The Reading / Listening - Level 3

A woman had to go on her honeymoon alone because her husband could not get a visa for the trip. Newlyweds Huma Mobin and Arsalaan Sever, a young Pakistani couple, got married earlier this year. They paid for a romantic 10-day trip to Greece for their second honeymoon. They had already been to the Maldives for their first honeymoon. The couple received shocking news when the Greek embassy in Pakistan gave Huma a visa to travel to Greece, but did not issue one for her husband. They both decided that because the trip was already paid for, Huma should go to Greece alone, without her husband. A few weeks later, Huma's in-laws (Arsalaan's parents) decided to go with her.

The photos of Huma on her solo honeymoon have gone viral on the Internet. She took photos in every location she visited. In each picture, she stretched her arm out around her missing husband and posed with a sad face to show how much she missed him. Huma said it was difficult to travel knowing her husband was in Pakistan. She said: "He's the life of the party; my better half. I wouldn't have gone without him but he forced me to." She added: "The first night I cried my eyes out on my mother-in-law's shoulder, who really comforted me and told me to make the best of it." Huma is now back with Arsalaan in Pakistan. They are hoping they will be able to go away together to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 2

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-36777060
  • http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/07/11/this-newlywed-pakistani-bride-went-on-her-honeymoon-alone/
  • http://www.indiatimes.com/lifestyle/self/after-her-husband-was-denied-a-visa-this-lady-pulled-off-a-queen-went-on-a-vacation-anyway-258180.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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. HONEYMOONS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about honeymoons. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

       honeymoon / visa / trip / married / romantic / shocking news / embassy / in-laws /
       photos / viral / photos / location / travel / cried / shoulder / comforted / celebrate

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. VISAS: Students A strongly believe we shouldn't need visas to travel; Students B strongly believe visas are important. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

4. ROMANTIC: What are your most ideas for these things? Talk about this with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

  • First date
  • Breakfast
  • Park
  • Holiday
  • Birthday
  • Train trip
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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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5. COUPLE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "couple". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

6. ALONE: Rank these with your partner. Put the best things to do alone at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • eat in a restaurant
  • go to the cinema
  • gardening
  • study English
  • travel
  • play games
  • work
  • go hiking

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. A newlywed's husband could not get a visa for his honeymoon.     T / F
  2. The newlyweds got married three days ago.     T / F
  3. The couple already went on one honeymoon together.     T / F
  4. The bride's mother- and father-in-law went on honeymoon with her.     T / F
  5. Photos of the bride's solo honeymoon spread quickly on the Internet.     T / F
  6. The bride always smiled in the photos to make her husband happy.     T / F
  7. The bride said she was the better half of the marriage.     T / F
  8. The couple will not go anywhere for their first wedding anniversary.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. trip
  2. couple
  3. received
  4. issue
  5. already
  6. location
  7. stretched
  8. sad
  9. comforted
  10. hoping
  1. soothed
  2. got
  3. previously
  4. holiday
  5. unhappy
  6. supply
  7. expecting
  8. husband and wife
  9. extended
  10. place

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. her husband could not get a
  2. a romantic
  3. the Greek
  4. the trip was already
  5. Huma's in-laws
  6. gone
  7. she stretched her
  8. posed
  9. I cried my eyes out on my
  10. celebrate their first wedding
  1. mother-in-law's shoulder
  2. paid for
  3. viral on the Internet
  4. visa for the trip
  5. with a sad face
  6. embassy in Pakistan
  7. anniversary
  8. arm out
  9. (Arsalaan's parents)
  10. 10-day trip to Greece

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
romantic
embassy
alone
in-laws
trip
already
news
issue

A woman had to go on her honeymoon (1) ____________ because her husband could not get a visa for the (2) ____________. Newlyweds Huma Mobin and Arsalaan Sever, a young Pakistani couple, got married earlier this year. They paid for a (3) ____________ 10-day trip to Greece for their second honeymoon. They had already been to the Maldives for their first honeymoon. The couple received shocking (4) ____________ when the Greek (5) ____________ in Pakistan gave Huma a visa to travel to Greece, but did not (6) ____________ one for her husband. They both decided that because the trip was (7) ____________ paid for, Huma should go to Greece alone, without her husband. A few weeks later, Huma's (8) ____________ (Arsalaan's parents) decided to go with her.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
forced
location
anniversary
posed
out
viral
comforted
knowing

The photos of Huma on her solo honeymoon have gone (9) ____________ on the Internet. She took photos in every (10) ____________ she visited. In each picture, she stretched her arm out around her missing husband and (11) ____________ with a sad face to show how much she missed him. Huma said it was difficult to travel (12) ____________ her husband was in Pakistan. She said: "He's the life of the party; my better half. I wouldn't have gone without him but he (13) ____________ me to." She added: "The first night I cried my eyes (14) ____________ on my mother-in-law's shoulder, who really (15) ____________ me and told me to make the best of it." Huma is now back with Arsalaan in Pakistan. They are hoping they will be able to go away together to celebrate their first wedding (16) ____________.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) go on her honeymoon alone because her husband could not get a ______
     a.  visa for the trips
     b.  visa for a trip
     c.  visa for the trip
     d.  visa from the trip

2)  Huma Mobin and Arsalaan Sever, a young Pakistani couple, got married ______
     a.  early this year
     b.  earlier this year
     c.  earliest this year
     d.  earlies this year

3)  the Greek embassy in Pakistan gave Huma a visa to ______
     a.  traveling to Greece
     b.  traveled to Greece
     c.  travels to Greece
     d.  travel to Greece

4)  because the trip was already paid for, Huma should go to ______
     a.  Greece a lone
     b.  Greece a lonely
     c.  Greece a loan
     d.  Greece alone

5)  A few weeks later, Huma's in-laws (Arsalaan's parents) decided ______
     a.  to go with her
     b.  to go within her
     c.  to go wither her
     d.  to go without her

6)  The photos of Huma on her solo honeymoon have gone ______ Internet
     a.  vital on the
     b.  viral on the
     c.  rival on the
     d.  virus on the

7)  she stretched her arm out around her missing husband and ______  face
     a.  posted with a sad
     b.  pasted with a sad
     c.  posed with a sad
     d.  deposed with a sad

8)  I wouldn't have gone without him but he ______
     a.  forced me to
     b.  force me to
     c.  faucet me to
     d.  fleeced me to

9)  She added: "The first night I cried ______"
     a.  my eyes out
     b.  my eyes in
     c.  my eyes up
     d.  my eyes wet

10)  They are hoping they will be able to go away together ______
     a.  to celebrates
     b.  to celebrated
     c.  to celebrate
     d.  to celebrate it

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A woman (1) ___________________ her honeymoon alone because her husband could not (2) ___________________ the trip. Newlyweds Huma Mobin and Arsalaan Sever, a young Pakistani couple, got married earlier this year. They (3) ___________________ 10-day trip to Greece for their second honeymoon. They had already been to the Maldives for their first honeymoon. The (4) ___________________ shocking news when the Greek embassy in Pakistan gave Huma a visa to travel to Greece, but did not (5) ___________________ her husband. They both decided that because the trip was already paid for, Huma should go to Greece alone, without her husband. (6) ___________________, Huma's in-laws (Arsalaan's parents) decided to go with her.

The photos of Huma on her solo honeymoon (7) ___________________ on the Internet. She took photos in every location she visited. In each picture, she stretched her arm out around her missing husband (8) ___________________ sad face to show how much she missed him. Huma said it was difficult to travel (9) ___________________ was in Pakistan. She said: "He's the life of the party; my better half. I wouldn't have gone without him but (10) ___________________." She added: "The first night I cried my eyes out on my mother-in-law's shoulder, who (11) ___________________ and told me to make the best of it." Huma is now back with Arsalaan in Pakistan. They are hoping they will be (12) ___________________ together to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

Comprehension questions

  1. What could the husband not get for the trip?
  2. How long was the trip to Greece they had planned?
  3. Where did the couple go for their first honeymoon?
  4. What kind of news did the article say the couple received?
  5. Who went with the woman on her honeymoon?
  6. Where have photos of the honeymoon gone viral?
  7. What kind of look did she make for her honeymoon photos?
  8. What did the woman cry on?
  9. What did the woman call her husband the life of?
  10. What does the couple hope to celebrate together?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What could the husband not get for the trip?
a) a plane ticket
b) time off work
c) a suitcase
d) a visa

2) How long was the trip to Greece they had planned?
a) 2 weeks
b) 10 days
c) a week
d) 4 days

3) Where did the couple go for their first honeymoon?
a) Fiji
b) Turkey
c) the Maldives
d) Bali

4) What kind of news did the article say the couple received?
a) shocking news
b) good news
c) headline news
d) travel news

5) Who went with the woman on her honeymoon?
a) no one
b) her best friend
c) her in-laws
d) her parents

6) Where have photos of the honeymoon gone viral?
a) a local photo shop
b) the Internet
c) Flickr.com
d) a hospital

7) What kind of look did she make for her honeymoon photos?
a) a happy face
b) a duck pout
c) a surprised look
d) a sad face

8) What did the woman cry on?
a) her mother-in-law's shoulder
b) her teddy bear
c) her bed
d) the beach

9) What did the woman call her husband the life of?
a) humans
b) Pakistan
c) the party
d) her life

10) What does the couple hope to celebrate together?
a) every minute spent together
b) their first wedding anniversary
c) the birth of their first child
d) Pakistan's independence day

Role play

Role A —Travel

You think travelling is the best thing to do alone. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why people shouldn't do their things alone. Also, tell the others which of these is the worst thing to do alone (and why): working, going to the cinema or studying English.

Role B —Work

You think working is the best thing to do alone. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why people shouldn't do their things alone. Also, tell the others which of these is the worst thing to do alone (and why): travelling, going to the cinema or studying English.

Role C —Go to the cinema

You think going to the cinema is the best thing to do alone. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why people shouldn't do their things alone. Also, tell the others which of these is the worst thing to do alone (and why): working, travelling or studying English.

Role D —Study English

You think studying English is the best thing to do alone. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why people shouldn't do their things alone. Also, tell the others which of these is the worst thing to do alone (and why):  working, going to the cinema or travelling.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'honey'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • and 'moon'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    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. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • viral
    • location
    • sad
    • party
    • eyes
    • away
    • young
    • second
    • received
    • embassy
    • both
    • parents

    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 - Woman had to go on honeymoon without husband

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

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What springs to mind when you hear the word 'honeymoon'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What do you think about visas?
    5. Why do you think Huma got a visa but Arsalaan didn't?
    6. What would a honeymoon without your partner be like?
    7. How romantic is Greece?
    8. Where is the best place to go on honeymoon?
    9. What advice do you have for Huma and Arsalaan?
    10. What would it be like to go on honeymoon with your in-laws?

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

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of Huma's idea for her honeymoon photos?
    3. What makes things go viral on the Internet?
    4. What is the best pose for a honeymoon photo?
    5. Is it better to travel alone or with someone else?
    6. Who do you know who is the life of the party?
    7. Whose shoulder do you cry on when you are sad?
    8. Where should Huma and Arsalaan celebrate their wedding anniversary?
    9. Why is a honeymoon called a honeymoon?
    10. What questions would you like to ask Huma and Arsalaan?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

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

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

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

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    A woman had to go on her honeymoon (1) ____ because her husband could not get a visa for the trip. Newlyweds Huma Mobin and Arsalaan Sever, a young Pakistani (2) ____, got married earlier this year. They paid for a (3) ____ 10-day trip to Greece for their second honeymoon. They had already been to the Maldives for their first honeymoon. The couple (4) ____ shocking news when the Greek embassy in Pakistan gave Huma a visa to travel to Greece, but did not issue one for her husband. They both decided that because the trip was (5) ____ paid for, Huma should go to Greece alone, without her husband. A few weeks later, Huma's (6) ____ (Arsalaan's parents) decided to go with her.

    The photos of Huma on her solo honeymoon have gone (7) ____ on the Internet. She took photos in every location she visited. In each picture, she stretched her arm out around her missing husband and (8) ____ with a sad face to show how (9) ____ she missed him. Huma said it was difficult to travel knowing her husband was in Pakistan. She said: "He's the life of the (10) ____; my better half. I wouldn't have gone without him but he forced me to." She added: "The first night I cried my eyes (11) ____ on my mother-in-law's shoulder, who really comforted me and told me to make the best of it." Huma is now back with Arsalaan in Pakistan. They are (12) ____ they will be able to go away together to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     lonely     (b)     lonesome     (c)     alone     (d)     loner    
    2. (a)     couple     (b)     couplet     (c)     coupled     (d)     couples    
    3. (a)     romantic     (b)     romance     (c)     romantically     (d)     romanticise    
    4. (a)     received     (b)     receives     (c)     receiving     (d)     receive    
    5. (a)     really     (b)     ready     (c)     yet     (d)     already    
    6. (a)     laws     (b)     lawyers     (c)     outlaws     (d)     in-laws    
    7. (a)     viral     (b)     rival     (c)     vital     (d)     virus    
    8. (a)     posited     (b)     posted     (c)     proposed     (d)     posed    
    9. (a)     much     (b)     most     (c)     more     (d)     many    
    10. (a)     partner     (b)     party     (c)     parted     (d)     parts    
    11. (a)     on     (b)     out     (c)     up     (d)     in    
    12. (a)     hoping     (b)     hopping     (c)     whooping     (d)     hooping

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. go on her honeymoon leaon
    2. a young Pakistani eoclup
    3. a rminoatc 10-day trip to Greece
    4. The couple ecevedri shocking news
    5. the Greek seamysb in Pakistan
    6. idddeec to go with her

    Paragraph 2

    1. gone lvira on the Internet
    2. She took photos in every aiotnocl
    3. soedp with a sad face
    4. he corfde me to
    5. on my mother-in-law's lersoduh
    6. rabtecele their first wedding anniversary

    Put the text back together

    (    )     this year. They paid for a romantic 10-day trip to Greece for their second honeymoon. They had already

    (    )     for the trip. Newlyweds Huma Mobin and Arsalaan Sever, a young Pakistani couple, got married earlier

    (    )     weeks later, Huma's in-laws (Arsalaan's parents) decided to go with her.

    (    )     decided that because the trip was already paid for, Huma should go to Greece alone, without her husband. A few

    (    )     knowing her husband was in Pakistan. She said: "He's the life of the party; my better half. I wouldn't have

    (    )     face to show how much she missed him. Huma said it was difficult to travel

    (    )     with Arsalaan in Pakistan. They are hoping they will be able to go away together to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

    1  )     A woman had to go on her honeymoon alone because her husband could not get a visa

    (    )     shoulder, who really comforted me and told me to make the best of it." Huma is now back

    (    )     location she visited. In each picture, she stretched her arm out around her missing husband and posed with a sad

    (    )     The photos of Huma on her solo honeymoon have gone viral on the Internet. She took photos in every

    (    )     been to the Maldives for their first honeymoon. The couple received shocking news when the Greek

    (    )     gone without him but he forced me to." She added: "The first night I cried my eyes out on my mother-in-law's

    (    )     embassy in Pakistan gave Huma a visa to travel to Greece, but did not issue one for her husband. They both

    Put the words in the right order

    1. get   husband   the   a   could   trip   visa   not   Her   for   .
    2. a   romantic   10   -   day   trip   to   Greece   They   paid   for   .
    3. the   honeymoon   Maldives   Already   for   been   their   to   first   .
    4. without   Huma   to   ,   husband   go   alone   her   should   Greece   .
    5. to   parents)  laws   Huma's  go   in   with  decided  (Arsalaan's  -  her  .
    6. gone   of   her   have   Photos   on   honeymoon   viral   Huma   solo   .
    7. location   every   in   photos   took   She   visited   she   .
    8. stretched   her   her   missing   arm   husband   out   She   around   .
    9. how  show  to   face   sad   a   with   Posed   him  missed   she   much  .
    10. away   together   They   are   hoping   they   will   be   able   to   go   .

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    A woman had to go on her honeymoon lonely / alone because her husband could not get a visa from / for the trip. Newlyweds Huma Mobin and Arsalaan Sever, a young Pakistani couple, got married / marriage earlier this year. They paid for a romance / romantic 10-day trip to Greece for their second honeymoon. They had already went / been to the Maldives for their first honeymoon. The couple received / receiving shocking news when the Greek embassy in Pakistan gave Huma a visa to travel to Greece, but did not issue / issued one for her husband. They both decided that because the trip was already paid / payment for, Huma should go to Greece alone, without her husband. A few weeks later, Huma's in-law / in-laws (Arsalaan's parents) decided to go with her / she.

    The photos of Huma on her solo / sole honeymoon have gone virus / viral on the Internet. She took photos in every / whole location she visited. In each picture, she stretched / stretching her arm out around her missing husband and posed with a sad face to show how much / many she missed him. Huma said it was difficult to travel knowing / known her husband was in Pakistan. She said: "He's the life of the party; my better halve / half. I wouldn't have gone without him but he force / forced me to." She added: "The first night I cried my eyes out on my mother-in-law's shoulder, who really comfortable / comforted me and told me to make the best of it." Huma is now back with Arsalaan in Pakistan. They are hoping / hopping they will be able to go away together to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    _ w_m_n h_d t_ g_ _n h_r h_n_ym__n _l_n_ b_c__s_ h_r h_sb_nd c__ld n_t g_t _ v_s_ f_r th_ tr_p. N_wlyw_ds H_m_ M_b_n _nd _rs_l__n S_v_r, _ y__ng P_k_st_n_ c__pl_, g_t m_rr__d __rl__r th_s y__r. Th_y p__d f_r _ r_m_nt_c 10-d_y tr_p t_ Gr__c_ f_r th__r s_c_nd h_n_ym__n. Th_y h_d _lr__dy b__n t_ th_ M_ld_v_s f_r th__r f_rst h_n_ym__n. Th_ c__pl_ r_c__v_d sh_ck_ng n_ws wh_n th_ Gr__k _mb_ssy _n P_k_st_n g_v_ H_m_ _ v_s_ t_ tr_v_l t_ Gr__c_, b_t d_d n_t _ss__ _n_ f_r h_r h_sb_nd. Th_y b_th d_c_d_d th_t b_c__s_ th_ tr_p w_s _lr__dy p__d f_r, H_m_ sh__ld g_ t_ Gr__c_ _l_n_, w_th__t h_r h_sb_nd. _ f_w w__ks l_t_r, H_m_'s _n-l_ws (_rs_l__n's p_r_nts) d_c_d_d t_ g_ w_th h_r.

    Th_ ph_t_s _f H_m_ _n h_r s_l_ h_n_ym__n h_v_ g_n_ v_r_l _n th_ _nt_rn_t. Sh_ t__k ph_t_s _n _v_ry l_c_t__n sh_ v_s_t_d. _n __ch p_ct_r_, sh_ str_tch_d h_r _rm __t _r__nd h_r m_ss_ng h_sb_nd _nd p_s_d w_th _ s_d f_c_ t_ sh_w h_w m_ch sh_ m_ss_d h_m. H_m_ s__d _t w_s d_ff_c_lt t_ tr_v_l kn_w_ng h_r h_sb_nd w_s _n P_k_st_n. Sh_ s__d: "H_'s th_ l_f_ _f th_ p_rty; my b_tt_r h_lf. _ w__ldn't h_v_ g_n_ w_th__t h_m b_t h_ f_rc_d m_ t_." Sh_ _dd_d: "Th_ f_rst n_ght _ cr__d my _y_s __t _n my m_th_r-_n-l_w's sh__ld_r, wh_ r__lly c_mf_rt_d m_ _nd t_ld m_ t_ m_k_ th_ b_st _f _t." H_m_ _s n_w b_ck w_th _rs_l__n _n P_k_st_n. Th_y _r_ h_p_ng th_y w_ll b_ _bl_ t_ g_ _w_y t_g_th_r t_ c_l_br_t_ th__r f_rst w_dd_ng _nn_v_rs_ry.

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    a woman had to go on her honeymoon alone because her husband could not get a visa for the trip newlyweds huma mobin and arsalaan sever a young pakistani couple got married earlier this year they paid for a romantic 10-day trip to greece for their second honeymoon they had already been to the maldives for their first honeymoon the couple received shocking news when the greek embassy in pakistan gave huma a visa to travel to greece but did not issue one for her husband they both decided that because the trip was already paid for huma should go to greece alone without her husband a few weeks later huma's in-laws (arsalaan's parents) decided to go with her

    the photos of huma on her solo honeymoon have gone viral on the internet she took photos in every location she visited in each picture she stretched her arm out around her missing husband and posed with a sad face to show how much she missed him huma said it was difficult to travel knowing her husband was in pakistan she said "he's the life of the party my better half i wouldn't have gone without him but he forced me to" she added "the first night i cried my eyes out on my mother-in-law's shoulder who really comforted me and told me to make the best of it" huma is now back with arsalaan in pakistan they are hoping they will be able to go away together to celebrate their first wedding anniversary

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    Awomanhadtogoonherhoneymoonalonebecauseherhusbandcouldn
    otgetavisaforthetrip.NewlywedsHumaMobinandArsalaanSever,ayo
    ungPakistanicouple,gotmarriedearlierthisyear.Theypaidforaromant
    ic10-daytriptoGreecefortheirsecondhoneymoon.Theyhadalreadybe
    entotheMaldivesfortheirfirsthoneymoon.Thecouplereceivedshockin
    gnewswhentheGreekembassyinPakistangaveHumaavisatotravelto
    Greece,butdidnotissueoneforherhusband.Theybothdecidedthatbec
    ausethetripwasalreadypaidfor,HumashouldgotoGreecealone,witho
    utherhusband.Afewweekslater,Huma'sin-laws(Arsalaan'sparents
    )decidedtogowithher.ThephotosofHumaonhersolohoneymoonhave
    goneviralontheInternet.Shetookphotosineverylocationshevisited.I
    neachpicture,shestretchedherarmoutaroundhermissinghusbandan
    dposedwithasadfacetoshowhowmuchshemissedhim.Humasaiditwa
    sdifficulttotravelknowingherhusbandwasinPakistan.Shesaid:"He'st
    helifeoftheparty;mybetterhalf.Iwouldn'thavegonewithouthimbuthe
    forcedmeto."Sheadded:"ThefirstnightIcriedmyeyesoutonmymothe
    r-in-law'sshoulder,whoreallycomfortedmeandtoldmetomaketheb
    estofit."HumaisnowbackwithArsalaaninPakistan.Theyarehopingthe
    ywillbeabletogoawaytogethertocelebratetheirfirstweddingannivers
    ary.

    Free writing

    Write about honeymoon for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    A honeymoon by the beach is better than a honeymoon in the mountains. Discuss.

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    Homework

    1. 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 out more about this story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

    3. VISAS: Make a poster about travel visas. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

    4. HONEYMOON: Write a magazine article about honeymoons. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against them.

    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on honeymoons. Ask him/her three questions about them. Give him/her three of your ideas on what makes a perfect honeymoon. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

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    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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