The Reading / Listening - Level 1

A speech writer for Melania Trump said she copied parts of a speech from Michelle Obama. Mrs Trump gave a speech to support her husband Donald. He wants to be the next US president. Mrs Trump's speech was about how great she thought Mr Trump was. Journalists said several lines from the speech were the same as a speech from Mrs Obama about Barack Obama. Newspapers wrote about how Mrs Trump could make a speech that was plagiarised.

Plagiarism is copying the work of other people without saying you are copying it. It is stealing. Students who copy get an F-grade. Schools often expel the students. An exam expert said: "Melania's speech offers us a [clear] example of plagiarism in action, from the highest levels of American politics." A writing expert said people will not trust Melania Trump from now. Donald Trump said the speech was "good news" because it got a lot of publicity.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36850215
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2016/07/19/teachers-melania-trump-would-have-gotten-an-f-or-even-expelled-if-shed-turned-in-her-speech-for-a-class/
  • http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/20/us/politics/melania-trump-convention-speech.html?_r=0


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. speech
  2. she copied parts
  3. Mrs Trump gave
  4. support her
  5. how great she
  6. several lines
  7. the same as a speech
  8. make a speech that
  1. thought Mr Trump was
  2. a speech
  3. from Mrs Obama
  4. of a speech
  5. husband
  6. writer
  7. was plagiarised
  8. from the speech

Paragraph 2

  1. Plagiarism is copying the work
  2. It is
  3. Students who copy get
  4. Schools often expel
  5. a clear example of plagiarism
  6. the highest levels of
  7. people will not trust
  8. it got a lot of
  1. American politics
  2. an F-grade
  3. publicity
  4. stealing
  5. Melania Trump from now
  6. of other people
  7. in action
  8. the students

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A speech writer for Melania Trump said (1) __________________ of a speech from Michelle Obama. Mrs Trump gave a (2) ___________________ her husband Donald. He wants to be the next US president. Mrs Trump's speech (3) ___________________ great she thought Mr Trump was. Journalists said (4) ___________________ from the speech were the (5) ___________________ from Mrs Obama about Barack Obama. Newspapers wrote about how Mrs Trump could make a speech that (6) ___________________.

Plagiarism is copying (7) ___________________ people without saying you are copying it. (8) ___________________. Students who copy get an F-grade. Schools often expel the students. An (9) ___________________: "Melania's speech offers us a [clear] example of plagiarism in action, from (10) ___________________ of American politics." A (11) ___________________ said people will not trust Melania Trump from now. Donald Trump said the speech was "good news" because (12) ___________________ publicity.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AspeechwriterforMelaniaTrumpsaidshecopiedpartsofaspeechfromM
ichelleObama.MrsTrumpgaveaspeechtosupportherhusbandDonald.
HewantstobethenextUSpresident.MrsTrump'sspeechwasabouthow
greatshethoughtMrTrumpwas.Journalistssaidseverallinesfromthes
peechwerethesameasaspeechfromMrsObamaaboutBarackObama.
NewspaperswroteabouthowMrsTrumpcouldmakeaspeechthatwaspl
agiarised.Plagiarismiscopyingtheworkofotherpeoplewithoutsayingy
ouarecopyingit.Itisstealing.StudentswhocopygetanF-grade.Sc
hoolsoftenexpelthestudents.Anexamexpertsaid:"Melania'sspeecho
ffersusa[clear]exampleofplagiarisminaction,fromthehighestlevelso
fAmericanpolitics."AwritingexpertsaidpeoplewillnottrustMelaniaTru
mpfromnow.DonaldTrumpsaidthespeechwas"goodnews"becauseit
gotalotofpublicity.

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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