The Reading / Listening - Transgender Soldiers - Level 4

Donald Trump's wants to ban transgender people from serving in the USA military. However, bosses at the Pentagon said there will be "no modifications" to its policy of allowing transgender people to serve until it gets notification. The Pentagon said: "We will continue to treat all of our personnel with respect." It added: "There will be no modifications to the current policy until…the secretary has issued implementation guidance."

President Trump tweeted that: "The United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail." A Republican said: "Any American who meets current medical and readiness standards should…continue serving."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Transgender Soldiers - Level 5 or  Transgender Soldiers - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/27/539760575/joint-chiefs-chairman-says-transgender-policy-wont-change-yet
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-27/pentagon-pushes-back-on-trump-bid-to-change-transgender-policy
  • http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/26/politics/trump-military-transgender/index.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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. ban transgender people from serving
  2. bosses at the
  3. its policy of allowing
  4. serve until it
  5. We will
  6. treat all of our personnel
  7. There will
  8. issued implementation
  1. be no modifications
  2. gets notification
  3. guidance
  4. Pentagon
  5. with respect
  6. in the USA military
  7. continue
  8. transgender people

Paragraph 2

  1. not accept or allow transgender
  2. serve
  3. overwhelming
  4. cannot be
  5. tremendous medical
  6. disruption that transgender in the
  7. meets current medical and
  8. should continue
  1. military would entail
  2. individuals
  3. serving
  4. in any capacity
  5. readiness standards
  6. victory
  7. costs
  8. burdened

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Donald Trump (1) ___________________ transgender people from serving in the USA military. However, (2) ___________________ Pentagon said there will be "no modifications" (3) ___________________ allowing transgender people to (4) ___________________ gets notification. The Pentagon said: "We will continue to (5) ___________________ personnel with respect." It added: "There will be no modifications to the current policy until…the secretary (6) ___________________ implementation guidance."

President Trump tweeted that: "The United States Government will not (7) _________________ transgender individuals (8) __________________ capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must (9) ___________________ decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous (10) ___________________ disruption that transgender in the military (11) ___________________." A Republican said: "Any American who meets current medical and readiness standards should… (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

DonaldTrumpwantstobantransgenderpeoplefromservingintheUS
Amilitary.However,bossesatthePentagonsaidtherewillbe"nomodific
ations"toitspolicyofallowingtransgenderpeopletoserveuntilitgetsnot
ification.ThePentagonsaid:"Wewillcontinuetotreatallofourpersonnel
withrespect."Itadded:"Therewillbenomodificationstothecurrentpoli
cyuntil…thesecretaryhasissuedimplementationguidance."President
Trumptweetedthat:"TheUnitedStatesGovernmentwillnotacceptoral
lowtransgenderindividualstoserveinanycapacityintheU.S.Military.O
urmilitarymustbefocusedondecisiveandoverwhelmingvictoryandca
nnotbeburdenedwiththetremendousmedicalcostsanddisruptionthat
transgenderinthemilitarywouldentail."ARepublicansaid:"AnyAmeri
canwhomeetscurrentmedicalandreadinessstandardsshould…contin
ueserving."

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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