The Reading / Listening - Level 1

Ships near Somalia are playing Britney Spears songs to keep pirates away. A ship's officer said the songs were good against Somali pirates: "[Britney's] songs were chosen by the security team because they thought the pirates would hate them most. These guys [hate] Western culture or music." A security expert said loud pop music stopped pirate attacks. He added: "Each security company will have its own music choice."

Loud music is often used to scare people. It is also used for torture. Guantanamo Bay played loud music for weeks and months non-stop to keep prisoners awake. One prisoner said the loud music in his cell was worse than being beaten up. He said: "It makes you feel like you are going mad." A human rights charity has started a campaign to end it. It wants rock stars to stop prisons using their music for torture.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.ibtimes.com/britney-spears-scares-somali-pirates-hit-songs-used-fend-thieves-1443454
  • http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/britney-spears-music-blasted-out-2646660
  • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-worthington/a-history-of-music-tortur_b_151109.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)



The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

a ship's

a.

hate Western culture

2.

the songs were good

b.

pirate attacks

3.

chosen

c.

against Somali pirates

4.

they thought the pirates would hate

d.

officer

5.

These guys

e.

its own music choice

6.

security

f.

them most

7.

loud pop music stopped

g.

expert

8.

Each security company will have

h.

by the security team


MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

Loud music is often

a.

for torture

2.

It is also used

b.

rights charity

3.

played loud music for weeks and

c.

beaten up

4.

keep

d.

their music for torture

5.

worse than being

e.

used to scare people

6.

It makes you feel like

f.

months non-stop

7.

a human

g.

prisoners awake

8.

It wants rock stars to stop prisons using

h.

you are going mad

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Ships near Somalia are playing Britney Spears songs to keep pirates away. A (1) ___________________ said the songs were good against Somali pirates: "[Britney's] (2) ___________________ by the security team because they thought the pirates would (3) ___________________. These guys [hate] Western (4) ___________________." A security expert said (5) ___________________ stopped pirate attacks. He added: "Each security company will have (6) ___________________ choice."

Loud music is often (7) ___________________ people. It is also used for torture. Guantanamo Bay played loud music for weeks and (8) ___________________ to keep prisoners awake. One prisoner said the loud music (9) ___________________ worse than (10) ___________________. He said: "It makes you feel like you are going mad." A (11) ___________________ charity has started a campaign to end it. It wants rock stars to stop prisons using their (12) ___________________.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

ShipsnearSomaliaareplayingBritneySpearssongstokeeppiratesaw
ay.Aship'sofficersaidthesongsweregoodagainstSomalipirates:"[Bri
tney's]songswerechosenbythesecurityteambecausetheythoughtt
hepirateswouldhatethemmost.Theseguys[hate]Westerncultureor
music."Asecurityexpertsaidloudpopmusicstoppedpirateattacks.He
added:"Eachsecuritycompanywillhaveitsownmusicchoice."Loudm
usicisoftenusedtoscarepeople.Itisalsousedfortorture.Guantanamo
Bayplayedloudmusicforweeksandmonthsnon-stoptokeeppr
isonersawake.Oneprisonersaidtheloudmusicinhiscellwasworsetha
nbeingbeatenup.Hesaid:"Itmakesyoufeellikeyouaregoingmad."Ah
umanrightscharityhasstartedacampaigntoendit.Itwantsrockstarst
ostopprisonsusingtheirmusicfortorture.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about loud music for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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