SESSION 11: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 11: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are True (T) or False (F):

a. Hundreds of thousands of students protested across the U.K.

b. U.K. universities are allowed to triple their fees.
c. High school students and teachers also joined in the protests.
d. Several policemen suffered broken bones in the demonstrations.
e. The U.K. government has cut its funding to its universities.
f. The British public are most angry with the ruling Conservative Party.
g. U.K. students paid no tuition fees throughout most of last century.
h. The government has increased living allowances for poorer students.

1.2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1. took part ................. a. getting rid of
2. protests .................. b. payments
3. scrapping ................ c. fights
4. clashes ................... d. governing
5. headquarters ............ e. anger
6. ruling ..................... f. participated
7. measures ................. g. promise
8. fury ....................... h. demonstrations
9. pledge .................... i. actions
10. allowances .............. j. HQ

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from this article (sometimes more than one option is possible):
1. students across the U.K. took ........ a. fold rise in the prices
2. the three- .............................. b. pledge
3. opposition to the scrapping .......... c. living allowances
4. there were arrests after .............. d. headquarters was attacked
5. the ruling Conservative Party ........ e. are necessary
6. Britain’s ruling .......................... f. ugly clashes
7. these measures ......................... g. part in protests
8. election .................................. h. a total U-turn
9. Their leader has done .................. i. of benefits
10. poorer students received weekly ... j. coalition government

1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:

HARM - UGLY - ATTACKED - AGAINST - LECTURERS - TOOK - FREE - FOLD

Tens of thousands of students across the U.K. ____________ part in protests on Wednesday ____________ their government’s increase in tuition fees. They were speaking out against the three-____________ rise in the prices universities can charge, and voicing their opposition to the scrapping of benefits that will ____________ poor students. The nationwide protest was organized by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC). High school and university students, teachers and ____________ took to the streets to demonstrate. Around 10,000 protestors rallied in London, where there were arrests after ____________ clashes left a police officer with a broken arm. The protests were largely trouble-____________, unlike those two weeks earlier in which the ruling Conservative Party headquarters was ____________.

ABOLISH - REDUCE - RULING - KILL - PLEDGE - TURN - ALLOWING - WEEKLY

Britain’s ____________ coalition government have made many cuts to university education, while at the same time ____________ universities to increase tuition fees from $5,624 a year to $14,400. They say these measures are necessary to ____________ the country’s budget deficit. Most of the public fury is directed at the junior coalition partner, the Liberal Democrats, whose election ____________ earlier this year was to ____________ tuition and maintain transport benefits for students from low-income families. Their leader has done a total U-____________ and broken these promises. Until the late 1990s, British students did not need to pay tuition, and many poorer students received ____________ living allowances from the government. Many protestors believe this will ____________ opportunities for the poor. They carried banners saying: “R.I.P. My Degree.”