The Reading / Listening - Level 2

The Internet giant, Amazon, is warning its customers that some Tom and Jerry shows are racist. The series, 'Tom and Jerry: The Complete Second Volume' has an Amazon warning that some scenes are racist. The warning says that some parts of the show have "ethnic and racial prejudices that were once commonplace in American society". It said this was wrong when the cartoons were made 70 years ago, and is still wrong today. People say the character of the black maid in the cartoon is racist. Some of the cartoons were changed in the 1960s because of worries about racism.

The cartoonists William Hanna and Joseph Barbera created the rivals Tom and Jerry in 1940. They made 114 Tom and Jerry cartoons from 1940 to 1957. The cartoons won seven Oscars for best Animated Short Film. They are one of the most popular cartoons in animation history. They are on children's TV every day in many countries. Animation expert Steve Abrahart said the quality of the early Tom and Jerry cartoons was "superb". Many people put comments on Twitter to say it was "madness" that Amazon put a warning on the cartoons.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/1/amazon-adds-racism-disclaimer-to-tom-and-jerry-car/#ixzz3ExVKKSwH
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-29427843
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_and_Jerry


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.

Amazon is

a.

commonplace

2.

an Amazon warning that some

b.

in the 1960s

3.

prejudices that were once

c.

today

4.

the cartoons were made

d.

about racism

5.

still wrong

e.

warning its customers

6.

the character of

f.

70 years ago

7.

Some of the cartoons were changed

g.

the black maid

8.

because of worries

h.

scenes are racist



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.

the rivals

a.

in many countries

2.

from 1940

b.

cartoons was "superb"

3.

The cartoons won

c.

Tom and Jerry

4.

one of the most popular cartoons in

d.

on the cartoons

5.

on children's TV every day

e.

to 1957

6.

the quality of the early Tom and Jerry

f.

animation history

7.

comments on Twitter to

g.

seven Oscars

8.

put a warning

h.

say it was "madness"

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

The Internet giant, Amazon, is (1) ___________________ that some Tom and Jerry (2) ___________________. The series, 'Tom and Jerry: The Complete Second Volume' has an Amazon warning that some scenes are racist. The warning says that some parts of the show have "(3) ___________________ prejudices that were once commonplace in American society". It (4) ___________________ the cartoons were made 70 years ago, and is still wrong today. People (5) ___________________ the black maid in the cartoon is racist. Some of the cartoons were changed in the 1960s because of (6) ___________________.

The cartoonists William Hanna and Joseph Barbera created the rivals Tom and Jerry in 1940. (7) ___________________ Tom and Jerry cartoons (8) ___________________. The cartoons won seven Oscars for best Animated Short Film. They are one of the most popular cartoons (9) ___________________. They are on children's TV (10) ___________________ countries. Animation expert Steve Abrahart said the (11) ___________________ Tom and Jerry cartoons was "superb". Many people put comments on Twitter to say it was "madness" that Amazon (12) ___________________ the cartoons.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

TheInternetgiant,Amazon,iswarningitscustomersthatsomeTomand
Jerryshowsareracist.Theseries,'TomandJerry:TheCompleteSecond
Volume'hasanAmazonwarningthatsomescenesareracist.Thewarnin
gsaysthatsomepartsoftheshowhave"ethnicandracialprejudicesthat
wereoncecommonplaceinAmericansociety".Itsaidthiswaswrongwhe
nthecartoonsweremade70yearsago,andisstillwrongtoday.Peoplesa
ythecharacteroftheblackmaidinthecartoonisracist.Someofthecartoo
nswerechangedinthe1960sbecauseofworriesaboutracism.Thecarto
onistsWilliamHannaandJosephBarberacreatedtherivalsTomandJerr
yin1940.Theymade114TomandJerrycartoonsfrom1940to1957.The
cartoonswonsevenOscarsforbestAnimatedShortFilm.Theyareoneof
themostpopularcartoonsinanimationhistory.Theyareonchildren'sTV
everydayinmanycountries.AnimationexpertSteveAbrahartsaidtheq
ualityoftheearlyTomandJerrycartoonswas"superb".Manypeopleput
commentsonTwittertosayitwas"madness"thatAmazonputawarning
onthecartoons.

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)

________________________________________________________

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a)

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b)

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c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about cartoons 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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