction and he was f in 2004.
7. While Van Schoor was in j , his daughter Sabrina hired a black man to kill her mother.
8. She was sent to the same p as her father.
9. Sabrina is popular among other p at Fort Glamorgan.
10.Van Schoor wasn’t tried during the apartheid regime because the police hid the e of his crimes.
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6 Vocabulary 3 Words related to apartheid
Use the words or phrases in the box to complete the sentences based on the text.
races racist white black human rights
racial mixed-race whites blacks regime
1. During the apartheid , people where in power and
people had no rights.
2. and don’t always find it easy to live together in South Africa.
3. campaigners support equality – everyone should have the same rights.

4. Sabrina Van Schoor had a child.
5. She believes that her mother was a .
6. We should all learn to respect people from other .
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KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2 – Crime
1. Apartheid 1. convicted
2. A regime 2. guilty
3. A race 3. trial
4. A murderer 4. released
5. A folk hero 5. sentence, convicts
6. evidence 6. freed
7. Revenge 7. jail
8. support 8. prison
9. A sin 9. prisoners
10.Human rights 10. evidence
2 Find the information 6 Vocabulary 3 – Words related to

Possible answers: apartheid
1. South Africa’s most famous murderer 1. regime, white, black
2. the author of a book about Van Schoor and his 2. Blacks, whites
family 3. Human rights, racial
3. Louis Van Schoor’s daughter 4. mixed-race
5. racist
6. races
1. True
2. False
3. False
4. False
5. True
6. True
7. False
8. True
4 Vocabulary 1 – Synonyms
killer, murderer
jail, prison
freed, released
convicted, found guilty
apologise, say you are sorry
prisoner, convict
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1 Key words
folk hero racial harmony revenge martyr mass murderer

instill low profile apartheid regime unwillingness
1. is the political system that existed in South Africa, in which only white people had
political rights and power.
2. A/An is a system or form of government.
3. A/An is someone who has killed several people.
4. A/An someone who is admired for his achievements by the people of a region.
5. If you show to do something, you show that you do not want to do it.
6. If you terror in someone, you make that person feel very afraid.
7. is a type of behaviour that deliberately does not attract attention.
8. is something that you do to hurt or punish someone because they have hurt you or
someone else.
9. is a situation in which people of different races live and work well together.
10. A/An is someone who suffers or is killed because of their religious or political beliefs.
Look in the text and find out who the following people are as quickly as possible.
1. Louis Van Schoor
2. Heidi Holland
3. Sabrina Van Schoor

Sympathy for an apartheid mass murderer highlights the refusal of whites to take responsibility for the past
By Rory Carroll
South Africa’s most famous mass murderer drinks some coffee, sits back in his chair and pauses when he is
asked if it is true that he shot more than 100 black people. “I can’t argue with that,” says Louis Van Schoor.
“I never kept count.” Seated at a restaurant terrace in East London, a seaside town in the Eastern Cape,
the former security guard looks confident as he relaxes in the sunshine and thinks about his days as an
apartheid folk hero.
In the 1980s, he was hired to protect businesses owned by white people. He is thought to have shot 101
people, killing 39, in the course of three years. Some were burglars; others were passersby. All were black
or coloured, the term for those of mixed race. Convicted of murder but released from jail after 12 years, Van
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NEWS LESSONS / The colour of crime in S Africa / Intermediate

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Schoor does not regret his actions. “I was doing my job - I was paid to protect property. I never apologised
for what I did.”
He is not the only one. According to black clerics and politicians, whites in general have never apologised
for what happened during the apartheid regime. This unwillingness to admit past sins is revealed in a book
published last month, The Colour of Murder, by Heidi Holland, which investigates the cruel actions of Van
Schoor and also his daughter, Sabrina, who hired a hitman to murder her mother. “The story is of a family
but it is also the story of a divided country and of the people of that country trying to find new ways to live
with each other,” says Holland.
Magistrates and the police, grateful for the terror he instilled in black people, covered his tracks until local
journalists and human rights campaigners revealed his actions when apartheid started coming to an end.
During his 1992 trial white residents displayed “I Love Louis” stickers decorated with three bullet holes
through a bleeding heart. People still feel sympathy for him. “The reaction is 90% positive. Strangers say,
‘Hey, it’s good to see you,’“ says Van Schoor.
Van Schoor was convicted of seven murders and two attempted murders. Since his release two years ago,
after benefiting from a sentence reduction for all convicts issued by Nelson Mandela when he was president,
Van Schoor, 55, has slimmed down, shaved off his beard and kept a low profile, working as a cattle farm
foreman outside East London.
When he was released in 2004, Van Schoor said he had found God and expressed sorrow to the relatives of
his victims. “I apologise if any of my actions caused them hurt.” In an interview last week, he tried to clarify
his position. “I never apologised for what I did. I apologised for any hurt or pain that I caused through my
actions during the course of my work.”
Thanks to his changed appearance and low profile, he has faced no revenge. Few black people recognise
him, including the bookseller who took his order for The Colour of Murder. When Van Schoor gave his name,
she realised who he was. “She nearly fell off her chair,” he says, smiling.
Married four times and now engaged once more to a local woman, Van Schoor, says he is “happy and
content”. But he does not seem to approve of the new South Africa. “Everything has changed - people’s
attitudes, the service in shops, it’s not the same.” On the contrary, say black leaders, one crucial thing has
stayed the same: the whites still won’t admit past sins.
Van Schoor’s killings were made possible by a white establishment that did not react as his victims increased.
Many of them were poor children such as Liefie Peters, 13, who was shot while hiding in the toilet of a
Wimpy restaurant after breaking in to steal cash. Eating a burger yards from where Van Schoor killed the
teenage boy, Jacques Durandt, a 33-year-old white former member of the security forces, defended the
killer. “I won’t say he’s a murderer. For him it was a job.”
East London does have at least one white supporter of racial harmony: Van Schoor’s daughter, Sabrina,
25. While her father was in jail she shocked the white community by dating black men and giving birth to a
mixed-race child. In 2002, she hired a black man to kill her mother, claiming she was a racist. Convicted of
murder and sent to the same prison as her father, Sabrina Van Schoor is seen as a martyr by some black
people. She seems popular among fellow inmates at Fort Glamorgan jail. “That girl, she’s not like the whites
outside of here. She’s OK,” says one inmate.
Speaking through iron bars, Sabrina Van Schoor, powerfully built like her father, says she is nervous that
everyone will start talking about her family again because of the book. “I’m afraid it might open old wounds.”

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Choose the correct answers according to the text. If both a. and b. are correct, choose c.
1. In the 1980s, Louis Van Schoor was .
a. a member of the security forces b. an apartheid folk hero c. both
2. He was found guilty of murdering .

a. black people b. Sabrina’s mother c. both
3. never apologized for what happened during the apartheid regime.

a. Louis Van Schoor b. The whites in general c. both
4. He was released from prison .

a. before completing his sentence b. after twelve years c. both
5. When he was freed, he started working as a .

a. security guard b. foreman c. both
6. So far, no one has taken revenge on him because .

a. people have sympathy for him b. he has kept a low profile c. both
7. Van Schoor’s daughter shocked the community because .

a. she dated black men b. she had a coloured child c. both
8. Sabrina Van Schoor hired someone to kill her mother because .

a. her mother didn’t respect black people b. her mother didn’t respect her father c. both
4 Vocabulary 1 – Nouns for people
Read the references and complete the sentences with nouns that describe different kinds of people.
Louis Van Schoor killed (1) and (2).
(1) people who enter a building illegally to steal things

(2) people who are walking past a place
According to black (3) and (4), the whites have never apologised.
(3) people who are members of the clergy
(4) people who have a job in politics
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(5) and the (6) hid the evidence of Louis Van Schoor’s crimes.
(5) judges in court for minor cases
(6) people who catch criminals and check that the law is obeyed
(7) and human rights (8) revealed Van Schoor’s crimes.

(7) people whose job is to report the news
(8) people who try to produce political or social change
All (9) benefited from the sentence reduction issued by Nelson Mandela.
(9) people who are in prison for a crime they committed
Van Schoor expressed sprrow to the relatives of his (10).
(10) people who have been injured or killed as a result of a crime
Sabrina Van Schoor claims that her mother was a (11).
(11) someone who does not like or respect people from other races.
Choose a verb and a noun or noun phrase from each column to complete the idiomatic expressions used
in the text.
Verb Noun/noun phrase

cover a low profile
keep his tracks
keep old wounds
open count
1. Van Schoor did not of the number of people he killed.

2. The police decided to because they were grateful for the terror he instilled.
3. When he was freed, he slimmed down and shaved off his beard to .
4. Van Schoor’s daughter is fearful that Holland’s book might .
Now match each expression with one of the explanations below.
a. To try to stop people from noticing you.

b. To make someone remember something bad that happened in the past.
c. To hide any evidence that you were somewhere or did something.
d. To remember or record a number as it changes over a period of time.
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Use the prepositions in the box to complete the sentences based on the text. Use each preposition twice.
from for of to with
1. Van Schoor was convicted seven murders and two attempted murders.
2. He was released jail after 12 years.
3. He benefited a sentence reduction.
4. He has never apologised what he did.
5. Thanks his low profile, he has faced no revenge.
6. The police were grateful the terror he instilled.
7. “I love Louis” stickers were decorated three bullet holes through a bleeding heart.
8. He does not approve the new South Africa.
9. His daughter gave birth a mixed-race child.
10.In South Africa, black and whites are trying to find new ways to live each other.
7 Discussion
How do you think Van Schoor should be dealt with? Should he and the whites in general apologise for the
killings during the apartheid period? Why/Why not?
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1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2 Idiomatic expressions
1. Apartheid 1. keep count
2. A regime 2. cover his tracks
3. A mass murderer 3. keep a low profile
4. A folk hero 4. open old wounds
5. unwillingness
6. instill a–3
7. Low profile b–4
8. Revenge c–2
9. Social harmony d–1
10. A martyr
6 Vocabulary 3 – Prepositions
2 Find the information 1. of
Possible answers: 2. from
1. a mass murderer, an apartheid folk hero, a former 3. from
security guard 4. for
2. the author of a book about Van Schoor and his 5. to
family 6. for
3. Louis Van Schoor’s daughter 7. with
8. of
9. to
10. with
1–b
2–a
3–c
4–c
5–b
6–b
7–c
8–a
4 Vocabulary 1 Nouns for people

1. burglars
2. passers-by
3. clerics
4. politicians
5. magistrates
6. police
7. journalists
8. campaigners
9. convicts
10. victims
11. racist
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Christmas is coming - all the way from China
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Key words
Fill the gaps using the key words from the text.
sleigh goods cracker consignment capital wrapping paper
1 A is a vehicle pulled by animals and travels on snow. In the UK and the USA, people say that
Santa Claus rides one.
2 A is a decorated paper tube that makes a noise when you pull it apart. It contains a small toy,
a paper hat and a joke inside. It’s used traditionally at Christmas in the UK.
3 is special paper used for wrapping presents.
4 are objects produced for sale.
5 is money or property that you use to start a business or invest.
6 A is an amount of goods delivered.
2 What do you know?
Choose an option and then look in the text for the correct answer.
1 How do the majority of trade goods arrive in a country like Great Britain?
a) by plane
b) by truck
c) by ship
2 Which of the following statements do you think is true?

a) China exports more to Britain than Britain exports to China.
b) China imports more from Britain than Britain imports from China.
c) China and Britain are equal in terms of imports and exports.
3 Large quantities of Chinese imports to other countries are

a) good news for Chinese workers.
b) bad news for European manufacturers.
c) good news for job creation
4 One of Britain’s biggest exports to China is

a) waste plastic
b) Christmas presents
c) batteries
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NEWS LESSONS / Christmas is coming / Advanced

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Level 3 l Advanced

by John Vidal
Christmas is coming not in sacks or sleighs this year but on board the biggest ship afloat, on its maiden
voyage from China. To the relief of children, parents and shopkeepers everywhere - but to the despair of
European manufacturers - mountains of crackers, toys and games as well as decorations, wrapping paper,
food and every imaginable gift are currently steaming past Spain on the way to Felixstowe, Suffolk, aboard
the Emma Maersk 3.
If anything should happen to this 400m-long, 61 metre-high behemoth, that is as wide as a motorway and is
powered by the largest diesel engine ever built, then Christmas might have to be cancelled. The manifest for
the 3,000 containers of goods that it will drop off in Britain on its way to mainland Europe reveals the largest
single consignment of festive cheer ever delivered - a floating world of British desires and necessities.
Crackers, poker tables, bingo sets, drum kits, electronic toys and pre-school building blocks by the score will
be delivered in astonishing quantities: 1,886,000 Christmas decorations are loaded in one container, 40,000
rechargeable batteries and 22,280kg of Vietnam tea in another. In another are 12,800 MP3 players.
There are potato mashers, slotted spoons and graters to cook with, leather sofas to recline on, new
spectacles to watch new televisions by, and pyjamas to go to bed in. Pets will be especially pleased; 138,000
tins of catfood - variety unknown - are on their way, as are mountains of dogfood. But the ship and its cargo
was the subject of an intense row over the increasing number of imports from China. Caroline Lucas, Green
MEP for southeast England, said it was a “microcosm of globalisation gone mad”. “All these goods could have
been made in Europe,” said Ms Lucas “Whole sectors of global trade are now being dominated by China.
The real cost of the goods that the Emma Maersk is bringing in should include the environment, the markets
destroyed in developing countries and the millions of jobs lost.” Britain exported more than GBP 2.8bn of
goods to China last year but imported nearly GBP 16bn, a 30-fold increase on 1980. The UK is Europe’s
third-biggest trading partner with China but in global terms represents less than 2% of China’s trade.
While the Emma Maersk is carrying about 11,000 containers and is by far the largest container ship ever
built, Yentian port, from which it set off last month, now exports nearly three times that many containers
every day.
Last year Ms Lucas led an EU study into trade with China and found its implications terrifying. “These are
the goods that Europe used to make. We are faced with a country that has an almost absolute advantage
in an increasing number of sectors. This a triumph for multinational capital, not for Chinese workers who, as
well as suffering from some of the worst labour exploitation on record, are also losing jobs at a phenomenal
rate,” she said.
The Emma Maersk, the first of a fleet of seven equally large container ships, will soon be on its way back to
China taking back the detritus of a throwaway Christmas. One of Britain’s biggest exports to China is now
waste plastic - which is turned back into soft toys and decorations.
GBP: Great Britain Pounds

bn: billion

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Level 3 l Advanced
Decide whether these sentences are true or false according to the text.
1 The Emma Maersk 3 is a Chinese ship.
2 The ship contains 3,000 containers for all of Europe.
3 There are a lot of animals on board the ship.
4 China doesn’t have very much trade with the UK compared to other countries.
5 Yentian port exports a maximum of 11,000 containers every day.
6 Europe could have made many of the products on board the Emma Maersk 3.
7 The Emma Maersk 3 will return to China empty.
8 Soft toys and decorations are two products that can be made from waste plastic.
4 Vocabulary Extremes
Find examples of the following ways of expressing extremes in the text.
Using a superlative (e.g. the biggest ship)
Using a metaphor or simile (e.g. mountains of crackers, toys…)
Using extreme adjectives (e.g. astonishing quantities)
Using large numbers to create effect (e.g. 1,866,000 Christmas decorations)
5 Vocabulary Definitions
Find a word or expression which means the following.
1 done for the first time (paragraph 1)
2 going quickly (paragraph 1)
3 a giant animal (paragraph 2)
4 in quantities of twenty (paragraph 2)
5 argument (paragraph 3)
6 something small that represents something larger (paragraph 3)
7 begin a voyage (paragraph 4)
8 waste (paragraph 6)
Fill the gaps using adjectives. Check your answers in the text.
1 cheer 2 blocks 3 batteries

4 row 5 trade 6 countries
7 partner 8 rate 9 toys
7 Discussion
Do you think that this is an example of “globalism gone mad”?
Do you think people consume too much at Christmas?
Is it wrong for Britain to import so many goods from China?
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Level 3 l Advanced
KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary: Definitions
1 sleigh 1 maiden
2 cracker 2 steaming
3 wrapping paper 3 behemoth
4 goods 4 by the score
5 capital 5 row
6 consignment 6 microcosm
7 set off
8 detrius
2 What do you know?
1 c)
2 a) 6 Vocabulary: Collocations
3 b) 1 festive cheer
4 a) 2 building blocks
3 rechargeable batteries
4 intense row
5 global trade
1 T 6 developing countries
2 F 7 trading partner
3 F 8 phenomenal rate
4 T 9 soft toys
5 F
6 T
7 F
8 T
4 Vocabulary: Extremes
Superlatives: the largest… ever built, the largest single
consignment, the worst labour exploitation, Britain’s
biggest export
Metaphors or similes: as wide as a motorway, a floating
world, mountains of dogfood
Adjectives: intense row, implications are terrifying,
absolute advantage, a phenomenal rate
Large numbers: 22,280kg of Vietnam tea, 12,800
MP3 players, 138,000 tins of catfood, 16bn, a 30-fold
increase, 11,000 containers…
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1 Key words

cargo goods cracker decorations import
gift container port waste export
1 A is a decorated paper tube that makes a noise when you pull it apart. It contains a small
toy, a paper hat and a joke inside. It’s used traditionally at Christmas in the UK.
2 In countries which celebrate Christmas, people often put up in their house.
3 A is something you use for keeping or storing things, for example a box.
4 A is an area of water on the coast where ships stop.
6 is the useless material you have after you’ve used something.
7 If you something, you send it to another country to sell it.
8 If you something, you buy a product from another country and bring it to your country.
9 A is something you give to someone as a present.
10 are things that are sent by ship, airplane or truck.

1 What is the Emma Maersk 3?
2 Where is it from?
3 Where is it going?
4 What is on the Emma Maersk 3?
5 Are people happy about this?

by John Vidal
Christmas is coming this year on the biggest ship in the world, on its first voyage from China. Mountains of
crackers, toys and games as well as decorations, wrapping paper, food and every imaginable gift are on the
way to Felixstowe, Suffolk, on the Emma Maersk 3.
If anything happens to this 400m-long, 61 metre-high boat then Christmas might have to be cancelled.
It is delivering 3,000 giant containers for Britain. These containers have the largest amount of Christmas
goods ever delivered. Crackers, poker tables, bingo sets, electronic toys and pre-school building blocks will
be delivered in amazing quantities: 1,886,000 Christmas decorations are loaded in one container, 40,000
rechargeable batteries and 22,280kg of Vietnam tea in another. In another are 12,800 MP3 players.
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NEWS LESSONS / Christmas is coming / Elementary

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There are things to cook with, leather sofas to sit on, and pyjamas to go to bed in. Pets will be very happy;
138,000 tins of catfood and mountains of dogfood are on their way. But the ship and its cargo was the
subject of an intense argument over the increasing number of imports from China. Caroline Lucas, Green
Member of European Parliament (MEP) for southeast England, said it was a “microcosm of globalisation
gone mad”. “All these goods could have been made in Europe,” said Ms Lucas “China now dominates many
sectors of global trade. The real cost of the goods that the Emma Maersk is bringing in should include the
environment, the markets destroyed in developing countries and the millions of jobs lost.” Britain exported
more than GBP 2.8bn of goods to China last year but imported nearly GBP 16bn – 30 times more than in
1980. The UK is Europe’s third-biggest trading partner with China but represents less than 2% of China’s
trade with the world.
The Emma Maersk is carrying about 11,000 containers and is the largest container ship in history. The ship
left from Yentian port, which now exports around 30,000 containers every day.
Last year Ms Lucas led an EU study into trade with China and was terrified by its implications. “Europe
made these goods in the past. China is a country that now has a big advantage in more and more sectors.
This is a triumph for multinational capital. It’s not a triumph for Chinese workers, who suffer from some of the
worst labour exploitation in the world and are also losing many jobs.” she said.
The Emma Maersk will soon return to China. It will take back the waste of Christmas. One of Britain’s big-
gest exports to China is now waste plastic - which is made into soft toys and decorations.

bn: billion
Match the beginning and ending of the sentences.
1 The Emma Maersk 3 is... trade sectors
2 The ship contains … 30,000 containers every day
3 There are large quantities of goods… a Chinese ship
4 The real cost of the ship should include … on the Emma Maersk 3.
5 Yentian port exports around... waste plastic from Britain.
6 China has an advantage in more and more... the environment, destroyed markets and lost jobs.
7 When the Emma Maersk 3 returns to China, it will contain... 3,000 containers for Britain.
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4 Vocabulary Noun+noun collocations
Match the words in the left-hand column with words in the right-hand column to make words from the text.
1 poker decorations
2 Christmas sofa
3 leather tables
4 cat plastic
5 dog food
6 container ship
7 waste food
5 Vocabulary Phrases
1 Complete the sentences with phrases from the box.
in history as well as on the way more and more in the past

1 The ship is to Felixstowe, Suffolk, on the Emma Maersk 3.
2 It’s the largest container ship .
3 Mountains of crackers, toys and games decorations, wrapping paper are on the ship.
4 China is a country that now has a big advantage in sectors.
5 Europe made these goods .
6 Vocabulary Globalisation Puzzle
1 Rearrange the letters to make words connected to globalisation.

1 prexot 5 sgodo
2 trimpo 6 broaul
3 daret 7 kramet
4 lapitac
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1 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Noun+noun collocations
1 cracker poker tables
2 decorations Christmas decorations
3 container leather sofa
4 port catfood
5 goods dogfood
6 waste container ship
7 export waste plastic
8 import
9 gift
5 Vocabulary: Phrases
10 cargo
1 on the way
2 in history
2 Find the information 3 as well as
1 A boat 4 more and more
2 China 5 in the past
3 Britain and Europe
4 Christmas gifts, decorations and other goods
6 Vocabulary: Globalisation Puzzle
5 Not everyone – some think it’s bad for the
environment and the economy. 1 export
2 import
3 trade
3 Comprehension check 4 capital
1 e 5 goods
2 g 6 labour
3 d 7 market
4 f
5 b
6 a
7 e
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1 Key words
Fill the gaps using the key words from the text.
cargo goods cracker capital maiden

decorations exploitation wrapping paper implications
1 A is a decorated paper tube that makes a noise when you pull it apart. It contains a small
toy, a paper hat and a joke inside. It’s used traditionally at Christmas in the UK.
2 In countries which celebrate Christmas, people often put up in their house.
3 is special paper used for wrapping presents.
5 is money or property that you use to start a business or invest.
6 is unfair treatment of someone in order to get benefit for yourself.
7 are possible effects or results
8 are things that are sent by ship, airplane or truck.
9 A voyage or flight is one that is done for the first time.

1 What is the Emma Maersk 3?
2 Where is it from?
3 Where is it going?
4 What is on the Emma Maersk 3?
5 Are people happy about this?

by John Vidal
Christmas is coming this year on board the biggest ship afloat, on its maiden voyage from China. To the
relief of children, parents and shopkeepers everywhere - but to the despair of European manufacturers
- mountains of crackers, toys and games as well as decorations, wrapping paper, food and every imaginable
gift are on the way to Felixstowe, Suffolk, aboard the Emma Maersk 3.
If anything should happen to this 400m-long, 61 metre-high boat, that is as wide as a motorway and is
powered by the largest diesel engine ever built, then Christmas might have to be cancelled. The 3,000
containers of goods that it will drop off in Britain on its way to mainland Europe contain the largest amount
of Christmas goods ever delivered - a floating world of British desires and necessities. Crackers, poker
tables, bingo sets, drum kits, electronic toys and pre-school building blocks will be delivered in astonishing
quantities: 1,886,000 Christmas decorations are loaded in one container, 40,000 rechargeable batteries and
22,280kg of Vietnam tea in another. In another are 12,800 MP3 players.
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NEWS LESSONS / Christmas is coming / Intermediate

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There are potato mashers and spoons to cook with, leather sofas to recline on, new spectacles to watch
new televisions by, and pyjamas to go to bed in. Pets will be especially happy; 138,000 tins of catfood are on
their way, as are mountains of dogfood. But the ship and its cargo was the subject of an intense row over the
increasing number of imports from China. Caroline Lucas, Green Member of European Parliament (MEP) for
southeast England, said it was a “microcosm of globalisation gone mad”. “All these goods could have been
made in Europe,” said Ms Lucas “Whole sectors of global trade are now being dominated by China. The real
cost of the goods that the Emma Maersk is bringing in should include the environment, the markets destroyed
in developing countries and the millions of jobs lost.” Britain exported more than GBP 2.8bn of goods to China
last year but imported nearly GBP 16bn, a 30-fold increase on 1980. The UK is Europe’s third-biggest trading
partner with China but in global terms represents less than 2% of China’s trade.
The Emma Maersk is carrying about 11,000 containers and is by far the largest container ship ever built.
Yentian port, from which it set off last month, now exports nearly three times that many containers every day.
Last year Ms Lucas led an EU study into trade with China and found its implications terrifying. “These are
the goods that Europe used to make. We are faced with a country that has an almost absolute advantage
in an increasing number of sectors. This a triumph for multinational capital, not for Chinese workers who, as
well as suffering from some of the worst labour exploitation on record, are also losing jobs at a phenomenal
rate,” she said.
The Emma Maersk, the first of a fleet of seven equally large container ships, will soon be on its way back
to China taking back the waste of Christmas. One of Britain’s biggest exports to China is now waste plastic
- which is turned back into soft toys and decorations.

bn: billion
Choose the correct answer.
1 The Emma Maersk contains 3,000 containers for .

a) China
b) Britain
c) Europe
2 The UK represents of China’s trade with the world.

a) the majority
b) a small part
c) the third-largest part
3 According to Christine Lucas, the Emma Maersk

a) harms the environment
b) creates jobs
c) creates markets in developing countries
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4 Yentian port exports containers every day.
a) around 11,000
b) around 33,000
c) 2.8 bn
5 The goods on board the Emma Maersk 3 .

a) used to be made in Europe
b) are made in Europe
c) are made in Britain
6 When the Emma Maersk 3 returns to China it will contain .

a) decorations
b) soft toys
c) waste plastic from Britain
4 Vocabulary Lexical sets
Put the words and phrases in the box into one of the different categories:
on board ship trade maiden voyage

manufacturers capital labour decorations
wrapping paper abroad globalisation boat
floating goods cargo port
imports sectors markets fleet
trading partners crackers exports toys afloat
SEA TRAVEL vocabulary: on board,
TRADE vocabulary: trade,
CHRISTMAS vocabulary: toys,
5 Vocabulary Word information
Complete the table.
Verb Adjective
float
recharge
develop
terrify
imagine
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Make collocations with the words in A and the words in B. Check your answers in the text.
A B
1 intense trade
2 building countries
3 trading rate
4 phenomenal row
6 developing blocks
7 global partner
7 Discussion
Do you think people consume too much at Christmas?

Is it wrong to import so many goods from China?
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KEY
1 Key words TRADE vocabulary:
1 cracker manufacturers
2 decorations goods
3 Wwrapping paper globalisation
4 Goods imports
5 Capital sectors
6 Exploitation markets
7 Implications trading partners
8 cargo trade
9 maiden exports
capital
labour
1 A boat CHRISTMAS vocabulary:
2 China
crackers
3 Britain and Europe
toys
4 Christmas gifts, decorations and other goods
games
5 Not everyone – some think it’s bad for the
decorations
environment and the economy
wrapping paper
3 Comprehension check 5 Vocabulary: Word formation

1 b
VERB ADJECTIVE
2 c
3 a float floating
4 b recharge rechargeable
5 a develop developing
6 c terrify terrifying
imagine imaginable
4 Vocabulary: Lexical sets

6 Vocabulary: Collocations
SEA TRAVEL vocabulary:
1 intense row
on board
2 building blocks
ship
3 trading partner
maiden voyage
4 phenomenal rate
aboard
boat
6 developing countries
floating
7 global trade
cargo
port
fleet
afloat
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Level 3 l Advanced
1 Key words
Fill the gaps using these key words from the text:
carnage snippet antithesis agrarian schism
predominant heinous excommunicate shun peeping Tom
1. If something is , it is extremely evil.
2. A is an occasion when one group divides into two groups because of a disagreement.
3. is a situation in which there is a lot of death and destruction.
4. If you someone, you no longer allow them to be a member of a particular church.
5. A is a small piece of something, especially information or news.
6. If you someone, you avoid them intentionally.
7. The of something is its exact opposite.
8. A is someone who enjoys secretly watching other people.
9. An society is one based on farming.
10. The group in a society is the main or most important one.
2 What do you know?
Read these statements about the Amish and decide if they are True or False. Then read the text to check
your answers.
1. The Amish live in New York state, USA.
2. The Amish travel by horse-drawn buggy.
3. The Amish religion originated in England.
4. Amish people are opposed to everything modern.
5. Most Amish are farmers.
6. Most Amish teenagers who leave the Amish community never return.
Another country
Ed Pilkington on the extraordinary survival, and even prosperity, of the Amish in the modern world
In all the newspaper reports and hours of satellite television coverage devoted to last week’s carnage in
the schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, it was the little details that stood out and made you think.
The fact that the police had to use vans to take the parents to hospital to be at the bedsides of their mortally
wounded children because they refused to go by police helicopter. The scene of worried mothers timidly
peeking over the heads of television cameramen filming a press conference near the school: while the
pictures were being beamed instantly to Shanghai, they had to be there in person as they had no televisions
at home. There is something about those snippets of life in the Amish community of Lancaster county that is
strangely hard to deal with. On top of the sheer horror of the killing of five girls by a milk truck driver, there is
bewilderment. How can it be, in this digital age where news spreads at the speed of light, that people living
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Level 3 l Advanced
within a few miles of the tragedy were still learning by word of mouth what Charles Roberts had done hours
after he had unloaded his 9mm semi-automatic handgun?
How can it be that he chose to inflict his revenge for some insult he suffered at the age of 12 on girls from a
community whose very existence is the antithesis of the act he committed? The Amish are pacifist. At time
of war they are conscientious objectors, prepared for civilian duties but refusing anything military. The
community where Roberts exacted his revenge, 80km west of Philadelphia, has no police force and no
guns. In the United States that is quite something. Anyone who can recall Witness, the 1985 Harrison Ford
thriller, will have a feeling for the setting of Lancaster county. Green rolling hills with Holstein cattle,
weather-beaten barns, unadorned buildings, and black horse-drawn buggies. Add to that the ‘plain’ dress,
as they call it and it all looks like what it is – a community of agrarians largely unchanged since the late 19th
century. Note the word largely. Among the many misrepresentations of the Amish is that they are a group
that is completely opposed to modernity.
In reality, they are the product of change, some of it dramatic. The emergence of today’s Amishes is a story of
many schisms. Their parent faith, Mennonitism, was born of a split in Switzerland in 1525, when the Mennonites
broke from the Protestant reform. Later, in Switzerland in 1693, the Amish broke from the wider Mennonite
community in another dispute. The Amish emigrated to Pennsylvania around the 1730s to benefit from the
Quaker William Penn’s offer of protection for persecuted religions. The Old Order of Amishes, the predominant
group of people in Lancaster county, was then formed by another schism when they broke from their fellow
members in a dispute over the technological changes brought by the industrial revolution. The Old Order was
determined to take from technology only those elements that matched their interpretation of the Bible.
“It is easy to get it wrong about the Amish,” says Peter Seibert, president of the Heritage Centre of Lancaster
county and a non-Amish. “They are not about putting up walls to block out the modern world. What they are
about is adapting their community to modernity in order to preserve its essential being as a simple agrarian
society. They will pick and choose what they want from our world”.
So they will not have television, not because it is intrinsically heinous but because they do not want their
children exposed to sexual and violent images. They travel by buggy to keep the community together and
avoid the disruptive social influence of the motor car. And there is some modernity in Lancaster county. They
will not have phones in the house, but they will in the nearby shed where they run a woodworking business.
They won’t have electrical gadgets but they will have battery-powered cash registers and even laptops.
That’s a subtlety lost in the peeping-Tom relationship that the “real world” has with the Amish.
“Tourists can be quite disrespectful. They walk right into Amish houses or schools assuming that they are
there as an attraction. They have no sense that this is a living community that greatly prizes its privacy”, says
researcher Stephen Scott. The joke is, as Scott points out, that the Amish are the ones who benefit. They may
dislike being treated as zoo animals but they also make a great deal of money out of the flow of tourists.
That duality was illustrated most vividly a couple of years ago when a reality TV company shot Amish in the
City, a show in which a group of Amish teenagers were taken out of their communities and transported to
downtown LA. Yet the Amish faith could accommodate even that. The teenagers were going through what is
known as “running around years”, the period between the end of school, at the age of 14, and the entry into
the church through baptism in one’s late teens or early 20s.
In those five to eight years of freedom the children are not officially members of the church so cannot be
shunned or excommunicated. The result is a community that is thriving. 80% of the teenagers who move
away from the community eventually return. The main pressure on the Amish is now population growth,
coupled with a lack of arable land on which they can subsist.
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None of this will be any comfort to the parents and neighbours of the five girls who died in last week’s shooting
or the others who remain critically ill. Any comfort will come from their faith itself. Seibert puts it well: “For them
this is God’s will, and that is all. Our world is all about the individual. Theirs is all about the community before
God and the better life they will lead after death. That is hard for us to comprehend, but that is how it is.”
Choose the best answer:
1. Why was Charles Roberts’ act the antithesis of the Amish way of life?
a. Because he exacted revenge for an insult against him at the age of 12.
b. Because the Amish are pacifists and he used violence against them.
c. Because the police force in Lancaster county has no guns.
2. According to Peter Seibert, the Amish

a. are largely unchanged since the 19th century.
b. put up walls to block out the modern world.
c. are trying to preserve their simple agrarian society.
3. Why don’t the Amish have television?

a. Because they don’t want their children to see sexual and violent images.
b. Because they believe television is intrinsically evil.
c. Because they are opposed to everything modern, including television.
4. What is the main problem the Amish now face?

a. Peeping Tom tourists.
b. The influence of modernity all around them.
c. A growing population and a lack of land for farming.
4 Vocabulary FInd the Word
Look in the first two paragraphs of the text and find these words or expressions:
1. a phrasal verb meaning to be easy to notice because of being different (para. 1)
2. a verb meaning to look at something quickly, especially secretly or from behind something (para. 1)
3. a noun meaning a feeling of being extremely confused (para. 1)
4. a phrase meaning someone who refuses to take part in a war because they are morally opposed to it (para. 2)
5. an adjective meaning damaged or made rough by being exposed to wind and rain (para. 2)
6. an adjective meaning not decorated or made to look more attractive (para. 2)
7. a noun phrase meaning a light vehicle pulled by a horse (para. 2)
8. a noun meaning a false or inaccurate description of someone (para. 2)
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Level 3 l Advanced
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column
1. to exact a. a weapon
2. to beam b. a business
3. to unload c. revenge
4. to run d. a television programme
5. to shoot e. a better life
6. to lead f. television pictures
6 Vocabulary Nouns and Adjectives
Complete the table
Noun Adjective
1. disruption
2. subtle
3. timid
4. bewilderment
5. tragedy
6. conscience
7. modern
8. disrespect
7 Discussion
Imagine that you lived in a society that was isolated from the modern world. What things would you miss? What
aspects of the modern world would you be happy to avoid?
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Level 3 l Advanced
KEY
1 Key Words 5 Vocabulary: Collocations
1. heinous 1. c
2. schism 2. f
3. carnage 3. a
4. excommunicate 4. b
5. snippet 5. d
6. shun 6. e
7. antithesis
8. peeping Tom 6 Vocabulary: Nouns and Adjectives
9. agrarian
1. disruptive
10. predominant
2. subtlety
3. timidity
2 What do you know? 4. bewildered
1. F 5. tragic
2. T 6. conscientious
3. F 7. modernity
4. F 8. disrepectful
5. T
6. F
1. b
2. c
3. a
4. c
4 Vocabulary: Find the Word

1. stand out
2. peek
3. bewilderment
4. conscientious objector
5. weather-beaten
6. unadorned
7. horse-drawn buggy
8. misrepresentation
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Another country
1 Key words
Fill the gaps using these key words from the text
insult van tragedy pacifist buggy
emigrate gadget expel comfort faith
1. If you , you leave your country to live in another country.
2. A is someone who believes that war and violence are wrong.
3. If you have , you believe in God.
4. If you someone, you say something personal to them that makes them very angry.
5. A is a very sad situation in which people suffer or die.
6. is a feeling of being less sad or worried about something than before.
7. A is a small vehicle with two or four wheels that is pulled by a horse.
8. A is a vehicle used for carrying goods. It is bigger than a car but smaller than a truck.
9. If you someone from an organisation you force them to leave.
10. A is a small piece of equipment that is very useful.
1. Where is Nickel Mines?

2. How many schoolgirls died in the shooting?
3. Where do the Amish live?
4. How far is Lancaster county from Philadelphia?
5. When did the Amish emigrate to Pennsylvania?
6. What percentage of teenagers come back to the Amish community?
Another country
Last week a truck driver called Charles Roberts went into a school in Nickel Mines in the American state of
Pennsylvania and shot five schoolgirls dead. It was a shocking crime and newspapers and television stations
from around the world reported the case. According to police, Roberts was angry because someone insulted
him there when he was 12 years old. He killed five people because of that insult.
There was something else that was unusual about this case. Nickel Mines in is Lancaster county, Pennsylvania.
Lancaster county is home to the Amish people, a deeply religious group who mostly work as farmers. The five
girls who died were Amish. If you watched the television pictures from the scene, you could see some unusual
things. For example, the parents of the children went to the hospital in police vans because they did not want
to travel in the police helicopter. Outside the hospital worried mothers waited for news while television pictures
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went around the world. The Amish do not have televisions in their homes so the parents had to come to the
hospital in person to find out what had happened. Several hours after the tragedy some people still did not
know about it. They found out when their friends and neighbours told them.
The Amish are pacifist. At times of war they will not fight in the army but do civilian jobs instead. Lancaster
county, 80km west of Philadelphia, has no police force and no guns. In the United States that is extremely
unusual. If you can remember Witness, the 1985 Harrison Ford film, you will have an idea what Lancaster
county looks like. Green hills with black and white cattle, old farm buildings, plain, simple houses, and black
buggies pulled by horses. People also wear very simple clothes. Lancaster county is a community of farmers
that has changed only a little since the late 19th century.
In reality, the Amish are the product of some dramatic changes. They began as Mennonites, a religion that
was born in Switzerland in 1525, when the Mennonites left the Protestant church. Later, in Switzerland in
1693, the Amish split from the Mennonites. Then the Amish emigrated to Pennsylvania around the 1730s.
The main group of Amish in Lancaster county is The Old Order of Amishes. This group split from the other
Amish because of an argument over modern technology. The Old Order only wanted to use technology they
could understand through reading the Bible.
“It is easy to get it wrong about the Amish,” says Peter Seibert, president of the Heritage Centre of
Lancaster county and a non-Amish. “They are not trying to block out the modern world. They want to keep
their community as a simple farming society. They pick and choose what they want from our world”.
So they do not have television because they do not want their children to see sexual and violent images.
They travel by buggy because they believe they help to keep people together and that motor cars do not keep
people together. And there are some modern things in Lancaster county. They do not have telephones in their
houses, but if they have a business they have a telephone there. They don’t have electrical gadgets but they
have cash registers and even laptop computers.
“Tourists often have no respect. They walk straight into Amish houses or schools because they think they are
a tourist attraction. They do not understand that this is a living community that wants to remain private”, says
researcher Stephen Scott. The funny thing is that the Amish profit from tourism. They do not like being like zoo
animals but they also make a lot of money out of the tourists.
A couple of years ago a reality TV company made a programme called Amish in the City. The programme
clearly showed the two sides of Amish life. A group of Amish teenagers were taken out of their Amish
communities and transported to downtown Los Angeles. The Amish religion was able to understand this.
The teenagers were in a period known as the “running around years”, the period between the end of school,
at the age of 14, and the entry into the church in your late teens or early 20s.
In those five to eight years of freedom the children are not officially members of the church so the church
cannot expel them. The result is a successful community. 80% of the teenagers who move away from the
community come back in the end. The main problem for the Amish is that their population is growing quickly
and there is not enough land for them to farm.
None of this will be any comfort to the parents and neighbours of the five girls who died in last week’s shooting
or the others who remain critically ill. Any comfort will come from their faith itself. Seibert puts it well: “For them
this is God’s will, and that is all. Our world is all about the individual. Their world is all about the community before
God and the better life they will lead after death. That is difficult for us to understand, but that is how it is.”

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Another country
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text.
1. Charles Roberts shot five people because

2. The parents went to the hospital by police van because
3. Many people didn’t hear about the shooting for several hours because
4. The Amish will not fight in the army because
5. The Old Order of Amish split from the other Amish because
6. The Amish do not have television because
7. They do not have cars because
8. The Amish church cannot expel Amish teenagers because
a. they are pacifist.

b. they believe cars keep people apart.
c. they don’t have televisions in their homes.
d. someone insulted him when he was 12 years old.
e. they did not agree with their views on technology.
f. they didn’t want to travel by helicopter.
g. they are not officially members of the church.
h. they do not want their children to see violent images.
4 Vocabulary Noun + Noun Collocations
Match the words in the left-hand column with those from the right-hand column to make collocations.
1.police a. buildings
2. television b. computer
3. truck c. attraction
4. farm d. register
5. cash e. TV
6. laptop f. driver
7. tourist g. van
8. reality h. pictures
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Another country
Complete the table
Noun Adjective
1. success
2. shock
3. anger
4. religious
5. worry
6. drama
7. violent
8. free
Using the words in the box, make six pairs of opposites.
normal better complicated easy old-fashioned dead
worse unusual modern living simple difficult
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KEY
1 Key Words 5 Vocabulary:Word Building
1. emigrate 1. successful
2. pacifist 2. shocking
3. faith 3. angry
4. insult 4. religion
5. tragedy 5. worried
6. comfort 6. dramatic
7. buggy 7. violence
8. van 8. freedom
9. expel
10. gadget
6 Vocabulary: Opposites
normal/unusual
2 Find the information better/worse
1. Pennsylvania, USA complicated/simple
2. five easy/difficult
3. Lancaster county old-fashioned/modern
4. 80km dead/living
5. in the 1730s
6. 80%
1. d
2. f
3. c
4. a
5. e
6. h
7. b
8. g
4 Vocabulary: Noun + Noun Collocations

1. g
2. h
3. f
4. a
5. d
6. b
7. c
8. e
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1 Key words
bewilderment revenge pacifist buggy emigrate
gadget dispute persecute determined preserve
1. A is a person who believes violence is wrong and refuses to fight in wars.
2. A is a serious disagreement between two or more groups of people.
3. is something you do to punish someone because they have hurt you.
4. If a society someone, they treat then very badly because of their race, religion or political
beliefs.
5. A person is someone who is not willing to let anything stop them from doing what they had
decided to do.
6. If you a way of life, you keep it from changing or being lost.
7. is a feeling of extreme confusion.
8. A is a light vehicle pulled by a horse.
9. If someone , they leave their country in order to live abroad.
10. A is a small piece of equipment that does something useful.

1. In which American state do the Amish live?
2. How many children did Charles Roberts kill?
3. What was the name of the 1985 Harrison Ford film about the Amish?
4. Where did the Amish religion originate?
5. When did the Amish emigrate to the United States?
6. What percentage of Amish teenagers who move away eventually return to the community?
Another country
Last week’s horrific shootings in the schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania attracted an enormous
amount of attention in the newspapers and on television. Looking at the television pictures, it was the little
details that made you think. For example, the fact that the police had to use vans to take the parents to
hospital to be at the bedsides of their children because they refused to go by police helicopter. The scene
of worried mothers shyly peeking over the heads of television cameramen filming a press conference near
the school while the pictures were being relayed instantly around the world. The parents had to be there in
person as they had no televisions at home. There is something about those images of life in the Amish
community of Lancaster county that is difficult for many people to understand. Apart from the horror of the
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killing of five girls by a milk truck driver, there is bewilderment. How is it possible, in this digital age where
news travels at the speed of light, that people living just a few miles from the tragedy were still learning
about the murders hours after they had happened?
Why did Charles Roberts decide to take revenge for an insult he suffered at the age of 12 on girls on the
Amish community? The Amish are pacifist. At times of war they will undertake civilian duties but will not
fight in the army. The community where Roberts committed the murders, 80km west of Philadelphia, has no
police force and no guns. In the United States that is extremely unusual. Anyone who can remember Witness,
the 1985 Harrison Ford film, will have a feeling for the setting of Lancaster county. Green rolling hills with
black and white cattle, weather-beaten barns, plain, simple buildings, and black horse-drawn buggies. Add
to that the ‘plain’ dress, as they call it and it all looks like what it is – a community of farmers that has hardly
changed since the late 19th century. The word ‘hardly’ is important. Many people think the Amish are
completely opposed to everything modern.
In reality, the Amish are the product of change, some of it dramatic. They were originally Mennonites,
a religion born in Switzerland in 1525, when the Mennonites broke away from the Protestants. Later, in
Switzerland in 1693, the Amish broke away from the wider Mennonite community after a religious dispute.
The Amish emigrated to Pennsylvania around the 1730s to after William Penn offered protection to persecuted
religions. The Old Order of Amishes, the main group of people in Lancaster county, was then formed when
they broke away from their fellow Amish in a disagreement over the technological changes brought by
the industrial revolution. The Old Order was determined to take from technology only those elements that
matched their interpretation of the Bible.
“It is easy to get it wrong about the Amish,” says Peter Seibert, president of the Heritage Centre of Lancaster
county and a non-Amish. “They are not putting up walls to block out the modern world. What they are doing
is adapting their community to modernity in order to preserve it as a simple farming society. They pick and
choose what they want from our world”.
So they do not have television, not because they think it is a modern evil but because they do not want their
children to see sexual and violent images. They travel by buggy to keep the community together because they
believe motor cars drive people apart. And there is some modernity in Lancaster county. They do not have
phones in their houses, but they will have one in the shed where they have a woodworking business. They
don’t have electrical gadgets but they have battery-powered cash registers and even laptop computers.
“Tourists can be quite disrespectful. They walk straight into Amish houses or schools thinking that they are
there as a tourist attraction. They have no sense that this is a living community that greatly values its privacy”,
says researcher Stephen Scott. The joke is, as Scott points out, that the Amish are the ones who benefit. They
may dislike being like zoo animals but they also make a great deal of money out of the flow of tourists.
These contradictory aspects of Amish life were clearly illustrated a couple of years ago when a reality TV
company made a programme called Amish in the City, a show in which a group of Amish teenagers were
taken out of their communities and transported to downtown LA. Yet the Amish faith was able to accept that.
The teenagers were going through a period known as the “running around years”, the period between the
end of school, at the age of 14, and the entry into the church in one’s late teens or early 20s.
In those five to eight years of freedom the children are not officially members of the church so they cannot
be expelled from the church. The result is a successful community. 80% of the teenagers who move away
from the community eventually return. The main problem for the Amish is now population growth, together
with a lack of land for them to farm.
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Another country
None of this will be any comfort to the parents and neighbours of the five girls who died in last week’s
shooting or the others who remain critically ill. Any comfort will come from their faith itself. Seibert puts it
well: “For them this is God’s will, and that is all. Our world is all about the individual. Their world is all about
the community before God and the better life they will lead after death. That is difficult for us to understand,
but that is how it is.”
Are these sentences True or False according to the text?
1. The Amish are opposed to everything modern.
2. The Amish think television is evil.
3. The Amish are a simple farming community.
4. Some Amish have laptop computers and telephones.
5. The Amish are pacifists.
6. The Amish don’t make any money out of tourists.
7. Most young Amish eventually return to the community.
8. The main problem for the Amish is that their numbers are falling.
4 Vocabulary Words and Definitions

Match these words from the text with their definitions.
1. peeking a. extremely quickly
2. shyly b. belief in a god or gods
3. at the speed of light c. the freedom to do things without other people watching you or knowing
what you are doing
4. weather-beaten
d. damaged or made rough by being out for long periods in wind and rain
5. faith
e. showing no respect
6. community
f. in a nervous and embarrassed manner
7. disrespectful
g. looking at something quickly, especially secretly or from behind something
8. privacy
h. a group of people who live together in a particular area
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Another country
Complete the table.
Adjective Noun
1. modern
2. private
3. religious
4. worried
5. tragic
6. violent
Which prepositions follow these words? Check your answers in the text.
1. apart
2. revenge
3. opposed
4. adapt
5. expel
6. lack
7 Discussion
Imagine that you lived in a society that was isolated from the modern world. What things would you miss?
What aspects of the modern world would you be happy to avoid?
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Another country
KEY
1 Key Words 5 Vocabulary: Word Building
1. pacifist 1. modernity
2. dispute 2. privacy
3. revenge 3. religion
4. persecutes 4. worry
5. determined 5. tragedy
6. preserve 6. violence
7. bewilderment
8. buggy
6 Vocabulary: Prepositions
9. emigrates
10. gadget 1. from
2. on
3. to
2 Find the information 4. to
1. Pennsylvania 5. from
2. five 6. of
3. Witness
4. Switzerland
5. in the 1730s
6. 80%
1. F
2. F
3. T
4. T
5. T
6. F
7. T
8. F
4 Vocabulary: Words and Definitions

1. g
2. f
3. a
4. d
5. b
6. h
7. e
8. c
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Hollywood caught in gem warfare
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Key words
lucrative mercenary quest evict trivialize
backlash hub commodity illicit pariah
1. The of an activity is the most important place where it takes place,
e.g. a financial .
2. If there is a against something, there is a strong negative reaction to it.
3. If something is , it is not allowed by law.
4. A business or activity is one that makes a lot of money.
5. A is a long and difficult search for something.
6. A state is a country that other countries dislike and avoid.
7. A is a soldier who fights for any army that will pay him.
8. A is something that can be bought or sold, especially basic food products or fuel.
9. If you someone, you force them to leave their home or their land.
10. If you something, you make it seem less important or serious than it really is.
2 What do you know?
Decide whether these statements are True or False. Then check your answers in the text.
1. The world’s biggest diamond company is De Beers.
2. The film Blood Diamond stars Leonardo DiCaprio.
3. 750,000 people died in the civil war in Sierra Leone.
4. The Kalahari desert is in South Africa.
5. Half the jobs in Botswana are directly linked to the diamond trade.
6. The diamond market was worth over $2 billion in Britain last year.

Jeevan Vasagar on a DiCaprio film that threatens to take the shine off Africa’s diamond trade
The diamond industry has begun a campaign to safeguard its lucrative trade from what it fears will be a blitz
of negative publicity resulting from a Hollywood film about the trade in African ‘conflict diamonds’.
De Beers, the world’s biggest diamond company, plans to spend $15m on publicity, in advance of the
December release of Blood Diamond, which threatens to make diamonds as unfashionable as fur.
In the film Leonardo DiCaprio plays a South African mercenary who goes on a quest in pursuit of a rare pink
diamond through rebel-held territory in Sierra Leone, a west African country whose civil war was fuelled by
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Level 3 l Advanced
diamond smuggling, and resulted in 75,000 deaths In real life DiCaprio has become the poster boy for those
who believe that the diamond industry is wrecking lives. The film has inspired a band of Kalahari Bushmen
to advertise in the Hollywood magazine Variety, attacking the diamond business. The Bushmen, who claim
they have been expelled from ancestral land in Botswana to make way for diamond mining, appealed for
DiCaprio’s support. In an open letter to the star they said: “After diamonds were found on our land we were
evicted . . . Those diamonds are a curse for us. We hope you will use your film to let people know that we
too are victims of diamonds and we just want to go home.” In turn, Hollywood has been accused of trivialising
the truth about African diamonds by some in the gemstone trade. Eli Izhakoff, chairman of the World
Diamond Council, said: “This movie, drawing attention to this subject, is something that happened years
ago, something that was remedied.”
The industry has set up a website aimed at countering a backlash from the film. Diamondfacts.org tells of
the benefits the industry has brought to its workers and enlists Nelson Mandela, who describes the diamond
industry as “vital” to southern Africa’s economy.
In Botswana 25% of jobs are directly or indirectly linked to diamonds, while in Namibia the diamond trade is
the second-biggest employer after the government, the industry says. The Bushmen are not the only African
voices drawn into the debate. Patrick Mazimhaka, a Rwandan diplomat who is now deputy chairman of the
African Union, wrote in a US newspaper recently saying that blaming diamonds for fuelling conflict “misses
the fact that plenty of good can be accomplished with earnings from natural resources. With the right
ingredients . . . good governance and careful leadership . . . commodities have been a tremendous force for
continental good.”
The diamond trade’s campaign is meant to safeguard a market worth $2.3bn in Britain last year. Diamond
retailers make a fifth of their sales at Christmas, when the film is due for its US release. It is expected to
come out in Britain in the New Year. “We don’t see [the film] as damaging so long as it’s dealt with in a
historical perspective,” Izhakoff said. The industry claims that conflict diamonds now make up less than 1%
of those sold, compared with 4% in the late 1990s, the period in which the film is set. Conflict diamonds
have been almost eliminated by the Kimberley Process, a scheme that requires governments to track rough
diamonds from mines to the polished stage, the industry says.
“This system that we’ve put together is not perfect, but we are making every effort to make it so,” Izhakoff
said. “We don’t want one stone out there that’s a conflict stone.” But not everyone agrees that the problem
has been solved. After peace deals ended several African civil wars, the main source of conflict diamonds
is Ivory Coast, where rebels control some mining areas. According to the pressure group Global Witness,
gems smuggled out of Ivory Coast into Mali are being sold on to international dealers. Congo-Brazzaville
has been prohibited from diamond trading because of suspicions that it is a hub for smuggling, and though
the civil war is over in its neighbour, the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is still occasional fighting for
control of diamond mines and other minerals. Susie Sanders, Global Witness campaigner, said: “We’re
pushing for stronger internal controls to make sure that conflict diamonds can’t be smuggled into countries
that are [in the] Kimberley Process and exported. There is lots of cross-border smuggling. The control
systems just aren’t strong enough.”
Jewellers in London’s Hatton Garden diamond district said they had been approached directly by smugglers
offering west African diamonds. Malcolm Park-Carpenter, manager of Channings jewellers, said: “The only
thing we can do is make sure they’re non-conflict through our sources. We don’t buy from Angola or anywhere
that it can be turned into arms. “Sierra Leone is one of the countries we don’t touch. We get people coming in
from there [saying]: ‘Do you buy rough diamonds?’. We say: ‘Where are they from?’ - [they say] ‘Sierra Leone’,
and we say ‘Get out’. We’re doing everything we can to make sure we don’t end up funding AK-47s.”
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Level 3 l Advanced
The shop manager’s answers revealed good intentions but inaccurate knowledge. Angola and Sierra Leone
have peace deals and can legitimately trade in diamonds, but illicitly offered gems may be conflict diamonds
from Ivory Coast.
There is a fear that controversy surrounding the film will provoke a backlash against all African diamonds, an
outcome both the industry and the campaigners want to avoid.
“It would be terrible if the film led to Sierra Leone being seen as a pariah,” said Sanders. “Quite a few African
countries with artisanal mining have weak control systems. It’s [the case] in West Africa and the Congo. “What
we really hope doesn’t happen is that people say ‘I’m not going to buy African diamonds’. What we want to do
is protect the legitimate trade from Africa.”
Choose the best answer
1. ‘Conflict diamonds’ are:

a. uncut or rough’ diamonds.
b. diamonds produced in countries where civil wars are in progress.
c. diamonds produced by large mining companies.
2. The Kalahari Bushmen are opposed to diamond mining because:

a. they were evicted from their land to make way for diamond mining.
b. the diamond industry is wrecking lives.
c. there is a civil war in Botswana.
3. The diamond trade is worried about the film Blood Diamond because:
a. the film suggests that the diamond industry is violent.
b. the film might bring a lot of negative publicity to the diamond business.
c. the film shows a lot of violent images.
4. London jewellers don’t buy rough diamonds from conflict zones because:
a. they are not sure where the diamonds come from.
b. they are not sure if the diamonds are genuine.
c. they don’t want the money to be used to buy weapons.
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Level 3 l Advanced
Find the words that mean the following:

1. a verb meaning to protect (para. 1)
2. a noun meaning a sudden attack (para. 1)
3. a verb meaning to make something worse, especially something unpleasant (para. 3)
4. a verb meaning to give someone the enthusiasm to do something (para. 3)
5. a verb meaning to evict or drive out (para. 3)
6. a verb meaning to correct or improve a situation (para. 3)
7. a verb meaning to achieve (para. 5)
8. a noun meaning the final result of a process (para. 10)
5 Vocabulary Adjectives + Nouns
Match the adjectives with the nouns. Check your answers in the text.
1. lucrative a. perspective
2. negative b. lands
3. rebel-held c. resources
4. ancestral d. war
5. natural e. trade
6. historical f. territory
7. civil g. intentions
h. good h. publicity
6 Word Grammar Prepositions
The following words are all followed by prepositions. Fill the gaps with a suitable preposition and check your
answers in the text.
1. spend money 4. draw attention
2. result ; 5. linked
3. accuse someone 6. prohibited
7 Discussion
Should moral and ethical considerations prevent trade in certain commodities even though the lives of local people
may depend on these commodities (e.g. the fur trade)?
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Level 3 l Advanced
KEY
1 Key Words 5 Vocabulary: Adjectives + Nouns
1. hub 1. e
2. backlash 2. h
3. illicit 3. f
4. lucrative 4. b
5. quest 5. c
6. pariah 6. a
7. mercenary 7. d
8. commodity 8. g
9. evict
10. trivialise
6 Word Grammar: Prepositions
1. on
2 What do you know? 2. from/in
1. T 3. of
2. T 4. to
3. F 5. to
4. F 6. from
5. F
6. T
1. b
2. a
3. b
4. c
4 Vocabulary: Find the word

1. safeguard
2. blitz
3. fuel
4. inspire
5. expel
6. remedy
7. accomplish
8. outcome
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1 Key words
civil war rare rebel victim benefit
resources conflict illegal legitimate jeweller
1. If something is , it is not allowed by the law.
2. If something is , it is allowed by the law.
3. If something is , it doesn’t happen very often or is not often seen or found.
4. A is fighting between countries or groups.
5. A is fighting between different groups of people inside a country.
6. A is someone who makes or sells things made from valuable metals or stones.
7. A is someone who tries to remove a government by using force.
8. A is someone who has been harmed, injured or killed as a result of a crime or a bad situation.
9. Coal, trees and oil are examples of natural .
10. A is an advantage you get from a situation.

1. Who stars in the film Blood Diamond?
2. How many people died in the civil war in Sierra Leone?
3. How much is De Beers planning to spend on publicity?
4. What percentage of jobs in Botswana are linked to diamonds?
5. What is the biggest employer in Namibia?
6. What was the diamond market in Britain worth last year?

Blood Diamond, a new film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, will open in cinemas in the USA in December. In the
film DiCaprio plays the part of a South African mercenary, a professional soldier who is paid to fight in
different wars around the world. The film is set in Sierra Leone, during the civil war there in the early 1990s,
a war in which 75,000 people died. DiCaprio’s character is trying to find a rare pink diamond. The diamond
is in a dangerous part of the country where rebel soldiers are in control.
A lot of the money used to buy arms during the civil war in Sierra Leone came from smuggling so-called
‘conflict diamonds’, diamonds that are bought and sold in countries which are involved in wars. Now the
diamond industry is worried that a film about the trade in African ‘conflict diamonds’ will have a negative
effect on its image. De Beers, the world’s biggest diamond company, is planning to spend $15m on publicity,
before the film opens in December.
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In real life DiCaprio has become a symbol for people who believe that the diamond industry is destroying
lives. A group of Kalahari Bushmen placed an advertisement in the Hollywood magazine Variety, attacking
the diamond business. The Bushmen, who say they have lost their land in Botswana because of diamond
mining, asked DiCaprio for his support. In an open letter to the star they said: “After they found diamonds on
our land we lost our homes . . . We hope you will use your film to let people know that we too are victims of
diamonds and we just want to go home.”
Some people in the diamond industry say that the Hollywood film-makers are not telling the truth about
African diamonds. The industry has started a website to fight negative publicity from the film. The website
(diamondfacts.org) talks about the benefits the industry has brought to its workers. Nelson Mandela appears
on the website and describes the diamond industry as “very important” to southern Africa’s economy.
In Botswana 25% of jobs are directly or indirectly linked to diamonds, while in Namibia the diamond trade
is the second-biggest employer after the government. The Bushmen are not the only African voices in the
debate. Patrick Mazimhaka, a Rwandan diplomat, says “a lot of good can be done with money earned from
natural resources. With good management and careful leadership . . . natural resources have been a great
force for good in Africa.”
The diamond industry is trying to protect a market worth $2.3bn in Britain last year. Jewellers make 20% of
their sales at Christmas, when the film opens in the US. The industry says that less than 1% of all diamonds
sold are conflict diamonds, compared with 4% in the late 1990s, the period in which the film is set. The
Kimberley Process, a scheme that requires governments to control diamonds, has almost stopped the trade
in conflict diamonds, the industry says.
“This system is not perfect, but we are trying very hard to make it perfect,” a spokesman said. “We don’t
want any conflict diamond on the market.” But not everyone agrees that the problem is over. Several African
civil wars have ended but the main source of conflict diamonds is Ivory Coast, where rebels control some
diamond mines. Smugglers are taking diamonds from Ivory Coast into Mali and selling them to international
dealers. Congo-Brazzaville is also a centre of diamond smuggling, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
people are still fighting to control the diamond mines even though the civil war is over. One campaigner, Susie
Sanders, said: “We need stronger internal controls to stop the smuggling of conflict diamonds into countries
that are [in the] Kimberley Process and then exported. There is lots of smuggling. The control systems aren’t
strong enough.”
Jewellers in London said smugglers had offered them west African diamonds. One jeweller said: “We try to
make sure they’re non-conflict diamonds. We don’t buy from Angola or anywhere where the money can be
used to buy arms. “Sierra Leone is one of the countries we don’t touch. People from there come in and ask:
‘Do you buy rough diamonds?’. We say: ‘Where are they from?’ - [they say] ‘Sierra Leone’, and we say ‘Get
out’.” In fact, both Sierra Leone and Angola have peace agreements now and can trade in diamonds again
but conflict diamonds from Ivory Coast are still illegal.
Some people are worried that that the film will stop people buying all African diamonds. “Quite a few African
countries have weak control systems,” says Sanders. “West Africa and the Congo, for example. We don’t
want people to say ‘I’m not going to buy African diamonds’. We want to protect the legitimate diamond trade
from Africa.”

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Match the beginnings and the endings to make sentences about the text.
1. The diamond industry is worried because
2. The diamond industry doesn’t buy conflict diamonds because
3. There is a lot of diamond smuggling because
4. The Kalahari Bushmen are angry because
5. The diamond industry is important in Botswana because
6. The diamond industry has started a website because
a. it wants to fight negative publicity from the film.
b. they lost their land because of diamond mining.
c. the film Blood Diamond might bring negative publicity.
d. the control systems aren’t strong enough.
e. 25% of jobs are linked to the diamond industry.
f. it doesn’t want the money to be used to buy arms.
Find 6 words in the text that follow the word diamond.
diamond

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5 Vocabulary Definitions
Match the people with the descriptions of what they do.
a. fights anywhere in the world for money

1. a smuggler
b. represents an organisation
2. a campaigner
c. makes movies
3. a diplomat
d. takes goods illegally from one country to another

4. a mercenary
e. buys and sells things

5. an employer
f. works for political or social changes

6. a spokesman
g. pays someone to work for them

7. a dealer
h. represents their country in another country

8. a film-maker
6 Vocabulary Word building
Complete the table.
Noun Adjective
1. danger
2. nature
3. worry
4. care
5. peace
6. weakness
7. profession
8. truth
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KEY
1 Key Words 5 Vocabulary: Definitions
1. illegal 1. d
2. legitimate 2. f
3. rare 3. h
4. conflict 4. a
5. civil war 5. g
6. jeweller 6. b
7. rebel 7. e
8. victim 8. c
9. resources
10. benefit
6 Vocabulary: Word Bbuilding
1. dangerous
2 Find the information 2. natural
1. Leonardo DiCaprio 3. worried
2. 75,000 4. careful
3. $15m 5. peaceful
4. 25% 6. weak
5. the government 7. professional
6. $2.3bn 8. true (truthful)

1. c
2. f
3. d
4. b
5. e
6. a
industry
company
mining
trade
mines
smuggling
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1 Key words
profitable mercenary inspire evict trivialise
vital eliminate conflict jeweller pariah
1. If something is , it is very important, necessary or essential.
2. If you someone, you force them to leave their home or their land.
3. If you something, you get rid of it because it is not wanted.
4. A is fighting between two countries or groups.
5. A is a soldier who fights for any army that will pay him.
6. If an activity is , it produces a lot of money.
7. If you someone, you give them the enthusiasm to do something.
8. A is someone who makes, sells or repairs jewellery.
9. A state is a country that other countries dislike and avoid.
10. If you something, you make it seem less important or serious than it really is.

1. Who stars in the film Blood Diamond?
2. How many people died in the civil war in Sierra Leone?
3. How much is De Beers planning to spend on publicity?
4. What percentage of jobs in Botswana are linked to diamonds?
5. What is the biggest employer in Namibia?
6. What was the diamond market in Britain worth last year?

The diamond industry has begun an advertising campaign to protect its highly profitable business from
the negative publicity that might result from a Hollywood film about the trade in African “conflict diamonds”.
De Beers, the world’s biggest diamond company, plans to spend $15m on publicity, before the film Blood
Diamond is released in December. The film could make diamonds as unfashionable as fur.
In the film Leonardo DiCaprio plays a South African mercenary trying to find a rare pink diamond in
rebel-held territory in Sierra Leone, a west African country where the civil war was financed by diamond
smuggling, and led to 75,000 deaths. In real life DiCaprio has become a symbol for people who believe that
the diamond industry is destroying lives. The film has inspired a band of Kalahari Bushmen to advertise in
the Hollywood magazine Variety, attacking the diamond business. The Bushmen, who say they have been
evicted from ancestral lands in Botswana to make way for diamond mining, asked DiCaprio for his support.
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In an open letter to the star they said: “After diamonds were found on our land we were evicted . . . Those
diamonds are a curse for us. We hope you will use your film to let people know that we too are victims of
diamonds and we just want to go home.”
Some people in the diamond industry have accused Hollywood of trivialising the truth about African diamonds.
Eli Izhakoff, chairman of the World Diamond Council, said: “This movie is about something that happened years
ago, something that has already been put right.” The industry has started a website to counter any negative
publicity from the film. Diamondfacts.org talks about the benefits the industry has brought to its workers and also
uses Nelson Mandela, who describes the diamond industry as “vital” to southern Africa’s economy.
In Botswana 25% of jobs are directly or indirectly linked to diamonds, while in Namibia the diamond trade is
the second-biggest employer after the government, the industry says. The Bushmen are not the only African
voices in the debate. Patrick Mazimhaka, a Rwandan diplomat who is now deputy chairman of the African
Union, wrote in a US newspaper recently saying that highlighting the negative role of diamonds in civil wars
“misses the fact that a lot of good can be done with money earned from natural resources. With good
management and careful leadership . . . natural resources have been a great force for good in Africa.”
The purpose of the diamond trade’s campaign is to protect a market worth $2.3bn in Britain last year.
Diamond retailers make a fifth of their sales at Christmas, when the film is due for its US release. It is
expected to come out in Britain in the New Year. “We don’t see [the film] as damaging so long as the
historical perspective is clear,” Izhakoff said. The industry says that conflict diamonds now make up less
than 1% of all diamonds sold, compared with 4% in the late 1990s, the period in which the film is set. The
Kimberley Process, a scheme that requires governments to track rough diamonds from mines to the
polished stage, has almost eliminated conflict diamonds, the industry says.
“This system is not perfect, but we are trying very hard to make it perfect,” Izhakoff said. “We don’t want a
single conflict diamond on the market.” But not everyone agrees that the problem has been solved. After
peace agreements ended several African civil wars, the main source of conflict diamonds is Ivory Coast, where
rebels control some mining areas. According to the pressure group Global Witness, diamonds smuggled out
of Ivory Coast into Mali are being sold on to international dealers. Congo-Brazzaville has been prohibited
from diamond trading because many people believe it is a centre of diamond smuggling, and next door in the
Democratic Republic of Congo, there is still occasional fighting for control of diamond mines and other
minerals even though the civil war is over. Susie Sanders, Global Witness campaigner, said: “We want
stronger internal controls to make sure that conflict diamonds can’t be smuggled into countries that are [in the]
Kimberley Process and exported. There is lots of smuggling. The control systems just aren’t strong enough.”
Jewellers in London’s Hatton Garden diamond district said they had been offered west African diamonds by
smugglers. One jeweller said: “The only thing we can do is make sure they’re non-conflict through our sources.
We don’t buy from Angola or anywhere that it can be turned into arms. “Sierra Leone is one of the countries we
don’t touch. We get people coming in from there [saying]: ‘Do you buy rough diamonds?’. We say: ‘Where are
they from?’ - [they say] ‘Sierra Leone’, and we say ‘Get out’. We’re doing everything we can to make sure we
don’t end up providing money that is used to buy weapons.” In fact, both Sierra Leone and Angola have peace
agreements now and can trade in diamonds again but conflict diamonds from Ivory Coast are still illegal.
There is a fear that the film will stop people buying all African diamonds, something both the industry and
the campaigners want to avoid. “It would be terrible if the film meant that people saw Sierra Leone as a
pariah,” said Sanders. “Quite a few African countries have weak control systems. It’s [the case] in West
Africa and the Congo. “What we really hope doesn’t happen is that people say ‘I’m not going to buy African
diamonds’. What we want to do is protect the legitimate diamond trade from Africa.”

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1. De Beers is the world’s biggest diamond company.
2. The diamond industry is worried that the film Blood Diamond will have a negative effect on its business.
3. Blood Diamond is set in South Africa.
4. The Kalahari Bushmen are in favour of the diamond industry.
5. Nelson Mandela believes the diamond industry is very important for the economy of southern Africa.
6. 99% of all diamonds sold come from conflict zones.
7. Congo-Brazzaville is allowed to trade in diamonds.
8. Both the diamond industry and campaigners want to protect the diamond trade.
4 Vocabulary Adjectives
Match the adjectives from the text in the box with their opposites.
unfashionable rare careful natural occasional illegal weak internal
1. careless 5. artificial
2. strong 6. common
3. frequent 7. external
4. fashionable 8. legitimate
5 Vocabulary Adjectives + Nouns
Match the adjectives with the nouns. Check your answers in the text.
1. negative a. lands
2. natural b. perspective
3. legitimate c. war
4. ancestral d. resources
5. civil e. trade
6. historical f. publicity

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Complete the table.
Verb Noun
1. release
2. agree
3. describe
4. publicise
5. manage
6. protect
7. smuggle
8. solve
7 Discussion
Is it right to prohibit trade in items like fur for moral reasons? What about the lives of poor people who depend on
these items to make a living?
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KEY
1 Key Words 9 4 Vocabulary: Adjectives
1. vital 1. careful
2. evict 2. weak
3. eliminate 3. occasional
4. conflict 4. unfashionable
5. mercenary 5. natural
6. profitable 6. rare
7. inspire 7. internal
8. jeweller 8. illegal
9. pariah
10. trivialise
5 Vocabulary: Adjectives + Nouns
1. f
2 Find the information 2. d
1. Leonardo DiCaprio 3. e
2. 75,000 4. a
3. $15m 5. c
4. 25% 6. b
5. the government
6. $2.3bn
6 Vocabulary: Word Building
1. release
3 Comprehension check 2. agreement
1. T 3. description
2. T 4. publicity
3. F 5. management
4. F 6. protection
5. T 7. smuggling (smuggler – person)
6 F 8. solution
7. F
8. T
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US population passes 300 million
Level 3 l Advanced
1 Key words
baby boomer guesswork census tectonic shift veer
dispersed bedrock sprawl stunned contentious
1. Urban is a part of a town or city that spreads into the country in a way that is ugly and not
carefully planned.
2. A is an occasion on which government officials count the people who live in a country and
record other information about them.
3. If an issue is , it causes disagreement between people or groups.
4. A is someone born between 1945 and 1964 when there was a rapid increase in the number
of births in the USA.
5. A is literally a large movement in the surface of the earth but can also mean a fundamental
change in something.
6. means the ideas and principles on which a belief or a system is based.
7. If you are by something, you are very shocked or upset.
8. is the process of trying to find the answer to something by guessing.
9. If a population is , it is spread over a wide area and does not live in the same place.
10. To means to suddenly move in a different direction.
2 What do you know?
Try answering the questions before reading the text.
1. What is the current population of the USA?

a. 250 million b. 300 million c. 350 million
2. In what year did the US population pass the 200 million mark?
a. 1957 b. 1967 c. 1977
3. When will the US population reach 400 million?

a. 2023 b. 2033 c. 2043
4. What percentage of Americans live in urban or suburban areas?

a. 80% b. 60% c. 40%
5. What percentage of the world’s energy does the USA use?

a. 25% b. 35% c. 45%
Now look in the text and check your answers.

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NEWS LESSONS / US population passes 300 million / Advanced

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Level 3 l Advanced
by Ed Pilkington in New York
A baby born in America this week took the nation’s population to the 300 million mark. It’s highly possible that
the baby was the child of a Latin American immigrant, perhaps in Los Angeles. In 1967 Life magazine identified
the 200 millionth American as Robert Ken Woo, a fourth-generation Chinese-American from Atlanta. That was
pure guesswork too. But there is a real core to this story. America is crossing a population landmark and it is
generating the kind of self-reflection that major birthdays or anniversaries do. The US census bureau calculates
that one American is born every seven seconds, one dies every 13 seconds, and an immigrant arrives (net)
every 31 seconds. Add those together and you get a net population gain of one person every 11 seconds.
Over the past 100 years the US has seen the largest population growth in its history, fuelled by the baby
boomers of the postwar years. And the trend is set to continue through this century, though the rate of growth
is expected to peak about 2070. If it took 39 years to put on the last 100 million, it will take 37 years to put on
the next, to reach 400 million.
Behind those figures lie shifting demographic plates that are seeing the composition of America, its human
make-up, and even its culture and lifestyles, change dramatically. The first of these tectonic shifts is where
Americans live. The demographic centre of gravity is slowly veering from the northeast to the south and
west. The fastest-growing states are Nevada, Arizona and Texas. Nor is the population evenly dispersed.
More than half live in 10 of the 50 states, most of them along the coasts.
William Frey, a population expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said the US was gravitating to a new
sunbelt beyond Florida, Texas and California. “As the coastal areas become crowded, people have started to
move further inland to places like Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Tennessee.” The obverse of this trend is that the
Great Plains, the cultural bedrock of cowboy America, is becoming increasingly a myth. The midwestern states
are emptying as the population becomes more urbanised. Or, more accurately, suburbanised. In the past 100
years the proportion of Americans living inside the urban and suburban sprawl doubled to 80%. The concept of
the ‘frontier’, of existence under an open sky, still exists in movies, but fewer and fewer people live it.
It is also having an impact on the environment. According to the Centre for Environment and Population, an
independent research body, the effects of a growing population are concentrated in the outskirts of urban
areas and are amplified by Americans’ belief that bigger equals better. “When I travel abroad and come
back, I’m always stunned by the consumption here. Cars are bigger, people travel further distances, they
build bigger houses. This is the ultimate disposable consumer society,” the centre’s director, Victoria
Markham, said. It is often quoted that the US has 5% of the world’s population but uses 25% of its energy.
Less known is that each American now occupies about 20% more land for housing, schools, shops, roads
and so on than he or she did 20 years ago. Almost 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares) of farmland are concreted
over every day, and the rate is increasing.
Which leads to the most contentious seismic movement: America’s ethnic composition and the role of
immigration. In 1970 the newly immigrant proportion of the American people stood at 5%. Today it is 12.1%
and rising. The largest single national group of immigrants is Mexican, and the largest ethnic group Hispanic.
By 2050 it is projected by the census bureau that the proportion of non-Hispanic whites will have fallen from
69% in 2000 to about 50%, Hispanics will have doubled to 24%, Asians also to 8%, while the proportion of
African-Americans will increase marginally to 14%. For Mr Frey, the rise of the Hispanic community, with
their younger average ages and higher birthrates, is a saving grace in a rapidly ageing white population.
For Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, a research group focusing on immigration, the population growth
is “federally forced”. He said the long-term increase could be put down entirely to immigration. “If we had
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Level 3 l Advanced
zero net immigration we would never have reached 300 million we’d be about 245 million today.” The result,
he says, is more congestion and restrictions and the decline of individualism, freedom and space. In short,
America is turning into Europe.
© Guardian News & Media 2006
3 Comrehension check

1. Without immigration the population of the United States would be approximately the same as it is today.
2. The USA uses a quarter of the world’s energy resources.
3. The largest ethnic group in the USA is the Hispanic group.
4. More than one in ten people in the USA is a new immigrant.
5. Each American occupies 20% more land than they did 20 years ago.
6. The current rate of growth in the US population will continue after 2070.
7. California is the fastest growing state in terms of population.
8. More than 1,000 hectares of farmland is concreted over every day.
Find the words which mean:

1. an adjective meaning the opposite of gross (para. 1)
2. a verb meaning tending to move towards (para. 3)
3. a noun meaning the opposite of something (para. 3)
4. an adjective meaning relating to towns and cities (para. 3)
5. a noun meaning effect or influence (para. 4)
6. an adjective meaning the best or most perfect example of something (para. 4)
7. a verb meaning to calculate how big something will become in the future by using information available now
(para. 5)
8. an adverb meaning by only a very small amount (para. 5)
5 Vocabulary Chunks
Rearrange these words to make phrases from the text. Check your answers in the text.
1. a American generation Chinese fourth
2. its largest the growth population history in
3. gravity centre of the demographic
4. consumer ultimate society the disposable
5. ageing a rapidly population white
6. on group immigration a research focusing
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Level 3 l Advanced
6 Grammar focus Prediction
Complete the sentences by using an appropriate form of the verb in brackets. Check your answers in the text.
1. By 2050 the proportion on non-Hispanic whites from 69% to about 50%. [FALL]
2. The number of Hispanics to 24%. [DOUBLE]
3. The rate of growth to peak around 2070. [EXPECT]
4. It 37 years to put on the next 100 million. [TAKE]
5. The proportion of African-Americans marginally to 14%. [INCREASE]
6. America into Europe. [TURN]
6 Discussion
What are the advantages and disadvantages of immigration? Should people be allowed to live where they want to
in the world?
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Level 3 l Advanced
KEY
1 Key Words 4 Vocabulary Find the word
1. sprawl 1. net
2. census 2. gravitate
3. contentious 3. obverse
4. baby boomer 4. urban
5. tectonic shift 5. impact
6. bedrock 6. ultimate
7. stunned 7. project
8. guesswork 8. marginally
9. dispersed
10. veer
5 Vocabulary Chunks
1. a fourth-generation Chinese-American
2 What do you know? 2. the largest population growth in its history
1. b 3. the demographic centre of gravity
2. b 4. the ultimate disposable consumer society
3. c 5. a rapidly ageing white population
4. a 6 a research group focusing on immigration
5. a
6 Grammar Focus Prediction
3 Comprehension check 1. will have fallen
1. F 2. will have doubled
2. T 3. is expected
3. T 4. will take
4. T 5. will increase
5. F 6. is turning
6. F
7. F
8. T
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1 Key words
immigrant population dramatically census myth
urban suburb environment controversial slightly
1. A is an area or town near a large city but away from its centre.
2. If something is , people disagree about it.
3. An area is an area that is in a large city.
4. The of a country is all the people who live in it.
5. If something increases , it increases only a very little.
6. A is a story that everyone believes but which is not true.
7. An is a person who arrives from another country to live and work in a country.
8. A is when government officials count all the people who live in a country.
9. The is the natural world, including land, water, air and plants.
10. If something changes , it changes a lot and people are surprised by it.
1. What is the population of the USA today?

2. What was the population of the USA in 1967?
3. When will the rate of increase of the population of the USA probably stop rising?
4. When will the American population reach 400 million?
5. How much of the world’s energy does the USA use?
6. How many Americans live in urban or suburban areas?

This week the population of the USA reached 300 million for the first time. The 300 millionth American was
possibly the child of a Latin American immigrant, perhaps in Los Angeles. In 1967 Life magazine identified the
200 millionth American as Robert Ken Woo, a fourth-generation Chinese-American from Atlanta. That was just
a guess but America has reached an important point in its population growth and people are thinking about this
in the same way they think about important birthdays or other important dates in their lives.
The US census office believes that one American is born every seven seconds, one dies every 13 seconds,
and an immigrant arrives every 31 seconds. Add those figures together and the population increases by one
person every 11 seconds. In the last 100 years the US has seen the largest increase in its population in its
history. And this will probably continue through the 21st century, although the rate of increase of the popula-
tion will probably stop rising around the year 2070. The population increased from 200 to 300 million in just 39
years and it will probably reach 400 million in just 37 years time.
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NEWS LESSONS / US population passes 300 million / Elementary

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Apart from the increase in population, the make-up of America and its culture and lifestyle are changing
dramatically. The first major change is where Americans live. The main population centres are slowly moving
from the northeast to the south and west. The fastest-growing states are Nevada, Arizona and Texas. More
than half the population of America lives in 10 of the 50 states, most of them along the coasts.
William Frey, a population expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said people are now moving
towards a new sunbelt outside Florida, Texas and California. “As the coastal areas become crowded, people
have started to move further inland to places like Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Tennessee.” At the same
time the Great Plains, the cultural symbol of cowboy America, is becoming a myth. People are leaving the
mid-western states and moving to the big cities. In the past 100 years the number of Americans living in urban
and suburban areas has increased from 40% to 80%. The idea of the ‘frontier’ and living under an open sky
still exists in movies, but fewer and fewer people live in such places.
Population change is also having an effect on the environment. According to the Centre for Environment and
Population, many cities are changing because Americans believe that bigger means better. “When I travel
abroad and come back, I’m always shocked by what I see here. Cars are bigger, people travel further distances,
they build bigger houses,” the centre’s director, Victoria Markham, said. It is often said that the US has 5% of
the world’s population but uses 25% of the world’s energy. Not many people know that each American now
occupies about 20% more land for housing, schools, shops, roads and so on than he or she did 20 years ago.
Almost 1,214 hectares of farmland are lost every day.
The most controversial change is in the ethnic composition of America and the role of immigration. In 1970 5% of
Americans were new immigrants. Today the figure is 12.1% and it is rising. The largest single national group of
immigrants is Mexican, and the largest ethnic group Hispanic (people from Spanish-speaking countries). By 2050
the census office believes that the number of non-Hispanic whites will fall from 69% in 2000 to about 50%, the
number of Hispanics will double to 24%, the number of Asians will also double to 8%, and the number of African-
Americans will increase slightly to 14%. Mr Frey thinks the increase the Hispanic community, with their younger
average ages and higher birthrates, will help to stop the fall in the number of white Americans.
Roy Beck, president of an immigration research group believes the long-term increase is the result of immi-
gration. “If we had no immigration, the population would not be 300 million but about 245 million today.” The
result, he says, is that the country is more crowded and there is less freedom and space. In short, America is
becoming like Europe.
©Guardian News & Media 2006
Decide whether these statements are True or False.

1. Americans are moving from the south and west to the northeast.
2. The birth-rate is higher then the death-rate in the US.
3. By 2050 almost a quarter of the population of the US will be Spanish-speaking.
4. Americans use 5% of the world’s energy resources.
5. The population of the mid-western states is increasing.
6. The fastest-growing states are Florida and California.
7. More than half the population of the USA lives in just 10 states.
8. America is becoming less crowded.
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4 Vocabulary Numbers
Rewrite these numbers and dates from the text as words
1. 1,214
2. 69%
3. 2070
4. 400m
5. 1970
6. 12.1%
5 Grammar Irregular past tenses
Complete the table.

Base form Past simple
1. rise
2. think
3. become
4. build
5. lose
6. fall
7. see
8. leave
6 Word stress
Put these words from the text into one of the three boxes according to their stress pattern.
dramatically population environment generation
suburban according director controversial
A l l l l
B l l l l
C l l l
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1 Key Words 4 Vocabulary Numbers
1. suburb 1. one thousand two hundred and fourteen
2. controversial 2. sixty-nine percent
3. urban 3. two thousand and seventy
4. population 4. four hundred million
5. slightly 5. nineteen seventy
6. myth 6. twelve point one percent
7. immigrant
8. census
5 Grammar Irregular Past Tenses
9. environment
10. dramatically 1. rose
2. thought
3. became
2 Find the information 4. built
1. 300 million 5. lost
2. 200 million 6. fell
3. around 2070 7. saw
4. in 37 years time (2043) 8. left
5. 25%
6. 80%
6 Pronunciation Word Stress
A population, generation, controversial
3 Comprehension check B dramatically, environment
1. F C suburban, according, director
2. T
3. T
4. F
5. F
6. F
7. T
8. F
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1 Key words
milestone census net sunbelt myth

urban impact decline ageing congestion
1. The adjective means ‘relating to towns and cities’.
2. If something has or makes an , it has an effect or influence.
3. is a situation where a place is crowded with people or vehicles.
4. A is a gradual reduction in the amount or quality of something.
5. A is a situation where government officials count the number of people in a country.
6. A is an event that marks an important stage in a process.
7. immigration is the number of people arriving minus the number of people leaving.
8. The is the southern part of the USA from California to Florida.
9. An population is one that is growing older.
10. A is a story that people wrongly believe is true.
1. What is the current population of the USA?

2. In what year did the US population reach 200 million?
3. When will the US population reach 400 million?
4. What percentage of Americans live in urban or suburban areas?
5. What percentage of the world’s energy does the USA use?
6. How much farmland is covered in concrete every day in the USA?

A baby born in America this week took the population of the USA to 300 million. It’s highly possible that the
baby was the child of a Latin American immigrant, perhaps in Los Angeles. In 1967 Life magazine identified
the 200 millionth American as Robert Ken Woo, a fourth-generation Chinese-American from Atlanta. That was
simply a guess too. But this story has some substance. America has reached a milestone in its population
growth and this is making people reflect in the same way they do on major birthdays or anniversaries.
The US census bureau calculates that one American is born every seven seconds, one dies every 13 sec-
onds, and an immigrant arrives (net) every 31 seconds. Add those together and you get a net population gain
of one person every 11 seconds. Over the past 100 years the US has seen the largest population growth in
its history. And this trend will probably continue through this century, though the rate of growth is expected to
stop rising around the year 2070. The population increased from 200 to 300 million in just 39 years and it is
expected that the population will reach 400 million in just 37 years time.
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NEWS LESSONS / US population passes 300 million / Intermediate

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Apart from the increase in population, the composition of America, its human make-up, and even its culture
and lifestyles, are changing dramatically. The first major change is where Americans live. The main population
centres are slowly moving from the northeast to the south and west. The fastest-growing states are Nevada,
Arizona and Texas. The population is not evenly spread across America either. More than half live in 10 of
the 50 states, most of them along the coasts.
William Frey, a population expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said the US was now moving
towards a new sunbelt beyond Florida, Texas and California. “As the coastal areas become crowded, people
have started to move further inland to places like Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Tennessee.” The other
side of this trend is that the Great Plains, the cultural symbol of cowboy America, is becoming increasingly a
myth. The mid-western states are emptying as the population moves to the big cities. In the past 100 years the
proportion of Americans living in urban and suburban areas has doubled to 80%. The idea of the “frontier”, of
existence under an open sky, still exists in movies, but fewer and fewer people live in such places.
Population change is also having an impact on the environment. According to the Centre for Environment
and Population, an independent research body, the main effects of a growing population are felt around the
urban areas and are increased by Americans’ belief that bigger equals better. “When I travel abroad and
come back, I’m always shocked by the consumption here. Cars are bigger, people travel further distances,
they build bigger houses,” the centre’s director, Victoria Markham, said. It is often said that the US has 5%
of the world’s population but uses 25% of its energy. A less known fact is that each American now occupies
about 20% more land for housing, schools, shops, roads and so on than he or she did 20 years ago. Almost
1,214 hectares of farmland are covered in concrete every day, and the rate is increasing.
This brings us to the most controversial change: America’s ethnic composition and the role of immigration. In
1970 the newly immigrant proportion of the American people was 5%. Today it is 12.1% and rising. The
largest single national group of immigrants is Mexican, and the largest ethnic group Hispanic. By 2050
the census bureau believes that the proportion of non-Hispanic whites will have fallen from 69% in 2000
to about 50%, Hispanics will have doubled to 24%, Asians also to 8%, while the proportion of African-
Americans will increase slightly to 14%. For Mr Frey, the rise of the Hispanic community, with their younger
average ages and higher birth-rates, will help to stop the decline in a rapidly ageing white population. For
Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, a research group focusing on immigration, the long-term increase is
entirely the result of immigration. “If we had zero net immigration we would never have reached 300 million;
the population would be about 245 million today.” The result, he says, is more congestion, more restrictions
and the decline of individualism, freedom and space. In short, America is turning into Europe.

1. What happens every 11 seconds in the USA?
a. an immigrant arrives
b. someone dies
c. the population increases by one
2. When is the rate of growth in population expected to stop?

a. around the year 2070
b. in 37 years time
c. when it reaches 400 million
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3. What is happening to the mid-western states?
a. their population is declining
b. their population is increasing rapidly
c. people are moving to big cities in these states
4. What does Roy Beck think the result of immigration is?

a. a large increase in population
b. more congestion and less freedom and space
c. a higher birth-rate
Match the words in the left-hand column with their opposites in the right-hand column.
1. urban a. inland
2. coastal b. minor
3. major c. long-term
4. net d. gradual
5. rapid e. rural
6. short-term f. gross
Complete the table.
Verb Noun
1. grow
2. guess
3. arrive
4. exist
5. consume
6. compose
7. decline
8. restrict
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Fill the gaps using an appropriate preposition. Check your answers in the text.
1. the largest population growth its history
2. this trend will continue this century
3. the population increased to 300 million just 39 years
4. apart the increase in population
5. the population is not evenly spread America
6. most people live the coasts

7. the US is moving a new sunbelt
8. existence an open sky
7 Discussion
Would you like to move to another country? If you had to move to another country, which country would
you move to and why?
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KEY
1 Key Words 5 Vocabulary Word building
1. urban 1. growth
2. impact 2. guess
3. congestion 3. arrival
4. decline 4. existence
5. census 5. consumption
6. milestone 6. composition
7. net 7. decline
8. sunbelt 8. restriction
9. ageing
10. myth
1. in
2 Find the information 2. through
1. 300 million 3. in
2. 1967 4. from
3. 2043 (in 37 years’ time) 5. across
4. 80% 6. along
5. 25% 7. towards
6. 1214 hectares 8. under
1. c
2. a
3. a
4. b
1. e
2. a
3. b
4. f
5. d
6. c
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Car boom leaves Caracas in one big jam
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
clogged irritability disruption boom potholed

inaugurate detour odyssey gridlock berate
1. If you ____________ something, you introduce or start something new or important.
2. ____________ is a situation in which there are so many cars on the roads that traffic cannot move.
3. If you ____________ someone, you criticise them in an angry way.
4. ____________ is a problem or situation that interrupts something and prevents it from continuing or from
working properly.
5. An ____________ is a long journey during which many things happen.
6. A ____________ is a way of going from one place to another that is not the shortest or the usual way.
7. ____________ is a state where people easily become annoyed or impatient.
8. If a street or road is ____________, there are a lot of holes in it and it is difficult to drive along it.
9. If streets are ____________ with traffic, they are completely blocked.
10. A ____________ is a sudden major increase in trade or profits in a particular country or region.
2 What do you think?

The article gives advice on what to do if you are stuck in a traffic-jam. Which three of these six pieces of
advice do you think will be given?
1. read a newspaper
2. close your eyes
3. take deep breaths
4. do a crossword puzzle
5. eat a snack
6. punch someone

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by Rory Carroll in Caracas
Eat a snack, read a book, do a crossword, listen baked beneath a tropical sun, can appear to
to music and try not to punch or shoot anyone. be the site of a battle against geography and
That is the advice psychiatrists are giving to climate.
commuters in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas,
in the wake of traffic jams that are among the The government, flush with oil revenues, has
world’s worst. inaugurated bridges and metro lines in the
run-up to next month’s presidential election,
An explosion in car ownership has clogged but many are unfinished, including a bridge
motorways and side-streets from early morning connecting Caracas to the airport, which is
until late at night, paralysing entire districts and forcing detours through hillside barrios that can
driving motorists to distraction. Doctors say the turn the 16-mile trip into a five-hour odyssey.
stress is inflicting physical and mental damage
on drivers and leading to increased incidents of Everyone agrees that gridlock is getting worse
road rage, including shoot-outs. every month. Taxi drivers say their income has
been slashed because they are down from
Those who try to beat the traffic by leaving home an average of five to three fares a day. ‘lt’s
at 5 am have been warned that they are likely impossible. If someone asks to go into especially
to suffer sleep deprivation, which will diminish heavy traffic I say no, it’ll take up half my day,’
productivity, increase irritability and harm sex said Fredy Afanador, a veteran cabbie.
lives.
President Hugo Chávez has berated previous
A sense of anxiety, anguish and tension is infrastructure ministers but praised the
spreading, Robert Lespinasse, the former head incumbent for doing a good job. And he is
of the Venezuelan Society of Psychiatry, told the also looking further afield for help. In return for
daily, Ultimas Noticias. A psychologist, Hernan discounted diesel for London buses, the city’s
D’Oliveira, said that the disruption in mental mayor, Ken Livingstone, is to share insights on
processes was making people less open to congestion charging and other policies in an
criticism. Armed motorcycle gangs who ambush attempt to end the traffic nightmare.
stationary motorists in broad daylight do not
help.
In the absence of an urban planning miracle,
people have been advised that when traffic
grinds to a halt they should have a drink or
something to eat and occupy their minds with
music, a book, newspaper or crossword.
An oil-fuelled economic boom has boosted

vehicle ownership in Venezuela, with sales
in the last year alone doubling to 300,000. In
the absence of new roads, the swollen traffic
streams into a creaking, potholed infrastructure
which has been neglected for years.
Caracas, squeezed into a long narrow alley

between skyscrapers and shantytowns and
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Choose the best answer.
1. Car ownership in Venezuela has increased rapidly as a result of…
a. a government road-building programme.
b. a boom fuelled by oil sales.
c. next month’s presidential election.
2. Leaving home at 5 am is likely to…
a. allow drivers to beat the traffic jams.
b. cause various health and personal problems.
c. stop people sleeping.
3. The problem is made worse by…
a. stress.
b. a sense of anxiety and tension.
c. a neglected infrastructure.
4. Psychiatrists are advising people to…
a. leave home earlier.
b. try and relax.
c. punch or shoot other drivers.
4 Vocabulary Expressions
Match these expressions from the text with their meanings.
1. in the wake of
2. to drive to distraction
3. road rage
4. to grind to a halt
5. a creaking infrastructure
6. flush with money

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7. in broad daylight
8. congestion charging
a. violent behaviour by a driver towards another driver
b. a system under which drivers pay to enter a particular part of a city
c. with more money than you usually have
d. to annoy someone so much that they become angry
e. happening after an event or as a result of it
f. in the middle of the day when people can be easily seen
g. a transport system that is close to collapse
h. to move more and more slowly until everything stops
What verbs go with these nouns? Check your answers in the text.
1. ____________ a crossword
2. ____________ damage
3. ____________ productivity
4. ____________ one’s mind
5. ____________ irritability
6. ____________ entire districts
7. ____________ sleep deprivation

8. ____________ advice
Find the word that means:
1. fights using guns (para. 2)
2. a lack of something you need or want (para. 3)
3. a feeling of great physical or emotional pain (para. 4)
4. the period of time just before an important event (para. 8)
5. poor districts of a city in a Spanish-speaking country (para. 8)

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6. reduced drastically (para. 9)
7. taxi-driver (para. 9)
8. the person holding a particular job or office at the present time (para. 10)
7 Discussion
What do you think are the best ways to reduce congestion and prevent traffic-jams in major cities?
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KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary: Collocations
1. inaugurate 1. do
2. gridlock 2. inflict
3. berate 3. diminish
4. disruption 4. occupy
5. odyssey 5. increase
6. detour 6. paralyse
7. irritability 7. suffer
8. potholed 8. give
9. clogged
10. boom

2 What do you think? 1. shoot-outs
1; 4; 5 2. deprivation
3. anguish
4. run-up
3 Comprehension check 5. barrios
6. slashed
1. b
7. cabbie
2. b
8. the incumbent
3. c
4. b
4 Vocabulary: Expressions
1. e
2. d
3. a
4. h
5. g
6. c
7. f
8. b
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1 Key words
traffic jam crossword stressed side-street

bad-tempered advice motorway avoid
1. If you are ____________, you get angry very easily.
2. If you are ____________, you feel nervous and worried all the time.
3. A ____________ is a wide road with several lanes of traffic in each direction.
4. A ____________ is a small street that is connected to a major street.
5. A ____________ is a situation when cars cannot move because the road is blocked.
6. If you give someone ____________, you tell them the best thing to do in a particular situation.
7. If you ____________ something, you don’t go near it.
8. A ____________ is a word game on paper where you write the answers in rows of squares.

1. What is the capital of Venezuela?
2. How many cars were sold two years ago?
3. How many cars were sold last year?
4. Who is the President of Venezuela?
5. How far is it from the centre to the airport?
6. Who is Ken Livingstone?

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NEWS LESSONS / Car boom in Caracas

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The capital city of Venezuela, Caracas, has some everything travels on old streets full of holes.
of the worst traffic jams in the world. The situation
is so bad that psychiatrists are now giving advice The government has a lot of money from the
to drivers about what to do when they are in a sale of oil. It has started a programme of building
traffic jam. The advice includes the following: eat bridges and metro lines before the presidential
a snack, read a book, do a crossword, listen to election next month. But many of these bridges
music but don’t hit or shoot other people! and metro lines are still not finished. One of them
is a bridge that will connect the centre of Caracas
More and more people own a car in Caracas. to the airport. This means that drivers have to
Because of this the motorways are blocked use an old road. It is only 16 miles from the city
and the side-streets are full of cars from early to the airport but the journey can take five hours.
morning until late at night. Sometimes whole
districts of the city are completely blocked by Everyone agrees that the traffic jams are getting
cars. Doctors say the situation is making drivers worse every month. Taxi drivers say they are
very stressed and that this stress is causing losing money because they can only make
both physical and mental damage. The traffic three journeys a day instead of the five journeys
problems also cause fights between drivers and they used to make. “It’s impossible. If someone
sometimes people shoot each other. asks to go into especially heavy traffic I say
no because I will lose half a day,” said Fredy
Some people try to avoid the traffic jams by Afanador, a local taxi driver.
leaving home at 5 a.m. but this often means that
they don’t get enough sleep and cannot work The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, has
properly as a result. They also become bad- criticised former transport ministers but says the
tempered because they are tired all the time and present minister is doing a good job. He is also
this may have a negative effect on their sex lives. looking to other countries for help. One idea is to
work with the mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.
Many people are feeling more and more worried In London, drivers have to pay to enter the centre
and nervous, Robert Lespinasse, the former of the city. This means there is now less traffic.
head of the Venezuelan Society of Psychiatry, Mr Livingstone will give advice to President
told the daily newspaper Ultimas Noticias. Armed Chávez and, in return, Venezuela will sell fuel
gangs also attack and rob drivers in traffic jams to London at a cheaper price. Perhaps this idea
and this makes the situation worse because will help to solve the problem of traffic jams in
people are afraid all the time. Caracas.
There is no easy solution to the problem.

Doctors have advised people who are sitting © Guardian News & Media 2006
in traffic jams to have a drink or something to
eat and occupy their minds with music, a book,
newspaper or crossword.
Venezuela has a lot of oil and many people

have become rich as a result. Car sales have
increased rapidly. Two years ago 150,000 cars
were sold. Last year 300,000 were sold. But
there are no new roads for the extra traffic so
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Tick the answers that are correct in each list.
1. If you are in a traffic jam, you should…
a. read a newspaper.
b. watch TV.
c. hit someone.
d. do a crossword.
e. listen to music.
f. have something to eat or drink.
g. read a book.
h. go to sleep.
2. Traffic jams are very bad in Caracas because…
a. there are too many cars.
b. the roads are very old.
c. the drivers are very bad.
d. the new metro lines and bridges are not finished.

e. armed gangs attack and rob drivers.
3. Traffic jams make people feel…
a. stressed.
b. bad-tempered.
c. sad.
d. worried.
e. hungry.
Find the words in the text that are the opposites of these words:
1. best ____________
2. late ____________
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3. positive ____________
4. better ____________
5. difficult ____________
6. poor ____________
7. light ____________
8. more ____________
Fill the gaps using prepositions.
1. Caracas has some of the worst traffic jams _______ the world.
2. Psychiatrists are giving advice _______ drivers.
3. Streets are full of cars from early morning _______ late at night.
4. There is no easy solution _______ the problem.
5. The streets are full _______ holes.
6. Taxi drivers can only make three journeys a day instead _______ the five journeys they used to make.
7. It is 16 miles _______ the city _______ the airport.
8. In London, drivers have to pay to enter the centre _______ the city.
Match the verbs with the nouns.
1. solve a. music
2. build b. a car
3. avoid c. advice
4. own d. a crossword
5. eat e. a problem
6. listen to f. a traffic jam
7. do g. a snack
8. give h. a new road

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KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary: Prepositions
1. bad-tempered 1. in
2. stressed 2. to
3. motorway 3. until
4. side-street 4. to
5. traffic-jam 5. of
6. advice 6. of
7. avoid 7. from/to
8. crossword 8. of
2 Find the information 6 Vocabulary: Collocations

1. Caracas 1. e
2. 150,000 2. h
3. 300,000 3. f
4. Hugo Chávez 4. b
5. 16 miles 5. g
6. mayor of London 6. a
7. d
8. c
1. a, d, e, f, g
2. a, b, d
3. a, b, d
1. worst
2. early
3. negative
4. worse
5. easy
6. rich
7. heavy
8. less
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1 Key words
commuter road rage shoot-out irritable tense

disruption stationary potholed neglect shanty town
1. If a vehicle is ____________, it isn’t moving.
2. A ____________ is a fight in which guns are used.
3. ____________ is a situation in which something cannot continue because of a problem.
4. A ____________ is an area in which poor people live in badly built houses made of wood, metal or other thin
material.
5. ____________ is a situation where drivers behave violently towards other drivers.
6. If a road or street is ____________, it is full of holes.
7. If you ____________ something, you don’t look after it properly and you don’t pay any attention to it.
8. If you are ____________, you become angry or impatient very easily.
9. A ____________ is someone who travels regularly to and from work.
10. If you are ____________, you feel nervous and you cannot relax.
The article gives advice on what to do if you are stuck in a traffic-jam. Which three of these six pieces of
advice do you think will be given?
1. read a newspaper
2. close your eyes
3. take deep breaths
4. do a crossword puzzle
5. eat a snack
6. punch someone

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NEWS LESSONS / Car boom leaves Caracas in one big jam / Intermediate
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The capital city of Venezuela, Caracas, has traffic streams into potholed streets that have
some of the worst traffic jams in the world. The been neglected for years.
situation is so bad that psychiatrists have now
begun to give advice to commuters about what Caracas lies in a long narrow valley between
to do when they are in a traffic jam. The advice skyscrapers and shanty towns. In the hot tropical
includes the following: eat a snack, read a book, sun it can appear to be the site of a battle against
do a crossword, listen to music but don’t punch both geography and climate.
or shoot anyone. The government, with plenty of money from the
The number of car owners in Caracas has sale of oil, has started a programme of build-
increased dramatically and the result of this has ing bridges and metro lines before next month’s
been blocked motorways and side-streets that presidential election, but many of these are unfin-
are jammed from early morning until late at night. ished, including a bridge connecting Caracas to
Entire districts are paralysed and the situation the airport, which means that drivers have to take
is driving some motorists crazy. Doctors say the detours through hillside barrios that can turn the
stress is causing both physical and mental dam- 16-mile trip into a five-hour nightmare.
age and is leading to more cases of road rage, Everyone agrees that the traffic jams are getting
including shoot-outs. worse every month. Taxi drivers say their income
People who try to avoid the traffic jams by leav- has fallen dramatically because they are down
ing home at 5 a.m. have been warned that they from an average of five to three fares a day. “It’s
may suffer from lack of sleep, which will reduce impossible. If someone asks to go into especially
productivity, make them irritable and have a heavy traffic I say no because it will take up half
negative effect on their sex lives. my day,” said Fredy Afanador, a local taxi driver.
People are feeling more and more anxious and President Hugo Chávez has criticised former
tense, Robert Lespinasse, the former head of infrastructure ministers but has praised the
the Venezuelan Society of Psychiatry, told the present minister for doing a good job. He is also
daily newspaper Ultimas Noticias. A psycholo- looking abroad for help. In return for cheap fuel
gist, Hernan D’Oliveira, said that the disruption in for London buses, the mayor of London, Ken
mental processes was making people less open Livingstone, will share his ideas on congestion
to criticism. Armed motorcycle gangs who attack charging and other policies in an attempt to solve
and rob stationary motorists in broad daylight do the problem of traffic jams in Caracas.
not help the situation.
With no obvious solution, people have been © Guardian News & Media 2006
advised that when they are sitting in a traffic jam
they should have a drink or something to eat and
occupy their minds with music, a book, newspa-
per or crossword.
The rapid increase in vehicle ownership in Ven-

ezuela is the result of huge profits from the sale
of Venezuelan oil. Last year car sales doubled
to 300,000. There are no new roads so the extra
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1. Traffic jams in Caracas are not as bad as in other parts of the world.
2. The jams are caused by a rapid increase in car ownership.
3. There is no simple solution to the problem.
4. The government has a lot of money from the sale of oil.
5. Taxi drivers are earning more money now.
6. There is a new bridge linking Caracas with the airport.
7. The president has criticised the work of the current infrastructure minister.
8. The mayor of London will try to help solve the traffic problems in Caracas.
Replace the underlined words with their opposites. Check your answers in the text.
1. increase productivity ____________
2. increase slightly ____________
3. gradual increase ____________
4. very small profits ____________
5. getting better ____________
6. light traffic ____________
7. too much sleep ____________
8. a long wide valley ____________
5 Vocabulary Find the word or expression

Find these words or expressions.
1. A word meaning a street that is not a main street. (para. 2)
2. Two more words for blocked. (para. 2)
3. An expression meaning in the middle of the day. (para. 4)
4. A verb meaning to increase by 100%. (para. 6)
5. A word meaning a very tall building containing offices or flats. (para. 7)

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6. A word meaning a way of going from one place to another that is not the shortest or the usual way. (para. 8)
7. A word meaning a poor district in a city in a Spanish-speaking country. (para. 8)
8. A system of making drivers pay to enter city centres. (para. 10)
Complete the table.

Verb Noun
1. advise ____________
2. warn ____________
3. criticise ____________
4. reduce ____________
5. rob ____________
6. disrupt ____________
7. attack ____________
8. appear ____________
7 Discussion
Do you have traffic jams in your town or city? What are the best ways to avoid such jams in the future?
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1. stationary 1. side-street
2. shoot-out 2. jammed / paralysed
3. disruption 3. in broad daylight
4. shanty town 4. double
5. road rage 5. skyscraper
6. potholed 6. detour
7. neglect 7. barrio
8. irritable 8. congestion charging
9. commuter
10. tense
6 Vocabulary: Word building
1. advice
2 What do you think? 2. warning
1; 4; 5 3. criticism
4. reduction
5. robbery
6. disruption
1. F 7. attack
2. T 8. appearance
3. T
4. T
5. F
6. F
7. F
8. T
1. reduce
2. dramatically
3. rapid
4. huge
5. worse
6. heavy
7. a lack of
8. narrow
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Secret Santa revealed
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
Match the words to the definitions.
a tunic (n) incarnate (adj) sleigh (n) nickname (n)

anonymity (n) to reveal (v) portly (adj) debilitated (adj)
1. fairly fat _______________
2. a long loose shirt _______________
3. a vehicle pulled by animals and used for travelling over snow _______________
4. to show something that was hidden _______________
5. a situation in which a person’s name is kept secret _______________
6. an informal name that isn’t a real name _______________
7. weak, without strength _______________
8. in human form _______________
2 What do you know?
1. Choose suitable words to complete the description of Santa Claus.
Santa Claus is a portly/slender, old/young man. He has white/grey hair and a white/red beard. He wears a big
white/red hat and tunic and carries a big box/bag full of presents/sweets for children at Christmas. He rides
a plane/sleigh, which is pulled by twelve moose/reindeer. He visits people’s houses the night of 25th/24th of
December to deliver the gifts.
2. Read the text quickly and find the connection between the following words. The first one is done for you.
a) Larry Stewart and Santa Claus
Larry Stewart dresses as Santa Claus every year to distribute money to poor people.
_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
b) $1.3 million and 26 years
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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c) $16,000 and cancer
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
d) a yellow car and the church
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
e) 1979 and a waitress

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Secret Santa reveals his identity book telling his story, Santa’s Secret: A Story of
at last Hope, written by a local journalist.
Generosity born out of own experience of Stewart’s generosity was born out of his own
poverty. Illness forces benefactor to retire from experience of poverty. In the early 1970s, poor
giving role. and jobless, he resorted to living in his car, a yel-
by Dan Glaister in Los Angeles low Datsun 510. One day he finally mustered the
courage to approach a church to ask for help. He
For years the portly man dressed in a red tunic was told that the person who could help had left
and sporting a large white beard has been de- and he should return the following day.
lighting unsuspecting strangers with his extreme
generosity. But now Santa has been forced to “As I turned around, I knew I would never do that
hang up his sleigh bells and stay at home – but again,” Mr Stewart told Associated Press.
not before revealing his true identity. By the late 1970s Stewart had a job and some
Over the last 26 years, Larry Stewart, a 58-year- money, but he was still plagued by misfortune. In
old businessman from Kansas City, has given 1979, for the second year in succession, he was
$1.3m (£687,000) to strangers he met in the fired from his job in the week before Christmas.
street. He started by handing out $5 and $10 But when he saw a shivering, roller-skating
bills to people who seemed down on their luck. waitress at a drive-in restaurant, he realised that
With inflation and a rise in his own wealth – he were others worse off than him.
has made millions running a cable television and “It was cold and this waitress didn’t have on a
long-distance telephone service – the gifts rose very big jacket, and I thought to myself, ‘I think
to $100 bills. I got it bad. She’s out there in this cold making
But Mr Stewart always insisted on anonymity, nickels and dimes,’” he said.
never revealing his identity and earning him the He gave her a $20 bill.
nickname Secret Santa. This spring, however, he
was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, “And suddenly I saw her lips begin to tremble
which has since spread to his liver. The $16,000 and tears begin to flow down her cheeks. She
monthly cost of the chemotherapy is not covered said, ‘Sir, you have no idea what this means to
by his health insurance policy, and the treatment me.’”
has left Mr Stewart debilitated.
Stewart went to the bank, withdrew $200 and
So he has decided to reveal his identity in the drove around Kansas looking for people to give it
hope that he might inspire someone else to take to. The Secret Santa myth was born.
over his Santa duties.
Mr Stewart still has a team of little helpers, who
in recent years have given out $100,000 travel-
ling between Chicago and Kansas City and he
has also trained four deputy Santas who this
year will hand out $65,000.
Over the years Stewart has become something

of a reclusive celebrity, featured in news reports
and appearing - in full costume – on Oprah
Winfrey’s television show, still hiding his identity.
“Why, you are Santa incarnate,” she told him.
There is a Secret Santa website and even a
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Match the sentence beginnings 1 to 6 to the endings a) to f).
1. Every year Larry Stewart has given money to…
2. Stewart went public this year…
3. Stewart works with…
4. Stewart hopes someone else…
5. Stewart decided to give people money…
6. He first gave money to…
a) a girl who was working outside a restaurant.
b) a team of other helpers at Christmas.
c) because he has cancer.
d) because he knew what it was like to be poor.
e) people he thought were unlucky.
f) will take over his job.
4 Vocabulary: Use of to
The word to has been taken out of these sentences. Can you put it back? The first one is done for you.
1. Santa has been forced↑hang up his sleigh bells ↑ to

2. He has decided reveal his identity.
3. I saw her lips begin tremble.
4. Stewart went the bank.
5. He handed out $5 and $10 bills people.
6. The gifts rose $100 bills.
7. He was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, which has since spread his liver.
8. He hopes he might inspire someone else take over his Santa duties.
9. He resorted living in his car, a yellow Datsun 510.
10. One day he finally mustered the courage approach a church to ask for help.
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Level 3 Advanced
5 Vocabulary: Patterns with to
Match examples from exercise 4 to patterns below. The first one is done for you.
1. verb + to + infinitive 1
2. verb + noun phrase + to + verb
3. verb + noun phrase + to + noun phrase
4. to + noun phrase
5. noun phrase + to + infinitive
6. verb + to + verb(-ing)
Correct the errors in the underlined collocations below. Check your answers in the text.
1. The reporter showed the true identity of his source.
2. The woman in the hospital bed next to mine was caught with cancer.
3. The news stories on the election show the President has won a second time.
4. The actor who plays Spiderman appeared at the film premiere in complete costume.
5. I finally collected the courage to take my driving exam. I failed.
6. I was laughing so hard that tears dropped down my cheeks.
7 Discussion
Philanthropy (donating money or aid to charity) has a long history and tradition in the United States. Is it common in
your country? Do you think it is a good thing?

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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Use of to
1. portly 2. He has decided to reveal his identity.
2. tunic 3. I saw her lips begin to tremble.
3. sleigh 4. Stewart went to the bank.
4. reveal 5. He handed out $5 and $10 bills to people.
5. anonymity 6. The gifts rose to $100 bills.
6. nickname 7. He was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus,
7. debilitated which has since spread to his liver.
8. incarnate 8. He hopes he might inspire someone else to take over
his Santa duties.
9. He resorted to living in his car, a yellow Datsun 510.
2 What do you know? 10. One day he finally mustered the courage to
1. approach a church to ask for help.
Santa Claus is a portly, old man. He has white hair
and a white beard. He wears a big red hat and tunic
and carries a big bag full of presents for children at 5 Vocabulary: Patterns with to
Christmas. He rides a sleigh, which is pulled by twelve 1. verb + to + infinitive: 1,2,3
reindeer. He visits people’s houses the night of 24th of 2. verb + noun phrase + to + verb: 8
December to deliver the gifts. 3. verb + noun phrase + to + noun phrase : 5
4. to + noun phrase: 6, 4, 7
5. noun phrase + to + infinitive: 10
2.
6. verb + to + verb(-ing): 9
b) He has given $1.3 million in the past 26 years.
c) He has cancer, which costs him $16,000 month.
d) When Stewart was young he lived for a while in a
yellow car and went to the church to ask for money.
e) In 1979, he gave twenty dollars to a waitress who 1. The reporter revealed the true identity of his source.
was working outside in the cold. This gave him the idea 2. The woman in the hospital bed next to mine was
to become Secret Santa. diagnosed with cancer.
3. The news reports on the election show the President
has won a second time.
3 Comprehension check 4. The actor who plays Spiderman appeared at the film
premiere in full costume.
1. e)
5. I finally mustered the courage to take my driving
2. c)
exam. I failed.
3. b)
6. I was laughing so hard that tears flowed down my
4. f)
cheeks.
5. d)
6. a)
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Complete the sentences using the words below.
fired reveal duties identity

Santa Claus generosity deputy withdraw
1. _______ is an imaginary man with a white beard and red suit who brings gifts to children at Christmas.
2. If something was covered or hidden and you show it, you _______ it.
3. A _______ is someone who helps a leader and who takes some of their responsibilities.
4. When you _______ money from a bank, you take out money from your account.
5. _______ are things that you are obliged to do.
6. _______ is kindness in giving things.
7. Your _______ is who you really are, your name.
8. If you are _______ from your job, you have to leave.
2 What do you know?

Read the article quickly and choose the best summary.
a) Santa Claus is really Larry Stewart, and he likes poor people.
b) A man dressed as Santa Claus and gave money to poor people because he wanted to be famous.
c) A man who dressed as Santa Claus for 26 years and gave money to people is retiring.
d) Larry Stewart met a waitress in 1979 and decided to become Santa Claus.
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Level 1 Elementary
Secret Santa reveals his identity Stewart has experience of poverty. In the early
at last 1970s he was poor and jobless and he had to
live in his car, a yellow Datsun 510. One day he
Generosity born out of own experience of went to a church to ask for help. They told him
poverty. Illness forces benefactor to retire from the person who could help wasn’t there and he
giving role. should return the following day.
by Dan Glaister in Los Angeles
“As I turned around, I knew I would never do that
For years the fat man with a red suit and a large again,” Mr Stewart told Associated Press.
white beard has been surprising strangers with
his generosity. But now Santa has been forced to By the late 1970s Stewart had a job and some
retire and stay at home - but he has revealed his money, but he was still unlucky. In 1979 he was
true identity first. fired from his job in the week before Christmas.
But when he saw a shivering, waitress at a drive-
Over the last 26 years, Larry Stewart, a 58-year- in restaurant, he realised that were others worse
old businessman from Kansas City, has given off than him.
$1.3m to strangers he met in the street. He
started by giving $5 and $10 bills to people who “It was cold and this waitress didn’t have on a
looked unhappy or unlucky. As he became richer very big jacket, and I thought to myself, ‘I think
– he has made millions with a cable television I got it bad. She’s out there in this cold making
and long-distance telephone service – the gifts nickels and dimes’,” he said.
rose to $100 bills. He gave her a $20 bill.
But Mr Stewart has always kept his identity “And then she began to cry. She said, ‘Sir, you
secret. People began to call him Secret Santa. have no idea what this means to me’.”
This spring, however, he was diagnosed with
cancer of the oesophagus. The $16,000 monthly Stewart went to the bank, withdrew $200 and
cost of the chemotherapy is not covered by his drove around Kansas looking for people to give it
health insurance policy, and Mr Stewart is now to. The Secret Santa story was born.
too weak to continue.
So he has decided to reveal his identity. Mr
Stewart hopes that he might inspire someone
else to take over his Santa duties.
Mr Stewart has a team of little helpers, who in

recent years have given out $100,000 travelling
between Chicago and Kansas City. He also has
four deputy Santas who this year will give out
$65,000.
Over the years Stewart has been in news reports

and appeared - in full costume - on Oprah
Winfrey’s television show. “You really are Santa,”
she told him. There is a Secret Santa website
and even a book, Santa’s Secret: A Story of
Hope, written by a local journalist.
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Level 1 Elementary
Decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F).
1. Larry Stewart has given lots of money to people he doesn’t know.
2. Mr Stewart has cancer.
3. Mr Stewart does not have any health insurance.
4. Secret Santa is famous in America.
5. In the 1970s Larry Stewart didn’t have a car.
6. Mr Stewart asked the church for help many times.
7. When Mr Stewart saw the waitress, he didn’t have a job.
8. The waitress didn’t want the money.
4 Vocabulary: Irregular verbs
Underline all the irregular past simple or past participle verbs in the text. Put them into two categories:
1) verbs which have the same past simple and past participle form (e.g. make, made, made).
2) verbs which have different past simple and past participle forms (e.g. give, gave, given).
5 Vocabulary: Adjectives and opposites
Match the adjectives from the text (A) with their opposites (B).
A B
better rich
big warm
cold worse
jobless lucky
poor happy
secret employed
unhappy public
unlucky small
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6 Vocabulary: Money crossword
Across
2. You can ____ money in the telephone business.
5. American currency
8. British currency
9. to distribute (4,3 – phrasal verb)
Down
1. paper money, banknotes
3. the opposite of cheap
4. flat, round pieces of metal used as money
6. the noun form of poor
7. the amount of money you need to do something

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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 6 Money crossword
1. Santa Claus Across
2. reveal 2. make
3. deputy 5. dollar
4. withdraw 8. pound
5. duties 9. giveout
6. generosity
7. identity Down
8. fired 1. bills
3. expensive
4. coins
2 What do you know? 6. poverty
c 7. cost
1. T
2. T
3. F
4. T
5. F
6. F
7. T
8. F

1. meet; make; keep; tell; think; say; mean
2. give; become; rise; begin; be; write; have; go; know;
withdraw; drive
5 Vocabulary: Adjectives and opposites

better : worse
big : small
cold : warm
jobless employed
poor : rich
secret : public
unhappy : happy
unlucky : lucky
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1 Key words
Complete the sentences with words from the box.
tunic unsuspecting anonymity sleigh

Santa Claus nickname deputy withdraw
1. _______ is an imaginary man with a white beard and red suit who brings gifts to children at Christmas.
2. A _______ is a long loose shirt.
3. A _______ is a vehicle pulled by animals and used for travelling over snow.
4. Shorty is a _______; my real name is James.
5. If you live in _______, then nobody knows who you really are.
6. _______ means not knowing about something that is happening or about to happen.
7. A _______ is someone who helps a leader and who takes over their responsibilities in some situations.
8. When you _______ money from a bank, you take out money from your account.
2 What do you know?
1. Why is Larry Stewart called Secret Santa?
2. What is Larry’s problem now?
3. Why did Larry start giving money to people?
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NEWS LESSONS / Secret Santa revealed / Intermediate

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Secret Santa reveals his identity really are Santa,” she told him. There is a Secret
at last Santa website and even a book telling his story,
Santa’s Secret: A Story of Hope, written by a
Generosity born out of own experience of local journalist.
poverty. Illness forces benefactor to retire from
giving role. Stewart’s generosity was born out of his own
by Dan Glaister in Los Angeles experience of poverty. In the early 1970s, poor
and jobless, he resorted to living in his car, a
yellow Datsun 510. One day he finally decided to
For years the fat man dressed in a red tunic and
approach a church to ask for help. He was told
wearing a large white beard has been delighting
that the person who could help had left and he
unsuspecting strangers with his extreme
should return the following day.
generosity. But now Santa has been forced to
hang up his sleigh bells and stay at home – but “As I turned around, I knew I would never do that
not before revealing his true identity. again,” Mr Stewart told Associated Press.
Over the last 26 years, Larry Stewart, a 58-year- By the late 1970s Stewart had a job and some
old businessman from Kansas City, has given money, but he was still unlucky. In 1979, for the
$1.3m (£687,000) to strangers he met in the second year in succession, he was fired from
street. He started by handing out $5 and $10 his job in the week before Christmas. But when
bills to people who seemed down on their luck. he saw a shivering, roller-skating waitress at a
With inflation and a rise in his own wealth – he drive-in restaurant, he realised that were others
has made millions running a cable television and worse off than him.
long-distance telephone service – the gifts rose
to $100 bills. “It was cold and this waitress didn’t have on a
very big jacket, and I thought to myself, ‘I think
But Mr Stewart always insisted on anonymity, I got it bad. She’s out there in this cold making
never revealing his identity and earning him the nickels and dimes,’ ” he said.
nickname Secret Santa. This spring, however, he
was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, He gave her a $20 bill.
which has since spread to his liver. The $16,000
“And suddenly I saw her lips begin to tremble
monthly cost of the chemotherapy is not covered
and tears begin to flow down her cheeks. She
by his health insurance policy, and the treatment
said, ‘Sir, you have no idea what this means to
has left Mr Stewart weak.
me.’”
So he has decided to reveal his identity in the
Stewart went to the bank, withdrew $200 and
hope that he might inspire someone else to take
drove around Kansas looking for people to give it
over his Santa duties.
to. The Secret Santa myth was born.
Mr Stewart still has a team of little helpers,
who in recent years have given out $100,000
travelling between Chicago and Kansas City and
he has also trained four deputy Santas who this
year will hand out $65,000.
Over the years Stewart has become something

of a celebrity, featured in news reports and
appearing – in full costume – on Oprah Winfrey’s
television show, still hiding his identity. “Why, you
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Choose the correct answer to the questions.
1. Larry Stewart… 6. In 1979, Larry…

a) gives money to Santa Claus. a) lost his job just before Christmas.
b) dresses as Santa Claus and gives money to poor b) lost two jobs.
people. c) quit his job for a Christmas holiday.
c) dresses as Santa Claus and takes money from
poor people. 7. Larry gave the waitress $20 because…
a) she parked his car.

2. In the beginning, Larry Stewart gave out… b) she gave him good food.
a) $100 bills. c) she didn’t look very happy.
b) $5 and $10 bills.
c) $1.6 million.
3. Larry has cancer and now…
a) he wants somebody else to be Secret Santa.
b) he wants to give people $16,000.
c) he doesn’t want to work anymore.
4. In the United States, Secret Santa…
a) is unknown.
b) is quite famous.
c) is in every city.
5. In the 1970s, Larry Stewart asked the church…
a) for help with his car, a yellow Datsun.
b) for a job.
c) for help only once.

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4 Vocabulary: American idioms
Put the words in order to make American English expressions from the text.
1. dimes she’s and making nickels.
2. bad I think got I it.
3. people are worse there me than off.
4. this means you idea what no have.
5. luck are down on their they.
5 Vocabulary: American idioms 2
Match the definitions below to the expressions in 4.
a) I believe my situation is bad.
b) She isn’t making a lot of money.
c) There are people in a worse situation than mine.
d) They are not in a good situation.
e) You don’t understand what it means.
Complete the gap with a suitable word.
1. ___________ a secret / a true identity / an answer
2. ___________ millions of dollars / phone calls / a mistake

3. ___________ with cancer / correctly / by the doctor
4. ___________ reports / flash / item
5. ___________ appear / flow down / fill your eyes
7 Discussion
What do you think of people like Larry Stewart? Should more rich people give money to poor people?
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1 Key words 5 Vocabulary: American idioms 2
1. Santa Claus a) 2
2. tunic b) 1
3. sleigh c) 3
4. nickname d) 5
5. anonymity e) 4
6. unsuspecting
7. deputy
8. withdraw 6 Vocabulary: Collocations
1. reveal
2. make
2 What do you know? 3. diagnosed
1. Because he dresses up as Santa every year and 4. news
gives people money. He keeps his identity secret. 5. tears
2. He has cancer and cannot continue as Secret Santa.
3. Because he was once poor and knew what it felt like.
4. A waitress working outside a restaurant.
1. b)
2. b)
3. a)
4. b)
5. c)
6. a)
7. c)
4 Vocabulary: American idioms

1. She’s making nickels and dimes.
2. I think I got it bad.
3. There are people worse off than me.
4. You have no idea what this means.
5. They are down on their luck.
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The power of the desert
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
desalinated by-product fossil fuels irrigate vessel

enlightened undercut feasible vulnerable grid
1. If the price of a particular product ____________ another product, it is available at a cheaper price.
2. A ____________ is a set of wires than carry the electricity supply.
3. A ____________ is a product that is made as the result of making another product.

4. If something is ____________ it is possible or likely to succeed.
5. A ____________ is a container for liquids.
6. If water is ____________ , the salt has been removed from it.
7. If you ____________ land, you bring water to it through a series of pipes.
8. If something is ____________ , it is easily damaged by something negative or harmful.
9. Coal and oil are examples of ____________.
10. ____________ means sensible and modern.
2 What do you know?
Decide whether these statements about energy are True or False. Then read the text to check your
predictions.
1. The sun’s rays produce the equivalent of 1.5 million barrels of oil per square kilometre.
2. Covering 5% of the world’s hot deserts with concentrated solar power (CSP) would provide the world’s entire
energy needs.
3. Alternating current cables are better than direct current cables for transporting electricity over long distances.
4. Nuclear power and fossil fuels could disappear by 2050.
5. Leading politicians, like Bush and Blair, are well aware of the potential of CSP.
6. CSP is five times cheaper than nuclear fusion.

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NEWS LESSONS / The power of the desert / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Scientists say global energy crisis but all share the use of mirrors to concentrate
can be solved by mirrors and the the sun’s rays on a pipe or vessel containing
desert sun some sort of gas or liquid that heats up to about
400˚C and is used to power conventional steam
by Ashley Seager
turbines. The large mirrors create shaded areas
that can be used for horticulture irrigated by
In the Sahara desert is a vast source of energy
desalinated water generated by the plants. Cold
that can promise a carbon-free, nuclear-free
water produced for air conditioning means there
electrical future for all Europe, if not the world.
are three benefits. “It is this triple use of the
We are not talking about the vast oil and gas
energy which really boosts the overall energy
deposits beneath Algeria and Libya, or uranium
efficiency of these kinds of plants up to 80% to
for nuclear plants, but something far simpler -
90%,” says Dr Knies.
the sun. Every year it pours down the equivalent
of 1.5m barrels of oil of energy for every square This form of solar power is also attractive
kilometre. Most people think of solar power as a because the hot liquid can be stored in large
few panels on the roof of a house producing hot vessels, which can keep the turbines running
water or a bit of electricity. But according to two for hours after the sun has gone down. The
reports prepared for the German government, German reports put an approximate cost on
Europe, the Middle East and North Africa should power derived from CSP. This is now about $50
be building vast solar farms in North Africa’s per barrel of oil equivalent for the cost of building
deserts using a simple technology that more a plant. That cost is likely to fall sharply, to
resembles using a magnifying glass to burn a about $20, as production of the mirrors reaches
hole in a piece of paper than any space age industrial levels. It is about half the equivalent
technology. cost of using the photovoltaic cells that people
have on their roofs. So CSP is competitive with
Two German scientists, Dr Gerhard Knies and
oil, currently priced at about $60 a barrel.
Dr Franz Trieb, calculate that covering just 0.5%
of the world’s hot deserts with a technology Dr Knies says CSP is not yet competitive with
called concentrated solar power (CSP) would natural gas for producing electricity alone. But
provide the world’s entire electricity needs, if desalination and air conditioning are added,
with desalinated water for desert regions as a CSP undercuts gas, without taking into account
valuable by-product, as well as air-conditioning the cost of the carbon emissions from fossil
for nearby cities. Focusing on Europe, North fuels. Desert land is cheap and there is roughly
Africa and the Middle East, they say, Europe three times as much sunlight in hot deserts
should build a new high-voltage direct current as in northern Europe. This is why the reports
electricity grid to allow the easy transport of recommend a collaboration between countries of
electricity from a variety of alternative sources. Europe, the Middle East and Africa to construct
Britain could put in wind power, Norway hydro, a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) grid for
and central Europe biomass and geo-thermal. sharing carbon-free energy. Alternating current
Together the region could provide all its cables, which form the main electricity grids
electricity needs by 2050 with barely any fossil in Europe, are not suitable for long-distance
fuels and no nuclear power. This would allow a transport of electricity because too much is lost
70% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from on the way.
electricity production over the period.
Dr Trieb, of the German Air and Space Agency,
CSP technology is not new. There has been a says the advantage of DC cables is that loss in
plant in the Mojave desert in California for 15 transport is only about 3% per 1,000 kilometres.
years. Others are being built in Nevada, Spain “Contrary to what is commonly supposed, it is
and Australia. There are different forms of CSP, entirely feasible, and cost-effective, to transmit
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Level 3 Advanced
solar electricity over long distances.” He added:

“CSP imports would be much less vulnerable to
interruption than are current imports of gas, oil
and uranium.” The two reports make it clear that
an HVDC grid around Europe and North Africa
could provide enough electricity by 2050 to
make it possible to phase out nuclear power and
hugely reduce use of fossil fuels. An umbrella
group of scientists has been formed across
the region called the Trans-Mediterranean
Renewable Energy Cooperation (Trec) but
the idea has yet to excite the imagination of
governments.
Neil Crumpton, renewables specialist at Friends

of the Earth, said: “Most politicians on the
world stage, particularly Tony Blair and George
Bush, appear to have little or no awareness of
CSP’s potential, let alone a strategic vision for
using it to help build global energy and climate
security.” The Trec scientists hope the German
chancellor, Angela Merkel, will use next year’s
joint presidency of the EU and Group of Eight
leading economies to push for an agreement
on a European DC grid and the launch of a
widespread CSP programme. The outlook is
not promising. More than 30 countries last week
agreed to spend $13.5bn on an experimental
fusion reactor in France that critics say will not
produce any electricity for 50 years, if at all.
Dan Lewis, energy expert at the Economic

Research Council, calculates that CSP costs
$3m-$5m per installed megawatt, a fifth of the
cost of fusion. “Fusion is basically a job-creation
scheme for plasma physicists.” Mr Crumpton
agreed: “Nuclear power accounts for just 3.1%
of global energy supply and would be unlikely to
be able to provide more. Yet CSP could supply
30% or 300% of future energy demand far more
simply, safely and cost-effectively. In the wake of
the Stern report, the enlightened investment is
on hot deserts, not uranium mines or oil wells.”

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Level 3 Advanced
1. How does CSP work?

a. mirrors concentrate the sun’s rays on pipes containing gas or liquid
b. mirrors reflect the sun’s rays into turbines
c. by creating shaded areas that can be used to grow crops
2. What are the potential by-products of CSP?

a. a high-voltage direct current grid
b. desalinated water for irrigation and air-conditioning
c. large industrial mirrors
3. What is the main problem faced by CSP?

a. it is expensive and difficult to install
b. most politicians are unaware of its potential
c. the deserts are too far away from Europe
4. Why does the report recommend collaboration between Europe, the Middle East and Africa?
a. because all three regions need electricity
b. because collaboration will mean CSP is introduced more quickly
c. because areas suitable for installing CSP plants are in the Middle East and Africa
4 Vocabulary 1: Types of energy
Match the terms for different types of energy or fuel with the definitions:
1. solar a. fuel derived from animals or plants
2. hydro-electric b. fuel derived from decayed plant matter
3. biomass c. fuel produced by changing the structure of atoms
4. geo-thermal d. power produced by water, especially by using dams
5. fossil e. power derived from the sun
6. nuclear f. power derived from natural hot water

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5 Vocabulary 2: Find the word

Look in the text and find:
1. an adjective meaning enormous (para. 1)
2. an adverb meaning hardly (para. 2)
3. a noun meaning growing garden plants (para. 3)
4. an adjective meaning the opposite of exact (para. 4)
5. a noun meaning a gas that goes into the air (para. 5)
6. a verb meaning to gradually stop using something (para. 6)

7. a noun meaning an idea about what the situation will be in the future (para. 7)
8. a noun phrase meaning happening after an event or as a result of it (para. 8)
6 Vocabulary 3: Chunks
Use prepositions to complete these phrases from the text.
1. take _______ account
2. collaboration _______ different countries
3. focus _______ something
4. a 70% reduction _______ CO2 emissions

5. competitive _______ oil
6. transport _______ long distances
7. nuclear power accounts _______ 3.1% of world energy supply
8. in the wake _______ the report
7 Discussion
Do you agree that CSP is the perfect solution to the world’s energy problems? What alternative sources of long-
term energy can you think of?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Key Words 5 Vocabulary 2: Find the word
1. undercuts 1. vast
2. grid 2. barely
3. by-product 3. horticulture
4. feasible 4. approximate
5. vessel 5. emission
6. desalinated 6. phase out
7. irrigate 7. outlook
8. vulnerable 8. in the wake of
9. fossil fuels
10. enlightened
2 What do you know? 1. into

2. between
1. T 3. on
2. F 4. in
3. F 5. with
4. F 6. over
5. F 7. for
6. T 8. of
1. a
2. b
3. b
4. c
1. e
2. d
3. a
4. f
5. b
6. c
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Fill in the gaps using these key words from the text.
power station solar enormous energy grid

source vessel turbine desalinated shade
1. A ____________ is a container for liquids.
2. ____________ power is power that comes from the sun.
3. If water is ____________, there is no longer any salt in it.
4. A ____________ is a network of wires for carrying electricity.
5. ____________ means very, very large.
6. A ____________ is a large building that contains machines that produce electricity.
7. ____________ is a slightly dark area where there is no direct sunlight.
8. ____________ is electricity and other forms of power.
9. A ____________ is a machine that uses the pressure of liquid or gas on a wheel to get power.
10. A ____________ is a place that provides something you need or want.
1. What is CSP?
2. What type of energy could Britain provide?
3. How hot is the gas or liquid in the CSP process?
4. How much does a barrel of oil cost at the moment?
5. How much will the new nuclear reactor in France cost?
6. How much of the world’s energy does nuclear power provide?

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NEWS LESSONS / The power of the desert / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Scientists say global energy crisis large containers. This means that the turbines
can be solved by mirrors and the can also operate when there is no sunlight and at
desert sun night. The cost of CSP technology is the same as
oil at $50 a barrel and experts think the cost will
by Ashley Seager
be just $20 in the future. At the moment oil costs
$60 a barrel so CSP is cheaper than oil. CSP is
Burning coal and oil to make electricity produces more expensive than natural gas for producing
a lot of carbon dioxide, which is one of the main electricity but producing electricity with natural
causes of global warming. A lot of people say that gas does not produce desalinated water and cold
nuclear energy is cleaner but others disagree, water for air conditioning.
saying that nuclear power stations are danger-
The scientists recommend building the solar
ous. Perhaps the answer is solar power?
farms in the Sahara desert for two main reasons.
Most people think of solar power as a few solar First land in the desert is cheap. Secondly, hot
panels on the roof of a house producing hot deserts like the Sahara have three times as
water or a bit of electricity. But a new study in much sunlight as northern Europe. This is why
Germany says that Europe, the Middle East and they recommend that the countries of Europe,
Africa should build enormous solar farms in the the Middle East and Africa work together to build
Sahara desert in North Africa. The scientists who the solar farms and share the electricity.
produced the report say that these solar farms
Dr Trieb, of the German Air and Space Agency,
could produce enough electricity to supply the
says it is possible and to transport solar elec-
whole of Europe and perhaps the whole world.
tricity over long distances. A direct current grid
Every year the sun’s rays produce the same around Europe and North Africa could produce
amount of energy per square kilometre as 1.5m enough electricity by 2050 to make it possible to
barrels of oil. The scientists, Dr Gerhard Knies stop using nuclear power and to reduce the use
and Dr Franz Trieb, say that Europe should build of coal and oil.
a new direct current electricity grid to transport
Unfortunately, governments do not seem very in-
electricity easily from different sources. Britain
terested in the idea. Neil Crumpton of Friends of
could provide wind power, Norway could pro-
the Earth, said: “Most major politicians, particu-
vide hydroelectric power, and central Europe
larly Tony Blair and George Bush, do not seem to
biomass and geo-thermal power. Together with
understand how useful CSP could be.” Last week
concentrated solar power (CSP) the region could
more than 30 countries agreed to spend $13.5bn
provide all its electricity needs by 2050 with no
on a new nuclear reactor in France. Some sci-
nuclear power and almost no oil or coal. This
entists say this reactor say will not produce any
would also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide
electricity for 50 years and possibly it will never
from electricity production by 70%.
produce any.
CSP works by using mirrors to concentrate the
Mr Crumpton continued: “Nuclear power provides
sun’s rays on a pipe or vessel containing gas or
just 3.1% of the world’s energy supply and prob-
liquid that heats up to about 400˚C. This hot gas
ably cannot provide any more. But CSP could
or liquid then drives steam turbines. The mirrors
supply 30% or 300% of the world’s future energy
are very large and in the shade under them peo-
needs simply, safely and cheaply. We need to
ple could grow vegetables and water them with
spend money on CSP in hot deserts, not trying to
desalinated water produced in the CSP process.
find more uranium or oil.”
People could also use cold water produced in the
CSP process for air conditioning. © Guardian News & Media 2006
CSP technology stores the hot gas or liquid in

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1. Building the solar farms in the Sahara desert is a good idea because _____
2. CSP is good for the planet because _____
3. CSP is good for people who live near solar farms because _____
4. CSP turbines can operate at night because _____
5. Burning coal and oil is bad for the planet because _____
6. CSP is better than natural gas because _____
a. _____ they could grow vegetables in the shade and water them with water from the farms.
b. _____ hot gas or liquid is stored in large containers.
c. _____ land is cheap and there is much more sunlight there.
d. _____ it produces a lot of carbon dioxide.
e. _____ it produces desalinated water and cold water for air conditioning as well as electricity.
f. _____ it does not produce carbon dioxide.
Fill the gaps using these words for types of energy.
solar biomass hydro-electric nuclear geo-thermal wind
1. ____________ energy uses water.
2. ____________ energy uses atomic power.
3. ____________ energy uses plant and animal waste.
4. ____________ energy uses natural hot water from below the earth’s surface.
5. ____________ power uses windmills.
6. ____________ energy uses the heat of the sun.

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Level 1 Elementary
5 Vocabulary 2: Adjective + Noun collocations
Match the adjectives with the nouns to make phrases from the text.
1. global a. kilometre
2. nuclear b. water
3. solar c. gas
4. square d. current
5. natural e. power
6. long f. warming
7. direct g. distance
8. hot h. energy
6 Vocabulary 3: Word building
Complete the table:
Verb Noun
1. ____________ provision
2. produce ____________
3. ____________ reduction
4. ____________ disagreement
5. ____________ recommendation
6. agree ____________
7. build ____________
8. ____________ growth
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Adjective + Noun

1. vessel collocations
2. solar 1. f
3. desalinated 2. h
4. grid 3. e
5. enormous 4. a
6. power station 5. c
7. shade 6. g
8. energy 7. d
9. turbine 8. b
10. source

2 Find the information 1. provide
2. production
1. concentrated solar power
3. reduce
2. wind power
4. disagree
3. 400C
5. recommend
4. $60
6. agreement
5. $13.5bn
7. building
6. 3.1%
8. grow
1. c
2. f
3. a
4. b
5. d
6. e

1. hydro-electric
2. nuclear
3. biomass
4. geo-thermal
5. wind
6. solar
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1 Key words
solar desalinated grid fossil fuels vessel

horticulture cost-effective irrigate phase out outlook
1. ____________ is the production of garden plants.
2. If you ____________ something _______, you gradually stop using it over a period of time.
3. ____________ water is water from which salt has been removed by an industrial process.
4. A ____________ is a container for liquid or gas.
5. An ____________ is a view of what a situation will be like in the future.
6. If something is ____________, it gives the maximum profit or advantage in relation to the amount of money that
is spent.
7. A ____________ is a network of wires that carry electricity.
8. If you ____________ land, you bring water to it through a series of pipes.
9. ____________ means relating to the Sun.
10. Coal and oil are examples of ____________.
1. What does CSP stand for?

2. Apart from electricity, what other two things could CSP provide?
3. How much does a barrel of oil currently cost?
4. How much energy do DC cables lose?
5. How much will the new nuclear reactor in France cost?
6. What percentage of world energy does nuclear power provide?

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NEWS LESSONS / The power of the desert / Intermediate

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Scientists say global energy crisis and which are irrigated by desalinated water
can be solved by mirrors and the generated by the plants. Cold water produced for
desert sun air conditioning means there are three benefits.
“CSP energy has three separate uses and this
by Ashley Seager
maximises its overall energy efficiency” says Dr
Knies.
The Sahara desert could provide a carbon-free,
nuclear-free electrical future for the whole of This form of solar power is also attractive
Europe, if not the world. We are not talking about because the hot liquid can be stored in large
the enormous oil and gas deposits in Algeria and containers, which can keep the turbines running
Libya, or uranium for nuclear plants, but some- after the sun has gone down. The cost of obtain-
thing much simpler - the sun. Every year the ing energy from CSP is equivalent to about $50
sun’s rays provide the equivalent of 1.5m barrels per barrel of oil. That cost will probably fall to
of oil of energy for every square kilometre. Most about $20. It is about half the cost of using solar
people think of solar power as a few panels on energy panels that people have on their roofs.
the roof of a house producing hot water or a bit So CSP is cheaper than oil, which currently
of electricity. But according to two reports pre- costs about $60 a barrel.
pared for the German government, Europe, the
Middle East and North Africa should be building Dr Knies says CSP is not yet as cheap as natu-
vast solar farms in the deserts of North Africa. ral gas for producing electricity alone. But if you
The technology is simple. It is more like using add desalination and air conditioning, CSP is
a magnifying glass to burn a hole in a piece of cheaper than gas, and does not produce carbon
paper than any space age technology. emissions. It is cheap to buy land in the desert
and there is about three times as much sunlight
Two German scientists, Dr Gerhard Knies and in hot deserts as in northern Europe. This is why
Dr Franz Trieb, calculate that covering just 0.5% the reports recommend that the countries of Eu-
of the world’s hot deserts with a technology rope, the Middle East and Africa work together
called concentrated solar power (CSP) would to construct a high-voltage direct current (HVDC)
meet the energy needs of the entire world. Apart grid to share carbon-free energy. Most electricity
from electricity, CSP would also provide desali- grids in Europe use alternating current (AC) but
nated water for desert regions and air-condi- this is not suitable for long-distance transport of
tioning for nearby cities. The scientists say that electricity because too much electricity is lost
Europe should build a new high-voltage direct during transportation.
current electricity grid to allow the easy transport
of electricity from different sources. Britain could Dr Trieb, of the German Air and Space Agency,
provide wind power, Norway hydroelectric power, says that DC cables only lose about 3% per
and central Europe biomass and geo-thermal 1,000 kilometres. “It is both possible and cost-
power. Together the region could provide all its effective to transport solar electricity over long
electricity needs by 2050 with no nuclear power distances, despite what many people think.”
and almost no fossil fuels. This would also The two reports make it clear that an HVDC grid
reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity around Europe and North Africa could provide
production by 70%. enough electricity by 2050 to make it possible to
phase out nuclear power and sharply reduce the
There are different forms of CSP, but they all use use of fossil fuels. A group of scientists has been
mirrors to concentrate the sun’s rays on a pipe formed across the region called the Trans-Medi-
or vessel containing some sort of gas or liquid terranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (Trec)
that heats up to about 400˚C and is used to drive but governments do not yet seem interested in
steam turbines. The large mirrors also create the idea.
shaded areas that can be used for horticulture
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Neil Crumpton of Friends of the Earth, said:

“Most major politicians, particularly Tony Blair
and George Bush, seem to have little or no
awareness of the potential of CSP and they don’t
see how it could be used to help build global
energy and climate security.” The Trec scientists
hope the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, will
try to get an agreement on a European DC grid
and the start of a CSP programme. The outlook
is not optimistic. Last week more than 30 coun-
tries agreed to spend $13.5bn on a new nuclear
reactor in France that critics say will not produce
any electricity for 50 years, if at all.
Mr Crumpton continued: “Nuclear power

provides just 3.1% of global energy supply and
would be unlikely to be able to provide more. Yet
CSP could supply 30% or 300% of the world’s
future energy needs much more simply, safely
and cost-effectively. We need to invest in CSP in
hot deserts, not uranium mines or oil wells.”
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Decide whether these statements are True or False according to the text:
1. Leading politicians are very enthusiastic about CSP.
2. CSP turbines do not work at night.
3. CSP could supply all the world’s energy needs.
4. CSP is very complex technology.
5. CSP is more expensive than oil.
6. AC cables are more effective than DC cables for transporting electricity over long distances.
7. Some countries are still investing in nuclear power.
8. CSP does not produce carbon emissions.
Fill the gaps using these types of energy.
solar hydro-electric biomass geo-thermal wind nuclear
1. ____________ energy is obtained from animals or plants.

2. ____________ energy is obtained from natural hot water beneath the earth’s surface.
3. ____________ power is produced on wind farms.
4. ____________ energy is produced by changing the structure of atoms.
5. ____________ power is produced by large amounts of water.
6. ____________ energy comes from the sun.
Look in the text and find these words:
1. an adjective meaning enormous (para. 1)
2. a noun meaning gas going into the air (para. 2)
3. a verb meaning to make something as large as possible (para. 3)
4. the unit for measuring crude oil (para. 4)
5. an adjective meaning without carbon (para. 5)

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6. an adverb meaning suddenly and by a large amount (para. 6)
7. a noun meaning knowledge or understanding of a subject, issue or situation (para. 7)
8. a verb meaning to use money in order to make a profit (para. 8)
Complete the table.
Adjective Noun
1. ____________ awareness
2. hot ____________
3. efficient ____________
4. ____________ attraction
5. ____________ security
6. possible ____________
7. suitable ____________
8. long ____________
7 Discussion
The text mentions a number of different ways of producing energy. Which do you think are the best for the environ-
ment? Which are the worst for the environment?
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Types of energy
1. horticulture 1. biomass
2. phase [something] out 2. geo-thermal
3. desalinated 3. wind
4. vessel 4. nuclear
5. outlook 5. hydro-electric
6. cost-effective 6. solar
7. grid
8. irrigate
9. solar 5 Vocabulary 2: Find the word
10. fossil fuels
1. vast
2 Find the information 2. emission
3. maximise
4. barrel
1. concentrated solar power 5. carbon-free
2. desalinated water and air-conditioning 6. sharply
3. about $60 7. awareness
4. 3% per 1,000 km 8. invest
5. $13.5bn
6. 3.1%
1. aware
2. heat
1. F 3. efficiency
2. F 4. attractive
3. T 5. secure
4. F 6. possibility
5. F 7. suitability
6. F 8. length
7. T
8. T
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The ‘Angel of Soweto’?
Level 1 Advanced
1 Key adjectives
Match these adjectives from the text with their definitions:
1. horrific a. relating to large companies
2. traumatised b. disappointed and annoyed
3. destitute c. extremely violent
4. corporate d. upset, afraid or shocked
5. fabricated e. extremely disappointed

6. disgruntled f. shocking and upsetting
7. brutal g. without money or possessions
8. gutted h. made up or invented and untrue
2 Order of events
These events are all described in the text but they are not in the correct order. Read the text quickly and
put the sentences in the correct order.
a. Children at the school told the reporters their parents had been brutally murdered.
b. The donors included well-known figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Nelson Mandela.
c. The programme has found that many of the “orphans” are living with their parents.
d. A US investigative TV programme made a film at a school in Soweto 5 years ago

e. The children’s stories prompted people to give millions of dollars to a special Trust.
f. Members of the Trust’s board have resigned and its school has been closed.
g. Now the TV programme has returned to Soweto to make another film.

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NEWS LESSONS / The ‘Angel of Soweto’? / Advanced

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Level 1 Advanced
‘Angel of Soweto’ a fraud, TV show better cry more than the other days you have
claims been crying,” said the unidentified student.
Celebrity donors backed woman who set up Carte Blanche filmed at the school five years
school for traumatised orphans ago and went back to talk to some of the same
by Chris McGreal in Johannesburg children. Many recanted their original stories.
Lebogang Makheta claimed in 2001 that both her
parents were murdered in political violence. “My
To Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela and others
mother was crushed by a spear that cut across
who gave millions to help South African children
her stomach and my father was riddled with bul-
orphaned by apartheid-era violence or driven to a
lets,” she said at the time. Now Lebogang says
life of crime on the streets, the woman who dedi-
that was a lie.
cated her life to caring for them was the “Angel
of Soweto”. To the children she helped she was “I spoke to Mama Jackie and she told me that
known simply as Mama Jackie. whatever they ask me, I must say it the way she
wrote down because it would help us get spon-
Their horrific accounts of seeing parents butch-
sors and so forth,” she said. “I told myself I was
ered or resorting to prostitution to feed younger
just doing this for the benefits of sponsors and for
siblings prompted huge donations to Jackie
the benefits of us getting help for scholarships.”
Maarohanye and her Ithuteng Trust school to
She also told the programme in 2001 that she
provide shelter and an education to thousands of
was involved with drugs and gangsters. “None
traumatised and destitute children. The money
of that was true. It was all lies, just lies,” she now
came from famous donors such as Winfrey,
says.
who wrote a cheque for $1m during a visit to the
school last year, as well as corporate sponsors Lebogang’s mother, Phyllis Makheta, was sur-
including the US National Basketball Association. prised to discover that her daughter was suppos-
“I think Mama Jackie is a living angel on earth,” edly an orphan when she attended a fundraising
said Winfrey. function at the school. “I was there in the school.
I don’t fully understand English properly, but I
But now the school’s gates are bolted and
did ask them, even Jackie, why these children
America’s most influential talk show host, along
are crying and saying they are orphans, but we
with Mr Mandela and Bill Clinton, have requested
[parents] are here. She said: ‘Don’t worry, it is a
copies of a South African television documentary
drama.’“
that claims Ms Maarohanye pressured pupils into
reciting fabricated tales of murdered parents, Five years ago Lindiwe Thusi told Carte Blanche
rape and destitution in order to raise money, and that she saw her father’s body with his head cut
that donations to educate children went astray off. She now says: “That was a script we were
while students went hungry. given from Mama Jackie. “When different people
came we had to get ready and started crying and
The investigative TV programme Carte Blanche
say that whole story,” she told Carte Blanche.
showed that pupils who claimed to have seen
Lindiwe says her father is alive and serving in the
their parents killed are living with them, and
army. She also denied her earlier claims to have
those supposedly saved from the streets never
worked as a prostitute to feed her sisters and to
left home. One of a group of 45 children from
have been raped by a teacher.
the Ithuteng school who travelled to the US five
years ago as guests of Bill and Hillary Clinton Ms Maarohanye has refused to comment from
said they were made to appear before the United her large house in the south of Johannesburg,
Nations and recite false stories of hardship. “We but she told Carte Blanche that the accusations
went to the United Nations and [Ms Maarohanye] against her were a “smear campaign” by dis-
said that today you better cry seriously ... you
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Level 1 Advanced
gruntled former pupils. However, she was unable
to explain how it was that she described to the
media Lebogang Makheta’s parents as having
been murdered or the brutal killing of Lindiwe
Thusi’s father. She said no student was ever
forced to repeat false stories. “I never pushed a
child. I have never put a gun on a child’s neck. I
have never strangled a child. I have never said, if
you don’t go, this is what I am going to do. I have
never done that. You can never prove that I have
done that.”
The children’s accounts of hardship brought do-

nations pouring in from around the world. Some
of the sponsorship was intended to pay college
bursaries. But three years ago some donors, in-
cluding a large bank and a hotel group, broke off
dealings with the Ithuteng Trust after discovering
the bursaries were not reaching the students or
their colleges. Several former Ithuteng students
say they were forced to drop out of higher educa-
tion as a result of the donors suspending pay-
ment. A former finance officer at the University of
the Western Cape said others were reduced to
living on bread for lack of money. Donors started
paying the fees direct to ensure that students
were able to graduate.
The chairman of the Ithuteng Trust board, Joseph

Kganakga, has described the revelations as a
nightmare that left him angry and “totally gutted”.
He has resigned, along with two other board
members who said they had lost confidence in
Ms Maarohanye.

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Level 1 Advanced
1. What did Carte Blanche discover when it revisited Soweto?
a. That the gates of the Ithuteng Trust school were closed.

b. That some of the children were admitting to telling lies five years earlier.
c. That some of the children’s parents were murdered in political violence.
2. What did Ms Maarohanye allegedly ask the children to do at the United Nations?
a. To visit as guests of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

b. To cry a lot as they told the stories about the murder of their parents.
c. To ask for money for the Ithuteng Trust school.
3. Why did some of the former Ithuteng students have to drop out of higher education?
a. Because the bursaries were not reaching them.

b. Because they were orphans.
c. Because some of the donors suspended payments to the Trust.
4. What is the main accusation against Ms Maarohanye?
a. That she encouraged the children to claim that they were orphans.
b. That she stole the money intended for the Trust.
c. That she told the children to cry a lot.
Find the words that mean:
1. to kill someone in a cruel and violent way (para. 2)
2. a general word for your brothers and sisters (para. 2)
3. locked firmly with a special device (para. 3)
4. to say a story that you have learnt (para. 3)
5. to say that something you said was not true (para. 5)
6. to press something so hard that it is damaged or destroyed (para. 5)
7. to kill someone by squeezing their throat (para. 9)
8. an amount of money given to someone to pay for their college studies (para. 10)
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Level 1 Advanced
Complete these phrases using an appropriate preposition. Check your answers in the text.
1. to be driven _______ a life of crime
2. to resort _______ something negative (e.g. violence)
3. to dedicate one’s life _______ something
4. to make donations _______ an organisation
5. to pressurise someone _______ doing something
6. to make accusations _______ someone
7. to be reduced _______ living on bread
8. to lose confidence _______ someone or something
6 Vocabulary: Phrases
Match the phrases from the text with their meanings.
1. to go astray a. a series of attempts to damage someone’s reputation
2. riddled with bullets b. to arrive in large amounts
3. a smear campaign c. to become lost
4. and so forth d. shot a number of times
5. to drop out e. etcetera (= etc.)

6. to pour in f. to leave school or college before finishing your studies
6 Vocabulary: Discussion
Does the end ever justify the means? In this case, children living in poverty may have lied to get money from
wealthy individuals and organisations. Do you think what they are supposed to have done was justified?
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KEY
1 Key adjectives 5 Vocabulary: Prepositions
1. f 1. to
2. d 2. to
3. g 3. to
4. a 4. to
5. h 5. into
6. b 6. against
7. c 7. to
8. e 8. in
2 Order of events 6 Vocabulary: Phrases
d; a; e; b; g; c; f 1. c
2. d
3. a
4. e
5. f
1. b 6. b
2. b
3. c
4. a
1. butcher
2. siblings
3. bolted
4. recite
5. recant
6. crush
7. strangle
8. bursary
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.
orphan street children prostitute angel poverty
spear gangster false lie nightmare
1. ____________ is the opposite of true.
2. A ____________ is a member of a group of criminals.
3. A ____________ someone who gets money for having sex with people.
4. An ____________ is a child who has no parents.
5. A ____________ is a very frightening and unpleasant dream.
6. A ____________ is a story that is not true.
7. ____________ are children without a home who sleep on the streets.
8. A ____________ is a long weapon like a stick with one sharp end.
9. If you live in ____________ , you do not have enough money for your basic needs.
10. An ____________ is a very kind person.
1. What is the name of Mama Jackie’s school?
2. How much money did Oprah Winfrey give to the school?
3. How many children travelled to the US?
4. Who invited the children to the US?
5. What was the name of the television programme?
6. When did the programme first film the children?

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NEWS LESSONS / The ‘Angel of Soweto’? / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
‘Angel of Soweto’ a fraud, TV show she told us to cry more than the other days we
claims were crying,” said the student.
Celebrity donors backed woman who set up Carte Blanche first filmed at the school five
school for traumatised orphans years ago and went back to talk to some of the
by Chris McGreal in Johannesburg same children. Many said their stories were
not true. In 2001 Lebogang Makheta said that
both her parents were killed in political violence.
Many famous people, including American talk
“Someone killed my mother with a spear and
show host Oprah Winfrey and Nelson Mandela,
shot my father,” she said. Now Lebogang says
have given millions of dollars to help South
that wasn’t true.
African orphans and street children. They gave
the money to the woman who cared for them and “Mama Jackie told me what to say when they
called her the “Angel of Soweto”. The children asked me questions. She said my answers
she helped called her Mama Jackie. would help to get money for the school”, says
Lebongang. She also told the programme in
The children talked about the terrible lives they
2001 that she used drugs and knew gangsters.
were living. Their parents were dead. They had
“None of that was true. It was all lies, just lies,”
to work as prostitutes to get money to buy food
she now says.
for their younger brothers and sisters. When they
heard these terrible stories, many people gave Lebogang’s mother, Phyllis Makheta, went to the
a lot of money to Mama Jackie Maarohanye and school and was surprised when they told her that
her Ithuteng Trust school. The school gave the her daughter was an orphan. “I was there in the
poor orphans and street children somewhere to school. I don’t understand English very well, but I
live and it also gave them an education. Oprah asked Jackie, why these children are crying and
Winfrey gave the school $1m during a visit last saying they are orphans, but we [their parents]
year, and organisations like the US National are here. She said: Don’t worry, it is a play.”
Basketball Association also donated a lot of
money. “I think Mama Jackie is an angel on Five years ago Lindiwe Thusi told Carte Blanche
earth,” said Winfrey. that she saw her father’s body with his head
cut off. She now says: “Mama Jackie gave us
But now the school is closed. Winfrey, together a piece of paper with those words written on
with Mr Mandela and Bill Clinton, has asked for it.” When different people came we had to start
copies of a South African television film that says crying and tell that whole story,” she told Carte
Ms Maarohanye told pupils to make up stories Blanche. Lindiwe says her father is alive and in
about murdered parents and poverty in order to the army. She also said that she told lies when
get money. The film also says that the money she said she worked as a prostitute to earn
people gave for the children’s education was money to feed her sisters.
missing and that they had very little to eat.
Ms Maarohanye did not want to answer
The television film was called Carte Blanche. It questions but she told Carte Blanche that she
showed that pupils who said their parents were had not done anything wrong. But she couldn’t
dead are now living with them, and that those explain why she told the programme Lebogang
who said they were living on the streets never Makheta’s parents were dead or that Lindiwe
left home. 45 children from the Ithuteng school Thusi’s father had been killed. She said she
travelled to the US five years ago as guests of never forced students to repeat false stories. “I
Bill and Hillary Clinton. One of the group said never pushed a child. I have never put a gun on
they had to go to the United Nations and tell false a child’s neck. I have never done that. You can
stories about their lives. “We went to the United never prove that I have done that.”
Nations and [Ms Maarohanye] told us to cry ...
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Level 1 Elementary
The children’s stories brought money from
around the world. Some of the money was to pay
for their studies at colleges and universities. But
three years ago some organisations, including
a large bank and a hotel group, stopped giving
money to the Ithuteng Trust when they heard that
the money was not reaching the students or their
colleges. Several former Ithuteng students say
they had to leave their higher education courses
because there was no money to pay for their
education. Some students had so little money
they had to live on bread.
The chairman of the Ithuteng Trust board, Joseph

Kganakga, says the news is a nightmare and
he is angry and disappointed. He has resigned
from the board, together with two other board
members who said they now had no confidence
in Ms Maarohanye.
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Level 1 Elementary
1. People gave money to the Ithuteng Trust school ____
2. The children said they had to work as prostitutes ____
3. Lebongang Makheta’s mother was surprised ____
4. The new television programme says that ____
5. The children say that ____
6. Mama Jackie says that ____

7. Some of the students had to leave their courses ____
8. Two board members resigned ____
a. ____ because they needed money to buy food for their brothers and sisters.
b. ____ Mama Jackie told them to cry a lot.
c. ____ the children told lies in 2001.
d. ____ because they said at the school that her daughter was an orphan.
e. ____ she has not done anything wrong.
f. ____ because they thought the children were orphans and street children.
g. ____ because they had no confidence in Ms Maarohanye.
h. ____ because there was no money to pay for their education.
4 Vocabulary: Verbs
Match these verbs from the text with their meanings.
1. resign a. to say something again
2. prove b. to receive money for work
3. make up c. to invent a story that is not true
4. earn d. to show clearly that something is true
5. repeat e. to give something to an organisation
6. donate f. to say that you are leaving a job or a position

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Level 1 Elementary
Complete the table.
1. hear ____________
2. tell ____________
3. cut ____________
4. shoot ____________
5. feed ____________
6. bring ____________
7. leave ____________
8. know ____________
Fill the gaps using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.
1. millions _______ dollars
2. care _______ someone
3. living _______ their parents
4. he’s _______ the army
5. a piece _______ paper
6. money to pay _______ their education
7. to live _______ bread

8. to resign _______ the board
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Verbs
1. false 1. f
2. gangster 2. d
3. prostitute 3. c
4. orphan 4. b
5. nightmare 5. a
6. lie 6. e
7. street children
8. spear
9. poverty 5 Vocabulary: Irregular verbs
10. angel
1. heard
2 Find the information 2. told
3. cut
4. shot
1. the Ithutheng Trust school
5. fed
2. $1 million
6. brought
3. 45
7. left
4. Bill and Hillary Clinton
8. knew
5. Carte Blanche
6. 2001 (five years ago)
1. of
2. for
1. f
3. with
2. a
4. in
3. d
5. of
4. c
6. for
5. b
7. on
6. e
8. from
7. h
8. g
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1 Key words
orphan prostitute traumatised destitute donor

claim (vb) recite sponsor (n) disgruntled bursary
1. If you ____________ something, you learn it and then say it to an audience.
2. If you ____________ something has happened, you say that it is true even though there is no proof.
3. A ____________ is someone who gives money to an organisation that helps people.
4. An ____________ is a child who has no parents.
5. A ____________ is money given to someone to pay for their college or university studies.
6. A ____________ is someone who is paid to have sex with people.
7. A ____________ is someone who agrees to support an organisation by giving it money.
8. If you are ____________ , you feel disappointed and annoyed about something.
9. If you are ____________ , you have no money and nowhere to live.
10. If you are ____________ , you are upset, afraid and shocked because of a bad experience.
1. Where is the Ithutheng Trust school?
2. How much did Oprah Winfrey give the Ithutheng Trust school?
3. Which sports organisation gave money to the Ithutheng Trust school?
4. How many children from Soweto went to the US in 2001?
5. What does Lindiwe Thusi’s father do?
6. How many board members have resigned from the Ithutheng Trust school?
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NEWS LESSONS / The ‘Angel of Soweto’? / Intermediate

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‘Angel of Soweto’ a fraud, TV show the hardship they had suffered. “We went to the
claims United Nations and [Ms Maarohanye] said that
today you better cry seriously ... you better cry
Celebrity donors backed woman who set up
more than the other days you have been crying,”
school for traumatised orphans
said the unidentified student.
by Chris McGreal in Johannesburg
Carte Blanche filmed at the school five years
ago and went back to talk to some of the same
To Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela and others
children. Many said their original stories were
who gave millions of dollars to help South African
not true. Lebogang Makheta said in 2001 that
orphans and street children, the woman who
both her parents had been murdered in political
cared for them was the “Angel of Soweto”. The
violence. “My mother was killed by a spear and
children she helped knew her simply as Mama
my father was shot dead,” she said at the time.
Jackie.
Now Lebogang says that was a lie.
The children had horrific stories to tell. Their
“I spoke to Mama Jackie and she told me that
parents had been murdered. They had to work
whatever they ask me, I must say it the way
as prostitutes to feed their younger brothers and
she wrote down because it would help us get
sisters. When they heard these terrible stories,
sponsors who would give us money,” she said. “I
many people gave large amounts of money
told myself I was just doing to get sponsors and
to Jackie Maarohanye and her Ithuteng Trust
to get help with our scholarships.” She also told
school to provide shelter and an education to
the programme in 2001 that she was involved
thousands of traumatised and destitute children.
with drugs and gangsters. “None of that was true.
The money came from famous donors such as
It was all lies, just lies,” she now says.
Winfrey, who wrote a cheque for $1m during a
visit to the school last year, and organisations Lebogang’s mother, Phyllis Makheta, went to
including the US National Basketball Association. a fundraising function at the school and was
“I think Mama Jackie is a living angel on earth,” surprised to discover that her daughter was
said Winfrey. supposed to be an orphan. “I was there in the
school. I don’t understand English very well, but
But now the school’s gates are locked and
I did ask them, even Jackie, why these children
Winfrey, America’s most influential talk show
are crying and saying they are orphans, but we
host, along with Mr Mandela and Bill Clinton, has
[their parents] are here. She said: ‘Don’t worry, it
requested copies of a South African television
is a play.’“
documentary that claims Ms Maarohanye
pressurised pupils into making up stories about Five years ago Lindiwe Thusi told Carte Blanche
murdered parents and poverty in order to raise that she saw her father’s body with his head
money. The film also claims that donations to cut off. She now says: “Mama Jackie gave us
educate children went missing while students a script with those words written on it.” When
went hungry. different people came we had to get ready and
start crying and tell that whole story,” she told
The investigative TV programme Carte Blanche
Carte Blanche. Lindiwe says her father is alive
showed that pupils who said they had seen their
and in the army. She also said that her earlier
parents killed are now living with them, and that
claim that she worked as a prostitute to feed her
those who said they had been saved from the
sisters was not true.
streets never left home. One of a group of 45
children from the Ithuteng school who travelled to Ms Maarohanye has refused to comment but she
the US five years ago as guests of Bill and Hillary told Carte Blanche that the accusations against
Clinton said they were made to appear before her were a “smear campaign” by disgruntled
the United Nations and recite false stories about
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former pupils. However, she was unable to
explain how it was that she told the media
Lebogang Makheta’s parents had been murdered
or that Lindiwe Thusi’s father had been brutally
killed. She said no student was ever forced to
repeat false stories. “I never pushed a child. I
have never put a gun on a child’s neck. I have
never strangled a child. I have never said if you
don’t go, this is what I am going to do. I have
never done that. You can never prove that I have
done that.”
The children’s stories brought numerous

donations from around the world. Some of the
money was to pay college bursaries. But three
years ago some donors, including a large bank
and a hotel group, stopped dealing with the
Ithuteng Trust after finding out the money was
not reaching the students or their colleges.
Several former Ithuteng students say they were
forced to leave their higher education courses
because the donors had stopped paying. A
former finance officer at the University of the
Western Cape said some students had so little
money they had to live on bread. Donors started
paying the fees direct to ensure that students
were able to graduate.
The chairman of the Ithuteng Trust board,

Joseph Kganakga, has described the news as a
nightmare that left him angry and disappointed.
He has resigned from the board, along with two
other board members who said they had lost
confidence in Ms Maarohanye.

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Are these questions True or False according to the text?
1. Lebogang Makheta’s mother was murdered.
2. The Ithutheng Trust school is no longer open.
3. The children cried at the United Nations because they were orphans.
4. Ms Maarohanye says that no-one was ever asked to repeat false stories.
5. Donors gave a lot of money as a result of the stories.

6. All the former Ithutheng Trust school students finished their studies.
7. The members of the Ithutheng Trust board still have confidence in Ms Maarohanye.
8. Oprah Winfrey described Ms Maarohanye as “the Angel of Soweto”.
Find the words or phrases that mean:
1. so shocking that it upsets you (para. 2)
2. a place where people can be protected from danger (para. 2)
3. a long weapon like a stick with one sharp end (para. 5)
4. the activity of trying to persuade people to give money for a specific purpose (para. 7)
5. the written words of a play, film, speech etc (para. 8)
6. claims that someone has done something illegal or wrong (para. 9)
7. a series of attempts to damage someone’s reputation by telling lies about them (para. 9)
8. to kill someone by squeezing their neck (para. 9)

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5 Vocabulary: Word stress
Put these words into two groups according to their stress.
recite nightmare ensure resign strangle comment

murder request travel involve explain suffer
1. 0 o 2. o 0
6 Vocabulary: Puzzle
Rearrange the letters to make words from the text that match the definitions.
1. b – y – l – t – l – u – a - r in a cruel and extremely violent way
2. m – g – t – a – i – n – h – e – r a frightening and unpleasant dream
3. s – g – n – e – r – i to state formally you are leaving a job or position
4. r – o – n – e – m – s – u – u existing in large numbers
5. f – e – s – u – r – e to say you will not do something
6. d – a – t – a – r – g – u – e to complete college or university studies
6 Vocabulary: Discussion
Is it right to lie to help people who are in a terrible situation?

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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Find the word
1. recite
2. claim 1. horrific
3. donor 2. shelter
4. orphan 3. spear
5. bursary 4. fundraising
6. prostitute 5. script
7. sponsor 6. accusations
8. disgruntled 7. smear campaign
9. destitute 8. strangle
10. traumatised
5 Word stress
1. 0 o nightmare; strangle; comment; murder; travel;
1. South Africa (Soweto) suffer
2. $1 million 2. o 0 recite; ensure; resign; request; involve; explain
3. The US National Basketball Association
4. 45
5. He’s a soldier (in the army)
6. Three
1. brutally
2. nightmare
3 Comprehension check 3. resign
4. numerous
1. F 5. refuse
2. T 6. graduate
3. F
4. T
5. T
6. F
7. F
8. F
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The news through French eyes
Level 1 Advanced
1 Key words
Fill the gaps using these key words from the text. Note that you may need to change the form of the word
(to a past participle, for example).
wrangling perennial dry run plummet dilute

unveil dwarf (vb) unprecedented ethos glitzy
1. If something ____________, it falls very quickly and suddenly from a high position.
2. If something is described as ____________, it has never happened or been experienced before.
3. If something is described as ____________, it has always existed and never seems to change.
4. A ____________ is something you do as a practice for an important event.
5. ____________ is a series of arguments over a long period of time.
6. If you ____________ something, you make it less strong or effective.
7. A ____________ building is bright, exciting and attractive (on the surface).
8. The ____________ of an organization or a group of people is the set of attitudes and beliefs that are
typical of them.
9. When something is ____________ by something else, it is much smaller in comparison to it.
10. When a plan is ____________, it is announced for the first time.
2 What do you know?
Decide whether these statements are True or False and then check your answers in the text.
1. France 24 is a new international TV station that will broadcast only in French.
2. President Chirac walked out of an EU meeting when a French employers’ group leader spoke in English.
3. The idea to launch a French 24-hour news channel came from Mr Chirac.
4. Al-Jazeera’s English service is watched by about 90 million households.
5. More than 4,000 people work for CNN.
6. France 24 will have a bigger budget than CNN.

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NEWS LESSONS / The news through French eyes / Advanced

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Level 1 Advanced
The news through French eyes: in the US and Britain mocked his efforts, the
Chirac TV takes on ‘Anglo-Saxon need for a news channel with a French voice
imperialism’ gained currency. Mr Chirac now wants to launch
it as part of the president’s legacy of projects
by Angelique Chrisafis in Paris
that continue France’s struggle against the
6 December, 2006
global dominance of the US. Earlier this year
he unveiled plans for a Franco-German search
In a slick glass television studio in an office block engine to compete with Google and Yahoo,
on the southern outskirts of Paris, a new front called Quaero, Latin for I search. It was quickly
in the war on ‘Anglo-Saxon’ cultural imperialism dubbed ‘Ask Chirac’.
will open up tonight. President Jacques Chirac’s
decade-old dream of a ‘CNN à la Française’ to But although the ageing president will launch
rival BBC World and US 24-hours news channels France 24 at a glittering gala in Paris’s Tuileries
is finally to launch after years of wrangling and in- Gardens, the station’s chief executive, Alain de
fighting, promising a revolution in world news. Pouzilhac, is determined not to let it become
‘Chirac TV’. “We have public money but we are
France 24 seeks to report international news an independent channel,” he told the Guardian.
‘through French eyes’. Not only will it offer a Nor will it be a vehicle for the centre-right
French perspective on world events from the presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy, who has
Middle East to Madagascar, it also aims to been accused of being too close to TV stations.
reflect a certain French ‘art de vivre’, or way “I know Nicolas very well. I don’t believe we will
of life. It will explain the news with a perennial have a problem with that. He hasn’t called me,”
favourite of French TV: the argumentative debate Mr Pouzilhac added.
show where philosophers in corduroy discuss
current affairs. Dry runs have included topics The channel is aiming at a similar number of
from Rwanda to the plummeting fortunes of the viewers to al-Jazeera’s English service, about
French rugby team or the changing tastes for 75 million households in more than 90 countries,
Beaujolais nouveau. describing itself as a ‘third way’ between the
Qatar-based station and CNN.
At least 20% of the programming will focus on
culture and lifestyle, embracing everything from But its birth has not been smooth. It is an
world museums to cuisine, fashion and French unprecedented partnership between France
chocolate. It will broadcast simultaneously Télévisions, the country’s public broadcaster,
on two channels, in English and French. But and TF1, one of Europe’s largest private TV
broadcasting in English – which when used by channels, two groups which are normally rivals.
the French leader of the European employers’ There have been numerous union protests
group Unice in March this year prompted Mr and management disagreements – even the
Chirac to storm out of an EU meeting – will not channel’s name, pronounced France vingt-
dilute the French ethos. Station executives hope quatre, was hotly contested. Some French
the English debate shows will be even more politicians have expressed fears that the
heated than the French. Broadcasts in Arabic station couldn’t generate the funds to compete
and Spanish will follow at later dates. internationally. François Rochebloine, of the
centrist UDF, called it an ‘uncertain bet’, warning
The idea of a French 24-hour news channel that the taxpayer could have to pay for it twice,
was first dreamed up when Mr Chirac was prime once in the licence fee and again in a satellite or
minister in the late 1980s and became one of cable subscription.
his election pledges for the presidency in 2002.
The following year, when Mr Chirac tried to slow France 24’s images will largely come from its
the US drive to war in Iraq and some media parent TV stations as well as other partners such
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Level 1 Advanced
as the agency Agence France Presse and Radio
France International, prompting allegations that it
will just be a round-up of other channels’ content.
With a team of 170 journalists of an average
age of 30 and public funding of €86m (£58m)
for the first year, France 24 is dwarfed by its
competitors. CNN has a budget of €1.2bn and a
staff of 4,000.
But at its headquarters, where a banner outside

proclaims: “Everything you are not supposed to
know”, journalists say the station will influence
world politics. Mark Owen, formerly of Granada
TV, who will present the English morning news
bulletins and debate show, said: “Take the
conflict in Lebanon this summer. If Jacques
Chirac’s call for a ceasefire – which didn’t
even make BBC or CNN – had been reported
earlier, it could have brought about an earlier
resolution of the conflict. If Chirac’s call had been
reported more widely it maybe could have saved
thousands of lives. That was a story calling out
for a French angle, given the historic links to
Lebanon.”
The France 24 website will launch tonight and

the station, available on cable or satellite, goes
live tomorrow. There will be a 10-minute news
bulletin each half hour and in between a series
of magazines with topics including ‘humanitarian
affairs’, lifestyle, culture, and a monthly show
on ‘economic intelligence’, explained as spying
wars between ‘hypercompetitive companies’. The
Week in France will tackle politics and society,
and other weekly specials will come from Asia,
the Americas, Africa and the Middle East.
Outside the glitzy building, the critical reaction

has been favourable. Guillaume Parmentier,
director of the French Centre on the United
States, said: “It’s not an anti-American operation.
It’s more than that. France didn’t have an
international news channel to compete with many
countries that have. What is remarkable is that is
has taken such a long time to come about.”

First published in the Guardian, 6/12/06
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1. What is the main purpose of France 24?

a. To attract more viewers than CNN.
b. To report international news from a French perspective.
c. To present an anti-American world view.
2. Why did the need for a news channel with a French voice increase in 2003?
a. Because President Chirac wanted it to be part of his legacy.
b. Because France was struggling against the global dominance of the US.
c. Because Chirac’s voice of opposition to the war in Iraq was not being heard.
3. Why has France 24 been labelled an ‘uncertain bet’?

a. Because French taxpayers may have to pay for it twice.
b. Because there have been union protests and management disagreements.
c. Because people cannot agree on the channel’s name.
4. What is the most remarkable thing about France 24?

a. That it is aiming at a similar number of viewers as Al-Jazeera.
b. That it has taken so long to become a reality.
c. That it will broadcast in both French and English simultaneously.
4 Find the word
Look in paragraphs 1 to 4 of the text and find these words or expressions.
1. An adjective meaning impressive and seeming to need very little effort.
2. A noun meaning a thick cotton material with a ridged surface.
3. A verb meaning to include and accept something.
4. An adverb meaning at the same time.
5. A verb meaning to make something look stupid by laughing at it.
6. An expression meaning to win the approval of many people.
7. A noun meaning something you have achieved that continues to exist after you have stopped working or after
you die.
8. A verb meaning to give someone or something a particular name.

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5 Collocations
Match the verbs with the nouns or noun phrases.
1. to launch a. fears
2. to dream up b. a television programme
3. to unveil c. a particular issue or subject
4. to express d. an idea
5. to generate e. funds or income
6. to present f. a ceasefire
7. to call for g. a new business, service or product
8. to focus on h. a plan
6 Word building
These words from the text all have a second, different meaning to the one used in the text. Fill the gaps in
the sentences using these words.
launch slick mock currency

channel dub embrace heated
1. A ____________ test or exam is one you do as practice for a real one.
2. The ____________ of Russia is the rouble.
3. A ____________ is a large open boat with an engine.
4. A ____________ swimming pool is a must in cold weather.
5. An oil ____________ is a pool of oil floating on the sea.
6. If you ____________ a film, you replace the soundtrack with a different language.
7. A ____________ is a narrow area of water joining two seas.
8. If you ____________ someone, you put your arms round them to show love or friendship.
7 Discussion
Is the English language too dominant in the world today? Can French ever be the lingua franca of the world?
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KEY
1 Key words 5 Collocations
1. plummets 1. g
2. unprecedented 2. d
3. perennial 3. h
4. dry run 4. a
5. wrangling 5. e
6. dilute 6. b
7. glitzy 7. f
8. ethos 8. c
9. dwarfed
10. unveiled
6 Homonyms
2 What do you know? 1. mock

2. currency
1. F 3. launch
2. T 4. heated
3. T 5. slick
4. F 6. dub
5. T 7. channel
6. F 8. embrace
1. b
2. c
3. a
4. b
4 Find the word
1. slick
2. corduroy
3. embrace
4. simultaneously
5. mock
6. gain currency
7. legacy
8. dub
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1 Key words
channel broadcast debate heated struggle

launch partnership rival competitor bulletin
1. A ____________ is a discussion in which people or groups give different opinions about a subject.
2. A ____________ is a situation where two companies or organizations work together on a project.
3. If a discussion is ____________, people become angry and excited.
4. A ____________ is a fight or an attempt to stop someone having power over you.
5. If you ____________ a programme you send it out on radio or television.
6. A news ____________ is a short programme presenting the latest news.
7. A ____________ is a television station and the programmes that it broadcasts.
8. If you ____________ a service, you begin operating it.
9. A ____________ is a company that provides the same goods or services as another company.
10. A ____________ is a person, team or business that competes with another.
1. How many journalists will work for France 24?
2. What is the annual budget of CNN?
3. How long will each news bulletin be on France 24?
4. How often will a news bulletin be broadcast?
5. When did Mr Chirac first have the idea of a French 24-hour news channel?
6. How many viewers does France 24 plan to have?

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NEWS LESSONS / The news through French eyes / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
The news through French eyes: the world power of the USA. Earlier this year he
Chirac TV takes on ‘Anglo-Saxon announced plans for a Franco-German search
imperialism’ engine to compete with Google and Yahoo,
called Quaero, Latin for I search.
6 December, 2006 The president himself will launch France 24
at a celebration in Paris but the station’s chief
There are several 24-hour television news executive, Alain de Pouzilhac, says the station
channels which broadcast around the world. will not become ‘Chirac TV’. “We have public
They include the American channel CNN and money but we are an independent channel,” he
the British channels BBC World and Sky News. says. Presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy will
These channels broadcast the news in English. also not be able to use the channel to broadcast
Now there is a new 24-hour news channel which his views. “I know Nicolas very well. I don’t
will broadcast the news in French. France 24 is believe we will have a problem with that. He
the world’s first French 24-hour television news hasn’t called me,” said Mr Pouzilhac.
channel. France 24 hopes to have a similar number of
France 24 will report international news ‘through viewers to al-Jazeera’s English service, about
French eyes’. It will offer a French view of world 75 million households in more than 90 countries.
events from the Middle East to Madagascar, It describes itself as a ‘third way’ between al-
and will also show the French way of life. It will Jazeera and CNN.
explain the news with typical French TV debates But the birth of France 24 has not been easy.
where philosophers discuss the latest events. It is a partnership between France Télévisions,
Test programmes have included topics such as France’s public broadcaster, and TF1, one
Rwanda, the French rugby team and French of Europe’s largest private TV channels, two
wine. groups which are usually rivals. There have
At least 20% of the programmes will be about been protests by trade unions and management
culture and lifestyle, including everything disagreements – there have even been
from world museums to cuisine, fashion and disagreements over what name to call the
French chocolate. France 24 will broadcast channel. Some French politicians believe the
on two channels at the same time, in English station will not earn enough money to be a
and French. But broadcasting in English does success.
not mean the channel will be less French. The Most of France 24’s television pictures will come
managers of France 24 hope the English debates from its parent TV stations as well as other
will be even more heated than the French. The partners such as the main French news agency
channel also plans to broadcast in Arabic and and Radio France International. Some people
Spanish. say France 24 will simply be a summary of
The idea for a French 24-hour news channel what other TV channels are broadcasting. 170
came from President Chirac. He first had the journalists will work for France 24 and the station
idea when he was prime minister in the late will receive €86m (£58m) of public money for
1980s. In 2003 Mr Chirac criticised the American the first year, France 24 is much smaller than its
preparations for war in Iraq. Television and competitors. CNN has a budget of €1.2bn and
radio stations in the USA and Britain attacked 4,000 employees.
him for this. It was clear there was a need for But France 24’s journalists say it will influence
a news channel with a French voice. Now Mr world politics. Mark Owen, who will present the
Chirac hopes that France 24 will be one of the English morning news, said: “The BBC and CNN
projects that continue France’s struggle against
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Level 1 Elementary
didn’t report Jacques Chirac’s call for a ceasefire
in Lebanon this summer. If more TV stations
had reported his call, maybe it could have saved
hundreds of lives. That story needed a French
angle, with France’s historic links to Lebanon.”
The France 24 website will open tonight and the

station goes live tomorrow. There will be a 10-
minute news bulletin each half hour and between
the news bulletins, magazine programmes with
topics including lifestyle, culture, economics
and business. The Week in France will discuss
politics and society, and other weekly specials
will come from Asia, the Americas, Africa and the
Middle East.
Critical reaction to the new station has been

positive. Guillaume Parmentier, director of the
French Centre on the United States, said: “It’s
not an anti-American operation. It’s more than
that. France didn’t have an international news
channel while many other countries have them.
It is really surprising that it has taken such a long
time for France to have an international news
channel.”

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1. France 24 will only report on France.
2. Most of its programmes will be about culture and lifestyle.
3. France 24 will broadcast in both French and English.
4. France 24 is also called “Chirac TV”.
5. France 24 will be bigger than CNN.
6. People disagreed about the best name for the channel.

7. France has historical links to Lebanon.
8. There will be 10 news bulletins every day.
4 Vocabulary 1: Noun + noun collocations and compounds
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column.
1. search a. style
2. news b. station
3. world c. site
4. radio d. executive
5. chief e. events
6. trade f. agency
7. life g. engine
8. web h. union
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5 Vocabulary 2: Prepositions in phrases

1. _______ the same time
2. _______ French eyes
3. way _______ life
4. _______ the late 1980s
5. compete _______
6. struggle _______
7. reaction _______
8. partnership _______
6 Word building
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. disagree ____________
2. explain ____________
3. discuss ____________
4. criticise ____________
5. announce ____________
6. manage ____________
7. believe ____________
8. succeed ____________
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Noun + noun collocations
1. debate 1. g
2. partnership 2. f
3. heated 3. e
4. struggle 4. b
5. broadcast 5. d
6. bulletin 6. h
7. channel 7. a
8. launch 8. c
9. competitor
10. rival
5 Vocabulary 2: Prepositions in phrases
2 Find the information 1. at

2. through
1. 170 3. of
2. €1.2 billion 4. in
3. 10 minutes 5. with
4. each half hour 6. against
5. in the late 1980s 7. to
6. 75 million households 8. between
6 Word building
1. F
2. F 1. disagreement
3. T 2. explanation
4. F 3. discussion
5. F 4. criticism
6. T 5. announcement
7. T 6. management (manager);
8. F 7. belief
8. success
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1 Key words
rival launch cuisine simultaneously heated

media gala funding ceasefire bulletin
1. A ____________ is a special performance or event to celebrate something.
2. A news ____________ is a short news broadcast.
3. ____________ is a particular style of cooking, especially the cooking of a particular country or region.
4. A ____________ is an agreement to stop fighting for a period of time.
5. If things happen ____________, they happen at exactly the same time.
6. A ____________ is a person, team or business that competes with another.
7. If a discussion or argument is ____________, people become angry and excited.
8. ____________ is the money that a government or organization provides for a particular purpose.
9. If you ____________ a new product or service, you start offering it to the public.
10. The ____________ includes newspapers, radio, television and the internet.
1. How many journalists will work for France 24?
2. What is the annual budget of CNN?
3. How long will each news bulletin be on France 24?
4. How often will a news bulletin be broadcast?
5. When did Mr Chirac first have the idea of a French 24-hour news channel?
6. How many viewers does France 24 plan to have?

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NEWS LESSONS / The news through French eyes / Intermediate

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The news through French eyes: of the US. Earlier this year he announced plans
Chirac TV takes on ‘Anglo-Saxon for a Franco-German search engine to compete
imperialism’ with Google and Yahoo, called Quaero, Latin for
I search.
6 December, 2006 But although the president will launch France 24
at a gala in Paris, the station’s chief executive,
For more than 10 years President Jacques Alain de Pouzilhac, says the station will not
Chirac of France has dreamt of a French become ‘Chirac TV’. “We have public money
24-hour television news channel to act as a but we are an independent channel,” he says.
rival to English-speaking channels such as The centre-right presidential hopeful Nicolas
BBC World and CNN. Now, after many years Sarkozy will also not be able to use the channel
of disagreements and internal problems, the to broadcast his views. “I know Nicolas very well.
channel will finally be launched, promising a I don’t believe we will have a problem with that.
revolution in world news reporting. He hasn’t called me,” Mr Pouzilhac added.
France 24 intends to report international news The channel wants to have a similar number of
‘through French eyes’. It will offer a French viewers to al-Jazeera’s English service, about
perspective on world events from the Middle 75 million households in more than 90 countries,
East to Madagascar, and also aims to reflect and describes itself as a ‘third way’ between the
the French way of life. It will explain the news Qatar-based al-Jazeera and CNN.
with typical French TV debate shows where But the birth of France 24 has not been easy.
philosophers discuss current affairs. Test It is a partnership between France Télévisions,
programmes have included topics from Rwanda the country’s public broadcaster, and TF1, one
to the French rugby team or the changing tastes of Europe’s largest private TV channels, two
for Beaujolais nouveau wine. groups which are normally rivals. There have
At least 20% of the programming will focus on been several protests by trade unions and
culture and lifestyle, including everything from management disagreements – there have even
world museums to cuisine, fashion and French been disagreements over the channel’s name.
chocolate. It will broadcast simultaneously Some French politicians believe the station
on two channels, in English and French. But will not generate enough income to compete
broadcasting in English will not affect the French internationally.
character of the channel. France 24 executives France 24’s pictures will mainly come from its
hope the English debate shows will be even parent TV stations as well as other partners such
more heated than the French. The channel also as the main French news agency and Radio
plans to broadcast in Arabic and Spanish. France International, which has led some people
Mr Chirac first had the idea of a French 24-hour to say that it will just be a summary of other
news channel when he was prime minister in channels’ content. France 24 will have a team
the late 1980s. It was then one of his election of 170 journalists of an average age of 30 and
promises for the presidency in 2002. The public funding of €86m (£58m) for the first year,
following year, when Mr Chirac criticized the France 24 is much smaller than its competitors.
American preparations for war in Iraq, he was CNN has a budget of €1.2bn and a staff of 4,000.
attacked by the media in the US and Britain. But journalists at its headquarters say the station
People clearly saw the need for a news channel will influence world politics. Mark Owen, who
with a French voice. Mr Chirac now wants to will present the English morning news bulletins
launch it as one of the projects that continue and debate show, said: “Look at the conflict in
France’s struggle against the global dominance
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Lebanon this summer. If Jacques Chirac’s call for
a ceasefire – which wasn’t reported by the BBC
or CNN – had been reported earlier, it could have
ended the conflict earlier. If Chirac’s call had
been reported more widely, it maybe could have
saved thousands of lives. That was a story that
needed a French angle, with France’s historic
links to Lebanon.”
The France 24 website will launch tonight

and the station goes live tomorrow. There will
be a 10-minute news bulletin each half hour
and between the news bulletins, magazine
programmes with topics including ‘humanitarian
affairs’, lifestyle, culture, and a monthly show on
economics and business. The Week in France
will discuss politics and society, and other weekly
specials will come from Asia, the Americas, Africa
and the Middle East.
Outside the shining new building, the critical

reaction has been favourable. Guillaume
Parmentier, director of the French Centre on the
United States, said: “It’s not an anti-American
operation. It’s more than that. France didn’t have
an international news channel while many other
countries have them. What is remarkable is that
is has taken such a long time for France to get
one.”

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1. France 24 plans to have as many viewers as CNN and BBC News 24.
2. France 24 will broadcast in both French and English.
3. France 24 is also known as Chirac TV.
4. All the journalists at France 24 are 30 years old.
5. The critical reaction to France 24 has been positive.
6. Everyone agreed that France 24 was the best name for the channel.
7. France 24 is the world’s first 24-hour television news channel.
8. The main aim of France 24 is to report the news from a French point of view.
4 Vocabulary 1: Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns or noun phrases in the right-hand column.
1. launch a. the news
2. debate b. a rival
3. have c. lives
4. compete with d. a new service or product
5. generate e. a television programme
6. present f. an idea
7. save g. income
8. report h. a topic
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5 Vocabulary 2: Prepositions
1. focus _______
2. taste _______
3. perspective _______
4. preparation _______
5. need _______
6. struggle _______
7. compete _______
8. disagreement _______
6 Word building
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. disagree ____________
2. criticize ____________
3. prepare ____________
4. dominate ____________
5. announce ____________
6. compete ____________
7. summarise ____________
8. fund ____________
7 Discussion
Do you think it is a good thing or a bad thing that English is the so-called ‘international language of business’?
Why?
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1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Verb + noun collocations
1. gala 1. d
2. bulletin 2. h
3. cuisine 3. f
4. ceasefire 4. b
5. simultaneously 5. g
6. rival 6. e
7. heated 7. c
8. funding 8. a
9. launch
10. media
2 Find the information 1. on

2. for
1. 170 3. on
2. €1.2 billion 4. for
3. 10 minutes 5. for
4. every half hour 6. against
5. in the late 1980s 7. with
6. about 75 million households 8. over
6 Word building
1. F
2. T 1. disagreement
3. F 2. criticism
4. F 3. preparation
5. T 4. dominance
6. F 5. announcement
7. F 6. competitor/competition
8. T 7. summary
8. funding
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Democrats hail new era for US
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
Complete the sentences using key words from the text.
dwindle bipartisanship sworn in inducement sweep

mood redeploy legislative uproar bill
1. __________ is the act of two opposing political parties voting the same way on a piece of law or
government decision.
2. Elected members of government in the United States are __________ before they take office.
3. If you __________ an election or a race, you win it easily.
4. An __________ is an angry public criticism of something.
5. __________ is an adjective that means relating to law.
6. To __________ something is to move it to another place or a different job.
7. An __________ is something that persuades someone to do something (often something wrong).
8. A __________ is a proposal for a new law.
9. A __________ is a noun referring to the way someone feels.
10. __________ is a verb meaning to become gradually less or smaller.
2 What do you know about American politics?
Answer the questions.
1. What are the two major political parties in the US?
2. What political party does George Bush belong to?
3. The US Congress is bicameral, meaning it has two parliamentary chambers. One is called the House of
Representatives. What is the other?
4. What was the number one foreign policy issue of George Bush’s government in 2006?
5. What role does the Speaker of the House hold in US politics?
6. How often are there elections for Congress in the US?

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Level 3 Advanced
Democrats hail new era for US as they clear to the Iraqis that they must defend their
sweep into Congress own streets and their own security, a plan that
promotes stability in the region and that allows
by Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
us to responsibly redeploy American forces,” Ms
January 5, 2007
Pelosi said.
A new era was proclaimed in Washington as Pentagon officials said there could be an
the Democratic party recaptured control of increase of between 20,000 and 40,000 to the
both houses of Congress after 12 years on the forces in Iraq, achieved mainly by extending the
sidelines of power. stay of soldiers currently serving in Iraq while
moving forward the deployment of Marine units.
“The Democrats are back,” exulted Nancy Pelosi,
who went on to make history when she was The Democrats will get another chance to
sworn in as the first woman to become speaker question Mr Bush’s judgment on the war in
of the House of Representatives. confirmation hearings for John Negroponte, the
new deputy secretary of state. Mr Negroponte,
“This is an historic moment - for the Congress,
who was made national intelligence director less
and for the women of this country. It is a moment
than two years ago, is expected to be replaced
for which we have waited more than 200 years,”
by retired vice-admiral Mike McConnell.
Ms Pelosi, 66, told Congress.
Mr Bush faces trials on the domestic front too
In another first, Keith Ellison of Minnesota
as Ms Pelosi plans to exercise the Democrats’
became the first Muslim to serve in Congress,
new majority with an ambitious legislative
taking his office on a Qur’an that once belonged
agenda, beginning almost immediately after the
to former president Thomas Jefferson.
swearing-in with measures to untangle the murky
Amid the celebratory mood among Democrats, relationships between lobbyists and politicians.
the official message from Ms Pelosi as well as The move, banning such inducements as free
the new Democratic Senate majority leader, seats at basketball games and trips on private
Harry Reid, was about cooperation with jets, was the first step in a Democratic plan to
their Republican opponents. But the limits of pass six new pieces of legislation through the
bipartisanship were made starkly apparent when House before Mr Bush makes his State of the
Ms Pelosi signalled that George Bush, who had Union address on January 23.
a Republican House and Senate in his first six
In the Senate, where the Democratic majority
years in the White House, would face new and
is wafer-thin, Mr Reid said that the focus would
energised opposition.
remain on Iraq. Mr Reid has not ruled out support
“Nowhere were the American people more clear for a troop surge, but other senators have said
about the need for a new direction than in Iraq. they intend to use their new powers to increase
The American people rejected an open-ended scrutiny of the administration, with hearings
obligation to a war without end,” Ms Pelosi said. scheduled in at least two committees on the
progress of the war.
She put Mr Bush on notice that he could expect
fierce opposition to his new strategy for Iraq. He In addition to ethics reform, the Democrats have
is expected to announce next week his decision pledged to raise the federal minimum wage
to increase America’s military commitment there for the first time in a decade, as well as make
with the deployment of thousands more troops. federal funds available for stem cell research.
But the limit of their new power was underscored
“It is the responsibility of the President to when the White House announced that Mr Bush,
articulate a new plan for Iraq that makes it who vetoed a similar bill last summer, remains
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Level 3 Advanced
opposed to stem cell research. Mr Bush went on
to warn of further confrontations. “If the Congress
chooses to pass bills that are simply political
statements, they will have chosen stalemate,” he
wrote in the Wall Street Journal.
Mr Bush saw the further dwindling of his band

of Texas loyalists with the resignation of the
White House counsel, Harriet Miers. Ms Miers’
departure had been expected ever since her
nomination to the Supreme Court in 2005,
which was withdrawn amid an uproar over her
apparently shaky grasp of constitutional law.

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Level 3 Advanced
Decide whether these statements are True (T), False (F) or DS (doesn’t say in the text).
1. The Democrats have never had power in the House of Representatives. ____
2. In the past women were not allowed to be speaker of the House. ____
3. There have been Muslims in the US Congress in the past. ____
4. The speaker of the house believes that Americans want a foreign policy change in Iraq. ____
5. The President has changed his Iraq policy in response to the Democrats. ____
6. John Negroponte is going to be the new national intelligence director. ____
7. The Democrats want to increase political inducements from lobbyists. ____
8. The Senate is also concerned with the war in Iraq. ____
9. George Bush does not want federal funds to be used in stem cell research. ____
10. Harriet Miers resigned as Supreme Court judge because she didn’t know enough about constitutional law. ____
4 Vocabulary 1: Communication verbs
Find the verbs in the text that have the following meanings. The first letter is provided, and all the verbs are
in the text.
1. to say publicly how good or important something is to h______
2. to say something publicly to a______ or to p______
3. to say something with great pleasure to e______
4. to say or show what you intend to do to s______
5. to say no to something to r______
6. to say something clearly, with precision to a______
7. to say in public that you promise to do something to p______

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5 Grammar focus
Study the word order in this example from the text:
Nowhere were the American people more clear about the need for a new direction than in Iraq.
Rewrite the sentences below beginning with the words provided.
1. George Bush had never faced such opposition from Congress before.
Never…
2. The US Congress rarely changes political colours in both houses.

Rarely…
3. The Pentagon has seldom deployed so many soldiers in the Middle East.
Seldom…
4. It is not only an important time for American women, it is an important for American Muslims.
Not only…
5. The President will support funding stem cell research under no circumstances.
Under no circumstances…
6 Vocabulary 2: Collocations
Complete the sentences with a word from the box. There are four words you don’t need.
do make stay take

obvious knowledge remain apparent grasp
1. The team knew this was their big moment, their chance to ______ history.
2. The new President will ______ office in January.
3. It is starkly ______ that the world climate is changing.
4. I have rather a shaky ______ on English grammar, although my vocabulary is excellent.
5. Many teachers ______ opposed to the new exam format due to take place next term.
7 Discussion
Do you think the political changes in the US Congress will make a difference to America’s foreign policy?
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1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Communication verbs
1. bipartisanship 1. hail
2. sworn in 2. announce; proclaim
3. sweep 3. exult
4. uproar 4. signal
5. legislative 5. reject
6. redeploy 6. articulate
7. inducement 7. pledge
8. bill
9. mood
5 Grammar focus
10. dwindle
Note that all these examples are more common in

2 What do you know about American formal and literary styles but sometimes occur in spoken
politics? English.
1. Republicans and Democrats 1. Never had George Bush faced such opposition from
2. Republican Congress before.
3. The US Senate 2. Rarely does the US Congress change political
4. War in Iraq colours in both houses.
5. He or she is the leader of the political party in the 3. Seldom has the Pentagon deployed so many soldiers
majority in the House of Representatives. in the Middle East.
6. Every two years. 4. Not only is it an important time for American women,
it is an important for American Muslims.
5. Under no circumstances will the President support
funding stem cell research.
1. F
2. DS 6 Vocabulary 2: Collocations
3. F
4. T 1. make
5. DS 2. take
6. F 3. apparent
7. F 4. grasp
8. T 5. remain
9. T
10. F
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
a bill to hail a jet a lobbyist minimum wage

to proclaim to redeploy to reject a stalemate stem cell research take office
1. __________ is a proposal for a new law.
2. __________ is a situation in which progress is impossible because the people cannot agree.
3. __________ something is to move it to another place or a different job.

4. __________ something means you say no to it.
5. When politicians __________ , they begin their work.
6. __________ or __________ something means you say it publicly.
7. __________ is a type of expensive plane.
8. __________ is someone who tries to influence politicians or people in authority.
9. The __________ is the lowest legal amount of money you earn for working.
10. __________ is medical research using cells taken from an animal or person at an early stage of development.
1. The Democrats ____

2. Nancy Pelosi is ____
3. Keith Ellison is ____
4. Harry Reid is ____
5. The American people ____
6. The House of Representatives and the Senate ____
7. George Bush is ____
a. ____ against stem cell research.

b. ____ control both houses of Congress.
c. ____ have rejected a war without end in Iraq.
d. ____ the Democrat Senate leader.
e. ____ the first Muslim in Congress.
f. ____ the first woman speaker of the House of Representatives.
g. ____ will focus on Iraq when they pass new laws.
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NEWS LESSONS / Democrats hail new era for US / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
The Democrats hail new era for US as inducements as free seats at basketball games
they sweep into Congress and trips on private jets.
by Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington In the Senate, where the Democratic majority is

January 5, 2007 very thin, Mr Reid said yesterday that the focus
would remain on Iraq.
A new era was proclaimed in Washington as
the Democratic party recaptured control of both The Democrats have also promised to raise the
houses of Congress for the first time in 12 years. federal minimum wage for the first time in ten
years, as well as make federal money available
“The Democrats are back,” said Nancy Pelosi, for stem cell research. But the White House
who made history when she became the first announced that Mr Bush is still opposed to
woman speaker of the House of Representatives. stem cell research. Mr Bush warned of further
confrontations. “If the Congress chooses to pass
bills that are simply political statements, they will
have chosen stalemate,” he wrote in the Wall
Street Journal this week.
Ms Pelosi told Congress.
Keith Ellison of Minnesota became the first

Muslim to serve in Congress, taking his office on
a Qur’an.
The official message from Ms Pelosi as well

as the new Democratic Senate majority leader,
Harry Reid, was about cooperation with their
Republican opponents. But Ms Pelosi said that
George Bush would face new and energetic
opposition. The President had a Republican
House and Senate in his first six years in the
White House.
“The American people were clear about the need

for a new direction in Iraq. The American people
rejected an open-ended obligation to a war
without end,” Ms Pelosi said.
“It is the responsibility of the President to

articulate a new plan for Iraq that makes it
clear to the Iraqis that they must defend their
own streets and their own security, a plan that
Pelosi said.
Ms Pelosi plans to use the Democrats’ new

majority in domestic politics as well. She wants
to begin almost immediately with measures
to clarify relationships between lobbyists and
politicians. The move would ban such
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Level 1 Elementary
Tick the correct sentence.
1. a) The Democrats have not had control of Congress for the past 12 years.
b) The Democrats have had control of Congress for the past 12 years.
2. a) Nancy Pelosi wants the President to defend the streets of Iraq.

b) Nancy Pelosi wants the Iraqis to defend the streets of Iraq.
3. a) Lobbyists give free basketball tickets and jet rides to politicians.

b) Politicians give free basketball tickets and jet rides to lobbyists.
4. a) The Democrats want to give more money to poor workers.

b) The Democrats want to give less money to poor workers.
5. a) George Bush and the Democrats agree about stem cell research.
b) George Bush and the Democrats do not agree about stem cell research.
4 Vocabulary 1: Opposites
Find the opposite of these words in the text.
1. the last ________
2. minority ________
3. to attack ________
4. foreign politics ________
5. to permit ________
6. minimum ________
7. in favour of ________
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Level 1 Elementary
Complete the table.
noun adjective
energy 1.________
2. ________ political
history 3.________
4. ________ responsible
availability 5.________
6. ________ secure
6 Vocabulary 3: American politics
Find the following five words connected to American politics in the wordsearch:
The major political parties in the USA. (2 words)
The name for the House of Representatives and the Senate. (1 word)
The title of the leader of the House. (1 word)
Where the President lives and works. (1 word)
W J T A F V H C M R
R H A A O Q A W E H
S T I B R W K P H C
F P J T P C U L F J
E L E K E B O R T J
Z U V A L H F M O G
N E R I K B O P E R
K J C O P E L U B D
I A S U C B R J S U
N C O N G R E S S E
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1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Opposites
1. bill 1. the first

2. stalemate 2. majority
3. redeploy 3. to defend
4. reject 4. domestic politics
5. take office 5. to ban
6. hail or proclaim 6. maximum
7. jet 7. opposed to
8. lobbyist
9. minimum wage
10. stem cell research 5 Vocabulary 2: Word building
1. energetic
2 Find the information 2. politics
3. historic (or historical)
1. b 4. responsibility
2. f 5. available
3. e 6. security
4. d
5. c
6. g 6 Vocabulary: American politics
7. a
The hidden words are:
3 Comprehension check Democrat and Republican

Congress
1. a Speaker
2. b White House
3. a
4. a
5. b
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stalemate bipartisanship inducement sweep

redeploy legislative pledge bill
1. __________ is the act of two opposing political parties voting the same way on a piece of law or
government decision.
2. A __________ is a situation in which progress is impossible because the people cannot agree.
3. If you __________ an election or a race, you win it easily.
4. If you __________ something, you promise publicly to do it.
5. __________ is an adjective that means relating to law.
6. To __________ something is to move it to another place or a different job.
7. An __________ is something that persuades someone to do something (often something wrong).
8. A __________ is a proposal for a new law.
2 What do you know about American politics?
1. In the United States there are … major political 4. The US Congress comprises:
parties.
a) the House of Representatives
a) two b) the Senate
b) three c) both a) and b)
c) five
5. The leader of the House of Representatives is:
2. George Bush and the … party have controlled
government for the past six years. a) the President of the United States
b) the Speaker of the House
a) Democrat c) the top general in the US army
b) Republican
c) Labour
3. The US Congress has elections every … years.
a) two
b) six
c) ten
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NEWS LESSONS / Democrats hail new era for US / Intermediate

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Democrats hail new era for US as they clear to the Iraqis that they must defend their
sweep into Congress own streets and their own security, a plan that
by Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
January 5, 2007
Pelosi said.
A new era was proclaimed in Washington as Pentagon officials said there could be an
the Democratic party recaptured control of increase of between 20,000 and 40,000 to the
both houses of Congress after 12 years on the forces in Iraq.
sidelines of power.
Mr Bush faces trials on the domestic front too as
“The Democrats are back,” exulted Nancy Ms Pelosi plans to exercise the Democrats’ new
Pelosi, who went on to make history when she majority with an ambitious legislative agenda,
became the first woman speaker of the House of beginning almost immediately with measures
Representatives. to clarify relationships between lobbyists and
politicians. The move, banning such inducements
as free seats at basketball games and trips on
private jets, was the first step in a Democratic
plan to pass six new pieces of legislation through
Ms Pelosi, 66, told Congress.
the House before Mr Bush makes his State of the
In another first Keith Ellison of Minnesota Union address on January 23.
became the first Muslim to serve in Congress,
In the Senate, where the Democratic majority
taking his office on a Qur’an that once belonged
is very thin, Mr Reid said that the focus would
to former president Thomas Jefferson.
remain on Iraq. Mr Reid has not said no to
Amid the celebratory feeling among Democrats, support for more troops, but other senators
the official message from Ms Pelosi as well as have said they intend to use their new powers
the new Democratic Senate majority leader, to increase scrutiny of the administration, with
Harry Reid, was about cooperation with hearings scheduled in at least two committees on
their Republican opponents. But the limits of the progress of the war.
bipartisanship were made starkly apparent when
In addition to ethics reform, the Democrats have
Ms Pelosi signalled that George Bush, who had
pledged to raise the federal minimum wage
a Republican House and Senate in his first six
for the first time in a decade, as well as make
years in the White House, would face new and
federal funds available for stem cell research.
energised opposition.
But the limit of their new power was underscored
“Nowhere were the American people more clear when the White House announced that Mr Bush
about the need for a new direction than in Iraq. remains opposed to stem cell research. Mr
The American people rejected an open-ended Bush went on to warn of further confrontations.
obligation to a war without end,” Ms Pelosi said. “If the Congress chooses to pass bills that are
simply political statements, they will have chosen
She warned Mr Bush that he could expect fierce stalemate,” he wrote in the Wall Street Journal
opposition to his new strategy for Iraq. He is this week.
expected to announce his decision to increase
America’s military commitment there with the © Guardian News & Media 2007
deployment of thousands more soldiers. First published in the Guardian, 5/1/07
“It is the responsibility of the President to

articulate a new plan for Iraq that makes it
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Decide if these statements are True (T) or False (F) according to the text.
1. Nancy Pelosi is the first woman in Congress. ___
2. There have been Muslims in the US Congress in the past. ____
3. The Republicans controlled the House and the Senate for the first six years of George Bush’s presidency. ____
4. The speaker of the house believes that Americans want a foreign policy change in Iraq. ____
5. The Pentagon has increased the number of soldiers in Iraq by 30,000. ____
6. The Democrats want to examine political lobbyists. ____

7. The Senate is not concerned with Iraq. ____
8. George Bush does not want federal funds to be used in stem cell research. ____
Find the words in the article to match the definitions. Use the paragraph numbers in brackets to help you.
1. To say something publicly. _____________ (1)
2. To feel or show great pleasure and excitement. ________ (2)
3. If something happens ________ feelings or events, it happens while people have these feelings or while the
events are happening. (5)

4. To not agree to an offer or proposal. ________ (6)
5. The military of a country. ________ (8)
6. Careful examination of someone or something. ________ (11)
7. To emphasize or show something is important. ________ (12)

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5 Vocabulary 2: Politics
Reorder the words to make phrases relating to the world of politics. Check the text for the correct answers.
1. control government of recapture
_________________________________________
2. the power of sidelines on
_________________________________________
3. new opposition and face energised
_________________________________________
4. the direction for new a need
_________________________________________
5. in serve to Congress
_________________________________________
6. region the stability in promote
_________________________________________
7. bill a veto
_________________________________________
8. front trials on the domestic face
_________________________________________
Choose the correct word.
1. to make/do history
2. to take/make office
3. starkly obvious/apparent
4. a private/personal jet
5. to stay/remain opposed
7 Discussion
Do you think the political changes in the US Congress will make a difference to America’s foreign policy?
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1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Politics
1. bipartisanship 1. recapture control of government

2. stalemate 2. on the sidelines of power
3. sweep 3. face new and energised opposition
4. pledge 4. the need for a new direction
5. legislative 5. serve in Congress
6. redeploy 6. promote stability in the region
7. inducement 7. veto a bill
8. bill 8. face trials on the domestic front
2 What do you know about American 6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations

politics?
1. make
1. a 2. take
2. b 3. apparent
3. a 4. private
4. c 5. remain
5. b
1. F
2. F
3. T
4. T
5. F
6. T
7. F
8. T
1. proclaim
2. exult
3. amid
4. reject
5. forces
6. scrutiny
7. underscore
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Six thousand women missing from top jobs
Level 3 Advanced
1 Pre-reading 1
Look at the headline of the article: Six thousand women missing from boardrooms, politics and courts.
What do you think it means?
1. 6,000 women have been kidnapped from these places.

2. 6,000 women have gone on strike.
3. 6,000 women are needed to work in these institutions.
2 Pre-reading 2
Which do you think has the lowest proportion of women in parliament: Afghanistan, Britain, Iraq,
or Rwanda?
3 Key words
boardrooms glass ceiling elected chambers headhunters

FTSE 100 shortlists thrive amalgamated sidelined
1. Houses of parliament. ____________
2. Combined. ____________
3. Pushed to one side and not given priority. ____________
4. People paid to find and recruit new staff from other companies. ____________
5. An invisible barrier that stops women reaching top positions. ____________
6. Groups of names for final selection. ____________
7. To survive and do very well. ____________
8. Places where company directors discuss policy. ____________
9. The Financial Times list of the top 100 companies in Britain. ____________
Now read the text quickly to see if you were right.

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NEWS LESSONS / Six thousand women missing from top jobs / Advanced
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Level 3 Advanced
Six thousand women missing from Our democracy and local communities will be
boardrooms, politics and courts stronger if women from different backgrounds are
able to enjoy an equal voice. In business, no one
Polly Curtis
can afford to fish in half the talent pool in today’s
Friday January 5, 2007
intensely competitive world.”
7
1 The glass ceiling is still holding back 6,000 The commission identified the 33,000 most
women from the top 33,000 jobs in Britain,
influential jobs in the private sector, politics, the
according to new research from the Equal
legal system and the public sector in Britain.
Opportunities Commission. Thirty years after
To achieve a representative proportion, women, it
the introduction of the Sex Discrimination Act,
said, should fill another 6,000.
women are “woefully under-represented” in the
8
country’s boardrooms, politics and courts.
At the current rate of improvement, it would
take 20 years to achieve equality in the civil
2 Help from nannies has not enabled successful service, 40 years in the judiciary and 60 years
women to maintain their careers after having
among FTSE 100 companies. But it would take
children, the research suggests. The EOC
200 years – at least another 40 elections – to
blames a male-dominated culture in the
achieve an equal number of MPs in parliament.
professions for resistance to flexible working.
By contrast, in the Scottish assembly, nearly
40% are women and 51.7% in Wales. The EOC
3 The upward trend in the proportion of women in said there was an argument for parties to use
top jobs is “painfully slow”, the report says, and
all-women shortlists, as in Wales.
in some sectors there is even a decline. The
9
proportion of women in parliament has slipped
But figures for women from ethnic minorities
in the 12 months since the EOC’s last Sex and
are worse. There are only two black women
Power survey and is now at 19.5% – lower than
MPs, four non-white top 100 FTSE directors
in Iraq, Afghanistan and Rwanda.
and nine top civil servants from ethnic minority
backgrounds. “If we want our communities to
4 Although a woman is chief executive of the thrive, this has to change,” concludes the report.
London Stock Exchange, and four senior judges
10
are women, the proportion of women directors of
It suggests that more successful women are
top 100 FTSE companies has dipped to 10.4%,
experiencing the same barriers to getting the
and of female judges to 9.8%.
jobs they want as women in lower paid jobs.
As for age, the pay gap between men and
5 Jenny Watson, chair of the EOC, said: “Today’s women in their 20s is 3.7%, rising to 10.7% for
troubling findings show just how slow the
thirtysomethings – from the impact of childbirth
pace of change has been in powerful British
on women’s earnings. The same is not true for
institutions. They suggest it’s time not just to
men who become fathers.
send out the headhunters to find some of those 11
‘missing women’, but to address the barriers that
Female workers in the UK suffer one of the
stand in their way. Thirty years on from the Sex
biggest pay gaps in Europe – 17% for full-time
Discrimination Act, women rightly expect to share
staff and 38% for part-time – because they are
power. But as our survey shows, that’s not the
more likely to be in low-paid jobs and then slip
reality.”
further down the career ladder after having
6 “We all pay the price when Britain’s boardrooms children, the Women and Work Commission
found last year.
and elected chambers are unrepresentative.
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Level 3 Advanced
12 “Asking for flexible working still spells career the CRE, and some people fear that in the new
death for too many women in today’s workplace,” organisation, women’s rights could be sidelined.
said Ms Watson. “As a consequence, women
with caring responsibilities all too often have to 14 Katherine Rake, another equal rights
‘trade down’ to keep working. Extending the right campaigner, commented: “This research proves
to ask for flexible working to everyone in the beyond a doubt that life at the top is white and
workplace would change that culture and enable male.”
more women to reach the top.”
15 And Ms Watson summed up: “We haven’t solved
13 This is the last annual report from the EOC. the problem of sex discrimination yet. There is so
Next year, the EOC is due to be amalgamated much more to be done.”
with the Commission for Racial Equality and the
Disability Rights Commission, into a new body © Guardian News & Media 2007
called the Commission for Equality and Human First published in The Guardian, 5/1/07
Rights. This will be headed by the current chair of
4 General understanding
Some of these sentences are not true, according to the article. Say which ones, and say why.
1. Nannies are not good enough to help women get work.
2. The position of women has got worse in all areas since the last survey.
3. Trying to recruit more women is not enough.
4. Everyone will benefit if women have equal opportunities.
5. There should be 39,000 top jobs, not 33,000.
6. Parliamentary elections happen more or less every 5 years in Britain.
7. The EOC thinks all members of parliament should be women.
8. Women in their thirties get more money than women in their twenties.
9. Women in Britain are paid more for part-time work than if they work full time.
10. Giving men the right to request flexible working would actually help women.
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Level 3 Advanced
5 Language development 1: Lexical sets
The writer uses a lot of words with similar meaning, partly to avoid repetition. Put the words below into six
groups linked to similar ideas in this text.
the research slipped assembly non-white our survey judges

dipped parliament courts the private sector politics the report
the civil service elected chambers from ethnic minorities the judiciary
companies black the legal system the public sector boardrooms
Findings of Fallen, Government / Racial Private The law

the study decreased administration descriptions industry
6 Language development 2: Compound adjectives
Match the beginnings and endings of these compound adjectives from memory.
all- time
non- represented
full- white
low- dominated
under- women
male- paid
Now match the compound adjectives with the nouns they described.
1. Women are _______________. 4. Four ______________ top FTSE directors.

2. A ________________ culture. 5. ____________ staff.
3. _______________ shortlists. 6. ____________ jobs.
Now scan the text to see if you were right.

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Level 3 Advanced
7 Vocabulary development 3: Metaphorical language
Jenny Watson, chair of the EOC, uses quite a lot of metaphors to make her speech more colourful. See if
you can remember the missing words in these expressions from her comments.
1. …if women from different backgrounds are able to enjoy an equal ______ .
2. …no-one can afford to ______ in half the talent ______ .
3. …and then slip further down the career __________ .
4. Asking for flexible working still _____ career _______ for too many women.
Now match the expressions with the meanings below.
a. …find themselves in even worse jobs
b. …means that they may lose their jobs
c. …have as many rights and as much power (as men)
d. …look for the best staff from only part of the population
8 Discussion
1. Were you surprised by any of the information in the article?
2. How similar is the situation for women in your country?
3. About what proportion of women have top jobs?
4. Is there a big pay gap between women and men?
5. What about women from ethnic minorities?
6. What do you think should be done to improve the situation?

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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Pre-reading 1 10. Yes, because if men could request flexible working,
too, then women would not risk losing their jobs by
4. 6,000 women are needed to make an equal doing so.
male-female balance.
2 Pre-reading 2 5 Vocabulary development 1: Lexical sets
Britain Findings of the study (the research, our survey, the

report)
Fallen, decreased (slipped, dipped)
3 Key words Government, administration (politics, parliament,
elected chambers, assembly, the public sector, the civil
service)
1. elected chambers
Racial descriptions (non-white, black, from ethnic
2. amalgamated
minorities
3. sidelined
Private industry (boardrooms, the private sector,
4. headhunters
companies)
5. glass ceiling
The law (courts, judges, the judiciary, the legal system)
6. shortlists
7. thrive
8. boardrooms
9. FTSE 100
6 Vocabulary development 2: Compound
adjectives
a. all-women
1. No. It means that even if they have a nanny, b. non-white
successful women still find it hard to get promotion. c. full-time
2. No. In some sectors there is a decline. d. low-paid
3. Yes, because they also need to deal with the e. under-represented
barriers that prevent women from progressing. f. male-dominated
4. Yes.
5. No. Of the 33,000, another 6,000 should be women. Now match the compound adjectives with the
6. Yes, 40 elections in 200 years. nouns they described:
7. No, it means that it would be a good idea if the
political parties had some all-female lists of 1.e
candidates for election. 2.f
8. No, the pay gap between women and men gets 3a
bigger for 30-year-olds. 4b
9. No, again, the pay gap is even bigger for part-time 5c
staff.
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KEY
7 Vocabulary development 3: Metaphorical
language
1. enjoy an equal voice.

2. to fish in half the talent pool.
3. slip further down the career ladder.
4. spells career death.
Now match the expressions with the meanings

below:
1c
2d
3a
4b
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Pre-reading 1
1. 6,000 women have disappeared?
2. 6,000 women are refusing to go to work in boardrooms, politics and courts?
3. We need 6,000 more women to equal the numbers of men in boardrooms, politics and courts?
2 Pre-reading 2
Which do you think has the lowest number of women in parliament: Afghanistan, Britain, Iraq, or Rwanda?
3 Key words
boardrooms glass ceiling discrimination attitudes

representative (adj) civil service thrive promotion
1. Something you can’t see that stops women getting promotion to the top jobs. ____________
2. To stay alive and do very well. ____________
3. Places where company directors meet to discuss and make important decisions. ____________
4. Opinions and ways of thinking. ____________
5. Getting a better job. ____________
6. Behaving unfairly to one person or group because of their sex, race, etc. ____________
7. Government departments and the people who work there. ____________
8. With the same balance of men and women as in the country as a whole. ____________

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NEWS LESSONS / Six thousand women missing from top jobs / Elementary
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Six thousand women missing from the best jobs.
boardrooms, politics and courts
7 The commission identified the 33,000 most
Polly Curtis
powerful jobs in business, politics, the law and
government in Britain. It said that women should
fill another 6,000 to be really representative.
1 The glass ceiling is still stopping 6,000 women
from getting any of the top 33,000 jobs in Britain,
8 At the present rate of improvement, it would take
says new research from the Equal Opportunities
women 20 years to be equal in the civil service,
Commission. A new law to help women, the Sex
40 years in the law, and 60 years in the top 100
Discrimination Act, came in 30 years ago, but
companies. But it would take 200 years – an-
there are still not nearly enough women in the
other 40 elections – to reach an equal number
of MPs in parliament. By contrast, in the Scottish
assembly, nearly 40% are women and 51.7%
2 Some successful women have a nanny to
in Wales. The EOC recommended the Welsh
help with their children, but they still can’t go
system, where political parties sometimes only
far in their careers because men control the
choose from women.
top professions and they don’t want women to
choose their working hours.
9 But figures for non-white women are worse.
3 Very few women are getting top jobs, the report There are only two black women MPs, four
non-white top company directors and nine
says, and in some areas, numbers are falling.
non-white top civil servants. “If we want our
The EOC’s last ‘Sex and Power’ survey showed
communities to thrive, this has to change,” says
more women in parliament 12 months ago.
the report.
Now there are only 19.5% – lower than in Iraq,
Afghanistan and Rwanda.
10 It adds that more successful women find it as
4 Although a woman is chief executive of the hard to get the jobs they want as women in lower
paid work. As for age, in their 20s men earn
3.7% more, but they earn 10.7% more in their
are female, now only 10.4% of the top 100
30s – because after childbirth, women’s earning
company directors are female and only 9.8% of
power goes down. Men’s doesn’t.
all judges are women.
11 The UK pay gap is one of the biggest in Europe
5 Jenny Watson, chair of the EOC, said that these
– 17% for full-time staff and 38% for part-time
numbers showed just how slowly things were
– because part-time workers are more often low
changing in powerful British institutions. It was
paid. Then, when they have children, they lose
time not just to find more women to fill top jobs,
opportunities for promotion and earn even less,
but to change the attitudes that stop them. “Thirty
the Women and Work Commission found last
years on from the Sex Discrimination Act, women
year.
rightly expect to share power. But as our survey
shows, that’s not the reality,” she said.
12 If women ask to choose their working hours, they
often lose their jobs, so women with children
6 She said life was worse for everyone when
often have to find less professional jobs to keep
Britain’s top jobs were all male. If women had an
working. “Extending the right to ask for flexible
equal voice, our democracy and local communi-
working to everyone in the workplace would
ties would be stronger. And in business, we could
change that culture and enable more women to
not afford to look at only half the population to fill
reach the top,” said Ms Watson.
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13 This is the last annual report from the EOC. Next 15 And Ms Watson summed up: “We haven’t solved
year, with the Commission for Racial Equality the problem of sex discrimination yet. There is so
and the Disability Rights Commission, it will be much more to be done.”
part of a new organisation called the Commission
for Equality and Human Rights. As this will be © Guardian News & Media 2007
headed by the present chair of the CRE, some First published in the Guardian, 5/1/07
people are afraid that they may forget to consider
women’s rights.
14 Katherine Rake, an equal rights campaigner,

protested: “This research proves beyond a doubt
that life at the top is white and male.”
4 Scanning for information

First find these numbers in the text. Then match each one with the information given below.
38% 9.8% 40% 3.7% 10.4% 17% 19.5% 10.7% 51.7%
1 a Women in parliament
2 b Women running top companies
3 c Women judges
4 d Women in Scottish assembly
5 e Women in Welsh assembly
6 f Male/female pay gap in their 20s
7 g Male/female pay gap in their 30s
8 h UK pay gap full-time
9 i UK pay gap part-time
Underline the correct answer in each sentence.
1. (Too many / not enough / quite a lot of) women get top jobs in Britain.
2. (Only four / about one in ten) judges are women.
3. When successful women want promotion, they have (more difficultly than / less difficulty than / as much
difficulty as) low-paid women do.
4. 20 year-old men in Britain earn more than (20 year-old women / 30 year-old men)
5. Women in Britain usually earn (less / more / the same) after they have children.
6. Ms Watson thinks that (only women / only men / both men and women) should be able to ask for flexible
working hours.
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6 Pronunciation: Word stress
Put these 3-syllable words from the text into the correct column according to their stress pattern.
flexible professions attitudes powerful company successful

commission politics elections everyone promotion directors
parliament assembly
7 Language development: Word order
Put these words in the correct order to make useful sentences. The first word in each sentence
is done for you.
1. There / not / women / still / nearly / are / enough
2. But / can’t / far / go / still / they
3. They / want / to / don’t / women / choose
4. There / two / MPs / black / are / women / only
5. Life / white / is / top / the / at / male / and
6. There / so / be / more / done / to / is / much

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1 Pre-reading 1 5 General understanding
3. We need 6,000 more women to equal the number of 1. (Too many / not enough / quite a lot of) women get
men in boardrooms, politics and courts. top jobs in Britain.
2. (Only four / about one in ten) judges are women.
3. When successful women want promotion, they have
2 Pre-reading 2 (more difficulty than / less difficulty than / as much
difficulty as) low-paid women do.
Britain 4. 20 year-old men in Britain earn more than (20 year-
old women / 30 year-old men).
5. Women in Britain usually earn (less / more / the
3 Key words same) after they have children.
6. Ms Watson thinks that (only women / only men /
both men and women) should be able to ask for
1. glass ceiling
flexible working hours.
2. thrive
3. boardrooms
4. attitudes
5. promotion
6 Pronunciation: word stress
6. discrimination
7. civil service
8. respresentative parliament assembly
flexible professions
4 Scanning for information attitudes successful
company commission
1 19.5% a Women in parliament powerful elections
2 10.4% b Women running top companies politics promotion
3 9.8% c Women judges everyone directors
4 40% d Women in Scottish assembly

5 51.7% e Women in Welsh assembly
6 3.7% f Male/female pay gap in their 20s 7 Language development: word order
7 10.7% g Male/female pay gap in their 30s
8 17% h UK pay gap full-time 1. There are still not nearly enough women.
2. But they still can’t go far.
9 38% i UK pay gap part-time
3. They don’t want women to choose.
4. There are only two black women MPs.
5. Life at the top is white and male.
6. There is so much more to be done .
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1 Pre-reading 1
1. Someone has kidnapped 6,000 women from these places.

2. 6,000 women are refusing to go to work in these places.
3. There are jobs for 6,000 women in these institutions.
2 Pre-reading 2
Which do you think has the lowest percentage of women in parliament: Afghanistan, Britain, Iraq,
or Rwanda?
3 Key words
boardrooms glass ceiling flexible working headhunters

address the barriers ethnic minorities shortlist thrive
1. People paid to find excellent workers from other companies and employ them. ____________
2. Something invisible that stops women getting promoted to the top jobs. ____________
3. The final list of names when you choose someone (for a job, etc.). ____________
4. To stay alive and do very well. ____________
5. Places where company directors meet to discuss and make important decisions. ____________
6. Look at and change the things that are stopping people. ____________
7. Being able to choose or change the hours you work. ____________
8. Small groups of people from a different race to most people in the country. ____________

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NEWS LESSONS / Six thousand women missing from top jobs / Intermediate
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Six thousand women missing from communities would be stronger if women from
boardrooms, politics and courts different backgrounds had an equal voice. And in
business, we could not afford to look at only half
Polly Curtis
the population to fill the best jobs.
1 The glass ceiling is still stopping 6,000 women 7 The commission identified the 33,000 most
influential jobs in the private sector, politics, the
from getting any of the top 33,000 jobs in Britain,
legal system and the public sector in Britain.
according to new research from the Equal
To achieve a representative proportion, women, it
Opportunities Commission. Thirty years after
said, should fill another 6,000.
the introduction of the Sex Discrimination Act,
women are badly “under-represented” in the
8 At the current rate of improvement, it would
take 20 years to achieve equality in the civil
2 Even if they have a nanny, it’s hard for successful service, 40 years in the judiciary and 60 years
among FTSE 100 companies. But it would take
women with children to continue their careers,
200 years – at least another 40 elections – to
the EOC research suggests, because men
achieve an equal number of MPs in parliament.
dominate the professions and they resist flexible
By contrast, in the Scottish assembly, nearly
working.
40% are women and 51.7% in Wales. The EOC
3 Women are moving into top jobs at a “painfully said there was an argument for parties to use
all-women shortlists, as in Wales.
slow” rate, the report says, and in some areas,
numbers are falling. The proportion of women in
9 But figures for women from ethnic minorities
parliament has dropped in the 12 months since
are worse. There are only two black women
the EOC’s last ‘Sex and Power’ survey, and is
MPs, four non-white top 100 FTSE directors
now only 19.5% – lower than in Iraq, Afghanistan
and nine top civil servants from ethnic minority
and Rwanda.
backgrounds. “If we want our communities to
4 Although a woman is chief executive of the thrive, this has to change,” concludes the report.
10 It says that more successful women have as
are female, the proportion of women directors of
much trouble getting the jobs they want as
top 100 FTSE companies has fallen to 10.4%,
women in lower paid work. As for age, the pay
and only 9.8% of all judges are women.
gap between men and women in their 20s is
5 Jenny Watson, chair of the EOC, said: “Today’s 3.7%, rising to 10.7% in their 30s – because after
childbirth, women’s earning power goes down.
troubling findings show just how slow the
Men’s doesn’t.
pace of change has been in powerful British
institutions. They suggest it’s time not just to
11 The UK pay gap is one of the biggest in Europe
send out the headhunters to find some of those
– 17% for full-time staff and 38% for part-time
‘missing women’, but to address the barriers that
– because part-time workers are more often low
stand in their way. Thirty years on from the Sex
paid. Then, when they have children, women
Discrimination Act, women rightly expect to share
lose opportunities for promotion and earn even
power. But as our survey shows, that’s not the
less, the Women and Work Commission found
reality.”
last year.
6 She said that everyone suffered when Britain’s
12 “Asking for flexible working still spells career
top jobs were all male. Our democracy and local
death for too many women in today’s workplace,”
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said Ms Watson. So women with children often be pushed aside.
have to find less professional jobs to keep
working. “Extending the right to ask for flexible 14 Katherine Rake, an equal rights campaigner,
working to everyone in the workplace would protested: “This research proves beyond a doubt
change that culture and enable more women to that life at the top is white and male.”
reach the top.”
15 And Ms Watson summed up: “We haven’t solved
13 This is the last annual report from the EOC. Next the problem of sex discrimination yet. There is so
year, with the Commission for Racial Equality much more to be done.”
and the Disability Rights Commission, it will be
part of a new body called the Commission for © Guardian News & Media 2007
Equality and Human Rights. This will be headed First published in The Guardian, 5/1/07
by the present chair of the CRE, and some
people are afraid that women’s rights may then

Scan the text to find the percentages.
1. The percentage of women in parliament: ________
2. The percentage of women running top companies: _________
3. The percentage of women judges: _________
4. The percentage of women in the Scottish assembly: _________
5. The percentage of women in the Welsh assembly: _________

6. The pay gap between men and women in their 20s: _________
7. The pay gap between men and women in their 30s: _________
8. The pay gap between men and women in full-time work: _________
9. The pay gap between men and women in part-time work: _________
Match the beginnings and endings of these sentences.
1 Laws to give women better job opportunities a don’t like women to choose their own hours.
2 A lot of top male bosses b gets worse if women start to work part-time.
3 Life for everyone would be better c is even worse than for whites.
4 The male/female balance in government d have not made much difference.
5 The situation for ethnic minority women e is much better in Scotland and Wales.
6 The difference in pay between men and women f if women had equal opportunities in all areas.
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6 Language development: Talking about numbers

Now match these percentages with the expressions below.
38% 9.8% 40% 10.4% 17% 19.5% 51.7%
1 a just over half

2 b just over a tenth
3 c just under a tenth
4 d nearly a fifth
5 e nearly two fifths
6 f exactly two fifths
7 g just over a sixth
7 Vocabulary development: Synonyms

The writer sometimes uses words with similar meaning to avoid repetition. Match the words on the left with
their equivalents on the right.
1. the legal system a. boardrooms, companies
2. the private sector b. our survey, the report
3. the public sector c. protested, summed up, found
4. from ethnic minorities d. the judiciary, courts
5. the research e. shows, suggests
6. said f. non-white, black
7. says g. the civil service, parliament, assembly, politics
8 Discussion
1. What is the situation for women in your country?
2. Do many women have top jobs?
3. Is there a big pay gap between women and men?
4. What about women from ethnic minorities?
5. What do you think should be done to improve the situation?

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4. 6,000 women are needed to equal the numbers of 1. d (1)

men in these places. 2. a (2)
3. f (6)
4. e (8)
2 Pre-reading 2 5. c (9)
6. b (11)
Britain
6 Language development: Talking about

3 Key words numbers
1. headhunters 1 51.7% a just over half

2. glass ceiling 2 10.4% b just over a tenth
3. shortlist 3 9.8% c just under a tenth
4. thrive
5. boardrooms
4 19.5% d nearly a fifth
6. address the barriers 5 38% e nearly two fifths

7. flexible working 6 40% f exactly two fifths
8. ethnic minorities
7 17% g just over a sixth

1. 19.5%
2. 0.4% 1. d
3. 9.8% 2. a
4. 40% 3. g
5. 51.7% 4. f
6. 3.7% 5. b
7. 10.7% 6. c
8. 17% 7. e
9. 38%
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Mass tourism reaches Galápagos
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
swarm alien scramble ecosystem strive

quarantine graffiti scrawl fragile soar
1. If a person or animal is kept in ____________, they might have a disease so they are kept apart from other
people or animals so that they do not catch the disease.
2. If something is ____________, it can be broken or damaged easily.

3. ____________ is words or pictures drawn on walls in public places.
4. If something ____________, it rises very quickly to a high level.
5. If you ____________ into or out of something, you have to use your hands and feet to do so.
6. If a species is ____________ to a particular area, it comes from a different country or region.
7. An ____________ consists of all the plants and animals in a particular area, which are dependent
on one another.
8. A ____________ is a very large group of insects flying or moving together.
9. If you ____________ something, you write it carelessly or in a hurry so that it is difficult to read.
10. If you ____________ to do something, you make a lot of effort to achieve it.
2 What do you know?
Decide whether these sentences are True or False in your opinion. Then check your answers in the text.
1. The Galápagos Islands belong to Mexico.
2. There are a lot of rats on the Galápagos Islands.
3. The isolation of the Galápagos Islands has helped to preserve their unique wildlife.
4. Environmental campaigners have welcomed the arrival of cruise ships in the Galápagos islands.
5. Visitors need a permit to visit the Galápagos islands.
6. The number of visitors to the islands is decreasing.

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A rat, insects and litter: delights of system is going to be. With the best will in the
mass tourism reach Galápagos world it’s virtually impossible to search a boat
that size thoroughly. Just sheer numbers means
David Adam, environment correspondent
it’s much easier for something to slip through.
January 10, 2007
And if we can’t protect the Galápagos then what
does it say about the other natural spaces in the
Not since Hamelin has the discovery of a rat world?
provoked so much alarm. It was only a single
“The Galápagos are not suitable for this kind of
creature, but it had no business being on the
mass tourism. We’re not being elitist: the islands
island of Santa Fe in the isolated Galápagos
just don’t have the infrastructure for that number
archipelago, where conservationists now strive
of people. We’re not anti-tourism, but it’s got to
to keep foreign wildlife at bay as effectively as
be high-value, low-volume tourism.” Before the
hundreds of miles of open ocean did for millions
Discovery’s stopover, almost all visitors to the
of years.
islands flew direct from the mainland. “This cruise
The rat is alleged to have arrived on the MV ship has travelled all the way down the coast of
Discovery, a giant British cruise liner that visited South America and could bring all sorts of things
the islands in April. Today, the ship is due to with it,” Ms Stjepic said.
return to the Galápagos, and arriving with it are
As well as the rat, and the insects,
460 paying passengers, protests and a campaign
environmentalists say the Discovery’s previous
to protect the islands from such mass tourism.
visit left the islands covered in litter, dropped
Voyages of Discovery, the cruise company, by wealthy tourists who “have no idea where
promises visitors to the islands: “The enigmas, they are or the impact their visit may have”.
secrets and charms of this spectacular and rich Graffiti was scrawled at the visitor centre and
landscape are, like a dream, an unequalled one passenger reportedly asked where the local
adventure just waiting to be discovered.” But to Starbucks was.
environmental campaigners, the ship’s arrival is
The study of the impact of the liner’s first visit
a nightmare. Conservationists on the Galápagos
was carried out by the local Charles Darwin
have also found swarms of foreign insects on
Foundation and the Galápagos National Park
the islands since the liner’s last visit and fear
Service. As well as the foreign wildlife, it found
its return today could introduce more alien
that sales for local businesses increased by
species that might further disrupt the sensitive
5%, a third of what was expected. Infrastructure
ecosystems.
was overwhelmed, they said, and local tour
The Discovery, the first large cruise ship to have operators, who take visitors around the different
visited the islands, is scheduled to return again islands, were forced to land large boats on fragile
this April and twice each year thereafter. Permits shorelines because elderly cruise passengers
recently granted by the Ecuadorian government were unable to scramble in and out of rubber
– the islands are owned by the South American dinghies.
country – could see one cruise ship stop there a
However, David Yellow, managing director of
month.
Voyages of Discovery, said the campaigners
Leonor Stjepic, director of the Galápagos were “speaking from ignorance”. He said the
Conservation Trust, warned that such an firm operated under strict restrictions and carried
acceleration in visitor numbers would overwhelm out an in-depth environmental impact study
efforts to keep out pests and disease. “The more before it was granted a licence to operate in the
people that come, the greater the risk of invasive Galápagos. “We are experienced at operating
species and the less effective the quarantine in environmentally sensitive areas and we know
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what to do. All our people [passengers] are given
a lecture before they go ashore and we know
they adhere to it.” The Discovery anchored at the
island of San Cristóbal during its stay, he said, a
good 25 miles from Santa Fe where the rat was
found.
Mr Yellow said there was no proof that the graffiti

and litter were left by Discovery tourists. “Local
people create litter. They are not as sensitive to
the environment as the people we take there.
There are local people who smoke a cigarette
and throw it into the street.” Drawn by the unique
wildlife and mystique, annual visitors to the
archipelago have soared from about 40,000 in
the late 1980s to more than 100,000 now.

First published in The Guardian, 10/1/07
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1. How did the citizens of the Galápagos react to the appearance of the rat?
a. They were surprised and confused.
b. They were angry and disappointed.
c. They were frightened and worried.
2. Why are the Galápagos a popular tourist destination?

a. Because you can go there by cruise liner.
b. Because they have unique wildlife.
c. Because they have a fragile ecosystem.
3. What is the possible result of an increase in visitor numbers?

a. It will be more difficult to keep out pests and diseases.
b. Rats will overwhelm the local infrastructure.
c. Cruise ships will be searched thoroughly.
4. What kind of tourist solution does the Galápagos Conservation Trust want?
a. Large numbers paying low prices.
b. Small numbers paying high prices.
c. No tourists at all.
Find these words or expressions.
1. A 3-word expression meaning prevent something dangerous or unpleasant from affecting you. (para 1)
2. A noun meaning something that is mysterious and difficult to understand. (para 3)
3. A verb meaning to interrupt something and cause a problem. (para 3)
4. An adverb meaning after a specific time. (para 4)
5. A verb meaning to exist in such great amounts that someone or something cannot deal with them. (para 5)
6. A two-word verb meaning to enter without being noticed or stopped. (para 5)
7. An adjective meaning believing that a small group of people should keep the most power and influence. (para 6)
8. A two-word verb meaning to obey. (para 9)

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Level 3 Advanced

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column. Check your
1. drop a. a study
2. grant b. a lecture
3. provoke c. a licence/a permit
4. have d. litter
5. carry out e. an impact
6. give f. alarm
6 Vocabulary 3: Word stress
Put these words from the text into one of the three groups depending on their word stress.
enigma campaigner introduce sensitive thereafter

overwhelm quarantine thoroughly graffiti ignorance

A 0 o o B o0o C oo0
7 Discussion
Should tourists be allowed to visit places with sensitive ecosystems?
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1. quarantine 1. keep at bay

2. fragile 2. enigma
3. graffiti 3. disrupt
4. soars 4. thereafter
5. scramble 5. overwhelm
6. alien 6. slip through
7. ecosystem 7. elitist
8. swarm 8. adhere to
9. scrawl
10. strive
5 Vocabulary: Verb + noun collocations
2 What do you know? 1. d

2. c
1. F 3. f
2. F 4. e
3. T 5. a
4. F 6. b
5. T
6. F
3 Comprehension check A. sensitive; quarantine; thoroughly; ignorance

B. enigma; campaigner; thereafter; graffiti
1. c C. introduce; overwhelm
2. b
3. a
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1 Key words
wildlife species rat conservationist swarm

unique pest litter graffiti infrastructure
1. For example, pieces of paper that people have dropped on the ground in public places.
2. A large group of flying insects.
3. Animals, birds and plants that live in natural conditions.
4. An insect or small animal that damages plants or food supplies.
5. An animal with a long tail that looks like a large mouse.
6. The services, communications and transport systems of a particular place.
7. A person who works to protect the environment from damage.
8. Not the same as anything or anyone else.
9. A plant or animal group whose members have the same general features.
10. Words or pictures written on walls in public places.
1. In what ocean are the Galápagos Islands?
2. Which country owns the Galápagos Islands?
3. How far are the islands from the coast of Ecuador?
4. How many passengers will arrive on the MV Discovery?
5. How many tourists visited each year in the late 1980s?
6. How many tourists visit each year now?

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A rat, insects and litter: delights of increase in visitor numbers will make it very
mass tourism reach Galápagos difficult for conservationists to keep out pests
and diseases. “If more people come, the risk of
foreign species coming with them will increase. It
January 10, 2007
is almost impossible to search such a large ship
properly. These large numbers mean it’s much
About 1,000 km west of the coast of Ecuador easier for foreign species to get past our controls.
in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is a group of And if we can’t protect the Galápagos, how can
islands called the Galápagos Islands. Because we protect the other natural areas of the world?
the Galápagos Islands are so far away from
the rest of South America, the wildlife there is
mass tourism. The islands simply do not have the
unique and plants and animals found in other
infrastructure for that number of people. We’re
parts of the world do not exist on the islands.
not against tourism, but it’s got to be expensive
There are no rats, for example. But now a rat has
tourism for small numbers of people.” Before the
been found on the island of Santa Fe and the
visit of the Discovery, almost all visitors to the
conservationists who are working to stop foreign
islands flew direct from Ecuador. “This cruise
wildlife reaching the islands are very worried.
ship has travelled all the way down the coast of
No-one knows how the rat arrived on Santa South America and could have all kinds of things
Fe but many people believe it arrived on the with it,” Ms Stjepic said.
MV Discovery, a giant British cruise liner that
As well as the rat, and the insects, the
visited the islands in April. The ship is returning
Discovery’s last visit also left a lot of litter on the
to the Galápagos today. There are 460 paying
islands. The rich tourists who dropped the litter
passengers on the ship. Many people on the
“have no idea where they are or the effect their
islands are not happy that the ship is visiting
visit could have”. Someone even wrote graffiti
the islands and want to stop large numbers of
at the visitor centre and one passenger asked
tourists visiting the Galápagos.
where the local Starbucks was.
The company that owns the ship, Voyages of
The Charles Darwin Foundation and the
Discovery, promises visitors to the islands that
Galápagos National Park Service studied the
they will see a beautiful and rich landscape and
effect of the Discovery’s first visit. As well as the
that their visit will be an adventure. But the ship’s
foreign wildlife, they found that sales for local
arrival is bad news for the conservationists. Now
businesses increased by only 5%. There were
they say they have also found swarms of foreign
too many visitors for the local infrastructure, they
insects on the islands since the ship’s last visit.
said, and the large boats that took the cruise
They are worried that when the ship returns
passengers around the islands damaged some
it could bring more foreign species that might
of the beaches.
damage nature on the islands even more.
But the managing director of Voyages
The Discovery was the first cruise ship to visit
of Discovery, David Yellow, said the
the islands. It is scheduled to return again
conservationists were wrong. He said his
in April and then twice a year after that. The
company operated under strict rules and had
islands belong to Ecuador and the Ecuadorian
studied the effect on the environment before it
government has given special licences that could
received its licence to operate in the Galápagos.
mean that one cruise ship will stop there every
“We know what to do in environmentally
month.
sensitive areas. We give our passengers
Leonor Stjepic, director of the Galápagos special instructions before they go ashore and
Conservation Trust, has said that a large they follow those instructions.” The Discovery
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anchored at the island of San Cristóbal, he said.
The rat was found on Santa Fe, 25 miles from
San Cristóbal.
Mr Yellow said there was no proof that Discovery

tourists wrote the graffiti or left the litter. “Local
people also make litter. There are local people
who smoke a cigarette and throw it into the
street.” The number of visitors to the islands each
year has increased from about 40,000 in the late
1980s to more than 100,000 now.

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1. Tourists visit the Galápagos Islands____
2. Conservationists are worried____
3. The Galápagos Islands have unique plants and animals____
4. The director of the Galápagos Conservation Trust____
5. The managing director of Voyages of Discovery____
6. Some people believe____

7. Sales for local businesses____
8. The number of tourists____
a. ____believes the risk of foreign species will increase if more tourists come.
b. ____because they are so far away from the rest of South America.
c. ____has increased a lot.
d. ____because of their unique wildlife.
e. ____the rat arrived on the cruise ship.
f. ____because they believe the ship will bring foreign species to the islands.
g. ____believes the conservationists are wrong.
h. ____have only increased a little.
4 Vocabulary 1: Ships and sailing

ashore liner anchor voyage cruise
1. To stop a ship moving, you drop its ____________ into the water.
2. A ____________ is a large passenger ship for long-distance travel.
3. A ____________ is a long journey by ship.
4. A ____________ is a journey on a ship for pleasure, stopping at several places.
5. When you leave the ship you go ____________.

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Complete the table.
Verb Noun
1. arrive
2. discover
3. damage
4. instruct
5. operate
6. increase
7. protect
8. prove
6 Word game
Rearrange these letters to spell words from the text.
1. g –s–e–p–e–n–a–s–r
2. t –v–i–r–i–s–o
3. r –u–t–t–i–s–o
4. t –o–i–d–r–e–c–r
5. n –e–t–n–e–i–m–v–o–r–n
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Ships and sailing
1. litter 1. anchor
2. swarm 2. liner
3. wildlife 3. voyage
4. pest 4. cruise
5. rat 5. ashore
6. infrastructure
7. conservationist
5 Vocabulary: Word building
8. unique
9. species
10. graffiti 1. arrival
2. discovery
3. damage
2 Find the information 4. instruction
5. operation
1. Pacific 6. increase
2. Ecuador 7. protection
3. about 1,000 km 8. proof
4. 460
5. 40,000
6 Word game
6. 100,000
1. passenger
3 Comprehension check 2. visitor
3. tourist
1. d 4. director
2. f 5. environment
3. b
4. a
5. g
6. e
7. h
8. c
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1 Key words
alarm conservationist enigma campaigner swarm

ecosystem cruise pest mainland graffiti
1. A ____________ is a journey on a ship for pleasure, usually involving visiting several places.
2. A ____________ is someone who works to prevent damage to the environment.
3. A ____________ is someone who is involved in a series of actions for a political or social cause.
4. An ____________ is all the plants and animals in a particular area that depend on one another.
5. Words or pictures drawn on walls in public places are called ____________.
6. If there is ____________ about something, there is a lot of fear or worry that something unpleasant or negative
will happen.
7. A ____________ is a very large group of flying insects.
8. The ____________ is the large mass of land that forms the main part of a country and does not include
any islands.
9. An ____________ is something that is mysterious and difficult to understand.
10. A ____________ is an insect or small animal that damages plants or supplies of food.
1. Which country do the Galápagos Islands belong to?
2. How many people visit the islands each year?
3. What was the increase in sales for local businesses when the cruise ship first visited the islands?
4. How far are the Galápagos from the mainland?
5. How far is San Cristóbal from Santa Fe?
6. How many passengers will arrive on the next cruise ship?

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A rat, insects and litter: delights of greater the risk of foreign species. It is almost
mass tourism reach Galápagos impossible to search a boat that size thoroughly.
These large numbers mean it’s much easier for
something to slip through our controls. And if we
January 10, 2007
can’t protect the Galápagos then what does it say
about the other natural spaces in the world?
The Galápagos Islands lie in the Pacific Ocean
almost 1,000 km west of the coast of Ecuador. As
mass tourism. We’re not being elitist: the islands
a result of their geographical isolation, the islands
simply do not have the infrastructure for that
have unique forms of wildlife and do not have
number of people. We’re not anti-tourism, but it’s
wildlife found in other parts of the world. Rats, for
got to be high-value, low-volume tourism.” Before
example. Now a rat has been found on the island
the visit of the Discovery, almost all visitors to the
of Santa Fe, causing concern and alarm among
islands flew direct from the mainland. “This cruise
the conservationists who are trying to prevent
ship has travelled all the way down the coast of
foreign wildlife reaching the islands.
South America and could bring all sorts of things
It is alleged that the rat arrived on the MV with it,” Ms Stjepic said.
Discovery, a giant British cruise liner that visited
As well as the rat, and the insects,
the islands in April. Today, the ship is due to
environmentalists say the Discovery’s last visit
return to the Galápagos. There are 460 paying
left the islands covered in litter, dropped by
passengers on the ship. It will be met with
wealthy tourists who “have no idea where they
protests and a campaign to protect the islands
are or the impact their visit may have”. Someone
from such mass tourism.
even wrote graffiti at the visitor centre and one
Voyages of Discovery, the company that owns passenger reportedly asked where the local
the ship, promises visitors to the islands: “The Starbucks was.
enigmas, secrets and charms of this spectacular
The study of the impact of the liner’s first visit
and rich landscape are, like a dream, an
was carried out by the local Charles Darwin
adventure just waiting to be discovered.” But the
Foundation and the Galápagos National Park
ship’s arrival is a nightmare for environmental
Service. As well as the foreign wildlife, it found
campaigners. Conservationists on the Galápagos
that sales for local businesses increased by 5%,
have also found swarms of foreign insects on the
a third of what was expected. There were too
islands since the ship’s last visit and are worried
many visitors for the local infrastructure, they
that when it returns it could introduce more
said, and local tour operators, who take visitors
foreign species that might do further damage to
around the different islands, had to land large
the sensitive ecosystems.
boats on fragile beaches because elderly cruise
The Discovery, the first large cruise ship to have passengers were unable to get in and out of
visited the islands, is scheduled to return again rubber dinghies.
in April and then twice a year after that. The
However, David Yellow, managing director of
islands belong to Ecuador and the Ecuadorian
Voyages of Discovery, said the campaigners
government has granted permits that could mean
were “speaking from ignorance”. He said the
that one cruise ship stops there every month.
firm operated under strict restrictions and carried
Leonor Stjepic, director of the Galápagos out a detailed environmental impact study
Conservation Trust, warned that such an before it received its licence to operate in the
increase in visitor numbers would make it very Galápagos. “We are experienced at operating
difficult for conservationists to keep out pests in environmentally sensitive areas and we know
and disease. “The more people that come, the what to do. All our people [passengers] are
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given a lecture before they go ashore and we
know they obey the instructions.” The Discovery
anchored at the island of San Cristóbal during
its stay, he said, at least 25 miles from Santa Fe
where the rat was found.
Mr Yellow said there was no proof that the

graffiti and litter were left by Discovery tourists.
“Local people also make litter. They are not as
sensitive to the environment as the people we
take there. There are local people who smoke a
cigarette and throw it into the street.” Attracted
by the unique wildlife and mystique, the number
of visitors to the islands each year has increased
from about 40,000 in the late 1980s to more than
100,000 now.

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1. Conservationists believe that the rat arrived on the cruise ship.
2. Cruise ship tourists have brought an economic boom to the islands.
3. Conservationists are worried that the cruise ships will bring more foreign species to the islands.
4. The Discovery will visit the islands once a month.
5. All the visitors are well informed about the islands.
6. The Galápagos are suitable for mass tourism.

7. Ships need permits to visit the islands.
8. All visitors to the islands fly direct from the mainland.
Look in the text and find these words or phrases.
1. A verb meaning to say that something is true even though it has not been proved. (para 2)
2. An adjective meaning extremely impressive. (para 3)
3. An adverb meaning very carefully so that nothing is missed. (para 5)
4. A two-word verb meaning to pass without being noticed. (para 5)
5. An adjective meaning believing that a small group of people should keep the most power and influence. (para 6)
6. An adjective meaning rich. (para 7)
7. An adjective meaning easily damaged or broken. (para 8)
8. A noun meaning an attractive quality that something has because it seems mysterious in an exciting
way. (para 10)

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Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column.
1. cause a. litter
2. do b. a lecture
3. grant c. a study
4. drop d. concern
5. have e. graffiti
6. write f. damage
7. carry out g. a permit
8. give h. an impact
Which prepositions follow these words and expressions? Check your answers in the text.
1. as a result _______
2. due _______
3. protect _______
4. damage _______
5. belong _______
6. suitable _______
7. covered _______
8. sensitive _______
7 Discussion
What problems can mass tourism cause? Should tourism be restricted to protect the environment?
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KEY
1. cruise 1. allege
2. conservationist 2. spectacular
3. campaigner 3. thoroughly
4. eco-system 4. slip through
5. graffiti 5. elitist
6. alarm 6. wealthy
7. swarm 7. fragile
8. mainland 8. mystique
9. enigma
10. pest
5 Vocabulary: Verb + noun collocations

2. f
1. Ecuador 3. g
2. 100,000 4. a
3. 5% 5. h
4. almost 1,000 km 6. e
5. 25 miles 7. c
6. 460 8. b
3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary: Prepositions
1. T 1. of
2. F 2. to
3. T 3. from
4. F 4. to
5. F 5. to
6. F 6. for
7. T 7. in
8. F 8. to
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Milestones that showed the way to modern medicine
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
diminish achieve revolutionise screen

pervade transmit
1. to completely change the way things are done or thought about

2. to spread through the whole of something
3. to spread a disease from one person to another
4. to test someone if they have a particular illness
5. to become less, or to make something become less
6. to succeed in doing or having what you planned
Skim the text to find the answers to the questions.
1. Who has identified the fifteen milestones of modern medicine?

2. Which came first, anaesthesia or chlorpromazine?
3. What caused 30% of deaths at the end of the 1800s?
4. What is the English name for the milestone in woman’s contraception?
5. What disease did the first vaccine treat?
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Milestones that showed the way to Computers could help us transcend
modern medicine boundaries to achieve good health, whoever
or wherever we are.
Sarah Boseley, health editor
January 5, 2007
5. DNA
The nature of the infectious agent causing
Fifteen of the most important milestones on
Sars was published within weeks, thanks
the road to modern medicine are identified
to DNA testing. Newborn babies are now
today by the British Medical Journal. They
screened for genetic diseases and all
range from vaccines to computers to the pill
patients for surgery have their blood group
- and the journal is calling for readers to vote
analysed, after the discovery of the structure
on which was the most significant. The 15
of DNA by Watson and Crick in the 1950s. It
have been shortlisted from more than 100
has also made possible genetically targeted
nominated discoveries since the BMJ was
drugs.
launched in 1840.
6. Evidence-based medicine
1. Anaesthesia
The term was coined in 1991 as result of
Revolutionised surgery. By the end of the
the recognition that pulling together all the
19th century, anaesthesia had become
information on a topic leads to more valid
a symbol for the wider humanitarian
results than a single study and that bias
movement. It remains the most vivid
- deliberate or not - pervades many clinical
example of medicine’s capacity to diminish
trials.
human suffering.
7. Germ theory
2. Antibiotics
Realisation that germs carried on the hands
The first ‘wonder drugs’. Alexander Fleming
of doctors could transmit lethal infections to
reported on penicillin’s potential to kill
women in labour by Ignaz Semmelweis in
bacteria in 1929. Cheap mass production
Vienna in 1847 became the accepted germ
was achieved in the US during the second
theory of disease. At the end of the 19th
world war, allowing soldiers to be protected
century, infection caused 30% of deaths. By
from wound infections but also sexually
the end of the 20th century it caused less
transmitted diseases. Antibiotics transformed
than 4%.
healthcare.
8. Imaging
3. Chlorpromazine
Identifying that the passage of electricity
Breakthrough drug for schizophrenia,
though rarefied gases produced X-rays won
which helped close the asylums. Pierre
Wilhelm Roentgen the first Nobel prize for
Deniker, who ran the first trial on psychotic
physics in 1901. X-rays proved invaluable
patients, published in 1952, wrote that
for diagnosis and soon became therapeutic
‘aggressiveness and delusive conditions of
tools as well, in cancer and palliative
schizophrenia improved’, and contact with
medicine.
patients was re-established.
9. Magic bullets
4. Computers
The discovery of monoclonal antibodies
Computers have allowed decoding of the
which the immune system will not reject has
genome and permitted doctors to see the
led to dramatic new treatments for disease.
body and its functions in three dimensions.
Over a million people have been treated
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for rheumatoid arthritis, with a spectacular 13. Sanitation
reduction of symptoms. They have helped First came the industrial revolution, then
reduce organ transplant rejection and these urbanisation, and by the 1800s infectious
‘magic bullets’ target radioactive treatment diseases were rampant. Cholera outbreaks
for cancer precisely to the tumour. turned attention to urban water systems
and modern sanitation was born. By the
10. Oral rehydration beginning of the 20th century death rates
Children in poor countries are faced with fell.
episodes of diarrhoea about three times a
year. Simple, cheap and easily prepared oral 14. Vaccines
rehydration therapy, which combines salt Louis Pasteur’s unveiling of the rabies
and sugar with clean water, saves millions of vaccine in 1885 paved the way for every
lives. other vaccine. The discovery has saved
millions of lives.
11. The pill
The oral contraceptive brought about a 15. Tissue culture
social as well as a medical revolution and The invention of laboratory-reared tissue
had huge benefits for women. It was the first cultures has played a role in 18 out of the
potent drug to be taken by millions of healthy last 52 Nobel prizes for medicine. Tissue
people and the active ingredient is virtually culture provided a medium on which to grow
unchanged. viruses for experimentation, test drugs, and
grow skin culture.
12. Risks of smoking
Two landmark studies in the 1950s led to a © Guardian News & Media 2007
growing body of evidence about the harmful First published in The Guardian, 05/1/07
effects of tobacco, and a gradual decline in
the numbers of people smoking and dying of
tobacco-related disease.
Read again and match the words with the sentences. There are two words you do not need.
evidence-based medicine sanitation antibiotics tissue culture

computers anaesthesia oral rehydration magic bullets chlorpromazine
vaccine imaging the pill
1. It is one of the most important examples of how medicine reduces human suffering.
2. It was used by the American military to protect soldiers.
3. It meant that schizophrenic people were no longer locked away.
4. It helped map the human genome.
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5. It proved that many clinical trials are biased and more investigation was needed.
6. It was the key behind developing x-ray machines.
7. It is used to treat cancer patients better.
8. It was invented by Louis Pasteur.
9. It allows doctors to grow viruses to study them further.
10. It was created because people in big cities were dying from unhealthy drinking water.
4 Grammar: -of phrases
Of is often used to link two noun phrases. Complete the sentences with of + one of the phrases
below.
many illnesses people the most important discoveries deaths
the 19th century disease diarrhoea smoking
1. The article is about fifteen ... in medicine.

2. Anaesthesia was invented at the end …
3. The nature … was unknown before computers.
4. Semmelweis discovered the germ theory …
5. Sanitation reduced the number … from cholera.
6. Children in poor countries are often victims of episodes …
7. Vaccines have saved millions …
8. The risks … became known in the 1950s.
Find words with the following meanings.

1. An adjective meaning that something is shown very clearly to be true. (Milestone1)
2. A verb meaning to go beyond the limits. (Milestone 4)
3. A verb meaning to use a phrase or word for the first time. (Milestone 6)
4. An adjective meaning very dangerous and able to kill you. (Milestone 7)
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6 Vocabulary: Collocations (medicine)
Choose the best word.
1. to treat/ to serve an illness

2. sexually transmitted/transposed diseases
3. to make/to run medical trials
4. clinical trials/tests
5. to send/ to transmit infections
6. a potent/strong drug
7 Discussion
Which of the milestones do you think are the most important? How has medicine changed in your
lifetime?
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Milestones that show the way to modern medicine
Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Key words 4 Grammar: -of phrases
1. revolutionise 1. The article is about fifteen of the most important

2. pervade discoveries in medicine.
3. transmit 2. Anaesthesia was invented at the end of the 19th
4. screen century.
5. diminish 3. The nature of many illnesses was unknown before
6. achieve computers.
4. Semmelweis discovered the germ theory of disease.
5. Sanitation reduced the number of deaths from
cholera.
2 Find the information 6. Children in poor countries are often victims of
episodes of diarrhoea.
1. The British Medical Journal 7. Vaccines have saved millions of people.
2. anaesthesia 8. The risks of smoking became known in the 1950s.
3. infections
4. the pill
5. rabies
3 Comprehension check 1. vivid

2. transcend
1. anaesthesia 3. coined
2. antibiotics 4. lethal
3. chlorpromazine 5. dramatic / spectacular
4. computers 6. decline
5. evidence-based medicine 7. rampant
6. imaging 8. unveil
7. magic bullets
8. vaccine
9. tissue culture
10. sanitation
6 Vocabulary: Collocations (medicine)
1. to treat an illness
2. sexually transmitted disease
3. to run medical trials
4. clinical trials
5. to transmit infections
6. potent drug
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
asylum (n) bias (n) contraceptive (n) culture (n) germ (n)
milestone (n) therapy (n) valid (adj) wonder (adj)
1. an important event or process

2. extremely good
3. an old mental hospital
4. a method of preventing pregnancy
5. bacteria grown in experiment
6. bacteria that spreads disease
7. emphasis on one thing more than another
8. a form of treatment for an illness
9. legally or officially acceptable
Look in the text and find the answers as quickly as possible.
1. How many medical milestones have been chosen by the British Medical Journal?
2. When did doctors first identify the potential of antibiotics?
3. What medical milestone allows doctors to see the human body in three dimensions?
4. Who discovered the structure of DNA?
5. Who won the first Nobel prize for physics?
6. What is another word for the process of creating clean and healthy drinking water?
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Level 1 Elementary
Milestones that showed the way to their blood group analysed, after the
modern medicine discovery of the structure of DNA by Watson
and Crick in the 1950s.
January 5, 2007
Evidence-based medicine was described
Fifteen of the most important milestones in
in 1991. It recognises that pulling together
modern medicine have been identified today
all the information on a topic leads to more
by the British Medical Journal. They range
valid results than a single study and that bias
from vaccines to computers to the pill - and
exists in many clinical trials.
the journal is calling for readers to vote on
which was the most significant. The 15 have
7. Germ theory
been chosen from more than 100 nominated
In Vienna in 1847 Ignaz Semmelweis
discoveries since the BMJ began in 1840.
realised that germs on the hands of doctors
could transmit lethal infections to women
1. Anaesthesia
while they were giving birth. This led to the
accepted germ theory of disease. At the end
19th century, anaesthesia had become a
of the 19th century, infection caused 30%
symbol for the humanitarian movement.
of deaths. By the end of the 20th century it
caused less than 4%.
2. Antibiotics
8. Imaging
Wilhelm Roentgen won the first Nobel prize
bacteria in 1929. During the second world
for physics in 1901 for discovering X-rays.
war, cheap mass production in the US
X-rays became very important for diagnosis
allowed soldiers to be protected from wound
and soon became therapeutic tools as well.
infections but also sexually transmitted
diseases. Antibiotics changed healthcare.
9. Magic bullets

Magic bullets are antibodies which the
3. Chlorpromazine
immune system will not reject. Their
Breakthrough drug for schizophrenia, which
discovery has led to dramatic new
helped close the asylums. Pierre Deniker,
treatments for disease. They have helped
who ran the first trial on psychotic patients,
reduce organ transplant rejection and
published in 1952, wrote that conditions
rheumatoid arthritis. These “magic bullets”
improved and contact with patients was re-
can also treat cancer.
established.
10. Oral rehydration
4. Computers
Children in poor countries have episodes of
diarrhoea about three times a year. Simple,
cheap and easily prepared oral rehydration
therapy, which combines salt and sugar with
Computers could help us achieve good
clean water, saves millions of lives.
health, whoever or wherever we are.
11. The pill
5. DNA
The oral contraceptive brought about a
Newborn babies are now tested for genetic
social as well as a medical revolution. It had
diseases and all patients for surgery have
huge benefits for women. It was the first
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Level 1 Elementary
potent drug to be taken by millions of healthy By the beginning of the 20th century death
people and the active ingredient is still the rates fell.
same.
14. Vaccines
12. Risks of smoking Louis Pasteur’s invention of the rabies
Two important studies in the 1950s led vaccine in 1885 paved the way for every
to evidence about the harmful effects of other vaccine. The discovery has saved
tobacco. Since then there has been a millions of lives.
gradual decline in the numbers of people
smoking and dying of tobacco-related 15. Tissue culture
disease. The invention of laboratory-reared tissue
cultures has played a role in 18 out of the
13. Sanitation last 52 Nobel prizes for medicine. Using
First came the industrial revolution, then tissue culture doctors can grow viruses for
urbanisation. By the 1800s infectious experimentation and test drugs.
diseases were everywhere. Cholera
outbreaks turned attention to urban water © Guardian News & Media 2007
systems and modern sanitation was born. First published in The Guardian, 05/1/07
Answer the questions true or false.
1. Anaesthesia was the first wonder drug.

2. Newborn babies are tested for DNA.
3. Clinical trials contain bias.
4. Infection caused more deaths in the 19th century than the 20th century.
5. X-rays are used for diagnosis and treatment.
6. Oral rehydration therapy is expensive for developing countries.
7. The ingredients for the pill have changed many times.
8. Deaths from tobacco have gone down since the 1950s.
9. Sanitation killed many people in the 19th century.
10. Louis Pasteur invented every vaccine.
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a) Organise the letters to make words from the text connected to medicine.
1. lochrae _______
2. siseead _______
3. tocrod ______
4. gruds _____
5. tipanet _______
6. greyrus _______
7. cinevac _______
b) Match the words from a) to their definitions below.
1. An illness that affects people _________

2. Two things that can help people who are ill: _________ _________
3. A person who visits a doctor because he/she is sick _________
4. A person who works in a hospital and cures people _________
5. A medical treatment in which a doctor cuts open someone’s body _________
6. A common illness in the 19th century _________
5 Pronunciation: Word stress

Complete the chart with the words below.
condition genetic information invention

medical revolution surgery sanitation
ooOo oOo Ooo

rehydration infection therapy
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words
1. milestone (n)
2. wonder (adj)
3. asylum (n) a)
4. contraceptive (n) 1. cholera
5. culture (n) 2. disease
6. germ (n) 3. doctor
7. bias (n) 4. drugs
8. therapy (n) 5. patient
9. valid (adj) 6. surgery
7. vaccine
2 Find the information b)

1. disease
1. 15 2. drugs, vaccine
2. 1929 3. patient
3. computers 4. doctor
4. Watson and Crick 5. surgery
5. Wilhelm Roentgen 6. cholera
6. sanitation

ooOo oOo Ooo
1. F rehydration infection therapy
2.F
3. T information condition medical
4. T
5. T
revolution genetic surgery
6. F sanitation invention
7. F
8. T
9. F
10. F
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News lesson extra
1 Revision of the text
Level: Any
Time: 15 minutes
Tell students you are going to give them a quick test to see how much they remember from the news
article they read in the previous class. There are two ways of doing this.
1) Read the comprehension check questions aloud and ask the students to write down the answers on a
piece of paper.
2) Make some new questions relating to the text.
One easy way of making new questions on the Milestones text would be to make a quick True/False
exercise, one question per milestone. For example:
Anaesthesia became a symbol of the humanitarian movement – true or false? (true)

Antibiotics were first used widely by the United States in the First World War – true or false? (false)
Once students have finished, ask them to check their answers in the text. This is also good for any
student who ‘missed’ the first class with the reading.
2 Revision of the vocabulary
Level: Any
Time: 10 minutes
Take one of the vocabulary exercises from the original Milestones worksheet and repeat it as an oral
exercise. Tell the students to turn over their worksheet. Start calling out the questions or cues. The
students must call out answers. Use this time to monitor pronunciation of the new words or phrases.
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NEWS LESSONS / Milestones that showed the way to modern medicine / News lesson extra
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News lesson extra
3 Discussion on medicine
Level: Pre-intermediate and above

Time: 20 minutes
Make a copy of the ‘Discussion questions’ for every three to four students. Cut them out. Put the
students into groups of three or four and give each group a pile of questions. They should put them face
down. One student picks up a question and asks it to the person on their left, who answers. Students
take turns asking and answering the questions until they have all finished. Circulate and help with any
difficult language or persistent mistakes.
Note: Do not include questions you think will be unsuitable for your class. You can always give the
students the chance to ‘refuse’ a question (if they think it’s too personal, for example) by asking for
another one. The discussion questions provided are a real mix.
4 The modern medicine gallery role play
Level: Elementary and above

Time: 20 minutes
Cut out The gallery of modern medicine cards and put them on the walls around the classroom. Divide
the students into pairs, A and B. Explain to them the following situation:
Student A. You are an expert in medicine. You are going to explain to your partner the significance of an
important aspect of modern medicine. You can refer to the text if you like, but you must not read the text.
Walk around the room with your partner and when you come to one aspect of medicine you feel comfort-
able with, explain it.
Student B. Student A is taking you on a tour of different important aspects of modern medicine. Listen to
what he/she tells you and ask a question or two to follow up.
Students then circulate around the class, explaining the different medical milestones. After a little while,
they should swap roles.
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News lesson extra
5 Ranking activity and online activity
Level: Any
Time: 25 minutes (40 minutes with computer room)
Give sets of The gallery of modern medicine cards to groups of two or three students. Ask them to put
them in order from most to least important. Depending on the level, you may need to give them some
useful language to help them do this in English.
When they have finished, they can check the results of the British Medical Journal survey at
www.bmj.com (tell them to search the site for the key words medical milestones, or browse the headlines
section of the site).
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News lesson extra
Discussion questions
How has medicine changed in your lifetime? Can you think of two things to tell the group?
" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Do you think that doctors will one day find a cure for cancer?
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When was the last time you were in a hospital?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Do you know someone who works in medicine? What does he/she do? Does he/she like it?
" -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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What is the health care system like in your country?
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If modern medicine could prolong people’s lifetime to 120 years, would that be a good thing?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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How many times a year do you visit the doctor?
" -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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When was the last time you were ill? What was the matter?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"
What do you think of ‘lifestyle’ drugs: drugs like Viagra? Do you think they should be available to
everyone?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"
Are you healthy?
" -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
What is the best advice for someone with a common cold?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"
What is your opinion of cosmetic surgery?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"
Have you ever practised alternative medicine (shiatsu, acupuncture, reiki…)? What do you think of
it?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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What is the best way of staying healthy?
" -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Do you have a family doctor? What is he/she like?
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News lesson extra
The gallery of modern medicine - cards
Anaesthesia Antibiotics
Chlorpromazine Computers
DNA Evidence-based medicine
Magic bullets Imaging
Germ theory Tissue culture
Risks of smoking Sanitation
Vaccines The pill
Oral rehydration
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1 Key words
asylum breakthrough contraceptive culture

germ in labour milestone therapy
1. an important event or process

2. a discovery after a lot of hard work
3. an old mental hospital
4. a method of preventing pregnancy
5. bacteria grown in experiment
6. bacteria that spreads disease
7. when a woman is having a baby
8. a form of treatment for an illness
Skim the text and find the significance of the following numbers and names.
1. 15
2. Alexander Fleming
3. Pierre Deniker
4. Watson and Crick
5. 1847
6. Wilhelm Roentgen
7. salt, sugar and clean water
8. Louis Pasteur
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NEWS LESSONS / Milestones that showed the way to modern medicine / Intermediate
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Milestones that showed the way to health, whoever or wherever we are.
modern medicine
5. DNA
The nature of the infectious agent causing
January 5, 2007
Sars was published within weeks, thanks
to DNA testing. Newborn babies are now
Fifteen of the most important milestones on
tested for genetic diseases and all patients
the road to modern medicine are identified
for surgery have their blood group analysed,
today by the British Medical Journal. They
after the discovery of the structure of DNA by
range from vaccines to computers to the pill
Watson and Crick in the 1950s. It has also
- and the journal is calling for readers to vote
made possible genetically targeted drugs.
on which was the most significant. The 15
have been shortlisted from more than 100
nominated discoveries since the BMJ was
Evidence-based medicine was first
launched in 1840.
described in 1991 as a result of the
recognition that pulling together all the
1. Anaesthesia
information on a topic leads to more valid
results than a single study and that bias
19th century, anaesthesia had become a
pervades many clinical trials.
symbol for the humanitarian movement. It
is still the most vivid example of medicine’s
7. Germ theory
capacity to diminish human suffering.
In Vienna in 1847 Ignaz Semmelweis
realised that germs carried on the hands of
2. Antibiotics
doctors could transmit lethal infections to
women in labour. This led to the accepted
germ theory of disease. At the end of the
bacteria in 1929. Cheap mass production
19th century, infection caused 30% of
was achieved in the US during the second
deaths. By the end of the 20th century it
world war, allowing soldiers to be protected
caused less than 4%.
from wound infections but also sexually
transmitted diseases. Antibiotics transformed
8. Imaging
healthcare.
Wilhelm Roentgen won the first Nobel prize
for physics in 1901 for identifying that the
3. Chlorpromazine
passage of electricity though rarefied gases
Breakthrough drug for schizophrenia,
produced X-rays. X-rays proved invaluable
which helped close the asylums. Pierre
for diagnosis and soon became therapeutic
Deniker, who ran the first trial on psychotic
tools as well, in cancer and palliative
patients, published in 1952, wrote that
medicine.
‘aggressiveness and delusive conditions of
schizophrenia improved’, and contact with
9. Magic bullets
patients was re-established.
Magic bullets are monoclonal antibodies
which the immune system will not reject.
4. Computers
Their discovery has led to dramatic new
treatments for disease. Over a million people
have been treated for rheumatoid arthritis,
with a spectacular reduction of symptoms.
Computers could help us achieve good
They have helped reduce organ transplant
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rejection. These “magic bullets” can also 13. Sanitation
target radioactive treatment for cancer First came the industrial revolution, then
precisely to the tumour. urbanisation, and by the 1800s infectious
diseases were rampant. Cholera outbreaks
10. Oral rehydration turned attention to urban water systems
Children in poor countries are faced with and modern sanitation was born. By the
episodes of diarrhoea about three times a beginning of the 20th century death rates
year. Simple, cheap and easily prepared oral fell.
rehydration therapy, which combines salt
and sugar with clean water, saves millions of 14. Vaccines
lives. Louis Pasteur’s unveiling of the rabies
vaccine in 1885 paved the way for every
11. The pill other vaccine. The discovery has saved
The oral contraceptive brought about a millions of lives.
social as well as a medical revolution and
had huge benefits for women. It was the first 15. Tissue culture
potent drug to be taken by millions of healthy The invention of laboratory-reared tissue
people and the active ingredient is still the cultures has played a role in 18 out of the
same. last 52 Nobel prizes for medicine. Using
tissue culture doctors can grow viruses for
12. Risks of smoking experimentation and test drugs.
Two important studies in the 1950s led to a
growing body of evidence about the harmful © Guardian News & Media 2007
effects of tobacco. Since then there has First published in The Guardian, 05/1/07
been a gradual decline in the numbers of
people smoking and dying of tobacco-related
disease.
1. The British Medical Journal is asking … to choose the most important medical milestone.
a) doctors
b) readers
c) specialists
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2. Antibiotics were produced on a large scale to … soldiers during the second world war.
a) wound
b) transmit sexual diseases to
c) protect
3. Computers have allowed doctors to …

a) see how the body functions.
b) see the body better.
c) cure the human genome.
4. DNA testing helped …

a) understand SARS.
b) cure babies of AIDS.
c) close the asylums.
5. In the past doctors ...

a) killed 4% of patients.
b) transmitted germs to women having babies.
c) only practised evidence-based medicine.
6. Magic bullets are used ...

a) to treat cancer.
b) to treat arthritis.
c) both a) and b)
7. In the 19th century infectious diseases were caused largely by …

a) urbanisation and dirty water.
b) tobacco.
c) vaccines.
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8. Tissue culture has …
a) many uses.
b) won a Nobel prize.
c) killed many people in the 1800s.
4 Vocabulary: Chunks
Complete these expressions from the text using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.
1. the end ___ the 19th century

2. range ___ vaccines ___ the pill
3. see ___ three dimensions
4. ___ a result
5. children are faced ___ episodes of diarrhoea
6. a gradual decline ___ numbers
7. to pave the way ___ every other vaccine
8. 18 out ___ the last 52
5 Pronunciation: Word formation

Complete the gap with the correct form of the word given. All the words are in the text.
1. It was a significant … (discover)

2. Medicine has the … to diminish human suffering. (capable)
3. … is a characteristic of schizophrenia. (aggressive)
4. SARS is an … disease. (infect)
5. X-rays are invaluable for the correct … of illnesses. (diagnose)
6. Cholera was caused in part by … drinking water. (health)
7. The pill caused a … revolution. (medicine)
8. Doctors use tissue culture for … (experiment)
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6 Vocabulary: Odd word out
Circle the word which is not specifically connected to medicine.
1. treat cure diagnose grow

2. illness discovery disease sickness
3. doctor nurse soldier paramedic
4. antibiotic drug vaccine breakthrough
5. labour diarrhoea cholera cancer
7 Discussion
How is medicine different now than in the past? Do you think that other diseases will be cured? Which
ones?
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Chunks
1. milestone 1. of
2. breakthrough 2. from/to
3. asylum 3. in
4. contraceptive 4. as
5. culture 5. with
6. germ 6. in
7. in labour 7. for
8. therapy 8. of
2 Find the information 5 Vocabulary: Word formation
1. the number of medical milestones identified by the 1. discovery

British Medical Journal 2. capacity
2. first to report on penicillin’s potential 3. aggressiveness
3. ran the first trial of chlorpromazine on patients 4. infectious
4. discovered DNA 5. diagnosis
5. germ theory developed 6. unhealthy
6. won the Nobel prize for discovering X-rays 7. medical
7. the ingredients for oral rehydration 8. experimentation
8. invented the rabies vaccine
6 Vocabulary: Odd word out

1. grow
1. b 2. discovery
2 .c 3. soldier
3. b 4. breakthrough
4. a 5. labour
5. b
6. c
7. a
8. a
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Racism, ratings and reality TV
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
falter consternation allegation abuse regulator

furore elocution outraged aberration humiliation
1. If someone is ____________, they are extremely shocked and angry.
2. ____________ is cruel, violent or unfair treatment.
3. ____________ is the unhappy and ashamed feeling people have when something embarrassing happens.
4. ____________ is a shocked or worried feeling, often caused when something unexpected happens.
5. An ____________ is something that is not normal or not what you would usually expect.
6. An ____________ is a statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal even though this has
not been proved.
7. If something ____________, it ceases to be effective or to make progress.
8. A ____________ is an organization whose job is to check that companies, systems etc act fairly and follow rules.
9. ____________ is the skill of speaking clearly and with an accent that is considered to be correct.
10. A ____________ is a lot of anger caused by a particular event or situation.
These six sentences about the story are not in the correct order. Reorder them and then check your
a. Amongst other things, they called her a fake and made fun of her accent.
b. The controversy has led to an increase in the number of viewers, however.
c. Celebrity Big Brother is a reality TV show that is now in its fifth year.
d. Some of the other contestants are alleged to have made racist remarks about her.
e. One of the contestants in this year’s show is a film actress from India, Shilpa Shetty.
f. This led to more than 20,000 viewers complaining to the official TV regulator.
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NEWS LESSONS / Racism, ratings and reality TV / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Racism, ratings and reality TV: now but also on the skin and the country,” he said.
Big Brother creates a diplomatic Media regulator Ofcom said last night it had
incident received 19,300 complaints, more than double its
Complaints over Channel 4 show hit record previous record, while a further 3,000 were made
22,000. Police to investigate abuse of Bollywood to Channel 4 directly. A separate online petition
film star. launched by the newspaper Eastern Eye had last
night attracted 20,000 signatures.
by Owen Gibson, Vikram Dodd and Randeep
Ramesh in Delhi. January 18, 2007 Hertfordshire police said it would formally
investigate 30 complaints. A spokesman said:
Three days ago it was merely the below par fifth “We are investigating allegations of racist
season of a faltering reality TV show. But as the behaviour in the Big Brother house, and will
storm over the alleged racism of its participants be conducting an inquiry, including a review of
intensified, Celebrity Big Brother yesterday tapes.” Channel 4 executives and the show’s
sparked demonstrations on Indian streets, producers met yesterday to discuss the row, but
consternation in Downing Street, condemnation privately may be delighted. Tuesday night’s show
from the chancellor on a state visit to Bangalore was watched by 4.5 million people, 1 million
and a police investigation. more than Monday’s.
The Channel 4 show has always courted The furore was sparked by a series of incidents
controversy but has never before been on the centred on a group of contestants led by Goody,
verge of sparking an international incident. Yet as and including her boyfriend Jack Tweed, Lloyd
the number of complaints from outraged viewers and ex-pop singer Jo O’Meara. At one point
topped 22,000, the Indian government spoke out Goody, after a row with Shetty, had said: “You
against the programme and Hertfordshire police need elocution lessons. You need a day in the
confirmed it would investigate allegations that slums. Go to those people who look up to you
Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty had been subjected and be real. You’re a fake.”
to racist abuse by three white fellow contestants.
Channel 4 released a statement insisting that
The number of complaints looked sure to rise there had been no overt racism, and claiming
last night as Channel 4 broadcast a furious row that the clashes were based on class and
between Shetty and Jade Goody, who earned cultural differences. But in India, the row has
millions after finding fame on the non-celebrity managed the rare feat of uniting all political
version of the show. Speaking after the argument parties. Communists, Hindu nationalists and
to another contestant, Cleo Rocos, Shetty said: the ruling Congress party have all demanded
“I’m representing my country. Is that what today’s action be taken to preserve Shetty’s dignity. “[Big
UK is? It’s scary. It’s quite a shame actually.” Brother] is holding a mirror to British society. It
Rocos said: “I don’t think there’s anything racist is no aberration. We should thank Channel 4 for
in it.” But Shetty replied: “It is, I’m telling you.” revealing the hidden biases of Britain,” Mahesh
Later, glamour model Danielle Lloyd, when Bhatt, a Bollywood director, told the Guardian.
talking to Goody, said that the Bollywood star
should go back home. Dozens of Shetty’s fans took to the streets in
Patna, eastern India, to protest against what
India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister they said was her humiliation, burning straw
Priyaranjan Dasmunsi appealed to Shetty to effigies of the show’s producers. In Bangalore,
appear before the Indian High Commission in UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown,
London when she came out of the house. “If faced journalists questioning him about a reality
there has been some racism shown against her show he said he had never seen. “I understand
in the show, it is not only an attack on women that in the UK there have already been 10,000
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Level 3 Advanced
complaints from viewers about remarks which
people see rightly as offensive,” he said. “I want
Britain to be seen as a country of fairness and
tolerance. Anything that detracts from that I
condemn.”
Later Tony Blair’s spokesman added: “What

clearly is to be regretted and countered is any
perception abroad that in any way we tolerate
racism in this country.” In one exchange, Goody
was heard saying of Shetty: “She makes me feel
sick. She makes my skin crawl”, while her now
evicted mother Jackiey continually referred to
her as “the Indian”. Later Lloyd claimed that the
Bollywood star “wants to be white” and called
her a “dog”. After Shetty cooked a roast chicken
dinner, Lloyd had said: “They eat with their hands
in India, don’t they. Or is that China?” She added:
“You don’t know where those hands have been.”

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Level 3 Advanced
Choose the best answer according to the text:
1. What rare achievement did the controversy produce in India?

a. It made people burn straw effigies of the show’s producers.
b. It united all the political parties.
c. It made the British chancellor apologize.
2. What was the effect of the controversy in the UK?

a. The number of viewers increased by 30%.
b. Shilpa Shetty appeared before the Indian High Commission in London.
c. People demonstrated on the streets.
3. What action will the local police take?

a. No action at all.
b. They will review the tapes and conduct an inquiry.
c. They will arrest Goody and Lloyd for racism.
4. What was Channel 4’s version of events?

a. It was all part of the show.
b. It wasn’t racism but class and cultural differences.
c. The show is a mirror of British society.
Find the word or expression that means:
1. not up to standard (para 1)

2. to cause (para 1)
3. to be about to do something (para 2)
4. to state your opinion firmly and publicly (para 2)
5. frightening (para 3)
6. a document signed by many people asking the authorities to do something (para 4)
7. an impressive achievement (para 7)
8. a model of someone, especially one destroyed in a protest against them (para 8)

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5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + Noun collocations

1. spark a. one’s dignity
2. court b. an inquiry
3. investigate c. demonstrations
4. find d. a petition
5. conduct e. controversy
6. sign f. action
7. preserve g. fame
8. demand h. allegations
1. subjected __________
2. row __________
3. appeal __________
4. appear __________
5. attack __________
6. based __________
7. protest __________
8. detract __________
7 Discussion
What do you think of reality television programmes such as Big Brother? Do they perform a valuable service by
showing how people interact or are they just complete rubbish?
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KEY
1. outraged 1. c
2. abuse 2. e
3. humiliation 3. h
4. consternation 4. g
5. aberration 5. b
6. allegation 6. d
7. falters 7. a
8. regulator 8. f
9. elocution
10. furore
2 Sequence of events 1. to
2. between
1. c 3. to
2. e 4. before
3. d 5. on
4. a 6. on
5. f 7. against
6. b 8. from
1. b
2. a
3. b
4. b
1. below par
2. to spark
3. to be on the verge of
4. to speak out
5. scary
6. petition
7. feat
8. effigy
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1 Key words
celebrity investigate viewer contestant racism

complain petition slum fake tolerant
1. A ____________ is a very poor area of a city with houses in very bad condition.
2. A ____________ is a person who watches television programmes.
3. A ____________ is someone who pretends they have skills they do not really have.
4. A ____________ is a document which many people sign asking the authorities to do something.
5. A ____________ is a famous person, especially in entertainment or sport.
6. A ____________ is someone who takes part in a contest or a competition.
7. ____________ is a situation where people do not respect other people because they belong to a different race.
8. If you ____________ about something, you say that it is bad or wrong.
9. If you are ____________, you accept other people’s beliefs and way of life.
10. If the police ____________ something, they try to find out exactly what happened.
1. What is Celebrity Big Brother?
2. What TV station broadcasts Celebrity Big Brother?
3. How many people signed the online petition against the programme?
4. How many people watched the Tuesday night edition of the programme?
5. How many complaints will the police investigate formally?
6. How many viewers have made complaints?

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Level 1 Elementary
Racism, ratings and reality TV: now who is a fashion model, said that Shetty should
Big Brother creates a diplomatic go back home.
incident
India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister
Complaints over Channel 4 show hit record
said, “If there has been some racism in the
22,000. Police to investigate abuse of Bollywood
programme, it is not only an attack on women but
film star.
also on the colour of her skin and her country.”
by Owen Gibson, Vikram Dodd and Randeep Apart from the 22,000 complaints made by
Ramesh in Delhi. January 18, 2007 viewers, another 20,000 people signed a petition
organised by the newspaper Eastern Eye.
Celebrity Big Brother is a reality TV programme The local police said they were going to
shown on British television. It is now in its fifth investigate 30 complaints. A spokesman said:
year. In the programme a group of ‘famous’ “We are investigating reports of racist behaviour
people live together in a specially constructed in the Big Brother house, and we will look at
house for several weeks. They have no contact videotapes of the programme.” The managers
at all with the outside world (no telephones, of Channel 4 and the show’s producers met
television, newspapers etc.) and cameras film yesterday to discuss the situation, but privately
everything they do and say. In the last two years they may be very pleased. 4.5 million people
the number of people watching the programme watched Tuesday’s programme, one million more
has fallen. But the number of people watching than on Monday.
this year’s programme has suddenly risen. Why?
Some people believe several of the contestants The problems began after several arguments
behaved in a racist way towards another involving Goody, her boyfriend Jack Tweed, Lloyd
contestant. This has led to street demonstrations and a former pop singer Jo O’Meara. At one point
in India, shock and anger in the government and Goody, after an argument with Shetty, said: “You
a police investigation. need to learn to speak properly. You need a day
in the slums. You’re a fake.”
People have always disagreed about the
programme, which is shown on Channel 4, but Channel 4 said that it wasn’t racism but the result
this is the first time it has caused an international of class and cultural differences. But in India,
argument. 22,000 viewers have made official the row has united all the major political parties.
complaints about the programme; the Indian Communists, Hindu nationalists and the ruling
government has criticised it and UK police said Congress party have all demanded action. “[Big
they would investigate reports that three white Brother] is holding a mirror to British society.
contestants had behaved in a racist way towards This is not a one-off situation. We should thank
Indian film actress Shilpa Shetty. Channel 4 for showing us the real face of Britain,”
Mahesh Bhatt, a film director, told the Guardian.
Last night Channel 4 broadcast an angry
argument between Shetty and Jade Goody, who Fans of Shilpa Shetty protested on the streets
earned millions of pounds after appearing on the in Patna, eastern India. In Bangalore, British
non-celebrity version of the programme several politician Gordon Brown had to answer questions
years ago. Speaking to another contestant, Cleo from journalists about a reality TV programme
Rocos, after the argument, Shetty said: “I’m he said he had never seen. “I understand that in
representing my country. Is that what today’s UK the UK thousands of viewers have complained
is? It’s frightening. It’s quite a shame actually.” about the programme,” he said. “I want people
Rocos said: “I don’t think there’s anything racist to see Britain as a fair and tolerant country.” A
in it.” But Shetty replied: “It is racist, I’m telling spokesman for Tony Blair later said that the UK
you.” Later, another contestant Danielle Lloyd, does not tolerate racism in any way.
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Level 1 Elementary
Goody said about Shetty: “She makes me feel
sick”, while another contestant continually called
her “the Indian”. Later Lloyd said that Shetty
“wants to be white” and called her a “dog”. After
Shetty cooked a chicken dinner, Lloyd said:
“They eat with their hands in India, don’t they. Or
is that China?” She also said: “You don’t know
where those hands have been.”

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Level 1 Elementary
Match the beginnings and endings to make complete sentences about the text.
1. 22,000 viewers have complained about Big Brother because ____
2. The managers of Channel 4 may be pleased because ____
3. Shilpa Shetty believes that ____
4. Cleo Rocos believes that ____
5. Channel 4 said that ____
6. Tony Blair’s spokesman said that ____
a. ____ the behaviour of some of the other contestants was racist.
b. ____ it was the result of class and cultural differences.
c. ____ there wasn’t anything racist in it.
d. ____ they believe some of the contestants have behaved in a racist way.
e. ____ the UK does not tolerate racism in any way.
f. ____ more people are watching the programme.
Fill the gaps in these phrases from the text using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.
1. shown _______ television
2. contact _______ the outside world
3. disagree with someone _______ a subject
4. complain _______
5. behave _______ a racist way
6. attack _______ the colour of her skin
7. an argument _______ someone about something
8. the result _______ class differences

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Complete the table.
verb noun
1. complain
2. demonstrate
3. criticise
4. investigate
5. behave
6. argue
7. discuss
8. disagree
6 Vocabulary 3: Word game
Rearrange the letters to make words from the text.
1. c –i–p–n-o–m–l-a–t
2. e –i–t–n–s–g–a–v–i–e–t
3. m –r–n -a–g–t–e–u
4. r –u–a–e–b–v–o–h–i
5. l –u–j–i–o–r–a–t–n–s
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KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Word building
1. slum 1. complaint
2. viewer 2. demonstration
3. fake 3. criticism
4. petition 4. investigation
5. celebrity 5. behaviour
6. contestant 6. argument
7. racism 7. discussion
8. complain 8. disagreement
9. tolerant
10. investigate
6 Vocabulary 3: Word game
2 Find the information 1. complaint

2. investigate
1. A reality TV programme 3. argument
2. Channel 4 4. behaviour
3. 20,000 5. journalist
4. 4.5 million
5. 30
6. 22,000
1. d
2. f
3. a
4. c
5. b
6. e
1. on
2. with
3. about
4. about
5. in
6. on
7. with
8. of
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1 Key words
controversy allegation condemn regulator petition

elocution contestant fake overt prejudice
1. If someone is a ____________, they pretend to have skills they do not really have.
2. A ____________ is a document signed by many people asking the authorities to do something.
3. If you have ____________ lessons, you learn to speak clearly and with an accent that is considered correct.
4. If something is ____________, it is not hidden or secret.
5. ____________ is an unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially the feeling of not liking a group of people.
6. An ____________ is a statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal even though this has
not been proved.
7. A ____________ is a disagreement that a lot of people have strong feelings about.
8. If you ____________ something, you say publicly that something is bad or wrong.
9. A ____________ is an organization whose job is to check that companies, systems etc. act fairly
and follow rules.
10. A ____________ is someone who takes part in a contest or competition.
1. What is Celebrity Big Brother?
2. What TV station broadcasts Celebrity Big Brother?
3. How many people signed the online petition against the programme?
4. How many people watched the Monday night edition of the programme?
5. How many complaints will the police investigate formally?
6. Who is the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer?

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Racism, ratings and reality TV: now attack on women but also on the colour of her
Big Brother creates a diplomatic skin and her country,” he said. 19,300 complaints
incident were made to the UK media regulator, more
Complaints over Channel 4 show hit record than double the previous record, while a further
22,000. Police to investigate abuse of Bollywood 3,000 complaints were made direct to Channel 4.
film star. Another 20,000 people signed an online petition
organised by the newspaper Eastern Eye.
by Owen Gibson, Vikram Dodd and Randeep
Ramesh in Delhi. January 18, 2007 The local police said they would formally
investigate 30 complaints. A spokesman said:
The reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother is “We are investigating allegations of racist
already in its fifth year. The number of viewers behaviour in the Big Brother house, and
has been falling but now a controversy over will conduct an inquiry, including a review
the alleged racism of some of the participants of videotapes of the programme.” Channel
in this year’s show has led to demonstrations 4 executives and the show’s producers met
on Indian streets, shock and anger in Downing yesterday to discuss the row, but privately they
Street, condemnation from the Chancellor of the may be delighted. Tuesday night’s show was
Exchequer on a state visit to India and a police watched by 4.5 million people, one million more
investigation. than on Monday.
The Channel 4 show has always been The controversy started after a series of incidents
controversial but has never before caused an involving a group of contestants led by Goody,
international incident. However, as the number of and including her boyfriend Jack Tweed, Lloyd
complaints from angry viewers grew to 22,000, and former pop singer Jo O’Meara. At one point
the Indian government criticised the programme Goody, after an argument with Shetty, had said:
and local police confirmed they would investigate “You need elocution lessons. You need a day in
allegations that three white fellow contestants the slums. Go to those people who look up to you
had behaved in a racist way towards Bollywood and be real. You’re a fake.”
star Shilpa Shetty.
Channel 4 released a statement saying that
The number of complaints looked sure to rise last there had been no overt racism, and claiming
night as Channel 4 broadcast a furious argument that the arguments were the result of class and
between Shetty and Jade Goody, who earned cultural differences. But in India, the row has
millions after appearing on the non-celebrity united all the major political parties. Communists,
version of the show. Speaking to another Hindu nationalists and the ruling Congress party
contestant, Cleo Rocos, after the argument have all demanded action be taken to preserve
Shetty said: “I’m representing my country. Is Shetty’s dignity. “[Big Brother] is holding a mirror
that what today’s UK is? It’s scary. It’s quite a to British society. This is not a one-off situation.
shame actually.” Rocos said: “I don’t think there’s We should thank Channel 4 for showing us the
anything racist in it.” But Shetty replied: “It is, I’m hidden prejudices of Britain,” Mahesh Bhatt, a
telling you.” Later, glamour model Danielle Lloyd, Bollywood director, told the Guardian.
talking to Goody, said that the Bollywood star
should go back home. Dozens of Shetty’s fans protested on the
streets in Patna, eastern India. In Bangalore,
India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon
appealed to Shetty to appear before the Indian Brown, had to answer questions from journalists
High Commission in London when she came out about a reality show he said he had never
of the house. “If there has been some racism seen. “I understand that in the UK there have
shown against her in the show, it is not only an already been 10,000 complaints from viewers
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about remarks which people rightly regard as
offensive,” he said. “I want Britain to be seen as
a country of fairness and tolerance. I condemn
anything that goes against that view.” Tony
Blair’s spokesman later added that racism is not
tolerated in any way in the UK.
In one exchange, Goody said about Shetty: “She

makes me feel sick. She makes my skin crawl,”
while another contestant continually referred to
her as “the Indian”. Later Lloyd claimed that the
Bollywood star “wants to be white” and called
her a “dog”. After Shetty cooked a roast chicken
dinner, Lloyd had said: “They eat with their hands
in India, don’t they. Or is that China?” She added:
“You don’t know where those hands have been.”

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1. This is the first time that Celebrity Big Brother has caused an international incident.
2. People in India are angry because a Bollywood actress appeared on the show.
3. A record number of people have complained to the UK media regulator.
4. The number of people watching the programme has fallen since the controversy started.
5. Channel 4 executives will probably be angry about the controversy.
6. The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer is a fan of the programme.

7. Some of the contestants made fun of Shilpa’s accent.
8. The police are not involved.
Look in the text and find the following:
1. An adjective meaning frightening. (para 3)
2. A verb meaning to try to find the facts about something in order to find the truth. (para 5)
3. A noun meaning an argument or a serious disagreement. (para 5)
4. An adjective meaning extremely pleased. (para 5)
5. A noun meaning a very poor area of a city where the buildings are in a very bad condition. (para 6)
6. A noun meaning the respect that other people have for you. (para 7)
7. An adjective meaning unpleasant or insulting. (para 8)
8. An expression meaning to suddenly feel uncomfortable because you dislike someone very much. (para 9)
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1. investigate a. an inquiry
2. cause b. a petition
3. make c. someone’s dignity
4. sign d. action
5. conduct e. an allegation
6. release f. an international incident

7. demand g. a statement
8. preserve h. a complaint
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. tolerate
2. complain
3. allege
4. condemn
5. behave
6. refer
7. criticise
8. argue
7 Discussion
Would you appear on a reality TV programme like Big Brother? Why? Why not?
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1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word
1. fake 1. scary
2. petition 2. investigate
3. elocution 3. row
4. overt 4. delighted
5. prejudice 5. slum
6. allegation 6. dignity
7. controversy 7. offensive
8. condemn 8. to make your skin crawl
9. regulator
10. contestant
2 Find the information 1. e or h

2. f
1. A reality TV programme 3. h or e
2. Channel 4 4. b
3. 20,000 5. a
4. 3.5 million 6. g
5. 30 7. d
6. Gordon Brown 8. c
3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Word building
1. T 1. tolerance
2. F 2. complaint
3. T 3. allegation
4. F 4. condemnation
5. F 5. behaviour
6. F 6. reference
7. T 7. criticism
8. F 8. argument
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Into the aurora
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
shimmer fluctuate turmoil orbit glow

pinpoint engulf trigger tandem substorm
1. If something operates in ____________ with something else, they happen at the same time.
2. A ____________ is a soft light, often red or orange in colour, coming from something that produces heat.
3. The moon ____________ the Earth, meaning that it moves around it on a regular path.
4. A ____________ is a complicated phenomenon in the magnetosphere that scientists still do not fully understand.
5. When something ____________, it reflects a gentle light that seems to shake slightly.
6. ____________ is a state of uncontrolled activity.
7. If something ____________, it changes frequently.
8. If you ____________ something, you discover exactly where something is or you explain exactly what
something is.
9. If something ____________ something else, it covers it completely.
10. A ____________ is something that sets a process in motion.
Try to guess whether these statements are true or false. Then look in the text and check your answers.
1. The northern lights are also known as aurora borealis.
2. The northern lights are caused by electron activity in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.
3. The main colours of the northern lights are red, yellow and blue.
4. Scientists know what causes the substorms that cause the northern lights.
5. Understanding the northern lights will lead to better weather forecasting on Earth.
6. The Earth is the only planet with a magnetic field, also called a magnetosphere.
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Into the aurora
Level 3 Advanced
Into the aurora: NASA craft probe released by the magnetic field intensifies into
mysteries of the northern lights a substorm.
Project will help predict damaging space storms. “It becomes interesting when a substorm goes
Satellites will line up in orbit to measure effect. off - it brightens and then, within 30 seconds, it
Alok Jha, science correspondent starts rushing towards the north. It engulfs the
February 15, 2007 entire sky and breaks up into little pieces,” said
Vassilis Angelopoulos, principal investigator on
The shimmering waves of colour of the northern the Themis project who is based at the University
lights are an unparalleled display of nature, of California, Berkeley. “It’s a magnificent
caused as the Earth’s atmosphere is hit by phenomenon to watch.” The sequence of events
energetic particles from magnetic storms in that leads to a substorm is unknown. “The
space. For scientists, however, the lights also problem so far is that a single satellite was never
represent one of the longest-standing mysteries able to pinpoint the exact trigger of this process,”
in space physics: how and where in space do the said Professor Angelopoulos.
displays begin? And how can they be predicted?
The five Themis satellites are designed to orbit
Today, NASA will launch five identical spacecraft the Earth in such a way that they line up along
from Cape Canaveral in Florida, in an attempt the sun-Earth line every four days, tracking the
to answer the question. By measuring how the flow of energy from one to the other. Possible
magnetic field around the Earth fluctuates in triggers for the substorms have different locations
real time, the Themis project will allow scientists in space, so placing the Themis spacecraft in
to better predict the weather in space that lies various locations in the Earth’s magnetic field will
behind the northern lights - crucial for keeping help find the elusive point of origin. “The orbits
communications satellites and, eventually, are designed so that there will be a series of
humans safe in orbit. spacecraft down the tail of the Earth’s magnetic
field at the same time,” said Dr Hapgood. “They’ll
The northern lights - aurora borealis - are a visual
be able to bracket the different phenomena
representation of the turmoils of the Earth’s
occurring. They’ll be able to say, ‘this thing
magnetic field. The sun continually streams
happened between these two spacecraft at
energy towards our planet, some of which is
this time’.”
stored by the Earth’s magnetic field at heights of
10,000 km above the surface. The field creates More than 20 ground stations across the US
a protective shield for the Earth in space, called will track the Themis satellites, to give precise
the magnetosphere, which protects our planet locations for the magnetic substorms that
from much of the deadly radiation coming from are observed. Themis will also work with the
the sun. But every so often, the field will release European Cluster project, launched in 2000,
the energy it has stored and shower energetic which uses four satellites flying in tandem to
electrons towards the upper atmosphere. When measure the Earth’s magnetic field. “Cluster has
these hit air molecules, the energy released been important - we’ve been sending information
causes a characteristic glow. to our US colleagues on how to coordinate it
with Themis,” said Dr Hapgood. As well as the
“The colours represent the composition of the
northern lights, the European Cluster project
air at that height,” said Mike Hapgood, a UK
uses 11 instruments to focus on the part of the
space researcher. “Green and red is the oxygen
Earth’s magnetic field that faces the sun.
glowing, violet is nitrogen.” Most of the time, the
northern lights make up a steady band stretching “Much like meteorologists study tornadoes in
from east to west but every few hours the energy order to understand the large thunderstorms,
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Into the aurora
Level 3 Advanced
so we study substorms to get better insight into has evolved rather dramatically because they
large space storms,” said Prof Angelopoulos. understand the sequence of events much better.
Predicting these storms is important for scientists Essentially we are doing the same sort of thing,
to describe the environment around the Earth trying to understand that sequence and give
and ensure spacecraft and astronauts can people more accurate predictions.”
operate safely, as the particles created in the
storms can damage electronic circuits. The Themis satellites will spend the next few
months being carefully arranged in space, and
The radiation can also knock out power grids will make their first working measurements in a
on the Earth’s surface. “Once they [NASA] have year’s time. They are scheduled to operate for
the timing right, it becomes much easier to give two years. Dr Hapgood said that understanding
people a warning,” said Dr Hapgood. “If you give the Earth’s magnetic field will also give scientists
a control centre half an hour’s notice, they can insights into other planets in the solar system
be alert and ready to deal with things or issue that have magnetospheres: “These things
a warning saying things aren’t going to be so also happen out further in the universe around
reliable for the next few hours.” pulsars. Understanding how magnetospheres
work is a universal question.”
Modern warnings of space storms are unreliable.
“It’s like what weather forecasting may have © Guardian News & Media 2007
been a century ago. Over the last 50 years, it First published in The Guardian, 15/2/07
Choose the best answer according to the text:
1. The aim of the Themis project is:

a. to measure the magnetic field around the Earth.
b. to pinpoint the point of origin of the northern lights.
c. to find out what colour the northern lights really are.
2. How does the magnetosphere protect the Earth?

a. It showers electrons towards the upper atmosphere.
b. It releases energy causing a characteristic glow.
c. It prevents a lot of solar radiation reaching the Earth.
3. Electronic particles created in substorms could be dangerous because:

a. they can damage electronic circuits in spacecraft and power grids on the Earth’s surface.
b. they cause thunderstorms.
c. they interfere with weather forecasting.
4. The purpose of the European Cluster project is:

a. to find the origin of the northern lights.
b. to measure substorms.
c. to measure the Earth’s magnetic field.
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Into the aurora
Level 3 Advanced
4 Vocabulary 1: Adjectives
Find the adjectives that mean:
1. the best of a particular kind (para 1)
2. having existed for a very long time (para 1)
3. extremely important (para 2)
4. able or likely to kill people (para 3)
5. very impressive and beautiful (para 5)
6. difficult or impossible to find (para 6)
7. extremely exact (para 7)
8. paying attention to what is happening and ready to react quickly if necessary (para 9)
5 Sequencing
Rearrange these sentences to form the sequence of events leading to the appearance of the northern lights.
a. From time to time the field releases the energy it has stored.
b. It is this contact which causes the characteristic glow of the northern lights.
c. It sends showers of energetic electrons towards the upper atmosphere.
d. The sun continually streams energy towards the Earth.
e. This energy is stored by the Earth’s magnetic field.
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Level 3 Advanced
1. focus _______
2. shield _______
3. lead _______
4. coordinate _______
5. deal _______
6. insight _______
7. warning _______
8. sequence _______ events
7 Discussion
Should money be spent on space exploration?
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Into the aurora
Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Key words 5 Sequencing
1. tandem 1. d
2. glow 2. e
3. orbits 3. a
4. substorm 4. c
5. shimmers 5. f
6. turmoil 6. b
7. fluctuates
8. pinpoint
9. engulfs
10. trigger
1. on
2 What do you know? 2. from
3. to
1. T 4. with
2. T 5. with
3. F 6. into
4. F 7. of
5. F 8. of
6. F
1. b
2. c
3. a
4. c
1. unparalleled
2. long-standing
3. crucial
4. deadly
5. magnificent
6. elusive
7. precise
8. alert
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Into the aurora
Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
particle spacecraft satellite orbit atmosphere

meteorologist astronaut reliable deadly solar system
1. An ____________ is someone who travels and works in space.
2. The ____________ is the air around the Earth.
3. The ____________ is the sun and the group of planets that go around it (including the Earth).
4. A ____________ is a vehicle that can travel in space.
5. A ____________ is an object that travels in space and sends information back to Earth.
6. A ____________ is an extremely small part of an atom.
7. The ____________ of a satellite is the path it follows as it travels around the Earth.
8. A ____________ is someone who studies the weather.
9. If something is ____________, you can trust it.
10. If something is ____________, it can kill you.
1. How many spacecraft are NASA sending into space?
2. How high is the magnetic field above the Earth?
3. How many ground stations will track the satellites?
4. What colour is nitrogen in the magnetic field?
5. What is the other name for the northern lights?
6. Where can you see the northern lights?

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NEWS LESSONS / Into the aurora / Elementary

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Into the aurora
Level 1 Elementary
Into the aurora: NASA craft probe “It is interesting when a storm starts – the light
mysteries of the northern lights gets brighter and then, within 30 seconds, it starts
Project will help predict damaging space storms. moving quickly towards the north. It covers the
Satellites will line up in orbit to measure effect. whole sky and then breaks up into little pieces,” said
Alok Jha, science correspondent Vassilis Angelopoulos, a scientist working on the
February 15, 2007 Themis project. “It’s wonderful to watch.” No-one
knows exactly why and where the storms begin.
Above the Arctic Circle a bright pink light often
“The problem so far is that using just one satellite
appears in the night sky. This is called the northern
we cannot be sure where the storms begin,” said
lights (or aurora borealis). Sometimes it seems
Professor Angelopoulos.
that the sun is rising in the wrong place. Colours of
pink, red, green and violet fill the sky. Where does The five satellites will orbit the Earth in a line and
this strange light come from? Magnetic storms in record the energy passing from the sun to the
space send out energy particles. These particles hit Earth. They will be in different places in the Earth’s
the Earth’s atmosphere and produce the coloured magnetic field and will record when and where an
light. For scientists the lights are one of the oldest energy storm begins between two of the satellites.
mysteries in space physics: how and where in More than 20 ground stations across the US will
space do these light shows begin? And how can track the Themis satellites, and will record exactly
scientists predict when and where they will happen? where the magnetic storms happen.
Now the North American Space Agency (NASA) “In the same way that meteorologists study
is sending five spacecraft into space to try to tornadoes in order to understand the large
answer these questions. This project, known as thunderstorms, we study magnetic storms to
the Themis project, will measure how the magnetic understand large space storms,” said Professor
field around the Earth changes in real time. This will Angelopoulos. If scientists can forecast when these
allow scientists to make better forecasts about the large storms will happen, spacecraft and astronauts
weather in space. This information is important for will be able to operate safely, because the storms
the safety of communications satellites as they orbit can damage electronic systems on spacecraft.
the Earth and will also be very important for human At the moment the forecasting of space storms is
space travellers. not reliable. “It’s like what weather forecasting was
The northern lights are the result of changes in a hundred years ago. In the last 50 years, weather
the Earth’s magnetic field. The sun continually forecasting has improved a lot because they
sends energy towards our planet. The Earth’s understand exactly what happens. We are doing
magnetic field stores some of this energy at a the same kind of thing. We are trying to give people
height of 10,000 km above the surface of the better forecasts of space storms,” says UK space
Earth. The magnetic field protects us from much expert Mike Hapgood.
of the deadly radiation that comes from the The Themis satellites will take their first
sun. However, sometimes energy escapes from measurements next year. They will operate for
the field and showers of electrons rise into the two years. Dr Hapgood says that understanding
upper atmosphere. When these electrons come the Earth’s magnetic field will also give scientists
into contact with air, they create the energy that information about other planets in the solar
produces the light of the northern lights. system that have magnetic fields: “These things
The different colours are the result of the different also happen in other parts of the universe.
gases in the atmosphere at 10,000km above the Understanding how magnetic fields work is a
Earth. Green and red are oxygen and violet is universal question.”
nitrogen. Most of the time, the northern lights are a © Guardian News & Media 2007
wide band of light from east to west but every few First published in The Guardian, 15/2/07
hours the energy causes a storm.
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Level 1 Elementary
Mark these statements True or False according to the text.
1. Scientists do not know what the northern lights are.
2. Scientists do not know how the northern lights begin.
3. Scientists can predict when the northern lights will happen.
4. The weather in space is important information for astronauts.
5. The magnetic field around the Earth protects us from the sun’s radiation.
6. The forecasting of space storms is very reliable.

7. The Earth is the only planet in the solar system with a magnetic field.
8. The northern lights are different colours.
Fill the gaps in the phrases and sentences from the text using prepositions. Check your answers
in the text.
1. _______ the wrong place
2. sending spacecraft _______ space
3. the result _______ changes
4. the sun protects us _______ radiation
5. energy escapes _______ the magnetic field

6. come _______ contact _______ air
7. most _______ the time
8. _______ the last 50 years

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Level 1 Elementary

Complete the table.
verb noun
1. predict
2. measure
3. forecast
4. protect
5. record
6. appear
7. improve
8. produce
Put these verbs from the text into two groups according to their word stress.

predict measure appear forecast produce protect
damage orbit happen record cover improve
A 0o B o0
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Prepositions
1. astronaut 1. in
2. atmosphere 2. into
3. solar system 3. of
4. spacecraft 4. from
5. satellite 5. from
6. particle 6. into/with
7. orbit 7. of
8. meteorologist 8. in
9. reliable
10. deadly
2 Find the information 1. prediction

2. measurement
1. five 3. forecast
2. 10,000 km 4. protection
3. twenty 5. record
4. violet 6. appearance
5. aurora borealis 7. improvement
6. above the Arctic Circle (in the night sky) 8. production
1. F
2. T A: measure; forecast; damage; orbit; happen; cover
3. F B: predict; appear; produce; protect; record; improve
4. T
5. T
6. F
7. F
8. T
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1 Key words
phenomenon particle turbulence shield orbit

glow substorm satellite circuit power grid
1. A ____________ is an object that is sent into space in order to receive and send information.
2. A ____________ is a storm created by energy released by the Earth’s magnetic field.
3. A ____________ is an extremely small piece of matter that is part of an atom.
4. The ____________ of a satellite is the path it follows as it travels around the Earth.
5. A ____________ is the set of wires that carries the electricity supply.
6. A ____________ is the complete path that an electric current flows around.
7. A ____________ is something that can be seen to happen or exist.
8. A ____________ is something that protects against danger.
9. A ____________ is a soft, warm light produced by a source of heat.
10. ____________ is a sudden violent movement of air or water.
Look in the text and find the following information as quickly as possible.
1. How high above the Earth’s surface is the magnetosphere?
2. How many Themis satellites will orbit the Earth?
3. What are the colours of oxygen glowing?
4. How many ground stations will track the Themis satellites?
5. In which direction does a substorm move?
6. How many satellites does the European Cluster project have?

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NEWS LESSONS / Into the aurora / Intermediate

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Into the aurora
Into the aurora: NASA craft probe released by the magnetic field intensifies into
mysteries of the northern lights a substorm.
Project will help predict damaging space storms. “It becomes interesting when a substorm goes
Satellites will line up in orbit to measure effect. off - it brightens and then, within 30 seconds, it
Alok Jha, science correspondent starts rushing towards the north. It covers the
February 15, 2007 entire sky and breaks up into little pieces,” said
Vassilis Angelopoulos, principal investigator
The northern lights (also known as aurora on the Themis project. “It’s a magnificent
borealis) are a unique natural phenomenon, phenomenon to watch.” The sequence of events
caused as the Earth’s atmosphere is hit by that leads to a substorm is unknown. “The
energy particles from magnetic storms in space. problem so far is that we cannot find the source
For scientists, however, the lights also represent of the process using just one satellite,” said
one of the oldest mysteries in space physics: Professor Angelopoulos.
how and where in space do the displays of light
begin? And how can they be predicted? The five Themis satellites will orbit the Earth in
such a way that they line up along the sun-Earth
Today, NASA will launch five identical spacecraft line every four days and track the flow of energy
from Cape Canaveral in Florida, in an attempt from one to the other. Possible sources for the
to answer the question. By measuring how the substorms have different locations in space,
magnetic field around the Earth changes in real so placing the Themis spacecraft in various
time, the Themis project will allow scientists locations in the Earth’s magnetic field will help
to better predict the weather in space that lies find the source. They will be able to record that
behind the northern lights. This information is a particular source of energy happened between
important for keeping communications satellites two particular spacecraft at a particular time.
safe as they orbit the Earth and will also be vital
for humans as they travel in space. More than 20 ground stations across the US
will track the Themis satellites, to give precise
The northern lights are a visual representation locations for the magnetic substorms that
of turbulence in the Earth’s magnetic field. The are observed. Themis will also work with the
sun continually sends energy towards our planet, European Cluster project which uses four
some of which is stored by the Earth’s magnetic satellites to measure the Earth’s magnetic field.
field at heights of 10,000 km above the surface.
The field creates a protective shield for the Earth “In the same way that meteorologists study
in space, called the magnetosphere, which tornadoes in order to understand the large
protects our planet from much of the deadly thunderstorms, we study substorms to get
radiation coming from the sun. But every now better insight into large space storms,” said
and then, the field releases the energy it has Professor Angelopoulos. Predicting these
stored and sends showers of energetic electrons storms is important for scientists to describe
towards the upper atmosphere. When these the environment around the Earth and ensure
electrons come into contact with air, the energy spacecraft and astronauts can operate safely, as
released causes a characteristic glow. the particles created in the storms can damage
electronic circuits. The radiation can also knock
The colours represent the composition of the out power grids on the Earth’s surface.
air at that height. Green and red are the oxygen
glowing and violet is nitrogen. Most of the time, Modern warnings of space storms are unreliable.
the northern lights are a steady band stretching “It’s like what weather forecasting may have been
from east to west but every few hours the energy a century ago. Over the last 50 years, it has
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Into the aurora
developed quite dramatically because they
understand the sequence of events much better.
We are doing the same sort of thing, trying to
understand that sequence and give people more
accurate predictions,” says UK space expert
Mike Hapgood.
The Themis satellites will make their first working

measurements in a year’s time. They are
scheduled to operate for two years. Dr Hapgood
said that understanding the Earth’s magnetic
field will also give scientists information about
other planets in the solar system that have
magnetospheres: “These things also happen
further out in the universe. Understanding how
magnetospheres work is a universal question.”

Decide whether these sentences are True or False according to the text:
1. Scientists don’t know what the northern lights are.
2. Scientists don’t know what causes the displays of lights to begin.

3. The glow of the northern lights is caused by electrons coming into contact with air molecules.
4. Glowing oxygen is violet in colour.
5. Studying substorms will enable scientists to understand large space storms.
6. Radiation from space storms has no effect on the Earth.
7. The Themis satellites have already started taking measurements.
8. If scientists understand how the Earth’s magnetic field works, they will be able to understand how the magnetic
fields of other planets work.

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Into the aurora
Find the adjectives that mean:
1. not the same as anything else (para 1)
2. exactly the same (para 2)
3. extremely important (para 3)
4. able or likely to kill people (para 3)
5. firmly held in a particular position without moving (para 4)
6. all or every part of something (para 5)
7. very impressive and beautiful (para 5)
8. very exact (para 7)
5 Sequencing
Rearrange these sentences to form the sequence of events leading to the appearance of the
northern lights.
a. These electrons come into contact with air molecules.
b. The sun continually sends energy toward the Earth.
c. But sometimes the field releases the energy it has stored.
d. It is this contact which causes the characteristic glow of the northern lights.
e. This sends showers of energetic electrons towards the upper atmosphere.
f. The Earth’s magnetic field stores this energy.

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Complete the table.
noun adjective
1. phenomenon
2. turbulence
3. mystery
4. vision
5. energy
6. variety
7. accuracy
8. universe
7 Discussion
Should money be spent on space exploration?
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Adjectives
1. satellite 1. unique
2. substorm 2. identical
3. particle 3. vital
4. orbit 4. deadly
5. power grid 5. steady
6. circuit 6. entire
7. phenomenon 7. magnificent
8. shield 8. precise
9. glow
10. turbulence
5 Sequencing
2 Find the information 1. b

2. f
1. 10,000 km 3. c
2. five 4. e
3. green and red 5. a
4. more than 20 6. d
5. to the north
6. four
3 Comprehension check 1. phenomenal

2. turbulent
1. F 3. mysterious
2. T 4. visual
3. T 5. energetic
4. F 6. various
5. T 7. accurate
6. F 8. universal
7. F
8. T
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Spacewoman on charge of trying to kill love rival
Level 3 Advanced
1 Pre-reading 1
Look at the main headline. What do you think the story will be about?
1. A female alien recharges her batteries and dives from outer space to bomb another woman.
2. A woman astronaut loses her job when she is accused of attempted murder.
3. An actress playing a character like ‘Wonder Woman’ is electrocuted when her rocket crashes.
2 Pre-reading 2
Now read the sub-headings. Do they help you to decide?
3 Key words
Match these key words from the text with the definitions below.
a shuttle alleged a tracking device docked

screening a nappy stalking
1. ____________ A piece of electronic equipment that lets the police know where you are, wherever you go.
2. ____________ A piece of soft material usually worn by babies, who can’t use the toilet.
3. ____________ Checking very carefully that someone is suitable for a job.
4. ____________ Watching and following someone all the time in a frightening way because you have an
excessive interest in them.
5. ____________ Said to be true, but not yet proved in court.
6. ____________ Joined to another spacecraft while still in space.
7. ____________ A space vehicle that travels to outer space and back to Earth.

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NEWS LESSONS / Spacewoman on charge of trying to kill love rival / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Spacewoman falls to Earth on charge 6 By her own admission to Orlando police, Mrs
of trying to kill love rival Nowak set out on her 950-mile drive from
Shuttle astronaut arrested after alleged airport Houston, Texas, to Orlando on Sunday carrying
attack. Male colleague said to be at centre of with her a carbon-dioxide powered pellet gun, a
love triangle. folding knife with a four-inch blade, pepper spray,
Ed Pilkington in New York a steel mallet and $600 in cash. She also had
February 7, 2007 several large black bin liners, six latex gloves and
rubber tubing, as well as a wig and two hooded
1 Last July, it took Lisa Nowak 12 days, 18 hours, trench coats for disguise.
37 minutes and 54 seconds, travelling a distance
of 5.3 million miles, to win her position in one of 7 Most peculiarly, she wore a nappy on the journey
the world’s most elite clubs: travellers in space. to reduce the need for stops – an in-house trick
Last Monday, it took her about 14 hours, and a as astronauts wear nappies during take off and
journey of 950 miles, to lose it. landing.
2 Yesterday, Mrs Nowak was charged with 8 The police affidavit states that she had
attempted first-degree murder in the most bizarre discovered that Colleen Shipman, a US air force
incident involving any of NASA’s active-duty captain, was flying in from Houston to Orlando
astronauts. The charge, together with others of that night.
attempted kidnapping and battery, relate to an
apparent love triangle she was involved in with 9 Mrs Nowak wanted to be there to “scare her”,
a fellow male astronaut and a female air force she later told police, into talking about her
captain whom she suspected of being a rival to relationship with the man at the centre of the love
his affections. triangle.
3 A Florida judge ruled last night that Mrs Nowak 10 He is Bill Oefelein, 41, from Alaska, who
could be fitted with a tracking device and underwent astronaut training with Mrs Nowak
released from custody if she could come up with and like her went into space for the first time
$25,000 (£13,000) bail and did not contact her last year, also on Discovery, although they have
alleged victim. never flown together. Evidence of Mrs Nowak’s
feelings towards Mr Oefelein were found in a
4 To say the group to which 43-year-old Mrs letter in her car, together with emails between
Nowak belongs is ‘select’ is an understatement: him and Ms Shipman, as well as directions
she is one of only 97 astronauts currently trained to Ms Shipman’s house. In her statement to
and ready to fly, 20 of them women. NASA has police, Mrs Nowak said she had “more than a
selected a total of just 321 astronauts since the working relationship, but less than a romantic
US agency began preparing to go into space in relationship” with him.
1959.
11 Ms Shipman allegedly saw Mrs Nowak, whom
5 All of which makes her behaviour in the early she had never met before, wearing a hooded
hours of Monday so baffling. The married mother trench coat, dark glasses and the wig, following
of three, separated from her husband, who had her on a bus from the airport lounge to the car
been subjected to NASA’s rigorous screening park. Afraid, she hurried to her car. She could
process and trained for 10 years to cope with hear running footsteps behind her and as she
extreme stress before her flight in the Discovery slammed the door Mrs Nowak slapped the
space shuttle, embarked on her own private window and tried to pull the door open.
mission.
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Level 3 Advanced
12 “Can you help me, please? My boyfriend was to fly in very cramped spaces and under intense
supposed to pick me up and he is not here,” Mrs stress so they have to be able to cope.”
Nowak is alleged to have pleaded. When Ms
Shipman said she could not help, the astronaut 15 Mrs Nowak had a key technical role in the July
started to cry. Ms Shipman wound down her flight, in charge of a robotic arm for repairing the
window a couple of inches at which Mrs Nowak international space station with which it docked.
let off the pepper spray. Ms Shipman drove off,
her eyes burning, and raised the alarm. She 16 Before the mission, she said she had first
alleges the astronaut had been stalking her for become interested in space at the age of
around two months. five when she watched the moon landing on
television, and on visits to the Air and Space
13 Sergeant Barb Jones of Orlando police said last Museum in Washington.
night: “The intent was there to cause serious
bodily injury or death.” Mrs Nowak’s behaviour 17 Her official photograph taken before the flight
and subsequent appearance in court has shows her in full astronaut’s suit, smiling broadly.
amazed people in the rarefied world of space Yesterday a picture with a difference was running
exploration. Tariq Malik, who covers shuttle on TV screens: Mrs Nowak as she was booked
missions for the website space.com and who into jail, her forehead creased, eyes pinched,
interviewed Mrs Nowak shortly before she went shoulders hunched and hair askew. NASA put
into space, said astronauts were carefully chosen her on a 30-day suspension and removed her
and trained so that surprises did not happen. from all shuttle mission activities.
14 “They go through deep medical and © Guardian News & Media 2007
psychological screening,” he said. “They have First published in The Guardian, 7/2/07
Match the beginnings and endings of these sentences:
1 The time Mrs Nowak spent becoming an astronaut a her lover was seeing another woman.
2 She was afraid that b because she took a lot of weapons with her.
3 Her employers had made an effort to check that c she was not easy to recognize.
1 4 It was clear that she planned to attack somebody d but as soon as she could, she hurt Ms Shipman.
5 The man she was in love with e she was a perfectly suitable astronaut.
6 When Mrs Nowak approached Ms Shipman f since she was a small child.
7 Mrs Nowak pretended she just wanted to talk g was wasted in a few hours of jealous anger.
8 She had been fascinated by space travel h had studied with her to be an astronaut.
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Level 3 Advanced
5 Vocabulary development
Find words in the text that mean the following. The paragraph numbers are given.
1. extremely strange (2)
2. the crime of hitting someone (2)
3. being kept in prison until you go to court (3)
4. money you leave with the court to make sure you appear for your trial (3)
5. confusing (adj) (5)
6. legal document containing someone’s statement (8)
7. shut very loudly (11)
8. hit with the palm of your hand (11)
9. extremely special and unusual (13)
10. writes reports about (13)
6 Collocations
From memory, complete the collocations below with words from the box.
intense custody carefully shuttle

admission court screening cramped
1. released from _____________
2. rigorous ____________ process
3. space ____________
4. by her own ____________
5. appearance in ____________
6. ____________ chosen
7. very ____________ spaces
8. under ____________ stress
Now scan the text quickly to see if you were right.

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7 Compound words
Match the beginnings and endings of these compound adjectives and nouns from memory.
first- spray
active- blade
folding tubing
4-inch house
pepper gloves
bin degree
latex liners
rubber duty
in- knife
First scan the text to see if you were right. Then complete the descriptions below with one of the
compound expressions.
1. You can cut things with this, and keep it safely in your pocket: _______________.
2. You can wear these to protect your hands: _______________.
3. A kind of flexible pipe that can hold liquid or gas: _______________.
4. People who work for the military as their main job are on _______________.
5. The cutting part of a knife, about 10 cm long: _______________.
6. Describing something that is done inside a company: _______________.
7. Large plastic bags that go inside rubbish containers: _______________.
8. Very painful liquid that can burn your face or blind you: _______________.
9. If you kill somebody because you intend to, the murder is called _______________.
8 Discussion
What aspects of Mrs Novak’s behaviour do you sympathize with?
What aspects are you critical of?
What do you think would be a suitable punishment?
Would you like to be an astronaut? Why / why not?

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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Pre-reading 1 6 Collocations
2. A woman astronaut loses her job when she is 1. released from custody
accused of attempted murder. 2. rigorous screening process
3. space shuttle
4. by her own admission
3 Key words
5. appearance in court
6. carefully chosen
1. a tracking device 7. very cramped spaces
2. a nappy 8. under intense stress
3. screening
4. stalking
5. alleged 7 Compound words
6. docked
7. a shuttle 1. Folding knife
2. Latex gloves
3. Rubber tubing
4. Active-duty
1. g 5. 4-inch blade
2. a 6. In-house
3. e 7. Bin liners
4. b 8. Pepper spray
5. h 9. First-degree
6. c
7. d
8. f
1. bizarre
2. battery
3. custody
4. bail
5. baffling
6. affidavit
7. slammed
8. slapped
9. rarefied
10. covers
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Pre-reading 1
Look at the main headline. What do you think the story is about?
1. A woman from outer space dives to Earth to bomb another woman.
3. The star in a ‘Spacewoman’ film dies when her rocket crashes.
2 Pre-reading 2
3 Key words
a rival a shuttle alleged an astronaut a tracking device

bail a colleague a disguise a nappy stalking
1. ____________ Someone who travels and works in space.
2. ____________ Wearing strange clothes, etc, so that people don’t know who you are.
4. ____________ Someone in competition with you – in business, sport or love, etc.
5. ____________ Someone who works at the same place as you.
6. ____________ Someone says this is true, but it hasn’t been proved in court.
7. ____________ Money you must leave with the court to make sure you come back for your trial.
9. ____________ A piece of electronic equipment that shows the police where you are, wherever you go.
10. ____________ Annoying or frightening someone by watching and following them all the time.

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NEWS LESSONS / Spacewoman on charge of trying to kill love rival / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Spacewoman falls to Earth on charge robotic arm for repairing the international
of trying to kill love rival space station when the shuttle joined it in
space.
Shuttle astronaut arrested after alleged airport
attack. Male colleague said to be at centre of 6 Before the mission, she said she had first
love triangle. become interested in space at the age of
Ed Pilkington in New York five when she watched the moon landing on
February 7, 2007 television, and on visits to the Air and Space
Museum in Washington. But this Monday,
1 Last July, Lisa Nowak took 12 days, 18 she set off on her own private mission.
hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds, travelling
5.3 million miles, to join one of the world’s 7 Mrs Nowak told Orlando police that she
most select clubs: travellers in space. Last drove 950 miles from Houston, Texas, to
Monday, she only took about 14 hours, and Orlando, on Sunday. She took with her a
950 miles, to lose her place in the club. carbon-dioxide powered pellet gun, a folding
knife with a four-inch blade, pepper spray,
2 Yesterday Mrs Nowak was charged with a steel hammer and $600 in cash. She also
attempted first-degree murder, attempted took several large black bin liners, six latex
kidnapping and battery. Nothing like this has gloves and rubber tubing, as well as a wig
ever happened to a NASA astronaut before. and two hooded coats for disguise.
Apparently, the married mother of three,
separated from her husband, was part of 8 She also wore a nappy in the car, so that
a love triangle with a fellow male astronaut she wouldn’t have to stop very often – just
and a female air force captain. She thought like astronauts, who wear nappies during
he was going out with her. take off and landing.
3 Last night, a Florida judge decided to let 9 She explained that she had discovered that
Mrs Nowak go until her trial. But she had to Colleen Shipman, a US air force captain,
pay $25,000 (£13,000) bail, wear a tracking was flying in to Orlando that night. Mrs
device and must not contact her victim Nowak wanted to be there to “scare her” into
again. talking about her relationship with the man at
the centre of the love triangle.
4 The group to which 43 year-old Mrs Nowak
belongs is extremely ‘select’: there are only 10 He is Bill Oefelein, 41, from Alaska, who
97 astronauts already trained and ready did astronaut training with Mrs Nowak. Like
to fly. Only 20 are women. NASA has only her, he first went into space last year, also
chosen a total of 321 astronauts since the on Discovery, but they have never flown
US agency started its space programme in together. Police found signs of Mrs Nowak’s
1959. feelings for Mr Oefelein in a letter in her car.
They also found emails between him and
5 This is why Mrs Nowak’s actions early on Ms Shipman and directions to Ms Shipman’s
Monday morning were so surprising. For house. Mrs Nowak told police she had “more
10 years before her flight in the Discovery than a working relationship, but less than a
space shuttle in July, NASA had very romantic relationship” with him.
carefully selected and trained her to live
with extreme stress. She had an important 11 Ms Shipman said that Mrs Nowak, whom
technical job on Discovery, in charge of a she had never met before, followed her
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Level 1 Elementary
on a bus from the airport lounge to the car 13 Her NASA colleagues were amazed by what
park. She was wearing a hooded coat, dark she did, and how she looked in court. Her
glasses and a wig. Afraid, Ms Shipman official photograph, taken before the flight,
hurried to her car. She could hear someone shows her in full astronaut’s suit, smiling
running behind her, and as she slammed the broadly. Yesterday, TV screens showed a
door, Mrs Nowak hit the window and tried to picture with a difference: as Mrs Nowak
pull the door open. was booked into jail, she looked absolutely
terrible.
12 “Can you help me, please? My boyfriend
was supposed to pick me up and he is not 14 Sergeant Barb Jones of Orlando police said
here,” Mrs Nowak asked. When Ms Shipman last night that Mrs Nowak clearly intended to
said she could not help, the astronaut hurt or kill someone. NASA has suspended
started to cry. Ms Shipman opened her her for 30 days and removed her from all
window a few centimetres, and then Mrs shuttle mission activities.
Nowak threw the pepper spray in her face.
Ms Shipman drove away, her eyes burning, © Guardian News & Media 2007
and called the police. She says the astronaut First published in The Guardian, 07/02/07
had been stalking her for about two months.
First find these numbers in the text. Then match each one with the information given below.
5,300,000 950 $25,000 43 321 1959 $600 41 30
1 a money Mrs Nowak had to pay the court

2 b total number of NASA astronauts
3 c money Mrs Nowak took with her
4 d days Mrs Nowak cannot work for NASA
5 e Mrs Nowak’s age
6 f when the US started going into space
7 g miles from Houston to Orlando
8 h Mr Oefelein’s age
9 i miles Mrs Nowak flew in space
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Level 1 Elementary
Match the names of the people with the information about them.
1 Mrs Nowak works a three children.

2 Mrs Nowak has b a captain in the American air force.
3 Mrs Nowak is c to hurt Ms Shipman.
4 Ms Shipman is d for NASA as an astronaut.
5 Mr Oelfelin is e not married now.
6 Mrs Nowak was afraid f Mrs Nowak not to go near Ms Shipman.
7 Mrs Nowak wanted g the man Mrs Nowak is in love with.
8 The judge told h were very surprised at what she did.
9 NASA said i that Mr Oefelein was in love with Ms Shipman.
10 Mrs Nowak’s colleagues j that Mrs Nowak could not go back to work.
6 Vocabulary development: Compound words
Can you remember? See if you can match the beginnings and endings of these word pairs.
love spray
air triangle
folding park
pepper force
airport knife
car landing
moon lounge
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Level 1 Elementary
First scan the text to see if you were right. Then match each word pair with a sentence below.
1. You can leave your car here: ____________________.
2. You can cut things with this and keep it safely in your pocket: ____________________.
3. A place where you can sit and wait for your plane: ____________________.
4. When a rocket arrives on the moon: ____________________.
5. Part of the military that uses planes in fighting: ____________________.
6. When there are three people in a love relationship: ____________________.
7. Very painful liquid that can burn your face or make you blind: ____________________.
7 Grammar development: Past tense endings
Complete the table with irregular past forms from the text. The paragraph numbers are given.
infinitive past tense past participle

1 take (1) (13)
2 think (2) thought
3 choose chose (4)
4 become became (6)
5 drive (7) driven
6 wear (8) worn
7 find (10) found
8 fly flew (10)
9 meet met (11)
10 throw (12) thrown
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
2. A woman astronaut loses her job when she is 1. d

accused of attempted murder 2. a
3. e
4. b
3 Key words
5. g
6. i
1. an astronaut 7. c
2. disguise 8. f
3. shuttle 9. j
4. a rival 10. h
5. a colleague
6. alleged
7. bail 6 Vocabulary development: Compound
8. a nappy words
9. a tracking device
10. stalking 1. car park
2. a folding knife
3. an airport lounge
4 Scanning for information 4. the moon landing
5. the air force
1 $25,000 a money Mrs Nowak had to 6. a love triangle
pay the court 7. pepper spray
2 321 b total number of NASA
astronauts
3 $600 c money Mrs Nowak took with
her 7 Grammar development: Past tense
4 30 d days Mrs Nowak cannot
endings
work for NASA
5 43 e Mrs Nowak’s age 1. took, taken
2. thought
6 1959 f when the US started going 3. chosen
into space 4. become
7 950 g miles from Houston to 5. drove
Orlando 6. wore
8 41 h Mr Oefelein’s age 7. found
8. flown
9 5,300,000 i miles Mrs Nowak flew in 9. met
space 10. threw

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1 Pre-reading 1
Look at the main headline. What do you think the story will be about?
1. A woman from outer space dives to Earth to bomb another woman.
3. An actress playing a character like ‘Wonder Woman’ dies when her rocket crashes.
2 Pre-reading 2
3 Key words
a shuttle alleged an astronaut a tracking device

a colleague a wig a disguise a nappy stalking
1. ____________ A piece of electronic equipment that lets the police know where you are, wherever you go.
3. ____________ Annoying or frightening someone by watching and following them all the time.
4. ____________ Said to be true, but not yet proved in court.
5. ____________ Someone who travels and works in space.
6. ____________ Wearing strange clothes, etc. so that people don’t recognize you.
8. ____________ Artificial hair that you wear on your head.
9. ____________ Someone who works at the same place as you.

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NEWS LESSONS / Spacewoman on charge of trying to kill love rival / Intermediate

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Spacewoman falls to Earth on charge powered pellet gun, a folding knife with a four-
of trying to kill love rival inch blade, pepper spray, a steel hammer and
Shuttle astronaut arrested after alleged airport $600 in cash. She also had several large black
attack. Male colleague said to be at centre of bin liners, six latex gloves and rubber tubing, as
love triangle. well as a wig and two hooded trench coats for
Ed Pilkington in New York disguise.
February 7, 2007
7 She also wore a nappy on the journey, so
1 Last July, Lisa Nowak travelled 5.3 million miles, that she wouldn’t have to stop very often – a
taking 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 professional trick, as astronauts wear nappies
seconds, to win her position in one of the world’s during take off and landing.
most select clubs: travellers in space. Last
Monday, she went about 950 miles in 14 hours to 8 She explained that she had discovered that
lose it. Colleen Shipman, a US air force captain, was
flying in from Houston to Orlando that night. Mrs
2 Yesterday, in the strangest incident ever involving Nowak wanted to be there to “scare her” into
a professional NASA astronaut, Mrs Nowak was talking about her relationship with the man at the
charged with attempted first-degree murder, centre of the love triangle.
attempted kidnapping and battery. Apparently,
the married mother of three, separated from 9 He is Bill Oefelein, 41, from Alaska, who did
her husband, was involved in a love triangle astronaut training with Mrs Nowak. Like her, he
with a fellow male astronaut and a female air first went into space last year, also on Discovery,
force captain whom she suspected of having a although they have never flown together.
relationship with him. Police found evidence of Mrs Nowak’s feelings
for Mr Oefelein in a letter in her car, together
3 A Florida judge ruled last night that Mrs Nowak with emails between him and Ms Shipman,
could be fitted with a tracking device and and directions to Ms Shipman’s house. In her
released from custody if she could come up with statement, Mrs Nowak said she had “more than
$25,000 (£13,000) bail and did not contact her a working relationship, but less than a romantic
alleged victim. relationship” with him.
4 The group to which 43-year-old Mrs Nowak 10 Ms Shipman allegedly saw Mrs Nowak, whom
belongs is extremely ‘select’: she is one of only she had never met before, wearing a hooded
97 astronauts currently trained and ready to trench coat, dark glasses and the wig, following
fly, 20 of them women. NASA has only chosen her on a bus from the airport lounge to the car
a total of 321 astronauts since the US agency park. Afraid, she hurried to her car. She could
started its space programme in 1959. hear running footsteps behind her and as she
slammed the door Mrs Nowak hit the window and
5 All of which makes her behaviour in the early tried to pull the door open.
hours of Monday so surprising. NASA had very
carefully selected and trained her for 10 years to 11 “Can you help me, please? My boyfriend was
cope with extreme stress before her flight in the supposed to pick me up and he is not here,” Mrs
Discovery space shuttle in July. But this Monday, Nowak apparently begged. When Ms Shipman
she set off on her own private mission. said she could not help, the astronaut started
to cry. Ms Shipman wound down her window a
6 Mrs Nowak admitted to Orlando police that she couple of inches, at which Mrs Nowak let off the
started her 950-mile drive from Houston, Texas, pepper spray. Ms Shipman drove off, her eyes
to Orlando on Sunday, bringing a carbon-dioxide burning, and raised the alarm. She alleges the
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astronaut had been stalking her for about two the international space station when the shuttle
months. joined it in space.
12 Sergeant Barb Jones of Orlando police said 15 Before the mission, she said she had first
last night that Mrs Nowak clearly intended to do become interested in space at the age of
“serious bodily injury or death.” Her behaviour five when she watched the moon landing on
and later appearance in court has amazed television, and on visits to the Air and Space
people in the closed world of space exploration. Museum in Washington.
Tariq Malik, a science reporter who interviewed
Mrs Nowak just before she went into space, said 16 Her official photograph, taken before the flight,
astronauts were carefully chosen and trained so shows her in full astronaut’s suit, smiling broadly.
that surprises did not happen. Yesterday, TV screens showed a picture with
a difference: as Mrs Nowak was booked into
13 “They have to fly in very cramped spaces and jail, she looked absolutely terrible. NASA has
under intense stress, so they have to be able to suspended her for 30 days and removed her
cope,” he said. from all shuttle mission activities.
14 Mrs Nowak had an important technical job in the © Guardian News & Media 2007
July flight, in charge of a robotic arm for repairing First published in The Guardian, 7/2/07
Some of these sentences are not true, according to the article. Say which ones, and say why.
1. Mrs Nowak won a competition to join a Space Travellers’ Club.
2. She is in love with one of her colleagues at NASA.
3. She was afraid that he loved another woman.
4. On Monday she went on a private Space mission.
5. She drove to Orlando in a car that used carbon-dioxide instead of petrol.
6. She met Bill Oefelein when they were both students.
7. Mrs Nowak did not plan to hurt Ms Shipman.
8. Mrs Nowak’s colleagues were not surprised when they saw her in court.
9. On the space flight, she worked as a secretary.
10. She has been interested in space travel since she was a child.
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5 Vocabulary development 1: Legal language
Find words in the text that mean the following.
1 charged with a Being kept in prison until you go to court.

2 first-degree murder b Facts or objects that prove you are guilty of a crime.
3 kidnapping c Officially accused (of a crime) in court.
4 bail d When you intend to kill someone.
5 custody e Someone says this is true, but it isn’t yet proved.
6 evidence f Taking someone away illegally, and keeping them prisoner.
7 allegedly g Money you leave with the court to make sure you come for your trial.
8 battery h The crime of hitting someone.
6 Vocabulary development 2: Phrasal verbs
Replace the underlined words with one of these phrasal verbs from the text.
wound down set off on let off cope with drove off come up with pick me up
1. It was hard to produce any new ideas on such an old subject.
2. If I phone you from the station, can you come and collect me?
3. The policeman looked at his papers, and then went away in his car.
4. When are you going to start your trip round the world?
5. She’s just left her job; she couldn’t manage all the work.
6. It was so hot in the car that he opened the window a little.
7. Stand right back out of the way; they’re going to make the fireworks explode.
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7 Understanding reference
What do these words refer to?
1. In paragraph 1, ‘it’ means:

a. last Monday.
b. one of the clubs.
c. her position in one of the clubs.
2. In paragraph 2, ‘whom’ means:

a. her fellow astronaut.
b. the female air force captain.
3. In paragraph 2, ‘him’ means:

a. her fellow astronaut.
b. the air force captain.
4. In paragraph 4, ‘the group’ means:

a. the 97 astronauts.
b. the 20 women astronauts.
c. the 321 astronauts NASA has trained.
5. In paragraph 5, ‘all of which’ means:

a. the fact that it is so hard to become an astronaut.
b. the space programme.
c. the astronauts.
6. In paragraph 11, ‘at which’ means:

a. at the window.
b. as soon as the window was open.
c. at Ms Shipman.
8 Discussion
Do you feel sorry for Mrs. Nowak at all? Why / why not?
What do you think should happen to her?
Would you like to be an astronaut? Why / why not?

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1 Pre-reading 5 Vocabulary development 1: Legal
language
2. A woman astronaut loses her job when she is
accused of attempted murder 1. c
2. d
3. f
3 Key words
4. g
5. a
1. a tracking device 6. b
2. a nappy 7. e
3. stalking 8. h
4. alleged
5. astronaut
6. disguise 6 Vocabulary development 2: Phrasal
7. a shuttle verbs
8. a wig
9. a colleague 1. come up with
2. pick me up
3. drove off
4. set off on
5. cope with
1. False. She had to work hard to get her job as 6. wound down
an astronaut. 7. let off
2. True.
3. True.
4. False. She went to Orlando with a special purpose 7 Understanding reference
of her own.
5. False. Carbon-dioxide was used to power her gun. 1. c
6. True. 2. b
7. False. She took a lot of weapons with her, and 3. a
actually used the pepper spray. 4. a
8. False. They were very surprised when they saw her 5. a
in court, because astronauts are so carefully chosen 6. b
and trained.
9. False. She was responsible for repairing the space
craft in space.
10. True.
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‘Holy moly’ - sperm donor meets his children
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
sperm siblings donor conceive spike

prosaic offspring opt counsel striking
1. If something is ____________, it is very ordinary and lacks imagination or excitement.
2. If something is ____________, it attracts your interest or attention because of some unusual feature.
3. If you ____________ to do something, you choose to do it.
4. A ____________ is someone who gives blood, eggs or a part of their body to be used in the medical treatment
of someone else.
5. A ____________ is a sudden increase in something, especially when shown in statistics.
6. Your ____________ are your brothers and sisters.
7. Your ____________ are your children.
8. ____________ is a cell from a man that fertilizes a woman’s egg and makes her pregnant.
9. When a woman ____________, she becomes pregnant.
10. If you ____________ someone, you give them advice and help with their problems.
2 Correct the statements
The information given in these sentences is not correct, according to the text. Look in the text, find the
correct information and rewrite the sentences accordingly.
1. Jeffrey Harrison donated sperm in the 1990s.
2. He was paid between $500 and $1000 per sample.
3. So far five of Mr Harrison’s offspring have managed to find him.
4. Mr Harrison confirmed his identity by emailing a photograph of himself to Wendy Kramer of the
Donor Sibling Registry website.
5. There is strict regulation of sperm donations in the United States.
6. There was a sharp increase in sperm donations in the early 1980s.

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NEWS LESSONS / ‘Holy moly’ - sperm donor meets his children / Advanced
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Level 3 Advanced
‘Holy moly’ - sperm donor comes face to paid between $50 and $100 a sample, which was
face with his children 20 years later labelled simply Donor 150. He had also provided
Father comes forward after teenagers conduct a very desirable profile and was one of the sperm
search through website. bank’s most requested donors. However, reading
Dan Glaister in Los Angeles the description of him may have led his newly
February 16, 2007 found children to conjure up an image slightly at
odds with his 2007 persona.
The likeness is striking. The man and the young
5 “Degree in philosophy from Europe,” reads the
1 woman share the same high forehead, their description of Donor 150. “Dancer/Musician/
noses are similar, even their hair and build have
Fitness Instructor/Writer. Protestant. Interests:
more than a little in common. They might pass
Health, guitar, swimming, dancing, writing, travel.
for father and daughter. But there are things they
Loves animals and children, calls himself ‘happy-
do not share. Before this week, they had never
go-lucky’.”
met. The man, Jeffrey Harrison, lives with his
four dogs in a motor home parked on the street 6 Two of Mr Harrison’s offspring got in touch with
in Venice, California. The woman, Ryann M, is a each other through the Donor Sibling Registry,
teenager living in a settled family. the website set up by Ms Kramer three years
ago, which currently has 7,394 members,
Now they know a lot more about each other.
including 430 donors who are willing to be found.
2 They know that they are father and daughter, Soon a third joined them.
that Ryann was conceived thanks to sperm
donated by Mr Harrison in the 1980s. They also 7 At the weekend, Mr Harrison emailed a copy
know Ryann is one of six half-siblings, and that of his birth certificate to Ms Kramer, confirming
Mr Harrison may need to get a larger home. “It’s his identity as Donor 150. “We talked for hours
pretty obvious that he’s their father,” said Wendy on Saturday night,” Ms Kramer said. “It was a
Kramer, whose website put Mr Harrison and his very big risk for him. He wanted to make the
offspring in touch. “I looked at the picture and connection but was a little bit nervous and
thought, ‘Oh my God’.” afraid.” The same day, Ms Kramer contacted
the families. “[I] told them to take their time and
Mr Harrison’s response to meeting his offspring
to take it slow. I guess they ignored my advice.
3 for the first time was equally prosaic. “The first They were all very excited and by the next day
thing he said was, ‘Holy moly’,” 17-year-old
everybody was conference calling.”
Danielle Pagano, another of Mr Harrison’s
children, told the New York Times after meeting 8 Ms Kramer is confident that the offspring - who
him this week. “He’s sort of a free spirit, and I sometimes refer to themselves as “half-adopted”
don’t care what career he has. I got to talk to - will get along with their biological father. “He’s
his dogs.” While three of Mr Harrison’s offspring a simple man and he lives a very simple life,”
have been very active in tracking him down, two she said. “These girls don’t care about his status
of them, in their early teens, still do not know of or his money. He’s a very gentle soul, he’s very
his existence. kind, very sweet and open, with a great sense of
humour.”
Mr Harrison decided to come forward after
4 reading a newspaper article about two teenage 9 The extended family has now retreated from the
girls who had found out that they were conceived media, opting to spend the next week getting to
using his sperm and were trying to find him. The know each other. But while the story is notable, it
article made him “choke on his coffee”. He had is far from unique, and forms part of an untracked
visited California Cryobank in the 1980s, being phenomenon in the US, where there is little
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Level 3 Advanced
regulation of sperm donations. Nobody knows 11 “If I ran a sperm bank I would surely be talking
whether a donor’s sperm is used to conceive a about self-regulation, before it is forced,” said
child, or how many children are conceived from Ms Kramer. “It’s just a question of doing the right
each donor. thing. Nobody’s asked the question here that has
been asked in country after country, in Europe
10 On Wednesday alone this week, two donor and elsewhere: in going forward, what is in the
fathers were put in touch with their offspring best interests of the child? They have considered
through the Donor Sibling Registry. In a typical the interests of the sperm bank, the parents
month, the website puts 60-80 people in touch and the industry, but not the children. Even
with each other, said Ms Kramer. One of the now sperm banks and medical professionals
donors listed on the website has 50 offspring; are counselling parents to keep it secret. It can
another recently came forward to acknowledge be devastating. This is all about redefining the
his 22 children. The sperm bank industry family,” she said. “We’re strangers but we’re very
estimates that 30,000 children are conceived much connected.”
each year from donated sperm. A spike in sperm
donations in the mid-1980s means that many © Guardian News & Media 2007
donor-conceived children are now coming of age First published in The Guardian, 16/2/07
and are seeking answers about their parentage.
1. When Jeffrey Harrison’s offspring read his profile they…

a. would have had a very clear picture of what he was like.
b. would have formed a picture of him that was totally different from what he was like.
c. would have formed a picture of him that was a little different from what he was like.
2. The families of Mr Harrison’s offspring…

a. listened carefully to Ms Kramer’s advice.
b. didn’t want to listen to Ms Kramer’s advice.
c. listened to Ms Kramer’s advice but didn’t follow it.
3. Sperm donation in the United States is…

a. closely monitored.
b. virtually unregulated.
c. a new phenomenon.
4. Ms Kramer believes that the sperm bank industry…

a. has not considered the best interests of the child.
b. should counsel parents to keep things secret.
c. should be strictly regulated.
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Level 3 Advanced
4 Phrasal verbs
Match these phrasal verbs from the text with their definitions.
1. pass for a. to bring a feeling, image or memory to your mind
2. track down b. to start a business, organization or institution
3. come forward c. to be accepted, wrongly, as a particular type of person
4. conjure up d. to be on friendly terms
5. get along with e. to find after a long search
6. set up f. to volunteer to offer information
5 Expressions
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these phrases from the text.
happy-go-lucky holy moly at odds with extended family

come of age self-regulation
1. If something is ____________ something else, it is different from it when it should be the same.
2. ____________ is a mild expression of surprise used in American English.
3. An ____________ is a family group that includes cousins, nephews, nieces etc.
4. A ____________ person is one who doesn’t worry too much about the future.
5. ____________ is a process whereby organizations control themselves and make their own rules.
6. When children ____________ they reach the age when they are legally adults.
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6 Noun and verb collocations

Match the nouns in the left-hand column with the verbs in the right-hand column.
1. keep a. an image
2. make b. someone’s advice
3. conjure up c. a child
4. confirm d. a connection
5. ignore e. your identity
6. conceive f. a secret
7 Discussion
Imagine that at the age of 18 your parents told you that you were conceived using sperm donated by a sperm
donor. Would you like to meet your biological father? Why? Why not?
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Phrasal verbs
1. prosaic 1. c
2. striking 2. e
3. opt 3. f
4. donor 4. a
5. spike 5. d
6. siblings 6. b
7. offspring
8. sperm
9. conceives
10. counsel
5 Expressions
1. at odds with
2 Correct the statements 2. holy moly
3. extended family
1. Jeffrey Harrison donated sperm in the 1980s. 4. happy-go-lucky
2. He was paid between $50 and $100 per sample. 5. self-regulation
3. So far, three of Mr Harrison’s offspring have 6. come of age
managed to find him.
4. Mr Harrison confirmed his identity by e-mailing
a copy of his birth certificate to Wendy Kramer of the
Donor Sibling Registry website.
6 Noun + verb collocations
5. There is little regulation of sperm donations
in the United States.
6. There was a sharp increase in sperm donations 1. f
in the mid-1980s. 2. d
3. a
4. e
5. b
3 Comprehension check 6. c
1. c
2. c
3. b
4. a
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1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences below using these key words from the text.
sperm siblings offspring sample profile

unique donor choke client happy-go-lucky
1. If something is ____________, it is not the same as anything else.
2. A ____________ is a small amount of something used for medical tests.
3. A ____________ is someone who pays for a service.
6. A ____________ is someone who gives blood, eggs or a part of their body for the medical treatment of
another person.
7. A ____________ person is someone who doesn’t think about the future.
8. ____________ is a cell from a man that makes a woman pregnant.
9. A ____________ is a description of a person.
10. If you ____________ on something, you cannot breathe because there is something in your throat.
1. When did Jeffrey Harrison donate his sperm?
2. How old is Mr Harrison’s daughter Danielle?
3. How much money did Mr Harrison receive for his sperm?
4. How many members does the Donor Sibling Registry have?
5. How many children are born each year in the USA from donated sperm?
6. How many people does the Donor Sibling Registry put in touch each month?
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‘Holy moly’ - sperm donor comes face the bank’s clients requested Mr Harrison’s sperm
to face with his children 20 years later when they read his profile. The profile is a little
different from how Mr Harrison is today, however.
Father comes forward after teenagers conduct
search through website. 5 “Degree in philosophy from Europe,” reads
Dan Glaister in Los Angeles Donor 150’s description. “Dancer/Musician/
February 16, 2007 Fitness Instructor/Writer. Interests: Health, guitar,
swimming, dancing, writing, travel. Loves animals
and children. Is a ‘happy-go-lucky’ person.”
1 The man and the young woman look like each
other. They have the same high forehead, their 6 Three years ago Ms Kramer started a website
noses are almost the same, even their hair called the Donor Sibling Registry. Two of Mr
and build are similar. They could be father and Harrison’s offspring contacted each other through
daughter. But there is one important difference. the website. Now the Donor Sibling Registry has
They met for the first time this week. The man, 4 members, including 430 donors who
over 7,000
Jeffrey Harrison, lives with his four dogs in a would like to meet their offspring.
motor home in Venice, California. The woman,
Ryann M, is a teenager living in a normal family. 7 At the weekend, Mr Harrison emailed a copy of
his birth certificate to Ms Kramer, and confirmed
2 Now they know a lot more about each other. that he was Donor 150. “We talked for hours
They know that they are father and daughter. on Saturday night,” Ms Kramer said. “It was a
They know that Ryann was born thanks to very big risk for him. He wanted to make contact
sperm given by Mr Harrison in the 1980s. They with his offspring but was a little bit nervous and
also know Ryann is one of six half-siblings. Mr afraid.” The same day, Ms Kramer contacted the
Harrison may need to get a bigger home! “It’s families. “I told them to take their time and to take
quite clear that he’s their father,” said Wendy things slowly. But I don’t think they listened to my
Kramer, whose website put Mr Harrison in touch advice. They were all very excited and the next
with his offsping. “I looked at the photo and day everybody was calling each other.”
thought, ‘Oh my God’.”
8 Ms Kramer is sure that the offspring will get on
3 When Mr Harrison met his offspring for the first with their biological father. “He’s a simple man
time he was surprised. “The first thing he said and he lives a very simple life,” she said. “These
was, ‘Holy moly’,” 17-year-old Danielle Pagano, girls don’t care about his job or his money. He’s
another of Mr Harrison’s children, told the New very kind, very sweet and open, and he has a
York Times after meeting him this week. “He’s great sense of humour.”
a free spirit, and I don’t care what job he has.”
Three of Mr Harrison’s offspring have been very 9 This story is unusual but it is not unique. There
active in finding him, two of them, in their early is not much control over sperm donations in the
teens, still do not know about him. United States. Nobody knows whether a donor’s
sperm is ever used, or how many children are
4 Mr Harrison decided to contact the website after born from one donor’s sperm.
reading a newspaper article about two teenage
girls who had found out that they were born from 10 This week the Donor Sibling Registry put two
his sperm and were trying to find him. The article donor fathers in touch with their offspring. In a
made him “choke on his coffee”. He had visited a normal month, the website puts 60-80 people in
sperm bank in the 1980s and received between touch with each other, said Ms Kramer. One of
$50 and $100 for each sperm sample. The sperm the donors listed on her website has 50 offspring;
bank put the label Donor 150 on his sperm. He another says he has 22 children. The sperm
also gave them a personal profile and many of bank industry says that around 30,000 children
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are born each year from donated sperm. A lot of the children. Even now sperm banks and doctors
children born in the late 1980s are now looking tell parents to keep it secret. It can be a big
for their biological fathers. shock for the children when they find out.”
11 “Sperm banks should regulate themselves before

the government forces regulations on them,” © Guardian News & Media 2007
said Ms Kramer. “It’s just a question of doing the First published in The Guardian, 16/2/07
right thing. Nobody in the USA thinks about the
children. They think about the interests of the
sperm bank, the parents and the industry, but not
1. When Mr Harrison met his daughter for the first time ____
2. Wendy Kramer started her website because ____
3. Many children born from donated sperm ____
4. Sperm banks and doctors tell parents ____
5. Wendy Kramer believes ____
6. Mr Harrison donated his sperm because ____
a. ____ not to tell children they were born from donated sperm.
b. ____ want to meet their biological parents.
c. ____ he was surprised and said ‘Holy moly’.
d. ____ he needed the money.
e. ____ Mr Harrison’s offspring will get on well with him.
f. ____ she wanted to put children born from donated sperm in touch.
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4 Collocations
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column. Then check your answers in
the text.
Noun + noun Adjective + noun

1. birth a. home 5. free e. life
2. newspaper b. instructor 6. simple f. profile
3. fitness c. certificate 7. personal g. person
4. motor d. article 8. happy-go-lucky h. spirit
5 Prepositions
Complete these phrases from the text using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.
1. sense _______ humour
2. thanks _______
3. _______ their early teens
4. different _______
5. _______ the weekend
6. _______ Saturday night
7. make contact _______
8. put _______ touch
6 Word stress
Put these words from the text into two groups according to their word stress.
unique sample receive profile guitar travel

website nervous advice control humour surprised
A 0 o __________________________________________________________________________________

B o 0 __________________________________________________________________________________
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Collocations
1. unique 1. c
2. sample 2. d
3. client 3. b
4. offspring 4. a
5. siblings 5. h
6. donor 6. e
7. happy-go-lucky 7. f
8. sperm 8. g
9. profile
10. choke
2 Find the information 5 Prepositions
1. in the 1980s 1. of
2. 17 2. to
3. $50 to $100 3. in
4. over 7,000 4. from
5. around 30,000 5. at
6. 60 to 80 6. on
7. with
8. in
1. c 6 Word stress
2. f
3. b A. sample; profile; travel; website; nervous; humour
4. a B. unique; receive; guitar; advice; control; surprised
5. e
6. d
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1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences below using the following key words from the text.
sperm donor offspring siblings conceive

choke adopt track down willing estimate
1. If you ____________ a person, you manage to find them after a long and difficult search.
2. If you are ____________ to do something, you do it when someone asks you.
3. A ____________ is someone who gives blood, eggs or a body part to help in the medical treatment of
another person.
4. ____________ is a cell from a man that fertilizes a woman’s egg and makes her pregnant.
7. If you ____________ a child, you take them into your family and legally make them your own child.
8. If you ____________ an amount or a value, you say what you think it will be.
9. If a woman ____________ a child, she becomes pregnant.
10. If you ____________, you cannot breathe because something is blocking your throat.
1. When did Jeffrey Harrison donate his sperm?

2. How much was he paid for each sperm sample?
3. What did he say when he met his offspring for the first time?
4. How many members does the Donor Sibling Registry have?
5. How many children are conceived from donated sperm in the US each year?
6. How many people are put in touch each month by the Donor Sibling Registry?
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‘Holy moly’ - sperm donor comes face had also provided a very attractive profile and
to face with his children 20 years later was one of the sperm bank’s most requested
donors. However, when Mr Harrison’s newly
Father comes forward after teenagers conduct
found children read his description they may
search through website.
have formed a picture of him that was different
Dan Glaister in Los Angeles from the way he is today.
February 16, 2007
5 “Degree in philosophy from Europe,” reads
1 The man and the young woman look quite Donor 150’s description. “Dancer/Musician/
similar. They have the same high forehead, their Fitness Instructor/Writer. Protestant. Interests:
noses are almost the same, even their hair and Health, guitar, swimming, dancing, writing,
build have quite a lot in common. They could be travel. Loves animals and children, calls himself
father and daughter. But there is one important ‘happy-go-lucky’.”
difference. Before this week, they had never
met. The man, Jeffrey Harrison, lives with his 6 Two of Mr Harrison’s offspring got in touch with
four dogs in a motor home in Venice, California. each other through the Donor Sibling Registry,
The woman, Ryann M, is a teenager living in a a website which Ms Kramer started three years
settled family. ago. It currently has 7,394 members, including
430 donors who are willing to be found by their
2 Now they know a lot more about each other. offspring. A third child got in touch soon after.
They know that they are father and daughter,
that Ryann was conceived thanks to sperm 7 At the weekend, Mr Harrison emailed a copy of
donated by Mr Harrison in the 1980s. They also his birth certificate to Ms Kramer, and confirmed
know Ryann is one of six half-siblings, and that that he was Donor 150. “We talked for hours
Mr Harrison may need to get a larger home. “It’s on Saturday night,” Ms Kramer said. “It was a
quite obvious that he’s their father,” said Wendy very big risk for him. He wanted to make the
Kramer, whose website put Mr Harrison and his connection but was a little bit nervous and
offspring in touch. “I looked at the picture and afraid.” The same day, Ms Kramer contacted
thought, ‘Oh my God’.” the families. “I told them to take their time and
to take things slowly. I guess they didn’t listen to
3 Mr Harrison’s reaction to meeting his offspring my advice. They were all very excited and by the
for the first time was similar. “The first thing he next day everybody was calling each other.”
said was, ‘Holy moly’,” 17-year-old Danielle
Pagano, another of Mr Harrison’s children, told 8 Ms Kramer is confident that the offspring - who
the New York Times after meeting him this week. sometimes refer to themselves as “half-adopted”
“He’s a free spirit, and I don’t care what career - will get on with their biological father. “He’s a
he has. He let me talk to his dogs.” While three simple man and he lives a very simple life,” she
of Mr Harrison’s offspring have been very active said. “These girls don’t care about his status or
in tracking him down, two of them, in their early his money. He’s very kind, very sweet and open,
teens, still do not know that he exists. and has a great sense of humour.”
4 Mr Harrison decided to come forward after 9 The extended family is now avoiding the media,
reading a newspaper article about two teenage choosing to spend the next week getting to
girls who had found out that they were conceived know each other. The story might be unusual
using his sperm and were trying to find him. The but it is not unique. There is little regulation of
article made him “choke on his coffee”. He had sperm donations in the United States. Nobody
visited California Cryobank in the 1980s and was knows whether a donor’s sperm is ever used
paid between $50 and $100 per sperm sample. to conceive a child, or how many children are
His sperm was labelled simply Donor 150. He conceived from each donor.
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10 On a single day this week, two donor fathers been asked in country after country, in Europe
were put in touch with their offspring through the and elsewhere: what is in the best interests of the
Donor Sibling Registry. In a typical month, the child? They have considered the interests of the
website puts 60-80 people in touch with each sperm bank, the parents and the industry, but not
other, said Ms Kramer. One of the donors listed the children. Even now sperm banks and medical
on her website has 50 offspring; another recently professionals are advising parents to keep it
said he had 22 children. The sperm bank industry secret. It can be a huge shock to the children.
estimates that 30,000 children are conceived This is all about providing a new definition of
each year from donated sperm. A sharp increase what the family is,” she said. “We’re strangers but
in sperm donations in the mid-1980s means that we’re very much connected.”
many donor-conceived children are now coming
of age and are trying to find out who their fathers
were.
11 “If I ran a sperm bank I would surely be talking
about self-regulation, before it is forced,” said
Ms Kramer. “It’s just a question of doing the right
thing. Nobody’s asked the question here that has
Decide whether these statements are True or False according to the text.
1. Jeffrey Harrison didn’t want to meet his offspring.
2. Mr Harrison is exactly like his profile.
3. All sperm donors want to be found by their offspring.
4. Mr Harrison leads a very simple life.
5. Sperm donations are carefully regulated in the United States.

6. Ms Kramer believes that sperm banks do not think about the interests of the children.
7. Mr Harrison’s children are worried because he doesn’t have much money.
8. The Donor Sibling Registry tries to put people in contact with their siblings and offspring.
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4 Find the word
Find these words and expressions in the text.
1. An expression meaning to have the same features as someone else. (para 1)
2. An adjective meaning clear to almost anyone. (para 2)
3. An American expression indicating surprise. (para 3)
4. An expression meaning not worrying too much about the future. (para 5)
5. An expression meaning to make contact with another person. (para 6)
6. A noun meaning position in society. (para 8)

7. An adjective meaning not the same as anything else. (para 9)
8. An expression meaning to legally become an adult. (para 10)
5 Prepositions
1. to have a lot _______ common
2. put people ______ touch
3. reaction ______
4. he was paid ______ $50 and $100
5. to get on ______ someone
6. a great sense _______ humour
7. a sharp increase _______
8. it’s a question _______ doing the right thing

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6 Word building
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. donate
2. exist
3. conceive
4. describe
5. contact
6. advise
7. regulate
8. confirm
7 Discussion
Imagine that at the age of 18 your parents told you that you were conceived using donated sperm. Would you like
to meet your biological father? Why? Why not?
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1 Key words 5 Prepositions
1. track down 1. in
2. willing 2. in
3. donor 3. to
4. sperm 4. between
5. offspring 5. with
6. siblings 6. of
7. adopt 7. in
8. estimate 8. of
9. conceives
10. choke
6 Word building
2 Find the information 1. donation

2. existence
1. in the 1980s 3. conception
2. $50 to $100 4. description
3. “Holy moly” 5. contact
4. 7,394 6. advice
5. around 30,000 7. regulation
6. 60 to 80 8. confirmation
1. F
2. F
3. F
4. T
5. F
6. T
7. F
8. T
4 Find the word
1. to have a lot in common

2. obvious
3. holy moly
4. happy-go-lucky
5. to get in touch
6. status
7. unique
8. to come of age
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Super-rich get richer
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
entrepreneur compile inherit retail tycoon

scour magnate founder eligible notable
1. If someone is described as ____________, they are considered to be a suitable marriage partner because they
are rich or attractive in some other way.
2. If someone or something is ____________, they are interesting enough to be noticed.

3. If you ____________ a place, you search it thoroughly.
4. When you ____________ something, you make a list by bringing together information from different places.
5. An ____________ is someone who uses money to start businesses and make deals.
6. A ____________ is a rich and powerful person involved in business or industry.
7. A ____________ is a successful, powerful and important businessman, particularly in the fields of oil, shipping
and the media.
8. If you ____________ wealth, you receive it from someone who has died.
9. The process of selling goods direct to the public is known as ____________.
10. A person who starts a company or an organization is known as its ____________.
2 What do you know?
Decide whether these statements are True or False. Then check your answers in the text.
1. The world’s richest man is Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft.
2. Bill Gates’ personal fortune is worth more than $60 billion.
3. There are over 1,000 dollar billionaires in the world.
4. There are more dollar billionaires in China than in India.
5. Russia has more dollar billionaires than India and China combined.
6. The richest woman in the world is the founder of L’Oreal.

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Super-rich get richer Harmsworth, is ranked at 618 with $1.6bn and
James Dyson cleans up at the same ranking,
David Teather
also with $1.6bn. Harry Potter author JK Rowling
March 9, 2007
scrapes in at the bottom of the list with a fortune
valued at $1bn. There are two others who have
1 The rich just keep getting richer. There are now
made their fortunes from a decidedly different
a record 946 dollar billionaires around the globe,
type of publishing; Richard Desmond the former
according to the latest Forbes ranking; making
soft porn publisher who now owns the Daily
their fortunes in everything from telecoms to steel
Express is 754th on the list with $1.3bn in the
to Chinese dumplings.
bank and Paul Raymond, who owns Escort,
2 For the 13th year straight, the ranking was Mayfair and Razzle magazines, is also worth
topped by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who $1bn.
is rapidly becoming as well known for giving
6 A clear trend to emerge is the growing wealth
his money away as he is for accumulating it.
in both China and India, the two firebrand
Mr Gates’ fortune rose $6bn last year to $56bn
economies driving global growth. Another 14
(£29bn). His friend, the wisecracking investment
people from India joined the list. With a total of
expert Warren Buffett, remained in second
36 billionaires, India has now overtaken Japan,
spot. His fortune rose $10bn during the year to
which has 24, as home to the most billionaires
reach $52bn. Like Mr Gates, he has promised
in Asia. There are three Indians in the top 20,
to give virtually all of his money to charitable
led by Lakshmi Mittal, an Indian citizen but a
causes. Third on the list is the Mexican telecoms
London resident, who is ranked at number five
entrepreneur Carlos Slim Helu, who added
with $32bn.
$19bn to his wealth, taking him to $49bn.
7 There were 13 Chinese newcomers including Li
3 The combined wealth on the list grew 35% during
Wei, the founder of Synear Food Holding. Her
the year to $3.5 trillion on the back of rising
company is one of China’s largest producers
property prices, commodities and stock markets.
of frozen food, including dumplings, and is an
Luisa Kroll who helped compile the list at Forbes
official supplier to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
described it as “kind of an extraordinary year”. In
the previous list there were just 793 billionaires. 8 The US still has 44% of the world’s billionaires
but its share is shrinking. Russia is also rising
4 The highest ranking Briton on the list is the Duke
fast and has 53 billionaires according to Forbes.
of Westminster, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor,
The Wal-Mart family dropped from the top 20,
at number 55, who inherited much of his wealth
reflecting a difficult year for the world’s largest
and is one of the UK’s wealthiest landowners.
retailer.
He is said to be worth $11bn. Sir Philip Green,
the retail entrepreneur who controls British Home 9 The average billionaire is 62 years old and 60%
Stores and Topshop owner Arcadia is the second of the people on the list made their money from
ranked Briton at 104. Sir Philip, 55, is sitting on scratch. Around 100 eligible men are included
a $7bn fortune. Next are the property tycoons among the world’s wealthiest. As Forbes says,
David and Simon Rueben, worth a combined singletons should stop scouring the grocery
$4.5bn and ranked at 177. store aisles and bars and start studying the list.
Heading the bachelor pack are Google founders
5 There are 29 British citizens on the list. Virgin
Larry Page and Sergey Brin - unmarried at 33
founder Sir Richard Branson is ranked 230
and 34 respectively, they are worth $16.6bn
with $3.8bn; David Sainsbury, a scion of the
apiece, taking 26th place in the overall list.
grocery chain empire, is 432nd with $2.2bn;
Other notable bachelor boys are Russian metals
Daily Mail boss Viscount Rothermere, Jonathan
magnate Mikhail Prokhorov, in 38th place with
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an estimated net worth of $13.5bn; or divorced The top-ranking woman, at number 12, is 84-
James Packer, sitting on a more modest $5.5bn year-old L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, with
media fortune. a fortune of $20.7bn. Chat show queen Oprah
Winfrey is estimated to be worth $1.5bn.
10 For those after a walk on the wild side, it’s
worth looking down the list to 664th place for © Guardian News & Media 2007
the accordion-playing, fire-breathing founder of First published in The Guardian, 9/3/07
Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberte. The 47-year-old
Canadian founded his circus-based, animal-free
acrobatic show in 1984 and still retains 95% of
the business. His worth is estimated at $1.5bn.
1. The main reason for the 35% increase in the combined wealth of the world’s dollar billionaires last year was...
a. the fact that it was an extraordinary year.
b. increased sales.
c. rising property and commodity prices.
2. Where is the Harry Potter author, JK Rowling, on the rich list?
a. Near the top.

b. At the very bottom.
c. Near the bottom.
3. Which two economies are said to be driving global economic growth?
a. The US and China
b. India and China
c. India and Russia
4. Which of these sentences is true according to the text?
a. More than half the people on the rich list started with nothing.
b. Most of the people on the rich list started with nothing.
c. A few of the people on the rich list started with nothing.

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1. A noun meaning a position on a list that shows how good someone is compared to others. (para 2)
2. A verb meaning to get more and more of something over a period of time. (para 2)
3. A phrase meaning organizations that provide help to people who need it. (para 2)
4. A phrase meaning because of something/helped by something. (para 3)
5. A noun meaning things that can be bought or sold, especially food products and fuels. (para 3)
6. A noun meaning a young member of a rich or important family. (para 5)

7. A two-word verb meaning to make a lot of money. (para 5)
8. An adverb meaning in a way that is impossible to doubt and easy to see. (para 5)
1. accumulate a. global economic growth
2. compile b. wealth
3. found c. a ranking
4. make d. food
5. top e. a rival/a competitor
6. drive f. a business
7. overtake g. a fortune
8. produce h. a list
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6 Vocabulary 3: Word formation

Fill the gaps with an appropriate form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence.
1. Bill Gates is the ____________ of Microsoft. (FOUND)

2. For some people the ____________ of wealth is the main focus of their lives. (ACCUMULATE)
3. When a rich person dies, a lot of their fortune may be lost in ____________ tax. (INHERIT)
4. The rich often invest in ____________ items such as paintings. (VALUE)
5. The ____________ of powerful economies in India and China has boosted the world economy. (EMERGE)
6. Investors expect a good return on their ____________ . (INVEST)
7. India and China are driving global economic ____________ . (GROW)
8. ____________ costs are a problems for many businesses. (RISE)
7 Discussion
Should there be a limit on how much money an individual can have? What can you do with more than $1 billion?
Shouldn’t this money be redistributed to help the poor?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1. eligible 1. ranking
2. notable 2. accumulate
3. scour 3. charitable causes
4. compile 4. on the back of
5. entrepreneur 5. commodities
6. tycoon 6. scion
7. magnate 7. clean up
8. inherit 8. decidedly
9. retail
10. founder
2 What do you know? 1. b

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

1. founder
1. c 2. accumulation
2. b 3. inheritance
3. b 4. valuable
4. a 5. emergence
6. investment(s)
7. growth
8. rising
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Some useful words
1. bachelor A 1. 1.3bn
2. commodities 2. $1bn
3. founder 3. 33
4. entrepreneur 4. 34
5. tycoon
6. heiress B 1. This watch is worth £1,000
7. fortune 2. Richard Branson is worth $3.8bn
8. billionaire 3. Their house is worth £250,000
9. retail 4. Larry Page is worth $16.6bn.
10. property
1. owner
1. Bill Gates 2. retailer
2. Liliane Bettencourt 3. producer
3. Mexican 4. founder
4. $3.5 trillion 5. supplier
5. 36 6. writer
6. about 100 7. publisher
8. developer
1. d
2. h 1. at
3. e 2. of
4. b 3. at/on
5. f 4. from
6. c 5. in
7. a 6. of
8. g 7. for
8. by
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NEWS LESSONS / Super-rich get richer / Elementary

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1 Key words
founder fortune inherit compile commodities

tycoon bachelor heiress entrepreneur retail
1. If you ____________ money, you get it from someone who has died.
2. The verb to ____________ means to make something such as a list, report or book by bringing together
information from many different places.

3. An ____________ is someone who uses money to start businesses and make business deals.
4. A ____________ is a rich and powerful person in business or industry.
5. A ____________ is a very large amount of money.
6. A ____________ is a man who has never been married.
7. A ____________ is someone who starts an organization or business.
8. ____________ is the process of selling goods directly to the public.
9. ____________ are things that can be bought or sold, especially basic food products or fuel.
10. An ____________ is a woman who will receive money or property when another person dies.
1. Who is the world’s richest man?
2. Where does the world’s third richest man come from?
3. What is the total wealth of all the people on the rich list?
4. How much is Harry Potter author JK Rowling worth?
5. How many dollar billionaires are there in Russia?
6. Who is the world’s richest woman?

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NEWS LESSONS / Super-rich get richer / Intermediate

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Super-rich get richer Rothermere, Jonathan Harmsworth, is number
618 with $1.6bn and James Dyson also has
David Teather
$1.6bn. Harry Potter author JK Rowling is right
March 9, 2007
at the bottom of the list with a fortune valued at
$1bn. There are two others who have made their
1 The rich keep getting richer. According to the
money from a very different type of publishing;
latest Forbes ranking of the world’s richest
Richard Desmond the former soft porn publisher
people, there are now a record 946 dollar
who now owns the Daily Express is 754th
billionaires around the world. They have made
on the list with $1.3bn in the bank and Paul
their money from everything from telecoms to
Raymond, who owns Escort, Mayfair and Razzle
steel to Chinese food.
magazines, is also worth $1bn.
2 For the 13th year in a row, Microsoft co-founder
6 The list shows growing wealth in both China and
Bill Gates was the richest person in the world.
India, the two dynamic economies driving global
His personal fortune rose $6bn last year to
economic growth. Another 14 people from India
$56bn (£29bn). His friend, the investment expert
joined the list. With a total of 36 billionaires, India
Warren Buffett, was the second richest. His
has now overtaken Japan, which has 24, as
fortune increased by $10bn during the year to
home to the most billionaires in Asia. There are
reach $52bn. Both Mr Gates and Mr Buffett give
three Indians in the top 20, led by Lakshmi Mittal,
a percentage of their fortunes to charity. Third
an Indian citizen who lives in London and who is
richest is the Mexican telecoms entrepreneur
number five on the list with $32bn.
Carlos Slim Helu, who added $19bn to his
wealth, and now has $49bn. 7 There were 13 Chinese newcomers including Li
Wei, the founder of Synear Food Holding. Her
3 The total wealth of all the people on the list grew
company is one of China’s largest producers
by 35% during the year to $3.5 trillion as a result
of frozen food and is an official supplier to the
of rising property prices, commodities and stock
Beijing Olympics in 2008.
markets. Luisa Kroll who helped to compile
the list at Forbes said it was “an extraordinary 8 The US still has 44% of the world billionaires but
year”. On the previous list there were just 793 its share is getting smaller. Russia is also rising
billionaires. fast and has 53 billionaires according to Forbes.
The Wal-Mart family dropped from the top 20,
4 The richest Briton on the list is the Duke of
after a difficult year for the world’s largest retailer.
Westminster, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor,
at number 55. Grosvenor inherited much of 9 The average billionaire is 62 years old and 60%
his wealth and is one of the UK’s wealthiest of the people on the list made their money from
landowners. He is said to be worth $11bn. Sir scratch. Around 100 unmarried men are included
Philip Green, the retail entrepreneur who controls among the world’s wealthiest. At the top of the
British Home Stores and Topshop owner Arcadia list of bachelors are Google founders Larry
is the second richest Briton at number 104 on Page and Sergey Brin - unmarried at 33 and 34
the list. Sir Philip, 55, has $7bn. Next are the respectively, they are both worth $16.6bn and are
property tycoons David and Simon Rueben, who number 26 in the overall list. Other interesting
are worth $4.5bn between them and are number bachelors are Russian metals tycoon Mikhail
177 on the list. Prokhorov, in 38th place with an estimated
fortune of $13.5bn; or divorced James Packer,
5 There are 29 British citizens on the list. Virgin who has a more modest $5.5bn media fortune.
founder Sir Richard Branson is number 230 with
$3.8bn; David Sainsbury of the grocery family is 10 One of the more interesting rich people on the list
432nd with $2.2bn; newspaper owner Viscount is the accordion-playing, fire-breathing founder
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of Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberte, at number 664
on the list. The 47-year-old Canadian founded his
circus-based, animal-free acrobatic show in 1984
and still keeps 95% of the business. His fortune
is estimated at $1.5bn. The richest woman, at
number 12, is 84-year-old L’Oreal heiress Liliane
Bettencourt, with a fortune of $20.7bn. Chat
show queen Oprah Winfrey is believed to be
worth $1.5bn.

1. China has more dollar billionaires than Russia.
2. The percentage of US billionaires in the list is falling.
3. More than half the people on the list started with nothing.
4. Guy Laliberte has sold most of his Cirque du Soleil business.
5. Sir Philip Green is a publisher.
6. Carlos Slim Helu made his money from telecoms.
7. Rising property prices were the only reason for the 35% increase in the total wealth of the people on the list.
8. The founders of Google are married.

1. A noun meaning a position on a list that shows how good someone is compared to others. (para 1)
2. A noun meaning someone who knows a lot about a particular subject. (para 2)
3. A noun meaning a group of organizations which help people who are poor or ill. (para 2)
4. A verb meaning to become better than another person. (para 6)
5. A noun meaning someone who has recently started to be involved in something. (para 7)
6. A noun meaning a company that sells goods direct to the public. (para 8)
7. An expression meaning with nothing at all. (para 9)
8. An adjective meaning richest. (para 9)

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Complete the table.
verb noun
1. invest
2. grow
3. marry
4. increase
5. inherit
6. own
7. produce
8. found
6 Vocabulary 3: Prefixes
Match the prefixes with their meanings.
1. co- a. new
2. re- b. against
3. anti- c. many
4. neo- d. joint, together
5. mal- e. below, less than
6. multi- f. across
7. trans- g. again
8. under- h. badly
7 Discussion
How much money does a normal person need? What can you do with more than $1 billion? Should the super-rich
pay more tax?
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1. inherit 1. ranking
2. compile 2. expert
3. entrepreneur 3. charity
4. tycoon 4. overtake
5. fortune 5. newcomer
6. bachelor 6. retailer
7. founder 7. from scratch
8. retail 8. wealthiest
9. commodities
10. heiress
1. investment
2 Find the information 2. growth
3. marriage
1. Bill Gates 4. increase
2. Mexico 5. inheritance
3. $3.5 trillion 6. ownership/owner (person)
4. $1 billion 7. production/producer (person)
5. 53 8. foundation/founder (person)
6. Liliane Bettencourt in the 1980s
1. d
1. F 2. g
2. T 3. b
3. T 4. a
4. F 5. h
5. F 6. c
6. T 7. f
7. F 8. e
8. F
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Dead or alive, Bin Laden haunts US
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
henchman bounty enclave discount corruption

martyr cleric ruthless long-winded remote
1. If something is ____________, it uses more words and takes more time than necessary to say something.
2. ____________ is dishonest or illegal behaviour by people in positions of power.
3. A ____________ region is far away from cities, towns or people.
4. A ____________ is money offered as a reward for catching or killing a criminal.
5. A ____________ person is willing to make other people suffer so that they can achieve their aims.
6. An ____________ is an area of a country where a particular group of people live.
7. A ____________ is a supporter of a powerful person, especially one who is willing to behave in a violent or
immoral way.
8. A ____________ is someone who suffers or is killed because of their political or religious beliefs.
9. If you ____________ something, you do not consider it to be important, possible or likely.
10. A ____________ is a person who leads religious services.
2 What do you know?
Decide whether these sentences are True or False. Then check your answers in the text.
1. Osama bin Laden is 60 years old.
2. He is a member of the Wahhabi sect of Islam.
3. There is a $50 million reward offered for the capture of bin Laden.
4. Bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia.
5. Bin Laden’s deputy in al-Qaida is Ayman al-Zawahiri.
6. Most Afghans have a positive view of bin Laden.

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NEWS LESSONS / Dead or alive, Bin Laden haunts US / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Dead or alive, on his 50th birthday 4 Bin Laden’s kidney problems have been the
ghost of the Hindu Kush haunts US subject of intense speculation. Some watchers
CIA think they know where Osama bin Laden claim he is dependent on dialysis; others say
is. So do local tribesmen - hiding in the this is nonsense. Last September a French
White House. newspaper reported he had died of typhoid in the
tribal belt.
Declan Walsh in Islamabad
March 10, 2007 5 America’s spies are convinced OBL, as they
call him, is hiding in Pakistan’s tribal belt. “To
the best of our knowledge the senior leadership,
1 Osama bin Laden marks his 50th birthday today, number one and two, are there,” said Admiral
probably in a hideout in the tribal lands between
Mike McConnell, the new director of national
Pakistan and Afghanistan. It’s tempting to
intelligence, last week. Based on this the CIA is
imagine the grey-bearded jihadi hunched over a
sending fresh operatives to trap him, ABC News
cake with burning candles inside a cave, smiling
reported last Tuesday.
henchmen gathered behind him. In reality it’s not
likely to be much of a party. Birthday parties are 6 But if the Americans think he is in the border
frowned upon by Wahhabi puritans such as the areas, the tribesmen who live there think the
al-Qaida leader, who consider such celebrations opposite. Across the border in Afghanistan the
a vulgar western import. But as he passes belief that bin Laden has already been caught by
another milestone, he at least has reason to America - and is even hidden inside the White
enjoy a quiet smile. House - is remarkably common. “Many, many
people believe such stories,” said Sarah Chayes,
2 Six years after 9/11, bin Laden is maddeningly
a writer who lives in Kandahar. If America really
out of reach. Despite the world’s largest manhunt
has such strong soldiers and powerful satellites,
and a $25m bounty, he remains at large, the
they conclude, bin Laden must already be in
Scarlet Pimpernel of jihad. A powerful myth
the bag.
has grown around him - the tall, stern-faced
Saudi-born militant has become the ghost of the
7 Most Afghans have little time for the man who
Hindu Kush, variously reported dead or alive at
sparked an invasion of their country in 2001.
different points inside the epic mountain range.
Nine out of 10 people view him negatively,
The Pakistani army thought it had him cornered
according to a recent poll. But elsewhere in the
in a village in the lawless North Waziristan
Muslim world he is a man to be greatly admired.
tribal agency in 2003. A year later the Spanish
“Osama is a hero,” said Kamran Ali, a 23-year-
newspaper El Mundo claimed to have located
old call centre operator in Islamabad. “Americans
him inside a Muslim enclave of western China.
have done many bad things against Muslims.
After the mammoth earthquake that devastated
Osama stands up to them.” Like many Pakistanis
northern Pakistan, Senator Harry Reid from
he discounted suggestions that Bin Laden
Nevada announced that bin Laden had died
was linked to the World Trade Centre attacks.
under the rubble.
“There’s no proof of that,” he said.
3 At about the same time a discreet team of
8 That sentiment is echoed across the Muslim
American investigators arrived in Chitral, a
world, said Abdel Bari Atwan, editor of the
quiet mountain retreat to the north, where they
London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper.
believed they had picked up the trail. Shortly
But, he stressed, support for bin Laden does
afterwards angry local clerics blew their cover
not equate to a vote for terrorism. “When people
and they left.
in Palestine voted for Hamas it was not for
radicalism, they voted against corruption.
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Level 3 Advanced
This is the same. Because people hate American 10 The messages are often long-winded and
foreign policy and corrupt Arab dictatorships they convoluted. Most of the time bin Laden employs
sympathize with al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden. silence much more effectively, said Michael
It doesn’t mean they approve of al-Qaida’s Scheuer, former head of the CIA’s bin Laden
actions or September 11,” he said. unit. “It suggests they are ready to attack again.
It is a tremendously powerful and sophisticated
9 Could bin Laden be dead? Mullah Dadullah,
approach,” he said. Meanwhile, in the mountain
a Taliban commander with a reputation for forests and remote valleys of the tribal belt, the
ruthlessness, claims to be in touch. “We hunt continues.
exchange messages to share plans,” he said
in one of two recent interviews. “It’s very hard © Guardian News & Media 2007
for anyone to see bin Laden himself now but First published in The Guardian, 10/3/07
we know he’s still alive. He’s not yet martyred.”
The Emir, as bin Laden is known to followers,
is becoming increasingly bold. As-Sahab, the
al-Qaida video production house, released more
than 20 audio and videotapes from bin Laden
and his number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in 2006.
1.Where do the Americans think bin Laden is?
a. China
b. Afghanistan
c. Pakistan
2. Where do many Afghans think bin Laden is?
a. America
b. China
c. Afghanistan
3. Why, according to the editor of al-Quds al-Arabi, do many people have sympathy for al-Qaida?
a. Because they support al-Qaida’s tactics.
b. Because they hate American foreign policy and corrupt Arab governments.
c. Because they hate Americans.

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Level 3 Advanced
4. What, according to Michael Scheuer, is bin Laden’s most effective tactic?
a. Audiotapes.
b. Silence.
c. Videotapes.
Look in the first two paragraphs of the text and find the following.
1. A noun meaning a holy warrior.
2. An adjective meaning sitting with your back and shoulders curved forwards.
3. A two-word verb meaning to disapprove of.
4. A noun meaning someone who has strict moral or religious principles.
5. An adjective meaning rude, unpleasant and offensive.
6. A noun meaning an event that marks an important stage in a process.
7. An adverb meaning annoyingly.
8. A verb meaning to force a person into a place they cannot escape from.
5 Vocabulary 2: Expressions
Match these expressions from the text with their meanings.
1. pick up someone’s trail a. to not allow yourself to be treated badly
2. blow someone’s cover b. as far as we know
3. to be out of reach c. to find out where someone has recently been
4. to stand up to someone d. to be far enough away to evade capture
5. to be at large e. to tell people who someone really is
6. to the best of our knowledge f. to be free/not arrested

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6 Vocabulary 3: Verbs + prepositions

1. vote _______
2. vote _______
3. equate _______
4. depend _______
5. die _______
6. approve _______
7. link _______
8. sympathize _______
7 Discussion
What is your view of al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden? Do you regard them as terrorists or freedom-fighters?
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KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Expressions
1. long-winded 1. c
2. corruption 2. e
3. remote 3. d
4. bounty 4. a
5. ruthless 5. f
6. enclave 6. b
7. henchman
8. martyr
9. discount
10. cleric
1. for/against
2. against/for
2 What do you know? 3. to
4. on
1. F 5. of
2. T 6. of
3. F 7. to
4. T 8. with
5. T
6. F
1. c
2. a
3. b
4. b
1. jihadi
2. hunched
3. frown upon
4. puritan
5. vulgar
6. milestone
7. maddeningly
8. to corner
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
cave manhunt reward remote huge

earthquake cleric hero corrupt bold
1. An ____________ is a sudden shaking movement of the ground.
2. A ____________is money that someone receives for giving information to the police or to the authorities.
3. A ____________ is someone who people respect because he has done something brave.
4. A ____________ is a search organized to catch a criminal.
5. A ____________ is a large hole in the side of a hill or mountain.
6. A ____________ is someone who leads religious services.
7. If something is ____________, it is very, very big.
8. A ____________ place is a very long way from any towns or cities.
9. A ____________ person is confident and takes risks.
10. If someone is ____________, they are in an official position and they take money for doing illegal things.
1. How old is Osama bin Laden?
2. Where is the Hindu Kush?
3. How much is the reward for finding bin Laden?
4. When did NATO attack Afghanistan?
5. How many Afghans say they have a negative opinion of bin Laden?
6. How many audio and videotapes did bin Laden and Al-Zawahiri make in 2006?
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NEWS LESSONS / Dead or alive, Bin Laden haunts US / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Dead or alive, on his 50th birthday reported last Tuesday that the CIA is sending
ghost of the Hindu Kush haunts US new teams to catch him. But if the Americans
CIA think they know where Osama bin Laden think he is in the border areas, the tribesmen
is. So do local tribesmen - hiding in the White who live there think the opposite. Over the
House. border in Afghanistan, many people believe
that the Americans have already caught Bin
Laden. Some people even think he is in the
March 10, 2007
White House. “Many, many people believe such
stories,” said Sarah Chayes, a writer who lives
1 It is Osama bin Laden’s 50th birthday today. in Afghanistan. If America really has such strong
He is probably somewhere in the mountains soldiers and powerful satellites, people believe
between Pakistan and Afghanistan. You can they must have captured bin Laden.
almost imagine the scene: a birthday cake with
5 Most Afghans do not support bin Laden. They
50 candles and bin Laden sitting in his cave with
believe it was because of him that NATO
his smiling comrades around him. The truth is
attacked their country in 2001. In a recent
that it probably won’t be much of a party. Bin
opinion poll, nine out of 10 people said they had
Laden is from the Wahhabi branch of Islam which
a negative opinion of bin Laden. But in other
believes that birthday parties are an unwelcome
Muslim countries in the world, many people
western import. But bin Laden is probably
respect him. “Osama is a hero,” said Kamran Ali,
enjoying a quiet smile on his birthday.
a 23-year-old from Islamabad. “Americans have
2 Six years after 9/11, bin Laden is still free. The done many bad things against Muslims. Osama
world’s largest manhunt and a possible reward fights back.” Like many other Pakistanis, Ali
of $25 million have not managed to find him. He does not believe that bin Laden was responsible
is like the ghost of the Hindu Kush, the remote for the World Trade Centre attacks. “There’s no
mountain range in the north of Afghanistan. proof of that,” he said.
Some reports say he is dead; others say he is
6 “All over the Muslim world people feel the same
alive. The Pakistani army thought it had found
way,” said Abdel Bari Atwan, editor of the al-
him in a village in North Waziristan in 2003. A
Quds al-Arabi newspaper. But, he said, if people
year later, the Spanish newspaper El Mundo said
support bin Laden it does not mean that they
he was in a Muslim area of western China. One
vote for terrorism. “When people in Palestine
US senator said that bin Laden had died in the
voted for Hamas it was a vote against corruption.
huge earthquake in Pakistan last year.
This is the same. People hate American foreign
3 At about the same time a team of American policy and corrupt Arab dictatorships so they
agents arrived in Chitral, a quiet mountain area sympathize with al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden.
in the north of Pakistan, where they believed bin It doesn’t mean they support al-Qaida’s actions
Laden was hiding. Soon afterwards, angry clerics or September 11,” he said.
told local people who they were and they had to
7 Is bin Laden dead? Mullah Dadullah, a Taliban
leave. Some reports also say bin Laden is ill and
commander, says he has contacted him. “We
has kidney problems. Last September, a French
exchange messages to share plans,” he said in
newspaper reported he had died of typhoid.
one of two recent interviews. “It’s very hard for
4 America’s spies believe OBL, as they call him, anyone to see Bin Laden now but we know he’s
is hiding in Pakistan’s tribal region. “As far as still alive.” Bin Laden is becoming bolder. With his
we know the senior leadership of al-Qaida, deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri he made more than 20
number one and two, are there,” the Director of audio and videotapes in 2006.
National Intelligence said last week. ABC News
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8 The messages on the tapes are often long and
complicated. Most of the time bin Laden uses
silence. “The silence makes people think they are
ready to attack again. It is a very powerful and
clever approach,” said Michael Scheuer, former
head of the CIA’s bin Laden unit. Meanwhile, in
the mountain forests and remote valleys of the
tribal region, the hunt continues.

1. America’s spies believe ____
2. Many Afghans believe ____
3. A Spanish newspaper said ____
4. A French newspaper said ____
5. Most Afghans ____
6. Some reports say ____
7. Many Muslims ____
8. Bin Laden is probably ____
a. ____ hiding in the mountains between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
b. ____ bin Laden had died of typhoid.
c. ____ bin Laden is hiding in Pakistan’s tribal region.
d. ____ have a negative opinion of bin Laden.
e. ____ bin Laden was in western China.
f. ____ do not believe bin Laden was responsible for 9/11.
g. ____ bin Laden has kidney problems.
h. ____ the Americans have already caught bin Laden.

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Level 1 Elementary
Find the opposites of these adjectives in the text.
1. noisy
2. positive
3. welcome
4. junior
5. weak
6. easy
7. simple
8. stupid
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text.
1. far we as know as
2. the about same at time
3. mountain a area quiet
4. the over world all
5. mountains the somewhere in

6. the this same is
6 Vocabulary 3: Find the nouns
Look in the text and find the noun forms of these verbs. Note that some of the noun forms will be the same
as the verbs.
verb noun
1. smile
2. hunt
3. report
4. attack
5. prove
6. vote
7. act
8. lead
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1. earthquake 1. quiet
2. reward 2. negative
3. hero 3. unwelcome
4. manhunt 4. senior
5. cave 5. strong
6. cleric 6. hard
7. huge 7. complicated
8. remote 8. clever
9. bold
10. corrupt
2 Find the information 1. as far as we know

2. at about the same time
1. 50 3. a quiet mountain area
2. Afghanistan 4. all over the world
3. $25 million 5. somewhere in the mountains
4. 2001 6. this is the same
5. nine out of 10
6. more than 20
6 Vocabulary 3: Find the nouns
3 Comprehension check 1. smile

2. hunt
1. c 3. report
2. h 4. attack
3. e 5. proof
4. b 6. vote
5. d 7. action
6. g 8. leadership
7. f
8. a
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1 Key words
jihadi vulgar capture manhunt remote

cleric convinced corrupt bold sophisticated
1. A ____________ person does dishonest or illegal things in order to gain money or power.
2. A ____________ person is confident and not afraid to take risks.
3. A ____________ is someone who believes in holy war.
4. If something is ____________, it is unpleasant, offensive and in poor taste.
5. If something is ____________, it is complicated and advanced in design.
6. If you are ____________ about something, you are certain that it is true.
7. A ____________ is a search organized to catch a criminal.
8. If a place is ____________, it is far away from the nearest town or city.
9. A ____________ is a person who leads religious services.
10. If you ____________ someone, you catch them and make them your prisoner.
1. How old is Osama bin Laden?
2. Where was he born?
3. How much money has been offered for information leading to his capture?
4. How many audio and videotapes did bin Laden and his deputy release in 2006?
5. What medical problem is bin Laden said to have?
6. What percentage of Afghans have a negative opinion of bin Laden?

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Dead or alive, on his 50th birthday 4 America’s spies are convinced OBL, as they
ghost of the Hindu Kush haunts US call him, is hiding in Pakistan’s tribal region. “As
CIA think they know where Osama bin Laden far as we know the senior leadership, number
is. So do local tribesmen - hiding in the one and two, are there,” said the new director
White House. of national intelligence, last week. ABC News
reported last Tuesday that the CIA is sending
new teams to trap him. But if the Americans
March 10, 2007
think he is in the border areas, the tribesmen
who live there think the opposite. Over the
1 It is Osama bin Laden’s 50th birthday today. He border in Afghanistan many people believe that
is probably hiding somewhere in the tribal lands bin Laden has already been caught by America
between Pakistan and Afghanistan. One can - and is even hidden inside the White House.
almost imagine the grey-bearded jihadi sitting “Many, many people believe such stories,” said
in his cave with a birthday cake, with his smiling Sarah Chayes, a writer who lives in Kandahar.
comrades around him. In reality it probably won’t If America really has such strong soldiers and
be much of a party. Muslims from the Wahhabi powerful satellites, they believe they must have
branch of Islam like bin Laden disapprove of captured bin Laden.
birthday parties, believing such celebrations to
5 Most Afghans do not support the man who
be a vulgar western import. But as he reaches
caused the invasion of their country in 2001.
the age of 50, he at least has reason to enjoy a
According to a recent opinion poll, nine out of
quiet smile.
10 people have a negative opinion of him. But
2 Six years after 9/11, bin Laden has still not been elsewhere in the Muslim world many people
captured, despite the world’s largest manhunt admire him. “Osama is a hero,” said Kamran Ali,
and a $25m reward offered for information a 23-year-old from Islamabad. “Americans have
leading to his capture. A powerful myth has done many bad things against Muslims. Osama
grown around him - the tall Saudi-born militant stands up to them.” Like many Pakistanis he
is now the ghost of the Hindu Kush, sometimes does not believe that bin Laden was linked to the
reported dead and sometimes alive at different World Trade Centre attacks. “There’s no proof of
points inside the remote mountain range. The that,” he said.
Pakistani army thought it had trapped him in a
6 All over the Muslim world people feel the same
village in North Waziristan in 2003. A year later
way, said Abdel Bari Atwan, editor of the al-Quds
the Spanish newspaper El Mundo said it had
al-Arabi newspaper. But, he said, support for
located him in a Muslim area of western China.
bin Laden does not mean that people are voting
One US senator announced that Bin Laden had
for terrorism. “When people in Palestine voted
died in the huge earthquake that recently struck
for Hamas it was not for radicalism, they voted
northern Pakistan.
against corruption. This is the same. Because
3 At about the same time, an undercover team people hate American foreign policy and corrupt
of American investigators arrived in Chitral, a Arab dictatorships they sympathize with al-Qaida
quiet mountain area in the north of Pakistan, and Osama bin Laden. It doesn’t mean they
where they believed bin Laden was hiding. Soon approve of al-Qaida’s actions or September 11,”
afterwards angry clerics told local people who he said.
they were and they had to leave. Bin Laden is
7 Is bin Laden dead? Mullah Dadullah, a Taliban
also said to be ill with kidney problems. Last
commander, says he has been in touch. “We
September a French newspaper reported he had
exchange messages to share plans,” he said in
died of typhoid.
one of two recent interviews. “It’s very hard for
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anyone to see bin Laden himself now but we suggests they are ready to attack again. It is a
know he’s still alive.” The Emir, as bin Laden is very powerful and sophisticated approach,” he
known to followers, is becoming increasingly said. Meanwhile, in the mountain forests and
bold. As-Sahab, the al-Qaida video production remote valleys of the tribal region, the
house, released more than 20 audio and hunt continues.
videotapes from bin Laden and his deputy,
Ayman al-Zawahiri, in 2006. © Guardian News & Media 2007
8 “The messages are often long and complicated.
Most of the time bin Laden uses silence much
more effectively,” said Michael Scheuer, former
head of the CIA’s bin Laden unit. “The silence
1. The Americans believe bin Laden is hiding in Pakistan’s tribal region.
2. Most Afghans believe bin Laden is dead.
3. Many Pakistanis do not believe bin Laden was linked to the 9/11 attack.
4. People sympathize with al-Qaida because they hate American foreign policy.
5. Michael Scheuer believes the use of long, complicated messages is a sophisticated tactic.
6. Abdel Bari Atwan believes that support for al-Qaida means that people approve of September 11.
7. The hunt for bin Laden is the world’s largest manhunt.
8. Bin Laden will probably have a birthday party.

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Look in the text and find these words.
1. A noun meaning a story that people wrongly believe to be true. (para 2)
2. A verb meaning to catch a criminal by forcing them into a place they cannot escape from. (para 2)
3. A noun meaning someone who uses violent and extreme methods to achieve something. (para 2)
4. A verb meaning to find out the exact place where someone or something is. (para 2)
5. An adjective meaning working secretly to catch criminals. (para 3)
6. A noun meaning an occasion when an army goes into another country to take control of it by force. (para 5)
7. A verb meaning to have a feeling of great respect for someone. (para 5)
8. A three-word verb meaning to not allow yourself to be treated badly. (para 5)
Complete the phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.
1. _______ reality
2. disapprove _______ birthday parties
3. died _______ typhoid
4. _______ the border in Afghanistan
5. nine _______ 10 people have a negative opinion of him
6. according _______ a recent opinion poll
7. no proof _______ that
8. sympathize _______
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Complete the table.
verb noun
1. disapprove
2. capture
3. announce
4. invade
5. admire
6. prove
7. sympathize
8. enjoy
7 Discussion
What is your view of al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden? Do you regard them as terrorists or freedom-fighters?
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KEY
1. corrupt 1. myth
2. bold 2. trap
3. jihadi 3. militant
4. vulgar 4. locate
5. sophisticated 5. undercover
6. convinced 6. invasion
7. manhunt 7. admire
8. remote 8. stand up to
9. cleric
10. capture
2 Find the information 1. in

2. of
1. 50 3. of
2. Saudi Arabia 4. over
3. $25 million 5. out of
4. more than 20 6. to
5. kidney problems 7. of
6. 90% 8. with
1. T 1. disapproval
2. F 2. capture
3. T 3. announcement
4. T 4. invasion
5. F 5. admiration
6. F 6. proof
7. T 7. sympathy
8. F 8. enjoyment
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Big blasts or tiny tugs
Level 3 Advanced
1 Pre-reading 1: Key words
Match these keywords from the text with the definitions below.
a tug an asteroid a catastrophe a collision to devastate

to deflect an orbit propulsion an ion a tractor
1. ____________ – The path that a small object follows round a larger object in space.
2. ____________ – A terrible disaster.
3. ____________ – Usually, a vehicle used on a farm to pull other machines; here, a space vehicle with the
power to pull another object towards it.
4. ____________ – A mass of rock like a very small planet in space.
5. ____________ – An accident when one thing crashes into another.
6. ____________ – To make something move in a different direction.
7. ____________ – An atom with an electrical force.
8. ____________ – A small, powerful boat used for pulling larger boats.
9. ____________ – The force that pushes something forward.
10. ____________ – To completely destroy something, or cause enormous damage.
2 Pre-reading 2: Prediction
Look at the main headline, the sub-heading and the key words.
1. Do you think the Earth is in immediate danger?

2. Do you think the scientists have already found a solution?
Now read the text quickly to find out.

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NEWS LESSONS / Big blasts or tiny tugs / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Big blasts or tiny tugs: how to stop an NEO wider than 1km, however, collides with
asteroid catastrophe Earth every few hundred thousand years and an
NEO larger than 6km, which could cause mass
Great danger of a crash with Earth, but scientists
extinction, will collide with Earth every 100 million
are meeting to find a solution.
years. Experts agree that we are overdue for a
Alok Jha, science correspondent big one.
March 7, 2007
6 A 390-metre wide asteroid named Apophis,
(Note that some words, written in italics and discovered in 2004, has an outside chance* of
marked like this*, are explained in the footnotes hitting the Earth in 2036. If it struck, Apophis
at the end of the article.) would release more than 100,000 times the
energy released in the Hiroshima nuclear bomb.
1 A huge asteroid hurtles in from outer space to
This blast would directly affect thousands of
devastate the Earth, an unstoppable force of
square kilometres, but the dust released into
nature from which there is no escape. Just such
the atmosphere would affect the whole planet.
a catastrophe is thought to have killed off the
There could be dark skies for a year or more,
dinosaurs and, according to most experts, it is
destroying crops worldwide.
only a matter of time before a similar fate befalls
the human race.
7 Dr Barbee suggests that the solution to the
problem of NEOs is nuclear. Detonated at the
2 But perhaps not all hope is lost. Hundreds of correct position, a nuclear weapon could blast
scientists, from nuclear weapons engineers to
away a thin shell of material from the asteroid,
planetary experts, are gathering in Washington
and cause the NEO “to miss Earth rather than
this week to try to develop a master plan to
collide”.
protect the Earth from such an asteroid.
8 The advantage of this idea is that it is possible
3 The Planetary Defence Conference, organized
with current technology - though no one has
by the US Aerospace Corporation, will bring
actually tried it yet.
together scores of ideas on how to develop
technology to track and deflect objects heading
9 Piet Hut, another expert, has a less dangerous
towards the Earth. The gathering will also
idea - a robotic tugboat that could attach itself to
consider the sticky problem of public relations
an asteroid and push it out of the Earth’s path.
- is it best to warn people if the worst comes to
“Based on early warning, provided by ground
the worst?
tracking and orbit prediction, it would be sent out
10 years or more before potential impact”.
4 “The collision of a moderately large asteroid or
comet, also referred to as a near-Earth object
10 The performance of the tugboat, he says,
(NEO), with Earth would have catastrophic
would depend on the development of a high-
consequences,” writes Dr Barbee, a space
performance electric propulsion system called
expert in a discussion paper to be presented at
an ion engine. Instead of burning chemicals for
the meeting. “Such events have occurred in the
fuel, these engines propel a spacecraft forwards
past and will occur again in the future. However,
by ejecting charged particles the other way.
for the first time in known history, humanity
The thrust is minuscule - like the pressure of a
may have the technology required to counter
piece of paper on your hand - but the engine
this threat.”
is extremely efficient and lasts far longer than
5 Many smaller objects around the Earth’s orbit conventional rocket engines. Prof Hut calculates
break up when they reach the atmosphere, with that such an engine could be used to deflect
no impact beyond a short fireworks display. An NEOs up to 800 metres across.
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Level 3 Advanced
11 Ion engines would also be essential for another Outside chance
type of probe, the “gravity tractor”. Instead of Apophis had been tracked since its discovery in
landing on an asteroid, though, the gravity tractor June 2004. In December that year, astronomers
would hover near it, using the slight gravitational started to worry. When they projected its future
attraction* between the probe and the NEO to orbit, they calculated that the chances of it hitting
change its path. the Earth in 2029 were alarming. When it passes
the Earth again on 13 April 2029, the asteroid
12 As well as new technology plans, the Washington should be deflected by the Earth and alter its
meeting will also consider how news of a orbit. But if that change makes Apophis pass
potential catastrophic collision would affect the through a particular point in space, called the
public psychologically. Al Harrison, a leading US keyhole, it will collide with the Earth on its next
social psychologist, says an NEO collision would passage, in 2036. However, based on current
present unique problems for the authorities, as information, the chance of Apophis passing
they could know about a “near extinction level” through the keyhole, a 600-metre patch of space,
danger so long in advance. is one in 5,500.
13 The critical question psychologists will address Dark skies

is whether details of an impending impact should Scientists have estimated the effects of a
be kept secret, to avoid widespread panic. massive asteroid collision by examining
In December 2004, for example, scientists simulations of what would happen during a big
calculated that if Apophis did hit, it would land nuclear war.
somewhere along a line that crossed central
Europe, parts of the Middle East, the Ganges Slight gravitational attraction
River valley (the most populated district on Everything in the universe that has mass attracts
Earth), and on out across the Philippines. At the anything else with mass via the force of gravity.
time, the information was kept secret and many If a gravity tractor is placed near an asteroid, the
NEO scientists agreed it was the right thing to do. asteroid will move fractionally towards it. Over a
distance of millions of kilometers, even a slight
14 But Clark Chapman, a US planetary scientist, deflection could move the asteroid out of the
says secrecy goes against the advice of many Earth’s way.
experts in risk management, as studies of
social psychology do not suggest that members © Guardian News & Media 2007
of the public would immediately panic about First published in The Guardian, 07/03/07
an impending impact. On the other hand, if
the news was given clumsily, people might
misunderstand, become unduly alarmed,
stop believing official statements, and ignore
important warnings.
Footnotes
Near-Earth objects
Comets and asteroids pulled into orbits near the
Earth by the gravitational attraction of planets.
Most NEOs are made of ice and dust, or are bits
of rock from the asteroid belt between Jupiter
and Mars.
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Level 3 Advanced
Decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F). If they are false, say why.
1. The asteroid is already directly on its way to collide with the earth.
2. Scientists at the conference are going to discuss ways of preventing a disaster.
3. The conference is also concerned with informing the public about possible dangers.
4. In some ways we are in a better position now to handle a possible crisis.
5. Minor asteroids are breaking up the earth’s atmosphere.
6. Nuclear weapons may be used to destroy Apophis completely.
7. A robotic tugboat would take 10 years to reach the asteroid.
8. Both the tugboat and the gravity tractor would depend on Ion engines.
9. The authorities don’t want to know about the risks in advance.
10. There is a very small chance that if the asteroid misses the earth in 2029, it will hit it in 2036.
4 Vocabulary development 1: Find the word
Find words in the text that mean the following; the paragraph numbers are given.
1. moves rapidly and in an uncontrolled way (1)
2. happens to (1)
3. act to stop something (4)
4. made to explode (7)
5. stay in the same position in the air (11)
6. consider and try to solve (13)
7. likely to happen soon (13)
8. unnecessarily (14)
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Level 3 Advanced
5 Vocabulary development 2: Collocations

Match the beginnings and endings of these collocations from memory.
1 mass a force
2 outside b relations
3 nuclear c plan
4 unstoppable d paper
5 master e extiction
6 sticky f bomb
7 public g management
8 discussion h panic
9 widespread i chance
10 risk j problem
6 Language development: Useful expressions
Reorder the words in these common expressions from memory. The first word has been given.
1. it / matter / only / a / is / time / of
2. but / all / is / hope / lost / not / perhaps

3. if / worst / worst / to / comes / the / the
4. for / known / time / in / the / history / first
5. though / has / one / yet / it / tried / no / actually
6. it / thing / do / the / was / right / to
7 Discussion
1. After reading this article, how worried do you think we should be?
2. Which of the solutions put forward by the scientists do you think sounds the most practical?
3. Do you think the public have the right to know about possible dangers of this sort, or do you think they should
be kept in the dark? Why / why not?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Pre-reading 1: Key words 4 Vocabulary development 1: Find the

word
1. an orbit
2. a catastrophe 1. hurtles
3. a tractor 2. befalls
4. an asteroid 3. counter
5. a collision 4. detonated
6. to deflect 5. hover
7. an ion 6. address
8. a tug 7. impending
9. propulsion 8. unduly
10. to devastate
5 Vocabulary development 2:
2 Pre-reading 2: Prediction Collocations
1. No. The first paragraph is simply describing what 1 mass e extinction

could happen.
2 outside i chance
2. They have found several possible solutions, but not
decided on a particular one. 3 nuclear f bomb
4 unstoppable a force
5 master c plan
6 sticky j problem
1. False; this is something that could happen in the 7 public b relations
future. 8 discussion d paper
2. True 9 widespread h panic
3. True 10 risk g management
4. True
5. False; they themselves break up when they enter
the atmosphere. 6 Language development: Useful
6. False; they would hit the surface of the asteroid and expressions
change its path.
7. False; it would be sent into space 10 years in 1. It is only a matter of time.
advance, to get into position. 2. But perhaps not all hope is lost / But perhaps all
8. True hope is not lost.
9. False; but knowing in advance would give them the 3. If the worst comes to the worst.
problem of deciding when and how to tell the public. 4. For the first time in known history.
10. True 5. Though no one has actually tried it yet.
6. It was the right thing to do.
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Level 1 Elementary
a blast a tug an asteroid a catastrophe total extinction

to release dust crops gravity a tractor
2. ____________ – An explosion.
3. ____________ – A mass of rock in space, like a very small planet.
5. ____________ – Very small pieces of dirt, like powder.
6. ____________ – The force that makes things fall down to the earth.
7. ____________ – When everything dies.
9. ____________ – To allow something to escape.
10. ____________ – Plants grown for food, like rice, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.
1. Do you think the Earth is in danger now?
2. Do you think the scientists already have a solution?

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NEWS LESSONS / Big blasts or tiny tugs / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Big blasts or tiny tugs: how to stop an the energy released in the Hiroshima nuclear
asteroid catastrophe bomb. This blast would directly affect thousands
of square kilometres, but the dust released into
There could be dark skies* for a year or more,
Alok Jha, science correspondent destroying crops worldwide.
March 7, 2007
6 Dr Barbee, a US space expert, thinks that if it
crashed into the Earth, it would be a disaster.
(Some words are written in italics and marked
“Such events have occurred in the past and
like this*. At the end of the article there are some
will occur again in the future”. But now, for the
footnotes to explain what they mean.)
first time in known history, we may have the
technology to stop it happening.
1 An enormous asteroid flies in from outer space to
destroy the Earth, an unstoppable force of nature
7 Dr Barbee thinks the answer is nuclear. If a
that we cannot escape. Perhaps a disaster like
nuclear weapon hit the edge of the asteroid, it
this killed off the dinosaurs, and most experts
could cause the NEO to change direction, and
think the same thing could soon happen to us.
not crash into the Earth. The advantage of this
idea is that it is possible with current technology
2 But perhaps there is still hope. Hundreds of
- though no one has actually tried it yet.
planetary experts, are coming to Washington this
week to try to develop a master plan to protect
idea - a robotic tugboat that scientists could
the Earth from such an asteroid.
connect to an asteroid and push it out of the
Earth’s path. Modern technology would warn
3 The Planetary Defence Conference, organized
scientists 10 years in advance, so they could
by the US Aerospace Corporation, will discuss
send the tugboat into position in good time.
lots of ideas on how to develop technology to find
and redirect objects coming towards the Earth.
9 The tugboat would use a special engine that
The conference will also discuss when and how
works with electricity instead of fuel. Professor
to warn people, if the worst comes to the worst.
Hut calculates that such an engine could redirect
NEOs up to 800 metres across.
4 Many smaller objects flying around the Earth
in space break up when they reach the 10 These engines would also be necessary for
atmosphere, and this is no more dangerous
another idea, the “gravity tractor”. But Instead
than a short fireworks display. But there are also
of landing on an asteroid, the gravity tractor
large asteroids or comets, also called near-Earth
would hover near it, using the slight gravitational
objects* (NEOs). A NEO wider than 1km crashes
attraction* between it and the NEO to change its
into the Earth every few hundred thousand years.
path.
An NEO larger than 6km, which could cause total
extinction, will crash into the Earth every 100
11 Psychologists will attend the Washington meeting
million years. Experts agree that we can expect a
as well as technologists. They will discuss how
big one soon.
the public would react psychologically to news of
5 In 2004, scientists discovered a 390-metre wide a possible crash. Al Harrison, an important US
asteroid named Apophis. This has an outside social psychologist, says governments would
chance* of hitting the Earth in 2036. If it hit, worry about how soon to tell people, as they
Apophis would release more than 100,000 times would not want to frighten everyone.
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Level 1 Elementary
12 Some psychologists think this kind of news Slight gravitational attraction
should be kept secret, to prevent public panic. Everything in the universe that has mass attracts
In December 2004, for example, scientists anything else with mass because of gravity. If a
calculated that if Apophis did hit, it would land “gravity tractor” is placed near an asteroid, the
somewhere on a line between central Europe, asteroid will move very slightly nearer to it. Over
the Middle East, the Ganges River valley (the a distance of millions of kilometers, even a slight
most populated district on Earth), and the change of direction could move the asteroid out
Philippines. At the time, the information was kept of the Earth’s way.
secret, and many NEO scientists agreed it was
the right thing to do. © Guardian News & Media 2007
13 But Clark Chapman, a US planetary scientist,
says many social science experts are against
secrecy. They do not think that that the public
would immediately panic about a possible
danger. But the news must be given carefully,
or people might misunderstand. Then they
might become unnecessarily frightened, stop
believing official statements and ignore important
warnings.
Footnotes
Near-Earth objects
Comets and asteroids that start to circle very
near the Earth. Most NEOs are made of ice and
dust, or are bits of rock from the asteroid area
between Jupiter and Mars.
Outside chance
Astronomers discovered Apophis in June 2004.
In December 2004, they started to worry. When
they calculated its future path, they thought it
was very likely to hit the Earth in 2029. When
the asteroid passes the Earth again on April 13
2029, the Earth will probably affect it, and change
its orbit. But if that change makes Apophis pass
through a particular area in space, called “the
keyhole”, it will crash into the Earth next time it
passes, in 2036. But now they think Apophis is
very unlikely to pass through the keyhole, a very
small area of space just 600 metres wide. The
possibility is only 1 in 5,500.
Dark skies
Scientists have calculated the effects of an
enormous asteroid crash by imagining what
would happen during a big nuclear war.
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Level 1 Elementary

First find these words and numbers in the text. Then match each one with the information given below.
Washington NEOs 6km Apophis 2004 390 2036 10 800 600
1. Some asteroids are as big as _________ across.
2. The name of the new asteroid is _________.
3. The conference will be in _________.
4. People first noticed Apophis in _________.
5. Apophis is _________ metres wide.
6. A short name for near-Earth objects is _________.
7. It may hit the earth in _________.
8. The keyhole in space is only _________ metres across.
9. Scientists will know about a possible crash _________ years before it happens.
10. The tugboat could pull an asteroid as big as _________ metres wide.
4 Vocabulary development 1: Find the word
Find words in the text that mean:
1. impossible to stop _____________ (para 1)
2. connected with planets _____________ (para 2)
3. all over the world _____________ (para 5)

4. another word for happen _____________ (para 6)
5. like a robot _____________ (para 8)
6. to stay still in space _____________ (para 10)
7. a strong feeling of fear or worry _____________ (para 12)
8. keeping something secret _____________ (para 13)

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Level 1 Elementary
5 Vocabulary development 2: Word building

See if you can complete the table with the missing words. Then check the text quickly to see if you were
right.
adjective adverb
1. direct
2. psychological
3. secretly
4. immediate
5. possibly
6. careful
7. unnecessary
8. officially
6 Practice
Now fill the gaps in these sentences with the right form of the word from part 5. They are in the same order
as in part 5.
1. The weather has a __________ effect on the way I feel.
2. I enjoy doing __________ tests.
3. Don’t tell anyone; this is __________ .
4. I’m in a hurry, so please tell me __________ .
5. Could you __________ lend me five pounds?
6. The road is very busy, so be __________ how you cross.
7. You don’t need to wear a tie; it’s quite __________ .
8. I have heard that she’s leaving, but the news isn’t __________ yet.
7 Language development: Useful expressions
Find phrases in the text that mean:
1. If this terrible thing really happens ______________________________________________ (para 3)
2. It has never been tested ______________________________________________________ (para 6)
3. In the time people can remember _______________________________________________ (para 7)
4. This was the right decision ____________________________________________________ (para 12)

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KEY
1 Pre-reading 1: Key words 6. hover

7. panic
1. a catastrophe 8. secrecy
2. a blast
3. an asteroid
5 Vocabulary development 2: Word
4. a tug
building
5. dust
6. gravity
7. total extinction adjective adverb
8. a tractor 1. direct directly
9. to release 2. psychological psychologically
10. crops 3. secret secretly
4. immediate immediately
2 Pre-reading 2: Prediction 5. possible possibly
6. careful carefully
1. No. The first paragraph is just saying what could 7. unnecessary unnecessarily
happen.
8. official officially
2. They have found several possible solutions, but
they haven’t decided which one to use.
6 Practice
1. direct
1. 6 km 2. psychological
2. Apophis 3. secret
3. Washington 4. immediately
4. 2004 5. possibly
5. 390 6. careful
6. NEOs 7. unnecessary
7. 2036 8. official
8. 600
9. 10
7 Language development: Useful
10. 800
expressions
4 Vocabulary development 1: Find the 1. if the worst comes to the worst

word 2. in known history
3. though no one has actually tried it yet
1. unstoppable 4. it was the right thing to do
2. planetary
3. worldwide
4. occur
5. robotic
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a blast a tug an asteroid a catastrophe a collision

inevitable an orbit to release an ion a tractor
2. ____________ – An explosion.
3. ____________ – A mass of rock like a very small planet in space.

4. ____________ – An accident when one thing crashes into another.
6. ____________ – Something that nobody can prevent or avoid.
7. ____________ – The path that a small object follows round a larger object in space.
8. ____________ – An atom with an electrical force.
10. ____________ – To allow something to escape.
1. Do you think the Earth is in danger now?
2. Do you think the scientists have already found a solution?

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Big blasts or tiny tugs: how to stop an would release more than 100,000 times the
asteroid catastrophe energy released in the Hiroshima nuclear bomb.
This blast would directly affect thousands of
square kilometres, but the dust released into
Alok Jha, science correspondent There could be dark skies* for a year or more,
March 7, 2007 destroying crops worldwide.
(Note that some words, written in italics and

6 Dr Barbee, a US space expert, thinks that if
marked like this*, are explained in the footnotes
it collided with Earth, it would be a disaster.
at the end of the article.)
“Such events have occurred in the past and will
occur again in the future”. But now, for the first
1 A huge asteroid flies in from outer space to
time in known history, humanity may have the
destroy the Earth, an unstoppable force of
technology to stop it happening.
nature from which there is no escape. Perhaps
a disaster like this killed off the dinosaurs, and
7 Dr Barbee thinks the answer is nuclear. If a
most experts think it is only a matter of time
nuclear weapon hit the edge of the asteroid, it
before the same thing happens to us.
could cause the NEO to change direction, and
“miss Earth rather than collide.” The advantage
2 But perhaps not all hope is lost. Hundreds of
of this idea is that it is possible with current
technology - though no one has actually tried
planetary experts, are coming to Washington this
it yet.
week to try to develop a master plan to protect
the Earth from such an asteroid.
idea - a robotic tugboat that could attach itself
3 The Planetary Defence Conference, organised
to an asteroid and push it out of the Earth’s
by the US Aerospace Corporation, will discuss
path. Modern technology would warn scientists
lots of ideas on how to develop technology to
10 years in advance, to send the tugboat into
locate and redirect objects heading towards the
position in good time.
Earth. The conference will also consider the
difficult problem of public relations - is it best to
9 The tugboat would be driven by an ion engine.
warn people if the worst comes to the worst?
These engines don’t burn chemicals for fuel; they
drive a spacecraft forwards by forcing electrically
4 Many smaller objects around the Earth’s orbit
charged particles backwards. The pressure is
break up when they reach the atmosphere and
very slight - but the engine is very efficient and
this is no more dangerous than a short fireworks
lasts far longer than normal rocket engines. Prof
display. But there are also large asteroids or
Hut calculates that such an engine could deflect
comets, also called near-Earth objects* (NEOs).
NEOs up to 800 metres across.
A NEO wider than 1km collides with Earth every
few hundred thousand years. An NEO larger
10 Ion engines would also be essential for another
than 6km, which could cause total extinction,
idea, the “gravity tractor”. But instead of landing
will collide with Earth every 100 million years.
on an asteroid, the gravity tractor would hover
Experts agree that we should expect a big one
near it, using the slight gravitational attraction*
soon.
between the probe and the NEO to change
its path.
5 A 390-metre wide asteroid named Apophis was
discovered in 2004. This has an outside chance*
of hitting the Earth in 2036. If it hit, Apophis
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11 Psychologists will attend the Washington meeting next time it passes, in 2036. However, current
as well as technologists. They will consider how information suggests that Apophis is very unlikely
the public would react psychologically to news to pass through the keyhole, a patch of space
of a possible collision. Al Harrison, a leading US just 600 metres wide. The possibility is only 1 in
social psychologist, says an NEO collision would 5,500.
present unique problems for the authorities, as
they could know about a “near extinction level” Dark skies
danger so long in advance. Scientists have estimated the effects of a
massive asteroid collision by examining
12 The psychologists will discuss whether this simulations of what would happen during a big
kind of news should be kept secret, to prevent nuclear war.
public panic. In December 2004, for example,
scientists calculated that if Apophis did hit, it Slight gravitational attraction
would land somewhere on a line between central Everything in the universe that has mass attracts
Europe, the Middle East, the Ganges River valley anything else with mass via the force of gravity. If
(the most populated district on Earth), and the a “gravity tractor” is placed near an asteroid, the
Philippines. At the time, the information was kept asteroid will move fractionally towards it. Over a
secret, and many NEO scientists agreed it was distance of millions of kilometers, even a slight
the right thing to do. deflection could move the asteroid out of the
Earth’s way.
13 But Clark Chapman, a US planetary scientist,
says many social science experts are against © Guardian News & Media 2007
secrecy. Their studies do not suggest that the First published in The Guardian, 07/03/07
public would immediately panic about a possible
danger. But the news must be given carefully,
or people might misunderstand, become
unnecessarily frightened, stop believing official
statements and ignore important warnings.
Footnotes
Near-Earth objects
Comets and asteroids pulled into orbits near the
Earth by gravity from planets. Most NEOs are
made of ice and dust, or are bits of rock from the
asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars.
Outside chance
Apophis was discovered in June 2004. In
December that year, astronomers started to
worry. When they calculated its future orbit, they
thought it was very likely to hit the Earth in 2029.
When the asteroid passes the Earth again on
April 13 2029, the Earth will probably deflect it,
and change its orbit. But if that change makes
Apophis pass through a particular point in space,
called “the keyhole”, it will collide with the Earth
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Answer the following questions according to the text.
1. Where is the conference going to be?
2. What is another name for bigger asteroids?
3. What is the newest asteroid called?
4. How big can NEOs be?
5. How often could one of the biggest ones hit the earth?
6. When do scientists think Apophis could hit the earth?
7. They think this could be: a) quite dangerous; b) not very dangerous; c) very dangerous
8. Which of these are possible ways of stopping the asteroid hitting the earth?
a) a nuclear weapon; b) a robotic tugboat; c) an ion engine; d) electrically charged particles; e) a gravity tractor
9. All these methods aim to: a) destroy the asteroid; b) make it change direction; c) send it back
10. Which part of the world has more people living there than anywhere else?
4 Vocabulary development 1: World building
See if you can fill the chart below from memory. Then check the words in the text; the paragraph numbers
are given.
Meaning Word Word class Para

1. when two things collide noun 0
2. impossible to stop adjective 1
3. connected with planets adjective 2
4. when things become extinct noun 4
5. connected with danger adjective 8
6. connected with robots adjective 8
7. people who study psychology noun 11
8. people who study technology noun 11
9. people who study science noun 12
10. keeping something secret noun 13
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5 Vocabulary development 2: Pronunciation
Now put those words into the correct column according to their stress.
planetary collision
unstoppable
6 Language development: Conditionals

Mark these sentences about future events: D (if you think the writer thinks they are Definite) or JP (if you
think he thinks they are only Just Possible).
1. The conference will also consider… (3)
2. ...the dust…would affect the whole planet (5)
3. ...it would be a disaster. (6) Definite Just Possible

will consider would affect
4. It could cause the NEO to change direction. (7)
5. Modern technology would warn scientists... (8)
6. ...the gravity tractor would hover near it. (10)
7. Psychologists will attend the Washington meeting. (11)
8. The psychologists will discuss... (12)
9. It would land somewhere... (12)
10. ...people might misunderstand. (13)
Now put the verbs into one of the columns, as in the example. What do you notice about the verbs in each
column?
7 Discussion
1. From reading this article, how worried do you think we should be?
2. Which solution do you think is the most practical?
3. Do you think the government should tell people about possible dangers like this, or do you think they should
keep them secret? Why / why not?
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1 Pre-reading 1: Key words 6. robotic
7. Psychologists
1. a catastrophe 8. technologists
2. a blast 9. scientists
3. an asteroid 10. secrecy
4. a collision
5. a tug 5 Vocabulary development 2:
6. inevitable Pronunciation
7. an orbit
8. an ion
9. a tractor
10. to release planetary collision
dangerous unstoppable
scientists extinction
1. No. The first paragraph is just saying what could secrecy robotic
happen.
2. They have found several possible solutions, but psychologists
they haven’t decided which one to use.
technologists
6. Language Development: Conditionals
1. In Washington, USA
2. NEOs 1. JP 6. JP
3. Apophis 2. D 7. D
4. 6 km across 3. JP 8. D
5. Every 100 million years 4. JP 9. D
6. In 2036 5. JP 10. JP
7. c) very dangerous
8. a) a nuclear weapon; b) a robotic tugboat; Definite Just Possible
e) a gravity tractor
will consider would affect
9. b) make it change direction
will attend would be
10. The Ganges river valley
will discuss could cause
would warn
building would land
might misunderstand
1. collision would hover
2. unstoppable
3. planetary When you think a future action is definite, use will.
4. extinction When you think something is only just possible, or
5. dangerous unlikely, use would, could, or might.
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Celebrity boot camp
Level 3 Advanced
1. Look at the headline of the story. What do you think this story will be about?
2. Now guess which of these sentences best sums up the article.
a. There is a new ‘reality TV’ show about fashion.

b. The court sends a famous model to do dirty work as a punishment.
c. A shoe company is changing its image and throws old designs into the rubbish bin.
3. Now look at the sub-headings
• Model begins community sentence for assault

• Sweeping and cleaning toilets among her duties
a. In the headline, who do you think the ‘model’ is?

b. What do you think a ‘community sentence’ is?
a boot camp stilettos combats garbage a shift

a community sentence assault SUV
1. the American word for ‘rubbish’

2. attacking and hitting someone
3. working to help people as a punishment for a crime
4. a place where young criminals are treated very strictly and have to do hard physical work
5. military-style clothes worn by ordinary people
6. American for a ‘four-wheel-drive’ vehicle
7. a period of work time, e.g. in a hospital or factory
8. shoes with very pointed toes and very high heels
Now read the article and check your answers to the questions in Pre-reading 1.
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Celebrity boot camp: from stilettos to 6 The perfect finishing touch was a pair of calf-high
combats for Campbell’s garbage shift black combat boots, covered with scratch marks,
Model begins community sentence for assault. slung casually over her shoulder. How many
Sweeping and cleaning toilets among her duties. hundred dollars did it cost to buy them, and how
many hours of careful attention did it take to make
Ed Pilkington them look so old?
March 20, 2007
7 Inside the warehouse, and out of the reach of
1 Naomi Campbell’s day began along familiar lines press lenses, Ms Campbell changed into her
yesterday. The supermodel was chauffeur-driven boots and put on the standard issue gloves, dust
in a black SUV with tinted windows, surrounded mask and fluorescent safety vest. Then she was
by her minders and bodyguards. Reaching the assigned her tasks for the day, at which point the
venue, she strolled elegantly past a long line full weight of her penance must have become
of press photographers shouting, “Naomi, over evident to her.
here!”, before entering the building and changing
into her costume. 8 Albert Durrell, a sanitation department deputy
chief, explained that she would be asked to
2 And then it all went skewy. Where were the assist- sweep and mop the warehouse floor, the locker
ants to help her put on her clothes? Where were rooms and windows. And yes, he said, “if they are
the makeup artists, the lighting experts and the dirty she will be cleaning toilets”.
seamstresses? Where, for heaven’s sake, was
the Vogue editor Anna Wintour? 9 The one thing she won’t have to endure is the
prolonged attention of the media. The judge at
3 The only people in sight were a few bemused- her sentencing agreed she could stay indoors all
looking garbage collectors, real ones that is, week, partly on the basis of the chaotic media
not actors dressed up as garbage collectors of scrum that followed the pop star turned DJ Boy
the sort used to add spice to fashion shoots. Ms George around when he did community service
Campbell, 36, had just begun a week-long exer- on the street at the same station last summer.
cise in seeing how the other half lived, courtesy of
the New York penal system. 10 “Let me make this clear,” Mr Durrell said. “This
programme has been in Manhattan for over a
4 She was the guest of the city’s sanitation de- year now. We’ve had a couple of celebrities, but
partment and will spend each day this week, the bottom line is everyone is treated with respect
from 8am to 4pm, at its warehouse in downtown and dignity and they have a job to do and they
Manhattan on the edge of the East River. The perform well at it. So far so good, we haven’t had
community service, along with a compulsory pay- any problems.”
ment of $185 and a two-day anger management
course, was her punishment for throwing a mobile 11 If Ms Campbell, or any of the three other offend-
phone at her housemaid, Ana Scolavino, who ers doing community service with her this week,
needed four stitches to the head. failed to do what they were told, he added, they
would be straight back in front of a judge.
5 For a celebrity who has endured a lot of bad press
over the incident a year ago, Ms Campbell pulled 12 The setting may at least remind Ms Campbell of
off her entry to the warehouse at Pier 36 with her roots in Streatham, an area of south London
considerable aplomb. She wore six-inch stiletto not dissimilar to this concrete-rich neighbourhood
heels - believed to be Christian Louboutin, with of Manhattan. Pier 36 sits opposite a line of red-
their characteristic red soles - brown leggings, a brick tower blocks. Running above the warehouse
black coat and hat and sunglasses.
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Level 3 Advanced
is one of New York’s busiest dual carriageways, 14 What Ms Campbell learns from her stay under
the elevated Franklin D Roosevelt Drive whose the bridge - whether, in particular, she takes from
greyness is utterly out of keeping with its name. it a new empathy for the household staff in her
employ - remains to be seen. If nothing else,
13 At the entrance to the compound are signs warn- she may acquire a healthy respect for New York
ing “No trespassing, violators will be prosecut- garbage, and the men and women who up until
ed”, which raises this week have kept it from her sight.
the pleasing thought of Ms Campbell attempt-
ing to break her way back into it once she has © Guardian News and Media 2007
finished her sentence, having found the experi- First published in the Guardian 20/03/07
ence so rewarding.
Some of these sentences about the text are incorrect. Say which ones, and say why.
1. Naomi Campbell started her day at a photo shoot.

2. Her usual assistants had not come in to work.
3. Fashion photographers sometimes use people pretending to be workmen to add atmosphere to their pictures.
4. Naomi Cambell was paid to visit the sanitation department.
5. Christian Louboutin designs shoes.
6. Somebody spent a long time making her boots look worn out.
7. The clothes she had to wear were very heavy.
8. She was allowed to work inside so that the press wouldn’t be able to photograph her.
9. Albert Durrell runs a TV programme.
10. The writer hopes the experience will make her a more understanding person.
Find words in the text that mean the following; the paragraph numbers are given.
1. given a slightly different colour (1)

2. wrong, crazy (2)
3. thanks to (3)
4. short pieces of thread for joining someone’s skin together after it has been cut (4)
5. suffered, had to live with (5)
6. calm confidence in a difficult situation (5)
7. thrown, hanging (6)
8. to clean with a wet cloth, usually on the end of a long stick (8)
9. a disorganized crowd of people, all trying to get something (9)
10. a feeling of understanding for other people (14)
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5 Vocabulary development 2: Compound adjectives
Match the beginnings and endings of these collocations from memory.
1. chauffeur- a long
2. bemused- b high
3. week- c brick
4. two- d rich
5. six- e driven
6. calf- f day
7. concrete- g looking
8. red- h inch
Now scan the text quickly to check.
Noticing the rule:

What do you notice about the collocations using numbers?
6 Vocabulary development 3 Common expressions
Can you complete these common expressions without looking back at the text?
(The first letter of the missing word is given to help you).
1. along f lines
2. for heaven’s s
3. seeing how the other h lived
4. the perfect f touch
5. out of the r of
6. the b line
7. So far so g
8. out of k with
9. remains to be s
10. a h respect for
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a. First, scan the text quickly to check your answers.

b. Now, match each expression with one of these meanings.
a. far away from, hidden from

b. the last detail that makes something look just right
c. the most basic fact or issue in a situation
d. in strange contrast to
e. an appropriate admiration for
f. an expression of surprise and sometimes annoyance
g. in the usual way
h. we cannot know yet
i. it’s been all right up to now
j. finding out what life is like for the poor
7 Recognizing irony
The writer, Ed Pilkington, sometimes uses irony to make his article more amusing.
Find examples in the text which suggest that:
1. the place she was going to was quite an important one: (1)
2. the working clothes she had to wear were part of a fashion show: (1)
3. Naomi Campbell might be grateful for her week’s punishment: (3)
4. her punishment was like an invitation to a party: (4)
5. it is crazy to spend even more money on clothes that look old and worn than on new-looking ones:
(6)
6. that a very ordinary building material is luxurious: - (12)
8 Interpretation and discussion
1. Is Community Service used as an alternative to prison in your country?

2. Do you agree with the idea?
3. For what kind of crimes?
4. Do you think this was a suitable punishment for what Naomi Campbell did?
5. What alternative would you suggest?
6. Some people really enjoy reading about famous people in trouble. Do you?
7. Are there special magazines and TV programmes in your country that depend on gossip
about the problems of celebrities?
8. What is your opinion about these?
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Key
1. Pre-reading 1: 7. slung
1. Opinions will vary. 8. to mop
2. b. 9. a scrum
3. a. (Naomi) Campbell 10. empathy
b. opinions will vary
2. Pre-reading 2: Key words 5. Vocabulary development 2:

a. garbage
Compound adjectives
b. assault 1 chauffeur- e driven
c. a community sentence 2 bemused- g looking
d. a boot camp 3 week- a long
e. combats 4 two- f day
f. an SUV (a Sport & Utility Vehicle) 5 six- h inch
g. a shift 6 calf- b high
h. stilettos 7 concrete- d rich
8 red- c brick
3. General understanding Noticing the rule:

1. No; that’s what it looked like, but she was on her Note that in compound adjectives with numbers, the
way to start her punishment. noun part stays singular even if the number is plural,
2. No; the writer wants us to imagine that she may e.g. ‘six-inch’ heels, not ‘six-inches’ heels.
feel lost without her usual assistants.
3. Yes.
4. No; she had to pay a fine as well as doing this
6. Vocabulary development 3:
community sentence.
Common expressions
5. Yes. 1. along familiar lines g
6. Yes. 2. for heaven’s sake f
7. No; the writer imagines that when she put on 3. seeing how the other half lived j
the working clothes, she began to feel that her 4. perfect finishing touch b
punishment was heavy. 5. out of the reach of a
8. Yes. 6. the bottom line is c
9. No; the programme he runs is the community 7. So far so good i
sentence scheme. 8. out of keeping with d
10. Yes. 9. remains to be seen h
10. a healthy respect for e
1. tinted
7. Recognizing irony
2. skewy (slang) 1. the venue
3. courtesy of 2. her costume
4. stitches 3. courtesy of
5. endured 4. the guest of
6. aplomb 5. concrete-rich
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Level 1 Elementary
Naomi Campbell is a famous model. Have you heard of her?
1 Pre-reading 1 Key words

a community sentence assault duties sanitation a warehouse
1. The American word for ‘rubbish’.

2. Attacking and hitting someone.
3. A large building where a lot of things are kept.
4. Working to help people as a punishment for a crime.
5. A place where young criminals have to do hard physical work and
follow strict orders.
6. Military-style clothes worn by ordinary people.
7. Keeping things clean and healthy.
8. Things that you have to do.
9. A period of work time e.g. in a hospital or factory.
10. Shoes with very pointed toes and very high heels.
Look at the headline and the sub-headings in the story. Can you guess what it is about?
1. A new reality TV show about a fashion camp.

2. A famous model has to do dirty work as a punishment.
3. A shoe company throws old shoes into the rubbish bin.
Now read the article, and check your answers to the pre-reading questions.
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Celebrity boot camp: from stilettos to 6 And she had an expensive pair of very old-looking
combats for Campbell’s garbage shift black combat boots hanging casually over her
Model begins community sentence for assault. shoulder. How many hundred dollars did it cost
Sweeping and cleaning toilets among her duties. to buy them, and how many hours of careful
attention did it take to make them look so old?
Ed Pilkington
March 20, 2007 7 Inside the warehouse, far away from the
photographers, Ms Campbell changed into
1 Naomi Campbell’s day began as normal her boots and put on the uniform gloves, dust
yesterday. The supermodel was chauffeur-driven mask and fluorescent safety vest. After that, she
in a black four-wheel drive car with dark windows, was told what to do, and saw how horrible her
surrounded by her bodyguards. When she arrived, punishment was going to be.
she walked elegantly past a long line of press
photographers shouting, “Naomi, over here!” 8 Albert Durrell, a sanitation department deputy
before entering the building and changing into her chief, explained that she would have to sweep and
costume. wash the warehouse floor, the locker rooms and
windows. And yes, he said, “if they are dirty, she
2 And then it all went wrong. Where were the will clean the toilets.”
assistants to help her put on her clothes? Where
were the makeup artists, the lighting experts and 9 But the press won’t be able to watch her. The
the dressmakers? And finally, where was the judge at her trial agreed she could stay indoors all
Vogue editor Anna Wintour? week. This is partly because when pop star / DJ
Boy George did community service on the street
3 The only people watching were a few garbage at the same station last summer, crowds of press
collectors – real garbage collectors, not actors photographers followed him all day.
dressed like that to make fashion pictures look
more interesting. Ms Campbell, 36, had just begun 10 “Let me make this clear,” Mr Durrell said. “This
a week-long stay on the poor side of New York. programme has been in Manhattan for over a year
now. We’ve had a couple of celebrities, but the
4 She was the guest of the city’s sanitation basic rule is to treat everyone with respect and
department and will spend each day this week, dignity. They have a job to do and they do it well.
from 8am to 4pm, at its warehouse in downtown So far so good, we haven’t had any problems.”
Manhattan on the edge of the East River.
Last year, she threw her mobile phone at her 11 If Ms Campbell, or any of the three other offenders
housemaid, Ana Scolavino, who needed four doing community service with her this week, didn’t
stitches to the head. The community service was do what they were told, he added, they would be
her punishment. She also has to pay a fine of sent back in front of a judge.
$185 and attend a two-day anger management
course. 12 Perhaps downtown Manhattan will remind Ms
Campbell of her early life in Streatham, in south
5 Ms Campbell had a lot of bad publicity about London, where there is lots of concrete, too. Pier
the incident a year ago, but she walked into the 36 is opposite a line of red-brick tower blocks. And
warehouse at Pier 36 very calmly. She wore six- one of New York’s busiest main roads runs just
inch stiletto heels, brown leggings, a black coat above the warehouse.
and hat, and sunglasses.
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Celebrity boot camp
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13 What will Ms Campbell learn from her stay under
the bridge? Will she become nicer to the people
who work in her house? Who knows? If nothing
else, she may begin to respect the men and
women who, up until this week, have kept the
New York garbage out of her sight.
© Guardian News and Media 2007

First published in the Guardian 20/03/07
Match the beginnings and endings of these sentences about the story.
1 Naomi Campbell had to go to work a from newspaper photographers.
2 Ana Scolavino b how to stop getting so angry.
3 Ms Campbell got angry with her maid c when she was a child.
4 Ms Scolavino’s head was badly cut and d for hurting her maid.
5 Ms Campbell was punished e in a poor part of Manhattan.
6 Ms Campbell also had to go and learn f and threw her phone at her.
7 Boy George had a lot of trouble g worked in Naomi Campbell’s house.
8 Ms Campbell lived in a poor part of London h the doctor had to put four stitches in it.
1. in a calm and beautiful way (1)

2. special clothes for a special reason (1)
3. short pieces of thread for joining someone’s skin together if it is cut (4)
4. money that you have to pay if you do something wrong (4)
5. very soft trousers, like thick tights without feet (5)
6. places with cupboards where you can lock up your things (8)
7. in a very bright colour that is very easy to see (workmen, police and people on bicycles
often wear jackets in this kind of colour) (7)
8. people who break the law (11)
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5 Vocabulary 2: Compound words
Sometimes we make new words from two other words. They are called compounds. Match a word
from the left with one from the right to make compounds.
1 super a up
2 body b town
3 make c model
4 dress d glasses
5 down e guards
6 house f makers
7 sun g doors
8 in h maid
Now read the text quickly to check your answers.
6 Vocabulary 3: Compound words in context
Now fill the gaps in these sentences with one of the compound words.
1. The light in Spain was so bright that I needed to wear .

2. In America, they call the centre of the city .
3. She doesn’t clean her own flat, her does it.
4. The President has four to keep him safe.
5. Let’s go out, it’s too nice to stay .
6. She shows clothes for Dior, so she is really rich and famous. She’s a .
7. In Hong Kong, can often make beautiful clothes very cheaply.
8. Your face is lovely; you don’t need to wear any .
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Key
1. Pre-reading 1: Key words 4. Vocabulary 1: Find the word
a. garbage 1. elegantly
b. assault 2. costume
c. a warehouse 3. stitches
d. a community sentence 4. a fine
e. a boot camp 5. leggings
f. combats 6. locker rooms
g. sanitation 7. fluorescent
h. duties 8. offenders
i. a shift
j. stilettos
5. Vocabulary 2: Compound words
1. supermodel
2. Pre-reading 2 2. bodyguards
3. makeup
b
4. dressmakers
5. downtown
3. General understanding 6. housemaid
1 Naomi Campbell had to go to work 7. sunglasses
e in a poor part of Manhattan. 8. indoors
2 Ana Scolavino
g worked in Naomi Campbell’s house. 6. Vocabulary 3: Compound words in
context
3 Ms Campbell got angry with her maid
1. sunglasses
f and threw her phone at her.
2. downtown
4 Ms Scolavino’s head was badly cut and 3. housemaid
h the doctor had to put four stitches in it. 4. bodyguards
5. indoors
5 Ms Campbell was punished
6. supermodel
d for hurting her maid.
7. dressmakers
6 Ms Campbell also had to go and learn
8. makeup
b how to stop getting so angry.
7 Boy George had a lot of trouble
a from newspaper photographers.
8 Ms Campbell lived in a poor part of London
c when she was a child.
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a community sentence assault SUV a warehouse the press
1. The American word for ‘rubbish’.

2. Attacking and hitting someone.
3. A large building where a lot of things are kept.
4. Working to help people as a punishment for a crime.
5. A place where young criminals have to do hard physical work and
follow strict orders.
6. Military-style clothes worn by ordinary people.
7. Newspaper and TV journalists and reporters.
8. American for a ‘four-wheeled-drive’ vehicle.
9. A period of work time, e.g. in a hospital or factory.
10. Shoes with very pointed toes and very high heels.
1. Can you guess which of these topics the story is about?
a. There is a new ‘reality TV’ show about fashion.

b. The court sends a famous model to do dirty work as a punishment.
c. A shoe company is changing its image, and throws old designs into the rubbish bin.
2. Now look at the sub headings.
Who is the ‘model’?
Now read the article to check your answers.

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Celebrity boot camp: from stilettos to
combats for Campbell’s garbage shift 6 The perfect finishing touch was a pair of calf-high
Model begins community sentence for assault. black combat boots, covered with scratch marks,
Sweeping and cleaning toilets among her duties hanging casually over her shoulder. How many
hundred dollars did it cost to buy them, and how
Ed Pilkington many hours of careful attention did it take to make
March 20, 2007 them look so old?
1 Naomi Campbell’s day began along familiar lines 7 Inside the warehouse, and out of the reach of
yesterday. The supermodel was chauffeur-driven press lenses, Ms Campbell changed into her
in a black SUV with dark windows, surrounded by boots and put on the uniform gloves, dust mask
her bodyguards. Reaching the venue, she strolled and fluorescent safety vest. Then she was given
elegantly past a long line of press photographers her tasks for the day, when she must have
shouting, “Naomi, over here!” before entering the realized how horrible her punishment was going
building and changing into her costume. to be.
2 And then it all went wrong. Where were the 8 Albert Durrell, a sanitation department deputy
assistants to help her put on her clothes? Where chief, explained that she would be asked to sweep
were the makeup artists, the lighting experts and and wash the warehouse floor, the locker rooms
the dressmakers? Where, for heaven’s sake, was and windows. And yes, he said, “If they are dirty,
the Vogue editor Anna Wintour? she will be cleaning toilets.”
3 The only people in sight were a few confused- 9 The one thing she won’t have to suffer is heavy
looking garbage collectors, real ones that is, attention from the press. The judge at her trial
not actors dressed up as garbage collectors agreed she could stay indoors all week, partly
to make fashion shoots look more interesting. because of the crowds of press photographers
Ms Campbell, 36, had just begun a week-long that followed the pop star / DJ Boy George when
exercise in seeing how the other half lived, thanks he did community service on the street at the
to the New York punishment system. same station last summer.
4 She was the guest of the city’s sanitation 10 “Let me make this clear,” Mr Durrell said. “This
department and will spend each day this week, programme has been in Manhattan for over a
from 8am to 4pm, at its warehouse in downtown year now. We’ve had a couple of celebrities, but
Manhattan on the edge of the East River. The the basic rule is treat everyone with respect and
community service, along with a fine of $185 and dignity. They have a job to do and they perform
a two-day anger management course, was her well at it. So far so good, we haven’t had any
punishment for throwing a mobile phone at her problems.”
housemaid, Ana Scolavino, who needed four
stitches to the head. 11 If Ms Campbell, or any of the three other offenders
doing community service with her this week, failed
5 For a celebrity who has suffered a lot of bad to do what they were told, he added, they would
press over the incident a year ago, Ms Campbell be straight back in front of a judge.
managed her entry to the warehouse at Pier
36 very calmly. She wore six-inch stiletto heels 12 The area may at least remind Ms Campbell of her
- believed to be Christian Louboutin, with their early life in Streatham, an area of south London
characteristic red soles - brown leggings, a black quite like this concrete-rich neighbourhood of
coat and hat, and sunglasses. Manhattan. Pier 36 is opposite a line of red-brick
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tower blocks. Running above the warehouse is 14 What Ms Campbell learns from her stay under the
one of New York’s busiest main roads, Franklin bridge - whether, in particular, she becomes more
D Roosevelt Drive, whose greyness is a great sympathetic to the people who work in her house
contrast to its name. - remains to be seen. If nothing else, she may
begin to respect the men and women who, up
13 At the entrance to the compound are signs until this week, have kept the New York garbage
warning “No trespassing, violators will be out of her sight.
prosecuted”. It’s hard to imagine Ms Campbell
enjoying the experience so much that she would © Guardian News and Media 2007
want to break her way back inside when First published in the Guardian 20/03/07
she has finished her sentence!
Number these events in the order in which they happened; one example is done to help you.
a Naomi Campbell put on her working gloves, dust mask and safety vest.
12bpt Naomi Campbell’s chauffeur drove her to work at the sanitation warehouse
c Naomi Campbell threw her mobile phone at her maid

1 d Naomi Campbell lived in Streatham
e Naomi Campbell put on her stilettos
f Naomi Campbell went to court and the judge told her to do community service
g Ms Scolavino’s head was cut, and she had to have four stitches
h Naomi Campbell had to clean the warehouse
1. the place where something (like a show, or a concert) happens (1)

2. short pieces of thread for joining someone’s skin together after it has been cut (4)
3. unkind publicity in the newspapers and on TV (5)
4. very soft trousers that fit closely, like thick tights without feet (5)
5. thin cuts on the surface of something (6)
6. another way to say ‘newspaper photographers’ (7)
7. in a very bright colour that is very easy to see; used for safety (7)
8. people who disobey a rule or break the law (13)
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5 Vocabulary development 2: Common expressions
Find these common expressions in the text, and match them with their meanings.
1. along familiar lines a. finding out what life is like for the poor
2. for heaven’s sake b. the last detail that makes something look just right
3. seeing how the other half lived c. the most basic fact or issue in a situation
4. the perfect finishing touch d. you say this when you are surprised or annoyed
5. out of the reach of e. we cannot know yet
6. the bottom line f. far away from, hidden from
7. so far so good g. in the usual way
8. remains to be seen h. it’s been all right up to now

7 Discussion
1. In your country, can people do Community Service instead of going to prison?

2. Do you agree with the idea? Why / why not?
3. Do you think this was a suitable punishment for Naomi Campbell?
4. Some people really enjoy reading about famous people in trouble. Do you?
5. In your country, are there special magazines and TV programmes about the problems of celebrities?
6. What do you think about these?
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Key
1. Pre-reading 1: Key words 5. Vocabulary development 2:
a. garbage Common expressions
b. assault
c. a warehouse 1 g
d. a community sentence 2 d
e. a boot camp
f. combats 3 a
g. the press 4 b
h. an SUV 5 f
i. a shift
6 c
j. stilettos
7 h
2. Re-reading 2 8 e
1. b.
2. Naomi Campbell
3. General understanding
1 d
2 c
3 g
4 f
5 e
6 b
7 a
8 h
1. a venue
2. stitches
3. bad press
4. leggings
5. scratches
6. press lenses
7. fluorescent
8. violators
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Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies declare peace
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
devolved watershed pledge accord protracted

defer loathing mar discord mindful
1. If you ____________ something, you postpone it until a later date.
2. ____________ is another word for spoil.
3. An ____________ is a formal agreement between two countries or groups.

4. ____________ is a state of disagreement between people.
5. If you are ____________ of something you are conscious of it and careful about it.
6. If power is ____________ it is transferred from a central authority to a local one.
7. ____________ is a strong hatred of someone or something.
8. If a process is ____________, it continues for a longer time than is normal or necessary.
9. A ____________ is a serious and public promise to do something.
10. A ____________ is an event that causes an important change to take place.
2 What do you know?
Fill the gaps using these words and phrases from the text.
Downing Street Stormont Sinn Féin DUP uprising chancellor
1. The Irish Republican party is called ____________.
2. The Northern Irish political party that wants to remain part of the UK is called the ____________.
3. The Northern Irish parliament building is called ____________.
4. The British prime minister lives at Number 10 ____________.
5. The British finance minister is known as the ____________.
6. The Easter ____________ in Ireland took place in 1916.

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Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies 5 “In the past,” Mr Paisley declared, “the
declare peace government has set arbitrary deadlines but
now ... we as a party have agreed the timing,
Owen Bowcott, Ireland correspondent
setting up and working of the institutions. We
March 27, 2007
have agreed with Sinn Féin that this date will
be Tuesday May 8 ... After a long and difficult
1 Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams sat side by side
time in the province I believe that enormous
yesterday to announce they had reached
opportunities lie ahead ... I want to make it
agreement to share power from May 8 in
clear that I am committed to delivering not only
a devolved Northern Ireland government.
for those who voted for the DUP but for all the
The appearance together of arch-enemies
people of Northern Ireland. We must not allow
- delegations from the Democratic Unionist
our justified loathing of the horrors and tragedies
Party and Sinn Féin - in a televised statement at
of the past to become a barrier to creating a
the end of a meeting in Stormont constitutes a
better and more stable future. In looking to that
watershed in the province’s politics. The private
future we must never forget those who have
negotiating session, lasting little more than
suffered during the dark period from which we
an hour, was the first time the two parties had
are, please God, emerging.”
held direct talks. It enabled both sides to issue
statements pledging political cooperation and the 6 Mr Adams welcomed the DUP’s commitment:
start of a new and peaceful era. “While it is disappointing that the institutions
of the Good Friday agreement have not been
2 The accord between the veteran unionist restored today, I believe the agreement reached
firebrand and the leader of a militant republican
between Sinn Féin and the DUP ... marks the
movement that once killed opponents was
beginning of a new era of politics on this island
welcomed in London and Dublin as the defining
... The relationships between the people of
moment in 10 years of a protracted peace
this island have been marred by centuries of
process. Emergency legislation will be introduced
discord, conflict, hurt and tragedy ... We have all
in the British parliament today to enable a
come a very long way in the process of peace
smooth transition. The devolved government
making and national reconciliation. We are
should be operating before Tony Blair leaves
very conscious of the many people who have
Downing Street.
suffered. We owe it to them to build the best
3 The meeting had been arranged to discuss future possible. It is a time for generosity, a time
the DUP’s reluctance to enter a power- to be mindful of the common good and of the
sharing executive before the deadline of future of all our people.”
midnight yesterday. DUP politicians said they 7 Both parties will go together to the chancellor,
needed more time for Sinn Féin to validate its
Gordon Brown, in the coming weeks to seek
commitment to supporting the police. The six-
a larger financial package for the province.
week deferment will also help DUP members
Mr Paisley said the parties said they would
adjust to change.
engage in preparatory work ahead of May 8 to
4 The agreement came in the first-floor members’ ensure “local ministers hit the ground running”.
dining room at Stormont. The atmosphere was In case the significance of the moment had
described as “cordial” and “constructive”. The escaped notice, the DUP leader emerged from
Sinn Féin leader wore an Easter lily badge, the meeting grinning broadly and shouted to
commemorating those who died in the 1916 journalists waiting below in the great hall at
uprising. There was no handshake. Stormont: “Do you have eyes in your head?”
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8 In London the prime minister said: “In a sense, respecting each other’s point of view, and share
everything that we’ve done over the last 10 power, making sure politics is only expressed by
years has been a preparation for this moment. peaceful and democratic means.”
This won’t stop republicans or nationalists being
any less republican or nationalist, or making
unionists any less fiercely unionist. But what it
does mean is that people can come together,
1. Why was the agreement to share power such a surprise?
a. Because the government had set a deadline.
b. Because it will be operating before Tony Blair leaves Downing Street.
c. Because the two sides had previously been arch-enemies.
2. What was Gerry Adams’ view of the agreement?
a. That it was the beginning of a new era in Irish politics.
b. That it reflected centuries of discord, conflict and tragedy.
c. That it was good that the agreement restored the institutions of the Good Friday agreement.
3. What was Ian Paisley’s view of the agreement?

a. That it was a barrier to a better and more stable future.
b. That it would provide enormous opportunities in the future.
c. That it was only of use for those who voted for the DUP.
4. What was Tony Blair’s view of the agreement?
a. That it will stop nationalists being so nationalist.

b. That it will enable people to share power and respect each other’s point of view.
c. That it will be another 10 years before everything is ready.

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1. A noun meaning a period of time with a particular quality or character. (para 1)
2. An adjective meaning using extreme and sometimes violent methods to achieve political or social change.
(para 1)
3. A noun meaning someone who has strong feelings of anger and often expresses them. (para 1)
4. An adjective meaning very experienced and skilled in a particular activity. (para 1)
5. A formal adjective meaning friendly. (para 3)

6. An adjective meaning not based on any particular plan. (para 4)
7. A noun meaning a new and friendly relationship with a previous enemy. (para 5)
8. A four-word expression meaning to be fully prepared for something from the very start. (para 6)
1. share a. someone’s point of view
2. hold b. an institution
3. introduce c. legislation
4. set d. a better future
5. set up e. agreement
6. reach f. talks
7. build g. power
8. respect h. a deadline
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These words can all be followed by prepositions. Fill the gaps and check your answers in the text.
1. mindful _______
2. conscious _______
3. committed _______
4. adjust _______
5. a barrier _______
6. preparation _______
7. vote _______
8. relationship _______
7 Discussion
What are the main reasons for conflicts around the world? What solutions are there?
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KEY
1. defer 1. era
2. mar 2. militant
3. accord 3. firebrand
4. discord 4. veteran
5. mindful 5. cordial
6. devolved 6. arbitrary
7. loathing 7. reconciliation
8. protracted 8. hit the ground running
9. pledge
10. watershed
2 What do you know? 1. g

2. f
1. Sinn Féin 3. c
2. DUP 4. h
3. Stormont 5. b
4. Downing St 6. e
5. Chancellor 7. d
6. uprising 8. a
1. of
1. c 2. of
2. a 3. to
3. b 4. to
4. b 5. to
6. for
7. for
8. between
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1 Key words
era deadline commitment restart century

journalist share suffer conflict agreement

1. A ____________ is someone who writes for a newspaper.
2. A ____________ is a period of one hundred years.
3. An ____________ is a decision about what to do, made by two or more people, groups or organizations.
4. A ____________ is a date or time when you must finish something.
5. An ____________ is a long period of time.
6. A ____________ is a promise to do something.
7. A ____________ is an angry disagreement between people or groups.
8. If you ____________ something, you use or have it at the same time as another person.
9. If you ____________, you feel pain in your body or your mind.
10. If you ____________ something, you start it again.
1. When will the new Northern Ireland government begin to operate?
2. Who is the leader of Sinn Féin?
3. How long has the peace process been going on?
4. What does DUP stand for?
5. Who is the leader of the DUP?
6. How long did the meeting between the DUP and Sinn Féin last?
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NEWS LESSONS / Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies declare peace / Elementary

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Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies when the institutions will start work and how they
declare peace will work. We have agreed with Sinn Féin that
this date will be Tuesday May 8 ... After a long
Owen Bowcott, Ireland correspondent
and difficult time in Northern Ireland I believe that
March 27, 2007
the future is optimistic ... We are doing this for
all the people of Northern Ireland. The horrors
1 The two main political parties in Northern Ireland
and tragedies of the past must not stop us from
are the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin.
creating a better future. But when we look to
The DUP believes strongly that Northern Ireland
that future we must never forget those people
must remain part of the United Kingdom, while
who have suffered during the dark period which I
Sinn Féin believes that Northern Ireland should
hope we are now, at last, leaving.”
become part of the Republic of Ireland. For many
years these two parties have been enemies but 6 Mr Adams welcomed the DUP’s commitment. “It
this week something extraordinary happened. is disappointing that we have not restarted all the
parliamentary institutions today but I believe the
2 The leader of the DUP, Ian Paisley, and the
agreement between Sinn Féin and the DUP ...
leader of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams, sat side by
is the beginning of a new era of politics on this
side at a meeting for the first time yesterday.
island ... Centuries of conflict, hurt and tragedy
At the end of the meeting they announced an
have damaged the relationships between the
agreement to work together from May 8 in a new
people of this island... We have all come a very
Northern Ireland government. The two men have
long way in the process of peace making. We
been enemies for so long that many people will
know that many people have suffered. Now we
see this agreement as a very important event in
must build the best future possible. It is now time
the history of the politics of Northern Ireland.
to think of the future of all our people.”
3 The private meeting lasted just over an hour.
7 The two parties will go together to the British
It was the first time the two parties had ever
government to ask for more money for Northern
talked directly to each other. Both parties issued
Ireland. Mr Paisley said both parties would work
statements promising political cooperation
hard before May 8 to make sure everything was
and the start of a new and peaceful era. The
ready. The DUP leader left the meeting smiling
governments of the UK and the Irish Republic
and shouted to waiting journalists: “Do you have
welcomed the agreement as an important stage
eyes in your head?”
in a peace process that has lasted more than 10
years. 8 In London Tony Blair said: “Everything that we’ve
done in the last 10 years has been a preparation
4 The British government wanted the two parties
for this moment. Republicans and nationalists will
to agree to work together in the new government
still be republicans and nationalists, and unionists
before a deadline of midnight yesterday. The
will still be unionists. But people can now come
DUP did not want to do this. They said they
together, show respect for each other’s opinions,
needed more time to be sure that Sinn Féin
share power and express their politics peacefully
would support the Northern Ireland police force.
and democratically.”
The new date of May 8 will give DUP members
more time to get used to the new situation.
5 The two parties said the atmosphere at their © Guardian News & Media 2007
meeting was “friendly” and “constructive” but First published in The Guardian, 27/3/07
they did not shake hands. “In the past,” Mr
Paisley said, “the British government has set the
deadlines but now ... we as a party have agreed
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Level 1 Elementary
1. The new Northern Ireland government will start work on Thursday May 8.
2. The atmosphere at the meeting was friendly.
3. Ian Paisley was unhappy when he left the meeting.
4. Both sides want to create a better future.
5. The DUP believes Northern Ireland should become part of the Republic of Ireland.
6. The DUP did not agree with the British government’s deadline.
7. Mr Paisley and Mr Adams shook hands.
8. Both parties want more money for Northern Ireland from the British government.
4 Vocabulary 1: Verbs and nouns
1. shake a. a deadline
2. issue b. power
3. set c. more time
4. show d. a statement
5. share e. hands
6. need f. respect
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Level 1 Elementary
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. agree
2. govern
3. meet
4. state
5. begin
6. prepare
7. announce
8. commit
6 Vocabulary 3: Spelling game
1. greenteam
2. snettmeat
3. tophamseer
4. tiscotimpi
5. mengonevrt
6. toccflin
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Verbs and nouns
1. journalist 1. e
2. century 2. d
3. agreement 3. a
4. deadline 4. f
5. era 5. b
6. commitment 6. c
7. conflict
8. share
9. suffer
10. restart
1. agreement
2. government
2 Find the information 3. meeting
4. statement
1. May 8 5. beginning
2. Gerry Adams 6. preparation
3. More than 10 years 7. announcement
4. Democratic Unionist Party 8. commitment
5. Ian Paisley
6. Just over an hour
6 Vocabulary 3: Spelling game
3 Comprehension check 1. agreement

2. statement
1. F 3. atmosphere
2. T 4. optimistic
3. F 5. government
4. T 6. conflict
5. F
6. T
7. F
8. T
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1 Key words
watershed firebrand militant reconciliation transition

reluctance deadline cordial arbitrary emerge
1. A ____________ atmosphere is one which is formal but friendly.
2. If you show ____________ to do something, you do not want to do it.
3. A ____________ is someone who has strong feelings of anger and often expresses them.
4. To ____________ means to come out of something.
5. A ____________ person uses extreme and sometimes violent methods to achieve political or social change.
6. A ____________ is an event that causes an important change to take place.
7. If something is done in an ____________ way, it is not based on any particular plan or done for a particular
reason.
8. A ____________ is the process of changing from one situation, form or state to another.
9. ____________ is the process of establishing a new and friendly relationship between former enemies.
10. A ____________ is a specific date or time by which something has to be done.
1. When will the new Northern Ireland government begin to operate?
2. Who is the leader of Sinn Féin?
3. How long has the peace process been going on?
4. What does DUP stand for?
5. What is the name of the Northern Ireland parliament building?
6. Who is the leader of the DUP?

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NEWS LESSONS / Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies declare peace / Intermediate

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Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies who died in the 1916 uprising. There was no
declare peace handshake.
Owen Bowcott, Ireland correspondent 5 “In the past,” Mr Paisley said, “the British
March 27, 2007 government has set arbitrary deadlines but
now ... we as a party have agreed the timing,
1 The leader of the Northern Ireland Democratic setting up and working of the institutions. We
Unionist Party, Ian Paisley, and the leader of the have agreed with Sinn Féin that this date will be
republican Sinn Féin party, Gerry Adams, sat side Tuesday May 8 ... After a long and difficult time
by side at a meeting for the first time yesterday. in the province I believe that the future holds
At the end of the meeting they announced they enormous opportunities ... We are doing this for
had reached an agreement to share power from all the people of Northern Ireland. We must not
May 8 in a new Northern Ireland government. allow our justified loathing of the horrors and
The two men have been arch-enemies for many tragedies of the past to stop us from creating a
years and the televised statement at the end of better and more stable future. But when we look
their meeting in Stormont, the Northern Ireland to that future we must never forget those people
parliament building, will be seen by many people who have suffered during the dark period from
as a watershed in the politics of the province. which we are, please God, emerging.”
2 The private meeting, which lasted just over 6 Mr Adams welcomed the DUP’s commitment:
an hour, was the first time the two parties had “While it is disappointing that we have not
held direct talks. It enabled both sides to issue restored all the parliamentary institutions today,
statements promising political cooperation I believe the agreement reached between
and the start of a new and peaceful era. The Sinn Féin and the DUP ... marks the beginning
agreement between the unionist firebrand and of a new era of politics on this island ... The
the leader of a militant republican movement that relationships between the people of this island
once killed opponents was welcomed in London have been damaged by centuries of discord,
and Dublin as an important stage in a peace conflict, hurt and tragedy ... We have all come
process that has lasted more than 10 years. a very long way in the process of peace
Emergency laws will be introduced in the British making and national reconciliation. We are
parliament today to enable a smooth transition. very conscious of the many people who have
The new Northern Ireland government should suffered. We owe it to them to build the best
be operating before Tony Blair quits as UK prime future possible. It is a time for generosity, a time
minister. to think of the common good and of the future of
all our people.”
3 The purpose of the meeting was to discuss
the DUP’s reluctance to join a power-sharing 7 Both parties will go together to the British
government before the deadline of midnight government in the coming weeks to ask for more
yesterday. DUP politicians said they needed money for Northern Ireland. Mr Paisley said
more time to make sure that Sinn Féin would both parties would do some preparatory work
implement its promise to support the Northern before May 8 to ensure everything was ready.
Ireland police force. The postponement to May 8 To underline the importance of the occasion, the
will also help DUP members to adjust to the new DUP leader left the meeting with a broad smile
situation. and shouted to waiting journalists: “Do you have
eyes in your head?”
4 The atmosphere was described as “cordial”
and “constructive”. The Sinn Féin leader wore 8 In London Tony Blair said: “In a sense, everything
an Easter lily badge, to commemorate those that we’ve done over the last 10 years has
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been a preparation for this moment. This won’t
stop republicans or nationalists being any less
republican or nationalist, or make unionists
any less unionist. But what it does mean is
that people can come together, respect each
other’s point of view, and share power, making
sure politics is only expressed by peaceful and
democratic means.”

1. Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley have held meetings many times before.
2. The peace process in Northern Ireland has been rather slow.
3. The atmosphere at the meeting was friendly.
4. The British government set the date of May 8.
5. Mr Paisley was angry when he left the meeting.
6. The meeting lasted just under an hour.
7. Mr Adams wore a badge in memory of those who have died since 1916.
8. The British parliament will introduce laws to ensure a smooth transition.

1. A noun meaning your main enemy. (para 1)
2. A noun meaning a period of time that has a particular quality or character. (para 2)
3. An adjective that is the opposite of rough. (para 2)
4. A verb meaning to carry out. (para 3)
5. A verbal noun meaning a strong feeling of dislike. (para 5)
6. An adjective meaning not changing frequently. (para 5)
7. A noun meaning a promise to do something. (para 6)
8. A noun meaning disagreement between people. (para 6)

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1. reach a. new laws

2. share b. talks
3. issue c. power
4. introduce d. an institution
5. set e. a statement
6. hold f. more time
7. need g. a deadline
8. set up h. an agreement
Match the prefixes with their meanings.
1. arch- a. self
2. neo- b. former
3. auto- c. many
4. counter- d. chief; main
5. ex- e. between
6. inter- f. after
7. multi- g. new
8. post- h. against
7 Discussion
What are the main reasons for conflicts around the world? What solutions are there?
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1. cordial 1. arch-enemy
2. reluctance 2. era
3. firebrand 3. smooth
4. emerge 4. implement
5. militant 5. loathing
6. watershed 6. stable
7. arbitrary 7. commitment
8. transition 8. discord
9. reconciliation
10. deadline
1. h
2 Find the information 2. c
3. e
1. May 8 4. a
2. Gerry Adams 5. g
3. more than 10 years 6. b
4. Democratic Unionist Party 7. f
5. Stormont 8. d
6. Ian Paisley
1. d
1. F 2. g
2. T 3. a
3. T 4. h
4. F 5. b
5. F 6. e
6. F 7. c
7. F 8. f
8. T
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Gang mayhem grips LA
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
Match these key words from the text with their definitions.
backfires to bury a crackdown a gang to mourn

a summit turf unprecedented to vow
1. A group of young people who spend time together and often cause trouble. __________
2. To put someone’s dead body in the ground (often in the passive). __________
3. To feel sad because someone has died. __________
4. An area that a group considers to be their own (informal, uncountable). __________
5. A strong action taken by the authority to stop a particular activity. __________
6. A meeting or series of meetings between leaders. __________
7. Never having happened or existed before. __________
8. To promise to do something. __________
9. If a plan __________ then it has the opposite effect you intended.
2 Read quickly
Skim the text to find the answers to these questions.
1. How many gang members are there in LA?
2. What does the expression ‘a gang war between brown and black’ mean?
3. What two things did Cheryl Green’s death provoke?
4. What is the ‘hit list’?
5. What does Father Boyle do to help people leave gangs?

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NEWS LESSONS / Gang mayhem grips LA / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Gang mayhem grips LA 5 Last year there were 269 gang-related killings
in LA. Gang-related crime leaped 15.7 per cent
Paul Harris
last year, as most other types of crime fell. Hate
March 18, 2007
crimes against black people have surged. With
a rapidly growing Hispanic population, LA’s gang
culture is shifting. It means that being black in the
1 Father Greg Boyle keeps a grim count of the
wrong neighbourhood can get you killed.
young gang members he has buried. Number
151 was Jonathan Hurtado, 18 – fresh out of 6 Green’s death brought the gang war between
jail. Now the kindly, bearded Jesuit mourns him.
‘brown and black’ to public awareness. Next
“The day he got out I found him a job. He never
week a summit will be held called the Black and
missed a day. He was doing really well,” Boyle
Brown Strategy Meeting which aims to head off a
says.
race war. “All of the signs are there that a racial
war is going to explode in this city,” says Khalid
2 But Hurtado made a mistake: he went back to
Shah, director of Stop the Violence, one of the
his old neighbourhood. While sitting in a park,
groups organizing the meeting. “You are look-
Hurtado was approached by a man on a bike
ing at an event which could not only paralyze an
who said to him: “Hey, homie, what’s up?” He
entire city but an entire state,” he warns.
then shot Hurtado four times.
7 Green’s death sparked Villaraigosa’s crackdown.
3 Boyle’s Los Angeles is a world away from the The police took the unprecedented step of
glamorous Hollywood hills, Malibu beaches and
publishing a list of the 11 worst gangs, including
Sunset Strip – the celebrity-drenched city that
204th Street. They vowed to go after them with
David Beckham and Posh Spice will soon make
police, FBI agents and injunctions to prevent
their home.
members meeting. But Angelenos have seen it
all before. The city’s history is full of anti-gang
4 Boyle’s Los Angeles is where an estimated initiatives.
120,000 gang members across five counties
battle over turf, pride and drugs. It is a city of 8 Publishing the ‘hit list’ could backfire. In the gang
violence as a race war escalates between new
sub-culture, being on the list is a badge of pride.
Hispanic gangs and older black groups. Mayor
“Putting out a list was a bad idea. Groups that
Antonio Villaraigosa, who has referred to his city
don’t make the list will want to be on it. They
as “the gang capital of America”, has launched a
don’t exactly think rationally,” said Alex Alonso, a
crackdown on the new threat.
gang historian.
5 The latest front is the tiny strip of turf known

9 Yet there is hope. Alfonso ‘Chino’ Visuet, 23, was
as Harbor Gateway, a nest of streets between
sucked into the gang life as a teenager. There
malls and office blocks. It was here, just before
was the lure of excitement and riches, the push
Christmas, that Cheryl Green, a 14-year-old
of a difficult home life. “People who join a gang
black girl, died. As she stood on a corner talking
are always running away from something. They
with friends, two Hispanic members of the neigh-
flee to the gang,” Visuet says.
bourhood’s notorious 204th Street gang walked
up and opened fire, killing Green and wounding
10 Visuet now works for Father Boyle’s Homeboy
three others. Traditionally, the outside view of
Industries, a project that helps people leave gang
LA gangs has been of black youths but Hispanic
life. It provides jobs, an education, pays to have
gangs are now in the ascendant, spreading
gang tattoos removed and gives counselling. It
across America.
aims to remove the circumstances that lead to
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Level 3 Advanced
crime: poverty, abuse and unemployment. It is who beats on them. They have the same story,”
staffed almost entirely by former gang members he says.
and has spun off a bakery, a silk-screen printers
and a restaurant. 13 LA is a city of two worlds – Hollywood and gangs.
On a two-lane highway that roars through the
11 It worked for Visuet. He starts college this au- middle of Harbor Gateway, a few hundred yards
tumn and wants to be a probation officer. “I was from where Cheryl Green was gunned down,
on the edge of doing something that would ruin there is a billboard for a new TV show called
my life, either by doing violence or having it done Sons of Hollywood. It shows three rich young
to me. That’s over now,” he says. men against a backdrop of palm trees. It claims
to be a ‘reality’ show, but for most of the impover-
12 Visuet despairs at the conflict. “A brown gang ished, racially torn citizens it is nothing more than
member now just sees a black gang member. a fantasy.
What they don’t see is how that person comes
from the same place they do. They might have © Guardian News and Media 2007
a mother who is an alcoholic as well or a father First published in the Observer 18/03/07
Read again and find the significance of the following names and numbers in the article.
1. Jonathan Hurtado _______________________________________________________________________

2. Father Greg Boyle _______________________________________________________________________
3. Antonio Villaraigosa _______________________________________________________________________
4. Harbor Gateway _______________________________________________________________________
5. Cheryl Green _______________________________________________________________________
6. 204th Street _______________________________________________________________________
7. 15.7% _______________________________________________________________________
8. Khalid Shah _______________________________________________________________________
9. 11 _______________________________________________________________________
10. Alex Alonso _______________________________________________________________________

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Level 3 Advanced
4 Vocabulary 1: Ways of saying increase
Complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first. All the answers are in the text.
1. The city is more and more violent as a race war increases and becomes worse.
The city is more and more violent as a race war e___________.
2. The number of Hispanic gangs is increasing.

The number of Hispanic gangs is o___________ the a___________.
3. Gang-related crime increased a lot last year.

Gang-related crime l___________ last year.
4. Hate crimes against blacks increased rapidly.

Hate crimes against blacks s___________.
5. LA has an increasingly big Hispanic population.

LA has an r___________ g___________ Hispanic population.
5 Vocabulary 2: Hyphenated words A
Complete the sentences with a word from the box.
drenched lane profile related gang culture
1. Much of the crime is gang-___________.
2. Beverly Hills is a celebrity-___________ part of the city.
3. The police are taking anti-___________ measures to reduce the crime.
4. Many gangs have their own sub-___________.
5. The mayor is organizing a high-___________ summit to address the problem.
6. A fast two-___________ highway crosses the centre of town.

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Level 3 Advanced
6 Vocabulary 3: Hyphenated words B
Using the words from the exercise above, create new phrases for these definitions. The first one is done
for you.
sun-drenched
1. A place with a lot of sun.______________
2. A highway with five lanes. ______________
3. Connected to drugs. ______________
4. Below zero temperatures. ______________
5. Good quality and expensive, of a better class. ______________
7 Discussion
What could be the causes of gang-related crime in a city like LA? Are there gang problems in your city?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Key words 11. Homeboy Industries is Father Boyle’s organization
to help gang members get out of a life of violence.
1. a gang 12. Alfonso Visuet is an ex-gang member who has
2. to bury worked with Homeboy Industries.
3. to mourn
4. turf 4 Vocabulary 1: Ways of saying increase
5. a crackdown
6. a summit 1. escalates
7. unprecedented 2. on the ascendant
8. to vow 3. leaped or leapt
9. backfires 4. surged
5. rapidly growing
2 Read quickly
5 Vocabulary 2: Hyphenated words A
1. 120,000
2. A gang war between blacks and Hispanics. 1. gang-related
3. It brought the gang war to public awareness and 2. celebrity-drenched
sparked a police crackdown on gang violence. 3. anti-gang
4. The list of the city’s worst gangs. 4. sub-culture
5. He helps them find a job, get counselling, remove 5. high-profile
their tattoos and get education. 6. two-lane highway
3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Hyphenated words B
1. Jonathan Hurtado is the 151st gang member that 1. sun-drenched

Father Boyle has buried. 2. five-lane highway
2. Father Greg Boyle helps gang members get out of a 3. drugs-related
life of crime. 4. sub-zero
3. Antonio Villaraigosa is the mayor of LA. 5. high-class
4. Harbor Gateway is the latest area of turf war.
5. Cheryl Green was a black girl murdered by gang
members.
6. 204th Street is the name of a Hispanic gang in LA.
7. Gang related crime went up by 15.7% last year.
8. Khalid Shah is the director of Stop the Violence and
is organizing a summit to try and stop the race war
in LA.
9. 11 is the number of gangs on the police ‘hit list’.
10. Alex Alonso is a gang historian who disagrees with
the idea of a hit list.
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
mayhem to bury to ruin a crackdown a gang

a summit to despair to grip an injunction a probation officer
1. A group of young people who spend time together and often cause trouble.
2. To put a dead body in the ground.
3. To hold tightly.
4. A very confused situation.
5. Strong action taken by the authority to stop a particular activity.
6. A meeting or series of meetings between leaders.
7. To feel a situation is so bad that nothing can change it.
8. An official order from the police that stops someone from doing something.
9. To destroy or seriously damage something.
10. Someone who helps and gives advice to criminals who are not in prison, and checks that they are
behaving well.
A From the title:

Read the title and choose the best explanation (use the answers from exercise 1 to help you understand
the words).
1. Gangs in LA are confused about their situation.
2. Gangs are causing problems in LA.
3. LA has eliminated its gang problem.
B Skimming the text:

Read quickly and find the paragraphs with the following information.
1. A new reality TV show is going to start in LA soon.
2. The gang problem in LA is the worst in the United States.
3. Gang members shot a young black girl.
4. There is a project to help people leave gangs.
5. The police have a list of the worse gangs.
6. Father Boyle buried another gang member.

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NEWS LESSONS / Gang mayhem grips LA / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Gang mayhem grips LA a racial war is going to explode in this city,” says
Khalid Shah, director of Stop the Violence, one of
Paul Harris
the groups organizing the meeting.
March 18, 2007
8 Green’s death also caused Villaraigosa’s
1 Father Greg Boyle counts the young gang
crackdown. The police published a list of the
members he has buried. Number 151 was
11 worst gangs, including 204th Street. They
Jonathan Hurtado, 18 – fresh out of jail. Now the
promised to go after them with police, FBI agents
Jesuit is sad for him. “The day he got out I found
and court injunctions. But the people of Los
him a job. He never missed a day. He was doing
Angeles have seen it all before. The city’s history
really well,” Boyle says.
is full of anti-gang projects.
2 Hurtado made a mistake: he went back to his old

9 Publishing the ‘hit list’ could be a mistake.
neighbourhood. While sitting in a park, a man
“Putting out a list was a bad idea. Groups that
on a bike came up to him and said: “Hey, homie,
don’t make the list will want to be on it. They
what’s up?” He then shot Hurtado four times.
don’t think rationally,” said Alex Alonso, a gang
historian.
3 Boyle’s Los Angeles is a world away from the
glamorous Hollywood hills, Malibu beaches and 10 But there is hope. Alfonso ‘Chino’ Visuet, 23,
Sunset Strip – the city that David Beckham and
started gang life as a teenager. He was attracted
Posh Spice will soon make their home.
by the excitement and riches and had a difficult
home life. “People who join a gang are always
4 In Boyle’s Los Angeles an estimated 120,000
running away from something. They run to the
gang members fight over land, pride and
gang,” Visuet says.
drugs. It is a city of violence as a new race war
grows between new Hispanic gangs and older
black groups. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who
Industries. It’s a project that helps people
has referred to his city as “the gang capital of
leave gang life. It provides jobs, an education,
America”, has launched a crackdown on the
pays to have gang tattoos removed and
problem.
gives counselling. It wants to remove the
circumstances that lead to crime: poverty, abuse
5 Just before Christmas a 14-year-old black
and unemployment. All of its workers are former
girl, named Cheryl Green, died. As she stood
gang members and it has created a bakery, a
on a corner talking with friends, two Hispanic
printers and a restaurant.
members of the neighbourhood’s 204th Street
gang walked up and started shooting, killing
12 It worked for Visuet. He starts college this
Green and wounding three others.
autumn and wants to be a probation officer. “I
was on the edge of doing something that would
6 Last year there were 269 gang-related killings
ruin my life, either by doing violence or having it
in LA. Gang-related crime went up 15.7 per cent
done to me. That’s over now,” he says.
last year, as most other types of crime went
down. Hate crimes against black people have
13 Visuet despairs at the conflict. “A brown gang
also gone up.
member now just sees a black gang member.
They don’t see how that person comes from the
7 Green’s death made the public aware of the gang
same place they do. They might have a mother
war between ‘brown and black’. Next week there
who is an alcoholic as well or a father who hits
will be a summit called the Black and Brown
them. They have the same story,” he says.
Strategy Meeting . “All of the signs are there that
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Level 1 Elementary
14 LA is a city of two worlds – Hollywood and gangs.
On a two-lane highway that goes through LA,
there is a sign for a new TV show called Sons of
Hollywood. It shows three rich young men and
some palm trees. It says it is a ‘reality’ show, but
for most of the poor people of Los Angeles it is
only a fantasy.

First published in the Observer 18/03/07
1. Father Boyle...
a) ... helps young people leave gangs.
b) ... works for the police.
c) ... only buries gang members.
2. There are 120,000...

a) ... gangs in Los Angeles.
b) ... gang members in Los Angeles.
c) ... dead gang members in Los Angeles.
3. Cheryl Green was killed...

a) ... by the 204th street gang.
b) ... on 204th street.
c) ... by accident.
4. The police ‘hit list’ is...

a) ... an idea of the Black and Brown Strategy meeting.
b) ... not the first anti-gang initiative in LA.
c) ... a very long list.
5. All workers in Father Boyle’s Homeboy Industries...

a) ... are probation officers.
b) ... used to be gang members.
c) ... are violent men.
6. The show Sons of Hollywood is...

a) ... about gang life in Los Angeles.
b) ... is on a two-lane highway in Los Angeles.
c) ... very different from the real lives of people in Los Angeles.
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Level 1 Elementary
4 Vocabulary 1: Phrases in context
Find phrases with the following meanings.
1. to be succeeding ___________ ___________ ___________ (para 1)
2. far away ___________ ___________ ___________ (para 3)
3. talked about ___________ ___________ (para 4)
4. it’s clear this is going to happen __________ __________ __________ __________ _________ (para 5)
5. secretly leaving a place ___________ ___________ (para 10)

6. it’s finished now ___________ ___________ ___________ (para 12)
7. it’s not real ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ (para 14)
5 Vocabulary 2: Law and order
Order the letters to make words connecting to law and order from the text.
1. licpoe _____________
2. ilja _____________
3. meric _____________
4. ckcrawdno _____________
5. crout _____________
6. IFB sentag _____________
7. jintoinunc _____________
Complete the table.
adjectiveadjective nounnoun
1. glamour
2. violent
3. race
4. exciting
5. difficulty
6. poor
7. reality
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Phrases in context
1. gang 1. doing really well

2. to bury 2. a world away
3. to grip 3. referred to
4. mayhem 4. all the signs are there
5. a crackdown 5. running away
6. a summit 6. that’s over now
7. to despair 7. it’s only a fantasy
8. an injunction
9. to ruin
5 Vocabulary 2: Law and order
10. a probation officer
1. police
2 General understanding 2. jail
3. crime
A 4. crackdown
2 5. court
6. FBI agents
B 7. injunction
1. para 14
2. para 4
3. para 5
4. para 11
5. para 8 adjective noun
6. para 1 1. glamorous glamour
2. violent violence
3 Comprehension check 3. racial race
4. exciting excitement
1. a 5. difficult difficulty
2. b 6. poor poverty
3. a
7. real reality
4. b
5. b
6. c
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1 Key words
Fill the gaps using key words from the text.
backfires bury to ruin a crackdown a gang

summit turf unprecedented impoverished to mourn
1. ____________ is a group of young people who spend time together and often cause trouble.
2. When you ____________ a person, you put his or her dead body in the ground.
3. ____________ is to feel sad because someone has died.
4. ____________ is an area that a group considers to be their own.
5. ____________ is a strong action taken by the authority to stop a particular activity.
6. When leaders hold a ____________, they have a meeting or series of meetings.
7. If something is ____________, then it has never happened or existed before.
8. If a plan ____________ then it has the opposite effect you intended.
9. If you are ____________ then you have little or no money.
10. ____________ something is to destroy or seriously damage it.
2 Read quickly
Skim the text and choose the correct answer.
1. a) Father Boyle buried Jonathan Hurtado.
b) Father Boyle killed Jonathan Hurtado.
2. a) In LA there is a new race war between Hispanic gangs and white gangs.
b) In LA there is a new race war between Hispanic gangs and black gangs.
3. a) Cheryl Green was killed by police.
b) Cheryl Green was killed by gang members.
4. a) There were less gang-related crimes last year than the year before.
b) There were more gang-related crimes last year than the year before.
5. a) The gangs have published a list of the worst gangs.
b) The police has published a list of the worst gangs.
6. a) Homeboy Industries helps young people leave gangs.
b) Homeboy Industries helps young people join gangs.

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NEWS LESSONS / Gang mayhem grips LA / Intermediate

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Gang mayhem grips LA 7 Green’s death made the public aware of the gang
war between ‘brown and black’. Next week a
Paul Harris
summit will be held called the Black and Brown
March 18, 2007
Strategy Meeting which aims to head off a race
war. “All of the signs are there that a racial war is
1 Father Greg Boyle keeps a count of the young
going to explode in this city,” says Khalid Shah,
gang members he has buried. Number 151 was
director of Stop the Violence, one of the groups
Jonathan Hurtado, 18 – fresh out of jail. Now the
organizing the meeting. “You are looking at an
Jesuit mourns him. “The day he got out I found
event which could not only paralyze an entire city
him a job. He never missed a day. He was doing
but an entire state,” he warns.
really well,” Boyle says.
8 Green’s death sparked Villaraigosa’s crackdown.
2 But Hurtado made a mistake: he went back to
The police took the unprecedented step of
his old neighbourhood. While sitting in a park,
publishing a list of the 11 worst gangs, including
Hurtado was approached by a man on a bike
204th Street. They promised to go after them
who said to him: “Hey, homie, what’s up?” He
with police, FBI agents and injunctions to prevent
then shot Hurtado four times.
members meeting. But Angelenos have seen it
3 Boyle’s Los Angeles is a world away from the all before. The city’s history is full of anti-gang
glamorous Hollywood hills, Malibu beaches and initiatives.
Sunset Strip – the city that David Beckham and
9 Publishing the ‘hit list’ could backfire. “Putting out
Posh Spice will soon make their home.
a list was a bad idea. Groups that don’t make the
4 Boyle’s Los Angeles is where an estimated list will want to be on it. They don’t exactly think
120,000 gang members across five counties rationally,” said Alex Alonso, a gang historian.
battle over turf, pride and drugs. It is a city of
10 Yet there is hope. Alfonso ‘Chino’ Visuet, 23, was
violence as a new race war escalates between
sucked into the gang life as a teenager. There
new Hispanic gangs and older black groups.
was the lure of excitement and riches, the push
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has referred
of a difficult home life. “People who join a gang
to his city as “the gang capital of America”, has
are always running away from something. They
launched a crackdown on the new threat.
flee to the gang,” Visuet says.
5 The latest front is Harbor Gateway, a nest of
streets between malls and office blocks. It was
Industries, a project that helps people leave gang
here, just before Christmas, that Cheryl Green,
life. It provides jobs, an education, pays to have
a 14-year-old black girl, died. As she stood
gang tattoos removed and gives counselling. It
on a corner talking with friends, two Hispanic
aims to remove the circumstances that lead to
members of the neighbourhood’s notorious 204th
crime: poverty, abuse and unemployment. It is
Street gang walked up and opened fire, killing
staffed almost entirely by former gang members
Green and wounding three others. Traditionally,
and has created a bakery, a silk-screen printers
the outside view of LA gangs has been of
and a restaurant.
black youths but Hispanic gangs are rising and
spreading across America. 12 It worked for Visuet. He starts college this
autumn and wants to be a probation officer. “I
6 Last year there were 269 gang-related killings
was on the edge of doing something that would
in LA. Gang-related crime leaped 15.7 per cent
ruin my life, either by doing violence or having it
last year, as most other types of crime fell. Hate
done to me. That’s over now,” he says.
crimes against black people have gone up.
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5 Vocabulary 2: War vocabulary
Find words relating to war and conflict in the paragraphs. The first letter has been given.
1. s__________ (Paragraph 2) 7. k__________ (Paragraph 5)
2. b__________ (Paragraph 4) 8. w__________ (Paragraph 5)
3. w__________ (Paragraph 4) 9. v__________ (Paragraph 11)
4. t__________ (Paragraph 4) 10. c__________ (Paragraph 13)
5. f__________ (Paragraph 5) 11. b__________ (Paragraph 13)
6. o__________ f __________ (Paragraph 5)
6 Vocabulary 3: Phrasal verbs into nouns
Look at the following example from the text.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has referred to his city as “the gang capital of America”,
has launched a crackdown on the new threat.
The noun crackdown comes from the phrasal verb to crack down.
Complete the sentences with nouns made from the following phrasal verbs.
black out blow up stop over hand out clean up lay off
1. On our flight to London we had a two-hour ___________ in Frankfurt.
2. The family had several candles in the house in case of a ___________.
3. The company was losing money and there were many ___________.
4. He’s forty and he still lives on ___________ from his parents.
5. On the wall is a big ___________ of a photo of a football player.
6. After the oil spill, the government launched a large ___________ operation.
7 Discussion
What could be the causes of gang-related crime in a city like LA? Are there gang problems in your city?
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1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Expressions
1. a gang 1. to keep a count of something

2. bury 2. to make your home somewhere
3. to mourn 3. all the signs are there
4. turf 4. have seen it all before
5. a crackdown 5. on the edge of doing something
6. summit 6. nothing more than a fantasy
7. unprecedented
8. backfires
5 Vocabulary 2: War vocabulary
9. impoverished
10. to ruin
1. shot
2. battle
2 Read quickly 3. war
4. threat
1. a 5. front
2. b 6. opening fire
3. b 7. killing
4. b 8. wounding
5. b 9. violence
6. a 10. conflict
11. beat
6 Vocabulary 3: Phrasal verbs into nouns
1. Returning to his old neighbourhood.
2. Boyle’s LA is full of violence and gangs, Beckham’s 1. stopover
is glamorous and full of celebrities. 2. blackout
3. There are now more Hispanic gangs, not only young 3. layoffs
black gangs. 4. handouts
4. The public is aware of the race war and police have 5. blowup
launched a crackdown. 6. cleanup
5. Because other gangs will want to be on the list.
6. Because they are running away from something.
7. It provides education, counselling, tattoo-removal
and jobs.
8. A reality TV show.
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British Airways says goodbye to Zimbabwe
Level 3 Advanced
1 What are they called now?
Match the old African state and province names with their current names.
Abyssinia Somalia
Benadir Mali
French Sudan Mozambique
German Southwest Africa Ethiopia
Rhodesia Burkina Faso
Upper Volta Namibia
Portuguese East Africa Zimbabwe
2 Key words
Put the following key words into the sentences.
bureaucracy plummet delusion conspiracy whim

confiscate regime hyperinflation collapse independence
1. When something is in a state of _______________, it is breaking down and has almost stopped functioning.
2. A _______________ is a secret plan to do something bad or illegal, especially in politics.
3. A _______________ is a sudden feeling that you need to do something (usually unimportant).
4. When you get your _______________ you are no longer controlled by another person or country.
5. An idea or belief that is not true can be called a _______________. It is often the belief that you are better than
you really are.
6. When there is an incredibly high increase in prices this is called _______________.
7. _______________ is a complicated or annoying system of rules and processes.
8. A system or form of government (often military) that controls the country in a strict or unfair way is called a
_______________.
9. When something falls very quickly, we can say that it _______________.
10. When you _______________ something, you take it away for legal reasons or as a punishment.
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NEWS LESSONS / British Airways says goodbye to Zimbabwe / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
British Airways says goodbye 6 Yesterday, the last plane left behind another
to Zimbabwe government sinking deeper into the delusion that
everything is under its control. As the economy
Last BA flight from a grounded economy
shrinks amid hyperinflation and collapsing
Chris McGreal on BA152, Harare–London production, Mr Mugabe has created a vast new
October 29, 2007 bureaucracy to oversee price controls on non-
existent goods in the shops.
1 The last flight out taxied from the sparkling new 7 His finance minister maintains an official
Harare airport, lifted over the city and dipped its exchange rate so out of proportion with the
wings in farewell. With that, British Airways said hidden market that the central bank governor has
goodbye to Zimbabwe. to send his staff out to buy dollars on the street.
2 Cephas Msipa, a lifelong member of Mr 8 The regime has said they have the best
Mugabe’s Zanu-PF, said he thought it was agricultural season even though there is no
probably part of a British government conspiracy bread in the shops because the wheat harvest
to unseat the Zimbabwean ruler, Robert Mugabe, has fallen short by two-thirds and production
but that he was going to miss British Airways of tobacco, once Zimbabwe’s biggest money
anyway. “In these difficult times, Air Zimbabwe earner, has dropped to one-fifth of what it once
has developed a reputation for being unreliable,” was. Cigarettes are in such short supply that a
he said. marijuana joint is cheaper.
3 What he means is that Zimbabwe’s national 9 The government has even announced plans to
airline is in much the same state as the country, sell electricity to Namibia next year even though
with flights running days late due to lack of fuel or it doesn’t generate enough power to keep lights
maintenance, or diverted at Mr Mugabe’s whim to on at home.
a shopping trip in Kuala Lumpur or to attend the
Pope’s funeral. 10 The reality is that a man living in a Harare
township lucky enough to have a job earns,
4 Annie, a white Zimbabwean, is going to miss BA on average, Z$5m dollars a month, or £2.50 at
for another reason. “There’s toilet paper on this the hidden-market rate. His transport to work
plane. I haven’t been able get toilet paper in the in Harare costs more than that but he has to
shops for weeks,” she said. “I don’t know why it overspend if he wants to keep his job.
matters that this is the last flight, but it does. It’s
as if we’re finally being cut off from the rest of the 11 Other European airlines abandoned Zimbabwe
world. I think for us [whites] it felt like the escape as its economy collapsed but BA stayed because
route if we ever needed it”. historic ties with Britain meant there were still a
steady number of passengers.
5 It’s not the first time BA has been forced out of
Zimbabwe. Services were discontinued in 1965 12 But the airline says it has been defeated by
when Ian Smith declared independence for escalating costs, particularly the price of having
Rhodesia and promised that not in a thousand to bring fuel in by road from South Africa, and the
years would a black man rule. BA was back 15 unreal maths of the Zimbabwean economy. The
years later when Mr Smith was defeated by the Zimbabwe dollar has plummeted from $5,100 to
reality of economics as much as war; Rhodesia the pound at the beginning of 2006 to nearly $2m
ceased to exist and the only black man to ever to the pound today.
rule Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, took power.
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Level 3 Advanced
13 Mr Msipa and the Zimbabwean government are 15 The younger Mr Msipa is a property developer
suspicious of the economic claims. He doesn’t who travels regularly to London. His job has
understand how BA isn’t making money. Mr kept the worst effects of the economic collapse
Msipa admits there is a crisis though, and that his away from him and his five children. “We have
dad might be part of the problem. a relative advantage. I can get things done ... I
have contacts,” he said. “But how I’m going to
14 His father is the Zanu-PF governor of Midlands get to London now is a problem. No one wants
province where he has overseen the confiscation to go through Johannesburg. They steal your
of white-owned farms and the collapse of luggage there. I suppose it will just have to be
agriculture. Mr Msipa concedes this may have Air Zimbabwe.”
been a mistake. “Being an old nationalist, my
father believes that everything is about the land. © Guardian News & Media 2007
Whereas our generation says we should get into First published in The Guardian, 29/10/07
computers and call centres”.
Complete the sentences with the correct endings.
1. British Airways have stopped flights from 5. The average worker from a township
Zimbabwe for... in Zimbabwe earns...
a. ... the first time in its history. a. ... approximately the cost of a plane
b. ... the rest of the year. ticket to London.
c. ... the second time in 75 years. b. ... less than the money he needs to spend
on transport to get to work.
2. White Zimbabweans see British Airways as their... c. ... £225 per year.
a. ... link to the rest of the world.

6. Tobacco production has fallen to...
b. ... link to South Africa.
c. ... only escape route out of Zimbabwe.
a. ... four-fifths of last year’s production.
b. ... two-thirds of last year’s production.
3. The first black man to rule Zimbabwe was...
c. ... one-fifth of last year’s production.
a. ... Ian Smith.
7. Zimbabwe’s main industry is....
b. ... Robert Mugabe.
c. ... Cephas Msipa.
a. ... agriculture.
b. ... computers.
4. Mugabe has been in power for... c. ... call centres.
a. ... more than 10years.

b. ... more than 15 years.
c. ... more than 25 years.
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Level 3 Advanced
4 Vocabulary: Stress patterns
Write the words underneath the correct stress patterns.
agriculture proportion independence conspiracy

plummeted reality bureaucracy reputation
government confiscation delusion Johannesburg
governor discontinued Zimbabwean nationalist
oOo Ooo oOoo ooOo

Zimbabwe maintenance economy economic
5 Discussion
In Zimbabwe, a loaf of bread costs more than fifty times the price it was at the beginning of the year.
Compare this to inflation in your country.
In your country:
How much do dairy products (milk, butter, cheese) cost now?
How much did they cost one year ago / five years ago?
Make the same comparisons for other items such as bread, alcohol, cigarettes, petrol, houses etc.
6 Webquest
What is the current rate of exchange between the British pound and the Zimbabwean dollar?
Go to www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/zi.html to read the latest updated facts and

figures about Zimbabwe.
Go to www.swradioafrica.com and click on the ‘listen live’ button to listen to the latest independent news
from Zimbabwe. The website also contains short news articles and podcasts.
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 What are they called now? 3 Comprehension check
Abyssinia Ethiopia 1 c
Benadir Somalia 2 a
French Sudan Mali 3 b
German Southwest Africa Namibia 4 c
Rhodesia Zimbabwe 5 b
Upper Volta Burkina Faso 6 c
Portuguese East Africa Mozambique 7 a
2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Stress patterns
1. collapse oOo Ooo oOoo ooOo

2. conspiracy
3. whim
4. independence delusion governor conspiracy reputation
5. delusion proportion plummeted Zimbabwean discontinued
6. hyperinflation government reality independence
7. bureaucracy nationalist bureaucracy confiscation
8. regime Johannesburg agriculture
9. plummet
10. confiscate
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Level 1 Elementary
Match the old African state and province names on the left with their names now (on the right).
Abyssinia Somalia
Benadir Mali
Upper Volta Namibia
2 Key words
Write in the missing vowels (a/e/i/o/u). Skim-read the article to find the answers. The paragraph numbers
will help you.
1. When something is not true or you can’t trust it, it is _nr_ _ _bl_ . (para 2)
2. If a plane is sent on a different route to the one it is supposed to go on we say it has been d_v_ rt_ d.
(para 3)
3. When you are separated from something, or if your connection has been broken you are c_t _ff. (para 4)
4. When you have this you are no longer controlled by another person or country: _nd_p_nd_nc_. (para 5)
5. When somebody else wins instead of you, you have been d_f_ _ t_d. (para 5)
6. When something does this, it breaks down and (almost) stops functioning: c_ll_ps_. (para 6)
7. This is an incredibly high increase in prices: hyp_r_nfl_t_ _ n. (para 6)
8. This is a complicated or annoying system with too many rules: b_r_ _ _ cr_cy. (para 6)
9. The value of the money of one country against the money of another country: _xch_ng_ r_t_. (para 6)
10. The amount of crop (wheat, corn, rice, etc.) that is collected: h_rv_st. (para 7)
11. When someone believes you have done something wrong or are not telling the truth, they
are s_sp_c_ _ _ s. (para 10)
12. To agree that something is not really true or that you have done something wrong: _ dm_t. (para 10)
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NEWS LESSONS / British Airways says goodbye to Zimbabwe / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
British Airways says goodbye 7 The government says Zimbabwe is having a
to Zimbabwe great agricultural season. But there is no bread
Last BA flight from a grounded economy in the shops because the wheat harvest is
down by two-thirds and production of tobacco
Chris McGreal on BA152, Harare–London
has dropped to one-fifth of what it once was.
October 29, 2007
The government has said that it plans to sell
electricity to Namibia next year, even though
1 The last flight left the new Harare airport, flew
there isn’t enough power to keep lights on
over the city and dipped its wings in farewell.
in Zimbabwe.
With that, British Airways said goodbye
to Zimbabwe.
8 A man living in a Harare township earns, on
average, Z$5m dollars a month, or £2.50 at the
2 Cephas Msipa, a lifelong member of Mr
hidden-market rate. His journey to work in Harare
Mugabe’s Zanu-PF, said he thought it was
costs more than that but he has to travel to work
probably part of a British government plan
if he wants to keep his job.
against the Zimbabwean ruler, Robert Mugabe,
but he said that he was going to miss British
9 British Airways stayed when other European
Airways anyway. “In these difficult times, people
airlines left Zimbabwe as its economy
think Air Zimbabwe is unreliable,” he said.
collapsed – at the moment there are about $2m
Zimbabwean dollars to the British pound. But
3 Air Zimbabwe flights run days late because
now BA says that costs are too high, particularly
there is no fuel or maintenance, or they are
the cost of bringing fuel in by road from South
diverted when Mr Mugabe feels like going on a
Africa.
shopping trip in Kuala Lumpur or attending the
Pope’s funeral.
10 Mr Msipa and the Zimbabwean government are
suspicious but Mr Msipa admits there is a crisis,
4 Annie, a white Zimbabwean, is going to miss BA
and that his dad might be part of the problem.
for another reason. “There’s toilet paper on this
His father is the Zanu-PF governor of Midlands
plane, but there’s no toilet paper in the shops.
province. There, he has taken farms away from
It feels like we’re being cut off from the rest of
white farmers and has overseen the collapse
the world”.
of agriculture. Mr Msipa says this was possibly
a mistake. “My father is an old nationalist who
5 BA stopped flights to Zimbabwe once before in
believes that everything is about the land, but our
1965 when Ian Smith declared independence
generation says we should get into computers
for Rhodesia. BA returned 15 years later when
and call centres”.
Mr Smith was defeated by economics and war.
At that time, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe and
11 The younger Mr Msipa is a property developer
Robert Mugabe took power.
who travels regularly to London. His job has
kept the worst effects of the economic collapse
6 Now Zimbabwe’s government is losing
away from him and his five children. “We have an
control. Zimbabwe has a shrinking economy,
advantage. I can do things ... I have contacts,”
hyperinflation and production is collapsing. At
he said. “But how I’m going to get to London
the same time, Mr Mugabe is creating more and
now is a problem. No one wants to go through
more new bureaucracy. The official exchange
Johannesburg. They steal your luggage there. I
rate is so different to the exchange rate of the
suppose it will just have to be Air Zimbabwe.”
hidden market that the central bank governor has
to send his staff out to buy dollars on the street. © Guardian News & Media 2007
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Level 1 Elementary
Match the sentence halves.
1. British Airways no longer... a. ... rule Zimbabwe.
2. White Zimbabweans saw British Airways... b. ... to travel to work in Harare.
3. Robert Mugabe is the first black man to... c. ... flies to Zimbabwe.
4. Mugabe has been in power for... d. ... and the hidden-market rate.
5. The average worker from a township in Zimbabwe e. ... as their link to the rest of the world.
doesn’t earn enough money...
6. Tobacco and wheat production in Zimbabwe... f. ... is agriculture.
7. Zimbabwe’s main industry... g. ... over 25 years.
8. There are two different exchange rates in Zimbabwe, h. ... have fallen dramatically.
the government’s rate...
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Level 1 Elementary
4 Vocabulary: Collocations / Word pairs
Match the words on the left with the words on the right to make collocations. What is their connection
with the text?
Example: lifelong member

Cephas Msipa is a lifelong member of Mr Mugabe’s Zanu-PF.
difficult paper
toilet economy
wheat trip
tobacco times
shopping centres
lose production
shrinking market
hidden harvest
call developer
property control
5 Discussion
Now, in Zimbabwe, a loaf of bread costs more than fifty times the price it was a year ago.
Now, a litre of milk costs about _____________. A year ago it cost _____________.
Now, a loaf of bread costs about _____________. A year ago it cost _____________.
Now, a packet of cigarettes costs about _____________. A year ago it cost _____________.
Now, an apartment costs about _____________. A year ago it cost _____________.
... continue...
6 Webquest
Go to www.swradioafrica.com and click on the ‘listen live’ button to listen to the latest independent news from
Zimbabwe. The website also contains short news articles and podcasts.
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
Abyssinia Ethiopia 1. c
Benadir Somalia 2. e
French Sudan Mali 3. a
German Southwest Africa Namibia 4. g
Rhodesia Zimbabwe 5. b
Upper Volta Burkina Faso 6. h
Portuguese East Africa Mozambique 7. f
8. d
2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Collocations / Word pairs

1. unreliable difficult times
2. diverted toilet paper
3. cut off wheat harvest
4. independence tobacco production
5. defeated shopping trip
6. collapse lose control
7. hyperinflation shrinking economy
8. bureaucracy hidden market
9. exchange rate call centres
10. harvest property developer
11. suspicious
12. admit
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Abyssinia Somalia
Benadir Mali

Upper Volta Namibia
2 Key words
Match the keywords with their definitions.
bureaucracy plummet conspiracy confiscate

regime hyperinflation collapse independence
1. When something does this it breaks down and (almost) stops functioning. ___________________
2. This is a secret plan to do something bad or illegal, especially in politics. ___________________
3. When you have this you are no longer controlled by another person or country. ___________________
4. This is an incredibly high increase in prices. ___________________
5. This is what we call a complicated or annoying system of rules and processes. ___________________
6. A system or form of government (often military) that controls the country in a strict or unfair way.
___________________
7. When something falls very quickly, we can say that it does this. ___________________
8. When you do this, you take something away from someone for legal reasons or as a punishment.
___________________
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NEWS LESSONS / British Airways says goodbye to Zimbabwe / Intermediate

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British Airways says goodbye 7 The regime says Zimbabwe is having a great
to Zimbabwe
agricultural season, even though there is no bread
in the shops because the wheat harvest is down by
two-thirds and production of tobacco has dropped to
Chris McGreal on BA152, Harare–London one-fifth of what it once was. The government has
October 29, 2007 even announced plans to sell electricity to Namibia
next year even though it doesn’t generate enough
1 The last flight left the sparkling new Harare power to keep lights on at home.
airport, lifted over the city and dipped its wings in
farewell. With that, British Airways said goodbye 8 The reality is that a man living in a Harare township
to Zimbabwe. lucky enough to have a job earns, on average,
Z$5m dollars a month, or £2.50 at the hidden-
2 Cephas Msipa, a lifelong member of Mr Mugabe’s market rate. His transport to work in Harare costs
Zanu-PF, said he thought it was probably part more than that but he has to travel to work if he
of a British government conspiracy against the wants to keep his job.
Zimbabwean ruler, Robert Mugabe, but he said that
he was going to miss British Airways anyway. “In 9 Other European airlines left Zimbabwe as its
these difficult times, Air Zimbabwe has a reputation economy collapsed but BA stayed because historic
for being unreliable,” he said. ties with Britain meant there were still a steady
number of passengers.
3 What he means is that Air Zimbabwe is in much
the same state as the country; flights are running 10 But the airline says it has been defeated by
days late due to lack of fuel or maintenance, or escalating costs, particularly the price of having
are diverted when Mr Mugabe feels like going on to bring fuel in by road from South Africa, and the
a shopping trip in Kuala Lumpur or attending the unreal maths of the Zimbabwean economy. The
Pope’s funeral. Zimbabwe dollar has plummeted from $5,100 to the
pound at the beginning of 2006 to nearly $2m to the
4 Annie, a white Zimbabwean, is going to miss BA for pound today.
another reason. “There’s toilet paper on this plane.
I haven’t been able get toilet paper in the shops for 11 Mr Msipa and the Zimbabwean government
weeks,” she said. “I don’t know why it matters that are suspicious; they don’t understand how BA
this is the last flight, but it does. It’s as if we’re finally isn’t making money. Mr Msipa admits there is a
being cut off from the rest of the world”. crisis though, and that his dad might be part of
the problem.
12 His father is the Zanu-PF governor of Midlands
Zimbabwe. Flights were stopped in 1965 when
Ian Smith declared independence for Rhodesia. province where he has confiscated white-
BA was back 15 years later when Mr Smith was owned farms and has overseen the collapse of
defeated by economics as much as war; Rhodesia agriculture. Mr Msipa says this may have been a
ceased to exist and the only black man to ever rule mistake. “My father an old nationalist who believes
Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, took power. that everything is about the land. Whereas our
generation says we should get into computers and
6 Zimbabwe’s government is losing control. Mr call centres”.
Mugabe is creating a vast new bureaucracy while
the economy shrinks amid hyperinflation and
collapsing production. The official exchange rate who travels regularly to London. His job has
is so different to that of the hidden market that the kept the worst effects of the economic collapse
central bank governor has to send his staff out to away from him and his five children. “We have a
buy dollars on the street. relative advantage. I can get things done ... I have
contacts,” he said. “But how I’m going to
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get to London now is a problem. No one wants

to go through Johannesburg. They steal your
luggage there. I suppose it will just have to be
Air Zimbabwe.”

According to the article, are these sentences True (T) or False (F)?
1. British Airways now only fly to Zimbabwe once a week.
2. White Zimbabweans saw British Airways as their link to the rest of the world.
3. Robert Mugabe is the first black man to rule Zimbabwe.
4. Mugabe has been in power for over 40 years.
5. The average worker from a township in Zimbabwe earns about the same as the cost of a plane ticket to London.
6. Tobacco and wheat production has fallen dramatically.
7. Zimbabwe’s main industry is computers.
8. There are two different exchange rates in Zimbabwe, the government’s rate and the hidden market rate.
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Write in the missing prepositions then check your answers by reading back over the article.
1. British Airways said goodbye ______ Zimbabwe

2. part ______ a British government conspiracy
3. a reputation ______ being unreliable
4. going ______ a shopping trip
5. Mr Smith was defeated ______ economics
6. Rhodesia ceased ______ exist
7. a man living ______ a Harare township
8. historic ties ______ Britain
9. defeated ______ escalating costs
10. part ______ the problem
11. we should get ______ computers
12. No one wants to go ______ Johannesburg
5 Discussion
In your country:
6 Webquest

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1 What are they called now? 3 Comprehension
Abyssinia Ethiopia 1. F (they have stopped flying to Zimbabwe)

Benadir Somalia 2. T
French Sudan Mali 3. T
German Southwest Africa Namibia 4. F (he has been in power for over 25 years)
Rhodesia Zimbabwe 5. F (they earn much, much less)
Upper Volta Burkina Faso 6. T
Portuguese East Africa Mozambique 7. F (the main industry is still agriculture)
8. T

1. collapse
2. conspiracy 1. British Airways said goodbye to Zimbabwe
3. independence 2. part of a British government conspiracy
4. hyperinflation 3. a reputation for being unreliable
5. bureaucracy 4. going on a shopping trip
6. regime 5. Mr Smith was defeated by economics
7. plummet 6. Rhodesia ceased to exist
8. confiscate 7. a man living in a Harare township
8. historic ties with Britain
9. defeated by escalating costs
10. part of the problem
11. we should get into computers
12. No one wants to go through Johannesburg
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Shock of the new - GM Mosquitoes
Level 3 Advanced
1 Pre-reading 1: Introduction
You are going to read an article about Genetic Modification. In Britain, recently, there has been a lot of
discussion about GM crops. These are plants grown for food, which scientists have changed so that they
are more productive, or can resist diseases or insects that destroy them. Before you read the article, think
about these questions.
1. In your country, is there a debate about GM crops?
A 2. What are the arguments in favour?
3. What are the arguments against?
4. Have you also heard of genetically modified animals or insects?
5. What reasons could scientists have for genetically modifying them?

B
6. What could be the dangers of interfering with natural processes in this way?
7. In what other ways can humans interfere with the balance of nature?
Now read the article quickly, to see if it mentions any of your ideas.
wary parasite gene side-effects predators prey

thrives immune defence fauna mutation
1. A system in the body that helps you to resist disease. _____________

2. The unpleasant additional results of taking a particular medicine. _____________
3. The animal life of a particular region. _____________
4. A plant or animal that lives on or in another, usually larger one, and feeds on it. _____________
5. Grows very well. _____________
6. A smaller animal that is used as food by a larger one. _____________
7. A change in the basic structure of a plant or animal. _____________
8. Very careful about possible dangers. _____________
9. Larger animals that attack and kill other animals for food. _____________
10. The basic unit of life that transmits characteristics from parent to child. _____________
Now scan the text quickly to see if your matches make sense.
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NEWS LESSONS / Shock of the new - GM Mosquitoes / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Shock of the new cannot defend themselves against their hunting
Scientists hope to release GM mosquitoes strategies. New species can also affect local
into the wild in an attempt to wipe out malaria. plants and animals by bringing in diseases they
They should be extremely wary, says James have not met before.
Randerson – introducing new species has often
proved disastrous. 6 “This is a particular problem for islands and
March 21, 2007 the southern hemisphere,” says Andre Farrar,
a spokesman for the Royal Society for the
1 It is a daring scientific project that could offer Protection of Birds. In the past, small oceanic
hope to 300 million malaria sufferers worldwide. islands in the southern hemisphere tended not
The plan is to genetically alter the mosquitoes in to have any land-based predators because
countries with malaria, so that the insects can no mammals simply couldn’t get there. This meant
longer carry the malaria parasite – and so can’t that many bird species nested on the ground.
transfer it to people. Without its taxi service, the So when European explorers introduced rats,
disease would rapidly die out. dogs, pigs and cats to the islands, the birds’ eggs
were easy pickings. When the brown tree snake
2 Although the release of genetically modified (native to Australia) was accidentally introduced
insects is not a new idea, it was given fresh to Guam in the western Pacific in the 1950s, for
importance this week by new work from a team example, it devastated local bird populations.
at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. The
scientists there cannot yet prove what would 7 The cooking pots of Portuguese sailors are often
actually happen if GM mosquitoes were released blamed for the extinction of the dodo. But it was
into the wild. However, their lab studies suggest probably the animals they brought with them to
that insects carrying a gene that resists malaria Mauritius that really finished them off.
would not simply die out as soon as they
encountered normal mosquitoes – and might 8 There are many examples of disasters. In
even start to take over. Australia, rabbits were introduced and quickly
ran out of control, destroying native species.
3 Many human lives might be saved. But what Despite huge efforts to get rid of them, they are
consequences would result from releasing still a major pest. The coypu, a large rodent,
millions of GM-insects into the wild? Would the was introduced from South America into parts
gene they carry have unintended side-effects of North America and now cause damage to the
when the mosquito is in its natural habitat? Could environment in wetlands there. The aggressive
the gene jump into other species? Because large African honeybee was introduced to Brazil in the
scale releases of GM animals have never been 1950s and spread, displacing and interbreeding
carried out, these questions are hard to answer. with European honeybees that came to South
America with the first Europeans. It is much more
4 However, the long list of ecological disasters that aggressive than native species, attacking people
have followed both deliberate and accidental and animals. Meanwhile, water hyacinth was
releases of non-native species into new introduced to Africa and elsewhere from South
environments will make scientists – and non- America in the 19th century. It now clogs up
scientists – extremely wary. waterways, making them impassable.
5 “If new species get out of their ecosystem and 9 Even in this country, foreign invaders are a huge
are not kept under control by other processes, problem for conservationists. The worst one is
they start to cause trouble,” says Deborah Long Japanese knotweed, which thrives in gardens.
at Plantlife Scotland. New species may have no “Japanese knotweed causes massive problems
natural predators, or may encounter prey that for home owners,” says Dr Long. The weed can
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Level 3 Advanced
grow through walls and concrete, as well as smaller native partula snails. Since then, 72% of
taking over gardens. “It causes massive social the partula species have become extinct and only
and economic problems as well as conservation five remain.
problems.”
13 But there have been successes in eradication,
10 Another problem plant is rhododendron especially on the islands where introduced
ponticum, which is taking over the so-called species can cause most damage. “It is
‘Celtic rainforest’ woodlands of the west coast of expensive, it is time-consuming but is potentially
Scotland and Wales. These fairytale woodlands very effective,” says Farrar. The ground-nesting
are internationally important because of the kakapo parrot from New Zealand, for example,
special plants there, says Long. But to thrive, the has been given new life by transferring it to
plants require precise amounts of light and water, islands without rats and ferrets.
which are provided by the humid atmosphere of
the forest. The invading rhododendrons, which 14 So what are the lessons here for introducing
were introduced by Victorian gardeners, shade GM-mosquitoes? It can be argued that putting
out the native plants. a new mosquito with an extra gene into a place
where there are lots of mosquitoes already is not
11 The destructive cane toad of Australia is also the as bad as introducing an entirely new species
result of a failed attempt at biological control. The with hunting strategies, immune defences and
toad was brought in to control sugar-cane pests diseases that are entirely new to the local fauna.
in 1935. But it soon began preying on – and That change may not be very different from
out-competing – native species. It now occupies something that has happened countless times
much of the north east of Australia. Getting rid of in evolution – a random mutation to a gene that
the invasive species, as Australia’s rabbits and gives the mosquito resistance to a parasite.
cane toads have shown, often proves much more Finally, though, it will probably be what people
difficult than introducing it. Despite continuing think is a risk rather than the actual risks that
efforts to control the cane toads, their seemingly matters. GM-crops had no chance in Europe
unstoppable march continues. because of ‘what-if?’ fears: in the end, scientists’
opinions had no influence. If public opinion in
12 Perhaps the worst example of a disastrous African countries is strongly against the GM-
introduction is that of the snails of French mosquito, or if people feel that a technology
Polynesia. In 1975, the wolf snail was rejected by Europe is being forced onto them, it
deliberately introduced to stop the spread of the will never happen.
previously introduced giant African land snail. But
the predatory wolf mostly ignored its intended © Guardian News & Media 2007
prey and instead developed a taste for the First published in The Guardian, 21/3/07
Did the article mention any of your ideas?

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Level 3 Advanced
Now read the text again, more carefully. Match the beginnings of these sentences about the text with
their endings.
1 The structure of the mosquitoes will be changed a cross over into other animals
2 Scientists do not know if the new mosquitoes b it has often led to trouble in the past
3 Perhaps the altered gene could even c having its own predators to keep numbers low
4 When other species have moved to new places d have been removed to new places of safety
5 The balance of nature depends on each species e so that they can’t infect humans with malaria
6 Plants and animals that are brought in to help, f no more dangerous than natural changes
7 Some native species in danger from new species g will multiply so much that other species die out
8 Some people think that artificial new species are h often cause more problems than they solve
4 Language development 1: Word formation
Complete the table below. All the missing forms are in the text.
verb noun adjective adverb

release - -
- disastrously
adapt adaptive adaptively
protect protective protectively
- accidental
- extinct -
introduce - -
invade invasively
effect effectively
resist resistant -
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Level 3 Advanced
5 Language development 2: Phrasal verbs
The following sentences all contain a phrasal verb taken from the text. See if you can remember what they
are, and understand the meaning from the context.
1. Scientists are hoping to w____ ____ diseases like cancer.
2. There is a danger that some species may d____ ____, and become extinct.
3. If one species gets too strong, they may t_____ _____ from another one.
4. Most experiments have to be c_______ ____ very carefully.
5. If a species g_____ ____ ____ its own environment, and enters another, it may destroy other species, or
be destroyed.
6. The tomatoes were not growing very well, and the terrible storm finally f________ them ____.
7. If a certain plant starts to grow in one part of a river, it soon c______ it ___ completely, and the water can’t
flow at all.
8. When the trees grow too close together, they s______ ____ the plants growing under them, as no sun can
reach the ground.
9. The government introduced a new tax system, but as soon as it was b_______ ___ , people began to protest.
10. A lot of animals get their food by p__________ ___ smaller animals.
6 Language development 3: Logical connectors
This text contains several connectors showing contrast. See if you can remember which of the following
were used in each of the sentences below.
despite though however although
1. __________ the release of genetically modified insects is not a new idea, it was given fresh importance
this week…
2. __________, the long list of ecological disasters … will make scientists … extremely wary.
3. __________ huge efforts to get rid of them, they are still a major pest.
4. Finally, _________, it will probably be what people think is a risk … that matters.
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Level 3 Advanced
Now scan the text quickly to check. Looking back at the examples, see if you can complete the rules below.
5. __________ is used to join two sentences; it is a conjunction.
6. __________ is used before a noun, pronoun or -ing form; it is a preposition.
7. __________ does not connect two sentences. It can come at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of a
sentence. It is an adverb.
8. __________ usually comes in the middle or at the end of a sentence. It is separated from the rest of the
sentence by commas. It is an adverb, and is less formal than ___________.
And now see if you can use the appropriate word in each of these sentences.
9. It was raining. ___________, we played tennis.
10. __________ the rain, we played tennis.
11. __________ it was raining, we played tennis.
12. It was raining. My brother, ________, still played tennis.
7 Discussion
1. Do you think it is a good idea to introduce these genetically modified mosquitoes? Why / why not?
2. Do you think people from more developed countries should pass on their technology to people in less
developed countries?
3. Do you see this as a right or an obligation?
4. Are any species of animal or plant in danger of becoming extinct in your country?
5. How far do you think people should be concerned about individual species dying out, when there is so much
hunger and poverty in the world?

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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
2 Pre-reading 2: Key words 5 Language development 2: Phrasal verbs
1. immune defence 1. wipe out

2. side-effects 2. die out
3. fauna 3. take over
4. parasite 4. carried out
5. thrives 5. gets out of
6. prey 6. finished them off
7. mutation 7. clogs up
8. wary 8. shade out
9. predators 9. brought in
10. gene 10. preying on
3 General understanding 6 Language development 3: Logical

connectors
1. e
2. g 1. although 7. despite
3. a 2. however 8. though, however
4. b 3. despite 9. however
5. c 4. though 10. despite
6. h 5. although 11. although
7. d 6. however 12. though
8. f
4 Language development 1: Word

formation
verb noun adjective adverb

release release - -
- disaster disastrous disastrously
adapt adaptation adaptive adaptively
protect protection protective protectively
- accident accidental accidentally
- extinction extinct -
introduce introduction - -
invade invasion invasive invasively
effect effect effective effectively
resist resistance resistant -
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Level 1 Elementary
You are going to read an article about ‘genetically modified’ (or GM) mosquitoes.
When a living thing is genetically modified, it means that scientists have changed its ‘genes’. These are the basic
units of life that decide what things are like. They can be passed down from parent to child. Scientist change some
species (or types) of plants to make them more productive, or to resist (or fight) diseases or insects that destroy
them. In this case, they are changing a species of insect – mosquitoes.
To help you to understand the article, here are some of the important words. Match these keywords from
the text with the meanings below.
release malaria parasite habitat

predators prey hemisphere mammals

1. Larger animals that attack and kill other animals for food. ____________
2. To allow something to be free, to let something go. ____________
3. A smaller animal that is used as food by a larger one. ____________
4. The place where a plant or animal usually lives. ____________
5. Animals that have babies; they don’t lay eggs like birds. ____________
6. Half of the earth; the north or the south. ____________
7. A plant or animal that lives on or in another, usually larger one, and feeds on it. ____________
8. A disease with a fever that keeps coming back. It is common in hot countries, and you can catch it if an infected
mosquito bites you. ____________
Before you read the article, think about these questions.
1. How do you think the scientists have changed the mosquitoes?

2. Why do you think they have changed them?
3. Why could this be dangerous?
The words you have looked at should give you some ideas. Now read the article quickly, to see if it you
were right. (Don’t worry about the names of special plants and animals – you can still understand the
general idea).
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NEWS LESSONS / Shock of the new - GM Mosquitoes / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Shock of the new expert on birds. In the past, small islands in the
southern hemisphere didn’t usually have any
Scientists hope to release GM mosquitoes
land-based predators because mammals simply
into the wild to try and destroy malaria. They
couldn’t get there, and many bird species nested
should be very careful, says James Randerson
on the ground. So when European explorers
- introducing new species can be dangerous.
took rats, dogs, pigs and cats to the islands, the
March 21, 2007
birds’ eggs were easy prey. When the brown
tree snake (native to Australia) was accidentally
1 It is an exciting scientific project that could
taken to Guam in the western Pacific in the
offer hope to 300 million people with malaria
1950s, for example, it nearly destroyed local bird
worldwide. The plan is to genetically modify the
populations.
mosquitoes in countries with malaria, so that the
insects can no longer carry the malaria parasite 7 When Portuguese sailors brought animals to
– and so can’t pass it to people. Without the right Mauritius, they probably caused the extinction of
mosquitoes, the disease would soon die out. the dodo.
2 Using genetically modified insects is not a new 8 There are many examples of disasters. When
idea but this week, scientists at Johns Hopkins rabbits were taken to Australia, they quickly
University in Maryland gave it new importance. multiplied and destroyed native species. They
The scientists there cannot be sure what the are still a big problem. The African honeybee
results would be but their lab studies suggest that was taken to Brazil in the 1950s and multiplied,
the GM mosquitoes might soon be stronger than replacing the European honeybees that came
normal ones. to South America with the first Europeans. It
is much more aggressive than native species,
3 Many human lives might be saved. But what attacking people and animals. In Africa, the
would happen if millions of GM-insects were
water hyacinth plant was introduced from South
released into the wild? When the mosquitoes
America in the 19th century. Now boats cannot
are in their natural habitat, would the gene they
move down the rivers.
carry jump into other species? GM animals have
never been released in large numbers, so these 9 Even in this country, some foreign plants are
questions are hard to answer. a big problem. The worst one is Japanese
knotweed, which grows well in gardens. Dr Long
4 But in the past, when non-native species have
says it is bad for home owners, because it can
been moved into new environments, on purpose
grow through walls and concrete, as well as
or by accident, there have been big problems, so
taking over gardens.
scientists need to be very careful.
10 Another problem plant is rhododendron
5 “If new species get out of their habitat and are
ponticum, which is taking over the so-called
not kept under control by other processes, they
‘Celtic rainforest’ woodlands of the west coast
start to cause trouble,” says Deborah Long
of Scotland and Wales. It damages the special
at Plantlife Scotland. New species may have
plants there, which need exact amounts of light
no natural predators, or may meet prey that
and water. The rhododendrons, which were
cannot defend themselves against their hunting
introduced by Victorian gardeners, take light
methods. New species can also affect local
away from native plants.
plants and animals by bringing in diseases they
have not met before. 11 The destructive cane toad of Australia was
brought in to control sugar-cane pests in 1935.
6 “This is a particular problem for islands in the
But it soon began eating – and destroying
southern hemisphere,” says Andre Farrar, an
– native species. It now occupies much of the
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north east of Australia. People have tried very 14 So what are the lessons here for introducing
hard to control the cane toads, but they continue GM-mosquitoes? Perhaps, putting a new
to multiply. mosquito with an extra gene into a place where
there are lots of mosquitoes already is not as
12 Perhaps the worst example is the snails of
bad as introducing an entirely new species. And
French Polynesia. First, the giant African land a change made by scientists may not be very
snail was taken there and they increased too different from something that has happened
much. Then, in 1975, the wolf snail was taken many times in evolution – by chance.
there to keep their numbers down. But the wolf
snail usually ignored the African snails and ate 15 Finally, though, what people think is a danger,
the smaller native partula snails. Since then, will probably be more important than the real
72% of the partula species have gone and only dangers. GM-crops had no chance in Europe
five remain. because of ‘what-if?’ fears: in the end, scientists’
opinions had no effect. If public opinion in African
13 But there have been successes, especially on
countries is strongly against the GM-mosquito,
the islands where new species can cause most or if people feel that they are being forced to
damage. “It is expensive, it takes time, but it can use a technology that Europe doesn’t want, GM
be very effective,” says Farrar. For example, mosquitoes will not be used.
the kakapo parrot from New Zealand, which
nests on the ground. Scientists have moved it to © Guardian News & Media 2007
islands without rats, where it can live safely. First published in The Guardian, 21/3/07
How close were your answers?
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Level 1 Elementary
4 Reading for information
First, read the text quickly and underline the words below.
James Randerson 300 million Johns Hopkins Deborah Long
Andre Farrar Guam the dodo the 19th century 1935 72%
Now, read the text again, and use the information to complete the sentences below.
1. ____________ is the university where the scientists are working on GM mosquitoes.
2. ____________ is an animal that doesn’t exist any more.
3. There are ____________ people who are ill with malaria.
4. ____________ is the man who wrote this article.
5. ____________ is a scientist who knows a lot about birds.
6. ____________ is an island where brown tree snakes have eaten most of the birds.
7. People tried to protect sugar cane plants from pests by bringing in cane toads in ____________.
8. A water plant was taken to Africa from South America in ____________. Now it has blocked all the rivers.
9. ____________ is a scientist who knows a lot about plants.
10. Wolf snails have eaten ____________ of the native snails in Polynesia.
5 Vocabulary development 1: Word building
See if you can complete the table with the missing words. Then check the text quickly to see if you
were right.
noun adjective
1 danger
2 science
3 nature
4 care
5 south
6 aggression
7 destruction
8 effect
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6 Vocabulary development 2: Pronunciation
Here are some words from the text. Where is the stress? Put them in the correct columns.
malaria parasite scientists importance habitat accident

predators hemisphere explorers extinction multiplied aggressive
destructive occupies expensive effective example opinion
dangerous mosquitoes
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KEY
1 Pre-reading 2: Key words 6 Vocabulary development 2:

Pronunciation
1. release
2. malaria
3. parasite dangerous mosquitoes
4. habitat parasite malaria
5. predators
scientists importance
6. prey
7. hemisphere habitat explorers
8. mammals accident extinction
predators aggressive
hemisphere destructive
4 Reading for information multiplied expensive
occupies effective
1. Johns Hopkins example
2. The dodo opinion
3. 300 million
4. James Randerson
5. Andre Farrar
6. Guam
7. 1935
8. the 19th century
9. Deborah Long
10. 72%

building
noun adjective
1 danger dangerous
2 science scientific
3 nature natural
4 care careful
5 south southern
6 aggression aggressive
7 destruction destructive
8 effect effective
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You are going to read an article about ‘genetically modified’ (or GM) mosquitoes. When a living thing is genetically
modified, it means that scientists have changed its ‘genes’. These are the basic units of life that decide our char-
acteristics. They can be passed down from parent to child. Scientists do this to some species (or types) of plants
to make them more productive, or to resist (or fight) diseases or insects that destroy them. In this case, they are
doing it to an insect species – mosquitoes.
release malaria parasite ecological predators

prey devastated immune defence
1. Larger animals that attack and kill other animals for food. _____________
2. To allow something to be free, to let something go. _____________
3. A smaller animal that is used as food by a larger one. _____________
4. Very badly damaged or destroyed. _____________

5. A disease with a fever that keeps coming back. It is common in hot countries, and you can catch it if you are
bitten by infected mosquitoes. _____________
6. A system in the body that helps you to resist (or fight) disease. _____________
7. Relating to the connection between living things and their environment. _____________
8. A plant or animal that lives on or in another, usually larger one, and feeds on it. _____________
3 Pre-reading 3: Predictions
Before you read the article, think about these questions.
1. How and why do you think the scientists have changed the mosquitoes?
2. What could be the dangers of changing natural processes in this way?
The vocabulary you have looked at should give you some ideas. Now read the article quickly to see if it
your predictions were right. (Don’t worry about the names of special plants and animals – you can still
understand the general idea).
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NEWS LESSONS / Shock of the new - GM Mosquitoes / Intermediate

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Shock of the new methods. New species can also affect local
Scientists hope to release GM mosquitoes plants and animals by bringing in diseases they
into the wild in an attempt to destroy malaria. have not met before.
They should be extremely careful, says James
Randerson – introducing new species has often 6 “This is a particular problem for islands in the
been disastrous. southern hemisphere,” says Andre Farrar,
March 21, 2007 a spokesman for the Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds. In the past, small oceanic
1 It is a daring scientific project that could offer islands in the southern hemisphere didn’t
hope to 300 million malaria sufferers worldwide. usually have any land-based predators because
The plan is to genetically modify the mosquitoes mammals simply couldn’t get there, and many
in countries with malaria, so that the insects can bird species nested on the ground. So when
no longer carry the malaria parasite – and so European explorers introduced rats, dogs, pigs
can’t pass it to people. Without its taxi service, and cats to the islands, the birds’ eggs were
the disease would soon die out. easy prey. When the brown tree snake (native to
Australia) was accidentally introduced to Guam
2 The release of genetically modified insects in the western Pacific in the 1950s, for example,
is not a new idea but this week, work from a it devastated local bird populations.
team at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland
gave it fresh importance. The scientists there 7 When Portuguese sailors brought animals to
cannot yet prove what would actually happen Mauritius, they probably caused the extinction of
if GM mosquitoes were released into the wild. the dodo.
However, their lab studies suggest that insects
carrying a gene that resists malaria would not 8 There are many examples of disasters. In
simply die out as soon as they met normal Australia, rabbits were introduced and quickly
mosquitoes – and might even start to take over. multiplied, destroying native species. They are
still a major problem. The African honeybee was
3 Many human lives might be saved. But what introduced to Brazil in the 1950s and spread,
would happen if millions of GM-insects were replacing the European honeybees that came
released into the wild? When the mosquitoes are to South America with the first Europeans. It
in their natural habitat, would the gene they carry is much more aggressive than native species,
jump into other species? Large scale releases attacking people and animals. In Africa, the
of GM animals have never been carried out, so water hyacinth plant was introduced from South
these questions are hard to answer. America in the 19th century. It now blocks rivers,
making them impassable.
4 However, the long list of ecological disasters that
have followed both deliberate and accidental 9 Even in this country, foreign invaders are a
releases of non-native species into new huge problem for conservationists. The worst
environments will make scientists – and non- one is Japanese knotweed, which grows well
scientists – extremely careful. in gardens. Dr Long says it causes enormous
problems for home owners, because it can grow
5 “If new species get out of their ecosystem and through walls and concrete, as well as taking
are not kept under control by other processes, over gardens.
they start to cause trouble,” says Deborah Long
at Plantlife Scotland. New species may have no 10 Another problem plant is rhododendron
natural predators, or may encounter prey that ponticum, which is taking over the so-called
cannot defend themselves against their hunting ‘Celtic rainforest’ woodlands of the west coast
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of Scotland and Wales. It damages the special Farrar. The ground-nesting kakapo parrot from
plants there, which need precise amounts of light New Zealand, for example, has been given new
and water. The invading rhododendrons, which life by moving it to islands without rats.
were introduced by Victorian gardeners, shade
out the native plants. 14 So what are the lessons here for introducing GM-
mosquitoes? Perhaps, putting a new mosquito
11 The destructive cane toad of Australia is also the with an extra gene into a place where there
result of a failed attempt at biological control. The are lots of mosquitoes already is not as bad as
toad was brought in to control sugar-cane pests introducing an entirely new species with hunting
in 1935. But it soon began preying on – and methods, immune defences and diseases
destroying – native species. It now occupies that are entirely new to the local animals. That
much of the north east of Australia. Getting change may not be very different from something
rid of the invasive species is often much more that has happened countless times in evolution
difficult than introducing it. Despite continuing – a change to a gene that has happened by
efforts to control the cane toads, their apparently chance.
unstoppable march continues.
15 Finally, though, it will probably be what people
12 Perhaps the worst example of a disastrous think is a risk, rather than the actual risks, that
introduction is that of the snails of French matters. GM-crops had no chance in Europe
Polynesia. In 1975, the wolf snail was because of ‘what-if?’ fears: in the end, scientists’
deliberately introduced to stop the spread of the opinions had no effect. If public opinion in African
previously introduced giant African land snail. But countries is strongly against the GM-mosquito,
the predatory wolf mostly ignored its intended or if people feel that a technology rejected by
prey and instead developed a taste for the Europe is being forced onto them, it will never
smaller native partula snails. Since then, 72% of happen.
the partula species have become extinct and only
five remain. © Guardian News & Media 2007
13 But there have been successes, especially
on the islands where introduced species can
cause most damage. “It is expensive, it is time-
consuming but is potentially very effective,” says
How close were your predictions?

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Now read the text again, more carefully, and look at the sentences below. Underline the correct answer in
each sentence.
1. The malaria mosquito… 4. Bees from Africa…
a) … is often found in taxis. a) … replaced native Brazilian bees.
b) … passes the disease to humans. b) … replaced bees imported earlier from Europe.
2. Scientists from Maryland think that GM 5. In Australia, the cane toad arrived…
mosquitoes…
a) … by chance.
a) … would be killed by ordinary mosquitoes.
b) … as part of a plan.
b) … could soon be more common than ordinary
ones. 6. The wolf snail in Polynesia…
3. Some birds in southern islands didn’t make their a) … ate most of the local snails.
nests in trees because… b) … successfully reduced the African snail
a) … there were no ground animals to attack them. population.
b) … they couldn’t fly into the trees.
5 Language development: Recognizing conditional sentences
Here are parts of some sentences from the article. They all contain a verb in the Simple Past tense.
Which ones are about things that have actually happened (A), and which are about possibilities in the
future (P)? Scan the text to find them first.
1. … what would actually happen if GM mosquitoes were released…
2. … insects carrying a gene that resists malaria would not simply die out as soon as they met normal
mosquitoes…
3. … what would happen if millions of GM-insects were released into the wild?
4. … rabbits were introduced and quickly multiplied…
5. The invading rhododendrons, which were introduced by Victorian gardeners…

6. The toad was brought in to control sugar-cane pests…
How do you know which is which? Now, check your answers in the key.
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Good writers don’t keep repeating the same words in a text unless they have to. They use pronouns.
For example, in the two sentences above, the word they is used twice, instead of repeating the words good writers.
Sometimes it is not easy to know what a pronoun refers to (or means). For example, in the first sentence, some
readers might think that the word they means the same words.
The next few questions will give you some practice in identifying the words referred to by
certain pronouns.
1. In paragraph 2, does it refer to 5. In paragraph 8, does they refer to
a. the release of genetically modified insects? a. the rabbits that were introduced?
b. this week? b. the native species?
c. Maryland University?
6. In paragraph 7, does it refer to
2. In paragraph 5, does they refer to a. the water hyacinth plant?
a. new species? b. the 19th century?
b. other processes?
3. In paragraph 6, does it refer to a. The plant rhododendron ponticum?
a. the brown tree snake? b. the west coast of Scotland and Wales?
b. the western Pacific?

4. In paragraph 7, does they refer to a. the introduction of the GM-mosquito?
a. the sailors? b. Europe?
b. the animals?
7 Discussion
1. Do you think it is a good idea to introduce these GM mosquitoes? Why / why not?
2. Do you think richer countries should pass on their technology to poorer countries?
3. Are any species of animal or plant in danger of becoming extinct in your country?
4. Do you think people should worry about individual species of plants and animals, when so many people are
very poor and hungry?
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2 Pre-reading 2: Key words The P sentences usually go with:
• a verb in the conditional, usually would, might,
1. predators or could.
2. release • the word if, or a similar idea, like without its
3. prey taxi service, which means if they didn’t have a
4. devastated taxi service.
5. malaria • other ideas in the text, telling you that this has not
6. immune defence happened yet, e.g. the project, the plan, studies
7. ecological suggest that…
8. parasite
The A sentences are usually clearly set in past time, for
example by a date.
1. The malaria mosquito (b) passes the disease to
humans.
2. Scientists from Maryland think that GM 1. a
mosquitoes (b) could soon be more common than 2. a
ordinary ones. 3. a
3. Some birds in southern islands didn’t make their 4. Here, it could be both!
nests in trees because (a) there were no ground 5. a
animals to attack them. 6. a
4. Bees from Africa (b) replaced bees imported earlier 7. a
from Europe. 8. a
5. In Australia, the cane toad arrived (b) as part of
a plan. You will notice that the pronoun often refers back to the
6. The wolf snail in Polynesia (a) ate most of the first subject in the sentence. Later ideas are often just
local snails. adding information about the main subject.
5 Language development: Recognizing

conditional sentences
1. P 3. P 5. A
2. P 4. A 6. A

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Russia turns to tradition for Yeltsin farewell
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
grieve momentous mourner lavish compassionate

coup rapport foe condolence magnanimous
1. ____________ is a relationship in which people like, understand and respect each other.
2. ____________ is another word for enemy; it is often used by journalists.
3. A ____________ is an occasion when a group of people take control of a country by military force.
4. If you are ____________, you are willing to forgive people or willing to be kind and fair.
5. If something is ____________, it is given in a very large amount.
6. A ____________ occasion is one that is very important because of its effect on future events.
7. If you are ____________, you are understanding and caring about someone who is in a bad situation.
8. If you express ____________, you show sympathy when someone has died.
9. A ____________ is someone who attends a funeral to pay their respects to the dead person.
10. When you ____________, you feel extremely sad because someone has died.
2 What do you know?
Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.
1. Boris Yeltsin was president of Russia before Vladimir Putin.
2. Yeltsin was president when the Soviet Union collapsed.
3. Yeltsin was popular with all Russians.
4. Yeltsin was president for 10 years.
5. Yeltsin was buried in St Petersburg.
6. George W. Bush attended the funeral.

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Russia turns to tradition for Yeltsin have proceeded across Red Square. Yesterday’s
farewell low-key ceremony took place in the cathedral
Putin, Clinton and Major among mourners at of Christ the Saviour – a vast gold-domed
Orthodox ceremony. church not far from the Kremlin. It was blown
up by Stalin in 1931 but rebuilt during Yeltsin’s
Luke Harding in Moscow
presidency as a symbol of national revival.
April 26, 2007
5 Hundreds of mourners had queued round the
block to pay their respects to Yeltsin, who had
1 Surrounded by white-robed Orthodox bishops,
lain in state for two days. His open coffin was
his grieving family, Vladimir Putin and his
draped in a Russian tricolour. Mourners went
successor, Boris Nikolayevich, Yeltsin was
past in solemn file, laying carnations and red
buried yesterday in the tranquil surroundings
roses. “He was a muzhik – a strong man,”
of Moscow’s Novodevichy cemetery. It was
Dmitry Samarin, who spent 16 years as Yeltsin’s
perhaps appropriate that the man who once
bodyguard, told the Guardian outside the church.
promised Russians an economic miracle – but
Was he a good leader, though? “History is a very
spectacularly failed to deliver it – was laid to rest
difficult thing,” he replied carefully. “He managed
next door to Igor Kio, Russia’s most celebrated
to defeat the communist leadership. I doubt
illusionist. His neighbour on the other side is
anybody else could have done it.”
Yevgeny Urbansky, an actor.
6 Arytom Leonidovich, a 26-year-old architect, said
2 Before Yeltsin’s coffin was covered and lowered it was a complicated question. “I think in time
into the ground, his widow, Naina, came forward
history will record that he did more positive than
to say farewell. She smoothed back his grey
negative things. The fall of the communist regime
hair and kissed him fondly several times on
was largely down to him. “He also had many
the lips and cheeks. Russia’s national anthem
human qualities. He was compassionate, unlike
sounded and Yeltsin sank into his final resting
the leadership we’ve got now.”
place. Looking on were several ex-world leaders,
including Bill Clinton and George Bush Snr. Also 7 State television yesterday paid lavish tribute.
there were Sir John Major, the Duke of York and Flags were flown at half-mast. But many ordinary
the Polish Solidarity leader Lech Walesa. Russians clearly still regard Yeltsin’s seven and
a half years as president as a disaster. There
3 During his lifetime Yeltsin, who died on Monday
were few mourners along the funeral route. The
of heart failure at the age of 76, presided over a
country has been split over its assessment of his
series of momentous changes – the end of the
legacy. Some praise him for bringing freedom
cold war, the collapse of the Soviet empire and
and helping defeat a coup attempt by former
a period of chaos and liberty. Yesterday’s state
Soviet hardliners; others blame him for handing
funeral marked another departure: a conscious
over state assets to oligarchs and damaging the
return to Russia’s old pre-revolutionary traditions.
country’s name with his drunken behaviour.
It was the first time since 1894 and the death of
Tsar Alexander III that Russia’s Orthodox church 8 Yesterday’s TV coverage made little mention
had sanctioned a ceremony for a Russian head of his disastrous decision to go to war against
of state. Chechen rebels in 1994. Instead it concentrated
on the good bits – Yeltsin’s friendly rapport with
4 Since Soviet times, and Lenin’s memorably
ordinary Russians and his obvious devotion
freezing funeral in January 1924, all Russian
towards his children and grandchildren.
leaders with the exception of Khrushchev have
Communist MPs, however, refused to stand
been buried near the Kremlin Wall and mourners
for a moment of silence in Yeltsin’s memory in
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parliament yesterday. “We will never give honour 10 At the service, bearded priests swung incense
to the destroyer of the fatherland,” communist and sang passages from the gospels. They
MP Viktor Ilyukhin said. prayed for Yeltsin’s sins. Metropolitan Yuvenaly,
the second most senior cleric in the Orthodox
9 Other old foes were more magnanimous. In a
church, told mourners Yeltsin had given people
moment of reconciliation, former Soviet leader the freedom they sought. Russia’s first president
Mikhail Gorbachev – a longstanding rival left should be remembered for this, he said. “Russia
without a job when Yeltsin dismantled the today lives a full life and is returning to its historic
Soviet Union – kissed his widow and whispered traditions. Witness to that is the fact that for the
words of condolence. Sir John Major and Mr first time in 100 years we are bidding farewell
Clinton gave her a hug. Mr Putin and his wife, to a Russian head of state in a church with
Ludmilla, stood solemnly nearby. Every member prayers.”
of Russia’s cabinet was there, including Sergei
Ivanov and Dmitry Medvedev, the two men © Guardian News & Media 2007
likely to contest next year’s presidential election. First published in The Guardian, 26/4/07
Also there was Roman Abramovich, an oligarch
whose billion-dollar fortune was accumulated
during Yeltsin’s rule.
1. How do many ordinary Russians feel about Yeltsin’s presidency?

a. They regard it as extremely successful.
b. They regard it as a disaster.
c. They have no opinion about it.
2. Why was Yeltsin’s funeral historically significant?

a. Because it was the first time in 100 years that a Russian head of state had been buried in a church.
b. Because all Russian leaders were buried near the Kremlin Wall.
c. Because the church was rebuilt during Yeltsin’s presidency.
3. Why do some Russians praise Yeltsin?

a. Because he brought freedom and helped to defeat the hardliners’ coup attempt.
b. Because he was devoted to his children and grandchildren.
c. Because he had a friendly rapport with ordinary Russians.
4. Why did Communist MPs refuse to stand in his memory?

a. Because Yeltsin wasn’t a communist.
b. Because his decision to go to war in Chechnya was a disaster.
c. Because they believe he destroyed Russia.
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Level 3 Advanced
Look in the text and find these words and expressions.
1. An adjective meaning peaceful. (Para 1)
2. An adjective meaning famous. (Para 1)
3. A verb meaning to give permission. (Para 3)
4. A four-word expression meaning except. (Para 4)
5. A three-word expression meaning mainly due to. (Para 6)
6. A noun meaning something that someone has achieved that continues to exist after they die. (Para 7)
7. A noun meaning an extremely rich and powerful person. (Para 7)
8. A verb meaning to end a political or economic system. (Para 9)
5 Vocabulary 2: Verb collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the correct words in the right-hand column.
1. lay a. respects
2. pay b. to war
3. take c. farewell
4. lie d. an election
5. go e. a fortune
6. contest f. in state
7. bid g. to rest
8. accumulate h. place
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Level 3 Advanced
6 Vocabulary 3: Adjective + noun collocations
Fill the gaps using these adjectives.
tranquil economic national heart

human complicated historic low-key
1. ____________ failure
2. ____________ ceremony
3. ____________ question
4. ____________ surroundings
5. ____________ anthem
6. ____________ miracle
7. ____________ traditions
8. ____________ qualities
7 Discussion
What problems do countries like Russia experience when they move suddenly from a state-controlled economy
to a free-market economy? Do you think Yeltsin will be remembered as someone who was good for Russia or
someone who was bad for Russia?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Collocations
1. rapport 1. g
2. foe 2. a
3. coup 3. h
4. magnanimous 4. f
5. lavish 5. b
6. momentous 6. d
7. compassionate 7. c
8. condolence 8. e
9. mourner
10. grieve
6 Vocabulary 3: Adjective + noun
collocations
2 What do you know?
1. heart
1. T 2. low-key
2. T 3. complicated
3. F 4. tranquil
4. F 5. national
5. F 6. economic
6. F 7. historic
8. human
1. b
2. a
3. a
4. c
1. tranquil
2. celebrated
3. sanction
4. with the exception of
5. largely down to
6. legacy
7. oligarch
8. dismantle
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
funeral cemetery widow farewell coffin

bury chaos mourner generous sympathy
1. A ____________ is a woman whose husband is dead.
2. ____________ is a situation in which everything is confused and in a mess.
3. When you ____________ a dead person, you put their body in the ground.
4. A ____________ is a ceremony that takes place after someone dies.
5. A ____________ is a long box in which a dead person is buried.
6. A ____________ is an area of ground where dead people are buried.
7. If you say ____________ to someone, you say goodbye because you will not see them again for a long time
and perhaps you will never see them again.
8. ____________ is a feeling of kindness and understanding you have for a person who is having an
unpleasant experience.
9. A ____________ is someone who goes to a funeral.
10. If you are ____________, you are kind, friendly and helpful.
1. How old was Boris Yeltsin when he died?
2. When was the last time a Russian head of state was buried in a church?
3. For how long was Boris Yeltsin president of Russia?
4. When did the war in Chechnya start?
5. Where were Russian leaders buried in the time of the Soviet Union?
6. How many former American presidents attended Yeltsin’s funeral?

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Level 1 Elementary
Russia turns to tradition for Yeltsin things. The fall of the Soviet Union was mostly
farewell because of Yeltsin. “He also had many human
Putin, Clinton and Major among mourners at qualities. He was a kind man, very different from
Orthodox ceremony. the leaders we’ve got now.”
Luke Harding in Moscow 6 Russian state television broadcast hours of

April 26, 2007 programmes about Yeltsin. Flags around Moscow
were at half-mast. But many ordinary Russians
clearly still think Yeltsin’s seven and a half years
1 The funeral of the former Russian president Boris
as president were a disaster for Russia. Only
Yeltsin took place yesterday in the Novodevichy
a few people were on the streets watching as
cemetery in Moscow. Yeltsin’s widow, Naina,
the funeral cars drove past. There were few
kissed him several times as a last farewell. Then
mourners along the funeral route. Russians do
the coffin was closed and, as Russia’s national
not really know what to think about Yeltsin. Some
anthem played,Yeltsin was buried. Several ex-
say he was good because he brought freedom;
world leaders, including Bill Clinton and George
others say he gave state companies to rich
Bush Snr., were at the funeral. Former UK
private owners and was bad for the country’s
prime minister John Major and the former Polish
image when he was drunk in public.
president Lech Walesa were also there.
7 Yeltsin’s biggest mistake was to order Russian
2 Yeltsin was 76 years old when he died from heart
forces to attack Chechen rebels in 1994 but
problems. When he was president of Russia
the TV programmes did not discuss this. They
there were a lot of historical changes – the end of
concentrated on the good things – Yeltsin’s
the cold war, the end of the Soviet Union and a
friendly relationship with ordinary Russians and
period of chaos and liberty. Yeltsin’s funeral was
his love for his children and grandchildren. There
another sign of changing times. It was the first
was a minute’s silence for Yeltsin in the Russian
time since 1894 and the death of Tsar Alexander
parliament yesterday but communist MPs did not
III that the funeral of a Russian head of state had
stand up. “We will never give honour to this man
taken place in a Russian Orthodox church.
because he destroyed our country,” communist
3 In the Soviet Union, Russian leaders were buried MP Viktor Ilyukhin said.
near the Kremlin Wall. Yeltsin’s funeral took
8 Other former enemies were more generous.
place in the cathedral of Christ the Saviour – an
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev – who
enormous church not far from the Kremlin.
lost his job when Yeltsin ended the Soviet Union
4 Hundreds of mourners stood in line to say – kissed his widow and offered his sympathy.
farewell to Yeltsin. The red, white and blue John Major and Bill Clinton offered their
Russian flag lay over his open coffin. Mourners sympathy. Mr Putin and his wife, Ludmilla, stood
walked past one by one, laying flowers. “He silently nearby. Every member of the Russian
was a strong man,” Dmitry Samarin, his former government was there, including Sergei Ivanov
bodyguard, said outside the church. Was he a and Dmitry Medvedev, the two men who will
good leader? “History is a very difficult thing,” he probably be in next year’s presidential election.
replied carefully. “He defeated the communist Roman Abramovich, a billionaire who made his
leadership. He was the only person who could do money thanks to Yeltsin, was also at the funeral.
that.”
9 During the funeral, bearded priests sang and
5 Arytom Leonidovich, a 26-year-old architect, said said prayers for Yeltsin. Metropolitan Yuvenaly,
it was a complicated question. “I think history the second most senior cleric in the Orthodox
will say that he did more positive than negative church, told mourners Yeltsin had given people
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the freedom they wanted. People should
remember Russia’s first president for this,
he said. “Russia today lives a full life and is
returning to its historic traditions. This is the first
time in 100 years we are saying goodbye to a
Russian head of state in a church.”

1. Communist MPs in Russia believe… a. …was a disaster for Russia.
2. Some Russians think Yeltsin was good because… b. …he gave state companies to rich private owners.
3. Some Russians think Yeltsin was bad because… c. …gave the people the freedom they wanted.
4. Yeltsin’s former bodyguard thinks… d. …Yeltsin destroyed their country.
5. The senior Orthodox cleric believes Yeltsin… e. …he was the only person who could defeat the
6. Many ordinary Russians think Yeltsin… communist leadership.
f. …he brought freedom to Russia.
4 Vocabulary 1: Words and definitions
Match these words from the text with their meanings.
1. national anthem a. another word for freedom
2. period b. having a beard
3. at half-mast c. a very large church
4. liberty d. the official song of a country
5. bodyguard e. an amount of time during which something happens
6. cleric f. (a flag) flying in the middle of the pole, not a the top
7. bearded g. a person whose job is to protect an important person
8. cathedral h. a priest
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Fill the gaps in these phrases from the text using prepositions.
1. a lot of people were _______ the funeral.
2. he died _______ heart problems
3. a sign _______ changing times
4. not far _______ the Kremlin
5. stand _______ line
6. one _______ one
7. drunk _______ public
8. concentrate _______ the good things
Complete the table using adjectives from the text.
1. poor
2. positive
3. very small
4. simple
5. sober
6. weak
7. unkind
8. junior
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KEY
1. widow 1. at
2. chaos 2. from
3. bury 3. of
4. funeral 4. from
5. coffin 5. in
6. cemetery 6. by
7. farewell 7. in
8. sympathy 8. on
9. mourner
10. generous
2 Find the information 1. rich

2. negative
1. 76 3. enormous
2. 1894 4. complicated
3. Seven and a half years 5. drunk
4. 1994 6. strong
5. Near the Kremlin Wall 7. kind
6. Two 8. senior
1. d
2. f
3. b
4. e
5. c
6. a
4 Vocabulary 1: Words and definitions
1. d
2. e
3. f
4. a
5. g
6. h
7. b
8. c
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1 Key words
cemetery coffin funeral collapse revival

mourner regime coup assets condolences
1. A ____________ is a ceremony that takes place after someone dies, after which the body of the dead person is
buried or cremated.
2. A ____________ is a situation in which a group of people takes control of a country by force.
3. ____________ are money, property or resources that a person, company or country owns.
4. If you offer ____________ to someone, you express sympathy because a friend or relative has died.
5. A ____________ is a person who attends a funeral to pay respect to the dead person.
6. A ____________ is an area of ground where dead people are buried.
7. A ____________ is a situation in which something fails or stops existing.
8. ____________ is the process of becoming active and successful again.
9. A ____________ is a long box in which a dead person is buried.
10. A ____________ is a government that controls a country, especially in a strict or unfair way.
1. How old was Boris Yeltsin when he died?
2. When was the last time a Russian head of state was buried in a church?
3. When did Lenin die?
4. For how long was Boris Yeltsin president of Russia?
5. When did the war in Chechnya start?
6. Which Russian leader blew up the cathedral of Christ the Saviour?

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NEWS LESSONS / Russia turns to tradition for Yeltzin farewell / Intermediate

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Russia turns to tradition for Yeltsin man,” Dmitry Samarin, his former bodyguard,
farewell said outside the church. Was he a good leader,
Putin, Clinton and Major among mourners at though? “History is a very difficult thing,” he
Orthodox ceremony. replied carefully. “He managed to defeat the
communist leadership. I don’t think anybody else
could have done it.”
April 26, 2007
5 Arytom Leonidovich, a 26-year-old architect,
said it was a complicated question. “I think in
1 Former Russian president Boris Yeltsin was
time history will record that he did more positive
buried yesterday in the peaceful surroundings
than negative things. The fall of the communist
of Moscow’s Novodevichy cemetery. Before his
regime was largely because of him. “He also had
coffin was covered and lowered into the ground,
many human qualities. He was kind, unlike the
his widow, Naina, came forward to say farewell.
leadership we’ve got now.”
She kissed him several times. Then as Russia’s
national anthem sounded,Yeltsin sank into his 6 Russian state television yesterday broadcast
final resting place. The funeral was attended by hours of programmes about Yeltsin. Flags
several ex-world leaders, including Bill Clinton flew at half-mast. But many ordinary Russians
and George Bush Snr. Also there were former clearly still think Yeltsin’s seven and a half years
UK prime minister John Major and the Polish as president were a disaster. There were few
Solidarity leader Lech Walesa. mourners along the funeral route. The country
has been split over what it thinks about Yeltsin.
2 Yeltsin died of heart failure at the age of 76. As
Some praise him for bringing freedom and
Russian president, he presided over a series of
helping defeat a coup attempt by former Soviet
historical changes – the end of the cold war, the
hardliners; others blame him for handing over
collapse of the Soviet empire and a period of
state assets to oligarchs and damaging the
chaos and liberty. His state funeral was another
country’s name with his drunken behaviour.
change: a conscious return to Russia’s old
pre-revolutionary traditions. It was the first time 7 TV coverage made little mention of his disastrous
since 1894 and the death of Tsar Alexander III decision to go to war against Chechen rebels in
that a Russian head of state had been buried in a 1994. Instead it concentrated on the good things
Russian Orthodox church. – Yeltsin’s friendly relationship with ordinary
Russians and his obvious love for his children
3 Since Soviet times, and Lenin’s freezing funeral
and grandchildren. Communist MPs, however,
in January 1924, all Russian leaders except
refused to stand for a moment of silence in
Khrushchev have been buried near the Kremlin
Yeltsin’s memory in parliament yesterday. “We
Wall. Yeltsin’s funeral took place in the cathedral
will never give honour to the destroyer of the
of Christ the Saviour – an enormous church with
fatherland,” communist MP Viktor Ilyukhin said.
a gold dome not far from the Kremlin. It was
blown up by Stalin in 1931 but rebuilt during 8 Other former enemies were more generous.
Yeltsin’s presidency as a symbol of national Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
revival. – who lost his job when Yeltsin dismantled the
Soviet Union – kissed his widow and offered
4 Hundreds of mourners had queued round the
his condolences. John Major and Bill Clinton
block to pay their respects to Yeltsin, whose body
gave her a hug. Mr Putin and his wife, Ludmilla,
had lain in state for two days. His open coffin
stood silently nearby. Every member of Russia’s
was covered by a Russian flag. Mourners went
cabinet was there, including Sergei Ivanov and
past one by one, laying flowers. “He was a strong
Dmitry Medvedev, the two men who will probably
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contest next year’s presidential election. Also
there was Roman Abramovich, an oligarch who
accumulated his billion-dollar fortune during
Yeltsin’s rule.
9 At the service, bearded priests sang passages

from the gospels and prayed for Yeltsin’s sins.
Metropolitan Yuvenaly, the second most senior
cleric in the Orthodox church, told mourners
Yeltsin had given people the freedom they
sought. Russia’s first president should be
remembered for this, he said. “Russia today lives
a full life and is returning to its historic traditions.
This is the first time in 100 years we are saying
goodbye to a Russian head of state in a church
with prayers.”

Are these sentences True (T) or False (F) according to the text?
1. George W. Bush attended Boris Yeltsin’s funeral.
2. The Cold War ended while Yeltsin was president of Russia.
3. Yeltsin was buried near the Kremlin Wall.
4. There were thousands of mourners along the funeral route.
5. Many ordinary Russians do not think Yeltsin’s presidency was a success.
6. Some people think Yeltsin damaged the name of Russia.
7. President Putin did not attend Yeltsin’s funeral.
8. Communist MPs stood during the moment of silence for Boris Yeltsin.
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Look in the text and find the following words and expressions.
1. A two-word noun that means the official song of a country. (Para 1)
2. A noun that means a roof shaped like the top half of a ball. (Para 3)
3. A noun meaning a person whose job is to protect an important person. (Para 4)
4. A three-word expression meaning a flag that has been lowered to the middle of a pole. (Para 6)
5. A noun meaning someone who is strict or extreme in their beliefs. (Para 6)
6. A noun meaning a very rich and powerful person. (Para 6)
7. An adjective meaning causing a lot of damage or harm. (Para 7)
8. A verb meaning to get more and more of something over a period of time. (Para 8)
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the correct words in the right-hand column.
1. take a. a flag
2. pay b. flowers
3. lie c. condolences
4. lay d. an election
5. fly e. a TV or radio programme
6. contest f. place
7. offer g. in state
8. broadcast h. respects
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What prepositions follow these words and phrases? Check your answers in the text.
1. concentrate _______
2. relationship _______
3. love _______
4. return _______
5. say goodbye _______
6. preside _______
7. a symbol _______
8. pay respects _______
7 Discussion
What problems do countries like Russia experience when they move suddenly from a state-controlled economy to
a free-market economy?
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1. funeral 1. national anthem

2. coup 2. dome
3. assets 3. bodyguard
4. condolences 4. at half-mast
5. mourner 5. hardliner
6. cemetery 6. oligarch
7. collapse 7. disastrous
8. revival 8. accumulate
9. coffin
10. regime
2 Find the information 1. f

2. h
1. 76 3. g
2. 1894 4. b
3. 1924 5. a
4. seven and a half years 6. d
5. 1994 7. c
6. Stalin 8. e
3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Prepositions
1. F 1. on
2. T 2. with
3. F 3. for
4. F 4. to
5. T 5. to
6. T 6. over
7. F 7. of
8. F 8. to
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Fearful rich keep poor at bay in Buenos Aires
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
idyllic catch posh shanty vagrant

meltdown well-heeled exodus lax surge
1. If someone is ____________, they are rich.
2. A ____________ area is one that is expensive and attractive.
3. An ____________ place is one that is extremely beautiful and peaceful.
4. A ____________ town is an area where very poor people live in badly built houses made of wood, metal and
other thin material.
5. An ____________ is a situation in which a lot of people leave a place at the same time.
6. ____________ is the opposite of strict.
7. A ____________ is someone with no home who begs for money.
8. If there is a ____________ in something, there is a hidden problem or difficulty in something that seems ex-
tremely good.
9. A ____________ is a rapid and large-scale increase.
10. Economic ____________ is the sudden and complete failure of an economy.
2 What do you know?
Do you think these statements are True (T) or False (F)? Check your answers in the text.
1. Just over 5 years ago Argentina experienced economic meltdown.
2. Hugo Chavez is president of Argentina.
3. It is more expensive to live in an exclusive suburb than to live in the centre of Buenos Aires.
4. Europeans and North Americans are not interested in buying property in central Buenos Aires.
5. The economy of Argentina has made a strong recovery.
6. Argentina owes a lot of money to the International Monetary Fund.

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NEWS LESSONS / Fearful rich keep poor at bay in Buenos Aires / Advanced
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Level 3 Advanced
Fearful rich keep poor at bay flight into gated communities has also been a
Uneven economic recovery is polarizing society, feature of post-apartheid South Africa, with the
and Buenos Aires’ well-off are seeking peace middle classes seeking refuge from crime in what
outside the city. critics dub the “architecture of fear”. The fact that
this is now happening in Argentina is causing
Rory Carroll in Buenos Aires
anguished debate about whether the country’s
April 25, 2007
society, once considered South America’s most
“European” and egalitarian, is also becoming
1 The scenes are idyllic. Children cycle care-free polarized along the lines of South Africa and
through landscaped neighbourhoods. Parents Brazil.
clink glasses of malbec and polo players saddle
4 Despite the recovery, a shanty town of
up for practice sessions. During the week,
corrugated tin and wood around Buenos Aires is
workers resume building plush houses with
a reminder that 40% of people are still in poverty.
gardens and swimming pools. Touring these
Vagrants sleep in doorways next to tourist areas
estates, which are outside Buenos Aires, it
and ragged children beg at traffic lights. These
is difficult to imagine that just five years ago
sights are hidden to many of those in the gated
Argentina was on its knees, a country with an
communities, says Celina Murga, 34, a film
economic crisis that made millions jobless,
director. “The children growing up in these places
shattered the middle class and turned one of
are very different from others, they don’t know
South America’s safest capitals into a hunting
how to behave in the real world.” She is making
ground for muggers and kidnappers. Yet today
a film, A Week Alone, about youths in a gated
if you visit any number of neighbourhoods you
community who are left unsupervised. “I want to
find new cars parked in driveways and architects
show that this is a social crisis,” says Ms Murga.
designing home extensions. Argentina’s recovery
Those outside the fences joke that the children
has been remarkable.
inside think golf carts are mankind’s main mode
2 But there is a catch. These scenes take place of transport and have no idea what traffic lights
in “barrios cerrados”, gated communities are for.
surrounded by walls, razor wire and uniformed
5 Initially, the economic meltdown in December
guards carrying handguns, assault rifles and
2001 united the middle class and the poor in
walkie-talkies. The country has bounced back but
rage against the government and financial
it is different. More than 400 new neighbourhoods
institutions, which were blamed for the collapse
have mushroomed on what were swamps and
of businesses and wiping out savings. That
cornfields outside Buenos Aires, hosting some
changed when armed gangs focused on people
300,000 people and covering more land than the
in well-heeled districts, such as Belgrano and
city they left behind. The posher areas are called
Palermo, creating a perception that crime was
“countries”, an apt term since outsiders need ID
out of control. The kidnap and murder of a young
and authorisation to cross perimeters that look
man, Axel Blumberg, prompted hundreds of
and feel like borders.
thousands to protest. As the economy began to
3 “You can’t see the poor here, that’s part of the recover from 2003, the stream of people moving
appeal,” says Ramiro Figueroa, 30, a polo to gated communities turned into a torrent. The
player and estate agent who lives in Tortugas, a high walls of developments now line the 10-lane
one square mile oasis an hour’s drive from the motorways out of Buenos Aires.
capital. “I love it here. Everything is secure. I
6 “If it is a bit off the highway and they have to
leave my windows open at night. The worst that
drive through a poor neighbourhood to reach
can happen is maybe a bicycle’s stolen.” The
home, people do not buy them. They are afraid
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of kidnapping,” says Peter Haller, a property a complex 16 miles north of the city, and her
consultant. An incentive to move to gated areas social life has never been better. Her parents and
is the prestige, since they are seen as a symbol siblings live nearby, as do half her friends, and
of success, he said. “It takes you to another every weekend there’s a barbecue or party. “For
social level.” The original “countries” were £40,000 my choice was 40 square metres in the
founded 70 years ago as weekend retreats for city – or 160 here. With a garden, a swimming
the polo set and the sense of exclusiveness pool and a hammock. You don’t think twice. It’s
endures. like a dream ... I won’t go away from here unless
I’m dead.”
7 Ironically, foreigners are now snapping up
apartments in central Buenos Aires, believing the © Guardian News & Media 2007
city to be a good investment and good place to First published in The Guardian, 25/4/07
live, says Mr Haller. About a third of city centre
properties are bought by Europeans and North
Americans. The middle-class exodus shows
no sign of slowing and lax planning laws mean
it is easy to develop new sites. Newspapers
publish weekly supplements for gated community
residents and businesses are following their
workers and customers.
8 The surge in spending reflects a dramatic

turnaround from the dark days of 2002 when
Argentina plunged into an economic abyss. A
devaluation of the peso and renegotiation of the
country’s international debt payments caused
widespread hardship but did help stop the
freefall. A surge in commodity prices, especially
of soya, prompted an export-led recovery.
9 Argentina’s president, Néstor Kirchner, with

financial help from Venezuela’s president, Hugo
Chávez, has paid off the International Monetary
Fund, boosting the government’s popularity
and the sense that the nation has recovered
its independence. Yet the mood of confidence
has not stopped banks, supermarkets and
restaurants leaving the city in the same way that
South African firms quit central Johannesburg for
Sandton in the northern suburbs 10 years ago.
10 Many residents deny that they are cut off. Fear

of crime and traffic in central Buenos Aires had
obliged parents to accompany children whenever
they left their apartments, so they were the ones
inhabiting bubbles, not those in the gated areas,
says Connie Burgwardt, a 40-year-old lawyer.
She moved two years ago to Santa Barbara,
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1. Why, in the author’s view, is Argentina becoming like South Africa or Brazil?
a. Because 40% of the people live in poverty.
b. Because Argentine society is becoming polarized.
c. Because restaurants are moving to the suburbs.
2. What has been the effect of the government paying off the country’s debts?
a. People are happier because they feel the country has recovered its independence.
b. The government has become less popular.
c. More people have moved to the countryside.
3. What is the catch referred to in the text?

a. The posh areas are called “countries”.
b. The posh areas have to be protected by walls, razor wire and guards.
c. Bicycles are often stolen.
4. What is the main problem for children growing up in the gated communities?
a. They have no idea what traffic lights are for.
b. They think golf carts are mankind’s main method of transport.
c. They don’t know how to behave in the real world.
1. An adjective meaning expensive, comfortable and attractive. (Para 1)
2. A verb meaning to break suddenly into small pieces. (Para 1)
3. A two-word verb meaning to rise again after falling. (Para 2)
4. A verb meaning to increase or develop very quickly. (Para 2)
5. An adjective meaning very suitable. (Para 2)
6. A noun meaning a fast and powerful flow. (Para 5)
7. A two-word verb meaning to buy something as soon as you see it. (Para 7)
8. A noun meaning a large deep hole that appears to have no bottom. (Para 8)
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5 Vocabulary 2: Words and expressions

Match these words and expressions from the text with the definitions.
1. on its knees a. in a similar way to
2. anguished debate b. a formal gesture before drinking
3. along the lines of c. to destroy completely
4. freefall d. a sudden change of fortune
5. clink glasses e. extremely weak after a difficult period
6. a dramatic turnaround f. somewhere you go to take a short break
7. wipe out g. an uncontrolled loss of value
8. weekend retreat h. a very emotional discussion
6 Vocabulary 3: Noun suffixes

Add suffixes to these words to form new words (nouns). Check your answers in the text.
1. neighbour_______
2. kidnap_______
3. architect_______
4. recover_______
5. develop_______
6. exclusive_______
7. hard_______
8. popular_______
7 Discussion
What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in closed, guarded communities like those described in the
article? Would you like to live in such a place? Why? Why not?
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KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Words and expressions
1. well-heeled 1. e
2. posh 2. h
3. idyllic 3. a
4. shanty 4. g
5. exodus 5. b
6. lax 6. d
7. vagrant 7. c
8. catch 8. f
9. surge
10. meltdown
6 Vocabulary 3: Noun suffixes
2 What do you know? 1. neighbourhood

2. kidnapper
1. T 3. architecture
2. F 4. recovery
3. F 5. development
4. F 6. exclusiveness
5. T 7. hardship
6. F 8. popularity
1. b
2. a
3. b
4. c
1. plush
2. shatter
3. bounce back
4. mushroom
5. apt
6. torrent
7. snap up
8. abyss
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these words from the text.
suburb estate savings recovers secure

polarized shanty town beggar kidnap investment

1. If a society is ____________, people are divided into two opposite groups.
2. A ____________ is someone who is very poor and lives by asking people for money or food.
3. A ____________ is a place where poor people live in very small houses made of metal and wood.
4. A ____________ is an area near a big city but away from its centre.
5. Money you have saved in a bank is called your ____________.
6. An ____________ is money used in a way that may earn more money.
7. An ____________ is an area where there are many houses, built at the same time by the same company.
8. ____________ means safe from attack, harm or damage.
9. If a country ____________ after a difficult period, it becomes stronger again.
10. If you ____________ someone, you make them a prisoner and ask their family for money.
1. How many new estates have been built around Buenos Aires?
2. What percentage of the people of Argentina are still poor?
3. When did the economic crisis in Argentina begin?
4. When did the economy begin to recover?
5. How many square metres could £40,000 buy in the centre of Buenos Aires?
6. How many square metres could £40,000 buy in the suburbs?

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NEWS LESSONS / Fearful rich keep poor at bay in Buenos Aires / Elementary
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Level 1 Elementary
Fearful rich keep poor at bay cars stopping at traffic lights. Many of the people
living in the closed estates do not see these
Uneven economic recovery is polarizing society,
things, says Celina Murga, 34, a film director.
and Buenos Aires’ well-off are seeking peace
“The children who live in these places are very
outside the city.
different from others; they don’t know what the
Rory Carroll in Buenos Aires real world is like.” She is making a film about
April 25, 2007 children in the closed estates. “I want to show
that this is a social crisis,” says Ms Murga.
1 In the suburbs around the Argentine capital
Buenos Aires you find estates full of expensive 5 Argentina’s economic crisis began in December
houses with gardens and swimming pools. When 2001. At first both the middle class and the
you look at these rich estates, it is difficult to poor were angry with the government and the
imagine that just five years ago Argentina was financial institutions. The middle class lost
in the middle of an economic crisis. Millions of their businesses and the poor lost any savings
people lost their jobs and their savings. There they had. Everything changed when gangs of
was a dramatic increase in violent crime. But criminals started attacking people in rich districts
today if you visit the suburbs of Buenos Aires you of Buenos Aires. People thought that crime was
find new cars parked outside expensive houses. out of control. Hundreds of thousands of people
To the surprise of many people, the economy of protested after the kidnap and murder of a young
Argentina is growing stronger again. man, Axel Blumberg. When the economy began
to recover in 2003, more and more people moved
2 But there is a problem in these rich estates.
to closed estates. You can see the high walls of
They are closed communities protected by high
these estates when you drive along the 10-lane
walls and uniformed guards with guns and two-
motorways out of Buenos Aires.
way radios. Argentina has recovered but it is
different. More than 400 new estates have been 6 Foreigners are now buying apartments in central
built around Buenos Aires. 300,000 people live Buenos Aires. They believe that it is a good
in these estates and if you don’t live there you investment and a good place to live. Europeans
have to show ID to a security guard if you want and North Americans own about 30% of the
to enter. properties in the city centre. The economic
recovery is a dramatic change from the dark days
3 “There are no poor people here. That’s one of 2002. Now the government is more popular
reason why people like it,” says Ramiro Figueroa, and many people feel more confident. But banks,
30, an estate agent who lives in Tortugas about supermarkets and restaurants are still leaving the
an hour by car from the centre of Buenos Aires. city centre and moving to the suburbs.
“I love it here. Everything is secure. I leave my
windows open at night.” You can also find closed 7 People living in the closed estates say that they
estates like these in the new South Africa, as are happier there than in the city centre. Connie
the middle classes try to escape from crime in Burgwardt, a 40-year-old lawyer, moved two
the city centres. People are now worried that years ago to Santa Barbara, an estate 16 miles
Argentina might become a polarized society like north of the city. She says he has a wonderful
South Africa or Brazil. social life there. Her parents and her friends live
nearby, and every weekend there’s a barbecue or
4 The economy is stronger now but 40% of the party. “For £40,000 I could buy 40 square metres
people of Argentina are still poor. You can see in the city – or 160 here. Here I have a garden
this in the shanty towns around Buenos Aires. In and a swimming pool. You don’t think twice. It’s
the tourist areas you can see beggars sleeping in like a dream ... I won’t go away from here unless
shop doorways and children beg for money from I’m dead.”
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Level 1 Elementary
1. Rich people move to the suburbs because…
2. People feel secure in the closed estates because…
3. Argentina might become a polarized society because…
4. Foreigners are buying apartments in Buenos Aires because…
5. In 2001 people were angry with the government because…
6. One reason that people like the closed estates is because…
a. …they don’t see any poor people there.
b. …they believe it is a good investment.
c. …they have high walls and armed guards.
d. …they lost their jobs and their savings.
e. …40% of the people are still poor.
f. …they are worried about crime in the city centre.
4 Vocabulary 1: Noun and noun collocations
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make expressions from the
text.
1. estate a. radio
2. city b. guard
3. security c. pool
4. traffic d. town
5. swimming e. light
6. tourist f. agent
7. two-way g. area
8. shanty h. centre
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Level 1 Elementary
Complete these phrases from the text using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.
1. ...in the middle _____ an economic crisis.
2. …an increase _____ violent crime.
3. …an hour _____ car from the centre…
4. I leave my windows open _____ night.
5. …escape _____ ...
6. …stopping _____ traffic lights.
7. …angry _____ the government…
8. …crime was _____ control.
Match the adjectives in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column.
1. economic a. guard
2. dramatic b. institution
3. middle c. crime
4. financial d. class
5. social e. crisis
6. violent f. society
7. uniformed g. life
8. polarized h. increase
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1. polarized 1. f
2. beggar 2. h
3. shanty town 3. b
4. suburb 4. e
5. savings 5. c
6. investment 6. g
7. estate 7. a
8. recovers 8. d
9. kidnap
1. of
1. More than 400 2. in
2. 40% 3. by
3. December 2001 4. at
4. 2003 5. from
5. 40 6. at
6. 160 7. with
8. out of
1. f collocations
2. c
3. e 1. e
4. b 2. h
5. d 3. d
6. a 4. b
5. g
6. c
7. a
8. f
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1 Key words: Adjectives
Fill the gaps using these adjectives from the text.
plush jobless remarkable secure egalitarian

ragged lax anguished polarized isolated
1. If something is ____________ , it is unusual in a way that surprises or impresses you.
2. ____________ is the opposite of strict.

3. If a place is ____________ , it is a long way from other places and may be difficult to get to.
4. A ____________ place is one that is safe from harm, attack or damage.
5. An ____________ debate is one that causes emotional pain.
6. If you are ____________, you don’t have work.
7. If a society is ____________, its people are split into opposing groups.
8. ____________ clothes are torn and dirty.
9. In an ____________ society, people have equal status and the same money and opportunities.
10. ____________ means expensive, comfortable and attractive.
1. How many new neighbourhoods have been built around Buenos Aires?
2. What percentage of the people of Argentina still live in poverty?
3. When was the economic crisis in Argentina?
4. When did the economy begin to recover?
5. How many square metres could £40,000 buy in the centre of Buenos Aires?
6. How many square metres could £40,000 buy in the suburbs?

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Fearful rich keep poor at bay with

which was once considered South America’s
gated homes and razor wire
most “European” and egalitarian, is also
Uneven economic recovery is polarizing society, becoming polarized in the same way as South
and Buenos Aires’ well-off are seeking peace Africa and Brazil.
outside the city.
Rory Carroll in Buenos Aires 4 Despite the recovery, 40% of the people of
April 25, 2007 Argentina still live in poverty. You can see this
from the shanty towns around Buenos Aires.
Vagrants sleep in doorways next to tourist
1 The landscaped neighbourhoods outside the areas and children in ragged clothes beg at
Argentine capital Buenos Aires have plush traffic lights. Many of the people living in the
houses with gardens and swimming pools. When gated communities do not see such sights, says
you look at these estates, it is difficult to imagine Celina Murga, 34, a film director. “The children
that just five years ago Argentina was in the growing up in these places are very different from
middle of an economic crisis that made millions others; they don’t know how to behave in the
jobless, destroyed the middle class and turned real world.” She is making a film, A Week Alone,
one of South America’s safest capitals into a about youths in a gated community who are left
hunting ground for muggers and kidnappers. unsupervised. “I want to show that this is a social
But today, if you visit these neighbourhoods, you crisis,” says Ms Murga. “People living outside
find new cars parked in driveways and architects the fences joke that the children inside think
designing home extensions. The economic everyone travels in golf carts and they have no
recovery of Argentina has been remarkable. idea what traffic lights are.”
2 But there is a catch. These neighbourhoods are 5 At first, the economic crisis of December 2001
gated communities surrounded by walls, razor united the middle class and the poor in their
wire and uniformed guards carrying guns and anger against the government and financial
two-way radios. The country has recovered institutions, which people blamed for the collapse
but it is different. More than 400 mostly new of businesses and the loss of all the money
neighbourhoods have been built on what were they had saved. That changed when armed
swamps and cornfields outside Buenos Aires, gangs started attacking people in rich districts of
providing homes for about 300,000 people and Buenos Aires, creating the impression that crime
covering more land than the city they left behind. was out of control. Hundreds of thousands of
Outsiders need ID to enter these communities. people protested after the kidnap and murder of
a young man, Axel Blumberg. As the economy
3 “You can’t see the poor here, that’s one reason
began to recover from 2003, more and more
why people like it,” says Ramiro Figueroa, 30,
people moved to gated communities. The high
a polo player and estate agent who lives in
walls of the gated communities now line the 10-
Tortugas about an hour’s drive from the capital.
lane motorways out of Buenos Aires.
“I love it here. Everything is secure. I leave my
windows open at night. The worst thing that can 6 “If it is a bit off the highway and they have to
happen is a stolen bicycle.” Gated communities drive through a poor neighbourhood to reach
have also been a feature of post-apartheid South home people do not buy them. They are afraid
Africa, as the middle classes try to escape from of kidnapping,” says Peter Haller, a property
crime in the city centres. The fact that this is now consultant. Some people move to gated areas
happening in Argentina is causing an anguished because they are seen as a symbol of success,
debate about whether the country’s society, he said. “It takes you to another social level.” The
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original communities were founded 70 years ago 9 People living in the communities say that they
as weekend retreats for the super rich, and the are not isolated. High levels of crime and the
feeling that they are exclusive is still there. heavy traffic of central Buenos Aires meant that
parents had to accompany children when they
7 Foreigners are now buying apartments in went out, so they were the ones living in bubbles,
central Buenos Aires, believing that it is a good not those in the gated areas, says Connie
investment and a good place to live, says Mr Burgwardt, a 40-year-old lawyer. She moved two
Haller. About a third of city centre properties are years ago to Santa Barbara, a complex 16 miles
bought by Europeans and North Americans. The north of the city, and her social life has never
middle-class exodus shows no sign of slowing been better. Her parents and siblings live nearby,
down and lax planning regulations mean it is as do half her friends, and every weekend there’s
easy to develop new sites. a barbecue or party. “For £40,000 my choice was
8 The economic recovery is a dramatic change 40 square metres in the city - or 160 here. With
from the dark days of 2002. Now the government a garden and a swimming pool. You don’t think
is more popular and many people feel the twice. It’s like a dream ... I won’t go away from
country has recovered its independence. But here unless I’m dead.”
this mood of confidence has not stopped banks, © Guardian News & Media 2007
supermarkets and restaurants leaving the city in First published in The Guardian, 25/4/07
the same way that South African companies left
central Johannesburg for the northern suburbs
10 years ago.
1. Argentina has changed since the economic crisis.
2. Rich people prefer to live in the city centre rather than in the gated communities.
3. The attraction of the gated communities is that they are secure.
4. The government has become more popular since the economic crisis.
5. Most of the population still lives in poverty.
6. The new neighbourhoods cover more land than the city of Buenos Aires itself.
7. Housing is more expensive in the suburbs than in the city centre.
8. Foreigners own most of the properties in the city centre

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1. A noun meaning a hidden problem in something that seems good. (para 2)
2. A noun meaning an area of land covered by water where trees and plants grow. (para 2)
3. A two-word noun meaning someone whose job is to help people to buy and sell property. (para 3)
4. A two-word noun meaning a poor area where houses are built of tin, wood and other thin material. (para 4)
5. A noun meaning a homeless person who begs for money. (para 4)
6. A noun meaning a peaceful and private place where you can go to rest. (para 6)
7. A noun meaning a situation where a lot of people leave a place at the same time. (para 7)
8. A noun meaning brother or sister. (para 9)
Match the adjectives in the left-hand column with nouns from the right-hand column to make collocations
from the text.
1. middle a. neighbourhood
2. economic b. world
3. real c. institution
4. gated d. traffic
5. financial e. community
6. poor f. class
7. dramatic g. crisis
8. heavy h. change
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6 Vocabulary 6: Word-building
Complete the tables.
Crime Criminal Adjective Noun

1. kidnapping 5. poor
2. murder 6. secure
3. beg 7. angry
4. mugger 8. high
7 Discussion
What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in closed, guarded communities like those described in the
article? Would you like to live in such a place?
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KEY
1. remarkable 1. catch
2. lax 2. swamp
3. isolated 3. estate agent
4. secure 4. shanty town
5. anguished 5. vagrant
6. jobless 6. retreat
7. polarized 7. exodus
8. ragged 8. sibling
9. egalitarian
10. plush
collocations
1. f
1. more than 400 2. g
2. 40% 3. b
3. December 2001 4. e
4. 2003 5. c
5. 40 6. a
6. 160 7. h
8. d
1. T
2. F 1. kidnapper
3. T 2. murderer
4. T 3. beggar
5. F 4. mugging
6. T 5. poverty
7. F 6. security
8. F 7. anger
8. height
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Online fraudster
Level 3 Advanced
director of 192.com, which sponsors Prove-ID, a 15 How to avoid scams
private industrial forum on dealing with fraud. “It’s
a hard process to go through.” • Never give personal details over the phone.
Banks should never ask for pin numbers
13 Instead, companies are opting for tougher or codes.
security procedures and programmes to educate
the public about safe Internet use. • Only shop on secure websites that display
a padlock or key symbol in your browser. The
14 But experienced fraudsters like Tee say that it address should start https instead of http.
is still too easy. Even chip and pin, which has
drastically cut physical fraud levels, can prove • Only open email attachments if you are entirely
beneficial to the seasoned criminal. “I thought sure it is necessary.
chip and pin was brilliant - now cashiers think • Be wary of suspicious-looking email. Some
they’ve got no right to look at your card. If I viruses use the name of somebody you trust as
wanted to, I could pretend to be anyone, because a disguise.
nobody will ever check. It’s a new opportunity
for them.” © Guardian News & Media 2007
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NEWS LESSONS / Online fraudster / Advanced

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Online fraudster
Level 3 Advanced
1. Why did Tee become a criminal?
2. Was Tee ever caught?
3. What three methods did Tee use to get people’s personal information, according to the article?
4. According to criminologists, why do people commit online crime?
5. How are companies fighting online fraud?
6. Why does Tee think chip and pin is good for criminals?
4 Vocabulary 1: Words in context
Read the article again and choose the best definition for each of these words.
1. (para 4) If someone is flippant they are being a) serious. b) not serious.
2. (para 5) If you net something you a) catch it. b) lose it.
3. (para 5) Scant details means a) many details. b) few details.
4. (para 8) Callous means a) kind. b) cruel
5. (para 13) To opt for something means to a) choose it. b) reject it
6. (para 15) If you are wary of something you a) trust it. b) don’t trust it
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Online fraudster
Level 3 Advanced

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in CAPITALS.
1. SIZE Tee built up a ____________ debt while at University.
2. CONSPIRE Tee went to prison for ____________ to defraud.
3. SECURITY Tee could find people’s details on ____________ websites.
4. INTERVIEW Martin Gill studied online crime and Tee was one of his ____________ .
5. BELIEVE Criminals hold the ____________ that they will not be caught.
6. BENEFIT Tee says that chip and pin methods are ____________ to criminals.
Make collocations with the words from A and the words from B.
A B
to rack up crimes
a fast-growing criminals
a spending debts
to commit details
seasoned field
to serve a prison sentence
security procedures
bank spree
7 Discussion
Do you feel secure when shopping or giving out your personal details online? What security precautions do you
take when using the Internet?
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Words in context
1. b 1. b
2. e 2. a
3. c 3. b
4. d 4. b
5. f 5. a
6. a 6. b
2 What do you think? 5 Vocabulary 2: Word formation
2. Despite tougher security, identity and credit card 1. sizeable

theft are at an all-time high. 2. conspiracy
3. insecure
4. interviewee
5. belief
6. beneficial
1. Because living away from home was expensive

and he was in debt. He saw it as an easy way of
making money. 6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations
2. Yes. He served “a long prison sentence”.
3. Insecure websites, other criminals, phoning people to rack up debts
and asking. a fast-growing field
4. Because they see it as easy, and many cases go a spending spree
unreported. It is hard to prosecute online criminals. to commit crimes
5. Through tougher security procedures and seasoned criminals
programmes to educate the public. to serve a prison sentence
6. Because cashiers now don’t look at people’s cards. security procedures
Criminals could be pretend to be anyone. bank details
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1 Key words
Complete the sentences with these key words from the article.
conviction mortgage bouquet fraudster

prosecute victim scam spending spree

1. A ________ is a kind of criminal who gets money from people by tricking them.
2. If you go on a ________, you spend a lot of money in a short time.
3. A ________ is a loan the bank gives you to buy a house.
4. A ________ is a collection of flowers.
5. To ________ someone is to officially accuse them of a crime.
6. A ________ is a decision by a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime.
7. A ________ is someone who is hurt or killed as a result of a crime.
8. A ________ is a dishonest way to make money.
Read the article quickly and decide which is the best summary of the main idea.
1. A bank tries to protect itself and its clients against online crime.
2. An interview shows that many people think it’s easy to steal money online.
3. Criminologists interview criminals and discover secrets about online crime.
4. A report on how to avoid common online scams.

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It’s easy money, says online fraudster 24 hours, you call the bank up and convince
who stole £250,000 them that you’re the genuine person and that
you haven’t made those transactions - and they
Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent refund it. Then you just go to the cash machine
May 3, 2007 and take it all out again.” He even sent flowers to
one victim, using their stolen bank details to pay
1 On the outside, Tee was a typical student. Living
for the bouquet.
away from home was expensive and he owed
money. Like most students, he had a computer 6 Statistics from Cifas, the UK’s fraud prevention
and a phone in his room - but instead of using service, show that identity theft was up almost
them to study, he turned them into the tools of a 20% last year, while Internet and card fraud rose
21st century criminal. to an all-time high of £414m in 2006.
2 In his short career as a fraudster, Tee - who is 7 Martin Gill is a criminologist at the University
trying to rebuild his life after serving a long prison of Leicester. He has studied the actions and
sentence - estimates that he stole as much as motivations of fraudsters and Tee was one of
£250,000 through stolen credit card details, the people he interviewed. Gill believes that
identity theft and bank account takeover. Police fraudsters think that online crime is easy. “One
officials last week said the volume of online crime of the things that comes through is the belief that
was so high that they could not investigate every they’re not going to get caught,” he said.
case, and that big criminals were moving into the
fast-growing field. 8 “The common reaction among companies selling
goods is a real frustration at how hard it is to
3 For Tee, who went to prison for almost four prosecute and get convictions for people who
years, the chance to use people’s ignorance commit fraud,” said Keith Marsden, managing
against them was just too easy. “Maybe it took an director of 192.com, which sponsors Prove-
hour a night if I really felt like it. But to me it felt ID, a private industrial forum on dealing with
like a bit of fun and a pastime which developed fraud. Instead, companies are choosing tougher
into an easy way of making money.” he said. security procedures and programmes to educate
the public about safe Internet use.
4 In spare moments around his university schedule
- he was studying law - the young Yorkshireman 9 How to avoid scams
would get card details taken from insecure
websites or passed on from other criminals, • Never give personal details over the phone.
and go on spending sprees that got him cars, Banks should never ask for pin numbers
clothes and cash. Sometimes all he needed or codes.
was a name and phone number. “I used to go
• Only shop on secure websites that display
through different methods depending on how
confident I felt,” he said. “I used to call people up
address should start https instead of http.
and pretend to be from a fraud department and
just ask them for their details. But sometimes it’s • Only open email attachments if you are entirely
as easy as getting information from a local video sure it is necessary.
shop.” Now, 26, Tee admits that by the time he
was caught he was thinking of getting bank loans • Be careful of suspicious-looking emails. Some
and even mortgages using stolen identities. viruses use the name of somebody you trust as
a disguise.
5 “It was just a game to see how far you could
go,” he said. “My favourite trick was to get a © Guardian News & Media 2007
card in someone’s name and use it. Then, within First published in The Guardian, 3/5/07
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Read the article again and decide if the sentences below are True (T) or False (F).
1. Tee was never caught for stealing money.

2. It is difficult for police to catch many online criminals.
3. It was easy for Tee to steal people’s identities and money.
4. Tee bought flowers for someone using their own money.
5. There is less online crime now than before.
6. Companies are not doing anything to protect customers against online crime.
7. It is possible to recognize safe places to shop online.
8. People should never open their email attachments to be safe.
4 Vocabulary 1: Money words
Complete these money-related words from the text, then match them to their definitions below.
1. _ x p _ n s _ v _ 4. l _ _ n
2. b _ n k 5. r _ f _ n d
3. c _ s h 6. _ c c _ _ n t
a) A place where you can take out money.
b) The opposite of cheap.
c) To give money back to someone because they have paid too much.
d) Money in the form of notes and coins.
e) An amount of money that a person borrows from a bank.
f) An arrangement for the bank to look after your money.

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5 Vocabulary 2: Compound nouns
Make compound nouns from the text using the words in A and the words in B.
A B
key card
prison loan
credit machine
university schedule
video sentence
bank shop
cash symbol
6 Vocabulary 3: Technology word puzzle
Find the six words relating to technology in the word puzzle.
R F V J K E W E F M
Browser I E S I N X T U O T
R Z S I R I P C Y S
Computer
H L L W S U O J S P
Email Z N V B O M S E O A
O I E K P R M S O O
Online
E W X U S A B G Z B
Virus W G T Z I M S U M Z
F E G L H C O L F C
Website R K T A R F B H Q B
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Online fraudster
Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Money words
1. fraudster 1. expensive b)
2. spending spree 2. bank a)
3. mortgage 3. cash d)
4. bouquet 4. loan e)
5. prosecute 5. refund c)
6. conviction 6. account f)
7. victim
8. scam
2 What do you think? key symbol

prison sentence
2. An interview shows that many people think it’s credit card
easy to steal money online. university schedule
video shop
bank loan
cash machine
1. F
2. T
3. T
4. T
5. F
6. F
7. T
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Online fraudster
1 Key words
Read the definitions of these key words and answer the questions.
1. Fraud is a crime of obtaining money from someone or tricking them.

What is a fraudster?
2. If you go on a drinking spree you drink a lot in a short amount of time.

What is a spending spree?
3. Many payment systems use microchips and personal identification numbers (PINs).
What is a chip and pin security system?
4. The majority of British people have a mortgage on their house, which can take them over twenty years to pay
back to the bank.
What is a mortgage?
5. An employee is a person who is employed. A divorcee is a person who is divorced.

What is an interviewee?
6. Credit card companies and online shops are trying to protect customers against scams.
Is a scam an honest or dishonest way of making money?
What do you think the article will be about?
Read the headline. Tick the words you think will appear in the article.
computer criminal
prison sentence climate change
athletics phone
internet conviction
fun bottle
Now read the article and check your answers.

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NEWS LESSONS / Online fraudster / Intermediate

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Online fraudster
It’s easy money, says online fraudster 5 Now 26, Tee admits that by the time he was
who stole £250,000 caught he was looking into the possibility of
getting bank loans and even mortgages using
Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent stolen identities. “It was just a game to see how
Thursday May 3, 2007 far you could go,” he said. “My favourite trick
was that you get a card in someone’s name
1 On the outside, Tee was a typical student.
and use it. Then, within 24 hours, you call the
Living away from home was expensive, and he
bank up and convince them that you’re the
had racked up a sizable debt in a short time.
genuine person and that you haven’t made those
Like most students, he had a computer and a
transactions - and they refund it. Then you just
phone in his room - but instead of using them
go to the cash machine and take it all out again.”
to study, he turned them into the tools of a 21st
He even sent flowers to one victim, using their
century criminal.
stolen bank details to pay for the bouquet as a
2 In his short career as a fraudster, Tee - who is cruel gesture of thanks.
trying to rebuild his life after serving a long prison
6 People like Tee represent the smallest end of
sentence, and agreed to speak anonymously
what is now a multibillion pound criminal industry.
- estimates that he stole as much as £250,000
Statistics from Cifas, the UK’s fraud prevention
through stolen credit card details, identity theft
service, show that identity theft was up almost
and bank account takeover. Police officials last
20% last year, while Internet and card fraud rose
week said the volume of online crime was so
to an all-time high of £414m in 2006.
high that they could not investigate every case,
and that big criminals were moving into the fast- 7 Martin Gill, a criminologist at the University
growing field. of Leicester, who has studied the actions and
motivations of fraudsters - Tee was one of
3 For Tee, who served almost four years for his interviewees - said the perceived ease of
conspiracy to defraud, the chance to use fraud, particularly when using the Internet, was
people’s ignorance against them was just too encouraging to those who commit crime. “One of
easy. “Although it sounds really flippant, it the things that comes through is the belief that
wasn’t even like a part-time job - because at they’re not going to get caught,” he said. Industry
least in a job you have to work a few hours,” he insiders say a large number of cases still go
said. “Maybe it took an hour a night if I really unreported because conviction has proved so
felt like it. But to me it felt like a bit of fun and a difficult.
pastime which developed into an easy way of
making money.” 8 “The common reaction among companies selling
goods is a real frustration at how hard it is to
4 In spare moments around his university schedule prosecute and get convictions for people who
- he was studying law - the young Yorkshireman commit fraud,” said Keith Marsden, managing
would take card details lifted from insecure director of 192.com, which sponsors Prove-ID,
websites or passed on from other criminals, and a private industrial forum on dealing with fraud.
embark on spending sprees that got him cars, “It’s a hard process to go through.” Instead,
clothes and cash. Sometimes scant details such companies are choosing tougher security
as a name and phone number could open the procedures and programmes to educate the
door. “I used to go through different methods public about safe Internet use.
depending on how confident I felt,” he said. “I
used to call people up and pretend to be from 9 But experienced fraudsters like Tee say that it
a fraud department and just ask them for their is still too easy: even chip and pin, which has
details. But sometimes it’s as easy as getting drastically cut physical fraud levels, can prove
information from a local video shop.” beneficial to the seasoned criminal. “I thought
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Online fraudster
chip and pin was brilliant - now cashiers think • Only open email attachments if you are entirely
they’ve got no right to look at your card. If sure it is necessary.
I wanted to, I could pretend to be anyone, • Be wary of suspicious-looking emails. Some
because nobody will ever check. It’s a new viruses use the name of somebody you trust as
opportunity for them.” a disguise.
10 How to avoid scams

• Never give personal details over the phone. First published in The Guardian, 3/5/07
Banks should never ask for pin numbers
or codes.
• Only shop on secure websites that display
address should start https instead of http.
1. Tee started online fraud when...

2. He stole as much as £250,000...
3. Tee viewed stealing as...
4. Statistics show that online crime...
5. Criminologists say that people commit online crime because...
6. Tougher security and public awareness are...
7. People should not give their personal...
8. People should be careful of suspicious...
a. details over the phone.

b. emails and attachments.
c. fun and easy.
d. has risen in the past year.
e. he was a student at university.
f. they think they won’t get caught.
g. through stolen credit card details, identities and bank accounts.
h. two methods to stop crime.
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Online fraudster

Find the word for the following definitions.
1. A phrasal verb meaning to accumulate. (para 1)

2. An adverb meaning unknown, that nobody knows your name. (para 2)
3. An adjective meaning not serious. (para 3)
4. An adjective meaning few, little. (para 4)
5. A verb meaning to return money. (para 5)
6. An adjective meaning having a good effect or influence. (para 9)
7. An adjective meaning safe. (para 10)
8. A noun meaning something that hides a person’s real identity. (para 10)
5 Vocabulary 2: Odd word out

Circle the odd word out in each group and explain why.
1 2 3 4 5
fraudster steal mortgage industry browser
director rob padlock money attachment
criminal react loan credit card cashier
criminologist defraud debt cash website
Complete the sentence with an appropriate preposition.
1. She’s been living ____ from home for the past three years.
2. It’s possible to use a laptop computer ____ many ways.
3. Climate change has developed ____ a major problem around the world.
4. It all depends ____ how you feel.
5. The government wants to educate young people ____ the dangers of smoking.
6. He gave his credit card details ____ the phone.
7. Be wary ____ suspicious-looking emails.
7 Discussion
Do you feel secure when shopping or giving out your personal details online? What security precautions
do you take when using the Internet?
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Online fraudster
KEY
1. A person who commits fraud. 1. rack up

2. A short period of time in which you spend a lot 2. anonymously
of money. 3. flippant
3. A system for paying for something using a credit/ 4. scant
debit card that has information stored on it using a 5. refund
microchip. 6. beneficial
4. A loan from the bank to buy a house. 7. insecure
5. A person who is interviewed. 8. disguise
6. A dishonest way of making money.
2 What do you think? 5 Vocabulary 2: Odd word out
The words in the article are: 1. director (the others are all related to crime)
computer 2. react (the others are all verbs relating to stealing)
prison sentence 3. padlock (the others are all money and bank related
internet words)
fun 4. industry (the others are all ways of paying for
criminal something)
conviction 5. cashier (the others are all Internet related words)
phone
3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Prepositions
1. e. Tee started online fraud when he was a student at 1. away

university. 2. in
2. g. He stole as much as £250,000 through stolen 3. into
credit card details, identities and bank accounts. 4. on
3. c. Tee viewed stealing as fun and easy. 5. about
4. d. Statistics show that online crime has risen in the 6. over
past year. 7. of
5. f. Criminologists say that people commit online crime
because they think they won’t get caught.
6. h. Tougher security and public awareness are two
methods to stop crime.
7. a. People should not give their personal details over
the phone.
8. b. People should be careful of suspicious email and
attachments.
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Breathing lessons
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
aggravate exhaust fumes apparent smug

exacerbate pollutant buggy kerb
1. A substance that is harmful to the environment.
2. Easy to see or understand.
3. The edge of the pavement.

4. The gas or steam produced by an engine.
5. To make something bad become worse (2 words).
6. Someone who is too satisfied with their own abilities or achievements.
7. A light chair with wheels for pushing children in.
2 What do you know?
What is good advice to avoid breathing pollution in a big city? Put a tick next to the sentences below if you
think the advice is good.
1. Walk on side streets and avoid main roads.
2. Stand close to the kerb when waiting for traffic lights to change.
3. Cross the road as quickly as possible.
4. Don’t go outside in the middle of the day in summer.
5. Wear a mask and clean it regularly.
6. Don’t push a child in a buggy close to traffic.
7. Don’t go jogging early in the morning.
8. Sit on the driver’s side of a bus.
9. Don’t allow lots of air into your home.
10. Don’t drive a car.
Now read the article and check your answers.

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NEWS LESSONS / Breathing lessons / Advanced

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Breathing lessons
Level 3 Advanced
Breathing lessons streets and thoroughfares, instead choosing
side streets and parks. Carefully choosing your
Leo Hickman
route has a “dramatic” effect, he says, because
April 4, 2007
pollution levels can fall by a factor of 10 just by
moving a few metres away from the main source
1 Take a deep breath. If you live in an urban of the pollution - exhaust fumes. “Just being one
environment - which four out of five of us block away makes a massive difference as the
now do - then you are exposing yourself to a high pollution levels are generally restricted to
cocktail of airborne pollutants that could be fairly small areas within a city,” he says. Also, try
seriously damaging your health. According to to avoid walking down “street canyons” (where
a study published this week, if you live in a tall buildings hug tightly to the sides of streets,
“major city” then the air pollution you suck into creating valleys in which pollutants build up)
your lungs each day could be shortening your _______(2)______.
life expectancy even more than the radiation
exposure suffered by survivors of the Chernobyl 5 Pavement sense
disaster in 1986.
When you’re crossing a road, stand well back
2 The idea that city air is bad for you is hardly from the kerb while you wait for the lights to
new, but it is an area scientists are only just change or for a gap in the traffic. ____(3)____.
beginning to get a real grip on. Last month the As the traffic moves off from a standstill, the
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, fumes can dissipate in just a few seconds,
an independent body set up in 1970 to advise particularly if the wind is up, which means holding
the government, confirmed what many of us your breath during this momentary period can
instinctively knew: that urban living should carry make a difference, silly as that might sound. Also,
a large health warning. In a major report entitled cross the road as quickly as possible. And once
The Urban Environment, it detailed what impact you’re over, continue along the pavement as far
urban air pollution is having on our health. away from the kerb as possible.
The headline conclusion was that air pollution
reduces “life expectancy in the UK by an average 6 Avoid pollution spikes
of eight months”.
Predictably, there are large spikes in pollution
3 Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation during times of high traffic congestion – i.e., the
reports that transport-related air pollution morning and late-afternoon rush hours. Pollution
- which now causes the vast majority of levels generally fall during the night-time. ____
urban air pollution - causes a wide range of (4)_____. Pollution levels tend to be at their
health problems including “cancer, adverse lowest during the spring and autumn when winds
pregnancy and birth outcomes, and lowering are at their “freshest”; the trapping effect of
of male fertility”. But other than moving to extreme cold and hot spells tend to exacerbate
the countryside, what practical steps can city the build-up of pollutants.
dwellers take to reduce their exposure to urban
air pollution? ________(1)_________. 7 Venturing outside when there is less pollution
obviously makes sense, but of course that’s
not always realistic. In fact, the hottest part of
4 Watch where you walk
a summer’s day - the time when most office
One of the best ways to reduce your exposure workers go outside during their lunchbreak - is
to air pollution, says Dr Roy Colvile, a senior a particularly bad time to head out, according
lecturer in air-quality management at Imperial to Noel Nelson, one of the authors of the
College London, is to avoid walking along busy Royal Commission report. Walking in the rain,
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Breathing lessons
Level 3 Advanced
conversely, is a good way of avoiding the with sitting on the side nearest to the pavement.
worse excesses of air pollution, he adds, as the He says it’s difficult to say whether travelling on
rain “cleans” the air both by washing out the an undergound train, if you have that option, is
pollutants and bringing with it fresher air. better or worse than taking the bus, but he does
say that the air pollution on underground trains
8 Wear a mask tends to be less toxic by weight than that found
at street level.
Masks can be a good thing, but they only make
a difference if they fit tightly and are cleaned 12 Protect yourself indoors too
regularly. ____ (5) ____ Worse, if you fail to
clean or change the mask regularly, there is a We spend about 90% of our time indoors, on
danger of allowing oily organic compounds to average, and two-thirds of that time is spent at
build up on the filter. Build-up can make the air home. And indoor pollution can actually be more
you breathe dirtier rather than cleaner. of an issue than that found outdoors, it seems.
Studies by the US Environmental Protection
9 Pushchairs Agency (EPA) suggests that pollution levels
can be two to five times higher indoors than out
According to the Royal Commission report, - and this can rapidly rise depending on what
several recent studies indicate that “children activity you are doing at home. Centrally-heated,
living close to busy roads have an approximate carpeted, airtight homes only act to aggravate
50% increased risk of experiencing respiratory the situation.
illness, including asthma”. Children are smaller
than adults and therefore much closer to the 13 Ventilating your home is therefore an important
source of pollution when walking beside roads. step to take in reducing risk - hopefully with air
They also have a faster metabolic rate and that’s not full of air pollutants from the outside
breathe more rapidly, and tend to inhale more - as is using a good doormat to help prevent
pollution, proportionate to their size, than adults. outdoor pollutants from the pavement being
One small step that can be taken is not to push walked into your home.
them along in a buggy too close to traffic.
14 Feeling smug about the fact that you live high
up in a flat away from outside air pollution? ____
10 Beware of exercising in traffic
(7) ____ A study by Hong Kong’s City University
Cycling or jogging disproportionately expose you used laser measurements to show that pollution
to air pollution - you inhale three times as much levels in the city remain constant up to heights
as if you were walking, according to Colvile - for of 700m. Living in the suburbs, away from major
the simple reason that your lungs are gasping for roads, seems the best way to avoid the worse
more air than the people you’re speeding past on excesses of urban air pollution. But that then
the pavement. The best times of day to exercise, means you are statistically far more likely to be
thus avoiding the worst excesses of air pollution, a car owner and are therefore only exacerbating
are early morning or in the evening. Alternatively, the situation.
exercise indoors or in a park. ____ (6) ____.
15 Don’t drive
11 Where to sit on the bus
The best thing you can do, both for yourself
Intriguingly, Colvile says that his own research and for your fellow citizens, is to get out of the
shows that sitting on the driver’s side of a bus car. ____ (8) ____: diesel may produce less
can increase your exposure by 10% compared carbon dioxide compared with petrol, which
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Breathing lessons
Level 3 Advanced
is good news in terms of climate change, but 16 Get out of town
it produces more ground-level pollutants. A
particle of pollution today tends to be 100 times As long as you go by public transport so as not to
smaller than a particle of coal soot and therefore create yet more pollution, lifting yourself up and
it can pass into the blood stream via the lungs out of the urban jungle offers at least a temporary
as opposed to being caught in the bronchial escape.
passage. The full health implications of this © Guardian News & Media 2007
shift in pollution type have yet to become fully First published in The Guardian, 4/4/07
apparent.
Read the article again. There are some sentences missing. Put the sentences below back in the correct
places in the text. Write the number of where they should appear.
___ and don’t walk behind smokers.

___ Cyclists should stick to side-roads where possible.
___ Even the slightest gap to allow you to breathe more easily will cancel out any benefits.
___ Every metre really does count when you are in close proximity to traffic, according to Colvile.
___ Fuel choice is also important.
___ Quite a lot, it turns out.
___ The time of year can also make a big difference.
___ Well, unless you live in a penthouse at the top of a very tall skyscraper, then height doesn’t seem
to offer significant sanctuary.
4 Vocabulary 1: Word formation - adverbs
Insert the adverb form of the word into the correct place in the sentence.
1. Pollution in cities now could be damaging your health. SERIOUS
2. The evidence about urban pollution is new. HARD
3. Many people know that standing in traffic is bad for your health. INSTINCTIVE
4. Very high pollution levels are found in small areas within a city. FAIR
5. Pollution levels fall during the night-time. GENERAL
6. Lunchtime is a bad time to go out into the streets. PARTICULAR
7. Masks are best if they fit and are cleaned. TIGHT / REGULAR
8. Children have a faster metabolic rate and breathe more than adults do. MORE RAPID
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Breathing lessons
Level 3 Advanced
5 Vocabulary 2: Adverbs - adverbs that modify a sentence

Look at this example from the text:
Predictably, there are large spikes in pollution during times of high traffic congestion.
The word in bold modifies the whole sentence and means “it is predictable”.
Rewrite the following sentences, beginning with an adverb that replaces the expression in bold.
1. It’s intriguing that research shows that sitting on the driver’s side of a bus exposes you to more
pollution.
2. Some fires are good for the forest, which is odd.
3. In my personal opinion, I think that these forms are a waste of time.
4. The email was sent by a person she went to school with more than twenty years ago, which
was curious.
5. The director and actors hope the movie will be a huge success, it’s obvious.
6. Some of the worst traffic accidents, we hope, will be avoided with the introduction of the new system.
Complete the sentences with a suitable word. All the collocations are in the text.
1. Sit down and _______ a deep breath. The ambulance will be here soon.
2. Women have a longer life _______ than men in many countries.
3. To alert the population of the dangers of smoking, the government issued a new health _______ on packets
of cigarettes.
4. The doctor informed the patient of a high level of vitamin C in her blood _______.
5. The vast _______ of people in this part of the country live in cities.
6. Cyclists can get very sick from breathing the exhaust _______ from traffic.
7 Discussion
Do you live in a polluted urban environment? What do you do to avoid becoming ill?
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Breathing lessons
Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Key words 4. Very high pollution levels are found in fairly small
areas within a city.
1. pollutant 5. Pollution levels generally fall during the night-time.
2. apparent 6. Lunchtime is a particularly bad time to go out into
3. kerb the streets.
4. exhaust fumes 7. Masks are best if they fit tightly and are cleaned
5. exacerbate; aggravate regularly.
6. smug 8. Children have a faster metabolic rate and breathe
more rapidly than adults do.
2 What do you know?

5 Vocabulary 2: Adverbs - adverbs that
modify a sentence
Sentences 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 are good advice
according to the article.
1. Intriguingly, research shows that sitting on the
driver’s side of a bus exposes you to more pollution.
2. Oddly, some fires are good for the forest.
3 Comprehension check 3. Personally, I think that these forms are a waste of
time.
1. Quite a lot, it turns out. 4. Curiously, the email was sent by a person she went
2. and don’t walk behind smokers. to school with more than twenty years ago.
3. Every metre really does count when you are in 5. Obviously, the director and actors hope the movie
close proximity to traffic, according to Colvile. will be a huge success.
4. The time of year can also make a big difference. 6. Hopefully, some of the worst traffic accidents will be
5. Even the slightest gap to allow you to breathe more avoided with the introduction of the new system.
easily will cancel out any benefits.
6. Cyclists should stick to side-roads where possible.
7. Well, unless you live in a penthouse at the top of a
very tall skyscraper, then height doesn’t seem to
offer significant sanctuary.
8. Fuel choice is also important.
1. take
2. expectancy
3. warning
4 Vocabulary 1: Word formation - 4. stream
adverbs 5. majority
6. fumes
1. Pollution in cities now could be seriously damaging
your health.
2. The evidence about urban pollution is hardly new.
3. Many people instinctively know that standing in
traffic is bad for your health.
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Breathing lessons
Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Answer the questions about the key words in the text.
1. Pollution is the chemicals or substances that have a negative effect on the environment.
What is a pollutant?
2. If you warn someone, you tell them there is danger near.

What is a warning?
3. To expose something is to put it in danger.

What is exposure?
4. I’m afraid of spiders, so I avoid them.

Does avoid mean to go close to something or stay away from it?
5. On a chart, a spike shows the high point of something.

What is a pollution spike?
6. If you exhale something, you breathe it out.

What does inhale mean?
7. If you park your car next to the pavement, the wheels will be close to the kerb.
What part of the pavement is the kerb?
8. Ventilation is the movement of fresh air around a room.

What does to ventilate mean?
2 What do you know?
You are going to read an article called Breathing lessons, about tips on how to avoid breathing in pollution
in big cities. Which of the following things do you think will be mentioned?
1. Where to walk.
2. How to cross the road.
3. Which are the most polluted cities in the world.
4. Wearing a mask.
5. Taking children out into the city.
6. Doing exercise in the city.
7. Where to sit on a bus.
8. What to eat and drink.
9. Going to a swimming pool.
10. Driving a car.
Read the article and check your answers.

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NEWS LESSONS / Breathing lessons / Elementary

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Breathing lessons
Level 1 Elementary
Breathing lessons during times of high traffic congestion – i.e., the
morning and late-afternoon rush hours. Pollution
Leo Hickman
levels generally fall during the night-time. The
April 4, 2007
time of year can also make a big difference.
Pollution levels tend to be at their lowest during
1 Take a deep breath. If you live in an urban
the spring and autumn.
environment - which four out of five of us now do
- then you are exposing yourself to pollutants that 7 Going outside when there is less pollution is
could be seriously damaging your health. a good idea, but of course that’s not always
realistic. In fact, the hottest part of a summer’s
2 The idea that city air is bad for you is not new,
day - the time when most office workers go
but it is an area scientists are only just beginning
outside during their lunchbreak - is a particularly
to really understand. Last month the Royal
bad time to go out. Walking in the rain, on the
Commission on Environmental Pollution, an
other hand, is a good way of avoiding the worst
independent body set up in 1970 to advise the
air pollution, as the rain “cleans” the air both by
government, confirmed what many of us knew:
washing out the pollutants and bringing with it
that urban living should carry a large health
fresher air.
warning. In a major report entitled The Urban
Environment, it explained what impact urban air 8 Wear a mask
pollution is having on our health. The headline Masks can be a good thing, but they only make
conclusion was that air pollution reduces a difference if they fit tightly and are cleaned
“life expectancy in the UK by an average of regularly. If you don’t clean or change the
eight months”. mask regularly there is a danger of allowing
oily organic compounds to build up on the filter.
3 Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation
This can make the air you breathe dirtier rather
reports that transport-related air pollution - which
than cleaner.
now causes the majority of urban air pollution
- causes many health problems. But other than 9 Pushchairs
moving to the countryside, what practical steps According to the Royal Commission report,
can people take to reduce their exposure to several recent studies indicate that “children
urban air pollution? Quite a lot, it turns out. living close to busy roads have an approximate
50% increased risk of experiencing respiratory
illness, including asthma”. Children are smaller
One of the best ways to reduce your exposure to
than adults and therefore much closer to the
air pollution, says Dr Roy Colvile, an expert in air-
source of pollution when walking beside roads.
quality management at Imperial College London,
They also breathe more rapidly, and tend to
is to avoid walking along busy streets, instead
inhale more pollution, than adults. One small
choosing side streets and parks.
step you can take is not to push them along in a
5 Pavement sense buggy too close to traffic.
10 Beware of exercising in traffic
from the kerb while you wait for the lights to
Cycling or jogging can expose you more to
change. Every metre really does count when
air pollution - you inhale three times as much
you are in close proximity to traffic, according
as if you were walking. The best times of
to Colvile. Also, cross the road as quickly
day to exercise are early morning or in the
as possible.
evening. Alternatively, exercise indoors or in
6 Avoid pollution spikes a park. Cyclists should stay on side-roads
Predictably, there are large spikes in pollution where possible.
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11 Where to sit on the bus prevent outdoor pollutants from the pavement
Interestingly, Colvile says that his own research entering your home.
shows that sitting on the driver’s side of a bus
can increase your exposure by 10% compared 15 Living in the suburbs, away from major roads,
with sitting on the side nearest to the pavement. seems the best way to avoid the worse urban air
pollution. But that then means you are probably
12 Protect yourself indoors too a car owner and are therefore only making the
On average, we spend about 90% of our time situation worse.
indoors and two-thirds of that time is spent at
home. And indoor pollution can actually be 16 Don’t drive
more serious than outdoor pollution, it seems. The best thing you can do, both for yourself and
Studies by the US Environmental Protection for other people, is to get out of the car. Fuel
Agency (EPA) suggests that pollution levels choice is also important: diesel may produce
can be two to five times higher indoors than out less carbon dioxide compared with petrol, which
- and this can rapidly rise depending on what is good news in terms of climate change, but it
activity you are doing at home. Centrally-heated, produces more ground-level pollutants.
carpeted, airtight homes only act to make the 17 Get out of town
situation worse. As long as you go by public transport so as not
13 If you want to reduce the risk, ventilating your to create yet more pollution, leaving of the city
home is therefore an important step - hopefully offers at least a temporary escape.
with air that’s not full of air pollutants from the © Guardian News & Media 2007
outside. Also, use a good doormat to help First published in The Guardian, 4/4/07
Read the article again and choose the best answer.
1. A new report says that air pollution in cities is…

a) very dangerous to your health.
b) nothing new.
c) safer than in 1970.
2. The best place to walk in a city is…

a) on busy streets.
b) on the kerb.
c) on side streets and parks.
3. Pollution levels in cities are usually…

a) lower in the morning.
b) lower at night.
c) higher at night.
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4. Masks work only if…

a) you clean them regularly.
b) they fit tightly.
c) a) and b)
5. Children breathe…
a) more quickly than adults.
b) more slowly than adults.
c) 50% more than adults.
6. You are exposed to … on the driver’s side of the bus.

a) less pollution
b) more pollution
c) no pollution
7. According to the article we spend more time…

a) at home than outside.
b) outdoors than indoors.
c) at work than at home.
8. According to the article, if you live in the suburbs, you probably...

a) work in the city.
b) have a car.
c) have children.
Match the opposites from the text.
less dirty
clean far
urban rural
indoors increase
reduce low
near more
high outdoors
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5 Vocabulary 2: City words
Read the definitions and rearrange the letters in bold to complete the city words.
1. iitcnez – a person who lives in a particular city.
2. nabur – an adjective relating to cities or towns.
3. prescrasky – a very tall building in a city.
4. buburs – an area near a city, but not in the centre.
5. ettser – a road in a city with buildings on it.
6. farcfit – vehicles that are in a city at a certain time.
6 Grammar: Comparatives and superlatives
Complete the sentences with the comparative or superlative form of the word in CAPITALS.
1. In the spring pollution levels are at their _______. LOW
2. Most office workers go outside during the _______ part of a summer’s day. HOT
3. The rain brings _______ air with it. FRESH
4. Walking in the rain is _______ than walking in the hot sun. GOOD
5. If you don’t clean a face mask, it can make the air you breathe _______ rather than _______. DIRTY / CLEAN
6. Children are _______ than adults and are _______ to the pavement. SMALL / CLOSE
7. Cycling or jogging is three times _______ than walking in terms of air pollution. DANGEROUS
8. Indoor pollution can actually be _______than outdoor pollution. SERIOUS
9. Living in an airtight home makes the situation _______. BAD
10. Living in the suburbs, away from major roads, seems the _______ way to avoid urban air pollution. GOOD
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KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: City words
1. A substance that has a negative effect of 1. citizen

the environment. 2. urban
2. An action or statement telling people there is danger. 3. skyscraper
3. The act of putting someone or something in danger. 4. suburb
4. To stay away from something. 5. street
5. A high point of pollution. 6. traffic
6. To breathe in.
7. The edge of the pavement.
8. To move fresh air around a room.
6 Grammar: Comparatives and
superlatives
2 What do you know? 1. In the spring pollution levels are at their lowest.
2. Most office workers go outside during the hottest
3, 8, and 9 are not mentioned in the article. part of a summer’s day.
3. The rain brings fresher air with it.
4. Walking in the rain is better than walking in the hot
sun.
5. If you don’t clean a face mask, it can make the air
you breathe dirtier rather than cleaner.
1. a 6. Children are smaller than adults and are closer to
2. c the pavement.
3. b 7. Cycling or jogging is three times more dangerous
4. c than walking in terms of air pollution.
5. a 8. Indoor pollution can actually be more serious than
6. b outdoor pollution.
7. a 9. Living in an airtight home makes the situation worse.
8. b 10. Living in the suburbs, away from major roads,
seems the best way to avoid urban air pollution.
less / more
urban / rural
clean / dirty
indoors / outdoors
reduce / increase
near / far
high / low
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1 Key words
Complete the sentences below with these key words from the text.
aggravate exhaust fumes apparent smug significant

exacerbate pollutant buggy kerb
1. A _______ is a substance that is harmful to the environment.
2. If something is _______, then it’s easy to see or understand.
3. If you are standing on the _______, then you are on the edge of the pavement.
4. Motor vehicles (like cars) release lots of _______ into the air.
5. If you _______ or _______ something, you make it go from bad to worse
6. Someone who is _______ is too satisfied with their own abilities or achievements.
7. A _______ is a light chair with wheels for pushing children in.
8. If something is _______, then it is meaningful or important.
2 What do you know?
You are going to read an article called Breathing lessons about tips on how to avoid breathing in pollution
in big cities. Which of the following things do you think will be mentioned?
1. Where to walk.
2. How to cross the road.
3. Which are the most polluted cities in the world.
4. Wearing a mask.
5. Taking children out into the city.
6. Doing exercise in the city.
7. Where to sit on a bus.
8. What to eat and drink.
9. Going to a swimming pool.
10. Driving a car.
Now read the article and check.

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Breathing lessons
Breathing lessons 5 Pavement sense

Leo Hickman
from the kerb while you wait for the lights
April 4, 2007
to change or for a gap in the traffic. Every
metre really does count when you are in close
1 Take a deep breath. If you live in an urban proximity to traffic, according to Colvile. As the
environment - which four out of five of us now
traffic moves off from a standstill, the fumes
do - then you are exposing yourself to a cocktail
can dissipate in just a few seconds, particularly
of airborne pollutants that could be seriously
if the wind is up, which means holding your
damaging your health.
breath during this momentary period can make a
2 The idea that city air is bad for you is hardly difference, silly as that might sound. Also, cross
new, but it is an area scientists are only just the road as quickly as possible.
beginning to get a real grip on. Last month the
6 Avoid pollution spikes
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution,
Predictably, there are large spikes in pollution
an independent body set up in 1970 to advise
during times of high traffic congestion – i.e., the
the government, confirmed what many of us
morning and late-afternoon rush hours. Pollution
instinctively knew: that urban living should carry
levels generally fall during the night-time. The
a large health warning. In a major report entitled
time of year can also make a big difference.
The Urban Environment, it detailed what impact
Pollution levels tend to be at their lowest during
urban air pollution is having on our health.
the spring and autumn.
The headline conclusion was that air pollution
reduces “life expectancy in the UK by an average 7 Going outside when there is less pollution
of eight months”. obviously makes sense, but of course that’s
not always realistic. In fact, the hottest part of
3 Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation
a summer’s day - the time when most office
reports that transport-related air pollution
workers go outside during their lunchbreak - is
- which now causes the vast majority of
a particularly bad time to go out, according
urban air pollution - causes a wide range of
to Noel Nelson, one of the authors of the
health problems including “cancer, adverse
Royal Commission report. Walking in the rain,
pregnancy and birth outcomes, and lowering
conversely, is a good way of avoiding the
of male fertility”. But other than moving to
worse excesses of air pollution, he adds, as the
the countryside, what practical steps can city
rain “cleans” the air both by washing out the
dwellers take to reduce their exposure to urban
pollutants and bringing with it fresher air.
air pollution? Quite a lot, it turns out.
8 Wear a mask
Masks can be a good thing, but they only make
One of the best ways to reduce your exposure
a difference if they fit tightly and are cleaned
to air pollution, says Dr Roy Colvile, a senior
regularly. Even the slightest gap to allow you to
lecturer in air-quality management at Imperial
breathe more easily will cancel out any benefits.
College London, is to avoid walking along busy
Worse, if you fail to clean or change the mask
streets and thoroughfares, instead choosing
regularly, there is a danger of allowing oily
side streets and parks. Carefully choosing your
organic compounds to build up on the filter.
route has a “dramatic” effect, he says, because
Build-up can make the air you breathe dirtier
pollution levels can fall by a factor of 10 just by
rather than cleaner.
moving a few metres away from the main source
of the pollution - exhaust fumes. 9 Pushchairs
According to the Royal Commission report,
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10 several recent studies indicate that “children carpeted, airtight homes only act to aggravate
living close to busy roads have an approximate the situation.
50% increased risk of experiencing respiratory
illness, including asthma”. Children are smaller 14 Ventilating your home is therefore an important
than adults and therefore that much closer to step to take in reducing risk - hopefully with air
the source of pollution when walking beside that’s not full of air pollutants from the outside
roads. They also breathe more rapidly, and tend - as is using a good doormat to help prevent
to inhale more pollution, than adults. One small outdoor pollutants from the pavement being
step you can take is not to push them along in a walked into your home.
buggy too close to traffic. 15 Feeling smug about the fact that you live high
11 Beware of exercising in traffic up in a flat away from outside air pollution? Well,
Cycling or jogging disproportionately expose you unless you live in a penthouse at the top of a
to air pollution - you inhale three times as much very tall skyscraper, then height doesn’t seem
as if you were walking, according to Colvile - for to offer significant sanctuary. A study by Hong
the simple reason that your lungs are gasping for Kong’s City University showed that pollution
more air than the people you’re speeding past on levels in the city remain constant up to heights
the pavement. The best times of day to exercise of 700m. Living in the suburbs, away from major
are early morning or in the evening. Alternatively, roads, seems the best way to avoid the worse
exercise indoors or in a park. Cyclists should excesses of urban air pollution. But that then
stay on side-roads where possible. means you are probably a car owner and are
therefore only exacerbating the situation.
12 Where to sit on the bus
Intriguingly, Colvile says that his own research 16 Don’t drive
shows that sitting on the driver’s side of a bus The best thing you can do, both for yourself
can increase your exposure by 10% compared and for your fellow citizens, is to get out of
with sitting on the side nearest to the pavement. the car. Fuel choice is also important: diesel
He says it’s difficult to say whether travelling on may produce less carbon dioxide compared
an undergound train, if you have that option, is with petrol, which is good news in terms
better or worse than taking the buses, but he of climate change, but it produces more
does say that the air pollution on underground ground-level pollutants.
trains tends to be less toxic by weight than that
17 Get out of town
found at street level. As long as you go by public transport so as not
13 Protect yourself indoors too to create yet more pollution, leaving of the urban
On average, we spend about 90% of our time jungle offers at least a temporary escape.
indoors and two-thirds of that time is spent at
home. And indoor pollution can actually be more © Guardian News & Media 2007
of an issue than that found outdoors, it seems. First published in The Guardian, 4/4/07
Studies by the US Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) suggests that pollution levels
can be two to five times higher indoors than out
- and this can rapidly rise depending on what
activity you are doing at home. Centrally-heated,
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Read the article and choose DO or DON’T for the advice below.
1. Walk on busy streets. DO / DON’T
2. Stand away from the kerb. DO / DON’T
3. Go out in the middle of the day in summer. DO / DON’T
4. If you wear a mask, clean it regularly. DO / DON’T
5. Push a buggy far away from traffic. DO / DON’T
6. Go cycling in the afternoon. DO / DON’T
7. Sit on the driver’s side of the bus. DO / DON’T
8. Use a doormat. DO / DON’T
9. Drive to work. DO / DON’T
10. Leave the city. DO / DON’T
Correct the wrong choice of collocation in the sentences below. All the (correct) collocations are
in the text.
1. Get a deep breath, I have some news for you.
2. People’s life expectation is growing.
3. This product comes with a health advertisement.
4. The police found high levels of alcohol in his blood flow.
5. The big majority of the population were against the war.
6. Do not breathe the exhaust smoke of the cars.
7. The flats were in near proximity to the nuclear power station.
8. The public travel in my town is very cheap.

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5 Vocabulary 2: City
Put the words below into the different categories.
bus pedestrian citizen cyclist flat

penthouse road side street skyscraper thoroughfare
traffic underground train
Streets People Transportation Buildings
6 Vocabulary: Body
Decide if the following body words are internal (inside the body) or external (outside the body).
back ________ liver ________

blood ________ lungs ________
bone ________ muscle ________
brain ________ nose ________
elbow ________ palm ________
hair ________ thigh ________
heart ________ toes ________
7 Discussion
Do you live in a polluted urban environment? What do you do to avoid becoming ill?
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KEY
1. pollutant 1. Take a deep breath, I have some news for you.

2. apparent 2. People’s life expectancy is growing.
3. kerb 3. This product comes with a health warning.
4. exhaust fumes 4. The police found high levels of alcohol in his blood
5. aggravate or exacerbate stream.
6. smug 5. The vast majority of the population were against the
7. buggy war.
8. significant 6. Do not breathe the exhaust fumes of the cars.
7. The flats were in close proximity to the nuclear
power station.
8. The public transport in my town is very cheap.
2 What do you know?

3, 8, and 9 are not mentioned in the article.
5 Vocabulary 2: City
3 Comprehension check Streets People Transportation Buildings

road citizen underground skyscraper
1. Don’t side street cyclist train penthouse
2. Do throughfare pedestrian bus flat
3. Don’t traffic
4. Do
5. Do
6. Don’t
6 Vocabulary 3: Body
7. Don’t
8. Do
9. Don’t Internal: blood; lungs; heart; muscle; liver; brain; bone
10. Do External: elbow; nose; toes; thigh; palm; back; hair
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Blair to stand down on June 27
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text
tribute failings legacy unrelenting zeal

thump steadfast motion putsch saga
1. A ____________ person is one who doesn’t change their opinions or actions because they have a strong
belief in something.
2. ____________ pressure or criticism continues without stopping and is difficult to deal with.
3. If a person has ____________, they have weak points that make them less effective.
4. A ____________ is a formal proposal that people discuss and then vote on in a meeting or debate.
5. If you pay ____________ to someone, you praise them publicly.
6. A ____________ is an attempt made by a group of people to get rid of a government or a leader.
7. ____________ is great energy, effort and enthusiasm.
8. If you ____________ something you hit it very hard with your fist.
9. A ____________ is a long series of events, or a description of them.
10. A person’s ____________ is something that they have achieved that will continue to exist after they stop
working or die.
2 What do you know?
1. Tony Blair has been prime minister of the UK for 10 years.
2. Blair became UK prime minister in 1996.
3. Blair’s likely successor is Gordon Brown.
4. Blair is 64 years old.
5. Blair was the first Labour leader to win three successive elections.
6. Blair will hand over to the next prime minister in 2 years’ time.
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Blair to stand down on June 27 6 table in appreciation, according to Mr Blair’s
official spokesman. While Mr Blair flew to the
Matthew Tempest
north-east, the likely next prime minister was in
May 10, 2007
the Commons, answering questions about the
economy. “There are, of course, 600,000 job
1 Tony Blair today announced he was stepping vacancies in the economy – there’s one more
down after 10 years as prime minister and 13 as today actually as a result of announcements that
Labour leader. The prime minister told a crowd of have just been made,” Gordon Brown joked to
supporters he would stand down as PM on June laughter from all sides.
27. He will tender his resignation to the Queen
7 Tributes have already started flowing in to the
on that day. In an emotional speech, he said the
departing 54-year old prime minister, whose
judgment on his 10-year administration was “for
future plans are not yet clear. Former US
you, the people, to make”. Mr Blair paid special
secretary of state Colin Powell said Mr Blair had
tribute to his wife and children “who never let me
“an enormous impact on world politics, and he
forget my failings”. But he concluded: “Hand on
certainly has had an enormous impact on the
heart, I did what I thought was right. I may have
special relationship between the United States
been wrong - that’s your call. But I did what I
and Great Britain. He has been a friend, he has
thought was right for our country. This country is
been steadfast in the face of negative public
a blessed country. The British are special. The
opinion, and in the face of crises he’s stood
world knows it, we know it, this is the greatest
steady. And we could always count on him.”
country on earth.”
8 Lindsey German, convenor of the Stop the War
2 He dealt directly with Iraq, many people’s
coalition, said: “We cannot let this day pass
perception as his ultimate legacy, saying: “The
without marking the deadly legacy of Tony Blair
criticism since ... has been fierce, unrelenting and
with the war in Iraq, but this is about the future
costly.” But he insisted: “The terrorists will never
as well.”
give up if we give up.”
9 Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats demanded
3 Mr Blair admitted that in May 1997, when
an immediate general election to legitimize Mr
Labour took over after 18 years of Tory rule,
Blair’s successor. The party leader, Sir Menzies
“expectations were too high.” But he added:
Campbell, has tabled a Commons motion calling
“I would not want it any other way. I was, and
on the Queen to dissolve parliament immediately,
remain, an optimist.” Pointing to Africa, climate
since Mr Blair promised to serve a “full third term”
change and globalization, he declared Britain had
in 2005. Mr Brown, facing a financially straitened
changed under his 10-year leadership, saying:
Labour party and poor opinion polls, is highly
“Britain is not a follower, Britain is a leader.” He
unlikely to grant that request.
made no reference as to whether he would stay
on as an MP. 10 Mr Blair was unique among Labour leaders in
winning three successive elections. Although
4 Mr Blair acknowledged he had been accused
announcing before the 2005 contest he would
of “messianic zeal”, but said as prime minister,
serve a “full third term”, a mini-putsch by Labour
over issues such as Sierra Leone, Kosovo and
MPs last autumn forced him to confirm he would
then Afghanistan and Iraq, you were “alone with
stand down within a year. The final act of that
your instinct”.
saga was enacted today.
5 Earlier, the PM had confirmed to the cabinet he
would announce his plans to step down, joking
it was “not quite a normal day”. The meeting © Guardian News & Media 2007
ended with the entire cabinet “thumping” the First published in The Guardian, 10/5/07
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Level 3 Advanced
1. How did Blair describe his actions while he was prime minister?
a. He did what his heart told him to do.
b. He did what his head told him to do.
c. He did what he thought was best for the country.
2. How did former US secretary of state Colin Powell describe Blair?

a. As a defender of the special relationship between the US and Britain.
b. As a loyal friend of the US.
c. As a negative factor in public opinion.
3. Why have the Liberal Democrats demanded an immediate general election?

a. Because they think they can win an election at this time.
b. Because Blair promised to serve a full third term.
c. Because they want the Queen to dissolve Parliament.
4. People have accused Blair of “messianic zeal”. What does this mean?
a. He was over-enthusiastic in his attempts to change society.
b. He made a lot of serious errors.
c. He worked so hard that he rarely had enough sleep and sometimes lacked energy.
4 Vocabulary 1: Phrasal verbs
Match these phrasal verbs with their definitions.
1. step/stand down a. to begin to do something someone else was doing
2. give up b. to leave a job or position, especially an important one
3. take over c. to take action to do something
4. stay on d. to rely on
5. deal with e. to remain in a job longer than you intended to
6. count on f. to stop doing something you are trying hard to do

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1. An adjective meaning protected by God. (para 1)
2. An adjective meaning involving a lot of force or energy. (para 2)
3. An adjective meaning final. (para 2)
4. A noun meaning a group of advisers chosen by the leader of a government. (para 5)
5. A noun meaning effect or influence. (para 7)

6. A noun meaning someone who organizes the meetings of a committee. (para 8)
7. A verb meaning to make something legal. (para 9)
8. A two-word expression meaning having financial problems. (para 9)
Match the words in the left-hand column with the words they go with in the right-hand column.
1. grant a. one’s resignation
2. tender b. parliament
3. table c. criticism
4. high d. change
5. fierce e. opinion
6. climate f. a request
7. public g. expectations
8. dissolve h. a motion
7 Discussion
What do you think of politicians? Can they really change society for the better or are they in politics for selfish
reasons?
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KEY
1. steadfast 1. blessed
2. unrelenting 2. fierce
3. failings 3. ultimate
4. motion 4. cabinet
5. tribute 5. impact
6. putsch 6. convenor
7. zeal 7. legitimize
8. thump 8. financially straitened
9. saga
10. legacy
2 What do you know? 1. f

2, a
1. T 3. h
2. F 4. g
3. T 5. c
4. F 6. d
5. T 7. e
6. F 8. b
1. c
2. b
3. b
4. a
1. b
2. f
3. a
4. e
5. c
6. d
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these words from the text.
announce criticism give up remind globalization

MP unique vacancy praise enormous

1. If someone is ____________ , they are not the same as anyone else.
2. ____________ is short for member of parliament.
3. If something is ____________, it is very, very big.
4. If you ____________ someone about something, you tell them again so they don’t forget.
5. If you have a ____________ you need someone to do a job for you.
6. If you ____________ someone, you say very positive things about them.
7. ____________ is the process of the world becoming a single economy.
8. If you ____________ something, you make a public or official statement about it.
9. If you ____________ , you accept that you cannot win.
10. ____________ means negative comments.
1. How long has Tony Blair been British prime minister?
2. How long has he been leader of the British Labour Party?
3. When did he become prime minister?
4. How old is he?
5. How many general elections has he won?
6. Who will be the next UK prime minister?

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Level 1 Elementary
Blair to stand down on June 27 4 Earlier in the day, the PM told senior members
of his government that he was going to tell
Matthew Tempest the people that he was going to leave his job,
May 10, 2007 joking it was “not quite a normal day”. Then he
flew to the north-east of England. Meanwhile
1 British prime minister Tony Blair has announced
in the House of Commons, Gordon Brown, the
he is leaving his job after 10 years as prime
man who will be the next prime minister, was
minister and 13 as Labour leader. The prime
answering questions about the economy. “There
minister told a crowd of supporters he would
are 600,000 job vacancies in the economy – and
stop being prime minister on June 27. He said
there’s one more today,” he joked.
the people would decide if his time as prime
minister had been a success or not. Mr Blair 5 Mr Blair is 54 years old and his plans for the
praised his wife and children “who never let me future are not yet clear. People have already
forget my mistakes”. But he said: “Hand on heart, begun to praise him for what he did while he was
I did what I thought was right. Maybe I made prime minister. Former US secretary of state
mistakes – that’s for you to decide. But I did what Colin Powell said Mr Blair had “an enormous
I thought was right for our country. “This country influence on world politics, and he certainly
is a special country. The British are special. The has had an enormous influence on the special
world knows it, we know it. This is the greatest relationship between the United States and Great
country in the world.” Britain. He has been a friend and he has been
strong in the face of negative public opinion and
2 He spoke directly about Iraq, which many people
during crises.”
believe was a terrible mistake. “The criticism
since the decision to go to war ... has been very 6 Mr Blair was unique among Labour leaders in
strong and it has never stopped,” he said. But winning three general elections, one after the
he added: “If we give up now, the terrorists will other. Although he announced before the 2005
never give up.” Lindsey German, of the Stop the election that he would serve a “full third term”,
War coalition, said: “We cannot let this day pass pressure from Labour MPs last autumn forced
without reminding people what Tony Blair did in him to say he would leave the job within a year.
going to war in Iraq, but this is about the future Now he has finally made that decision.
as well.
3 Mr Blair’s Labour Party defeated the First published in The Guardian, 10/5/07
Conservative Party in a general election in
May 1997. When Labour won after 18 years of
Conservative rule, perhaps “people expected
too much.” But he added: “I would not want it
any other way. I was, and I still am, an optimist.”
He then mentioned Africa, climate change and
globalization and said that Britain had changed
during his 10 years as prime minister: “Britain
is not a follower, Britain is a leader,” he said.
Mr Blair said that as prime minister, you had to
make decisions over problems like Sierra Leone,
Kosovo and then Afghanistan and Iraq. He did
not say if he would stay in parliament as an MP
or not.
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Level 1 Elementary
Match the beginnings and endings to make statements from the text.
1. Many people did not agree with…
2. Mr Blair says he…
3. Mr Blair says his wife and children…
4. Mr Blair is…
5. Mr Blair believes…
6. Colin Powell thinks…
a. …Britain changed during his 10 years as prime minister.

b. …Mr Blair had an enormous influence on world politics.
c. …Mr Blair’s decision to go to war with Iraq.
d. …the only Labour leader to win three general elections one after the other.
e. …never let him forget his mistakes.
f. …did what he thought was right for the country.
Find the opposites of these words in the text.
1. pessimist ____________ 5. wrong ____________
2. weak ____________ 6. junior ____________
3. failure ____________ 7. positive ____________
4. remember ____________ 8. very small ____________

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Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column. Check your answers in the
text.
1. prime a. opinion
2. general b. change
3. climate c. relationship
4. job d. minister
5. special e. vacancy
6. public f. election
Put these words from the text into two groups depending on their stress.
success mistake Iraq future defeat climate
leader senior normal crisis unique believe
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KEY
1. unique 1. optimist
2. MP 2. strong
3. enormous 3. success
4. remind 4. forget
5. vacancy 5. right
6. praise 6. senior
7. globalization 7. negative
8. announce 8. enormous
9. give up
10. criticism

2. f
1. 10 years 3. b
2. 13 years 4. e
3. May 1997 5. c
4. 54 6. a
5. three
6. Gordon Brown
3 Comprehension check A future; climate; leader; senior; normal; crisis

B success; mistake; Iraq; defeat; unique; believe
1. c
2. f
3. e
4. d
5. a
6. b
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step down tribute failing fierce MP

appreciation vacancy impact motion opinion poll
1. A ____________ is a job that is available for someone to do.
2. If you show ____________, you express your gratitude to someone for something they have done.
3. A ____________ is a fault or a weak point that makes someone less effective than they could be.
4. If you ____________ , you leave an official position or job.
5. A ____________ is a formal proposal that people discuss and then vote on in a meeting or debate.
6. If criticism is ____________, it involves very strong feelings such as anger or hate.
7. A ____________ is something you do or say to show that you respect and admire someone.
8. An ____________ is an attempt to find out what people in general think about a subject by asking some people
questions about it.
9. ____________ is short for Member of Parliament.
10. ____________ means effect or influence.
1. How long has Tony Blair been British prime minister?
2. How long has he been leader of the British Labour Party?
3. When did he become prime minister?
4. How old is he?
5. How many general elections has he won?
6. How many other Labour leaders have won three successive general elections?
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Blair to stand down on June 27 according to Mr Blair’s official spokesman. While
Mr Blair flew to the north-east of England, the
Matthew Tempest
man who is likely to be the next prime minister
May 10, 2007
was in the House of Commons, answering
1 British Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced questions about the economy. “There are, of
he is stepping down after 10 years as prime course, 600,000 job vacancies in the economy
minister and 13 as Labour leader. The prime – there’s one more today actually as a result
minister told a crowd of supporters he would of announcements that have just been made,”
stand down as PM on June 27. In an emotional Gordon Brown joked to laughter from all sides.
speech, he said the judgment on his 10-year
6 People have already started paying tribute
administration was “for you, the people, to make”.
to the departing 54-year old prime minister,
Mr Blair paid special tribute to his wife and
whose future plans are not yet clear. Former US
children “who never let me forget my failings”.
secretary of state Colin Powell said Mr Blair had
But he concluded: “Hand on heart, I did what I
“an enormous impact on world politics, and he
thought was right. I may have been wrong - that’s
certainly has had an enormous impact on the
for you to decide. But I did what I thought was
special relationship between the United States
right for our country. This country is a blessed
and Great Britain. He has been a friend, he has
country. The British are special. The world
been strong in the face of negative public opinion
knows it, we know it, this is the greatest country
and in the face of crises. And we could always
on earth.”
rely on his support.”
2 He spoke directly about Iraq, which many 7 Lindsey German, of the Stop the War coalition,
people believe he will be most remembered for,
said: “We cannot let this day pass without
saying: “The criticism since ... has been fierce,
reminding people what Tony Blair did in going to
continuous and damaging.” But he added: “The
war in Iraq, but this is about the future as well.”
terrorists will never give up if we give up.”
8 Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats demanded
3 Mr Blair admitted that in May 1997, when
an immediate general election to legitimize Mr
Labour took over after 18 years of Conservative
Blair’s successor. The party leader, Sir Menzies
government, “people expected too much.” But
Campbell, has tabled a motion in the House
he added: “I would not want it any other way.
of Commons, calling on the Queen to dissolve
I was, and remain, an optimist.” Pointing to
parliament immediately, since Mr Blair promised
Africa, climate change and globalization, he
to serve a “full third term” in 2005. Mr Brown,
declared Britain had changed under his 10-year
leading a Labour Party that is short of money and
leadership, saying: “Britain is not a follower,
that is doing very badly in the opinion polls, is
Britain is a leader.” He did not say whether he
highly unlikely to grant that request.
would remain in parliament as an MP.
9 Mr Blair was unique among Labour leaders in
4 Mr Blair admitted that some people had accused
winning three successive elections. Although
him of being over-zealous but said that as prime
announcing before the 2005 election that he
minister, you were “alone with your instinct” over
would serve a “full third term”, pressure from
issues such as Sierra Leone, Kosovo and then
Labour MPs last autumn forced him to confirm
Afghanistan and Iraq.
he would stand down within a year. Now he has
5 Earlier, the PM had confirmed to senior members finally made that decision.
of his government that he would announce
his plans to step down, joking it was “not quite
a normal day”. The meeting ended with his
colleagues banging the table in appreciation,
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1. Blair believes the terrorists will not give up until we give up.
2. Blair is a pessimistic person.
3. Blair intends to remain as an MP after he steps down as prime minister.
4. Gordon Brown is likely to be the next British prime minister.
5. Colin Powell praised Blair as a friend of the United States.
6. The Labour Party is very popular at the moment.
7. Many people have criticised Blair for his decision to invade Iraq.
8. The Conservatives were in power for 10 years before Blair became prime minister.
1. A two-word phrasal verb that means the same as step down. (para 1)
2. An adjective meaning loved by God. (para 1)
3. A noun meaning the process of developing a single world economy. (para 3)
4. A two-word adjective meaning excessively eager and enthusiastic. (para 4)
5. An adjective meaning very large. (para 6)
6. A verb meaning to give a legal basis to something. (para 8)
7. A verb meaning to formally end a parliament. (para 8)
8. An adjective meaning happening one after the other in a series. (para 9)

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Match the words in the left-hand column with the words they go with in the right-hand column.
1. public a. change
2. fierce b. spokesman
3. general c. minister
4. climate d. vacancy
5. prime e. opinion
6. official f. election
7. job g. poll
8. opinion h. criticism
6 Vocabulary 6: Word-building
Complete the table.
Verb Noun
1. announce
2. support
3. speak
4. conclude
5. admit
6. appreciate
7. laugh
8. decide
7 Discussion
Are politicians popular in your country? Make a list of some of the good things about politicians and some of the
bad things.
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1. vacancy 1. stand down

2. appreciation 2. blessed
3. failing 3. globalization
4. step down 4. over-zealous
5. motion 5. enormous
6. fierce 6. legitimize
7. tribute 7. dissolve
8. opinion poll 8. successive
9. MP
10. impact
2 Find the information 1. e

2. h
1. 10 years 3. f
2. 13 years 4. a
3. May 1997 5. c
4. 54 6. b
5. three 7. d
6. none 8. g
2. F 2. supporter
3. F 3. speech
4. T 4. conclusion
5. T 5. admission
6. F 6. appreciation
7. T 7. laughter
8. F 8. decision
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Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
flannel kettle stuck on cuppa mug

foil rinse mistaken detergent biodegradable
1. If you are ____________ something, you are attracted by it.
2. A ____________ is a cup with straight sides and no saucer.
3. ____________ is a liquid or powder used for washing clothes or dishes.
4. A ____________ is a container used for boiling water.
5. If something is ____________, it can be broken into very small parts by bacteria and will not
damage the environment.
6. If you are ____________, you are wrong about something.
7. A ____________ is a small piece of cloth used for washing yourself.
8. A ____________ is an informal way of talking about a cup of tea or coffee.
9. If you ____________ something, you remove soap or dirt from it with water.
10. ____________ is a very thin and light sheet of metal used for wrapping things, especially food.
1. Using a dishwasher uses more water than washing dishes by hand.
2. If you go out for the evening you use more electricity than if you stay at home.
3. Cleaning your teeth in running water uses up to five litres of water per minute.
4. Half the street lighting in the UK could be powered by the electricity saved if people did not overfill kettles.
5. Power showers use 50 litres of water per minute.
6. Switching computer equipment off at night saves energy.

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NEWS LESSONS / Seize the day / Advanced

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Seize the day
Level 3 Advanced
Seize the day litres of water a minute will be going down the
Many people want to live a greener lifestyle, plughole if you do. Either turn the tap on and off
but don’t know where to start. To mark World as you need it, or fill a small beaker to use.
Environment Day, Hilary Osborne suggests Instead of jumping in the car at this point why
5
some small changes you can make to your not get on your bike – or the bus, or the train.
daily routine. You can plan your journey using public transport
June 5, 2007 online – you just need to type in your starting
point and destination. Londoners can find out
how long it will take them to walk to work on
1 World Environment Day seems like a good
the Walk It website, while cyclists anywhere
opportunity to look at your lifestyle and work
in the UK can find out about local routes
out what you can do to reduce the impact your
on the National Cycle Network map on the
lifestyle has on the planet. There are lots of small
Sustrans website.
things you can try that will help you save energy
and water and reduce how much waste and 6 If you really have to drive, why not offer a
pollution you are responsible for. Here is a dawn- colleague a lift? Your workplace may run a car
to-dusk guide to spending the day more greenly. sharing scheme which will put you in touch with
someone who lives nearby, or you could use a
2 Begin the day with a shower – but if you have a
site like Liftshare to find someone who is making
power shower make it snappy. While opting for
the same journey as you each day.
five minutes under a regular shower uses only
around a third as much water as having a bath, 7 When you get to work, instead of using a paper
switching on the power shower is a completely cup, use a mug you have brought in for your
different matter. Some pump out up to 24 litres of start-the-day cuppa. Do the same if you regularly
water a minute. In the long-term you could look drink water out of the office water cooler. Reusing
into buying a more efficient shower head which a beaker or glass you have taken in will save
will reduce the flow, but in the short-term the 20 plastic cups in the course of four weeks and,
most water-efficient option will be your flannel. assuming you get five weeks holiday and take
all of the bank holidays off work, 227 cups in the
3 At breakfast time only put as much water as
course of a year.
you need in the kettle for your morning coffee or
tea – making sure you cover the element if you’re 8 At lunchtime look for sandwiches with
using an electric kettle. According to figures biodegradable packaging – things like cardboard
from the government, if everyone boiled only the are better than pure plastic. Some shops, like
water they needed to make a cup of tea instead M&S, have started using cornstarch to make
of filling the kettle every time, we could save the windows on the packaging of some of their
enough electricity in a year to run nearly half sandwich range – this breaks down much more
of all the street lighting in the UK. With energy quickly than the plastic alternative. If you’re
savings come CO2 savings, so the net result is buying fruit, avoid grapes in plastic boxes
greener tea. If you are in the market for a new and other items that have been unnecessarily
kettle, and you are not stuck on having a chrome packaged – this might mean shopping at a
finish, you could make it an Eco Kettle. You can greengrocer’s rather than a supermarket or high-
fill it up in one go, but just boil the amount you street sandwich shop. Make sure you take along
want each time. your own bag to put your lunch in – that way
you can say no to a plastic bag. Better still, take
4 After breakfast you will need to brush your
in your own packed lunch – and don’t wrap it in
teeth, but don’t leave the tap running while you
brand-new kitchen foil. Wash and reuse foil from
do it. The Environment Agency says up to five
the day before, or buy some recycled foil.
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9 At the end of the day, rather than just logging 11 However you clean your dishes, consider using
off, switch off your computer and the monitor an environmentally friendly detergent for the job.
– unless your employer tells you not to. And have A number of companies now produce washing
a look round to see what other equipment can up liquids from natural ingredients that break
be turned off. According to the Carbon Trust, down in water, rather than hanging around and
switching off non-essential equipment in an office getting into rivers and the sea. And most come in
overnight will save enough energy to run a small refillable bottles so there’s less waste.
car for 100 miles.
12 Once the dishwasher is loaded or the washing
10 While you might think that running the up is done, go out. Pubs, theatres and cinemas
dishwasher to clean the pots from your evening will all have their lights and air conditioning on
meal uses more water than getting the rubber whether you’re there or not, while your house will
gloves on, according to Waterwise you would be only be lit if you’re at home. What better excuse
mistaken. It says that handwashing and rinsing to stay out until bedtime?
dishes can use as much as 150 litres of water a
day, while a dishwasher cycle can use as little as
10 litres. A dishwasher will, of course, use more © Guardian News & Media 2007
electricity though, so don’t put it on until there is First published in The Guardian, 5/6/07
a full load.
1. Which of these uses the least water?

a. Having a bath.
b. Having a regular shower.
c. Having a power shower.
2. What is the problem with boiling water in a kettle?

a. People put more water in the kettle than they need.
b. Kettles use a large amount of electrical power.
c. They have a chrome finish.
3. What advice is given regarding travelling to work?

a. Don’t take your car.
b. Take your car once a week.
c. If you drive, take a passenger.
4. Why take a mug to work?

a. Because it is easier than washing plastic cups.
b. Because you can use it instead of plastic cups.
c. Because you don’t have to wash it after each use.
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1. A 3-word expression meaning Do it quickly! (Para 2)
2. A noun meaning a hole at the bottom of a sink or bath where water flows out. (Para 4)
3. A noun meaning a plastic cup with straight sides. (Para 4)
4. A noun meaning a plan for achieving something. (Para 6)
5. A conjunction meaning if. (Para 7)
6. A 4-word expression meaning during. (Para 7)
7. A noun meaning a group of products of the same type. (Para 8)
8. A 2-word expression meaning designed not to harm the natural environment. (Para 11)
Match these phrasal verbs from the text with their definitions.
1. look into a. take with you
2. break down b. calculate
3. hang around c. search in different places
4. work out d. investigate
5. take along e. spend a lot of time doing nothing

6. look round f. separate into parts
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6 Vocabulary 3: –able
Complete these sentences with adjectives ending in –able
1. A bottle that can be filled again is a ____________ bottle.
2. Material than can be recycled is ____________ material.
3. A ____________ envelope can be used again and again.
4. A bottle that cannot be returned is a ____________ bottle.
5. ____________ information can be retrieved from a computer.
6. If something is ____________, it can be washed again.
7 Discussion
How green are you? Which of the pieces of advice given in the article would you follow? Can you think of any other
simple energy-saving activities?
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KEY
1. stuck on 1. make it snappy

2. mug 2. plughole
3. detergent 3. beaker
4. kettle 4. scheme
5. biodegradable 5. assuming
6. mistaken 6. in the course of
7. flannel 7. range
8. cuppa 8. environmentally friendly
9. rinse
10. foil

2. f
1. F 3. e
2. F 4. b
3. T 5. a
4. T 6. c
5. F
6. T
6 Vocabulary 3: –able
3 Comprehension check 1. refillable

2. recyclable
1. b 3. reusable
2. a 4. non-returnable
3. c 5. retrievable
4. b 6. rewashable
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1 Key words
environment pollution waste flannel tap

colleague mug packaging foil detergent
1. A ____________ is a small piece of cloth you use to wash yourself.
2. A ____________ is a large cup with straight sides and no saucer.
3. ____________ is a very light, thin sheet of metal you wrap food in to keep it fresh.
4. Your bath has a cold and a hot ____________.
5. The ____________ is the natural world, including the land, water, air, plants and animals.
6. ____________ is activity which makes the air, water or land dirty.
7. A ____________ is a powder or liquid you use to wash clothes or dishes.
8. A ____________ is someone you work with.
9. ____________ is what is left after you use something.
10. ____________ is the boxes, bottles and plastic that products are sold in.
1. When was World Environment Day?
2. How much water can a power shower use?
3. How much water do you use if you clean your teeth with the tap running?
4. How many plastic cups could you save if you take your own glass to work?
5. How much water does a dishwasher use?
6. How much water does washing the dishes by hand use?

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Seize the day
Level 1 Elementary
Seize the day you have brought from home. Do the same if
Many people want to live a greener lifestyle, you regularly drink water out of the office water
but don’t know where to start. To mark World cooler. If you use a glass you have brought from
Environment Day, Hilary Osborne suggests home, you will save 20 plastic cups every four
some small changes you can make to your weeks. You could save over 200 plastic cups
daily routine. a year!
June 5, 2007 7 At lunchtime don’t buy sandwiches with

plastic packaging. If you’re buying fruit, don’t
1 June 5th was World Environment Day but what buy grapes in plastic boxes or any other items
can you do to help the environment? There are that have unnecessary packaging. Shop at a
lots of small things you can do that will save greengrocer’s rather than a supermarket or high-
energy and water. They will also help you to street sandwich shop. Take your own bag with
produce less waste and pollution. Here is your you to put your lunch in – that way you can say
green working day. no to a plastic bag. Even better, make your lunch
at home and take it with you – and don’t wrap
2 Begin the day with a shower – but if you have
it in new kitchen foil. Wash the foil from the day
a power shower, have a very quick one. Five
before and use it again!
minutes under a regular shower uses only
around a third as much water as a bath, but 8 At the end of the working day, don’t just log off.
using a power shower can use up to 24 litres Switch your computer off completely. Look round
of water a minute. To save a lot of water, use your office to see what other equipment you can
a flannel. switch off. If you switch off the equipment in an
office overnight you will save enough energy to
3 At breakfast time don’t put too much water in
run a small car for 100 miles.
the kettle. If you want to make a cup of coffee
or tea, only put enough water for one cup in the 9 After your evening meal you will need to wash
kettle. The UK government says that if everyone the dishes. You probably think that a dishwasher
boiled only the water they needed to make a cup uses more water than washing the dishes by
of tea and did not fill the kettle every time, the hand. This is not true. Washing dishes by hand
UK could save enough electricity in one year to can use as much as 150 litres of water a day,
run nearly half of all the street lighting in the UK. while a dishwasher can use as little as 10 litres.
Saving energy also produces less CO2. A dishwasher will, of course, use more electricity
though, so only use it if it is full.
teeth, but don’t use running water while you do it. 10 If you wash your dishes by hand or use a
You can waste up to five litres of water a minute dishwasher, try to use an environmentally friendly
if you clean your teeth with the tap running. detergent. A number of companies now produce
Either turn the tap on and off as you need it, or fill natural washing up liquids. These products don’t
a small glass to use. pollute rivers and the sea. You can also use the
detergent bottles again so there’s less waste.
5 Going to work. Leave your car at home. Why
not go by bike? Or take a bus or train? If you 11 When you finish the washing up, go out. Pubs,
really have to drive, why not offer a colleague theatres and cinemas will all have their lights and
a lift? Some companies organize car sharing, air conditioning on whether you visit them or not.
or you could use a website like Liftshare to find Your house will only have its lights on if you’re
someone who is making the same journey as you at home. This is a good reason to stay out until
each day. bedtime!
6 When you get to work don’t use a plastic or © Guardian News & Media 2007
paper cup for your tea or coffee. Use a mug First published in The Guardian, 5/6/07
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Seize the day
Level 1 Elementary
Which of these pieces of advice does the text give? Choose a) or b) in each case.
1. a. Have a bath. 5. a. Log off.
b. Have a shower. b. Switch off.
2. a. Fill your kettle. 6. a. Use a dishwasher.
b. Don’t fill your kettle. b. Wash dishes by hand.
3. a. Turn the tap on and off as you need it when you 7. a. Buy fruit at a greengrocer’s.
clean your teeth. b. Buy fruit at a supermarket.
b. Leave the tap running when you clean your teeth.
8. a. Stay at home in the evening.
4. a. Take the train to work. b. Go out.
b. Drive to work.
1. brush a. a kettle
2. have b. someone a lift
3. fill c. energy
4. offer d. your teeth
5. waste e. a computer
6. switch off f. a shower
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Fill the gaps in the sentences using prepositions.
1. I brush my teeth _______ breakfast.
2. I get _______ work at 8.30.
3. I log off _______ the end of the working day.
4. I wash the dishes _______ my evening meal.
5. I haven’t got a dishwasher so I wash the dishes _______ hand.

6. I take a cup _______ me to work.
7. I usually eat a sandwich _______ lunchtime.
8. I always leave my car _______ home.
Complete the table.
switch off
turn on
on
log on
go out stay
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KEY
1. flannel 1. d
2. mug 2. f
3. foil 3. a
4. tap 4. b
5. environment 5. c
6. pollution 6. e
7. detergent
8. colleague
9. waste
10. packaging
1. after
2. to
2 Find the information 3. at
4. after
1. June 5th. 5. by
2. Up to 24 litres a minute. 6. with
3. Up to 5 litres a minute. 7. at
4. Over 200. 8. at
5. As little as 10 litres.
6. As much as 150 litres a day.
switch off switch on
1. b
turn off turn on
2. b
3. a on off
4. a
log off log on
5. b
6. a go out stay
7. a
8. b
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flannel tap destination mug foil

dishwasher mistaken detergent loaded biodegradable
1. When you are travelling, your ____________ is the place you are travelling to.
2. A ____________ is a machine for washing dirty dishes and pans.
3. ____________ is a powder or liquid used for washing clothes or dishes.
4. If a machine like a washing-machine is ____________, it is full.
5. A ____________ material is one that can be destroyed by bacteria and will not damage the environment.
6. Baths and basins usually have a hot and a cold ____________.
7. A ____________ is a small cloth you use for washing yourself.
8. A ____________ is a large cup with straight sides and no saucer.
9. ____________ is a very thin and very light sheet of metal used to wrap foods.
10. If you are ____________, you are wrong about something.
1. How much water can a power shower use each minute?
2. How much water is wasted each minute when people clean their teeth with running water?
3. How far could a small car travel with the energy saved from switching off the equipment in an office at night?
4. How much water do people use each day if they wash dishes by hand?
5. How much water does a dishwasher cycle use?
6. What is Liftshare?
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Seize the day 5 Instead of using your car to get to work, why
Many people want to live a greener lifestyle, not get on your bike – or the bus, or the train?
but don’t know where to start. To mark World You can plan your journey using public transport
Environment Day, Hilary Osborne suggests online – you just need to type in your starting
some small changes you can make to your point and destination. Londoners can find out
daily routine. how long it will take them to walk to work on
the Walk It website, while cyclists anywhere in
June 5, 2007
the UK can find out about local routes on the
National Cycle Network map on the Sustrans
1 World Environment Day is a good opportunity to website.
look at your lifestyle and decide what you can do
6 If you really have to drive, why not offer a
personally to help the environment. There are
colleague a lift? Your workplace may run a car
lots of small things you can try that will help you
sharing scheme which will put you in touch with
save energy and water and reduce the waste
someone who lives nearby, or you could use a
and pollution you produce. Here is your guide to
site like Liftshare to find someone who is making
a greener working day.
the same journey as you each day.
2 Begin the day with a shower – but if you have 7 When you get to work, instead of using a paper
a power shower, have a very quick one. While
cup for your tea or coffee, use a mug you have
five minutes under a regular shower uses only
brought from home. Do the same if you regularly
around a third as much water as having a bath,
drink water out of the office water cooler. If you
switching on the power shower is a completely
reuse a glass you have brought from home, you
different matter. Some power showers use up to
will save 20 plastic cups every four weeks. If you
24 litres of water a minute. In the long-term you
get five weeks holiday and don’t work on UK
could buy a more efficient shower head which
public holidays, you will save 227 cups a year.
will use less water, but in the short-term the best
option is to use a flannel. 8 At lunchtime look for sandwiches with
biodegradable packaging – things like cardboard
3 At breakfast time only put as much water as
are better than pure plastic. If you’re buying fruit,
you need in the kettle for your morning coffee or
don’t buy grapes in plastic boxes or any other
tea. According to figures from the government,
items that have unnecessary packaging – this
if everyone boiled only the water they needed
might mean shopping at a greengrocer’s rather
to make a cup of tea instead of filling the kettle
than a supermarket or high-street sandwich
every time, we could save enough electricity in a
shop. Make sure you take your own bag with you
year to run nearly half of all the street lighting in
to put your lunch in – that way you can say no
the UK. Saving energy also produces less CO2,
to a plastic bag. Even better, take in your own
so the result is greener tea. If you are going buy
packed lunch – and don’t wrap it in brand-new
a new kettle, why not buy an Eco Kettle? You can
kitchen foil. Wash and reuse foil from the day
fill it up in one go, but just boil the amount you
before, or buy some recycled foil.
need each time.
9 At the end of the day, don’t just log off, switch
your computer and monitor off completely. And
teeth, but don’t leave the tap running while you
have a look round to see what other equipment
do it. The UK Environment Agency says you can
can be turned off. According to the Carbon Trust,
waste up to five litres of water a minute if you
switching off non-essential equipment in an office
clean your teeth with the tap running. Either turn
overnight will save enough energy to run a small
the tap on and off as you need it, or fill a small
car for 100 miles.
glass to use.
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10 You probably think that using a dishwasher 12 Once the dishwasher is loaded or the washing
to clean the plates from your evening meal up is done, go out. Pubs, theatres and cinemas
uses more water than washing them by hand. will all have their lights and air conditioning on
According to Waterwise, you are mistaken. It whether you’re there or not, while your house
says that washing and rinsing dishes by hand will only be lit if you’re at home. This is a good
can use as much as 150 litres of water a day, reason to stay out until bedtime!
while a dishwasher cycle can use as little as 10
litres. A dishwasher will, of course, use more
electricity though, so only use it if it is full.
11 However you clean your dishes, try to use an
environmentally friendly detergent for the job. A
number of companies now produce washing up
liquids from natural ingredients that break down
in water and don’t pollute rivers and the sea.
Most of these come in bottles that can be reused
so there’s less waste.
Are these pieces of advice True (T) or False (F) according to the text?
1. Take a regular shower rather than a bath.
2. Always fill your kettle before boiling it.
3. You should always brush your teeth in running water.
4. Don’t drive to work.
5. Wash dishes by hand rather than using a dishwasher.
6. Always throw foil away after use.

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1. A noun meaning the way you live your life. (Para 1)
2. A 2-word noun meaning the part of the shower where the water comes out. (Para 2)
3. A noun meaning a container for boiling water. (Para 3)
4. A noun meaning someone you work with. (Para 6)
5. A noun meaning a shop that sells fruit and vegetables. (Para 8)
6. A noun meaning the part of a computer that contains the screen. (Para 9)
7. A two-word adjective meaning not really necessary. (Para 9)
8. A verb meaning washing soap or dirt off something with water. (Para 10)
5 Vocabulary 2: Giving advice
Complete these sentences about saving energy using either Don’t or Try.
1. _______ waste water.
2. _______ using a mug you have brought from home.
3. _______ just log off – switch your computer off.
4. _______ buy fruit in plastic packaging.
5. _______ riding your bike to work.
6. _______ fill the kettle if you only want one cup of coffee.
7. _______ buying a dishwasher – you will use less water.
8. _______ buying an Eco Kettle – it will save water.

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Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column
1. have a. a dishwasher
2. fill b. a journey
3. brush c. someone a lift
4. plan d. a shower or bath
5. offer e. the environment
6. pollute f. your teeth
7. save g. a kettle
8. load h. energy
7 Discussion
How green are you? Do you agree with the advice given in the article? Can you think of any other ways to save
energy?
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KEY
1 Key Words 5 Vocabulary 2: Giving advice
1. destination 1. Don’t
2. dishwasher 2. Try
3. detergent 3. Don’t
4. loaded 4. Don’t
5. biodegradable 5. Try
6. tap 6. Don’t
7. flannel 7. Try
8. mug 8. Try
9. foil
10. mistaken
2 Find the Information 1. d

2. g
1. Up to 24 litres. 3. f
2. Up to 5 litres. 4. b
3. 100 miles. 5. c
4. As much as 150 litres. 6. e
5. As little as 10 litres. 7. h
6. A website for a car sharing scheme. 8. a
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. T
5. F
6. F
1. lifestyle
2. shower head
3. kettle
4. colleague
5. greengrocer’s
6. monitor
7. non-essential
8. rinsing
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New citizens, good citizens
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
Write the words below next to the definitions.
citizenship immigration integration immigrant

asylum indigenous migrant diversity
1. _______________ The process in which people enter a country in order to live there permanently.
2. _______________ Someone who comes to live in a country from another country.
3. _______________ Someone who travels to another place or country in order to find work.
4. _______________ People who lived in a place for a very long time before others came to live there.
5. _______________ The legal right to be a citizen of a particular country.
6. _______________ The right to stay in a country, given by a government to protect someone who has escaped
from war or political trouble in their own country.
7. _______________ The process of becoming a full member of a group or society, and becoming involved
completely in its activities.
8. _______________ The fact that very different people or things exist within a group or place.
Which of these subjects would you expect to read about in a text on integration, citizenship and national
a
pride? Tick ( ) the subjects you think will appear in the text. Add a further suggestion of your own.
Anti-social behaviour Pets Your suggestion:
Personal savings Voting _____________________
Civic duty Bank holidays
Extremism Asylum claims
Council housing Prisoners
English language skills Bi-lingual schooling
A contract Extended family
Now read the text and check your answers.

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Rules to make migrants integrate investment into the UK, passing English tests,
Ministers say citizenship should depend on good demonstrating knowledge of the UK, undertaking
behaviour, passing English tests and knowledge civic work and living in a law-abiding way.
of the UK. A points system for citizenship would allow
credits to be deducted for anti-social behaviour,
Patrick Wintour, political editor
fly-tipping or more serious criminal behaviour.
and Alan Travis
June 5, 2007 7 “This form of points system would be the basis
of a clearer relationship between the citizen
and the state. An easy to understand contract
1 Government ministers want to introduce a
such as this would incentivize integration and
national British day to complete a ‘citizenship
demonstrate a clearer sense in which citizenship
revolution’ that would also toughen rules for
and the rights that come with living in Britain
migrants and try to instil community pride in
are earned.”
all 18-year-olds.
8 Local government should also provide a
2 Under the new plans, every teenager in the UK
citizenship deal for newcomers, setting out their
would be given a citizenship pack when they
responsibilities to be good neighbours, as well
became eligible to vote, and migrants would only
as their access to English language training and
be able to become British citizens if they could
employment, say the ministers.
demonstrate good behaviour and a willingness
to integrate. 9 A ‘life in Britain – good neighbour contract’
would be provided to all migrants from inside
3 The national day, which could be a bank holiday,
and outside the EU, including those that stay
would be loosely modelled on Australia Day. The
temporarily. The contract would be introduced
proposals come from the communities secretary,
alongside identity cards. The ministers also
Ruth Kelly, and the immigration minister, Liam
suggest councils might spend less on translation
Byrne, who are also calling for more inclusive
services, and more on English language
and visible citizenship ceremonies for anyone
teaching. “Support cannot become dependency,”
wanting to settle in the UK.
they say.
4 Some of the ideas floated by the two ministers
10 The ministers warn there is “a critical risk
are likely to feature in the forthcoming report from
that after 40 years in which diversity has
the Commission on Integration and Cohesion.
grown, Britain’s communities are no longer
The themes have already been enthusiastically
looking outwards and celebrating what they
embraced by the prime minister-in-waiting,
have in common. Instead, they are beginning
Gordon Brown.
to look inwards, stressing their differences
5 Another idea is to improve links between and divisions”.
veterans and young people. The pack for
11 The threat to a united sense of feeling British
18-year-olds would set out information on
comes both from Islamist extremism and also
democracy, volunteering and civic duties such
groups like the British Nationalist Party. Ministers
as jury service. Student loan repayments could
argue that government has to acknowledge
be reduced in return for volunteering.
and respond to the growing mood of English
6 Mr Byrne and Ms Kelly argue that the current nationalism.
settlement policy for new migrants is “difficult to
12 “We risk seeing a more divided society, more
understand and unclear”. In future, full citizens
suspicious of each other and a society less
would need to accrue credits linked to time
capable of coming together around shared goals.
spent in the country, bringing substantial new
We need a stronger sense of why we live in a
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common place and have a shared future.” Mr level of eastern European migration and the
Byrne admitted that recent eastern European foreign prisoners crisis has badly damaged
migration had proved a “shock to the system”. confidence in Britain’s asylum and immigration
system. He added, “We have to be open and
13 He said new migrants needed to do more to candid about the choices we have. In the 21st
“help them understand British values and its way century we can’t make big decisions in secret.”
of life.” He added: “We need to make it clearer
that citizenship isn’t simply handed out, but is 16 Mr Byrne’s intervention follows the row ignited
something which is earned.” last month by Margaret Hodge’s claim that new
migrants were getting priority for council housing
14 The ministers say a host of trends are pushing
over ‘indigenous’ residents.
Britons apart in the workplace, the family, the
media and new technology. They insist migration
has brought benefits, but say sometimes the © Guardian News & Media 2007
pace of change is rapid and destabilizing, First published in The Guardian, 5/6/07
pointing out that by 2011, only 20% of Britain’s
workforce will be white, able-bodied men
under 45.
15 In a speech to business leaders, Mr Byrne said

the new measures were needed because the
“spike” in asylum claims in 2000, the unpredicted
According to the text, are these sentences True (T) or False (F)?
1. Britain has a national day, like Australia.
2. Migrants need to demonstrate good behaviour in order to vote in the UK.
3. The ministers want to encourage cooperation and understanding between the young and the old.
4. Law-abiding immigrants could gain points while anti-social and criminal immigrants could lose them.
5. There should be more English language lessons available for migrants, say the ministers.
6. Ministers think immigrants should learn to be more autonomous so that they don’t have to depend
on translators and interpreters.
7. Immigrant groups are integrating into society better than they used to.
8. A feeling of British nationalism is increasing amongst ‘indigenous’ people.
9. The recent number of immigrants arriving from eastern European countries has been higher than
anyone expected.
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Match the verbs on the left with the nouns on the right to make collocations from the text.
instil links
improve risk
accrue pride
critical credits
growing future
divided knowledge
demonstrate mood
shared society
Write example sentences for any of the collocations that are new to you. Use a dictionary or the Internet to
help you.
5 Vocabulary 2: Phrases
1. Match the halves of the phrases.
a shock a row
eligible of life
float to the system
ignite ideas
a way to vote
2. Now complete the sentences using the phrases.
a. Are we trying to protect ________________ that no longer exists?

b. The committee are meeting again tomorrow to ________________.
c. His comments are going to ________________.
d. In the UK, people are ________________ from the age of eighteen.
e. Arriving there in mid-winter will be a bit of ________________.
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6 Discussion
Does your country require new immigrants to take a citizenship test?

What subjects would you include when writing questions for a citizenship test?
Is nationalism generally a good or a bad thing? Try to think of different instances where national pride is acceptable
or not acceptable.
7 Webquest
Choose a country you would like to move to. Check out the immigration requirements for that country on the
Internet. Would you be able to move to the country of your choice without too many problems? In your opinion,
which would be the most difficult requirement to fulfil?
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KEY
1. immigration instil pride

2. immigrant improve links
3. migrant accrue credits
4. indigenous critical risk
5. citizenship growing mood
6. asylum divided society
7. integration demonstrate knowledge
8. diversity shared future
2 What do you think? 5 Vocabulary 2: Phrases
anti-social behaviour, civic duty, extremism, 1. a shock to the system

council housing, English language skills, eligible to vote
a contract, voting, bank holidays, asylum float ideas
claims, prisoners ignite a row
a way of life
2. a. a way of life
b. float ideas
1. F c. ignite a row
2. F d. eligible to vote
3. T e. a shock to the system
4. T
5. T
6. T
7. F
8. T
9. T
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1 Key words
Skim the text to find words with these definitions.
1. Someone who travels to another country in order to find work. ________________ (Para 1)
2. Someone who has the right to live permanently in a particular country and has the right to the
legal and social benefits of that country. ________________ (Para 2)
3. A plan or suggestion, especially a formal one, that a group has to consider. ________________ (Para 3)
4. To be an important part of something. ________________ (Verb, para 4)

5. To do some work without getting paid. ________________ (Verb, para 5)
6. Happening or existing now. ________________ (Para 6)
7. Someone who has recently started to live or work somewhere, or who has just arrived in a place.
________________ (Para 8)
8. The fact that very different people or things exist within a group or place. ________________ (Para 10)
9. Feeling that someone or something cannot be trusted. ________________ (Para 11)
10. A gradual change or development that produces a particular result. ________________ (Para 13)
Which of these words would you expect to be in a text about citizenship and immigration?
a
Tick ( ) your choices.
national violence vote pay
report judge plane community
points democracy neighbour extremism
differences passport workplace integration
Now read the text to see how well you did.

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Rules to make migrants integrate for demonstrating their knowledge of the UK, for
Ministers say citizenship should depend on good doing civic work and for living in a law-abiding
behaviour, passing English tests and knowledge way. Points would be deducted for anti-social
of the UK. behaviour and for criminal behaviour.
Patrick Wintour, political editor 7 The ministers continued, “This form of points
and Alan Travis system would be the basis of a clearer
June 5, 2007 relationship between the citizen and the state. An
easy to understand contract such as this would
encourage integration and demonstrate a clearer
1 Government ministers want to introduce a
sense in which British citizenship is earned.”
national British day as part of a ‘citizenship
revolution’. They also want to toughen rules 8 Local government should also provide a
for migrants and to instil community pride in all citizenship deal for newcomers, setting out their
18-year-olds. responsibilities to be good neighbours, as well
2 They intend to give every teenager in the UK
employment, say the ministers.
a citizenship pack when they are old enough
to vote, and say that migrants should only 9 A ‘life in Britain – good neighbour contract’
be able to become British citizens if they can would be provided to all migrants from inside
demonstrate good behaviour and a willingness and outside the EU, including those that stay
to integrate. temporarily. The contract would be introduced
alongside identity cards. The ministers also agree
3 The national day would be a public holiday,
that councils should spend less on translation
similar to Australia Day in Australia. The
services and more on English language teaching.
proposals come from the communities secretary,
Ruth Kelly, and the immigration minister, 10 The ministers warn that after 40 years of
Liam Byrne. They would also like to introduce diversity, Britain’s communities are no longer
citizenship ceremonies for anyone who wants to looking outwards and celebrating what they
come to live in the UK. have in common. Instead, they are beginning
to look inwards, stressing their differences
4 Some of the ministers’ ideas are likely to feature
and divisions.
in a new report. The prime minister-in-waiting,
Gordon Brown, is very much in favour of some of 11 The threat to integration comes both from
the ideas. Islamist extremism and also groups like the
British National Party. Mr Byrne said that,
5 Another idea is to improve links between
“We risk seeing a more divided society, more
veterans and young people. The citizenship pack
suspicious of each other and no longer coming
for 18-year-olds would provide information on
together around shared goals. We need a
democracy, volunteering and civic duties such
stronger sense of why we live in a common place
as jury service. Young people could reduce their
and have a shared future.” Mr Byrne admitted
student loan repayments if they volunteer for
that the large number of eastern European
community work.
migrants had proved a “shock to the system”.
6 Mr Byrne and Ms Kelly say that the current
12 He said new migrants needed to do more to
settlement policy for new migrants is “difficult
“help them understand British values and its way
to understand and unclear”. In future, new
of life.” He added: “We need to make it clearer
citizens would gain points for the length of time
that citizenship isn’t simply handed out, but is
they have spent in the country, for bringing new
something which is earned.”
investment into the UK, for passing English tests,
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13 The ministers say new trends are dividing Britons
in the workplace, the family, the media and new
technology. They insist migration has brought
benefits, but say that the changes are happening
too quickly.

1. Britain already has a national day.
2. British people can vote from the age of sixteen.
3. Government ministers want to introduce citizenship ceremonies.
4. The ministers would like more people to do volunteer work.
5. The current settlement policy for new immigrants is easy to understand.
6. Minority groups in Britain are becoming more integrated into society.
7. British society is becoming divided.
8. Ministers say citizenship shouldn’t be easy to obtain.
9. A lot of migrants from eastern European countries have recently arrived in Britain.
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Level 1 Elementary
Which word doesn’t fit into each word-group? Put a cross (r) next to it.
Government words Legal/official words Words to describe

people and their status
council policy teenager
newcomer workplace student
Prime Minister contract media
party goal veteran
Minister report 18-year-old
Match the words on the left with those on the right to make collocations from the text.
a. civic system
jury policy
settlement duty
points service
b. student behaviour
provide tests
pass information
criminal loan
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Level 1 Elementary
Now complete the sentences using the collocations.
1. The government are hoping to introduce a new _____________________ for immigrants.
2. Many people no longer have a sense of _____________________.
3. You have to go to court to do _____________________.
4. Is it a good idea to use a _____________________ to decide who can stay in a country?
5. Many websites _____________________ on different countries and their immigration policies.
6. I don’t have any money and I still haven’t managed to pay off my _____________________.
7. Is there a connection between _____________________ and drugs?
6 Discussion
Does your country have a national day?

If yes, How would you explain it to a visitor?
If no, choose a date for a new national holiday. Give reasons why you would choose this date.
7 Webquest
When do different countries around the world celebrate their national holidays? Use the Internet to find some
examples and fill in the table.
Country Date of national holiday

Australia 26 January
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KEY
1. migrant a. civic duty b. student loan

2. citizen jury service provide information
3. proposal settlement policy pass tests
4. feature points system criminal behaviour
5. volunteer
6. current 1. settlement policy
7. newcomer 2. civic duty
8. diversity 3. jury service
9. suspicious 4. points system
10. trend 5. provide information
6. student loan
7. criminal behaviour
8. pass tests
national, vote, report, community, points,

democracy, neighbour, extremism,
differences, workplace, integration
1. F
2. F
3. T
4. T
5. F
6. F
7. T
8. T
9. T

newcomer, workplace, media
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1 Key words
Choose the correct word to complete the sentences.
1. A ______________ has the legal right to live in a country. (citizen / citizenship)
2. Someone who comes to live in a country from another country is called an ______________.
(migrant / immigrant)
3. A ______________ is a legal (written) agreement between two or more parties. (policy / contract)
4. In Britain a ______________ can vote at the age of 18. (teenager / veteran)

5. A ______________ is an official group of people who make decisions about a local area. (council / government)
Use your dictionary to look up the definitions of the words you didn’t use. Compare and contrast the
meanings of each of the words.
2 Subtitles
Write down keywords you would expect to read in the part of the text that follows each of these subtitles.
Divisions in British society
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
A new points system
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
Reasons why the changes are needed
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
Plans for a ‘Britain Day’
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
Ministers set out plans in a new report
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
Citizenship contract
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
Then skim-read the text and decide where each subtitle should go. Write them into the spaces
(a-f) provided.
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NEWS LESSONS / New citizens, good citizens / Intermediate

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Rules to make migrants integrate understand and unclear”. In future, new citizens
Ministers say citizenship should depend on good would gain points for the length of time spent in
behaviour, passing English tests and knowledge the country, bringing substantial new investment
of the UK. into the UK, passing English tests, demonstrating
knowledge of the UK, undertaking civic work and
Patrick Wintour, political editor
living in a law-abiding way. A points system for
and Alan Travis
citizenship would allow credits to be deducted for
June 5, 2007
anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping or more serious
criminal behaviour.
a. _____________________________________ 7 “This form of points system would be the basis
1 Government ministers want to introduce a of a clearer relationship between the citizen
national British day as part of a ‘citizenship and the state. An easy to understand contract
revolution’ that would also toughen rules for such as this would encourage integration and
migrants and try to instil community pride in demonstrate a clearer sense in which citizenship
all 18-year-olds. and the rights that come with living in Britain are
earned.”
2 Under the new plans, every teenager in the UK
would be given a citizenship pack when they d. _____________________________________
became eligible to vote, and migrants would only
8 Local government should also provide a
be able to become British citizens if they could
citizenship deal for newcomers, setting out their
demonstrate good behaviour and a willingness
responsibilities to be good neighbours, as well
to integrate.
3 The national day could be a bank holiday, similar employment, say the ministers.
to Australia Day. The proposals come from the
9 A ‘life in Britain – good neighbour contract’
communities secretary, Ruth Kelly, and the
would be provided to all migrants from inside
immigration minister, Liam Byrne, who would
and outside the EU, including those that stay
also like to introduce citizenship ceremonies for
temporarily. The contract would be introduced
anyone who wants to settle in the UK.
alongside identity cards. The ministers also
b. _____________________________________ say councils should spend less on translation
services and more on English language teaching.
4 Some of the ideas floated by the two ministers
are likely to feature in a forthcoming report. e. _____________________________________
The themes have already been enthusiastically
10 The ministers warn there is “a critical risk that
embraced by the prime minister-in-waiting,
after 40 years in which diversity has grown,
Gordon Brown.
Britain’s communities are no longer looking
5 Another idea is to improve links between outwards and celebrating what they have
veterans and young people. The pack for in common. Instead, they are beginning to
18-year-olds would provide information on look inwards, stressing their differences and
democracy, volunteering and civic duties such divisions”.
as jury service. Student loan repayments could
11 The threat to a united sense of feeling British
be reduced in return for volunteering.
comes both from Islamist extremism and
c. _____________________________________ also groups like the British National Party.
Ministers point out that the government has to
6 Mr Byrne and Ms Kelly argue that the current acknowledge and respond to the growing mood
settlement policy for new migrants is “difficult to of English nationalism.
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12 “We risk seeing a more divided society, more that by 2011, only 20% of Britain’s workforce will
suspicious of each other and no longer coming be white, able-bodied men under 45.
together around shared goals. We need a
stronger sense of why we live in a common place f. _____________________________________
and have a shared future.” Mr Byrne admitted 15 In a speech to business leaders, Mr Byrne said
that recent eastern European migration had the new measures were needed because the
proved a “shock to the system”. “spike” in asylum claims in 2000, the unpredicted
13 He said new migrants needed to do more to level of eastern European migration and the
“help them understand British values and its way foreign prisoners crisis has badly damaged
of life.” He added: “We need to make it clearer confidence in Britain’s asylum and immigration
that citizenship isn’t simply handed out, but is system. He added, “We have to be open about
something which is earned.” the choices available to us. In the 21st century
we can’t make big decisions in secret.”
14 The ministers say new trends are pushing Britons
apart in the workplace, the family, the media
and new technology. They insist migration has
brought benefits, but say sometimes the pace of
change is rapid and destabilizing, pointing out
1. Government ministers want to introduce a new 4. Under a new policy, points would be awarded for...
bank holiday to... a. criminal behaviour.
a. improve the relationship with Australia. b. volunteering.

b. hand out good citizen awards. c. fly-tipping.
c. toughen immigration rules. d. old age.
d. promote community relationships.
5. Mr Byrne says citizenship needs to be...
2. The Prime Minister-in-waiting, Gordon Brown, a. bought.
thinks the plans are... b. fought for.
a. a bad idea. c. earned.
b. ok, but not for Britain. d. handed out.
c. a great idea.
d. not modern enough.
3. Ministers say the current settlement policy is...

a. too easy.
b. too complicated.
c. too long.
d. too expensive.
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Which words come before or after the words in the centre of the word wheels below? Find verbs or nouns
in the text to complete the word wheels.
2.
British
1. 3.
points citizenship
Can you think of any more words to add to the word wheels?
Skim-read and subtitle are both compound words, i.e. two or three words that are combined to make a new
word. Put these single words together to make compounds words from the text.
waiting minister abiding social fly in bodied

year anti able tipping 18 law old

_____________ - _____________
_____________ - _____________
_____________ - _____________
_____________ - _____________
_____________ - _____________ - _____________
_____________ - _____________ - _____________
Try to work out what they mean by reading the text again.
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6 Discussion
Does your country require new immigrants to take a citizenship test?

What subjects would you include when writing questions for a citizenship test?
Is nationalism a good or a bad thing? Try to think of different instances where national pride is acceptable or
not acceptable.
7 Webquest
Choose a country you would like to move to. Search for the immigration requirements for that country on the
Internet. You can do this by writing key words such as citizenship requirements into a search engine.
Is it easy or difficult to move to that country?
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KEY
1. citizen 1. deduct / gain / earn points system

2. immigrant 2. feeling British nationality / day / values
3. contract 3. citizenship ceremony / pack / deal
4. teenager
5. council
2 Subtitles law-abiding
fly-tipping
a. Plans for a ‘Britain Day’ anti-social
b. Ministers set out plans in a new report able-bodied
c. A new points system 18-year-old
d. Citizenship contract minister-in-waiting
e. Divisions in British society
f. Reasons why the changes are needed
1. d
2. c
3. b
4. b
5. c
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The new passage to India, business class
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
reject chaotic retail expat challenge

cope travail pale scramble crucial
1. An ____________ is someone who lives and works in a foreign country.
2. If something ____________, it becomes less important when compared with something else.
3. A ____________ is something that needs a lot of skill, energy and determination to deal with.
4. If you ____________, you deal successfully with a difficult situation.
5. ____________ is the process of selling goods direct to the public for their own use.
6. A ____________ is a situation where people are in a hurry to compete for the same thing.
7. If a situation is ____________, it is confused and disorganized.
8. If you ____________ an offer or a proposal, you say ‘no’ to it.
9. If something is ____________, it is extremely important.
10. A ____________ is a very difficult situation.
1. Half the airline pilots in India are foreign.
2. More than half the managers in Indian companies now come from abroad.
3. Delhi has an excellent public transport system.
4. 3 million university students graduate in India each year.
5. Salaries are increasing faster in China than in India.
6. India is becoming an attractive destination for senior managers.

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NEWS LESSONS / The new passage to India, business class / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
The new passage to India, of public relations at an Indian corporation earns
business class £40,000.
• Foreign executives pour in as salaries soar 5 Bharti Airtel, the country’s biggest mobile
• Shortage of local talent for booming economy operator, says foreign managers were once
rare but are now as good value as Indian staff.
Randeep Ramesh in New Delhi
Sunil Bharti Mittal, the company’s founder,
June 13, 2007
told reporters last month his company had
begun to hire “expats who cost less than Indian
1 Three years after rejecting the chance to work managers”.
in India because the country was too poor and
chaotic, Andrew Levermore, a retail executive 6 Andrea Stone, head of marketing at Bharti’s
who had worked in South Africa and Britain, was software arm Telesoft, joined on local terms in
persuaded by a powerful Mumbai business family 2005. She said her salary was “good enough to
to set up India’s first western-style hypermarket. live well [in Delhi]”. “I brought skills they did not
have. One was that I had worked in Britain, Hong
2 “I came round when I saw their vision. They Kong, Japan and Germany and could deal with
were dead serious and yes I had to make overseas clients. The other was motivating teams
some lifestyle adjustments but it was too good of young dynamic people.”
an opportunity to miss. Of course the salary
compared favourably with home.” Now on 7 The real challenges, says Ms Stone, come
the brink of rolling out another 28 stores, Mr when you leave the office. “You can’t walk
Levermore, 44, is convincing two more expats outside easily. It’s too hot and there are not that
to leave jobs in the west and work in India. “I many parks. Also Delhi does not have a public
have just hired my head of operations from transport system, which is hard. You can’t pop
Sainsbury’s and there’s another [foreign hire] for out for Marks and Spencer food. But you cope.”
buying and merchandising.”
8 The travails of living in the developing world
3 Mr Levermore is part of a new passage to appear to pale beside the money to be made
India. As the economy booms, there is not there. Foreign companies are also importing
enough talent to fill the expanding number their brightest and best to India. Cisco Systems,
of middle management positions and more the US technology giant, transferred seven top
western expatriates are taking senior positions. managers to its Bangalore office this year. The
Recruitment consultants say Indian workers are head of Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever in the
asking for so much foreigners are being “priced country is a South African. The boss of Goldman
back in”. Sachs is an American.
4 “It’s happening very quickly now,” says Kris 9 Of the 3 million Indian students who graduate
Lakshmikanth, chief executive of Headhunters each year, Indian industry admits, only 15%
India. “We are seeing more than 15% of could be employed in multinationals. Recruiting
management and skilled positions being filled and retaining skilled Indian workers is becoming
by expats. In hotel management there’s a step harder and more expensive than ever. Pay
change required and we can only get that from packets are getting fatter faster in India than
abroad. In the airline industry, 50% of pilots are anywhere else in Asia. According to a study by
foreign. A few years ago they made up just 5% human resources company Hewitt Associates,
[of the workforce].” Salaries for chief executives average salary increases in India are running at
have doubled in the past few years and now more than 14% a year, compared with about 8%
range from £125,000 to £600,000. Senior in China and slightly less in South Korea and the
managers can expect £100,000 a year. The head Philippines.
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10 But many companies say that in the scramble were crucial in creating Reliance’s signature
to scale up, they need foreign help. Reliance convenience stores. “We were ahead of the
Industries, India’s biggest private company, world in creating [these]. When Tesco went to
is spending £2.5bn to create a chain of California it chose to use the same model. That
superstores across India. Its retail division now shows how we benefit [from foreign talent].”
employs 100 expatriates in senior management
who bring “invaluable global experience”. © Guardian News & Media 2007
These skills, said chairman Mukesh Ambani, First published in The Guardian, 13/6/07
1. Why do Indian companies need foreign managers?

a. Because there are not enough local managers to do these jobs.
b. Because they are more talented than local managers.
c. Because they do not ask for high salaries.
2. What is the biggest challenge for some expats?

a. The size of the job.
b. Walking outside the office.
c. Finding Marks and Spencer food.
3. Why do some expats go to India despite the problems of living there?

a. Because they don’t think they are important.
b. Because they enjoy the lifestyle.
c. Because they can make a lot of money there.
4. Why did Andrew Levermore reject a chance to work in India three years ago?
a. Because he didn’t like the lifestyle.
b. Because he thought the country was poor and disorganized.
c. Because the salary was too low.
Find the following words and expressions.

1. A two-word expression meaning small changes to the way you live. (Para 2)
2. A two-word expressions meaning to look good in comparison with something else. (Para 2)
3. A four-word expression meaning about to happen. (Para 2)
4. A two-word expression meaning a noticeable improvement. (Para 4)
5. An adjective meaning foreign. (Para 6)
6. A two-word expression meaning wages. (Para 9)
7. An adjective meaning extremely useful. (Para 10)
8. A noun meaning a distinctive characteristic or product that enables people to recognize someone or something.
(Para 10)
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Level 3 Advanced
Match these phrasal verbs from the text with their meanings.
1. set up a. combine together to form a whole
2. come round b. go out quickly for a short time
3. roll out c. start a business
4. scale up d. introduce a new product or service
5. make up e. change your opinion or decision
6. pop out f. make something larger in size
Match the verbs and the nouns.
1. make a. experience
2. fill b. workers
3. recruit c. clients
4. bring d. an opportunity
5. miss e. adjustments
6. deal with f. a position
7 Discussion
What are the advantages and disadvantages of living and working in another country? Would you like to work
overseas? Why? Why not?
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KEY
1. expat 1. lifestyle adjustments

2. pales 2. compare favourably
3. challenge 3. on the brink of
4. cope 4. step chance
5. retail 5. overseas
6. scramble 6. pay packet
7. chaotic 7. invaluable
8. reject 8. signature
9. crucial
10. travail
2 What do you know? 1. c

2. e
1. T 3. d
2. F 4. f
3. F 5. a
4. T 6. b
5. F
6. T
3 Comprehension check 1. e
2. f
1. a 3. b
2. b 4. a
3. c 5. d
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
retail lifestyle expat booming salary

rare skill average chain experience
1. If you have a ____________, you can do something really well.
2. If you have ____________, you have a lot of knowledge about a job or activity because you have
done it for a long time.
3. Your ____________ is the way you live your life.
4. Your ____________ is the money you earn for your work.
5. ____________ is the process of selling goods direct to the public.
6. An ____________ is someone who lives and works in another country.
7. If a country is ____________, its economy is very successful.
8. A ____________ of businesses is a group of businesses which belong to the same person or company.
9. If something is ____________, it doesn’t happen very often.
10. If one person earns $10,000, another $20,000 and a third $30,000, their ____________ salary is $20,000.
1. How many stores will Mr Levermore’s company open?
2. What percentage of managers in India are expats?
3. What percentage of pilots in India are foreign?
4. How much can senior managers expect to earn in India?
5. How many students graduate from university each year in India?
6. What is the average salary increase in India each year?

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Level 1 Elementary
The new passage to India,
5 Bharti Airtel, the country’s biggest mobile
business class
• Foreign executives pour in as salaries soar operator, says foreign managers used to be rare
• Shortage of local talent for booming economy in India but they are now as good value as Indian
Randeep Ramesh in New Delhi staff. Sunil Bharti Mittal, the company’s founder,
June 13, 2007 told reporters last month his company had begun
to give jobs to “expats who cost less than Indian
1 Andrew Levermore is a business manager who managers”.
specializes in retail. Mr Levermore has worked 6 Andrea Stone, head of marketing at Bharti’s
in both South Africa and Britain. Three years software company Telesoft, joined on a local
ago someone offered him a job in India. He said contract in 2005. She said her salary was “good
no. He thought the country was too poor and enough to live well in Delhi”. “I brought skills
disorganized. Now a powerful Mumbai business they did not have. One was that I had worked
family has asked him to manage India’s first in Britain, Hong Kong, Japan and Germany
western-style hypermarket. This time he said and knew how to work with clients from other
yes. countries. The other was motivating teams of
2 “I changed my mind when I saw their plans. They young dynamic people.”
are very serious people. Yes, I had to change 7 Ms Stone says that she only has problems
my lifestyle a bit but this was a really good when she leaves the office. “You can’t walk
opportunity for me. Of course the pay is good outside easily. It’s too hot and there are not that
compared with the UK.” His company will soon many parks. Also Delhi does not have a public
be opening another 28 stores and Mr Levermore, transport system, which is a problem. You can’t
44, is inviting two more expats to leave their jobs just go round the corner to Marks and Spencer to
in the west and work with him in India. buy food. But you can live.”
3 Mr Levermore is part of a new movement of
8 Living in a country like India might be difficult
business people to India. The Indian economy is for some expats but they can earn good money
booming but there are not enough qualified and there. Foreign companies are also bringing their
experienced middle managers so more and more best managers to India. Cisco Systems, the US
western expatriates are taking senior positions. technology giant, moved seven top managers to
Some Indian experts say Indian workers are its Bangalore office this year. The head of Anglo-
asking for so much money that it is often cheaper Dutch multinational Unilever in the country is a
to give jobs to foreigners. South African. The boss of Goldman Sachs is an
4 “It’s happening very quickly now,” says Kris American.
Lakshmikanth, chief executive of Headhunters 9 3 million Indian students graduate from university
India. “Expats are filling more than 15% of each year but Indian industry says that only 15%
management and skilled positions. Hotel are good enough to find work in multinational
management requires a rapid improvement in companies. Finding and keeping skilled Indian
quality and we can only get that from abroad. In workers is becoming more difficult and more
the airline industry, 50% of pilots are foreign. A expensive than ever. Salaries are increasing
few years ago only 5% of pilots were foreigners”. faster in India than anywhere else in Asia.
Salaries for chief executives have doubled in According to a study by human resources
the past few years and now chief executives company Hewitt Associates, the average salary
can earn from £125,000 to £600,000. Senior increase each year in India is more than 14% a
managers can expect £100,000 a year. The head year, compared with about 8% in China and a
of public relations at an Indian corporation earns little less in South Korea and the Philippines.
£40,000.
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Level 1 Elementary
10 But many companies say that they need foreign very important when Reliance opened its
help because they want their businesses to convenience stores. “We were first in the world
grow. Reliance Industries, India’s biggest private to create stores like these. When Tesco went to
company, is spending £2.5bn to create a chain of California it decided to use the same model. That
superstores across India. 100 expatriates work shows how much we can get from
in the senior management of Reliance. These foreign talent.”
people have “global experience”. These skills,
said chairman Mukesh Ambani, were © Guardian News & Media 2007
Are these statements True (T) or False (F) according to the text?
1. Salaries for managers are much lower in India than in the UK.
2. Average salary increases are higher in China than in India.
3. Most pilots in India are foreign.
4. Delhi does not have a public transport system.
5. Indian managers sometimes cost more than foreign managers.
6. Andrea Stone buys her lunch at Marks and Spencer.
4 Vocabulary 1: Types of shop
Match the shops with the definitions.
1. hypermarket a. a large shop that mainly sells food
2. supermarket b. a large shop that sells clothes and household goods
3. convenience store c. a very large supermarket that sells lots of different things
4. department store d. a local shop that sells food and is open for long hours
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Level 1 Elementary
Find 6 pairs of opposites in the box.
senior best cheap slow skilled easy expensive
rapid private unskilled public difficult junior worst
Noun Adjective Verb Noun

1. skill 5. improve
2. experience 6. manage
3. qualification 7. increase
4. power 8. invite
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Types of shop
1. skill 1. c
2. experience 2. a
3. lifestyle 3. d
4. salary 4. b
5. retail
6. expat
7. booming
8. chain
9. rare senior/junior
10. average best/worst
cheap/expensive
slow/rapid
2 Find the information skilled/unskilled
easy/difficult
1. 28 private/public
2. 155
3. 50%
4. £100,000
5. 3 million
6. 14% 1. skilled
2. experienced
3. qualified
3 Comprehension check 4. powerful
5. improvement
1. b 6. management/manager
2. b 7. increase
3. a 8. invitation
4. a
5. b
6. a
7. a
8. b
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1 Key words
reject vision retail expat boom

expand cope benefit invaluable crucial
1. If something ____________, it becomes larger in size.
2. ____________ is the process of selling goods direct to the public for their own use.
3. If something is ____________, it is extremely important.

4. If a country or an industry ____________, it is extremely successful economically.
5. If something is ____________, it is extremely useful.
6. If you ____________, you deal successfully with a difficult situation.
7. If you ____________ an offer or a proposal, you say ‘no’ to it.
8. ____________ is the ability to think about and plan for the future.
9. An ____________ is someone who lives and works in a foreign country.
10. If you ____________ from something, you get help or advantage from it.
1. What percentage of management and skilled positions in India are filled by expats?
2. What percentage of pilots in India are foreign?
3. What is the highest salary a chief executive can earn?
4. What can the head of public relations at an Indian corporation earn?
5. How many students graduate from Indian universities each year?
6. What is the annual rate of increase in salaries in India?

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NEWS LESSONS / The new passage to India, business class / Intermediate

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The new passage to India, £600,000. Senior managers can expect £100,000
business class a year. The head of public relations at an Indian
corporation earns £40,000.
• Foreign executives pour in as salaries soar
• Shortage of local talent for booming economy 5 Bharti Airtel, the country’s biggest mobile
operator, says foreign managers used to be
rare but are now as good value as Indian staff.
June 13, 2007
Sunil Bharti Mittal, the company’s founder,
told reporters last month his company had
1 Three years ago Andrew Levermore, a retail begun to hire “expats who cost less than Indian
executive who had worked in South Africa and managers”.
Britain, rejected an offer to work in India because
the country was too poor and chaotic. Now a 6 Andrea Stone, head of marketing at Bharti’s
powerful Mumbai business family has persuaded software company Telesoft, joined on local terms
him to help to set up India’s first western-style in 2005. She said her salary was “good enough
hypermarket. to live well in Delhi”. “I brought skills they did not
have. One was that I had worked in Britain, Hong
2 “I changed my mind when I saw their vision. Kong, Japan and Germany and knew how to deal
They were very serious and yes I had to change with overseas clients. The other was motivating
my lifestyle a bit but I didn’t want to miss such teams of young dynamic people.”
a good opportunity. Of course the salary was
good compared with home.” His company will 7 Ms Stone says that the real difficulties come
soon be opening another 28 stores and Mr when you leave the office. “You can’t walk
Levermore, 44, is trying to persuade two more outside easily. It’s too hot and there are not that
expats to leave their jobs in the west and work many parks. Also Delhi does not have a public
in India. “I have just hired my head of operations transport system, which is hard. You can’t just go
from Sainsbury’s and I’m in the process of hiring round the corner to Marks and Spencer to buy
another expat for buying and merchandising.” food. But you cope.”
3 Mr Levermore is part of a new movement of 8 The difficulties of living in the developing world
business people to India. As the economy are minor in comparison with the money people
booms, there is not enough talent to fill the can make there. Foreign companies are also
expanding number of middle management importing their brightest and best managers
positions and more western expatriates are to India. Cisco Systems, the US technology
taking senior positions. Recruitment consultants giant, transferred seven top managers to its
say Indian workers are asking for so much Bangalore office this year. The head of Anglo-
money that it is becoming cheaper to hire Dutch multinational Unilever in the country is a
foreigners. South African. The boss of Goldman Sachs is an
American.
4 “It’s happening very quickly now,” says Kris
Lakshmikanth, chief executive of Headhunters 9 3 million Indian students graduate from
India. “Expats are filling more than 15% of university each year but Indian industry admits
management and skilled positions. Hotel that only 15% are good enough to find work
management requires a rapid improvement in in multinationals. Finding and keeping skilled
quality and we can only get that from abroad. In Indian workers is becoming more difficult
the airline industry, 50% of pilots are foreign. A and more expensive than ever. Salaries are
few years ago only 5% of pilots were foreigners”. increasing faster in India than anywhere else in
Salaries for chief executives have doubled in the Asia. According to a study by human resources
past few years and now range from £125,000 to company Hewitt Associates, average salary
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increases in India are running at more than 14% These skills, said chairman Mukesh Ambani,
a year, compared with about 8% in China and were crucial in creating Reliance’s trademark
slightly less in South Korea and the Philippines. convenience stores. “We were ahead of the
world in creating these stores. When Tesco went
10 But many companies say that they need foreign to California it decided to use the same model.
help as they try to expand their businesses. That shows how we benefit from foreign talent.”
Reliance Industries, India’s biggest private
company, is spending £2.5bn to create a chain of © Guardian News & Media 2007
superstores across India. Its retail division now First published in The Guardian, 13/6/07
employs 100 expatriates in senior management
who bring “invaluable global experience”.
1. More and more western expats are taking management jobs in India.
2. Local managers earn much less money.
3. Delhi has a good public transport system.
4. Big multinational companies operate in India.
5. Most Indian graduates find work in multinational companies.
6. Senior managers from abroad bring global experience to Indian companies.
4 Grammar: Verbs
Fill the gaps using the correct form of these verbs from the text.
double range transfer hire require persuade
1. Cisco Systems ____________ several senior managers from the USA to India.
2. More and more Indian companies ____________ foreign staff.
3. Salaries for chief executives ____________ in the past few years.
4. Salaries for chief executives ____________ from £125,000 to £600,000.
5. A Mumbai business family ____________ Andrew Levermore to move to India.
6. Hotel management ____________ a rapid improvement in quality.

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1. miss a. people
2. reject b. a new store
3. fill c. an opportunity
4. motivate d. a business
5. expand e. an offer
6. open f. a position
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. improve
2. develop
3. persuade
4. require
5. compare
6. recruit
7. divide
8. benefit
7 Discussion
Would you move to another country to find work? What factors would attract you to another country? Where would
you like to go?
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1 Key words 4 Grammar: Verbs
1. expands 1. transferred
2. retail 2. are hiring
3. crucial 3. have doubled
4. booms 4. range
5. invaluable 5. persuaded
6. cope 6. requires
7. reject
8. vision
9. expat
10. benefit
1. c
2. e
4. a
1. 15% 5. d
2. 50% 6. b
3. £600,000
4. £40,000
5. 3 million
6. 14%
1. improvement
2. development
3 Comprehension check 3. persuasion
4. requirement
1. T 5. comparison
2. F 6. recruitment
3. F 7. division
4. T 8. benefit
5. F
6. T
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Facebook challenges MySpace
Level 3 Advanced
1 Networking
Who do people normally network with?
Where do people network?
Is networking important?
What is a social networking website?
Pool your ideas in class and write them on the board.
2 Top 20 websites
Which do you think are the most popular websites in the UK?
List at least 5 that you would expect to see in the top 20 list of most visited websites.
At which position would you expect to find facebook.com?
Do a class survey. Which are the most popular websites in your class?
3 Top 20 websites
What types of companies are these?

Who are these people?
1. Google and Yahoo! ________________________________________

2. News Corp ________________________________________
3. Facebook and MySpace ________________________________________
4. Rupert Murdoch ________________________________________

5. Mark Zuckerberg ________________________________________
6. Jerry Yang ________________________________________
Write down your ideas and then skim-read the article for the answers.
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Facebook challenges MySpace as initial $1bn offer was rejected by Mr Zuckerberg,
place for the cool set to hang out Yahoo! said it could raise that to $1.6bn – but
Helping people stay in touch with friends online he made it plain that he didn’t intend to sell just
has become the latest battleground for moguls. yet. At the time, many Internet watchers laughed
at the youthful ‘frat nerd’ for not cashing in his
Richard Wray, communications editor
chips, but today analysts reckon the business
June 21, 2007
could be worth several times what Yahoo!
initially offered.
Face to face
7 In the UK alone, Facebook has gone from the
1 Take everyone you’ve ever known – work
469th most popular website, in May last year, to
colleagues, former school friends, close family
the 18th. Half the visits to the site, according to
members, your boss, your ex-partner – and put
Internet statistics company Hitwise, come from
them in a single room. Then give them intimate
people in the 18-24 year old age group, but the
access to every corner of your life, from your
real growth over the past six months appears
trivial thoughts to your most recent holiday snaps
to have come from 24-35 year olds. The site
and your plans for the weekend. Then sit back
seems to have reached what sociologists term a
and watch the social experiment unfold.
‘tipping point’, with the name entering into many
2 Financiers have been betting on which social people’s vocabulary.
networking site would make the leap to the adult
Network effect
world. Its viral power, elegance of its design and
8 The rapid growth in Facebook is due to Mr
the flexibility and openness of its features have
Zuckerberg’s decision to open the network
made Facebook the hot favourite to do so.
to all-comers. Zuckerberg created Facebook
3 Facebook, like most Internet successes, appeals while at Harvard to help students deal with the
to our sense of curiosity, sociability and sharing. sometimes unfriendly atmosphere in Cambridge,
If MySpace is as messy and chaotic as a Massachusetts. Up to last autumn the site was
teenager’s bedroom, Facebook is the frenzied effectively invitation only, with users needing
networking of a cocktail party. to have an academic email address. Then in
September the company threw open its doors to
The rise to success everyone.
4 “I’ve added you as a friend on Facebook...” This
introduction to the web’s fastest growing social 9 “The growth started slowly in late September,
phenomenon has been appearing with growing early October last year and has really taken
frequency in email inboxes across the world. off since then,” says Heather Hopkins, vice
What started as a way for American college president of research at Hitwise UK. “There is a
friends to stay in touch has become one of the network effect as more people join and get more
Internet’s hottest properties. of their friends to join.”
5 The rise of Facebook, created by Harvard 10 It is adding more than 100,000 users a day and
drop-out Mark Zuckerberg three years ago, is already has 27 million active users, with more
challenging the dominance of MySpace in the than half of those returning daily. MySpace is
social networking market. This may explain why still considerably larger, with 60 million users
MySpace’s owner, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, in the US alone, but Facebook is catching up.
has considered exchanging it for a 25% stake in The growth has gathered pace due to the fact
online portal and search giant Yahoo! that new users are given the option of allowing
Facebook to access their email account to look
6 Yahoo! saw the potential for Facebook when for friends who are already using the service,
it tried to buy the business last year. After an
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Level 3 Advanced
then email contacts who are not part of the 14 Talks between Mr Murdoch, who wants to
network to invite them inside. swap MySpace for a 25% stake in Yahoo!,
and Yahoo!, have hit a snag. Earlier this week,
11 The success of Facebook has not gone Yahoo! chief executive Terry Semel stepped
unnoticed at News Corp. Asked earlier this month down after intense pressure from investors. His
by the Wall Street Journal why he had not made replacement, co-founder Jerry Yang, will want
an offer for another North American newspaper time to get to grips with the problems in the
group, Tribune, Mr Murdoch said it was because business before re-opening negotiations with
readership of its newspapers was declining. anyone.
“That’s because everyone’s going to MySpace,”
quipped the reporter. “I wish they were. They’re 15 But, for Mr Murdoch, the allure of the
all going to Facebook,” the media mogul retorted. Internet advertising market is not going
to go away. A recent report published by
12 That was taken by some media watchers as PricewaterhouseCoopers showed that last year,
evidence of a growing dissatisfaction with online advertising worldwide grew 37.9% to
MySpace. When Mr Murdoch bought the $31.6bn, accounting for more than 7% of the
company in 2005 for $580m (£290m), the deal total advertising market of $407bn. Globally
raised eyebrows among investors. But in August the Internet will remain the fastest growing
the following year, Mr Murdoch tied up a $900m advertising medium, with compound annual
deal with Google to provide adverts for MySpace. growth of 18.3% up to 2011. By that time the
That deal has been a double-edged sword. online advertising market will be worth $73bn,
The MySpace site has become cluttered with accounting for 14% of the global advertising
advertising. market of $531bn. That’s still a lot to play for.
Online ad boom
13 Mr Murdoch’s tie-up between MySpace and © Guardian News & Media 2007
Google gave him a way into the world of online First published in The Guardian, 21/6/07
search advertising, by far the largest part of the
booming online ad market. But it was only a foot
in the door. There is a feeling among analysts,
especially in the US, that News Corp needs
to get further into the search market. Which is
where a potential deal with Yahoo! becomes
attractive.
4 Summary
Which of the sentences below best summarizes the article?
1. News Corp, MySpace and Facebook are bidding against each other to buy stakes in Yahoo!
2. Providing social networking sites is a boom business as is advertising on the Internet.
3. People are buying fewer newspapers and using the Internet more.
Write one sentence to summarise each paragraph of the article. Compare your sentences with a partner.
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5 Pronunciation
1. Say these words out loud. Which syllable is stressed? Write the words into the columns according to
their pronunciation pattern.
financiers sociability introduction phenomenon

Massachusetts experiment sociologists
oOoo ooOo ooOoo

2. Write one sentence that contains at least 3 of these words. Who can come up with the most interesting
sentence? Note: It must make sense.
6 Similies
Use your own ideas to complete these similes.
1. As messy as ___________________________.
2. As chaotic as ___________________________.
3. As successful as ___________________________.
4. As complicated as ___________________________.
5. As wealthy as ___________________________.
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7 Idioms
Answer these questions according to the article.
1. Who didn’t cash in his chips? _____________________________________________
Where would you commonly cash in your chips? _____________________________________________
2. Who threw open their doors to whom? _____________________________________________
Is this a welcoming or unwelcoming gesture? _____________________________________________
3. What made investors raise their eyebrows? _____________________________________________

Think of something that would make you raise your eyebrows. _______________________________________
4. What is described as being a double-edged sword? _______________________________________
Give another example of something that is a double-edged sword. ___________________________________
8 Discussion
Would you consider joining a social networking community such as Facebook, MySpace or Friends Reunited?
Why? Why not? Make a list of pros and cons before starting your discussion.
8 Web quest
Go to www.facebook.com and click on the virtual tour (you do not need to register). Then answer these
questions.
Who can sign up to Facebook?
Whose profiles can you see when you sign up?
What does Facebook recommend you add when writing your profile?
Can you upload photos?
What will Facebook notify you of?
What can you do if you don’t want someone to access your profile?
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KEY
2 Top 20 websites 4 Summary
Hitwise UK - Top 20 Websites - May, 2007 2. Providing social networking sites is a boom business
This list features the most popular websites based on UK Internet usage for as is advertising on the Internet.
May, 2007, ranked by market share of visits across all Hitwise industries.
5 Pronunciation
Rank Website Market Share
1. www.google.co.uk 8.2%
2. www.ebay.co.uk 2.7% oOoo ooOo ooOoo
3. www.hotmail.com 2.64%
financiers Massachusetts sociability
4. www.google.com 2.44%
experiment introduction sociologists
5. uk.msn.com 1.54%
phenomenon
6. www.bebo.com 1.52%
7. www.orange.co.uk 1.47%
8. www.myspace.com 1.36%
9. uk.mail.yahoo.com 1.24%
10. uk.yahoo.com 0.91% 7 Idioms
11. news.bbc.co.uk 0.82%
12. www.bbc.co.uk 0.81% 1. Mark Zuckerberg didn’t cash in his chips.
13. www.youtube.com 0.75% 2. Facebook threw open its doors to everyone/all users.
14. uk.search.yahoo.com 0.69% 3. The sum Murdoch paid for MySpace made investors
15. www.amazon.co.uk 0.64% raise their eyebrows.
16. www.msn.com 0.61% 4. MySpace’s advertising deal with Google is described
17. images.google.co.uk 0.60% as being a double-edged sword.
18. www.facebook.com 0.57%
19. www.microsoft.com 0.54%
20. mail.myspace.com 0.53%
3 Companies and people
1. Google and Yahoo! are online portal and

search engines.
2. News Corp is media conglomerate that owns many
newspapers and TV networks.
3. Facebook and MySpace are online social
networking websites.
4. Rupert Murdoch is the creator and CEO of
News Corp.
5. Mark Zuckerberg is the creator and CEO
of Facebook.
6. Jerry Yang is the co-founder and CEO of Yahoo!
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Popular websites and online services
1. Match the terms on the left with the explanations on the right.
A social networking website The person who promises to pay the highest amount of money
can win/buy an item.
An auction house Helps you find whatever you need on the Internet.
A search engine You can buy goods electronically and have them delivered to
your home or office.
The news You can watch and listen to short films.
An online shop Information about something that has recently happened.
Video clips website A virtual place where you can meet friends, chat, exchange
information, see photos and read diaries.
2. Match the websites to the type of service they provide.
Yahoo! and Google online shop
BBC & CNN search engine
eBay news
Amazon video clips
YouTube social networking
Facebook and MySpace auction house

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NEWS LESSONS / Facebook challenges MySpace / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
2 Keyword crossword
You can find the answers in the article. The paragraph number after each clue will help you.
4 5
Across
6. A is someone who has a degree in sociology. (para 6)
7. A is someone who starts up a business with someone else. (para 12)
8. A is someone who leaves something such as a school, activity or competition before

he has finished what he intended to do. (para 4)
9. An is someone who knows a lot about a particular subject. (para 2)
Down
1. A is someone who writes articles for a newspaper. (para 9)
2. An is a person or organization that invests money. (para 10)
3. An is someone whose job is to carefully examine a situation and provide others

with information about it. (para 11)
4. A is a senior manager or leader – the second in charge. (para 7)
5. A is an important and powerful person in a particular activity or industry. (subtitle)

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Facebook challenges MySpace as
place for the cool set to hang out site are between 18-24 years old, but the real
Helping people stay in touch with friends online growth over the past six months has come from
has become the latest battleground for moguls. 24-35 year olds. The site has reached what
Richard Wray, communications editor sociologists call a ‘tipping point’, with the name
June 21, 2007 entering into many people’s vocabulary.
7 Network effect
1 Give everyone you know – your work colleagues, The rapid growth in Facebook is due to Mr
former school friends, close family members, Zuckerberg’s decision to open the network to
your boss, your ex-partner – access to every part everybody. Zuckerberg created Facebook while
of your life, from your diary to your holiday photos he was at Harvard, and up until last autumn,
and your plans for the weekend. Then sit back people could only join the site if they had an
and watch what happens. academic email address. Then in September the
2 Experts are betting on which social networking company decided to let anyone join.
site will become popular with adults as well 8 “The growth started slowly in late September,
as teenagers. Facebook is currently the early October last year and has really taken
hot favourite. off since then,” says Heather Hopkins, vice
3 The rise to success president of research at Hitwise UK. It is adding
“I’ve added you as a friend on Facebook...” This more than 100,000 users a day and already has
introduction to the web’s fastest growing social 27 million active users. More than half of the
phenomenon is appearing in email inboxes users visit the site every day. MySpace is still
across the world. Facebook started as a way for much larger, it has 60 million users in the US
American college friends to stay in touch and alone, but Facebook is catching up.
has now become one of the Internet’s hottest 9 News Corp is watching Facebook’s success. A
websites. reporter recently asked Mr Murdoch why he had
4 Facebook, which was created by Harvard drop- not made an offer for another North American
out Mark Zuckerberg three years ago, is currently newspaper group, Tribune, Mr Murdoch said
challenging MySpace, the world’s most popular it was because people no longer want to read
social networking site. This may explain why newspapers. “That’s because everyone’s going
MySpace’s owner, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, to MySpace,” joked the reporter. “I wish they
is thinking about exchanging MySpace for a 25% were. They’re all going to Facebook,” the media
stake in the search engine, Yahoo! mogul replied.
5 Last year, Yahoo! tried to buy Facebook. Mr 10 Investors were surprised when Mr Murdoch
Zuckerberg rejected Yahoo!’s first offer of bought MySpace in 2005 for $580m (£290m).
$1bn and so Yahoo! raised it to $1.6bn – but But in August 2006, Mr Murdoch made a $900m
Zuckerberg still didn’t want to sell. At the time, deal with Google to provide adverts for MySpace.
many Internet watchers laughed at Zuckerberg That deal has had positive and negative
for not accepting Yahoo!’s offer, but today effects. The MySpace site is now cluttered with
analysts think that Facebook could be worth advertising.
several times what Yahoo! initially offered. 11 Online ad boom
6 In the UK, in May last year, Facebook was the Mr Murdoch’s deal with MySpace and Google
469th most popular website – a year later, it gave him a way into the world of online search
is the 18th. According to an Internet statistics advertising, which is by far the largest part of the
company, Hitwise, half the people who visit the booming online ad market. But it was only a foot
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in the door. Analysts in the US think that News PricewaterhouseCoopers showed that last
Corp needs to do more, and so this is why Mr year, income from online advertising worldwide
Murdoch’s offer to Yahoo! becomes attractive. grew 37.9% to $31.6bn, and now accounts for
more than 7% of the total advertising market of
12 Talks between Mr Murdoch, who wants to swap
$407bn. Globally, the Internet will remain the
MySpace for a 25% stake in Yahoo!, and Yahoo!,
fastest growing advertising medium. By 2011 the
have hit a snag. Earlier this week, Yahoo! chief
online advertising market will be worth $73bn, or
executive Terry Semel stepped down. His
14% of the global advertising market. That’s still
replacement, co-founder Jerry Yang, will want
a lot to play for.
time to deal with the problems in the business
before re-opening negotiations with anyone.
13 But, for Mr Murdoch, the allure of the
Internet advertising market is not going
to go away. A recent report published by
1. You can meet old friends through social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace.
2. You have to be a university student to be a member of Facebook.
3. Facebook is more successful than MySpace.
4. Mark Zuckerberg is a co-founder of Yahoo!
5. Rupert Murdoch is a media mogul.
6. MySpace made an offer to buy Facebook.
7. Murdoch wants to swap MySpace for Yahoo!
8. People say there is too much advertising on MySpace.
9. Yahoo! has a new CEO.
10. Online advertising is a booming business.

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4 Number and figures
1. Write out these numbers in figures.
One billion
Twenty-seven million
One hundred thousand
2. Complete these sentences with numbers from the article.
a. Murdoch made a deal with Google to provide adverts for MySpace.
b. Murdoch paid for MySpace.
c. Facebook has daily users.
d. Facebook has active users.
e. MySpace has users.
f. Yahoo! first offered for Facebook in 2006.
g. Online advertising could be worth in 2011.
5 The Internet and me
Answer the questions below for yourself, and then ask your partner the same questions.
1. How often do you use the Internet? (e.g. every day / once a week / only at the weekends / never)
2. Where do you use the Internet? (e.g. at home / at work / in an Internet café)
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3. What do you mostly use the internet for? (e.g. listening to music / reading newspapers / shopping /
playing games)
4. What kind of websites do you mostly visit? (e.g. news / company websites / shopping / banking)
5. What are your three favourite websites?
Source of definitions: www.onlinemacmillandictionary.com
6 Discussion
Make a list of the positive and negative aspects of a social networking website?
Would you like to join a social networking community such as Facebook, MySpace or Friends Reunited?
Why/why not?
7 Web quest
Go to www.facebook.com and click on the virtual tour (you do not need to register). Then answer the ques-
tions below.
Who can register with Facebook?
What information do you need to give Facebook when you register?
What can you see and do when you register?
Can you find old friends?
Can you add a blog?
What can you write in your profile?
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Popular websites and online services Down
1. reporter
1. 2. investor
A social networking website – a virtual place 3. analyst
where you can meet friends, chat, exchange 4. vice president
information, see photos and read diaries. 5. mogul
An auction house – the person who promises

to pay the highest amount of money can win an item 3 Comprehension check
A search engine – helps you find whatever you 1. True

need on the Internet 2. False – anyone can join Facebok
3. False – MySpace is still the top social
The news – information about something that has networking website
recently happened. 4. False - Mark Zuckerberg the founder of Facebook
5. True
An online shop – you can buy goods electronically 6. False – Yahoo! made an offer to buy Facebook.
and have them delivered to your home or office. 7. False - Murdoch wants to swap MySpace for a 25%
stake in Yahoo!
Video clips website – you can watch and listen 8. True
to short films. 9. True
10 True
2.
Yahoo! and Google - search engine 4 Numbers and figures
BBC & CNN - news 1.

eBay - auction house One billion - 1,000,000,000
Twenty-seven million - 27,000,000
Amazon - online shop One hundred thousand - 100,000
YouTube - video clips 2.

Facebook and MySpace - social networking a) $900 million
b) $580 million
c) 100,000
2 Keyword crossword d) 27 million
e) 60 million
f) $1 billion
Across
g) $73 billion
6. sociologist
7. co-founder
8. drop-out
9. expert
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
Further information
Hitwise UK - Top 20 Websites - May, 2007

This list features the most popular websites based on UK Internet usage for May, 2007,
ranked by market share of visits across all Hitwise industries.
Rank Website Market Share

2. www.ebay.co.uk 2.7%
3. www.hotmail.com 2.64%
5. uk.msn.com 1.54%
6. www.bebo.com 1.52%
8. www.myspace.com 1.36%
9. uk.mail.yahoo.com 1.24%
10. uk.yahoo.com 0.91%
11. news.bbc.co.uk 0.82%
12. www.bbc.co.uk 0.81%
13 www.youtube.com 0.75%
14. uk.search.yahoo.com 0.69%
15. www.amazon.co.uk 0.64%
16. www.msn.com 0.61%
17. images.google.co.uk 0.60%

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1 Key words
Put these words, which are all used to describe people and jobs, into the sentences below.
Mogul CEO financier drop-out analyst

investor sociologist vice president co-founder
1. An ___________ is someone whose job is to carefully examine a situation and provide others with
information about it.
2. A ___________ is the most senior manager in a company.
3. An ___________ is a person or organisation that invests money.
4. A ___________ is a person or organisation that manages or lends large amounts of money.
5. A ___________ is someone who starts up something with someone else.
6. A ___________ is someone who has a degree in sociology.
7. A ___________ is an important and powerful person in a particular activity or industry.
8. A ___________ is a senior manager or leader – second in charge.
9. A ___________ is someone who leaves something such as a school, activity or competition before he
has finished what he intended to do.
2 Subtitles
1. Which of these websites do you think are most popular in the UK? Put these websites in order of
popularity (a-j).
Yahoo! Google Barclay’s Bank BBC eBay

Amazon youtube Facebook MySpace bebo
a. _______________ e. _______________ i. _______________
b. _______________ f. _______________ j. _______________
c. _______________ g. _______________
d. _______________ h. _______________
2. What do you use the Internet for? Which websites do you use regularly? Do a class survey. Which are
the most popular websites in your class?
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NEWS LESSONS / Facebook challenges MySpace / Intermediate

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3 Companies and people
What kind of companies are a-c? Match the company names with the descriptions.
a. Google and Yahoo! social networking website
b. News Corp search engine
c. Facebook and MySpace media conglomerate
Match each of these CEOs to one of the companies above (a-c).
1. Rupert Murdoch ________________________
2. Mark Zuckerberg ________________________
3. Jerry Yang ________________________
Now skim-read the article to check your answers.
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Facebook challenges MySpace as analysts reckon the business could be worth
place for the cool set to hang out several times what Yahoo! initially offered.
Helping people stay in touch with friends online 6 In the UK, Facebook has gone from the 469th
has become the latest battleground for moguls. most popular website, in May last year, to the
Richard Wray, communications editor 18th. According to Internet statistics company
June 21, 2007 Hitwise, half the people who visit the site are
between 18-24 years old, but the real growth
over the past six months appears to have
Face to face
come from 24-35 year olds. The site seems to
1 Take everyone you’ve ever known – work
have reached what sociologists call a ‘tipping
colleagues, former school friends, close family
point’, with the name entering into many
members, your boss, your ex-partner – and put
people’s vocabulary.
them in a single room. Then give them intimate
access to every corner of your life, from your Network effect
trivial thoughts to your most recent holiday 7 The rapid growth in Facebook is due to Mr
photos and your plans for the weekend. Then sit Zuckerberg’s decision to open the network to
back and watch the social experiment unfold. everybody. Zuckerberg created Facebook while
at Harvard and up to last autumn people could
2 Financiers have been betting on which social
only join the site if they had an academic email
networking site would make the leap to the adult
address. Then in September the company threw
world. Its power, the elegance of its design and
open its doors to everyone.
the flexibility and openness of its features have
made Facebook the hot favourite to do so. 8 “The growth started slowly in late September,
early October last year and has really taken
The rise to success
off since then,” says Heather Hopkins, vice
3 “I’ve added you as a friend on Facebook...” This
president of research at Hitwise UK. It is adding
introduction to the web’s fastest growing social
more than 100,000 users a day and already has
phenomenon has been appearing with growing
27 million active users. More than half of the
frequency in email inboxes across the world.
users visit the site every day. MySpace is still
What started as a way for American college
considerably larger, with 60 million users in the
friends to stay in touch has become one of the
US alone, but Facebook is catching up.
Internet’s hottest properties.
9 The success of Facebook has not gone
4 The rise of Facebook, created by Harvard
unnoticed at News Corp. Asked earlier this month
drop-out Mark Zuckerberg three years ago,
by the Wall Street Journal why he had not made
is challenging MySpace, which is currently
an offer for another North American newspaper
the world’s most popular social networking
group, Tribune, Mr Murdoch said it was because
site. This may explain why MySpace’s owner,
readership of its newspapers was declining.
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, has considered
“That’s because everyone’s going to MySpace,”
exchanging it for a 25% stake in online portal and
joked the reporter. “I wish they were. They’re all
search engine, Yahoo!
going to Facebook,” the media mogul replied.
5 Yahoo! saw the potential for Facebook when 10 When Mr Murdoch bought MySpace in 2005
it tried to buy the business last year. After an
for $580m (£290m), the deal raised eyebrows
initial $1bn offer was rejected by Mr Zuckerberg,
among investors. But in August the following
Yahoo! said it could raise that to $1.6bn – but he
year, Mr Murdoch tied up a $900m deal with
made it plain that he didn’t intend to sell just yet.
Google to provide adverts for MySpace. That
At the time, many Internet watchers laughed at
deal has been a double-edged sword. The
Zuckerberg for not cashing in his chips, but today
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MySpace site has become cluttered with time to deal with the problems in the business
advertising. before re-opening negotiations with anyone.
Online ad boom 13 But, for Mr Murdoch, the allure of the

11 Mr Murdoch’s tie-up between MySpace and Internet advertising market is not going
Google gave him a way into the world of online to go away. A recent report published by
search advertising, which is by far the largest PricewaterhouseCoopers showed that last
part of the booming online ad market. But it was year, online advertising worldwide grew 37.9%
only a foot in the door. There is a feeling among to $31.6bn, and now accounts for more than
analysts, especially in the US, that News Corp 7% of the total advertising market of $407bn.
needs to do more, which is where a potential Globally, the internet will remain the fastest
deal with Yahoo! becomes attractive. growing advertising medium. By 2011 the
online advertising market will be worth $73bn,
12 Talks between Mr Murdoch who wants to accounting for 14% of the global advertising
swap MySpace for a 25% stake in Yahoo!, market. That’s still a lot to play for.
and Yahoo!, have hit a snag. Earlier this week,
Yahoo! chief executive Terry Semel stepped
down after intense pressure from investors. His © Guardian News & Media 2007
replacement, co-founder Jerry Yang, will want First published in The Guardian, 21/6/07
4 Summary and missing prepositions
1. Put the missing prepositions into the sentences.
Now Facebook is estimated ______ analysts to be worth much more than that.
______ first, the site was only available ______ students, but now anyone can access it.
Facebook, a social networking site, is one ______ the fastest growing websites ______ the internet.
Online advertising is one of the fastest growing markets. By 2011 it will be worth more than $73bn,
or 14% of the global advertising market.
Last year Yahoo! offered over $1bn ______ Facebook – Zuckerberg refused to sell.
______ 2005, Rupert Murdoch bought MySpace ______ $580m. MySpace’s tie-in ______ Google has
cluttered MySpace ______ advertising. Murdoch now wants to swap it ______ a 25% stake in Yahoo!
It was created ______ 2004 ______ Mark Zuckerberg ______ students.
2. Now number the boxes to put the sentences in the correct order (according to the article).
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5 Numbers and figures
1. Write out these numbers in figures.
One billion ________________
Twenty-seven million ________________
One hundred thousand ________________
2. Find the numbers in the article that correspond to these statements.
a. How much an advertising deal was worth between a social networking site and a search engine. ____________
b. The price Murdoch paid for MySpace. ____________
c. Facebook has this many daily users. ____________
d. Facebook has this many active users. ____________
e. MySpace has this many users. ____________
f. Yahoo!’s first offer for Facebook. ____________
g. The amount online advertising could be worth in 4 year’s time. ____________
6 Idioms
1. Match the idioms with their meanings.
a. To get your foot in the door. You do this when someone or something shocks or
surprises you.
b. To raise your eyebrows at something or To experience a difficulty.

somebody.
c. To cash in your chips. To make something available.
d. To throw open your doors to something or To start working in or with a company or organisation at a
somebody. low level in the hope that you will be able to progress from
there.
e. To hit a snag. Selling something to get what profit you can because you
think its value is going to fall.
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7 Discussion
Would you join a social networking community such as Facebook, MySpace or Friends Reunited? Why? Why not?
Make a list of pros and cons before starting your discussion.
8 Webquest
Go to www.facebook.com and click on the virtual tour (you do not need to register). Then answer these questions:
Who can sign up to Facebook?
Whose profiles can you see when you sign up?
What does Facebook recommend you add when writing your profile?
What will Facebook notify you of?
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KEY
1 Key words 3 Companies and people
1. analyst a. Google and Yahoo! are search engines.

2. CEO b. News Corp is a media conglomerate that owns
3. investor many newspapers and TV networks.
4. financier c. Facebook and MySpace are online social
5. co-founder networking websites.
6. sociologist
7. mogul 1. Rupert Murdoch is the CEO of News Corp.
8. vice president 2. Mark Zuckerberg is the CEO of Facebook.
9. drop-out 3. Jerry Yang is the co-founder and CEO of Yahoo!
2 Most popular websites 4 Summary and missing prepositions
Hitwise UK - Top 20 Websites - May, 2007 Facebook, a social networking site, is one of the fastest
This list features the most popular websites based on UK Internet usage for growing websites on the internet.
May, 2007, ranked by market share of visits across all Hitwise industries.
It was created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg
Rank Website Market Share for students.
2. www.ebay.co.uk 2.7% At first, the site was only available to students, but now
3. www.hotmail.com 2.64% anyone can access it.
5. uk.msn.com 1.54% Last year Yahoo! offered over $1bn for Facebook
6. www.bebo.com 1.52% – Zuckerberg refused to sell.
8. www.myspace.com 1.36% Now Facebook is estimated by analysts to be worth
9. uk.mail.yahoo.com 1.24% much more than that.
10. uk.yahoo.com 0.91%
11. news.bbc.co.uk 0.82% In 2005, Rupert Murdoch bought MySpace for $580m.
12. www.bbc.co.uk 0.81% MySpace’s tie-in with Google has cluttered MySpace
with advertising. Murdoch now wants to swap it for a
13. www.youtube.com 0.75% 25% stake in Yahoo!
14. uk.search.yahoo.com 0.69%
15. www.amazon.co.uk 0.64% Online advertising is one of the fastest growing markets.
16. www.msn.com 0.61% By 2011 it will be worth more than $73bn, or 14% of the
17. images.google.co.uk 0.60% global advertising market.
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5 Numbers and figures
1. One billion = 1,000,000,000

Twenty-seven million = 27,000,000
One hundred thousand = 100,000
2. a. $900 million
b. $580 million
c. 100,000
d. 27 million
e. 60 million
f. $1 billion
g. $73 billion
6 Idioms
a. To start working in or with a company or

organisation at a low level in the hope that you will
be able to progress from there.
b. You do this when someone or something shocks or
surprises you.
c. Selling something to get what profit you can
because you think its value is going to fall.
d. To make something available.
e. To experience a difficulty.
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Hilton puts her fame to good use
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
probation pundit mainstay cynic sincere

superficial compassion scenario downfall misconception
1. A ____________ is a person who believes that people care only about themselves and are not sincere
or honest.
2. A ____________ is a situation that could possibly happen.
3. A ____________ is someone who is an expert in a subject and often talks to the public about it.
4. A ____________ is a wrong belief or opinion as a result of not understanding something.
5. ____________ is a feeling of sympathy and caring for someone who is in a bad situation.
6. ____________ is a punishment where an offender is not sent to prison but has to agree not to break the law for
a specific period of time.
7. The ____________ of someone’s life is the element in it that they really depend on.
8. If something is ____________, it is not important and does not have a serious effect.
9. A ____________ person talks and acts in a way that shows they really mean what they say.
10. A ____________ is the sudden loss of power, status or success.
2 What do you know?
Are these statements True (T) or False (F)? Check your answers in the text.
1. Paris Hilton was sent to prison for speeding.
2. She spent 30 days in prison.
3. She was released from prison after three days.
4. A judge ordered her to be sent back to jail.
5. She served her sentence in a jail in New York.
6. One of Hilton’s friends is Britney Spears.

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NEWS LESSONS / Hilton puts her fame to good use / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Hilton to use her fame to promote I can make a difference and hopefully stop this
‘great causes’ vicious circle of these people going in and out
of jail.”
Mark Oliver and agencies
June 28, 2007 6 Hilton said she suffered from claustrophobia
and attention deficit disorder, for which she took
medication. She said the sheriff’s officials had
1 In her first interview after serving 23 days in prison released her to home confinement after just three
for violating a traffic offence probation, Paris Hilton days because of claustrophobia, anxiety and panic
has said she will be partying less and using her attacks. After a judge ordered her back to the
fame for the forces of good. The hotel heiress told California jail, Hilton said she coped by meditating
CNN’s Larry King last night that she wants to work and reading letters from fans. But she still had
for various social causes, including raising funds nightmares of “someone trying to break into my cell
for children and cancer sufferers and setting up a and hurt me”.
centre to help released female prisoners to get their
lives back on track. 7 “Just the whole idea of being in jail is really scary,”
she said. “I hate to be alone so that was really just
2 “There’s a lot more important things in life [than hard for me in the beginning.” Her life was now
partying],” said Hilton, who was released on at a crossroads, she said, insisting the scenario
Tuesday, during an hour-long, pre-recorded was “neither a downfall nor a failure, but a new
interview, after which pundits described her as beginning”.
looking demure and contrite. “I’m frankly sick of it.
I’ve been going out for a long time now. Yeah, it’s 8 She said: “I’m glad it happened in a way because
fun, but it’s not going to be the mainstay of my life it’s changed my life for ever. I feel stronger than
any more,” she said. She said she would never ever and I feel like this is a lesson in disguise.”
drink and drive again and insisted she did not have Asked by King about the crowd she hangs out with,
an alcohol problem. The world will see a new Paris which includes the singer Britney Spears and the
Hilton, she told King. actress Lindsay Lohan, Hilton replied: “Everybody
makes mistakes.”
3 Cynics might wonder at how dramatic this change
is going to be, given that talking to King, veteran of 9 She said a big misconception about her is that she
the celebrity confessional, was one of her first acts lives off her family’s money. “I work very hard. I run
after being freed. But Hilton - who apparently did a business. I’ve had a book on the New York Times
the interview without payment - insisted she was best-sellers list. I’m on the fifth season of my TV
sincere and wanted to be a better role model. Alone show. I did an album. I do movies,” she said.
in her cell for 23 hours a day, Hilton devoted herself 10 Last week, Hilton, who was educated at Catholic
to reading, writing a prison diary and thinking, schools, told TV journalist Barbara Walters, in a
she said. telephone interview from her prison cell, that she
had become more religious and wanted to work
4 Reading from her prison diary on the CNN show,
she said: “I feel like being in the spotlight. I have a with children. She told King she had always been
platform where I can raise awareness for so many religious and “always had a sense of spirituality
great causes and just do so much with this instead but even more so after being in jail”. She bought a
of superficial things like going out. I want to help Bible from the jail commissary and read it daily, she
raise money for kids and for breast cancer and said. Asked to name her favourite passage, she
multiple sclerosis.” smiled and looked away. “I don’t have a favourite,”
she said.
5 She spoke about her “compassion for those I
left behind at the prison” and said she wanted to © Guardian News & Media 2007
“help set up a place where these women can get First published in The Guardian, 28/6/07
themselves back on their feet.” She read: “I know
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Level 3 Advanced
1. What does Paris Hilton want to do now she has left prison?
a. She now wants to spend more time partying.
b. She now wants to do charity work.
c. She now wants to be in the spotlight again.
2. How does she feel about her fellow prisoners?

a. She feels angry that they are in prison.
b. She feels sure they will be released soon.
c. She understands how they feel.
3. Which of these things helped Hilton to survive her spell in prison?

a. being alone
b. meditating and reading fan mail
c. writing a diary
4. Which of these best describes her attitude to religion?

a. She has always been religious but is now more religious than before.
b. She became religious during her spell in prison.
c. She wants to teach religion to children.
1. An adjective referring to a woman and meaning quiet and shy. (Para 2)
2. An adjective meaning sorry and ashamed for something you have done. (Para 2)
3. A three-word expression meaning to spend a lot of time doing something. (Para 3)
4. 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 5)
5. A word meaning fear of enclosed spaces. (Para 6)
6. A noun meaning a bad dream. (Para 6)
7. An adjective meaning frightening. (Para 7)
8. A two-word verb meaning to spend time with particular people. (Para 8)

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Level 3 Advanced
1. raise a. medication
2. make b. claustrophobia
3. suffer from c. awareness
4. take d. a business
5. run e. probation
6. violate f. a difference
6 Vocabulary 3: Phobias
Match the phobias with the definitions.
1. arachnophobia a. fear of open spaces/public places
2. technophobia b. fear of enclosed spaces
3. agoraphobia c. fear of spiders
4. claustrophobia d. fear of foreigners
5. xenophobia e. fear of heights
6. acrophobia f. fear of gadgets
7 Discussion
An American TV newsreader refused to read a headline about Paris Hilton, saying it wasn’t news and shouldn’t be
a news headline. Do you agree? Do you think that people like Hilton survive on the oxygen of publicity?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1. cynic 1. demure
2. scenario 2. contrite
3. pundit 3. devote oneself to
4. misconception 4. vicious circle
5. compassion 5. claustrophobia
6. probation 6. nightmare
7. mainstay 7. scary
8. superficial 8. hang out
9. sincere
10. downfall

2. f
1. F 3. b
2. F 4. a
3. T 5. d
4. T 6. e
5. F
6. T
6 Vocabulary 3: Phobias
3 Comprehension check 1. c
2. f
1. b 3. a
2. c 4. b
3. b 5. d
4. a 6. e D •
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
heiress celebrity meditate cause raise

role model diary spotlight nightmare claustrophobia

1. A _____________ is a book in which you write what happens to you each day.
2. If you are in the _____________, you are the centre of attention and everybody is talking about you.
3. A _____________ is a famous person, especially in the world of entertainment.
4. A _____________ is a person who is a good example for other people to copy.
5. If you have _____________, you are afraid of being in small, closed spaces.
6. An _____________ is a woman who will receive a lot of money when someone dies.
7. If you _____________ money, you collect it for a particular purpose.
8. A good _____________ is an organization, plan or activity that provides help to people who need it.
9. When you _____________, you relax by making your mind empty of things.
10. A _____________ is a very frightening and unpleasant dream.
1. How long did Paris Hilton spend in prison?
2. In which American state did she go to prison?
3. How long was she alone in her cell each day?
4. How long was her interview on the Larry King Show?
5. How much was she paid for the interview?
6. What did she buy in jail?

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NEWS LESSONS / Hilton puts her fame to good use / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Hilton to use her fame to promote 6 Hilton said she suffered from claustrophobia
‘great causes’ while she was in prison. She also said she had
nightmares of “someone trying to break into
Mark Oliver and agencies my cell and hurt me”. She said that meditating
June 28, 2007 and reading letters from fans helped her to
survive. “The whole idea of being in jail is really
1 The heiress and celebrity Paris Hilton has just
frightening,” she said. “I hate to be alone so that
spent 23 days in a prison in California. After
was really just hard for me in the beginning.” She
leaving prison she appeared on an American TV
was now at a crossroads in her life, she said, but
programme called the Larry King Show on CNN.
said that her time in prison was “not a failure, but
In an interview with Larry King she said that she
a new beginning”.
will now spend less time at parties and will work
to raise money for various social causes. The 7 She said: “In a way I’m pleased it happened
hotel heiress told Larry King that she wants to because it’s changed my life for ever. I feel
raise money for children and people suffering stronger than before and I feel like this is a kind
from cancer. She also wants to start a centre to of lesson for me.” When King asked her about
help women after they leave prison. the people she spends time with, which includes
the singer Britney Spears and the actress
2 “There are more important things in life than
Lindsay Lohan, Hilton replied: “Everybody makes
going to parties,” said Hilton during an hour-long
mistakes.”
interview. “I’m sick of it. I’ve been going out for a
long time now. Yeah, it’s fun, but it’s not going to 8 She said that it was wrong to think that she lives
be the most important thing in my life any more,” off her family’s money. “I work very hard. I have
she said. She said she would never drink and my own business. I’ve written a book. I’ve been
drive again and also said she did not have an doing a TV show for five years. I made a CD. I do
alcohol problem. She told King that the world movies,” she said.
would now see a new Paris Hilton.
9 Last week, Hilton, who went to Catholic schools
3 Hilton did not receive any money for the as a child, told TV journalist Barbara Walters that
interview. She said she now wanted to be a she had become more religious and wanted to
better role model. When she was alone in her work with children. She told King she had always
cell for 23 hours a day, she spent all her time been religious and was now more religious after
reading, writing a prison diary and thinking, being in jail. She bought a Bible in jail and read
she said. it every day, she said. When King asked her to
name her favourite part of the Bible, she just
4 Hilton read from her prison diary on the CNN
smiled. “I don’t have a favourite,” she said.
show. “I feel as if I am in the spotlight,” she said.
“I think I can make people think about a lot of
important causes. I don’t want to do stupid things
like going to parties. I want to help raise money
for children and for people suffering from breast
cancer and other serious diseases.”
5 She spoke about her feelings for the women

prisoners she met in jail and said she wanted
to help them to start their lives again when they
leave prison. “I know I can make a difference.
Maybe I can help to stop these people going in
and out of jail.”
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Level 1 Elementary
1. In prison Paris Hilton spent most of her time…

2. She says she is pleased she went to prison because…
3. She says she wants…
4. Hilton suffered from…
5. She says she doesn’t want…
6. She says she doesn’t like…
a. … to go to parties all the time.

b. … being alone.
c. … to raise money for good causes.
d. … reading, writing and meditating.
e. … claustrophobia while she was in prison.
f. … it has changed her life for ever.
4 Vocabulary 1: Comparative adjectives
Complete the table.
adjective comparative
e.g. long longer
1 religious
2 important
3 good
4 serious
5 hard
6 strong
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Level 1 Elementary
Match the verbs and the nouns.
1. raise a. other people
2. make b. a medical condition

3. have c. money
4. spend d. a difference
5. help e. nightmares
6. suffer from f. time
6 Word stress
Put these words from the text into two groups according to their word stress.
prison programme disease model survive nightmare

alone before include mistake failure business
A 0 o B o 0
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Comparative adjectives
1. diary 1. more religious

2. spotlight 2. more important
3. celebrity 3. better
4. role model 4. more serious
5. claustrophobia 5. harder
6. heiress 6. stronger
7. raise
8. cause
9. meditate
10. nightmare
1. c
2. d
4. f
1. 23 days 5. a
2. California 6. b
3. 23 hours
4. one hour
6 Word stress
5. nothing
6. a Bible
A 0 o B o 0
3 Comprehension check prison disease
programme survive
1. d model alone
2. f nightmare before
3. c failure include
4. e
business mistake
5. a
6. b
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1 Key words
heiress released insist cynic sincere superficial

celebrity nightmare anxiety meditate
1. A ____________ person talks and acts in a way that shows they really mean what they say.
2. If something is ____________, it is not important and does not have a serious effect.
3. A ____________ is a very frightening and unpleasant dream.
4. If you suffer from ____________, you feel very worried because you think something bad might happen.
5. A ____________ is a famous person, particularly in the world of entertainment.
6. A ____________ is a person who believes that people care only about themselves and are not
sincere or honest.
7. If you ____________ , you make your mind empty of thoughts in order to relax.
8. If you are ____________ from prison, you are allowed to leave and go home.
9. An ____________ is a woman who will receive a large amount of money or property when someone dies.
10. If you ____________ that something is true, you keep saying it very firmly.
1. How long did Paris Hilton spend in prison?
2. In which American state did she go to prison?
3. How long was she alone in her cell each day?
4. How long was her interview on the Larry King Show?
5. How much was she paid for the interview?
6. What did she buy in jail?

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NEWS LESSONS / Hilton puts her fame to good use / Intermediate

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Hilton to use her fame to promote 5 She spoke about her feelings “for those I left
‘great causes’ behind at the prison” and said she wanted to
“help set up a place where these women can get
Mark Oliver and agencies
themselves back on their feet.” She read: “I know
June 28, 2007
I can make a difference and hopefully stop this
vicious circle of these people going in and out
1 After spending 23 days in prison, Paris Hilton of jail.”
has said she will now be spending less time at
6 Hilton said she suffered from claustrophobia
parties and will use the fact that she is a famous
and attention deficit disorder, for which she took
personality to work for various social causes.
medication. She said the sheriff’s officials had
The hotel heiress told CNN’s Larry King that she
allowed her to serve the rest of her sentence
wants to raise money for children and cancer
at home after just three days because of
sufferers and set up a centre to help released
claustrophobia, anxiety and panic attacks. After
female prisoners to rebuild their lives.
a judge ordered her back to the California jail,
2 “There’s a lot more important things in life than Hilton said that meditating and reading letters
going to parties,” said Hilton, who was released from fans helped her to survive. But she still had
on Tuesday, during an hour-long, pre-recorded nightmares of “someone trying to break into my
interview, after which television experts described cell and hurt me”.
her as looking demure and contrite. “I’m frankly
7 “Just the whole idea of being in jail is really
sick of it. I’ve been going out for a long time
frightening,” she said. “I hate to be alone so that
now. Yeah, it’s fun, but it’s not going to be the
was really just hard for me in the beginning.” Her
most important thing in my life any more,” she
life was now at a crossroads, she said, insisting
said. She said she would never drink and drive
that her time in prison was “not a failure, but a
again and insisted she did not have an alcohol
new beginning”.
problem. She told King that the world would now
see a new Paris Hilton. 8 She said: “I’m glad it happened in a way because
it’s changed my life for ever. I feel stronger than
3 Cynics might wonder at how dramatic this
ever and I feel like this is a kind of lesson.” When
change is going to be, since one of the first
King asked her about the people she spends
things she did after her release from prison was
time with, which include the singer Britney
to talk to King, whose programme is well-known
Spears and the actress Lindsay Lohan, Hilton
for giving celebrities the opportunity to get
replied: “Everybody makes mistakes.”
publicity. But Hilton - who apparently was not
paid for the interview - said she was sincere and 9 She said that people were wrong to think that she
wanted to be a better role model. While she was lives off her family’s money. “I work very hard. I
alone in her cell for 23 hours a day, Hilton spent run a business. I’ve had a book on the New York
all her time reading, writing a prison diary and Times best-sellers list. I’m on the fifth season
thinking, she said. of my TV show. I did an album. I do movies,”
she said.
4 Reading from her prison diary on the CNN show,
she said: “I feel as if I am in the spotlight. I have 10 Last week, Hilton, who was educated at Catholic
a platform where I can raise awareness for so schools, told TV journalist Barbara Walters, in a
many great causes and just do so much with this telephone interview from her prison cell, that she
instead of doing superficial things like going to had become more religious and wanted to work
parties. I want to help raise money for kids and with children. She told King she had always been
for breast cancer and multiple sclerosis.” religious and “always had a sense of spirituality
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but even more so after being in jail”. She bought
a Bible in jail and read it every day, she said.
When King asked her to name her favourite
passage in the Bible, she smiled and looked
away. “I don’t have a favourite,” she said.

1. After her release from prison, Paris Hilton says she wants to spend more time going to parties.
2. While she was in prison she spent most of her time reading letters from fans.
3. She now wants to work for good causes and charities.
4. She would also like to help women prisoners.
5. She was released after three days because she suffered from attention deficit disorder.
6. She feels that she is a stronger person after spending time in prison.
Find these words in the text.
1. An adjective referring to a woman and meaning quiet and shy. (Para 2)
2. An adjective meaning sorry and ashamed for something you have done. (Para 2)
3. An adverb meaning based on what you have heard, not on what you are certain is true. (Para 3)
4. A two-word expression meaning someone whose behaviour is considered to be a good example for other
people to copy. (Para 3)
5. 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 5)
6. A noun meaning fear of being in enclosed spaces. (Para 6)
7. A three-word expression meaning a psychological condition which means you cannot concentrate on anything
for very long. (Para 6)
8. A two-word expression meaning a sudden very strong feeling of being afraid that makes you unable to breathe.
(Para 6)
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1. raise a. medication
2. serve b. time
3. spend c. a business
4. make d. a prison sentence
5. take e. mistakes / a difference
6. run f. money / awareness
Fill the gaps in the phrases using prepositions.
1. to suffer _______ a medical condition
2. to release someone _______ prison
3. to take medication _______ a medical condition

4. to spend time _______ people
5. to live _______ someone’s money
6. to be sick _______ something
7. to be _______ the spotlight

8. to be _______ a crossroads
7 Discussion
Should celebrities be sent to prison? Do you feel sorry for Paris Hilton?
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1. sincere 1. demure
2. superficial 2. contrite
3. nightmare 3. apparently
4. anxiety 4. role model
5. celebrity 5. vicious circle
6. cynic 6. claustrophobia
7. meditate 7. attention deficit disorder
8. released 8. panic attack
9. heiress
10. insist

2. d
1. 23 days 3. b
2. California 4. e
3. 23 hours 5. a
4. one hour 6. c
5. nothing
6. a Bible
3 Comprehension check 1. from

2. from
1. F 3. for
2. F 4. with
3. T 5. off
4. T 6. of
5. F 7. in
6. T 8. at
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Growing cities face catastrophe
Level 3 Advanced
1 Brainstorming
In your class, brainstorm as many positive and negative aspects as you can about living in a city.
Which of your suggestions would you expect to come up in an article about a UN report into urbanization and
growing cities?
2 Keywords – synonyms
Skim-read the article and find synonyms for the following words or expressions. The paragraph numbers
have been given to help you.
1. A disaster (title) ____________

2. An inhabitant (subtitle) ____________
3. A change, a passage, or a transformation (para 1) ____________
4. Inescapable, unavoidable (para 2) ____________
5. Never having happened or existed before (para 2) ____________
6. Move (para 3) ____________
7. Multiple periods of 1,000 years (para 3) ____________
8. Growing untidily, expanding in all directions (para 4) ____________
9. Shanty town, poor housing area (para 4) ____________
10. Hygiene, cleanliness (para 4) ____________
11. Hands-on, take the initiative (para 7) ____________
12. Produce, production, harvest (para 8) ____________
3 Pronunciation
Write the words below into the chart according to their pronunciation pattern.
population unprecedented catastrophe inevitable Caribbean (BE) Caribbean (AE)

generation executive agricultural millennia sanitation comparison
oOoo ooOo oOooo ooOoo

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NEWS LESSONS / Growing cities face catastrophe / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Growing cities face catastrophe, is expected to add 440 million to its cities in
says UN the same period, and Latin America and the
Caribbean nearly 200 million. Rural populations
• Urban dwellers to outgrow rural population
are expected to decrease worldwide by 28 million
next year
people.
• Big rise in poverty, slums and pollution is feared
6 But urbanization can be positive. “No country in
John Vidal, environment editor
the industrial age has ever achieved significant
Thursday June 28, 2007
economic growth without urbanization, said Ms
Obaid. “Cities concentrate poverty, but they also
1 Humanity will make the historic transition from present poor people’s best hope of escaping
a rural to an urban species sometime in the it. The potential benefits of urbanization, which
next year, according to the latest UN population include easier access to health centres and
figures. The move will be led by Africa and Asia, education, far outweigh the disadvantages.”
which are expected to add 1.6 billion people to
their cities over the next 25 years. 7 However, the report warns that if we do nothing,
the growth of urbanization will mean more slums
2 The speed and scale of inevitable global and poverty, as well as a rise in attempted
urbanization is so great most countries will not migration away from poor regions. “Today one
be prepared for the affect it will have, Thoraya billion people live in slums, 90% of whom are in
Obaid, executive director of the UN Population developing countries. The fight against poverty
Fund, says. “In human history we have never will take place in the slums. To win it, politicians
seen urban growth like this. It is unprecedented.” need to be proactive and start working with the
3 Ms Obaid added: “In 2008, half of the world’s urban poor. The only way to defeat urban poverty
population will live in urban areas. The shift from is head on,” said Ms Obaid.
rural to urban areas changes a balance that has 8 The climate is expected to increasingly shape
lasted for millennia. Within one generation, five and be shaped by cities. In a vicious circle,
billion people, or 60% of humanity, will live in climate change will increase energy demand
cities. The urban population of Africa and Asia for air conditioning in cities, which will add to
is set to double in this time.” She said that each greenhouse gas emissions. It could also raise
week the numbers living in cities grows by nearly temperatures in urban areas by 2-6oC. “Heat,
a million. pollution, smog and ground-level ozone [from
4 “Most cities [in developing countries] already cities] affect surrounding areas, reducing
have pressing concerns, including crime, lack agricultural yields, increasing health risks and
of clean water and sanitation, and sprawling producing tornadoes and thunderstorms. The
slums. But these problems are not as serious as impacts of climate change on urban water
those that could be raised by future growth. If we supplies are expected to be dramatic,” the report
do not plan ahead it will be a catastrophe. The says. Cities like New Delhi, in the drier areas, will
changes are too fast to allow planners to react. If be hit particularly hard.
governments wait, it will be too late.” 9 Developing countries are at a great disadvantage
5 According to the State of the World Population when they start to urbanize. They will require
Report, which Ms Obaid launched in London, houses, power, water, sanitation and roads, and
large-scale population growth will take place will have to build faster than any rich country has
in the cities of Asia, Africa and Latin America. ever done.
It suggests the largest transition to cities will 10 The report also talks about the end for growth of
occur in Asia, where the number of urbanites existing mega-cities. “Only Dhaka in Bangladesh,
will almost double to 2.6 billion in 2030. Africa
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Level 3 Advanced
and Lagos in Nigeria, of the world’s 20 mega- 11 Ms Obaid said: “It concerns everyone, not just
cities, are expected to grow more than 3% a developing countries. If we plan ahead we will
year in the next decade ... most growth will be create conditions for a stable world. If we do
in smaller cities, of under 500,000 people. The not, and do not find education, jobs, and houses
good news is these cities are more flexible [in for people in cities, then these populations will
expansion]; the bad news is they don’t have become destructive, to themselves and others.”
enough housing, water, and waste disposal.”
4 Comprehension
Are the sentences True (T) or False (F)? If they are false, say why.
1. Governments around the world are prepared for the problems that come with growing cities.
2. The biggest growth regions are Asia, Africa and South America.
3. According to the report, some of the biggest problems faced are in sanitation, transport, health issues,
schooling and animal welfare.
4. The UN suggests installing air-conditioning units to combat the rising temperatures.
5. Most of the growth will take place in the world’s existing mega-cities.
5 Collocations
1. Match the words to make collocations from the article.
climate countries
developing emissions
pressing change
greenhouse gas concerns
2. Write words on the lines to make collocations from the article.
Growth Urban
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Level 3 Advanced
3. Write at least 4 sentences using some of the collocations in 1 and 2.
……………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………..……..
……………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………..……..
……………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………..……..
……………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………..……..
6 A vicious circle
Draw a diagram of the vicious circle described in paragraph 8 relating to climate changes and cities.
Include at least 4 steps.
Step 1 Climate change

........................
Step 4 ……………. Step 2 …………………
Step 3 …………………
7 Discussion – Are you a town or a country person?
Get into groups with other ‘townies’ or ‘country-folk’, and discuss what you like best about living in the countryside
or in urban areas. Note down the strongest arguments for your side and then, in a whole class discussion, try to
convince the other group to move to your side.
8 Webquest – Mega-cities
Check the Internet to find out which are the largest cities in the world, by population and by area (city limits
and metropolitan).
Do different websites give different answers? What factors affect the answers?
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KEY
2 Keywords – synonyms 4 Comprehension
1. a catastrophe 1. False – Governments around the world are not

2. a dweller prepared for the problems that come with growing
3. a transition cities.
4. inevitable 2. True
5. unprecedented 3. False – According to the report, some of the
6. shift biggest problems faced are in sanitation, transport,
7. millennia jobs, health issues, schooling, and housing
8. sprawling animal welfare.
9. slums 4. False – The report suggests that governments will
10. sanitation have to quickly build and work on houses, power,
11. proactive water, sanitation and roads.
12. yield 5. False – Most of the growth will take place in cities
with a current population of 500,000 or less.
3 Pronunciation
5 Collocations
oOoo
executive 1. climate change
comparison developing countries
catastrophe pressing concerns
millennia greenhouse gas emissions
Caribbean (AE)
2. urban, significant, economic + growth
ooOo urban + population, areas, species
population
sanitation
6 A vicious circle
Caribbean (BE)
generation
Step 1 Climate change
oOooo Step 2 Increased energy demands (e.g. for
unprecedented air-conditioning)
inevitable Step 3 Increased greenhouse gas emissions
Step 4 Raise the temperature 2 – 6 °C
ooOoo Step 5 or 1 Climate change
agricultural
(Other possible factors include: heat, pollution, smog,
ozone, reducing agricultural yields, health risks,
tornadoes, thunderstorms.)
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Level 1 Elementary
What are the advantages of a) living in a city and b) living in the country? Complete the word wheels and
then compare your answers with a partner’s. Are your answers similar?
Advantages of living in the...
city country
Now complete two more word wheels for the disadvantages of c) living in a city and d) living in the country.
Disadvantages of living in the...
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Level 1 Elementary
2 Keyword wordsearch
Read the definitions to find words from the article. Write them next to the definitions. The paragraph
number is given to help you.
1. An adjective relating to towns or cities. _____________ (subtitle)
2. An adjective relating to the countryside. _____________ (subtitle)
3. A poor area of town where the houses are in a very bad condition. _____________ (subtitle)
4. The process of damaging the air, water or land with chemicals or other substances. _____________ (subtitle)
5. _____________ is a situation in which someone does not have enough money for their basic needs. (subtitle)
6. When something is _____________ it is very important, large or noticeable. (para 6)
7. To win against someone or something. _____________ (para 7)
8. Another verb for the need for something. _____________ (para 8)
9. A supply of power. _____________ (para 8)
10. Polluted air. A mixture of smoke and fog. _____________ (para 8)
11. Causing severe damage or harm. _____________ (para 9)
Now find the words in the word search.
D S I G N I F I C A N T
M E Z M B Q N B B Y P S
D N S T A E F E D G O Q
X N N T N S P C E R L V
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R E B M V U Y U H N U C
E R R E E F C Y M E T R
U Z R Z A D X T M S I X
D T R U R A L S I C O P
Y R R J V L J M L V N G
J C X Z W Y P O L B E X
O J J V I Q T G K V R N
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Level 1 Elementary
Growing cities face catastrophe, 6 But urbanization can be positive. “No country has
says UN ever achieved significant economic growth without
• Urban dwellers to outgrow rural population urbanization, said Ms Obaid. “Although there will
next year be more concentrated poverty in the urban areas,
• Big rise in poverty, slums and pollution is feared moving to a city can also offer poor people the best
chance of escaping poverty. The potential benefits
John Vidal, environment editor
of urbanization, for example, easier access to
June 28, 2007
health centres and education, are far greater than
the disadvantages.”
1 Humanity will make the historic move from a rural
7 However, the report warns that if we do nothing,
to an urban species sometime in the next year,
the growth of urbanization will mean more slums
according to the latest UN population figures. Africa
and poverty, as well as a rise in migration away
and Asia alone are expected to add 1.6 billion
from poor regions. “Today one billion people live in
people to their cities over the next 25 years.
slums, 90% of whom are in developing countries.
2 The speed and scale of global urbanization is so The fight against poverty will take place in the
great that most countries are not prepared for the slums. To win it, politicians need to be proactive and
effect it will have, Thoraya Obaid, executive director start working with the urban poor. This is the only
of the UN Population Fund, says: “In human history way to defeat urban poverty,” said Ms Obaid.
we have never seen urban growth like this.”
8 The climate will play an important part in the shape
3 For thousands of years more people have lived in of cities. In a vicious circle, climate change will
rural areas than in urban areas, but as Ms Obaid increase the demand for energy as more people
said: “In 2008, half of the world’s population will live need air conditioning. This energy demand will add
in urban areas. Within one generation, five billion to greenhouse gas emissions which could raise
people, or 60% of humanity, will live in cities. The temperatures in urban areas by 2-6°C. “Heat,
urban population of Africa and Asia will double in pollution, smog and ground-level ozone [from
this time.” She added that each week the number of cities] will affect surrounding areas. This will reduce
people living in cities grows by nearly a million. agricultural production, increase health risks, and
will produce tornadoes and thunderstorms. The
4 “Most cities [in developing countries] already have
effects of climate change on urban water supplies
many problems; these include crime, not enough
are expected to be dramatic,” the report says.
clean water and sanitation, and slums. But the
Cities like New Delhi, in the drier areas, will be hit
problems could get worse. “If we do not plan
particularly hard.
ahead it will be a catastrophe”, said Ms Obaid.
“The changes are too fast to allow cities to react. If 9 Developing countries are at a great disadvantage
governments wait, it will be too late.” when they start to urbanize. They will require
houses, power, water, sanitation and roads, and will
5 According to the State of the World Population
have to build faster than any rich country has ever
Report, large-scale population growth will take
done. As Ms Obaid said: “This problem concerns
place in the cities of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
everyone, not just developing countries. If we plan
The report says that the largest move to cities will
ahead we will create conditions for a stable world.
be in Asia, where the number of people living in
If we do not, and do not find adequate education,
cities will almost double to 2.6 billion in 2030. The
jobs, and houses for people in cities, then these
population of cities in Africa is expected to grow by
populations” will become destructive, to themselves
440 million in the same period, and in Latin America
and others.
and the Caribbean by nearly 200 million. Rural
populations are expected to decrease worldwide by
28 million people.
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Level 1 Elementary
3 Vocabulary: Words for describing trends
Put the trend words in the correct columns.
grow fall decrease more double less growth
fewer halve increase rise sink raise reduce
upward trend h downward trend i
4 Comprehension
Choose the correct word from 3 to complete the sentences. Try to do it without looking at the article. Then
go back and check your answers in the article.
1. The urban population of Africa and Asia will _____________ in one generation.
2. Each week the number of people living in cities _____________ by nearly a million.
3. Large-scale population _____________ will take place in the cities of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
4. In Asia the number of people living in cities will almost _____________ to 2.6 billion in 2030.
5. Rural populations are expected to _____________ worldwide.
6. There could be a _____________ in migration away from poor regions.
7. Extra greenhouse gas emissions could _____________ temperatures in urban areas by 2-6°C.
8. The climate changes will _____________ agricultural production and _____________ health risks.

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Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion – Are you a city or a country person?
Make two groups: a city group and a country group.

Talk and make notes about what you like best about living in the city or the country.
Now get together with someone from the other group and discuss your answers.
5 Webquest – Cities and their populations
How many people live in your (nearest) city?

Compare this figure with the population of New Delhi, Mumbai, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and New York.
Which city has the largest population?
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
2 Keyword word search 4 Comprehension
1. urban 1. The urban population of Africa and Asia will double

2. rural in one generation.
3. slums
4. pollution 2. Each week the number of people living in cities
5. poverty grows by nearly a million.
6. significant
7. defeat 3. Large-scale population growth will take place in the
8. demand cities of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
9. energy
10. smog 4. In Asia the number of people living in cities will
11. destructive almost double to 2.6 billion in 2030.
5. Rural populations are expected to decrease

D S I G N I F I C A N T worldwide.
M E Z M B Q N B B Y P S
D N S T A E F E D G O Q 6. There could be a rise in migration away from
X N N T N S P C E R L V poor regions.
K T A A R O L K R E L N
R E B M V U Y U H N U C 7. Extra greenhouse gas emissions could raise
temperatures in urban areas by 2-6°C.
E R R E E F C Y M E T R
U Z R Z A D X T M S I X
8. The climate changes will reduce agricultural
D T R U R A L S I C O P production and increase health risks.
Y R R J V L J M L V N G
J C X Z W Y P O L B E X
O J J V I Q T G K V R N
3 Vocabulary: Words for describing trends
upward trend h downward trend i

grow fall
more decrease
double less
growth fewer
increase halve
rise sink
raise reduce
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1 Brainstorming – What do you think?
Is your city or town getting bigger or smaller?

Is it changing in any other ways?
Is this a positive or negative thing?
Read the title of the article. Brainstorm reasons why you think growing cities might face major problems.
2 Keywords
1. Find words from the article and write them next to the definitions. The paragraph number is given
to help you.
a. A poor area of town where the houses are in a very bad condition.
____________ (subtitle)
b. The process of damaging the air, water or land with chemicals or other substances.
____________ (subtitle)
c. All the people who are living on the world. ____________ (para 1)
d. A plant or animal group whose members all have similar general features and are able to produce young.
____________ (para 1)
e. A change in something. ____________ (para 3)
f. An adjective to describe countries which are poor and which don’t have many industries. ____________
(para 4)
g. Conditions relating to people’s health and especially the systems that supply water and deal with human waste.
____________ (para 4)
h. The process of going to another place in order to find work. ____________ (para 7)
i. A process in which a problem causes other problems, making the first problem worse. ____________ (para 8)
j. Causing severe damage or harm. ____________ (para 10)
2. Find words that are based on urban and poor and write them next to the definitions.
(noun) ____________ is the process by which towns and cities grow bigger.

urban (verb) To ____________ means to make more like a city.
(noun) An ____________ is someone who lives in a city.
poor (noun) ____________ is a situation in which someone does not have enough money for their
basic needs.
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NEWS LESSONS / Growing cities face catastrophe / Intermediate

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Growing cities face catastrophe, population of cities in Africa is expected to grow

says UN by 440 million in the same period, and in Latin
America and the Caribbean by nearly 200 million.
• Urban dwellers to outgrow rural population
Rural populations are expected to decrease
next year
worldwide by 28 million people.
• Big rise in poverty, slums and pollution is feared
John Vidal, environment editor 6 But urbanization can be positive. “No country in
Thursday June 28, 2007 the industrial age has ever achieved significant
economic growth without urbanization, said
Ms Obaid. “Although there will be more
1 Humanity will make the historic move from a rural poverty in the urban areas, moving to a city
to an urban species sometime in the next year, can also present poor people with the best
according to the latest UN population figures. chance of escaping it. The potential benefits of
The move will be led by Africa and Asia, which urbanization, which include easier access to
are expected to add 1.6 billion people to their health centres and education, are far greater
cities over the next 25 years. than the disadvantages.”
2 The speed and scale of global urbanization is 7 However, the report warns that if we do nothing,
so great most countries will not be prepared for the growth of urbanization will mean more slums
the effect it will have, Thoraya Obaid, executive and poverty, as well as a rise in migration away
director of the UN Population Fund, says. “In from poor regions. “Today one billion people
human history we have never seen urban growth live in slums, 90% of whom are in developing
like this.” countries. The fight against poverty will take
3 Ms Obaid added: “In 2008, half of the world’s place in the slums. To win it, politicians need to
population will live in urban areas. The shift from be proactive and start working with the urban
rural to urban areas changes a balance that has poor. This is the only way to defeat urban
lasted for millennia. Within one generation, five poverty,” said Ms Obaid.
billion people, or 60% of humanity, will live in 8 The climate is expected to increasingly shape
cities. The urban population of Africa and Asia and be shaped by cities. In a vicious circle,
will double in this time.” She said that each week climate change will increase the energy demand
the number of people living in cities grows by as more people need air-conditioning in cities.
nearly a million. This demand will add to greenhouse gas
4 “Most cities [in developing countries] already emissions which could raise temperatures in
have worrying problems, including crime, lack urban areas by 2-6oC. “Heat, pollution, smog
of clean water and sanitation, and slums. But and ground-level ozone [from cities] affect
these problems are not as serious as those that surrounding areas, reducing the amount of
could be raised by future growth. If we do not agricultural production, increasing health risks
plan ahead, it will be a catastrophe. The changes and producing tornadoes and thunderstorms.
are too fast to allow planners to react, and so if The impact of climate change on urban water
governments wait, it will be too late.” supplies are expected to be dramatic,” the report
says. Cities like New Delhi, in the drier areas, will
5 According to the State of the World Population be particularly hard hit.
Report, which Ms Obaid launched in London,
large-scale population growth will take place in 9 Developing countries are at a great disadvantage
the cities of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The when they start to urbanize. They will require
report suggests that the largest move to cities houses, power, water, sanitation and roads, and
will occur in Asia, where the number of urbanites will have to build faster than any rich country has
will almost double to 2.6 billion in 2030. The ever done.
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10 Ms Obaid said: “This problem concerns

everyone, not just developing countries. If we
plan ahead, we will create conditions for a stable
world. If we do not, and do not find education,
jobs, and houses for people in cities, then
these populations will become destructive, to
themselves and others.”
Complete the table using information from the article.
The situation now and the Expected problems Possible solutions

situation in the very near
future
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4 Collocations – prepositions following verbs

1. Look at how these verbs are used in the article and write in the preposition that follows them.
by to by of of for of for by
lasted _____ prepared _____
decrease _____ according _____
shaped _____ raised _____
2. Now write the verbs + prepositions into the sentences.
a. ____________ the report, the urban population is growing.
b. Governments need to be ____________ the problems this will bring.
c. The shift will change the balance that has ____________ thousands of years.
d. A lot of problems could be ____________ this growth.
e. The amount of people living in rural areas is expected to ____________ about 28 million.
f. The changes in climate will be ____________ this urbanization.
5 Summary
Using the information from exercises 3 and 4, summarize the article to your partner. Be as clear and precise
as possible.
6 Discussion – Are you a town or a country person?
Get into groups with other ‘townies’ or ‘country-folk’, and discuss what you like best about living in the countryside
or in urban areas. Note down the strongest arguments for your side and then, in a whole class discussion, try to
convince the other group to move to your side.
7 Webquest – Mega-cities
Check the internet to find out which are the largest cities in the world, by population and by area.
Do different websites give different answers? Why do you think this is?
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KEY
2 Keywords 4 Collocations – prepositions
following verbs
1. a. slum (subtitle)
b. pollution (subtitle) a. according to
c. humanity (para 1) b. prepared for
d. species (para 1) c. lasted for
e. shift (para 3) d. raised by
f. developing countries (para 4) e. decrease by
g. sanitation (para 4) f. shaped by
h. migration (para 7)
i. vicious circle (para 8)
j. destructive (para 10)
3 Comprehension

The situation now Expected problems Possible solutions
and the situation
in the very near
future
At the moment the Lack of housing – leading to slums. We need to plan
majority of people Lack of power, water, sanitation and ahead now.
live in urban areas. roads. Governments should
Within the next There will be a climate change. The be proactive.
year, humanity will average temperature will increase by They should create
become an urban 2 – 6°C. conditions for a
species. This will lead to new energy demands stable world.
More people will live such as more air-conditioning. We need to make
in urban than rural This will then add to the greenhouse sure there are
areas. gas emissions. enough jobs and
Increases in heat, pollution, smog houses, especially
and ground-level ozone will affect the in cities, and that
surrounding areas. there is an adequate
Farmers will produce fewer crops. school system so
There will be less to eat. that every child
Weather changes could mean more can get a proper
tornadoes and hurricanes. education.
All of the above will lead to greater
health risks.
2. urban – urbanization – a noun

urbanize – a verb
urbanite – a noun
poor – poverty – a noun

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Cologne and antiseptic: Russia’s killer drinks
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
fluctuation mortality plausible prone binge

impoverished distiller demise abuse rogue
1. If someone is ____________ to something, they are likely to suffer from it or be affected by it.
2. A ____________ is a person who produces strong alcohol.
3. ____________ are frequent changes in something, particularly in numbers.
4. ____________ is the use of something in a bad, dishonest or harmful way.
5. If something is ____________, it is likely to be true.
6. A ____________ trader or group member is one who does not behave in the same way as others and is
considered dangerous.
7. ____________ means very poor.
8. ____________ is the number of deaths in a particular area or group of people.
9. ____________ is the time when someone or something stops existing.
10. A ____________ is an occasion when someone does too much of something they enjoy doing, e.g.
drinking alcohol.
2 What do you know?
Read these statements and decide whether they are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in
the text.
1. The population of Russia is rising.

2. Russians drink more alcohol than any other nation in the world.
3. The Russian economy has grown spectacularly since 2000.
4. More than half the men of working age who die in Russia are killed by alcohol.
5. Illegally produced alcohol is rare in Russia.
6. The World Health Organisation regards Russia as one of the most alcoholic countries in the world.
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NEWS LESSONS / Cologne and antiseptic: Russia’s killer drinks / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Cologne and antiseptic: Russia’s alcohol per capita each year for over-15s. They
killer drinks also drank more dangerously and were prone to
binges, meaning two or more days of continuous
Sarah Boseley, health editor, and Luke
drunkenness.
Harding in Moscow
June 15, 2007 5 David Leon, of the London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, and colleagues examined
records and interviewed the families of 1,750
1 Almost half of working-age men in Russia who
men who had died in Izhevsk from 2003-05. The
die are killed by alcohol abuse, according to
men were compared with 1,750 who were still
a new medical study which says the country’s
alive. They found that problem drinkers and those
males die in excessive numbers not just because
who drank alcohol not intended for consumption
they drink lots of vodka but because they also
were six times more likely to have died young
consume products containing alcohol, such as
than those who did not have a drinking problem.
eau de cologne, antiseptics and medicines.
The chances of an early death were particularly
Some products contain 95% alcohol by volume.
high for those who got their alcohol from eau de
2 An international group of scientists looked at a cologne and other unorthodox sources - they
single city in the Urals to establish the effects of were nine times more likely to die.
the drinking in Russia. Izhevsk was chosen for
6 The authors say that men impoverished after
being a typical industrial city where life is much
losing a job through drinking may be forced to
the same as elsewhere and where death rates
resort to drinking household products containing
match the Russian average. Underlying the
pure alcohol. Among those who were still
work was the question of why life expectancy in
alive, 47% who drank such products were
Russia is so low: in 2004 it was 59 years for men
jobless compared with 13% who stuck to vodka
and 72 for women. Due to the low life expectancy
and beer.
and birth rate, the population in Russia is falling
by 700,000 a year. 7 Overall, 43% of deaths of men aged 25 to 54
were caused by alcohol, a figure that could be
3 Alcohol has always been an important factor
applied to all of Russia because of the typical
in death and disease in Russia, borne out by
nature of Izhevsk. An estimate in 2002 put the
fluctuations in the death rates linked to changes
death toll at 27%. The authors say their higher
in lifestyle and politics, says a report on the
figures could be due to taking into account
study, in the Lancet medical journal. “President
drinking of household products with very high
Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol campaign in the mid-
levels of alcohol, as well as binges.
1980s was associated with an immediate rise
in life expectancy, whereas increased alcohol 8 “Almost half of all deaths in working-age men in
consumption has been linked to rising mortality a typical Russian city may be accounted for by
in the early 1990s during the transition from hazardous drinking,” they write. “Our analyses
communism. Deaths related to alcohol, such provide indirect support for the contention that
as acute alcohol poisoning and liver cirrhosis, the sharp fluctuations seen in Russian mortality
showed the greatest fluctuations, with similar in the early 1990s could be related to hazardous
trends for other causes plausibly linked to drinking as indicated by consumption of non-
alcohol consumption.” beverage alcohol.”
4 A study published last year found that Russians, 9 A separate commentary points out that people
and inhabitants of other former parts of the who get their alcohol from household products
Soviet Union, drank more than anybody else often live in poor housing and have bad diets,
in the world - an estimated 15.2 litres of pure which could contribute to their chances of an
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Level 3 Advanced
early demise. It adds that illegally produced 11 Russian alcoholics - drinking perfume,
alcoholic beverages are also widely consumed. aftershave and cheap local alcohol - face great
dangers. In winter, newspapers are invariably
10 The Kremlin is acutely aware of the epic scale full of stories of drunks who have died after
of alcoholism. Ministers call it a “national falling through icy ponds or collapsing in the
tragedy”. Although President Vladimir Putin has snow. According to 2005 figures, Russia has
presided over a period of spectacular economic about 2,348,567 registered alcoholics, and
growth since 2000, he has so far not persuaded alcohol is being linked to 72% of murders and
Russians to drink less. The government has 42% of suicides. The World Health Organisation
recently cracked down on rogue distillers. rates the country as one of the most alcoholic in
Yesterday the federal tax service suspended the the world.
licence of several factories producing “alcohol
and ethyl alcohol products”, saying they had not © Guardian News & Media 2007
complied with a law requiring data on how much First published in The Guardian, 15/6/07
alcohol each bottle holds.
1. The city of Izhevsk was chosen for the medical study because…
a. There are more alcoholics there than anywhere else in Russia.
b. Life there is much the same as in other industrial cities in Russia.
c. People there consume products such as eau-de-cologne and antiseptics containing alcohol.
2. Life expectancy in Russia decreased during the 1990s because…

a. Alcohol became cheaper after the communist regime fell.
b. President Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol campaign was abandoned during the transition from communism.
c. People became richer so they could afford to buy more alcohol.
3. What class of people did the study classify as ‘problem drinkers’?

a. People who were prone to binge drinking.
b. People who lost their jobs through drinking.
c. People who drank alcohol not intended for consumption.
4. What is the connection between alcohol poisoning and social conditions?

a. People who drink alcohol not intended for consumption often live in poor housing and have bad diets.
b. Household products are widely available in impoverished cities.
c. People die after falling through icy ponds or collapsing in the snow.
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Level 3 Advanced
Find the following words and phrases in the text.
1. A two-word noun phrase meaning the number of years people normally live. (para 2)
2. The past participle of a phrasal verb meaning to prove or show that something is true. (para 3)
3. A serious disease affecting one of the body’s most important organs. (para 3)
4. A phrasal verb meaning to do something extreme or unpleasant in order to solve a problem. (para 6)
5. An adjective meaning dangerous or risky. (para 8)
6. A noun meaning an opinion or statement that something is true. (para 8)
7. A formal word meaning drinks. (para 9)
8. A two-word expression meaning enormous extent. (para 10)
Match the adjectives with the nouns to make collocations. Check your answers in the text.
1. important a. diet
2. low b. alcohol
3. acute c. growth
4. pure d. factor
5. high e. poisoning
6. sharp f. life expectancy
7. bad g. level
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Level 3 Advanced
6 Vocabulary 3: Verbs followed by prepositions
Which prepositions follow these verbs?
1. compare _______
2. link _______
3. associate _______
4. resort _______
5. stick _______
6. account _______
7. relate _______
8. contribute _______
7 Discussion
Should alcohol be classified as a dangerous drug? Should its consumption be limited?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1. prone 1. life expectancy

2. distiller 2. borne out
3. fluctuations 3. liver cirrhosis
4. abuse 4. resort to
5. plausible 5. hazardous
6. rogue 6. contention
7. impoverished 7. beverages
8. mortality 8. epic scale
9. demise
10. binge
collocations
2 What do you know?
1. d
1. F 2. f
2. T 3. e
3. T 4. b
4. F 5. g
5. F 6. h
6. T 7. a
8. c
6 Vocabulary 3: Verbs followed by
1. b prepositions
2. b
3. c 1. with
4. a 2. to
3. with
4. to
5. to
6. for
7. to
8. to
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
life expectancy birth rate death rate lifestyle compare

household products diet suicide aftershave tragedy

1. ____________ are things you use at home, such as perfumes, cleaning liquids and shampoos.
2. A person’s ____________ is the food that he or she normally eats.
3. A ____________ is a very sad situation.
4. The ____________ is the official number of births each year in a particular country.
5. Your ____________ is the way you live your life.
6. A person’s ____________ is the number of years they will probably live.
7. The ____________ is the official number of deaths each year in a particular country.
8. ____________ is a liquid with a nice smell that a man puts on his face after shaving.
9. If you ____________ two things, you think about the ways in which they are the same or different.
10. ____________ means killing yourself.
1. What percentage of murders in Russia are linked to alcohol?
2. What percentage of suicides in Russia are linked to alcohol?
3. How much pure alcohol does the average Russian drink each year?
4. How much alcohol do some household products contain?
5. What is the life expectancy for men in Russia?
6. What is the life expectancy for women in Russia?

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NEWS LESSONS / Cologne and antiseptic: Russia’s killer drinks / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Cologne and antiseptic: Russia’s The scientists examined the medical records and
killer drinks interviewed the families of 1,750 men who had
died in Izhevsk from 2003-05. They compared
Sarah Boseley, health editor, and Luke these men with 1,750 who were still alive. They
Harding in Moscow found that problem drinkers and people who
June 15, 2007 drank alcohol from products like perfume and
aftershave often died younger than those who did
1 A new medical study about alcoholism reports not have a drinking problem.
that almost half the men of working age who die
in Russia die as a result of alcohol. The report 5 The scientists say that men who lost their jobs
says that large numbers of Russian men die because of drinking had very little money and
young not just because they drink a lot of vodka often drank household products containing pure
but because they also drink household products alcohol. In the group of men who were still alive,
containing alcohol, such as perfume, aftershave 47% who drank household products containing
and medicines. Some products contain alcohol were out of work compared with 13%
95% alcohol. who drank only vodka and beer. In total, 43%
of deaths of men aged 25 to 54 in Izhevsk were
2 An international group of scientists looked at
because of alcohol. This is probably because
one city in the Ural mountains. They wanted to
they drank household products with very high
discover the effects of drinking in Russia. They
levels of alcohol.
chose the city of Izhevsk because it is a typical
industrial city where life is the same as in other 6 Another report says that people who get their
large cities in Russia and where the death rate is alcohol from household products often live in
the same as the Russian average. The scientists poor housing and have bad diets, and this could
wanted to find out why life expectancy in Russia also lead to an early death. The report also says
is so low: in 2004 it was 59 years for men and 72 that many people also drink illegally produced
for women. As a result of the low life expectancy alcoholic drinks.
and a low birth rate, the population of Russia is
falling by 700,000 a year. 7 The Russian government agrees that alcoholism
is a huge problem and calls it a “national
3 Alcohol has always been an important factor in tragedy”. With Vladimir Putin as president, the
death and disease in Russia. Changes in the Russian economy has grown very quickly since
death rate which are linked to changes in lifestyle 2000 but people are still drinking a lot of alcohol.
and politics support this fact. Life expectancy Russian alcoholics - drinking perfume, aftershave
increased during the mid-1980s when President and cheap local alcohol - face great dangers. In
Gorbachev tried to stop people in Russia drinking winter they fall through ice or freeze to death in
so much alcohol. After the end of communism the snow.
the death rate in Russia increased in the early
1990s. This was probably because of alcohol. 8 According to 2005 figures, Russia has 2,348,567
registered alcoholics, and alcohol is linked to
4 One study found that Russians, and people in 72% of murders and 42% of suicides. The World
other countries of the former Soviet Union, drank Health Organisation says Russia is one of the
more than anybody else in the world - about 15.2 most alcoholic countries in the world.
litres of pure alcohol per person each year for
people over 15 years of age. They also drank © Guardian News & Media 2007
more dangerously and often drank for two days First published in The Guardian, 15/06/07
or more without stopping.
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Level 1 Elementary
1. Many men in Russia die young because…

2. Many people drink household products containing alcohol because…
3. Household products containing alcohol are dangerous because…
4. The population of Russia is falling because…
5. Winter is a dangerous time for alcoholics in Russia because…
6. Life expectancy increased during the mid-1980s because…
a. … President Gorbachev tried to stop people drinking alcohol.

b. … life expectancy is very low and the birth rate is low.
c. … they drink household products containing alcohol.
d. … they contain a very high percentage of alcohol.
e. … they may fall through ice or freeze to death in the snow.
f. … they are poor.
Rearrange these words to make short phrases from the text. Check your answers in the text.
1. age working of men
2. a alcohol result as of
3. anybody more in than the else world
4. of work out
5. national a tragedy
6. the death in freeze snow to
7. of a number men large

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Level 1 Elementary
Put these words from the text into the correct group according to their stress pattern.
contain perfume product effect birth-rate factor

disease increase (v) lifestyle record (n) compare produce
A B
0 o o 0
6 Vocabulary 3: Past tenses
Complete the table.
past simple
1. grow
2. find
3. choose
4. fall
5. lose
6. drink
7. try
8. lead
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KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Word stress
1. household products A B
2. diet
0 o o 0
3. tragedy
4. birth rate perfume contain
5. lifestyle product effect
6. life expectancy birth-rate disease
7. death rate factor increase
8. aftershave
lifestyle compare
9. compare
10. suicide record produce

6 Vocabulary 3
1. 72%
2. 42%
past simple
3. 15.2 litres
4. 95% 1. grow grew
5. 59 2. find found
6. 72 3. choose chose
4. fall fell
5. lose lost
6. drink drank
1. c
2. f 7. try tried
3. d 8. lead led
4. b
5. e
6. a
1. men of working age

2. as a result of alcohol
3. more than anybody else in the world
4. out of work
5. a national tragedy
6. freeze to death in the snow
7. a large number of men
8. an important factor
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1 Key words
fluctuation campaign consumption acute binge

antiseptic abuse unorthodox crack down trend
1. If the authorities ____________ on a particular activity, they take strong action to stop it happening.
2. If something is ____________, it does not follow the usual rules.
3. A ____________ is an occasion when someone does too much of something they enjoy doing,
e.g. drinking alcohol.
4. A ____________ is a series of actions intended to achieve social or political change.
5. A ____________ is a gradual change or development that produces a particular result.
6. ____________ are frequent changes in something, particularly in numbers.
7. An ____________ is a substance used to clean injured skin and prevent infections.
8. ____________ is the use of food, fuel or drink.
9. If a medical condition is ____________, it is extremely serious or severe.
10. ____________ is the use of something in a bad, dishonest or harmful way.
1. What percentage of murders in Russia are linked to alcohol?
2. When did President Gorbachev launch his anti-alcohol campaign?
3. How much pure alcohol does the average Russian drink each year?
4. What percentage of suicides in Russia are linked to alcohol?
5. According to the figures from 2004, how long does the average Russian man live?
6. How many men did the scientists study in the city of Izhevsk?
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NEWS LESSONS / Cologne and antiseptic: Russia’s killer drinks / Intermediate

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Cologne and antiseptic: Russia’s in the world - an estimated 15.2 litres of pure
killer drinks alcohol per capita each year for over-15s.
They also drank more dangerously and often
Sarah Boseley, health editor, and Luke
went on binges, meaning two or more days of
Harding in Moscow
continuous drunkenness.
June 15, 2007
5 Experts from the London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine examined records and
1 Almost half of the men of working age in Russia
interviewed the families of 1,750 men who had
who die are killed by alcohol abuse, according
died in Izhevsk from 2003-05. They compared
to a new medical study which says that large
these men with 1,750 who were still alive. They
numbers of the country’s males die not just
found that problem drinkers and those who
because they drink lots of vodka but because
drank alcohol not intended for consumption were
they also drink products containing alcohol, such
six times more likely to have died young than
as perfume, antiseptics and medicines. Some
those who did not have a drinking problem. The
products contain 95% alcohol.
chances of an early death were particularly high
2 An international group of scientists looked at a for those who got their alcohol from perfume and
single city in the Urals to establish the effects of other unorthodox sources - they were nine times
drinking in Russia. They chose the city of Izhevsk more likely to die.
because it is a typical industrial city where life is
6 The authors say that men living in poverty after
the same as elsewhere in Russia and where the
losing a job through drinking may be forced
death rate is the same as the Russian average.
to drink household products containing pure
The scientists wanted to find out why life
alcohol. Among those who were still alive, 47%
expectancy in Russia is so low: in 2004 it was 59
who drank products like these were out of work
years for men and 72 for women. As a result of
compared with 13% who drank only vodka and
the low life expectancy and a low birth rate, the
beer. Overall, 43% of deaths of men aged 25
population of Russia is falling by 700,000 a year.
to 54 were caused by alcohol in Izhevsk. The
3 Alcohol has always been an important factor authors say these high levels could be caused by
in death and disease in Russia. This fact is drinking household products with very high levels
supported by fluctuations in the death rate which of alcohol, as well as binges.
are linked to changes in lifestyle and politics,
7 “Almost half of all deaths in working-age men
according to a report in the Lancet medical
in a typical Russian city may be caused by
journal. “President Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol
hazardous drinking,” they write. “Our analyses
campaign in the mid-1980s led to an immediate
provide indirect support for the argument that
rise in life expectancy, but the increase in
the sharp fluctuations seen in the death rate in
the death rate in the early 1990s during the
Russia in the early 1990s could be related to
transition from communism was probably
dangerous drinking or people drinking alcohol
the result of increased alcohol consumption.
from household products.”
Deaths related to alcohol, such as acute alcohol
poisoning and liver disease, showed the greatest 8 A separate commentary points out that people
fluctuations, and there were similar trends for who get their alcohol from household products
other causes that were probably linked to alcohol often live in poor housing and have bad diets,
consumption.” and this could contribute to their chances of
an early death. The commentary adds that
4 A study published last year found that Russians,
many people also drink illegally produced
and inhabitants of other former parts of the
alcoholic drinks.
Soviet Union, drank more than anybody else
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9 The Russian government admits that alcoholism dangers. In winter, newspapers are always full
is a huge problem. Ministers call it a “national of stories of drunks who have died after falling
tragedy”. Although President Vladimir Putin’s through ice or collapsing in the snow. According
government has seen a period of spectacular to 2005 figures, Russia has about 2,348,567
economic growth since 2000, he has not been registered alcoholics, and alcohol is linked
able to persuade Russians to drink less. The to 72% of murders and 42% of suicides. The
government has recently cracked down on World Health Organisation says Russia is one
people producing alcohol illegally. of the most alcoholic countries in the world.
10 Russian alcoholics - drinking perfume, © Guardian News & Media 2007

aftershave and cheap local alcohol - face great First published in The Guardian, 15/6/07
1. Russians drink more alcohol than anyone else in the world.
2. People drinking alcohol from household products are more likely to die young than other users of alcohol.
3. Poor housing and bad diets force people to drink household products like perfume and aftershave.
4. The city of Izhevsk was chosen for the study because it has a very high rate of alcoholism.
5. The Russian government does not regard alcoholism as a problem.
6. Newspapers rarely report stories about drunks dying in cold weather.
1. A noun meaning man. (para 1)
2. A two-word expression meaning the length of time that someone is likely to live. (para 2)
3. A noun meaning the process of changing from one form or state to another. (para 3)
4. A two-word expression meaning based on calculations that show the average amount for each person affected.
(para 3)
5. An adjective meaning relating to homes or used in homes. (para 6)
6. An adjective meaning dangerous or risky. (para 7)
7. An adjective meaning extremely impressive. (para 9)
8. A verb meaning to fall down suddenly and become ill or unconscious. (para 10)
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Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to form collocations.
1. birth a. disease
2. life b. level
3. liver c. factor
4. high d. alcohol
5. bad e. rate
6. important f. diet
7. pure g. danger
8. great h. expectancy
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. grow
2. fluctuate
3. consume
4. argue
5. contribute
6. comment
7. persuade
8. abuse
7 Discussion
Excessive alcohol consumption is a problem in many parts of the world. What are the possible solutions?
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KEY
1. crack down 1. males

2. unorthodox 2. life expectancy
3. binge 3. transition
4. campaign 4. per capita
5. trend 5. household
6. fluctuations 6. hazardous
7. antiseptic 7. spectacular
8. consumption 8. collapse
9. acute
10. abuse

2. h
1. 72% 3. a
2. in the mid-1980s 4. b
3. 15.2 litres 5. f
4. 42% 6. c
5. 59 years 7. d
6. 3,500 (1,750 who died and 1,750 who were 8. g
still alive)
1. growth
1. T 2. fluctuation
2. T 3. consumption
3. F 4. argument
4. F 5. contribution
5, F 6. commentary
6. F 7. persuasion
7. T 8. abuse
8. F
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Live Earth – an inconvenient truth?
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
Fill the gaps using these key words from the article.
carbon footprint global warming renewable energy

climate change greenhouse gases carbon dioxide
1. The chemical equation for _______________________ is CO2.
2. A _______________________ is a measure of the amount of CO2 emitted through the combustion of

fossil fuels.
3. Some _______________________ occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result from human activities,
for example, by burning fossil fuels such as coal.
4. _______________________ refers to the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air
and oceans.
5. _______________________ is one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing
the planet.
6. Solar, wind and water power are all forms of _______________________.
2 What do you know?
Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the article.
1. Bob Geldof recently organized the Live Earth concert in London.
2. Al Gore spearheaded the organization worldwide.
3. The concert was broadcast on TV, radio and the Internet to two billion people.
4. Paul McCartney made a guest appearance at Wembley Stadium in London.
5. Some well-known bands found the event hypocritical.
6. The Internet coverage was sponsored by an automotive company.
7. The concert took place in all seven continents of the world.
8. The event sparked criticism about the amount of greenhouse gases it produced.
9. Environmentalists all agree that offsetting is the best way to deal with carbon footprints.
10. Al Gore is the Democrats’ candidate for the next US presidential election.
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NEWS LESSONS / Live Earth – an inconvenient truth? / Advanced

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150 acts, two billion viewers – and a 5 These warnings will count for little if the event
lot of greenhouse gas achieves its twin goals: pressuring politicians to
sign an international treaty pledging massively
24-hour, seven continent show raises awareness
reduced emissions within two years and
but at what cost to climate?
persuading individuals to make lifestyle changes,
Oliver Burkeman and Jonathan Watts such as installing four energy-efficient light bulbs,
in Beijing or taking public transport to work once a week.
July 7, 2007
6 “The important thing was not to have no carbon
1 The climate scientists have spoken. Now it’s
footprint and no acts, but to have really great
James Blunt’s turn. But if scepticism, even acts,” insisted Steve Howard, a climate-change
cynicism, is a natural response whenever pop consultant who runs We’re In This Together, a UK
stars promise to change the world, there’s no campaign linked to Live Earth. It was launched
denying the scale and intensity of Live Earth, earlier this year and has already saved 36,000
their latest attempt. tonnes of CO2, Mr Howard said. “Does that save
the planet? No, not in itself. But it’s equivalent to
2 The 24-hour, seven-continent sequence of 13,000 family cars being taken off the road.”
concerts, began in Sydney on July 7. The
organizers, spearheaded by Al Gore, expected 7 At the heart of the challenge facing Mr Gore
it to reach two billion people via 120 television and his organization, Save Our Selves, is the
networks, Internet and radio, making it the nebulous concept of ‘awareness’. The worst-case
biggest media event in history. At Wembley, scenario is that raising awareness about climate
80,000 people watched Madonna, Genesis, change may not lead to action – and might even
the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snow Patrol, the instil a sense of fatalism. It doesn’t help that
Beastie Boys, Duran Duran and James Blunt, touring stars are among the worst individual
although the rumours of an appearance by Paul greenhouse gas offenders. Last year, Madonna’s
McCartney remained just rumours. Confessions tour produced 440 tonnes of carbon
dioxide in four months, said John Buckley, of
3 All this is hardly without its moral complexities. the website www.carbonfootprint.com, who
The Red Hot Chili Peppers were flown in by also provided the estimates for Live Earth
private jet from Paris, the band’s management concertgoers.
confirmed, then left again by private jet for a
gig in Denmark. The Beastie Boys had to be in 8 The rock group Arctic Monkeys said this
Montreux the next day and Genesis played in week they had declined to take part in Live
Manchester the same evening. Earth, because it would be “a bit hypocritical”.
“Especially when we’re using enough power for
4 And an estimate calculated for the Guardian
10 houses just for [stage] lighting,” said drummer
suggests that spectators travelling to the London Matt Helders.
and New Jersey concerts alone generated
approximately 5,600 tonnes of greenhouse 9 Risking charges of inconsistency, Bob Geldof,
gases between them – the equivalent of 7,270 instigator of Live Aid and Live8, said in May that
people crossing the Atlantic by plane. You can, raising awareness was pointless. “Everybody’s
it seems, be part of the solution and part of the known about that for years,” he said. “We’re all
problem, at the same time. Even those who conscious of global warming.”
watched online found that Live Earth’s website
is sponsored by the Chevrolet company, which 10 Acutely aware of the need to minimize the
manufactures SUVs. event’s own footprint, Live Earth organizers
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promised to power all shows with renewable 12 There is another possible interpretation of July
energy, and to offset flights taken by the 150 acts 7’s global events – aside from the hope that
performing in London, New Jersey, Shanghai, they will make all the difference in the world.
Johannesburg, Tokyo, Hamburg, Sydney, and – This is the possibility that it is all a prelude to the
after a last-minute threat of cancellation – Rio de announcement of a presidential bid by Mr Gore,
Janeiro. (Scientists at a base in Antarctica also an idea he has been denying with less force
performed by satellite, so the event covered all recently.
continents.) And Gayle Fine, a New York-based
spokeswoman for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 13 You might see that interpretation as the worst
said the band offsets all tour travel, while ground kind of cynicism. Then again, Live Earth’s
crews use biodiesel fuel where possible. message is that we each should do whatever
we can for the climate. And polls increasingly
11 Offsetting is controversial among some suggest that something Mr Gore could do,
environmentalists, who argue it simply eliminates besides changing his light bulbs, is to win the
guilt. But Madonna, organizers noted, lives Democratic nomination – and, quite possibly, the
in London, and generally, bands had been White House.
assigned to perform in cities where they lived, or
in the continents where they were touring. © Guardian News & Media 2007
1. What does the event hope to achieve? Give two examples.

___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Name three reasons why the event is being criticized.

___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What reasons does a spokesperson give to suggest that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are a ‘green’ band?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why was Bob Geldof cynical about the event?

___________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Why didn’t the Arctic Monkeys play at the concert?

___________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What hidden agenda do some critics suggest accompanies the Live Earth concerts?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
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Level 3 Advanced
Match the words on the left with those on the right to make collocations. Then find them again in the article
to see in which context they are used.
nebulous complexities
worst-case light bulbs
moral fuel
energy-efficient offenders
greenhouse-gas guilt
biodiesel bid
eliminate concept
presidential scenario
5 Discussion
Would you attend a benefit concert such as Live Earth? Why/Why not?
What other ways can you think of to raise awareness of environmental issues?
In groups, list the major steps involved in planning an awareness raising event. Compare your lists with
the others. Could you imagine organizing an awareness raising event?
6 Webquest
1. Go to www.carbonfootprint.com and find ways to reduce your carbon footprint. List at least 3 things you
can do that will make an immediate difference as well as 3 things you can do that will make a difference
within 1-4 years, and do them!
2. How can you offset your carbon footprint? Do you think this actually makes a difference?
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NEWS LESSONS / Life Earth – an inconvenient truth? / Advanced

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KEY
1 Key words 4. He said that raising awareness was pointless
because everybody’s known about global warming
1. carbon dioxide for years.
2. carbon footprint
3. greenhouse gases 5. They said it would be “a bit hypocritical”. Especially
4. global warming when they’re using enough power for 10 houses just
5. climate change for [stage] lighting.
6. renewable energy.
6. They think that it is all a prelude to an
announcement of a presidential bid by Al Gore.
2 What do you know?
1. F
4 Collocations
2. T
3. T
4. F nebulous concept
5. T worst-case scenario
6. T moral complexities
7. T energy-efficient light bulbs
8. T greenhouse-gas offenders
9. F biodiesel fuel
10. F (currently) eliminate guilt
presidential bid
1. The event hopes to pressure politicians to sign

an international treaty pledging massively reduced
emissions within two years and persuade
individuals to make lifestyle changes, such as
installing four energy-efficient light bulbs, or taking
public transport to work once a week.
2. Bands are using private jets to fly to and from the

concerts.
Spectators travelling to the London and New Jersey
concerts generated approximately 5,600 tonnes of
greenhouse gases between them – the equivalent
of 7,270 people crossing the Atlantic by plane.
Live Earth’s website is sponsored by the Chevrolet
company, which manufactures SUVs.
3. The band offsets all tour travel, and their ground

crews use biodiesel fuel where possible.
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Musicians, pop artists and bands
Unscramble the letters to find the names of musicians, pop starts and bands mentioned in the article. Put
a
a tick ( ) next to them if they played at the Live Earth concerts and a cross ( X ) if they didn’t play.
naMdoan ______________________________
Rde oHt hlCii sppeerP ______________________________

uaPl cnCMatrye ______________________________
crctiA oneMksy ______________________________
teBsiae yoBs ______________________________
unDar uDarn ______________________________
aJesm tBnul ______________________________
oBb felGod ______________________________
nowS ratlPo ______________________________
seneiGs ______________________________
2 Numbers and facts
Match the numbers with the facts you think they correspond with. Check your answers in the article.
a. two billion spectators at Wembley Stadium in London
b. eighty thousand tonnes of greenhouse gasses generated by the spectators in London
and New Jersey
c. seven months - the amount of time it took one artist to produce 440 tonnes
of CO2
d. one hundred and twenty tonnes of carbon dioxide
e. twenty-four television networks
f. five thousand six hundred viewers worldwide
g. 440 hour concert
h. four acts
i. one hundred and fifty continents

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NEWS LESSONS / Live Earth – an inconvenient truth? / Elementary

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150 acts, two billion viewers – and a persuading people to make lifestyle changes,
lot of greenhouse gas such as using energy-efficient light bulbs, or
24-hour, seven continent show raises awareness going to work by public transport once a week.
but at what cost to climate? 6 The greatest challenge facing Mr Gore and his
Oliver Burkeman and Jonathan Watts organization, Save Our Selves, is the concept
in Beijing of ‘awareness’. The worst-case scenario is that
July 7, 2007 raising awareness about climate-change may
not lead to action but to fatalism. It doesn’t help
1 The climate scientists have spoken. Now it’s that pop stars are among the worst individual
James Blunt’s turn. But even though scepticism greenhouse-gas offenders. Last year, Madonna’s
is a natural response whenever pop stars Confessions tour produced 440 tonnes of carbon
promise to change the world, no one can deny dioxide in four months, said John Buckley,
the size and intensity of the Live Earth concerts. of the website www.carbonfootprint.com, who
also provided the estimates for Live Earth
2 The 24-hour, seven-continent sequence of
concertgoers.
organizers, led by Al Gore, expected it to reach 7 The rock group Arctic Monkeys said this week
2 billion people via 120 television networks, they didn’t take part in Live Earth, because it
Internet and radio. This made it the biggest would be “a bit hypocritical”. “Especially when
media event in history. At Wembley, 80,000 we’re using enough power for 10 houses just for
people watched Madonna, Genesis, the Red Hot [stage] lighting,” said drummer Matt Helders.
Chili Peppers, Snow Patrol, the Beastie Boys,
Duran Duran and James Blunt, although the 8 Bob Geldof, instigator of Live Aid and Live8, said
rumours that Paul McCartney would play were in May that raising awareness was pointless.
just rumours. “Everybody’s known about that for years,” he
said. “We’re all conscious of global warming.”
3 All this has its moral difficulties. The Red Hot
Chili Peppers flew in by private jet from Paris, the 9 To minimize the event’s own footprint, Live Earth
band’s management confirmed, then left again organizers promised to power all shows with
by private jet for a gig in Denmark. The Beastie renewable energy, and to offset flights taken by
Boys were in Montreux the next day and Genesis the 150 acts performing in London, New Jersey,
played in Manchester the same evening. Shanghai, Johannesburg, Tokyo, Hamburg,
Sydney and Rio de Janeiro. (Scientists at a
4 The Guardian newspaper said that spectators base in Antarctica also performed by satellite,
travelling to the London and New Jersey concerts so the event covered all continents.) And Gayle
generated approximately 5,600 tonnes of Fine, a New York-based spokeswoman for the
greenhouse gases between them – the same as Red Hot Chili Peppers, said the band offsets all
7,270 people crossing the Atlantic by plane. You tour travel, and ground crews use biodiesel fuel
can, it seems, be part of the solution and part of where possible.
the problem, at the same time. Even those who
watched online found that Live Earth’s website 10 Offsetting is controversial among some
is sponsored by the Chevrolet company, which environmentalists; they say it simply eliminates
manufactures SUVs. guilt. But Madonna lives in London, organizers
said and, generally, bands performed in cities
5 These warnings will not matter if the event where they lived or in the continents where they
achieves its goals: pressuring politicians to sign were touring.
an international treaty pledging to massively
reduce emissions within two years and 11 There is another possible interpretation of July
7’s global events – as well as the hope that they
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will make a lot of difference in the world. Some something positive Mr Gore could do, besides
people think that Mr Gore will soon announce his changing his light bulbs, is to become president
presidential bid. of the United States.
12 You might see that interpretation as the worst

kind of cynicism. Then again, Live Earth’s © Guardian News & Media 2007
message is that we each should do whatever First published in The Guardian, 7/7/07
we can for the climate. And polls suggest that
Match the sentence halves to read a summary of the article.
The aim of the recent Live Earth concerts... ... media event in history.
The concerts were held over a 24-hour period... ... Al Gore.
It was watched by over two billion viewers ... some of the biggest producers of greenhouse
worldwide,... gasses.
It was the biggest... ... in all seven continents of the world.
The campaign was led by... ... was to raise awareness about global warming.
Cynicism came from... ... offsetting your carbon footprint only stops
you feeling guilty.
Many famous international artists... ... either at the concerts, on the Internet, or on TV.
Others refused to perform as they... ... performed for free.
Touring pop stars are... ... Bob Geldof who said we already know about
global warming.
Some environmentalists say that... ... Al Gore should be their next president.
An increasing amount of US voters think... ... thought it would be hypocritical.

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4 Vocabulary: Synonyms
Find words in the article that mean the same as:
a. performers ________________________ (title)

b. audience ________________________ (title) and __________________ (para 4)
c. size / strength ________________________ (para 1)
d. series / row ________________________ (para 2)
e. concert ________________________ (para 3)
f. makes / produces ________________________ (para 4)
g. promising ________________________ (para 5)
h. convincing ________________________ (para 5)
i. initiator / founder ________________________ (para 8)
j. gets rid of ________________________ (para 10)
k. reason / way to understand ________________________ (para 11)
5 Discussion
In small groups, think of 5 reasons for and 5 reasons against attending a concert such as Live Earth.
If you were the organizers, how much would you charge for a ticket? Give reasons why you would charge
this amount.
Compare your suggestion to that of other groups.
Would you like to attend an awareness raising concert such as Live Earth? Why/Why not?
6 Webquest
1. Go to www.carbonfootprint.com and use the flight calculator to calculate a trip from London to your
nearest major airport.
What is the flight distance?
How many tonnes of CO2 would this flight contribute?
2. Find ways to reduce your carbon footprint. List at least 3 things you can do that will make an immediate
difference as well as 3 things you can do that will make a difference within 1-4 years, and do them!
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KEY
1 Musicians, pop artists and bands Others refused to perform as they thought it would be
hypocritical.
Touring pop stars are some of the biggest producers of
Madonna
a X
Paul McCartney
greenhouse gasses.
Some environmentalists say that offsetting your carbon
Red Hot Chili Peppers Arctic Monkeys footprint only stops you feeling guilty.
Beastie Boys Bob Geldof An increasing amount of US voters think Al Gore should
Duran Duran be their next president.
James Blunt
Snow Patrol
Genesis 4 Vocabulary: Synonyms
a. performers = acts
2 Numbers and facts b. audience = viewers and spectators
c. size / strength = intensity
a. two billion viewers worldwide d. series / row = sequence
b. eighty thousand spectators at Wembley e. concert = gig
Stadium in London f. makes / produces = manufactures
c. seven continents g. promising = pledging
d. one hundred and twenty television networks h. convincing = persuading
e. twenty-four hour concert i. initiator / founder = instigator
f. five thousand six hundred tonnes of greenhouse j. gets rid of = eliminate
gasses generated by the spectators in London and k. reason / way to understand = interpretation
New Jersey
g. 440 tonnes of carbon dioxide
h. four months – the amount of time it took one artist
to produce 440 tonnes of CO2
i. one hundred and fifty acts
The aim of the recent Live Earth concerts was to raise

awareness about global warming.
The concerts were held over a 24-hour period in all
seven continents of the world.
It was watched by over two billion viewers worldwide,
either at the concerts, on the Internet, or on TV.
It was the biggest media event in history.
The campaign was led by Al Gore.
Cynicism came from Bob Geldof who said we already
know about global warming.
Many famous international artists performed for free.
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Which of these topics would you expect to read about in an article about the recent Live Earth concerts?
stage lighting ticket prices rubbish

famous artists private jet planes scientists
programmes and t-shirts car manufacturers advertising
food websites
public transport radio
Now add three further ideas of your own.
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

2 Key words
Skim the article to find words to complete the sentences. The paragraph number is given to help you.
1. Other words that are similar to _______________ are strength or power. (para 1)
2. When we talk about the _______________ of something, we mean its size. (para 1)
3. This word is used to talk about the doubts someone has about something: His _______________ was
unfounded. (para 1)
4. Unofficial information that may or may not be true is often called a _______________. (para 2)
5. The _______________ of something is a feature that makes it difficult to understand or confusing. (para 3)
6. When you make or produce things such as energy or pollution, you _______________ it. (para 4)
7. This is the same as a promise and is often made in public: a _______________ (para 5)
8. You can use this word to describe someone who commits a crime or causes a problem: an _______________.
(para 6)
9. When you publically say one thing, but secretly do the opposite, people might say you are being
_______________. (para 7)
10. An _______________ is a person who starts something up. (para 8)
11. A _______________ subject, opinion or decision is one that people disagree with or don’t approve of. (para 10)
12. ______________ is the belief that people only care about themselves and are insincere or dishonest. (para 12)
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NEWS LESSONS / Live Earth – an inconvenient truth? / Intermediate

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150 acts, two billion viewers – and a sign an international treaty pledging massively
lot of greenhouse gas reduced emissions within two years and
24-hour, seven continent show raises awareness persuading individuals to make lifestyle changes,
but at what cost to climate? such as installing four energy-efficient light bulbs,
or taking public transport to work once a week.
Oliver Burkeman and Jonathan Watts
in Beijing 6 At the heart of the challenge facing Mr Gore and
July 7, 2007 his organization, Save Our Selves, is the concept
of ‘awareness’. The worst-case scenario is that
1 The climate scientists have spoken. Now it’s raising awareness about climate change may
James Blunt’s turn. But if scepticism is a natural not lead to action – and might even instil a sense
response whenever pop stars promise to change of fatalism. It doesn’t help that touring stars are
the world, there’s no denying the scale and among the worst individual greenhouse-gas
intensity of the Live Earth concerts. offenders. Last year, Madonna’s Confessions
tour produced 440 tonnes of carbon dioxide in
2 The 24-hour, seven-continent sequence of
four months, said John Buckley, of the website
www.carbonfootprint.com, who also provided the
organizers, led by Al Gore, expected it to reach
estimates for Live Earth concertgoers.
two billion people via 120 television networks,
Internet and radio, making it the biggest media 7 The rock group Arctic Monkeys said this
event in history. At Wembley, 80,000 people week they had declined to take part in Live
watched Madonna, Genesis, the Red Hot Chili Earth, because it would be “a bit hypocritical”.
Peppers, Snow Patrol, the Beastie Boys, Duran “Especially when we’re using enough power for
Duran and James Blunt, although the rumours 10 houses just for [stage] lighting,” said drummer
of an appearance by Paul McCartney remained Matt Helders.
just rumours.
8 Bob Geldof, instigator of Live Aid and Live8, said
3 All this has its moral complexities. The Red Hot in May that raising awareness was pointless.
Chili Peppers were flown in by private jet from “Everybody’s known about that for years,” he
Paris, the band’s management confirmed, then said. “We’re all conscious of global warming.”
left again by private jet for a gig in Denmark.
The Beastie Boys had to be in Montreux the 9 Aware of the need to minimize the event’s own
next day and Genesis played in Manchester the footprint, Live Earth organizers promised to
same evening. power all shows with renewable energy, and to
offset flights taken by the 150 acts performing in
4 And an estimate calculated for the Guardian London, New Jersey, Shanghai, Johannesburg,
suggests that spectators travelling to the Tokyo, Hamburg, Sydney, and – after a
London and New Jersey concerts generated last-minute threat of cancellation – Rio de
approximately 5,600 tonnes of greenhouse gases Janeiro. (Scientists at a base in Antarctica also
between them – the equivalent of 7,270 people performed by satellite, so the event covered all
crossing the Atlantic by plane. You can, it seems, continents.) And Gayle Fine, a New York-based
be part of the solution and part of the problem, at spokeswoman for the Red Hot Chili Peppers,
the same time. Even those who watched online said the band offsets all tour travel, while ground
found Live Earth’s website is sponsored by the crews use biodiesel fuel where possible.
Chevrolet company, which manufactures SUVs.
10 Offsetting is controversial among some
5 These warnings will count for little if the event environmentalists, who argue it simply eliminates
achieves its twin goals: pressuring politicians to guilt. But Madonna, organizers noted, lives
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in London, and generally, bands had been 12 You might see that interpretation as the worst
assigned to perform in cities where they lived, or kind of cynicism. Then again, Live Earth’s
in the continents where they were touring. message is that we each should do whatever
we can for the climate. And polls increasingly
11 There is another possible interpretation of July suggest that something Mr Gore could do,
7’s global events – aside from the hope that they besides changing his light bulbs, is to become
will make all the difference in the world. Some president of the United States.
people think that Mr Gore will soon announce his
presidential bid, an idea he has been denying © Guardian News & Media 2007
with less force recently. First published in The Guardian, 7/7/07
Choose the correct answer (a-d)
1. Live Earth concerts took place: 5. In 2006, Madonna’s what produced 440 tonnes of
a. on the Internet. carbon dioxide in four months?
b. on every continent. a. Her houses.
c. last weekend. b. Her world tour.
d. at Wembley in London and were broadcast c. Her CD sales.
around the world. d. Her employees.
2. Bob Geldof: 6. An increasing number of US citizens would like to

a. was sceptical of the usefulness of the concerts. see Al Gore:
b. was the instigator of the concerts. a. in the greenhouse.
c. kept quiet. b. in the doghouse.
d. opened the concerts in Sydney. c. playing Dr House.
d. in the White House.
3. The Arctic Monkeys didn’t play because:
a. they were on tour. 6a. Bonus question – Give further information about
b. they wouldn’t get paid. your answer to 6: why is this?
c. they needed their own stage lighting.
d. they thought it would be hypocritical.
4. A spokesperson said the Red Hot Chili Peppers are

green because:
a. they are all vegetarians.
b. they played in New York, not London.
c. they offset their carbon footprint when on tour.
d. their crew ride bicycles.
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Match the words on the left with those on the right to make collocations. Then find them again in the article
to see in which context they are used.
lifestyle transport
media awareness
raise warming
public footprint
global efficient
energy changes
carbon event
Now write your own sentence for each collocation.
5 Discussion
In groups, think of 5 reasons for and 5 reasons against attending a concert such as Live Earth.
Do you think that by playing at such events pop stars are helping the environment or easing their
guilty consciences?
Does this matter? / Is it important?
Would you like to attend an awareness raising concert such as Live Earth? Why/Why not?
6 Webquest
1. Go to www.carbonfootprint.com and find ways to reduce your carbon footprint. List at least 3 things you
can do that will make an immediate difference as well as 3 things you can do that will make a difference
within 1-4 years, and do them!
2. How can you offset your carbon footprint? Find examples of how to do this.
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1 What do you think? 4 Vocabulary: Collocations

stage lighting lifestyle changes
famous artists media event
private jet planes raise awareness
car manufacturers public transport
public transport global warming
websites energy efficient
radio carbon footprint

scientists
2 Key words
1. intensity
2. scale
3. scepticism
4. rumour
5. complexity
6. generate
7. pledge
8. offender
9. hypocritical
10. instigator
11. controversial
12. cynicism
1. b
2. a
3. c
4. c
5. b
6. d
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Putin hits back at UK by expelling diplomats
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
Match these verbs from the text with their meanings.
expel unveil escalate overcome refrain

summon pursue condemn extradite flee
1. ____________ – to become or make much worse or more serious.
2. ____________ – to say publicly that you think something is bad or wrong.
3. ____________ – to send a criminal back for a trial in a country where a crime was committed.
4. ____________ – to escape from a dangerous situation or place very quickly.
5. ____________ – to announce officially something that was previously a secret.
6. ____________ – to follow a course of activity.
7. ____________ – to succeed in dealing with or controlling a problem.
8. ____________ – to officially order someone to come to a particular place.
9. ____________ – to stop yourself from doing something.
10. ____________ – to officially force someone to leave a place.
2 What do you know?
1. Condoleeza Rice is the vice-president of the United States.
2. Alexander Litvinenko was killed by radiation poisoning.
3. Vladimir Putin is the Russian prime minister.
4. MI6 is a Russian intelligence agency.
5. The Foreign Office is name of the UK’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
6. British businessmen do not need visas to enter Russia.

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NEWS LESSONS / Putin hits back at UK by expelling diplomats / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Putin hits back at UK by between Russia and Britain will develop normally
expelling diplomats because both countries are interested in this,” he
said. “It is necessary to measure one’s actions
against common sense, respect the legitimate
July 20, 2007
interests of partners and everything will be
alright. I think we will overcome this mini crisis,”
1 Russia yesterday expelled four British diplomats he said.
and banned its officials from travelling to the
5 The Russian response notably did not include
UK in a move denounced as “completely
accusations of British spying – despite claims
unjustifiable” by Britain. In a tit-for-tat response
from Andrei Lugovoi, the former KGB agent
over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko,
charged with Mr Litvinenko’s murder – of MI6
Russia’s foreign ministry announced that four UK
involvement. Sergei Markov, a Kremlin adviser
diplomats had been declared persona non grata.
and leading analyst, told the Guardian he felt Mr
They had ten days to leave, it said.
Putin had refrained from too strong a reaction
2 Foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin because “he doesn’t want to play the role of the
also announced that the Kremlin was suspending Soviet Union. He doesn’t want to have a big
its co-operation with the UK in fighting terrorism conflict with the west.” Mr Markov said the ban
and would stop issuing visas to British officials. on British officials travelling to Russia was less
Russian officials would also no longer seek draconian than it seemed and would not apply to
visas for Britain, he said, effectively ending any Mr Miliband or to MPs wanting to visit Russia.
prospect of face-to-face government contact
6 Yesterday afternoon Russia’s foreign minister
for the foreseeable future. Russia’s action
summoned Britain’s ambassador in Moscow,
was “targeted, balanced and the minimum
Sir Anthony Brenton. He and the Russian
necessary,” he said. “To our regret co-operation
deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko
between Russia and Britain on issues of fighting
discussed the Litvinenko case. Emerging
terrorism becomes impossible.”
afterwards, the ambassador said: “He gave me
3 The Kremlin’s response – four days after certain messages to pass on to the Foreign
the British foreign secretary, David Miliband, Office. I have underlined to him my continuing
announced that he was expelling four Russian disappointment at Russia’s reaction to our
diplomats because of Moscow’s failure to request for Mr Lugovoi and our hope that Russia
co-operate in the investigation into Mr will co-operate.”
Litvinenko’s death – was milder than many
7 It is not known which British diplomats have
expected. After three days of closed debate
been ordered out. But Kremlin sources said
inside the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin had
they occupied the same ranks as the Russian
decided not to escalate his conflict with Britain,
diplomats expelled from London on Monday.
analysts said. Instead, the response was a
They are believed to include Russia’s naval
careful mirror image of the measures unveiled
attaché and three members of Russia’s trade
by Mr Miliband. But the foreign secretary
mission. Yesterday’s move puts the ball back into
emphasized Britain’s concern. He said: “We
the court of the British government, which must
obviously believe that the decision to expel four
now decide whether to pursue further action.
embassy staff is completely unjustified and we
The foreign secretary yesterday condemned the
will be doing everything to ensure that they and
expulsion of British diplomats as “completely
their families are properly looked after.”
unjustified”. He said: “We are disappointed
4 Last night Mr Vladimir Putin made an apparent that the Russian government should have
attempt to reduce the tension. “I think relations signalled no new co-operation in the extradition
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Level 3 Advanced
of Mr Andrei Lugovoi for the alleged murder of competing in their mutual spitting competition,”
Alexander Litvinenko.” Sergei Karaganov, an analyst with the European
Studies Institute in Moscow, told the Guardian.
8 He continued: “We are, however, much
He added: “Russia has done tit-for-tat. They
heartened that over the last 36 hours across the couldn’t have done less. But they could have
international community, European countries, done much more.”
the EU as a whole and the United States should
have put out such positive statements about the 10 Mr Litvinenko, a former Russian security agent
need to defend the integrity of the British judicial who fled to Britain, died in a London hospital last
system, and that is something that we shall be November from a fatal dose of the extremely
taking forward with the international community rare radioactive isotope polonium-210. The US
over the next few days and weeks.” secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, yesterday
insisted that Russia should not be isolated.
9 Yesterday’s tit-for-tat expulsions are likely to
be welcomed by British businesses, which had © Guardian News & Media 2007
feared more stringent measures affecting visas. First published in The Guardian, 20/7/07
“There is some hope that both sides will stop
1. What led directly to the expulsion of the four Russian diplomats from Britain?
a. The murder of Alexander Litvinenko in London last November.
b. The alleged failure of the Russians to co-operate with the investigation into Mr Litvinenko’s death.
c. The expulsion of four British diplomats from Russia.
2. How does the text describe the Russian response to the British action?
a. As an over-reaction
b. As a kind of copy of what the British did
c. As an unexpectedly mild response
3. What is President Putin’s assessment of relations between Britain and Russia?

a. He thinks they are very bad.
b. He thinks they are very good.
c. He thinks they will improve in the future.
4. What has been the reaction of British business people to the Russian action?
a. They are afraid that a stricter visa regime will be imposed.
b. They are probably relieved because the measures taken could have been much worse.
c. They are pessimistic about future relations between the two countries.
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1. A three-word expression meaning something you do to harm someone who has harmed you. (para 1)
2. A formal three-word expression meaning someone who is not welcome. (para 1)
3. A four-word expression meaning for as far in the future as can be determined, based on what is known now.
(para 2)
4. A two-word expression meaning an exact copy. (para 3)
5. An adjective meaning extremely strict and severe. (para 5)
6. An idiom meaning to tell someone it is their responsibility to take action or make the next decision. (para 7)
7. An adjective meaning encouraged, happier and more hopeful. (para 8)
8. An adjective meaning very strict. (para 9)
5 Vocabulary 2: Synonyms
Look at the following words from the text. Match the synonyms to make five pairs of words.
charge draconian denounce stringent condemn
order out accuse emphasize expel underline
Which prepositions follow these words from the text? Check your answers in the text.
1. refrain _______ 5. reaction _______
2. investigation _______ 6. expel _______
3. charge _______ 7. ban _______
4. apply _______ 8. conflict _______
7 Discussion
Should a citizen of your country who has committed a crime in another country be extradited to that coun-
try to face trial? What are the arguments for and against extradition?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1. escalate 1. tit-for-tat
2. condemn 2. persona non grata
3. extradite 3. for the foreseeable future
4. flee 4. mirror image
5. unveil 5. draconian
6. pursue 6. to put the ball (back) in(to) someone’s court
7. overcome 7. heartened
8. summon 8. stringent
9. refrain
10. expel
2 What do you know? charge / accuse

draconian / stringent
1. F denounce / condemn
2. T order out / expel
3. F emphasize / underline
4. F
5. T
6. F
1. from
3 Comprehension check 2. into
3. with
1. b 4. to
2. c 5. to
3. c 6. from
4. b 7. on
8. with
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
trial expel unjustified reduce analyst

ban spokesman co-operate agent poison
1. If you ____________ someone from doing something, you say officially that they must not do it.
2. If you ____________ with someone, you work together with them to get a result that is good for everyone.
3. If you ____________ someone, you kill them or make them very ill by giving them a dangerous substance.
4. If you ____________ someone from a place, you tell them officially that they must leave.
5. When you ____________ something, you make it smaller in size or importance.
6. A ____________ is someone whose job is to represent an organization officially, especially when speaking
to journalists.
7. An ____________ is someone who works for a country’s secret service.
8. An ____________ is someone whose job is to examine a situation carefully and give information about it to
other people.
9. A ____________ is the process of examining a criminal case in a court of law.

10. If something is ____________, it is not fair and is not based on any good reason.
1. How many Russian diplomats did Britain expel?
2. How many British diplomats did Russia expel?
3. What is the name of the former Russian security agent murdered in London?
4. What is the name of the former KGB agent charged with the murder?
5. Who is David Miliband?
6. Who is Alexander Grushko?

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NEWS LESSONS / Putin hits back at UK by expelling diplomats / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Putin hits back at UK by expelling decision to expel four British embassy staff is
diplomats completely unjustified and we will do everything
to make sure that the diplomats and their families
Luke Harding in Moscow are well looked after.”
July 20, 2007
5 Last night Mr Vladimir Putin attempted to reduce
the tension. “I think relations between Russia
1 Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian security and Britain will develop normally because both
agent who left Russia and was living in Britain, countries are interested in this,” he said. “It is
died in a London hospital last November. necessary to use common sense and respect
Someone poisoned him using a radioactive the interests of partners and everything will be
substance called polonium-210. The British alright. I think this mini crisis will pass,” he said.
authorities believe that the person who poisoned
Mr Litvinenko is a man called Andrei Lugovoi, a 6 The Russians did not say the British diplomats
former KGB agent. Mr Lugovoi is still in Moscow were spies, although Andrei Lugovoi said that
and the British authorities want the Russians to MI6 was involved in Mr Litvinenko’s murder.
send him to London so he can be put on trial Sergei Markov, an adviser to the Russian
for murder. The Russians have not done this so government, said Mr Putin didn’t want “to play
the British government expelled four Russian the role of the Soviet Union. He doesn’t want to
diplomats from the UK. have a big conflict with the west.” Mr Markov said
some British officials could still travel to Russia
2 Just four days after Britain expelled the four – MPs, for example, and Mr Miliband himself.
Russian diplomats, Russia has expelled four
British diplomats. It has also banned Russian 7 Yesterday afternoon the British ambassador in
officials from travelling to the UK. The Russian Moscow had talks at the Russian foreign ministry.
foreign ministry announced that the four UK He and the Russian deputy foreign minister
diplomats would have to leave Russia within the Alexander Grushko discussed the Litvinenko
next ten days. case. After the meeting the ambassador said:
“He gave me certain messages for the Foreign
3 Mikhail Kamynin, a spokesman for the Russian Office in London. I told him we are disappointed
foreign ministry, also said that Russia would not at Russia’s reaction to our request for Mr Lugovoi
co-operate with the UK in fighting terrorism, and and that we hope that Russia will co-operate.”
would not give visas to British officials. Russian
officials would not ask for visas to visit Britain, 8 Mr Miliband said that Britain had received
he said. This means there will be no contact support from the international community,
between the two governments in the near future. European countries, the EU as a whole and the
Mr Kamynin said that Russia’s action was “the United States. “We will continue to discuss this
minimum necessary”. matter with the international community over the
next few days and weeks.”
4 The Russian response was not as strong as
some people expected. It came just four days 9 British businesses will probably be pleased that
after the British foreign secretary, David Miliband, the Russians only expelled four diplomats. They
announced that he was expelling four Russian were worried that the Russians might make it
diplomats. Analysts said that Mr Putin clearly more difficult for British business people to get
did not want to make the problems with Britain visas to visit Russia. Some people believe that
any worse. The Russian response was a careful yesterday’s action by the Russians might be
mirror image of the British actions. But the British the end of the matter. “There is some hope that
foreign secretary said: “We believe that the both sides will stop now,” Sergei Karaganov, an
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Level 1 Elementary
analyst with the European Studies Institute in
Moscow, told the Guardian. He added: “Russia
did the same as the British did. They couldn’t do
any less. But it was possible for them to do much
more.”

1. The British authorities expelled four Russian diplomats because…
2. The Russian authorities expelled four British diplomats because…
3. British businesses will probably be pleased because…
4. There will be no contact between the two governments in the near future because…
5. President Putin believes…
6. Sergei Karaganov believes…
a. …the British expelled four Russian diplomats.
b. …the mini crisis will soon be over.
c. …British officials will not travel to Moscow and Russian officials will not travel to London.
d. …the Russians did not want to send Mr Lugovoi to London.
e. …there is some hope that both sides will stop now.
f. …they were worried that the Russians would make it more difficult to get visas.
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4 Vocabulary 1: Words and expressions
Match these terms from the text with their definitions.
1. KGB stands for… a. an official who represents their country abroad
2. MI6 stands for… b. the smallest possible amount
3. A mirror image means… c. Military Intelligence Department 6
4. Look after means… d. the most senior person in an embassy
5. An ambassador is… e. the ability to make sensible decisions
6. A diplomat is… f. an exact copy of something
7. Common sense is… g. Committee for State Security
8. The minimum is… h. take care of
Use prepositions to fill the gaps in these phrases from the text.
1. put ______ trial 4. ______ the near future
2. co-operate ______ someone 5. interested ______ this

3. no contact ______ the two governments 6. involved ______ something
Complete the table. The answers are all in the text.
verb noun
1. co-operation
2. reduction
3. involvement
4. govern
5. discussion
6. respond
7. announcement
8. decide
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Words and expressions
1. bam 1. g
2. co-operate 2. c
3. poison 3. f
4. expel 4. h
5. reduce 5. d
6. spokesman 6. a
7. agent 7. e
8. analyst 8. b
9. trial
10. unjustified
1. on
1. Four 2. with
2. Four 3. between
3. Alexander Litvinenko 4. in
4. Andrei Lugovoi 5. in
5. The British foreign secretary 6. in
6. The Russian deputy foreign minister

1. d verb noun
2. a 1. co-operate co-operation
3. f 2. reduce reduction
4. c 3. involve involvement
5. b
4. govern government
6. e
5. discuss discussion
6. respond response
7. announce announcement
8. decide decision
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1 Key words
expel mild unjustified overcome summon

extradition targeted tit-for-tat fatal ban
1. A ____________ action is when you do the same thing to someone else that they have done to you.
2. If something is ____________, it is not fair or based on any good reason.
3. A ____________ is an official statement ordering people not to do something.
4. If an action is ____________, it is aimed at a specific group of people.
5. If something is ____________, it is not strong, severe or extreme.
6. If you ____________ a person from a place, you officially order that person to leave.
7. If you take a ____________ dose of something, it will kill you.
8. If you ____________ a problem or crisis, you succeed in dealing with it.
9. ____________ is the process of sending a criminal back for a trial to the country where the crime
was committed.
10. If you ____________ a person to a place, you officially order them to go there.
1. How many Russian diplomats did Britain expel?
2. How many British diplomats did Russia expel?
3. What is the name of the former Russian security agent murdered in London?
4. What is the name of the former KGB agent charged with the murder?
5. Who is David Miliband?
6. Who is the US secretary of state?

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NEWS LESSONS / Putin hits back at UK by expelling diplomats / Intermediate

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Putin hits back at UK by said. “It is necessary to measure one’s actions
expelling diplomats against common sense, respect the legitimate
interests of partners and everything will be
alright. I think we will overcome this mini crisis,”
July 20, 2007
he said.
5 The Russian response did not accuse the British

1 Just four days after Britain expelled four
of spying. This was despite claims from Andrei
Russian diplomats over the murder of Alexander
Lugovoi, the former KGB agent charged with
Litvinenko, Russia has expelled four British
Mr Litvinenko’s murder, that MI6 was involved.
diplomats and banned Russian officials from
Sergei Markov, a Kremlin adviser and leading
travelling to the UK. Russia’s foreign ministry
analyst said he thought Mr Putin had avoided too
announced that four UK diplomats had been
strong a reaction because “he doesn’t want to
asked to leave the country within the next
play the role of the Soviet Union. He doesn’t want
ten days.
to have a big conflict with the west.” Mr Markov
2 Foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said the ban on British officials travelling to
also announced that the Kremlin would not Russia was not as strict as it seemed and would
co-operate with the UK in fighting terrorism for not apply to Mr Miliband or to British MPs who
the time being, and would stop issuing visas wanted to visit Russia.
to British officials. Russian officials would
6 Yesterday afternoon Russia’s foreign minister
also no longer ask for visas to visit Britain, he
summoned Britain’s ambassador in Moscow,
said. This means there will be no prospect
Sir Anthony Brenton. He and the Russian
of face-to-face government contact for the
deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko
foreseeable future. Mr Kamynin said that
discussed the Litvinenko case. After the
Russia’s action was “targeted, balanced and the
meeting the ambassador said: “He gave me
minimum necessary”.
certain messages to pass on to the Foreign
3 The Russian tit-for-tat response was milder Office. I have underlined to him my continuing
than many people expected. It came just four disappointment at Russia’s reaction to our
days after the British foreign secretary, David request for Mr Lugovoi and our hope that Russia
Miliband, announced that he was expelling will co-operate.”
four Russian diplomats because of Moscow’s
7 The Russian decision to expel the British
failure to co-operate in the investigation into Mr
diplomats means that the British government has
Litvinenko’s death. Analysts said that Mr Putin
to decide its next move. The foreign secretary
had clearly decided not to make the conflict with
said the expulsion of the British diplomats was
Britain any worse. The Russian response was a
“completely unjustified”. He added: “We are
careful mirror image of the British actions. But the
disappointed that the Russian government
foreign secretary emphasized Britain’s concern.
has not indicated any new co-operation in the
He said: “We obviously believe that the decision
extradition of Mr Andrei Lugovoi for the alleged
to expel four embassy staff is completely
murder of Alexander Litvinenko.
unjustified and we will be doing everything to
ensure that the diplomats and their families are 8 “We are, however, encouraged that over the last
properly looked after.” 36 hours across the international community,
European countries, the EU as a whole and
4 Last night Mr Vladimir Putin made an apparent
the United States have made such positive
attempt to reduce the tension. “I think relations
statements about the need to defend the integrity
between Russia and Britain will develop normally
of the British judicial system. This is something
because both countries are interested in this,” he
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that we shall be continuing to discuss with the couldn’t have done less. But they could have
international community over the next few days done much more.”
and weeks.”
10 Mr Litvinenko, a former Russian security agent
9 Yesterday’s expulsions will probably be who fled to Britain, died in a London hospital last
welcomed by British businesses, which had November from a fatal dose of the radioactive
feared that strict restrictions would be placed isotope polonium-210. The US secretary of
on visas. “There is some hope that both sides state, Condoleezza Rice, yesterday insisted that
will stop these tit-for-tat expulsions,” Sergei Russia should not be isolated.
Karaganov, an analyst with the European
Studies Institute in Moscow, told the Guardian. © Guardian News & Media 2007
He added: “Russia has done tit-for-tat. They First published in The Guardian, 20/7/07
1. The British expelled four Russian diplomats because Russia expelled four British diplomats.
2. People expected the Russian response to be much stronger.
3. The British believe that the Russians are not co-operating with the investigation into the murder of Mr Litvinenko.
4. The man accused of Mr Litvinenko’s murder says the KGB were involved.
5. Condoleezza Rice wants Russia to be isolated over this affair.
6. British MPs will not be allowed to travel to Russia.
1. A three-word expression meaning in a situation where you are meeting and talking to another person directly.
(para 2)
2. A four-word expression meaning for as far in the future as can be determined, based on what is known now.
(para 2)
3. A two-word expression meaning an exact copy. (para 3)
4. A verb meaning to say that someone has done something wrong or has committed a crime. (para 5)
5. A verb meaning to say officially that someone has committed a crime. (para 5)
6. A noun meaning the most senior official at an embassy. (para 6)
7. A verb meaning to emphasize something or say that it is important. (para 6)
8. An adjective meaning claimed to be true, even though this has not been proved. (para 7)
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Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to form collocations.
1. issue a. a message
2. reduce b. a statement
3. pass on c. restrictions
4. make d. a crisis
5. place e. a visa
6. overcome f. tension
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. expel
2. extradition
3. announce
4. investigation
5. reduce
6. disappoint
7. restrict
8. emphasis
7 Discussion
Should a citizen of your country who has committed a crime in another country be extradited to that
country to face trial? What are the arguments for and against extradition?
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1. tit-for-tat 1. face-to-face
2. unjustified 2. for the foreseeable future
3. ban 3. mirror image
4. targeted 4. accuse
5. mild 5. charge
6. expel 6. ambassador
7. fatal 7. underline
8. overcome 8. alleged
9. extradition
10. summon

2. f
1. Four 3. a
2. Four 4. b
3. Alexander Litvineko 5. c
4. Andrei Lugovoi 6. d
5. The British foreign secretary
6. Condoleezza Rice
verb noun
1. F 1. expel expulsion
2. T
3. T 2. extradite extradition
4. F 3. announce announcement
5. F
6. F 4. investigate investigation
5. reduce reduction
6. disappoint disappointment
7. restrict restriction
8. emphasize emphasis
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YouTube at centre of 2008 presidential campaign
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
grill clip hail quirky disseminate

spoof tilt free-for-all unsettles breakthrough
1. A ____________ is an attempt to achieve something.
2. A ____________ is an uncontrolled situation in which people compete with each other and where there are
no rules.
3. A ____________ is a discovery or achievement that comes after a lot of hard work.
4. A ____________ is a very short part of a film, TV programme or news story.
5. If you ____________ someone, you ask them a lot of difficult questions.
6. If you ____________ information, you make it available to a lot of people.
7. If people ____________ something, they say publicly how good or important it is.
8. If something ____________ you, it makes you feel nervous, confused or anxious.
9. A ____________ is a piece of entertainment that copies something in a funny way and makes it seem silly
or pretentious.
10. If something is ____________, it is slightly strange or unusual.
2 What do you know?
Decide whether you think these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then check your answers in the text.
1. YouTube did not exist during the last US presidential campaign in 2004.
2. The next presidential elections in the US will take place in 2008.
3. Hillary Clinton is one of the Republican candidates for the 2008 US presidential election.
4. More than 25 million people have watched a YouTube video about Democratic presidential candidate
Barack Obama.
5. YouTube is teaming up with CNN to broadcast a debate between the Democratic candidates.
6. John F Kennedy appeared in a televised debate in 1980.
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Level 3 Advanced
Debate brings YouTube to centre of surroundings, and that person is bringing you
2008 presidential campaign into their world, their reality. That makes it a very
powerful experience.”
Ewen MacAskill in Charleston
July 23, 2007 6 Some of the videos do not ask questions at all: in
one, a man plays guitar and sings a song about
potential vice-presidents; another includes a talking
1 Old media enter into an uneasy alliance with new duck; one man, making a point about the impact of
media tonight to grill the Democratic candidates in
petrol on the environment, is shown driving a 1987
the United States’ 2008 presidential race. CNN and
Chevy convertible.
YouTube, the video-sharing website, are holding a joint
debate in which the public have sent in video-recorded 7 Phil Noble, founder of PoliticsOnline, told Reuters
questions for Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and the YouTube’s increasing coverage of politics was
other candidates. significant. “In the past, the campaigns sort of stuck
their toe into technology and innovation – it was a
2 Hours before last night’s deadline, more than 2,300 small detail of what was going on. The difference
videos recorded on webcameras and mobile phones
in this election is that technology has become
had been submitted. Among them is a 30-second clip
fundamental. Every campaign has figured out ways to
from a cancer survivor who removes her wig and says
use YouTube all the time.”
her chances of survival are not as good as they would
have been if she had had health insurance. “What 8 The Internet played a small but short-lived role in
would you, as president, do to make low-cost or free the 2004 presidential election, with online donations
preventative medicine available for everyone in this funding the sudden rise of the Democrat Howard
country?” she asks. Dean. Online Democratic bloggers played a bigger
part in last year’s Congressional elections. But
3 The event is being hailed by the organizers as a the Internet is shifting into a central position in this
breakthrough for the new media, comparable to the
campaign in terms of disseminating ideas, fundraising
impact of television on politics when Richard Nixon
and mobilizing support, particularly among the young.
debated with John Kennedy in 1960. But some
bloggers, who see the Internet as a democratic 9 YouTube, which did not exist during the last
free-for-all, have expressed unhappiness about the presidential campaign, has already had an impact on
involvement of CNN. The candidates will meet in a this one. More than 2.5 million people have viewed
military college in Charleston, South Carolina and the video I’ve Got A Crush ... On Obama since it
watch the questions being displayed on a 7.6 metre was posted last month and a follow-up about women
by 5.5 metre screen. Allowing CNN to select the 25-30 fighting over Mr Obama and Rudy Giuliani, the
questions has upset many bloggers. Republican frontrunner, has been watched more than
500,000 times since it appeared last week. A Hillary
4 Questions submitted so far cover climate change, Clinton campaign spoof on the final episode of the
immigration, gay rights, welfare and foreign policy. The
Sopranos was also popular.
ratio of questions about Iraq is low in comparison with
the extensive daily coverage it gets in US papers and 10 YouTube effectively knocked the former Republican
on television. Although CNN is filtering the questions, senator George Allen out of the race. A video of him
there is the potential for quirky or emotional questions last summer referring to a dark-skinned Virginian as
that might unsettle a candidate. “macaca” cost him re-election to the senate and a tilt
at the presidency. CNN and YouTube are to join forces
5 Steve Grove, head of YouTube’s news and politics again on September 17 for a Republican debate.
section, told the Washington Post: “These YouTube
questions – a lot of them, anyway – are intimate,
emotional, personal. That person is in his/her own
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Level 3 Advanced
1. How does the Internet’s role in the current presidential campaign differ from its role in the last campaign?
a. It is collecting online donations for the candidates.
b. It is playing a much more central role this time.
c. It is being used to spread information.
2. How did YouTube knock George Allen out of the presidential race?
a. It refused to show his promotional video.
b. It showed a video of his opponents criticizing him.
c. It showed a video of him making a racist comment.
3. How do the organizers describe the joint CNN/YouTube debate?

a. They say it is an important milestone in the history of the Internet.
b. They say it is the most important event since the debate between Nixon and Kennedy.
c. They say it will be the most successful debate ever broadcast.
4. Why are some bloggers unhappy?

a. Because the questions will be edited.
b. Because the Internet is a democratic free-for-all.
c. Because they don’t like the fact that CNN is involved.
1. An adjective meaning not settled or calm. (para 1)

2. An adjective meaning similar to another thing so that it is reasonable to compare them. (para 3)
3. A noun meaning the amount of attention that the media give to something. (para 4)
4. A verb meaning to check something and remove things you don’t want. (para 4)
5. A four-word expression meaning to try doing something in order to test whether it will be successful. (para 7)
6. A two-word verb meaning to be able to understand something or solve a problem. (para 7)
7. A two-word adjective meaning lasting for a short period of time. (para 8)
8. A verb meaning to encourage people to support an idea or plan. (para 8)

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Level 3 Advanced
Match the verbs on the left with the nouns on the right.
1. enter into a. funds

2. hold b. a role
3. submit c. ideas
4. play d. a debate
5. disseminate e. an impact
6. raise f. support
7. mobilize g. an alliance
8. have h. a question
Complete the table.
verb noun noun (person)

1. survive
2. migrate
3. preside
4. elect
5. campaign
6. donate
7. insure
8. organize
7 Discussion
If you had the opportunity, what questions would you ask your political leaders? What would you like them
to change in your country?
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KEY
1. tilt 1. uneasy
2. free-for-all 2. comparable
3. breakthrough 3. coverage
4. clip 4. filter
5. grill 5. stick one’s toe into
6. disseminate 6. figure out
7. hail 7. short-lived
8. unsettles 8. mobilize
9. spoof
10. quirky
2 What do you know? 1. g

2. d
1. T 3. h
2. T 4. b
3. F 5. c
4. F 6. a
5. T 7. f
6. F 8. e
1. b
2. c verb noun noun (person)
3. a 1. survive survival survivor
4. c 2. migrate migration migrant
immigration immigrant
3. preside presidency president
4. elect election elector
5. campaign campaign campaigner
6. donate donation donor
7. insure insurance insurer
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
debate campaign election candidate frontrunner

emotional powerful welfare survive environment
1. An ____________ is a time when people vote for someone to represent them, especially in a government.
2. The ____________ is the natural world, including the land, water, air, plants and animals.
3. In the United States, ____________ is money given to people who don’t have a job.
4. If you ____________ an illness or an accident, you continue to live after it.
5. A ____________ is a formal discussion where people answer questions.
6. A ____________ is one of the people who is trying to win an election.
7. A ____________ is a lot of different things that politicians do to try to win an election.
8. The ____________ is the person who is the favourite to win an election.
9. ____________ things are related to people’s feelings.
10. If an experience is ____________, it has a strong effect on people.
1. How many video questions have people sent in?
2. When did Richard Nixon and John Kennedy first debate on television?
3. How many questions has CNN chosen for the debate?
4. When is the next US presidential election?
5. How many people have watched the video about Barack Obama?
6. How many people have watched the video about Mr Obama and Mr Giuliani?
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Level 1 Elementary
Debate brings YouTube to centre of 5 Steve Grove, head of YouTube’s news and politics
2008 presidential campaign section, said: “A lot of these YouTube questions are
emotional and personal. The person asking each
question is in his/her own surroundings, and that
July 23, 2007
person brings you into their world and into their
reality. That makes it a very powerful experience.”
1 Television, in the form of CNN, and the Internet,
in the form of the video-sharing website YouTube,
6 Some of the videos do not ask questions at all: in
are joining together to show a debate between the
one, a man plays guitar and sings a song about
Democratic candidates in the United States’ 2008
possible vice-presidents; another includes a talking
presidential campaign. Members of the public have
duck; one man, talking about what petrol can do to
sent in video-recorded questions for Hillary Clinton,
the environment, drives a 1987 Chevy in his video.
Barack Obama and the other candidates.
7 Phil Noble, founder of PoliticsOnline, said that

2 People have sent in more than 2,300 videos which it was very interesting that YouTube was now
they have recorded on webcameras and mobile
showing more and more videos connected with
phones. One of them is a short 30-second video
politics. “In the past, there wasn’t much technology
from someone with cancer who takes off her
in presidential campaigns. The difference in this
wig and says she would have a better chance of
election is that technology has become a key part of
surviving the disease if she had health insurance. “If
the campaigns. Each candidate’s campaign is now
you were president, what would you do to provide
using YouTube all the time.”
cheap or free medical treatment for everyone in this
country?” she asks.
8 The Internet played a small part in the 2004
presidential election, when people gave money
3 The organizers say the event is an important step online to the campaign of the Democrat Howard
for the Internet, in the same way that the televised
Dean. Online Democratic bloggers played a bigger
debate between John Kennedy and Richard
part in last year’s Congressional elections. But
Nixon in 1960 was an important day in the history
the Internet is now moving into a central position
of television. But some bloggers, who want the
in this campaign by broadcasting ideas, raising
Internet to be democratic and free for everyone
money and trying to win support, particularly from
to use, have said that they are not happy that
young people.
CNN is part of this event. The fact that CNN has
chosen the 25-30 questions has also made a lot of
9 YouTube did not exist during the last presidential
bloggers angry.
campaign in 2004 but this time it has already had
an influence. More than 2.5 million people have
4 The candidates will meet in a military college in watched a video about Barack Obama since it was
Charleston, South Carolina and watch the questions
posted on YouTube last month . More than 500,000
on a large screen, 7.6 metres wide and 5.5 metres
people have watched a second video showing
high. So far people have sent in questions about
women fighting over Mr Obama and Rudy Giuliani,
climate change, immigration, gay rights, welfare
the Republican frontrunner, since it appeared on
and foreign policy. US newspapers and television
the Internet last week. CNN and YouTube will
cover Iraq all the time but people have only sent
work together again on September 17 when they
in a few questions on this topic. CNN is checking
broadcast a Republican debate.
the questions carefully but there might still be
some difficult and uncomfortable questions for
the candidates.
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Level 1 Elementary
1. The Democratic debate is important because…
2. Some bloggers are unhappy because…
3. A lot of bloggers are also angry because…
4. Steve Grove thinks it is a powerful experience because…
5. This presidential election is different because…
6. More than 2.5 million people…
a. … technology is a key part of the campaign.
b. … CNN has chosen the questions for the debate.
c. … have watched a YouTube video about Barack Obama.
d. … it is the first time that television and the Internet have worked together to show a political debate.
e. … many of the questions are emotional and personal.
f. … CNN is part of the event.
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make expressions
from the text.
1. presidential a. president
2. climate b. insurance
3. mobile c. treatment
4. medical d. phone
5. foreign e. camera
6. health f. election
7. vice g. policy
8. web h. change
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Level 1 Elementary
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. treat
2. insure
3. connect
4. elect
5. organize (person)
6. surround (plural)
7. broadcast
8. fight
Put these words from the text into two groups depending on their word stress.
debate campaign question mobile disease event

angry college welfare guitar support second
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KEY
1 Key words 5 Vocabulary 2: Word building
1. election
verb noun
2. environment
1. treat treatment
3. welfare
4. survive 2. insure insurance
5. debate 3. connect connection
6. candidate 4. elect election
7. campaign 5. organize (person) organizer
8. frontrunner
6. surround (plural) surroundings
9. emotional
10. powerful 7. broadcast broadcast
8. fight fight
1. 2,300
2. 1960
3. 25–30 A 0 o B o 0
4. 2008 question debate
5. More than 2.5 million mobile campaign
6. More than 500,000 angry disease
college event
3 Comprehension check welfare guitar
second support
1. d
2. f
3. b
4. e
5. a
6. c
1. f
2. h
3. d
4. c
5. g
6. b
7. a
8. e
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1 Key words
clip quirky free-for-all unsettles breakthrough

debate submit preventative impact coverage
1. If something ____________ you, it makes you feel nervous, confused or anxious.
2. ____________ is the amount of attention that the media gives to a particular subject.
3. ____________ medicine is treatment intended to stop an illness or a disease before it starts.
4. A ____________ is a formal discussion in which people give their opinions about a subject.
5. If something is ____________, it is slightly strange or unusual.
6. A ____________ is a discovery or achievement that comes after a lot of hard work.
7. A ____________ is a very short part of a film, TV programme or news story.
8. If you ____________ a question or a proposal, you formally give it to someone so that they can
make a decision about it.
9. An ____________ is the effect or influence that something or someone has.
10. A ____________ is an uncontrolled situation in which people compete with each other and
where there are no rules.
1. How many video questions have been submitted to the debate?
2. When did Richard Nixon and John Kennedy first debate on television?
3. How many questions has CNN selected for the debate?
4. When is the next US presidential election?
5. How many people have watched the video about Barack Obama?
6. When will the Republican debate take place on CNN/YouTube?

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Debate brings YouTube to centre of – are intimate, emotional and personal. The
2008 presidential campaign person asking each question is in his/her own
surroundings, and that person is bringing you
into their world, their reality. That makes it a very
July 23, 2007
powerful experience.”
1 Old media, in the form of CNN, and new media, 6 Some of the videos do not ask questions at all: in
in the form of the video-sharing website YouTube, one, a man plays guitar and sings a song about
are joining together to broadcast a debate potential vice-presidents; another includes a
between the Democratic candidates in the United talking duck; one man, making a point about the
States’ 2008 presidential contest. Members of impact of petrol on the environment, is shown
the public have sent in video-recorded questions driving a 1987 Chevy convertible.
for Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and the other
candidates. 7 Phil Noble, founder of PoliticsOnline, told
Reuters that YouTube’s increasing coverage of
2 More than 2,300 videos recorded on politics was significant. “In the past, presidential
webcameras and mobile phones have been campaigns only experimented a little with
submitted. Among them is a 30-second clip from technology and innovation – it was a small
a cancer survivor who removes her wig and says detail of what was going on. The difference in
her chances of survival are not as good as they this election is that technology has become
would be if she had health insurance. “What fundamental. Each candidate’s campaign has
would you, as president, do to make low-cost or worked out ways to use YouTube all the time.”
free preventative medicine available for everyone
in this country?” she asks. 8 The Internet played a small but short-lived role
in the 2004 presidential election, when people
3 The organizers say the event is a breakthrough donated money online to the campaign of the
for the new media, similar to the impact of Democrat Howard Dean. Online Democratic
television on politics when Richard Nixon bloggers played a bigger part in last year’s
debated with John Kennedy in 1960. But some Congressional elections. But the Internet is now
bloggers, who see the Internet as a democratic moving into a central position in this campaign by
free-for-all, have said that they are not happy that spreading ideas, raising money and mobilizing
CNN is involved. The candidates will meet in a support, particularly among the young.
military college in Charleston, South Carolina and
watch the questions on a 7.6 metre by 5.5 metre 9 YouTube, which did not exist during the last
screen. The fact that CNN has selected the 25- presidential campaign, has already had an
30 questions has made a lot of bloggers angry. impact on this campaign. More than 2.5 million
people have watched the video I’ve Got A Crush
4 Questions submitted so far cover climate change, ... On Obama since it was posted last month.
immigration, gay rights, welfare and foreign A follow-up video showing women fighting over
policy. The number of questions about Iraq is Mr Obama and Rudy Giuliani, the Republican
very small in comparison with the extensive daily frontrunner, has been watched more than
coverage it gets in US papers and on television. 500,000 times since it appeared last week. CNN
Although CNN is checking the questions, quirky and YouTube will join forces again on September
or emotional questions that might unsettle the 17 for a Republican debate.
candidates might still get through.
5 Steve Grove, head of YouTube’s news and First published in The Guardian, 23/7/07
politics section, told the Washington Post: “These
YouTube questions – a lot of them, anyway
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1. This is the first time that television and the Internet have joined forces to broadcast a presidential campaign
debate of this kind.
2. All of the videos submitted to the debate ask questions.
3. The Internet is taking a central position in this presidential campaign.
4. Some bloggers are unhappy that CNN is involved.

5. The Internet was not used at all during the last presidential campaign in 2004.
6. YouTube was founded in 2003.
1. A noun meaning the process in which people enter a country to live there. (para 4)
2. A noun meaning (in American English) money given to unemployed people and other people in need. (para 4)
3. An adjective meaning very large in amount or degree. (para 4)
4. An adjective meaning relating to very personal and private things. (para 5)
5. An adjective meaning possible or likely in the future. (para 6)
6. An adjective meaning absolutely essential. (para 7)
7. A two-word adjective meaning lasting for a short period of time. (para 8)

8. A noun meaning a feeling of love and admiration for someone. (para 9)
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1. issue a. a message
2. reduce b. a statement
3. pass on c. restrictions
4. make d. a crisis
5. place e. a visa
6. overcome f. tension
Complete the table.
noun adjective
1. person
2. power
3. emotion
4. democrat
5. environment
6. president
7. centre
8. republic

7 Discussion
What would you like your politicians to change in your country? If you could send in questions to a
political debate, what questions would you submit and why?
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1. unsettles 1. immigration
2. coverage 2. welfare
3. preventative 3. extensive
4. debate 4. intimate
5. quirky 5. potential
6. breakthrough 6. fundamental
7. clip 7. short-lived
8. submit 8. crush
9. impact
10. free-for-all
1. e
1. 2,300 2. f
2. 1960 3. a
3. 25–30 4. b
4. 2008 5. c
5. More than 2.5 million 6. d
6. September 17

1. T
noun adjective
2. F
1. person personal
3. T
4. T 2. power powerful
5. F 3. emotion emotional
6. F 4. democrat democratic
5. environment environmental
6. president presidential
7. centre central
8. republic republican
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Going under
Level 3 Advanced
1 Pre-reading A: Predicting the content
Read the headline and the sub-heading. What do you think the article is going to be about?
Going under
Britain is world-renowned for its depressingly damp climate. We are used
to suffering week upon week of rain. So why have a few heavy showers
caused such devastation around the country this summer?
Aida Edemariam reports
July 24, 2007
2 Pre-reading B: Key words
trapped run-off drainage sewers flush

ploughs absorb crop paving freak
1. ____________ removing liquids from something
2. ____________ covering the ground with tiles, stones, concrete, etc.
3. ____________ digs up the land in lines, using machines
4. ____________ excess water that cannot sink onto the ground

5. ____________ kept in one place and stopped from moving away
6. ____________ a system of pipes underground to carry waste water away
7. ____________ take in liquid a little at a time
8. ____________ very unusual
9. ____________ plants grown for food
10. ____________ to wash away
Now read the article, check the words in context, and see if your prediction was correct.
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Going under
Level 3 Advanced
Going under 4 In fact, the answer lies partly in how quickly it all
happened. Brize Norton in Oxfordshire received
Britain is world-renowned for its depressingly
121.2mm of rain between midnight Thursday and 5pm
damp climate. We are used to suffering week
Friday – a sixth of what it would expect for the whole
upon week of rain. So why have a few heavy
year. South Yorkshire got a month’s worth of rain on
showers caused such devastation around the
June 25. And it has been raining for weeks now, “and
country this summer?
the ground is very wet, so immediately you get rainfall,
you get runoff”, explains professor Adrian Saul, of
July 24, 2007
Sheffield University.
1 Anyone attempting to take a train to or from the It isn’t just a case of the ground not being able to
5
southwest of England this weekend could be forgiven
absorb so much so fast – drainage systems can’t
for wondering if they had accidentally strayed on to
either, and have simply been overwhelmed. “When
the set of a disaster movie. Trains appeared on boards
you design a system you have to take a level of risk,
and then simply vanished. Announcers on the London
and generally the level of risk is sufficient to protect
Underground announced lists of lines progressively
our communities,” says Saul. “But once that level has
going out of service. As for those who had to watch
been passed, the defences are overwhelmed. It’s
their homes and businesses surrender to the rising
very fortunate that the Victorians built the systems as
tide, among them there was a general sense of
big as they did. In London in particular, [they] had the
disbelief. Disbelief that a downpour so short should
foresight to see that there would be change, and it’s
wreak such havoc, disbelief that such scenes should
protected London ever since.” Which is, of course,
be occurring at all.
impressive, and true, but it is also true that they were
built when London’s population was a quarter of what it
2 The disbelief is justified. This, after all, is a country is now – and last Friday, they simply didn’t hold up.
famed for its wetness. Rain is our national weather.
Snow – well, we all know what happens when Britain is
6 “Our sewers are not designed to deal with that
dusted with a few millimetres of snow. Excessive heat,
capacity of water flowing through them,” says Nicola
like last summer’s, causes difficulties, too – but rain?
Savage, a spokeswoman for Thames Water. They are
Given our extensive experience, surely we should lead
also not designed for the way we currently treat them.
the world in rain management.
We each, personally, use far more water than ever
before. There is also “a tendency for the public to use
3 Alas, it seems not. Thousands had to be evacuated the sewers as a litter bin,” Savage adds. “People flush
over the weekend, thousands more are trapped
nappies down toilets, sanitary products, and tights.
in their homes. That’s thousands to add to those
In particular, we need to encourage people not to be
still unable to go home after floods in the north of
pouring stuff down the sink – for example, fat, oil and
England last month, which killed eight people – and
grease. The sewers were never designed to cope with
countless millions to add to a national insurance bill
this sort of material.”
eventually expected to top £2.5 billion. Evesham,
in Worcestershire, the worst-hit town this weekend,
7 Thames Water says that it is spending £323 million
experienced floods of up to five metres. And it
improving its sewers, but until recently, Ofwat [the
isn’t over yet: at the time of going to press there
economic regulator for the water and sewerage
were warnings that flood waters weren’t expected
industry in England and Wales] has been reluctant
to peak until tonight, and Oxford and Bedford and
to allow very much investment by water companies,
Gloucestershire were preparing themselves to be the
because they wanted to keep water bills down.
next major areas hit. All are entitled to ask how such
relatively short bursts of rain – just one hour in London,
8 Saul is also involved in a £5.6 million project called
somewhat longer in places such as Oxfordshire
the Flood Risk Management Research Consortium,
– could have such devastating results.
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Going under
Level 3 Advanced
which is investigating how farmers can control the essence, anything that runs off the house should be
flow of water off land. Farmers can decrease runoff stored locally,” says Saul. Instead of going straight
if they plough across hills, rather than down them, into the sewerage system, rainwater can be collected
and strategically placed trees can help retain water. – in storage tanks under driveways, for example – and
And the more animals there are on a piece of land, used to flush toilets or run washing machines. Small
the more they pack the ground down, and the less it trenches called soakaways can be dug in gardens and
can absorb water. This leads to crop damage, which filled with stones, to trap the water and release it into
will soon be evident in our shops. And if intensively the ground a bit more slowly. Every little helps.
farmed animals get no drinking water for 48 hours,
thousands will die, which will also affect the price 10 For although what Britain has experienced over the
of food. past month is, as experts explain, a series of freak
weather events, our changing climate means that
9 The consortium is also investigating how individuals there may soon be more of them, more frequently.
can help reduce a problem that, in fact, they have Today Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire are having
helped create: by extending their houses, paving to get out the sandbags and evacuate the citizens.
driveways, building car parks – all decreasing the Tomorrow, next month, next year – who knows?
amount of soft ground to absorb water, and increasing
the amount of runoff into drains and rivers. “In
Re-read the text more carefully, and decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).
1. The flooding in Britain this summer is no worse than usual.

2. Insurance costs will be very high.
3. One reason for the floods was that a huge amount of rain fell in a very short time.
4. Victorian engineers fully anticipated the extent of population growth.
5. The public have been putting the wrong kind of material down the toilet.
6. Farmers could help prevent flooding if they ploughed their land up and down hill.
7. The price of food is likely to rise.
8. The more we build, the more likely we are to see floods in the future.
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Going under
Level 3 Advanced
Find words in the text that mean the following. Paragraph numbers are given to help you.
1. famous everywhere (sub-heading)

2. enormous destruction (sub-heading)
3. wandered by accident (para 1)
4. sudden period of heavy rainfall (para 1)
5. cause so much damage (para 1)
6. covered with very small quantities (para 2)
7. when this article was printed (para 3)
8. completely defeated (para 5)
9. ability to think ahead and anticipate future problems (para 5)
10. carefully and thoughtfully (para 8)
5 Vocabulary development 2: Expressions of quantity
The expressions of quantity on the left have all been taken from the text. See if you can match them with
the nouns they modified on the right.
1. week upon week of a. lines

2. lists of b. rain
3. up to c. what it is now
4. a sixth of d. soft ground
5. a month’s worth of e. freak weather events
6. a quarter of f. water
7. that capacity of g. five meters
8. the amount of h. what it would expect
9. a bit more i. rain
10. a series of j. slowly
Now scan the text to see how many you got right.
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Going under
Level 3 Advanced
6 Skills development: Referring expressions
What do each of these words refer to? Paragraph numbers are given to help you.
no. para word context refers to...

1. 1 those As for those who had to watch...
2. 1 them ... among them there was...
3. 3 thousands Thousands had to be evacuated...
4. 3 millions ... countless millions to add...
5. 3 all All are entitled to ask...
6. 5 they ... as big as they did...
7. 5 they ... they were built...
8. 8 thousands ... thousands will die...
7 Recognizing irony
The writer of this article, Aida Edemariam, sometimes uses irony for dramatic effect.
1. Find 5 examples of irony in the subheading and the first 2 paragraphs.
2. Why do you think the use of irony is concentrated only at the beginning of the article?
8 Discussion
1. Has your country experienced unusual amounts of flooding recently?

2. Has it experienced other changes in the weather?
3. Do you think such changes are probably due to global warming?
4. What measures is your government taking to help prevent global warming?
5. What measures do you think it should take?
6. What measures do you think individuals in your country should take?
7. In what ways have you changed your own behaviour to help reduce the risks?
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Going under
Level 3 Advanced
KEY
2 Pre-reading B: Key words 5 Vocabulary development 2: Expressions
of quantity
1. drainage
2. paving 1. b
3. ploughs 2. a
4. runoff 3. g
5. trapped 4. h
6. sewers 5. i
7. absorb 6. c
8. freak 7. f
9. crop 8. d
10. flush 9. j
10. e
6 Skills development:
1. False. It is much worse than usual. Referring expressions
2. True
3. True
no. word refers to...
4. False. They anticipated a lot of growth,
but not enough. 1. those people (whose houses had
5. True been flooded)
6. False. They could help if they ploughed 2. them as above
their land across the hill. 3. thousands thousands of people
7. True 4. millions millions of pounds
8. True
5. all everyone in the UK
6. they the Victorians (who built
4 Vocabulary development 1 the sewers)
7. they the sewers
1. world-renowned
8. thousands thousands of animals
2. devastation
3. strayed
4. downpour 7 Recognizing irony
5. wreak such havoc
6. dusted 1. Britain is world-renowned for its depressingly
7. at the time of going to press damp climate.
8. overwhelmed This, after all, is a country famed for its wetness.
9. foresight Rain is our national weather.
10. strategically Snow – well, we all know what happens when Britain
is dusted with a few millimetres of snow.
Given our extensive experience, surely we should
lead the world in rain management.
2. Because after that, the content is too serious for irony.

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Going under
Level 1 Elementary
Read the headline and the sub-heading below. What do you think the article is going to be about?
• Umbrellas breaking in the rain?

• Rainwater filling houses and streets?
• Tourists staying away because of the rain?
Going under
Everyone knows that it often rains in Britain. We often have week upon
week of rain. So why have a few heavy showers caused so much damage
here this summer?
July 24, 2007
Match these keywords from the text with the meanings below.
disaster floods results run-off

drainage sewers ploughs absorb
2. ____________ water from rivers filling the land
3. ____________ a very bad accident or serious damage
5. ____________ things that happen because something else happened
7. ____________ too much water that cannot go down into the ground
Now read the article, check the words in context, and see if your answer to Question 1 was correct.
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Going under
Level 1 Elementary
Going under lucky that the Victorians built the systems as big as
Everyone knows that it often rains in Britain. We they did. Especially in London, they thought the city
often have week upon week of rain. So why have would get bigger, and that has protected London
a few heavy showers caused so much damage until now.” But London’s population is now four
here this summer? times as big – and last Friday, the sewers couldn’t
handle so much water.
July 24, 2007 6 “Our sewers are not designed to have so much
water flowing through them,” says Nicola Savage,
1 People trying to take a train to or from the a spokeswoman for Thames Water. And they are
southwest of England this weekend could think not designed for the way we use them nowadays.
they had accidentally walked into a disaster movie. “We each, personally, use much more water than
Some trains never arrived, and the people who ever before. Also, the public often use the sewers
had to watch their homes and businesses go under as a rubbish bin,” Savage adds. “People put things
water couldn’t believe that such a short rainstorm like babies’ nappies down the toilet. And also, we
could cause so much damage. need to encourage people not to pour fat and oil
down the sink. The sewers were never designed to
2 I can understand their surprise, because this handle this kind of thing.”
country is famous for its wetness. Rain is our
national weather. Snow can cause us problems, 7 Saul is also investigating how farmers can control
yes, and very hot weather, like last summer, the flow of water off land. If Farmers plough across
causes difficulties, too – but rain? With our wide hills, not down them, there will be less runoff. And
experience, surely we should lead the world in rain carefully placed trees can help stop flooding. Also,
management. the more animals walk over a piece of land, the
harder the ground becomes, and the less water it
3 Unfortunately not. Thousands of people had can absorb. Then, plants can’t grow well, and there
to leave their homes over the weekend, and
won’t be enough food. And if farm animals get no
thousands more are still trapped inside their
drinking water for 48 hours, thousands will die, and
houses. Some towns in the south had floods of up
meat will cost more.
to five metres. In the north of England, some people
still can’t go home after last month’s floods, which 8 Scientists are also investigating how each of us can
killed 8 people. Everyone is asking how such short help reduce a problem that, in fact, we have helped
rainstorms – just one hour in London, slightly longer create: by extending our houses, paving driveways,
in other places – could have such terrible results. and building car parks. All this takes away soft
ground that could absorb water, and adds to the
4 In fact, the answer is partly because it all happened runoff into drains and rivers. And we should collect
so quickly. Brize Norton in Oxfordshire had
any water that runs off the house instead of letting it
121.2mm of rain between midnight Thursday and
go into the sewerage system. We can use rainwater
5pm Friday – a sixth of what it would expect for the
to flush toilets or run washing machines. Every little
whole year. South Yorkshire got a month’s worth of
helps.
rain on June 25. It has been raining for weeks now,
“and the ground is very wet, so immediately you get 9 For although this month’s weather in Britain has
rainfall, you get runoff”, explains professor Adrian been very unusual, that may happen more, and
Saul, of Sheffield University. more often, as our climate changes. Today people
in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire are having to
5 It isn’t just that the ground cannot absorb so much leave their houses. Tomorrow, next month, next
so fast – drainage systems get too full, too. “When
year – who knows?
you design a system you have to plan for possible
dangers, and generally the plans are good enough
to protect our communities,” says Saul. “It’s very
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Going under
Level 1 Elementary
First, read the text quickly to find the words and numbers in the box below. Underline them in the text.
five metres eight people 121.2mm 5pm Friday June 25
Adrian Saul the Victorians four times Nicola Savage 48 hours
Now, read the text again, and use the information from the box to complete the sentences below.
1. _____________ built the sewers in London.

2. The rain stopped in Oxfordshire at _____________.
3. _____________ were killed in floods last month in the north of England.
4. _____________ is a professor at Sheffield University.
5. Farm animals may die if they can’t drink water for _____________.
6. _____________ of rain fell in five hours in Brize Norton.
7. _____________ gave some information from Thames Water.
8. In South Yorkshire, on _____________, it rained as much in one day as it usually rains in a month.
9. Flood water was _____________ deep in some towns in the south.
10. There are _____________ as many people living in London now as when the London sewers were built.
1. ____________ – kept somewhere, like a prisoner (para 3)
2. ____________ – to think and plan how to build something (para 5)
3. ____________ – succeed in working with (para 5)
4. ____________ – special pieces of soft material for babies to wear because they can’t use the toilet (para 6)
5. ____________ – covering (the ground) with hard material like concrete or bricks (para 8)
6. ____________ – to wash away with a lot of water (para 8)

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Going under
Level 1 Elementary
5 Language development: Prepositions
Choose prepositions from the box to go with the words below.
on like for over in
1. ______ the weekend

2. ______ the south
3. ______ June 25
4. raining ______ weeks
5. plan ______ possible dangers
6. Especially ______ London
7. designed ______
8. things ______ babies’ nappies
6 Pronunciation: Syllable stress
The 3-syllable words in the box all come from the article.
disaster businesses management terrible

professor possible protected nowadays encourage
carefully scientists extending rainwater unusual
Which syllable is stressed? Put them in the right column. The first 2 are done for you.
0 o o o 0 o
businesses disaster
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Going under
Level 1 Elementary
KEY
2 Pre-reading B: Key words 5 Language development: Prepostions
1. drainage 1. over the weekend

2. floods 2. in the south
3. disaster 3. on June 25
4. sewers 4. raining for weeks
5. results 5. plan for possible dangers
6. absorb 6. Especially in London
7. run-off 7. designed for
8. ploughs 8. things like babies’ nappies
3 Scanning for information 6. Pronunciation: Syllable stress
1. the Victorians
2. 5pm Friday 0 o o o 0 o
3. eight people businesses disaster
4. Adrian Saul
5. 48 hours management professor
6. 121.2mm terrible protected
7. Nicola Savage possible encourage
8. June 25 nowadays extending
9. five metres carefully unusual
10. four times scientists
rainwater
1. trapped
2. design
3. handle
4. nappies
5. paving
6. flush
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Going under
Read the headline and the sub-heading below. What do you think the article is going to be about?
Going under
Britain is well-known for its very wet climate. We are used to suffering
week upon week of rain. So why have a few heavy showers caused such
devastation around the country this summer?
July 24, 2007
devastation a downpour evacuated run-off drainage

sewers ploughs absorb crops sandbags
1. ____________ a very heavy shower of rain

4. ____________ very serious damage
5. ____________ excess water that cannot sink into the ground
6. ____________ made to move away (from a dangerous place)
7. ____________ strong bags filled with sand, used to keep water out
10. ____________ plants grown for food
Now read the article, check the words in context, and see if your prediction was correct.
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Going under
Going under 5pm Friday – a sixth of what it would expect for the
Britain is well-known for its very wet climate. We whole year. South Yorkshire got a month’s worth of
are used to suffering week upon week of rain. rain on June 25. And it has been raining for weeks
So why have a few heavy showers caused such now, “and the ground is very wet, so immediately
devastation around the country this summer? you get rainfall, you get run-off”, explains professor
Adrian Saul, of Sheffield University.
July 24, 2007
5 It isn’t just that the ground cannot absorb so much
so fast – drainage systems can’t either. “When
1 Anyone trying to take a train to or from the you design a system you have to plan for possible
southwest of England this weekend might think
dangers, and generally the plans are enough to
they had accidentally walked into a disaster movie.
protect our communities,” says Saul. “It’s very lucky
Trains were announced, but never arrived, as more
that the Victorians built the systems as big as they
and more lines went out of service. And the people
did. Especially in London, they imagined that there
who had to watch their homes and businesses
would be change, and that has protected London
flooded, couldn’t believe that a downpour so short
ever since.” But they were built when London’s
should cause such damage, or that such scenes
population was a quarter of what it is now – and last
should be occurring at all.
Friday, they simply didn’t hold up.
2 Their disbelief is justified. This, after all, is a country 6 “Our sewers are not designed to deal with so much
famed for its wetness. Rain is our national weather.
water flowing through them,” says Nicola Savage,
Snow – well, we all know what happens when
a spokeswoman for Thames Water. And they are
Britain gets a few millimetres of snow. Excessive
not designed for the way we treat them nowadays.
heat, like last summer’s, causes difficulties, too
We each, personally, use far more water than ever
– but rain? Given our wide experience, surely we
before. The public also tend to “use the sewers as
should lead the world in rain management.
a rubbish bin,” Savage adds. “People put nappies
down toilets, sanitary products, tights. In particular,
3 Alas, it seems not. Thousands of people had to we need to encourage people not to be pouring
be evacuated over the weekend, thousands more
stuff down the sink – for example, fat, oil and
are trapped in their homes. That’s thousands to
grease. The sewers were never designed to cope
add to those still unable to go home after floods in
with this sort of material.”
the north of England last month, which killed eight
people – and millions of pounds to add to a national
7 Saul is also involved in £5.6 million project which
insurance bill eventually expected to top £2.5
is investigating how farmers can control the flow
billion. Evesham, in Worcestershire, the worst-hit
of water off land. Farmers can decrease run-off if
town this weekend, had floods of up to five metres.
they plough across hills, rather than down them,
And it isn’t over yet: as this was printed there were
and carefully placed trees can help stop flooding.
warnings that flood waters weren’t expected to
And the more animals walk over a piece of land,
peak until tonight, and Oxford and Bedford and
the harder the ground becomes, and the less
Gloucestershire were preparing themselves to be
water it can absorb. That will damage crops, and
the next major areas hit. Everyone is asking how
there will be a shortage of food. And if intensively
such short bursts of rain – just one hour in London,
farmed animals get no drinking water for 48 hours,
slightly longer in places such as Oxfordshire – could
thousands will die, and the price of meat will rise.
have such devastating results.
8 Scientists are also investigating how individuals
4 In fact, the answer lies partly in how quickly it can help reduce a problem that, in fact, they
all happened. Brize Norton in Oxfordshire had
have helped create: by extending their houses,
121.2mm of rain between midnight Thursday and
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Going under
paving driveways, and building car parks. All this 9 For although what Britain has experienced over
decreases the amount of soft ground to absorb the past month is, as experts explain, some very
water, and increases the amount of run-off into unusual weather events, our changing climate
drains and rivers. “In essence, anything that runs means that there may soon be more of them, more
off the house should be stored locally,” says Saul. frequently. Today Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire
Instead of going straight into the sewerage system, are having to get out the sandbags and evacuate
rainwater can be collected – in storage tanks under the citizens. Tomorrow, next month, next year
driveways, for example – and used to flush toilets – who knows?
or run washing machines. Small trenches called
soakaways can be dug in gardens and filled with
stones, to trap the water and release it into the
ground a bit more slowly. Every little helps.
Re-read the text more carefully, and decide whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).
1. People in Britain were not surprised by the floods.

2. Insurance costs will be very high.
3. One reason for the floods was that a huge amount of rain fell in a very short time.
4. The sewers in London were built by Victorian engineers.
5. The public have been putting the wrong kinds of things down the toilet.
6. Farmers could help prevent flooding if they ploughed their land up and down hill.
7. Food will probably cost less after the floods.
8. If people keep covering more land with buildings and concrete, we may see more floods in the future.
1. too much, very great (para 2)

2. kept somewhere, like a prisoner (para 3)
3. to reach its highest level (para 3)
4. often do this, as a habit (para 6)
5. succeed in working with (para 6)
6. covering (the ground) with hard material like concrete or bricks (para 8)
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Going under
5 Vocabulary development 2: Word formation

All these words appear in the text, some as nouns, some as verbs (or adjectives), and some as both.
1. Give the NOUN form of each of the VERBS given. Some you can find in the text; others you can try to
remember, or predict.
verb noun
1. devastating devastation
2. evacuated
3. announced
4. manage
5. drained
6. flooded
7. stored
8. prepare
9. expect
10. warn
2. How many different NOUN endings are there here? What are they?
6 Language development: So and such
1. See if you can remember (or guess) which word goes in each gap: SO or SUCH. Then scan the text
again quickly to check.
1. ______ short 5. ______ as Oxfordshire

2. ______ damage 6. ______ devastating results
3. ______ scenes 7. ______ much water
4. ______ short bursts 8. ______ fast
2. What can you discover about the way to use so and such?
7 Discussion
1. Have there been floods in your country recently?

2. Have there been other changes in the weather?
3. Do you think these changes are probably because of global warming?
4. What is your government doing to help prevent global warming? What do you think it should do?
5. What do you think individuals in your country should do to help?
6. How have you changed your own behaviour to help reduce the danger?
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Going under
KEY
2 Pre-Reading B: Key words 5 Vocabulary development 2:
Word formation
1. a downpour
2. drainage
3. ploughs verb noun
4. devastation 1. devastating devastation
5. run-off 2. evacuated evacuation
6. evacuated 3. announced announcement
7. sandbags
4. manage management
8. sewers
9. absorb 5. drained drainage
10. crops 6. flooded flooding
7. stored storage
3 Comprehension check 8. prepare preparation
9. expect expectation
1. False. Although rain is common in Britain, 10. warn warning
they were very surprised.
2. True 2. Four: -ation; -ment; -age; -ing
3. True
4. True
5. True 6 Language development: So and such
6. False. They could help if they ploughed their
land across the hills. 1. so
7. False. It will probably cost more after the floods. 2. such
3. such
4. such
5. such
6. such
1. excessive 7. so
2. trapped 8. so
3. to peak
4. tend to Use SO:
5. cope with
• before an adjective alone
6. paving
Use SUCH:
• before a noun
• before adjective + noun
• or with the word as to mean ‘like’ or ‘for
example’, + noun
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Texas defies federal court with execution plan
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
perpetrator accomplice clemency parole anomaly

conviction testimony conspiracy glitch ruling
1. ____________ is a formal statement about something that you saw, know or experienced, usually given in a
court of law.
2. A ____________ is a decision by a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime.
3. ____________ is permission for a prisoner to leave prison before the end of their sentence.
4. An ____________ is something unusual, unexpected or different from what normally happens.
5. An ____________ is someone who helps another person do something illegal or wrong.
6. A ____________ is a secret plan by a group of people to do something bad or illegal.
7. A ____________ is an official decision made by a court.
8. A ____________ is someone who does something harmful, illegal or dishonest.
9. ____________ is a decision made by someone in a position of authority not to punish someone severely.
10. A ____________ is a small and unexpected problem.
2 What do you know?
1. More people are executed in Texas than in any other American state.
2. The governor of Texas often commutes death sentences to life in prison.
3. Nearly 4,000 people have been executed in Texas since the death penalty was reinstated in 1974.
4. In Texas people are executed by hanging.
5. In Texas there is no distinction between the perpetrator of a crime and his or her accomplices.
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NEWS LESSONS / Texas defies federal court with execution plan / Advanced
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Texas defies federal court with plan to and Mr LaHood argued, and the three in the car,
execute man who did not kill 25 metres away, heard a “pop”. Brown returned
to the car and Foster drove off.
Dan Glaister in Los Angeles
August 20, 2007 5 The four were arrested in connection with
Mr LaHood’s murder. Dillard was never tried
for the crime, and Steen had a deal with the
1 The state of Texas is about to execute a man for
prosecutors. The prosecutors sought the death
a crime he did not commit. While the perpetrator sentence only for Brown and Foster, and at
of the murder in San Antonio was executed last the district attorney’s request the pair were
year, Kenneth Foster, who was sitting in a car tried together. While Brown’s conviction was
25 metres away at the time of the shooting, was straightforward, Foster’s depended on Steen’s
sentenced to death under the ‘law of parties’. testimony – who had said he had had “a pretty
2 The controversial Texas law removes the good idea” of what was going to happen when
distinction between the principal actor and Brown left the car. In the trial Steen’s testimony
accomplice in a crime, and makes a person guilty was key: it showed there had been a conspiracy
if they “should have anticipated” the crime. While to commit the armed robbery. If Steen knew
a federal appeals court declared that Foster’s about it, the logic went, then so did Foster.
death sentence contained a “fundamental 6 The decision to try Brown and Foster together
constitutional defect”, a legal anomaly means harmed Foster, said his attorney. Foster, the
the state appeals court cannot overturn his bigger man, appeared the dominant figure. And
conviction, there being no new evidence. when Steen testified, his gang friends arrived to
3 After the failure this month of Foster’s most watch. The jury allegedly assumed the gang was
recent appeal, the 30-year-old African- linked to Foster; they requested and got armed
American’s final hope of avoiding execution on guards for the remainder of the trial. Brown and
August 30 rests with an appeal for clemency to Foster received death sentences in May 1997.
the Texas parole board and the Texan governor, Brown was executed by lethal injection last year.
Rick Perry. “He’s on death row because they 7 Since Foster’s conviction evidence has emerged
screwed up,” said his attorney, Keith Hampson. suggesting there was no agreement to rob Mr
“There has been a series of mistakes that has LaHood. But the basis for Foster’s appeal has
had a cascading effect. Now I’m asking the been the unconstitutionality of his punishment,
court to step in and correct their own mistake. a point made by his lawyer in a letter this month
Otherwise this guy gets executed.” to the head of the Texas parole and pardons
4 On August 14 1996 Foster and three friends were board. However, the fifth circuit court of appeals
driving around San Antonio smoking marijuana concurred with previous rulings that Foster
and robbing people at gunpoint. Foster, who should have known someone might be killed
was driving, stayed in the car while two others, that night in 1996. “Foster could not have helped
Mauriceo Brown and Julius Steen, robbed. As but anticipate the possibility that a human life
they went to the home of Dwayne Dillard, the would be taken [during] one or more of his co-
fourth person in the car, they found themselves conspirators’ armed robberies,” the court wrote. It
in an unfamiliar neighbourhood. A woman asked said he clearly displayed “reckless disregard for
why they were following her, and as she left human life”.
Brown got out of the car and followed her to the 8 Foster’s lawyer is dismayed. “We’re caught
home of her boyfriend, Michael LaHood. Brown by this procedural glitch. Every court that has
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looked at this [concludes] his execution would be 9 In Texas 398 people have been put to death
unconstitutional. It’s maddening,” Mr Hampson since capital punishment was reinstated in 1974,
said. The matter now rests with the Texas parole more than in any other state.
board, which can recommend the governor
commutes the sentence if at least five of the © Guardian News & Media 2007
seven board members agree. But Mr Perry has First published in The Guardian, 20/7/07
never commuted a death sentence, even on
such advice.
1. Why is the forthcoming execution of Kenneth Foster for murder controversial?
a. Because the decision to try him together with Mauriceo Brown harmed his case.
b. Because he didn’t fire the gun that killed the victim.
c. Because there has been a procedural glitch.
2. Why can’t the state appeals court overturn his conviction?
a. Because only the state governor can do this.
b. Because a legal anomaly means there is no new evidence.

c. Because at least five members of the parole board have to agree.
3. Why was Foster found guilty?
a. Because he was in a car 25 metres from the scene of the crime.
b. Because he was a gang member.
c. Because, under Texas law, he should have known someone would be killed that night.
4. Why did the court decide there had been a conspiracy to murder LaHood?
a. Because if one member of the gang knew about it, logically the others did.
b. Because Brown gave evidence in court saying Foster knew about it.
c. Because the three men in the car heard a “pop”.

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4 Find the word
1. A phrasal verb meaning to make a serious mistake. (para 3)
2. A phrasal verb meaning to intervene. (para 3)
3. A present participle meaning coming quickly one after the other. (para 3)
4. A two-word expression meaning threatening someone with a gun. (para 4)
5. A verb meaning to agree. (para 7)
6. An adjective meaning not thinking about the possible bad effects of your actions. (para 7)
7. An adjective meaning very disappointed. (para 8)
8. An adjective meaning extremely annoying. (para 8)

Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to form collocations from
the text.
1. armed a. injection
2. legal b. disregard
3. reckless c. punishment
4. procedural d. figure
5. capital e. anomaly
6. dominant f. ruling
7. lethal g. robbery
8. previous h. glitch
6 Vocabulary 2: Phrases with prepositions
Complete the phrases from the text by filling in the gaps using prepositions.
1. distinction _______ 5. the remainder _______

2. in connection _______ 6. concur _______
3. _______ gunpoint 7. disregard _______
4. have a deal _______ someone 8. put _______ death
7 Discussion
Do you agree with the death penalty for murder or for other serious crimes? What are the arguments for
and against using the death penalty?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Key words 4 Find the word
1. testimony 1. screw up
2. conviction 2. step in
3. parole 3. cascading
4. anomaly 4. at gunpoint
5. accomplice 5. concur
6. conspiracy 6. reckless
7. ruling 7. dismayed
8. perpetrator 8. maddening
9. clemency
10. glitch
collocations
2 What do you know?
1. g
1. T 2. e
2. F 3. b
3. F 4. h
4. F 5. c
5. T 6. d
7. a
8. f
1. b 6 Vocabulary 2: Phrases with prepositions

2. b
3. c 1. between
4. a 2. with
3. at
4. with
5. of
6. with
7. for
8. to
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
appeal attorney mercy execute evidence

imprisonment court guilty constitution parole board
1. A __________________ is a place where trials and other legal cases take place.
2. If you are __________________ of a crime, a court decides that you have done it.
3. A __________________ is the basic laws of a country that describe the rights and duties of its citizens.
4. If you show __________________, you forgive someone or you do not treat them severely for something they
have done.
5. __________________ is punishing someone by putting them in prison.
6. __________________ is all the facts and statements that show that someone is guilty of a crime.
7. A __________________ is a group of people who decide if a prisoner can leave prison early.
8. An __________________ is a formal request for a court of law to change its decision.
9. __________________ is the American word for lawyer.
10. If you __________________ someone, you kill them as a punishment for a crime.
1. When did Brown kill Michael LaHood?
2. In which city did the murder happen?
3. How old is Kenneth Foster?
4. When was Brown executed?
5. When did Texas reintroduce capital punishment?
6. How many people has the state of Texas put to death since 1974?
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NEWS LESSONS / Texas defies federal court with execution plan / Elementary
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Texas defies federal court with plan to murder by the court. Both Brown and Foster
execute man who did not kill received death sentences in May 1997. Brown
was executed last year.
August 20, 2007 4 Foster has appealed against the death sentence
several times. Each time his appeals have failed.
1 On August 14 1996 Kenneth Foster and three Now the 30-year-old African-American’s final
friends were driving around San Antonio, Texas, hope is to ask the governor of Texas, Rick Perry
smoking marijuana and using their guns to rob for mercy. If Mr Perry says no, Foster will die
people. Foster, who was driving, stayed in the on August 30th. “He’s on death row because
car while two others, Mauriceo Brown and Julius of mistakes made by other people,” said his
Steen, robbed people. While they were driving attorney, Keith Hampson. “There have been
to the home of Dwayne Dillard, the fourth person several mistakes, one after the other. Now I’m
in the car, they found themselves in a part of asking the court to correct their own mistake. If
the city they did not know. A woman thought the they don’t correct their mistake, this man will die.”
men in the car were following her and asked
them what they were doing. When she walked 5 Since the court found Foster guilty of murder,
away, Brown got out of the car and followed her new evidence suggests that the men did not
to the home of her boyfriend, Michael LaHood. plan to rob Mr LaHood. But the main argument in
There was an argument between Brown and Foster’s appeal is that his punishment is against
Mr LaHood. Then the three men in the car, 25 the constitution of the United States. But the
metres away, heard a bang. Brown returned to Texas court of appeals agreed with earlier court
the car and Foster drove off. decisions that Foster knew someone might be
killed that night in 1996. “For sure Foster knew
2 The police arrested all four men in connection it was possible that someone might die during
with Mr LaHood’s murder. Dillard was never tried one or more of these armed robberies,” the court
for the crime, and Steen had an agreement with wrote. It said he clearly showed he didn’t care
the prosecutors. In court the prosecutors asked about the lives of other people.
for the death sentence only for Brown and Foster.
The district attorney asked for Brown and Foster 6 Foster’s lawyer is very disappointed. “It’s a
to appear in court together. Brown was found technical problem. Every court that has looked
guilty of murder. In Foster’s case everything at this has said that his execution would be
depended on what Steen told the court. Steen against the constitution. It makes me very angry,”
said he had had “a pretty good idea” of what was Mr Hampson said. The Texas parole board will
going to happen when Brown left the car. In the make the final decision. It, can recommend
trial Steen’s words were very important. They that the governor reduces the sentence to life
showed that all the men knew about the plans to imprisonment. In the past Mr Perry has never
use guns to rob people. If Steen knew about it, reduced a death sentence when the parole board
then so did Foster. has recommended it.
3 In Texas the law does not make any difference 7 The state of Texas reintroduced capital
between the person who actually commits a punishment in 1974. Since then it has put 398
crime and the people who are with him at the people to death, more than any other state in
time. If they knew about the crime before it the USA.
happened, then they are guilty too. So Kenneth
Foster may die for a murder he did not commit.
At the time of the murder he was sitting in a car © Guardian News & Media 2007
25 metres away but he was still found guilty of First published in The Guardian, 20/08/07
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These sentences describe how the murder happened. Put them in the correct order.
a. They found themselves in a part of town they didn’t know.
b. Brown got out of the car and followed the woman to her boyfriend’s house.
c. The four men were driving round San Antonio.
d. When Brown returned to the car, Foster drove off.
e. There was an argument between Brown and Mr LaHood.
f. A woman asked them what they were doing.
g. The three men in the car heard a bang.
h. They were using their guns to rob people.
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make collocations from
the text.
1. death a. decision
2. armed b. imprisonment
3. final c. attorney
4. capital d. problem
5. life e. sentence
6. parole f. punishment
7. technical g. board
8. district h. robbery
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5 Vocabulary 2: Verbs in phrases
Use these verbs to complete the following phrases from the text.
find appear care get

make appeal try commit
1. ____________ out of a car
2. ____________ someone for a crime
3. ____________ someone guilty
4. ____________ about other people
5. ____________ a crime
6. ____________ in court
7. ____________ a decision
8. ____________ against a sentence
Complete the table.

verb noun
1. execute
2. argue
3. failure
4. agreement
5. recommendation
6. imprison
7. punish
8. rob
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KEY
1. court 1. e
2. guilty 2. h
3. constitution 3. a
4. mercy 4. f
5. imprisonment 5. b
6. evidence 6. g
7. parole board 7. d
8. appeal 8. c
9. attorney
10. execute
5 Vocabulary 2: Verbs in phrases
2 Find the information 1. get

2. try
1. August 14 1996 3. find
2. San Antonio 4. care
3. 30 5. commit
4. Last year 6. appear
5. 1974 7. make
6. 398 8. appeal
1. c
2. h verb noun
3. a 1. execute execution
4. f 2. argue argument
5. b
3. fail failure
6. e
7. g 4. agree agreement
8. d 5. recommend recommendation
6. imprison imprisonment
7. punish punishment
8. rob robbery
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1 Key words
accomplice parole conviction conspiracy ruling

distinction appeal defect disregard procedure
1. If you show ____________ for something, you do not consider it important and you do not pay any attention to it.
2. A ____________ is an official decision made by a court.
3. An ____________ is a formal request for a court of law to change its decision.

4. An ____________ is someone who helps another person do something illegal or wrong.
5. A ____________ is a fault in something.
6. ____________ is permission for a prisoner to leave prison before the end of their sentence.
7. A ____________ is a decision by a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime.
8. A ____________ is a secret plan by a group of people to do something bad or illegal.
9. A ____________ is the correct or usual way of doing something.
10. A ____________ is the difference between two things.
1. When was capital punishment reintroduced in Texas?
2. How many people have been executed in Texas since capital punishment was reintroduced?
3. When did Brown kill Michael LaHood?
4. How old is Kenneth Foster?
5. When was Brown executed?
6. In which city did the murder take place?

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Texas defies federal court with plan to and Mr LaHood argued, and the three in the car,
execute man who did not kill 25 metres away, heard a “pop”. Brown returned
to the car and Foster drove off.
August 20, 2007 5 The four were arrested in connection with
Mr LaHood’s murder. Dillard was never tried
for the crime, and Steen had a deal with the
1 The state of Texas is about to execute a man for prosecutors. The prosecutors sought the death
a crime he did not commit. While the person who sentence only for Brown and Foster, and at the
actually committed the murder in San Antonio district attorney’s request Brown and Foster were
was executed last year, Kenneth Foster, who was tried together. Brown’s conviction for the murder
sitting in a car 25 metres away at the time of the was straightforward but Foster’s depended on
shooting, was sentenced to death under the ‘law what Steen told the court. Steen said he had had
of parties’. “a pretty good idea” of what was going to happen
when Brown left the car. In the trial Steen’s words
2 The controversial Texas law does not make
were crucial: they showed there had been a
any distinction between the principal actor and
conspiracy to commit the armed robbery. If Steen
accomplice in a crime, and makes a person guilty
knew about it, then logically so did Foster.
if they should have known about the crime. While
a US federal appeals court said that Foster’s 6 Foster’s attorney said the decision to try Brown
death sentence contained a basic “constitutional and Foster together harmed Foster. Foster
defect”, under Texan law the state appeals court was the bigger man and appeared to be more
cannot overturn his conviction because there is dominant than Brown. And when Steen gave
no new evidence. evidence, his gang friends arrived to watch. The
jury apparently believed that the gang was linked
3 Foster’s most recent appeal failed earlier
to Foster and they requested and got armed
this month and now the 30-year-old African-
guards for the rest of the trial. In May 1997
American’s final hope of avoiding execution
Brown and Foster received death sentences.
on August 30 is to appeal to the Texas parole
Brown was executed by lethal injection last year.
board and the Texan governor, Rick Perry for
mercy. “He’s on death row because they screwed 7 Since Foster’s conviction for murder, evidence
up,” said his attorney, Keith Hampson. “There has emerged which suggests there was no
has been a series of mistakes one after the agreement to rob Mr LaHood. But the basis for
other. Now I’m asking the court to correct their Foster’s appeal has been that his punishment is
own mistake. If they don’t do so, this guy will unconstitutional. His lawyer makes this point in a
be executed.” letter this month to the head of the Texas parole
and pardons board. But the court of appeals
4 On August 14 1996 Foster and three friends were
agreed with previous rulings that Foster should
driving around San Antonio smoking marijuana
have known someone might be killed that night
and robbing people at gunpoint. Foster, who
in 1996. “Foster must have known it was possible
was driving, stayed in the car while two others,
that a human life would be taken [during] one or
Mauriceo Brown and Julius Steen, robbed. As
more of these armed robberies,” the court wrote.
they went to the home of Dwayne Dillard, the
It said he clearly showed “complete disregard for
fourth person in the car, they found themselves
human life”.
in an unfamiliar neighbourhood. A woman asked
why they were following her, and as she left 8 Foster’s lawyer is extremely disappointed. “We’re
Brown got out of the car and followed her to the caught by a problem with procedure. Every
home of her boyfriend, Michael LaHood. Brown court that has looked at this has said that his
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execution would be unconstitutional. It makes 9 In Texas 398 people have been put to death
me very angry,” Mr Hampson said. The matter since capital punishment was reintroduced in
now rests with the Texas parole board, which 1974, more than in any other state.
can recommend that the governor reduces the
sentence to life imprisonment if at least five of © Guardian News & Media 2007
the seven board members agree. But Mr Perry First published in The Guardian, 20/8/07
has never commuted a death sentence, even on
such advice.
1. The governor of Texas will probably reduce Foster’s sentence to life imprisonment.
2. Foster was with Brown when he shot Mr LaHood.
3. The Texas state appeals court agreed with the federal appeals court.
4. Brown shot Mr LaHood after an argument with his wife.
5. Steen didn’t know what was going to happen when Brown left the car.
6. The jury thought the gang members were linked to Foster.
4 What happened?
These sentences describe how the murder happened. Put them in the correct order.
a. They found themselves in a part of town they didn’t know.
b. Brown followed the woman to her boyfriend’s house.
c. The four men were driving round San Antonio.
d. When Brown returned to the car, Foster drove off.
e. He had an argument with her boyfriend.
f. A woman asked them why they were following her.
g. The three men in the car heard the sound of a shot.
h. They were robbing people at gunpoint.

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5 Vocabulary 1: Legal terms
Match the words with the definitions.
1. attorney a. a group of 12 people who judge a court case
2. prosecutor b. to change a punishment to one that is less severe
3. evidence c. a group who decide if a prisoner can leave prison early
4. commute d. a lawyer whose job is to prove someone is guilty
5. sentence e. a place where trials take place
6. jury f. to state officially what someone’s punishment will be
7. court g. the American word for lawyer
8. parole board h. the facts that help to prove someone has committed a crime
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. execute
2. convict
3. conspire
4. agree
5. recommend
6. reduce
7. punish
8. reintroduce
7 Discussion
What are the arguments for and against using the death penalty? Do you agree that Kenneth Foster is also
guilty of this murder?
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1 Key words 4 What happened?
1. disregard 1. c
2. ruling 2. h
3. appeal 3. a
4. accomplice 4. f
5. defect 5. b
6. parole 6. e
7. conviction 7. g
8. conspiracy 8. d
9. procedure
10. distinction
5 Vocabulary 1: Legal terms
2 Find the information 1. g

2. d
1. 1974 3. h
2. 398 4. b
3. August 14 1996 5. f
4. 30 6. a
5. Last year 7. e
6. San Antonio 8. c
1. F 1. execution
2. F 2. conviction
3. F 3. conspiracy
4. F 4. agreement
5. F 5. recommendation
6. T 6. reduction
7. punishment
8. reintroduction
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Mandela takes his place in Parliament Square
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
1. A preposterous notion is an idea that is...

a. difficult to believe.
b. easy to believe.
2. If the government erects a statue it...

a. puts it up.
b. takes it down.
3. If you have a row with someone you...

a. quietly disagree.
b. have a noisy argument.
4. If you are barely on speaking terms with someone...

a. you aren’t speaking much.
b. you are speaking a lot.
5. Someone who is behind bars...

a. works in a restaurant.
b. lives in a prison.

6. If you boycott products from England you...
a. buy only products from England.
b. don’t buy products from England.
2 How much do you know?
1. Who was the first black president of South Africa?

2. What is the ANC?
3. Who is the current prime minister of Britain?
4. Where are the Commons, the Lords and Westminster Abbey?
5. What was apartheid?
What do all of the above have in common? Read the article quickly and find out.
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NEWS LESSONS / Mandela takes his place in Parliament Square / Advanced

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Mandela takes his place in Parliament qualities. The project began seven years ago
Square and was dogged by rows between the mayor of
London, Ken Livingstone, who wanted the statue
Hugh Muir
sited in Trafalgar Square, and Westminster
August 30, 2007
council, which deemed it inappropriate for that
space, and between Ian Walters, the sculptor,
1 Few would have paid much attention to the who has since died, and others in the art
two young black men surveying the landscape establishment who said the statue was not good
around Parliament Square in 1962, but it was enough for display.
then that Oliver Tambo and his friend Nelson
7 When the project began, Mr Livingstone and
Mandela joked about what must have seemed
Prime Minister Gordon Brown were barely
a preposterous notion. “We hoped that one day
on speaking terms. But yesterday, as Mr
a statue of a black person would be erected
Mandela looked serenely at the dignitaries
here alongside that of the former South African
in front of him and the noisy, adoring crowd
leader General Jan Smuts,” Mr Mandela
in the middle distance, there was a harmony
recalled yesterday.
previously unthinkable.
2 Oliver Tambo never lived to see their hope come 8 Mr Livingstone said the project was the brainchild
to fruition, but as the morning sun beamed down
of Donald Woods, the journalist and anti-
yesterday, Mr Mandela returned to Parliament
apartheid activist. On the death of Mr Woods,
Square to see 7,000 people and the unveiling
responsibility passed to his widow, Wendy, and
of a statue of a black man sharing space
his friend Lord Attenborough. Though Trafalgar
with Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln,
Square was the mayor’s preference, he told
not to mention the Commons, the Lords and
Mr Mandela that there could be “no more fitting
Westminster Abbey.
place than this square which you will share with
3 Mr Mandela, now 89, accepted that the figure, the American president who freed the slaves
2.7 metres (9ft) tall and clad in a flowered shirt, and the British prime minister who led a nation
with arms outstretched, was a likeness of him. standing alone against the evil of Nazi ideology”.
4 But the former South African president and Nobel 9 Mr Brown sat to Mr Mandela’s right on the
prize winner said it spoke of something greater. podium and when he spoke it was with an
“Although this statue is of one man, it should in intensity rarely witnessed in the Commons. On
actual fact symbolize all those who have resisted behalf of Britain, he hailed “the man who will be
oppression, especially in my country,” he said. remembered forever as the leader who ended
“The history of the struggle in South Africa is rich apartheid”. The superlatives flowed quickly.
with the stories of heroes and heroines, some of “The man whom no prison cell, no intimidation,
them leaders, some of them followers. All of them no show trial, no threat of execution could ever
deserve to be remembered. We thank the British silence,” he said. “The man whose belief in the
people once again for their relentless efforts in future was so powerful that not even 27 years
supporting us during the dark years.” behind bars and barbed wire could destroy his
dream and his demand that by fighting apartheid
5 He said the statue and its siting would have from his prison cell millions today could be, and
pleased his friend, who became president of the are, free.”
ANC. “Oliver would have been proud to have
been here.” 10 Mr Brown was cheerleader and helper to Mr
Mandela, whose face is relatively youthful but
6 The mere presence of Madiba – Mr Mandela’s whose legs are now weak. The prime minister
Xhosa clan title – appears to bring healing
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Level 3 Advanced
helped the guest of honour, who used a cane, Hyde Park next June. “I hope very much to be
to and from the podium. Earlier, when the cloth back in London to attend and I hope to see you
was pulled from the statue, exposing it to the there,” he said.
elements and the crowd’s gaze for the first time,
Mr Mandela applauded but remained in his seat. 12 Former Labour minister Tony Benn recalled how
Everyone else stood. in 1960 he tabled the first motion calling for a
boycott of apartheid South Africa. “If Diana was
11 His wave to the crowd seemed designed to save the people’s princess,” he said, “Nelson Mandela
energy, a slow-motion windscreen wiper action, is president of the human race.”
but his voice was comparatively strong. He
revealed that a Live Aid-style concert for his anti-
Aids charity 46664 – named after his prisoner
number on Robben Island – would be staged at
Decide if the sentences are True (T), False (F) or if the text doesn’t say (DS).
1. Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo never believed that a statue of a black person would stand in
Parliament Square.
2. The statue in Parliament square is an exact replica of Nelson Mandela.
3. Mandela believes that the statue represents more than just himself.
4. Westminster Council didn’t approve of the statue at all.
5. Donald Woods, the man who had the idea for the statue, is black.
6. Gordon Brown praised Nelson Mandela.
7. Nelson Mandela is showing signs that he is getting older.
8. Gordon Brown is organizing an anti-AIDS concert in London.
4 Vocabulary 1: Words in context
a. look over, examine (verb, para 1)

b. wearing (adjective, para 3)
c. never stopping (adjective, para 4)
d. not suitable (adjective, para 6)
e. clever plan or idea (noun, para 8)
f. look (noun, para 10)
g. remember (verb, para 12)
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Level 3 Advanced
Complete the table.
noun adjective
youth 1.
flower 2.
3. great
4. heroic
noise 5.
power 6.
7. intense
8. strong
energy 9.
6 Vocabulary 3: Compound noun puzzle
Complete the gap so that it forms a compound noun with the first element and with the last. Half of the
compound nouns are in the text.
Example: art establishment. (fine art; art establishment)

fine ___
1. clan _______ race
2. middle _______ runner
3. television _______ trial
4. prison _______ block
5. rear _______ wiper
6. human _______ horse
7 Discussion
Are there any controversial statues or monuments in your city? What famous person from history do you
think is worthy of a statue?
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Words in context
1. a 1. survey
2. a 2. clad
3. b 3. relentless
4. a 4. inappropriate
5. b 5. brainchild
6. b 6. gaze
7. recall
2 How much do you know?
1. Nelson Mandela
2. The African National Congress, a South African
political party and black nationalist organization
noun adjective
3. Gordon Brown youth 1. youthful
4. In Parliament Square, London flower 2. flowered
5. A government policy of segregation of whites and 3. greatness great
blacks in South Africa from 1948 to 1994 4. hero/heroine heroic
noise 5. noisy
3 Comprehension check power 6. powerful
7. intensity intense
1. T 8. strength strong
2. F
energy 9. energetic
3. T
4. DS
5. DS 6 Vocabulary 3: Compound noun puzzle
6. T
7. T
1. title
8. F
2. distance
3. show
4. cell
5. windscreen
6. race
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Complete the sentences using these key words from the text.
boycott (v) cane (n) hail (v) harmony (n)

late (adj) struggle (n) symbolize (v)
a. For many people, cars _______________ personal freedom.
b. The _______________ for democracy lasted several years in the country.
c. _______________ is a situation in which people are happy.
d. If we talk about someone who is _______________, it means that they have died recently.
e. To _______________ someone is to publicly say nice things about them.
f. Old people sometimes use a _______________ to help them walk or stand.
g. If you don’t buy products from a country or company as a protest, you _______________ them.
2 What do you know? British and South African politics
Match the terms to the definitions.
1. Apartheid a. A government policy of segregation of blacks and whites in
South Africa, from 1948 to 1994.
2. Nelson Mandela b. One of the major political parties in Britain.
3. ANC c. The African National Congress, a black political party in South
Africa.
4. Parliament Square and Trafalgar Square d. The current British prime minister.
5. Ken Livingstone e. The first black president of South Africa, and winner of the
Nobel peace prize.
6. Labour f. The mayor of London.
7. Gordon Brown g. Two places in London.

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NEWS LESSONS / Mandela takes his place in Parliament Square / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Mandela takes his place in arguments between Ian Walters, the sculptor,
Parliament Square who has since died, and others in the art
establishment who said the statue was not good
Hugh Muir
enough.
August 30, 2007
prime minister Gordon Brown were not even
1 Not many people would have noticed the two
speaking to each other. But yesterday, as Mr
young black men standing on Parliament Square
Mandela looked at the people in front of him
in 1962, but it was then that Oliver Tambo and his
and the noisy crowd in the distance, there
friend Nelson Mandela joked about what many
was harmony.
people thought was a crazy idea. “We hoped
that one day a statue of a black person would 8 Mr Livingstone said the project was the idea
stand here next to the statue of the former South of the late Donald Woods, the journalist and
African leader General Jan Smuts,” Mr Mandela anti-apartheid activist. Though Trafalgar Square
remembered yesterday. was the mayor’s preference, he told Mr Mandela
that there could be no better place “than this
2 Oliver Tambo never lived to see their hope
square which you will share with the American
come true, but yesterday Mr Mandela returned
president who freed the slaves and the British
to Parliament Square to see 7,000 people
prime minister who led a nation standing alone
and the statue of a black man sharing space
against the evil of Nazi ideology”.
as well as the Commons, the Lords and 9 Mr Brown sat to Mr Mandela’s right. On behalf
Westminster Abbey. of Britain, he hailed “the man who will be
remembered forever as the leader who ended
3 Mr Mandela, now 89, accepted that the figure,
apartheid”. Mr Brown continued to praise Mr
2.7 metres (9ft) tall and wearing a flowered shirt,
Mandela. “The man whom no prison cell, no
with arms outstretched, looked like him.
intimidation, no show trial, no threat of execution
4 But the former South African president and could ever silence,” he said. “The man whose
Nobel prize winner said it was something greater. belief in the future was so powerful that not
“Although this statue is of one man, it should in even 27 years behind bars and barbed wire
actual fact symbolize all those who have resisted could destroy his dream and his demand that
oppression, especially in my country,” he said. by fighting apartheid from his prison cell millions
“The history of the struggle in South Africa is rich today could be, and are, free.”
with the stories of heroes and heroines, some of
10 Mr Brown helped Mr Mandela, who used a
them leaders, some of them followers. All of them
cane, to and from the podium. Earlier, when the
deserve to be remembered. We thank the British
cloth was pulled from the statue, Mr Mandela
people once again for supporting us during the
applauded but remained in his seat. Everyone
dark years.”
else stood.
5 He said the statue and its place would have
11 Former Labour minister Tony Benn remembered
made his friend happy. “Oliver would have been
how in 1960 he called the British government to
proud to have been here.”
boycott apartheid South Africa. “If Diana was the
6 The project began seven years ago. There were people’s princess,” he said, “Nelson Mandela is
arguments between the mayor of London, Ken president of the human race.”
Livingstone, who wanted the statue in Trafalgar
Square, and Westminster council, who thought
it inappropriate for that space. There were
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Level 1 Elementary
Read the text and choose the correct answer.

1. There is now a statue of Nelson Mandela in…
a. Westminster Abbey.
b. Parliament Square.
c. Trafalgar Square.
2. Mandela believes the statue symbolizes…

a. the history of other people in South Africa.
b. his struggle.
c. the British people.
3. There were arguments about…

a. the name of the statue.
b. the place for the statue.
c. the size of the statue.
4. The Prime Minister of Britain praised…

a. Mr Livingstone.
b. Mr Donald Woods.
c. Mr Mandela.
5. Nelson Mandela did not _______ when they pulled the cloth from the statue.
a. stand up
b. applaud
c. sit down
6. A British ex-minister said that _______ is the president of the human race.
a. Diana
b. Tony Benn
c. Nelson Mandela
4 Vocabulary 1: Word formation – nouns and verbs
Complete the table.

noun verb
a. free
b. oppress
c. argue
d. prefer
e. believe
f. resist
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5 Vocabulary 2: Politics jumble
Unjumble the letters to make words connected to people in politics.
a. yamro – the most important elected official in a city
b. vitsitac – an active member of an organization that aims to achieve social or political change
c. mipre niimtres – the political leader in countries with a parliament (e.g. the UK)
d. sdinetper – the political leader of a country with no king or queen (e.g. the USA)
e. stinimer – an official in charge of a government department in the UK
Connect the word and the preposition. Then complete the sentences with the correct phrase.
joked to
next of
looked about
looked at
on behalf like
1. Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo _____________ a statue of a black man in London.
2. He sat _____________ the Prime Minister during the ceremony.
3. The President said thank you _____________ the people.
4. Mandela said the statue _____________ him.
5. The crowd _____________ the statue and applauded.

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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Word formation – nouns

and verbs
a. symbolize
b. struggle
noun verb
c. harmony
d. late a. freedom free
e. hail b. oppression oppress
f. cane c. argument argue
g. boycott d. preference prefer
e. belief believe
2 What do you know? f. resistance resist
1. a
2. e
5 Vocabulary 2: Politics jumble
3. c
4. g
5. f a. mayor
6. b b. activist
7. d c. prime minister
d. president
e. minister
1. b
2. a
3. b 1. joked about
4. c 2. next to
5. a 3. on behalf of
6. c 4. looked like
5. looked at
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1 Key words
Match the words to the definitions.
1. a cane a. to put something (e.g. a statue) up in a public place

2. a dignitary b. to remember
3. to erect c. not stopping
4. to hail d. a noisy argument
5. to recall e. a person with an important social position
6. relentless f. to say publicly how good or important someone is
7. a row g. a stick people use to help them walk
2 What do you know?
Read the text quickly. Are these statements True (T) or False (F) according to the text?
a. There is now a statue of Nelson Mandela in London’s Parliament Square.

b. Mandela’s friend Oliver Tambo was at the ceremony.
c. The Mandela statue project had problems.
d. The prime minister of Britain didn’t speak about Mandela.
e. Mandela showed signs of tiredness at the ceremony.
Look at the underlined words in the text. Who or what do they refer to?
a. We (para1) ________
b. him (para 3) ________
c. it (para 4) ________
d. them (para 4) ________
e. their (para 4) ________
f. it (para 6) ________
g. he (para 8) ________
h. he (para 9) ________
i. it (para 10) ________
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NEWS LESSONS / Mandela takes his place in Parliament Square / Intermediate

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Mandela takes his place in There were rows between the mayor of London
Parliament Square Ken Livingstone, who wanted the statue sited
in Trafalgar Square, and Westminster council,
Hugh Muir
which thought it inappropriate for that space.
August 30, 2007
There were rows between Ian Walters, the
sculptor, who has since died, and others in the
1 Few would have paid much attention to the two art establishment who said the statue was not
young black men standing on Parliament Square good enough for display.
in 1962, but it was then that Oliver Tambo and
his friend Nelson Mandela joked about what must
prime minister Gordon Brown were barely on
have seemed a crazy idea. “We hoped that one
speaking terms. But yesterday, as Mr Mandela
day a statue of a black person would be erected
looked at the dignitaries in front of him and the
here next to the statue of the former South
noisy, adoring crowd in the middle distance, there
African leader General Jan Smuts,” Mr Mandela
was a harmony previously unthinkable.
recalled yesterday.
8 Mr Livingstone said the project was the brainchild
2 Oliver Tambo never lived to see their hope come
of the late Donald Woods, the journalist and
true, but as the morning sun beamed down
anti-apartheid activist. Though Trafalgar Square
yesterday, Mr Mandela returned to Parliament
was the mayor’s preference, he told Mr Mandela
Square to see 7,000 people and the unveiling
that there could be “no more fitting place
of a statue of a black man sharing space
than this square which you will share with the
American president who freed the slaves and the
not to mention the Commons, the Lords and
British prime minister who led a nation standing
Westminster Abbey.
alone against the evil of Nazi ideology”.
3 Mr Mandela, now 89, accepted that the figure, 9 Mr Brown sat to Mr Mandela’s right and when he
2.7 metres (9ft) tall and wearing a flowered shirt,
spoke it was with intensity. On behalf of Britain,
with arms outstretched, was a likeness of him.
he hailed “the man who will be remembered
4 But the former South African president and forever as the leader who ended apartheid”. The
Nobel prize winner said it was something greater. praise continued. “The man whom no prison
“Although this statue is of one man, it should in cell, no intimidation, no show trial, no threat of
actual fact symbolize all those who have resisted execution could ever silence,” he said. “The man
oppression, especially in my country,” he said. whose belief in the future was so powerful that
“The history of the struggle in South Africa is rich not even 27 years behind bars and barbed wire
with the stories of heroes and heroines, some of could destroy his dream and his demand that
them leaders, some of them followers. All of them by fighting apartheid from his prison cell millions
deserve to be remembered. We thank the British today could be, and are, free.”
people once again for their relentless efforts in
10 Mr Brown was cheerleader and helper to Mr
supporting us during the dark years.”
Mandela, whose face is relatively youthful but
5 He said the statue and its place would have whose legs are now weak. The prime minister
pleased his friend, who became president of the helped the guest of honour, who used a cane,
ANC. “Oliver would have been proud to have to and from the podium. Earlier, when the cloth
been here.” was pulled from the statue, exposing it to the
elements and the crowd’s gaze for the first time,
6 The mere presence of Madiba – Mr Mandela’s Mr Mandela applauded but remained in his seat.
Xhosa clan title – appears to bring healing Everyone else stood.
qualities. The project began seven years ago.
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11 Former Labour minister Tony Benn recalled
how in 1960 he called the British government to
boycott apartheid South Africa. “If Diana was the
people’s princess,” he said, “Nelson Mandela is
president of the human race.”

4 Vocabulary 1: Lexical themes
Group the words in the box by theme.
applaud barbed wire behind bars boycott prime minister
cheerleader crowd dignitaries government guest of honour
ideology imprisoned leader mayor podium
cell praise president trial
prisoners public speeches politics
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Connect the sentence halves. The collocations are all in the text.
1. I’d like you to pay a. the statue of the woman in the square.
2. The sun beamed b. attention to me when I’m speaking.
3. The policeman stood with arms c. bars while waiting for his trial.
4. The artists unveiled d. down on the festival crowds.
5. The prisoner spent the night behind e. oppression everywhere in the world.
6. There are heroic people who resist f. outstretched to hold back the people.
A chunk is a longer collocation, made up of three or more words that ‘go together’. Find a chunk in the
text that:
a) adds extra information for emphasis (3 words, para 2)
b) means looked like (4 words, para 3)
c) means not really talking to each other (4 words, para 7)
d) means no better (3 words, para 8)
e) means letting the air, wind and rain hit it (5 words, para 10)
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1. g 1. I’d like you to pay attention to me when I’m

2. e speaking.
3. a 2. The sun beamed down on the festival crowds.
4. f 3. The policeman stood with arms outstretched to
5. b hold back the people.
6. c 4. The artists unveiled the statue of the woman in
7. d the square.
5. The prisoner spent the night behind bars while
waiting for his trial.
2 What do you know?
6. There are heroic people who resist oppression
everywhere in the world.
a. T
b. F
c. T 6 Vocabulary 3: Chunks
d. F
e. T a. not to mention
b. was a likeness of
c. barely on speaking terms
d. no more fitting
e. exposing it to the elements
a. Nelson and Oliver
b. Nelson Mandela
c. the statue
d. the heroes and heroines
e. the British people
f. the statue
g. Ken Livingstone the mayor of London
h. Gordon Brown
i. the statue
4 Vocabulary 1: Lexical themes
prisoners public speeches politics

cell crowd leader
barbed wire praise president
imprisoned cheerleader dignitaries
trial guest of honour mayor
behind bars podium prime minister
applaud ideology
government
boycott

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Pavarotti dies aged 71
Level 3 Advanced
1 Music quiz
Match these artists with the music genre that they are most famous for and their nationality.
artist genre nationality died in aged

(year)
Luciano Pavarotti jazz American
Elvis Presley pop English
Bob Marley rock and roll American
Edith Piaf swing American
John Lennon son American
Johnny Cash opera Italian
Ibrahim Ferrer chanson American
Billie Holiday country Cuban
Frank Sinatra grunge Jamaican
Kurt Cobain reggae French
Now, in teams, try to guess the year of their death and their age when they died. One point for each
closest answer!
2 What do you know?
Decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F). Then skim read the article to check
your answers.
1. Pavarotti made his professional debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
2. He once hit nine high Cs in one performance.
3. The Three Tenors were Pavarotti, Domingo and Caruso.
4. Pavarotti sang the theme tune to the 1994 World Cup.
5. Pavarotti had a number 1 album in the UK.
6. He was a personal friend of Princess Diana’s.
7. He always demanded a fully-fitted kitchen in his dressing room.
8. He raised millions of pounds for charities.
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Level 3 Advanced
Pavarotti dies aged 71 demanded a fully-fitted kitchen to be built into his
hotel suite. He also frequently cancelled concerts
Matthew Weaver and agencies
at short notice. But he also raised millions of
September 6, 2007
pounds for good causes around the world in a
number of charity performances.
1 The Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti died at
7 Domingo led the tributes to his fellow tenor. “I
his home in Modena aged 71. The tenor, who
always admired the God-given glory of his voice
helped take opera to a new mass audience, had
– that unmistakable special timbre from the
been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year
bottom up to the very top of the tenor range,” he
and underwent further treatment in August 2007.
said. “I also loved his wonderful sense of humour
2 His manager, Terri Robson, said Pavarotti died and on several occasions of our concerts with
at 5am on September 6. “The maestro fought a José Carreras we had trouble remembering
long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer that we were giving a concert before a paying
which eventually took his life. In fitting with the audience, because we had so much fun between
approach that characterized his life and work, he ourselves.”
remained positive until finally succumbing to the
8 The British tenor Russell Watson told GMTV that
last stages of his illness,” Mr Robson said in a
Pavarotti was “without question” the man who
statement.
brought opera to the people. “The World Cup was
3 Pavarotti was considered by some critics to have the Three Tenors with Pavarotti at the helm, with
been the greatest tenor since Enrico Caruso. He a very entertaining version of Nessun Dorma, in
made his professional debut in 1961, as Rodolfo fact, it’s now called ‘Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma’,”
in Puccini’s La Boheme at the opera house in Watson said. “His voice was so distinctive you
Reggio Emilia. His most celebrated performance only needed to listen to a couple of bars and you
came at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House knew it was him, he had incredible power and
where he hit nine high Cs in Donizetti’s La fille du control.”
regiment.
9 Fellow tenor Ian Bostridge concurred. “He was
4 But Pavarotti reached a new global audience an old-fashioned star”, he said. “Vocally he was
during the 1990 football World Cup when his the best – he had one of those voices that comes
interpretation of the Puccini aria Nessun Dorma along only every 20 years or so. “It was intelligent
was chosen as the tournament’s theme tune. It too: people talk about a difference between
became an international hit. Later the Essential singing the words and singing the music, but for
Pavarotti became the first classical album to him they were the same.”
reach number 1 in the UK charts.
10 In a statement, the Royal Opera House said:
5 The 1990 World Cup also saw the first of the “He was one of those rare artists who affected
hugely popular Three Tenor concerts that the lives of people across the globe in all walks
Pavarotti performed with Placido Domingo and of life. He introduced the extraordinary power of
José Carreras. His most high-profile performance opera to people who perhaps would never have
in Britain was the Pavarotti in the Park concert encountered opera and classical singing [and] in
in a rain-sodden Hyde Park in 1991. His friend, doing so he enriched their lives. That will be his
Diana, Princess of Wales, was in the front row. legacy.”
6 Like many opera stars, Pavarotti also had a 11 Pavarotti gave farewell performances at the
reputation for exacting standards. At a Royal Royal Opera House in January 2002 when he
Variety performance in Edinburgh he reportedly sang in Tosca, despite the death of his mother in
the final stages of rehearsals.
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Level 3 Advanced
“The applause on those evenings was probably
the most moving and heartfelt in the history
of the Royal Opera,” the statement said. “He
had a unique ability to touch people with the
emotional and brilliant quality of his voice. He
was a man with the common touch and the
most extraordinary gift. He will be truly missed
by millions.”

3 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences with an appropriate word from the text.
1. Doctors ________________ you when they find out what is wrong with you.
2. When you lose your ability or will to fight something, you ________________ to it.
3. Your ________________ is the (good or bad) opinion people have of you.
4. A ________________ is a non-profit making organization that usually helps others.
5. When somebody is at the ________________, it means they are in charge, or the leader.
6. When we meet or see someone or something for the first time, we ________________ them or it.
7. Something that someone has achieved that continues to exist after they stop working or die is called
a ________________.
Match the adjectives on the left with the nouns on the right to make collocations from the article. Then use
the collocations to re-tell the article to your partner.
long, tough audience

greatest ability
celebrated park
global performance
rain-sodden voice
fully-fitted battle
distinctive applause
heartfelt gift
unique kitchen

extraordinary tenor
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5 Grammar: Third conditional
1. Tick the correct answer(s).
We use the 3rd conditional to:
Speculate about past events.

To negotiate.
To express reproach and regret.
Talk about things that may happen in the future.
2. Which deceased artist would you have liked to have seen performing live? Write your answer using the
third conditional. Compare your answer with others in your group and say why.
6 Discussion: Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a popular radio programme in the UK where guest speakers are asked to nominate
the music they would take with them if they were stranded on a desert island.
Imagine you are going to be a guest on the programme. Write down your top five music choices:
1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
3. ___________________________________
4. ___________________________________
5. ___________________________________
Now walk around your class and try to find at least one person who has a similar taste in music to you. Sit
with that person / those people and have a chat about music.
7 Webquest
Go to www.guardian.co.uk/music/gallery/2007/sep/06/pavarotti?picture=330690212 to see photos of

Pavarotti’s life. You can also watch videos and listen to him singing by going to www.youtube.com and
typing Pavarotti in the search box.
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KEY
1 Music quiz

(year)
Luciano Pavarotti opera Italian 2007 71
Elvis Presley rock and roll American 1977 42
Bob Marley reggae Jamaican 1981 36
Edith Piaf chanson French 1963 47
John Lennon pop English 1980 40
Johnny Cash country American 2003 71
Ibrahim Ferrer son Cuban 2005 78
Billie Holiday jazz American 1959 44
Frank Sinatra swing American 1998 82
Kurt Cobain grunge American 1994 27
2 What do you know? 4 Vocabulary: Collocations
1. False (it was in the opera house in Reggio Emilia) long, tough battle
2. True greatest tenor
3. False (Carreras not Caruso) celebrated performance
4. False (it was in 1990) global audience
5. True rain-sodden park
6. True fully-fitted kitchen
7. False (it was in a hotel suite in Edinburgh) distinctive voice
8. True heartfelt applause
unique ability
extraordinary gift
3 Key words
1. diagnose 5 Grammar: Third conditional

2. succumb
3. reputation We use the third conditional to:
4. charity Speculate about past events.
5. helm To express reproach and regret.
6. encounter
7. legacy
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Music quiz

(year)
Now, in teams, try to guess the year of their death and their age when they died. One point for the closest
answer.
2 Key words
Unjumble the letters to fill the gaps. Skim the text to check your answers.
1. The group of people who watch a performance are the ____________. (uedinaec)
2. Another word for a fight is a ____________. (tbtlae)
3. The first time a performer plays in public is his ____________. (betud)
4. A ____________ is what you give when you entertain people by singing, acting or dancing. (ereoprfanmc)
5. The place where an event takes place is called the ____________. (enevu)
6. You can have a good or bad ____________. It depends on what people say about you. (putnretiao)
7. When you pay ____________ to somebody, you say how and why you admire and respect them. (brittue)
8. When you have a natural ability to do something, this is called a ____________. (tifg)
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NEWS LESSONS / Pavarotti dies aged 71 / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Pavarotti dies aged 71 6

Domingo led the tributes to his fellow tenor. “I
always admired the God-given glory of his voice,”
he said. “I also loved his wonderful sense of
September 6, 2007
humour. We had so much fun during our concerts
with José Carreras.”
The Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti died The British tenor Russell Watson said that
1 7
at his home in Modena aged 71. The tenor, Pavarotti was the man who brought opera to
who helped take opera to a new audience, was the people. “The World Cup was the Three
diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year. His Tenors led by Pavarotti, with a very entertaining
manager, Terri Robson, said Pavarotti died at version of Nessun Dorma, in fact, it’s now called
5am on September 6. “The maestro fought a ‘Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma’,” Watson said. “His
long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer voice was so distinctive you only needed to listen
which eventually took his life. He remained to a couple of bars and you knew it was him, he
positive until the end,” Mr Robson said. had incredible power and control.”
Pavarotti made his professional debut in 1961, Another tenor Ian Bostridge agreed. “He was
2 8
as Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Boheme at the opera an old-fashioned star,” he said. “Vocally he was
house in Reggio Emilia. His most celebrated the best.
performance came at New York’s Metropolitan
Opera House where he hit nine high Cs in In a statement, the Royal Opera House said:
9
Donizetti’s La fille du regiment. “He introduced the extraordinary power of
opera to people who perhaps would never have
But Pavarotti reached a new global audience encountered opera and classical singing [and] in
3
during the 1990 football World Cup when his doing so he enriched their lives.”
interpretation of the Puccini aria Nessun Dorma
was chosen as the tournament’s theme tune. It Pavarotti gave farewell performances at the
10
became an international hit. Later the Essential Royal Opera House in January 2002. “The
Pavarotti became the first classical album to applause on those evenings was probably the
reach number 1 in the UK charts. most moving and heartfelt in the history of the
Royal Opera,” the statement said. “He had a
The 1990 World Cup was also the venue of the unique ability to touch people with the emotional
4
first of the hugely popular Three Tenor concerts and brilliant quality of his voice. He was a man
that Pavarotti performed with Placido Domingo with a most extraordinary gift. He will be missed
and José Carreras. His most high-profile by millions of people.”
performance in Britain was the Pavarotti in the
Park concert in a rainy Hyde Park in 1991. His
friend, Diana, Princess of Wales, was in the
front row.
Like many opera stars, Pavarotti also had a

5
reputation for being difficult. At a Royal Variety
performance in Edinburgh he demanded a fully-
fitted kitchen to be built into his hotel suite. He
also frequently cancelled concerts at short notice.
But he also raised millions of pounds in a number
of charity performances.
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1. Pavarotti helped make opera popular.

2. He once hit nine high Cs in one performance.
3. The Three Tenors were Pavarotti, Domingo and Caruso.
4. The Three Tenors sang the theme tune to the 1994 (football) World Cup.
5. Pavarotti had a number 1 album in the UK.
6. He was a personal friend of Princess Diana’s.
7. He always demanded a fully-fitted kitchen in his dressing room.
8. He raised millions of pounds for charities.
9. Pavarotti didn’t have a sense of humour.
10. Pavarotti had a unique voice.
4 Vocabulary
What do these adjectives describe in the article?
1. emotional / distinctive / brilliant _____________________________
2. positive / difficult / tenor _____________________________
3. heartfelt / moving _____________________________
4. long / tough _____________________________
Underline all the other adjectives in the article. Compare your answers with your partner.
5 Discussion
Complete the sentences by filling the gaps.
The last music concert or performance I went to was (who or what) _____________________________, at/in
(place) _____________________________, in ___________ (month, year).
I thought it was (adjective) _____________ because (reason) _____________________________________.
Now read your sentences to your partner. Try to ask and answer further questions to keep the
conversation going.
6 Webquest
Go to www.guardian.co.uk/music/gallery/2007/sep/06/pavarotti?picture=330690212 to see photos of Pavarotti’s
life. You can also watch videos and listen to him singing by going to www.youtube.com and writing Pavarotti in the
search box.
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KEY
1 Music quiz

(year)
2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Synonyms
1. audience 1. Pavarotti’s voice

2. battle 2. Pavarotti
3. debut 3. The applause at the Royal Opera House
4. performance 4. Pavarotti’s battle against cancer
5. venue
6. reputation
7. tribute
8. gift
1. True
2. True
3. False (Carreras)
4. False (1990)
5. True
6. True
7. False (in a hotel suite in Edinburgh)
8. True
9. False
10. True
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(year)
Now, in teams, try to guess the year of their death and their age when they died. One point for each
closest answer!
2 Key words

debut critic interpretation succumb
bar theme tune good cause tribute
1. When you lose your ability or will to fight something, you ____________ to it.
2. A ____________ is someone whose job it is to write about films, books, music or plays.
3. The first time a performer performs in public is his/her ____________.
4. A piece of music that is played at the beginning and end (and sometimes) throughout a film, tournament, etc. is
called a ____________.
5. A section in a line of music, containing several notes, is called a ____________.
6. An ____________ is a performer’s unique way of performing a certain piece of music.
7. When you pay ____________ to someone you say how you admire them and why.
8. A ____________ is usually an organization, plan or activity that helps people or animals in need.
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NEWS LESSONS / Pavarotti dies aged 71 / Intermediate

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Pavarotti dies aged 71 pounds for good causes around the world in a
number of charity performances.
September 6, 2007 7 Domingo led the tributes to his fellow tenor. “I
always admired the God-given glory of his voice,”
he said. “I also loved his wonderful sense of
1 The Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti died at his
humour and on several occasions during our
home in Modena aged 71. The tenor, who helped
concerts with José Carreras we had trouble
take opera to a new mass audience, had been
remembering that we were giving a concert before
diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and
a paying audience, because we had so much fun
had further treatment in August 2007.
between ourselves.”
2 His manager, Terri Robson, said Pavarotti died
8 The British tenor Russell Watson told GMTV that
at 5am on September 6. “The maestro fought a
Pavarotti was “without question” the man who
long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer
brought opera to the people. “The World Cup was
which eventually took his life. Characteristically,
the Three Tenors led by Pavarotti, with a very
he remained positive until finally succumbing to
entertaining version of Nessun Dorma, in fact, it’s
the last stages of his illness,” Mr Robson said in a
now called ‘Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma’,” Watson
statement.
said. “His voice was so distinctive you only needed
3 Pavarotti was considered by some critics to have to listen to a couple of bars and you knew it was
been the greatest tenor since Enrico Caruso. He him, he had incredible power and control.”
made his professional debut in 1961, as Rodolfo in
9 Another tenor, Ian Bostridge, agreed. “He was
Puccini’s La Boheme at the opera house in Reggio
an old-fashioned star”, he said. “Vocally he was
Emilia. His most celebrated performance came at
the best.
New York’s Metropolitan Opera House where he
hit nine high Cs in Donizetti’s La fille du regiment. 10 In a statement, the Royal Opera House said:
“He was one of those rare artists who affected
4 But Pavarotti reached a new global audience the lives of people across the globe in all walks
during the 1990 football World Cup when his
of life. He introduced the extraordinary power of
interpretation of the Puccini aria Nessun Dorma
opera to people who perhaps would never have
was chosen as the tournament’s theme tune. It
encountered opera and classical singing [and] in
became an international hit. Later the Essential
doing so he enriched their lives. That will be his
Pavarotti became the first classical album to reach
legacy.”
number 1 in the UK charts.
11 Pavarotti gave farewell performances at the Royal
5 The 1990 World Cup was also the venue of the
Opera House in January 2002 when he sang in
first of the hugely popular Three Tenor concerts
Tosca, despite the death of his mother in the final
that Pavarotti performed with Placido Domingo and
stages of rehearsals. “The applause on those
José Carreras. His most high-profile performance
evenings was probably the most moving and
in Britain was the Pavarotti in the Park concert in a
heartfelt in the history of the Royal Opera,” the
rain-sodden Hyde Park in 1991. His friend, Diana,
statement said. “He had a unique ability to touch
Princess of Wales, was in the front row.
people with the emotional and brilliant quality of his
6 Like many opera stars, Pavarotti also had a voice. He was a man with the common touch and
reputation for being demanding. At a Royal the most extraordinary gift. He will be truly missed
Variety performance in Edinburgh he reportedly by millions.”
demanded a fully fitted kitchen to be built into his
hotel suite. He also frequently cancelled concerts
at short notice. But he also raised millions of
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3 What do you know?
Skim-read the article to find out the answers to the following questions.
1. What was the cause of Pavarotti’s death?

2. Where did Pavarotti first perform professionally?
3. Who were The Three Tenors?
4. What is the Essential Pavarotti?
5. What was the weather like at his Hyde Park concert in 1991?
6. Which famous person sat in the front row in Hyde Park?
7. How did he raise money for good causes?
8. Which piece of operatic music do people usually associate with Pavarotti?
4 Vocabulary: Adjectives
1. Find at least three adjectives in the article that describe Pavarotti’s voice.
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Find at least four adjectives in the article that describe Pavarotti.
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. What do the adjectives moving and heartfelt describe in the article?
______________________________________________________________________________________
5 Grammar: Second conditional
1. Tick the correct answer(s).
We use the second conditional to:
Talk about a condition that cannot be fulfilled because it is unreal.

Refer to the past.
Refer to the present and the future.
Imagine the consequences if an unreal condition was fulfilled.
Talk about something that always happens.
2. Talk in pairs or small groups.
Ask: If you could go back in time, who would you like to see perform?
Answer: If I could go back in time, …
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6 Discussion: Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a popular radio programme in the UK where guests are asked to say which music
they would take with them to a desert island.
Imagine you are going to be a guest on the programme. Write down your top five music choices:
1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
3. ___________________________________
4. ___________________________________
5. ___________________________________
Now walk around your class and try to find at least one person who has a similar taste in music to you.
7 Webquest
Go to www.guardian.co.uk/music/gallery/2007/sep/06/pavarotti?picture=330690212 to see photos of

Pavarotti’s life. You can also watch videos and listen to him singing by going to www.youtube.com and
typing Pavarotti in the search box.
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1 Music quiz

(year)
2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Adjectives
1. succumb 1. emotional, distinctive, brilliant, God-given

2. critic 2. opera star, tenor, positive, demanding
3. debut /deIbju:/ 3. the applause at the Royal Opera House in 2002
4. theme tune
5. bar
5 Grammar: Second conditional
6. interpretation
7. tribute
8. good cause We use the second conditional to:
Talk about a condition that cannot be fulfilled because

3 What do you know? it is unreal.
1. Pancreatic cancer Refer to the present and the future.
2. The opera house in Reggio Emilia To imagine the consequences if an unreal condition
3. Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and José Carreras was fulfilled.
4. A classical album that reached number 1 in the
UK charts.
5. Rain-sodden
6. Princess Diana
7. By giving charity performances
8. Nessun Dorma
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Miners unearth world’s biggest diamond
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
stunning vault furious mere forthcoming

quandary legendary supposedly accurate gem
1. If you are in a ________________, you are uncertain about what decision to take.
2. A ________________ is a strongly protected room in a bank where money, gold and other valuables are kept.
3. ________________ can mean very angry but in the context of this story it means done with a lot of energy
and enthusiasm.
4. If news is ________________, it is extremely surprising, perhaps even shocking.
5. A ________________ is a beautiful, expensive stone that is used to make jewellery.
6. If something is ________________, it is correct or true in every detail.
7. ________________ means as some people believe or say, although you may not agree with this.
8. The word ________________ is used to emphasize that something is small or unimportant.
9. If something is ________________, it is extremely famous or well-known.
10. If something is ________________, it is provided or available when needed or asked for.
2 What do you know?
1. The world’s largest ever diamond has recently been discovered in South America.
2. The Cullinan diamond was discovered near Pretoria in South Africa.
3. The world’s previous largest gem-quality rough diamond was the Koh-i-Noor.
4. The Koh-i-Noor diamond is part of the British crown jewels.
5. The Koh-i-Noor originated in India.
6. The value of diamonds is measured in carats.
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NEWS LESSONS / Miners unearth world’s biggest diamond / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Miners unearth world’s 5 The Cartier diamond, famous as a gift from

biggest diamond Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor, weighed a
mere 240.80 carats rough and 69.42 carats cut.
David Beresford in Johannesburg and
Mr Cuellar said the most important information
Lee Glendinning
about the latest find was yet to be forthcoming,
August 28, 2007
including whether it is colourless. “The reported
size of the stone is accurate, but there are all
1 The world’s biggest diamond, believed to
these other factors we still don’t know and what
be twice the size of the Cullinan, has been
matters now is how wide, how clear and how well
discovered in the North-West Province of South
cut it will be.
Africa. The find has electrified the diamond
community, but the circumstances of the 6 Mr Cuellar continued: “Will this diamond rank
discovery are shrouded in mystery. The diamond above the best quality diamonds in the world? I
is expected to attract furious bidding from buyers can tell you right now, no. But in as far as the list
worldwide and could fetch up to £15 million. of the largest diamonds ever found in the world
goes, would it make that list? Yes it would.” He
2 A spokesman for the mining house which made
said the first seven people who looked at the
yesterday’s find, Brett Joli, said the diamond was
stone thought it was industrial grade, but that
being rushed to a bank vault in Johannesburg
view has changed and it now appears to be a
and would be kept there for a couple of days
stone that will be cut into a piece of jewellery.
“until we calm down and decide what we are
going to do”. A security company was being 7 The quandary facing the owner of the diamond
hired to protect the precious stone. The mining now is how best to cut the stone he said. “The
company which made the find has not been thinking usually is with these types of things, we
identified. The South Africa Broadcasting know how big we could get it but we don’t know
Corporation said the stone was said to be twice how much it will hurt us on the quality side.” The
the size of the Cullinan diamond. Cullinan, also known as the Star of Africa, was
thought by some to be part of a larger stone
3 Fred Cuellar, the founder of Diamond Cutters
which still lies somewhere undiscovered.
International and author of How to Buy a
Diamond, said he first heard about the find a few 8 There will be interest in who made the find
days ago. “I get a phone call when any rare stone and how they will be rewarded. The miner who
around the world is found and when I heard discovered the Excelsior, said to be the second
about this one it was stunning news. It caught largest uncut diamond ever found, received a
everybody in the diamond industry offside. There horse and saddle, and a sum of money.
will be a lot of mad bidding from a lot of private
individuals wanting to buy this stone.” 9 The Cullinan Diamond was discovered in 1905
and at 3,106 carats was the largest gem-quality
4 The Cullinan, which was found near Pretoria rough diamond ever found. Cullinan I, or the
more than a century ago, was until recently Great Star of Africa – at 530 carats formerly the
acknowledged to be the largest cut diamond largest cut diamond – was one of the 105 gems
in the world, weighing 530.20 carats. In 1985 cut from it. The Koh-i-noor is part of the British
it lost the record to the Golden Jubilee, which crown jewels. It originated in India but was seized
was found in the same mine as the Cullinan and by Britain as a spoil of war in 1849. The diamond
weighed 545.67 carats. In its rough state the supposedly brings good luck to female owners
Cullinan weighed 3,106.75 carats. It now forms and misfortune or death to any male who wears
part of King Edward’s sceptre and is in the Tower or owns it. The Hope Diamond is a large (45.52
of London.
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Level 3 Advanced
carat), deep blue diamond. It is legendary for the
curse it supposedly puts on whoever possesses
it. Previous owners include Kings Louis XV and
XVI and Marie Antoinette.

1. Which of these best describes the reaction of 3. The newly discovered diamond is…
people in the diamond industry to the news of a. … the best quality diamond ever found.
the discovery?
b. … the largest diamond ever found.
a. They were absolutely flabbergasted.
c. … the most valuable diamond ever found.
b. They were furious.
c. They were in a quandary.
4. The newly discovered diamond is being kept in a
bank vault until…
2. The Cartier diamond… a. … the mining house which owns it decides what
a. … was bigger than the Cullinan diamond. to do.
b. … was the largest diamond ever found. b. … its value is determined.
c. … was less than half the weight of the Golden c. … experts decide how best to cut it.
Jubilee diamond.
Look in the text and find the words or expressions that mean the following.
1. A verb meaning to make people extremely excited. (para 1)

2. A three-word expression meaning surrounded by unknown factors. (para 1)
3. A three-word expression meaning to take everybody by surprise. (para 3)
4. A gerund meaning the process of trying to buy something at an auction. (para 3)
5. A verb meaning to accept or admit that something is true or exists. (para 4)
6. A noun meaning a decorated stick that a king or queen carries at ceremonies. (para 4)
7. A three-word expression meaning the benefits gained after winning a battle. (para 9)
8. A noun meaning a bad situation or event caused by someone’s deliberate use of their magical powers. (para 9)
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5 Vocabulary 2: Reformulation
Complete these sentences about the text using the correct form of the word in brackets.
1. It is widely believed that the Cullinan was part of a larger stone that remains ____________. [DISCOVER]
2. The circumstances of the ____________ have still not been fully explained. [DISCOVER]
3. The Koh-i-Noor diamond _____________ brings bad luck to any male who wears or owns it. [SUPPOSE]
4. The diamond is expected to attract a large number of ____________. [BID]
5. The ____________ of the reported size of the stone is not in doubt. [ACCURATE]
6. The person who discovered the stone remains ____________. [IDENTIFY]
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make collocations from
the text.
1. bank a. diamond
2. security b. news
3. diamond c. grade
4. private d. industry
5. stunning e. state
6. rough f. vault
7. industrial g. individual
8. uncut h. company
7 Discussion
Is the price of diamonds and other precious stones artificially high? Should the price of natural products
be controlled or should the market decide how much they are worth?
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KEY
1. quandary 1. electrify
2. vault 2. shrouded in mystery
3. furious 3. catch everybody offside
4. stunning 4. bidding
5. gem 5. acknowledge
6. accurate 6. sceptre
7. supposedly 7. spoils of war
8. mere 8. curse
9. legendary
10. forthcoming
5 Vocabulary 2: Reformulation
2 What do you know? 1. undiscovered

2. discovery
1. F 3. supposedly
2. T 4. bidders
3. F 5. accuracy
4. T 6. unidentified
5. T
6. F (the weight is measured in carats)
6. Vocabulary 3: Collocations
3 Comprehension check 1. f
2. h
1. a 3. d
2. c 4. g
3. b 5. b
4. a 6. e
7. c
8. a
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
mine vault gem rare amazing

rough carat colourless saddle gift
1. A ____________ is a beautiful, expensive stone that people use to make jewellery.
2. A ____________ is a leather seat you put on a horse when you ride it.
3. A ____________ is a large hole or tunnel in the ground from which people take gold, coal, diamonds etc.
4. A ____________ is something you give to someone as a present.
5. A ____________ is a strongly protected room in a bank for money, gold and other valuables.
6. If something is ____________, it has no colour at all.
7. If something is ____________, you do not often see or find it.
8. A ____________ is a unit of weight for measuring gold and precious stones.
9. If something is ____________, it is very, very surprising.
10. If a diamond is in a ____________ state, no-one has cut or finished it.
1. How much will the new diamond cost?
2. When was the Golden Jubilee diamond found?
3. How much did the cut Cartier diamond weigh?
4. Where was the Cullinan diamond found?
5. How many gems were cut from the Cullinan diamond?
6. When did the British take the Koh-i-noor diamond to London?

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NEWS LESSONS / Miners unearth world’s biggest diamond / Elementary

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Miners unearth world’s carats. In its rough or uncut state the Cullinan
biggest diamond weighed 3,106.75 carats. It now forms part of
the British crown jewels and is in the Tower of
David Beresford in Johannesburg and Lee
London.
Glendinning
August 28, 2007
The Cartier diamond, which Richard Burton once
5 gave to Elizabeth Taylor as a gift, weighed just
1 Diamond miners have found the world’s biggest
240.80 carats rough and 69.42 carats cut. Mr
diamond in a mine in the North-West Province
Cuellar said they did not have much information
of South Africa. The diamond is twice as big as
about the new diamond and didn’t know whether
the famous Cullinan diamond, which was the
it was colourless or not. “The reported size of
largest cut diamond in the world until 1985, when
the stone is correct, but there are several other
the Golden Jubilee diamond was found. People
things we still don’t know. What is important now
in the diamond industry are very excited by the
is how wide, how clear and how well cut the
news, but no-one knows exactly who found the
diamond will be.”
diamond and where they found it. Diamond
buyers around the world will be extremely
“Will this diamond be better than the best quality
interested in the diamond and it could sell for as
6 diamonds in the world? I can tell you right
much as £15 million.
now, no. But it will be on the list of the largest
diamonds ever found in the world.” He said
2 A spokesman for the mining company which
the first seven people who looked at the stone
found the diamond said they were taking it to
thought it was an industrial diamond, but now
a bank vault in Johannesburg and would keep
experts believe it is a stone that they can cut to
it there for a couple of days “until we decide
make a piece of jewellery.
what we are going to do”. They have hired a
security company to protect the precious stone.
Mr Cuellar says that the problem now is how
The South Africa Broadcasting Corporation
7 best to cut the stone. “Usually with these types
reported that the stone was twice as big as the
of things, we know how big we could get it but
Cullinan diamond.
we don’t know what its quality will be like.” Some
people thought the Cullinan, also known as the
3 Fred Cuellar, the founder of Diamond Cutters
Star of Africa, was part of a larger stone which
International and author of How to Buy a
has still not been found.
Diamond, said he first heard about the find a
few days ago. “When people find any rare stone
There will be interest in who found the diamond
around the world they phone me, and when
8 and what they will receive for their find. The
I heard about this one it was amazing news.
miner who discovered the Excelsior, the second
Everybody in the diamond industry was very
largest uncut diamond ever found, received a
surprised. There are a lot of people who will want
horse and saddle, and a sum of money.
to buy this stone.”
The Cullinan Diamond was found in 1905 and,
4 The Cullinan diamond, which was found near
9 at 3,106 carats, was the largest gem-quality
Pretoria more than one hundred years ago,
rough diamond ever found. Cullinan I, or the
was once the largest cut diamond in the world,
Great Star of Africa – at 530 carats formerly the
weighing 530.20 carats. In 1985 it lost the record
largest cut diamond – was one of the 105 gems
to the Golden Jubilee, which was found in the
cut from it. The Koh-i-noor is part of the British
same mine as the Cullinan and weighed 545.67
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Level 1 Elementary
crown jewels. It was found in India but the British
took it to London in 1849. They say the diamond
brings good luck to female owners and bad luck
or death to any male who wears or owns it. The
Hope Diamond is a large (45.52 carat), deep
blue diamond. It is famous because it brings bad
luck to anyone who owns it. Past owners include
Kings Louis XV and XVI and Marie Antoinette.

Put these sentences in the order in which they happened.
a. The Golden Jubilee diamond was found in the same mine as the Cullinan.
b. A security company is protecting the precious stone.
c. Diamond miners have found the world’s biggest diamond.
d. The Koh-i-noor diamond was found in India.
e. They took the diamond to a bank vault in Johannesburg.
f. The Cullinan diamond was found near Pretoria.
4 Grammar focus: Superlatives
Look at this example from the text:
…the largest cut diamond in the world…
Complete the table by adding the superlative forms of the adjectives. Note that some are irregular.
1. big the biggest

2. good
3. expensive
4. important
5. wide
6. bad
7. rare
8. precious
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Level 1 Elementary
in the diamond
1. extremely interested _______
2. it could sell _______ £15 million
3. he heard _______ the find a few days ago
4. it was found _______ Pretoria
5. the largest diamond _______ the world
6. the first seven people who looked _______ the stone
7. the British took it _______ London
8. it brings bad luck _______ its owners
6 Vocabulary 2: Irregular past participles
Complete the table.
infinitive past participle

1. find found
2. cut
3. see
4. know
5. think
6. keep
7. hear
8. buy
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Grammar focus: Superlatives
1. gem 1. big the biggest

2. saddle
2. good the best
3. mine
4. gift 3. expensive the most expensive
5. vault 4. important the most important
6. colourless 5. wide the widest
7. rare 6. bad the worst
8. carat
7. rare the rarest
9. amazing
10. rough 8. precious the most precious
2 Find the information 5 Vocabulary 1: Prepositions
1. As much as £15 million 1. in

2. 1985 2. for
3. 69.42 carats 3. about
4. Near Pretoria 4. near
5. 105 5. in
6. 1849 6. at
7. to
3 Comprehension check 8. to
1. d
2. f 6 Vocabulary 2: Irregular past participles
3. a
4. c 1. found
5. e 2. cut
6. b 3. seen
4. known
5. thought
6. kept
7. heard
8. bought
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1 Key words
vault accurate gem rare astonishing

rough carat sceptre colourless misfortune
1. If something is ____________, it is not often seen or found.
2. If a diamond is in a ____________ state, it has not been cut or finished.
3. A ____________ is a stick decorated with jewels and carried by a king or queen at official ceremonies.
4. If something is ____________, it is correct or true in every detail.
5. A ____________ is a unit of weight used to measure gold and precious stones.
6. If something is ____________, it has no colour at all.
7. ____________ is another word for bad luck.
8. A ____________ is a strongly protected room in a bank where money, gold and other valuables are kept.
9. If something is ____________, it is very, very surprising.
10. A ____________ is a beautiful, expensive stone that is used to make jewellery.
1. How much could the new diamond be worth?
2. When was the Golden Jubilee diamond found?
3. How much did the Cartier diamond weigh when it was cut?
4. When was the Cullinan diamond discovered?
5. How many gems were cut from the Cullinan diamond?
6. When was the Koh-i-noor diamond taken to Britain?

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NEWS LESSONS / Miners unearth world’s biggest diamond / Intermediate

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Miners unearth world’s carats. It now forms part of King Edward’s

biggest diamond sceptre and is in the Tower of London.
David Beresford in Johannesburg and Lee 5 The Cartier diamond, which became famous as
Glendinning a gift from Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor,
August 28, 2007 weighed just 240.80 carats rough and 69.42
carats cut. Mr Cuellar said the most important
1 The world’s biggest diamond, believed to be information about the latest find was not yet
twice the size of the Cullinan diamond, has available, including whether the stone was
been discovered in the North-West Province of colourless or not. “The reported size of the stone
South Africa. People in the diamond industry is accurate, but there are several other factors
are extremely excited by the discovery, but we still don’t know and what matters now is how
how and exactly where the diamond was found wide, how clear and how well cut it will be.”
is a mystery. Buyers around the world will be
extremely interested in the diamond and it could 6 Mr Cuellar continued: “Will this diamond be better
sell for as much as £15 million. than the best quality diamonds in the world? I
can tell you right now, no. But as far as the list
2 A spokesman for the mining house which found of the largest diamonds ever found in the world
the diamond, Brett Joli, said it was being rushed goes, would it be on that list? Yes it would.” He
to a bank vault in Johannesburg and would be said the first seven people who looked at the
kept there for a couple of days “until we calm stone thought it was industrial grade, but now
down and decide what we are going to do”. A that view has changed and it now appears to be
security company has been hired to protect the a stone that can be cut into a piece of jewellery.
precious stone. The mining company which
made the find has not been identified. The South 7 The problem the owner of the diamond now
Africa Broadcasting Corporation said the stone faces is how best to cut the stone, according to
was believed to be twice as big as the Cullinan Mr Cuellar. “Usually with these types of things,
diamond. we know how big we could get it but we don’t
know what it will be like in terms of quality.” Some
3 Fred Cuellar, the founder of Diamond Cutters people thought the Cullinan, also known as the
International and author of How to Buy a Star of Africa, was part of a larger stone which
Diamond, said he first heard about the find a few still lies somewhere undiscovered.
days ago. “I get a phone call when any rare stone
around the world is found and when I heard 8 There will be interest in who made the find
about this one it was astonishing news. It took and how they will be rewarded. The miner who
everybody in the diamond industry by surprise. discovered the Excelsior, said to be the second
There will be a lot of private individuals who will largest uncut diamond ever found, received a
want to buy this stone.” horse and saddle, and a sum of money.
4 The Cullinan diamond, which was found near 9 The Cullinan Diamond was discovered in 1905
Pretoria more than a century ago, was until and at 3,106 carats was the largest gem-quality
recently generally regarded to be the largest cut rough diamond ever found. Cullinan I, or the
diamond in the world, weighing 530.20 carats. Great Star of Africa – at 530 carats formerly the
In 1985 it lost the record to the Golden Jubilee, largest cut diamond – was one of the 105 gems
which was found in the same mine as the cut from it. The Koh-i-noor is part of the British
Cullinan and weighed 545.67 carats. In its rough crown jewels. It originated in India but was taken
or uncut state the Cullinan weighed 3,106.75 to Britain in 1849. The diamond is supposed to
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bring good luck to female owners and misfortune

or death to any male who wears or owns it. The
Hope Diamond is a large (45.52 carat), deep
blue diamond. It is famous for the curse it is
supposed to place on anyone who possesses
it. Previous owners include Kings Louis XV and
XVI and Marie Antoinette.

1. The diamond was discovered by Diamond Cutters International.
2. The diamond is the most valuable diamond ever discovered.
3. The Hope Diamond is famous for bringing good luck to its owners.
4. The Koh-i-noor diamond was discovered in India.
5. At first people thought the new diamond was just an industrial diamond.
6. A lot of people will be interested in buying the diamond.
Look in the text and find the words or expressions that mean the following.
1. A noun meaning something you are unable to understand, explain or get information about. (para 1)
2. A two-word verb meaning to feel more relaxed and less emotional. (para 2)
3. An adjective meaning very valuable. (para 2)
4. An adjective meaning not found yet. (para 7)
5. A noun meaning a leather seat you put on a horse’s back. (para 8)
6. A noun meaning a bad situation or event caused by someone’s deliberate use of their magical powers. (para 9)
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1. according _______
2. twice the size _______
3. take someone _______ surprise
4. a gift _______ Richard Burton _______ Elizabeth Taylor

5. _______ terms of quality
6. extremely interested _______ the diamond
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. discover
2. excite
3. protect
4. weigh
5. accurate
6. surprise
7. believe
8. decide
7 Discussion
Should the price of natural products be controlled or should the market decide how much they are worth?
Is it right that a stone should be worth £15 million?
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KEY
1. rare 1. mystery
2. rough 2. calm down
3. sceptre 3. precious
4. accurate 4. undiscovered
5. carat 5. saddle
6. colourless 6. curse
7. misfortune
8. vault
9. astonishing
10. gem
1. to
2. of
2 Find the information 3. by
4. from, to
1. As much as £15 million 5. in
2. 1985 6. in
3. 69.42 carats
4. 1905
5. 105
6. 1849
verb noun
3 Comprehension check 1. discover discovery
2. excite excitement
1. F
3. protect protection
2. F
4. weigh weight
3. F
4. T 5. accurate accuracy
5. T 6. surprise surprise
6. T 7. believe belief
8. decide decision
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What’s in the Big Apple?
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
Match these key words from the article with their meanings. What do you think the article might be about?
1. civic responsibility a. an argument
2. treats b. superficial, only on the surface, not deep
3. ordinance c. the duties of a citizen
4. squabble d. refers to the constituents of food and how they affect your health
5. tackle (an obesity epidemic) e. something special that you do or buy for yourself or others
6. nutritional (content) f. people who put their name on a document
7. (a) frank (admission) g. to completely accept something
8. to embrace (healthier options) h. to make an attempt to deal with something
9. cosmetic i. an adjective meaning obvious
10. revenue j. an adjective meaning honest
11. signatories k. an official order, like a rule or a law
12. pledge l. income from business activities
13. blatantly (incorrect) m. a promise
2 Organizations and official bodies
Skim-read the text and find the names of four organizations or official bodies. Write them below.
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________
Briefly discuss what they might do or who might be a member of them.

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NEWS LESSONS / What’s in the Big Apple? / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
What’s in the Big Apple? buy food in a restaurant, you have no idea what
For every salad, McDonald’s sells eight double the nutritional content is,” says Dr Bassett.
cheeseburgers.
7 Most people realize that a large portion of fries
Andrew Clark in New York
is unhealthy – but the issue is far more subtle,
September 13, 2007
argues Dr Bassett: “I don’t think many people
would guess that somebody who walks into
1 Even by the standards of America’s junk food
McDonald’s and eats a deluxe breakfast has
industry, a recent court case marked a low point
eaten nearly all their recommended calorie intake
in civic responsibility. A coalition of deep-fat-frying
for the day.”
restaurants in New York persuaded a judge that
they shouldn’t have to disclose the number of
8 However, the big fast food chains complained
calories in their meals on in-store menu boards.
that it is costly and unfair – and that they already
provide plenty of information on their websites.
2 Judge Richard Holwell ruled that New York’s
Chuck Hunt, a spokesman for the New York
Board of Health was overstepping its authoity
State Restaurant Association, says: “The proper
in requiring larger restaurant chains to write
way to address this is through education, not
calorie figures alongside prices for treats such
through regulation.”
as a McDonald’s Big Mac meal (1,430 calories)
or Burger King’s triple Whopper with cheese
9 The industry argues that calories are merely one
(1,230 calories).
of many measures of how healthy food is. Putting
them on a menu, says the association, will only
3 The judge said the city ordinance was unfair
“confuse” people.
because it only affects restaurants which already
have calorie information available somewhere
10 This is an unusually frank admission from the
– be it on their websites, on food wrappers or
industry which has been trying hard to present
on the underside of tray linings. Of New York’s
a caring, sharing image. Salads, shakes, milk
23,000 restaurants, only 2,375 were to be
and fruity nibbles have appeared on menus
included in the law.
traditionally devoted to meat and potato. Just last
week, Burger King announced it was launching
4 The squabble arose over the city’s latest effort to
‘apple fries’ – slices of apple cut to look like chips
tackle an obesity epidemic which is worse in New
– in an effort to persuade young customers to
York than in the rest of America. More than half
embrace healthier options.
of the Big Apple’s residents are overweight and
a third are clinically obese. Among children, US
11 Many of these changes, however, are cosmetic.
obesity levels have tripled since the 1970s.
For every salad they sell, McDonald’s sells eight
double cheeseburgers. Less than a tenth of
5 Mary Bassett, New York’s deputy commissioner
revenue comes from healthier options.
for health promotion and disease prevention,
says Americans consume nearly 50% of their
12 A few chains are taking responsibility. Subway,
food outside the home. Huge helpings, high salt
which predominantly sells fresh sandwiches,
content and fatty ingredients mean that the
has decided to display calories on its menus. Its
average calorie intake in restaurants is far higher
spokesman, Les Winograd, says it was to the
than in home-cooked food.
firm’s advantage: “We look at it as an extension
of something we were already providing.
6 “When people shop in supermarkets, they can We have a reputation for offering healthier
see a nutritional fact panel on the packaging
alternatives to traditional, fatty fast food.”
which tells them what they’re getting. When you
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13 Responding to pressure, the industry has about calories – how many you take in and how
moved back from marketing the worst of its many you burn. For them to say that’s not key
food to children. The Council of Better Business information is blatantly incorrect.”
Bureaus has asked companies to stop targeting
under-12s with promotions for high-fat foods 15 He urges the big chains to be pro-active in
or for anything failing to meet strict nutritional changing Americans’ diets and in helping
standards. Burger King, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, consumers to make better choices: “The
McDonald’s, Kellogg’s and Kraft are among restaurant industry makes a number of false,
the signatories. The pledge should change an weak arguments. They say [calorie advertising]
environment in which children see an average won’t solve the obesity problem and that’s true.
of 21 ads a day for sweets, snacks, cereals and But nothing, by itself, will solve the entirety of the
fast food. obesity problem.”
14 Experts say the industry’s court action this week © Guardian News & Media 2007
cancels out such positive action. Kelly Brownell,
director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and
Obesity at Yale University, says: “Obesity is all
1. Which sentence best describes the court case in the article?

a. Restaurants went to court to stop them having to publicize the number of calories in their food.
b. New York’s Board of Health went to court to stop restaurants selling food with high calorie content.
c. The judge brought both parties to court to stop them squabbling.
2. The judge said that:

a. Fast food restaurants should display the calorie content of their food on websites.
b. Fast food restaurants needn’t display the calorie content of their food on websites.
c. 2,375 of the 23,000 restaurants in New York cause obesity.
3. People often don’t realize how many calories are in food because…
a. … the information on nutritional fact panels is often incorrect.
b. … they eat outside the home and so don’t know what ingredients the meal contains.
c. … the food is not regulated.
4. Subway has decided to display the calories on its menus because…

a. … they say it will solve New York’s obesity problem.
b. … it confirms that they sell healthier alternatives to burgers.
c. … the judge ruled that they should do so.
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Level 3 Advanced
4 Vocabulary: Lexical fields
Find words or phrases in the article that belong to the following lexical fields and write them in the spider-
grams.
weight and
legal terms
health issues
5 Discussion
In small groups, think of six local or national food and drink specialities from your country. What
ingredients do they contain and how are they prepared?
Decide in your group which ones have the most and which have the least calories. Rank them from one to
six and give feedback to the class.
6 Webquest
Which contains the most calories: a banana, an avocado or a mango? Use an online calorie counter
such as the one at www.fitandtrim.co.uk/caloriecounter.html to find out. Here you can also learn about
recommended daily calorie intakes.
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KEY
1 Key words 3 Comprehension check
1. c 1. a
2. e 2. b
3. k 3. b
4. a 4. b
5. h
6. d
7. j
8. g Possible answers:
9. b
10. l weight and health issues – deep fat frying / calorie /
11. f obesity / overweight / health promotion / huge helpings
12. m / salt content / disease prevention / nutritional content /
13. i healthier options / high-fat foods / burn ( calories) / diet
2 Organizations and official bodies legal terms – court case / court action / rule / civic
responsibility / judge / ordinance / law / regulation /
New York’s Board of Health signatories / pledge
New York State Restaurant Association
The Council of Better Business Bureaus
Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
(at Yale University)
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Pre-reading task
Tick
ü the words or phrases would you expect to read in an article about junk food.
burger super-size fries

apple adverts snacks
cereal drive-in breakfast
tray judge calories
New York health Glasgow
cosmetic hot dogs TV
home-cooked
Add some more ideas of your own.
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
2 Key words
Match words from the articles with their meanings.
1. double a. the science of food and its effect on health

2. triple b. three times
3. currently c. two times
4. nutrition d. inside a shop or restaurant
5. in-store e. at the moment
6. helping f. very overweight

7. ingredients g. a portion
8. obese h. someone who lives in a particular place
9. resident i. the second most important person in a company
or organization
10. deputy j. the items you need for a recipe or meal
11. confuse k. to eat or drink something

12. consume l. to make someone agree to do something by
giving them reasons why they should
13. persuade m. to strongly advise someone what action they
should take
14. demand n. to make someone feel they do not understand
15. urge o. to say clearly and firmly that you want something
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NEWS LESSONS / What’s in the Big Apple? / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
What’s in the Big Apple? 7 However, the big fast food chains complained
For every salad, McDonald’s sells eight double that it is expensive and unfair – and that they
cheeseburgers. already provide plenty of information on their
websites.
September 13, 2007
8 Chuck Hunt, a spokesman for the New York
State Restaurant Association, says: “The correct
1 In a recent court case concerning America’s junk
way to deal with this is through education, not
food industry, a group of fast food restaurants in
through rules.”
New York persuaded a judge that they shouldn’t
have to write the number of calories in their
9 The industry argues that calories are only one
meals on in-store menu boards.
of many ways to measure how healthy food is.
Putting them on a menu, says the association,
2 Judge Richard Holwell said that New York’s
will only “confuse” people.
Board of Health was not allowed to demand that
larger restaurant chains write calorie figures
10 The fast food industry has been trying hard to
next to prices for food such as a McDonald’s Big
present a caring, sharing image and restaurants
Mac meal (1,430 calories) or Burger King’s triple
now sell salads, shakes, milk and fruity nibbles.
Whopper with cheese (1,230 calories).
Last week, Burger King announced it was
launching ‘apple fries’ – slices of apple cut to
3 The court case was the city’s latest effort to do
look like chips – to persuade young customers
something about obesity which is worse in New
to eat healthier food. But, for every salad
York than in the rest of America. More than half
they sell, McDonald’s still sells eight double
of the Big Apple’s residents are overweight and
cheeseburgers.
a third are clinically obese. Among children, US
obesity levels have tripled since the 1970s. 11 A few chains are taking responsibility. Subway,
which sells fresh sandwiches, has decided to
display calories on its menus. Its spokesman,
Les Winograd, says it was to the firm’s
advantage: “We have a reputation for offering
food outside the home. Huge helpings, high
healthier alternatives to traditional fatty fast food.”
salt content and fatty ingredients mean that the
12 In response to pressure, the industry has
stopped marketing the worst of its food to
children. The Council of Better Business Bureaus
5 “When people shop in supermarkets, they can
has asked companies to stop targeting under-
see a nutritional fact chart on the box which
12s. Burger King, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonald’s,
tells them what they’re getting. When you buy
Kellogg’s and Kraft have already agreed to this
food in a restaurant, you have no idea what the
request. Currently, children in America see an
nutritional content is,” says Dr Bassett.
average of 21 adverts a day for sweets, snacks,
cereals and fast food.
6 “Most people know that a large portion of fries is
unhealthy”, argues Dr Bassett, “But, I don’t think
13 Experts say the fast food industry’s New York
many people would guess that a McDonald’s
court case cancels out such positive action. Kelly
deluxe breakfast contains nearly all their
Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food
recommended calorie intake for the day.”
Policy and Obesity at Yale University, says:
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“Obesity is all about calories – how many you [calorie advertising] won’t solve the obesity
take in and how many you burn. For the industry problem. But nothing, by itself, will solve the
to say that’s not key information is incorrect.” entirety of the obesity problem.”
14 He urges the big chains to be pro-active in © Guardian News & Media 2007
changing Americans’ diets and in helping
consumers to make better choices: “The fast
foodindustry’s arguments are weak. They say
Match the halves of the sentences.
1. New York is... ... targeting young children.
2. A judge said that fast food restaurants don’t have to ... written on the packaging.
have to...
3. Half of the people who live in New York are... ... often called the Big Apple.
4. Americans eat out almost... ... write calories on their menus.
5. A McDonald’s deluxe breakfast contains... ... overweight.
6. The amount of calories in food bought in ... sell healthy options.
supermarkets is...
7. Some large restaurant chains have said ... a huge amount of calories.
they will stop...
8. Some fast food chains now... ... 50% of the time.

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Level 1 Elementary
4 Comparisons
Fill the gaps in the sentences about the article with:
more than / fewer than / less than
Remember: fewer is used with countable nouns, and less is used with uncountable nouns!
1. A Big Mac meal has ________ calories ________ a Burger King triple Whopper with cheese.
2.Home-cooked food usually contains ________ calories ________ restaurant-bought food.
3. ________ half of the Big Apple’s residents are overweight.
4. Food in fast food restaurants costs ________ food in better restaurants.
5. McDonalds sells ________ salads ________ burgers.
5 Group work
Think of six food and drink specialities from your country. What ingredients do they contain?
In small groups complete these sentences using the names of the specialities you thought of. Compare
your answers with another groups’. Do you agree?
________________ has more calories than ________________ and ________________.
________________ has less calories than ________________ and ________________.

________________ has the least calories.
________________ has the most calories.
6 Webquest
Which contains the most calories: a banana, an avocado or a mango? Use an online calorie counter such
as the one at www.fitandtrim.co.uk/caloriecounter.html to find out.
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Pre-reading task 3 Comprehension check
These are the words that appear in the text: 1. New York is often called the Big Apple.
2. A judge said that fast food restaurants don’t have to
burger write calories on their menus.
fries 3. Half of the people who live in New York are
apple overweight.
adverts 4. Americans eat out almost 50% of the time.
snacks 5. A McDonald’s deluxe breakfast contains a huge
cereal amount of calories.
breakfast 6. The amount of calories in food bought in
tray supermarkets is written on the packaging.
judge 7. Some large restaurant chains have said they will
calories stop targeting young children.
New York 8. Some fast food chains now sell healthy options.
health
home-cooked 4 Comparisons
1. A Big Mac meal has more calories than a Burger

2 Key words King triple Whopper with cheese.
2. Home-cooked food usually contains fewer calories
1. c than restaurant-bought food.
2. b 3. More than half of the Big Apple’s residents are
3. e overweight.
4. a 4. Food in fast food restaurants costs less than food in
5. d better restaurants.
6. g 5. McDonalds sells fewer salads than burgers.
7. j
8. f
9. h
10. i
11. n
12. k
13. l
14. o
15. m
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1 Pre-reading task
Which of these words or phrases would you expect to read in an article about junk food?
burger super-size fries

apple adverts snacks
cereal drive-in breakfast
tray judge calories
health cosmetic standards
TV home cooked
Add some more ideas of your own.
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
2 Key words crossword

Skim-read the article to find words to complete the crossword.
1 2
5 6
7 4
8 9
11
10
Across
1. To make someone feel they do not
understand something. (verb)
4. A group of businesses that all belong to
the same company. (noun) Down
7. A legal matter usually brought before a 2. Extra part added, a continuation. (noun)
judge. (2 words, noun + noun) 3. Paper or plastic that is around something you buy. (noun)
10. Something special that you do or buy 5. To start selling a new product. (verb)
for yourself or someone else. (noun) 6. A portion of food. (noun)
11. Medically overweight. (2 words, 8. Boxes, bottles, plastic, etc. around a product. (noun)
adj + noun) 9. Someone who buys and uses goods and services. (noun)
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NEWS LESSONS / What’s in the Big Apple? / Intermediate

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What’s in the Big Apple? 7 “Most people know that a large portion of fries is
For every salad, McDonald’s sells eight double unhealthy”, argues Dr Bassett, “But, I don’t think
cheeseburgers. many people would guess that a McDonald’s
deluxe breakfast contains nearly all their
recommended calorie intake for the day.”
September 13, 2007
8 However, the big fast food chains complained
1 In a recent court case concerning America’s
that it is expensive and unfair – and that they
junk food industry, a group of deep-fat-frying
already provide plenty of information on their
restaurants in New York persuaded a judge
websites.
that they shouldn’t have to write the number of
calories in their meals on in-store menu boards.
9 Chuck Hunt, a spokesman for the New York
State Restaurant Association, says: “The proper
2 Judge Richard Holwell ruled that New York’s
way to deal with this is through education, not
Board of Health was not allowed to demand that
through rules.”
larger restaurant chains write calorie figures
alongside prices for treats such as a McDonald’s
10 The industry argues that calories are only one
Big Mac meal (1,430 calories) or Burger King’s
of many ways to measure how healthy food is.
triple Whopper with cheese (1,230 calories).
Putting them on a menu, says the association,
will only “confuse” people.
3 The judge said the order was unfair because
it only affects restaurants which already have
11 The fast food industry has been trying hard to
calorie information available somewhere – for
present a caring, sharing image. Salads, shakes,
example, on their websites, on food wrappers
milk and fruity nibbles have appeared on menus
or on the underside of tray linings. Of New
traditionally devoted to meat and potato. Just last
York’s 23,000 restaurants, only 2,375 were to be
week, Burger King announced it was launching
included in the law.
‘apple fries’ – slices of apple cut to look like chips
– in an effort to persuade young customers to
4 The argument arose over the city’s latest effort to
embrace healthier options.
deal with an obesity epidemic which is worse in
New York than in the rest of America. More than
12 Many of these changes, however, are cosmetic.
half of the Big Apple’s residents are overweight
For every salad they sell, McDonald’s sells eight
and a third are clinically obese. Among children,
double cheeseburgers.
US obesity levels have tripled since the 1970s.
13 A few chains are taking responsibility. Subway,
which mainly sells fresh sandwiches, has
decided to display calories on its menus. Its
spokesman, Les Winograd, says it was to the
food outside the home. Huge helpings, high
firm’s advantage: “We look at it as an extension
salt content and fatty ingredients mean that the
of something we were already providing.
We have a reputation for offering healthier
alternatives to traditional fatty fast food.”
6 “When people shop in supermarkets, they can 14 Responding to pressure, the industry has
see a nutritional fact chart on the packaging
stopped marketing the worst of its food to
which tells them what they’re getting. When you
children. The Council of Better Business Bureaus
buy food in a restaurant, you have no idea what
has asked companies to stop targeting under-12s
the nutritional content is,” says Dr Bassett.
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with promotions for high-fat foods or for anything 16 He urges the big chains to be pro-active in
failing to meet strict nutritional standards. Burger changing Americans’ diets and in helping
King, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonald’s, Kellogg’s consumers to make better choices: “The
and Kraft are among the companies that have fast food industry makes a number of weak
agreed to this request. Currently, children in arguments. They say [calorie advertising] won’t
America see an average of 21 adverts a day for solve the obesity problem and that’s true. But
sweets, snacks, cereals and fast food. nothing, by itself, will solve the entirety of the
obesity problem.”
15 Experts say the fast food industry’s recent court
action cancels out such positive action. Kelly © Guardian News & Media 2007
Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food First published in The Guardian, 13/09/07
Policy and Obesity at Yale University, says:
“Obesity is all about calories – how many you
take in and how many you burn. For the industry
to say that’s not key information is incorrect.”
1. A New York judge ruled that all restaurants have to write the calories in their food on menus.
2. There are 2,375 restaurants in New York.
3. Subway writes the amount of calories in its food on its menus.
4. There are more cases of obesity in New York than in other parts of the US.
5. The average American child sees over twenty advertisements a day for junk food.
6. Some larger fast food chains have already agreed to stop targeting young children.
7. The New York State Restaurant Association says that writing calories on menus will solve the obesity problem.

8. According to a source in the article, the fast-food industry’s recent court action cancels out the pledge made by
some other fast-food chains.
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4 Comparisons
Fill the gaps in the sentences according to information from the article with:
more than / fewer than / less than
Remember: fewer is used with countable nouns, and less is used with uncountable nouns!
1. A Big Mac meal has ____________ calories ____________ a Burger King triple Whopper with cheese.
2.Home-cooked food usually contains ____________ calories ____________ restaurant-bought food.
3. ____________ half of the Big Apple’s residents are overweight.
4. Food in fast food restaurants costs ____________ food in better restaurants.
5. McDonalds sells ____________ salads ____________ burgers.
5 Discussion
In small groups think of six food and drink specialities from your country. What ingredients do they contain
and how are they prepared?
Decide in your group which ones probably have the most calories and which have the least calories.
Rank them from one to six and give feedback to the class.
Was it easy or difficult to come to an agreement about the ranking? Give reasons.
6 Webquest
Which contains the most calories: a banana, an avocado or a mango? Use an online calorie counter
such as the one at www.fitandtrim.co.uk/caloriecounter.html to find out. Here you can also learn about
recommended daily calorie intakes.
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Level 2 Intermedi ate
KEY

These are the words that appear in the text: 1. F
2. F
burger 3. T
fries 4. T
apple 5. T
adverts 6. T
snacks 7. F
cereal 8. T
breakfast
tray 4 Comparisons
judge
calories
health 1. A Big Mac meal has more calories than a Burger
cosmetic King triple Whopper with cheese.
standards 2. Home-cooked food usually contains fewer calories
home-cooked than restaurant-bought food.
3. More than half of the Big Apple’s residents
are overweight.
2 Key words crossword 4. Food in fast food restaurants costs less than food
in better restaurants.
Across 5. McDonalds sells fewer salads than burgers.
1. confuse
4. chain
7. court case
10. treat
11. clinically obese
Down
2. extension
3. wrapper
5. launch
6. helping
8. packaging
9. consumer
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The McCanns: Exhausted and under suspicion
Level 3 Advanced
1 Pre-reading 1: What do you already know about the story?
Have you heard anything about a little girl called Madeleine McCann? If so, decide which of these
statements about her story are True (T) or False (F).
1. Madeleine disappeared while her family were on holiday in Spain.
2. Madeleine’s parents have no other children.
3. The police in Portugal think Mrs McCann may have killed her daughter.
4. They think a bloodstain in the McCann’s own car is significant.

5. They do not think her husband was involved.
6. Mr and Mrs McCann believe their daughter is still alive.
toddlers presumed strain tributes

allege bail conditions accomplice shattered
1. ____________ – someone who helps someone else commit a crime
2. ____________ – believed to be true, but not yet proved
3. ____________ – restrictions on the temporary freedom given to somebody who is
suspected of committing a crime
4. ____________ – tension, stress
5. ____________ – extremely tired (and sometimes very upset)
6. ____________ – to say that someone is guilty before it has been proved
7. ____________ – things people say or give to show their sympathy and admiration
8. ____________ – very small children who are just learning to walk
Now read the story quickly to check your answers to the questions in 1 and 2.
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NEWS LESSONS / The McCanns: Exhausted and under suspicion / Advanced

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Exhausted and under suspicion, 8 Their journey home began as a grey dawn broke
Madeleine’s family come home shortly after 7am, and Mr and Mrs McCann emerged
hand-in-hand from the borrowed villa in Praia da Luz
Esther Addley where they have been living since July.
Monday September 10, 2007
9 With the twins already inside, they climbed into
their rented silver Renault Scenic – the vehicle in
1 It has been a long journey home for Gerry and which police allege a trace of Madeleine’s blood was
Kate McCann, but shortly after 1pm yesterday, discovered, although it was not hired by the couple
135 days after they had left their home in Rothley, until 25 days after her disappearance.
Leicestershire, the couple lifted their twin toddlers out
of a police people-carrier and shut their front door. 10 Forty minutes later, pursued by a dozen cars and
motorbikes carrying journalists, one of them standing
2 Having left home on April 27 as mother of an “ordinary to film through the car sunroof while being driven at
family of five”, Kate McCann has said repeatedly 80mph, they arrived at Faro airport. Mr McCann drove
that she could not contemplate coming back as into a reserved area normally used by politicians and
four, without their daughter Madeleine. In fact, their VIPs, and they were ushered through check-in to the
homecoming was even more painful: they returned as departure lounge.
suspects in their own daughter’s presumed death.
11 A number of reporters accompanied them on their
3 The strain was apparent in their faces as the couple easyJet flight to East Midlands airport, on which the
emerged from the vehicle. Mrs McCann carried her first two rows of seats were reserved for the family.
two-year-old daughter, Amelie, still clasping the pink At about 12.30pm they landed, to be met by yet more
cuddly cat belonging to Madeleine that she has hardly film crews.
put down since her daughter disappeared. Mr McCann
held their other twin, Sean, in his arms. 12 Emerging from the airport, a clearly emotional Mr
McCann read a brief statement, his son still asleep,
4 They were accompanied into their smart, new, slumped over his shoulder. Mr McCann thanked those
redbrick house, where they have lived for a year, by who had supported the couple during the four months
a police officer, watched by a crowd of reporters and since Madeleine’s disappearance, and said he and
TV crews, while helicopters from news organizations his wife were returning only after “careful thought”
clattered overhead. and with the agreement of the Portuguese police. No
bail conditions are attached to their arguido (suspect)
5 Neighbours in the quiet road stayed resolutely behind status, and they retain their passports.
doors, but a small group of onlookers had gathered
at the end of the street on the outskirts of the pretty 13 “Whilst it is heartbreaking to return to the UK without
village just north of Leicester. Madeleine, it does not mean we are giving up our
search for her,” Mr McCann said. “As parents, we
6 Rothley had seen enthusiastic support for the couple in cannot give up on our daughter until we know what
the weeks following Madeleine’s disappearance, with has happened.” He also made a plea for the family’s
hundreds of bunches of flowers and yellow ribbons privacy to be respected, saying: “We want the twins
being attached to its small war memorial. Those as much as is reasonably possible to live an ordinary
tributes were removed some time ago, though some life in their home country and want to consider the
ribbons remain in the local pub. events of the last few days which have been so
deeply disturbing.”
7 Mr and Mrs McCann have been planning for some
time to return yesterday, and had already sent some 14 In an interview with a Sunday newspaper, Mr McCann
possessions home. Their change in status meant that had said that he and his wife, who police appear to
much of the previous day was spent in calls to the allege was primarily involved in Madeleine’s presumed
Portuguese authorities and consular officials to clear death with her husband as an accomplice, were
their trip. Downing Street had also been informed. “fighting for [their] lives” to clear their names.
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Level 3 Advanced
15 “We thought we were in our worst nightmare but now 19 “Kate and Gerry are just happy to be back at home.
it just keeps getting worse and worse. We did not kill They have been through three or four of the most
our daughter. We will clear our name and we will not difficult days in their lives. They are tired, very tired. If
give up on Madeleine,” he told the News of the World. it was me, I would be absolutely shattered.”
16 Ten minutes after the couple’s arrival back home, 20 Asked if the couple had plans to return to work – Mr
Mrs McCann’s uncle Brian Kennedy, who is chair of McCann as a cardiac surgeon, his wife as a GP – Mr
the campaign to raise awareness about Madeleine’s Kennedy said: “I don’t know. I don’t think they’ll be
disappearance, emerged and spoke briefly to thinking about that for a while yet.”
reporters. He thanked the media, whose members
were gathered two-deep behind the neat hedge, for 21 Behind him, on one of the downstairs windowsills,
being “sympathetic and [behaving] so appropriately”, was a pile of cuddly toys. The curtains to the upstairs
adding that Mr and Mrs McCann would not be bedrooms, including Madeleine’s, painted shocking
emerging from the house for the rest of the day. pink at her request, were drawn.
17 “Gerry made his statement at the airport and that is all 22 A family friend said the room had been left as it was,
he is going to say today,” Mr Kennedy said. “You can “ready for her to come home”.
imagine how they feel – Kate has not been back to
this house since the whole terrible affair started.”
18 “They need to stay in and settle down and try to start a First published in The Guardian, 10/9/07
normal life, or one with some appearance of normality
in it.
1. Why is the McCann’s return even worse than solely coming back without their daughter?
2. Are the people who live near the McCanns supporting them?
3. How did the press respect the McCanns’ privacy when they returned home?
4. In what ways are they being intrusive?
5. Are the McCanns professional people?
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Level 3 Advanced
1. ____________ – a large vehicle that can hold more people than a usual car (para 1)
2. ____________ – came out (of) (para 3)
3. ____________ – soft and nice to hold (para 3)
4. ____________ – made a lot of noise (para 4)
5. ____________ – deliberately; they decided to, and didn’t change their minds (para 5)
6. ____________ – collected, came together (para 5)
7. ____________ – very small quantity of (para 9)
8. ____________ – followed, chased (para 10)
9. ____________ – led ( in a formal way) (para 10)
10. ____________ – lying in a very relaxed way (para 12)
11. ____________ – very serious request (para 13)
12. ____________ – leader, head (of an organization, meeting, etc) (para 16)
5 Discussion
1. How has the press in your country responded to the story about Madeleine?
2. Why do you think the case has received so much media attention?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Pre-reading 1 4 Vocabulary development
1. F (They were in Portugal) 1. people-carrier

2. F (They have two-year-old twins) 2. emerged
3. T 3. cuddly
4. F (Not their own car; a car they hired a month later) 4. clattered
5. F (They think he was an accomplice) 5. resolutely
6. T 6. gathered
7. trace
8. pursued
9. ushered
10. slumped
1. accomplice 11. plea
2. presumed 12. chair
3. bail conditions
4. strain
5. shattered
6. allege
7. tributes
8. toddlers
1. Because now they are now suspected of

her murder.
2. They kept out of the way when they came
home; they left lots of flowers for them, and
there is a campaign to find Madeleine.
3. By staying behind the hedge.
4. In Portugal: by chasing after their car; by
going on the same flight home; and in England,
by hovering overhead in a helicopter.
5. Yes; they are both doctors.
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Level 1 Elementary
Have you heard of a little girl called Madeleine McCann? She disappeared (nobody could find her) when
her family were on holiday.
Do you think these sentences about her story are True (T) or False (F)?
1. Madeleine’s family were on holiday in Spain.

2. Madeleine’s parents have no other children
3. The police in Portugal think Mrs McCann killed her daughter.
4. They think some blood in the McCann’s own car is important.
5. They do not think her husband was part of the crime
Match these keywords from the text with the definitions below:
toddlers suspects exhausted allege an accomplice under suspicion
1. ____________ – people the police think committed a crime
2. ____________ – very, very tired.
4. If you are put ____________ , the police think you are guilty.
5. ____________ – to say someone is guilty of doing something wrong before it is proved
6. ____________ – very small children, just learning to walk
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NEWS LESSONS / The McCanns: Exhausted and under suspicion / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Exhausted and under suspicion, most of the day before, phoning the Portuguese
Madeleine’s family come home authorities to get permission to come home.
Esther Addley 8 Their journey home began just after 7am, and Mr
September 10, 2007 and Mrs McCann walked hand-in-hand from the
rented villa in Praia da Luz where they have been
living since July.
1 It has been a long journey home for Gerry and
Kate McCann, but soon after 1pm yesterday, 135 9 The couple drove to the airport with the twins in
days after they had left their home in Rothley, their rented silver Renault Scenic. Police allege
Leicestershire, the couple lifted their twin toddlers that there was a trace of Madeleine’s blood
out of a police people-carrier and shut their inside, but the McCanns did not hire the car until
front door. 25 days after she disappeared.
2 Kate McCann left home on April 27 as the 10 Lots of cars and motorbikes full of journalists
mother of an “ordinary family of five”. Later, she chased after them. One cameraman stood up
often said that she could not think about coming to film through the car sunroof while it drove at
back as a family of four, without their daughter 80mph. At Faro airport, Mr McCann drove into a
Madeleine. In fact, their homecoming was even reserved area normally used by politicians and
more painful: the police now think perhaps they VIPs, and they were taken through check-in to
killed their own daughter. the departure lounge.
3 The couple looked very unhappy as they got out 11 The first two rows of seats on their easyJet flight
of the vehicle. Mrs McCann carried her two-year- to East Midlands airport were reserved for the
old daughter, Amelie and Madeleine’s pink cuddly family, but a number of reporters were also on
cat. She always carries it, now her daughter has their flight. At about 12.30pm they landed, and
disappeared. Mr McCann held their other twin, were met by even more film crews.
Sean, in his arms. 12 When Mr McCann came out of the airport, very
4 A police officer followed them into their upset, he read a brief statement, his son still
smart, new, redbrick house, where they have asleep on his shoulder. Mr McCann thanked
lived for a year. A crowd of reporters and TV people who had supported the couple during the
crews watched, and there were noisy press four months since Madeleine’s disappearance,
helicopters overhead. and said he and his wife had thought very
carefully before they decided to come home.
5 Neighbours in the quiet road politely stayed
Although they are suspects, the Portuguese
inside, but a small group of people were watching
police had let them keep their passports and
at the end of the street on the edge of the pretty
come back to Britain.
village just north of Leicester.
13 In an interview with a Sunday newspaper, Mr
6 People in Rothley had shown their support
McCann said that he and his wife, who police
for the couple in the weeks after Madeleine’s
seem to think is the main suspect in Madeleine’s
disappearance, with hundreds of bunches of
presumed death, with her husband as an
flowers and yellow ribbons tied to its small war
accomplice, were “fighting for [their] lives” to
memorial. The flowers were removed some
prove their innocence.
time ago, though some ribbons remain in the
local pub. 14 “We will clear our name and we will not give up
on Madeleine,” he told the News of the World.
7 Mr and Mrs McCann decided to return yesterday.
But because they were suspects, they spent 15 Ten minutes after the couple’s arrival back home,
Mrs McCann’s uncle, Brian Kennedy, who is
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leading the campaign to publicize Madeleine’s 18 Behind him, on one of the downstairs
disappearance, came out and spoke briefly windowsills, was a pile of cuddly toys. The
to reporters. curtains to the upstairs bedrooms, including
Madeleine’s, painted her favourite pink,
16 “Kate and Gerry are just happy to be back at
were closed.
home. They have been through three or four
of the most difficult days in their lives. They 19 A family friend said the room had been left as it
are tired, very tired. If it was me, I would be was, “ready for her to come home”.
absolutely shattered.”
17 Asked if the couple had plans to return to work
– Mr McCann as a cardiac surgeon, his wife
as a GP – Mr Kennedy said: “I don’t know. I
don’t think they’ll be thinking about that for a
while yet.”
First, read quickly and underline these words and numbers in the text.
135 Rothley April 27 Amelie Sean
Praia da Luz Renault 25 80mph 12.30pm
Now, read the text again, and use the information from the box to complete the sentences below.
1. The McCanns live in ______________.

2. Their twin son’s name is ______________.
3. The reporters in Portugal drove at ______________ to follow them to the airport.
4. The McCanns rented a ______________ car.
5. They were on holiday in the town of ______________.
6. They left England on ______________.
7. Their twin daughter’s name is ______________.
8. They stayed in Portugal for ______________ days.
9. Madeleine disappeared ______________ days before hey hired their car.
10. Their plane arrived in England at ______________.
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4 Vocabulary development: Find the words
1. ____________ a big family car with three rows of seats (para 1)

2. ____________ soft and nice to hold (para 3)
3. ____________ very small quantity of (para 9)
4. ____________ followed very quickly, trying to catch them (para 10)
5. __________ __________ __________ prove that we are innocent (3 words, para 14)
6. __________ __________ __________ stop hoping to find (three words, para 14)
7. ____________ for a very short time (para 15)
8. ____________ very tired, (and sometimes very upset) (para 16)
Choose prepositions from the box to go with the words below.
at in of on to
1. ______ April 27 6. drove ______ the airport

2. ______ his arms 7. drove ______ 80mph
3. ______ the end ______ the street 8. _____ about 12.30pm
4. hundreds ______ bunches ______ flowers 9. back _____ home
5. hand ______ hand 10. the most difficult days _____ their lives
Good writers don’t repeat the same words all the time. They use other words to talk about the same people
or things. We call this: reference.
First find the words on the left in the text, then match them with the words they are referring to on the right.
Be careful – sometimes the people or things they refer to are in a paragraph before.
1 The couple (para 3) a The police people-carrier

2 The vehicle (para 3) b Rothley
3 The pretty village (para 5) c The McCanns
4 The car (para 9) d A Sunday newspaper
5 The family (para 11) e Gerry and Kate McCann
6 The News of the World (para 14) f The Renault Scenic
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KEY
1. False, they were in Portugal. 1. people-carrier

2. False, they have two-year-old twins. 2. cuddly
3. True. 3. trace
4. False. Not their own car; a car they rented 25 4. pursued
days later. 5. clear our name
5. False, they think he was an accomplice. 6. give up on
6. True. 7. briefly
8. shattered
1. suspects
2. exhausted 1. on
3. an accomplice 2. in
4. on suspicion 3. at, of
5. allege 4. of, of
6. toddlers 5. in
6. to
7. at
3 Reading for information
8. at
9. at
1. Rothley 10. in
2. Sean
3. 80mph
4. Renault 6 Understanding reference
5. Praia da Luz
6. April 27 1. e
7. Amelie 2. a
8. 135 3. b
9. 25 4. f
10. 12.30pm 5. c
6. d
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What do you know about a little girl called Madeleine McCann? Do you think these sentences about her
story are True (T) or False (F)?
1. Madeleine disappeared while her family were on holiday in Spain.

2. Madeleine’s parents have no other children.
3. The police in Portugal think Mrs McCann killed her daughter.
4. They think some blood in the McCann’s own car is important.
5. They do not think her husband was part of the crime.
toddlers suspects presumed allege an accomplice
1. ____________ – people the police think committed a crime

3. ____________ – believed to be true, but not yet proved
4. ____________ – to say that someone is guilty before it has been proved
5. ____________ – very small children, just learning to walk
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Exhausted and under suspicion, phoning the Portuguese authorities and consular
Madeleine’s family come home officials to get permission for their trip. Downing
Street had also been informed.
Esther Addley
September 10, 2007 8 Their journey home began just after 7am, and Mr
and Mrs McCann walked hand-in-hand from the
borrowed villa in Praia da Luz where they have
1 It has been a long journey home for Gerry and
been living since July.
Kate McCann, but soon after 1pm yesterday,
135 days after they left their home in Rothley, 9 With the twins already inside, they climbed into
Leicestershire, the couple lifted their twin toddlers their rented silver Renault Scenic – the vehicle in
out of a police people-carrier and shut their which police allege a trace of Madeleine’s blood
front door. was discovered, although the couple did not hire
it until 25 days after her disappearance.
2 Having left home on April 27 as mother of an
“ordinary family of five”, Kate McCann has often 10 Forty minutes later, chased by lots of cars and
said that she could not think about coming back motorbikes carrying journalists, one of them
as four, without their daughter Madeleine. In fact, standing to film through the car sunroof while
their homecoming was even more painful: they it drove at 80mph, they arrived at Faro airport.
returned as suspects in their own daughter’s Mr McCann drove into a reserved area normally
presumed death. used by politicians and VIPs, and they were
taken through check-in to the departure lounge.
3 The couple looked very stressed as they got out
of the vehicle. Mrs McCann carried her two-year- 11 A number of reporters accompanied them on
old daughter, Amelie, still holding Madeleine’s their easyJet flight to East Midlands airport, on
pink cuddly cat that she has hardly put down which the first two rows of seats were reserved
since her daughter disappeared. Mr McCann for the family. At about 12.30pm they landed, and
held their other twin, Sean, in his arms. were met by even more film crews.
4 A police officer accompanied them into their 12 When Mr McCann came out of the airport, clearly
smart, new redbrick house, where they have emotional, he read a brief statement, his son
lived for a year. A crowd of reporters and TV still asleep on his shoulder. Mr McCann thanked
crews watched, and there were noisy press people who had supported the couple during the
helicopters overhead. four months since Madeleine’s disappearance,
and said he and his wife had thought very
5 Neighbours in the quiet road politely stayed carefully before deciding to come home.
inside, but a small group of onlookers had
Although they are suspects, the Portuguese
collected at the end of the street on the edge of
police had let them keep their passports and
the pretty village just north of Leicester.
come back to Britain.
6 People in Rothley had shown enthusiastic 13 “Whilst it is heartbreaking to return to the UK
support for the couple in the weeks following
without Madeleine, it does not mean we are
Madeleine’s disappearance, with hundreds of
giving up our search for her,” Mr McCann said.
bunches of flowers and yellow ribbons tied to its
“As parents we cannot give up on our daughter
small war memorial. The flowers were removed
until we know what has happened.” He also
some time ago, though some ribbons remain in
asked people to respect the family’s privacy;
the local pub.
they wanted the twins to live an ordinary life in
7 Mr and Mrs McCann had been planning for some their home country, and they needed time to
time to return yesterday, and had already sent think about the very worrying events of the last
some possessions home. Because they were few days.
suspects, they spent most of the day before
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14 In an interview with a Sunday newspaper, Mr are tired, very tired. If it was me, I would be
McCann had said that he and his wife, who absolutely shattered.”
police seem to think is the main suspect in
18 Asked if the couple had plans to return to work
Madeleine’s presumed death, with her husband
– Mr McCann as a cardiac surgeon, his wife
as an accomplice, were “fighting for [their] lives”
as a GP – Mr Kennedy said: “I don’t know. I
to prove their innocence.
don’t think they’ll be thinking about that for a
15 “We will clear our name and we will not give up while yet.”
on Madeleine,” he told the News of the World.
19 Behind him, on one of the downstairs
16 Ten minutes after the couple’s arrival back windowsills, was a pile of cuddly toys. The
home, Mrs McCann’s uncle, Brian Kennedy, curtains to the upstairs bedrooms, including
who is chair of the campaign to raise awareness Madeleine’s, painted her favourite pink,
about Madeleine’s disappearance, came out were closed.
and spoke briefly to reporters.
20 A family friend said the room had been left as it
17 “Kate and Gerry are just happy to be back at was, “ready for her to come home”.
home. They have been through three or four
of the most difficult days in their lives. They © Guardian News & Media 2007
3 General understanding: Order the events
Put these events in the order they happened.
a. The McCanns left their home in England.

b. The McCanns came back home to Rothley.
c. Madeleine disappeared.
d. The McCanns planned to come home.
e. They phoned Portuguese officials to get permission to leave Portugal.
f. The McCanns hired a silver Renault car.
g. Journalists followed them to the airport.
h. Mrs. McCann’s uncle talked to reporters.
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4 Vocabulary development: Find the words
1. ____________ a large vehicle that can hold more people than a usual car (para 1)
2. ____________ soft and nice to hold (para 3)
3. ____________ went with (para 4)
4. ____________ very small quantity of (para 9)
5. ____________ followed, chased (para 10)
6. __________ __________ __________ stop hoping to find (3 words, para 13)
7. __________ __________ __________ prove that we are innocent (3 words, para 15)
8. ____________ leader, head of an organization or meeting (para 16)
9. ____________ for a very short time (para 16)
10. ____________ very tired, (and sometimes very upset) (para 17)
5 Discussion
1. What have the newspapers and TV in your country said about Madeleine?
2. Why do you think this case has had so much media coverage?
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1. False, they were in Portugal. 1. people-carrier

2. False, they have two-year-old twins. 2. cuddly
3. True. 3. accompanied
4. False. Not their own car; a car they hired 25 4. trace
days later. 5. pursued
5. False, they think he was an accomplice. 6. give up on
6. True. 7. clear our name
8. chair
9. briefly
10. shattered
1. suspects
2. an accomplice
3. presumed
4. allege
5. toddlers

1. a
2. c
3. f
4. d
5. e
6. g
7. b
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Radiohead’s bid to revive music industry
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
priceless struggling piracy prominence uproar

eagerly fanbase hoax self-indulgence bypass
1. _______________ is the practice of allowing yourself to do something special that you like very much.
2. If you gain _______________ in a particular field, you become important or well-known within that field.
3. A _______________ is a trick in which someone deliberately tells people that something will happen or that
something is true when it is not.
4. The _______________ of a pop group or a sports team is the total number of fans they have around the world.
5. If a company is _______________, it is experiencing financial problems.
6. If something causes _______________, it provokes angry public criticism.
7. If you _______________ someone or something, you avoid dealing with them.
8. _______________ is the practice of making and selling illegal copies of CDs, DVDs and so on.
9. A _______________ commodity is extremely valuable and impossible to replace.
10. If you do something _______________, you do it with a great deal of enthusiasm or excitement.
2 What do you know?
1. The British rock group Radiohead are planning to give away their new album for free.
2. Prince recently gave his latest album away free with a British newspaper.
3. The music download service iTunes sells albums not individual tracks.
4. Sales of CDs are falling while sales of music merchandise are increasing.
5. Paul McCartney signed a deal with Starbucks.
6. Digital piracy is only having a small impact on the music industry.

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NEWS LESSONS / Radiohead’s bid to revive music industry / Advanced

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Radiohead’s bid to revive music said they would give their new single and album
industry: pay what you like to away for nothing through a radio station. “Why
download albums would you volunteer to join the army for 10 years
unless you had no choice? Record companies
Owen Gibson, media correspondent are a kind of army – very regulated,” said
Tuesday October 2, 2007 Creation Records founder Alan McGee, who
manages the Charlatans. He continued: “Whilst
live music and merchandise sales are booming,
1 Their music has long been praised for blurring
physical sales are steadily decreasing with
boundaries and breaking moulds. Now
more and more fans simply burning tracks from
Radiohead are hoping to establish a new model
friends or free download sites. The band will get
for the struggling record industry by inviting
paid more by more people coming to the gigs,
music buyers to decide how much they want to
buying merchandise, publishing and synch fees. I
pay for their new album. To their biggest fans,
believe it’s the future business model.”
eagerly awaiting their first studio album for four
years, it is near priceless. Those who believe 5 But Nicola Slade, editor of the music industry
Radiohead long ago descended into self- newsletter Record of the Day, sounded a note
indulgence may only risk pennies. But thanks to of caution, speculating that not all bands could
this ground-breaking experiment, the band will go it alone in similar fashion or afford to give
bypass record labels altogether and will be able their music away. “I’m all in favour of sticking it to
to put a fiscal value on the public’s appreciation the man, but you have to remember that Prince
of their art. and Radiohead have had the benefit of years of
record company investment and they wouldn’t be
2 The release was announced with a short
where they are without it,” she said.
message from guitarist Jonny Greenwood on the
band’s website, revealing that the new album, In 6 A spokesman for Radiohead said one motivation
Rainbows, would be available to download from behind the new model was to get the album
October 10. Orders started rolling in yesterday, out to fans more quickly than the usual three
with customers able to decide how much to pay to six month lead time required by record
– from nothing (plus a 45p administration charge) labels. Diehard fans are also being offered the
upwards. Radiohead’s ‘honesty box’ experiment opportunity to spend £40 on a physical ‘discbox’
will be closely watched by other artists, their version of the album. After downloading In
record labels and management companies. Rainbows next week, in December these fans
will be sent a deluxe box containing the album
3 In Rainbows is the most high-profile attempt
on CD and two vinyl records, as well as a
yet to restructure the economics of a music
second CD containing more new songs, digital
industry struggling with the effects of digital
photographs, artwork and a hardback book.
piracy. Despite a booming live scene, CD sales
are less profitable than ever thanks to increased 7 Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the obsessive
competition and piracy. With the role of the nature of the fanbase, on the first day on sale it
Internet in helping new acts rise to prominence appeared more people had shelled out for the
already well documented, more established box set than had ordered the variably priced
artists are attempting to revolutionize the way download. Since parting company with their
music is sold. record label EMI and insisting that in future
4 Prince caused uproar among music retailers they would only sign one-off deals, a string of
rumours has surrounded the release of the
by giving his latest album away with a British
latest Radiohead album. One website counting
Sunday newspaper and yesterday the Charlatans
down to the new album was dismissed as a
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Level 3 Advanced
hoax, while the band’s management were also resolutely refused to make their music available
forced to deny rumours that they were due to to the market leader, iTunes, because the
follow Paul McCartney’s lead and sign a deal Apple service insists on selling individual tracks
with Starbucks. and Radiohead wanted to sell their albums as
complete works.
8 It was only recently that Radiohead’s back
catalogue, including The Bends and the highly- © Guardian News & Media 2007
praised OK Computer, were made available First published in The Guardian, 02/10/07
digitally thanks to a deal between EMI and
the download service 7Digital. The band had
1. Why are CDs less profitable than ever?

a. Because artists like Prince are giving them away free.
b. Because of increased competition and piracy.
c. Because people are buying merchandise instead.
2. Why do the Charlatans want to give their new single and album away for nothing?

a. Because they don’t like the three to six month lead time record companies require.
b. Because they want their music to be played by radio stations.
c. Because they want to avoid using record companies which they believe are very regulated.
3. In the article, Radiohead are described as ‘blurring boundaries’, ‘breaking moulds’ and taking part in a
‘ground-breaking experiment’. Which of these best describes Radiohead?

a. They want to make as much money as possible from their new album.
b. They enjoy ‘sticking it to the man’.
c. They enjoy being different and innovative.
4. What has the response of diehard Radiohead fans been to the possibility of buying the new album for
as little as 45p?

a. Millions of them have downloaded it.
b. More of them have ordered the £40 box set than the digital download.
c. They have dismissed the new album as a hoax.
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Level 3 Advanced
Look in the text and find the following words and expressions:
1. A verb + noun collocation meaning to make the distinction between two things unclear. (para 1)
2. A verb + noun collocation meaning to change a situation by doing something very different from what
is usually done. (para 1)
3. An adjective meaning relating to money and financial matters. (para 1)
4. A noun meaning a person or company selling directly to the public. (para 4)
5. A five-word expression meaning give a warning. (para 5)
6. A two-word expression meaning the time between planning something and starting to do it. (para 6)
7. An adjective meaning extremely loyal and refusing to change. (para 6)
8. An adjective meaning not thinking about anything else. (para 7)
5 Vocabulary 2: Colloquial language
Match the words and expressions on the left with the definitions on the right.
1. gig a. copying CDs from the Internet

2. shell out b. do something independently
3. roll in c. royalty payments agreed by contract
4. sticking it to the man d. a live performance by a musician or musical group
5. a one-off deal e. spend a lot of money
6. go it alone f. arrive in large amounts
7. burning g. rebelling against authority
8. synch fees h. an arrangement that only happens once
Match the verbs on the left and nouns on the right to make collocations from the text.
1. part a. merchandise
2. cause b. the opportunity (to do something)
3. join c. a deal
4. have d. the army
5. buy e. no choice
6. offer f. company
7. sign g. a rumour
8. deny h. uproar
7 Discussion
What do you think the future of the music industry is? Will the Internet revolutionize music sales as we
know them? Are CDs a thing of the past, like vinyl records and cassettes? Do you prefer downloading
music to an electronic machine or having a physical CD in your hand?
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KEY
1. self-indulgence 1. blur the boundaries

2. prominence 2. break the mould/moulds
3. hoax 3. fiscal
4. fanbase 4. retailer
5. struggling 5. sound a note of caution
6. uproar 6. lead time
7. bypass 7. diehard
8. piracy 8. obsessive
9. priceless
10. eagerly
5 Vocabulary 2: Colloquial language

2. e
1. F 3. f
2. T 4. g
3. F 5. h
4. T 6. b
5. T 7. a
6. F 8. c
3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations
1. b
2. c 1. f
3. c 2. h
4. b 3. d
4. e
5. a
6. b
7. c
8. g
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
piracy booming album release merchandise

gig newsletter vinyl deal track
1. A _______________ is a live musical performance.
2. When record companies _______________ a new CD, they make it possible for people to buy it.
3. A _______________ is written information sent regularly to members of an organization.
4. _______________ is goods that people buy and sell.
5. An _______________ is a CD or record with several songs on it.
6. A _______________ is one of the songs on an album.
8. A _______________ is a formal business agreement.
9. _______________ is a hard, light plastic used to make LP records.
10. If a business is _______________, it is extremely successful and profitable.
1. What is the title of the new Radiohead album?
2. What is the smallest amount of money customers can pay for the new Radiohead album?
3. How much will the expensive ‘discbox’ version of the album cost?
4. How will the Charlatans give their new album away free?
5. When will it be possible to download the new Radiohead album?
6. When will customers receive the box set version of the album?
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Level 1 Elementary
Radiohead’s bid to revive music single and album away free through a radio
industry: pay what you like to station. Alan McGee, the manager of the
download albums Charlatans, said, “While live music and sales
of merchandise (t-shirts, posters and so on)
Owen Gibson, media correspondent
are booming, sales of CDs are falling. This is
October 2, 2007
because more and more fans simply copy tracks
from friends or get them from free Internet sites.
1 For many years the British group Radiohead The band will get more money from more people
have been known for their original music. Now coming to their gigs and buying merchandise. I
they are hoping to do something else that is new believe it’s the future business model.”
to the world of rock music. They are planning
to invite music buyers to decide how much 5 But Nicola Slade, editor of the music industry
they want to pay for their new album. Fans of newsletter Record of the Day, did not agree,
Radiohead, who can hardly wait to hear their saying that not everyone could do what
first studio album for four years, will probably Radiohead are doing and give their music
be willing to pay a lot of money for the album. away free. “I like people doing things differently,
People who do not like their music so much will but you have to remember that Prince and
probably only offer to pay a few pennies. But Radiohead have had a lot of money from their
thanks to this experiment, Radiohead will not be record companies and this has helped them to be
using a record company and will be able to find where they are today”, she said.
out what people really think of their music.
6 It usually takes three to six months for a record
2 The group’s guitarist, Jonny Greenwood, label to release a new album. A spokesman for
announced the release of the new album on the Radiohead said one reason for the experiment
band’s website. Customers can download the was to get the album to fans more quickly
album, In Rainbows, from October 10. People than this. Big Radiohead fans can also spend
began to place orders immediately. They can £40 on a ‘discbox’ version of the album.
decide how much to pay – from nothing (plus a After downloading In Rainbows next week,
45p administration charge) upwards. Other music in December these fans will receive a deluxe
artists and their record labels and management box containing the album on CD and two vinyl
companies will watch Radiohead’s experiment records, as well as a second CD containing more
very carefully. new songs, digital photographs, artwork and a
hardback book.
3 With In Rainbows Radiohead are trying to
restructure the economics of the music industry, 7 It is probably no surprise that on the first day of
which is having problems because of digital sale more people ordered the expensive box set
piracy. Live music is booming but CD sales than the download costing as little as 45p. Since
are falling as a result of increased competition Radiohead left their record label EMI there have
and piracy. Many new groups have become been a lot of stories about what the band would
well known through the Internet and now more do next and what would happen to their new
famous artists are also using the Internet in order album. Some people said that Radiohead would
to revolutionize the way music is sold. follow the example of Paul McCartney and sign a
deal with Starbucks. This did not happen.
4 Companies selling CDs were shocked when
Prince gave his latest album away free with 8 It is now possible to buy digital versions of
a British Sunday newspaper. Pop group the Radiohead’s other albums, including The Bends
Charlatans have said they will give their new and OK Computer, thanks to a deal between
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EMI and the download service 7Digital. Before

that Radiohead did not allow the market leader,
iTunes, to sell their music digitally because
iTunes sells individual tracks and Radiohead
wanted to sell their albums as complete works,
not as single tracks.

1. Digital piracy…
2. Customers will decide…
3. Music groups can earn more money from selling merchandise…
4. CD sales are falling…
5. When Prince gave his new album away free…
6. More people have ordered the expensive box set…
a. … companies selling CDs were shocked.
b. … than from selling CDs.
c. … because fans can get tracks free from Internet sites.
d. … is a big problem for the music industry.
e. … than the cheap digital download.
f. … how much they want to pay for Radiohead’s new album.

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4 Vocabulary 1: Adverbs
Fill the gaps in these sentences using these adverbs from the text.
quickly differently probably carefully hardly simply
1. Some people will _______________ pay a lot of money for the new album.
2. Big Radiohead fans can _______________ wait for the album’s release.
3. Radiohead and Prince are doing things _______________.
4. The experiment will get the album to the fans more _______________.
5. Record labels will watch the experiment _______________.
6. Many fans _______________copy tracks from free Internet sites.
Fill the gaps using the correct prepositions.
1. as a result _______ increased competition

2. thanks _______ a deal
3. known _______ their original music
4. what people think _______ their music
5. three _______ six months
6. spend money _______ something
7. sign a deal _______ someone
8. pay a lot of money _______ something
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. manage
2. compete
3. release
4. announcement
5. agreement
6. decision
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Adverbs
1. gig 1. probably
2. release 2. hardly
3. newsletter 3. differently
4. merchandise 4. quickly
5. album 5. carefully
6. track 6. simply
7. piracy
8. deal
9. vinyl
10. booming
1. of
2. to
2 Find the information 3. for
4. of
1. In Rainbows 5. to
2. 45p 6. on
3. £40 7. with
4. through a radio station 8. for
5. October 10th
6. in December
6 Word buliding: Verbs and nouns
1. d verb noun
2. f 1. manage management
3. b 2. compete competition
4. c 3. release release
5. a 4. announce announcement
6. e
5. agree agreement
6. decide decision
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1 Key words
priceless struggling piracy uproar booming

self-indulgent bypass loyal rumour retailer
1. If something causes _______________, it provokes angry public criticism.
3. If you are_______________ , you allow yourself to do something special that you like very much.
4. A _______________ is a business that sells direct to the public.
5. If a company is _______________, it is experiencing financial problems.
6. If something is _______________, it is extremely valuable and impossible to replace.
7. A _______________ is unofficial information that may or may not be true.
8. If a business is _______________, it is extremely successful and profitable.
9. If you are _______________, you are willing to support someone, even in difficult times.
10. If you _______________ someone or something, you avoid dealing with them.
1. What is the minimum amount of money customers will pay for the new Radiohead album?
2. How much will the expensive box set version of the album cost?
3. What is the title of the new Radiohead album?
4. How will the Charlatans give their new album away free?
5. When will the new Radiohead album be available to download?
6. When will the box set version of the album be sent to customers?
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NEWS LESSONS / Radiohead’s bid to revive music industry / Intermediate

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Radiohead’s bid to revive music said they would give their new single and album
industry: pay what you like to away for nothing through a radio station. “Record
download album companies are like the army – very regulated,”
said Creation Records founder Alan McGee,
who manages the Charlatans. “Whilst live music
October 2, 2007
and sales of merchandise are booming, physical
sales of CDs are steadily decreasing as more
1 For many years the music of the British group
and more fans simply copy tracks from friends
Radiohead has been praised for its scope
or get them from free download sites. The band
and originality. Now Radiohead are hoping to
will get paid more by more people coming to their
introduce another innovation to the world of rock
gigs, buying merchandise, publishing and royalty
music by inviting music buyers to decide how
fees. I believe it’s the future business model.”
much they want to pay for their new album. For
fans of Radiohead, who can hardly wait to hear 5 But Nicola Slade, editor of the music industry
their first studio album for four years, the album newsletter Record of the Day, was more
will be almost priceless. Those who believe cautious, saying that not all could do what
Radiohead’s music has long been self-indulgent Radiohead are doing or afford to give their
will probably only pay pennies. But thanks to music away. “I’m all in favour of doing things
this innovative experiment, the band will bypass differently, but you have to remember that Prince
record labels altogether and will be able to find and Radiohead have had the benefit of years of
out what the public really thinks of their music investment from their record companies and they
– in financial terms at least. wouldn’t be where they are without it,” she said.
2 The album’s release was announced with a 6 A spokesman for Radiohead said one reason
short message from guitarist Jonny Greenwood for the experiment was to get the album out to
on the band’s website, revealing that the new fans more quickly than the usual three to six
album, In Rainbows, would be available to month period required by the record labels. Loyal
download from October 10. Orders started fans are also being offered the opportunity to
coming in immediately, with customers able spend £40 on a ‘discbox’ version of the album.
to decide how much to pay – from nothing After downloading In Rainbows next week,
(plus a 45p administration charge) upwards. in December these fans will be sent a deluxe
Radiohead’s experiment will be closely box containing the album on CD and two vinyl
watched by other artists, their record labels and records, as well as a second CD containing more
management companies. new songs, digital photographs, artwork and a
hardback book.
3 In Rainbows is an attempt to restructure the
economics of a music industry struggling with the 7 As many Radiohead fans are fanatically loyal,
effects of digital piracy. Live music is booming but it is probably no surprise that on the first day
CD sales are becoming less and less profitable of sale more people had bought the expensive
thanks to increased competition and piracy. Many box set than the variably priced download. In
new groups have become well known through Rainbows has been the subject of many rumours
the Internet and now more established artists are ever since the band left their record label EMI,
using it in an attempt to revolutionize the way insisting that in future they would only sign one-
music is sold. off deals. One rumour suggested that Radiohead
would follow Paul McCartney’s lead and sign
4 Prince caused uproar among music retailers by
a deal with Starbucks. The rumour has since
giving his latest album away free with a British
been denied.
Sunday newspaper and yesterday the Charlatans
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8 Digital versions of Radiohead’s back catalogue,
including The Bends and the highly-praised OK
Computer, became available recently thanks to
a deal between EMI and the download service
7Digital. Before that the band had always
refused to make their music available to the
market leader, iTunes, because it insists on
selling individual tracks and Radiohead wanted
to sell their albums as complete works.

1. Sales of CDs are increasing.
2. iTunes sells whole albums, not individual tracks.
3. Live music is booming.
4. On the first day of sale more people ordered the expensive box set than the download.
5. The number of people copying CDs and downloading them from the Internet is increasing.
6. Radiohead are planning to sign a deal with Starbucks.
7. Radiohead’s previous albums are not available in digital form.
8. Piracy is a major problem for the music industry.
1. An adjective meaning new, original and advanced. (para 1)
2. A noun meaning the act of making something available. (para 2)
3. A noun meaning goods that people buy and sell. (para 4)
4. A noun meaning an informal word for a live musical performance. (para 4)
5. A two-word noun meaning payments musicians receive each time their work is performed. (para 4)
6. An adjective meaning careful. (para 5)
7. A two-word adjective meaning happening only once. (para 7)
8. A two-word noun meaning all the records an artist has produced in the past. (para 7)
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Match the verbs on the left and nouns on the right to make collocations from the text.
1. release a. merchandise
2. pay b. someone the opportunity (to do something)
3. cause c. a deal
4. follow d. an administrative charge
5. buy e. someone’s lead

6. offer f. a rumour
7. sign g. an album
8. deny h. uproar
Complete the table.
noun adjective
1. original
2. innovation
3. availability
4. profit

5. competitive
6. caution
7. loyalty
8. finance
7 Discussion
What are the arguments for and against making music available for free on the Internet?
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1. uproar 1. innovative
2. piracy 2. release
3. self-indulgent 3. merchandise
4. retailer 4. gig
5. struggling 5. royalty fees
6. priceless 6. cautious
7. rumour 7. one-off
8. booming 8. back catalogue
9. loyal
10. bypass
1. g
2. d
1. 45p 3. h
2. £40 4. e
3. In Rainbows 5. a
4. through a radio station 6. b
5. October 10th 7. c
6. in December 8. f
1. F
2. F 1. originality
3. T 2. innovative
4. T 3. available
5. T 4. profitable
6. F 5. competition
7. F 6. cautious
8. T 7. loyal
8. financial
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Emoticons, emails and letter writing
Level 3 Advanced
1 Pre-reading 1
Tick üthe boxes that are correct for you and compare your answers with a partner.
I often use emoticons in my electronic communication.
Emoticons are useful for conveying how the writer feels.
Emoticons are useful in chat rooms, when writing personal emails and when sending text messages.
People who use emoticons aren’t serious.
I dislike emoticons.
What are emoticons?
2 Pre-reading 2
Match these emoticons, and the expressions from the article, with their meanings.
}:-( I’m wearing glasses
;-) I’m undecided
8-) I’m married
0:-) Your toupee is blowing in the wind
:-)(-: I’m only joking!
:-\ The writer just made a sweet or innocent remark
1. up to scratch a. waste no time on unnecessary matters
2. risk unintentional pain and embarrassment b. need for something to make it all better and easier
3. no pause for revision c. good enough / reaches the expectations

4. to crave the soothing balm of… d. there is a danger of hurting someone or making
yourself look like a fool
5. get straight down to business e. no checking or correcting

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NEWS LESSONS / Emoticons, emails and letter writing / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Emoticons, emails and letter writing words and sentences with no pause for revision,
Simon Jenkins let alone perfection. As soon as they are on
September 21, 2007 screen they acquire validity. Over them hovers
the dreaded send button, itching to be pressed
Have emails made us into unemotional
– ‘send’ is always pressed too soon.
machines?
6 There is no wait for the post to go, no time to
1 The emoticon is 25 years old. In 1982, a
correct what is written. Nor is there any certainty
Pittsburgh professor, Scott Fahlman, noted
that an email has arrived, just the plaintive call:
that the electronic mail of his students lacked
“Did you get my email ... why didn’t you reply?”
the necessary body language and voice tones
All is then regret. I should have read it through
to express greetings and humour. The smiley
one more time. Hardly surprising then that we
was born, and with it a large lexicon of symbols
crave the soothing balm of the emoticon.
intended to insert normal human emotion into
the frigid alphabet. A–Z might have sufficed for
7 How on earth did we manage before? Somehow
Shakespeare, Milton, Keats and Shelley, but for
we communicated love, hurt, remorse, anger and
today’s global nerd it is not up to scratch.
joy under the bountiful guidance of the Oxford
English Dictionary. We used quill, pen, pencil,
Early telegraphy had its own short forms and
ballpoint, even typewriter, and if anything went
icons. Users realized that abbreviated language
wrong we had the telephone as backup. But why
risked unintentional pain and embarrassment.
is email so lacking in feeling that it requires its
Hence an apparently sarcastic or abrupt remark
2 might be softened by a simple symbol. The result own additional alphabet? How much sincerity
really is conveyed by J ?
was not just smileys but frownies and various
signs of perplexity, love, anger and surprise.
8 The authors of a book on ‘netiquette’ come
straight to the point: “On email people aren’t
3 There are 16 pages of emoticons in Andrew
quite themselves ... they are angrier, less
John’s Txtr’s A–Z – my favourite being }:-( for
sympathetic, less aware, more easily wounded,
‘your toupee is blowing in the wind’. An indication
even more gossipy and duplicitous.” Some have
of the keyboard’s evolution is that many
even wrecked their marriages, lost their jobs and
computers automatically convert the frownie into
ended up in jail.
L J L
. In other words, and have become
formal symbols in the Internet lexicon.
9 Many of us do not know how to handle email. Do
we start Dear Sir or Hi gorgeous, or get straight
4 I confess to seeing the problem. I have seldom
down to business? Do we cover the screen with
sent a personal email or text message which I
capitals, exclamation marks and emoticons in a
have not afterwards, to some degree, regretted.
desperate effort to convey attitude? Do we sign
The old-fashioned pen slowed the transition from
off with Yours sincerely, Kind regards or Byeee!?
spoken word (and intended meaning) to script.
Even such simple words as please, thank you
It gave time for consideration, as did the manual
and sorry have a hundred subtle meanings
typewriter. Writing involved effort. A word was
when voiced but are toneless when lying flat on
pondered before being put to paper, packaged
the screen.
and sent through the post.
10 The truth is that, for other than routine messages
5 In comparison, the computer keyboard is an
and acknowledgements, email has become an
invisible piano on which we play instantly and
inadequate substitute for both the telephone and
extempore. First thoughts race into fully-formed
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the letter. Compared to the telephone, email is sincerity to another human being should
a distancing device. It not only eliminates tone telephone and, if necessary, leave a
of voice, it prevents interruption or response. It voice message.
is a one-way conversation, a monologue, with
all the rudeness that can imply. Compared to 12 Better still, clear your desk, take out a crisp
a letter, email has more immediacy but carries sheet of note paper, pick up a pen and do
none of the humanity, not to mention courtesy, something you may not have done for ages.
of handwriting. Write a proper letter, rewriting it if necessary.
The recipient will be amazed and delighted that
11 Emails ought to carry a health warning at the you have taken the time. You will have written
top: ‘This note may unintentionally mislead or what you meant to say, and I bet you won’t have
upset you; if in doubt reply by phone or consult a used emoticons.
counsellor.’ Emails are bad at conveying humour
or criticism, bad news or sympathy. The form © Guardian News & Media 2007
is too cold. Those who wish to communicate First published in The Guardian, 21/9/07
1. The emoticon was invented by… 5. There are…
a. … the poet, Milton. a. … strict guidelines on how to begin and end

b. … a university professor. an email.
c. … an American student. b. … strict rules about using punctuation and capital
letters in emails.
2. What are emoticons supposed to put into emails? c. … a myriad of ways to begin and end an email.
a. Pain and embarrassment.
b. Greetings and humour. 6. The author thinks that emails are…
c. Human emotion. a. … not as effective as letters.
3. The author believes it is better to… b. … an improvement on letter writing.
c. … a better way to get hold of someone than
a. … write slowly. by telephone.
b. … think before you send your email.
c. … use a manual typewriter.
4. According to the article, many of us...
a. … take on too much work these days.

b. … take on different personalities when we
write emails.
c. … always make follow up phone calls after
sending emails.
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1. Match the words on the left with those on the right to make collocations from the text.
abrupt guidance
Internet conversation
fully-formed meaning
plaintive substitute
bountiful effort
desperate sentence
subtle lexicon
inadequate remark
one-way mislead
unintentionally call
2. With a partner, try to put these collocations into sentences. Look back at the article to check your
answers and to see the context in which they are used.
5 Discussion
Discuss the following questions in small groups.
Do you prefer to write letters or send emails?

When did you last send an email?
When did you last write a letter?
How many emails do you send/receive per week?
How many letters do you send/receive per week?
Do you use emoticons when you write emails?
What do you think when you receive an email containing emoticons?
6 Webquest
Have a look at these websites for more information on emoticons. Which emoticons do you like best?
Unusual and funny emoticons:

www.angelfire.com/hi/hahakiam/emoticon.html
A-Z of emoticons:
www.sharpened.net/glossary/emoticons.php
Emoticons that you’ve probably never seen before:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_emoticons
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KEY
2 Pre-reading 2 4 Vocabulary: Collocations

}:-( Your toupee is blowing in the wind abrupt remark
;-) I’m only joking! Internet lexicon
8-) I’m wearing glasses fully-formed sentence
0:-) The writer just made a sweet or plaintive call
innocent remark bountiful guidance
:-)(-: I’m married desperate effort
:-\ I’m undecided subtle meaning
inadequate substitute
1. c one-way conversation
2. d unintentionally mislead
3. e
4. b
5. a
1. b
2. c
3. b
4. b
5. c
6. a
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Pre-reading task
Match these emoticons with their meanings.
;-) I’m undecided
8-) I’m married
0:-) My hair is blowing in the wind
2 Keywords: Antonyms
Skim the text to find the words that mean the opposite of the words below.
1. strengthen / harden (para 2) _________________
2. polite / courteous (para 2) _________________

3. smile (para 2) _________________
4. hate (para 2) _________________
5. manually (para 3) _________________
6. modern (para 4) _________________
7. perfect (para 5) _________________
8. receive (para 5) _________________
9. calmer (para 7) _________________
10. extraordinary (para 9) _________________
11. add (para 9) _________________
12. rudeness (para 9) _________________
13. sender (para 11) _________________

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NEWS LESSONS / Emoticons, emails and letter writing / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Emoticons, emails and letter writing we have to call and ask: “Did you get my email
... why didn’t you reply?” And then we regret
Simon Jenkins
sending it off so quickly. We should have read it
September 21, 2007
through one more time.
Have emails made us into unemotional 6 How on earth did we manage in the past?
machines? Somehow we wrote about love, hurt, remorse,
anger and joy without adding emoticons.
1 The emoticon is 25 years old. In 1982, a We used quill, pen, pencil, ballpoint, even a
Pittsburgh professor, Scott Fahlman, saw that typewriter, and if anything went wrong we had
his students’ emails could not express greetings the telephone as backup. So why is email
and humour. So, the smiley was born, and with it so lacking in feeling that it needs its own
a large amount of symbols that try to put normal additional symbols?
human emotion into the cold alphabet. A–Z might
7 The authors of a book on ‘netiquette’ say that,
have been fine for Shakespeare, Milton, Keats
and Shelley, but for today’s global nerd it is not “On email people aren’t quite themselves ... they
good enough. are angrier, less sympathetic, less aware, more
easily wounded, even more gossipy.” Some have
2 Early telegraphy had its own short forms and even wrecked their marriages, lost their jobs and
people soon realized that abbreviated language ended up in jail.
could sometimes cause unintentional pain and
embarrassment. Therefore, symbols were used 8 Many of us do not know how to handle email.
to soften remarks that might seem sarcastic Do we start Dear Sir or Hi gorgeous, or do we
or abrupt. The result was not just smileys, but immediately talk about business? Do we cover
frownies and symbols for confusion, love, anger the screen with capital letters, exclamation
and surprise. marks and emoticons to try to explain what we
mean? Do we end with Yours sincerely, Kind
3 There are 16 pages of emoticons in Andrew regards or Bye!? When you speak such simple
John’s Txtr’s A–Z – my favourite is }:-( which words as please, thank you and sorry, they
means ‘my hair is blowing in the wind’. These can have a hundred different meanings, but
days many computers automatically change the they become toneless when they lie flat on the
L In other words, and have
frownie into . J L computer screen.
become formal symbols in Internet vocabulary.
9 The truth is that, unless you’re writing routine
4 I agree that there is a problem with emails. I have messages and acknowledgements, email is
often regretted sending a personal email or text not as good as the telephone and the letter.
message. The old-fashioned pen gave you time Compared to the telephone, email distances
to think, as did the manual typewriter. Writing us. It not only removes the tone of your voice, it
involved effort. Words and sentences were stops people from interrupting or replying. It is a
thought about before being written on paper and one-way conversation, a monologue. Compared
sent through the post. to a letter, email is faster but has none of the
humanity or politeness of handwriting.
5 These days, thoughts quickly change into
finished but imperfect sentences. As soon as 10 Emails are bad at conveying humour or criticism,
they are on screen they become real. And ‘send’ bad news or sympathy. The form is too cold.
is always clicked too soon. There is no wait for Those who wish to communicate these things
the post to go, no time to correct what you wrote. to another human being should use the
We can’t be certain that an email has arrived, so telephone.
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11 Better still, make space on your desk, take out a
sheet of paper, pick up a pen and do something
you may not have done for a long time. Write a
proper letter. The recipient will be amazed and
delighted that you have taken the time. You will
write what you meant to say, and I bet you won’t
use any emoticons.

1. Short forms were also used... ... to put feeling and emotion into an email.
2. If people misunderstand written abbreviations,... ... before correcting them.
3. We are not so careful... ... in the early days of telecommunication.
4. We often send emails off... ... when we write emails.
5. People use emoticons... ... they might feel hurt, embarrassed or insulted.
6. Emails are faster than letters... ... can be misunderstood in an email.
7. Even simple words like please and thank you... ... for sending routine messages and
acknowledgements.
8. The telephone is more personal and therefore better... ... but contain less humanity.
9. Emails are useful... ... to receive letters.
10. The majority of people like... ... when you need to give bad news.
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4 Email writing
1. Skim the article to find ways to begin and end an email and write them into the table.

openings closings
2. Can you think of any other ways to begin or end an email? Write them into the table. Compare your
answers in small groups.
5 Discussion
Complete these sentences to make them correct for you. Discuss them in your group. Don’t forget to ask
the others in your group for more information about their answers.
I send about _____________ emails a week.

I write roughly _____________ letters a month.
I receive about _____________ emails and _____________ letters a week.
I feel _____________ when I receive a letter.
I think emoticons are _____________.
I prefer to communicate by _____________.
6 Webquest

A-Z of emoticons:

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KEY

}:-( My hair is blowing in the wind 1. Short forms were also used in the early days
;-) I’m only joking! of telecommunication.
8-) I’m wearing glasses 2. If people misunderstand written abbreviations, they
0:-) The writer just made a sweet or innocent remark might feel hurt, embarrassed or insulted.
:-)(-: I’m married 3. We are not so careful when we write emails.
:-\ I’m undecided 4. We often send emails off before correcting them.
5. People use emoticons to put feeling and emotion
into an email.
2 Antonyms
6. Emails are faster than letters but contain
less humanity.
1. soften 7. Even simple words like please and thank you can
2. abrupt be misunderstood in an email.
3. frown 8. The telephone is more personal and therefore better
4. love when you need to give bad news.
5. automatically 9. Emails are useful for sending routine messages
6. old-fashioned and acknowledgements.
7. imperfect 10. The majority of people like to receive letters.
8. send
9. angrier
10. routine 4 Email writing
11. remove
12. politeness
13. recipient openings closings
Dear Sir Yours sincerely
Hi gorgeous Kind regards
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1 Pre-reading task
Match these emoticons with their meanings.
;-) I’m undecided
8-) I’m married
0:-) Your toupee is blowing in the wind
2 Key words
Skim-read the article to find words that mean the following.
1. to show or tell – _______________ (para 1)
2. to put in – _______________ (para 1)

3. a feeling you experience – _______________ (para 1)
4. someone who is extremely interested in computers – _______________ (para 1)
5. not deliberate or planned – _______________ (para 2)
6. behaving or speaking in a way that seems rude – _______________ (para 2)
7. to feel sorry or sad about something you have done – _______________ (para 4)
8. the process of changing from one state to another – _______________ (para 4)
9. a strong sad or guilty feeling about something you have done – _______________ (para 6)
10. to destroy – _______________ (para 7)
11. without emotion – _______________ (para 8)
12. to let someone know you have received something they sent you – _______________ (para 9)
13. to communicate ideas or feelings indirectly – _______________ (para 10)

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NEWS LESSONS / Emoticons, emails and letter writing / Intermediate

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Emoticons, emails and letter writing didn’t you reply?” And then we regret sending it
Simon Jenkins off so quickly. We should have read it through one
September 21, 2007 more time.
Have emails made us into unemotional 6 How on earth did we manage in the past?
machines? Somehow we communicated love, hurt, remorse,
anger and joy with the help of the Oxford English
1 The emoticon is 25 years old. In 1982, a Pittsburgh Dictionary. We used quill, pen, pencil, ballpoint,
professor, Scott Fahlman, noted that his students’ even typewriter, and if anything went wrong we
emails lacked body language and voice tones and had the telephone as backup. But why is email so
could not express greetings and humour. So, the lacking in feeling that it needs its own additional
smiley was born, and with it a large amount of emoticon alphabet? How believable is J?
symbols intended to insert normal human emotion
into the cold alphabet. A–Z might have been fine 7 The authors of a book on ‘netiquette’ say that, “On
for Shakespeare, Milton, Keats and Shelley, but for email people aren’t quite themselves ... they are
today’s global nerd it is not good enough. angrier, less sympathetic, less aware, more easily
wounded, even more gossipy.” Some have even
2 Early telegraphy had its own short forms and wrecked their marriages, lost their jobs and ended
users soon realized that abbreviated language up in jail.
could sometimes cause unintentional pain and
embarrassment. Therefore, symbols were used to 8 Many of us do not know how to handle email. Do
soften remarks that might seem sarcastic or abrupt. we start Dear Sir or Hi gorgeous, or get straight
The result was not just smileys but frownies and down to business? Do we cover the screen with
various signs of confusion, love, anger and surprise. capital letters, exclamation marks and emoticons
in a desperate effort to explain what we mean?
3 There are 16 pages of emoticons in Andrew John’s Do we end with Yours sincerely, Kind regards or
Txtr’s A–Z – my favourite being }:-( which means Byeee!? Even such simple words as please, thank
‘your toupee is blowing in the wind’. These days you and sorry have a hundred different meanings
many computers automatically change the frownie when spoken but are toneless when lying flat on
into L. In other words, J and L have become the screen.
formal symbols in Internet vocabulary.
9 The truth is that, for other than routine messages
4 I agree that there is a problem. I have often sent and acknowledgements, email is not as good
a personal email or text message which I have as the telephone and the letter. Compared to
regretted afterwards. The old-fashioned pen slowed the telephone, email distances us. It not only
the transition from spoken word (and intended removes the tone of your voice, it prevents people
meaning) to script. It gave you time to think, as from interrupting or replying. It is a one-way
did the manual typewriter. Writing involved effort. conversation, a monologue, with all the rudeness
A word was thought about before being written on that can imply. Compared to a letter, email is faster
paper and sent through the post. but has none of the humanity, not to mention
politeness, of handwriting.
5 These days, thoughts quickly change into finished,
but imperfect sentences. As soon as they are on 10 Emails are bad at conveying humour or criticism,
screen they become real. And ‘send’ is always bad news or sympathy. The form is too cold. Those
clicked too soon. There is no wait for the post to who wish to communicate sincerity to another
go, no time to correct what you wrote. Nor is there human being should telephone.
any certainty that an email has arrived, so we
have to call and ask: “Did you get my email ... why 11 Better still, clear your desk, take out a crisp sheet
of note paper, pick up a pen and do something
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you may not have done for ages. Write a proper
letter. The recipient will be amazed and delighted
that you have taken the time. You will have written
what you meant to say, and I bet you won’t have
used emoticons.

1. The emoticon was invented because the alphabet doesn’t contain human emotion.

2. A student invented the smiley in an email to his professor.

3. Manual typewriters are better than computers for conveying emotion.

4. People often regret sending emails.

5. The author says that people often hold monologues on the phone.
6. Emails can be bad for your health and your love life.

7. Many people change their personality when they write emails.

8. The author suggests that we write more letters.
4 Vocabulary 1: Pronunciation
1. Put these words into the correct columns according to their pronunciation pattern.

imperfect emoticons sympathetic communicate
exclamation sincerely interrupt humanity
recipient conversation additional abbreviate
unintentional embarrassment believable
oOo oOoo ooOo ooO ooOoo
2. Write in other words from the article that fit the pronunciation patterns.
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5 Vocabulary 2: Word groups
Find words in the text that relate to emotions and writing equipment. Write them in the tables below.
emotions writing equipment

positive negative traditional electronic
6 Discussion
Discuss the following questions in small groups.
Do you prefer to write letters or send emails?

When did you last send an email?
When did you last write a letter?
How many emails do you send/receive per week?
How many letters do you send/receive per week?
Do you use emoticons when you write emails?
What do you think when you receive an email containing emoticons?
7 Webquest

A–Z of emoticons:

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1 Pre-reading task 4 Vocabulary 1: Pronunciation
}:-( Your toupee is blowing in the wind oOo oOoo ooOo ooO ooOoo
;-) I’m only joking!
imperfect emotions sympathetic interrupt unintentional
8-) I’m wearing glasses
sincerely communicate exclamation
0:-) The writer just made a sweet or
humanity conversation
innocent remark
:-)(-: I’m married recipient
excla-
:-\ I’m undecided abbreviate
mation
embarrassment
believable
2 Key words additional
1. express
2. insert
3. emotion 5 Vocabulary 2: Word groups
4. nerd
5. unintentional
6. abrupt emotions
7. regret positive negative
8. transition
9. remorse
love hurt
joy remorse
10. wreck anger
11. toneless amazed
regret
12. acknowledgement delighted
pain
13. convey sympathy embarrassment
3 Comprehension check writing equipment

traditional electronic
1. T quill computer
2. F pen email
3. F ballpoint pen text message
4. T pencil
5. F typewriter
6. T
7. T
8. T
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Gold rush in Mongolia
Level 3 Advanced
1 Warmer: Gold
How many products or uses of gold can you name in two minutes? Write your answers in the box below.
Gold
2 Key words
Write these pairs of words into the appropriate sentences below. You may need to change the order of the
words or their tense.
imprison / detain
seize / drag
prospector / miner
nugget / fragment
rights / abuse
scavenge / pan
indiscriminate / inequality
1. A ______________ is someone who searches an area of land for gold. A ______________ digs gold out of
the ground.
2. A ______________ of gold is usually bigger than a ______________ of gold.
3. Although the man was ______________ for questioning, the judge decided not to ______________ him.
4. If you do something ______________, you do it without caring about what harm or damage you may inflict. We
use the word, ______________ to talk about situations where some people have more than others.
5. The police ______________ the man and ______________ him out of the car.
6. ______________ is a way to find gold by washing the stones. When you ______________, you search through
things other people have thrown away.
7. Everyone has ______________, and we shouldn’t ______________ them.

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NEWS LESSONS / Gold rush in Mongolia / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Prospectors and ‘ninja’ miners rush to 5 Until recently, thousands of Mongolians
the east’s El Dorado scavenged illegally through mounds of earth for
Central Asia’s gold fever is not only bringing rapid small fragments of gold missed by the mining
economic growth but also pollution and violence companies’ giant machines. To pan the dirt, they
similar to the Wild West used green plastic bowls, which they carry on
their backs like a shell. This appearance gives
Jonathan Watts in Ogoomor
them their nickname – ‘ninja’ – after the Teenage
October 10, 2007
Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon.
6 Many were former nomads, but as the gold rush

1 Carefully touching the bruises on her forehead,
gathered pace, students, vets and taxi drivers
Enkhmaa – a middle-aged mother and illegal
from Ulan Bator joined the ninjas, not just in
gold miner – explains why she is afraid to go out
Ogoomor but in other gold towns across the
on the street with a green plastic bowl. Three
country. Today, estimates of their numbers range
days earlier, she says, the Mongolian police
from 30,000 to 100,000. This created a huge
seized, beat and imprisoned her for wandering
black market for gold – most of it thought to be
too close to a foreign-owned mine. “They chased
smuggled across Mongolia’s 3,000 mile border
after me in a car. When they caught me, they
with China.
dragged me inside, they hit me on the face,
pulled my hair and beat my leg with a truncheon,” 7 For years, the ninjas were tolerated. With
she recalls. three-quarters of the 2.9m population living on
less than $2 a day, scavenging and small-scale
2 Ogoomor, where Enkhmaa lives, is probably the
mining were seen as a way to ease poverty
only town in the world where you can be arrested
and unemployment.
and beaten by police for possession of a bowl. It
is a bizarre side effect of a Mongolian gold rush 8 But a Russian mining company asked for new
that is pitting nomadic miners against foreign security measures last year after thousands of
companies, and raising serious concerns about ninjas invaded one of its mines, beat the guards,
human rights. destroyed equipment and stole gold. A huge ditch
was dug around the edge of the town, troops and
3 Ogoomor is Mongolia’s Wild West, a dusty,
police were moved in to increase the security
thrown-together town of miners and nomads,
and checkpoints were set up on the roads into
tents and wooden shacks, karaoke discos,
the community.
Internet cafes and police cells. From Ulan
Bator, it is a seven-hour drive across vast plains 9 Arrests are now common, local people say. “We
inhabited only by a few nomads and their herds live in constant fear of being taken away,” says
of sheep and goats. According to locals, the Amarjargal. “We can’t even take a green bowl
town did not exist 20 years ago and it was only onto the street, and if we have dirty clothes,
recently given a name. But reports of giant or muddy shoes, it is used as an excuse to
nuggets in the nearby hills have sparked a gold arrest us.”
rush that attracted several thousand prospectors
– legal and illegal. 10 Since the crackdown began last year, the locals
guess 500 of the 3,000 residents have been
4 The area around Ogoomor has been called a detained. “It is hard to find any family that hasn’t
Mongolian El Dorado. The town is located in the had someone arrested,” said an elderly woman
Zaamar valley, where geologists estimate, there called Sunjee (most Mongolians only use one
are gold reserves of at least 100 tonnes. Russian name). “The police have taken people younger
and local firms have bought up concessions to than 16 and older than 60. There is a woman in
mine the land. detention now who is 66 years old.”
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Level 3 Advanced
11 When the ninjas scavenge for gold or pan 14 But this is no black-and-white story of human
the river among the mounds of earth behind rights abuses and wealth inequality. Most
the dredges they are trespassing or stealing. ninjas make $10 to $20 dollars a day – a higher
These areas are the property of the Russian income than policemen or soldiers. Some strike
concession holders so the arrests are legitimate. it extremely rich. There are many stories in the
town of people who found giant nuggets worth
12 But the police crackdown has become tens of thousands of dollars.
indiscriminate. Residents say they are pulled
from their beds at night, chased as they walk 15 The Russian mining company, Altan Dornod
down the street or arrested at checkpoints on Mongol, says the ninjas are organized and
scant evidence that they have been scavenging controlled by criminal bosses. “The ninjas are
among the waste dumps. a Mongolian social problem. There are whole
towns of them with bars and prostitutes. They
13 Visitors to Ogoomor have been shocked at the even use their children to get gold. It’s awful,”
changes in Mongolia, which is known as Asia’s said a spokeswoman. “We don’t want to abuse
most democratic nation. “Ogoomor has become human rights, but we must protect our mine and
a concentration camp in the original sense of our workers.”
the word. The authorities enclose and control
the local population as the British did in the Boer © Guardian News & Media 2007
war,” says Robin Grayson, a geologist from First published in The Guardian, 10/10/07
Lancashire, who has visited the town more than
20 times.
Choose the right answer.
1. A ninja turtle is a...

a. ... Russian security firm.
b. ... cartoon character.
c. ... Mongolian miner.
2. The Mongolian gold rush is causing problems between...

a. ... ninja turtles and security companies.
b. ... Russian gold miners and the Mongolian police.
c. ... nomadic miners and non-Mongolian companies.
3. Ogoomor is...
a. ... an ancient Mongolian city.
b. ... a town separated from the capital, Ulan Bator, by a long drive.
c. ... the Mongolian word for gold.
4. The majority of the residents of Ogoomor are...

a. ... rich
b. ... scared that they will be arrested.
c. ... in prison.
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Level 3 Advanced
4 Vocabulary: Multi-word collocations
Match the words in the three columns to make collocations from the article. They are in the order they
appear in the article.
1. illegal serious bowls

2. raise black rush
3. sparked a plastic concerns
4. bought poverty and unemployment
5. green gold miner
6. huge up concessions
7. ease gold market
8. new democratic fear

9. live in constant nation
10. Russian extremely holders
11. most rights measures
12. human criminal rich
13. strike it security bosses
14. controlled by concession abuses
Use these collocations to retell the story to your partner. Retell one half of the article each.
5 Discussion: A debate
One half of the class take the side of the ninjas, the other half take the side of the mining companies. In
your groups note down reasons why you should be allowed to mine / pan the land and present your case
to the other side.
Can you come to a mutually acceptable agreement to work together?
Appoint two neutral observers to take notes and report back.
6 Webquest
What is the current price of gold? Is it rising or falling? Do you think gold is a good investment? Use the
following websites to help you answer the questions.
http://goldprice.org/
www.thebulliondesk.com
http://goldprices.com/
www.kitco.com
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Warmer: Gold 4 Vocabulary: Multi-word collocations
Possible answers: 1. illegal gold miner

jewellery 2. raise serious concerns
clocks and watches 3. sparked a gold rush
glasses 4. bought up concessions
paint 5. green plastic bowls
gold-leaf 6. huge black market
art 7. ease poverty and unemployment
teeth (fillings)
medicines 8. new security measures
coins 9. live in constant fear
buttons 10. Russian concession holders
pen nibs 11. most democratic nation
12. human rights abuses
13. strike it extremely rich
2 Key words
14. controlled by criminal bosses
1. prospector / miner
2. nugget / fragment
3. detained / imprisoned
4. indiscriminately / inequality
5. seized / dragged
6. panning / scavenge
7. rights / abuse
1. b
2. c
3. b
4. b
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Warmer - gold
How many words connected to gold can you think of in two minutes? Write them in the box below.
What can we make from gold? e.g. watches

What else is gold used for? e.g. dental fillings
Gold
2 Key words
Tick the words you would expect to read in an article about gold.
Mongolia policemen goat jewellery museum

mine
bowl smuggle
murder
arrest

machine
newspapers poverty
nugget turtle

human rights thief nomad shell art

soldier
mother South Africa
wealth

Add some more ideas of your own and then skim-read the article to find the answers.
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NEWS LESSONS / Gold rush in Mongolia / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Prospectors and ‘ninja’ miners rush to like a shell. This appearance gives them their
the east’s El Dorado nickname – ‘ninja’ – after the Teenage Mutant
Central Asia’s gold fever brings rapid economic Ninja Turtles cartoon.
growth as well as pollution and violence 6 Many were former nomads, but now the gold
Jonathan Watts in Ogoomor rush has brought students, vets and taxi drivers
Wednesday October 10, 2007 from Ulan Bator. They have joined the ninjas, not
just in Ogoomor but in other gold towns across
1 Enkhmaa – a middle-aged mother and illegal the country. Today, it is estimated that there are
gold miner – explains why she is afraid to go out between 30,000 to 100,000 people searching
on the street with a green plastic bowl. Three for gold in these areas. This has created a huge
days ago, she says, the Mongolian police beat black market for gold – most of it is probably
and imprisoned her for walking too close to a smuggled across Mongolia’s 3,000 mile border
foreign-owned mine. “They chased after me in with China.
a car. When they caught me, they dragged me
inside, they hit me on the face, pulled my hair 7 For years, the ninjas were tolerated. In Mongolia,
and beat my leg with a truncheon,” she says. three-quarters of the 2.9m population live on less
than $2 a day, and so searching for gold was a
2 Ogoomor, where Enkhmaa lives, is probably the way to ease poverty and unemployment.
only town in the world where the police might
arrest and beat you for carrying a bowl. It is a 8 But a Russian mining company asked for new
bizarre side effect of a Mongolian gold rush that security measures last year after thousands of
is causing problems between nomadic miners ninjas invaded one of its mines, beat the guards,
and foreign companies. destroyed equipment and stole gold. Arrests
are now common, local people say. “We live in
3 Ogoomor is Mongolia’s Wild West, a dusty constant fear,” says Amarjargal. “We can’t even
town of miners and nomads, tents and wooden take a green bowl onto the street, and if we
shacks, karaoke discos, internet cafes and have dirty clothes, or muddy shoes, the police
police cells. From Ulan Bator, it is a seven-hour arrest us.”
drive across vast plains inhabited only by a few
nomads and their herds of sheep and goats. The 9 “It is hard to find any family that hasn’t had
town did not exist 20 years ago, but reports of someone arrested,” said an elderly woman called
giant nuggets in the nearby hills started a gold Sunjee (most Mongolians only use one name).
rush that attracted several thousand prospectors “The police have taken people younger than 16
– legal and illegal. and older than 60.”
4 The area around Ogoomor has been called the 10 When the ninjas search for gold they are
Mongolian El Dorado. The town is located in stealing. The areas are the property of the
the Zaamar valley, where geologists estimate, Russian concession holders so the arrests are
there is at least 100 tonnes of gold. Russian and legal. But the police crackdown is frightening the
local firms have bought up concessions to mine residents who say they are pulled from their beds
the land. at night, chased as they walk down the street or
arrested at checkpoints without any real evidence
5 Until recently, thousands of Mongolians against them.
searched illegally through the earth for small
pieces of gold missed by the mining companies’ 11 Visitors to Ogoomor have been shocked at the
giant machines. To do this, they used green changes in Mongolia, which is known as Asia’s
plastic bowls, which they carry on their backs most democratic nation. But this is not a black-
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Level 1 Elementary
and-white story of human rights abuses and a Mongolian social problem. There are whole
wealth inequality. Most ninjas make $10 to $20 towns of them with bars and prostitutes. They
dollars a day – more than policemen or soldiers even use their children to get gold. It’s awful,”
earn. Some become extremely rich. There are said a spokeswoman. “We don’t want to abuse
many stories in the town of people who found human rights, but we must protect our mine and
giant nuggets worth tens of thousands of dollars. our workers.”
12 The Russian mining company, Altan Dornod © Guardian News & Media 2007
Mongol, says the ninjas are organized and First published in The Guardian, 10/10/07
controlled by criminal bosses. “The ninjas are
Join the sentence parts.

1. Mongolian police arrest people for carrying... a. ... turtles.
2. Ninja turtles are... b. ... Mongolia’s Wild West.
3. When people carry a green plastic bowl on their backs, they look like... c. ... they are stealing.
4. The Mongolian gold rush is causing problems between... d. ... herds of sheep and goats.
5. Some Mongolian nomads (who live on the vast plains) own... e. ... nomadic miners and
foreign companies.
6. There are between 30,000 to 100,000 people searching for gold in... f. ... cartoon characters.
7. Mongolia is known as... g. ... very poor.
8. When the ninjas search for gold,... h. ... Asia’s most democratic
nation.

9. Many people in Mongolia are... i. ... plastic bowls.
10. The mining companies say they want to protect their... j. ... mines and their workers.
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Level 1 • Elementary

Decide which categories these words belong to and write them into the spidergrams.
black market plain gold-miner hills geologist criminal

prospector café smuggle town taxi driver illegal
stealing shack student land arrest legal
police cells prostitute evidence disco tent vet
jobs and
professions
legal words and

terminology places
5 Comprehension check 2: Summary
Which of these short sentences gives the best summary of the article?
1. Mongolian nomads are selling green plastic bowls to Russian miners.
2. Mongolian police are arresting people for illegal gold smuggling.
3. Thousands of people are moving to Ogoomor in the hope of finding gold.
6 Webquest
What is the current price of gold? Is it rising or falling? Do you think gold is a good investment? Use these
websites to help you answer the questions.
www.thebulliondesk.com/
www.kitco.com/
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Warmer: Gold 3 Comprehension check 1
Possible answers: 1. i
jewellery 2. f
clocks and watches 3. a
glasses 4. e
paint 5. d
gold-leaf 6. b
art 7. h
teeth (fillings) 8. c
medicines 9. g
coins 10. j
buttons
pen nibs
2 Key words Suggested answers:

jobs and professions: gold-miner, taxi driver,
Mongolia geologist, prostitute, vet, student, prospector
mine
machine legal words and terminology: black market,
human rights smuggle, police cells, arrest, evidence, legal,
soldier illegal, stealing, criminal
policemen
bowl places: land, town, plain, hills, café, police cells,
smuggle shack, disco, tent
poverty
nomad
5 Comprehension check 2: Summary
nugget
shell
wealth 3. Thousands of people are moving to Ogoomor in the
arrest hope of finding gold.
turtle
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1 Warmer: Gold
How many products or uses of gold can you name in two minutes? Write your answers in the box below.
Gold
2 Key words
Complete the sentences using the following words from the text.
tolerate concession black market prospector legitimate

beat nugget gold rush imprison arrest
1. When you keep someone locked up, for example in a police cell, you ________________ them.
2. When you hit someone again and again, you ________________ them.
3. A lump of gold is called a ________________.
4. When the police ________________ someone, they take them to the police station because they believe he or
she has committed a crime.
5. If you sell something illegally and secretly, you sell it on the ________________.
6. A ________________ is the right given to someone to sell something or do a particular activity.
7. When you ________________ someone, you accept them even though you don’t like or approve of them.
8. A ________________ is someone who searches an area of land or water for gold, oil, etc.
9. When something is ________________, it is legal.
10. A ________________ happens when lots of people move to a place (over a short period of time) in the hope
of becoming rich.
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NEWS LESSONS / Gold rush in Mongolia / Intermediate

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Prospectors and ‘ninja’ miners rush to of gold missed by the mining companies’
the east’s El Dorado giant machines. To do this, they used green
Central Asia’s gold fever brings rapid economic plastic bowls, which they carry on their backs
growth as well as pollution and violence like a shell. This appearance gives them their
nickname – ‘ninja’ – after the Teenage Mutant
Jonathan Watts in Ogoomor
Ninja Turtles cartoon.
October 10, 2007
6 Many were former nomads, but as the gold rush
gathered pace, students, vets and taxi drivers
1 Carefully touching the bruises on her forehead,
from Ulan Bator joined the ninjas, not just in
Enkhmaa – a middle-aged mother and illegal
Ogoomor but in other gold towns across the
gold miner – explains why she is afraid to go out
country. Today, estimates of their numbers range
on the street with a green plastic bowl. Three
from 30,000 to 100,000. This created a huge
days earlier, she says, the Mongolian police beat
black market for gold – most of it thought to be
and imprisoned her for wandering too close to a
smuggled across Mongolia’s 3,000 mile border
foreign-owned mine. “They chased after me in
with China.
a car. When they caught me, they dragged me
inside, they hit me on the face, pulled my hair 7 For years, the ninjas were tolerated. With three-
and beat my leg with a truncheon,” she recalls. quarters of the 2.9m population living on less
than $2 a day, searching for gold was a way to
2 Ogoomor, where Enkhmaa lives, is probably the
ease poverty and unemployment.
only town in the world where you can be arrested
and beaten by police for carrying a bowl. It is a 8 But a Russian mining company asked for new
bizarre side effect of a Mongolian gold rush that security measures last year after thousands
is causing problems between nomadic miners of ninjas invaded one of its mines, beat the
and foreign companies, and raising serious guards, destroyed equipment and stole gold.
concerns about human rights. Arrests are now common, local people say. “We
live in constant fear of being taken away,” says
3 Ogoomor is Mongolia’s Wild West, a dusty
Amarjargal. “We can’t even take a green bowl
town of miners and nomads, tents and wooden
onto the street, and if we have dirty clothes,
shacks, karaoke discos, Internet cafes and
or muddy shoes, it is used as an excuse to
police cells. From Ulan Bator, it is a seven-hour
arrest us.”
drive across vast plains inhabited only by a few
nomads and their herds of sheep and goats. 9 “It is hard to find any family that hasn’t had
The town did not exist 20 years ago and it only someone arrested,” said an elderly woman called
recently got a name. But reports of giant nuggets Sunjee (most Mongolians only use one name).
in the nearby hills started a gold rush that “The police have taken people younger than 16
attracted several thousand prospectors – legal and older than 60.”
and illegal.
10 When the ninjas search for gold they are
4 The area around Ogoomor has been called a trespassing or stealing. These areas are the
Mongolian El Dorado. The town is located in property of the Russian concession holders
the Zaamar valley where, geologists estimate, so the arrests are legitimate. But the police
there is at least 100 tonnes of gold. Russian and crackdown has become indiscriminate. Residents
local firms have bought up concessions to mine say they are pulled from their beds at night,
the land. chased as they walk down the street or arrested
at checkpoints without any real evidence
5 Until recently, thousands of Mongolians searched
against them.
illegally through the earth for small fragments
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11 Visitors to Ogoomor have been shocked at the 12 The Russian mining company, Altan Dornod
changes in Mongolia which is known as Asia’s Mongol, says the ninjas are organized and
most democratic nation. But this is no black- controlled by criminal bosses. “The ninjas are
and-white story of human rights abuses and a Mongolian social problem. There are whole
wealth inequality. Most ninjas make $10 to $20 towns of them with bars and prostitutes. They
dollars a day – a higher income than policemen even use their children to get gold. It’s awful,”
or soldiers. Some strike it extremely rich. There said a spokeswoman. “We don’t want to abuse
are many stories in the town of people who human rights, but we must protect our mine and
found giant nuggets worth tens of thousands our workers.”
of dollars.
1. It is dangerous to walk around with a plastic bowl in Ogoomor.

2. Ogoomor is an ancient city in the west of Mongolia.
3. The gold rush in Ogoomor started 20 years ago.
4. Gold has been discovered in the plains near Ulan Bator.
5. Russian mining companies want to stop the ninjas searching for gold.
6. The number of people moving to Mongolia’s ‘Wild West’ is growing rapidly.
7. There is a lot of poverty and unemployment in Mongolia.
8. Ninja is a Mongolian word for nomad.
9. Much of Mongolia’s gold is smuggled to the West.
10. Residents in Ogoomor are frightened of the police.
11. Some ninjas have found enough gold to make them very rich.
12. The mining companies are happy to share the gold with the ninjas.

How many jobs and professions can you find mentioned in the article? Write them into the spidergram. Do
the same for legal terms and related words.
jobs and professions legal words and

terminology
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5 Discussion: Presenting a case
One half of the class are the ninjas, the other half are the mining companies. In your groups prepare to
present your case to the judges.
Can you reach an agreement to work together?
Appoint two or three neutral observers to be the judges.
Make notes under the following categories to help you prepare for the discussion.
Name of group:
____________________________________________________________
What we want:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Why we think we should get what we want:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What we are willing to compromise on / agree to:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
How we might be able to work together with the other group:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
6 Webquest
What is the current price of gold? Is it rising or falling? Do you think gold is a good investment? Use the
following websites to help you answer the questions.
www.thebulliondesk.com
www.kitco.com
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1 Warmer: Gold 3 Comprehension check
Possible answers: 1. T
jewellery 2. F
clocks and watches 3. F
glasses 4. F
paint 5. T
gold-leaf 6. T
art 7. T
teeth (fillings) 8. F
medicines 9. F
coins 10. T
buttons 11. T
pen nibs 12. F
2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Lexical fields
1. imprison Suggested answers:

2. beat Jobs and professions: gold-miner, police, soldier, taxi
3. nugget driver, geologist, prostitute, vet, student, prospector,
4. arrest nomad
5. black market
6. concession Legal words and terminology: black market, smuggle,
7. tolerate police cells, arrest (verb and noun), evidence, legal,
8. prospector illegal, legitimate, truncheon, trespassing, stealing,
9. legitimate checkpoint, criminal, imprison, human rights, abuses
10. gold rush
5 Discussion: Presenting a case
Note: If the class is small, the teacher can play the part
of the judge.
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1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words and phrases from the text.
zero tolerance scrutinize accountability discrepancy peer

vehemently mentor disadvantaged sponsor needy
1. A ____________ is an experienced person who helps someone with less experience.
2. A ____________ is someone who belongs to the same social or professional group as another
person or who is the same age as another person.
3. A ____________ is a person or business who pays money to support an event or programme.
4. ____________ is a situation in which people are questioned or criticized for their actions.
5. ____________ is a situation in which all offences, even the most minor, are strictly punished in
accordance with the law or a set of rules.
6. A ____________ is a difference between two things that should be the same.
7. If you are ____________, you do not have enough money for basic things such as food and clothing.
8. If you are ____________, you do not have the same advantages as other people.
9. If you protest ____________, you protest very strongly and with passionate feelings.
10. If you ____________ something, you examine it very carefully.
2 What do you know?
1. In the US, statistics show that 95% of parents want a better education for their children.
2. At small 200-pupil academies in the US, children attend class for 12 hours a day.
3. Academies like these have better test scores than private schools.
4. In one academy in a tough area of the South Bronx (the Kipp academy), all the children can read music.
5. More boys apply to join the academies than girls.
6. Some British educationalists believe the UK could learn a lot from the US small academies programme.
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Coming to an inner city near you, 5 “As a principal of a small school I know what every
extreme education child is up to in terms of their academic achievement
and their behaviour,” says Mr Verrilli. It’s an
Small US academies with tough rules and
accountability that is extended to teachers: Mr Verrilli
excellent results are model for British
will sit in on classes with a Blackberry, emailing the
Polly Curtis, education editor instructor his notes as they teach.
October 22, 2007
6 North Star and other small schools like it, have
1 Some people call it extreme education: 10-hour days, evolved out of the 3,500-strong charter school
parental contracts and zero tolerance behaviour movement in the US. Charter schools are
policies in small, 200-pupil academies. The result, independent schools, funded by the state, and
seen in an evolving breed of US school, is 100% allowed more freedom to set policies, including
college acceptance, test scores to rival private their admissions procedures. It runs a lottery for
schools, and south Bronx teenagers who play the admissions and has 1,800 children on the waiting list.
viola like their Manhattan neighbours. Parents have to put their child’s name into the lottery
and there are discrepancies in who does so; three
2 James Verrilli, principal of the North Star Academy times more girls apply than boys.
in Newark, America’s second poorest city, said:
“These kids know drugs. These kids know crime and 7 Mr Verrilli vehemently denies any suggestion that his
violence. Their fathers are in jail. We have established students might not be the most needy. “It’s a prejudice
a school culture which is very distinct from the attitude to say that parents from disadvantaged backgrounds
they walk in the door with. It’s a college-bound don’t care about their kids’ education. 95% of parents
culture.” just want a better education for their children. “We’re
not creaming. I’m defensive about that. It’s something
3 At the North Star Academy children like Charism we’re accused of a lot. How hard is it to put your
and Queen-Ama smile politely as they shake your child’s name down on a piece of paper?” he said.
hand and welcome you in. Some 85% of pupils
are African-American and 90% get free school 8 Every child who attends the Kipp (Knowledge is
meals. Last year 80% were graded ‘proficient Power Programme) academy in south Bronx, New
or advanced’ in maths, compared with 28% in York, plays in its orchestra, the best school ensemble
the local neighbourhood school, and exceeding in the city. Every child can read music. Shirley Lee,
state averages. Pupils work in silence with a a director of the Kipp academy in the Bronx, says it
professionalism learned during a three-day process. works because there is a consistent approach across
From the beginning, pupils are taught to speak clearly, every part of the school. “The truth and reality is that
answer questions in full sentences and look the kids like structure,” she said. “It’s about telling them
teacher in the eye. what’s appropriate and them learning when to use
it. I wouldn’t talk to you like I am now if I was out in
4 Parents have to sign a three-way contract with their
some of these areas. But if we teach them to look in
child and the principal, promising to pull their weight. my eyes when I’m speaking to them, they will use
When a child’s homework isn’t handed in by 8am that if they get stopped by the police and that will
there is a phone call home. When the parent doesn’t protect them.”
turn up for a meeting, their child is not allowed back
into school until they turn up. Signs telling them ‘No 9 In the UK, the political debate about the achievement
excuses’ line the walls. “I was working until 11 last gap between rich and poor in schools is gathering
night. I’m tired, but I know I’ve got to work,” says pace. The official body for inspecting schools, Ofsted,
one 11-year-old, as she finishes up a ‘brain food’ last week highlighted the ‘stark divide’ in achievement
worksheet over breakfast. “Even my mother’s gone linked to social class and the government has set
back to school since I’ve been here.” Pupils are tested itself tough new targets on reducing the gap. Three
every six weeks and their results scrutinized. London academies are experimenting with small
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Level 3 Advanced
school principles and last week a group of British 11 Ark is also helping to fund the 30 ‘Future Leaders’
teachers in training to run inner city schools visited group on the school leadership training scheme
the US looking for methods to tackle the dire state of visiting the US. The trainees are expected to take
‘complex urban education’. some of the ideas they experience home to the
UK. Many of them see limits in how translatable the
10 Ark, a UK academy sponsor, is taking key model is to the UK, however. They talk about the
components of the small school model into London fact that most of the US schools are middle schools,
academies. Lucy Heller, managing director of Ark, for 10–14 year-olds. The model has been tested
says: “There’s something in the air: it’s small schools, less in the secondary school age group (11–18).
tough behaviour management and an adamant They also ask how smaller schools can be afforded,
belief that inner city children can do just as well.” though others point out the fact that in the US
The UK schools minister says small schools can facilities are basic. “They don’t even have interactive
teach disadvantaged children the skills that their whiteboards,” says one of the group’s mentors.
middle class peers take for granted: “High ambition, “They just teach. Small schools might not be
zero tolerance of failure, an expectation that children practical in the UK, but what I really want these new
will go to university and that schools will give them school leaders to take back is the sense of culture in
the education to do so.” these schools.”
1. What is the purpose of the three-way contract?

a. To enforce a zero tolerance policy.
b. To ensure that parents, children and the principal all work for each child’s success.
c. To make sure that all homework is handed in by 8 am.
2. What are the three basic components that UK schools will take from the US model?
a. Zero tolerance, homework handed in by 8am, and children excluded if their parents do not turn
up for meetings.
b. Small schools, strict management of behaviour and a strong belief that children from disadvantaged
backgrounds can do well.
c. High ambition, zero tolerance of failure and an expectation that children will go to university.
3. How is accountability at the North Star Academy extended to teachers?

a. They have to work a 10-hour day, just like the pupils.
b. They have to scrutinize test results.
c. The principal observes their lessons and sends them notes about their lessons.
4. Which statement best reflects the plans of UK educationalists?

a. They intend to use some of the US ideas.
b. They intend to copy the US model exactly and introduce small school academies to the UK.
c. They intend to copy the US model but have better facilities like interactive whiteboards.
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Look in the text and find these words or expressions.
1. A participle meaning gradually changing and developing. (para 1)

2. A three-word expression meaning to do your share of the work. (para 4)
3. A verb used informally here meaning to take the very best of something. (para 7)
4. A noun meaning a musical group. (para 8)
5. A two-word expression meaning becoming stronger and more successful. (para 9)
6. A two-word expression meaning obvious difference. (para 9)
7. An adjective meaning extremely bad. (para 9)
8. An adjective meaning very determined. (para 10)

Match these phrasal verbs from the text with their meanings.
1. hand in a. highlight
2. turn up b. go to a class you are not directly involved in
3. go back c. write something on a piece of paper
4. sit in (on) d. arrive
5. put down e. give to a person in authority
6. point out f. return
6 Vocabulary 3: Verb and noun collocations
Use these verbs from the text to fill the gaps.
attend take set look

establish sign gather pull
1. ____________ a target
2. ____________ a culture
3. ____________ someone in the eye
4. ____________ a school, college or academy
5. ____________ pace
6. ____________ your weight
7. ____________ something for granted
8. ____________ a contract
7 Discussion
Do you think there should be more or less discipline in schools? List the points for and against
schools like the North Star Academy.
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KEY
1. mentor 1. evolving
2. peer 2. pull one’s weight
3. sponsor 3. creaming
4. accountability 4. ensemble
5. zero tolerance 5. gather pace
6. discrepancy 6. stark divide
7. needy 7. dire
8. disadvantaged 8. adamant
9. vehemently
10. scrutinize
2 What do you know? 1. e

2. d
1. T 3. f
2. F 4. b
3. F 5. c
4. T 6. a
5. F
6. T
6 Vocabulary 3: Verb and noun
collocations
1. set
1. b 2. establish
2. b 3. look
3. c 4. attend
4. a 5. gather
6. pull
7. take
8. sign
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1 Key words
admission contract behaviour proficient excuse

experiment principal lottery recent funds
1. A ____________ is a written legal agreement between two people or businesses.
2. If you ____________ with a new idea, you try it to see what will happen.
3. ____________ is another word for the headmaster or headmistress of a school.
4. If something is ____________, it happened a short time ago.
5. A ____________ is a game of chance where everyone buys a ticket with a number but only some numbers win.
6. A person’s ____________ is the way in which he or she follows basic social rules.
7. ____________ is permission to join an institution like a school or a college.
8. If a government ____________ something, it gives it all the money it needs to operate.
9. An ____________ is a reason you give to explain why you have not done something.
10. If you are ____________ at something you have learned, you are good at it.
Look in the text and find the answers to these questions as quickly as possible.
1. How many hours a day do pupils study in the North Star Academy?
2. How many pupils are there in the North Star Academy?
3. What percentage of children at North Star get free meals?
4. How many charter schools are there in the US?
5. How many children are on the waiting list for the North Star Academy?
6. How old are children at US ‘small schools’?

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Coming to an inner city near you, but I know I’ve got to work,” says one 11-year-old,
extreme education as she finishes up her homework over breakfast.
“Even my mother’s gone back to school since I’ve
Small US academies with tough rules and
been here.” Pupils take a test every six weeks and
excellent results are model for British
the teachers check the results of those tests very
carefully.” As a principal of a small school I know
Polly Curtis, education editor
how every child is progressing and how they are
October 22, 2007
behaving,” says Mr Verrilli.
1 North Star Academy is a small school with around

5 North Star and other small schools like it have
200 pupils in Newark, America’s second poorest
developed from the charter school movement in
city. At North Star, pupils from poor families study
the US. The 3,500 charter schools are independent
ten hours a day and they know they have to
schools, which get money from the state. They can
behave well. They accept the school rules and
decide their own school policies, including their
their test results are as good as the test results in
admissions procedures. North Star runs a lottery for
private schools.
admissions and has 1,800 children on the waiting
list. Parents have to put their child’s name into the
2 James Verrilli, principal of the North Star Academy
lottery; three times more girls apply than boys.
said: “These kids know drugs. These kids know
crime and violence. Their fathers are in jail. We
6 Mr Verrilli does not agree that his pupils are not
have a culture here in our school which is very
from the poorest families. “It’s quite wrong to say
different from the behaviour they have when they
that parents in poor families don’t care about their
first walk through the door. It’s a culture that tells
kids’ education. 95% of parents just want a better
them they can go to college when they leave
education for their children. “We’re not taking the
this school.”
best kids. I’m quite sure about that. How difficult is
it to write your child’s name on a piece of paper?”
3 At the North Star Academy children like Charism
he said.
and Queen-Ama smile politely as they shake your
hand and welcome you to their school. About
7 Every child who attends the Kipp (Knowledge
85% of pupils are African-American and 90% get
is Power Programme) academy in south Bronx,
free school meals because they come from poor
New York, plays in its orchestra, the best school
families. Last year 80% got ‘proficient or advanced’
orchestra in New York. Every child can read music.
grades in maths, compared with just 28% in the
Shirley Lee, a director of the Kipp academy in the
local neighbourhood school. Pupils work in silence
Bronx, says the school works because the students
and in a professional way. From the beginning,
know what the rules are. “The truth is that kids like
teachers teach the pupils to speak clearly, answer
structure,” she said. “You have to tell them what
questions in full sentences and always look the
they can and can’t do and when they can do it. If I
teacher in the eye.
teach them to look in my eyes when I’m speaking to
them, they will use that if the police stop them and
4 Parents of pupils at North Star have to sign a three-
that will help them.”
way contract with their child and the principal. When
a child doesn’t give their homework to the teacher
8 In the UK, people are discussing the differences
by 8am, the school phones their home. When the
between the exam results of rich and poor pupils in
parent doesn’t come to a meeting, their child cannot
schools in big cities. A recent report says that these
go back to school until the parent comes to that
differences are getting bigger and the government
meeting. There are signs saying ‘No excuses’ on
is trying to deal with this problem. Three London
the walls. “I was working until 11 last night. I’m tired,
academies are experimenting with the US small
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school model and last week a group of British back home to the UK. But many of them think it
teachers in training visited the US. The trainee will be difficult to transfer the model to the UK.
teachers wanted to look for methods they could use They say that most of the US ‘small schools’ are
to deal with the problems of ‘complex education middle schools, for 10–14-year-olds. Not many
in cities’. people have tried the small school model with the
secondary school age group (11–18). They also
9 Ark, a UK educational charity, is taking key ask where the money to fund smaller schools
parts of the small school model into London in the UK will come from. Other members of the
academies. Lucy Heller, managing director of Ark, group say that the US schools do not have much
says: “This means having small schools, strict equipment. “They don’t even have interactive
rules on behaviour and the belief that inner city whiteboards,” says one of the group’s leaders.
children can be as successful as other children.” “They just teach. Small schools might not be
The UK schools minister says small schools can practical in the UK, but what I really want these
teach children from poorer families that they can new teachers to take back to the UK is an idea of
succeed and that they can get the education to go the culture in these schools.”
to university.
10 The group of trainee teachers visiting the US will First published in The Guardian, 22/10/07
take some of the ideas they experience in the US
1. Pupils at the North Star Academy do well at school because…
2. Teachers teach the children to…
3. Most of the children at North Star…
4. Pupils at North Star have…
5. If a parent misses a meeting…
6. Pupils at US small schools are…
a. … to hand their homework in by 8am.
b. … come from very poor families.
c. … their child cannot go back to school.

d. … they behave well and they work hard.
e. … usually aged between 10 and 14.
f. … speak clearly and always look the teacher in the eye.

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4 Vocabulary 1: Verbs and nouns
Fill the gaps using these verbs from the text.
answer come attend shake

look run take sign

1. ____________ a lottery
2. ____________ someone’s hand
3. ____________ questions in full
4. ____________ someone in the eye
5. ____________ a contract
6. ____________ to a meeting
7. ____________ a test
8. ____________ a school
1. different _______ the behaviour they had before

2. the difference _______ rich and poor
3. _______ the waiting list
4. 95% _______ parents
5. look someone _______ the eye
6. care _______ their kids’ education
7. give their homework to a teacher _______ 8am
8. to deal _______ a problem
Complete the table using nouns from the text.
verb noun
1. move
2. behave
3. admit
4. educate
5. govern
6. believe
7. equip
8. begin
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Verbs and nouns
1. contract 1. run
2. experiment 2. shake
3. principal 3. answer
4. recent 4. look
5. lottery 5. sign
6. behaviour 6. come
7. admission 7. take
8. funds 8. attend
9. excuse
10. proficient
2 Find the information 1. from / to

2. between
1. 10 3. on
2. about 200 4. of
3. 90% 5. in
4. 3,500 6. about
5. 1,800 7. by
6. 10 to 14 8. with

1. d verb noun
2. f 1. move movement
3. b
2. behave behaviour
4. a
3. admit admission
5. c
6. e 4. educate education
6. believe belief
7. equip equipment
8. begin beginning
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1 Key words
attitude admission appropriate zero tolerance mentor

achievement disadvantaged behaviour proficient strict
1. If you are ____________, you do not have the same advantages as other people.
2. If you are ____________ at something you have learned, you are skilled at it.
3. A person’s ____________ is the way in which he or she follows basic social rules.
4. A person’s ____________ is the way they show their feelings or opinions about something,
especially as shown by their behaviour.
5. If a rule is ____________, people must obey it completely.
6. A ____________ is an experienced person who helps someone with less experience.
7. Academic ____________ at school consists of the things children succeed in doing well.
8. ____________ is permission to join an institution like a school or a college.
9. If something is ____________, it is suitable or right for a particular situation.
10. ____________ is a situation in which all offences, even the most minor, are strictly punished in
accordance with the law or a set of rules.
1. How many hours a day do pupils study in US ‘small’ or ‘charter’ schools?
2. What percentage of children at the North Star Academy get free meals?
3. How many charter schools are there in the US?
4. How many children are on the waiting list for the North Star Academy?
5. How many pupils normally attend charter schools?
6. How many children at the Kipp Academy can read music?

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Extreme education
Coming to an inner city near you, as she finishes up her homework over breakfast.
extreme education “Even my mother’s gone back to school since I’ve
been here.” Pupils are tested every six weeks and
Small US academies with tough rules and excel-
their results are examined carefully.
lent results are model for British
5 “As a principal of a small school I know how every
Polly Curtis, education editor child is progressing and how they are behaving,”
October 22, 2007 says Mr Verrilli. He also sits in on classes himself,
observing the students and writing notes for
1 For some people it is extreme education: 10-hour the teachers.
days, contracts with parents and very strict rules 6 North Star and other small schools like it have
on behaviour in small, 200-pupil academies. The developed from the charter school movement in
result in a new type of school in the US is 100% the US. The 3,500 charter schools are independent
acceptance of college, test results as good as those schools, funded by the state, and allowed more
in private schools, and teenagers from New York’s freedom to set policies, including their admissions
South Bronx district who play the viola like their procedures. North Star runs a lottery for admissions
neighbours in Manhattan. and has 1,800 children on the waiting list. Parents
2 James Verrilli, principal of the North Star Academy have to put their child’s name into the lottery; three
in Newark, America’s second poorest city, said: times more girls apply than boys.
“These kids know drugs. These kids know crime 7 Mr Verrilli strongly rejects the idea that his students
and violence. Their fathers are in jail. We have a might not be the ones most in need. “It’s quite
school culture here which is very different from wrong to say that parents from disadvantaged
the attitude they have when they first walk through backgrounds don’t care about their kids’ education.
the door. It’s a culture that tells them they can go 95% of parents just want a better education for
to college.” their children. “We’re not taking the best kids. I’m
3 At the North Star Academy children like Charism defensive about that. It’s something a lot of people
and Queen-Ama smile politely as they shake your say. How hard is it to put your child’s name down on
hand and welcome you in. About 85% of pupils a piece of paper?” he said.
are African-American and 90% get free school 8 Every child who attends the Kipp (Knowledge
meals. Last year 80% got ‘proficient or advanced’ is Power Programme) academy in south Bronx,
grades in maths, compared with just 28% in the New York, plays in its orchestra, the best school
local neighbourhood school. This was above orchestra in New York. Every child can read music.
the state average. Pupils work in silence with a Shirley Lee, a director of the Kipp academy in the
professionalism they have learned during a three- Bronx, says the school works because there is a
day process. From the beginning pupils are taught consistent structure throughout the school. “The
to speak clearly, answer questions in full sentences truth and reality is that kids like structure,” she
and look the teacher in the eye. said. “It’s about telling them what’s appropriate and
4 Parents have to sign a three-way contract with them learning when to use it. I wouldn’t talk to you
their child and the principal, and must promise to like I am now if I was out in some of these areas.
participate themselves. When a child’s homework But if we teach them to look in my eyes when I’m
isn’t handed in by 8am, there is a phone call home. speaking to them, they will use that if they get
When the parent doesn’t turn up for a meeting, stopped by the police and that will protect them.”
their child is not allowed back into school until they 9 In the UK, there is a growing political debate about
turn up. There are signs saying ‘No excuses’ on the the differences in academic achievement between
walls. “I was working until 11 last night. I’m tired, rich and poor in schools in big cities. A recent report
but I know I’ve got to work,” says one 11-year-old,
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Extreme education
highlighted the growing gap in achievement and 11 Ark is also helping to fund the 30 ‘Future Leaders’
the government is trying to deal with this problem. group on the school leadership training scheme
Three London academies are experimenting with visiting the US. The trainees are expected to
small school principles and last week a group of take some of the ideas they experience in the
British teachers in training visited the US looking for US back home to the UK. Many of them think it
methods they could use to deal with the problems will be difficult to transfer the model to the UK,
of ‘complex urban education’. however. They talk about the fact that most of
the US schools are middle schools, for 10–14
10 Ark, a UK educational charity, is taking key year-olds. The model has been tested less in the
components of the small school model into London secondary school age group (11–18). They also
academies. Lucy Heller, managing director of Ark, ask where the money to fund smaller schools will
says: “It’s small schools, strict rules on behaviour come from, though others point out the fact that in
and a firm belief that inner city children can be just the US facilities are basic. “They don’t even have
as successful.” The UK schools minister says small interactive whiteboards,” says one of the group’s
schools can teach disadvantaged children the skills mentors. “They just teach. Small schools might not
that middle class children take for granted: “High be practical in the UK, but what I really want these
ambition, zero tolerance of failure, an expectation new school leaders to take back is the sense of
that children will go to university and that schools culture in these schools.”
will give them the education to go to university.”
1. Newark is the poorest city in the US.

2. Pupils at the North Star Academy are better at maths than kids in the local neighbourhood school.
3. Pupils have to look teachers in the eye when they speak to them.
4. If a pupil doesn’t hand in their homework by 8am, the school calls their parents.
5. Pupils have a test every six days.
6. Mr Verrilli doesn’t go into classrooms himself.
7. More girls apply to go to North Star than boys.
8. The UK is planning to start academies like the US charter schools.
Look in the text and find these words or expressions.
1. A phrasal verb meaning to give to someone in authority. (para 4)

2. A phrasal verb meaning to arrive. (para 4)
3. A verb meaning to provide the money for something that costs a lot. (para 6)
4. An adjective meaning not changing. (para 8)
5. A noun meaning a formal discussion. (para 9)
6. A verb meaning to emphasize. (para 9)
7. An adjective meaning relating to a city. (para 9)
8. A three-word expression meaning expect something always to happen without thinking
about any possible problems. (para 10)
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Extreme education
1. look someone _______ the eye
2. hand in homework _______ 8am
3. _______ the waiting list
4. care _______ their kids’ education
5. the difference _______ rich and poor
6. to deal _______ a problem
7. take something _______ granted
8. where will the money come _______?
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. accept
2. behave
3. tolerate
4. expect
5. believe
6. admit
7. achieve
8. educate
7 Discussion
Do pupils achieve better results in schools with strict rules? Would you like to attend such a school?
Why? / Why not?

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KEY
1. disadvantaged 1. hand in
2. proficient 2. turn up
3. behaviour 3. fund
4. attitude 4. consistent
5. strict 5. debate
6. mentor 6. highlight
7. achievement 7. urban
8. admission 8. take for granted
9. appropriate
10. zero tolerance
1. in
1. 10 2. by
2. 90% 3. on
3. 3,500 4. about
4. 1,800 5. between
5. 200 6. with
6. all of them 7. for
8. from
1. F
2. T verb noun
3. T
1. accept acceptance
4. T
2. behave behaviour
5. F
6. F 3. tolerate tolerance
7. T 4. expect expectation
8. F 5. believe belief
6. admit admission
7. achieve achievement
8. educate education
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Level 3 Advanced
Abyssinia Somalia
Benadir Mali
Upper Volta Namibia
2 Key words
Put the following key words into the sentences.
bureaucracy plummet delusion conspiracy whim

confiscate regime hyperinflation collapse independence
1. When something is in a state of _______________, it is breaking down and has almost stopped functioning.
2. A _______________ is a secret plan to do something bad or illegal, especially in politics.
3. A _______________ is a sudden feeling that you need to do something (usually unimportant).
4. When you get your _______________ you are no longer controlled by another person or country.
5. An idea or belief that is not true can be called a _______________. It is often the belief that you are better than
you really are.
6. When there is an incredibly high increase in prices this is called _______________.
7. _______________ is a complicated or annoying system of rules and processes.
8. A system or form of government (often military) that controls the country in a strict or unfair way is called a
_______________.
9. When something falls very quickly, we can say that it _______________.
10. When you _______________ something, you take it away for legal reasons or as a punishment.
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Level 3 Advanced
British Airways says goodbye 6 Yesterday, the last plane left behind another
to Zimbabwe government sinking deeper into the delusion that
everything is under its control. As the economy
shrinks amid hyperinflation and collapsing
Chris McGreal on BA152, Harare–London production, Mr Mugabe has created a vast new
October 29, 2007 bureaucracy to oversee price controls on non-
existent goods in the shops.
1 The last flight out taxied from the sparkling new 7 His finance minister maintains an official
Harare airport, lifted over the city and dipped its exchange rate so out of proportion with the
wings in farewell. With that, British Airways said hidden market that the central bank governor has
goodbye to Zimbabwe. to send his staff out to buy dollars on the street.
2 Cephas Msipa, a lifelong member of Mr 8 The regime has said they have the best
Mugabe’s Zanu-PF, said he thought it was agricultural season even though there is no
probably part of a British government conspiracy bread in the shops because the wheat harvest
to unseat the Zimbabwean ruler, Robert Mugabe, has fallen short by two-thirds and production
but that he was going to miss British Airways of tobacco, once Zimbabwe’s biggest money
anyway. “In these difficult times, Air Zimbabwe earner, has dropped to one-fifth of what it once
has developed a reputation for being unreliable,” was. Cigarettes are in such short supply that a
he said. marijuana joint is cheaper.
3 What he means is that Zimbabwe’s national 9 The government has even announced plans to
airline is in much the same state as the country, sell electricity to Namibia next year even though
with flights running days late due to lack of fuel or it doesn’t generate enough power to keep lights
maintenance, or diverted at Mr Mugabe’s whim to on at home.
a shopping trip in Kuala Lumpur or to attend the
Pope’s funeral. 10 The reality is that a man living in a Harare
township lucky enough to have a job earns,
4 Annie, a white Zimbabwean, is going to miss BA on average, Z$5m dollars a month, or £2.50 at
for another reason. “There’s toilet paper on this the hidden-market rate. His transport to work
plane. I haven’t been able get toilet paper in the in Harare costs more than that but he has to
shops for weeks,” she said. “I don’t know why it overspend if he wants to keep his job.
matters that this is the last flight, but it does. It’s
as if we’re finally being cut off from the rest of the 11 Other European airlines abandoned Zimbabwe
world. I think for us [whites] it felt like the escape as its economy collapsed but BA stayed because
route if we ever needed it”. historic ties with Britain meant there were still a
steady number of passengers.
Zimbabwe. Services were discontinued in 1965 12 But the airline says it has been defeated by
when Ian Smith declared independence for escalating costs, particularly the price of having
Rhodesia and promised that not in a thousand to bring fuel in by road from South Africa, and the
years would a black man rule. BA was back 15 unreal maths of the Zimbabwean economy. The
years later when Mr Smith was defeated by the Zimbabwe dollar has plummeted from $5,100 to
reality of economics as much as war; Rhodesia the pound at the beginning of 2006 to nearly $2m
ceased to exist and the only black man to ever to the pound today.
rule Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, took power.
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13 Mr Msipa and the Zimbabwean government are 15 The younger Mr Msipa is a property developer
suspicious of the economic claims. He doesn’t who travels regularly to London. His job has
understand how BA isn’t making money. Mr kept the worst effects of the economic collapse
Msipa admits there is a crisis though, and that his away from him and his five children. “We have
dad might be part of the problem. a relative advantage. I can get things done ... I
have contacts,” he said. “But how I’m going to
14 His father is the Zanu-PF governor of Midlands get to London now is a problem. No one wants
province where he has overseen the confiscation to go through Johannesburg. They steal your
of white-owned farms and the collapse of luggage there. I suppose it will just have to be
agriculture. Mr Msipa concedes this may have Air Zimbabwe.”
been a mistake. “Being an old nationalist, my
father believes that everything is about the land. © Guardian News & Media 2007
Whereas our generation says we should get into First published in The Guardian, 29/10/07
computers and call centres”.
Complete the sentences with the correct endings.
1. British Airways have stopped flights from 5. The average worker from a township
Zimbabwe for... in Zimbabwe earns...
a. ... the first time in its history. a. ... approximately the cost of a plane
b. ... the rest of the year. ticket to London.
c. ... the second time in 75 years. b. ... less than the money he needs to spend
on transport to get to work.
2. White Zimbabweans see British Airways as their... c. ... £225 per year.
a. ... link to the rest of the world.

6. Tobacco production has fallen to...
b. ... link to South Africa.
c. ... only escape route out of Zimbabwe.
a. ... four-fifths of last year’s production.
b. ... two-thirds of last year’s production.
3. The first black man to rule Zimbabwe was...
c. ... one-fifth of last year’s production.
a. ... Ian Smith.
7. Zimbabwe’s main industry is....
b. ... Robert Mugabe.
c. ... Cephas Msipa.
a. ... agriculture.
b. ... computers.
4. Mugabe has been in power for... c. ... call centres.
a. ... more than 10years.

b. ... more than 15 years.
c. ... more than 25 years.
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4 Vocabulary: Stress patterns
Write the words underneath the correct stress patterns.
agriculture proportion independence conspiracy

plummeted reality bureaucracy reputation
government confiscation delusion Johannesburg
governor discontinued Zimbabwean nationalist
oOo Ooo oOoo ooOo

5 Discussion
In your country:
6 Webquest

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KEY
Abyssinia Ethiopia 1 c
Benadir Somalia 2 a
French Sudan Mali 3 b
German Southwest Africa Namibia 4 c
Rhodesia Zimbabwe 5 b
Upper Volta Burkina Faso 6 c
Portuguese East Africa Mozambique 7 a
2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Stress patterns
1. collapse oOo Ooo oOoo ooOo

2. conspiracy
3. whim
4. independence delusion governor conspiracy reputation
5. delusion proportion plummeted Zimbabwean discontinued
6. hyperinflation government reality independence
7. bureaucracy nationalist bureaucracy confiscation
8. regime Johannesburg agriculture
9. plummet
10. confiscate
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Match the old African state and province names on the left with their names now (on the right).
Abyssinia Somalia
Benadir Mali
Upper Volta Namibia
2 Key words
Write in the missing vowels (a/e/i/o/u). Skim-read the article to find the answers. The paragraph numbers
will help you.
1. When something is not true or you can’t trust it, it is _nr_ _ _bl_ . (para 2)
2. If a plane is sent on a different route to the one it is supposed to go on we say it has been d_v_ rt_ d.
(para 3)
3. When you are separated from something, or if your connection has been broken you are c_t _ff. (para 4)
4. When you have this you are no longer controlled by another person or country: _nd_p_nd_nc_. (para 5)
5. When somebody else wins instead of you, you have been d_f_ _ t_d. (para 5)
6. When something does this, it breaks down and (almost) stops functioning: c_ll_ps_. (para 6)
7. This is an incredibly high increase in prices: hyp_r_nfl_t_ _ n. (para 6)
8. This is a complicated or annoying system with too many rules: b_r_ _ _ cr_cy. (para 6)
9. The value of the money of one country against the money of another country: _xch_ng_ r_t_. (para 6)
10. The amount of crop (wheat, corn, rice, etc.) that is collected: h_rv_st. (para 7)
11. When someone believes you have done something wrong or are not telling the truth, they
are s_sp_c_ _ _ s. (para 10)
12. To agree that something is not really true or that you have done something wrong: _ dm_t. (para 10)
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British Airways says goodbye 7 The government says Zimbabwe is having a
to Zimbabwe great agricultural season. But there is no bread
Last BA flight from a grounded economy in the shops because the wheat harvest is
down by two-thirds and production of tobacco
Chris McGreal on BA152, Harare–London
has dropped to one-fifth of what it once was.
October 29, 2007
The government has said that it plans to sell
electricity to Namibia next year, even though
1 The last flight left the new Harare airport, flew
there isn’t enough power to keep lights on
over the city and dipped its wings in farewell.
in Zimbabwe.
With that, British Airways said goodbye
to Zimbabwe.
8 A man living in a Harare township earns, on
average, Z$5m dollars a month, or £2.50 at the
2 Cephas Msipa, a lifelong member of Mr
hidden-market rate. His journey to work in Harare
Mugabe’s Zanu-PF, said he thought it was
costs more than that but he has to travel to work
probably part of a British government plan
if he wants to keep his job.
against the Zimbabwean ruler, Robert Mugabe,
but he said that he was going to miss British
9 British Airways stayed when other European
Airways anyway. “In these difficult times, people
airlines left Zimbabwe as its economy
think Air Zimbabwe is unreliable,” he said.
collapsed – at the moment there are about $2m
Zimbabwean dollars to the British pound. But
3 Air Zimbabwe flights run days late because
now BA says that costs are too high, particularly
there is no fuel or maintenance, or they are
the cost of bringing fuel in by road from South
diverted when Mr Mugabe feels like going on a
Africa.
shopping trip in Kuala Lumpur or attending the
Pope’s funeral.
10 Mr Msipa and the Zimbabwean government are
suspicious but Mr Msipa admits there is a crisis,
4 Annie, a white Zimbabwean, is going to miss BA
and that his dad might be part of the problem.
for another reason. “There’s toilet paper on this
His father is the Zanu-PF governor of Midlands
plane, but there’s no toilet paper in the shops.
province. There, he has taken farms away from
It feels like we’re being cut off from the rest of
white farmers and has overseen the collapse
the world”.
of agriculture. Mr Msipa says this was possibly
a mistake. “My father is an old nationalist who
5 BA stopped flights to Zimbabwe once before in
believes that everything is about the land, but our
1965 when Ian Smith declared independence
generation says we should get into computers
for Rhodesia. BA returned 15 years later when
and call centres”.
Mr Smith was defeated by economics and war.
At that time, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe and
Robert Mugabe took power.
who travels regularly to London. His job has
kept the worst effects of the economic collapse
6 Now Zimbabwe’s government is losing
away from him and his five children. “We have an
control. Zimbabwe has a shrinking economy,
advantage. I can do things ... I have contacts,”
hyperinflation and production is collapsing. At
he said. “But how I’m going to get to London
the same time, Mr Mugabe is creating more and
now is a problem. No one wants to go through
more new bureaucracy. The official exchange
Johannesburg. They steal your luggage there. I
rate is so different to the exchange rate of the
suppose it will just have to be Air Zimbabwe.”
hidden market that the central bank governor has
to send his staff out to buy dollars on the street. © Guardian News & Media 2007
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1. British Airways no longer... a. ... rule Zimbabwe.
2. White Zimbabweans saw British Airways... b. ... to travel to work in Harare.
3. Robert Mugabe is the first black man to... c. ... flies to Zimbabwe.
4. Mugabe has been in power for... d. ... and the hidden-market rate.
5. The average worker from a township in Zimbabwe e. ... as their link to the rest of the world.
doesn’t earn enough money...
6. Tobacco and wheat production in Zimbabwe... f. ... is agriculture.
7. Zimbabwe’s main industry... g. ... over 25 years.
8. There are two different exchange rates in Zimbabwe, h. ... have fallen dramatically.
the government’s rate...
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4 Vocabulary: Collocations / Word pairs
Match the words on the left with the words on the right to make collocations. What is their connection
with the text?
Example: lifelong member

Cephas Msipa is a lifelong member of Mr Mugabe’s Zanu-PF.
difficult paper
toilet economy
wheat trip
tobacco times
shopping centres
lose production
shrinking market
hidden harvest
call developer
property control
5 Discussion
Now, in Zimbabwe, a loaf of bread costs more than fifty times the price it was a year ago.
Now, a litre of milk costs about _____________. A year ago it cost _____________.
Now, a loaf of bread costs about _____________. A year ago it cost _____________.
Now, a packet of cigarettes costs about _____________. A year ago it cost _____________.
Now, an apartment costs about _____________. A year ago it cost _____________.
... continue...
6 Webquest
Go to www.swradioafrica.com and click on the ‘listen live’ button to listen to the latest independent news from
Zimbabwe. The website also contains short news articles and podcasts.
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KEY
Abyssinia Ethiopia 1. c
Benadir Somalia 2. e
French Sudan Mali 3. a
German Southwest Africa Namibia 4. g
Rhodesia Zimbabwe 5. b
Upper Volta Burkina Faso 6. h
Portuguese East Africa Mozambique 7. f
8. d
2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Collocations / Word pairs

1. unreliable difficult times
2. diverted toilet paper
3. cut off wheat harvest
4. independence tobacco production
5. defeated shopping trip
6. collapse lose control
7. hyperinflation shrinking economy
8. bureaucracy hidden market
9. exchange rate call centres
10. harvest property developer
11. suspicious
12. admit
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Abyssinia Somalia
Benadir Mali

Upper Volta Namibia
2 Key words
Match the keywords with their definitions.
bureaucracy plummet conspiracy confiscate

regime hyperinflation collapse independence
1. When something does this it breaks down and (almost) stops functioning. ___________________
2. This is a secret plan to do something bad or illegal, especially in politics. ___________________
3. When you have this you are no longer controlled by another person or country. ___________________
4. This is an incredibly high increase in prices. ___________________
5. This is what we call a complicated or annoying system of rules and processes. ___________________
6. A system or form of government (often military) that controls the country in a strict or unfair way.
___________________
7. When something falls very quickly, we can say that it does this. ___________________
8. When you do this, you take something away from someone for legal reasons or as a punishment.
___________________
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British Airways says goodbye 7 The regime says Zimbabwe is having a great
to Zimbabwe
agricultural season, even though there is no bread
in the shops because the wheat harvest is down by
two-thirds and production of tobacco has dropped to
Chris McGreal on BA152, Harare–London one-fifth of what it once was. The government has
October 29, 2007 even announced plans to sell electricity to Namibia
next year even though it doesn’t generate enough
1 The last flight left the sparkling new Harare power to keep lights on at home.
airport, lifted over the city and dipped its wings in
farewell. With that, British Airways said goodbye 8 The reality is that a man living in a Harare township
to Zimbabwe. lucky enough to have a job earns, on average,
Z$5m dollars a month, or £2.50 at the hidden-
2 Cephas Msipa, a lifelong member of Mr Mugabe’s market rate. His transport to work in Harare costs
Zanu-PF, said he thought it was probably part more than that but he has to travel to work if he
of a British government conspiracy against the wants to keep his job.
Zimbabwean ruler, Robert Mugabe, but he said that
he was going to miss British Airways anyway. “In 9 Other European airlines left Zimbabwe as its
these difficult times, Air Zimbabwe has a reputation economy collapsed but BA stayed because historic
for being unreliable,” he said. ties with Britain meant there were still a steady
number of passengers.
3 What he means is that Air Zimbabwe is in much
the same state as the country; flights are running 10 But the airline says it has been defeated by
days late due to lack of fuel or maintenance, or escalating costs, particularly the price of having
are diverted when Mr Mugabe feels like going on to bring fuel in by road from South Africa, and the
a shopping trip in Kuala Lumpur or attending the unreal maths of the Zimbabwean economy. The
Pope’s funeral. Zimbabwe dollar has plummeted from $5,100 to the
pound at the beginning of 2006 to nearly $2m to the
4 Annie, a white Zimbabwean, is going to miss BA for pound today.
another reason. “There’s toilet paper on this plane.
I haven’t been able get toilet paper in the shops for 11 Mr Msipa and the Zimbabwean government
weeks,” she said. “I don’t know why it matters that are suspicious; they don’t understand how BA
this is the last flight, but it does. It’s as if we’re finally isn’t making money. Mr Msipa admits there is a
being cut off from the rest of the world”. crisis though, and that his dad might be part of
the problem.
12 His father is the Zanu-PF governor of Midlands
Zimbabwe. Flights were stopped in 1965 when
Ian Smith declared independence for Rhodesia. province where he has confiscated white-
BA was back 15 years later when Mr Smith was owned farms and has overseen the collapse of
defeated by economics as much as war; Rhodesia agriculture. Mr Msipa says this may have been a
ceased to exist and the only black man to ever rule mistake. “My father an old nationalist who believes
Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, took power. that everything is about the land. Whereas our
generation says we should get into computers and
6 Zimbabwe’s government is losing control. Mr call centres”.
Mugabe is creating a vast new bureaucracy while
the economy shrinks amid hyperinflation and
collapsing production. The official exchange rate who travels regularly to London. His job has
is so different to that of the hidden market that the kept the worst effects of the economic collapse
central bank governor has to send his staff out to away from him and his five children. “We have a
buy dollars on the street. relative advantage. I can get things done ... I have
contacts,” he said. “But how I’m going to
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get to London now is a problem. No one wants

to go through Johannesburg. They steal your
luggage there. I suppose it will just have to be
Air Zimbabwe.”

1. British Airways now only fly to Zimbabwe once a week.
2. White Zimbabweans saw British Airways as their link to the rest of the world.
3. Robert Mugabe is the first black man to rule Zimbabwe.
4. Mugabe has been in power for over 40 years.
5. The average worker from a township in Zimbabwe earns about the same as the cost of a plane ticket to London.
6. Tobacco and wheat production has fallen dramatically.
7. Zimbabwe’s main industry is computers.
8. There are two different exchange rates in Zimbabwe, the government’s rate and the hidden market rate.
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Write in the missing prepositions then check your answers by reading back over the article.
1. British Airways said goodbye ______ Zimbabwe

2. part ______ a British government conspiracy
3. a reputation ______ being unreliable
4. going ______ a shopping trip
5. Mr Smith was defeated ______ economics
6. Rhodesia ceased ______ exist
7. a man living ______ a Harare township
8. historic ties ______ Britain
9. defeated ______ escalating costs
10. part ______ the problem
11. we should get ______ computers
12. No one wants to go ______ Johannesburg
5 Discussion
In your country:
6 Webquest

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1 What are they called now? 3 Comprehension
Abyssinia Ethiopia 1. F (they have stopped flying to Zimbabwe)

Benadir Somalia 2. T
French Sudan Mali 3. T
German Southwest Africa Namibia 4. F (he has been in power for over 25 years)
Rhodesia Zimbabwe 5. F (they earn much, much less)
Upper Volta Burkina Faso 6. T
Portuguese East Africa Mozambique 7. F (the main industry is still agriculture)
8. T

1. collapse
2. conspiracy 1. British Airways said goodbye to Zimbabwe
3. independence 2. part of a British government conspiracy
4. hyperinflation 3. a reputation for being unreliable
5. bureaucracy 4. going on a shopping trip
6. regime 5. Mr Smith was defeated by economics
7. plummet 6. Rhodesia ceased to exist
8. confiscate 7. a man living in a Harare township
8. historic ties with Britain
9. defeated by escalating costs
10. part of the problem
11. we should get into computers
12. No one wants to go through Johannesburg
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Google reveals mobile plans
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
incompatible launch intrigue foothold outpace

trial protracted lobby slot vaunted

1. A ____________ process is one that lasts for a long time, often longer than expected.
2. Something which is ____________ is praised highly or described as very important or successful.
3. If two or more devices are ____________, they are not able to work together because they have different
operating systems.
4. ____________ is normally a noun but as a verb it means to test something thoroughly to see if it works.
5. If you ____________ people in authority, you try to influence them on a particular subject.
6. If you ____________ a product or service you start selling it to the public on a specific date.
7. If a company ____________ another company, it moves more quickly and is more successful than its rival.
8. If you gain a ____________ in a particular market, you enter that market for the first time and take a position
from which you can become more successful.
9. ____________ involves a lot of interest and speculation about a particular subject.
10. A ____________ is a time during a series of events when it is arranged that something will happen. Aircraft
have to book a ____________ in order to land and take off, for example.
2 What do you know?
1. Google was founded by two university students.
2. Google was founded in 1988.
3. It is now the fifth largest company in the USA.
4. The iPhone mobile phone system is owned by Google.
5. Google is now worth around $22.5 billion.
6. Google is more successful than AOL but not as successful as Yahoo.

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NEWS LESSONS / Google reveals mobile plans / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
Google reveals mobile plans around the project, which is thought to have heavily
involved staff from the company’s British offices.
Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent
“It’s incredibly important to say this is not the
November 5, 2007
announcement of the Google Phone,” he said.
1 Google today took another step in its quest to 6 Moving into the phone market could prove to be a
become the most powerful company in the world as money-spinner for the Californian company, allowing it
it finally confirmed plans to enter the mobile phone to get a foothold in one of the world’s fastest-growing
industry. The company is introducing a new mobile industries. Nokia, the market-leading mobile phone
system called Android, which it hopes will bring maker, sold more than 100m handsets in the last
Internet access to the masses – and help it sell three months, while network operators such as
more advertising. Vodafone remain some of the largest companies
around the globe.
2 Announcing the news, the Google chief executive,
Eric Schmidt, said Android was a toolkit that would 7 The move underlines Google’s expanding influence
encourage people to use the Internet on their phones over our lives as more information and money moves
and would bridge the conflict between different online. The Internet giant – which was founded by
incompatible handsets. “The fundamental problem university roommates Larry Page and Sergey Brin in
with handsets today is that they don’t have full power 1998 – is now worth in excess of $225bn (£108bn),
Internet browsers – we have to do specialized making it the fifth largest company in America. Thanks
engineering to get our software on those devices,” in large part to its ability to display advertising on its
he said. “This will give wireless operators and phone search engine pages, Google has built a multibillion-
manufacturers the ability to create new things.” dollar business and outpaced other Internet giants
including Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL.
3 Increasing the amount of time people spend surfing
the Internet on their phones would also let Google 8 Google’s plans for future products and services
harvest information and display advertisements direct are wide-ranging, spanning office software, web
to mobile phones users just as it does on home monitoring and other advertising businesses. It is
computers, said Andy Rubin, the company’s director known to be trialling a system for monitoring television
of mobile. “We currently put ads on phones via the viewing, and last year bought the radio advertising
web browser,” he said. “Part of this is that it makes it company dMarc, with the aim of delivering adverts
so that there’s really no difference between browsing across a broad range of media. “This is a shot that
on your phone or on a computer. This enables is going to be heard around the world, but it’s just
Google’s business, but you won’t see a completely the first shot in what is going to be a very protracted
advertising-driven cellphone for a while yet.” battle in the next frontier of the mobile web,” said
Michael Gartenberg, a technology analyst with
4 Android – which will starting appearing on phones
Jupiter Research.
next year – has support from more than 30
companies, including mobile phone networks such 9 Meanwhile, Google is lobbying to buy its own space
as T-Mobile and handset makers such as Motorola on the US airwaves in what is seen as a threat to
and South Korea’s HTC. Some experts had traditional phone companies and Internet providers.
previously speculated that Google was planning to By purchasing a slot on the mobile phone spectrum,
manufacture its own mobile phones in a similar vein Google could sidestep the telecommunications
to Apple, whose iPhone device will be launched in networks entirely and provide a series of mobile
the UK next week. services directly to the public.
5 But Mr Schmidt said he only intended to offer new 10 The announcement of Android comes days before
software for mobile phones – not the handsets Apple launches its much-vaunted iPhone handset in
themselves – bringing to an end months of intrigue the UK. Google denied it was attempting to compete
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NEWS LESSONS / Google reveals mobile plans/ Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
head-to-head with the iPod maker. Although some
Google applications such as Internet search and
maps come pre-installed on the iPhone, it does
not require any Google services in order to run. Mr
Schmidt, who is also on the board of Apple, said
Android was aiming to work with existing phone
companies rather than replace them. “It’s true that
I’m on the board of Apple, but it’s also important to
state that there are going to be many different sorts
of mobile experiences,” he said.

1. Why is Google interested in entering the mobile phone industry?

a. Because Google wants to compete with iPhone.
b. Because it has wide-ranging plans for future products.
c. Because this will help it to sell more advertising.
2. What exactly is Android?

a. A mobile phone like the iPhone.
b. A toolkit that will encourage people to use the Internet on their mobile phones.
c. A system that is designed to replace existing mobile phone companies.
3. What has been the main factor in Google’s success?

a. The fact that it is able to display advertising on its search engine pages.
b. The fact that it has gained a foothold in one of the world’s fastest-growing industries.
c. The fact that it has purchased a slot on the mobile phone spectrum.
4. How does the article describe Google’s plans for future products and services?
a. It is part of a battle in the next frontier of the mobile web.
b. It is planning to be involved in a number of different technological areas.
c. It wants to sidestep the telecommunications network entirely.
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Level 3 Advanced

1. A verb meaning to gather. (para 3)

2. A verb meaning to look for information on the Internet. (para 3)
3. A four-word expression meaning in almost the same style. (para 4)
4. A two-word expression meaning a very profitable product or activity. (para 6)
5. A three-word expression meaning more than a particular amount. (para 7)
6. A verb meaning to include a number of things. (para 8)
7. A verb meaning to avoid something problematical. (para 9)
8. A three-word expression meaning competing directly with someone else. (para 10)
Match the verbs and the nouns. Check your answers in the text.
1. provide a. a business
2. launch b. a step
3. take c. a new product
4. surf d. a market
5. move into e. an application
6. found f. a service
7. build g. the Internet
8. install h. a company
6 Vocabulary 3: Nouns followed by prepositions
1. access ____________
2. problem ____________
3. difference ____________
4. influence ____________
5. in excess ____________
6. thanks ____________
7. range ____________
8. threat ____________
7 Discussion
Are you happy to use your mobile phone to make calls and send messages or do you want other services
on your phone? What kind of services would you like your mobile phone provider to offer?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1. protracted 1. harvest
2. vaunted 2. browse
3. incompatible 3. in a similar vein
4. trial 4. money-spinner
5. lobby 5. in excess of
6. launch 6. span
7. outpaces 7. sidestep
8. foothold 8. head-to-head
9. intrigue
10. slot/slot

2. c
1. T 3. b
2. F 4. g
3. T 5. d
4. F 6. h
5. F 7. a
6. F 8. e
3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Nouns followed

by prepositions
1. c
2. b 1. to
3. a 2. with
4. b 3. between
4. over
5. of
6. to
7. of
8. to
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
handset launch monitor purchase display

manufactures media online browser market leader
1. If a company ________________ something, it makes large quantities of it in a factory.
2. A ________________ is a computer programme that makes it possible for you to find information on the Internet.
3. If you ________________ a product or service, you start selling it to the public on a specific date.
4. ________________ means connected through a computer to the Internet.
5. A ________________ is the part of a telephone that you hold next to your ear.
6. A ________________ is a company that sells more of a particular product than any other company.
7. Radio, television, newspapers and the Internet are known as the ________________.
8. ________________ is a more formal word for buy.
9. If you ________________ something, you put it somewhere where people can see it.
10. If you ________________ something, you watch it regularly and check what is happening.
1. How many companies support Android?
2. How many handsets did Nokia sell in the past three months?
3. When did Google start?
4. Who started Google?
5. How much is Google worth?
6. Which company launched the iPhone?

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NEWS LESSONS / Google reveals mobile plans/ Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Google reveals mobile plans 5 But Mr Schmidt said Google only planned to offer
new software for mobile phones – not to make the
Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent handsets themselves. “It’s very important to say this
November, 5 2007 is not a Google Phone,” he said.
1 Google is planning to enter the mobile phone 6 Google could make a lot of money by moving into
industry. The company is introducing a new the mobile phone market. It will take its position in
mobile system called Android. Google is hoping one of the world’s fastest-growing industries. Nokia,
that Android will bring the Internet to millions of the mobile phone maker and the market leader, sold
people – and that it will also help Google to sell more than 100m handsets in the last three months,
more advertising. and network operators such as Vodafone are some
of the largest companies in the world.
2 Google chief executive, Eric Schmidt, announced
the news. He said that Android was a software 7 More information and money is moving online and
set that would make it easier for people to use the Google is becoming more and more powerful.
Internet on their phones. “The main problem with University students Larry Page and Sergey Brin
handsets today is that they don’t have full power started Google in 1998 and it is now worth more
Internet browsers – we have to use specialized than $225bn (£108bn), making it the fifth largest
engineering to get Google software on those company in America. Google is able to display
handsets,” he said. “Android will give wireless advertising on its search engine pages and this
operators and phone manufacturers the ability to has helped to make it a multibillion-dollar business
create new things.” which has now moved ahead of other Internet
giants including Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL.
3 Google wants to increase the amount of time
people spend surfing the Internet on their phones. 8 Google has a number of plans for future products
This will also make it possible for Google to and services, including office software, web
gather information and to display advertisements monitoring and other advertising businesses. It is
direct to mobile phone users in the same way as testing a system for monitoring television viewing,
it does on home computers, said Andy Rubin, and last year it bought a radio advertising company
Google’s director of mobile. “At the moment we in order to advertise in different forms of media.
put advertisements on phones using the web
browser,” he said. “There’s really no difference 9 Google is also trying to buy space on the US
between browsing on your phone or on a airwaves. This could be bad news for traditional
computer. This helps Google’s business to grow phone companies and Internet providers. If Google
but we don’t have mobile phones powered by purchases space on the mobile phone spectrum,
advertising just yet.” it could provide a series of mobile services directly
to the public without using the telecommunications
4 Android – which will start appearing on phones next networks at all.
year – has support from more than 30 companies,
including mobile phone networks such as T-Mobile 10 The news about Android comes days before the
and handset makers such as Motorola and South launch of the Apple iPhone handset in the UK.
Korea’s HTC. Some people thought that Google Google says it is not trying to compete directly with
was planning to manufacture its own mobile phones Apple. Although some Google applications such as
in a similar way to Apple’s iPhone. Internet search and maps are already on the
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Level 1 Elementary
iPhone, it can run without any Google services. Mr

Schmidt, who is also on the board of Apple, said
Android would work with existing phone companies
and would not replace them. “It’s true that I’m
on the board of Apple, but it’s also important to
say that there are going to be a lot of technical
developments in the mobile industry,” he said.

1. Android will make it possible…

2. Android will not…
3. Android is not…
4. The mobile phone industry…
5. Google is planning…
6. Google is now…
a. … is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries.

b. … the fifth biggest company in the USA.
c. … appear on mobile phones until next year.
d. … to advertise in different forms of media.
e. … for millions more people to surf the Internet on their mobile phones.
f. … a mobile phone.
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Level 1 Elementary
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make compound nouns
from the text.
1. market a. browser
2. university b. computer
3. Internet c. executive
4. web d. student
5. wireless e. network
6. chief f. operator
7. home g. leader
8. telecommunications h. provider
5 Vocabulary 2: Word building (nouns ending in -er or -or?)

Complete the table.
verb noun
1. browse
2. manufacture
3. operate
4. provide
5. use
6. lead
Put these words into two groups according to their stress.
product display gather provide handset mobile

compete replace software increase announce market
A 0o B o0
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Compound nouns
1. manufactures 1. g
2. browser 2. d
3. launch 3. h
4. online 4. a
5. handset 5. e
6. market leader 6. c
7. media 7. b
8. purchase 8. f
9. display
10. monitor
5 Vocabulary 2: Word building (nouns
ending in -er or -or?)
1. More than 30 verb noun

2. 100 million 1. browse browser
3. 1998 2. manufacture manufacturer
4. Larry Page and Sergey Brin 3. operate operator
5. $225 billion
4. provide provider
6. Apple
5. use user
6. lead leader
1. e
2. c
A 0o B o0
3. f
4. a product display
5. d gather provide
6. b handset compete
mobile replace
software increase
market announce
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1 Key words
confirm device handset launch foothold

monitor range purchase slot deny
1. ____________ is a more formal word for buy.
2. A ____________ is a number of different things that are of the same general type.
3. If you ____________ something, you say that it is definitely true.
4. If you ____________ something, you say that it is not true.
5. If you ____________ something, you watch it regularly and check what is happening.
6. A ____________ is a time during a series of events when you can reserve a space to operate a service.
7. If you gain a ____________ in a particular market, you enter that market for the first time and take a position
from which you can become more successful.
8. If you ____________ a product or service you start selling it to the public on a specific date.
9. A ____________ is a piece of equipment that performs a particular function.
10. A ____________ is the part of a telephone that you hold next to your ear.
1. How many companies support Android?
2. How many handsets did Nokia sell in the past three months?
3. When was Google founded?
4. How much is Google worth?
5. Which company launched iPhone?
6. Who are Larry Page and Sergey Brin?

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NEWS LESSONS / Google reveals mobile plans / Intermediate

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Google reveals mobile plans themselves. “It’s incredibly important to say this is
not the announcement of the arrival of the Google
Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent
Phone,” he said.
November 5, 2007
6 Moving into the phone market could prove to be
a money-spinner for the Californian company. It
1 Google has finally confirmed that it plans to will enable Google to get a foothold in one of the
enter the mobile phone industry. The company is world’s fastest-growing industries. Nokia, the mobile
introducing a new mobile system called Android, phone maker and the market leader, sold more
which it hopes will bring Internet access to millions than 100m handsets in the last three months, while
of people – and help it sell more advertising. network operators such as Vodafone are some of
the largest companies in the world.
2 Google chief executive, Eric Schmidt, announced
the news. He said that Android was a software set 7 The move highlights Google’s growing influence
that would encourage people to use the Internet over our lives as more information and money
on their phones. It would also solve the problem of moves online. The Internet giant – which was
different handsets with different operating systems. founded by university roommates Larry Page
“The fundamental problem with handsets today is and Sergey Brin in 1998 – is now worth more
that they don’t have full power Internet browsers than $225bn (£108bn), making it the fifth largest
– we have to do specialized engineering to get our company in America. Thanks mainly to its ability
software on those devices,” he said. “This will give to display advertising on its search engine pages,
wireless operators and phone manufacturers the Google has built a multibillion-dollar business and
ability to create new things.” has moved ahead of other Internet giants including
Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL.
3 Increasing the amount of time people spend surfing
the Internet on their phones would also let Google 8 Google has a range of plans for future products and
gather information and display advertisements services, including office software, web monitoring
direct to mobile phones users, just as it does on and other advertising businesses. It is known to be
home computers, said Andy Rubin, the company’s testing a system for monitoring television viewing,
director of mobile. “We currently put ads on phones and last year it bought a radio advertising company
using the web browser,” he said. “Part of this is with the aim of delivering adverts across a broad
that it makes it so that there’s really no difference range of media.
between browsing on your phone or on a computer.
This helps Google’s business to grow, but you 9 Meanwhile, Google is trying to buy its own space
won’t see a cellphone that’s completely driven by on the US airwaves. Some people see this as a
advertising for some time yet.” threat to traditional phone companies and Internet
providers. If it purchases a slot on the mobile phone
4 Android – which will starting appearing on spectrum, Google could provide a series of mobile
phones next year – has support from more than services directly to the public without using the
30 companies, including mobile phone networks telecommunications networks at all.
such as T-Mobile and handset makers such as
Motorola and South Korea’s HTC. Some experts 10 The announcement of Android comes days
had previously thought that Google was planning to before Apple launches its highly praised iPhone
manufacture its own mobile phones in a similar way handset in the UK. Google denied it was trying
to Apple, whose iPhone device will be launched in to compete directly with Apple. Although some
the UK next week. Google applications such as Internet search and
maps come pre-installed on the iPhone, it does
5 But Mr Schmidt said he only intended to offer new not require any Google services in order to run. Mr
software for mobile phones – not the handsets Schmidt, who is also on the board of Apple, said
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Android would work with existing phone companies

rather than replace them. “It’s true that I’m on the
board of Apple, but it’s also important to state that
there are going to be many different sorts of mobile
experiences,” he said.

1. Android is a mobile phone.

2. Mobile phone networks and handset makers are supporting Android.
3. The mobile phone market is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries.
4. Page and Brin were students when they founded Google.
5. Google is the fifth largest company in the world.
6. Google is trying to compete directly with Apple’s iPhone.
Look in the text and find the following words or expressions.
1. An adverb meaning at the moment. (para 3)

2. A verb meaning to look for information on the Internet. (para 3)
3. A two-word expression meaning a very profitable product or activity. (para 6)
4. A two-word expression meaning the company that sells more of a particular product than any other. (para 6)
5. A verb meaning to emphasize. (para 7)
6. A noun meaning someone who shares a room with you. (para 7)
7. An adjective meaning wide. (para 8)
8. A noun meaning a situation that could cause harm. (para 9)
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Rearrange these words to make phrases from the text.
1. phone a system mobile new
2. power browser a Internet full
3. fastest the one growing world’s of industries
4. the some in of world companies largest the
5. fifth America company the in largest
6. future a plans and services products for range of
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. announce
2. appear
3. apply
4. encourage
5. browse
6. arrive
7. operate
8. produce
7 Discussion
Do you surf the Internet on your mobile phone? What other services would you like your mobile phone
to provide?
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KEY
1. purchase 1. currently
2. range 2. browse
3. confirm 3. money-spinner
4. deny 4. market leader
5. monitor 5. highlight
6. slot 6. roommate
7. foothold 7. broad
8. launch 8. threat
9. device
10. handset
1. a new mobile phone system
1. More than 30 2. a full-power Internet browser
2. 100 million 3. one of the world’s fastest-growing industries
3. 1998 4. some of the world’s largest companies
4. More than $225 billion 5. the fifth largest company in America
5. Apple 6. a range of plans for future products and services
6. They are the founders of Google

1. F
verb noun
2. T 1. announce announcement
3. T 2. appear appearance
4. T 3. apply application
5. F
4. encourage encouragement
6. F
5. browse browser
6. arrive arrival
7. operate operator (operation)
8. produce product
(producer, production)
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Bye bye Belgium?
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
apocalypse fragile inevitable arrogance pact

courtesy amicable steadfast humiliated demise
1. If you feel _________________, you feel very embarrassed and ashamed.
2. A _________________ person is one who does not change his or her opinions because they have a strong
belief in something.
3. An _________________ relationship is one that is friendly and without arguments.
4. If something is _________________, it can be broken or damaged very easily.
5. If something is _________________, it is impossible to avoid or prevent.
6. A _________________ is an agreement between two or more people or organizations in which they promise
to do something.
7. _________________ is formal politeness in social situations.
8. The _________________ of something is the time when it ceases to exist.
9. _________________ is behaviour that shows you think you are better or more important than other people.
10. _________________ is a time when the whole world will be destroyed.
2 What do you know?
1. More Belgians speak French as a mother-tongue than Dutch (Flemish).
2. Belgium has existed as a country for over 300 years.
3. More than half the population of Belgium think their country will break into two parts.
4. The French part of Belgium is called Wallonia.
5. The Flemish part of Belgium is called Flamonia.
6. Only Dutch is spoken in Brussels.

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Bye bye Belgium? small countries of Europe. For us, Belgium is simply
counterproductive. We’d be better off without it.” At
Jon Henley
any rate, on the streets of Halle, barely a quarter
November 13, 2007
of an hour’s train ride from the capital, feelings are
certainly running high. Here, as Demesmaeker
1 Belgium is in crisis, apparently, though on the outside politely explains, the local council has a Flemish
at least it doesn’t really look it. The newspapers and language manifesto stating that Halle is a Dutch-
the politicians, though, are predicting apocalypse. language town, and intends to remain so. “We
Believe them, and the country is in the worst trouble merely ask everyone to respect that,” he says.
of its brief history, or at least since the dark days
5 Some may see here the seeds of something rather
of the last war. Belgium, remarkably, has spent
nastier than a quest for linguistic integrity. But in
the past 156 days without a government and while
any case, continues Demesmaeker, the root of
this is plainly not yet in itself a catastrophe, there
the problem is that Halle’s French speakers show
is a very real fear that the fragile and complicated
“very little willingness to learn Dutch. They come
arrangement that holds this impossible country
here, they see Halle as some kind of extension of
together may finally be beginning to come unstuck.
Brussels, they walk into the shops and they say,
Belgium, it is whispered, could soon be no more.
‘Bonjour’. Many make no attempt. Don’t get me
2 Belgium’s citizens seem quite resigned to it: recent wrong: I have nothing against Walloons. I go often to
surveys show that in the north as many as 63% think the Ardennes forests, in the far south, and there they
the break-up of their 177-year-old country is now are charming, completely different. But here ... Well,
more or less inevitable. “The place has had it,” says there’s a certain arrogance, I think. French was for
René Vanderweiden, a telecoms engineer, queuing so long the dominant language and culture here, you
in the Brussels drizzle for a tram. “Maybe not now, see. And the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Halle,
maybe not in ten years’ time. But within my lifetime, well ... there are tensions. They don’t like too many
I’d guess. The Flemings (Belgium’s Dutch-speaking people speaking French here. They don’t like some
majority) want out of it, and they’re no longer afraid of the classes in our schools being half-full of French
of saying so. There’s an impatience, that wasn’t children.”
there before.”
6 A local shopkeeper agreed: “This is Flanders here,
3 Sheltering from the rain in a cafe, Joelle Rutten, and we deserve as much respect as anyone else
who works in a bookshop, blames the politicians. for our language and for our culture. If we go to
“We obviously don’t need them,” she says. “Look Wallonia, we expect to have to speak French. It’s
at us – we’re all going to work, paying our taxes, only right. And it’s only right that when Belgian
nothing has changed. They’re utterly out of touch French-speakers come here, they should speak
with ordinary people, anyway, arguing about things Dutch. It’s common courtesy. But most either can’t,
that mean nothing to most of us. It’s a scandal! They or don’t bother.”
have no idea what they’re doing at all.”
7 Reinforced by such passionate sentiments,
4 Sadly, though, the politicians – or some of them, Belgium’s Flemish politicians last week took
at least – seem to have a very clear idea of what the historic step of voting through the split-up of
they are doing. In a town hall office in the Brussels Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde suburb in parliamentary
suburb of Halle, Mark Demesmaeker, deputy mayor, committee. The Walloon MPs stormed out of the
remarks cheerfully that he “can no longer see the chamber in protest. In living memory, this was the
value of Belgium, actually. There are six million of first time that Belgium’s unspoken pact had been
us Flemings, we work hard, we make money, and broken: the politicians of one language community
we’re perfectly capable of standing on our own had forced a vote, against the wishes of those of
two feet. Indeed, we would be one of the wealthier another. It may not signal the end of Belgium, but
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most politicians agree that it does not bode well for not prepared to do is carry on as things are. This is a
the country’s future. very, very deep crisis.”
8 In an office in the centre of Brussels, Charles Piqué, 12 Unfortunately, says Piqué, for the Walloons and
the capital’s French-speaking minister-president, for Brussels, “an arrangement like that would be
concedes that the vote had “a very, very strong very, very difficult. In a federal state, based on
symbolic value. It is not decisive, I don’t think, not co-operation and solidarity, everything is possible.
yet. But it marks another step in the ongoing process In a confederation, where there’s no real central
of Flemish intimidation. We have learned in this government to resolve disputes, everything
country, over the years, to compromise more and becomes much more problematic. And if the
more to avoid these kinds of situations. But this Flemish get exactly what they want out of all this,
shows their determination, that they are prepared and make no concessions, and the Walloons start
to increase tensions between the communities. to feel humiliated and realize they’ve been left with
And this is just the beginning of the Flemish nothing, then there will inevitably be a radicalization.
demands. They will now demand a full transfer of Future historians could well look back and say: ‘This
responsibilities, the further defederalization of this moment, right now, was this country’s turning point.’”
country. What happens next is critical.”
13 The demise of Belgium, Piqué says, would be “a
9 But is Belgium really necessary? That, increasingly, victory for selfishness”. Also, it would be short-
is becoming the question, if not quite yet for ordinary sighted, costly and sad. Call me sentimental, but on
Belgians, then certainly for their political leaders balance I agree. Outside, it is still pouring. But the
and the media. The ‘Czechoslovakia option’ of an tram comes, on time, and nobody on it looks any
amicable divorce, with Brussels becoming a kind of unhappier than they might reasonably be expected
international city state, is being openly discussed. to look in Brussels in November in the rain. They
So too, extraordinarily, is the notion that Wallonia may not be missing their politicians, the Belgians.
might become part of France, which a poll this But it is beginning to look like they might, in the not
weekend showed the French would be perfectly too distant future, be missing their country.
happy to countenance.
10 Joelle Rutten, the bookshop worker, steadfastly First published in The Guardian, 13/11/07
refuses to believe that Belgium is on the brink:
“We’ve grown up in this country; it’s a nice country,
a friendly country. It would be stupid, completely
idiotic, to split it all up just because a few thick-
headed politicians are so out of touch with reality
that they can’t see sense.”
11 But for Demesmaeker and his Flemish friends,

there now has to be, at the very least, major
constitutional reform: “We could just about live
with a confederation – two independent states
that voluntarily decide what they can profitably do
together. That would be sensible, and it’s a very
different proposition from what we have now,”
he says. “It’s not that we’re not prepared to help
Wallonia; nobody wants a weak neighbour. But it
would have to be on our terms: there would have to
be transparency, efficiency, less waste. What we are
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1. Why do some people think that Belgium will break up?

a. Because the country’s Dutch-speaking majority think they will be better off as an independent country.
b. Because the country’s French-speaking minority wants to become a part of France.
c. Because the country is in economic decline.
2. What is the minimum requirement of people like the deputy mayor of Halle?
a. That Belgium is divided into two independent countries.
b. That everyone in Belgium should speak Dutch.
c. That there should be major constitutional reform.
3. What is the view of the minister-president of Brussels?

a. He believes that Flemish politicians are prepared to increase tensions between the two communities.
b. He thinks that the break-up would be good for most Belgians.
c. He supports a confederation rather than a federal state.
4. Which sentence best describes the mood in Brussels after 156 days without a government?
a. There is anger and panic in the streets.
b. Life goes on as normal.
c. People are out on the streets demanding change.
1. A noun meaning an event that causes serious problems for everyone. (para 1)
2. An adjective meaning accepting that something bad must happen. (para 2)
3. A three-word expression meaning not having recent knowledge about something. (para 3)
4. A six-word expression meaning to be independent. (para 4)
5. A four-word expression meaning it looks as if something bad will happen. (para 7)
6. A verb meaning to allow to happen. (para 9)
7. A three-word expression meaning about to experience something bad. (para 10)
8. A two-word noun meaning a time when an important change takes place. (para 12)
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Check your answers in the text.
1. make a. a vote
2. resolve b. a pact
3. pay c. respect
4. break d. concessions
5. force e. taxes
6. deserve f. disputes
Match the expressions from the text with their meanings.
1. to be better off a. people are very angry

2. feelings are running high b. to continue
3. to get someone wrong c. to leave quickly because you are very angry
4. to storm out d. to misunderstand
5. to carry on e. failing to consider what will happen in the future
6. short-sighted f. in a better situation
7 Discussion
Do you think countries should be divided along ethnic or linguistic lines?

What are the arguments for and against such divisions?
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KEY
1. humiliated 1. catastrophe
2. steadfast 2. resigned
3. amicable 3. out of touch
4. fragile 4. stand on your own two feet
5. inevitable 5. does not bode well
6. pact 6. countenance
7. courtesy 7. on the brink
8. demise 8. turning-point
9. arrogance
10. apocalypse

2. f
1. F 3. e
2. F 4. b
3. T 5. a
4. T 6. c
5. F
6. F
3 Comprehension check 1. f
2. a
1. a 3. d
2. c 4. c
3. a 5. b
4. b 6. e
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1 Key words
wealthy impatient scandal arrogant inhabitants

break up idiotic polite constitution symbolic
1. An ________________ person is someone who doesn’t like waiting.
2. If someone is ________________, they are very, very stupid.
3. A ________________ person behaves towards other people in a pleasant way.
4. If you are ________________, you have a lot of money.
5. If something is ________________, it represents something important.
6. If you are ________________, you think you are better or more important than other people.
7. If a country ________________, it divides into different parts.
8. The ________________ of a town, city or country are the people who live there.
9. A ________________ is a situation that makes a lot of people shocked and angry.
10. The ________________ of a country is a set of laws that describe the rights and duties of its citizens.
1. How old is Belgium?
2. What percentage of northern Belgians think Belgium will break up?
3. What is the main language spoken in the Brussels suburb of Halle?
4. What is the name of the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium?
5. What is the name of the French-speaking part of Belgium?
6. How long has Belgium been without a government?

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Bye bye Belgium? 5 The main problem, says Demesmaeker, is that

Halle’s French speakers “do not want to learn
Jon Henley
Dutch. They come here, they think Halle is part
November 13, 2007
of Brussels, they walk into the shops and they
say, ‘Bonjour’. Most don’t try to speak Dutch.
1 For 177 years Belgium has been a federal Listen, I have nothing against Walloons. I often
kingdom with two languages, French and Dutch. go to the French part of Belgium, and there
Now some people think that the country is going they are very nice people, completely different.
to break up and divide into two different countries But here ... Well, they are a bit arrogant, I think.
– Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking French was the main language and culture here
Wallonia. If you believe what Belgian newspapers for a long time, you see. And the Dutch-speaking
and politicians are saying, the country is in the inhabitants of Halle don’t like too many people
worst trouble since the dark days of the Second speaking French here. They don’t like some
World War. Belgium has had no government for of the classes in our schools being half-full of
156 days. Having no government is not the end French children.”
of the world but there is a very real fear that the
6 A local shopkeeper agreed with Demesmaeker:
end of Belgium is very near.
“This is Flanders here, and people must respect
2 The people of Belgium seem to accept it. In our language and our culture. If we go to
the north, 63% of people think the country Wallonia, we expect to have to speak French. It’s
will divide. “This place is finished,” says René only right. And it’s only right that when Belgian
Vanderweiden, a telecoms engineer. “Maybe French-speakers come here, they should speak
not now, maybe not in ten years’ time. But within Dutch. It’s just being polite. But most of them
my lifetime, I’d guess. The Flemings (Belgium’s can’t speak Dutch or don’t want to speak Dutch.”
Dutch-speaking majority) want to leave, and
7 Last week Belgium’s Flemish politicians voted
they’re not afraid to say that they want to
to break up the Halle district. The Walloon MPs
leave. They’re impatient and they weren’t like
walked out of the parliament in protest. Charles
that before.”
Piqué, the French-speaking minister-president
3 Joelle Rutten, a bookshop assistant, says the of Brussels, says the vote was symbolic. “It is
problems are the fault of the politicians. “We not the end, I don’t think, not yet. ... We have
don’t need them,” she says. “Look at us – we’re learned in this country, over the years, to avoid
all going to work, paying our taxes, nothing has these kinds of situations. But this shows that the
changed. They don’t understand ordinary people. Flemish politicians want to increase tensions
They argue about things that mean nothing to between the communities. And this is just the
most of us. It’s a scandal! They don’t know what beginning of their demands. What happens next
they’re doing.” is critical.”
4 But some politicians know exactly what they are 8 Joelle Rutten, the bookshop worker, does not
doing. The deputy mayor of the Brussels suburb believe that Belgium is about to break up: “We’ve
of Halle, Mark Demesmaeker, says that he “can grown up in this country; it’s a nice country, a
no longer see the value of Belgium. There are six friendly country. It would be stupid, completely
million of us Flemings, we work hard, we make idiotic, to break it up just because a few stupid
money, and we could be independent. In fact, politicians cannot see sense.”
Flanders would be one of the wealthier small
9 Demesmaeker and his Flemish friends want
countries of Europe. Belgium is simply not good
a major reform of Belgium’s constitution. “A
for us.”
confederation – two independent states that
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decide what they can do together would be

a good idea,” he says. Unfortunately, says
Piqué, for the Walloons and for Brussels, “a
confederation like that would be very, very
difficult. In a federal state, with co-operation
and solidarity, everything is possible. In a
confederation, where there’s no real central
government, everything becomes much more
problematic.”

1. Many people in Flanders want Belgium to break up because…
2. Some people believe that the main problem is that…
3. Other people say that the problems…
4. For 156 days Belgium…
5. For 177 years Belgium…

6. Many people believe Belgium…
a. … will break up soon.
b. … are the fault of the politicians.
c. … has been a federal kingdom.
d. … French-speakers do not want to speak Dutch.
e. … they believe an independent Flanders would be one of the richer small countries in Europe.
f. … has had no government.

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1. the end _______ the world 5. mean nothing _______ most of us

2. _______ ten years’ time 6. not good _______ us
3. the fault _______ the politicians 7. the French part _______ Belgium
4. argue _______ things 8. full _______ children
Complete the table. All the answers are in the text.
verb noun
1. govern
2. division
3. belief
4. increase
5. assist
6. argument
7. co-operate
8. agreement
6 Vocabulary 3: Word puzzle
Rearrange these letters to make words from the text.
1. t – r – a – m – j – o – y – i
2. d – e – a – f – l – e – r
3. r – o – u – b – l – e – t
4. s – i – d – r – i – t – t – c
5. n – e – d – n – i – d – p – e – t – e – n
6. b – u – s – r – u – b
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KEY
1. impatient 1. of
2. idiotic 2. in
3. polite 3. of
4. wealthy 4. about
5. symbolic 5. to
6. arrogant 6. for
7. breaks up 7. of
8. inhabitants 8. of
9. scandal
10. constitution

verb noun
1. 177 years 1. govern government
2. 63% 2. divide division
3. Dutch 3. believe belief
4. Flanders
4. increase increase
5. Wallonia
5. assist assistant
6. 156 days (at the time the article was written)
6. argue argument
7. co-operate co-operation
8. agree agreement
1. e
2. d 6 Vocabulary 3: Word puzzle
3. b
4. f
1. majority
5. c
2. federal
6. a
3. trouble
4. district
5. independent
6. suburb
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1 Key words
wealthy fragile inevitable arrogance concession

courtesy manifesto compromise intimidation voluntarily
1. If you ________________, you solve a problem by accepting you cannot have everything you want.
2. If something is ________________, it is impossible to avoid or prevent.
3. A ________________ is a formal statement expressing the aims of a political party.
4. If you do something ________________, you do it because you choose to do it and not because you have to.
5. ________________ is formal politeness in social situations.
6. ________________ is behaviour that shows you think you are better or more important than other people.
7. If you are ________________, you have plenty of money.
8. If something is ________________, it can be broken or damaged very easily.
9. A ________________ is something that you give or allow to someone in order to make an agreement.
10. ________________ is the process of making other people feel frightened so they will do what you want.
1. How old is Belgium?
2. What percentage of northern Belgians think the break-up of Belgium is inevitable?
3. What is the main language spoken in the Brussels suburb of Halle?
4. What is the name of the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium?
5. What is the name of the French-speaking part of Belgium?
6. How long has Belgium been without a government?

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Bye bye Belgium? counterproductive.” At any rate, on the streets

of Halle, people have strong feelings. Here, the
Jon Henley
local council has a Flemish language manifesto
November 13, 2007
stating that Halle is a Dutch-language town,
and will remain so. “We simply ask everyone to
1 On the outside everything looks normal respect that,” says Demesmaeker.
but Belgium is in a crisis, according to its
5 The root of the problem, says Demesmaeker,
newspapers and politicians. If you believe them,
is that Halle’s French speakers show “very little
the country is in the worst trouble of its brief
willingness to learn Dutch. They come here, they
history, or at least since the dark days of the last
see Halle as some kind of extension of Brussels,
war. For the past 156 days Belgium has had
they walk into the shops and they say, ‘Bonjour’.
no government and, while this is clearly not a
Many make no attempt. Don’t misunderstand:
catastrophe in itself, there is a very real fear that
I have nothing against Walloons. I go often to
the fragile and complicated arrangement that
the far south, and there they are charming,
holds the country together may finally be coming
completely different. But here . . . Well, there’s a
apart. Belgium may soon cease to exist.
certain arrogance, I think. French was for so long
2 Belgium’s citizens seem to accept it: recent the dominant language and culture here, you
surveys show that in the north as many as 63% see. And the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Halle,
think the break-up of their 177-year-old country well they don’t like too many people speaking
is now more or less inevitable. “This place is French here. They don’t like some of the classes
finished,” says René Vanderweiden, a telecoms in our schools being half-full of French children.”
engineer. “Maybe not now, maybe not in ten
6 A local shopkeeper agreed: “This is Flanders
years’ time. But within my lifetime, I’d guess. The
here, and we deserve as much respect as
Flemings (Belgium’s Dutch-speaking majority)
anyone else for our language and for our culture.
want to leave, and they’re no longer afraid of
If we go to Wallonia, we expect to have to speak
saying so. They’re impatient and they weren’t like
French. It’s only right. And it’s only right that
that before.”
when Belgian French-speakers come here, they
3 Joelle Rutten, a bookshop assistant, blames should speak Dutch. It’s simple courtesy. But
the politicians. “We obviously don’t need them,” most either can’t speak Dutch or don’t bother.”
she says. “Look at us – we’re all going to work,
7 Last week in a parliamentary committee,
paying our taxes, nothing has changed. They’re
Belgium’s Flemish politicians took the historic
completely out of touch with ordinary people,
step of voting for the break-up of the Halle
anyway, arguing about things that mean nothing
district. The Walloon MPs walked out of the
to most of us. It’s a scandal! They have no idea
chamber in protest. This was the first time
what they’re doing at all.”
in living memory that Belgium’s unspoken
4 Sadly, though, some politicians seem to have agreement had been broken: the politicians of
a very clear idea of what they are doing. In a one language community had forced a vote,
town hall office in the Brussels suburb of Halle, against the wishes of those of the other. It may
Mark Demesmaeker, deputy mayor, remarks not be the end of Belgium, but most politicians
cheerfully that he “can no longer see the value agree that the country’s future looks uncertain.
of Belgium, actually. There are six million of us
8 Charles Piqué, the French-speaking minister-
Flemings, we work hard, we make money, and
president of Brussels, accepts that the vote
we’re perfectly capable of being independent.
had “a very, very strong symbolic value. It is not
Indeed, we would be one of the wealthier small
decisive, I don’t think, not yet. But it is another
countries of Europe. For us, Belgium is simply
step in the continuing process of Flemish
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intimidation. We have learned in this country, 10 Unfortunately, says Piqué, for the Walloons and
over the years, to compromise more and more for Brussels, “an arrangement like that would
to avoid these kinds of situations. But this shows be very, very difficult. In a federal state, based
that they are prepared to increase tensions on co-operation and solidarity, everything is
between the communities. And this is just the possible. In a confederation, where there’s no
beginning of the Flemish demands. They will real central government to resolve disputes,
now demand a full transfer of responsibilities. everything becomes much more problematic.
What happens next is critical.” And if the Flemish get exactly what they want
out of all this, and make no concessions, and the
8 Joelle Rutten, the bookshop worker, refuses to
Walloons realize they’ve been left with nothing,
believe that Belgium is about to break up: “We’ve then there will inevitably be a radicalization.
grown up in this country; it’s a nice country, a Future historians could well look back and say:
friendly country. It would be stupid, completely ‘This moment, right now, was Belgium’s turning
idiotic, to split it all up just because a few stupid point.’”
politicians are so out of touch with reality that
they can’t see sense.” 11 The break-up of Belgium, Piqué says, would
be ‘a victory for selfishness’. It would also be
9 But for Demesmaeker and his Flemish friends, costly and sad. Maybe I’m sentimental, but on
there now has to be, at the very least, major balance I agree. On the streets of Brussels it is
constitutional reform: “We could just about live pouring with rain. But the tram comes, on time,
with a confederation – two independent states and nobody on it looks any unhappier than
that voluntarily decide what they can profitably usual in Brussels in November in the rain. The
do together. That would be sensible, and it’s a Belgians may not be missing their politicians but
very different proposition from what we have it is beginning to look like they might soon be
now,” he says. “It’s not that we’re not prepared to missing their country.
help Wallonia; nobody wants a weak neighbour.
But it would have to be on our terms: there © Guardian News & Media 2007
would have to be transparency, efficiency, less First published in The Guardian, 13/11/07
waste. What we are not prepared to do is carry
on as things are. This is a very, very deep crisis.”
1. Most French-speaking Belgians want to see the break-up of their country.
2. An independent Flanders would be one of the wealthier small countries in Europe.
3. The problem in the suburb of Halle is that French-speakers don’t want to learn Dutch.
4. Walloon politicians voted in favour of the break-up of the Halle district.
5. The minister-president of Brussels does not believe the vote is decisive.
6. Mr Demesmaeker strongly supports a confederation.
7. The Flemings are not prepared to help Wallonia.
8. Belgium is certain to break into two parts soon.

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Bye bye Belgium?
1. A three-word expression meaning not having recent knowledge about something. (para 3)
2. A noun meaning a situation that shocks you and makes you angry. (para 3)
3. An adjective meaning having the opposite result to the one you intended. (para 4)
4. An adjective meaning more important, powerful or successful. (para 5)
5. An adjective meaning making the final result of a situation completely certain. (para 8)
6. A noun meaning an honest and open way of doing things. (para 10)
7. A noun meaning a situation in which people become angrier and more political. (para 11)
8. A two-word noun meaning a time when an important change takes place. (para 11)
5 Vocabulary 2: Words followed by prepositions
1. according _______ 5. value _______
2. afraid _______ 6. capable _______
3. out of touch _______ 7. respect _______
4. argue _______ 8. based _______
Complete the table. All the answers are in the text.
verb noun
1. arrange
2. extend
3. agree
4. demand
5. propose
6. co-operate
7. concede
8. govern
7 Discussion
What are the arguments for and against dividing countries along ethnic or linguistic lines?
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Bye bye Belgium?
KEY
1. compromise 1. out of touch

2. inevitable 2. scandal
3. manifesto 3. counterproductive
4. voluntarily 4. dominant
5. courtesy 5. decisive
6. arrogance 6. transparency
7. wealthy 7. radicalization
8. fragile 8. turning-point
9. concession
10. intimidation
5 Vocabulary 2: Words followed by
prepositions
1. to
1. 177 years 2. of
2. 63% 3. with
3. Dutch (Flemish) 4. about
4. Flanders 5. of
5. Wallonia 6. of
6. 156 days (at the time when the article was written) 7. for
8. on
1. F
2. T
verb noun
3. T
4. F 1. arrange arrangement
5. T 2. extend extension
6. F 3. agree agreement
7. F 4. demand demand
8. F
5. propose proposition / proposal
6. co-operate co-operation
7. concede concession
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Dinosaur bone ‘found’ after 113 years on a shelf
Level 3 Advanced
1 Warmer
What does a palaeontologist do?

Can you name any well-known palaeontologists (real or on TV or film)?
Would you like to be a palaeontologist? Why / Why not?
2 Key words: Pronunciation and meaning
1. Draw the stress pattern for these words from the article.
e.g. Palaeontological ooooOoo rummaging Ooo
correspondent _________________
dinosaur _________________
enthusiast _________________
fossil _________________
sauropods _________________
programmer _________________
association _________________
palaeontologists _________________
eminent _________________
vertebra _________________
carnivorous _________________
herbivorous _________________
specimens _________________
2. Discuss their meanings and then check your answers in a dictionary.

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NEWS LESSONS / Dinosaur bone ‘found’ after 113 years on a shelf / Advanced
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Level 3 Advanced
Untouched on a shelf for 113 years: 6 “I was going through the cabinets looking for two
a dusty bone of the dinosaur no one particular specimens, but before I got to those,
knew existed I found this thing lying on its side with a label
calling it something that it clearly wasn’t,” he said.
Spinal fossil of sauropod found in museum vault.
Species believed to have lived 140m years ago.
7 “I took it over to the bench, laid it down gently
Ian Sample, science correspondent on sandbags, and started looking at it. I was
November 15, 2007 thinking, can it be this, can it be that, and the
answer, over and over, was no.”
1 Part-time dinosaur enthusiast Mike Taylor was
rummaging among the shelves of the Natural 8 The bone, a vertebra from near the hip of the
History Museum in London when he came across creature, was discovered in Ecclesbourne Glen,
a dusty fossil. He immediately realized that the near Hastings, in the early 1890s, by a fossil
label stuck to the fossil was distinctly wrong. collector called Philip James Rufford.
2 For 113 years the fossil, stored deep below the 9 It was studied briefly by the English
museum after being dismissed as just another palaeontologist Richard Lydekker, before
fossil from a common North American dinosaur, being stored at the museum. It was labelled as
had barely attracted a second look. In fact, what ‘Morosaurus brevis’ once a common sauropod in
the computer programmer from Gloucestershire what is now North America.
had found was evidence of a new species that
lived 140m years ago. 10 Taylor noticed features in the spinal bone that
made it clear it was from a sauropod. It contained
3 According to the journal of the British large air holes that lightened the skeleton,
Palaeontological Association, the dinosaur, now making it easier for the giants to walk. But it
named Xenoposeidon proneneukus, belonged to differed dramatically in other ways.
a previously unknown family of sauropods. It was
about the size of an elephant and weighed as 11 Apart from its probable size, Taylor says it is
much as 7.5 tonnes, the journal suggests. almost impossible to infer anything else about
it. Describing how he felt on holding the bone,
4 The astonishing find came last January during Taylor said: “It’s just pure love.”
a day of PhD research spent picking through
bones to learn more about sauropods, the largest 12 “What this suggests is that these dinosaurs were
creatures ever to walk the Earth. Taylor was much more diverse and more widespread than
visiting the museum as part of his research at we realized, so we’re still only scratching the
Portsmouth University. surface in understanding them,” he said.
5 Behind grey metal doors in a gloomy 13 There are three major groups of dinosaurs. The
sub-basement lie row upon row of shelves most fearsome were the carnivorous theropods,
strewn with the fossilised remains of extinct among them Tyrannosaurus rex and the
creatures. Many of the museum’s 90 million velociraptor. A second group is the ornithischians,
fossils can be found there. Taylor found the long such as the triceratops and stegosaurus.
neglected spine fossil on a shelf, a few floors
beneath the offices of some of the most eminent 14 But the sauropods, including the herbivorous
palaeontologists in Britain. diplodocus and brachiosaurus, dwarfed them all,
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Level 3 Advanced
with some weighing 70 tonnes and nearing 30 are so important. Things that did not appear too
metres long. significant when they were first discovered can
become important later on.”
15 Angela Milner, keeper of palaeontology at the
museum, said the Xenoposeidon was unlikely © Guardian News & Media 2007
to be the only undiscovered species in the First published in The Guardian, 15/11/07
collection.
16 “Because the collections here are so large, it’s

bound to be the case that some specimens have
not been reviewed in many, many years,” she
said. “When people look at things using modern
techniques, it’s not unusual to make new
discoveries and that’s why museum collections
Choose the correct answer according to the information in the article.
1. Nobody had noticed this new species before 5. The diplodocus and the brachiosaurus were two
because the fossil... of the...
a. ... had been labelled incorrectly. a. ... smallest dinosaurs.
b. ... had not been labelled. b. ... medium-sized dinosaurs.
c. ... had been hidden. c. ... largest dinosaurs.
2. The fossil was recently rediscovered at... 6. Angela Milner says...

a. ... Portsmouth University. a. ... that it was likely to be the only incorrectly
b. ... Ecclesbourne Glen, near Hastings. labelled fossil in the museum.
c. ... the Natural History Museum in London b. ... there are probably more incorrectly labelled
fossils in the museum
3. Sauropods were... c. ... that there are definitely more Xenoposeidon
a. ... meat eaters. fossils in the museum.
b. ... vegetarians.
c. ... omnivores (ate anything).
4. The three major dinosaur groups are the...

a. ... theropods, ornithischians and sauropods.
b. ... tyrannosaurus, the stegosaurus and the
velociraptor.
c. ... sauropods, diplodocus and brachiosaurus.
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4 Vocabulary: Multiword expressions
1. Match these expressions with the explanations and then check back over the article to see how they
were used.

1. rummaging around don’t know or understand much – not looking into something deeply
2. to come across something people don’t usually look more than once
3. to barely attract a second look to tower over somebody / to be very much taller
4. only scratching the surface to discover something by chance
5. to dwarf something or somebody it is very likely so
6. it’s bound to be the case searching in a haphazard or undirected way
5 Discussion
Have you ever found anything exciting or interesting, something you didn’t know you had, or something
that amazed or surprised you? Think back to when you were a child.
• What was it?
• Where did you find it?
• What did you do with it?
• Where is it now?
6 Webquest
Choose one dinosaur, research it on the Internet, and then hold a short presentation about it to your group.
You can find a lot of clear information on websites such as:
• www.zoomdinosaurs.com
• www.abc.net.au/dinosaurs/fact_files
You can also print out pictures from Google photos.

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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Warmer 3 Comprehension check
A palaeontologist is a scientist who studies 1. a

palaeontology, learning about the forms of life that 2. c
existed in former geologic periods, chiefly by studying 3. b
fossils. 4. a
5. c
Well-known palaeontologists include: Mary Anning, 6. b
Richard Owen, Charles Darwin, Ross in the TV
series Friends, and Cary Grant in the film Bringing
up Baby. 4 Vocabulary: Multiword expressions
www.zoomdinosaurs.com/subjects/dinosaurs/
glossary/Paleontologists.shtml 1. rummaging around = searching in a haphazard or
undirected way
2. to come across something = to discover something

2 Key words: Pronunciation and meaning by chance
3. to barely attract a second look = people don’t

correspondent ooOo usually look more than once
dinosaur Ooo 4. only scratching the surface = don’t know or

enthusiast oOoo understand much – not looking into something
deeply
fossil Oo
sauropods Ooo 5. to dwarf something or somebody = to tower over
somebody / to be very much taller
programmer Ooo
association oooOo 6. it’s bound to be the case = it is very likely so
palaeontologists oooOoo
eminent Ooo
vertebra Ooo
carnivorous oOoo
herbivorous oOoo
specimens Ooo
You can listen to the words being spoken on online

dictionaries such as www.m-w.com/dictionary
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Warmer
• What is a palaeontologist?
• Where do palaeontologists usually work?
• Would you like to be a palaeontologist? Why / Why not?
2 Key words
Write the words from the article into the sentences. The paragraph numbers will help you.
enthusiast reasearch fossil undiscovered specimen

feature shelf creature label (vb) common
1. A _________________ is a flat piece of wood, glass or plastic that you put things on. (para 1)
2. A _________________ is (a part of) an animal or plant that lived many thousands of years ago. (para 1)
3. An _________________ is someone who is very interested in something and spends a lot of time doing it. (para 1)
4. When something is _________________ it is usual, ordinary or exists in large numbers. (para 2)
5. _________________ is the detailed study of something in order to find new facts and information. (para 4)
6. _________________ is the word we use for anything that lives (except plants). (para 4)
7. When you _________________ something, you attach a piece of paper which provides its name or other
information. (para 8)
8. A _________________ is an important part or aspect of something. (para 9)
9. When something has not been found or seen before, it is _________________ (para 12).
10. A _________________ is an example of something, especially a plant or an animal. (para 13)

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NEWS LESSONS / Dinosaur bone ‘found’ after 113 years on a shelf / Elementary
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Level 1 Elementary
Untouched on a shelf for 113 years: 8 It was studied briefly by the English
a dusty bone of the dinosaur no one palaeontologist Richard Lydekker, and then kept
knew existed at the museum. It was labelled as “Morosaurus
brevis” once a common sauropod in North
Ian Sample, science correspondent
America.
November 15, 2007
9 Taylor noticed features in the bone that made it
1 Part-time dinosaur enthusiast Mike Taylor was clear it was from a sauropod. For example, it had
looking in the shelves of the Natural History large air holes that made the skeleton lighter, so
Museum in London when he found a dusty fossil. that the giants could walk. But in other ways it was
He immediately realized that the label on the fossil very different.
was wrong.
10 Apart from its size, Taylor says it is almost
2 For 113 years the museum thought that the fossil impossible to know anything else about
was from a common North American dinosaur. the dinosaur.
In fact, what Mike Taylor had found was a new
dinosaur that lived 140 million years ago. 11 There are three major groups of dinosaurs. The
most frightening were the carnivorous theropods,
3 The dinosaur, now named Xenoposeidon among them Tyrannosaurus rex and the
proneneukus, belonged to a family of sauropods. It velociraptor. A second group is the ornithischians,
was about the size of an elephant and weighed up such as the triceratops and stegosaurus. But
to 7.5 tonnes. the sauropods, which include the herbivorous
diplodocus and brachiosaurus, were the largest
4 Mike Taylor found the fossil last January while
of them all; they could weigh up to 70 tonnes and
he was doing some research. He was looking at
some were nearly 30 metres long.
bones to learn more about sauropods, the largest
creatures ever to walk the Earth. Taylor was visiting 12 Angela Milner, a palaeontologist at the museum,
the museum as part of his research at Portsmouth said the Xenoposeidon was probably not the only
University. undiscovered species in the collection.
5 Behind grey metal doors in a dark basement in 13 “Because the collections here are so large, some
the museum are rows of shelves. Many of the specimens have not been looked at for many,
museum’s 90 million fossils can be found there. many years,” she said. “When people look at
Taylor found the spine fossil on a shelf, just a few things using modern techniques, they sometimes
floors beneath the offices of some of the most make new discoveries and that’s why museum
respected palaeontologists in Britain. collections are so important.”
6 “I was looking for two particular specimens, but
before I got to those, I found this thing with a label © Guardian News & Media 2007
that called it something that it was not,” he said. First published in The Guardian, 15/11/07
“I took it over to the bench, laid it down gently on
sandbags, and started looking at it.
7 The bone, a vertebra from near the hip of the

creature, was discovered in Ecclesbourne Glen,
near Hastings, in the early 1890s, by a fossil
collector called Philip James Rufford.
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Level 1 Elementary
Are these sentences True (T) or False (F) according to the article?
1. A new type of dinosaur has been discovered.
2. Xenoposeidon proneneukus lived 113 years ago.
3. The wrong dinosaur name was written on the label.
4. The fossil was on display in the museum.
5. Xenoposeidon proneneukus was a meat-eater.
6. Sauropods were the largest dinosaurs.
7. Experts think there are many more undiscovered dinosaurs.
8. The fossil was found in North America.
9. The fossil is from the foot of the dinosaur.
10. Mike Taylor is very interested in dinosaurs.
Fill in the missing propositions. Check your answers in the article.
1. The Natural History Museum is ____________ London.
2. Xenoposeidon proneneukus belonged ____________ a family ____________ sauropods.
3. It was the size ____________ an elephant.
4. Taylor was looking ____________ bones.
5. The fossil was ____________ a shelf.
6. It was discovered ____________ a fossil collector 113 years ago.
7. Sauropods were the largest ____________ them all.
8. Some specimens have not been looked at ____________ many years.

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Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion
Have you ever found anything exciting or interesting? Think back to when you were a child.
• What was it?
5 Webquest
Research one dinosaur on the Internet, make some notes, and then tell your group about it.
• www.zoomdinosaurs.com
• www.abc.net.au/dinosaurs/fact_files
You can also print out pictures from Google photos.
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Warmer 4 Vocabulary: Prepositions
A palaeontologist is a scientist who studies 1. in

2. to/of
palaeontology, learning about the forms of life
3. of
that existed in former geologic periods, chiefly by 4. at
studying fossils. 5. on
6. by
7. of
2 Keywords
8. for
1. shelf
2. fossil
3. enthusiast
4. common
5. research
6. creature
7. label
8. feature
9. undiscovered
10. specimen
1. T
2. F
3. T
4. F
5. F
6. T
7. T
8. F
9. F
10. T
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1 Warmer
What is a palaeontologist?
Can you think of any well-known palaeontologists (real or on TV or film)?
Would you like to be a palaeontologist? Why / Why not?
2 Key words
Write the following words from the article into the sentences.
enthusiast research vertebra significant discover

diverse widespread fossil label (vb) extinct
1. When you find something that was hidden or missing, you _________________ it.
2. When something is _________________ it is large, noticeable or important.
3. An _________________ animal or plant is one that no longer exists.
4. An _________________ is someone who is very interested in something and spends a lot of time doing it.
5. When something is _________________, it is very different to something else.
6. A _________________ is one of the bones that forms a line down the centre of your back.
7. _________________ is the detailed study of something in order to find new facts and information.
8. A _________________ is (a part of) an animal or plant that lived many thousands of years ago.
9. When you _________________ something, you attach a piece of paper which provides it’s name or
other information.
10. When something is _________________ is exists in many different places.

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NEWS LESSONS / Dinosaur bone ‘found’ after 113 years on a shelf / Intermediate
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Untouched on a shelf for 113 years: near Hastings, in the early 1890s, by a fossil
a dusty bone of the dinosaur no one collector called Philip James Rufford.
knew existed 8 It was studied briefly by the English
Ian Sample, science correspondent palaeontologist Richard Lydekker, before
November 15, 2007 being stored at the museum. It was labelled as
“Morosaurus brevis” once a common sauropod in
what is now North America.
1 Part-time dinosaur enthusiast Mike Taylor was
looking in the shelves of the Natural History 9 Taylor noticed features in the bone that made
Museum in London when he came across a it clear it was from a sauropod. For example,
dusty fossil. He immediately realized that the it contained large air holes that lightened the
label stuck to the fossil was distinctly wrong. skeleton, making it easier for the giants to walk.
But in other ways it was very different.
2 For 113 years it was thought that the fossil was
from a common North American dinosaur. In fact, 10 Apart from its size, Taylor says it is almost
what Mike Taylor had found was evidence of a impossible to infer anything else about the
new species that lived 140 million years ago. dinosaur. Describing how he felt when he held
the bone, Taylor said: “It’s just pure love.”
3 According to the journal of the British
Palaeontological Association, the dinosaur, now 11 “What this suggests is that these dinosaurs were
named Xenoposeidon proneneukus, belonged to much more diverse and more widespread than
a previously unknown family of sauropods. It was we realized, and that we still don’t know much
about the size of an elephant and weighed as about them,” he said.
much as 7.5 tonnes. 12 There are three major groups of dinosaurs. The
4 The astonishing find came last January during a most fearsome were the carnivorous theropods,
day of research spent looking at bones to learn among them Tyrannosaurus rex and the
more about sauropods, the largest creatures ever velociraptor. A second group is the ornithischians,
to walk the Earth. Taylor was visiting the museum such as the triceratops and stegosaurus.
as part of his research at Portsmouth University. 13 But the sauropods, including the herbivorous
5 Behind grey metal doors in a gloomy basement diplodocus and brachiosaurus, were the largest
are rows of shelves covered with the fossilized of them all, with some weighing 70 tonnes and
remains of extinct creatures. Many of the nearing 30 metres long.
museum’s 90 million fossils can be found there. 14 Angela Milner, a palaeontologist at the museum,
Taylor found the long neglected spine fossil on said the Xenoposeidon was unlikely to be the
a shelf, just a few floors beneath the offices of only undiscovered species in the collection.
some of the most respected palaeontologists
in Britain. 15 “Because the collections here are so large, some
specimens have not been closely looked at for
6 “I was searching the cabinets looking for two many, many years,” she said. “When people
particular specimens, but before I got to those, look at things using modern techniques, they
I found this thing lying on its side with a label sometimes make new discoveries and that’s why
calling it something that it clearly was not,” he museum collections are so important. Things that
said. “I took it over to the bench, laid it down did not appear very significant when they were
gently on sandbags, and started looking at it. first discovered can become important later on.”
7 The bone, a vertebra from near the hip of the © Guardian News & Media 2007
creature, was discovered in Ecclesbourne Glen, First published in The Guardian, 15/11/07
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Match the sentence halves and then put them into the correct order to retell the story.
The fossil was discovered in Ecclesbourne ... and was in fact from an unknown dinosaur.
Glen, near Hastings...
Modern techniques showed that it is from a ... in the early 1980s, by Philip James Rufford.
Xenoposeidon proneneukus...
A leading palaeontologist said there are ... which lived 140 million years ago.
likely to be other undiscovered species...
The mis-labelled fossil lay... ... and was stored in the Natural History Museum.
A dinosaur enthusiast discovered the dusty ... on a shelf in a basement for 113 years.
bone...
He found out that the bone had the wrong ... last January while doing some research.
label...
It was thought to be a common sauropod... ... in the museum.
Join the words to make collocations from the article. Then make a sentence for each collocation.
1. dusty creatures
2. distinctly enthusiast
3. dinosaur find
4. metal basement
5. astonishing doors
6. gloomy palaeontologists
7. extinct unknown
8. respected fossil
9. major wrong
10. previously group

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5 Discussion
Have you ever found anything exciting or interesting, something you didn’t know you had, or something
that amazed or surprised you? Think back to when you were a child.
• What was it?
6 Idioms
Choose one dinosaur, research it on the Internet, and then hold a short presentation about it to your group.

www.zoomdinosaurs.com
www.abc.net.au/dinosaurs/fact_files/
You could also print out pictures from Google photos.
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1 Warmer 3 Comprehension check
A palaeontologist is a scientist who studies 1. The fossil was discovered in Ecclesbourne Glen,
palaeontology, learning about the forms of life that near Hastings, in the early 1890s, by Philip James
existed in former geologic periods, chiefly by studying Rufford.
fossils. 2. It was thought to be a common sauropod and was
stored at the Natural History Museum.
Well-known palaeontologists include: Mary Anning, 3. The mis-labelled fossil lay on a shelf in a basement
Richard Owen, Charles Darwin, Ross in the TV series for 113 years.
Friends and Cary Grant in the film Bringing up Baby. 4. A dinosaur enthusiast discovered the dusty bone
last January while doing some research.
www.zoomdinosaurs.com/subjects/dinosaurs/glossary/ 5. He found out that the bone had the wrong label and
Paleontologists.shtml was in fact from an unknown dinosaur.
6. Modern techniques showed that it is from a
Xenoposeidon proneneukus which lived 140 million
2 Key words
years ago.
7. A leading palaeontologist said there are likely to be
1. discover other undiscovered species in the museum.
2. significant
3. extinct
4. enthusiast 4 Vocabulary: Collocations
5. diverse
6. vertebra 1. dusty fossil
7. research 2. distinctly wrong
8. fossil 3. dinosaur enthusiast
9. label 4. metal doors
10. widespread 5. astonishing find
6. gloomy basement
7. extinct creatures
8. respected palaeontologists
9. major group
10. previously unknown
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Iceberg survivors
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
Fill the gaps using an appropriate form of these key words from the text.
stricken hypothermia relieved endure evacuate

gutted mainland ordeal list drift
1. If a ship ____________ , it leans to one side.
2. An ____________ is an extremely unpleasant experience, especially one that lasts a long time.
3. ____________ is a serious medical condition in which your body temperature is very low.
4. If you feel ____________, you feel extremely disappointed.
5. If you feel ____________, you feel happy and relaxed because a bad situation has ended.
6. If a ship is ____________, it is badly damaged.
7. If you ____________ something unpleasant, you suffer it patiently for a long time.
8. If a ship ____________, it moves slowly in different directions because it has no power.
9. When people are ____________ from a dangerous situation, they are helped to leave it.
10. The ____________ is a large mass of land that forms the main part of a country and does not
include any islands.
Read the headline again. Now decide whether these statements about the text are True (T) or False (F).
Then check your answers in the text.
1. The ship was trapped in ice.
2. The ship hit an iceberg.
3. The passengers were rescued immediately.
4. They were on a cruise in the Arctic.
5. The passengers weren’t afraid.
6. The accident happened in the daytime.

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NEWS LESSONS / Iceberg survivors / Advanced

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Iceberg survivors
Level 3 Advanced
Happy to be heading home: iceberg pleased to be alive,” Danish tourist Jan Henkel,
survivors tell of fear in darkness 42, told the AFP news agency. Henkel, who
proposed to his girlfriend, Mette Larsen, after
One of the last to leave the Antarctic cruise ship
they survived the ordeal, added: “Everybody was
as it started listing believed they were all going
afraid they would die, I think.”
to die
Karen McVeigh 6 “I’m so relieved, I’m happy that everyone made
November 26, 2007 it off the ship, because it could have been a big
disaster,” said Eli Charne, 38, from California,
1 A survivor of the stricken Antarctic cruise liner speaking before he left King George Island.
Explorer has spoken of the terrifying hours he Charne, who raised the alarm after he felt the
spent drifting in the darkness in a lifeboat in vessel strike ice, said: “I thought the ship was
the freezing cold with other passengers, not going down. We were on the lowest deck of
knowing whether they would be rescued before the ship, so we all rushed out of the room and
the onset of hypothermia. The wife of Bob Flood, pressed the emergency button as water rushed
52, an ornithologist and academic, said that her in. It’s certainly nice to be on the way home now.
husband believed they were going to die. I’m just really glad to be around still,” he told
Reuters.
2 “When they were in the lifeboat, they didn’t
know whether a boat would come to rescue 7 The Explorer, owned by a Canadian tour
them,” Mandy Flood said. “He didn’t know how company, GAP Adventures, was a week away
long it would be before hypothermia would set from completing a 19-day, £4,000 trip tracing the
in. I don’t really know whether they had very 1914-16 expedition undertaken by the explorer
much information. He said that he did think they Sir Ernest Shackleton in his ship Endurance.
would die.” Endurance was trapped in the ice for months
before being broken up by it in October 1915.
3 Last night, a relieved Mr Flood, from the Isles
of Scilly, arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile, on a 8 A spokesman for GAP Adventures said that after
military cargo plane, along with the remainder of landing in Punta Arenas, at the southern tip of
the tourists and crew from the shipwreck. Eleven mainland Chile, the passengers would be given
passengers and 66 staff had been forced to the option of joining another cruise or flying
remain on a military base in the Antarctic for two home. When asked whether an investigation was
nights due to bad weather. They joined the 75 under way into the ship’s sinking, the spokesman
passengers and two staff members who arrived said: “The investigation will commence once all
on the mainland on Saturday night. the passengers are safely on the mainland.”
4 The Explorer took on water after an iceberg 9 Those on board included 17 Dutch people, 14
struck the ship shortly before midnight on Friday, Americans, 12 Canadians, 10 Australians, four
punching a hole in its side. All 154 holidaymakers Swiss, four Irish, three Danes, two Argentines,
and staff on board, including 23 Britons, escaped two Belgians, two from Hong Kong and single
on lifeboats and endured five hours in sub- passengers from China, France, Germany,
zero temperatures before being rescued by the Japan, Colombia and Sweden. The majority
Norwegian vessel Nordnorge, which took them to of the crew were believed to be from the
two nearby military bases on King George Island. Philippines, the company stated.
5 Passengers among the first group of survivors 10 Mrs Flood, whose husband was employed by
to reach the mainland spoke of their relief as GAP to give lectures on the ship, said that as a
they stepped off the plane. “I feel wonderful, very staff member he was one of the last people to be
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evacuated as water filled the lower decks. “It took “But she said that despite his ordeal, Mr Flood
an hour for the full evacuation to take place and had managed to save a souvenir of his trip.
by that point the boat had started listing. He said “When I asked him whether he had managed
that was quite frightening and he realized they to save anything at all from the ship, he said
were in danger. He said that he knows how close yes – his passport and his pen drive (computer
they came,” she said. memory stick), which had all the footage.”
11 She said that earlier in the trip her husband had

emailed her to tell her that he had managed to
First published in The Guardian 26/11/07
shoot some film footage of a rare bird called the
angel of the Antarctic, the snowy petrel. “He had
been to the Antarctic twice and had not been
able to get this, so he emailed me to tell me he
had and he was thrilled. I had in my mind that,
as soon as he got on a rescue boat, he would be
absolutely gutted that he had lost this footage.
1. What was the passengers’ greatest fear?
a. That they would drown.

b. That no-one knew where they were so they wouldn’t be rescued.
c. That they wouldn’t be rescued before they died of hypothermia.
2. Where were the passengers taken first?
a. To King George Island.

b. To Punta Arenas.
c. To Norway.
3. How did the passenger who raised the alarm know there was a problem?
a. He heard the sound of the ship hitting an iceberg.
b. He felt the ship hit an iceberg.
c. He saw the ship hit an iceberg.
4. Why was Mr Flood particularly relieved after his rescue?
a. Because he managed to save his passport.

b. Because he was the last man off the ship before it sank.
c. Because he managed to save his pictures of the rare snowy petrel.
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1. A noun meaning the beginning of something bad. (para 1)

2. A noun meaning someone who studies birds. (para 1).
3. A noun meaning an accident where a ship is destroyed during a voyage. (para 3)
4. A two-word expression meaning because of. (para 3)
5. A verb meaning to ask someone to marry you. (para 5)
6. A two-word expression meaning not to die as the result of an accident. (para 6)
7. A noun meaning film of a particular subject or event. (para 11)
8. An adjective meaning very pleased and excited. (para 11)
Match the verbs on the left with the nouns on the right to make collocations from the text.
1. survive a. a lecture
2. raise b. place
3. give c. film footage
4. punch d. an emergency button
5. press e. an ordeal
6. take f. a hole
7. shoot g. water
8. take on h. the alarm
Fill the gaps using an appropriate form of these phrasal verbs from the text.
set in take on break up rush in rush out step off
1. The ship began to ____________ water and soon began to sink.

2. The Endurance ____________ in the ice in 1915.
3. When water ____________ , it comes in through a hole very quickly.
4. If a disease or a condition ____________ , it begins to affect a person or a group of people.
5. When you ____________ a boat or a plane, you leave it.
6. If you ____________ of somewhere, you leave extremely quickly.
7 Discussion
The Antarctic is clearly a dangerous place to visit. Can you think of any other dangerous parts of the world
for tourists? What makes them dangerous? What dangerous places would you like to visit?
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Iceberg survivors
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KEY
1. lists 1. onset
2. ordeal 2. ornithologist
3. hypothermia 3. shipwreck
4. gutted 4. due to
5. relieved 5. propose
6. stricken 6. to make it
7. endure 7. footage
8. drifts 8. thrilled
9. evacuated
10. mainland

2. h
1. F 3. a
2. T 4. f
3. F 5. d
4. F 6. b
5. F 7. c
6. F 8. g
3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Phrasal verbs
1. c 1. take on
2. a 2. broke up
3. b 3. rushes in
4. c 4. sets in
5. step off
6. rush out
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Iceberg survivors
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1 Key words
survivor life raft iceberg rescue cruise

lists deck crew military base investigation

1. To _______________ someone is to save them from a dangerous situation.
2. The _______________ are all the people who work on a ship.
3. A _______________ is one of the levels on a ship.
4. A _______________ is a small boat used for saving people whose ship is sinking.
5. A _______________ is a person who is still alive after a serious accident.
6. A _______________ is a place where soldiers live and work.
7. A _______________ is a journey by ship for pleasure that involves visiting a lot of different places.
8. An _______________ is a very large piece of ice floating in the sea.
9. An _______________ is an official process where people ask a lot of questions to find out why an accident happened.
10. If a ship _______________ , it leans to one side.
2 Find the answer
1. How many people were on the ship in total?
2. How British people were on the ship?
3. How many hours did they spend in the life rafts?
4. How much did the holiday cost?
5. Where were most of the crew from?
6. Where is Punta Arenas?

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NEWS LESSONS / Iceberg survivors / Elementary

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Happy to be heading home: iceberg

survivors tell of fear in darkness 5 Passengers in the first group of survivors to
arrive in Chile talked about their feelings when
One of the last to leave the Antarctic cruise
they got off the plane. “I feel wonderful, very
ship as it started listing believed they were all
pleased to be alive,” Danish tourist Jan Henkel,
going to die.
42, said. “Everybody was afraid they would die.”
When they reached Chile, Mr Henkel asked his
Karen McVeigh
girlfriend to marry him.
November 26, 2007
6 “I’m so happy that everyone got off the ship,
1 Last week a cruise ship called the Explorer hit because it was nearly a terrible disaster,” said
an iceberg in the Antarctic and sank. All the Eli Charne, 38, from California. Charne, who felt
passengers are safe now but they were very the ship hit the iceberg, said: “I thought the ship
afraid when the accident happened. One of the was sinking. We were on the lowest deck of the
survivors has talked about the terrifying hours the ship, so we all ran out of the room and pressed
passengers spent in the darkness in a lifeboat in the emergency button as the water came in. It’s
the freezing cold. They did not know if a rescue certainly nice to be on the way home now. I’m
boat would come before they died from the cold. just really glad to be alive” he said.
The wife of Bob Flood, 52, who worked on the
ship, said that her husband thought they would 7 The Explorer is owned by a Canadian tour
all die. company, GAP Adventures. It was near the end
of a 19-day, £4,000 trip when it hit the iceberg.
2 “When they were in the life raft, they didn’t know A spokesman for GAP Adventures said that
if a boat would come to rescue them,” Mandy after they arrived in Punta Arenas in Chile, the
Flood said. “He didn’t know how long it would be passengers could join another cruise or fly home.
before he became ill from the cold. They didn’t When he was asked about an investigation
have any information. He said that he thought into the accident, the spokesman said: “The
they would die.” investigation will begin when all the passengers
are safe in Chile.”
3 Last night, Mr Flood arrived in Punta Arenas,
Chile, on an army plane, along with the other 8 The passengers included 23 British, 17 Dutch,
tourists and the crew from the ship. Eleven 14 Americans, 12 Canadians, 10 Australians,
passengers and 66 staff had to stay on a military four Swiss, four Irish, three Danish, two
base in the Antarctic for two nights because of Argentines, two Belgians, two from Hong Kong
bad weather. Then they arrived in Chile and and single passengers from China, France,
joined the 75 passengers and two staff members Germany, Japan, Colombia and Sweden. Most
who arrived on Saturday night. of the crew were from the Philippines, the
company said.
4 The Explorer began to sink after the ship hit
an iceberg just before midnight on Friday. The 9 Mrs Flood, whose husband worked for GAP
iceberg made a large hole in the side of the and gave lectures on the ship, said that Mr
ship. All 154 holidaymakers and crew on board Flood was one of the last people to leave the
escaped on life rafts and then had to spend ship as water lower decks filled with water.
five hours in sub-zero temperatures before a “It took an hour for everyone to get off and
Norwegian ship found them and took them to two by then the ship was listing. He said that was
military bases on King George Island.
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quite frightening and he knew they were in I thought that he would lose his pictures when
danger. He said that he knows how near they the ship sank. “But when I asked him if he had
were to dying,” she said. saved anything at all from the ship, he said yes
– his passport and his computer memory stick,
10 Mrs Flood also said that earlier in the trip her with all the pictures.”
husband took some pictures of a rare bird called
the snowy petrel. “He went to the Antarctic twice © Guardian News & Media 2007
before but did not see the bird and did not take First published in The Guardian, 26/11/07
any pictures. He emailed me to tell me he had
taken the pictures and he was really pleased.
Join the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text.
1. The ship sank because… a. … when all the passengers are safe in Chile.
2. The passengers were afraid because… b. … if a rescue boat would come before they died of cold.
3. Mr Flood was very pleased because… c. … her husband saved his computer memory stick with the photos of the rare bird.
4. The passengers did not know… d. … it was dark and the weather was very cold.
5. The ship was near the end of its trip… e. … it hit an iceberg.
6. The investigation will start… f. … when it hit the iceberg.
4 Vocabulary 1: Nations and nationalities
Complete the table. All these nationalities are in the text.
country nationality
Canada
Australia
Switzerland
Norway
Denmark
Belgium
The Netherlands
Ireland
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5 Vocabulary 2: Opposite adjectives
Find the opposites of these words in the text.
1. boiling ____________
2. small ____________
3. highest ____________
4. dead ____________
5. dangerous ____________
6. common ____________
Fill the gaps in these phrases from the text with the correct prepositions.
1. _______ danger
2. _______ the freezing cold
3. _______ Saturday night
4. along _______ the other tourists
5. just _______ midnight
6. _______ the way home
7. they ran _______ the room
8. an investigation _______ the accident

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Iceberg survivors
Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Nations and nationality
1. rescue
2. crew Country Nationality
3. deck Canada Canadian
4. life raft Australia Australian
5. survivor Switzerland Swiss
6. military base
7. cruise Norway Norwegian
8. iceberg Denmark Danish
9. investigation Belgium Belgian
10. lists The Netherlands Dutch
Ireland Irish
2 Find the answer

5 Vocabulary 2: Opposite adjectives
1. 154
2. 23 1. freezing
3. five 2. large
4. £4,000 3. lowest
5. The Philippines 4. alive
6. Chile 5. safe
6. rare
1. e 6 Vocabulary 3: Prepositions
2. d
3. c
4. b 1. in
5. f 2. in
6. a 3. on
4. with
5. before
6. on
7. out of
8. into
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Iceberg survivors
1 Key words
hypothermia gutted survivor life raft iceberg

rescue cruise option lists thrilled
1. A _______________ is a journey by ship for pleasure that involves visiting a lot of different places.
2. A _______________ is a person who is still alive after a serious accident.

3. If you feel _______________, you feel very pleased and excited.
4. An _______________ is something you can choose in a particular situation.
5. To _______________ someone is to save them from a dangerous situation.
6. _______________ is a serious medical condition in which your body temperature is very low.
7. If a ship _______________ , it leans to one side.
8. A _______________ is a small boat used for saving people whose ship is sinking.
9. If you feel _______________, you feel extremely disappointed.
10. An _______________ is a very large piece of ice floating in the sea.
2 Find the answer
1. Where is Punta Arenas?
2. How many people were on the ship in total?
3. How many Americans were on the ship?
4. How long did they spend in the life rafts?
5. How much did the holiday cost?
6. How long did it take to get everyone off the ship?

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NEWS LESSONS / Iceberg survivors / Intermediate

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Iceberg survivors
Happy to be heading home: iceberg 5 Passengers among the first group of survivors
survivors tell of fear in darkness to reach Chile spoke about their feelings as
they got off the plane. “I feel wonderful, very
One of the last to leave the Antarctic cruise
pleased to be alive,” Danish tourist Jan Henkel,
ship as it started listing believed they were all
42, told the AFP news agency. Henkel added:
going to die.
“Everybody was afraid they would die, I think.”
Mr Henkel proposed to his girlfriend when they
Karen McVeigh
reached Chile.
November 26, 2007
6 “I’m so happy that everyone got off the ship,
1 The Antarctic cruise liner Explorer hit an iceberg because it could have been a big disaster,” said
and sank last week. One of the survivors of Eli Charne, 38, from California, speaking before
the accident has spoken of the terrifying hours he left King George Island. Charne, who raised
he spent in the darkness in a lifeboat in the the alarm after he felt the ship hit the iceberg,
freezing cold with other passengers, not knowing said: “I thought the ship was sinking. We were
whether they would be rescued before they on the lowest deck of the ship, so we all ran out
died of hypothermia. The wife of Bob Flood, 52, of the room and pressed the emergency button
an ornithologist and academic, said that her as the water came in. It’s certainly nice to be on
husband thought they were going to die. the way home now. I’m just really glad to be alive
still,” he told Reuters.
2 “When they were in the life raft, they didn’t
7 The Explorer, owned by a Canadian tour
know whether a boat would come to rescue
them,” Mandy Flood said. “He didn’t know how company, GAP Adventures, had almost
long it would be before he began to suffer from completed a 19-day, £4,000 trip following the
hypothermia. I don’t really know whether they 1914-16 expedition undertaken by the explorer
had very much information. He said that he Sir Ernest Shackleton in his ship Endurance.
thought they would die.” Endurance was stuck in the ice for months before
the ice broke it up in October 1915.
3 Last night, Mr Flood arrived in Punta Arenas,
Chile, on a military cargo plane, along with the 8 A spokesman for GAP Adventures said that after
other tourists and crew from the ship. Eleven landing in Punta Arenas in Chile, the passengers
passengers and 66 staff had to stay on a military would be given the option of joining another
base in the Antarctic for two nights because of cruise or flying home. When he was asked
bad weather. They joined the 75 passengers whether an investigation was under way into the
and two staff members who arrived in Chile on accident, the spokesman said: “The investigation
Saturday night. will begin as soon as all the passengers are
safely in Chile.”
4 The Explorer began to sink after the ship hit
an iceberg just before midnight on Friday. The 9 Those on board included 23 British, 17 Dutch, 14
iceberg made a large hole in the side of the Americans, 12 Canadians, 10 Australians, four
ship. All 154 holidaymakers and staff on board Swiss, four Irish, three Danish, two Argentines,
escaped on lifeboats and then had to spend two Belgians, two from Hong Kong and single
five hours in sub-zero temperatures before a passengers from China, France, Germany,
Norwegian ship, the Nordnorge, rescued them Japan, Colombia and Sweden. The majority
and took them to two nearby military bases on of the crew were believed to be from the
King George Island. Philippines, the company stated.
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10 Mrs Flood, whose husband was employed by and had not been able to get these pictures, so
GAP to give lectures on the ship, said that as a he emailed me to tell me he had and he was
staff member he was one of the last people to thrilled. I thought that as soon as he got on a
leave the ship as water filled the lower decks. rescue boat, he would be absolutely gutted that
“It took an hour for everyone to get off and by he had lost his pictures. “But when I asked him
then the ship was listing. He said that was quite whether he had managed to save anything at
frightening and he realized they were in danger. all from the ship, he said yes – his passport and
He said that he knows how near they were to his computer memory stick, which had all the
dying,” she said. pictures.”
11 She said that earlier in the trip her husband had © Guardian News & Media 2007
taken some pictures of a rare bird called the First published in The Guardian, 26/11/07
snowy petrel. “He had been to the Antarctic twice
1. The Explorer was on a cruise in the Arctic Ocean.
2. The survivors were certain someone would rescue them.
3. While they were in the life rafts, the air temperature was just below zero.
4. Everyone saw the ship hit the iceberg.
5. Mr Flood was unhappy because he lost his photographs.
6. The survivors were rescued by a Norwegian ship.
1. An adjective meaning very frightening. (para 1)
2. A noun meaning someone who studies birds. (para 1)
3. A noun meaning all the people who work on a ship. (para 3)
4. A two-word expression meaning a place where members of the armed forces live and work. (para 3)
5. A verb meaning to ask someone to marry you. (para 5)
6. A noun meaning one of the levels on a ship. (para 6)
7. A noun meaning a long journey organized to a dangerous or distant place. (para 7)
8. An adjective meaning not often seen or found. (para 11)

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Complete the table. All these nationalities are in the text.
country nationality
1. Canada
2. The Netherlands
3. Swiss
4. Norwegian
5. Denmark
6. Belgian
6 Vocabulary 3: Noun + noun collocations
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make collocations
from the text.
verb noun
1. cruise a. boat
2. tour b. button
3. life c. plane
4. cargo d. company
5. staff e. stick
6. emergency f. liner
7. rescue g. raft
8. memory h. member
7 Discussion
Would you like to visit a dangerous place like the Antarctic? Why? Why not?
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1. cruise 1. terrifying
2. survivor 2. ornithologist
3. thrilled 3. crew
4. option 4. military base
5. rescue 5. propose
6. hypothermia 6. deck
7. lists 7. expedition
8. life raft 8. rare
9. gutted
10. iceberg
2 Find the answer

country nationality
1. Chile 1. Canada Canadian
2. 154 2. The Netherlands Dutch
3. 14 3. Switzerland Swiss
4. 5 hours
4. Norway Norwegian
5. £4,000
6. one hour 5. Denmark Danish
6. Belgium Belgian
1. F 6 Vocabulary 3: Noun + noun collocations

2. F
3. T
4. F verb noun
5. F 1. cruise f. liner
6. T 2. tour d. company
3. life g. raft
4. cargo c. plane
5. staff h. member
6. emergency b. button
7. rescue a. boat
8. memory e. stick
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The future of design?
Level 3 Advanced
1 Pre-reading task: New ideas
Use two or more of these words to make six new design inventions. Then skim-read the article to check
your answers.
magnetic sticky solar-powered

clock camera tidier
robotic wastepaper transparent
garden furniture web
glowing mirrors cable bin
vague memos bathroom
a) ____________ ____________
b) ____________ – ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
c) ____________ ____________ ____________
d) ____________ ____________ ____________
e) ____________ ____________ ____________
f) ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
2 Keywords: Synonyms
Skim the article again to find words that mean (almost) the same as:
1) allowed / given/ come true ____________
2) boring / unexciting ____________
3) rule / idea ____________
4) original ____________
5) factory-made in large numbers ____________
6) plan / project ____________
7) fail ____________
8) payment ____________
9) inexact / indeterminate ____________
10) view / see ____________

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The future of design? stores. One idea, for transparent sticky memos,
was suggested by a 21-year-old student and
will be marketed next month. She stands to get
November 24, 2007
royalties from every pack sold.
A Japanese innovator wants to change the
face of shopping and replace mass-produced 5 Earlier this year, Nishiyama appointed London-
goods with people-power ideas based designers The Division as its first British
consultancy to feed into the project, ahead of a
1 If Kohei Nishiyama’s wishes are granted, he will formal UK launch next year. The company has
be financially independent by the age of 40, living submitted three designs to Nishiyama’s test site
as an inventor and being woken each morning by at www.cuusoo.jp/muji, including a clock that is
his robot dog. But the 37-year-old Tokyo-based vague about the time, a set of solar-powered,
designer and founder of Elephant Design has a glowing garden furniture, and a wastepaper bin
more ambitious dream, one he hopes will change that tidies ugly cables around work desks.
the face of British shopping.
6 David Tonge, founder of The Division, said: “Our
2 He wants to empty the shelves of dreary, mass- thinking with the clock was that mostly these
marketed and mass-produced objects and are at work to measure people’s efficiency and
replace them with products that we - the people people are watched clocking in and clocking
- have helped to develop. Nishiyama calls his out. We wanted something more relaxed for the
idea Design to Order and the principle is simple. home, so the hour hand is on the outside, and
Anyone with a unique idea, for anything from like a sundial it’s fairly vague. But in the centre, it
a robotic web camera to a magnetic bathroom displays minutes in a digital form so you can use
mirror, posts an image and description on his it if you’re doing something like cooking pasta for
website. There, people can log on to suggest 13 minutes.”
alterations and improvements to the design.
If enough people then vote for the product, 7 The idea for the garden furniture came after
he makes a deal with a manufacturer and the Tonge was fed-up with the over-designed options
product is made. he found in shops, while the cable tidier is a
standard paper bin fitted with a powerblock and
3 “There are so many mass-produced products cable storage compartments.
making it on to the shelves because that’s how
large companies do things. Our idea is to give 8 As of yesterday, Tonge’s clock had received 39
people what they want by involving anyone of votes, the cable tidier 22 votes and the garden
any age or nationality who has a good idea, early furniture nine. The leading product on the site,
on in the process,” says Nishiyama. “There are a with 235 votes, is a bathroom mirror that doubles
lot of people who have great ideas but they’re not as a whiteboard. The designers pitch it at the
working in the business. Our society is an under- busy professional, who can write appointments
utilised talent.” and thoughts on it, attach memos like fridge
magnets, and glimpse them as they brush their
4 The scheme has been running in Japan for teeth in the morning. Any item that achieves
a few years, and has taken off among fellow 1,000 votes is put forward for manufacture.
designers who use it to float their ideas instead
of committing to something that may flop. The 9 For now the test site is free to designers, but
company has recently set up a test site with Nishiyama says he will take ideas from other
retailer Muji to help develop products for its people, if there are at least ten of them who
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Level 3 Advanced
support an idea. His company will even produce
images for the site if needed.
10 “Because it’s a new thing and it’s experimental,

a lot of people are posting ideas and, it has
to be said, some of them are utterly rubbish,”
says Tonge. “But it can be surprising. There are
definitely regular people out there, who are not
designers, who have some good, interesting
ideas, and some of those may well end up on
the shelves.”

1. Kohei Nishiyama is a… 4. Who can currently post ideas on the site?

a) ... financially independent, 40-year old, Tokyo- a) Japanese designers.
based inventor. b) Japanese and British designers.
b) ... 37-year old, London-based inventor. c) Anyone.
c) ... 37-year old, Tokyo-based inventor
5. Currently, the most popular idea is.....
2. Kohei Nishiyama wants to…..
a) ... the robotic dog.
a) ... retire by the time he’s 40. b) ... the vague clock.
b) ... change the face of shopping. c) ... the bathroom mirror that doubles
c) ... set up a web design company in London. as a whiteboard.
3. People who suggest successful designs can....

a) ... earn money for every item sold.
b) ... get a job with the company.
c) ... vote for other designs.
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Level 3 Advanced
Match the words on the left and the right to make collocations from the article. Then look back over the
article to see how they were used.
grant improvements
float votes
post a product
make ideas
found a wish
suggest a comment / an image / an idea
develop a deal
receive a company
5 Discussion
Which statement about the article do you most agree with?
a) This is a great opportunity for new designers to get themselves and their products known.
b) Kohei Nishiyama has found an easy way to make money using other people’s ideas and hard work.
6 A new invention: Group work
What single item would make your life easier – either at work or at home? Think of something that would
help you in your everyday life.
What would your invention do? E.g. polish your shoes, put on your make up, clean the snow off your
garden path.
Make notes and present your ideas to the class.
6 Webquest
Go to the website in the article www.cuusoo.jp/muji.
Click on the pictures and see if you can guess what the designs are (the website is in Japanese).
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KEY
1 New ideas 3 Comprehension check
a) vague clock
b) solar-powered glowing garden furniture 1) c
c) transparent sticky memos 2) b
d) robotic web camera 3) a
e) magnetic bathroom mirrors 4) b
f) wastepaper bin cable tidier 5) c
2 Keywords: Synonyms
1) granted
2) dreary grant a wish
3) principle float ideas
4) unique post a comment / an image / an idea
5) mass-produced make a deal
6) scheme found a company
7) flop suggest improvements
8) royalties develop a product
9) vague receive votes
10) glimpse
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Level 1 Elementary
Use two or more of these words to make six new design inventions. The first letter of each word is given to
help you. Then skim-read the article to check your answers.

clock camera tidier

ague lock
a) v____________ c____________
b) s____________ - ____________ g____________ g____________ f____________
c) t____________ s____________ m____________
d) r____________ w____________ c____________
e) m____________ b____________ m____________
f) w____________ b____________ c____________ t____________
2 Keywords: Antonyms
Write these keywords from the article into the sentences.
manufacture improvement vague ugly fairly

mass-produced change the face founder glowing scheme
1) When we _________________ of something, we change the way it looks.
2) The person who starts or sets up a company is its _________________.
3) An _________________ is something that makes something else better.
4) _________________ is another word for a plan or idea.
5) When thousands and thousands of the same item are made in a short time, we say they are ______________.
6) When something in not exact, it is _________________.
7) When something gives off light, we can say it is _________________.
8) The opposite of pretty or attractive is _________________.
9) The word _________________ means the same as rather, or a little bit.
10) When you_________________something, you make or produce it.

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NEWS LESSONS / The future of design? / Elementary

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The future of design? solar-powered, glowing garden furniture, and a

wastepaper bin that tidies ugly cables.
November 24, 2007 6 David Tonge, founder of The Division, said: “We
wanted a relaxed clock for the home, so the hour
A Japanese innovator wants to change face hand is on the outside, and like a sundial it’s
of shopping and replace mass-produced fairly vague. But in the centre, it displays minutes
goods with people-power ideas in a digital form so you can use it if you’re doing
something like cooking pasta for 13 minutes.”
1 By the age of 40, Kohei Nishiyama wants to be
7 Any item on the site that gets 1,000 votes is
financially independent, an inventor, and have a
robot dog. The 37-year-old Tokyo-based designer put forward for manufacture. As of yesterday,
who is the founder of Elephant Design has a Tonge’s clock had received 39 votes, the cable
dream, and he hopes it will change the face of tidier 22 votes and the garden furniture nine. The
British shopping. product with the most votes, is a bathroom mirror
that is also a whiteboard. The designers hope
2 He wants to empty the shops of boring, mass- the buyers will be busy professional people who
marketed and mass-produced items and replace can write appointments and notes on it, attach
them with products that we - the people - have memos like fridge magnets, and then see them
helped to develop. Nishiyama calls it ‘Design as they brush their teeth in the morning.
to Order’ and the idea is simple. Anyone with
a unique idea, for anything from a robotic web 8 For now the test site is only free to designers,
camera to a magnetic bathroom mirror, can post but Nishiyama says he will take ideas from
an image and description on his website. Other other people if there are 10 more people who
people can log on to suggest improvements to support the idea. “Because it’s a new thing,
the design. If enough people then vote for the a lot of people are posting ideas and some of
product, he makes a deal with a manufacturer them are rubbish,” says Tonge. “But it can be
and the product is made. surprising. There are people out there, who
are not designers, with some good, interesting
3 “There are so many mass-produced products ideas, and some of those may end up in
in shops because that’s how large companies the shops.”
work. Our idea is to give people what they want
by involving anyone of any age or nationality who
has a good idea,” says Nishiyama.
4 The scheme has been running in Japan for a
few years. Young designers use it to present
their ideas before they make something that may
fail. The company has recently set up a test site
with retailer Muji to help develop products for its
stores. One idea, for transparent sticky memos,
suggested by a 21-year-old student will be
marketed next month. She will get royalties from
every pack that is sold.
5 London-based designers The Division have

placed three designs on Nishiyama’s website:
a clock that is vague about the time, a set of
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Find the best ending for each sentence.
a) Kohei Nishiyama is based... ... 1,000 votes, it can be produced.
b) Kohei Nishiyama’s company is called... ... Elephant Design.
c) Kohei Nishiyama thinks mass-produced products... ... the website.
d) Young designers can post their ideas on... ... interesting products,
e) When a design gets... ... are boring.
e) Kohei Nishiyama wants to make... ... in Japan.
Put these sentences describing the design process in the correct order according to the article.
...... They post them with an image on the website.
...... The designer gets money for the items that are sold.
1
...... Designers think of new and interesting ideas.
...... The most popular designs are made and sold.
....... People vote for the best ideas.

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Can you think of an item that would make your life easier – either at work or at home?
What would it do, e.g. tie your shoelaces, put on your make up, clean the snow off your garden path?
Talk in your groups and then complete the sentence below. Can you add any more information?
• We would like to have something that _____________ (what does it do?) _____________ because
_____________.
6 Webquest
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KEY
1 Pre-reading task 3 Comprehension check 1

a) Kohei Nishiyama is based in Japan.
a) vague clock b) Kohei Nishiyama’s company is called
b) solar-powered glowing garden furniture Elephant Design.
c) transparent sticky memos c) Kohei Nishiyama thinks mass-produced products
d) robotic web camera are boring.
e) magnetic bathroom mirrors d) Young designers can post their ideas on
f) wastepaper bin cable tidier the website.
e) When a design gets 1,000 votes it can be produced.
f) Kohei Nishiyama wants to make
interesting products.
2 Antonyms
1) change the face

2) founder 4 Comprehension check 2
3) improvement
4) scheme
5) mass-produced 1) Designers think of new and interesting ideas.
6) vague 2) They post them with an image on the website.
7) glowing 3) People vote for the best ideas.
8) ugly 4) The most popular designs are made and sold.
9) fairly 5) The designer gets money for the items that are sold.
10) manufacture
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Use two or more of these words to make six new design inventions. The first letter of each idea is given to
help you. Then skim-read the article to check your answers.

clock camera tidier
a) v___________ ___________
b) s___________ – ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
c) t___________ ___________ ___________
d) r___________ ___________ ___________
e) m___________ ___________ ___________
f) w___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
2 Key words: Synonyms
Skim the article again to find words that mean (almost) the same as:
1. boring / unexciting – _______________ (para 2)

2. rule / idea – _______________ (para 2)
3. original – _______________ (para 2)
4. factory-made in large numbers – _______________ (para 2)
5. changes – _______________ (para 2)
6. plan / project – _______________ (para 4)
7. to fail – _______________ (para 4)
8. payment – _______________ (para 4)
9. inexact / indeterminate – _______________ (para 5)
10. leads / wires – _______________ (para 5)
11. shows – _______________ (para 6)
12. normal / ordinary – _______________ (para 7)
13. no good / useless – _______________ (para 9)
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NEWS LESSONS / The future of design? / Intermediate

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The future of design? company has placed three designs on Nishiyama’s
Ian Sample, science correspondent website: a clock that is vague about the time, a set
November 24, 2007 of solar-powered, glowing garden furniture, and
a wastepaper bin that tidies ugly cables around
A Japanese innovator wants to change the
work desks.
face of shopping and replace mass-produced
goods with people-power ideas 6 David Tonge, founder of The Division, said: “We
wanted a relaxed clock for the home, so the hour
1 If Kohei Nishiyama succeeds, he will be financially hand is on the outside, and like a sundial it’s fairly
independent by the age of 40, living as an inventor vague. But in the centre, it displays minutes in
and being woken each morning by his robot dog. a digital form so you can use it if you’re doing
The 37-year-old Tokyo-based designer and founder something like cooking pasta for 13 minutes.”
of Elephant Design has a dream, one he hopes will
change the face of British shopping. 7 The idea for the garden furniture came after Tonge
was fed-up with the over-designed options he
2 He wants to empty the shelves of dreary, mass- found in shops, while the cable tidier is a standard
marketed and mass-produced objects and replace paper bin fitted with a powerblock and cable
them with products that we - the people - have storage compartments.
helped to develop. Nishiyama calls his idea ‘Design
to Order’ and the principle is simple. Anyone with a 8 Any item on the site that gets 1,000 votes is put
unique idea, for anything from a robotic web camera forward for manufacture. As of yesterday, Tonge’s
to a magnetic bathroom mirror, posts an image and clock had received 39 votes, the cable tidier 22
description on his website. There, people can log votes and the garden furniture nine. The leading
on to suggest alterations and improvements to the product on the site, with 235 votes, is a bathroom
design. If enough people then vote for the product, mirror that is also a whiteboard. The designers hope
he makes a deal with a manufacturer and the the buyers will be busy professionals, who can write
product is made. appointments and thoughts on it, attach memos like
fridge magnets, and see them as they brush their
3 “There are so many mass-produced products teeth in the morning.
making it on to the shelves because that’s how
large companies do things. Our idea is to give 9 For now the test site is only free to designers,
people what they want by involving anyone of any but Nishiyama says he will take ideas from other
age or nationality who has a good idea, early on in people, if there are at least ten people who
the process,” says Nishiyama. support an idea. “Because it’s a new thing and it’s
experimental, a lot of people are posting ideas and,
4 The scheme has been running in Japan for a few it has to be said, some of them are rubbish,” says
years, and has taken off among designers who use Tonge. “But it can be surprising. There are definitely
it to present their ideas instead of committing to people out there, who are not designers, who have
something that may flop. The company has recently some good, interesting ideas, and some of those
set up a test site with retailer Muji to help develop may end up in the shops.”
products for its stores. One idea, for transparent
sticky memos, was suggested by a 21-year-old © Guardian News & Media 2007
student and will be marketed next month. She will First published in The Guardian, 24/11/07
get royalties from every pack sold.
5 Ahead of the formal UK launch next year,

Nishiyama has appointed London-based designers
The Division as its first British consultancy. The
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Are these sentences true or false according to the article?
Correct any sentences that are false.
1. Kohei Nishiyama comes from Japan but lives in London. true / false
2. Kohei Nishiyama is the founder of a new design company. true / false
3. He doesn’t like mass-marketed products. true / false
4. Elephant Design offers young designers the chance to present their ideas. true / false
5. Kohei Nishiyama wants to move the company base to the UK. true / false
6. A design needs 1000 votes before it can be produced. true / false
7. Currently the most popular product is the vague clock. true / false
8. There are no plans to market any new ideas yet. true / false
4 Vocabulary: Pronunciation
1. Pair these words from the article according to their stress-patterns.
e.g. replace + unique both have the stress-pattern oO
consultancy experimental
product financially
imagination ambitious
scheme
alterations cable
designer
independent vague
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Can you think of an item that would make your life easier – either at work or at home?
What would it do, e.g. polish your shoes, put on your make up, clean the snow off your garden path?
Make notes and present your ideas to the class.
7 Webquest
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1 New ideas 3 Comprehension check
a) vague clock 1. false

b) solar-powered glowing garden furniture 2. true
c) transparent sticky memos 3. true
d) robotic web camera 4. true
e) magnetic bathroom mirrors 5. false
f) wastepaper bin cable tidier 6. true
7. false
8. false

1. dreary
2. principle
3. unique product – cable Oo
4. mass-produced vague – scheme O (1 syllable only)
5. alterations designer – ambitious oOo
6. scheme independent – alterations ooOo
7. flop financially – consultancy oOoo
8. royalties experimental – imagination oooOo
9. vague
10. cables
11. displays
12. standard
13. rubbish
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‘What am I bid for the four-poster dog bed?’
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
auction reservations unwitting snip curator

abound mannequin attached saggy compelling
1. If you are ____________ to something, you are very fond of it.
2. If something is ____________, it is interesting enough to attract and hold your attention.
3. ____________ clothes have lost their shape and often hang down in the middle.
4. If a person is an ____________ participant in something, they become involved in it without intending to.
5. An ____________ is a public sale where things are sold to the people who offer the highest amount of
money for them.
6. If you have ____________ about something, you have feelings of doubt about it.
7. A ____________ is a model of a human body used to display clothes.
8. If things ____________, they exist in large numbers.
9. If something is a ____________, you can buy it at a very cheap price.
10. A ____________ is someone whose job is to look after the objects in a museum.
Former Black Sabbath singer and American reality TV show star, Ozzy Osbourne, is being forced to sell
some of his possessions because there isn’t enough space for them in his Hollywood mansion. How much
do you think each of these items is worth? Match the items with the prices and then check your answers in
the text.
1. a sofa a. up to $1,200
2. a teacup and saucer b. up to $150
3. black velvet cushion c. up to $1,500
4. black satin coat d. up to $2,000
5. dog bed (gift from Elton John) e. up to $200
6. porcelain vegetable basket f. up to $400

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NEWS LESSONS / ‘What am I bid for the four-poster dog bed?’ / Advanced
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‘What am I bid for the four-poster him (Mary Rose Young teacup and saucer,
dog bed?’ estimate $200–400).
Dan Glaister in Los Angeles 5 Sharon, by all accounts, is the one with taste.
It is Sharon who defined the family’s Malibu
December 1, 2007
beachfront home by filling it with shabby chic,
which the younger members of the family know a
1 The dog bed takes pride of place in the auction of lot about.
items belonging to the premier husband and wife
team of reality TV. Forget arriviste LA types such 6 “This is where celebrity and stupidity meet in
as the Beckhams, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne vivid pinks and pastel colours,” declares James
are the original hard-shopping celebrity couple Comisar, curator of the Comisar Collection,
– as assembled belongings from their three “the world’s largest archive of TV artifacts”.
houses, displayed inside a guitar showroom in He is standing in a reproduction of Kelly
Beverly Hills, prove. Osbourne’s bedroom. Next to Kelly’s round bed
with pink headboard stand two matching pink
2 The origins of the Osbourne Collection auction and black nightstands. Nearby a lime green
lie in Sharon’s wish to downsize. So many plastic folding egg chair is perched, and in the
things, so little time, so some of it has to go. corner is Kelly herself! Actually, it’s not Kelly
Naturally, it’s all for the best possible cause but a mannequin dressed up as Kelly, all pink,
– Sharon’s colon cancer programme at an LA punk, lime green stuff.
hospital. Ozzy, however, has his reservations.
“Originally we were going to be selling a lot 7 But pink punk is not really why we are here. We
more,” explains Darren Julien, president of are here for the gothic, the black velvet cushions
Julien’s Auctions, “but Ozzy is very emotionally adorned with crucifixes and icons ($50–150
attached to a lot of his things.” each), the saggy black Ozzy jumper, the limited
edition Black Sabbath Converse sneakers
3 Julien knows this because when he visited the
(unworn), the floor-length black satin bat coat (13
Osbourne residence in Beverly Hills, Ozzy would buttons and bat wing scallops on chest, estimate
take to leaving notes stuck to doors bearing $800–1,200).”I don’t care if that chair came from
polite messages such as: “Auction people - Keep Macy’s or the Queen,” says Comisar. “Ozzy sat
Out!” Ozzy may have succeeded in keeping in it.”
some of his more prized possessions, but there
are still many on sale. 8 Treasures abound, whether it be the Osbourne
family light switches, each one carefully labelled
4 Some of them will be familiar to viewers of The – ‘Ozzy bathroom’ for example – and each one
Osbournes, the MTV show that catapulted the including several lighting moods, from ‘romantic’
apparently unwitting heavy metal legend into a to ‘panic’. Almost lost in a corner is Ozzy’s red
new and altogether more sinister celebrity. For Bentley, a present from Sharon. Ozzy is keen to
example, there is the ornate sofa where Ozzy see it go. He likes black, not red. “He said to me,
would sit fulminating against his remote control ‘I feel like I’m driving a fucking fire engine’,” the
(bids for the sofa invited at $1,000–2,000) and auctioneer confides.
the porcelain vegetable basket thing that featured
so prominently in the Osbourne’s fitted kitchen 9 Yet among the skulls, the crucifixes, the bible
(a snip, starting at $100–200). There is also, stands and the strangely compelling assemblage of
wonder of wonders, the actual coffee cup Ozzy, vintage car horns, the eye can’t help but be drawn
would clasp in his shaking hands as he tried to to the four-poster dog bed, a gift for Minnie, the
make sense of the seething modernity around Osbournes’ pet pomeranian, from Sir Elton John.
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10 “This represents the scope and absurdity their dog.’” Well, not any more. Dog bed
of celebrity-dumb in this country,” says seeks new owner, will go to good home for
Comisar, a surprising comment for a man $1,000–1,500.
who dedicates himself to collecting knick-
knacks from TV land. “A bed for a dog that © Guardian News & Media 2007
is the price of a small automobile. You First published in The Guardian, 01/12/07
wonder what goes through their minds that
Sir Elton would come to their home and say,
‘What these people really need is a bed for
1. Why are the Osbournes selling so many of their possessions?

a. Because Ozzy is tired of them.
b. Because Sharon wants to reduce the amount of stuff they have.
c. Because they are short of money.
2. What will happen to the money they make from the auction?
a. It will be given to a local charity.
b. It will help to pay off some of their debts.
c. They will use it to buy more things for the house.
3. What is Ozzy’s favourite colour?

a. red
b. blue
c. black
4. What does the curator think of the dog-bed?

a. He thinks it’s fantastic.
b. He thinks it’s absurd.
c. He thinks Ozzy would prefer a small automobile.
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Level 3 Advanced
Look in the text and find these words and expressions:
1. A four word expression meaning to occupy the most central or important place in a room (usually
because you are proud of something). (para 1)
2. A two word expression meaning something you value more than anything else. (para 3)
3. A verb meaning to suddenly put someone in an important position. (para 4)
4. An adjective meaning threatening to do something evil. (para 4)
5. A verb meaning to speak or write angrily about something. (para 4)
6. A noun meaning an offer made at an auction. (para 4)
7. An adjective meaning old and in a bad condition. (para 5)
8. A noun meaning an object that is culturally or historically important. (para 6)
9. A verb meaning to say something to someone in secret. (para 8)
10. A two-word noun meaning small cheap objects used as decorations. (para 10)
5 Vocabulary 2: Words followed by prepositions
Which prepositions follow these words and expressions? Check your answers in the text.
1. fulminate _______
2. make sense _______
3. adorn _______
4. dedicate oneself _______
5. attached _______
6. succeed _______
7, familiar _______
8. scope _______
6 Vocabulary 3: Adverbial expressions
Match the adverbs from the text with their meanings.
1. naturally a. in a way that is easy to notice

2. carefully b. at first
3. prominently c. with a great deal of attention
4. apparently d. in a curious way
5. originally e. of course
6. strangely f. based on what you have heard and not on what you are sure is true
7 Discussion
Imagine that you had to get rid of 99% of your possessions. What five items would you keep and why?
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KEY
1. attached 1. take pride of place

2. compelling 2. prized possession
3. saggy 3. catapult
4. unwitting 4. sinister
5. auction 5. fulminate
6. reservations 6. bid
7. mannequin 7. shabby
8. abound 8. artefact
9. snip 9. confide
10. curator 10. knick-knacks
2 What do you think? 5 Vocabulary 2: Words followed

by prepositions
1. d
2. f 1. against
3. b 2. of
4. a 3. with
5. c 4. to
6. e 5. to
6. in
7. with
8. of
1. b
2. a 6 Vocabulary 3: Adverbial expressions
3. c
4. b
1. e
2. c
3. a
4. f
5. b
6. d
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1 Key words
curator bid knick-knacks auction documentary

bargain celebrity crucifix charity estimate
1. An ____________ is a public sale where things are sold to the people who offer the most money.
2. A ____________ is a famous person, usually in the world of entertainment or sport.
3. A ____________ is an organization to which people give money so that it can help people who are poor or ill.
4. A ____________ is a religious symbol in the shape of a cross.
5. An ____________ is a guess about how much something will cost.
6. ____________ are small cheap objects which people use as decorations.
8. A ____________ is an offer to buy something at a public sale or on a website such as eBay.
9. A ____________ is something that you buy that costs much less than normal.
10. A ____________ is a TV programme that shows real people and events.
1. How many houses have Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne got?
2. What is Ozzy’s daughter’s name?
3. How much will the sofa cost?
4. How much will the dog bed cost?
5. What colour is Ozzy’s Bentley?
6. Who gave the dog bed to the Osbournes?

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NEWS LESSONS / ‘What am I bid for the four-poster dog bed?’ / Elementary
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Level 1 Elementary
‘What am I bid for the four-poster Ozzy used to hold in his shaking hands as he
dog bed?’ complained about all the modernity around him
(Mary Rose Young teacup and saucer, starting
price $200–400).
December 1, 2007
5 James Comisar is curator of the Commissar

1 Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne are the most Collection, the world’s biggest television
famous husband and wife team of reality TV. museum. He is standing in a reproduction of
The documentary The Osbournes showed the Kelly Osbourne’s bedroom (Kelly is Ozzie and
everyday lives of Ozzie, who was once a rock Sharon’s daughter). “This is a combination of
singer in the band Black Sabbath, and Sharon, celebrity and stupidity in bright pinks and pale
who often appears on TV as a judge in music colours,” he says. Next to Kelly’s round bed there
competitions. The Osbournes also showed Ozzie are two pink and black bedside tables. Nearby
and Sharon spending a lot of money buying there is a large lime green plastic egg, and in the
different things for their three houses. Now they corner is Kelly herself! Actually, it’s not Kelly but a
have decided to sell some of their things at an shop window model dressed up as Kelly, all pink,
auction in California. People can see all the punk and lime green.
items which are for sale in a guitar showroom in
Beverly Hills. The strangest item is probably the 6 But pink punk is not really why people will go to
dog bed. the auction. They will go there to buy the gothic
things - the black velvet cushions covered in
2 The auction, called the Osbourne Collection, is crucifixes ($50–150 each), the big black Ozzy
happening because Sharon’s wants to sell a lot jumper, the limited edition Black Sabbath shoes
of their things. The Osbournes have so many (never worn), the floor-length black satin coat
things and so little time, so some of it has to (estimate $800–1,200).”I don’t care if that chair
go. Sharon is planning to give any money they came from Macy’s or the Queen,” says Comisar.
earn from the auction to a cancer charity. Ozzy, “Ozzy sat in it.”
however, is not very happy about the auction.
“We were planning to sell a lot more,” explains 7 There are all kinds of treasures in the collection.
Darren Julien from the auction company, “but Osbourne family light switches, for example,
Ozzy really likes a lot of his things.” each one carefully labelled – “Ozzy bathroom”
for example – and each one including several
3 Julien knows this because when he visited the lighting moods, from “romantic” to “panic”. In
Osbournes’ house in Beverly Hills, Ozzy put a corner is Ozzy’s red Bentley, a present from
notices on the doors with polite messages such Sharon. Ozzy wants to sell it. He likes black, not
as: “Auction people - Keep Out!” Ozzy is keeping red. “He told me that he feels like he’s driving a
some of his favourite things, but there are still fire engine,” says Darren Julien.
many for sale.
8 Among the skulls, the crucifixes, the bible stands
4 People who watched the MTV show The and the strange collection of old car horns, is
Osbournes will recognize many of the things. a four-poster dog bed, a gift for Minnie, the
For example, there is the sofa where Ozzy used Osbournes’ pet dog, from Sir Elton John. “This
to sit complaining about his remote control (the shows just how crazy some celebrities are in
auction company is inviting bids for the sofa at this country,” says Comisar, which is a surprising
$1,000–2,000) and the vegetable basket from thing for him to say because he spends his time
the Osbourne’s kitchen (a bargain, starting at collecting TV knick-knacks. “A bed for a dog that
$100–200). There is also the actual coffee cup is the price of a small car! You wonder what they
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Level 1 Elementary
are thinking of if Sir Elton comes to their home

and says, ‘What these people really need is a
bed for their dog.’” Well, not any more. The dog
bed is for sale for $1,000-1,500.

1. The Osbournes are selling a lot of their things because …
2. Ozzy is unhappy about the auction because …
3. The curator of the television museum thinks that …
4. All the money they make from the auction …
5. Ozzy doesn’t like his Bentley because …
6. Ozzy complained about his remote control because …
a. … he really likes a lot of his things.
b. … will go to to a cancer charity.
c. … he doesn’t like a lot of modern things.
d. … it is crazy to spend so much money on a dog bed.
e. … they have too many things in their houses.
f. … it’s the wrong colour.

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Level 1 Elementary
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word
expressions from the text.
1. reality a. dog
2. vegetable b. length
3. coffee c. engine
4. floor d. cup
5. light e. TV
6. fire f. switch
7. car g. basket
8. pet h. horn
Complete these expressions from the text using prepositions.
1. _______ example
2. _______ sale
3. not happy _______ the auction
4. covered _______
5. all kinds _______ treasures
6. _______ one corner
7. a present _______ Sharon
8. complain _______ something
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. sell
2. combine
3. decision
4. complaint
5. collect

6. present
7. reproduce
8. complete
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1. auction 1. e
2. celebrity 2. g
3. charity 3. d
4. crucifix 4. b
5. estimate 5. f
6. knick-knacks 6. c
7. curator 7. h
8. bid 8. a
9. bargain
10. documentary

2. for
1. Three 3. about
2. Kelly 4. in
3. $1,000 to £2,000 5. of
4. $1,000 to $1,500 6. in
5. Red 7. from
6. Elton John 8. about
1. e
2. a verb noun
3. d 1. sell sale
4. b
2. combine combination
5. f
6. c 3. decide decision
4. complain complaint
5. collect collection
6. present present
7. reproduce reproduction
8. complete competition
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1 Key words
auction curator attached baggy pastel

downsize bid artefact vintage knick-knacks
1. ____________ are small cheap objects used as decorations.
2. An ____________ is an object that is culturally or historically important.
3. ____________ colours or shades are pale and soft.

5. An ____________ is a public sale where things are sold to the people who offer the most money.
6. A ____________ object is old but is kept in a good condition.
7. If you are ____________ to something, you are very fond of it.
8. ____________ clothes have lost their shape and often hang down in the middle.
9. If you ____________, you reduce the size or quantity of something.
10. A ____________ is an offer to buy something at a public sale or on a website such as eBay.
1. Who gave the dog bed to the Osbournes?
2. What colour is Ozzy’s Bentley?
3. How much will the sofa cost?
4. How much will the dog bed cost?
5. What is Ozzy’s daughter’s name?
6. Where is their beachfront house?

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NEWS LESSONS / ‘What am I bid for the four-poster dog bed?’ / Intermediate
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‘What am I bid for the four-poster 5 Sharon, people say, is the one who has taste. It
dog bed?’ is Sharon who defined the image of the family’s
Malibu beachfront home by filling it with shabby
chic, something which the younger members of
December 1, 2007
the family know a lot about.
1 Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne are the most 6 “This is a combination of celebrity and stupidity
famous husband and wife team of reality TV. in bright pinks and pastel colours,” says James
The documentary The Osbournes showed the Comisar, curator of the Comisar Collection, the
everyday lives of former rock-star Ozzie and world’s largest archive of TV artifacts. He is
reality TV show judge Sharon. It also showed standing in a reproduction of Ozzy and Sharon’s
their amazing shopping habits. Now some of their daughter Kelly’s bedroom. Next to Kelly’s round
belongings are going to be auctioned at a sale in bed there are two matching pink and black
California. The dog bed is probably the strangest bedside tables. Nearby there is a lime green
object among the items currently being displayed plastic folding egg, and in the corner is Kelly
in a guitar showroom in Beverly Hills. herself! Actually, it’s not Kelly but a shop window
model dressed up as Kelly, all pink, punk and
2 The Osbourne Collection auction is the result of
lime green.
Sharon’s wish to downsize. They have so many
things and so little time, so some of it has to 7 But pink punk is not really why we are here. We
go. Naturally, it’s all for the best possible cause are here for the gothic, the black velvet cushions
– profits from the auction will go to a cancer covered in crucifixes and icons ($50–150 each),
charity. Ozzy, however, is not so sure about the the baggy black Ozzy jumper, the limited edition
idea. “Originally we were going to be selling a Black Sabbath shoes (unworn), the floor-length
lot more,” explains Darren Julien, president of black satin coat (estimate $800–1,200).”I don’t
Julien’s Auctions, “but Ozzy is very emotionally care if that chair came from Macy’s or the
attached to a lot of his things.” Queen,” says Comisar. “Ozzy sat in it.”
3 Julien knows this because when he visited the 8 There are all kinds of treasures in the collection.
Osbourne residence in Beverly Hills, Ozzy left Osbourne family light switches, for example,
notes stuck to doors with polite messages such each one carefully labelled – ‘Ozzy bathroom’ for
as: “Auction people – Keep Out!” Ozzy may example - and each one including several lighting
have succeeded in keeping some of his favourite moods, from ‘romantic’ to ‘panic’. In a corner is
possessions, but there are still many on sale. Ozzy’s red Bentley, a present from Sharon. Ozzy
is keen to see it go. He likes black, not red. “He
4 Some of the items will be familiar to viewers of
said to me that he feels like he’s driving a fire
The Osbournes, the MTV show that made the
engine,” says the auctioneer.
former heavy metal legend into a new kind of
celebrity. For example, there is the sofa where 9 Yet among the skulls, the crucifixes, the bible
Ozzy used to sit complaining about his remote stands and the strange collection of vintage car
control (bids for the sofa are invited at $1,000– horns, you can’t help but notice the four-poster
2,000) and the vegetable basket thing so often dog bed, a gift for Minnie, the Osbournes’ pet
seen in the Osbourne’s fitted kitchen (a bargain, dog, from Sir Elton John.
starting at $100–200). Over there is the actual
coffee cup Ozzy used to hold in his shaking 10 “This shows just how absurd some celebrities
hands as he tried to make sense of all the are in this country,” says Comisar, a surprising
modernity around him (Mary Rose Young teacup comment for a man who spends his time
and saucer, estimate $200–400). collecting knick-knacks from TV land. “A bed for
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a dog that is the price of a small automobile. You

wonder what goes through their minds that Sir
Elton would come to their home and say, ‘What
these people really need is a bed for their dog.’”
Well, not any more. The dog bed is for sale for
$1,000–1,500.

1. The Osbournes are selling some of their possessions because they need money.
2. Ozzy is more enthusiastic about the auction than Sharon.
3. The Comisar Collection is a kind of museum.
4. Ozzy does not like his red Bentley very much.
5. The Osbournes really needed a four-poster dog bed.
6. The cushions are the cheapest items mentioned.
Look in the text and find these words and expressions:
1. An adverb meaning at first. (para 2)
2. A noun which is a formal word for home. (para 3)
3. A noun meaning a famous person in entertainment or sport. (para 4)
4. A two-word noun meaning a device used to operate a tv. (para 4)
5. A four-word expression meaning to understand something difficult. (para 4)
6. A noun meaning an amount that you guess or calculate according to the information available. (para 4)
7. An adjective meaning old and worn. (para 5)
8. An adjective meaning completely stupid. (para 10)

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1. complain _______
2. attached _______
3. stuck _______
4. succeed _______
5. familiar _______
6. fill _______
7. combination _______
8. covered _______
Complete the table.
Adjective Noun
1. real
2. stupid
3. modern
4. romance

5. absurdity
6. emotion
7. limit
8. goth
7 Discussion
What kind of things do people collect and why? Do you collect anything?
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1. knick-knacks 1. originally
2. artefact 2. residence
3. pastel 3. celebrity
4. curator 4. remote control
5. auction 5. to make sense of
6. vintage 6. estimate
7. attached 7. shabby
8. baggy 8. absurd
9. downsize
10. bid
1. about
2. to
1. Elton John 3. to
2. red 4. in
3. $1,000 to $2,000 5. with
4. $1,000 to $1,500 6. with
5. Kelly 7. of
6. Malibu 8. in
1. F
2. F
3. T Adjective Noun
4. T 1. real reality
5. F 2. stupid stupidity
6. T
3. modern modernity
4. romantic romance
5. absurd absurdity
6. emotional emotion
7. limited limit
8. gothic goth
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Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for digital album
Level 3 Advanced
1 Warmer: Brainstorming
a) How many music genres can you think of in three minutes?
b) What kind of music do you like?
Try to find others in your group who have a similar taste in music to your own (i.e. if you like rock music, join with
others who like rock; if you prefer classical or opera, sit with others who like this kind of music).
2 Discussion: Questions
a) In your groups, discuss these questions:
a) How much does a CD cost in your country?
b) How many CDs do you buy in a month/year?
c) When did you last buy a CD or download music from the Internet?
d) What do you consider to be a fair price for a CD?
e) How much would you be willing to pay to download music?
f) Do you think more music is downloaded legally or illegally?
g) What do you think the ratio of legal to illegal downloads might be?
b) How do your answers reflect what is written in the article?

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NEWS LESSONS / Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for digital album / Advanced
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Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for music industry struggling with the effects of
digital album digital piracy. Despite an increase in sales of live
Alexandra Topping concert tickets, CD sales are less profitable than
November 7, 2007 ever due to increased competition and piracy.
7 Industry bodies have estimated that worldwide,

1 When Radiohead invited their fans to pay as
people download 20 tracks illegally for every
much - or as little - as they liked for a digital
digital download they pay for, which may suggest
download of their new album, In Rainbows, it
Radiohead has surpassed most other artists in
was hailed as the beginning of a new era for the
this particular experiment.
struggling record industry.
2 So what then, was the ultimate value of the
ground-breaking album and its test of the
constraints of the digital age? Around £2.90, it
would seem.
3 Research revealed yesterday that a mere 38%

of people downloading the album were willing to
part with anything at all. Two thirds paid only the
45p charge for handling.
4 The average amount that less frugal fans were

willing to pay was still a paltry $6 (£2.90) – far
below the price of a CD or the amount a digital
album would cost to download from the Apple
iTunes store.
5 During the first 29 days of October, 1.2 million

people worldwide visited the In Rainbows site,
with a significant percentage of visitors ultimately
downloading the album. The study showed that
38% of global downloaders of the album willingly
paid to do so, with the remaining 62% choosing
to pay nothing. The percentage downloading for
free in the US (60%) is only marginally lower than
in the rest of the world (64 %).
6 The Radiohead ‘honesty box’ experiment has

been closely watched by other artists, their
record labels and management companies.
It was widely seen as the most high-profile
attempt yet to restructure the economics of a
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1. Radiohead found that...
a) ... nearly everybody was willing to pay for the album.

b) ... just over half of all downloaders were willing to pay for the album.
c) ... just over a third of all downloaders were willing to pay for the album.
2. Compared to other countries...
a) ... more...
b) ... less...
c) ... the same number of...
Americans downloaded the album for free.
3. The music industry has seen a decline in the profits made on sales of...
a) ... concert tickets.

b) ... music downloads.
c) ... music CDs.
4. According to the figures given for illegal downloads, Radiohead’s experiment...
a) ... has been a success.

b) ... has been unsuccessful.
c) ... has made no difference at all.
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4 Role play
Role cards:
Journalist

Decide
which magazine
or newspaper you write for.
Think of questions that you want to ask the others.
At the end of the role play you should decide what kind of spin you are going to give your article. Will it be for or
against Radiohead’s business model, or will your report be neutral?
A Radiohead band member A Consumer

Describe your business model. Explain how you buy music and why you prefer this method.
Give reasons why you chose this model. Say how much you are happy to pay for music.
Decide how you will sell or market your next album. Is Radiohead’s idea a good or bad thing for music buyers?
A member of a new band

Is it easy to break into the music scene?
What are you doing to get yourself known and to sell your new album (you’ve just recorded it)?
How does Radiohead’s business model affect new bands?
Note: Each role can be given to one or more people – the minimum amount of roles per group is two: the journalist
plus one other.
If possible, record the role play.
• For more background information, please refer to the onestopenglish weekly news lesson 57 from October 11th
2007, ‘Radiohead’s bid to revive the music industry’.
5 Writing: Follow up
Choose one of the following:
a) Write up a report of your role play in the style of an article for a newspaper or website.
b) Chose to be either a band member or consumer and write a letter to a newspaper stating your opinion.
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KEY
1. Radiohead found that...
c) ... just over a third of all downloaders were willing to pay for the album.
2. Compared to other countries...
b) ... less Americans downloaded the album for free.
3. The music industry has seen a decline in the profits made on sales of...
a) ... concert tickets.
4. According to the figures given for illegal downloads, Radiohead’s experiment...
a) ... has been a success.
Links:
• http://www.inrainbows.com/
• http://www.apple.com/itunes/
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Warmer: Music genres
a) Write in the missing vowels (a,e,i,o,u) to find different kinds of music.
j_zz cl_ss_c_l r_ck p_p c_ _ntry rhythm & bl_ _s

r_gg_ _ _p_r_ p_nk h_ _vy m_t_l s_ _l
b) Can you add any more?
c) What kind of music do you like?
Can you find someone in your group who has a similar taste in music to you?
2 Keywords
Use these words to complete the sentences.
experiment handling charge increase piracy download

successful honesty box average decrease illegally
1. When numbers go up, they _________________.
2. When numbers go down, they _________________.
3. When you do something against the law (commit a crime), you do it _________________.
4. A _________________ is a fee that a shop charges you when they send your goods to you.
5. An _________________ is the amount you get when you add numbers together and then divide the total by the
number of things you added together.
6. If you get what you want, you are _________________.
7. When you copy information from the Internet to your computer, you _________________ it.
8. An _________________ is a (virtual) container into which the seller hopes the buyer will place money.
9. _________________ is the crime of making and selling illegal copies of something, especially CDs and DVDs.
10. An _________________ is a (scientific) test to find out what happens to someone or something.
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NEWS LESSONS / Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for digital album / Elementary
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Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for digital • For more background information, please refer
album to the onestopenglish weekly news lesson 57
from October 11th 2007, ‘Radiohead’s bid to
Alexandra Topping revive the music industry’ and
November 7, 2007 http://www.inrainbows.com/
1 In October 2007 Radiohead asked their fans

to pay as much - or as little - as they liked for a
digital download of their new album,
In Rainbows.
2 So what were people willing to pay? The answer

is, around £2.90.
3 But only 38% of people who downloaded the

album paid anything at all. Two thirds paid only
the 45p charge for handling.
4 The average amount that fans were willing to pay

was still only $6 (£2.90) – far below the price of
a CD or the amount a digital album would cost to
download from the Apple iTunes store.

people worldwide visited Radiohead’s In
Rainbows website. A large number of these
visitors downloaded the album. The study
showed that 38% paid to download the
album, but that the remaining 62% choose to
pay nothing. The percentage of people who
downloaded for free in the US (60%) is only very
slightly lower than in the rest of the world (64%).
6 The Radiohead ‘honesty box’ experiment is

being closely watched by other artists, their
record labels and management companies.
Even though sales of live concert tickets are
increasing, CD sales are decreasing. This is
because of increased competition and piracy.
7 Worldwide, people download 20 tracks illegally

for every digital download they pay for. So it
seems that Radiohead’s experiment
was successful.

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Level 1 Elementary
3 How to download the album in ten easy steps.
Number these instructions to put them into the correct order.
Now transfer the album to your iPod, MP3-player, or burn it onto a CD,
then download the album and save it on your computer.
3
then click on ‘view basket’.
Now type in the amount you want to pay,
then listen and enjoy!
6
(you might have to wait in a queue).
Click on DOWNLOAD,
Turn on your computer and go to www.inrainbows.com.
then click on ‘pay now’
Type in your details,
4 Discussion
Complete the sentences.
a) In my country a CD costs about _________________.
b) I buy about _________________ CDs a year.
c) I _________________ download music from the Internet.
d) I think _________________ is a fair price for a CD.
e) I’m willing to pay _________________ to download music.
f) I last went to a live concert / opera / musical performance in _________________.
Now compare your sentences with your partner.

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KEY
1 Warmer – music genres 3 How to download the album in 10 easy

steps.
jazz
classical 1. Turn on your computer and go to
rock www.inrainbows.com.
pop 2. Click on DOWNLOAD,
country 3. then click on ‘view basket’.
rhythm & blues 4. Now type in the amount you want to pay,
reggae 5. then click on ‘pay now’
opera 6. (you might have to wait in a queue).
punk 7. Type in your details,
heavy metal 8. then download the album and save it on
soul your computer.
9. Now transfer the album to your iPod, MP3-player,
or burn it onto a CD,
10. then listen and enjoy!
2 Keywords
1. increase
2. decrease
3. illegally
4. handling charge
5. average
6. successful
7. download
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a) How many music genres can you think of in three minutes?
b) What kind of music do you like?
Can you find someone in your group who has a similar taste in music to you?
2 Key words
Use these words from the article to complete the sentences.
handling charge struggling piracy download experiment era

honesty box ultimately average remaining reveal
1. We use this word to talk about a particular period of time. _______________

2. When a company or industry experiences financial difficulties, it is said to be _______________
3. When you give out information that was not known before, you _______________ it.
4. A _______________ is a fee that a shop charges you when they send your goods to you.
5. An _______________ is the amount you get when you add numbers together and then divide the total by the
number of things you added together.
6. _______________ means the same as, in the end, or finally.
7. When you copy information from the Internet to your computer, you _______________ it.
8. When something is _______________ , it is the amount that is still left.
9. An _______________ is a container into which the seller hopes the buyer will place money.
10. _______________ is the crime of making and selling illegal copies of something, especially CDs and DVDs.
11. An _______________ is a (scientific) test to find out what happens to someone or something.
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NEWS LESSONS / Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for digital album / Intermediate
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Radiohead fans pay £2.90 for for. This suggests that Radiohead’s experiment
digital album was successful.
Alexandra Topping © Guardian News & Media 2007

November 7, 2007 First published in The Guardian, 07/11/07
1 When Radiohead invited their fans to pay as

much - or as little - as they liked for a digital
download of their new album, In Rainbows, many
said it was the beginning of a new era for the
struggling record industry.
2 So what then, were people willing to pay? Around

£2.90, it would seem.
3 Research revealed yesterday that only 38% of

people downloading the album were willing to pay
anything at all. Two thirds paid only the 45p charge
for handling.
4 The average amount that fans were willing to pay

was still only $6 (£2.90) – far below the price of
a CD or the amount a digital album would cost to
download from the Apple iTunes store.

people worldwide visited Radiohead’s In Rainbows
website. A large number of these visitors ultimately
downloaded the album. The study showed that
38% willingly paid to download the album, with
the remaining 62% choosing to pay nothing. The
percentage downloading for free in the US (60%) is
only very slightly lower than in the rest of the
world (64 %).
6 The Radiohead ‘honesty box’ experiment has been

closely watched by other artists, their record labels
and management companies. Despite an increase
in sales of live concert tickets, CD sales are less
profitable than ever due to increased competition
and piracy.
7 It is thought that worldwide, people download 20

tracks illegally for every digital download they pay
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1. The record industry is not doing well. T/F

2. Less than 50% of people downloaded Radiohead’s album for free. T/F
3. The album was cheaper on Apple’s iTunes website. T/F
4. Recently, CD sales have been decreasing. T/F
5. Sales of live concert tickets are increasing. T/F
6. A higher percentage of people download for free in the USA than anywhere else in the world. T/F
7. There are currently more illegal music downloads than legal downloads. T/F
8. Radiohead’s experiment was a flop. T/F
4 Discussion
In groups, discuss these questions:
a) How much does a CD cost in your country?

b) How many CDs do you buy in a month/year?
c) When did you last buy a CD or download music from the Internet?
d) What do you consider to be a fair price for a CD?
e) How much would you be willing to pay to download music?
f) When did you last go to a live concert / opera / musical performance?
g) Do you plan to go to a concert in the near future?
4 Writing - Follow up
Write an email to a friend. Tell them about Radiohead’s new album.
• For more background information, please refer to the onestopenglish weekly news lesson 57 from October
11th 2007, ‘Radiohead’s bid to revive the music industry’ and http://www.inrainbows.com/
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KEY
2 Key words
1. era
2. struggling
3. reveal
4. handling charge
5. average
6. ultimately
7. download
8. remaining
9. honesty box
10. piracy
11. experiment
1. True
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. True
6. False
7. True
8. False

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Thanks for the tools! Jailbreakers taunt guards
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
audacious wriggle adjoining admonish inmate

unscathed scale tip-off homage feud
1. If someone emerges ______________ from a dangerous or bad situation, they are not harmed or damaged by it.
2. If you pay ______________ to an artist, you show respect by using their style or ideas in your own work or in
something that you do.
3. If you ______________ someone, you tell them that you do not approve of something they have done.
4. A ______________ is a warning or secret information given to someone.
5. A ______________ is an angry disagreement between two people or groups that continues for a long time.
6. If you ______________ a wall or a fence, you climb over it.
7. An ______________ is someone who is kept in a prison or an institution.
8. An ______________ act is one that is done with extreme confidence, despite difficulties and risks.
9. An ______________ room or property is one that is next to and connected to another room or property.
10. If you ______________ through a small opening, you do it by twisting and turning your body.
2 Order of events
The text is about an escape from a jail in the USA. Put these sentences into a logical order and then read
the text and check your answers.
a. They split up and went in different directions along a railway line.
b. Then they jumped from the cell-block roof.
c. The two prisoners used metal wire to remove the cement around a concrete block in their cell.
d. A reward of $8,000 has been offered for their recapture.
e. They climbed an eight-metre high razor-wire fence.
f. They removed the block and squeezed through the narrow hole.
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NEWS LESSONS / Thanks for the tools! Jailbreakers taunt guards / Advanced
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Level 3 Advanced
Thanks for the tools! Jailbreakers “I think this is a very serious situation,” he
taunt guards admonished reporters at a press conference.
“I really prefer not to compare with any movie,
• Hunt on for two prisoners after movie-style breakout
although I can understand why you might
• Escapees used pinups to cover holes in cell walls
because it does look certainly very similar to
Ed Pilkington in New York some of them.” Then, in a complete contradiction
December 19, 2007 of his previous position, he added: “Except in The
Shawshank Redemption they had a better poster
on the wall.”
1 They really rubbed it in. Not only did they leave
a handwritten note that said, “Thank you officer 5 From the world of Tim Robbins, the inmates
for the tools needed. You’re a real pal! Happy moved into the realm of Steve McQueen. To put
holidays.” They also signed it with a smiley wardens off the scent they padded out their beds
face. The note was a going-away card from two with pillows to make dummy sleeping prisoners.
prisoners in a New Jersey jail who on Saturday Once out of the cell they hurled themselves
broke out of a high-security wing armed only from a roof 10 metres high. No blood was found,
with a thick metal wire and a metal wheel used suggesting they landed unscathed.
to turn off water pipes. The audacious breakout
appeared to combine an intimate knowledge 6 After that, all they had to do was scale an eight-
of Hollywood prison films, an ability to wriggle metre razor-wire fence, which didn’t seem to
through small holes worthy of Houdini and a bother them either. Tracks in the snow suggest
talent for parkour, the urban hobby of leaping off they parted company and headed in opposite
high buildings. directions along a railway line.
2 Police were still searching last night for Jose 7 It emerged that this was the second time Blunt
Espinosa, 20, and Otis Blunt, 32, as details had tried to break out using the wire method.
emerged about how they pulled off the escape The first occasion was nipped in the bud in
from Union County jail. They began by using September after a tip-off from a fellow inmate,
the wire to scratch away the cement around a and he was moved to what had been assumed to
concrete block in the adjoining wall between their be a more secure part of the prison.
two cells, B310 and B311. By removing the block,
8 Blunt was being held awaiting trial for robbery
Blunt managed to squeeze his 1.79-metre (5ft
and shooting at a corner shop. Espinosa had
9in) (11½st) frame through a 20cm by 40cm hole
already pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was
into Espinosa’s cell. From there, Espinosa, who
awaiting sentencing in which he would have
is 1.67 metres tall (5ft 5in) and 10st 10lb, and
received at least 17 years. He had been the
Blunt both wriggled out of a similar hole that had
driver in a drive-by shooting in New Jersey in
been opened by removing a block separating
what prosecutors said was a gang feud.
Espinosa’s cell from the outside world.
9 A reward of $8,000 has been offered for the
3 Investigators found that the men had disguised
men’s recapture, and a full inquiry ordered into
the holes by using the heavy metal wheel to
prison security.
crush up the rubble and hide it in plastic boxes
used to store their personal possessions. They
had then, in an apparent movie homage, placed
posters of women in bikinis over the holes.
4 A local prosecutor, Ted Romankow expressed

his displeasure about the Hollywood connection.
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Level 3 Advanced
Choose the best answer according to the information given in the text.
1. Why is the placing of posters of women in bikinis over the holes described as ‘an apparent movie homage’?
a. Because the escaped prisoners liked The Shawshank Redemption.
b. Because the same kind of thing happens in Hollywood movies.
c. Because the prisoners wanted to put the wardens off the scent.
2. Why was the local prosecutor angry with the press?

a. Because they wrote false reports about the escape.
b. Because they romanticized the escape by comparing it to a Hollywood movie.
c. Because the escape was quite different from what happens in the movies.
3. Why did Blunt’s first attempt to escape fail?

a. Because he was moved to a more secure part of the prison.
b. Because he couldn’t squeeze through the hole.
c. Because another prisoner told the prison authorities he was planning to escape.
4. How did the prison authorities know the men were not hurt when they jumped from the roof?
a. Because the roof was only 10 metres high.
b. Because the men parted company.
c. Because no blood was found at the scene.
1. An adjective meaning extremely detailed. (para 1)

2. A verb meaning to jump. (para 1)
3. A noun meaning broken pieces of stone and brick. (para 3)
4. A noun meaning a difference between two statements that makes it impossible for both of them to be true. (para 4)
5. A five-word expression meaning to do something to try to prevent someone from discovering the truth. (para 5)
6. An adjective meaning designed to look real but not real. (para 5)
7. A verb meaning to go in a particular direction. (para 6)
8. A four-word expression meaning to stop a bad situation from becoming worse by taking action at an early stage
of its development. (para 7)
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Level 3 Advanced
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these phrasal verbs from the text.
rub in pull off break out crush up pad out turn off
1. If you _________ _________ of a prison, you escape from it.
2. If you _________ something _________, you fill it with soft material.
3. If you _________ something _________, you break it into very small pieces by pressing it hard.
4. If you _________ it _________, you remind someone of something stupid they have done.
5. If you _________ _________ a power or water supply, you switch it off.
6. If you _________ something _________, you succeed in doing something difficult.
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to make collocations from
the text.
1. offer a. displeasure
2. leave b. possessions
3. express c. company
4. part d. a reward
5. store e. an inquiry
7 Discussion
What other ways are there of escaping from prison?

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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1. unscathed 1. intimate
2. homage 2. leap
3. admonish 3. rubble
4. tip-off 4. contradiction
5. feud 5. put someone off the scent
6. scale 6. dummy
7. inmate 7. head
8. audacious 8. nip in the bud
9. adjoining
10. wriggle
2 Order of events 1. break out

2. pad out
1. c 3. crush up
2. f 4. rub in
3. b 5. turn off
4. e 6. pull off
5. a
6. d
6 Vocabulary 3: Verb + Noun Collocations
3 Comprehension check 1. d
2. f
1. b 3. a
2. b 4. c
3. c 5. b
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
jail tools prosecutor fence cell

squeeze similar poster track reward
1. A _______________ is a large printed picture that you put on a wall for decoration.
2. A _______________ is a lawyer whose job is to prove in court that someone is guilty.
3. If something is _______________ to another thing, it is almost the same but not exactly the same.
4. A _______________ is a mark a person or animal leaves on the ground.
5. _______________ is another word for prison.
6. A _______________ is money you receive for helping the police catch a criminal.
7. A _______________ is a wall made of wood or wire that surrounds an area of land.
8. If you _______________ through a small opening, your body goes through it with some difficulty.
9. _______________ are pieces of equipment you use for particular types of work.
10. A _______________ is a small room where a prisoner is kept.
1. How much money has been offered as a reward?
2. How many prisoners escaped?
3. What were the numbers of their cells?
4. How big was the hole they escaped through?
5. How old is Otis Blunt?
6. How tall is he?

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Level 1 Elementary
Thanks for the tools! Jailbreakers jumped from a roof 10 metres high. There was no
taunt guards blood on the ground, which probably means they
were not injured.
• Escapees used pinups to cover holes in cell walls 6 After that, they had to climb an eight-metre razor-
wire fence, but this wasn’t a problem for them
Ed Pilkington in New York
either. Police found tracks in the snow which
December 19, 2007
showed that they split up and walked in opposite
directions along a railway line.
1 Two prisoners have escaped from a jail in New
Jersey, USA. The escape was just like the 7 This was the second time Blunt had tried to
ones people see in the movies. The men left escape from prison using the wire method.
a handwritten note for their guard, which said: The first time another prisoner told the prison
“Thank you for the tools we needed. You’re a real authorities about his plan and they moved him to
friend! Happy holidays.” They also signed it with a more secure part of the prison.
a smiley face. 8 Blunt was in prison before going on trial for
2 The prisoners escaped from a high-security robbery and shooting at a corner shop. Espinosa
section of the jail using just a thick metal wire was the driver in a drive-by shooting in New
and a metal wheel used to turn off water pipes. Jersey and was facing a jail sentence of at least
The escape showed that the men had a detailed 17 years.
knowledge of Hollywood prison films, an ability to 9 A reward of $8,000 has been offered for the
squeeze through very small holes like Houdini, men’s recapture, and a full inquiry ordered
and an ability to jump off high buildings. into prison security. A local prosecutor, Ted
3 Police are still searching for Jose Espinosa, 20, Romankow, does not like the Hollywood
and Otis Blunt, 32, as details of their escape connection. “I think this is a very serious
from Union County jail become known. They situation,” he told reporters at a press
began by using the wire to remove the cement conference. “I really prefer not to compare it with
around a concrete block in the wall between any movie, although I can understand why you
their two cells, B310 and B311. After removing want to do that because it is certainly very similar
the block, Blunt squeezed his 1.79-metre (5ft to some of them.” Then, changing his previous
9in) (11½st) body through a 20cm by 40cm hole position, he added: “Except in The Shawshank
into Espinosa’s cell. From there, Espinosa, who Redemption they had a better poster on the wall.”
is 1.67 metres tall (5ft 5in) and 10st 10lb, and
Blunt both squeezed through a similar hole from © Guardian News & Media 2007
Espinosa’s cell into the area outside the high- First published in The Guardian, 19/12/07
security section.
4 Prison officials said the men used the heavy
metal wheel to break up the concrete blocks.
They then put the small pieces of concrete in the
plastic boxes they used to store their personal
possessions. Then, just like in the movies, they
put posters of women in bikinis over the holes.
5 The prisoners filled their beds with pillows so the
prison guards would think they were still asleep.
When they had got out of Espinosa’s cell, they
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Level 1 Elementary
1. The men filled their beds with pillows because…
2. The police know they split up because…
3. The police know the men were not injured because…
4. The guards didn’t see the holes in the cell walls because…
5. The men were able to escape because…
6. Espinosa was in jail because…
a. … they could squeeze through very small holes.
b. … there was no blood on the ground.
c. … the prisoners covered them with posters.
d. … they wanted the guards to think they were still asleep.
e. … he was the driver in a drive-by shooting.
f. … they found their tracks in the snow.
1. razor a. block
2. high b. wire
3. water c. box
4. concrete d. pipe
5. prison e. line
6. press f. guard
7. plastic g. security
8. railway h. conference
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Level 1 Elementary
1. thank you _______
2. escape _______ a jail
3. squeeze _______ a small hole
4. search _______ someone
5. just like _______ the movies
6. on trial _______ robbery
7. walk _______ opposite directions
8. similar _______
6 Word stress
Divide these words from the text into two groups according to their word stress.
section escape movie metal prison asleep
secure compare detail remove concrete along
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1. poster 1. b (razor wire)

2. prosecutor 2. g (high security)
3. similar 3. d (water pipe)
4. track 4. a (concrete block)
5. jail 5. f (prison guard)
6. reward 6. h (press conference)
7. fence 7. c (plastic box)
8. squeeze 8. e (railway line)
9. tools
10. cell

2. from
1. $8,000 3. through
2. two 4. for
3. B310 and B311 5. in
4. 20cm by 40cm 6. for
5. 32 7. in
6. 1.79 metres (5ft 9in) 8. to
6 Word stress
1. d
2. f
3. b A 0 o B o0
4. c section escape
5. a movie asleep
6. e metal secure
prison compare
detail remove
concrete along
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1 Key words
daring breakout emerge contradiction prosecutor

rubble fence cell manslaughter feud
1. A ____________ is a flat upright structure made of wood or wire that surrounds an area of land.
2. A ____________ is a small room where a prisoner is kept.
3. ____________ is the crime of causing someone’s death illegally but without intending to.
4. A ____________ is an escape from a prison.
5. ____________ is a mixture of broken pieces of stone, brick and concrete.
6. If you are ____________, you are brave enough to do dangerous things.
7. A ____________ is an angry disagreement between two people or groups that continues for a long time.
8. When a piece of news or certain details ____________, they become known to the general public.
9. A ____________ is a difference between two statements that makes it impossible for them both to be true.
10. A ____________ is a lawyer whose job is to prove in court that someone is guilty.
1. How many prisoners escaped?
2. How old is Jose Espinosa?
3. How tall is he?
4. What were the numbers of their cells?
5. How big was the hole they escaped through?
6. How much money has been offered as a reward?

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Thanks for the tools! Jailbreakers is a very serious situation,” he told reporters at a
taunt guards press conference. “I really prefer not to compare
with any movie, although I can understand
why you might do that because it does look
• Escapees used pinups to cover holes in cell walls
certainly very similar to some of them.” Then,
Ed Pilkington in New York in a complete contradiction of his previous
December 19, 2007 position, he added: “Except in The Shawshank
Redemption they had a better poster on the wall.”
1 The two escaped prisoners made fun of their 5 From The Shawshank Redemption the inmates
guards. Not only did they leave a handwritten moved to Steve McQueen’s The Great Escape.
note that said, “Thank you officer for the tools They filled their beds with pillows so the prison
we needed. You’re a real pal! Happy holidays.” guards would think they were still asleep. When
They also signed it with a smiley face. The note they had got out of the cell they jumped from a
was a leaving card from two prisoners in a New roof 10 metres high. No blood was found, which
Jersey jail who broke out of a high-security wing means they were probably not injured.
using just a thick metal wire and a metal wheel
used to turn off water pipes. The daring breakout 6 After that, all they had to do was climb an eight-
combined a detailed knowledge of Hollywood metre razor-wire fence, which didn’t seem to
prison films, an ability to squeeze through small bother them either. Tracks in the snow suggest
holes like Houdini, and an ability to jump off they split up and headed in opposite directions
high buildings. along a railway line.
2 Police are still searching for Jose Espinosa, 20, 7 It emerged that this was the second time Blunt
and Otis Blunt, 32, as details emerge about how had tried to break out using the wire method. On
they managed to escape from Union County the first occasion a fellow prisoner told the prison
jail. They began by using the wire to remove authorities about his plan and he was moved
the cement around a concrete block in the wall to what they thought was a more secure part of
between their two cells, B310 and B311. After the prison.
removing the block, Blunt managed to squeeze
8 Blunt was in prison awaiting trial for robbery and
his 1.79-metre (5ft 9in), (11½st) body through a
shooting at a corner shop. Espinosa had already
20cm by 40cm hole into Espinosa’s cell. From
pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was awaiting
there, Espinosa, who is 1.67 metres tall (5ft 5in)
sentencing in which he would have received at
and 10st 10lb, and Blunt both squeezed through
least 17 years. He had been the driver in a drive-
a similar hole that had been opened by removing
by shooting in New Jersey in what prosecutors
a block separating Espinosa’s cell from the
said was a gang feud.
outside world.
9 A reward of $8,000 has been offered for the
3 Investigators found that the men had used the
men’s recapture, and a full inquiry ordered into
heavy metal wheel to break up the concrete
prison security.
blocks and hide the rubble in the plastic boxes
they used to store their personal possessions.
Then, just like in the movies, they placed posters
of women in bikinis over the holes.
4 A local prosecutor, Ted Romankow, did not

approve of the Hollywood connection. “I think this
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1. The prisoners escaped by climbing through a window.
2. The prisoners used posters to cover the holes in the walls of their cells.
3. The men were injured when they jumped from the roof.
4. The men ran away in the same direction along a railway line.
5. Blunt had tried to escape before.
6. The prison authorities are happy with the level of security in the prison.
4 Find the word
Find the following words or expressions in the text.
1. A verb meaning to get through a very small space. (para 1)
2. An adjective meaning almost the same but not exactly the same. (para 2)
3. A two-word expression meaning things that belong to a person. (para 3)
4. A noun meaning someone kept in a prison or an institution. (para 5)
5. A two-word expression meaning very sharp wire used for protection or security. (para 6)
6. A verb meaning to go in a particular direction. (para 6)
7. An adjective meaning safe. (para 7)
8. A three-word expression meaning a situation where someone is shot from a moving car. (para 8)
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Fill the gaps in the phrases from the text using prepositions
1. make fun _______ someone
2. break out _______ a jail
3. squeeze _______ a small opening
4. search _______ someone
5. escape _______ a jail
6. compare _______
7. similar _______
8. travel _______ opposite directions
Complete the table.
adjective noun
1. able
2. secure
3. smile
4. person
5. injury
6. guilt
7 Discussion
The two men made a hole in their cell wall and escaped through it. Can you think of other ways that prisoners could
escape from prison?
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KEY
1. fence 1. squeeze
2. cell 2. similar
3. manslaughter 3. personal possessions
4. breakout 4. inmate
5. rubble 5. razor-wire
6. daring 6. head
7. feud 7. secure
8. emerge 8. drive-by shooting
9. contradiction
10. prosecutor
2 Find the information 1. of

2. of
1. two 3. through
2. 20 4. for
3. 1.67 metres (5ft 5in) 5. from
4. B310 and B311 6. with
5. 20cm by 40cm 7. to
6. $8,000 8. in
1. F 1. ability
2. T 2. security
3. F 3. smiley
4. F 4. personal
5. T 5. injured
6. F 6. guilty
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India gears up for mass motoring revolution
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
launch clogged welding stringent hub

affluent latent decade subsidized miniscule
1. If a regulation or test is ________________, it is extremely strict in order to ensure high standards.
2. An ________________ person is one who is rich enough to buy things for pleasure.
3. ________________ means extremely small.
4. A ________________ is a period of ten years.
5. If a street is ________________, it is completely blocked by heavy traffic.
6. A ________________ is an occasion when a company starts selling a new product.
7. If an activity or product is ________________, part of its cost is paid for by the authorities.
8. ________________ is a process in which two pieces of metal are joined by being heated and pressed together.
9. A ________________ is the most important place where an activity takes place.
10. If something is ________________, it exists but is not obvious and has not developed yet.
2 What do you know?
1. India has a population of two billion.
2. The currency of India is the rupee.
3. China currently has the fastest-growing car market in the world.
4. One in every two people in the USA owns a car.
5. Renault produces the world’s cheapest car.
6. Traffic in Delhi moves at an average speed of less than five miles an hour.
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India gears up for mass motoring For now Tata remains focused on India, which
revolution with £1,260 car analysts predict will become the fastest growing
Environmentalists fear city smog nightmare if car market – overtaking China – in five years.
millions of Tata’s Nanos hit the road 4 The ‘people’s car’ is also a realization of the Tata
Randeep Ramesh in New Delhi chairman’s dream: to put every Indian family
January 11, 2008 behind a steering wheel. He says the thought
came to him first while watching families on
motorbikes travelling through dusty streets. “The
1 It has no radio, no boot, no airbag, no passenger-
father driving the scooter, his young kid standing
side mirror and just one long windscreen wiper.
in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding
And if you want air-conditioning to deal with
a baby. It led me to wonder whether one could
India’s summer heat, you’ll have to buy the
conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of
deluxe version. India’s Tata Group has unveiled
transport for such a family.”
the world’s cheapest car, the Nano, which goes
on sale later this year with a price tag of 100,000 5 At just 100,000 rupees, excluding sales tax,
rupees (£1,260) to bring motoring to the country’s the Nano is less than half the price of the next
billion-strong masses. For 70-year-old Ratan cheapest car on the road in India and a bit more
Tata, the group’s chairman, the launch of the than an upmarket motorcycle. Analysts say that
Nano is a landmark in transport, comparable to amid an economic boom there is a latent demand
the first powered flight by the Wright brothers, from increasingly affluent Indians trading up from
or the first moonshot. But environmentalists say a ‘two-wheeler’ to a car. If just 10% of motorcycle
the new car could bring about a ‘nightmare’ of owners switched to Tata’s Nano, it would mean
choking pollution and clogged roads. 1m extra cars on India’s roads a year.
2 Like a modern-day version of Henry Ford, Tata’s 6 “Tata have been very smart and have studied
idea is of an affordable car that is light and the market very carefully,” said Abdul Majeed,
simple, yet made from high-quality materials. a partner in the automotive division of
The result is a jelly bean-shaped vehicle into PricewaterhouseCoopers. “Like Ford’s Model
which five adults can squeeze. The basic model T, which drove the American motor boom in
makes no concession to luxury: its price has the early 20th century, Tata will give the Indian
been kept low by using more plastic than steel, consumer a tough, easy to drive, cheap to
and swapping hi-tech glue for traditional welding. maintain and, most of all, affordable car. The
Rival manufacturers had questioned whether the market possibilities are huge.”
car would meet safety standards, especially if the
company plans to export such models to Europe, 7 But environmentalists say the possibility of mass
which requires cars to meet stringent crash tests. sales of the Nano has worrying implications for
Tata officials said the car had been designed so it the environment. Major cities in India are now
could be easily strengthened with metal plates to wreathed in smog and rush hours have spread
meet tougher safety standards. long into the night. In Delhi traffic now crawls, on
average, at less than nine miles an hour – half
3 Conceived four years ago, the Nano has already that a decade ago. As congestion builds up and
revolutionized the motor industry. Days before cars slow, greenhouse gases emissions increase
Tata unveiled the car, Ford announced it would more rapidly. India’s vehicles spewed 219m
increase spending by $500m (£250m) a year to tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in
make India a hub for ‘small-car manufacturing’. 2005. Experts say that figure will jump almost
Last October, Renault said it was considering seven-fold to 1,470 tonnes by 2035 if car travel
making a $5,000 car in India for export to the US. remains unchecked.
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8 “In terms of emission standards we are five to £35bn on new road projects. Farmland has been
10 years behind Europe. We do not tax diesel handed over to industry for the factories to build
properly and hence subsidize more dirty car new cars.
use,” said Sunita Narain of Delhi’s Centre for
Science and Environment. “We need public 10 In the case of Tata’s new car, more than 1,000
transport to ensure mobility, not policies that acres of luxuriantly fertile fields in West Bengal’s
promote private cars, otherwise we will meet Singur district were acquired to set up the
people’s aspirations, but not their needs.” Nano plant. The factory will be able to churn
out 250,000 cars a year. Thousands of farmers
9 The motor lobby insists that Indian car ownership who once raised four crops a year have been
is minuscule in per capita terms: seven or eight evicted to make way for the new facility. Last
out of every 1,000 people, compared with more month Shankar Patra, a 50-year-old farmer who
than 500 in America. The number of private cars saw his fields turned over to the Tata plant, killed
in India – about 13m – is only a little more than himself. “Without our fields there is no work for
half the number of cars in America at the onset us. The village will die,” said Patra’s 22-year-old
of the Great Depression of the 1930s. India’s son, Pratap. “We have nothing, but the rest of
mass motoring boom is already reshaping the India will have a new car.”
country. Slowly cities are giving way to wide-
flung suburbs. The government is spending
1. Why do environmentalists describe the Nano as a ‘nightmare’?

a. Because it has no air-conditioning.
b. Because the car will be sold in large numbers and cause more pollution.
c. Because it is very cheap.
2. How has the Nano revolutionized the motor industry?

a. It uses plastic rather than metal and glue rather than welding.
b. Five adults can squeeze into it.
c. It has attracted other car-makers to India.
3. What solution does the Centre for Science and Environment suggest?
a. Better public transport.
b. More expensive cars not cheaper ones.
c. Motorcycles not cars.
4. What effect is car ownership having on Indian cities?

a. It enables people to reach the suburbs easily.
b. It is increasing environmental pollution.
c. It is putting every Indian family behind a steering wheel.
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Find the following words and expressions in the text.
1. A verb meaning to announce something officially that was previously a secret. (para 1)
2. A two-word verb meaning to make something happen. (para 1)
3. An adjective meaning cheap enough for ordinary people to afford. (para 2)
4. A verb meaning to think of something such as a new idea, plan or design. (para 3)
5. A two-word expression meaning surrounded by or covered in. (para 7)
6. A noun meaning a situation where a place is crowded with vehicles. (para 7)
7. A verb meaning to make something flow out with a lot of force. (para 7)
8. A verb meaning to legally force someone to leave their home or land. (para 10)
1. quality from materials high made _________________________________________
2. car the growing market fastest _________________________________________
3. affordable weather of a form safe all transport _________________________________________
4. the less next car the price half cheapest than of _________________________________________
5. the in 20th early century _________________________________________
6. the worrying for environment implications _________________________________________
7. ten Europe five years to behind _________________________________________
8. than hour nine less an miles _________________________________________

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1. rush a. gases
2. windscreen b. boom
3. safety c. wiper
4. steering d. tax
5. sales e. wheel
6. economic f. hour
7. greenhouse g. transport
8. public h. standards
7 Discussion
Should car ownership and car travel be restricted in order to protect the environment?
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KEY
1. stringent 1. unveil
2. affluent 2. bring about
3. miniscule 3. affordable
4. decade 4. conceive
5. clogged 5. wreathed in
6. launch 6. congestion
7. subsidized 7. spew
8. welding 8. evict
9. hub
10. latent
2 What do you know? 1. made from high-quality materials

2. the fastest growing car market
1. F 3. a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport
2. T 4. less than half the price of the next cheapest car
3. T 5. in the early 20th century
4. T 6. worrying implications for the environment
5. F 7. five to ten years behind Europe
6. F 8. less than nine miles an hour
3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Collocations
1. b 1. f
2. c 2. c
3. a 3. h
4. b 4. e
5. d
6. b
7. a
8. g
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1 Key words
boot airbag manufacturer boom scooter

smog damage motor nightmare greenhouse gases
1. The ____________ industry is the industry that produces cars.
2. If something causes ____________, it causes physical harm to something.
3. ____________ is dirty air that is a mixture of smoke and fog.
4. An ____________ is a large bag that fills with air and protects the driver if a car has an accident.
5. ____________ are gases like carbon dioxide that make the earth warmer.
6. A ____________ is an extremely difficult or frightening situation or a very bad dream.
7. A ____________ is a small motorcycle with a very small engine.
8. The ____________ of a car is the space, usually at the back, where you place your luggage.
9. A ____________ is a sudden large increase in the activity of an industry.
10. A ____________ is a person or company that makes a product.
1. How many cars will the Tata factory produce each year?
2. How many people out of one thousand have a car in India?
3. How much will the Nano car cost?
4. How much carbon dioxide did cars in India produce in 2005?
5. How many people live in India?
6. What is the money used in India called?

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Level 1 Elementary
India gears up for mass motoring said it was thinking about making a $5,000 car
revolution with £1,260 car in India for export to the US. At first the Nano
will only be on sale in India and experts say that
Environmentalists fear city smog nightmare if millions
India will soon be the fastest growing car market
of Tata’s Nanos hit the road.
in the world. At the moment China is the fastest
Randeep Ramesh in New Delhi growing car market.
January 11, 2008
5 The Tata chairman’s dream is a car for every
Indian family. He says he used to watch families
1 The Tata Group company in India is planning to
on motorbikes travelling through dusty streets:
produce the world’s cheapest car. The car, called
“The father driving the scooter, his young kid
the Nano, has no radio, no boot, no airbag, no
standing in front of him, his wife sitting behind
mirror on the passenger’s side and just one
him holding a baby. I wanted to make a safe,
long windscreen wiper. And if you want air-
cheap, all-weather form of transport for families
conditioning for the hot summers in India, you will
like these.”
have to buy the more expensive deluxe model of
the Nano. 6 The Nano costs just 100,000 rupees plus sales
tax and is less than half the price of the next
2 The Nano will be on sale later this year for
cheapest car on the road in India. It costs a bit
100,000 rupees (£1,260). The aim of the Nano
more than a quality motorcycle. The economic
is to make it possible for the billion people who
boom in India means that people with money
live in India to enjoy motoring for the first time.
want to buy cars instead of motorcycles. If just
70-year-old Ratan Tata, the chairman of Tata,
10% of motorcycle owners buy a Nano, there will
believes that the Nano is as important an event
be 1m extra cars on India’s roads every year.
in the history of transport as the first flight or the
first landing on the moon. But environmentalists 7 But environmentalists say the Nano could cause
say the new car will be a ‘nightmare’ and will enormous damage to the environment. India’s
make the air dirtier and cause traffic jams. largest cities are now covered in smog. In Delhi
traffic now moves at less than nine miles an hour
3 Like Henry Ford’s Model T Ford in the 1930s,
– half the speed of ten years ago. Traffic jams
Tata’s idea is to build a cheap car that is light and
are getting worse and car travel in cities is getting
simple, but made from high-quality materials. The
slower. At the same time cars are producing
result is a small car which is just big enough for
more and more greenhouse gases. In 2005, cars,
five people. The cheapest model is very basic:
buses and lorries in India produced 219m tonnes
its price is low because it uses more plastic than
of carbon dioxide. Experts say that will increase
steel. Other car manufacturers say the Nano
by almost 700% to 1,470 tonnes by 2035 if the
may not meet safety standards, especially if
number of cars continues to grow.
the company plans to export it to Europe. Tata
officials say it is easy to make the car stronger 8 The motor industry says that only seven or
with metal plates to meet these safety standards. eight out of every 1,000 people in India have a
car. In America more than 500 in every 1,000
4 Tata had the idea for the Nano four years ago but
people have a car. The number of private cars
it has already brought big changes to the motor
in India – about 13m – is only a little more than
industry. Just a few days before Tata showed
half the number of cars in America at the start
the car to the public for the first time, Ford said
of the 1930s. But the boom in motoring in India
it was planning to increase its spending by
is already changing the shape of the country.
$500m (£250m) a year to make India a centre of
Cities are growing into the countryside. The
‘small-car manufacturing’. Last October, Renault
government is spending £35bn on new road
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projects. Companies are building car factories on fields we have no work. The village will die,”
farmland. said Patra’s 22-year-old son, Pratap. “We have
nothing, but the rest of India will have a new car.”
9 The Tata factory will produce 250,000 cars a
year. Thousands of farmers lost their land when © Guardian News & Media 2008
the new factory was built. Last month Shankar First published in The Guardian, 11/01/08
Patra, a 50-year-old farmer who lost his fields
to the Tata factory, killed himself. “Without our
1. People will buy the Nano because…
2. The Nano is cheap because…
3. Environmentalists are worried because…
4. The farmer killed himself because…
5. China…
6. India…
a. … is the fastest-growing car market in the world.
b. … it is cheap.
c. … he lost his land.
d. … they believe the Nano will make the air dirtier.

e. … will soon be the fastest-growing car market in the world.
f. … it is made mostly of plastic, not steel.

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Level 1 Elementary
Match the adjective forms in the left-hand column with their opposites from the text in the
right-hand column.
1. most expensive a. fastest
2. cleaner b. safe
3. slowest c. light
4. dangerous d. simple
5. public e. dirtier
6. cheaper f. cheapest
7. heavy g. private
8. complicated h. more expensive
5 Vocabulary 2: Cars and car travel

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these words connected with cars and car travel.
mirror windscreen wiper passenger traffic jam air-conditioning speed
1. A ____________ is a situation when cars cannot move because there are too many cars on the road.
2. You use the ____________ if you are hot.
3. You use the ____________ if it is raining and you can’t see.
4. You use the ____________ to see what is behind your car.

5. The ____________ limit in English towns and cities is 30 miles per hour.
6. A ____________ is someone who travels in a car with the driver.
6 Vocabulary 3: Puzzle
1. s – t – r – a – p – n – o – r – t 4. t – a – s – f – e – y
2. r – o - n – e – n – t – m – i – n – v – e 5. n – t – g – i – o – m – o – r
3. r - a – t – f – i – f – c 6. t – a – c – r – o – f - y
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Adjectives
1. motor 1. f
2. damage 2. e
3. smog 3. a
4. airbag 4. b
5. greenhouse gases 5. g
6. nightmare 6. h
7. scooter 7. c
8. boot 8. d
9. boom
10. manufacturer
5 Vocabulary 2: Cars and car travel
2 Find the information 1. traffic jam

2. air-conditioning
1. 250,000 3. windscreen wiper(s)
2. Seven or eight 4. mirror
3. 100,000 rupees (£1,260) 5. speed
4. 219 million tonnes 6. passenger
5. One billion
6. The rupee
6 Vocabulary 3: Puzzle
3 Comprehension check 1. transport

2. environment
1. b 3. traffic
2. f 4. safety
3. d 5. motoring
4. c 6. factory
5. a
6. e
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1 Key words
boot vehicle rival boom consumer

smog emission evict nightmare switch
1. If you ____________ someone, you force them by law to leave their home or their land.
2. An ____________ is a substance, particularly a gas, that goes into the air.
3. A ____________ is an extremely difficult or frightening situation or a very bad dream.
4. A ____________ is a machine that you travel in on a road, such as a car, a bus or a motorcycle.
5. The ____________ of a car is the space, usually at the back, where you place your luggage.
6. If you ____________, you change from one thing to another.
7. A ____________ is a sudden major increase in the activity of a particular industry.
8. A ____________ is someone who buys and uses goods and services.
9. A ____________ is a person or business that competes with another.
10. ____________ is polluted air that is a mixture of smoke and fog.
1. What is the population of India?
2. What is the currency of India?
3. How much will the Nano car cost?
4. How many people per thousand people in India have a car?
5. How much carbon dioxide did cars in India produce in 2005?
6. How many cars will the Tata factory be able to produce each year?
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India gears up for mass motoring on sale in India and analysts predict that India
revolution with £1,260 car will become the fastest growing car market
– overtaking China – in five years.
Environmentalists fear city smog nightmare if millions
of Tata’s Nanos hit the road. 4 The ‘people’s car’ is also a realization of the Tata
chairman’s dream: to put every Indian family
in a car. He says the thought came to him first
January 11, 2008
while watching families on motorbikes travelling
through dusty streets: “The father driving the
1 It has no radio, no boot, no airbag, no passenger-
scooter, his young kid standing in front of him,
side mirror and just one long windscreen wiper.
his wife seated behind him holding a baby. I
And if you want air-conditioning to deal with
wondered whether there could be a safe, cheap,
India’s summer heat you’ll have to buy the deluxe
all-weather form of transport for such a family.”
version. India’s Tata Group has just announced
the world’s cheapest car, the Nano, which will 5 The Nano costs just 100,000 rupees plus sales
go on sale later this year for 100,000 rupees tax and is less than half the price of the next
(£1,260) to bring motoring to the country’s billion cheapest car on the road in India and a bit more
inhabitants. 70-year-old Ratan Tata, the chairman than a quality motorcycle. Analysts say that
of Tata, believes that the Nano is as important the economic boom in India means that people
an event in the history of transport as the first with money will want to buy cars instead of
powered flight by the Wright brothers, or the first motorcycles. If just 10% of motorcycle owners
landing on the moon. But environmentalists say switched to the Nano it would mean 1m extra
the new car could cause a ‘nightmare’ of terrible cars on India’s roads a year.
pollution and blocked roads. 6 “Tata have been very clever and have studied
2 Like a modern-day version of Henry Ford, Tata’s the market very carefully,” said motor industry
idea is of a cheap car that is light and simple, but expert Abdul Majeed. “The Nano is like Ford’s
made from high-quality materials. The result is Model T which drove the American motor boom
a small vehicle which can just hold five adults. in the early 20th century. Tata will give the Indian
The cheapest model is very basic: its price has consumer a cheap car that is easy to drive and
been kept low by using more plastic than steel, cheap to maintain. The market possibilities
and using glue to hold the parts together. Rival are huge.”
manufacturers had questioned whether the car 7 But environmentalists say the possibility of
would meet safety standards, especially if the mass sales of the Nano could cause enormous
company plans to export such models to Europe. damage to the environment. India’s largest cities
Tata officials said the car had been designed so it are now covered in smog and rush hours last
could be easily strengthened with metal plates to long into the night. In Delhi traffic now crawls,
meet tougher safety standards. on average, at less than nine miles an hour
3 First designed four years ago, the Nano has – half the speed of ten years ago. As traffic jams
already revolutionized the motor industry. Just increase and cars slow down, the emissions
a few days before Tata showed the car to the of greenhouse gases increase more rapidly.
public for the first time, Ford announced it would India’s vehicles produced 219m tonnes of carbon
increase spending by $500m (£250m) a year to dioxide in 2005. Experts say that will increase
make India a centre of ‘small-car manufacturing’. by almost 700% to 1,470 tonnes by 2035 if car
Last October, Renault said it was considering travel is not restricted.
making a $5,000 car in India for export to the 8 “In terms of emission controls, we are five to
US. For the time being the Nano will only be 10 years behind Europe. We do not tax diesel
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properly so more dirty car use is encouraged,” 10 In the case of Tata’s new car, more than 1,000
said Sunita Narain of Delhi’s Centre for Science acres of fields in West Bengal’s Singur district
and Environment. “We need better public were taken to build the Nano plant. The factory
transport, not policies that promote private cars, will be able to produce 250,000 cars a year.
otherwise we will not meet people’s needs.” Thousands of farmers who once grew four crops
a year have been evicted to make way for the
9 The motor industry says that Indian car
new factory. Last month Shankar Patra, a 50-
ownership is still small: seven or eight out of
year-old farmer who lost his fields to the Tata
every 1,000 people own a car, compared with
plant, killed himself. “Without our fields there is
more than 500 in every 1,000 in America. The
no work for us. The village will die,” said Patra’s
number of private cars in India – about 13m – is
22-year-old son, Pratap. “We have nothing, but
only a little more than half the number of cars
the rest of India will have a new car.”
in America at the start of the 1930s. But the
boom in motoring in India is already changing © Guardian News & Media 2008
the shape of the country. Slowly cities are being First published in The Guardian, 11/01/08
replaced by distant suburbs. The government is
spending £35bn on new road projects. Farmland
has been given to industry for the factories to
build new cars.
1. There were more cars in America in the 1930s than there are in India today.
2. Ford and Renault are also planning to make cars in India.
3. The chairman of Tata wants everyone in India to own a car.
4. The next cheapest car in India costs 200,000 rupees.
5. In Delhi traffic moves faster than it did 10 years ago.
6. There are around 13 million private cars in India.
7. The Indian government does not want to spend money on new roads.
8. The Tata factory has been built on farmland.

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1. A noun meaning someone who wants to protect the environment. (para 1)
2. A comparative adjective meaning more difficult and stricter. (para 2)
3. A verb meaning say what will happen in the future. (para 3)
4. A noun meaning a small vehicle that looks like a motorcycle with a small engine. (para 4)
5. A two-word expression meaning extra money you have to pay when you buy something. (para 5)
6. A verb meaning to keep in a good working condition. (para 6)
7. A two-word expression meaning the time of day when there are a lot of cars on the road because
people are going to or from work. (para 7)
8. A verb meaning to encourage or support something. (para 8)
1. high a. gases
2. public b. boom
3. safety c. wiper
4. rush d. tax
5. sales e. quality
6. economic f. hour
7. greenhouse g. transport
8. windscreen h. standards
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Complete the table using words from the text.
verb noun
1. pollute
2. revolution
3. realize
4. consume
5. emit
6. encouragement
7. own
8. eviction
7 Discussion
Does everyone have the right to own a car? How can we protect the environment if road and air travel
becomes even cheaper?
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KEY
1. evict 1. environmentalist
2. emission 2. tougher
3. nightmare 3. predict
4. vehicle 4. scooter
5. boot 5. sales tax
6. switch 6. maintain
7. boom 7. rush hour
6. consumer 8. promote
9. rival
10. smog

2. g
1. One billion 3. h
2. The rupee 4. f
3. 100,000 rupees (£1,260) 5. d
4. Seven or eight per thousand 6. b
5. 219 million tonnes 7. a
6. 250,000 8. c
1. T 1. pollution
2. T 2. revolutionize
3. F 3. realization
4. F 4. consumer
5. F 5. emission
6. T 6. encourage
7. F 7. ownership
8. T 8. evict
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Clinton and Obama prepare to face off
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
Write these words into the definitions below.
race issue wary alienate controversial tinged

poll embark prominent (political) camp tie
1. When you do this you start or begin doing something that may be difficult. ________________
2. This term is being used more frequently in US politics these days when there is any controversy that includes
possible racism. ________________
3. When people get an equal amount of points or votes we say that the result is a draw or a ________________.
4. This is a term for a group of people who support the same person. ________________
5. When something is racially ________________ it contains a small amount of racism.
6. When you are ________________, you are usually careful or nervous.
7. When you ________________ someone, they no longer like you or want to support you.
8. A ________________ subject is one that many people disagree with or do not approve of.
9. When someone or something is ________________ they or it are well-known and in the public eye.
10. A ________________ is the process that asks many people their opinion about a certain topic.
2 What do you know?
Find the answers to the following questions by skim-reading the article.
1. How many US states are mentioned in the article?

2. How many candidates for the Democratic Party are mentioned in the article?
3. What do Obama’s team accuse Clinton of doing?
4. What do Clinton’s team accuse Obama of doing?
5. According to the polls, who is currently in the lead?
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Level 3 Advanced
Clintonand Obama prepare to face off in black issues when Obama “was doing something
following round of attacks in the neighbourhood: I won’t say what he was
doing, but he said it in his book”.
Ewen MacAskill and Suzanne Goldenberg in
Washington
9 Johnson later said that his comments referred
January 14, 2008 to Obama’s work as a community organizer in
Chicago “and nothing else. Any other suggestion
1 Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama came face-to- is simply irresponsible and incorrect”. The
face on January 15 for the first time since their Obama team demanded an apology.
two camps embarked on the dangerous strategy
of trying to gain politically from the race issue. 10 Bill Shaheen, a New Hampshire Clinton
campaign official, resigned last month after
2 After Obama’s victory in Iowa and Clinton’s in suggesting Democrats should be wary of
New Hampshire, the two candidates – who met nominating Obama because of his past drug use.
for a debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday – were
looking to break the tie in Nevada on Saturday or 11 In what seems to have been another misjudged
South Carolina the following week. remark, Obama’s wife, Michelle, campaigning
for him in South Carolina, also brought up
3 The increasingly bitter and ugly exchanges over race. Addressing African-Americans sceptical
race reflect the importance of South Carolina, about his ability to win, she said Iowa, which is
where about half the Democratic voters are predominantly white, voted for Obama. “Ain’t no
African-American. black people in Iowa,” she said.
4 The Obama team today accused Clinton of being 12 The language could alienate some white voters
“engaged in the politics of personal destruction”. and the comment is also factually wrong – there
are 75,000 African-Americans in Iowa.
5 The Clinton team has been forced to defend
themselves over a series of remarks that have 13 John Edwards, who is trailing at 11%, supported
been interpreted as racially tinged. The most Obama in the race row. The former North
controversial was a comment from Clinton that Carolina senator has recently gone out of his
suggested she was trying to minimize the role of way to find a common cause with Obama. The
Martin Luther King in the civil rights era. association with Obama has led to speculation
that Edwards is trying to become Obama’s vice
6 The Clinton team accused Obama of distorting presidential running mate.
the remarks. Obama rejected the charges.
14 A legal dispute over the role of unions in
7 Meanwhile, Bob Johnson, a founder of the Black Nevada has also raised issues of race, with
Entertainment Television who is among Clinton’s Obama and Clinton competing for the support
most prominent African-American supporters, of Latinos, who make up about a quarter of the
revived the issue of Obama’s teenage drug use, state’s population.
which he wrote about in his memoir, Dreams
From My Father. 15 Obama campaigned in Nevada on 14 January
while Clinton held an event in New York, fixed
8 During an introduction for Clinton at an event, before the row, to mark Martin Luther King’s
Johnson said Hillary and Bill Clinton were engaged birthday the following day.
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Level 3 Advanced
16 A poll for the Washington Post-ABC News today
showed Obama closing the gap nationwide, with
Clinton on 42%, down 11% since last month,
and Obama on 37%, up 14%. But a national
CBS News-New York Times poll had Clinton on
42% to Obama’s 27%, almost unchanged since
last month.

3 Vocabulary 1: Lexical fields
Find words in the article which you particularly associate with politics in the USA.
Write at least ten and compare them with your neighbour.
US politics
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Level 3 Advanced
Match the adjectives on the left with the nouns on the right to make collocations and explain what they
mean in the context of the article.
community official
dangerous destruction
common row
bitter cause
personal organizer
national poll
race strategy
campaign exchanges
5 Discussion
One of the reasons behind the controversy is that Obama publically admitted taking drugs in his youth. Do
you think that people’s past acts should affect their chances of getting a particular job?
Support your answer with examples.
6 Webquest
Check out US websites such as the Washington Post or CNN to see who is currently leading in the
campaign to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
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KEY
1 Key words 3 Vocabulary 1: Lexical fields
1. embark (possible answers)

2. race issue
nominating; race issue; candidates; debate; camp;
3. tie
campaign; campaigning; voters; senator; Democrats;
4. (political) camp
democratic; supporters; civil rights; vice presidential
5. tinged
running mate...
6. wary
7. alienate
8. controversial
9. prominent 4 Vocabulary 2: Adjective + noun
10. poll collocations
• Community organizer
2 What do you know? • Dangerous strategy
• Common cause
1. 5: Nevada; New Hampshire; South Carolina; • Bitter exchanges
Iowa; North Carolina; (New York is a city, • Personal destruction
Washington Post is a newspaper) • National poll
2. 3: Clinton, Obama and Edwards • Race row
3. The Obama team accused Clinton of being • Campaign official
“engaged in the politics of personal destruction”.
4. The Clinton team accused Obama of distorting the
remarks.
5. Clinton.
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Clinton and Obama
Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Write these key words next to their definitions (use a dictionary to help you).
resign race defend autobiography racist poll distort

support bitter victory controversial demand accuse ain’t
1. An opinion or decision that people disagree with or do not approve of is ________________.

2. Involving very angry feelings. ________________
3. A noun meaning a win. ________________
4. When you say that someone has done something wrong, you________________ them (of doing it).
5. To protect someone or something from attack. ________________
6. In this context, ________________ means: a group of people who are similar because they have the same skin
colour or speak the same language, or have the same history or customs.
7. ________________ behaviour is offensive or harmful to people who belong to a race that is different from your own.
8. When you change information so that it is no longer true or accurate you ________________ it.
9. When you say formally that you are leaving a job, you ________________.
10. When you help a person or organization to be successful, you ________________ them.
11. This is a book about your life that you write yourself. ________________
12. A spoken way of saying ‘am not’, ‘is not’, ‘are not’, ‘has not’, or ‘have not’. Many people think it is incorrect.
________________
13. When you ________________ something, you say in a very firm way that you want something.
14. A ________________ is an occasion when a lot of people are asked what they think about something.
Definitions: Macmillan English Dictionary online.
2 What do you know?
Read the article quickly and answer the questions.
1. Which Clinton is the article about? Bill, Hillary or Chelsea?
2. Who is John Edwards?
3. What’s Barack Obama’s wife called?
4. Who is leading in the polls?
5. Which US state is not mentioned in the article: Nevada, North Carolina, California?
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NEWS LESSONS / Clinton and Obama / Elementary

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Clinton and Obama
Level 1 Elementary
Clinton and Obama white, voted for Obama. “Ain’t no black people in
Iowa,” she said.
Ewen MacAskill and Suzanne Goldenberg in
Washington 10 This remark might lose Obama some white
January 14, 2008 votes and the comment is also wrong – there are
75,000 African-Americans in Iowa.
1 Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama met face-to-
face on January 15 for the first time since the 11 Democrat John Edwards, who is in third place at
controversial matter of the race issue. 11%, supported Obama in the race issue. Many
people now think that Edwards wants to become
2 After Obama’s victory in Iowa and Clinton’s in Obama’s vice presidential running mate.
New Hampshire, the two candidates are each
hoping to win in Nevada or in South Carolina. 12 In Nevada there is also a race issue, with Obama
and Clinton both trying to get the support of
3 The bitter and ugly exchanges over race show Latinos, who make up about a quarter of the
how important it is for both of the candidates state’s population.
to win in South Carolina, where about half the
Democratic voters are African-American. 13 A poll for the Washington Post-ABC News
today showed that Obama is closing the gap
4 The Obama team accused Clinton of trying to nationwide, with Clinton on 42%, down 11%
make him look bad. since last month, and Obama on 37%, up 14%.
But a national New York Times-CBS News poll
5 The Clinton team had to defend themselves over showed that Clinton is on 42% and Obama
remarks that some people thought sounded a bit on 27%.
racist. The most controversial was a comment
from Clinton about Martin Luther King. The
Clinton team said Obama was distorting © Guardian News & Media 2008
the remarks. First published in The Guardian, 14/01/08
6 Meanwhile, Bob Johnson, one of Clinton’s

most well-known African-American supporters,
talked about Obama taking drugs when he was
a teenager. Obama wrote about drugs in his
autobiography, Dreams From My Father.
7 Johnson later said he was talking about Obama’s

work as a community worker in Chicago “and
nothing else”. The Obama team demanded
an apology.
8 Bill Shaheen, a New Hampshire Clinton

campaign official, resigned last month after he
said that Democrats should be careful of voting
for Obama because of his past drug use.
9 On the other side, Michelle Obama, campaigning

for her husband in South Carolina, also
mentioned race. In a talk to African-Americans,
she reminded them that Iowa, which is mostly
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Clinton and Obama
Level 1 Elementary
Match the sentences with the correct endings.
1. The name of the third place candidate for the Democrats is ... a) Obama
2. Obama and Clinton are arguing about ... b) John Edwards
3. There are approximately 75,000 African-Americans in ... c) Hillary Clinton
4. The first primary elections were in ... d) race issues
5. At the moment, the polls show that the next President could be ... e) Iowa and New Hampshire
6. In the race row, Edwards supported ... f) Iowa
1. Write these words into the box according to how they are pronounced.
controversial demand democratic accuse president candidates

presidential defend teenager resign democrat support
ooOo Ooo oO
democratic

2. Now write the stress patterns for these words.

comment
autobiography
official
community
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Clinton and Obama
Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion
Obama wrote that he took drugs when he was a teenager.
1. Do you think he can still be a good president?
2. Now complete this sentence:
People who ________________ shouldn’t work as a________________ , but people who________________

can still work as a ________________.
5 Webquest
Check out US news websites, for example www.washingtonpost.com or www.CNN.com to see who has the
most votes at the moment: Clinton, Obama or Edwards.
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Clinton and Obama
Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1. controversial 1. The name of the third place candidate for the

2. bitter Democrats is John Edwards.
3. victory 2. Obama and Clinton are arguing about race issues.
4. accuse 3. There are approximately 75,000 African-Americans
5. defend in Iowa.
6. race 4. The first primary elections were in Iowa and New
7. racist Hampshire.
8. distort 5. At the moment, the polls show that the next
9. resign President could be Hillary Clinton.
10. support 6. In the race row, Edwards supported Obama.
11. autobiography
12. ain’t
13. demand
14. poll 4 Vocabulary: Pronunciation
1. ooOo Ooo oO
2 What do you know? democratic president accuse
controversial candidates defend
1. Hillary presidential teenager resign
2. The third candidate for the Democrats democrat support
3. Michelle Obama demand
4. Hillary Clinton
5. California 2. comment Oo
autobiography oooOoo
official oOo
community oOoo
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1 Key words
Write these words into the definitions below.
legal dispute political camp race issue candidates tie destruction

racially tinged distorts controversial revive poll
1. This term is being used more frequently in US politics these days when there is any controversy that includes
possible racism. ________________
2. If people get an equal amount of points or votes we say that the result is a draw or a ________________.
3. This is a term for a group of people who support the same politician. ________________.
4. When something is ________________ ________________ it contains a small amount of racism.
5. A ________________ subject is one that many people disagree with or do not approve of.
6. A ________________ is the process that asks many people their opinion about a certain topic.
7. People who compete in an election are called ________________.
8. If someone ________________ something, they change the information so that it is no longer true or accurate.
9. A ________________ is a disagreement that has to be decided by a court.
10. When you ________________ something, you bring it back to life.
11. ________________ is another word for very severe damage or harm.
2 What do you know?
Which further ten words or names would you expect to appear in an article about the US Democratic
Party’s presidential candidates?
Compare your answers in class and then skim-read the article to see how many of your words actually appear.
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________

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NEWS LESSONS / Clinton and Obama prepare to face off / Intermediate

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Clinton and Obama prepare to face off 9 Bill Shaheen, a New Hampshire Clinton campaign
following round of attacks official, resigned last month after suggesting
Ewen MacAskill and Suzanne Goldenberg in Democrats should be careful of voting for Obama
Washington because of his past drug use.
January 14, 2008 10 In what seems to have been another misjudged
remark, Michelle Obama, campaigning for her
1 Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama came face-to- husband in South Carolina, also mentioned race.
face on January 15 for the first time since their two Addressing African-Americans who were unsure
camps began the dangerous strategy of trying to about his ability to win, she reminded them that
gain political points from the race issue. Iowa, which is predominantly white, voted for
Obama. “Ain’t no black people in Iowa,” she said.
2 After Obama’s victory in Iowa and Clinton’s in New
Hampshire, the two candidates – who met for a 11 Not only might the remark lose Obama some white
debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday – are hoping to votes, the comment is also factually wrong – there
break the tie in Nevada or in South Carolina. are 75,000 African-Americans in Iowa.
3 The bitter and ugly exchanges over race show the 12 John Edwards, who is in third place at 11%,
importance of South Carolina, where about half the supported Obama in the race row. The former North
Democratic voters are African-American. Carolina senator has recently gone out of his way to
find a common cause with Obama and many people
4 The Obama team today accused Clinton of being
now believe that Edwards is trying to become
“engaged in the politics of personal destruction”.
Obama’s vice presidential running mate.
5 The Clinton team has been forced to defend
13 A legal dispute over the role of unions in Nevada
themselves over a series of remarks that have
has also raised issues of race, with Obama and
been interpreted as racially tinged. The most
Clinton competing for the support of Latinos, who
controversial was a comment from Clinton that
make up about a quarter of the state’s population.
suggested she was trying to minimize the role of
Martin Luther King in the civil rights era. The Clinton 14 A poll for the Washington Post-ABC News today
team accused Obama of distorting the remarks. showed Obama closing the gap nationwide, with
Clinton on 42%, down 11% since last month, and
6 Meanwhile, Bob Johnson, a founder of the Black Obama on 37%, up 14%. But a national CBS
Entertainment Television who is among Clinton’s
News-New York Times poll showed Clinton on
most well-known African-American supporters,
42% compared to Obama’s 27%. A figure that has
revived the issue of Obama’s teenage drug use,
remained unchanged since last month.
which he wrote about in his memoir, Dreams From
My Father. © Guardian News & Media 2008
7 During an introduction for Clinton at an event,
Johnson said Hillary and Bill Clinton were engaged
in black issues when Obama “was doing something
in the neighbourhood: I won’t say what he was
doing, but he said it in his book”.
8 Johnson later said that his comments referred

to Obama’s work as a community organizer in
Chicago “and nothing else. Any other suggestion
is simply irresponsible and incorrect”. The Obama
team demanded an apology.
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1. What is the name of the third candidate for the Democratic nomination?
a. Bob Johnson
b. Bill Shaheen
c. John Edwards
d. Martin Luther King
2. What does the article mean by the term, personal destruction?

a. That Clinton will become ill.
b. That Clinton is trying to ruin her opponent’s chances.
c. That Clinton will ruin her own chances.
d. That the Democratic Party will personally intervene.
3. Approximately how many African-Americans are there in Iowa?

a. 750
b. 7,500
c. 75,000
d. 750,000
4. What does the CBS News-New York Times poll show?

a. That Clinton is still in the lead.
b. That Obama is likely to overtake Clinton.
c. That John Edwards is likely to be Vice President.
d. That the American public don’t care who becomes their next president.
Fill in the missing prepositions.
1. meet someone face ________ face

2. Obama’s victory ________ Iowa
3. exchanges ________ race
4. Bob Johnson is ________ Clinton’s most well-known African-American supporters.
5. doing something ________ the neighbourhood
6. because ________ his past drug use
7. Michelle Obama, campaigning ________ her husband ________ South Carolina
8. John Edwards, who is in third place ________ 11%
9. a legal dispute ________ the role ________ unions ________ Nevada
10. a poll ________ the Washington Post

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5 Discussion
In his book, Obama admitted that he took drugs when he was a teenager.
What do you think: should things that people did in the past affect their chances of getting a particular job?
Yes / no / it depends?
Think of examples to support your answer.
6 Webquest
Check out US websites such as the www.washingtonpost.com or www.CNN.com to see who is currently
leading in the campaign to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
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1. race issue 1. to
2. tie 2. in
3. political camp 3. over
4. racially tinged 4. among
5. controversial 5. in
6. poll 6. of
7. candidates 7. for/in
8. distorts 8. at
9. legal dispute 9. over/of/in
10. revive 10. for
11. destruction
1. c
2. b * Quote from the website
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.
php?title=Politics_of_personal_destruction
The politics of personal destruction–a phrase
popularized by Bill Clinton during his impeachment–
has been in vogue since long before Clinton’s
impeachment. Although the tactic of demonizing
the opposition has been practiced with varying
intensity throughout the history of politics, this
current round of hyper-partisan warfare can be
traced back to 1987, when President Ronald
Reagan nominated Robert H. Bork for the
Supreme Court.
3. c
4. a
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Life through a lens
Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
percentage research sedentary survey multitask

soap average childhood decrease own
1. A ____________ is a set of questions that you ask a large number of people.
2. ____________ is the time of a person’s life when they are a child.
3. ____________ is when you study something in detail to discover new facts.
4. If you ____________, you do more than one thing at the same time.
5. ____________ is the opposite of increase.
6. If you do a ____________ activity, you sit down a lot and don’t do much exercise.
7. If you ____________ something, it is yours, usually because you have bought it.
8. A ____________is a television series about the lives of a group of people.
9. A ____________ is an amount that is equal to part of a total you have divided by 100.
10. An ____________ is a usual level or standard.
1. How many children have a TV set in their bedroom?
2. What percentage of British children watch TV in bed at night?
3. How many children read books in their own time each day?
4. How many children did the survey interview?
5. What percentage of children watch TV during their evening meal?
6. What percentage of children use the Internet?

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Life through a lens
Level 1 Elementary
Life through a lens: How Britain’s found that children aged 5 to 16 watch television
children eat, sleep and breathe TV for an average 2.6 hours a day, and one in 10
say they watch more than four hours a day. The
Lucy Ward, social affairs correspondent
survey also asked if children watched television
January 16, 2008 while eating dinner or in bed before going to
sleep. It found that 58% watch during their
1 A survey has shown that in modern-day Britain evening meal, while 63% lie in bed watching
many children spend a lot of their daily lives TV (rising to almost 75% of 13 to 16-year-olds).
watching television. They watch TV before they 66% – particularly the youngest children – watch
go to school, when they return home, as they before school, and 83% turn on the television
eat their evening meal and then (63% of them after returning home.
– a much higher percentage than read a book
each day) in bed at night. The survey of five to 6 Rosemary Duff, the research director of
16-year-olds shows that four out of every five Childwise, said television was now “a part of
children now have a TV set in their bedroom. children’s lives”. She said that children watch
it in a different way now. “In the past they paid
2 Many children now do other things while they a lot of attention when they watched television
watch television, including social networking but now it is everywhere, at home and
on the Internet, looking from their laptop to the everywhere you go.”
TV screen and back again. Even if they are
concentrating on the television, young people 7 “Children now multitask. They have one eye
often do not watch just one programme. Boys on the television while they read magazines or
in particular often switch from one channel use the computer,” Duff said. When Childwise
to another and back again to watch two asked boys to choose between programmes
programmes at the same time. The survey, from on different channels they often didn’t want to
the market research agency Childwise, will make choose and said they wanted to ‘watch both’.
many people worried that childhood is now more “They switch from one programme to another
about private space and sedentary activities than and cannot imagine that they need to make a
about play, social interaction or the child’s decision. They are surprised when you ask them
own imagination. to make a choice.”
3 The survey also shows that children are watching 8 Computers are also now a key part of children’s
more television than before. The amount of private worlds. “The Internet is now an important
television-watching decreased over the last three part of most young people’s lives,” says the
years but is now increasing again. This is mainly study. 85% of five to 16-year-olds use the
the result of more girls watching soaps. Internet, and over a third (including a quarter of
five to six-year-olds) own a computer or laptop.
4 Children’s use of the Internet is also increasing On average, they go online just over four times a
rapidly. This means British children spend an week and spend two hours online each time.
average of five hours and 20 minutes in front of a
screen every day, compared with four hours and 9 The survey shows that children are using the
40 minutes five years ago. But children do not Internet more and more, especially younger
read for pleasure as much as they did in the past. children. This is mainly because of social
Four out of five children read books in their own networking sites like Bebo. The main reason
time but only one out of four read books every children use the Internet is communication
day and only 53% at least once a week. (social networking), then fun (online games) and
finally studying. Almost three quarters (72%) of
5 The survey interviewed 1,147 children in 60 children have visited a social networking site,
schools around England, Scotland and Wales. It and over half have their own profile. Sometimes
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Life through a lens
Level 1 Elementary
they lie about their age if there are minimum age habits. The Children’s Society will publish a
requirements to join a social networking site. report next month on children and technology.
Children as young as eight are now joining sites
like these.
10 Kathy Evans, policy director of the Children’s First published in The Guardian, 16/01/08
Society, which is studying modern childhood,
said that people are worried about the possible
results of children’s TV and Internet viewing
1. The survey shows that…
2. The amount of television watching is increasing again…
3. The main reason children use the Internet...
4. Two thirds of children…
5. Over a third of children…
6. 83% of children…
a. … because more girls are watching soaps.
b. … turn on the television when they get home from school.
c. … own a laptop.
d. … children are spending more and more time watching TV and using the Internet.
e. … watch TV before they go to school.
f. … is social networking.
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Life through a lens
Level 1 Elementary
4 Percentages
Match the phrases from the text with the percentages.
1. Four out of five children a. 25%

2. One out of four children b. 63%
3. One in ten children c. 25%
4. Three quarters of children d. 10%
5. A quarter of five to six-year olds e. 75%
6. Nearly two thirds of children f. 80%
5 Chunks
1. school they before to go

2. least week at once a
3. going sleep to before
4. hours more a than day four
5. returning after home
6. channel switch to one from another
6 Word stress
Put these words from the text into group A or group B according to their stress.
average amount private children return result
survey (n) between programme childhood because report
A 0o B o0
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Life through a lens
Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Percentages
1. survey 1. f
2. childhood 2. a/c
3. research 3. d
4. multitask 4. e
5. decrease 5. a/c
6. sedentary 6. b
7. own
8. soap
9. percentage
5 Chunks
10. average
1. before they go to school

2. at least once a week
2 Find the information 3. before going to sleep
4. more than four hours a day
1. Four out of every five (80%) 5. after returning home
2. 63% 6. switch from one channel to another
3. One out of four (25%)
4. 1,147
5. 58%
4 Word stress
6. 85%
A 0o B o0
3 Comprehension check average amount
private return
1. d children result
2. a survey between
3. f programme because
4. e childhood report
5. c
6. b
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1 Key words
widespread facilities sedentary decline pastime

balanced survey reluctant multitask essential
1. If you ____________, you do more than one thing at the same time.
2. If something is ____________, it happens or exists in many places.
3. A ____________ life is one in which all parts combine well together and exist in the correct amounts.
4. A ____________ is a set of questions that you ask a large number of people.
5. ____________ are things such as rooms or pieces of equipment provided at a place for people to use.
6. A ____________ is a reduction in the amount or quality of something.
7. If something is ____________, it is completely necessary.
8. A ____________ is something people do regularly for fun in their free time.
9. If you are ____________ to do something, you don’t want to do it.
10. If an activity is described as ____________, it involves a lot of sitting and not much exercise.
1. What percentage of British children watch TV in bed at night?
2. How much time on average do British children spend in front of a screen each day?
3. How many children read books in their own time each day?
4. How many children did the survey interview?
5. What percentage of five to 16-year olds use the Internet?
6. How much time on average do children spend online (on the Internet)?
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Life through a lens
Life through a lens: How Britain’s 5 The report, based on interviews with 1,147 children
children eat, sleep and breathe TV in 60 schools around England, Scotland and Wales,
Lucy Ward, social affairs correspondent found television viewing now averages 2.6 hours
January 16, 2008 a day across the age group, though one in ten say
they watch more than four hours daily. The survey,
1 A generation of ‘multitasking’ children are living their which has been conducted annually for 14 years,
daily lives – including eating and falling asleep – to asked for the first time whether children watched
the accompaniment of television, according to a television while eating dinner or in bed before
survey of young people’s media habits. They watch going to sleep. It found that 58% watch during their
TV before they go to school, when they return evening meal, while 63% lie in bed watching the
home, as they eat their evening meal and then – for screen (rising to almost 75% of 13 to 16-year-olds).
63%, a much higher percentage than read a book Two-thirds – particularly the youngest children –
each day – in bed at night. The survey of five to 16- watch before school, and 83% turn on the television
year-olds shows that four out of five children now after returning home.
have a TV set in their bedroom.
6 Rosemary Duff, Childwise research director, said
2 Television has become so widespread that many television was now “a part of children’s lives”, but
children now combine it with other activities, added that the quality of viewing had changed.
including social networking online, looking from “People used to pay more attention when they
their laptop to the TV screen and back again. watched television. It used to be less widespread
Even if they are concentrating on the television, but much higher in its importance. Now it is
young people are now unwilling to watch just one widespread but just part of the background, not just
programme, with boys in particular often switching at home but wherever you go.”
between channels to keep up with two programmes
7 “It seems that children now multitask, keeping
at the same time. The survey, conducted by the
one eye on the television as they flick through
market research agency Childwise, will increase
magazines or use the computer,” Duff added.
worries that childhood is increasingly about private
When the company asked boys to choose between
space and sedentary activities and less about play,
programmes on different channels they often
social interaction or the child’s own imagination.
refused, saying they would ‘watch both’. “They
3 The government’s recent Children’s Plan focused switch from one to another and cannot imagine
on improving play facilities as a means of ensuring that they should have to make a decision. They are
a more balanced life for young people who surprised that you should put them in a situation
spend a lot of time watching television. Today’s where they have to make a choice.”
survey findings show that after declining for three
8 Computers are also now a key part of children’s
years, television-watching among children is now
private worlds. “The Internet is now an essential
increasing again. This is mainly the result of more
part of most young people’s lives,” says the study,
girls watching soap operas.
with 85% of five to 16-year-olds using the Internet,
4 Internet use is also continuing to increase rapidly. and over a third (including a quarter of five to six-
This means British children spend an average of year-olds) owning a computer or laptop of their own.
five hours and 20 minutes in front of a screen a day, On average, they go online just over four times a
up from four hours and 40 minutes five years ago. week, spending two hours each time.
Reading books for pleasure, on the other hand,
9 The survey shows a rise in Internet use, particularly
continues to decline as a regular pastime. While
among younger children. This is mainly the
four out of five children read books in their own
result of social networking sites, primarily Bebo.
time, only a quarter do so daily and 53% at least
Communication, says the report, “has overtaken
once a week.
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Life through a lens
fun (e.g. online games) as the main reason to use effects of children’s TV and Internet viewing habits”.
the Internet and study is now far behind”. Almost The inquiry will report next month on children and
three quarters (72%) of children have visited a technology as part of its two-year investigation.
social networking site, and over half have their own
profile – sometimes lying about their age to avoid © Guardian News & Media 2008
minimum age requirements. Children as young as First published in The Guardian, 16/01/08
eight are now signing up.
10 Kathy Evans, policy director of the Children’s

Society, which is conducting its own inquiry into
modern childhood, said there was now “growing
public and professional concern about the possible
1. Boys often watch more than one TV programme at the same time.
2. The rise in Internet use is mainly the result of social networking sites.
3. The number of children watching television is falling steadily.
4. Less than half the children surveyed watch TV while they are eating their evening meal.
5. The survey is conducted every 14 years.
6. Many children watch TV and use a laptop at the same time.
4 Find the word
Find the following words or phrases in the text.
1. A four-word expression meaning while something else is happening or can be heard. (para 1)
2. A three-word phrasal verb meaning to continue to follow. (para 2)
3. An adverb meaning every year. (para 5)
4. A two-word phrasal verb meaning look quickly at a magazine or newspaper. (para 7)
5. A verb meaning to say you will not do something that someone has asked you to do. (para 7)
6. An adjective meaning as small in amount or degree as possible. (para 9)
7. A two-word phrasal verb meaning agree to join a course or organization. (para 9)
8. A noun meaning the time of your life when you are a child. (para 10)
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Life through a lens
5 Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to make collocations.
1. visit a. facilities
2. turn on b. the Internet
3. improve c. a magazine
4. flick through d. attention
5. make e. a survey
6. use f. a choice
7. pay g. a website
8. conduct h. the television
6 Word building

verb noun
1. interact
2. imagine
3. decline
4. research
5. refusal
6. inquire
7. investigate
8. please
7 Discussion
Do you think children spend too much time watching TV and using the Internet? What are the advantages
and disadvantages of these activities?
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KEY
1. multitask 1. to the accompaniment of

2. widespread 2. keep up with
3. balanced 3. annually
4. survey 4. flick through
5. facilities 5. refuse
6. decline 6. minimum
7. essential 7. sign up
8. pastime 8. childhood
9. reluctant
10. sedentary

2 Find the information 1. g
2. h
1. 63% 3. a
2. Five hours 20 minutes 4. c
3. A quarter (25%) 5. f
4. 1,147; 5. 85% 6. b
6. Two hours (four times a week) 7. d
8. e
6 Word building
1. T
verb noun
2. T
3. F 1. interact interaction
4. F 2. imagine imagination
5. F 3. decline decline
6. T 4. research research
5. refuse refusal
6. inquire inquiry
7. investigate investigation
8. please pleasure
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Life through a lens
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
ubiquitous flicker flick flip sedentary

anecdotal revival decline bug pastime
1. A ____________ is a reduction in the amount or quality of something.
2. A ____________ is something people do regularly for fun in their free time.
3. A ____________ is the process of becoming active, successful or popular again.
4. A ____________ is a sudden strong enthusiasm for doing something.
5. If an activity is described as ____________, it involves a lot of sitting and not much exercise.
6. If something is ____________, it can be found everywhere.
7. If evidence is ____________ , it is based on someone’s personal experience or information rather than on facts.
8. If you ____________ from one TV channel to another, you keep changing channels quickly.
9. If a light or a TV screen ____________, it goes on and off or becomes brighter or less bright in quick succession.
10. If you ____________ your eyes from one thing to another, you move them quickly.
The article is about TV, the Internet and reading habits of British children. Decide whether the following
statements are True (T) or False (F) and then check your answers in the text.
1. More than 80% of schoolchildren turn on the TV when they return home from school.
2. Only 50% of schoolchildren read books in their own time every day.
3. More than 50% of schoolchildren in Britain own a computer or a laptop.
4. More than half the children surveyed have their own profile on a social networking site.
5. Almost three in four thirteen to sixteen year olds watch TV in bed.
6. 95% have a TV in their bedroom.

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Life through a lens
Level 3 Advanced
Life through a lens: How Britain’s up from four hours and 40 minutes five years ago.
children eat, sleep and breathe TV The rise may have come at the expense of reading
books for pleasure, which, in a development that will
Lucy Ward, social affairs correspondent
alarm many parents, continues to decline as a regular
January 16, 2008 pastime. While four out of five children read books in
their own time, only a quarter do so daily and 53% at
1 A generation of ‘multitasking’ children are living least once a week.
their daily lives – including eating and falling
asleep – to the accompaniment of television, 5 The report, based on interviews with 1,147
according to a survey of youngsters’ media children in 60 schools around England, Scotland
habits. The flickering of the screen accompanies and Wales, found television viewing now
most of them before they go to school, when averages 2.6 hours a day across the age group,
they return home, as they consume their evening though one in ten say they watch more than
meal and then – for 63%, far more than read a four hours daily. The survey, which has been
book each day – in bed at night. The study of conducted annually for 14 years, asked for the
five to 16-year-olds shows that four out of five first time whether children watched television
children now have a TV set in their bedroom. while eating dinner or in bed before going to
sleep. It found that 58% watch during their
2 So ubiquitous has television become that many evening meal, while 63% lie in bed watching
children now combine it with other activities, the screen (rising to almost three-quarters of 13
including social networking online, flicking their to 16-year-olds). Two-thirds – particularly the
eyes from laptop to TV screen and back again. youngest children – watch before school, and
Even if they are focusing on the television, 83% turn on the television after returning home.
young people are now reluctant to commit to
one programme, with boys in particular often 6 Rosemary Duff, Childwise research director, said
flipping between channels to keep up with two television was now “almost woven into children’s
simultaneous shows at once. The findings, lives”, but added that the quality of viewing had
from the market research agency Childwise, changed. “A lot of television viewing has lost the
will fuel concerns that childhood is increasingly ‘pay it attention’ feel it used to have. It used to be
about private space and sedentary activities less ubiquitous but much higher in its importance
and less about play, social interaction or the whereas now it is widespread but just part of the
child’s own imagination. background, not just at home but wherever you go.”
3 The government’s recent Children’s Plan, while 7 Anecdotal evidence indicated that children now
attempting to calm panic over claims of ‘toxic’ multitask, keeping one eye on the television
childhood, focused on improving play facilities as they flick through magazines or use the
as a means of ensuring a more balanced life computer, Duff added. Boys asked by the
for screen-bound youngsters. Today’s survey company to choose between programmes on
findings indicate a revival in television-watching different channels frequently refused, saying
among children after three years of decline, they would ‘watch both’. “They flick from one to
driven mainly by more girls watching soaps such another and cannot conceive that they should
as Hollyoaks and EastEnders. have to make a decision. They are puzzled that
you should put them in a situation of having to
4 Internet use – now that the social networking bug is make one or anther choice.”
biting younger than ever – is also continuing to grow
at a far greater rate than the brief fall-off in TV viewing. 8 Computers are also now a key part of children’s
That means British children spend an average of private worlds. “The Internet is now an essential
five hours and 20 minutes in front of a screen a day, part of most young people’s lives,” says the
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Life through a lens
Level 3 Advanced
study, with 85% of five to 16-year-olds accessing safeguards. Children as young as eight are now
the Net, and over a third (including a quarter signing up.
of five to six-year-olds) owning a computer or
laptop of their own. On average, they go online 10 Kathy Evans, policy director of the Children’s
just over four times a week, spending two hours Society, which is conducting its own inquiry
each time. into modern childhood, said there was now
“mounting public and professional concern
9 The survey shows a rise in Internet use, about the potential impact of children’s TV and
particularly among younger children, Internet viewing habits”. The inquiry will report
driven primarily by a boom in the use of next month on children and technology as part
social networking sites, primarily Bebo. of its two-year investigation.
Communication, says the report, “has overtaken
fun (e.g. online games) as the main reason to © Guardian News & Media 2008
use the Internet and study is now far behind”. First published in The Guardian, 16/01/08
Almost three quarters (72%) of children have
visited a social networking site, and over half
have set up their own profile – sometimes
lying about their age to sidestep minimum age
1. What is the main reason for the increase in the 4. Which of these best describes the conclusions of
number of hours children spend in front of a screen? the survey?
a. More girls are watching soaps. a. People are worried that children are spending too
b. There has been a large increase in Internet use. much time in front of TV and computer screens.
c. The use of social-networking sites. b. Children’s use of computers and TV viewing
habits should be regarded as normal.
2. What does the phrase ‘children now multitask’ mean? c. The Internet is now an essential part of
people’s lives.
a. They perform several tasks on their computers.
b. They can watch TV, read a magazine and use a
computer at the same time.
c. They are unable to make firm decisions.
3. What is the main reason for children’s use of

the Internet?
a. To play online games.

b. To send emails.
c. To use social networking sites like Bebo.
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Life through a lens
Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word

Find the following words or phrases in the text.
1. A verb meaning to eat or drink something. (para 1)

2. An adjective meaning not willing to do something. (para 2)
3. A two word expression meaning to increase worries. (para 2)
4. An adverb meaning every year. (para 5)
5. A two-word expression meaning an integral part of. (para 6)
6. A verb meaning to imagine or think of doing something. (para 7)
7. A verb meaning to avoid something difficult or unpleasant. (para 9)
8. A participle meaning increasing. (para 10)
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to make collocations.
1. conduct a. attention
2. fuel b. a website
3. pay c. a magazine
4. flick through d. the Internet
5. make e. a survey
6. access f. a decision
7. visit g. safeguards
8. sidestep h. concerns
6 Expressions with prepositions
Fill the gaps in the expressions from the text using prepositions.
1. at the expense _______

2. based _______
3. to the accompaniment _______
4. focus _______
5. to commit _______
6. a rise _______ Internet use
7. concern _______
8. driven _______
7 Discussion
How much time do you spend each day watching TV and using your computer?
Should parents be worried by the amount of time their children spend watching TV and using computers?
Is the decline in reading a worrying trend?
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Life through a lens
Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1. decline 1. consume
2. pastime 2. reluctant
3. revival 3. fuel concerns
4. bug 4. annually
5. sedentary 5. woven into
6. ubiquitous 6. conceive
7. anecdotal 7. sidestep
8. flip 8. mounting
9. flickers
10. flick
2 What do you think? 1. e

2. h
1. T 3. a
2. F 4. c
3. F 5. f
4. T 6. d
5. T 7. b
6. F 8. g
3 Comprehension check 4 Expressions with prepositions
1. a 1. of
2. b 2. on
3. c 3. of
4. a 4. on
5. to
6. in
7. about
8. by
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A tale of two ships
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
Write the key words into the definitions and decide whether they are verbs, nouns or adjectives.
nautical ram fleet clash uncompromising

harpoon carcass pursue vessel tactics
1. When you _____________ someone, you chase them in order to catch them. noun / verb / adjective
2. If a vehicle or boat _____________ something, it hits it very hard. noun / verb / adjective
3. When you hit a whale with a weapon made of a blade on a rope, you _____________ it. noun / verb / adjective
4. When you _____________ with someone, you argue violently or fight with them. noun / verb / adjective
5. The body of a dead animal is a _____________. noun / verb / adjective
6. _____________ is a formal word for a large boat or ship. noun / verb / adjective
7. A _____________ is a group of vehicles, planes, boats or trains, usually owned by one organization or person.
noun / verb / adjective
8. _____________ are a particular method or plan for achieving something (usually used in the plural form).
noun / verb / adjective
9. _____________ is a word meaning relating to ships or sailing. noun / verb / adjective

10. When someone is _____________, they are very determined and not willing to change their opinions, plans, or
actions. noun / verb / adjective
2 Skim-reading
Skim the text to find the answers to these questions.
1. How many ships does the article mention and who do they belong to?
2. Who is the captain of the MV Steve Irwin?
3. Which organization believes in non-violent action?
4. What happened when the three characters met last year in the Antarctic?
5. What happened to Giles Lane and Benjamin Potts? Why?
6. What are the main differences between Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd?
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A tale of two ships
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A tale of two ships extraordinary courage – or stupidity – Giles Lane
John Vidal from Brighton and Benjamin Potts from Australia
January 17, 2008 leapt aboard the Yusshin Maru No. 2 from the
Irwin to deliver a letter to the Japanese captain
1 An epic battle is being fought out across thousands requesting him to leave the whale sanctuary. The
of miles of empty ocean, with just two boats Japanese, not believing their luck, promptly held
struggling to stop Japan’s whaling expedition in them captive and sped over the horizon. This
the Antarctic. The trouble is that one belongs to sparked an international diplomatic incident.
Greenpeace and the other to Sea Shepherd, rival
organizations that are as likely to fight each other 7 The drama is reaching its climax. The last time all
as the whalers they are hunting down. these characters met in the Antarctic, almost a year
ago, there was an international incident and several
2 The nautical drama is being played out between near disasters. Over a period of more than a week,
seven ships deep in the wild, and normally acid and mud, as well as water cannons and nail
extremely lonely, Southern Ocean on the edge of guns, were used. There were collisions, shouting
Antarctica. The Nisshin Maru, a large Japanese matches and three distress flares had to be
whaling factory ship, is steaming due south at 15 launched – first by Sea Shepherd when one of its
knots in heavy seas with a crew of 80 and with dinghies got separated and its crew was stranded
the carcasses of possibly 50 whales on board. on an ice floe, then by one of the Japanese ships
when it was rammed by the Sea Shepherd ship
3 Two miles behind it, in full sight but not in radio the Robert Hunter, and lastly by the Nisshin Maru
contact, is the Esperanza, a Greenpeace vessel again when it caught fire and one man died. As is
with a volunteer crew of 21 nationalities and a customary at sea, everyone stopped fighting each
Dutch captain. The Esperanza is well equipped other to help those in distress.
but it looks tiny beside the vast whaling vessel.
8 This time, the environmentalists are aware they
4 Steaming towards both ships is the MV Steve could be sailing in to a carefully laid trap set by
Irwin, the black-painted flagship of Captain the Japanese fleet, which is clearly intending to
Paul Watson and the California-based Sea regroup and draw in its hunters. “Anything could
Shepherd Conservation Society, the world’s most happen”, said Greenpeace’s Dave Walsh, on
uncompromising environmental enforcement board the Esperanza.
group. His crew is smaller, but – like that of
the Esperanza – is made up of brilliant and 9 It is clear that there is far more at stake than a
committed seamen. chase. Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace might
both be pursuing the same whaling ships, but
5 The MV Steve Irwin is roughly 2,500 miles south- at play in the southern ocean are large egos,
west of Fremantle in Australia, pursuing a group corporate pride, old jealousies, intense rivalries,
of four small whaling ships that the Japanese are distrust and fundamental differences of opinion
using to kill nearly 1,000 whales in the Antarctic about the environment, protest and confrontation.
whale sanctuary this year. This taskforce of While the crews undoubtedly have deep respect
four ships is thought to be heading towards the for each other in such dangerous conditions, they
Nisshin Maru to offload any whales they may are in official or semi-official conflict.
have harpooned and pick up stores.
10 The two organizations, Greenpeace and Sea
6 But the chase is serious because one of these Shepherd, are as different as chalk and cheese.
smaller whalers, the Yusshin Maru No. 2, has The tactics they use are different. Sea Shepherd
already clashed with the Irwin and ran from it with thinks nothing of chucking acid, stink bombs,
two of the Sea Shepherd boat’s crew. In an act of urine or even chocolate cake at its adversaries.
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A tale of two ships
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It will try to foul ships by putting ropes round 12 Watson is far more personal. “We are obsessed
their propellers and, led by Watson, the crew with stopping the cetacean Death Star, that
has crept on to its enemies’ boats at night vicious, cruel killing machine otherwise known
and opened the stopcocks to sink them. as the Nisshin Maru, and her fleet of boats
Greenpeace’s main tactic is to put itself between armed with explosive harpoons. We know that if
the whales and the whalers, or in the paths of we kill the whales, the sharks, the seals and the
survey ships – not safe, but highly effective. Its sea turtles, we will destroy the very foundation
rule is non-violent direct action. of life in the oceans,” he says.
11 Greenpeace said, “We’re not working together 13 Both Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace know they
in any way. We have our interpretation [of will meet in the Antarctic regularly and fall out
direct action] and they have theirs, and we with each other constantly. But meanwhile, there
stick to ours,” said a spokesperson. “We are have been no whales killed in the Southern
a confrontational organization. We will put Ocean in the past six days.
ourselves at risk, but no one else. We would
never endanger sailors on other ships. Our © Guardian News & Media 2008
argument is not with the guys on the ships; it is First published in The Guardian, 17/01/08
with the [Japanese] ministries”.
Match the verbs on the left and the nouns on the right to make collocations. In which contexts were they
used in the article?
spark life
ram whales
open a battle
set tactics
chuck a stopcock
fight an international incident
harpoon a trap
deliver acid
use a ship
destroy a letter
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A tale of two ships
Level 3 Advanced
4 Debate: Role play
Read the article again and make notes on your role card (1 card per student).
Then have a debate in groups of three or more. Be prepared to defend your position.
You are a crew member on the following You are a crew member on the following You are a crew member on the following
ship: Esperanza (Greenpeace) ship: MV Steve Irwin (Sea Shepherd) ship: Esperanza (Greenpeace)
Your political and environmental beliefs Your political and environmental beliefs Your political and environmental beliefs
_________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________
Non-violent direct action Your tactics Your job
_________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________
7 Webquest
Look at these websites to find out about the latest developments in the sea battle:
• www.greenpeace.org/international/
• www.seashepherd.org/
• www.whaling.jp/english/index.html
You can also read a further Guardian article at:

• www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/29/whaling.conservation
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A tale of two ships
Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1. pursue (verb) spark an international incident

2. ram (verb) ram a ship
3. harpoon (verb) open a stopcock
4. clash (verb) set a trap
5. carcass (noun) chuck acid
6. vessel (noun) fight a battle
7. fleet (noun) harpoon whales
8. tactics (noun) deliver a letter
9. nautical (adjective) use tactics
10. uncompromising (adjective) destroy life

2 Skim-reading
1. Seven (five belong to Japan, one belongs to Green
peace, and one to Sea Shepherd)
2. Paul Watson
3. Greenpeace
4. A battle ensued resulting in one death and a fire
5. They were held hostage when they boarded the
Yusshin Maru No. 2
6. The tactics they use are different
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A tale of two ships
Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Match the following words with their definitions.
Example: whaling - the activity of hunting whales. (definition, Macmillan English Dictionary online)
distress flare harpoon incident jealousy trap battle

sanctuary chase capture crew cruel rival
1. _____________ – the people who work on a ship.
2. _____________ – a person, team or business that competes with another.

3. _____________ – a fight between two groups of people.
4. _____________ – a special area where animals live in a natural environment protected from people.
5. _____________ – a feeling of anger and sadness because someone has something that is better than you have.
6. _____________ – to follow someone or something quickly in order to catch them.
7. _____________ – to catch someone so that they become your prisoner.
8. _____________ – something that happens, especially a violent, criminal or dangerous event.
9. _____________ – a rocket sent up into the sky to show that at ship is in trouble and needs help.
10. _____________ – when you are this, you enjoy causing pain to other people or animals.
11. _____________ – a trick or plan to catch someone.
12. _____________ – a weapon made from a blade on a pole fixed to a rope, used for hunting whales.
2 Skim-reading
Skim the text and circle the correct answers to these questions.
1. How many ships does the article mention? (2 / 6 / 7)
2. In which ocean is the battle taking place? (Pacific Ocean / Atlantic Ocean / Southern Ocean)
3. Who is the captain of the MV Steve Irwin? (Giles Lane / Paul Watson / Dave Walsh)
4. Which organization believes in non-violent action? (Greenpeace / Sea Shepherd / the Japan Whaling Association)
5. Which group throws acid and rams ships? (Greenpeace / Sea Shepherd / the Japan Whaling Association)
6. Members of which organization boarded a Japanese whaler? (Greenpeace / Sea Shepherd / the Japan Whaling
Association)
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NEWS LESSONS / A tale of two ships / Elementary

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A tale of two ships
Level 1 Elementary
A tale of two ships 7 Now, the drama is reaching its climax. The last time
John Vidal Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd and the Japanese
January 17, 2008 whalers met in the Antarctic was almost a year
ago and there were several near disasters. Over
1 In thousands of miles of empty ocean, just a period of more than a week, acid and mud, as
two boats are trying to stop Japan’s whaling well as water cannons and nail guns, were used.
expedition in the Antarctic. One boat belongs to There were collisions, shouting matches and three
Greenpeace and the other to Sea Shepherd. The distress flares had to be launched – first by Sea
problem is that they are rival organizations. Shepherd when some of its crew was stuck on an
ice floe, then by one of the Japanese ships when it
2 Altogether, seven ships are taking part in the was rammed by the Sea Shepherd ship, and lastly
battle in the Southern Ocean on the edge of by the Nisshin Maru again when it caught fire and
Antarctica. The Nisshin Maru, a large Japanese one man died.
whaling factory ship, is sailing south in heavy
seas. It has a crew of 80 and the bodies of 8 This year, the environmentalists know they could
possibly 50 dead whales on board. be sailing into a trap set by the Japanese fleet.
“Anything could happen”, said Greenpeace’s
3 The Esperanza, a Greenpeace ship, is two miles Dave Walsh, on board the Esperanza.
behind. It has a volunteer crew of 21 nationalities
and a Dutch captain. The Esperanza is well- 9 Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace are chasing
equipped but it looks tiny against the huge the same whaling ships, but there are also
whaling ship. other factors involved in this battle: large egos,
jealousy, rivalry, distrust and very different
4 The MV Steve Irwin, the black flagship of opinions about the environment, protest and
the radical California-based Sea Shepherd confrontation. Although the crews respect each
Conservation Society, is also nearby. Captain other in such dangerous conditions, they are still
Paul Watson’s crew is smaller but – like the in conflict.
Esperanza’s crew – is made up of brilliant and
committed seamen. 10 The two organizations, Greenpeace and Sea
Shepherd, are as different as chalk and cheese.
5 The MV Steve Irwin is about 2,500 miles south- The tactics they use are very different. Sea
west of Fremantle in Australia. It is chasing Shepherd throws acid, stink bombs, urine or
a group of four small whaling ships that the even chocolate cake at its enemies. It puts
Japanese are using to kill nearly 1,000 whales ropes round their propellers and, led by Watson,
in the Antarctic whale sanctuary this year. The the crew has crept on to its enemies’ boats at
four ships are sailing towards the Nisshin Maru to night and tried to sink them. Greenpeace’s main
offload harpooned whales and pick up stores. tactic is to put itself between the whales and the
whalers or in front of survey ships – these tactics
6 Two of the Sea Shepherd boat’s crew, Giles Lane are not safe but highly effective. Greenpeace’s
from Brighton and Benjamin Potts from Australia, rule is non-violent direct action.
jumped aboard one of the smaller whalers, the
Yusshin Maru No. 2, from the MV Steve Irwin. 11 Greenpeace said, “We’re not working together
They wanted to give a letter to the Japanese with Sea Shepherd. We are a confrontational
captain asking him to leave the whale sanctuary. organization. We put ourselves at risk, but no
The Japanese held the men captive and sailed one else. We would never endanger sailors on
away over the horizon. This act sparked an other ships. Our argument is not with the guys on
international diplomatic incident. the ships; it is with the [Japanese] ministries”.
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A tale of two ships
Level 1 Elementary
12 Watson said, “We will stop the vicious, cruel

killing machine, the Nisshin Maru, and the other
boats which are armed with explosive harpoons.
We know that if people kill the whales, the
sharks, the seals and the sea turtles, they will
destroy the very foundation of life in the oceans”.
13 Both Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace know they

will meet in the Antarctic again and again. But
meanwhile, there have been no whales killed in
the Southern Ocean in the past six days.

1. Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd are... ... taking place in the Southern Ocean on the edge of Antarctica.

2. The sea battle is... ... the two Sea Shepherd crew members.
3. Japan is using four small whaling ships... ... trying to stop Japan’s whaling expedition in the Antarctic.

4. The Nisshin Maru is... ... jumped aboard one of the smaller whalers.
5. Two of the Sea Shepherd boat’s crew... ... sabotage or sink the whalers.
6. The Japanese whaler sailed away over ... to kill nearly 1,000 whales in the Antarctic whale sanctuary.
the horizon with...

7. Sea Shepherd tries to... ... the whalers and the whales.
8. Greenpeace puts itself between... ... a large Japanese whaling factory ship with a crew of
80 men.
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A tale of two ships
Level 1 Elementary
a) Match these opposites:
huge stay
empty larger
leave full
in front of tiny
safe similar
smaller behind
different dangerous

b) The article says that Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd are as different as chalk and cheese.
Can you think of a similar expression in your language?
5 Discussion
Which of these statements do you most agree with?
a) There are many whales, so it’s ok to kill a few for scientific purposes.
b) Peaceful protest is the best way to stop whaling. The Japanese crew are only doing their job.
c) Violence and sabotage are the only way to stop whaling. It doesn’t matter whether people get hurt – animals are
as important as humans.
6 Webquest
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A tale of two ships
Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1. crew 1. Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd are trying to stop

2. rival Japan’s whaling expedition in the Antarctic.
3. battle 2. The sea battle is taking place in the Southern
4. sanctuary Ocean on the edge of Antarctica.
5. jealousy 3. Japan is using four small whaling ships to kill nearly
6. chase 1,000 whales in the Antarctic whale sanctuary.
7. capture 4. The Nisshin Maru is a large Japanese whaling
8. incident factory ship with a crew of 80 men.
9. distress flare 5. Two of the Sea Shepherd boat’s crew jumped
10. cruel aboard one of the smaller whalers.
11. trap 6. The Japanese whaler sailed away over the
12. harpoon horizon with the two Sea Shepherd crew members.
7. Sea Shepherd tries to sabotage or sink
the whalers.
8. Greenpeace puts itself between the whalers and
2 Skim-reading
the whales.
1. Seven ships (five belong to the Japanese, one

belongs to Greenpeace, one to Sea Shepherd)
2. Southern Ocean
3. Paul Watson a) huge tiny
4. Greenpeace empty full
5. Sea Shepherd leave stay
6. Sea Shepherd in front of behind
safe dangerous
smaller larger
different similar
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A tale of two ships
1 Warmer
Write down ten words you would expect to find in an article about whaling.
Compare your words with your partner’s, then skim-read the article. How many of your words can
you find?
Example: whaling - the activity of hunting whales. (definition, Macmillan English Dictionary online)
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________

2 Skim-reading
Skim the text again to find the answers to these questions.
1. How many ships does the article mention and who do they belong to?
2. Where is the battle taking place?
3. Who is the captain of the MV Steve Irwin?
4. Which organization believes in non-violent action?
5. Which group is the most radical?
6. Giles Lane and Benjamin Potts are members of which organization?
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NEWS LESSONS / A tale of two ships / Intermediate

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A tale of two ships
A tale of two ships the Irwin to deliver a letter to the Japanese captain,
John Vidal requesting him to leave the whale sanctuary.
January 17, 2008 The Japanese promptly held them captive and
sailed away over the horizon. This act sparked an
1 A battle is being fought across thousands international diplomatic incident.
of miles of empty ocean, with just two boats
struggling to stop Japan’s whaling expedition 7 The drama is reaching its climax. The last time
in the Antarctic. The problem is that one boat Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd and the Japanese
belongs to Greenpeace and the other to Sea whalers met in the Antarctic, almost a year ago,
Shepherd, rival organizations. there were several near disasters. Over a period of
more than a week, acid and mud, as well as water
2 The nautical drama involving seven ships is cannons and nail guns, were used. There were
taking place in the wild, and normally extremely collisions, shouting matches and three distress
lonely, Southern Ocean on the edge of flares had to be launched – first by Sea Shepherd
Antarctica. The Nisshin Maru, a large Japanese when one of its dinghies got separated and its crew
whaling factory ship, is sailing south at 15 knots was stranded on an ice floe, then by one of the
in heavy seas with a crew of 80 and with the Japanese ships when it was rammed by the Sea
carcasses of possibly 50 whales on board. Shepherd ship and lastly by the Nisshin Maru when
it caught fire and one man died. As is customary at
3 Two miles behind it is the Esperanza, a sea, everyone stopped fighting each other to help
Greenpeace ship with a volunteer crew of 21 those in distress.
nationalities and a Dutch captain. The Esperanza
is well-equipped but it looks tiny beside the vast 8 This time, the environmentalists are aware they
whaling ship. could be sailing in to a carefully laid trap set by
the Japanese fleet. “Anything could happen”, said
4 The MV Steve Irwin, the black-painted flagship Greenpeace’s Dave Walsh, on board the Esperanza.
of Captain Paul Watson and the California-
based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the 9 It is clear that there is far more at stake than a
world’s most uncompromising environmental chase. Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace might
enforcement group, is also nearby. Watson’s both be chasing the same whaling ships, but
crew is smaller, but – like the Esperanza’s crew there are also other factors involved: large egos,
– is made up of brilliant and committed seamen. corporate pride, old jealousies, intense rivalries,
distrust and fundamental differences of opinion
5 The MV Steve Irwin is roughly 2,500 miles about the environment, protest and confrontation.
south-west of Fremantle in Australia. It is chasing Although the crews have deep respect for each
a group of four small whaling ships that the other in such dangerous conditions, they are in
Japanese are using to kill nearly 1,000 whales official or semi-official conflict.
in the Antarctic whale sanctuary this year. The
four ships are thought to be heading towards the 10 The two organizations, Greenpeace and Sea
Nisshin Maru to offload harpooned whales and Shepherd, are as different as chalk and cheese.
pick up stores. The tactics they use are very different. Sea
Shepherd thinks nothing of chucking acid, stink
6 One of these smaller whalers, the Yusshin Maru bombs, urine or even chocolate cake at its
No. 2, has already clashed with the Irwin and ran enemies. It will try to foul ships by putting ropes
from it with two of the Sea Shepherd boat’s crew. round their propellers and, led by Watson, the crew
In an act of extraordinary courage – or stupidity – has crept on to its enemies’ boats at night and
Giles Lane from Brighton and Benjamin Potts from opened the stopcocks to sink them. Greenpeace’s
Australia leapt aboard the Yusshin Maru No. 2 from main tactic is to put itself between the whales
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A tale of two ships
and the whalers, or in the paths of survey ships vicious, cruel killing machine otherwise known as
– these tactics are not safe, but highly effective. the Nisshin Maru, and her fleet of boats armed
Greenpeace’s rule is non-violent direct action. with explosive harpoons. We know that if we kill
the whales, the sharks, the seals and the sea
11 Greenpeace said, “We’re not working together turtles, we will destroy the very foundation of life
in any way. We have our interpretation [of in the oceans,” he says.
direct action] and they have theirs, and we
stick to ours,” said a spokesperson. “We are 13 Both Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace know
a confrontational organization. We will put they will meet in the Antarctic regularly, and fall
ourselves at risk, but no one else. We would out with each other constantly. But meanwhile,
never endanger sailors on other ships. Our there have been no whales killed in the Southern
argument is not with the guys on the ships; it is Ocean in the past six days.
with the [Japanese] ministries”.
12 Watson is far more personal. “We are obsessed First published in The Guardian, 17/01/08
with stopping the cetacean Death Star, that
(More than one answer may be correct)
1. Which ship has the largest crew? 4. Members of whose crew had to be rescued from an
ice floe last year?
a) The Esperanza.
b) The MV Steve Irwin. a) The Japanese whaler’s.
c) The Nisshin Maru. b) Sea Shepherd’s.
c) Greenpeace’s.
2. The Southern Ocean is...
5. Greenpeace says their argument is with...
a) ... lonely and wild.
b) ... south of Australia. a) ... the Japanese whalers.
c) ... a whale sanctuary. b) ... Sea Shepherd.
c) ... the Japanese ministries.
3. According to the article, there is jealously and
rivalry between... 6. What do Sea Shepherd call the ‘Cetacean Death Star’?
a) ... Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd. a) The Esperanza.
b) ... Sea Shepherd and the Japanese whalers. b) The Japanese whaling fleet.
c) ... Greenpeace and the Japanese whalers. c) The Nisshin Maru.
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A tale of two ships
Write the missing prepositions into these phrases from the article.
1. _____ different _____ chalk and cheese

2. miles _____ empty ocean
3. one boat belongs _____ Greenpeace, the other _____ Sea Shepherd
4. 2,500 miles south-west _____ Australia
5. Giles Lane is _____ Brighton
6. an act _____ courage (or stupidity)
7. a period _____ more than a week
8. a trap set _____ the Japanese fleet
9. differences _____ opinion _____ protest and confrontation
10. _____ any way
5 Discussion
Greenpeace try to stop the whaling by putting themselves between the whale and the whalers.
Sea Shepherd use stronger and more forceful tactics such as throwing acid and ramming the whalers.
• Which of these tactics do you think is most effective and why?

• Do you agree with either of the tactics?
• Which do you think is the most dangerous?
• Can you think of any other ways to stop whaling?
7 Webquest

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A tale of two ships
KEY
2 Skim-reading 4 Vocabulary: Prepositions
1. Seven ships (five belong to the Japanese, one 1. as different as chalk and cheese
belongs to Greenpeace, one to Sea Shepherd) 2. miles of empty ocean
2. In the Southern Ocean in Antarctica 3. one boat belongs to Greenpeace, the other to
3. Paul Watson Sea Shepherd
4. Greenpeace 4. 2,500 miles south-west of Australia
5. Sea Shepherd 5. Giles Lane is from Brighton
6. Sea Shepherd 6. an act of courage (or stupidity)
7. a period of more than a week
8. a trap set by the Japanese fleet
3 Comprehension check 9. differences of opinion about protest
and confrontation
1. c 10. in any way
2. a, b and c
3. a
4. b
5. c
6. c

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Fly to Australia in under five hours
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
funding reusable demand spin-off vast

hitch impact conventional hypersonic claustrophobia
1. ________________ means extremely large.
2. A ________________ is a problem that is not particularly serious.
3. If something is ________________, it can be used again, often more than once.
4. ________________ is another word for effect or influence.
5. A ________________ speed is a speed which is several times faster than the speed of sound.
6. If something is ________________, it is of the usual, traditional or accepted type, instead of being
new or different.
7. If there is ________________ for a particular product or service, a lot of people want it.
8. ________________ is the money that a government or organization provides for a particular purpose.
9. ________________ is the fear of being in a small or crowded place.
10. A ________________ is something good or useful that happens unexpectedly because of something else.
2 What do you know?
The text is about hypersonic air travel. Which of these statements do you think are True (T) and which are
False (F)? Check your answers in the text.
1. Hypersonic air travel would make it possible to fly from Brussels to Australia in less than 4 hours.
2. A hypersonic plane would use liquid hydrogen rather than normal aviation fuel.
3. A hypersonic plane would not be able to have windows for the passengers to see out.
4. The plane would fly at the height of the ozone layer.
5. A hypersonic plane, flying at five times the speed of sound, could be operating within five years.
6. The route from Brussels to Australia would take the plane over the South Pole.
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NEWS LESSONS / Fly to Australia in under five hours / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
The hypersonic plane designed to 4 Reaction Engines estimates that the cost of the
reach Australia in under five hours flight would be similar to a current first class fare.
UK firm unveils exploratory plans for 3,000mph Moreover, the company claims, the plane would
eco-friendly passenger jet not leave much of a carbon footprint. The key to
the design is the fuel it would use. Conventional
Steven Morris
fuels would not be able to get the A2 up to the
February 5, 2008
necessary speed, and so Reaction Engines has
designed an engine that would run on liquid
1 The artist’s impression looks like something hydrogen. A spin-off is that liquid hydrogen is
out of a science fiction film. But a hypersonic potentially much greener than conventional
passenger plane that could fly to Australia from fuel – rather than producing vast amounts of
northern Europe in less than five hours has carbon emissions, it gives off water vapour and
been designed in Britain. With funding from the nitrous oxide.
European Space Agency, a team of engineers
5 Another advantage of the design is that, while
and scientists has come up with the A2, a plane
the 132 metre-long A2 is much bigger than
they believe could carry 300 passengers at a top
conventional jets, it would be lighter than a
speed of more than 3,000mph. The project is part
Boeing 747 and could land on current airport
of an EU drive to push forward the boundaries
runways. But there are a few hitches. For one
of air travel. Scientists were asked to find out
thing, the A2 might not be great for anyone who
if it was possible to build a commercial plane
suffers from claustrophobia, as it does not have
that used the sort of technology more closely
portholes. The heat generated by travelling so
associated with travel to the edge of space
quickly makes it difficult to install windows that
and beyond.
are secure and not too heavy. One solution
2 UK-based Reaction Engines designs and Reaction Engines has proposed is to install
develops space transport and hi-tech propulsion flat screen panels where the window would be,
systems. Its directors are experts in fields ranging showing images of the scene outside.
from space rockets and weapons systems to
6 In recent days the design has been discussed
nuclear power. One of the firm’s main projects is
excitedly on science and environment talkboards.
the development of Skylon, an unpiloted reusable
Some believe it would be too expensive to
space plane intended to provide inexpensive
produce commercially. There is also concern
and reliable access to space, which is expected
that producing the liquid hydrogen could prove
to take approximately ten years to develop and
to be more environmentally damaging than
be capable of transporting 12 tonnes of cargo
Reaction Engines believes. And there are fears
into space.
that because the plane would fly at around the
3 Alan Bond, a senior engineer and managing height of the ozone layer, it could cause damage
director at the company, said the A2 could be to the atmosphere.
operating within 25 years if there was demand
7 Still, Bond said that within 25 years 10% of air
for it. Bond said: “The A2 is designed to leave
travel could be hypersonic. Some routes, such as
Brussels international airport, fly quietly and
Europe to India, would not work so well, because
subsonically out into the north Atlantic at mach
the plane would have to go a long way round to
0.9 before reaching mach 5 across the North
avoid having to travel at supersonic speeds over
Pole and heading over the Pacific to Australia.
populated areas. But he thought the A2 could get
The flight time from Brussels to Australia,
to California by travelling hypersonically across
allowing for air traffic control, would be four
the Atlantic, then conventionally across the US.
hours 40 minutes. It sounds incredible by today’s
Reaction Engines claims it would be quieter than
standards but I don’t see why future generations
Concorde ever was.
can’t make day trips to Australasia.”
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Level 3 Advanced
8 Bond accepted the project was still at the early
exploratory stages. The next phase is more work
on the A2’s environmental impact. Bond said:
“Our work shows that it is possible technically;
now it’s up to the world to decide if it wants it.”

1. Why would the Europe to India route be less 3. Why wouldn’t the hypersonic plane have windows?
attractive for hypersonic flights? a. Because travelling at such high speeds would
a. Because it is not far enough to make mean the windows would have to be very heavy
it economical. to be secure.
b. Because planes travelling at supersonic speeds b. Because looking out of the windows at such high
would have to make long detours to avoid speeds would make the passengers ill.
populated areas. c. Because it would be cheaper to use flat screen
c. Because there would not be sufficient business panels showing images of the scene outside.
on such routes.
4. What is the next stage in the development of the A2
2. What is the main function of Skylon? hypersonic aircraft?
a. To make hypersonic passenger flights possible. a. To develop the necessary technology to build
b. To transport cargo into space. the engines.
c. To fly without a pilot. b. To design an engine that will run on liquid
hydrogen.
c. To assess its possible effect on the environment.
1. A two-word expression meaning a picture showing what a new machine or building will look like. (para 1)
2. A three-word phrasal verb meaning to think of something such as an idea or a plan. (para 1)
3. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to advance. (para 1)
4. A three-word expression meaning in comparison with what happens now. (para 3)
5. A two-word expression meaning the amount of carbon dioxide a particular activity produces. (para 4)
6. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to emit. (para 4)
7. A noun meaning a window in a plane or ship. (para 5)
8. A four-word expression meaning during the phase(s) of development where things are still being
investigated. (para 8)
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Level 3 Advanced
Match the words from the left-hand column with those from the right-hand column to make expressions
from the text.
1. science a. runway
2. propulsion b. panel
3. air traffic c. hydrogen
4. flat screen d. trip
5. liquid e. control
6. ozone f. fiction
7. airport g. system
8. day h. layer
6 Grammar: Adverbs
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these adverbs from the text.
potentially commercially conventionally excitedly

environmentally technically closely
1. Some people are worried that the A2 might be _________________ damaging.

2. The technology used in the A2 is more _________________ associated with space travel.
3. A hypersonic plane is ______________ possible but it might be too expensive to produce it ________________.
4. It would have to fly _________________ across populated areas like the USA.
5. People have been talking _________________ about the project on internet message boards.
6. Liquid hydrogen is _________________ much greener than conventional aviation fuel.
7 Discussion
Do you think hypersonic travel would be good or bad for the planet?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1. vast 1. artist’s impression

2. hitch 2. come up with
3. reusable 3. push forward
4. impact 4. by today’s standards
5. hypersonic 5. carbon footprint
6. conventional 6. give off
7. demand 7. porthole
8. funding 8. in/at the exploratory stage(s)
9. claustrophobia
10. spin-off

2. g
1. F 3. e
2. T 4. b
3. T 5. c
4. T 6. h
5. F 7. a
6. F 8. d
3 Comprehension check 6 Grammar: Adverbs
1. b 1. environmentally
2. b 2. closely
3. a 3. technically / commercially
4. c 4. conventionally
5. excitedly
6. potentially
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1 Key words
hypersonic mach claustrophobia incredible weapons

cargo vapour environment populated message board
1. Water _________________ is small drops of water in the air.
2. _________________ is a unit for measuring the speed of an aircraft in comparison with the speed of sound.
3. _________________ are things like guns and bombs which are used in wars.
4. A _________________ is a place where Internet users write emails to each other about a particular subject.
5. If something is _________________, it is difficult to believe.
6. If an area of the world is densely _________________, a lot of people live there.
7. The _________________ is the natural world, including the land, water, air and plants.
8. A _________________ speed is a speed which is several times faster than the speed of sound.
9. _________________ is the fear of being in a small or crowded place.
10. A _________________ plane is one that carries goods instead of people.
1. How many passengers will the A2 carry?
2. How fast will it be able to fly?
3. How long will the flight time from Brussels to Australia be?
4. How long will the A2 be?
5. What percentage of air travel could be hypersonic in 25 years’ time?
6. How fast will the A2 fly across the North Pole?

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NEWS LESSONS / Fly to Australia in under five hours / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
The hypersonic plane designed to speed with normal aviation fuels, so Reaction
reach Australia in under five hours Engines has designed an engine that will use
UK firm unveils exploratory plans for 3,000mph liquid hydrogen. Liquid hydrogen could be much
eco-friendly passenger jet better for the environment than normal aviation
fuel. It doesn’t produce large amounts of carbon
Steven Morris
but produces water vapour and nitrous oxide.
February 5, 2008
5 The A2 is 132 metres long and is much bigger
1 It looks like something out of a science fiction than normal passenger jet aircraft but it will be
film. A team of engineers and scientists in Britain lighter than a Boeing 747 and could land on
has designed a plane that could fly to Australia normal airport runways. But there are a few
from northern Europe in less than five hours. problems. For one thing, the A2 will not be so
With money from the European Space Agency, good if you have claustrophobia, as it does not
they have designed the A2, a plane which could have windows. The speed of the A2 will produce
carry 300 passengers at a top speed of more a lot of heat and it will not be possible to use the
than 3,000mph. The project is part of an EU type of windows used today. Reaction Engines
programme to develop air travel. Scientists want says it could use flat TV screens instead of
to find out if it is possible to build a passenger windows. The screens would show pictures of
plane with space travel technology. the sky outside the plane.
2 A British company called Reaction Engines 6 A lot of people are excited about this project and
designs and develops space transport and have been discussing the design on science
rocket systems. Its directors are experts in and environment message boards. Some
different fields – from space rockets and people think it will be too expensive to use for
weapons systems to nuclear power. One of the passenger transport. Others are worried that
company’s main projects is the development of producing the liquid hydrogen could be bad for
Skylon, a space plane without a pilot, which will the environment. And some people are afraid
provide cheap and reliable space travel. The that because the plane will fly at the height
development of Skylon will take approximately of the ozone layer it could cause damage to
ten years and it will be able to transport 12 the atmosphere.
tonnes of cargo into space.
7 But Bond says that in 25 years time, 10% of air
3 Alan Bond, a senior engineer and managing travel could be hypersonic. However, planes
director at Reaction Engines, says the A2 could will not be able to fly at hypersonic speeds over
be flying in less than 25 years’ time, if people want populated areas, so routes like Europe to India
to buy it. Bond says: “The A2 is designed to leave will not be possible because planes will not be
Brussels international airport, fly quietly over the able to fly direct. But Bond thinks the A2 could
north Atlantic at mach 0.9 (just below the speed get to California by travelling at a hypersonic
of sound) before reaching a speed of mach 5 (five speed across the Atlantic, then at a normal speed
times the speed of sound) across the North Pole over the USA. Reaction Engines says the A2 will
and flying over the Pacific to Australia. The flight be quieter than supersonic planes like Concorde.
time from Brussels to Australia will be four hours
8 Bond agrees that the project is only just
40 minutes. This is incredible compared with the
beginning. The next stage of the project is to find
air travel of today but in the future people could
out the effect of the A2 on the environment. “Our
make day trips to Australia.”
work shows that the A2 is possible technically;
4 Reaction Engines believes that the flight will cost now the world has to decide if it wants it.”
about the same as a first class fare to Australia
costs today. The company also says that the © Guardian News & Media 2008
plane will not be able to reach the necessary First published in The Guardian, 05/02/08
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Level 1 Elementary
1. The A2 will not fly from Europe to India because…
2. Some people are worried because...
3. The A2 will be much bigger…
4. The A2 will be quieter…
5. Flying to Australia on the A2 will not be more expensive than…

6. The A2 will use liquid hydrogen because…
a. … the cost of a first class ticket to Australia on a normal plane.
b. … than normal passenger jet aircraft.
c. … it will not be able to reach the necessary speed with normal aviation fuel.
d. … it cannot fly over populated areas.
e. … than supersonic panes like Concorde.
f. … liquid hydrogen could be bad for the environment.
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text. Check your answers in the text.
1. than hours less five ___________________________________
2. space and cheap travel reliable ___________________________________
3. than 25 less years’ time in ___________________________________
4. the sound just speed below of ___________________________________
5. the for environment bad ___________________________________
6. the cause to damage atmosphere ___________________________________

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Level 1 Elementary
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make expressions
from the text.
1. day a. plane
2. science b. director
3. managing c. travel
4. liquid d. fiction
5. passenger e. trip
6. space f. hydrogen
verb noun
1. develop
2. fly
3. discussion
4. design
5. transport
6. damage
7. react
8. agreement
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary 1: Chunks
1. vapour 1. less than five hours

2. mach 2. cheap and reliable space travel
3. weapons 3. in less than 25 years’ time
4. message board 4. just below the speed of sound
5. incredible 5. bad for the environment
6. populated 6. cause damage to the atmosphere
7. environment
8. hypersonic
9. claustrophobia
10. cargo
1. e
2. d
4. f
1. 300 5. a
2. 3,000mph 6. c
3. Four hours 40 minutes
4. 132 metres
5. 10%
6. Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound)
verb noun
3 Comprehension check 1. develop development
2. fly flight
1. d 3. discuss discussion
2. f 4. design design
3. b
5. transport transport
4. e
6. damage damage
5. a
6. c 7. react reaction
8. agree agreement
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1 Key words
hypersonic mach reusable demand spin-off

conventional claustrophobia incredible secure firm
1. A ________________ is a company or business.
2. If there is ________________ for a particular product or service, a lot of people want it.
3. A ________________ speed is a speed which is several times faster than the speed of sound.
4. ________________ is the fear of being in a small or crowded place.
5. A ________________ is something good or useful that happens unexpectedly because of something else.
6. ________________ is a unit for measuring the speed of an aircraft in comparison with the speed of sound.
7. If something is ________________, it is difficult to believe.
8. If something is ________________, it can be used again, often more than once.
9. If something is ________________, it is fixed firmly and in a safe way.
10. If something is ________________, it is of the usual, traditional or accepted type, instead of being
new or different.
1. How fast will the A2 be able to fly?
2. How many passengers will it carry?
3. How long will it take to fly from Brussels to Australia?
4. How long will the A2 be?
5. What percentage of air travel could be hypersonic in 25 years’ time?
6. How much cargo will Skylon be able to carry into space?

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NEWS LESSONS / Fly to Australia in under five hours / Intermediate

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The hypersonic plane designed to 4 Reaction Engines estimates that the flight would
reach Australia in under five hours cost about the same as the current first class
UK firm unveils exploratory plans for 3,000mph fare to Australia. Moreover, according to the
eco-friendly passenger jet company, the plane would not be able to reach
the necessary speed with normal aviation fuels
Steven Morris
so Reaction Engines has designed an engine
February 5, 2008
that would run on liquid hydrogen. A spin-off
is that liquid hydrogen could be much greener
1 The artist’s impression looks like something than conventional fuel. It doesn’t produce large
out of a science fiction film. But a hypersonic amounts of carbon emissions but gives off water
passenger plane that could fly to Australia from vapour and nitrous oxide.
northern Europe in less than five hours has
5 Another advantage of the design is that, although
been designed in Britain. With money from the
the 132 metre-long A2 is much bigger than
European Space Agency, a team of engineers
conventional jets, it would be lighter than a
and scientists has designed the A2, a plane they
Boeing 747 and could land on the airport runways
believe could carry 300 passengers at a top
used today. But there are a few problems. For one
speed of more than 3,000mph. The project is
thing, the A2 might not be great for anyone who
part of an EU programme to develop air travel.
suffers from claustrophobia, as it does not have
Scientists were asked to find out if it was possible
portholes. When travelling at hypersonic speeds,
to build a commercial plane that used the sort of
the amount of heat generated would make it
technology used in space travel.
difficult to install windows that are secure and not
2 UK-based Reaction Engines designs and too heavy. One solution Reaction Engines has
develops space transport and hi-tech rocket proposed is to install flat screen panels instead
systems. Its directors are experts in different of windows. These would show images of the
fields – from space rockets and weapons scene outside.
systems to nuclear power. One of the firm’s main
6 In recent days, people have been discussing the
projects is the development of Skylon, a pilotless,
design excitedly on science and environment
reusable space plane, which will provide
message boards. Some believe it would be too
inexpensive and reliable access to space. It will
expensive to produce commercially. There is
take approximately ten years to develop Skylon,
also concern that producing the liquid hydrogen
which will be capable of transporting 12 tonnes of
could be more environmentally damaging than
cargo into space.
Reaction Engines believes. And there are fears
3 Alan Bond, a senior engineer and managing that because the plane would fly at around the
director at the company, said the A2 could be height of the ozone layer, it could cause damage
operating within 25 years, if there was sufficient to the atmosphere.
demand for it. Bond said: “The A2 is designed
7 But Bond says that within 25 years, 10% of air
to leave Brussels international airport, fly quietly
travel could be hypersonic. Some routes, such as
and subsonically out into the north Atlantic
Europe to India, would not work so well, because
at mach 0.9 before reaching mach 5 across
the plane would have to go a long way round to
the North Pole and flying over the Pacific to
avoid having to travel at supersonic speeds over
Australia. The flight time from Brussels to
populated areas. But he thought the A2 could get
Australia, allowing for air traffic control, would
to California by travelling hypersonically across
be four hours 40 minutes. If you compare it with
the Atlantic, then conventionally across the US.
air travel today, it sounds incredible but I don’t
Reaction Engines says the A2 would be quieter
see why future generations can’t make day trips
than Concorde was.
to Australasia.”
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8 Bond agrees that the project is only in its initial

stages. The next phase is more work on the
effect of the A2 on the environment. “Our work
shows that it is possible technically; now it’s up
to the world to decide if it wants it.”

1. The A2 is specifically designed to fly from Europe to India.
2. It will fly conventionally over populated areas.
3. The A2 will fly at the height of the ozone layer.
4. It will fly at mach 5 over the North Atlantic.
5. The A2 will have no windows at all.
6. The A2 would need specially designed airports.
1. A two-word expression meaning a picture showing what a new machine or building will look like. (para 1)
2. An adjective meaning produced in order to be sold. (para 1)
3. An adjective meaning cheap. (para 2)
4. A two-word expression meaning very small drops of water in the air. (para 4)
5. A noun meaning a window in a plane or ship. (para 5)
6. An adverb meaning with great excitement. (para 6)
7. A two-word expression meaning very bad for the environment. (para 6)
8. A noun meaning a particular period of time during the development of something. (para 8)
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Complete the table by adding the prefixes un–, in– or dis– to form the negative forms of these words.
1. reliable ____________
2. expensive ____________
3. credible ____________
4. conventional ____________
5. advantage ____________
6. populated ____________
7. sufficient ____________
8. secure ____________
6 Vocabulary 3: Expressions using prepositions
Fill the gaps using prepositions. Then check your answers in the text.
1. suffer _______ claustrophobia
2. access _______ space

3. _______ a speed of 3,000mph
4. capable _______ transporting 12 tonnes of cargo
5. flying _______ the Pacific to Australia
6. the engine runs _______ liquid hydrogen
7 Discussion
Make a list of the points in favour of hypersonic travel and the points against. Would you like to travel
in this way?
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1. firm 1. artist’s impression

2. demand 2. commercial
3. hypersonic 3. inexpensive
4. claustrophobia 4. water vapour
5. spin-off 5. porthole
6. mach 6. excitedly
7. incredible 7. environmentally damaging
8. reusable 8. phase
9. secure
10. conventional
2 Find the information 1. unreliable

2. inexpensive
1. More than 3,000mph 3. incredible
2. 300 4. unconventional
3. Four hours 40 minutes 5. disadvantage
4. 132 metres 6. unpopulated
5. 10% 7. insufficient
6. 12 tonnes 8. insecure
3 Comprehension check 6 Vocabulary 3: Expressions with

prepositions
1. F
2. T 1. from
3. T 2. to
4. F 3. at
5. T 4. of
6. F 5. over
6. on
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Rules and respect
Level 3 Advanced
1 Warmer
What do you think is meant by the phrase ‘rules and respect’?
Find the synonyms used in the article for the following words. The paragraph number is provided to
help you.
1. announce (para1) ___________________

2. team (para 2) ___________________
3. (football) game (para 2) ___________________
4. walk (slowly) (para 2) ___________________
5. develop/invent (para 4) ___________________
6. mind-set/way of thinking (para 4) ___________________
7. way (para 5) ___________________
8. fitting/proper (para 6) ___________________
9. first language (para 7) ___________________
10. task (para 8) ___________________
11. (football) field (para 9) ___________________
12. shows/indicates (para 9) ___________________
13. main (para 10) ___________________
14. positive outcome (para 11) ___________________
3 Skim-reading
Skim-read the article to find the answers to these questions.
1. What nationality is the England football team’s new manager?

2. Which well-known teams has he managed in the past?
3. Why didn’t he want to speak English at the press conference?
4. What language does he speak with the players?
5. What does Capello demand from his players?
6. What recently damaged the England players’ self-confidence?

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Rules and respect
Level 3 Advanced
Rulesand respect are the buzz words as translation from the manager’s native tongue.
Capello seeks winning mentality “I will speak English with you when I am sure
that I know all the terms and all the right words,”
Richard Williams
he said. “You are good at twisting things, so I
February 6, 2008
want to be very careful. But with the players I
1 At Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid the players can explain and communicate in English and I’m
called Fabio Capello ‘Mister’, the name given to happy about that.”
generations of managers in Italy and Spain as a
8 Capello’s objective is to create a unified team
result of the many British coaches who spread
in time for the first World Cup qualifying game
the game around the world. In England, however,
against Andorra in September. In the meantime
he will have another title. The players can call
he will be studying videos of each friendly match
him ‘Boss’, Capello declared yesterday.
and passing on his observations to the players.
2 To the England football squad the Italian’s
9 “We’ve worked very hard on the tactical front for the
iron word will be law. And that means no
last few days, all of this in order to create a group
wasting time with computer games, no strolling
mentality and, more importantly, a way of moving
down to breakfast at whatever time suits the
on the pitch that reflects my ideas about football,”
individual, and absolutely no golf in the run-up to
he said. “I’ve seen some English clubs move on
international football matches.
the pitch in the way I want my team to move. So for
3 “After the match they can play all the golf they some it won’t be anything new. Others who aren’t
like,” Capello said with a grim smile during a used to moving this way will have to adapt.”
press conference, when he explained the need
10 On the psychological front, his principal task will
for a code of behaviour.
be to restore the self-belief so badly damaged by
4 “We are only together for a short time,” he said, failure to qualify for Euro 2008. But that, as he
“and in that time you need to try and work and pointed out, is not an overnight job.
create a way of working. To do that you need
11 “I want the team to regain their winning mentality
to set some rules. Eating together and getting
by being confident in their own resources and by
up from the table at the same time and being
playing bravely. I believe we need to leave the
punctual – these things are about respect for
past behind. We need a positive mind-set and
other people and for each other. We don’t have
to look ahead. But we can’t perform miracles.
a long time to create a group mentality. It’s
We’ve only just started our work. Give us time to
important to spend time together.”
show results.”
5 Capello continued: “We need to work in an
12 And after a month in England, what was his
orderly fashion. Compared to football clubs, we
view of England’s players? “I think players are
don’t have many days together. Therefore we
the same everywhere,” he concluded. “My first
need strict rules. If we follow those rules, we’ll
impressions of these players are very good.
create a group and a specific winning mentality,
They’re very attentive and eager to impress. With
which is what I want.”
this spirit and mentality I believe we will be able
6 “People make mistakes but, if they want to be part to do very well.”
of this group, they will follow the rules. If someone
doesn’t, then we will analyze why the rules were © Guardian News & Media 2008
broken and take the appropriate course of action.” First published in The Guardian, 06/02/08
7 At the press conference, headphones were

provided for journalists needing a simultaneous
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Rules and respect
Level 3 Advanced
Choose the right answer.
1. Capello wants the England players to call him... 3. He says the players should not play golf...
a) ... Mister. a) ... before the matches.
b) ... Boss. b) ... after the matches.
c) ... Sir. c) ... at all.
2. Capello wants the players to eat... 4. He believes that strict rules will lead to...
a) ... in expensive restaurants. a) ... better discipline.
b) ... together. b) ... higher earnings.
c) ... once a day. c) ... more positive results.
5 Discussion: Football small talk
Put the words in the right order and practise using the sentences in imaginary small talk situations.
You can change the names to make the sentences apply to your country’s national football team.
1. yesterday? / What / game / you / of / think / did / the
2. the / What / of / was / the / result / afternoon? / match / this
3. World / reckon / qualify / England / for / can / the / you / next / Do / Cup?
4. this / What / England’s / are / chances / beating / match / of / Germany / in / the / evening?
5. you / again? / Capello / is / think / to / likely / pick / Do / to / play / for / Beckham / England
6. do / support? / Who / you
7. do / the / manager? / What / think / you / of / new
8. England / the / would / choose / as / you / captain / of / squad? / Who
6 Webquest
Look on the Internet to find out when Fabio Capello took over as England manager, how much he earns,
whether England won or lost their first match with him as manager, and who that match was against.
You can watch a short video about Capello on http://www.fabiocapello.org.uk/ and an interview with him on
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/7229823.stm
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Rules and respect
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KEY
2 Key words: Synonyms 4 Comprehension check
1. declare 1. b
2. squad 2. b
3. match 3. a
4. stroll 4. c
5. create
6. mentality
7. fashion
8. appropriate
9. native tongue 1. What did you think of the game yesterday?
10. objective 2. What was the result of the match this afternoon?
11. pitch 3. Do you reckon England can qualify for the next
12. reflects World Cup?
13. principal 4. What are England’s chances of beating Germany in
14. result the match this evening?
5. Do you think Capello is likely to pick Beckham to
play for England again?
3 Skim-reading 6. Who do you support?
7. What do you think of the new manager?
1. Italian 8. Who would you choose as captain of the
2. Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid England squad?
3. Because the journalists often twist words, and he
was worried that they would misquote him.
4. English
5. Adherence to rules, respect, a winning mentality
and a different way of moving on the pitch.
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Rules and respect
Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Match these key words from the article with the definitions. The paragraph numbers will help you.
simultaneous press conference restore respect

punctual winning mentality objective tactics
native tongue qualify (for something) group mentality self-confidence
1. ________________ is a feeling you have for someone because of their personal qualities, their achievements,
or their status. You show this by treating them in a polite and kind way. (title)

2. A ________________ is an official meeting where someone makes a formal statement to journalists and
answers questions. (para 3)
3. When you are on time, you are ________________. (para 4)
4. Thinking like a team: ________________. (para 4)
5. Thinking positively and expecting to succeed: ________________. (para 5)
6. When things happen or are done at the same time, they are ________________. (para 7)
7. Your ________________ is the language you first learnt and spoke at home while you were growing up.
(para 7)

8. An ________________ is something that you plan to achieve, especially in business or work. (para 8)

9. These are particular methods or plans you have to achieve something: ________________. (para 9)

10. When you have ________________, you have the feeling that you can do things well and that people
respect you. (para 10)
11. When you ________________ something, you bring it back to the condition it was before. (para 10)

12. When you _____________, you reach the next stage of a competition by winning in an earlier stage.
(para 10)

1. What is the name of the England football team’s new manager?

2. Which Spanish and Italian teams has he managed in the past?
3. What language does he speak at press conferences?
4. What language does he speak with the England team players?
5. Which country will England play in a World Cup qualifying match in September 2008?
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Rules and respect
Level 1 Elementary
Rules and respect are the buzz words native tongue were given headphones. “I will
as Capello seeks winning mentality speak English with you when I am sure that I
Richard Williams know all the terms and all the right words,” he
February 6, 2008 said. “You are good at twisting things, so I want
to be very careful. But with the players I can
explain and communicate in English and I’m
1 At Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid the players happy about that.”
called Fabio Capello ‘Mister’, the name given
to generations of managers in Italy and Spain 8 Capello’s objective is to create a strong team
by British football coaches around the world. In in time for the first World Cup qualifying game
England, however, he will have another title. The against Andorra in September. In the meantime,
players can call him ‘Boss’, Capello said. he will be watching videos of each England
match and talking about them with the players.
2 The England football team will have to do
9 “We’ve worked very hard on tactics for the last
exactly what the Italian says. And that means no
computer games, no having breakfast whenever few days in order to create a group mentality and
they feel like it, and absolutely no golf before a different way of moving on the pitch,” he said.
international football matches. “I’ve seen some English clubs move on the pitch
in the way I want my team to move. So for some
3 At a press conference Capello explained the players it won’t be anything new. Others who
need for strict rules. “After the match they aren’t used to moving this way will have to learn.”
can play all the golf they like,” he said with a
serious smile. 10 Psychologically, his main task will be to restore
the players’ self-confidence which was lost when
4 “We are only together for a short time,” he the England team failed to qualify for Euro 2008.
said, “and in that time we need to find a way But that, as he said, is not an overnight job.
of working. To do that you need rules. Eating
together and getting up from the table at the 11 “I want the team to regain their winning mentality
same time and being punctual – these things by being confident and by playing bravely. I
are about respect for other people and for each believe we need to leave the past behind. We
other. We don’t have a long time to create need to look ahead positively. But we can’t
a group mentality, so it’s important to spend perform miracles. We’ve only just started our
time together.” work. Give us time to show what we can do.”
5 Capello said: “Compared to football clubs, we 12 So, after a month in England, what was his
don’t have many days together. Therefore we view of England’s players? “I think players are
need strict rules. If we follow those rules, we’ll the same everywhere,” he concluded. “My first
create a specific winning mentality, which is impressions of these players are very good and I
what I want.” believe we will be able to do very well.”
6 He said: “People make mistakes but, if they want

to be part of this group, they will follow the rules.
If someone doesn’t, then we will look at why the
rules were broken and do something about it.”
7 At the press conference, journalists who needed

a simultaneous translation from the manager’s
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1. Capello wants the England players… … to beat Andorra.
2. Before matches, Capello wants the players… … to a better team mentality.
3. He believes that strict rules will lead… … in English.
4. Capello still speaks Italian… … to call him ‘Boss’.
5. He is able to communicate with the players… … all over the world.
6. He wants the players to move differently… … at press conferences.
7. His first aim is for England… … to eat together.
8. He says football players are the same… … on the football pitch.
Look through the article to find nouns that can follow football. Can you think of more?
pitch
football...
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Hold mini conversations about football. Start with these questions and continue the conversation for as
long as you can.
Which football team do you support?

Have you ever been to a football match?
Who won the last European Cup / World Cup?
Did you watch any of the matches? If yes, where?
6 Webquest
Watch a short video about Capello on www.fabiocapello.org.uk and find the answers to these questions on
the website.
When did Fabio Capello begin the job as England manager? ________________________
How much does he earn? ________________________
You can see more video clips on http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/7229823.stm
What language does Capello speak in the videos? ________________________

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KEY
1. respect 1. Capello wants the England players to call

2. press conference him ‘Boss’.
3. punctual 2. Before matches, Capello wants the players to
4. group mentality eat together.
5. winning mentality 3. He believes that strict rules will lead to a better
6. simultaneous team mentality.
7. native tongue 4. Capello still speaks Italian at press conferences.
8. objective 5. He is able to communicate with the players
9. tactics in English.
10. self-confidence 6. He wants the players to move differently on the
11. restore football pitch.
12. qualify 7. His first aim is for England to beat Andorra.
8. He says football players are the same all over
the world.
1. Fabio Capello
2. Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid Possible answers:
3. Italian match, pitch, game, manager, coach, result, score,
4. English player, star, stadium, club, team, squad, hooligan,
5. Andorra competition, trophy, league
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1 Warmer
What do you think is meant by the phrase ‘rules and respect’?
2 Key words
Write these key words into the sentences.
group mentality grim declare winning mentality qualify objective

self-confidence stroll restore native tongue pitch
1. When you officially announce that something is true or happening, you ___________________ it.
2. If your smile is ___________________, it is serious or even unfriendly.
3. When you ___________________, you walk without hurrying.
4. Thinking like a team: ___________________.
5. Thinking positively, with a view to succeeding: ___________________.
6. Your ___________________ is the language you first learnt and spoke at home while you were growing up.
7. An ___________________ is something that you plan to achieve, especially in business or work.
8. A ___________________ is a place or ground where sport is played.
9. When you have ___________________, you have the feeling that you can do things well and that people
respect you.
10. When you ___________________ something, you bring it back to the condition it was before, or make
someone have a particular feeling again.
11. When you ___________________ for something you reach a particular stage of a competition by competing
successfully in an earlier stage.
3 Skim-reading
1. What nationality is the England football team’s new manager?

2. Which well-known teams has he managed in the past?
3. Why didn’t Capello speak English at the press conference?
4. What language does he speak with the England team players?
5. What is going to take place in September 2008?
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Rules and respect
Rules and respect are the buzz words “You are good at twisting things, so I want to be
as Capello seeks winning mentality very careful. But with the players I can explain and
communicate in English and I’m happy about that.”
Richard Williams
8 Capello’s objective is to create a unified team in
February 6, 2008
time for the first World Cup qualifying game against
Andorra in September. In the meantime, he will be
1 At Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid the players studying videos of each friendly match and passing
called Fabio Capello ‘Mister’, the name given to on his comments to the players.
generations of managers in Italy and Spain by the
many British football coaches around the world. In 9 “We’ve worked very hard on tactics for the last few
England, however, he will have another title. The days in order to create a group mentality and, more
players can call him ‘Boss’, Capello declared. importantly, a different way of moving on the pitch,”
he said. “I’ve seen some English clubs move on
2 The England football squad will have to do exactly the pitch in the way I want my team to move. So for
what the Italian says. And that means no wasting some it won’t be anything new. Others who aren’t
time with computer games, no strolling down to used to moving this way will have to learn.”
breakfast whenever they feel like it, and absolutely
no golf before international football matches. 10 Psychologically, his main task will be to restore
the players’ self-confidence which was so badly
3 “After the match they can play all the golf they damaged when the England team failed to qualify
like,” Capello said with a grim smile during a for Euro 2008. But that, as he pointed out, is not an
press conference, when he explained the need for overnight job.
strict rules.
11 “I want the team to regain their winning mentality
4 “We are only together for a short time,” he said, by being confident in their own resources and by
“and in that time you need to create a way of playing bravely. I believe we need to leave the past
working. To do that you need to set some rules. behind. We need a positive mind-set and to look
Eating together and getting up from the table at ahead. But we can’t perform miracles. We’ve only
the same time and being punctual – these things just started our work. Give us time to show what we
are about respect for other people and for each can do.”
other. We don’t have a long time to create a group
mentality. It’s important to spend time together. 12 So, after a month in England, what was his view of
England’s players? “I think players are the same
5 “Compared to football clubs, we don’t have many everywhere,” he concluded. “My first impressions of
days together. Therefore we need strict rules. If these players are very good. They’re very attentive
we follow those rules, we’ll create a group and a and eager to impress. With this spirit and mentality I
specific winning mentality, which is what I want.” believe we will be able to do very well.”
6 “People make mistakes but, if they want to be part © Guardian News & Media 2008
of this group, they will follow the rules. If someone First published in The Guardian, 06/02/08
doesn’t, then we will analyse why the rules were
broken and take the appropriate course of action.”
7 At the press conference, headphones were

provided for journalists who needed a simultaneous
translation from the manager’s native tongue. “I
will speak English with you when I am sure that I
know all the terms and all the right words,” he said.
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1. Capello wants the England players to call him ‘Mister’.
2. Capello wants the players to eat together and leave the table at the same time.
3. He says the players should not play golf or computer games.
4. He believes that strict rules will lead to higher earnings.
5. Capello doesn’t completely trust journalists.
6. He wants the players to move differently on the football pitch.
7. He thinks England will need a miracle in order to beat Andorra.
8. He says football players are the same all over the world.
5 Vocabulary: What was the score?
a) Match the results on the left with the phrases on the right.
1. England 0:0 Switzerland four all or it was a draw
2. England 1:0 Switzerland nil nil or it was a no-score draw
3. England 4:4 Switzerland two one to Switzerland
4. England 1:2 Switzerland one nil to England
b) What was the score in England’s match against Switzerland on February 6th 2008?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/7229823.stm
c) What was the result of the last football match you watched?
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Think about the last football match you watched. Talk about it with a partner as though you watched it
yesterday. Use these questions to start off and continue the small talk.
What did you think of the game yesterday?

What was the score?
What did you think of the second goal / the goal keeper / the penalty?
Do you think they can win the next match?
What do you think of the new manager?
Who would you choose as captain of the national team?
Who do you support?
7 Webquest
Watch a short video about Capello on www.fabiocapello.org.uk and find the answers to the following ques-
tions on the website.
When did Fabio Capello take over as England manager?

How much does he earn?
What do visitors to the website think about an Italian managing the England football team? (see the visitor poll)
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KEY
1. declare 1. F
2. grim 2. T
3. stroll 3. F
4. group mentality 4. F
5. winning mentality 5. T
6. native tongue 6. T
7. objective 7. F
8. pitch 8. T
9. self-confidence
10. restore
11. qualify 5 Vocabulary: What was the score?
a)
3 Skim-reading 1. nil nil or it was a no-score draw
2. one nil to England
1. Italian 3. four all or it was a draw
2. Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid 4. two one to Switzerland
3. He was worried the journalists would twist his
words (mis-quote him). b) 2:1 to England
4. English
5. The first World Cup qualifying match against
Andorra.
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Shark species face extinction
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key adjectives
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key adjectives from the text.
endangered vulnerable extinct revised excessive

devastating unrestricted resilient predatory wide-ranging
1. A ____________ animal or person is one that is at risk of being damaged by something negative or harmful.
2. A ____________ animal is one that kills and eats other animals.
3. If something is ____________, there is much more of it than is reasonable or necessary.
4. An ____________ animal, plant or language no longer exists.
5. A ____________ creature is one that is able to become healthy or strong again despite a serious problem.
6. If something is ____________, it covers a very large area.
7. An ____________ species is one that may soon become extinct.
8. An ____________ activity is one that has no rules or limits to control it.
9. A ____________ version of something is one that has been changed or added to.
10. ____________ means ‘causing a lot of harm or damage’.
2 What do you know?
The text is about endangered species and, in particular, sharks. Decide whether the following statements
are True (T) or False (F) and then check your answers in the text.
1. Shark fins are a delicacy in China.
2. More than 100 species of shark are on the World Conservation Union’s endangered list.
3. The world’s shark population has fallen by 90% as a result of the demand for shark fins.
4. The shark population along the US east coast has only fallen by 1%.
5. Shark fishing is not permitted in international waters.
6. Sharks mature in a relatively short time – 5 to 6 years.

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Shark species face extinction amid 5 Recent studies have shown that all shark
overfishing and appetite for fins populations in the north-west Atlantic Ocean
have declined by an average of 50% since
Call for marine reserves to protect migration
the early 1970s. Shark numbers can become
hotspots as scientists fear decline will affect
depleted very quickly because they take a
other species
long time to mature - 16 years in the case of a
scalloped hammerhead. Their fins are highly
Alok Jha in Boston
prized in China and can fetch up to £140 a
Monday February 18 2008
kilogram. Until recently the eating of shark fin
was a delicacy restricted to the rich in China,
said Baum, but as the country’s middle class has
1 Nine more species of shark are to be added
grown in the past 25 years, so has the market for
to the endangered list as scientists warn that shark fins. Excessive fishing has caused a 90%
oceans are being emptied of the fish by over- decline in shark populations across the world’s
fishing and finning. The scalloped hammerhead oceans and up to 99% along the US east coast,
shark, which has declined by 99% over the which are some of the best-managed waters in
past 30 years in some parts of the world, is the world, according to Baum.
particularly vulnerable and will be declared
globally endangered on the World Conservation 6 The decline in predators such as sharks can
Union (IUCN) list. have devastating consequences for the local
marine ecology. In a case study published last
2 “Sharks are definitely at the top of the list year, Baum found that a major decline in the
for marine fishes that could go extinct in our numbers of predatory sharks in the north Atlantic
lifetimes,” said Julia Baum of the Scripps after 2000 had allowed populations of the sharks’
Institution of Oceanography in California and a prey, cownose rays, to explode. The rays in turn
member of IUCN shark specialist group. “If we decimated the bay scallop populations around
carry on the way that we are, we’re looking at North Carolina. “There was a fishery for bay
a really high risk of extinction for some of these scallops in North Carolina that lasted over a
shark species within the next few decades.” century uninterrupted and it was closed down in
2004 because of cownose rays.”
3 At the American Association for the Advancement
of Science annual meeting in Boston, Baum said 7 Fishing for sharks in international waters is
that in addition to the scalloped hammerhead, unrestricted, but Baum supports a recent
other shark species that will be added to the UN resolution calling for immediate limits on
revised IUCN endangered list later this year catching sharks and a ban on shark finning.
are the smooth hammerhead, short-fin mako, Sonja Fordham, of the Shark Alliance, a coalition
common thresher, big-eye thresher, silky, tiger, of 50 scientific and conservation groups, said:
bull and dusky. There are already 126 species of “People think these wide-ranging, fast sharks are
shark on the IUCN’s list. resilient to fishing; however, this shows this is not
the case. Concerned citizens can really help by
4 “The perception has been that really wide- making their fisheries ministers aware that they
ranging species can’t become endangered support conservation measures such as
because if they are threatened in one area, catch limits.”
surely they’ll be fine in another area,” said Baum.
“But fisheries now cover all corners of the earth 8 Some conservation efforts for sharks will focus
and they’re intense enough that these species on newly identified hotspots where sharks
are being threatened everywhere.” congregate during migrations. Peter Klimley of
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the University of California, Davis, found that scientists as ‘the white shark cafe’, Klimley says.
scalloped hammerhead sharks migrate along “We started calling it the cafe because that is
fixed ‘superhighways’ in the oceans, speeding where you might go to have a snack or maybe
between a series of ‘stepping stone’ sites just to ‘see and be seen’. We are not sure
near coastal islands ranging from Mexico to which,” said Salvador Jorgensen, a researcher
Ecuador. “Hammerhead sharks are not evenly at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station.
dispersed throughout the seas, but concentrated “Once they leave the cafe they return year after
at seamounts and offshore islands,” he said. year to the same exact spot along the coast, just
“Hence, enforcing reserves around these areas as you might return to a favourite fishing hole.”
will go far in protecting these species and will
provide the public with places for viewing sharks © Guardian News & Media 2008
in their habitat.” First published in The Guardian, 18/02/08
9 One site between Hawaii and Mexico attracts

so many sharks it has become known among
1. Why are wide-ranging species of shark becoming endangered?

a. Because their prey has exploded.
b. Because shark fishing is unrestricted.
c. Because intense fisheries now cover all corners of the earth.
2. Why did the North Carolina bay scallop fishery close down?
a. Because there weren’t any sharks to eat the cownose rays that feed on scallops.
b. Because the sharks ate all the scallops.
c. Because it was no longer profitable.
3. Why has the consumption of shark fin in China increased?

a. Because it has become cheaper to buy.
b. Because the growing middle class in China can afford to buy this expensive delicacy.
c. Because the Chinese believe it is good for the health.
4. What is the ‘white shark cafe’?

a. A coastal island.
b. A place where migrating sharks regularly gather.
c. A place where sharks return to each year to have their young.
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4 Find the word

1. a five-word expression meaning in 30 to 40 years time (para 2)

2. an adjective meaning having fewer members than usual or than before (para 5)
3. a two-word expression meaning considered to be very important or valuable (para 5)
4. a verb meaning to be sold for a particular amount of money (para 5)
5. a noun meaning a rare or expensive type of food (para 5)
6. a verb meaning to destroy by removing a large percentage of something (para 6)
7. an adjective meaning worried (para 7)
8. a two-word expression meaning located with equal amounts of space between them (para 8)
5 Expressions with Prepositions
Complete the phrases using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.
1. focus _______
2. in addition _______
3. restricted _______ the rich
4. the market _______ a particular product
5. limit(s) _______ catching sharks
6. a ban _______ shark finning
7. resilient _______ fishing
8. provide people _______ something
6 Adjective + noun collocations
Match the adjectives in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to make expressions
from the text. Check your answers in the text.
1. devastating a. risk
2. endangered b. delicacy
3. major c. species
4. high d. meeting
5. annual e. consequences
6. highly prized f. decline
7 Discussion
Should there be a complete ban on certain types of fishing in order to protect endangered species? Should
we allow certain species to become extinct because that is simply the natural order of things?
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KEY
1 Key adjectives 4 Find the word
1. within the next few decades

1. vulnerable 2. depleted
2. predatory 3. highly prized
3. excessive 4. fetch
4. extinct 5. delicacy
5. resilient 6. decimate
6. wide-ranging 7. concerned
7. endangered 8. evenly dispersed
8. unrestricted
9. revised
10. devastating
1. on
2 What do you know? 2. to
3. to
1. T 4. for
2. T 5. on
3. F 6. on
4. F 7. to
5. F 8. with
6. F
2. c
1. c 3. f
2. a 4. a
3. b 5. d
4. b 6. b

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1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key adjectives from the text.
endangered scallop extinct migration conservation

habitat fin species ban resolution
1. An _______________ animal, plant or language no longer exists.
2. An _______________ species is one that may soon become extinct.

3. A _______________ is a type of shellfish that many people like to eat.
4. An animal’s natural _______________ is the place it normally lives in.
5. A _______________ is a thin flat part of a fish’s body that sticks out.
6. _______________ is a period when animals, fish or birds travel in large numbers to a different part of the world
to seek warmer or cooler weather.
7. A _______________ is an official statement ordering people not to do something.
8. A _______________ is a formal proposal at an official organisation.
9. A _______________ is a group of animals whose members are all similar.
10. _______________ is the protection of the environment and the animals and other creatures in it.
1. How much do shark fins cost in China?
2. How many species of shark are on the World Conservation Union’s list of endangered species?
3. How many years does it take a scalloped hammerhead shark to grow to adult size?
4. How much have shark populations fallen along the US east coast?
5. How much have shark populations fallen in the oceans of the world as a result of fishing?
6. What is the IUCN?

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Shark species face extinction amid 5 Studies have shown that all shark populations in
overfishing and appetite for fins the north-west Atlantic Ocean have fallen by an
average of 50% since the early 1970s. Numbers
of sharks can fall very quickly because they take
a long time to grow to adult size - 16 years in the
other species
case of a scalloped hammerhead. The fins of
Alok Jha in Boston hammerhead sharks are a very popular food in
February 18, 2008 China and can cost as much as £140 a kilogram.
Until 20 or 30 years ago only rich people ate
1 The number of sharks in the world’s oceans is shark fin in China, said Baum, but in the last
falling rapidly. Scientists say that fishing and 25 years the middle class in China has grown
hunting sharks for their fins, known as ‘finning’, and so has the market for shark fins. Shark
are the main reasons for the fall in the shark populations in the oceans of the world have fallen
population. Nine more species of shark will by 90% as a result of fishing and by almost 99%
soon be on the list of endangered species. One along the US east coast.
of these species is the scalloped hammerhead
shark. Its numbers have fallen by 99% over 6 When the number of sharks falls in a particular
the past 30 years in some parts of the world. region this can have a very bad effect on the
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) list local marine ecology. In one example, Baum
of endangered species will list the scalloped found that a major fall in the numbers of
hammerhead shark as endangered worldwide. sharks in the north Atlantic after 2000 allowed
populations of the sharks’ main food, cownose
2 “Sharks are definitely at the top of the list of rays, to increase rapidly. Then the large numbers
marine animals that could become extinct during of cownose rays destroyed the bay scallop
our lifetimes,” said Julia Baum of the Scripps populations around North Carolina. “There was
Institution of Oceanography in California and a a fishery for bay scallops in North Carolina that
member of IUCN shark specialist group. “If things operated for over a hundred years but it closed
don’t change, some of these shark species will down in 2004 because of cownose rays.”
become extinct in the next twenty or thirty years.”
7 People are free to catch sharks in international
3 At a meeting of the American Association for the waters, but Baum supports a United Nations
Advancement of Science in Boston, Baum said resolution for immediate limits on catching sharks
that as well as the scalloped hammerhead, other and a ban on shark finning. Sonja Fordham, of
shark species will be on the IUCN endangered the Shark Alliance said: “Fishing has a really bad
list later this year. They include the smooth effect on shark populations. Worried citizens can
hammerhead, short-fin mako, common thresher, really help by telling their fisheries ministers that
big-eye thresher, silky, tiger, bull and dusky. they support limits on catches.”
There are already 126 species of shark on the
IUCN’s list. 8 Conservation efforts for sharks will focus on
hotspots where sharks gather during migrations.
4 “People think that a worldwide species can’t Peter Klimley of the University of California found
become extinct because if they are in danger that scalloped hammerhead sharks migrate along
in one part of the world, surely they’ll be fine fixed ‘superhighways’ in the oceans, swimming
in another part,” said Baum. “But fisheries now between a series of sites near coastal islands
cover all corners of the earth and the fishing is from Mexico to Ecuador. “Hammerhead sharks
so intensive that these species are in are concentrated at underwater mountains
danger everywhere.” and offshore islands,” he said. “So, if we have
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reserves around these areas, it will help to Jorgensen, a researcher at Stanford University’s
protect these species and will provide the public Hopkins Marine Station. “When they leave the
with places where they can see sharks in their cafe they return year after year to the same
natural habitat.” exact spot along the coast, just as people return
to a favourite fishing hole.”
so many sharks that scientists call it ‘the white © Guardian News & Media 2008
shark cafe’, Klimley says. “We started calling First published in The Guardian, 18/02/08
it the cafe because that is where you might go
to have a snack or maybe just to ‘see and be
seen’. We are not sure which,” said Salvador
1. The shark population is falling rapidly because of…
2. The scallop fishery in North Carolina closed because…
3. People catch sharks for their fins because…
4. Scientists call one place “the white shark café” because…
5. Shark numbers can fall very quickly because…
6. Scientists are going to put scalloped hammerhead sharks on the list of endangered species because…
a. … sharks return there again and again.
b. … there is a real danger that they will become extinct.
c. … there were no sharks to eat the cownose rays.
d. … they can sell them for a lot of money.
e. … fishing and finning.
f. … they take a long time to grow to adult size.

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4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text
1. the years over 30 past

2. next the in or twenty years thirty
3. early the 1970s since
4. years in last the 25
5. hundred a over years for
6. of by 50% average an
Match the words from the text in the left-hand column with the words in the right-hand column that have a
similar meaning.
1. rapidly a. grow
2. worldwide b. because of
3. fine c. wealthy
4. rich d. light meal
5. as a result of e. all over the world
6. increase f. environment
7. habitat g. very quickly
8. snack h. alright
6 Word building: Irregular verbs
Complete the table using forms from the text.
past simple past participle

grow grew
fall fell
became become
show showed
cost cost
find found
left left
saw
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Chunks
1. extinct 1. over the past 30 years

2. endangered 2. in the next twenty or thirty years
3. scallop 3. since the early 1970s
4. habitat 4. in the last 25 years
5. fin 5. for over a hundred years
6. migration 6. by an average of 50%
7. ban
8. resolution
9. species
10. conservation
1. g
2. e
2 Find the information 3. h
4. c
1. £140 a kilo 5. b
2. 126 6. a
3. 16 7. f
4. 99% 8. d
5. 90%
6. World Conservation Union
6 Word building: Irregular verbs
past simple past participle
1. e grow grew grown
2. c
fall fell fallen
3. d
4. a become became become
5. f show showed shown
6. b
cost cost cost
find found found
leave left left
see saw seen
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1 Key words
endangered habitat scallop extinct coalition

devastating predator explode migration conservation
1. A ______________ is an animal that kills and eats other animals.
2. An ______________ animal, plant or language no longer exists.
3. An ______________ species is one that may soon become extinct.
4. ______________ means ‘causing a lot of harm or damage’.
5. A ______________ is a type of shellfish that many people like to eat.
6. A ______________ is a temporary union of different groups who agree to work together to achieve a common aim.
7. If a population ______________, it increases very rapidly.
8. ______________ is a period when animals, fish or birds travel in large numbers to a different part of the world
to seek warmer or cooler weather.
9. ______________ is the protection of the environment and the animals and other creatures in it.
10. An animal’s natural ______________ is the place it normally lives in.
1. How many species of shark are on the World Conservation Union’s list of endangered species?
2. How much do shark fins sell for in China?
3. How many years does it take a scalloped hammerhead shark to mature?
4. By how much have shark populations fallen along the US east coast?
5. How many groups are in the Shark Alliance?
6. Worldwide by how much have shark populations fallen as a result of fishing?

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NEWS LESSONS / Shark species face extinction / Intermediate

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Shark species face extinction amid have fallen by an average of 50% since the early
overfishing and appetite for fins 1970s. Numbers of sharks can fall very quickly
because they take a long time to mature - 16
years in the case of a scalloped hammerhead.
Their fins are highly prized in China and can sell
other species
for as much as £140 a kilogram. Until recently
Alok Jha in Boston only the rich ate shark fin in China, said Baum,
February 18, 2008 but in the last 25 years the country’s middle class
has grown and so has the market for shark fins.
1 Scientists are warning that over-fishing and the Intensive fishing has caused a 90% fall in shark
practice of catching sharks for their fins, known populations in the oceans of the world and up to
as ‘finning’, are reducing shark populations 99% along the US east coast, which are some of
rapidly. Nine more species of shark will soon be the best-managed waters in the world, according
added to the list of endangered species. The to Baum.
scalloped hammerhead shark, whose numbers
have fallen by 99% over the past 30 years in 6 A fall in numbers of predators such as sharks
some parts of the world, is particularly at risk can have devastating consequences for the local
and will be declared globally endangered on the marine ecology. In a case study published last
World Conservation Union (IUCN) list. year, Baum found that a major fall in the numbers
of predatory sharks in the north Atlantic after
2 “Sharks are definitely at the top of the list 2000 had allowed populations of the sharks’
for marine fishes that could go extinct in our prey, cownose rays, to explode. In turn the rays
lifetimes,” said Julia Baum of the Scripps destroyed the bay scallop populations around
Institution of Oceanography in California and a North Carolina. “There was a fishery for bay
member of IUCN shark specialist group. “If we scallops in North Carolina that lasted over a
carry on the way that we are, we’re looking at century but it closed down in 2004 because of
a really high risk of extinction for some of these cownose rays.”
shark species within the next few decades.”
7 There are no restrictions on fishing for sharks
3 At the American Association for the Advancement in international waters, but Baum supports a
of Science annual meeting in Boston, Baum said recent UN resolution calling for immediate limits
that in addition to the scalloped hammerhead, on catching sharks and a ban on shark finning.
other shark species that will be added to the Sonja Fordham, of the Shark Alliance, a coalition
IUCN endangered list later this year are the of 50 scientific and conservation groups, said:
smooth hammerhead, short-fin mako, common “People think these wide-ranging, fast sharks
thresher, big-eye thresher, silky, tiger, bull and are not affected by fishing but this shows this is
dusky. There are already 126 species of shark on not the case. Worried citizens can really help by
the IUCN’s list. making their fisheries ministers aware that they
support conservation measures such as limits
4 “People think that worldwide species can’t become on catches.”
endangered because if they are threatened in one
area, surely they’ll be fine in another area,” said 8 Some conservation efforts for sharks will focus
Baum. “But fisheries now cover all corners of the on newly identified hotspots where sharks gather
earth and the fishing is so intensive that these during migrations. Peter Klimley of the University
species are in danger everywhere.” of California found that scalloped hammerhead
sharks migrate along fixed ‘superhighways’ in
5 Recent studies have shown that all shark the oceans, speeding between a series of sites
populations in the north-west Atlantic Ocean near coastal islands from Mexico to Ecuador.
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“Hammerhead sharks are not evenly spread it the cafe because that is where you might go
throughout the seas, but concentrated at to have a snack or maybe just to ‘see and be
underwater mountains and offshore islands,” seen’. We are not sure which,” said Salvador
he said. “So, enforcing reserves around these Jorgensen, a researcher at Stanford University’s
areas will help to protect these species and will Hopkins Marine Station. “Once they leave the
provide the public with places where they can cafe they return year after year to the same
view sharks in their natural habitat.” exact spot along the coast, just as people return
to a favourite fishing hole.”
so many sharks that scientists call it ‘the white © Guardian News & Media 2008
shark cafe’, Klimley says. “We started calling First published in The Guardian, 18/02/08
1. The bay scallop fishery in North Carolina closed because sharks ate all the cownose rays.
2. Only rich people eat shark fin in China.
3. Intensive fishing is the main reason the shark population is falling.
4. Hammerhead sharks are spread evenly around the world’s oceans.
5. Fishing for sharks in international waters is not permitted.
6. Migrating sharks often return to the same places along the coast.
7. The scalloped hammerhead is the only endangered species of shark.
8. Fisheries now cover all corners of the earth.
4 Find the word
1. A two-word phrasal verb meaning continue. (para 2)
2. A verb meaning to grow to full adult size. (para 5)
3. A two-word expression meaning considered to be very important or valuable. (para 5)
4. A two-word expression meaning up to a short time ago. (para 5)
5. A verb meaning to increase very rapidly. (para 6)
6. A noun meaning a formal proposal considered by an organisation and voted on at a meeting. (para 7)
7. A two-word adjective meaning found everywhere. (para 7)
8. A verb meaning making sure the law is obeyed by people. (para 8)

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5 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text
1. the years over 30 past
2. next the within decades few
3. early the 1970s since
4. years in last the 25
5. the in some world parts of
6. of by 50% average an
verb noun
1. restrict
2. resolve
3. conserve
4. migrate
5. enforcement
6. protection
7. reduction
8. threat
7 Discussion
Should we spend a lot of money to protect endangered species or should we simply ‘let nature take its course’ and
allow them to become extinct like the dinosaurs?
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KEY
1. predator 1. carry on
2. extinct 2. mature
3. endangered 3. highly prized
4. devastating 4. until recently
5. scallop 5. explode
6. coalition 6. resolution
7. explodes 7. wide-ranging
8. migration 8. enforcing
9. conservation
10. habitat
5 Chunks
2 Find the information 1. over the past 30 years

2. within the next few decades
1. 126 3. since the early 1970s
2. £140 a kilogram 4. in the last 25 years
3. 16 years 5. in some parts of the world
4. 99% 6. by an average of 50%
5. 50
6. 90%
verb noun
1. F 1. restrict restriction
2. F 2. resolve resolution
3. T
4. F 3. conserve conservation
5. F 4. migrate migration
6. T
7. F 5. 5. enforce enforcement
8. T 6. 6. protect protection
7. 7. reduce reduction
8. 8. threaten threat
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The Oscars
Level 3 Advanced
1 Team quiz: And the award for best actor goes to...
All of these actors have won an Oscar for best actor, but in which year, and for their role in which film?
Match each actor with the film he starred in and the year the film was in the cinemas.
Russell Crowe The Godfather 1944

Daniel Day-Lewis Gladiator 1948
Ben Kingsley My Left Foot 1951
Marlon Brando The Last King of Scotland 1972
Bing Crosby Going My Way 1975
Humphrey Bogart Life is Beautiful 1982
Roberto Benigni Hamlet 1989
Forest Whitaker Ghandi 1998
Jack Nicholson The African Queen 2000
Laurence Olivier One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 2006
Which of the actors above:
a) Refused the award? ____________________
b) Won the Oscar for best actor again this year? ____________________
2 Key words
Write these key words from the article into the definitions.
resolution montage contender hyperbole stoked

driven sentiment menacing noteworthy prospector
1. Something that is _________________ is intended to seriously threaten or frighten someone.

2. When you are _________________ you always try very hard to achieve things and be successful.
3. A _________________ is someone who searches an area of land or water for gold, oil etc.
4. When something is _________________ it is worth giving special attention or praise to.
5. When someone says they are _____________, they mean that they are really happy or excited about something.
(slang)
6. A _________________ is the action of solving a problem or dealing with a disagreement in a satisfactory way.
7. A _________________ is a feeling or expression of sympathy, sadness or love.
8. A _________________ is a single picture created by combining several different pictures, pieces of music, etc.
9. A _________________ is someone who competes with other people for a prize or job.
10. _________________ is a way of emphasizing what you are saying by describing it as far more extreme than it really is.
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NEWS LESSONS / The Oscars / Advanced

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The Oscars
Level 3 Advanced
Coens alone as No Country uncertainty that showed in much of the broadcast.

dominates Oscars Host Jon Stewart, making his second appearance
Dan Glaister, Los Angeles at the helm of the second most-watched television
February 25, 2008 programme in the US, opened proceedings by
remarking, “You’re here! I can’t believe it! You’re
1 The Coen brothers’ brutal thriller No Country For actually here!”
Old Men dominated the 80th Academy Awards on
Sunday, winning best director and best film. 7 That sense of relief and disbelief filtered through to
the rest of the show. While the Oscars are always
2 The film also picked up the best supporting actor keen on sentiment, much of this year’s broadcast
Oscar for the menacing performance by Javier was given over to nostalgic reruns of previous wins
Bardem as the hitman Anton Chigurh. Rounding and interviews with stars of bygone years.
things off on a triumphant night for the film,
directors Ethan and Joel Coen also won the Oscar 8 “Had the writers’ strike continued, they would
for best adapted screenplay for their work bringing have had to pad out the ceremony with even
the vision of novelist Cormac McCarthy to more montages,” Stewart said at one point, before
the screen. introducing yet another montage of old clips. After
it finished, he said, “Thank God we didn’t have to
3 In a night short on surprises, the heavily-tipped show that.”
favourite Daniel Day-Lewis won the best actor
Oscar for his portrayal of a driven oil prospector in 9 One of the evening’s surprises came when Marion
There Will Be Blood. He accepted his award, on his Cotillard won the best actress award for her
knees, from Helen Mirren, remarking that, “that’s portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose. Julie
the closest I’ll ever come to getting a knighthood.” Christie and Ellen Page had been considered
strong contenders for the award, but Cotillard built
4 There was a British flavour to much of the evening, on her victory at the BAFTAs to win the Oscar.
with six Oscars going to British nominees. The most
notable was to Tilda Swinton for her supporting 10 British winners included Alexandra Byrne for her
performance in the legal thriller Michael Clayton. costume designs for Elizabeth: The Golden Age,
Swinton also produced the most noteworthy Jan Archibald, along with Didier Lavergne for La
acceptance speech of the night, noteworthy for its Vie en Rose, and Suzie Templeton and Hugh
inclusion of the words nipple and buttock in the 45 Welchman for the animated short film Peter and
seconds winners are allowed. the Wolf.
5 Speaking backstage on the night, Swinton admitted 11 Daniel Day-Lewis was the only winner to attempt
to being surprised at her win. “I’m so stoked, to scale the heights of Oscar hyperbole, when
as they say, I think it’s fantastic. It’s completely he noted from the stage that There Will be Blood
astonishing, and I’m amazed I’m still standing, but had, “sprung like a golden sapling out of the mad,
I’m not complaining. It’s good.” beautiful head of [director] Paul Thomas Anderson.”
6 The 80th annual Academy Awards took place 12 But best actress winner Cotillard probably came up
against the backdrop of inclement weather and the with the most touching sentiment of the night when
aftermath of the writers’ strike. The strike caused she remarked from the stage that, “It is true, there
the Golden Globes, Hollywood’s other major are some angels in this city.”
celebration, to be cancelled. But its resolution
less than two weeks before the Academy Awards © Guardian News & Media 2008
left the show’s writers little time to prepare, an First published in The Guardian, 25/02/08
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The Oscars
Level 3 Advanced
3 Skimming for information
Skim-read the text to find out who won the following 80th Academy Awards and for which films.
a) Best actor ________________________________________________________________
b) Best actress ______________________________________________________________
c) Best film _________________________________________________________________
d) Best supporting actress _____________________________________________________
e) Best supporting actor _______________________________________________________
f) Best director ______________________________________________________________
4 Comprehension check (with a bit of general knowledge thrown in)
1. When he accepted his award, on his knees, from Helen Mirren, Daniel Day-Lewis said, “That’s the closest I’ll
ever come to getting a knighthood.” Why did he say that?
a) Because Helen Mirren is a member of the British royal family.
b) Because Helen Mirren previously won an Oscar for her portrayal of the British Queen.
c) Because, being Irish, he can’t be knighted in England.
2. The 80th Academy Awards took place even though...

a) ... the weather was bad and the writers were still on strike.
b) ... the weather was incredibly hot and the writers’ strike had only just ended.
c) ... the weather was bad and the writers’ strike had only just ended.
3. How many times has Jon Stewart hosted the Oscars ceremony?
a) Twice, including this year.
b) Twice before, therefore three times including this year.
c) Once, this was his first time.
4. What are the BAFTAs?

a) Awards presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
b) Awards presented by the Belgian Academy of Film and Television Actors.
c) Awards presented by the Berlin Association of Film and Theatre Actors.
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The Oscars
Level 3 Advanced
4 Webquest
Go to www.oscar.com and watch the best acceptance speeches. You can see short clips of post-award
acceptance speeches and interviews on the ‘Thank you cam’.
To find quotes from previous winners, type best and worst acceptance speeches into an Internet
search engine.
7 Speaking: An acceptance speech
In his acceptance speech, Daniel Day-Lewis said that There Will be Blood had, “sprung like a golden sapling out of
the mad, beautiful head of [director] Paul Thomas Anderson.”
You are going to be presented with an award (for best student / best homework / best attendance). Write a
30 second acceptance speech. Try to make your language as flowery, over the top, and emotional as pos-
sible. Make your acceptance speech to the class. The information from task 5 will help you.
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The Oscars
Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Team quiz: And the award for best actor 3 Skimming for information
goes to...
a) Best actor: Daniel Day-Lewis for There will be Blood
Bing Crosby, Going My Way, 1944 b) Best actress: Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose
Laurence Olivier, Hamlet, 1948 c) Best film: No Country for Old men (Coen Brothers)
Humphrey Bogart, The African Queen, 1951 d) Best supporting actress: Tilda Swinton for Michael
Marlon Brando, The Godfather, 1972 Clayton
Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1975 e) Best supporting actor: Javier Bardem for No Country
Ben Kingsley, Ghandi, 1982 for Old men
Daniel Day-Lewis, My Left Foot, 1989 f) Best director: Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country
Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful, 1998 for Old men
Russell Crowe, Gladiator, 2000
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland, 2006
Marlon Brando refused the award. 4 Comprehension check

Daniel Day-Lewis won the Oscar for best actor again
this year. 1. b
2. c
3. a
2 Key words 4. a
1. menacing
2. driven
3. prospector
4. noteworthy
5. stoked
6. resolution
7. sentiment
8. montage
9. contender
10. hyperbole
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The Oscars
Level 1 Elementary
1 Team quiz: And the winner is...
In the past, these actors won an Oscar for best actor.

Match each actor with a film and the year the film was in the cinemas.

One of the actors won the Oscar for best actor again this year. Who? ________________________
2 Key words
astonishing acceptance speech victory prospector sapling

portrayal touching sentiment animated triumphant nominee
1. When you are __________________, you win or have much success. (para 2)
2. The way that you show or describe someone is your __________________ of him/her. (para 3)
3. A __________________ is someone who searches an area of land or water for gold, oil etc. (para 3)
4. A __________________ is someone who has been officially suggested for a position or prize. (para 4)
5. An __________________ is what you give (say) when you win a prize or award. (para 4)
6. Something that is __________________ is very surprising. (para 5)
7. A __________________ is another word for a win. (para 7)
8. An __________________ film consists of a series of drawings that are shown quickly one after another so that
they look as if they are moving. (para 8)
9. A __________________ is a young tree. (para 9)
10. A __________________ is an emotional expression of sympathy, sadness, or love. (para 10)

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NEWS LESSONS / The Oscars / Elementary

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The Oscars
Level 1 Elementary
Coens alone as No Country time, opened the show by saying, “You’re here! I
dominates Oscars can’t believe it! You’re actually here!”
Dan Glaister, Los Angeles 7 One of the evening’s biggest surprises came
February 25, 2008 when Marion Cotillard won the best actress
award for her portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie
1 The Coen brothers’ brutal thriller No Country For
en Rose. Most people had expected either
Old Men won the Oscars for best director and
Julie Christie or Ellen Page to win the award,
best film at the 80th Academy Awards in Los
but Cotillard followed her victory at the BAFTAs
Angeles last Sunday.
(the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
2 Javier Bardem also won the best supporting awards) by winning the Oscar.
actor Oscar for his role as the hitman Anton
8 British winners included Alexandra Byrne for her
Chigurh in the same film. And, in a triumphant
costume designs for Elizabeth: The Golden Age,
night for the film, its directors Ethan and Joel
Jan Archibald, along with Didier Lavergne for La
Coen won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay.
Vie en Rose, and Suzie Templeton and Hugh
3 In a night of few surprises, Daniel Day-Lewis won Welchman for the animated short film Peter and
the Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of an oil the Wolf.
prospector in There Will Be Blood. He accepted
9 Daniel Day-Lewis was the only winner to
his award on his knees from Helen Mirren who
use over-the-top sentimental and emotional
won the best actress Oscar last year for her
language. He said during his acceptance speech
portrayal of the British Queen.
that There Will be Blood had, “sprung like a
4 There was a British feeling to much of the golden sapling out of the mad, beautiful head of
evening, with six Oscars going to British [director] Paul Thomas Anderson.”
nominees. British actress, Tilda Swinton won the
10 But best actress winner Cotillard probably came
award for best actress in a supporting role for her
up with the most touching sentiment of the night
performance in the legal thriller Michael Clayton.
when she said, “It is true, there are some angels
Swinton also surprised many people with her
in this city.”
45-second acceptance speech when she used
the words nipple and buttock. © Guardian News & Media 2008
5 Speaking backstage after her win, Swinton
said she was surprised to win. “I’m so excited,
I think it’s fantastic. It’s completely astonishing,
and I’m amazed I’m still standing, but I’m not
complaining. It’s good.”
6 The 80th annual Academy Awards took place

even though there were problems: the weather
was bad, and the writers’ strike had only just
ended. The Golden Globes, Hollywood’s other
major celebration, was cancelled because of the
writers’ strike. The strike ended less than two
weeks before the Academy Awards and so the
show’s writers had very little time to prepare. Jon
Stewart, who hosted the awards for the second
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The Oscars
Level 1 Elementary
Skim-read the text to find out who won these 80th Academy Awards:
a) Best actor – ____________________ for There will be Blood
b) Best actress – ____________________ for La Vie en Rose
c) Best supporting actress – ____________________ for Michael Clayton
d) Best supporting actor – ____________________ for No Country For Old Men
e) Best director – ____________________ for No Country For Old Men
1. The most successful film at this year’s Oscars was... ... a French actress.
2. No Country for Old Men was directed... ... of an oil prospector.
3. Daniel Day-Lewis won the best actor Oscar for ... by Jon Stewart.
his portrayal...
4. Javier Bardem won the best supporting actor ... a British actress.
Oscar for his portrayal...
5. The Oscars ceremony was hosted... ... won by Europeans.
6. Tilda Swinton is... ... No Country for Old Men.
7. Marion Cotillard is... ... by the Coen brothers.
8. This year’s Oscars for best actor, best actress, ... of a hitman.
best supporting actor and best supporting actress
were all...
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The Oscars
Level 1 Elementary
Fill in the missing prepositions. Check your answers in the article.
1. the Oscar ______ best director

2. ______ the Academy Awards ______ Los Angeles
3. his portrayal ______ an oil prospector
4. He accepted his award ______ his knees ______ Helen Mirren
5. best actress ______ a supporting role
6. there are some angels ______ this city
6 Speaking: My favourite film
What is your all-time favourite film? Tell members of your class about the film and why you like it.
6 Webquest
Go to www.oscar.com and watch the short interviews on the ‘Thank you cam’.
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The Oscars
Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Team quiz: And the winner is... 4 Comprehension check
Bing Crosby, Going My Way, 1944 1. The most successful film at this year’s Oscars was
Laurence Olivier, Hamlet, 1948 No Country For Old Men.
Humphrey Bogart, The African Queen, 1951 2. No Country For Old Men was directed by the
Marlon Brando, The Godfather, 1972 Coen brothers.
Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1975 3. Daniel Day-Lewis won the best actor Oscar for his
Ben Kingsley, Ghandi, 1982 portrayal of an oil prospector.
Daniel Day-Lewis, My Left Foot, 1989 4. Javier Bardem won the best supporting actor Oscar
Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful, 1998 for his portrayal of a hitman.
Russell Crowe, Gladiator, 2000 5. The Oscars ceremony was hosted by Jon Stewart.
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland, 2006 6. Tilda Swinton is a British actress.
7. Marion Cotillard is a French actress.
Daniel Day-Lewis won the Oscar for best actor again 8. This year’s Oscars for best actor, best actress, best
this year. supporting actor and best supporting actress
were all won by Europeans.
2 Key words
1. triumphant
2. portrayal 1. for
3. prospector 2. at / in
4. nominee 3. of
5. acceptance speech 4. on / from
6. astonishing 5. in
7. victory 6. in
8. animated
9. sapling
10. touching sentiment
a) Daniel Day-Lewis
b) Marion Cotillard
c) Tilda Swinton
d) Javier Bardem
e) Joel and Ethan Coen
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The Oscars
1 Team quiz: And the award for best actor goes to...
All of these actors have won an Oscar for best actor, but in which year, and for their role in which film?
Match each actor with the film he starred in and the year the film was in the cinemas.

Which of the actors above won the Oscar for best actor again this year? ____________________
2 Key words
animated triumphant nominee nostalgic sentiment

portrayal noteworthy prospector heavily-tipped dominate
1. When you ___________________ something, it means you perform much better than your opponents.
2. When you are ___________________, you win or have much success.
3. When you are ___________________ for something, most people expect you to win.
4. The way that you show or describe someone is your ___________________ of him/her.
5. A ___________________ is someone who searches an area of land or water for gold, oil etc.
6. A ___________________ is someone who has been officially suggested for a position or prize.
7. When something is ___________________, it is worth giving special attention or praise to.
8. Something that is ___________________ reminds you of happy times in the past.
9. An ___________________ film consists of a series of drawings that are shown quickly one after another so
that they look as if they are moving.
10. A ___________________ is a feeling or expression of sympathy, sadness or love.
Skim-read the text to find out who won the following 80th Academy Awards and for which films.
a) Best actor ________________________________________________________
b) Best actress ______________________________________________________
c) Best film _________________________________________________________
d) Best supporting actress _____________________________________________
e) Best supporting actor _______________________________________________
f) Best director _________________________________________________________
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NEWS LESSONS / The Oscars / Intermediate

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The Oscars
Coens alone as No Country cancelled. As the strike ended less than two weeks
dominates Oscars before the Academy Awards, it left the show’s
writers little time to prepare. Jon Stewart, hosting
Dan Glaister, Los Angeles
the second most-watched television programme
February 25, 2008
in the US for the second time, opened the show
by saying, “You’re here! I can’t believe it! You’re
actually here!”
1 The Coen brothers’ brutal thriller No Country For
Old Men dominated the 80th Academy Awards on 7 That sense of relief and disbelief continued
Sunday, when it won best director and best film. throughout the rest of the show and much of this
year’s broadcast was given over to nostalgic reruns
2 Javier Bardem won the best supporting actor
of previous wins and interviews with stars and
Oscar for his role as the hitman Anton Chigurh in
past winners.
the same film. Rounding things off on a triumphant
night for the film, directors Ethan and Joel Coen 8 One of the evening’s biggest surprises came when
also won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay for Marion Cotillard won the best actress award for
bringing the work of novelist Cormac McCarthy to her portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose. Most
the screen. people had expected either Julie Christie or Ellen
Page to win the award, but Cotillard followed her
3 In a night without many surprises, the heavily-
victory at the BAFTAs (the British Academy of Film
tipped favourite Daniel Day-Lewis won the best
and Television Arts awards) by winning the Oscar.
actor Oscar for his portrayal of an oil prospector in
There Will Be Blood. He accepted his award, on 9 Other British winners included Alexandra Byrne
his knees, from Helen Mirren (who won an Oscar for her costume designs for Elizabeth: The Golden
in 2006 for her portrayal of the British Queen), Age, Jan Archibald, along with Didier Lavergne for
remarking that, “that’s the closest I’ll ever come to La Vie en Rose, and Suzie Templeton and Hugh
getting a knighthood.” Welchman for the animated short film Peter and
the Wolf.
4 There was a British feeling to much of the evening,
with six Oscars going to British nominees. The 10 Daniel Day-Lewis was the only winner to use
most notable was to Tilda Swinton, who won the over-the-top sentimental and emotional language
award for best actress in a supporting role for her when he said during his acceptance speech that
performance in the legal thriller Michael Clayton. There Will be Blood had, “sprung like a golden
Swinton also produced the most noteworthy sapling out of the mad, beautiful head of [director]
acceptance speech of the night, noteworthy for its Paul Thomas Anderson.”
inclusion of the words nipple and buttock in the 45
seconds winners are allowed. 11 But best actress winner Cotillard probably came up
with the most touching sentiment of the night when
5 Speaking backstage on the night, Swinton admitted she remarked from the stage that, “It is true, there
to being surprised at her win. “I’m so excited, I think are some angels in this city.”
it’s fantastic. It’s completely astonishing, and I’m
amazed I’m still standing, but I’m not complaining. © Guardian News & Media 2008
It’s good.” First published in The Guardian, 25/02/08
6 The 80th annual Academy Awards took place

in inclement weather and with the writers’ strike
only just ended. The strike caused the Golden
Globes, Hollywood’s other major celebration, to be
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The Oscars
1. No Country For Old Men won more Oscars than any other film at this year’s Academy Awards.
2. Cormac McCarthy directed the film No Country For Old Men.
3. The writers’ strike in Los Angeles ended shortly before the Oscars.
4. The weather in Los Angeles was perfect for the ceremony.
5. Daniel Day-Lewis expects to get a knighthood.
6. Jon Stewart has hosted the Oscars ceremony before.
7. Most people had expected Marion Cotillard to win the best actress award.
8. This year’s Oscars for best actor, best actress, best supporting actor and best supporting actress were all
won by Europeans.
5 Speaking: Class awards
Decide who or what in your class should win awards for the following categories. Think of two
more categories.
Best attendance record

The most useful contributions
Always doing the homework
Never forgetting to bring a dictionary
Best lesson this term/semester
Most memorable comment
............
............
Make and award certificates in class. The winners should thank the class for the awards by giving
acceptance speeches.
6 Webquest
Go to www.oscar.com and watch the best acceptance speeches. You can see short clips of post-award
acceptance speeches and interviews on the ‘Thank you cam’.
To find quotes from previous winners, type best and worst acceptance speeches into an Internet search
engine.
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The Oscars
KEY
1 Team quiz: And the award for best 3 Skimming for information
actor goes to...
a) Best actor: Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood
Bing Crosby, Going My Way, 1944 b) Best actress: Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose
Laurence Olivier, Hamlet, 1948 c) Best film: No Country For Old Men (Coen Brothers)
Humphrey Bogart, The African Queen, 1951 d) Best supporting actress: Tilda Swinton for Michael
Marlon Brando, The Godfather, 1972 Clayton
Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1975 e) Best supporting actor: Javier Bardem for No Country For
Ben Kingsley, Ghandi, 1982 Old Men
Daniel Day-Lewis, My Left Foot, 1989 f) Best director: Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country For
Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful, 1998 Old Men
Russell Crowe, Gladiator, 2000
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland, 2006
Daniel Day-Lewis won the Oscar for best actor again 4 Comprehension check
this year.
1. T
2. F
2 Key words 3. T
4. F
1. dominate 5. F
2. triumphant 6. T
3. heavily-tipped 7. F
4. portrayal 8. T
5. prospector
6. nominee
7. noteworthy
8. nostalgic
9. animated
10. sentiment
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The Turkmen cockroach
Level 3 Advanced
1 Warmer
cockroach /ˈkɒkrəƱtʃ/ noun [countable]

An insect similar to a large beetle that lives in places where food is kept.
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattodea. This name derives from the Latin word for ‘cockroach’, blatta.
Discuss what you would do if you saw a cockroach:

• in the street?
• in your home?
• in a restaurant?
2 Key words
Skim read the article and find a word that means:
1. To get rid of an employee – two words. (sub-title and para 4)
2. A short news broadcast or official statement. (para 1)
3. One complete turn around a course or a circuit. (para 2)
4. A silly or embarrassing mistake. (para 3)
5. Something that fails completely in an embarrassing way. (para 5)
6. To improve the way something looks by making major changes to it. (para 5)
7. An informal word for an argument. (para 6)
8. To start a new project, one that will difficult and take time. (para 8)
9. To make a short visit. (para 11)
10. The act of chopping off someone’s head. (notes)

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NEWS LESSONS / The Turkmen cockroach / Advanced

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Level 3 Advanced
And finally... how the march of a lone Niyazov, who also had run-ins with state TV
cockroach put 30 people out of work executives. Several executives were sacked after
drunken technicians failed to screen the New Year’s
address to the nation by Niyazov. They eventually
February 22, 2008
managed to get the bulletin on air at 3am.
Turkmen president sacks staff after insect’s
walk-on part in TV news bulletin 7 Those sacked in the cockroach debacle included
journalists, directors, camera operators, and
1 For the viewers of Turkmenistan’s popular nightly technical staff, the website reported. Yesterday
news programme, Vatan, it was another routine nobody from the Turkmen embassy in Moscow was
bulletin. But as the newsreader began the 9pm available for comment.
broadcast, viewers across the central Asian country
spotted something unusual crawling across the 8 Berdymukhamedov has been credited with
studio table: a large brown cockroach. improving relations with the west, and embarking
at home on a series of mild liberal reforms. He
2 The cockroach managed to complete a whole has announced the opening of Internet cafes in
lap of the desk, apparently undetected, before Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s capital, and reintroduced
disappearing. The programme, complete with foreign languages to the school curriculum.
cockroach, was repeated at 11pm that night.
9 Last March the president restored pensions to
3 It was only at 9am the following day that horrified more than 100,000 elderly citizens and in January
officials from Turkmenistan’s ministry of culture he reversed another of his predecessor’s more
discovered the cockroach’s guest appearance. bizarre bans – on opera and ballet performances.
And that, perhaps, should have been the end of
the matter, the mildly entertaining footage being 10 “Our flourishing nation should not stand separate
occasionally shown on a TV bloopers show. But from the world,” Berdymukhamedov told state-run
the consequences of this particular cockroach’s five television. He added: “It absolutely should have a
minutes of fame were immediate and severe. worthy operatic theatre and a worthy state theatre.”
The first opera would be performed in six or seven
4 The country’s president, Kurbanguly months, he suggested.
Berdymukhamedov, took news of the insect so
badly that he responded by firing no fewer than 30 11 Berdymukhamedov has moved to end
workers from the main state TV channel, the news Turkmenistan’s isolation from the rest of the world
website Kronika Turkmenistan reported yesterday. in other ways too. He has overseen attempts
to attract larger numbers of foreign tourists to
5 Before the cockroach debacle, Berdymukhamedov Turkmenistan, including the building of a multibillion
had instructed Turkmenistan’s minister of culture, pound tourist resort on the Caspian Sea. The
Gulmurat Muradov, to revamp the country’s president has also dropped in on Washington.
Soviet-era TV channel. However, a new ministerial
supervisory committee founded to carry out this 12 Berdymukhamedov’s apparent dislike of
task only worked 9am to 6pm - allowing the cockroaches may have something to do with his
cockroach to make its run undetected. previous career as a dentist. He graduated from
Turkmenistan’s state medical institute in 1979,
6 Berdymukhamedov became leader of the oil-rich completing a PhD in medical sciences in Moscow,
former Soviet republic in December 2006, following and working as a dentist from 1980 to 1995. In
the sudden death of Turkmenistan’s longstanding December 1997 he was appointed minister
and flamboyantly authoritarian ruler Saparmurat for health.
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Level 3 Advanced
Cockroach notes
• 4,500 cockroach species have been classified, • A cockroach will live after decapitation for several
but there are thought to be at least twice as many weeks before starving to death; the severed
species yet to be discovered around the world. head survives several hours.
• Despite the belief cockroaches would be the only • The world’s largest species is the wingless
survivors of nuclear war, being 15 times more Australian rhinoceros (Macropanesthia
resistant to radiation than humans, other insects rhinoceros), weighing up to 33.5 gms and up to
such as fruit flies can survive even higher doses. 90 mm in length.

1. Where does Turkmenistan’s wealth currently come from?

a) Tourism
b) Oil
c) Pharmaceuticals
2. Before he became president, Berdymukhamedov was...

a) a dentist.
b) the Minister for Health.
c) Both of the above.
3. Operatic theatre and ballet...

a) can now be performed in Turkmenistan.
b) have been banned.
c) are free for pensioners.
4. The cockroach wasn’t noticed at first because...

a) the technical staff had been sacked.
b) the bulletin wasn’t shown until 3am.
c) the ministerial advisory committee had finished work for the day.
5. Berdymukhamedov wants to...

a) cut ties with Russia.
b) bring about an end to Turkmenistan’s isolation from the rest of the world.
c) offer free dental treatment to the country’s 100,000 pensioners.
6. Turkmenistan is...
a) landlocked.
b) an island.
c) is on the Caspian sea.
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Level 3 Advanced
Join the words to make 3(or 4)-word collocations from the article.
Then, talk with a partner, explain what they mean and write an example sentence of your own for
each collocation.
mildly tourist institute
flamboyantly operatic resort
mild authoritarian theatre
worthy medical footage
multibillion pound liberal ruler
state entertaining reforms
4 Discussion
Berdymukhamedov’s reaction to the cockroach debacle was to sack 30 people.

Do you think his actions were justified? Give reasons why or why not.
7 Webquest
Do cockroaches bite? How big is a cockroach baby? What do cockroaches eat?

Go to http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/cockroach_faq.html to find the answers to these and
many other questions.
Create a class quiz with each student contributing one question (plus answer).
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1. sack and fire mildly entertaining footage

2. bulletin flamboyantly authoritarian ruler
3. lap mild liberal reforms
4. bloopers worthy operatic theatre
5. debacle multibillion pound tourist resort
6. revamp state medical institute
7. run-in
8. embark
9. drop in
10. decapitation
1. b) Oil
2. c) Both of the above.
3. a) can now been performed in Turkmenistan.
4. c) the ministerial advisory committee had finished work
for the day.
5. b) bring about an end to Turkmenistan’s isolation from
the rest of the world.
6. c) is on the Caspian sea.
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words

Find words in the article that mean:
1. To get rid of an employee. (sub-title and para 4)

2. A short news programme or official statement. (para 1)
3. The people who watch a TV programme at home. (para 1)
4. To be shown again. (para 2)
5. Shocked. (para 3)
6. Something that happens that is (in this case) embarrassing. (para 5)
7. To show a TV or radio programme. (para 6)
8. Changes, especially to make a system work fairly. (para 8)
9. To give something back to someone. (para 9)
10. To do something in front of an audience, especially in a theatre. (para 9)
11. A situation in which a country is alone. (para 10)
12. Someone has completed their studies at a university. (para 11)
2 Vocabulary: Word beetle
Skim the article to find media and TV jobs. Write them onto the word beetle.
d__________
c_______ o________ j_________
media/TV jobs
t_________
n_________
TV e_________
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NEWS LESSONS / The Turkmen cockroach / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
And finally... how a cockroach put 30 8 Berdymukhamedov has begun a series of
people out of work mild liberal reforms in Turkmenistan. He has
said that Internet cafes will open in Ashgabat,
Turkmenistan’s capital, and he has said that
February 22, 2008
school children should start learning foreign
Turkmen president sacks staff after an insect languages again.
walks onto a TV news bulletin
9 Last March the president restored pensions to
1 For the people watching the news in more than 100,000 old people. In January he
Turkmenistan, it was another normal bulletin. But announced that opera and ballet are allowed to
as the newsreader began reading the news at be performed once again in Turkmenistan .
9pm, viewers across the central Asian country
saw something unusual crawling across the 10 Berdymukhamedov wants to end Turkmenistan’s
studio table: a large brown cockroach. isolation from the rest of the world in other ways
too. He wants to attract more foreign tourists to
2 The cockroach ran the whole way across the Turkmenistan, especially to the new multibillion
desk and then disappeared. The programme, pound tourist resort on the Caspian Sea. The
complete with cockroach, was repeated at 11pm president has also visited Washington.
that night.
11 Berdymukhamedov’s dislike of cockroaches may
3 Horrified officials from Turkmenistan’s ministry of have something to do with his previous career
culture knew nothing about the cockroach until as a dentist. He graduated from Turkmenistan’s
9am the next day. The results of the cockroach’s state medical institute in 1979, he has a PhD in
five minutes of fame were immediate and severe. medical sciences from Moscow, and he worked
as a dentist from 1980 to 1995. In December
4 The country’s president, Kurbanguly 1997, he was made minister for health.
Berdymukhamedov immediately sacked 30
workers from the main state TV channel, the news Cockroach notes
website Kronika Turkmenistan reported yesterday.
• 4,500 cockroach species are known, but
5 Before the cockroach incident, Berdymukhamedov there may be at least twice as many species
had ordered Turkmenistan’s minister of culture, not yet discovered around the world.
Gulmurat Muradov, to modernise the country’s TV • Although people some people think that
channel. However, the new ministerial committee in cockroaches would be the only survivors of
charge of the modernization only works from 9am nuclear war (because they 15 times more
to 6pm. This allowed the cockroach to run around resistant to radiation than humans), other
at 9pm unnoticed. insects such as fruit flies can survive even
higher doses of radiation.
6 Berdymukhamedov became leader of the oil-rich • A cockroach can live without a head for
former Soviet republic in December 2006. The several weeks before it starves to death; the
previous president, Saparmurat Niyazov, sacked head by itself can survive several hours.
several TV executives after drunken technicians • The world’s largest species of cockroach is the
forgot to broadcast his New Year’s speech to the wingless Australian rhinoceros (Macropanesthia
nation. They eventually broadcast the speech at 3am. rhinoceros), it weighs up to 33.5 gms and can
measure up to 90 mm in length.
7 Those sacked in the cockroach incident included
journalists, directors, camera operators, and © Guardian News & Media 2008
technical staff. First published in The Guardian, 22/02/08
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Level 1 Elementary
Join the sentence halves to re-tell the story.
a) A cockroach ran across... ... the state TV channel.

b) Ministry officials knew nothing until... ... the cockroach incident funny.
c) The news bulletin, with the cockroach, was shown again on TV... ... the newsreader’s desk on live television.
d) The president did not find... ... international image.
e) The president sacked 30 staff at... ... the same evening.
f) Turkmenistan wants to improve its... ... opera and ballet performances.
g) Turkmenistan has built a new multibillion pound tourist resort at... ... the next morning.
h) Turkmens can now go to Internet cafes and... ... the Caspian Sea.
4 Vocabulary: Countries
Write the country names under their correct pronunciation pattern.
Turkmenistan Kazakhstan Ukraine Uzbekistan

Russia Afghanistan Iran Pakistan

oOoo oO Oo Ooo
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Level 1 Elementary
5 Questions and answers
Write your answers to the questions. Then ask and answer the questions in groups.
What you would do if you saw a cockroach:

• in the street?
• in your home?
E.g. If I saw a cockroach in the street, I would...

• ... walk away.
• ... call the authorities.
• ... scream.
6 Webquest: Cockroach quiz

Make a class quiz. Each student should write at least one question (plus answer).
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1. sack a) A cockroach ran across the newsreader’s desk on

2. bulletin live television.
3. viewers b) Ministry officials knew nothing until the next
4. repeated morning.
5. horrified c) The news bulletin, with the cockroach, was shown
6. incident again on TV the same evening.
7. broadcast d) The president did not find the cockroach incident
8. reforms funny.
9. restored e) The president sacked 30 staff at the state TV
10. performed channel.
11. isolation f) Turkmenistan wants to improve its international
12. graduated image.
g) Turkmenistan has built a new multibillion pound
tourist resort at the Caspian Sea.
h) Turkmens can now go to Internet cafes and opera
2 Vocabulary: Word beetle
and ballet performances.
camera operators
directors
journalists 4 Vocabulary: Countries
newsreaders
TV executives
technicians / technical staff oOoo oO Oo Ooo
Turkmenistan Ukraine Russia Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan Iran Pakistan
Afghanistan
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1 Warmer

What you would do if you saw a cockroach:

• in the street?
• in your home?
E.g. If I saw a cockroach in a restaurant, I would...
2 Key words
Skim read the article and find a word that means:
1. To get rid of an employee – two words. (sub-title and para 4)
2. A short news programme or official statement. (para 1)
3. A TV or radio programme. (para 1)
4. Shocked. (para 3)
5. The results of affects of something. (para 3)
6. Not seen, or unnoticed. (para 5)
7. Changes, especially to make a system work fairly. (para 8)
8. To give something back to someone. (para 9)
9. To have good qualities. (para 10)
10. Someone has completed their studies at a university. (para 12)

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NEWS LESSONS / The Turkmen cockroach / Intermediate

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And finally... how a cockroach put 30 several TV executives after drunken technicians
people out of work failed to screen his New Year’s speech to the
nation. They eventually managed to broadcast
the bulletin at 3am.
February 22, 2008
Turkmen president sacks staff after an insect 7 Those sacked in the cockroach incident included
walks onto a TV news bulletin journalists, directors, camera operators, and
technical staff. Nobody from the Turkmen
1 For the viewers of Turkmenistan’s popular nightly embassy in Moscow was available for comment.
news programme, Vatan, it was another routine
bulletin. But as the newsreader began the 9pm 8 Berdymukhamedov is trying to improve relations
broadcast, viewers across the central Asian with the west, and has begun a series of mild
country spotted something unusual crawling liberal reforms at home. He has announced
across the studio table: a large brown cockroach. the opening of Internet cafes in Ashgabat,
Turkmenistan’s capital, and reintroduced foreign
2 The cockroach managed to run the whole languages to the school curriculum.
way across the desk before disappearing. The
programme, complete with cockroach, was 9 Last March the president restored pensions
repeated at 11pm that night. to more than 100,000 elderly citizens and
in January he reversed another of his
3 It was only at 9am the following day that horrified predecessor’s more bizarre bans – on opera and
officials from Turkmenistan’s ministry of culture ballet performances.
discovered the cockroach’s guest appearance.
And that, perhaps, should have been the end 10 “Our flourishing nation should not stand separate
of the matter. But the consequences of this from the world,” Berdymukhamedov said. He
cockroach’s five minutes of fame were immediate added: “It absolutely should have a worthy
and severe. operatic theatre and a worthy state theatre.”
The country’s president, Kurbanguly 11 Berdymukhamedov wants to end Turkmenistan’s

4 Berdymukhamedov, took news of the insect so isolation from the rest of the world in other ways
badly that he reacted by sacking 30 workers from too. He has overseen ideas to attract larger
the main state TV channel, the news website numbers of foreign tourists to Turkmenistan,
Kronika Turkmenistan reported yesterday. including the building of a multibillion pound
tourist resort on the Caspian Sea. The president
5 Before the cockroach incident, has also visited Washington.
Berdymukhamedov had instructed
Turkmenistan’s minister of culture, Gulmurat 12 Berdymukhamedov’s dislike of cockroaches may
Muradov, to modernize the country’s TV channel. have something to do with his previous career
However, a new ministerial committee set up to as a dentist. He graduated from Turkmenistan’s
carry out this task only worked 9am to 6pm. This state medical institute in 1979, completing a PhD
allowed the cockroach to run around undetected. in medical sciences in Moscow, and then worked
as a dentist from 1980 to 1995. In December
6 Berdymukhamedov became leader of the oil-rich 1997 he was appointed minister for health.
former Soviet republic in December 2006. The
previous president, Saparmurat Niyazov, sacked
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Cockroach notes
• 4,500 cockroach species have been classified, • A cockroach can live without a head for
but there are thought to be at least twice as many several weeks before starving to death; the
species yet to be discovered around the world. head by itself can survive several hours.
• Despite the belief cockroaches would be the only • The world’s largest species is the wingless
survivors of nuclear war, being 15 times more Australian rhinoceros (Macropanesthia
resistant to radiation than humans, other insects rhinoceros), weighing up to 33.5 gms and up
such as fruit flies can survive even higher doses. to 90 mm in length.

According to the article are these statements True (T) or False (F)?
1. Turkmenistan’s wealth currently comes from oil. T/F

2. Before he became president, Berdymukhamedov was a dentist. T/F
3. Berdymukhamedov has banned performances of operas and ballets. T/F
4. The capital of Turkmenistan is Vatan. T/F
5. Berdymukhamedov wants to bring about an end to Turkmenistan’s isolation from the rest of the world. T/F
6. Turkmenistan has no coast. T/F
7. Berdymukhamedov wants school children to learn foreign languages. T/F
8. Turkmenistan used to be a part of the former Soviet Union. T/F
4 Vocabulary: Countries and nationalities
Fill in the missing information in the box. E.g. The country is Australia, the people are Australian.
country nationality
Turkmenistan
Ukrainian
Russia
Uzbekistani
Iran
Afghani
Kazakhstan
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5 Discussion
Berdymukhamedov’s reaction to the cockroach incident was to sack 30 people.

Do you think this was the right thing to do? Give reasons why or why not.
6 Webquest: Cockroach quiz

Create a class quiz. Each student should write at least one question (plus answer).
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2 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Countries and nationalities
1. sack
country nationality
2. bulletin
3. broadcast Turkmenistan Turkmen
4. horrified Ukraine Ukrainian
5. consequences
Russia Russian
6. undetected
7. reforms Uzbekistan Uzbekistani
8. restored Iran Iranian
9. worthy Afghanistan Afghani
10. graduated
Kazakhstan Kazakh
1. True
2. True
3. False
4. False
5. True
6. False
7. True
8. True
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After 49 years of Fidel, Cuba ushers in the era of Raúl
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
unanimous hardliner fatigues mandate convalescing

implicit shun rhetoric ovation omnipotent
1. A ____________ is the authority of an elected government to do the things they promised to do
before an election.
2. A standing ____________ is when the members of an audience stand up and clap their hands to express their
admiration or enjoyment.
3. If someone is ____________, they are resting in order to recover from an illness or an operation.
4. If something is ____________, it is not stated directly but is understood from what someone says or does.
5. A ____________ is someone who is strict or extreme in their beliefs or opinions.
6. ____________ is a style of speaking or writing that is intended to influence people.
7. An ____________ person is one who is powerful enough to do everything.
8. ____________ are simple loose clothes worn by soldiers.
9. A ____________ decision is one that everyone agrees with and supports.
10. If you ____________ something, you deliberately avoid it.
2 What do you know?
1. Havana is the capital of Cuba.
2. Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro is over 90 years old.
3. Fidel Castro was in power in Cuba for more than half a century.
4. Fidel Castro’s brother is the new Cuban head of state.
5. The Cuban revolution took place in 1949.
6. More than 20 million people live in Cuba.

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After 49 years of Fidel, Cuba ushers in

the era of Raúl 4 Raúl, who has headed a caretaker government,
was given a standing ovation by the assembly
Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent
before being confirmed as head of state and
February 25, 2008
government. The assembly was also due to
name a 31-member council of state. The lack of
suspense reflected the authorities’ tight control
1 Cuba’s national assembly has unanimously
over the island and its 11 million people, many of
named Raúl Castro as head of state, formally
whom hanker for relief from poverty harsher than
ending almost half a century of Fidel Castro’s
that experienced in eastern Europe before the fall
rule. The 76-year-old defence minister took
of the Berlin wall.
power in a choreographed ceremony of party
unity which cast his brother in the role of
5 The Bush administration called on Havana
revered, but no longer omnipotent, oracle of the
to move towards democracy, an implicit
revolution. As the constitutionally-designated
acknowledgment that Cuba retained the initiative
successor, Raúl’s appointment was expected but
despite Washington’s economic embargo. “We
the appointment of an ideological hardliner as his
urge the Cuban government to begin a process
deputy was a surprise. José Ramón Machado,
of peaceful, democratic change by releasing all
a 77-year-old veteran of Fidel’s Sierra Maestra
political prisoners, respecting human rights and
guerrilla campaign, was promoted ahead of
creating a clear pathway toward free and fair
young potential reformers.
elections,” Condoleeza Rice, the secretary of
state, said in a statement.
2 In his first speech as leader Raúl, in a suit and
tie instead of his usual fatigues, promised to
6 It remains unclear to what extent Fidel will retain
consult Fidel on important decisions of state.
influence. He is still leader of the Communist
“The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution
party and an assembly member, and writes
is unique. Fidel is Fidel, as we all know well, he
newspaper editorials, though the byline has
is irreplaceable,” he said. The new president
changed from Commander in Chief to Comrade
also said the Communist party would ensure
Fidel. The mention of his name last night
socialism outlasted Fidel and his generation.
prompted a standing ovation. The assembly,
“The mandate of this legislature is clear ...
whose members are elected from a list fixed by
to continue strengthening the revolution at a
the authorities, has traditionally been a rubber
historic moment. This conviction has particular
stamp for the ‘maximum commandante’ who
importance when the founding generation of the
ruled like a colossus after the 1959 revolution.
revolution is disappearing,” he said.
7 Under Raúl, who has a collegiate style, the
3 The mood in the 614-seat chamber showed
council of state is expected to wield more
little sense of drama or history in the making in
power. The president, who has long shunned
an effort to project normality and continuity. The
the limelight, is believed to favour a Chinese-
streets of Havana were quiet as people absorbed
type economic liberalization to improve living
the latest step in Fidel’s withdrawal from public
standards without loosening political control.
life, a transition initiated 19 months ago when he
He has encouraged criticism of the system,
provisionally ceded power to undergo emergency
raising expectations that delivering better food,
intestinal surgery. Last week the convalescing
transport and housing rather than rhetoric would
81-year-old said he would not accept another
characterize his rule.
term as president.
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8 Under Raúl the military has taken control of government have applied the brakes, arguing
much of the economy by managing farms, tourist that support from oil-rich Venezuela would permit
resorts and other businesses, giving so-called a return to core communism.
‘Raúlista’ senior officers political power and
smoothing the transition. Yet since taking over, © Guardian News & Media 2008
the younger Castro has attempted few reforms, First published in The Guardian, 25/02/08
possibly because ideological purists in the
1. What will Fidel Castro’s role be now that his brother has succeeded him as head of state?
a. He will remain the omnipotent oracle of the revolution.
b. He will continue to be leader of the Communist party.
c. He will give up power in order to undergo surgery.
2. What kind of policies does Raúl Castro intend to follow?
a. He does not want to change anything.

b. He intends to criticize the system.
c. He wants to raise living standards but retain strong political control.
3. How did the people of Havana react to Raúl’s appointment as head of state?
a. With angry demonstrations.
b. Calmly and quietly.
c. With a standing ovation.
4. Why has Raúl Castro attempted few reforms?
a. Because he has been prevented from doing so by hardliners.
b. Because he favours a Chinese-type economic liberalization.
c. Because he has to consult his brother on important decisions of state.

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4 Find the word

Find the words or expressions in the text that mean the following:
1. An adjective meaning respected and admired. (para 1)

2. An adjective meaning impossible to replace. (para 2)
3. A verb meaning to last longer than. (para 2)
4. A noun meaning the act of no longer being involved in something. (para 3)
5. A two word expression meaning a temporary administration that is in charge of a country until a new
government is elected. (para 4)
6. A two-word verb meaning to have a strong feeling of wanting something. (para 4)
7. A noun meaning a situation in which someone gets a lot of interest and attention from the media. (para 7)
8. A three-word idiom meaning to slow things down. (para 8)
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to form collocations
from the text.
1. release a. power
2. take b. human rights
3. cede c. expectations
4. undergo d. power
5. respect e. prisoners
6. wield f. the limelight
7. shun g. surgery
8. raise h. power

Fill the gaps in these collocations using adjectives beginning with the letters shown. Then check your
1. e____________ embargo
2. i____________ hardliner
3. p____________ importance
4. t____________ control
5. p____________ prisoner
6. h____________ rights
7. i____________ acknowledgement
8. p____________ life
7 Discussion
Should economic sanctions be imposed on countries that do not have free and democratic elections?
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KEY
1. mandate 1. revered
2. ovation 2. irreplaceable
3. convalescing 3. outlast
4. implicit 4. withdrawal
5. hardliner 5. caretaker government
6. rhetoric 6. hanker for
7. omnipotent 7. limelight
8. fatigues 8. apply the brakes
9. unanimous
10. shun

2. a/d/h
1. T 3. a/d/h
2. F 4. g
3. F 5. b
4. T 6. a/d/h
5. F 7. f
6. F 8. c
3 Comprehension check 4 Adjective + noun collocations
1. b 1. economic
2. c 2. ideological
3. b 3. particular
4. a 4. tight
5. political
6. human
7. implicit
8. public
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1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text
unanimous hardliner ovation assembly single-handedly

appointment recover dislike task consult
1. A national ____________ is another word for a country’s parliament.
2. An ____________ is a situation in which someone is given a new job, especially an important one.
5. ____________ is the opposite of ‘like’.
7. A ____________ is something that you have to do.
8. If you ____________ someone, you ask them for their advice or opinion.
9. If you do something ____________, you do it yourself without help from other people.
10. If you ____________ , you become fit and healthy again after an illness or an operation.
Find this information in the text as quickly as possible.
1. How old is Fidel Castro?
2. Is Raúl Castro younger or older than his brother?
3. When did Fidel Castro undergo surgery?
4. When was the Cuban revolution?
5. What is the population of Cuba?
6. How many members of the Cuban parliament are there?

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NEWS LESSONS / After 49 years of Fidel, Cuba ushers in the era of Raúl / Elementary
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After 49 years of Fidel, Cuba ushers in 4 The members of the Cuban parliament
the era of Raúl gave Raúl, who was head of the temporary
government, a standing ovation before they
Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent confirmed him as head of state and government.
February 25, 2008 The assembly also named a 31-member council
of state. The Cuban authorities control the island
1 Cuba’s national assembly has unanimously and its 11 million people carefully and the calm
named 76-year-old Raúl Castro as the new head atmosphere in the streets showed how strict
of state, and formally ended almost 50 years of that control is. Many Cubans want an end to a
rule by his older brother Fidel Castro. The Cuban situation in which they are poorer than people in
constitution had already named Raúl as the man eastern Europe before the fall of the Berlin wall.
who would follow Fidel as head of state so his
appointment was not a surprise. However, the 5 The American government called on Cuba to
appointment of a hardliner as his deputy was move towards democracy. “We call on the Cuban
a surprise. José Ramón Machado, a 77-year- government to begin a process of peaceful,
old who was a comrade of Fidel in the Cuban democratic change by freeing all political prisoners,
guerrilla war, became deputy head of state when respecting human rights and creating a clear road
many people thought a younger man would get towards free and fair elections,” Condoleeza Rice,
the job. the secretary of state, said in a statement.
2 Raúl made his first speech as leader wearing a 6 It is still not clear how much influence Fidel will
suit and tie instead of his usual army uniform. He have. He is still leader of the Communist party
promised to consult Fidel on important decisions and an assembly member and writes newspaper
of state. “The leader of the Cuban revolution articles under the name Comrade Fidel. When
is a special man. Fidel is Fidel, as we all know someone mentioned his name in the assembly,
well, no-one can replace him,” he said. The new there was a standing ovation. Fidel ruled Cuba
president said socialism would continue after almost single-handedly since the revolution in
Fidel and his generation. “Our task is clear ... 1959 and the members of the assembly always
to continue to make the revolution stronger at approved his decisions.
a historic moment. This is particularly important
when the generation which led the revolution is 7 Raúl likes to consult his colleagues before he
disappearing,” he said. makes decisions so under his rule the council of
state will probably have more power. The new
3 The Cuban authorities wanted to show that president, who dislikes publicity, is in favour of a
everything in the country was normal so there Chinese-type economic liberalization to improve
was no drama in the 614-seat parliament when living standards without weakening political
the historic appointment was made. The streets control. He has encouraged people to criticize
of the Cuban capital Havana were quiet as the system and some people hope that he will
people followed the latest step in 81-year-old deliver better food, transport and housing and will
Fidel’s departure from public life. He began not just make speeches.
the process of leaving public life 19 months
ago when he left power for a short time for 8 With Raúl as president the military has taken
emergency medical treatment. Last week Fidel, control of much of the economy – managing
who is still recovering from his operation, said he farms, tourist resorts and other businesses and
did not want to accept another term as president. giving senior military officers political power. But
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the younger Castro has not introduced many
reforms, possibly because the hardliners in the
government have prevented them, saying that
support from oil-rich Venezuela will allow Cuba
to return to basic communism.

1. The streets of Havana were quiet because…

2. Fidel Castro has left power because…
3. There was a standing ovation in the national assembly because…
4. Raúl is different from Fidel because...
5. People hope Raúl…
6. Money from Venezuela…
a. … will deliver better food, transport and housing.

b. … someone mentioned Fidel Castro’s name.
c. … will allow Cuba to return to basic communism.
d. … the Cuban authorities control the island and its people carefully.
e. … he prefers to consult his colleagues before he makes decisions.
f. … he has been ill.
Fill the gaps in the phrases from the text using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.
1. _____ favour of
2. head _____ state
3. instead _____
4. departure _____
5. recover _____
6. secretary _____ state
7. take control _____
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Fill the gaps in the sentences using these verbs from the text.
make free consult respect have improve
1. It is not clear how much influence Fidel Castro will ____________.
2. The new president wants to ____________ living standards.
3. He says he will ____________ his colleagues before he makes decisions.
4. Politicians ____________ a lot of speeches.

5. All governments should ____________ human rights.
6. They should also ____________ political prisoners.
6 Word building: Adjectives
Complete the table using adjectives from the text.
Noun Adjective
history
democracy
peace
economy
politics
medicine
Cuba
basis
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KEY
1. assembly 1. in
2. appointment 2. of
3. unanimous 3. of
4. hardliner 4. from
5. dislike 5. from
6. ovation 6. of
7. task 7. of
8. consult
9. single-handedly
10. recover
5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + Noun Collocations
2 Find the information 1. have

2. improve
1. 81 3. consult
2. Younger 4. make
3. 19 months ago 5. respect
4. 1959 6. free
5. 11 million
6. 614
6 Word building: Adjectives
Noun Adjective
history historic
1. d
2. f democracy democratic
3. b peace peaceful
4. e economy economic
5. a politics political
6. c
medicine medical
Cuba Cuban
basis basic
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1 Key words
unanimous designate hardliner collegiate convalescing

retain ovation initiative veteran single-handedly
2. If you do things in a ____________ way, you consult your colleagues before making important decisions.
3. ____________ is another word for ‘keep’ or ‘preserve’.
4. If you hold the ____________ in a particular situation, you have the opportunity to take action before other
people do.
5. A ____________ is someone who was in the armed forces in the past.
6. If someone is ____________, they are resting in order to recover from an illness or an operation.
7. If you do something ____________, you do it yourself without help from other people.

10. If you ____________ someone for a particular purpose, you choose them formally for that purpose.
Find this information in the text as quickly as possible.
1. What is the population of Cuba?
2. How old is Fidel Castro?
3. Is Raúl Castro younger or older than his brother?
4. When was the Cuban revolution?
5. When did Fidel Castro undergo surgery?
6. How many members of the Cuban parliament are there?

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After 49 years of Fidel, Cuba ushers in

the era of Raúl 4 Raúl, who was head of the temporary
government, was given a standing ovation by the
Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent members of parliament before being confirmed
February 25, 2008 as head of state and government. The assembly
also named a 31-member council of state. The
1 Cuba’s national assembly has unanimously calm atmosphere reflected the authorities’ tight
named Raúl Castro as head of state, and control over the island and its 11 million people,
formally ended almost half a century of Fidel many of whom want an end to poverty that is
Castro’s rule. The 76-year-old defence minister worse than that in eastern Europe before the fall
took power in a display of party unity which of the Berlin wall.
portrayed his elder brother as the voice of
the revolution. The Cuban constitution had 5 The American government called on Havana
designated Raúl as Fidel’s successor so his to move towards democracy, a move which
appointment was expected but the appointment suggested that Cuba still retains the initiative in
of a hardliner as his deputy was a surprise. spite of the economic embargo imposed by the
José Ramón Machado, a 77-year-old veteran of Americans. “We urge the Cuban government to
Fidel’s guerrilla war, was given the post ahead of begin a process of peaceful, democratic change
young potential reformers. by releasing all political prisoners, respecting
human rights and creating a clear pathway
2 In his first speech as leader, Raúl, wearing a toward free and fair elections,” Condoleeza Rice,
suit and tie instead of his usual army uniform, the secretary of state, said in a statement.
promised he would consult Fidel on important
decisions of state. “The commander in chief of 6 It is still unclear how much influence Fidel will
the Cuban revolution is unique. Fidel is Fidel, as retain. He is still leader of the Communist party
we all know well, he is irreplaceable,” he said. and an assembly member, and writes newspaper
The new president said the Communist party editorials, though the author’s name has changed
would ensure socialism lived on after Fidel and from Commander in Chief to Comrade Fidel.
his generation. “Our task is clear ... to continue When his name was mentioned in the assembly,
strengthening the revolution at a historic moment. there was a standing ovation. The assembly,
This is particularly important when the generation whose members are elected from a list fixed by
which led the revolution is disappearing,” he said. the authorities, has always been a rubber stamp
for Fidel who ruled the country almost single-
3 The Cuban authorities tried to show a sense of handedly after the 1959 revolution.
normality and continuity so there was no sense of
drama in the 614-seat parliament as the historic 7 Raúl has a more collegiate style, and under his
events took place. The streets of Havana were rule the council of state will probably have more
quiet as people followed the latest step in Fidel’s power. The president, who has always avoided
gradual departure from public life, a process he publicity, is believed to be in favour of a Chinese-
began 19 months ago when he gave up power type economic liberalization to improve living
temporarily to undergo emergency surgery. Last standards without loosening political control. He
week the convalescing 81-year-old said he would has encouraged criticism of the system, raising
not accept another term as president. expectations that delivering better food, transport
and housing rather than just making speeches
would be a characteristic of his rule.
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8 Under Raúl the military has taken control of government have prevented them, arguing that
much of the economy – managing farms, tourist support from oil-rich Venezuela would allow
resorts and other businesses and giving senior Cuba to return to basic communism.
officers political power. But since taking over,
the younger Castro has not introduced many © Guardian News & Media 2008
reforms, possibly because the hardliners in the First published in The Guardian, 25/02/08
1. Everyone in the 614-seat Cuban National Assembly supported the nomination of Raúl Castro as head of state.
2. No-one was surprised by the choice of José Ramón Machado as deputy head of state.
3. Raúl Castro normally wears a suit.
4. The people of Havana demonstrated noisily on the streets as the historic events took place.
5. Fidel Castro gave up power temporarily 19 months ago because he had a serious medical problem.
6. Fidel Castro still writes newspaper articles.
7. Raúl Castro will rule Cuba single-handedly.
8. Raúl Castro has already introduced a large number of reforms.
4 Find the word
Find the words or expressions in the text that mean the following:
1. A noun meaning someone who has an important position after someone else. (para 1)
2. An adjective meaning very special, unusual or good. (para 2)
3. An adjective meaning impossible to replace. (para 2)
4. A verb meaning to let someone leave a place where they have been kept. (para 5)
5. A noun meaning a newspaper article in which the editor gives their opinion on a particular subject. (para 6)
6. A two-word noun meaning automatic official approval for something. (para 6)
7. A verb which is the opposite of tighten. (para 7)
8. A noun meaning a particular quality or feature that is typical of something. (para 7)

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Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column to form collocations from
the text.
1. make a. power
2. take b. human rights
3. impose c. expectations
4. undergo d. a speech
5. respect e. prisoners
6. retain f. an embargo
7. release g. surgery
8. raise h. the initiative
6 Word building
adjective verb
1. strong
2. loose
3. tighten
4. weak
adjective noun
1. normal
2. continuous
3. poor
4. united
7 Discussion
Cuba has free healthcare and education, and employment for all but its citizens are not free to travel
abroad or say what they want. Which is more important – social security or human rights?
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1. hardliner 1. successor
2. collegiate 2. unique
3. retain 3. irreplaceable
4. initiative 4. release
5. veteran 5. editorial
6. convalescing 6. rubber stamp
7. single-handedly 7. loosen
8. ovation 8. characteristic
9. unanimous
10. designate

2. a
1. 11 million 3. f
2. 81 4. g
3. Younger 5. b
4. 1959 6. h
5. 19 months ago 7. e
6. 614 8. c

1. T adjective verb
2. F
3. F 1. strong strengthen
4. F 2. loose loosen
5. T
6. T 3. tight tighten
7. F 4. weak weaken
8. F
adjective noun
1. normal normality
2. continuous continuity
3. poor poverty
4. united unity
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Welcome to UK’s poshest veg shop
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
venture mere chutney modest cynic

goodies blurb sustainable competitive onlooker
1. ____________ are things that are nice to eat.
2. If agriculture is ____________, it uses methods that do not harm the environment.

3. ____________ is a cold food made from fruit, spices and vinegar and eaten with meat or cheese.
4. ____________ prices are cheaper than many others.
5. ____________ is used to emphasise that something is small, cheap or unimportant.
6. An ____________ is someone who watches something but does not take part in it.
7. ____________ is information printed about something to describe it or make it attractive to buy.
8. A ____________ is a new business or activity.
9. A ____________ crowd is one that is fairly small.
10. A ____________ is someone who believes that people care only about themselves and are not sincere or honest.
2 What do you know?
1. Prince Charles is the heir to the throne of the United Kingdom.
2. Charles owns a supermarket.
3. He is married to the Duchess of Cornwall.
4. Charles’s vegetables are cheaper than those sold in the supermarket opposite his shop.
5. Charles was 60 last year.
6. Charles in interested in environmental issues.

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Welcome to UK’s poshest veg shop is he doing this? He doesn’t need the money and
it seems a bit odd, a royal running a shop.”
Prince and duchess launch latest royal business
venture – and rival retailers say they don’t mind 5 The cynics might say the prince is doing it
at all. to promote brand Charles. There have been
Steven Morris rumours that Highgrove in Tetbury is the first one
March 18, 2008 of a chain of stores. Charles’s people said that
this was nonsense – but did admit that he was
1 He is the heir to the throne, a businessman, looking at exporting some of his goodies.
a champion of the environment. And from
this morning, he is probably Britain’s poshest 6 According to the publicity blurb, the shop is about
greengrocer. At 9am sharp, Highgrove, Prince reflecting Charles’s interests. So the first displays
Charles’s store on the main high street of his that the visitor is greeted with are chicken
adopted home town, Tetbury, will open its bluey- chinaware and stationery designed by Samantha
green doors to the great unwashed. It is the Buckley, a student at the prince’s School of
latest venture for the prince’s ever expanding Traditional Arts in East London. And the wooden
business portfolio, which has earned millions of boxes that the chutneys are stored in are made
pounds in profit over the last few years. from sustainable Welsh oak by disadvantaged
people being taught skills through one of the
2 At Highgrove shop, the prince is sticking to the projects championed by the prince. But the
formula that has served him so well; on offer highlight is probably the organic vegetables.
will be everything from seasonal vegetables There is no greengrocer in Tetbury so the good
freshly pulled out of the ground from the prince’s people of the town are very excited that they will
nearby estate – no extra charge for the royal be able to buy Charles’s muddy vegetables at his
mud still clinging to them – to apple juice from new store.
Camilla’s orchards in Wiltshire. There will be
jams, jellies, honeys, chutneys and mustards, as 7 Sarah Champier-Lowe, the prince’s personal
well as handmade biscuits and chocolates. But florist and in charge of making sure the
the coachloads of visitors, tourists and shoppers vegetables yesterday looked more like a still
that will beat a path to his store should not come life painting than a food stall, said: “When we
expecting a bargain. had a preview, people couldn’t wait to get at the
vegetables.” To be fair, the vegetable prices were
3 Away from the food shelves, a Highland vase reasonable. A bunch of earthy organic leeks from
to mark the prince’s 60th birthday later this year Highgrove will cost £1.35 today. A similar bunch
was going for an eye-watering £395. You could of leeks from the Netherlands which looked
spend £30 on a pair of gardening gloves or £45 nothing like as tasty as Charles’s was £1.10 in
on a nesting box – only the better class of bird the supermarket opposite.
welcome. The best buy may have been a collection
of Prince Charles’s sketches, a mere £6.95. 8 Anyway, the prince’s people were keen to point
out, the profits of the shop are to be ploughed
4 A modest crowd turned up for the official opening back into the prince’s Charities Foundation,
yesterday afternoon. There was no cutting of which manages and allocates funds generated
ribbon, no toasts, simply an appearance by by his social enterprises. Most Tetbury
Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. The shopkeepers were welcoming of the new kid on
royal couple had a chat with the staff, rubbed the block. A few metres from Charles’s shop,
shoulders with the great and good of Tetbury David Herbert, of the food and drinks store,
and, no doubt, checked the stock was all in order. Quayles, said: “Everybody has been telling me
“He doesn’t exactly look like a shopkeeper, does my business is going to suffer. It’s not – it’s good
he?” said Steve Gray, one of the onlookers. “Why for the town. We’ll all benefit. The shop will attract
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more visitors.” Chocolate shop owner Hortensia with onlookers – and heartily recommended the
Oates had been checking out the prices Charles shop. “It’s got some lovely things in,” she said.
was charging. “I’ve got to admit they are pretty
competitive,” she said. The prince was busy checking out a new rival,
10 the Chef’s Table. “I hear it’s good,” he told one
9 Butcher John Newman sells beef from Charles’s Tetbury resident. “Not as good as your shop,”
estate and, indeed, fine lamb from Princess she replied. In places like this, it is best to stay
Anne’s land too. “This will bring more people on the right side of the royals.
into the town so that’s good for us.” The
shopkeepers are painfully keen not to be seen
to criticize their royal neighbour – this is a
royalist town if ever there was one. As they left
the store yesterday, the duchess shook hands
1. What is “the formula that has served him so well”?

a. Working for charity
b. Selling home-grown vegetables and home-made food
c. Working as a shopkeeper in his own business
2. What, according to the text, might a cynical view of Charles’s new shop be?
a. That it is very expensive and only aimed at the upper classes.
b. That the profits will go to Charles’s own charities.
c. That it is designed to promote Charles’s own brand and image.
3. What is the attitude of the shopkeepers of the small town of Tetbury to Charles’s new venture?
a. They see it as competition so they do not welcome it.
b. They think their own businesses will suffer as a result.
c. They believe it will attract more visitors to the town and this will be good for everyone.
4. What is the attitude of the people of Tetbury to Charles’s new venture?

a. They are excited because there is no greengrocer in the town.
b. They are all royalists so they welcome it.
c. They are worried that the town will be crowded with tourists.
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4 Colloquial expressions
Match these colloquial expressions from the text with their meanings.
1. the great unwashed a. the important people of a particular place

2. to beat a path to someone’s door b. someone who has just started a new activity
3. an eye-watering price c. to be on good terms with someone
4. the great and good d. an insulting term for people from low social classes
5. the new kid on the block e. extremely expensive
6. to be on the right side of someone f. to make your way to a particular place
5 Find the word
Find the words or expressions in the text that mean the following.
1. A four-word expression that means the person who will be the next king or queen. (para 1)
2. An adjective meaning typical of people from a high social class. (para 1)
3. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to continue to do something and not to change it. (para 2)
4. A noun (often used in the plural) meaning large groups of people. (para 2)
5. A three-word expression meaning to meet and talk to famous or important people. (para 4)
6. A verb meaning to support a cause publicly. (para 6)
7. A three-word expression used to highlight something good about something you are criticising. (para 7)
8. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to reinvest. (para 8)
Use prepositions to fill the gaps in these phrases from the text. Check your answers in the text.
1. __________ the last few years

2. a chat __________ the staff
3. a chain __________ stores
4. according __________ the publicity blurb
5. in charge __________
6. to plough profits back __________ the business
7. the new kid __________ the block
8. shake hands __________ someone
6 Discussion
Prince Charles will probably be the next King of the United Kingdom. Do you think royal families are a
good thing or a bad thing? Is it better to have an unelected king or queen or an elected president?
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Colloquial expressions
1. goodies 1. d
2. sustainable 2. f
3. chutney 3. e
4. competitive 4. a
5. mere 5. b
6. onlooker 6. c
7. blurb
8. venture
5 Find the word
9. modest
10. cynic
1. heir to the throne
2. posh
2 What do you know? 3. stick to
4. coachloads
1. T 5. rub shoulders with
2. F 6. champion
3. T 7. to be fair
4. F 8. plough back
5. F
6. T
3 Comprehension check 1. over

2. with
1. b 3. of
2. c 4. to
3. c 5. of
4. a 6. into
7. on
8. with
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
posh estate orchard chutney florist

leek competitive benefit highlight vase
1. A ________________ is a long, thin vegetable that tastes a bit like an onion.
2. ________________ prices are cheaper than many others.
3. A ________________ is someone whose job is to arrange or sell flowers.
4. A ________________ is a container for flowers.
5. An ________________ is a large area of land belonging to one person, usually with a very big house on it.
6. A ________________ is the most exciting, interesting or impressive part of something.
7. An ________________ is an area of land where fruit trees grow.
8. If a person is ________________, he or she is from a high social class.
9. If you ________________ from something you get an advantage or a profit from it.
10. ________________ is a cold food made from fruit, spices and vinegar and eaten with meat or cheese.
1. How old will Charles be at his next birthday?
2. What is the name of his wife?
3. What is the name of Prince Charles’s country house?
4. How much does the expensive vase cost?
5. How much does a bunch of leeks cost in Charles’s shop?
6. How much does a bunch of leeks cost in the supermarket opposite?

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NEWS LESSONS / Welcome to UK’s poshest veg shop / Elementary

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Welcome to UK’s poshest veg shop say that this is not true – but they do say that
he is thinking of exporting some of the food he
Prince and duchess launch latest royal business
produces on his estate.
venture – and rival retailers say they don’t mind
at all. 5 The advance publicity says that the shop reflects
Steven Morris Charles’s interests. So the first things that the
March 18, 2008 visitor sees when he or she enters the shop are
chinaware and stationery designed by a student
1 Prince Charles will be the next king of England. at the prince’s School of Traditional Arts in East
He is also a businessman and a champion of London. And the wooden boxes for storing the
the environment. And now he is probably also chutney are made by people learning skills in
the poshest greengrocer in Britain. Charles has one of the projects Charles supports. But for
opened a shop called Highgrove (the name of most people the highlight is probably the organic
his country estate) on the main high street of his vegetables. There is no greengrocer in Tetbury
local town, Tetbury. It is the latest in the prince’s so the people of the town are very excited that
list of businesses, which have earned millions of they will be able to buy Charles’s vegetables at
pounds in profit over the last few years. his new shop.
2 In the Highgrove shop, the prince will sell 6 The prince’s florist, Sarah Champier-Lowe, said:
everything from fresh vegetables from his country “When people came to the shop before the
estate to apple juice from his wife Camilla’s official opening they were most interested in the
orchards in nearby Wiltshire. There will be jams, vegetables.” In truth, the vegetable prices were not so
jellies, chutneys, honeys and mustards, as well expensive. A bunch of organic leeks from Highgrove
as handmade biscuits and chocolates. But the costs £1.35. A bunch of leeks from the Netherlands
thousands of visitors, tourists and shoppers that was £1.10 in the supermarket opposite.
will come to his store should not expect to find
cheap prices. For example, a vase marking the 7 Members of the prince’s staff say that any profits
prince’s 60th birthday later this year costs £395. from the shop will go to the prince’s Charities
You could also spend £30 on a pair of gardening Foundation, which manages the money which his
gloves or for £45 you could buy a bird box. The social enterprises generate. Most shopkeepers
best thing to buy might be a collection of Prince in Tetbury welcomed the new business. A few
Charles’s drawings which costs just £6.95. metres from Charles’s shop, David Herbert, who
has a food and drinks shop, said: “Everybody
3 A small crowd came to the official opening. tells me my business is going to suffer. It’s
Charles and Camilla also came but there was not – it’s good for the town. We will all benefit.
no official ceremony. The royal couple chatted to The shop will bring more visitors to the town.”
the staff, met a few local people and had a look Chocolate shop owner Hortensia Oates looked at
round the shop. “He doesn’t really look like a the prices of the food in Charles’s shop. “I must
shopkeeper, does he?” said Steve Gray, one of say that his prices are quite competitive,” she said.
the people in the crowd. “Why is he doing this?
He doesn’t need the money and a member of the 8 Butcher John Newman sells beef from Charles’s
royal family running a shop seems a bit strange.” estate. “This will bring more people to the town
so that’s good for us.” The shopkeepers don’t
4 Some people might think the prince is doing it to want to criticize their royal neighbour – this town
promote the Prince Charles brand name. Others likes the royal family. When Charles and Camilla
say that Highgrove in Tetbury is the first one of left the shop yesterday, Camilla shook hands
a chain of stores. Members of Charles’s staff with people in the crowd – and recommended the
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shop. “It’s got some lovely things,” she said. The

prince was busy looking at another shop, the
Chef’s Table. “I hear it’s good,” he said to one of
the local people. “It’s not as good as your shop,”
she replied. In places like Tetbury, it is best to
have a good relationship with members of the
royal family.

1. Local shopkeepers think Prince Charles’s new shop is good for the town because…
2. Charles’s organic vegetables are more expensive…
3. People are excited about the vegetables because…
4. The shopkeepers don’t want to criticize Prince Charles because…
5. Any profits from the shop…
6. The vase marking the prince’s 60th birthday…
a. … people in Tetbury like the royal family.
b. … is very expensive.
c. … than the vegetables in the supermarket opposite.
d. … will go to the prince’s Charities Foundation.
e. … there is no greengrocer in the town.
f. ... it will bring more visitors to the town.

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4 Chunks
1. few the years over last

2. the to thing buy best
3. in crowd the of one people the
4. doing why he is this?
5. the opposite in supermarket
6. Charles’s a shop metres from few
5 Vocabulary: Compound words
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make words from the text.
1. green a. keeper
2. super b. made
3. hand c. ware
4. shop d. market
5. business e. grocer
6. china f. man
6 Word stress
Put these words from the text into one of the two groups depending on their word stress.
local estate business biscuit advance highlight
reply promote produce reflect royal neighbour
A 0 o B o 0
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KEY
1 Key words 4 Chunks
1. leek 1. over the last few years

2. competitive 2. the best thing to buy
3. florist 3. one of the people in the crowd
4. vase 4. why is he doing this?
5. estate 5. in the supermarket opposite
6. highlight 6. a few metres from Charles’s shop
7. orchard
8. posh
5 Vocabulary: Compound Words
9. benefit
10. chutney
1. e
2. d
4. a
1. 60 5. f
2. Camilla 6. c
3. Highgrove
4. £395
6 Word stress
5. £1.35
6. £1.10
A 0 o B o 0
3 Comprehension check local estate
business advance
1. f biscuit reply
2. c highlight promote
3. e royal produce
4. a neighbour reflect
5. d
6. b
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1 Key words
heir venture chutney cynic goodies

sustainable prominent competitive onlooker rumour
1. ________________ is a cold food made from fruit, spices and vinegar and eaten with meat or cheese.
2. An ________________ is someone who watches something but does not take part in it.
3. A ________________ is unofficial information that may or may not be true.
4. A ________________ person is one who is important and well known.
5. A ________________ is a new business or activity.
6. If agriculture is ________________, it uses methods that do not harm the environment.
7. A ________________ is someone who believes that people care only about themselves and are not sincere
or honest.
8. ________________ are things that are nice to eat.
9. The ________________ to the throne of a country is the person who will be its next king or queen.
10. ________________ prices are cheaper than many others.
1. What is the name of Prince Charles’s country house?
2. What is the name of Charles’s new shop?
3. How much does the Highland vase cost?
4. How old will Charles be at his next birthday?
5. What is the name of his wife?
6. What is the difference in price between the leeks on sale in Charles’s shop and those on sale in the
supermarket opposite?
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NEWS LESSONS / Welcome to UK’s poshest veg shop / Intermediate

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Welcome to UK’s poshest veg shop been rumours that Highgrove in Tetbury is
Prince and duchess launch latest royal business the first one of a chain of stores. Members of
venture – and rival retailers say they don’t mind Charles’s staff said that this was nonsense – but
at all. they did admit that he was thinking of exporting
some of his goodies.
Steven Morris
March 18, 2008 6 According to the advance publicity, the shop is
about reflecting Charles’s interests. So the first
1 Prince Charles is the heir to the throne of the
displays that the visitor sees are chinaware and
United Kingdom. He is also a businessman and
stationery designed by a student at the prince’s
a champion of the environment. And now he
School of Traditional Arts in East London. And
is probably also Britain’s poshest greengrocer.
the wooden boxes that the chutneys are stored
Charles has opened a store called Highgrove
in are made from sustainable Welsh oak by
(the name of his country house) on the main high
disadvantaged people being taught skills through
street of the local town, Tetbury. It is the prince’s
one of the projects supported by the prince. But
latest venture in his growing business portfolio,
the highlight is probably the organic vegetables.
which has earned millions of pounds in profit over
There is no greengrocer in Tetbury so the people
the last few years.
of the town are very excited that they will be able to
buy Charles’s muddy vegetables at his new store.
2 At the Highgrove shop, the prince will sell
everything from seasonal vegetables freshly 7 Sarah Champier-Lowe, the prince’s personal
pulled out of the ground from the prince’s nearby florist and in charge of making sure the
estate to apple juice from his wife Camilla’s vegetables looked good said: “When we had
orchards in Wiltshire. There will be jams, jellies, a preview, people couldn’t wait to get at the
honeys, chutneys and mustards, as well as vegetables.” In truth, the vegetable prices were
handmade biscuits and chocolates. But the not particularly expensive. A bunch of organic
thousands of visitors, tourists and shoppers that will leeks from Highgrove will cost £1.35 today. A
come to his store should not expect a bargain. similar bunch of leeks from the Netherlands
which didn’t look as tasty as Charles’s was £1.10
3 Away from the food shelves, a Highland Vase in the supermarket opposite.
marking the prince’s 60th birthday later this year
was on sale for an amazing £395. You could 8 Anyway, the prince’s staff said, the profits of the
spend £30 on a pair of gardening gloves or £45 shop will go to the prince’s Charities Foundation,
on a bird box. The best buy may be a collection which manages the money generated by his
of Prince Charles’s drawings for just £6.95. social enterprises. Most Tetbury shopkeepers
welcomed the new business. A few metres from
4 A small crowd turned up for the official opening. Charles’s shop, David Herbert, of the food and
There was no cutting of ribbon, no toasts, just an drinks store, Quayles, said: “Everybody has been
appearance by Charles and Camilla. The royal telling me my business is going to suffer. It’s not
couple had a chat with the staff, met prominent – it’s good for the town. We’ll all benefit. The
local people and, no doubt, checked the stock shop will attract more visitors.” Chocolate shop
was all in order. “He doesn’t exactly look like a owner Hortensia Oates had checked out the
shopkeeper, does he?” said Steve Gray, one of prices Charles was charging. “I’ve got to admit
the onlookers. “Why is he doing this? He doesn’t his prices are quite competitive,” she said.
need the money and it seems a bit strange, a
member of the royal family running a shop.” 9 Butcher John Newman sells beef from Charles’s
estate. “This will bring more people into the town
5 Cynics might say the prince is doing it to promote so that’s good for us.” The shopkeepers don’t
the Prince Charles brand name. There have want to criticize their royal neighbour – this is a
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royalist town. As they left the store yesterday,
Camilla shook hands with onlookers – and
recommended the shop. “It’s got some lovely
things in,” she said.
10 The prince was busy checking out a new rival,

the Chef’s Table. “I hear it’s good,” he told one
Tetbury resident. “Not as good as your shop,”
she replied. In places like this, it is best to be on
the right side of the royals.

1. Local shopkeepers are angry about Charles’s new shop.
2. Thousands of people came to the opening.
3. The prince cut a ribbon to open the shop.
4. The vegetables in the shop are not particularly expensive.
5. Some non-food items in the shop are very expensive.
6. Any profits from the shop will go towards opening more shops.
4 Find the word
Find the words or expressions in the text that mean the following.
1. An adjective meaning typical of people from a high social class. (para 1)

2. A noun meaning a large area of land belonging to one person, usually with a very big house on it. (para 2)
3. A noun meaning something you buy that costs much less than normal. (para 2)
4. A noun meaning a long, thin strip of coloured cloth. (para 4)
5. An adjective meaning not having the same opportunities as other people, usually because of a lack of money.
(para 6)
6. A noun meaning the most exciting, interesting or impressive part of something. (para 6)
7. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to manage to reach or touch something. (para 7)
8. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to examine something carefully to find something out. (para 8)
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the text.
1. run a. millions of pounds
2. promote b. skills
3. teach c. a business/a shop
4. have d. visitors
5. earn e. a chat
1. __________ the last few years

2. away __________ the food shelves
3. on sale __________ £395
4. have a chat __________ someone
5. all __________ order
6. thinking __________ doing something
7. according __________ the publicity
8. in charge __________
7 Discussion
Do you buy organic produce?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of food that is grown organically?
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KEY
1. chutney 1. posh
2. onlooker 2. estate
3. rumour 3. bargain
4. prominent 4. ribbon
5. venture 5. disadvantaged
6. sustainable 6. highlight
7. cynic 7. get at
8. goodies 8. check out
9. heir
10. competitive
2 Find the information 1. c

2. f
1. Highgrove 3. b
2. Highgrove 4. e
3. £395 5. a
4. 60 6. d
5. Camilla
6. 25 pence
3 Comprehension check 1. over

2. from
1. F 3. for
2. F 4. with
3. F 5. in
4. T 6. of
5. T 7. to
6. F 8. of
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Addiction to Internet ‘is an illness’
Level 3 Advanced
1 Warmer
addiction – a strong need that someone feels to regularly take an illegal or harmful drug:
There is a growing problem of drug addiction in our cities.
addiction to – a strong need or wish to spend as much time as possible doing a particular activity:
Many people have an addiction to nicotine.
His addiction to the Internet is taking over his life.
Source: Macmillan English Dictionary Online
What things might people become addicted to?

Make a list. Divide the list into new or modern addictions and old or traditional addictions.
2 Key words and phrases
Write the key words and phrases into the sentences.
case study discussion boards self-help group negative repercussions a fix

clinical disorder public health issue significant other withdrawal symptoms wean off
1. ____________________ are the unpleasant physical and mental effects suffered by someone who stops taking
a substance that they are addicted to.
2. A ____________________ is a medical matter that affects the general population.
3. A ____________________ is a medical problem or condition.
4. ____________________ are the bad effects that something has, usually lasting for a long time.
5. A ____________________ is a piece of research that records details of how a situation develops over a period
of time.
6. Your ____________________ is the person you are having a (romantic) relationship with.
7. When you make someone gradually stop depending on something that they like and have become used to,
especially a drug or a bad habit, you ____________________ them ____________________ it.
8. ____________________ is an amount of a drug that someone feels they need to take regularly to satisfy their addiction.
9. ____________________ is another term for online forums.
10. A ____________________ consists of people who discuss their problems and find ways to deal with them.
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Addiction to Internet ‘is an illness’ number of addicts dropping out of school or quitting
New evidence shows that heavy users suffer their jobs to spend more time on computers. In
isolation, fatigue and withdrawal symptoms China it has been reported that 13.7 per cent of
adolescent Internet users, about 10 million, could
David Smith, technology correspondent be considered addicts.
March 23, 2008
4 Block, a psychiatrist at the Oregon Health and
1 Tense? Angry? Can’t get online? Internet addiction Science University in Portland, writes that the
is now a serious public health issue that should be extent of the disorder it is more difficult to estimate
officially recognised as a clinical disorder, according in America because people tend to surf at home
to a leading psychiatrist. instead of in Internet cafes. But he believes there
are similar cases and says: “Unfortunately Internet
2 Excessive gaming, viewing online pornography, addiction is resistant to treatment and has high
emailing and text messaging have been identified relapse rates.” He told The Observer that he did not
as causes of the disorder by Dr Jerald Block, in the believe specific websites were responsible. “The
respected American Journal of Psychiatry. Block relationship is with the computer,” he said. “First, it
argues that the disorder is now so common that it becomes a significant other to them. Second, they
should be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical exhaust emotions that they could experience in the
Manual of Mental Disorders. He says Internet real world on the computer, through any number
addiction has four main components: of mechanisms: emailing, gaming, porn. Third,
• Excessive use, often associated with a loss of computer use occupies a tremendous amount of
sense of time or a neglect of basic drives; time in their life. Then if you simply try to remove
• Withdrawal, including feelings of anger, tension the computer, they’ve lost their best friend. That can
and/or depression when the computer is take the form of depression or rage.”
inaccessible;
• The need for better computers, more software, 5 Harry Husted, a single 51-year-old from New York,
or more hours of use; spends 16 hours a day on the Internet. He insists
• Negative repercussions, including arguments, that he is not addicted, but admits that he used to
lying, poor achievement, social isolation be. “I used to work with computers for eight hours,
and fatigue. then get home and go online for seven hours. I
would stay up until two or three in the morning or
3 A case study is South Korea, which has the until I got so sleepy I had to go to bed. I wouldn’t go
greatest use of broadband in the world. Block out to get the groceries and I couldn’t have cared
points out that 10 people died from blood clots less about friends, TV, anything. After a while I
from remaining seated for long periods in Internet realized what was happening and did something
cafes and another was murdered because of an about it. Now if I use MySpace it’s only to advertise
online game. Their country now considers Internet my business.”
addiction as one of its most serious public health
issues. The government estimates that around 6 Internet addiction clinics have sprung up around
210,000 South Korean children are affected the world in an attempt to wean people off their
and in need of treatment. 80 per cent of them need for a fix. Many people have turned, apparently
might need drugs targeting the brain and nearly without irony, to web discussion boards with
a quarter could need to go to hospital. Since the names such as Internet Addicts Anonymous. The
average high school pupil there spends about 23 Centre for Internet Addiction Recovery in Bradford,
hours per week gaming, another 1.2 million are Pennsylvania, says Internet addiction has become
believed to be at risk of addiction and require basic a growing legal issue in criminal, divorce and
counselling. There has been alarm over a rising employment cases.
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7 Robert Freedman, editor of the American Journal
of Psychiatry, said Internet addiction can be
diverse. “In Korea, it seems to be primarily gaming
sites. In America, it seems to be Facebook.
Additionally, it’s porn, it’s games, it’s gambling,
it’s chatting with friends. All these things existed
before, but now they’re a lot easier.”
8 To beat the addiction, he advised: “A self-help

group might be a place to start. Maybe replace an
online group with a real one.”

First published in The Observer, 23/03/08
Find the answers to the questions in the article.
1. What are the four basic components of Internet addiction?

a) Emailing, viewing online pornography, texting and isolation.
b) Excessive use, withdrawal symptoms when the computer is not accessible, the constant need for better
computers and software and negative repercussions on the user’s life.
c) Spending at least 16 hours a day on the Internet, quitting jobs, leaving school and social isolation.
2. In Korea, the main cause of Internet addiction is...

a) ... playing online games.
b) ... viewing pornography.
c) ... spending time on social websites such as Facebook and MySpace.
3. The case study revealed that many Internet addicts...

a) ... are in financial trouble.
b) ... take recreational drugs.
c) ... left their jobs or stopped attending school.
4. Ironically, self-help groups can be found...

a) ... in Internet cafes.
b) ... on the Internet.
c) ... in Pennsylvania.
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4 Vocabulary: Negative emotions
In the article, there are many words that are used to describe negative emotions and states of mind.
a) Find words that mean the following.

tiredness _________________
despondency _________________
loneliness _________________
anxiety _________________
b) How many other similar words can you find? Explain their meaning.
5 Discussion: Are you a net junkie?
Answer these questions for yourself or for someone you know and discuss the results. Do you think these
test questions are a good indicator of Internet addiction?
• Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet?

• Do you need increasing amounts of time on the net in order to achieve satisfaction?
• Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop Internet use?
• Do you feel restless, moody, depressed or tense when you try to cut down or stop Internet use?
• Do you often stay online longer than you originally intended?
• Have you jeopardized or risked losing a partner, job, educational or career opportunity because of the Internet?
• Have you lied to family members, a therapist or others to conceal the extent of your involvement with
the Internet?
• Do you use it to escape from problems (e.g. feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression)?
If you answer ‘yes’ to five or more of these questions, you may have an Internet addiction!
Source: Centre for Internet Addiction Recovery www.netaddiction.com
6 Webquest
Go to the website www.netaddiction.com. Here you can take further tests, read about real-life cases of
Internet addiction, listen to podcasts and watch videos.
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KEY
2 Key words and phrases 4 Vocabulary: Negative emotions
1. withdrawal symptoms a) fatigue

2. public health issue depression
3. clinical disorder isolation
4. negative repercussions tension
5. case study
6. significant other b) possible answers: anger, rage, lying, loss of
7. wean off sense of time, neglect of basic drives, arguments, not
8. a fix caring
9. discussion boards
10. self-help group
1. b
2. a
3. c
4. b
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Level 1 Elementary

How many can you write down in one minute?
Write the key words and phrases from the article into the sentences.
withdrawal symptoms isolation psychiatrist clot estimate
groceries repercussions self-help group case recovery

discussion boards components excessive admit treatment
1. When something is _____________________ it is much more than is reasonable or necessary. (subtitle)

2. When you are alone and separated from other people you are in _____________________. (subtitle)
3. _____________________ are the unpleasant physical and mental effects suffered by someone who stops
taking a substance that they are addicted to. (subtitle)
4. A _____________________ is a doctor who treats people with mental disorders. (para 1)
5. _____________________ are parts, or features of something. (para 2)
6. _____________________ are the bad effects that something has, usually lasting for a long time. (para 2)
7. A _____________________ is a lump of blood in your veins that can be dangerous. (para 3)
8. An _____________________ is a guess at a number. (para 3)
9. _____________________ is another word for medical care. (para 3)
10. When you _____________________ to something, you agree that it is true. (para 5)
11. _____________________ are food and other goods you buy regularly for the home. (para 5)
12. _____________________ is another term for online forums. (para 6)
13. _____________________ is the process of getting better after an illness or health problem. (para 6 )
14. A _____________________ is a legal matter often decided at court. (para 6)
15. A _____________________ is a group of people who discuss their similar problems and find ways to deal with
them. (para 8)
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NEWS LESSONS / Addiction to Internet ‘is an illness’ / Elementary

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Addiction to Internet ‘is an illness’ 4 Dr Block, a psychiatrist at the Oregon Health and
New evidence shows that excessive use of Science University in Portland, writes that it is
the Internet causes isolation, tiredness and more difficult to estimate how bad the problem
withdrawal symptoms is in America because people go online at home
instead of in Internet cafes. “Unfortunately it is
David Smith, technology correspondent not easy to treat Internet addiction,” he said.
March 23, 2008 “The problem is with the relationship with the
computer,” he said. “If you try to remove the
1 Tense? Angry? Can’t get online? Internet computer, they feel they’ve lost their best friend.
addiction is now a serious health problem says a That can lead to depression or rage.”
leading psychiatrist.
5 Harry Husted, a single 51-year-old from New
2 In the American Journal of Psychiatry, Dr Jerald
York, spends 16 hours a day on the Internet.
Block writes that Internet addiction is caused by He says that he is not addicted, but admits that
excessive gaming, looking at online pornography, he used to be. “I used to work with computers
emailing and text messaging. He says that for eight hours, then get home and go online for
the disorder is now so common that it should another seven hours. I was online until two or
be included in medical text books. According three o’clock in the morning or until I got so tired
to Block, Internet addiction has four main that I had to go to bed. I didn’t go out to get the
components: groceries and I didn’t care about friends, TV, or
• Excessive use, and not realizing how long anything. When I realized what was happening I
you spend on the Internet; did something about it. Now I only use MySpace
• Withdrawal symptoms, including feelings of to advertise my business.”
anger, tension and/or depression when there
is no access to the Internet; 6 Internet addiction clinics are opening all around
• The need for better computers, more the world, and many people have joined web
software or more hours of use; discussion boards such as Internet Addicts
• Negative repercussions, including Anonymous. The Centre for Internet Addiction
arguments, lying, not doing well at school or Recovery in Bradford, Pennsylvania, says
work, social isolation and tiredness. Internet addiction is often a factor in criminal,
divorce and employment cases.
3 Block says that in South Korea 10 people died
from blood clots because they sat for long 7 Robert Freedman, the editor of the American
periods in Internet cafes and another was Journal of Psychiatry, said Internet addiction
murdered because of an online game. South is different from person to person. “In Korea,
Korea now sees Internet addiction as one people are mostly addicted to gaming sites. In
of its most serious public health issues. The America, it is Facebook. They are also addicted
government estimates that around 210,000 to online pornography, games, gambling, chatting
South Korean children need treatment. 80 per with friends. All these things existed before the
cent of them might need medicines that help the Internet, but now they’re a lot easier.”
brain and nearly a quarter might need to go to
8 His advice to addicts is: “A self-help group is a
hospital. High school pupils there spend about
good place to start, but maybe a real group is
23 hours per week gaming, so another 1.2 million
better than an online one.”
need basic counselling about Internet addiction.
Many people are also worried about the number © Guardian News & Media 2008
of addicts who stop going to school or leave their First published in The Observer, 23/03/08
jobs to spend more time on computers. In China,
there might be 10 million teenage Internet addicts.
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1. Internet addicts don’t realize how... ... lonely and tired.
2. Leading psychiatrists think... ... spends 23 hours a week playing online games.
3. The average South Korean high school student... ... difficult to treat.
4. People have died because of their... ... many hours they spend online.
5. South Koreans go online... ... social networking websites.
6. Internet addiction is... ... Internet addiction.
7. Facebook and MySpace are... ... better computers and software.
8. In the USA, most people... ... at Internet cafes more often than Americans.
9. Internet addicts are often... ... Internet addiction is a real illness.
10. Internet addicts think they need... ... surf the Internet at home.
Fill in the missing prepositions. Check your answers in the article.
on (x2) from (x2) at (x2) to of in by
1. Internet addiction is caused _________ excessive gaming

2. looking _________ online pornography
3. it should be included _________ medical text books
4. feelings _________ anger
5. not doing well _________ school
6. 10 people died _________ blood clots
7. need to go _________ hospital
8. a single 51-year-old _________ New York
9. spend16 hours a day _________ the Internet
10. spend more time _________ computers
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Level 1 Elementary
5 Discussion: Addicted to
Do you agree with either of these sentences?
Many people are addicted to something and it is a big problem these days.
Being addicted to something is not a new problem.
6 Webquest
Go to the website www.netaddiction.com. Here you can take tests, read about real-life cases of Internet
addiction, listen to podcasts and watch videos.
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KEY
2 Key words and phrases 4 Vocabulary: Prepositions
1. excessive 1. by
2. isolation 2. at
3. withdrawal symptoms 3. in
4. psychiatrist 4. of
5. components 5. at
6. repercussions 6. from
7. clot 7. to
8. estimate 8. from
9. treatment 9. on
10. admit 10. on
11. groceries
13. recovery
14. case
15. self-help group
1. Internet addicts don’t realize how many hours they

spend online.
2. Leading psychiatrists think Internet addiction is a
real illness.
3. The average South Korean high school student
spends 23 hours a week playing online games.
4. People have died because of their Internet addiction.
5. South Koreans go online at Internet cafes more often
than Americans.
6. Internet addiction is difficult to treat.
7. Facebook and MySpace are social networking
websites.
8. In the USA, most people surf the Internet at home.
9. Internet addicts are often lonely and tired.
10. Internet addicts think they need better computers
and software.
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1 Warmer

Make a list. Can you divide the list into new or modern addictions and old or traditional addictions?
Write the keywords and phrases from the article into the sentences.
discussion boards clinical disorder irony significant other

inaccessible diverse psychiatrist excessive repercussions
withdrawal symptoms adolescent self-help group component
1. When something is ___________________ it is much more than is reasonable or necessary. (subtitle)

2. ___________________ are the unpleasant physical and mental effects suffered by someone who stops taking
a substance that they are addicted to. (subtitle)
3. A ___________________ is a medical problem or condition. (para 1)
4. A ___________________ is a doctor who treats people with mental disorders. (para 1)
5. A ___________________ is a part, or feature of something. (para 2)
6. When something is ___________________ it is impossible to reach or use. (para 2)
7. ___________________ are the bad effects that something has, usually lasting for a long time. (para 2)
8. An ___________________ is a boy or girl who is not yet a man or a woman. (para 3)
9. Your ___________________ is the person (or thing) you are having a (romantic) relationship with. (para 4)
10. ___________________ is a form of humour in which you use words to express the opposite of what the words
really mean. (para 6)
11. ___________________ is another term for online forums. (para 6)
12. When things are very different from each other they are ___________________ (para 7 )
13. A ___________________ is a group of people who discuss their similar problems and find ways to deal with
them. (para 8)
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NEWS LESSONS / Addiction to Internet ‘is an illness’ / Intermediate

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Addiction to Internet ‘is an illness’ has been reported that about 10 million adolescent
New evidence shows that excessive use of the Internet users could be considered addicts.
Internet causes people to suffer from isolation,
4 Dr Block, a psychiatrist at the Oregon Health and
tiredness and withdrawal symptoms
Science University in Portland, writes that it is
David Smith, technology correspondent more difficult to estimate how bad the problem is
March 23, 2008 in America because people tend to surf at home
instead of in Internet cafes. But he believes there
1 Tense? Angry? Can’t get online? Internet addiction are similar cases, and says: “Unfortunately it is
is now a serious health problem that should be
not easy to treat Internet addiction.” He told The
officially recognized as a clinical disorder, says a
Observer that he did not believe specific websites
leading psychiatrist.
were responsible. “The relationship is with the
computer,” he said. “First, it becomes a significant
2 In the respected American Journal of Psychiatry,
other to them. Second, they use up emotions that
Dr Jerald Block writes that the disorder is caused
they could experience in the real world on the
by excessive gaming, viewing online pornography,
computer, through any number of mechanisms:
emailing and text messaging. He says that the
emailing, gaming, porn. Third, computer use takes
disorder is now so common that it should be
up a huge amount of time in their life. Then if you
included in medical text books. According to Block,
simply try to remove the computer, they feel they’ve
Internet addiction has four main components:
lost their best friend. That can take the form of
• Excessive use, often associated with a loss of depression or rage.”
sense of time;
• Withdrawal symptoms, including feelings of 5 Harry Husted, a single 51-year-old from New York,
anger, tension and/or depression when the spends 16 hours a day on the Internet. He insists
computer is inaccessible; that he is not addicted, but admits that he used to
• The need for better computers, more software, be. “I used to work with computers for eight hours,
or more hours of use; then get home and go online for another seven
• Negative repercussions, including arguments, hours. I stayed up until two or three in the morning,
lying, poor achievement, social isolation or until I got so sleepy I had to go to bed. I didn’t
and tiredness. go out to get the groceries and I didn’t care about
friends, TV, or anything. After a while I realized what
3 Block says that in South Korea 10 people died from was happening and did something about it. Now if I
blood clots because they stayed seated for long use MySpace it’s only to advertise my business.”
periods in Internet cafes and another was murdered
because of an online game. South Korea now 6 Internet addiction clinics are opening all around the
considers Internet addiction one of its most serious world, and many people have turned, apparently
public health issues. The government estimates without irony, to web discussion boards with
that around 210,000 South Korean children need names such as Internet Addicts Anonymous. The
treatment. 80 per cent of them might need drugs Centre for Internet Addiction Recovery in Bradford,
that target the brain and nearly a quarter could Pennsylvania, says Internet addiction has become
need to go to hospital. Since the average high a growing legal issue in criminal, divorce and
school pupil there spends about 23 hours per week employment cases.
gaming, another 1.2 million are believed to be at
risk of addiction and require basic counselling. 7 Robert Freedman, editor of the American Journal of
Many people are also worried about the number Psychiatry, said Internet addiction can be diverse. “In
of addicts who stop going to school or leave their Korea, it seems to be mostly gaming sites. In America,
jobs to spend more time on computers. In China it it is Facebook. Additionally, it’s porn, it’s games, it’s
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gambling, it’s chatting with friends. All these things
existed before, but now they’re a lot easier.”
8 To beat the addiction, he advised: “A self-help

group might be a good place to start, but maybe a
real group is better than an online one.”

First published in The Observer, 23/03/08
1. The four basic components of Internet addiction are excessive use, withdrawal symptoms when the computer
is not accessible, the constant need for better computers and software and negative repercussions on the
user’s social life.
2. In South Korea, the main cause of Internet addiction is spending time on social networking websites such as
Facebook and MySpace.
3. The average South Korean high school student spends 16 hours a day playing online games.
4. People have died as a consequence of their Internet addiction.
5. South Koreans go online at Internet cafes more often than Americans.
6. Internet addiction is easy to treat.
4 Vocabulary: Pronunciation and intonation
Write the words from the article into the following columns according to their intonation patterns.
psychiatry isolation addiction withdrawal repercussion excessive

pornography components significant psychiatrist adolescent specific
oOo oOoo ooOo
Can you find any more words in the article that have these intonation patterns?
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.
5 Discussion: Addictions
Below are four examples of things people might be addicted to:
the Internet alcohol smoking hard drugs (e.g.

heroin, cocaine, etc.)
Work in groups or pairs and make notes about how being addicted to one of them affects the addict’s life.
Think about, money, social life, family, time, health, etc.
• What similarities and differences do you find?

• Is one addiction worse than the others?
• What advice would you give an addict?
6 Webquest
Go to the website www.netaddiction.com. Here you can take tests, read about real-life cases of internet
addiction, listen to podcasts and watch videos.
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2 Keywords and phrases 4 Vocabulary: Pronunciation and

intonation
1. excessive
2. withdrawal symptoms
oOo oOoo ooOo
3. clinical disorder
addiction psychiatrist isolation
4. psychiatrist
withdrawal pornography repercussion
5. component
excessive significant adolescent
6. inaccessible
components psychiatry
7. repercussions
specific
8. adolescent
9. significant other
10. irony
12. diverse
13. self-help group
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. T
5. T
6. F
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Smashing Pumpkins sue record label
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
sue lawsuit dispute piracy expansion

label collapse stall front (vb) back catalogue
1. If sales or prices _________________, they fall very quickly and dramatically.

2. If someone agrees to _________________ an advertising campaign, they are the main personality seen in
that campaign.
3. In the record business, _________________ is the illegal copying and sale of CDs.
4. A _________________ is a case that a court of law is asked to decide involving a disagreement between two
people or organizations.
5. A record _________________ is a company that produces records.
6. If a process begins to _________________, it stops making progress.
7. If you _________________ someone, you make a legal claim against them, usually to get money from them
because they have done something bad to you.
8. A _________________ is a serious disagreement, especially one between groups of people that lasts for a
long time.
9. An artist’s _________________ is all the books, films or records he or she has produced in the past.
10. _________________ is the process of increasing in size.
2 What do you know?
1. The Beatles refused to allow their music to be used in advertising.
2. Sales of music CDs are rising steadily.
3. EMI is the world’s biggest record label.
4. Sony owns the rights to The Beatles’ back catalogue.
5. Virgin Records was founded by Richard Branson, the owner of Virgin Atlantic.
6. Radiohead gave away their album In Rainbows for free on the Internet.
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NEWS LESSONS / Smashing Pumpkins sue record label / Advanced

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Smashing Pumpkins sue record away on the Internet long before Radiohead
label over use of songs in Pepsi had conceived last year’s pay-what-you-like
promotional deals experiment for In Rainbows. In 2000, their final
album before they split, Machina II/The Friends
• Band says Virgin had no agreement to use name
and Enemies of Modern Music, was given away
• Tensions growing as labels seek new revenue streams
for free following a dispute with Virgin.
March 26, 2008 5 While disputes between artists and labels are
nothing new, the tension is expected to increase
1 The sometimes uneasy relationship between as the music industry looks for new revenue
bands and brands has been reflected in a new streams. The Beatles famously refused to have
legal case in the US. Alternative rock group the their music used in advertising but recently Sony
Smashing Pumpkins are suing their record label, Publishing, which owns the rights to their back
claiming it used their name and music without catalogue, said it would allow it for the first time.
permission in promotional deals with Pepsi and The links between advertisers and music labels
Amazon. The group, headed by Billy Corgan, have grown in recent years as so-called “sync”
was signed to Virgin Records in the US for 17 licensing fees have become ever more important
years but yesterday claimed its only existing to help replace collapsing CD sales. Record
agreement covered the right to sell digital labels and artists have also looked to advertisers
downloads and not the right to use the band’s to help promote new artists, particularly in
image in promotional campaigns. territories where it is difficult to secure radio play
for new groups. Levis has a long track record of
2 In a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed in Los helping old and new artists into the charts, José
Angeles superior court on Monday, band González scored a worldwide hit with Heartbeats
members said they had “worked hard for over after it featured in a Sony advert, and Moby’s
two decades to accumulate a considerable Play album famously took off only after every
amount of goodwill in the eyes of the public”. track was licensed to an ad agency.
Virgin’s use of the band in a promotion known as
Pepsi Stuff, in conjunction with Amazon.com and 6 Big labels, suffering as digital download sales
PepsiCo, threatened their reputation for “artistic fail to compensate for falling CD sales and
integrity”, band members claimed. They said they the impact of piracy, are launching divisions
would “never grant such authority to Virgin, or dedicated to forging partnerships between big
any other entity”. brands and their artists. Guy Hands, who bought
EMI last year through his venture capital group
3 While some big name artists, from Michael Terra Firma, has identified the relationship as an
Jackson to Robbie Williams, have willingly signed important one in turning the company around.
deals with soft drinks brands and mobile phone
networks to front their campaigns and feature 7 EMI refused to comment on the lawsuit
their branding on tours, others have yesterday. It has owned Virgin Records since
consistently refused. 1991, when it was sold by its founder Sir Richard
Branson to help fund the expansion of his airline
4 The Smashing Pumpkins, who broke up in 2000 business. Earlier this month, Warner Music
amid stalling album sales and disputes between International announced the first deal by a new
band members but reunited in 2006, have had division designed to exploit links between its
a turbulent relationship with the major labels. artists and brands. Scottish singer-songwriter
Despite selling millions of copies of albums Paolo Nutini will have a long-term relationship
such as Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie with Puma, which will use his song New Shoes
and the Infinite Sadness, they gave their music across its global advertising campaigns.
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Universal Music, the world’s biggest record

label, has launched a joint venture with Sir
Martin Sorrell’s global marketing giant WPP
to better exploit the links between music
and advertisers.

1. Why are the Smashing Pumpkins suing their record label?

a. Because they say the label used their name and music in advertising without their permission.
b. Because their record label gave their final album away free.
c. Because the group has the sole right to sell digital downloads.
2. What is the possible effect of using a song in an advert?

a. The recording artist can lose money.
b. The song can become a worldwide hit.
c. It can secure radio play for new artists.
3. What was EMI’s reaction to the Smashing Pumpkins’ lawsuit?

a. The company said it was a matter for Virgin Records.
b. The company said it didn’t want to discuss the matter.
c. The company said it would defend its actions.
4. Why do record companies want to cooperate with big brands?

a. Because they think it is good for their image.
b. Because they want to help to promote the names of these big brands.
c. Because they want to compensate for falling CD sales and the impact of piracy.
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Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word

1. An adjective meaning not settled or calm and able to change quickly and get worse. (para 1)
2. A verb meaning to get more and more of something over a period of time. (para 2)
3. A noun meaning a separate unit that is complete and has its own character. (para 2)
4. An adjective meaning stormy. (para 4)
5. A verb meaning to get back together again. (para 4)
6. A verb meaning to get or achieve something important. (para 5)
7. A two-word expression meaning a reputation based on things done or not done in the past. (para 5)
8. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to stop being unsuccessful and start being successful. (para 6)
5 Business terms
Match these business terms from the text with their definitions.
1. venture capital a. a failure to follow the terms of an agreement

2. revenue stream b. a separate part of a large organization
3. joint venture c. money invested in a new business
4. division d. money paid for the right to use something
5. breach of contract e. an agreement between two companies to work together
6. licensing fee f. source of income
the text.
1. file a. a partnership
2. grant b. a deal
3. sign c. authority to someone
4. own d. a joint venture
5. forge e. a lawsuit
6. launch f. the rights to something
6 Discussion
Should artists have the right to decide how their music is used by record companies?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1. collapse 1. uneasy
2. front 2. accumulate
3. piracy 3. entity
4. lawsuit 4. turbulent
5. label 5. reunite
6. stall 6. secure
7. sue 7. track record
8. dispute 8. turn around
9. back catalogue
10. expansion
5 Business terms

2. f
1. T 3. e
2. F 4. b
3. F 5. a
4. T 6. d
5. T
6. F
2. c
1. a 3. b
2. b 4. f
3. b 5. a
4. c 6. d
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
download promote back catalogue sue label

brand contract give away refuse split up
1. A record _________________ is a company that produces records.
2. A _________________ is a computer file obtained from the Internet.
3. If you _________________ to do something that someone has asked you to do, you say that you will not do it.
4. A _________________ is a written legal agreement between two people or businesses.
5. If the members of a rock group _________________, they decide to stop working together.
6. If you _________________ a product, you advertise it to make people buy it.
7. A _________________ is a product or group of products that has its own name, e.g. Pepsi.
8. If you _________________ someone, you make a legal claim against them, usually to get money from them
because they have done something bad to you.
9. If a company _________________ something _________________, they let you have it without paying for it.
10. An artist’s _________________ is all the books, films or records he or she has produced in the past.
1. When did EMI buy Virgin Records?
2. When did the Smashing Pumpkins split up?
3. When did the Smashing Pumpkins re-form?
4. For how long did the Smashing Pumpkins have a contract with Virgin Records in the US?
5. How much did the Smashing Pumpkins’ 2000 album cost?
6. Which two companies were advertised using the Smashing Pumpkins’ music?
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NEWS LESSONS / Smashing Pumpkins sue record label / Elementary

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Level 1 Elementary
Smashing Pumpkins sue record relationship with the big record companies.
label over use of songs in Pepsi Although they sold millions of copies of albums
promotional deals such as Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie
and the Infinite Sadness, they also gave their
• Band says Virgin had no agreement to use name
music away for nothing on the Internet. In 2000,
• Tensions growing as labels seek new
they gave away their album for free after a
revenue streams
disagreement with Virgin.
March 26, 2008 5 Disagreements between artists and their record
labels are nothing new but many people believe
1 Rock bands often have a difficult relationship that problems will increase because the music
with the world of big business and a new legal industry is looking for new sources of income.
case in the US is an example of this relationship. The Beatles famously did not give permission for
American rock group the Smashing Pumpkins their music to be used in advertising but Sony
are suing their record label because they say it Publishing, which now owns the rights to the
used their name and music without permission in Beatles back catalogue, said it will allow Beatles
promotional deals with Pepsi and Amazon. The songs to be used.
group had a contract with Virgin Records in the
US for 17 years. However, they have now said 6 The links between advertisers and music labels
that the only agreement they have now covers have become stronger in recent years because
the right to sell digital downloads and not the music labels need licensing fees to replace falling
right to use the band’s image in CD sales. Record labels and artists also use
advertising campaigns. advertisers to promote new artists, particularly
in areas where it is difficult for new groups to get
2 The group has taken their record company to their music played on the radio. Levis has helped
court in Los Angeles for breaking their contract. to make the music of a lot of old and new artists
Band members said they had “worked hard for popular, José González had a worldwide hit with
over twenty years to build up a good image with Heartbeats after it appeared in a Sony advert, and
the public”. Virgin used their name and music Moby’s Play album became a hit when every track
in a promotion with Amazon.com and PepsiCo was licensed to an advertising agency.
called Pepsi Stuff. The Smashing Pumpkins say
that this was bad for their image and their “artistic 7 The big record companies have found that their
integrity”. They said they would “never give profits are falling because CD sales are falling,
permission like this to Virgin, or any people are illegally copying CDs, and digital
other company”. downloads are not making enough money. As
a result they are trying to create partnerships
3 Some big name artists, like Michael Jackson and between big brands and their artists. Guy Hands,
Robbie Williams, have happily signed deals with who bought the record label EMI last year,
soft drinks brands and mobile phone networks says the relationship between big brands and
to be part of their advertising campaigns and to artists is important if the company is going to be
advertise their products on their tours, but other successful again.
artists have always refused to sign such deals.
8 EMI did not want to comment on the court case.
4 The Smashing Pumpkins split up in 2000. Sales It has owned Virgin Records since 1991, when
of their records had stopped rising and band Richard Branson sold it to get money for his
members were arguing with each other. They airline business. Earlier this month, Warner Music
re-formed in 2006 but have always had a difficult International announced its first partnership
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Level 1 Elementary
between an artist and a brand. Scottish singer

songwriter Paolo Nutini will have a long-term
relationship with Puma, which will use his song
New Shoes in its global advertising campaigns.

1. The Smashing Pumpkins are suing their record company because...
2. Music labels want to work with advertisers because...
3. Richard Branson sold Virgin Records because…
4. The Smashing Pumpkins split up because…
5. Record companies’ profits are falling because…
6. Sony can allow Beatles songs to be used in advertising because…
a. … it now owns the rights to the Beatles’ back catalogue.
b. … he needed money for his airline business.
c. … sales of their records had stopped rising.
d. … they say it used their name and music in advertising without permission.
e. … CD sales are falling and they need money from other sources.
f. … CD sales are falling and people are copying CDs illegally.

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Level 1 Elementary
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns and noun phrases in the right-hand column. Then
check your answers in the text.
1. sign a. a product
2. advertise b. a partnership
3. give c. someone to court
4. create d. a deal
5. have e. a relationship
6. take f. permission
5 Words and definitions
Match the words and expressions with their definitions.
1. advertising campaign a. a song that sells a very large number of copies
2. income b. the difference between what you earn and what you spend
3. licensing fee c. a planned series of advertisements to promote something
4. profit d. a professional performer in music, dance or the theatre
5. hit e. money someone gets for working or for selling something
6. artist f. money paid for permission to use something
6 Word building
verb noun
1 permit
2 disagree
3 promote
4 announcement
5 belief
6 advertisement
7 increase
8 produce
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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Verb + noun collocations
1. label 1. d
2. download 2. a
3. refuse 3. f
4. contract 4. b
5. split up 5. e
6. promote 6. c
7. brand
8. sue
5 Words and definitions
9. gives ... away
10. back catalogue
1. c
2. e
4. b
1. 1991 5. a
2. 2000 6. d
3. 2006
4. 17 years
6 Word building
5. nothing (it was free)
6. Pepsi and Amazon
verb noun
3 Comprehension check 1 permit permission
2 disagree disagreement
1. d 3 promote promotion
2. e
3. b 4 announce announcement
4. c 5 believe belief
5. f 6 advertise advertisement
6. a
7 increase increase
8 produce product
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1 Key words
download sue lawsuit dispute piracy

back catalogue label goodwill promote charts
1. A ____________ is a serious disagreement, especially one between groups of people that lasts for a long time.
2. The ____________ is a list showing the CDs that people have bought the most copies of in the previous week.
3. A ____________ is a case that a court of law is asked to decide involving a disagreement between two people
or organizations.
4. If you ____________ someone, you make a legal claim against them, usually to get money from them because
they have done something bad to you.
5. An artist’s ____________ is all the books, films or records he or she has produced in the past.
6. A record ____________ is a company that produces records.
7. If you ____________ a product, you attract people’s attention to it through advertising.
8. In the record business, ____________ is the illegal copying and sale of CDs.
9. A ____________ is a computer file obtained from the Internet.
10. ____________ is the good reputation that a person, a group of people or a company has in the eyes of the
general public.
1. When did EMI buy Virgin Records?
2. When did the Smashing Pumpkins break up?
3. Which two companies were advertised using the Smashing Pumpkins’ music?
4. Which band had a hit album called In Rainbows?
5. Which is the world’s biggest record label?
6. When did the Smashing Pumpkins re-form?

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NEWS LESSONS / Smashing Pumpkins sue record label / Intermediate

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Smashing Pumpkins sue record their music away on the Internet long before
label over use of songs in Pepsi Radiohead’s pay-what-you-like experiment for
promotional deals In Rainbows last year. In 2000, their final album
• Band says Virgin had no agreement to use name before they split, Machina II/The Friends and
• Tensions growing as labels seek new Enemies of Modern Music, was given away free
revenue streams after a dispute with Virgin.
Owen Gibson, media correspondent 5 Disputes between artists and record labels
March 26, 2008 are nothing new, but the tension is expected
to increase as the music industry looks for
1 Rock bands often have a difficult relationship new sources of income. The Beatles famously
with the world of big business and this has refused to let their music be used in advertising
been reflected in a new legal case in the US. but recently Sony Publishing, which owns the
Alternative rock group the Smashing Pumpkins rights to their back catalogue, said it would
are suing their record label, saying it used allow it for the first time. The links between
their name and music without permission in advertisers and music labels have grown in
promotional deals with Pepsi and Amazon. The recent years as licensing fees have become
group, led by Billy Corgan, was signed to Virgin more and more important to help replace falling
Records in the US for 17 years but yesterday CD sales. Record labels and artists have also
said that its only existing agreement covered the looked to advertisers to help promote new artists,
right to sell digital downloads and not the right to particularly in areas where it is difficult for new
use the band’s image in advertising campaigns. groups to get their music played on the radio.
Levis has helped a lot of old and new artists to
2 The group has filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles get their music into the charts, José González
superior court for a breach of contract. Band had a worldwide hit with Heartbeats after it
members said they had “worked hard for over appeared in a Sony advert, and Moby’s Play
twenty years to build up a great deal of goodwill album only became successful after every track
in the eyes of the public”. Virgin’s use of the band was licensed to an advertising agency.
in a promotion known as Pepsi Stuff, together
with Amazon.com and PepsiCo, was in conflict 6 The big record companies have found that their
with their reputation for “artistic integrity”, they profits are falling as sales of digital downloads
said. They said they would “never give such fail to compensate for falling CD sales and the
authority to Virgin, or any other company”. impact of piracy. As a result, they are forming
special divisions whose job it is to create
3 Some big name artists, from Michael Jackson to partnerships between big brands and their artists.
Robbie Williams, have happily signed deals with Guy Hands, who bought EMI last year, has
soft drinks brands and mobile phone networks identified the relationship between big brands
to be part of their advertising campaigns and to and artists as an important one in making the
feature their products on their tours, but others company successful again.
have always refused to sign such deals.
7 EMI did not want to comment on the lawsuit
4 The Smashing Pumpkins broke up in 2000 yesterday. It has owned Virgin Records since
when sales of their albums had stopped rising 1991, when Richard Branson sold it to provide
and band members were arguing with each funding for his airline business. Earlier this
other. They re-formed in 2006 and have always month, Warner Music International announced
had a stormy relationship with the big record the first deal by a new division designed to
companies. Despite selling millions of copies promote links between its artists and brands.
of albums such as Siamese Dream and Mellon Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini will have
Collie and the Infinite Sadness, they gave
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a long-term relationship with Puma, which will
use his song New Shoes in its global advertising
campaigns. Universal Music, the world’s biggest
record label, has a new joint venture with Sir
Martin Sorrell’s global marketing giant WPP to
exploit the links between music and advertisers.

1. The Beatles did not allow their music to be used in advertising.
2. Sony is planning to use The Beatles’ music in advertising.
3. The Smashing Pumpkins believe their record company does not have the right to sell digital downloads of their music.
4. Disputes between artists and record labels are the result of piracy and falling CD sales.
5. Michael Jackson and Robbie Williams have always refused to sign deals with big brands.
6. Links between music labels and advertisers have been growing in recent years.
4 Find the word
1. A two-word expression meaning a planned series of advertisements and events planned to promote something.
(para 1)
2. A verb meaning to include as an important part of something. (para 3)
3. A two-word verb meaning to end a working relationship. (para 4)
4. A two-word phrasal verb meaning to hope or expect to get help from someone. (para 5)
5. A noun meaning a single song on an album. (para 5)
6. A two-word verb phrase meaning to change the bad result of something. (para 6)
7. A noun meaning the effect of something. (para 6)
8. An adjective meaning including or affecting the whole world. (para 7)
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5 Business terms
Match the words in the left-hand column with the definitions in the right-hand column.
1. deal a. the difference between income and expenditure
2. breach of contract b. an agreement between two companies to work together
3. joint venture c. a separate part of a large organization
4. licensing fee d. a formal business agreement
5. profit e. money paid for the right to use something
6. division f. a failure to follow the terms of an agreement
6 Word building
Complete the table.
verb noun
1 permit
2 agree
3 dispute
4 promote
5 announce
6 sign
7 advertise
8 divide
7 Discussion
What is the best way to listen to music? Do you prefer to buy CDs or are you happier downloading tracks
from the Internet?

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KEY
1. dispute 1. advertising campaign

2. charts 2. feature
3. lawsuit 3. break up
4. sue 4. look to
5. back catalogue 5. track
6. label 6. compensate for
7. promote 7. impact
8. piracy 8. global
9. download
10. goodwill
5 Business terms

2. f
1. 1991 3. b
2. 2000 4. e
3. Pepsi and Amazon 5. a
4. Radiohead 6. c
5. Universal Music
6. 2006
6 Word building
3 Comprehension check 1. permission

2. agreement
1. T 3. dispute
2. T 4. promotion
4. F 6. signature
5. F 7. advertisement/advertising
6. T 8. division
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Passengers fume in the chaos of Terminal 5’s first day
Level 3 Advanced
1 Pre-reading
1. Do you like flying?

2. Have you ever had any problems at an airport?
3. How would you feel if your luggage got lost or was delayed?
4. And if your flight was cancelled?
This article is about what happened when London Heathrow Airport opened its new terminal.
2 Key words
Match some key words from this article with the definitions.
fume intimidating backlog proliferated

farcical meltdown calamity surly
1. _____________________: complete collapse of an organization
2. _____________________: frighteningly difficult
3. _____________________: disaster
4. _____________________: increased and increased
5. _____________________: a lot of work waiting to be done before starting the next job
6. _____________________: ridiculous
7. _____________________: become extremely angry
8. _____________________: bad-tempered and rude
Now read the article quickly to check.

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NEWS LESSONS / Passengers fume in the chaos of Terminal 5’s first day / Advanced
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Level 3 Advanced
Passengers fume in the chaos of of the most complex and largest airport moves in
Terminal 5’s first day history.” BA said customers not yet checked-in for
travel would receive a refund or could rebook.
Flights cancelled and baggage system collapses
at BA’s £4.3bn showpiece 9 A series of factors were behind yesterday’s
Dan Milmo, transport correspondent meltdown:
March 28, 2008 • Baggage handlers’ IDs were not recognized by
computers and they were not able to log on to
1 It was 20 years in the planning, cost £4.3bn to build the handling system, resulting in three flights
and its staff underwent six months’ training before it taking off without bags
opened. • The handlers also could not get where they were
supposed to go because they could not get into
2 But none of that could prevent Heathrow’s Terminal
the car parks or get security clearance
5 from descending into chaos on its opening day
yesterday after the baggage system collapsed. • Amid confusion over the layout of the new
terminal, bag handling teams were unable to
3 Thousands of passengers had their travel plans make good the delays, which left passengers
disrupted and British Airways was forced to cancel at in arrivals while their bags waited on planes
least 34 flights in and out of the terminal. • Problems were exacerbated by a lack of the
baggage storage bins that are loaded on to
4 The prospects for today were little better as BA staff
planes. Carousels loading luggage also broke
scrambled to clear an intimidating baggage backlog
down
and work out exactly what had gone wrong.
• By the afternoon, the already crammed system
The disastrous launch was a major embarrassment became overloaded and a ban on checking in
5
for both Heathrow owner BAA and British Airways. luggage was issued
Travellers were restricted to carrying hand luggage • Delays in loading and unloading planes led to
and told that they would have to leave checked-in delays in departures and arrivals, forcing BA
bags for collection at a later time, or else rebook their to cancel 34 flights to ensure that its jets start
flights. Delays at luggage carousels proliferated as in the right positions to run a normal timetable
queues lengthened to depressing proportions in the today
departure hall.
10 BA blamed the calamity on ‘teething problems’,
6 The situation worsened in the afternoon as the but found little sympathy from many of the 40,000
entire baggage handling operation ground to a people who passed through T5 yesterday.
halt under an overwhelming volume of backed-up
luggage, triggering angry scenes at BA desks as 11 Kate Adamson, 39, travelling from Frankfurt with
passengers swamped staff with complaints. her daughter Olivia, five, gave up on her luggage
after waiting more than an hour-and-a-half in the
7 Just hours after BA’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, morning. Adamson, who was visiting her parents
had toured the terminal promising a new era for in Maidenhead, Berkshire, said: “I am furious. We
Heathrow travel, the airline was forced to apologize had a 50-minute flight from Frankfurt and then we
once again for farcical conditions at Britain’s biggest had a 90-minute wait. The luggage system seemed
and busiest airport. to have packed up completely. Staff have been
really surly and there has been no announcement.
8 “British Airways flights from Heathrow Terminal 5
One BA woman in there was saying there was a
will depart with hand baggage only due to problems
technical problem. I’ve given up. They can send my
associated with processing customers’ baggage,”
bags on.”
said the airline in a statement. “British Airways
apologizes to customers for the problems during 12 Producer Sir George Martin, famous for his work
Terminal 5’s first day of operations following one with The Beatles, was among those caught up in the
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Level 3 Advanced
difficulties. He said: “When I came here I was very yesterday, but BA was helped by the fact that the
excited about the new terminal, but not now.” terminal will operate far below its full capacity of
70,000 passengers until next month, when it hopes
13 Matt Duffy was stuck on a flight arriving into to have all glitches ironed out. In the meantime,
Terminal 5 from Glasgow for more than an hour hundreds of daily BA flights will continue to operate
– and then when he was transported to the from Heathrow’s terminals 1 and 4, which reported
terminal, the wheelchair user was met by a kerb. “I no serious problems yesterday.
couldn’t even get into the building without getting
up a step,” he said. “It is totally unbelievable as far 16 BA had promised that the new system would halve
as I am concerned.” the number of bag delays and losses at the airline,
which, at 26.5 bags for every 1,000 passengers, is
14 BA has exclusive use of Terminal 5, which was the worst of any major European carrier.
designed by Lord Rogers and opened by the
Queen earlier this month. © Guardian News & Media 2008
15 The 34 cancelled flights represented almost 10%
of the total due to fly in and out of the terminal
Match the beginnings and endings of these sentences about the article.
1. The opening of Terminal 5... a. ... lack of equipment.

2. A lot of flights... b. ... take on their hand luggage.
3. A lot of luggage... c. ... their money back if they couldn’t fly.
4. Passengers were allowed to... d. ... were cancelled.
5. British Airways had hoped that terminal 5... e. ... was not loaded onto the planes.
6. BA promised to give passengers... f. ... would be the best ever.
7. The delays were mainly due to... g. ... problems with the computer system.
8. There were also problems with... h. ... was not a success.
Find synonyms for the following. Paragraph numbers are given to help you.
1. ____________________: disturbed and spoilt (para 3)
2. ____________________: the circular conveyor belts delivering luggage (para 5)
3. ____________________: causing (para 6)
4. ____________________: flooded, overloaded (everyone wanted help at once and made their job impossible) (para 6)
5. ____________________: made much worse (para 9)
6. ____________________: very full (para 9)
7. ____________________: stopped working (para 11)
8. ____________________: minor problems (para 15)
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Level 3 Advanced
5 Language development: -ing forms
There are a lot of -ing forms in the text. Some are adjectives, some are gerunds (the noun form of the verb), some
are part of the continuous, and some are participles.
Scan the text and underline the ones below (paragraph numbers are given to help you), and see if you can
put them in the right column. An example of each has been done for you.
planning (1) descending (2) opening (2) intimidating (4) carrying (5)
depressing (5) handling (6) overwhelming (6) triggering (6) promising (7) resulting (9)
teething (10) travelling (11) waiting (11) visiting (11) saying (11) arriving (13)
Adjective Gerund Continuous Participle

opening (2) planning (1) visiting (11) triggering (6)
If you’re not quite sure of the difference, here is a tip. When they are used as ADJECTIVES they often
come before nouns. GERUNDS are like nouns, so they can be the subject or object of a verb, and they
often come after the or a preposition. CONTINUOUS forms appear with the verb to be, to say what
somebody or something is doing. PARTICIPLES also describe what people or things are doing, but
without the verb to be; sometimes they come after a comma.
6 Discussion
1. How efficient are the airports in your country?

2. And the train and bus systems?
3. What changes would you make to improve them?
4. Do you think public transport should be free?
5. Should air travel be restricted to reduce global warming?
6. If so, how?
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Level 3 Advanced
KEY
2 Key words 4 Vocabulary development: Synonyms
1. meltdown 1. disrupted
2. intimidating 2. carousels
3. calamity 3. triggering
4. proliferated 4. swamped
5. backlog 5. exacerbated
6. farcical 6. crammed
7. fume 7. packed up
8. surly 8. glitches
3 General understanding 5 Language development: -ing forms
1. h Adjective Gerund Continuous Participle

2. d opening (2) planning (1) visiting (11) triggering (6)
3. e intimidating (4) descending (2) saying (11) promising (7)
4. b depressing (5) carrying (5) resulting (9)
overwhelming (6) handling (6) travelling (11)
5. f teething (10) waiting (11) arriving (13)
6. c
7. g
8. a
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Level 1 Elementary
1 Pre-reading

3. How would you feel if your luggage didn’t arrive?
4. How would you feel if your plane didn’t leave?
2 Key words
Match some key words from this story with the meanings below.
fume chaos collapses backlog carousels

complained apologize handlers disaster teething problems
1. ___________________: told somebody that they were not satisfied
2. ___________________: say that you are sorry
3. ___________________: breaks down and stops working
4. ___________________: problems that only happen at the start of a new system
5. ___________________: people who move things by hand from place to place
6. ___________________: a lot of work you have to do before you start the next job
7. ___________________: terrible situation
8. ___________________: complete confusion
9. ___________________: become very angry
10. ___________________: where you look for your luggage when it comes into the airport

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NEWS LESSONS / Passengers fume in the chaos of Terminal 5’s first day / Elementary
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Level 1 Elementary
Passengers fume in the chaos of customers who had not yet checked-in for travel
Terminal 5’s first day could get their money back or rebook.
Flights cancelled and baggage system collapses 9 A lot of things caused yesterday’s disaster:
at BA’s £4.3bn showpiece • Computers did not recognize the IDs of the
Dan Milmo, transport correspondent baggage handlers and they could not log on
March 28, 2008 to work, so three flights took off without bags
• Also, the handlers could not get where they
1 It took 20 years to plan, cost £4.3bn to build and were supposed to go because they could not
its staff had six months’ training before it opened. get into the car parks or get security clearance
• Baggage handlers could not send luggage to
2 But that didn’t stop the problems at Heathrow the right place because they didn’t know the
Terminal 5 when it first opened yesterday, and layout of the new terminal, so passengers
the baggage system stopped working. arriving had to wait hours for their luggage to
3 British Airways had to cancel at least 34 flights leave the plane
in and out of the terminal, and thousands of • There weren’t enough baggage storage bins
passengers couldn’t travel. to load luggage onto planes, which made
things worse. Carousels loading luggage
4 Things still looked bad today as BA staff hurried also broke down
to clear an enormous baggage backlog and work • By the afternoon, the system became
out exactly what had gone wrong. overloaded and no more luggage could be
checked in
5 This terrible first day was very embarrassing for
• Delays in loading and unloading planes led
both Heathrow owner BAA and British Airways.
to delays in departures and arrivals, forcing
Travellers were only allowed to take hand
BA to cancel 34 flights so that its jets could
luggage, and they were told that their checked-in
get ready for a normal timetable today
bags would arrive later, or they could rebook their
flights. Delays at luggage carousels increased as 10 BA blamed the disaster on ‘teething problems’,
queues got longer and longer in the departure hall. but got little sympathy from many of the 40,000
people who passed through T5 yesterday.
6 The situation got worse in the afternoon as
the baggage handling operation broke down 11 Kate Adamson, 39, travelling from Frankfurt with
completely, leading to angry scenes at BA desks her daughter Olivia, five, stopped expecting her
as hundreds of passengers complained to staff. luggage after waiting more than an hour-and-
a-half in the morning. She said: “I am furious.
7 Just hours after BA’s chief executive, Willie
We had a 50-minute flight from Frankfurt and
Walsh, had toured the terminal promising a new
then we had a 90-minute wait. The luggage
beginning for Heathrow travel, the airline had to
system seemed to have stopped completely.
apologize once again for terrible conditions at
Staff have been really rude and there has been
Britain’s biggest and busiest airport.
no announcement. One BA woman in there was
8 “British Airways flights from Heathrow Terminal saying there was a technical problem. I’ve given
5 will depart with hand luggage only due to up. They can send my bags on.”
problems associated with processing customers’
12 Producer Sir George Martin, famous for his
baggage,” said the airline in a statement.
work with The Beatles, was also affected by the
“British Airways apologizes to customers for
difficulties. He said: “When I came here I was very
the problems during Terminal 5’s first day of
excited about the new terminal, but not now.”
operations following one of the most complex
and largest airport moves in history.” BA said 13 Matt Duffy had to wait on a flight arriving into
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Level 1 Elementary
Terminal 5 from Glasgow for more than an passengers until next month, when it hopes all
hour – and then when he was transported to the problems will be solved. In the meantime,
the terminal, his wheelchair couldn’t get up hundreds of daily BA flights will continue to
the step. “I couldn’t even get into the building go from Heathrow’s terminals 1 and 4, which
without getting up a step,” he said. “It is totally reported no serious problems yesterday.
unbelievable as far as I am concerned.”
16 BA had promised that the new system would
14 BA is the only airline that can use Terminal reduce the number of bags that were late or
5, which was designed by Lord Rogers and lost at the airline by 50%, which, at 26.5 bags
opened by the Queen earlier this month. for every 1,000 passengers, is the worst of any
major European airline.
15 The 34 cancelled flights represented almost
10% of the total timetabled to fly in and out of © Guardian News & Media 2008
the terminal yesterday but, luckily, BA didn’t First published in The Guardian, 28/03/08
plan to use the terminal’s full capacity of 70,000
Look through the text quickly and underline these numbers.
£4.3bn 34 39 90 10% 70,000 20% 26.5
Now match each number with its explanation below.
1. __________________: the flights that couldn’t come in or out of Terminal 5
2. __________________: the percentage of cancelled flights on yesterday’s timetable
3. __________________: the money spent on the terminal
4. __________________: the passengers who will use T5 next month
5. __________________: the years needed to plan T5
6. __________________: the age of the passenger from Frankfurt
7. __________________: the number of bags usually late or lost for every thousand BA passengers
8. __________________: the minutes Ms Adamson waited and still didn’t get her luggage
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Level 1 Elementary
Match the beginnings and endings of these sentences about the story.
1. Terminal 5... a. ... they were sorry.

2. A lot of flights... b. ... because the computers didn’t accept their ID.
3. A lot of people’s... c. ... had a bad first day.
4. People could only take... d. ... were timetabled to leave yesterday.
5. British Airways said... e. ... did not take off.
6. BA offered to give... f. ... luggage did not arrive.
7. Some staff could not work... g. ... their hand luggage onto the plane.
8. About 340 flights... h. ... some people their money back.
5 Vocabulary development: Meanings of get
Get has a lot of meanings in English. In this story it is used a lot, with three basic meanings.
Mark each of the extracts below with one of these letters.
H if you think it means something like: have, take or receive

G if you think it means go, move or arrive
B if you think it means become
1. Customers … could get their money back... (para 8) _____________________
2. ... the handlers could not get where they were supposed to go... (para 9) _____________________
3. ... they could not get into the car parks... (para 9) _____________________
4. ... or get security clearance (para 9) _____________________
5. ... so that its jets could get ready... (para 9) _____________________
6. BA ... got little sympathy... (para 10) _____________________
7. ... his wheelchair couldn’t get up the step. (para 13) _____________________
8. “I couldn’t even get into the building... (para 13) _____________________
9. ... without getting up a step,”... (para 13) _____________________

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Level 1 Elementary
KEY
2 Key words 4 General understanding
1. complained 1. c
2. apologize 2. e
3. collapses 3. f
4. teething problems 4. g
5. handlers 5. a
6. backlog 6. h
7. disaster 7. b
8. chaos 8. d
9. fume
10. carousels
5 Vocabulary development: Meanings
3 Scanning for information of get
1. 34 1. H
2. 10% 2. G
3. £4.3bn 3. G
4. 70,000 4. H
5. 20 5. B
6. 39 6. H
7. 26.5 7. G
8. 90 8. G
9. G
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1 Pre-reading

3. How would you feel if your luggage got lost, or was late arriving?
4. How would you feel if your flight was cancelled?
2 Key words
Match some key words from this article with the definitions below.
fume chaos collapses backlog prospects

complained packed up surly kerb due to
1. _____________________: told somebody that they were not satisfied
2. _____________________: timetabled to, expected to
3. _____________________: breaks down and stops working
4. _____________________: stopped working
5. _____________________: edge of a pavement that is higher than the road
6. _____________________: a lot of work you have to do before you start the next job
7. _____________________: outlook; the possibility that something will happen in the future
8. _____________________: complete confusion
9. _____________________: become very angry
10. _____________________: bad-tempered and rude

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NEWS LESSONS / Passengers fume in the chaos of Terminal 5’s first day / Intermediate
O
H
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CA
Passengers fume in the chaos of operations following one of the most complex
Terminal 5’s first day and largest airport moves in history.” BA said
Flights cancelled and baggage system collapses customers who had not yet checked-in for travel
at BA’s £4.3bn showpiece would receive a refund or could rebook.
Dan Milmo, transport correspondent 9 A lot of things caused yesterday’s disaster:

March 28, 2008 • Computers did not recognize baggage
1 It was 20 years in the planning, cost £4.3bn to handlers’ IDs and they could not log on to
build and its staff underwent six months’ training the handling system, so three flights took off
before it opened. without bags
• Also, the handlers could not get where they
2 But none of that could stop the chaos at Heathrow’s were supposed to go because they could not
Terminal 5 when it first opened yesterday and the get into the car parks or get security clearance
baggage system stopped working. • Not knowing the layout of the new terminal,
bag handling teams could not send luggage to
3 Thousands of passengers had their travel plans the right place, so arriving passengers had to
spoilt and British Airways had to cancel at least wait ages for their luggage to leave the plane
34 flights in and out of the terminal. • There weren’t enough baggage storage bins
4 The prospects for today were little better as BA staff to load luggage onto planes, which made
hurried to clear an enormous baggage backlog and things worse. Carousels loading luggage
work out exactly what had gone wrong. also broke down
• By the afternoon, the system became
5 This terrible first day was very embarrassing for overloaded and there was a ban on
both Heathrow owner BAA and British Airways. checking-in luggage
Travellers were only allowed to carry hand • Delays in loading and unloading planes led
luggage and told that they would have to leave to delays in departures and arrivals, forcing
checked-in bags for collection at a later time, BA to cancel 34 flights so that its jets could
or else rebook their flights. Delays at luggage start in the right positions to run a normal
carousels increased as queues got longer and timetable today
longer in the departure hall.
10 BA blamed the disaster on ‘teething problems’,
6 The situation worsened in the afternoon as the but got little sympathy from many of the 40,000
entire baggage handling operation broke down people who passed through T5 yesterday.
under a huge volume of backed-up luggage,
leading to angry scenes at BA desks as hundreds 11 Kate Adamson, 39, travelling from Frankfurt with
of passengers complained to staff. her daughter Olivia, five, stopped expecting her
luggage after waiting more than an hour-and-
7 Just hours after BA’s chief executive, Willie a-half in the morning. Ms Adamson, who was
Walsh, had toured the terminal promising a visiting her parents in Maidenhead, Berkshire,
new beginning for Heathrow travel, the airline said: “I am furious. We had a 50-minute flight
was forced to apologize once again for terrible from Frankfurt and then we had a 90-minute wait.
conditions at Britain’s biggest and busiest airport. The luggage system seemed to have packed up
completely. Staff have been really surly and there
8 “British Airways flights from Heathrow Terminal

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The night-walkers of Uganda

Fill the gaps using these words from the text:

3. To a negative feeling or situation is to cause it to develop.

4. A is a man who is violent, especially a criminal.

6. To something, for example a person’s character, is to affect it in a negative way.

very strictly and not be changed.

8. A is a sudden short attack.

9. If someone looks , he looks slightly sad or worried.

10. An is a large group of tents or temporary shelters.

2 Pre-reading What do you know?

2. What is the main problem in northern Uganda?

3. How long has this problem existed?

4. What is the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)?

The night-walkers of Uganda

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2006

Downloaded from the News Lessons section in www.onestopenglish.com

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2006

Downloaded from the News Lessons section in www.onestopenglish.com

Match each fact with a reason or purpose.

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2006

Downloaded from the News Lessons section in www.onestopenglish.com

4 Vocabulary 1 Adjective order

1. mud / hut / tiny / a

2. tents / giant / canvas / white

3. concrete / buildings / stark

4. fundamentalist / Christian / a / group / rebel

5 Vocabulary 2 Compound modifiers

1. the roadside scorched by the sun the roadside

2. blankets that have been rolled up blankets

3. a girl who is 14 years old a girl

5. metal doors that are proof against thieves metal doors

6. a society that has been damaged by the war a society

6 Vocabulary 3 Phrasal verbs

2. Geoffrey had to go food. fights.

3. Aid agencies set shelters. 7. Gabriel was taken by his extended

4. Mary is heading a night shelter. family.

5. The shelter is made of buildings 8. The older generation is dying .

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2006

Downloaded from the News Lessons section in www.onestopenglish.com

2 Find the information

4 Vocabulary 1 - Adjective order

5 Vocabulary 2 – Compound modifiers

6 Vocabulary 3 - Phrasal verbs

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2006

Downloaded from the News Lessons section in www.onestopenglish.com

Fill the gaps using these words from the text.

1. A is a small simple house with only one or two rooms.

5. If you a person, you take him or her prisoner.

8. An is an organization that gives money, food or help to people in need.

10. If a woman is , she is going to have a baby.

2 Find the information

Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible:

The night-walkers of Uganda

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2006

Downloaded from the News Lessons section in www.onestopenglish.com

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2006

Downloaded from the News Lessons section in www.onestopenglish.com

Match the beginnings and the endings to make complete sentences.

a. provide safe places for children.

1. feed a. dirty old clothes

3. wear c. home / school

5. leave e. the cattle

2. Mary’s mother cooks dinner a fire. camps in the bush.