The Reading / Listening - Level 5

Hundreds of gay men wanting to give blood after the Orlando nightclub shooting have been turned away. Federal law states that blood centers cannot accept donations from gay men who have been sexually active in the past year. The shooting on Sunday morning left 50 people dead and 53 injured. The killer, Omar Mateen, 29, used a semi-automatic assault rifle in what is now the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Mateen, a New York native, targeted the LGBT community at the club. He was supposedly angry at seeing two men kissing in Miami.

Many in the LGBT community want the federal policy of barring gay men from donating blood changed. Dr Ryan Stanton said donated blood is tested for HIV and other diseases before it is used. The testing process usually takes about 24 hours. He said: "Anybody who meets the basic qualifications…should be able to donate blood." The Atlantic said: "Even after the most deadly act against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in American history, the built-in homophobia of American public health keeps the country from [organizing] the most effective possible response."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 4 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/06/13/orlando-blood-bank-still-accepting-donations-wake-shooting-gay-club/85824564/
  • http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/13/health/orlando-shooting-gay-men-donate-blood/index.html
  • http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/06/homophobia-hiv-blood-ban-orlando-shooting/486818/


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. give
  2. blood centers cannot accept
  3. in the past
  4. a semi-automatic assault
  5. mass
  6. a New York
  7. targeted the LGBT
  8. seeing two men
  1. shooting
  2. blood
  3. community
  4. year
  5. kissing in Miami
  6. rifle
  7. donations
  8. native

Paragraph 2

  1. federal
  2. donated blood is
  3. Anybody who meets the basic
  4. should be able to donate
  5. Even after the most deadly
  6. bisexual and
  7. public
  8. the most effective possible
  1. act
  2. health
  3. tested for HIV
  4. response
  5. policy
  6. blood
  7. qualifications
  8. transgender people

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Hundreds of gay men wanting (1) ___________________ after the Orlando nightclub shooting have (2) ___________________. Federal law states that blood centers cannot accept donations from gay men who have been sexually active (3) ___________________. The shooting on Sunday morning left 50 people dead and 53 injured. The killer, Omar Mateen, 29, used a semi-automatic (4) ___________________ what is now the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Mateen, a New York (5) _________________ the LGBT community at the club. He was (6) ___________________ at seeing two men kissing in Miami.

Many in the LGBT community want (7) ___________________ of barring gay men from donating blood changed. Dr Ryan Stanton said donated blood is (8) ___________________ other diseases before it is used. The (9) ___________________ usually takes about 24 hours. He said: "Anybody who meets the (10) ___________________ …should be able to donate blood." The Atlantic said: "Even after the (11) ___________________ against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in American history, the built-in homophobia of American public health keeps the country from [organizing] the (12) ___________________ response."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

HundredsofgaymenwantingtogivebloodaftertheOrlandonightclubsh
ootinghavebeenturnedaway.Federallawstatesthatbloodcenterscan
notacceptdonationsfromgaymenwhohavebeensexuallyactiveinthep
astyear.TheshootingonSundaymorningleft50peopledeadand53inju
red.Thekiller,OmarMateen,29,usedasemi-automaticassaultrifl
einwhatisnowthedeadliestmassshootinginU.S.history.Mateen,aNe
wYorknative,targetedtheLGBTcommunityattheclub.Hewassuppose
dlyangryatseeingtwomenkissinginMiami.ManyintheLGBTcommunit
ywantthefederalpolicyofbarringgaymenfromdonatingbloodchanged
.DrRyanStantonsaiddonatedbloodistestedforHIVandotherdiseasesb
eforeitisused.Thetestingprocessusuallytakesabout24hours.Hesaid:
"Anybodywhomeetsthebasicqualifications…shouldbeabletodonateb
lood."TheAtlanticsaid:"Evenafterthemostdeadlyactagainstgay,lesbi
an,bisexualandtransgenderpeopleinAmericanhistory,thebuilt-inho
mophobiaofAmericanpublichealthkeepsthecountryfrom[organizing
]themosteffectivepossibleresponse."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic 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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