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Date: Dec 27, 2005
Level: Easier (Try the harder lesson.) Downloads: Word Doc | PDF Doc | Listening Audio: (1:34 - 184.1 KB - 16kbps)
THE ARTICLEThe Libyan Supreme Court has reversed the decision of a lower court to execute five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor. The six medics were sentenced to death seven years ago for infecting 426 children with the HIV virus. Libya’s highest court now says the original death sentences were wrong due to “irregularities” in the questioning of the nurses. Bulgaria has repeatedly said the nurses were tortured into confessing to their crimes. The high profile case has rarely been out of the headlines. The latest move has raised hopes that the six may be sent home, following a retrial. Human rights groups were overjoyed that the executions will now not go ahead. However, families of the infected children are furious with the Supreme Court’s decision. Awad al-Mesmari, a lawyer for the families, said he was saddened by the decision. He asked: “What did the children do so that they suffer now? We have already buried 50 of them. May God bless them.” Conversely, the defendants’ lawyer said the ruling “reflects the evidence and facts…that the confessions were made illegally”. The decision has angered many Libyans. Meanwhile, Bulgaria is to set up a fund to help the infected children. WARM-UPS1. LIBYA SEARCH: Talk to as many other students as you can to find out what they know about Libya. After you have talked to lots of students, sit down with your partner(s) and share your information. Tell each other what you thought was interesting. Would you like to visit or live in Libya? 2. MY COUNTRY: In pairs / groups, talk about the system of justice in your country. Is it effective? Does it help stop crime? Does it make society safer? What changes would you make to the laws. 3. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.
Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently. 4. TWO-MINUTE DEBATES: Debate these arguments about the death penalty with a partner for just two minutes. Change partners often. Student A agrees with the first argument, Student B, the second.
5. AIDS: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with AIDS. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories. BEFORE READING / LISTENING1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):
WHILE READING / LISTENINGGAP FILL: Put the words in the column on the right into the gaps in the text. Libya overturns AIDS death penalties
LISTENINGListen and fill in the spaces. Libya overturns AIDS death penaltiesThe Libyan Supreme Court has _________ the decision of a lower court to execute five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor. The six medics were sentenced to death seven years ago for _________ 426 children with the HIV virus. Libya’s highest court now says the original death sentences were wrong due to “irregularities” in the _________ of the nurses. Bulgaria has repeatedly said the nurses were _________ into confessing to their crimes. The high profile case has rarely been out of the headlines. The latest move has _________ hopes that the six may be sent home, following a _________. Human rights groups were _________ that the executions will now not go ahead. However, families of the infected children are _________ with the Supreme Court’s decision. Awad al-Mesmari, a lawyer for the families, said he was _________ by the decision. He asked: “What did the children do so that they suffer now? We have already _________ 50 of them. May God bless them.” Conversely, the defendants’ lawyer said the ruling “_________ the evidence and facts…that the confessions were made illegally”. The decision has _________ many Libyans. Meanwhile, Bulgaria is to set up a fund to help the infected children. AFTER READING / LISTENING1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘reverse’ and ‘decision’.
2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.
3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…? 4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings. 5. STUDENT “LIBYA” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about Libya and its position in the world.
6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:
DISCUSSIONSTUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.
HOMEWORK1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word. 2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information on Libya and the Supreme Court’s decision. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things? 3. DEATH PENALTY: Make a poster explaining the pros and cons of the death penalty. Show your posters to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar ideas? 4. LETTER: Write a letter to the head judge of Libya’s Supreme Court. Tell him/her what you think of the decision to order a retrial. Show what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Did everyone write similar things? ANSWERSTRUE / FALSE:
SYNONYM MATCH:
PHRASE MATCH:
GAP FILL: Libya overturns AIDS death penaltiesThe Libyan Supreme Court has reversed the decision of a lower court to execute five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor. The six medics were sentenced to death seven years ago for infecting 426 children with the HIV virus. Libya’s highest court now says the original death sentences were wrong due to “irregularities” in the questioning of the nurses. Bulgaria has repeatedly said the nurses were tortured into confessing to their crimes. The high profile case has rarely been out of the headlines. The latest move has raised hopes that the six may be sent home, following a retrial. Human rights groups were overjoyed that the executions will now not go ahead. However, families of the infected children are furious with the Supreme Court’s decision. Awad al-Mesmari, a lawyer for the families, said he was saddened by the decision. He asked: “What did the children do so that they suffer now? We have already buried 50 of them. May God bless them.” Conversely, the defendants’ lawyer said the ruling “reflects the evidence and facts…that the confessions were made illegally”. The decision has angered many Libyans. Meanwhile, Bulgaria is to set up a fund to help the infected children. |
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