SESSION 23: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 23: 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. The top-selling European newspaper has ended a 28-year tradition.
b. The newspaper used to print half-naked women on its front page.

c. All male workers at the newspaper got the day off on the 8th of March.
d. The paper said it was a giant step for women.
e. The paper may have stopped the front-page nudes to increase sales.
f. Sales of the newspaper have increased in recent years.
g. The paper wants to become more modern.
h. In 1970, the paper claimed women were more intelligent than men.

1.2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1. ended ................... a. advance
2. mark .................... b. point of view
3. publication ............. c. shame
4. perspective ............ d. newspaper
5. step ..................... e. observe
6. boost .................... f. movement
7. trend .................... g. persuade
8. fit ....................... h. increase
9. win over ............... i. terminated
10. embarrassment ...... j. match


1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from this article (sometimes more than one option is possible):
1. Europe’s biggest- ........................ a. modern image
2. 28-year .................................... b. female perspective
3. All 300 female workers were also ..... c. new, female readers
4. a small step from a ...................... d. its sales
5. in a more ................................. e. selling newspaper
6. trying to boost ........................... f. embarrassment
7. trying to attract .......................... g. modern way
8. Part of their strategy to reverse ....... h. tradition
9. doesn't fit with that ..................... i. that trend
10. of great .................................. j. given the day off


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

HALF - PERHAPS - INSTEAD - REMAIN - MARK - TRADITION - REASON - GIVEN
Europe’s biggest-selling newspaper has ended its 28-year          (1) ____________ of publishing pictures of topless women on its front page. (2) ____________, the tabloid “Bild” will feature the semi-clad models on page three. Editors said it made the decision to (3) ____________ International Women’s Day on March 8th. All 300 female workers were also (4) ____________ the day off. The paper said its male staff decided to move the                     (5) ____________-naked women from the front page. The publication explained the (6) ____________ for changing its “page-one girl” in a statement, which read: “It is                      (7) ____________ a small step from a female perspective, but for “Bild” and all men in Germany, it is a big step.” It added: “Of course “Bild” wants to (8) ____________ sexy. But in a more modern way.”

FIGURES - FIT - BOOST - TREND - GREAT - GONE - ATTRACT - ANNOUNCED

Over 5,000 women have (9) ____________ topless on the newspaper’s front cover since 1984. Analysts believe “Bild” is now trying to (10) ____________ its sales because of declining circulation (11) ____________. They say the paper is trying to (12) ____________ new, female readers. Christian Meier, a media expert, said: “Part of their strategy to reverse that (13) ____________ [of a falling readership] is to try to be taken more seriously as a modern…newspaper. Having naked women on the front page just doesn't (14) ____________ with that modern image. Their hope is that they will win over younger, female readers.” “Bild” also reprinted one of its 1970 headlines that (15) ____________: “Women have less in the head than men”. It stated this was, “of (16) ____________ embarrassment today”.