The Reading / Listening - Level 5

Pope Francis has issued a strong warning to fathers who work long hours. He criticised workaholic dads for being 'symbolically absent' from families and for making their children 'orphans'. The Pope was speaking to a congregation at the Vatican when he made his plea for fathers to spend more time with their children and get more involved in family life. He said the absence of fathers in the family is one of the reasons that children have problems growing up. He said fathers who focused too much on their jobs was a cause of children and adolescents getting into trouble.

The Pope said fathers being obsessed with their jobs and not spending time with their family was very common. He said: "Fathers are so focused on themselves…and at times their personal fulfillment, that they even forget their families, leaving children…to their own devices." He added: "The feeling of orphanhood experienced by many young people is worse than we might think." He said children are orphans because their fathers are absent from the home, and they do not act like fathers when they are at home. He warned that fatherless families could be accepted as the norm.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 4 or  Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-criticizes-workaholic-dads-says-theyre-symbolically-absent
  • http://www.sconews.co.uk/news/43247/pope-warns-absent-working-fathers-leave-orphans/


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.

Pope Francis has issued a strong

a.

growing up

2.

He criticised workaholic

b.

in family life

3.

he made

c.

trouble

4.

get more involved

d.

his plea

5.

one of

e.

warning to fathers

6.

children have problems

f.

the reasons

7.

children and

g.

dads

8.

getting into

h.

adolescents



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ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

fathers being obsessed

a.

by many young people

2.

not spending time

b.

as the norm

3.

Fathers are so focused

c.

devices

4.

leaving children to their own

d.

with their family

5.

The feeling of orphanhood experienced

e.

they are at home

6.

worse than we might

f.

with their jobs

7.

they do not act like fathers when

g.

think

8.

be accepted

h.

on themselves

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Pope Francis (1) ___________________ warning to fathers who work long hours. He criticised workaholic dads for being 'symbolically absent' from families (2) ___________________ children 'orphans'. The Pope was speaking to a congregation at the Vatican when (3) ___________________ for fathers (4) ___________________ with their children and get more involved in family life. He (5) ___________________ fathers in the family is one of the reasons that children have problems growing up. He said fathers who focused too much on their jobs (6) ___________________ children and adolescents getting into trouble.

The Pope said fathers (7) ___________________ their jobs and not spending time with their family was very common. He said: "Fathers are so focused on themselves… (8) ___________________ personal fulfillment, that they even forget their families, leaving children… (9) ___________________." He added: "The feeling of orphanhood experienced by many young people is worse (10) ___________________." He said children are orphans because their fathers are absent from the home, and (11) ___________________ like fathers when they are at home. He warned that fatherless families could be (12) ___________________.

FATHERS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about fathers in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

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

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

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

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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