The Reading / Listening - Oldest Leader - Level 5

Malaysia's ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad made a remarkable political comeback to end the six-decade rule of the BN party. Mr Mahathir, 92, will soon be sworn in as Malaysia's next prime minister. He will be the world's oldest elected leader. Mahathir was Malaysia's prime minister from 1981 to 2003. Then, he was leader of the BN party, which came to power in 1957 after Malaysia's independence from Britain. He helped his country's economic success and made Malaysia an "Asian tiger". However, he was accused of being too strong and of using security laws to put his opponents in jail.

Official results show Mahathir's party won 113 seats. This will form a simple majority in Malaysia's 222-seat parliament. Mahathir came out of retirement to join the opposition party. It was a bitterly-contested election race. He beat his former protégé Najib Razak. Mr Najib was accused of corruption in a multi-billion-dollar scandal. Mahathir said he wanted to put Malaysia back on the right track and "restore the rule of law." When reporters asked about his age, he joked that his new cabinet would be, "a gathering of men and women, including a young person".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Oldest Leader - Level 4 or  Oldest Leader - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2145438/malaysias-strongman-mahathir-mohamad-back-power-he-ends-barisan
  • http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/05/10/malaysia-looks-to-new-political-dawn/
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44063675


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. made a remarkable political
  2. end the six-
  3. prime minister
  4. came to
  5. Malaysia's independence
  6. He helped his country's economic
  7. accused of being too
  8. put his opponents
  1. strong
  2. power in 1957
  3. from Britain
  4. in jail
  5. comeback
  6. from 1981 to 2003
  7. decade rule
  8. success

Paragraph 2

  1. Mahathir's party won 113
  2. This will form a simple
  3. Malaysia's 222-
  4. Mahathir came out
  5. join the opposition
  6. It was a bitterly-
  7. He beat his former
  8. restore the
  1. protégé
  2. of retirement
  3. party
  4. majority
  5. rule of law
  6. seats
  7. contested election
  8. seat parliament

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Malaysia's ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad (1) ___________________ political comeback to end the (2) ___________________ of the BN party. Mr Mahathir, 92, will soon be sworn in as Malaysia's next prime minister. He will be the world's (3) ___________________. Mahathir was Malaysia's prime minister from 1981 to 2003. Then, he was leader of the BN party, which (4) ___________________ in 1957 after Malaysia's independence Britain. He (5) ___________________ economic success and made Malaysia an "Asian tiger". However, he was accused of being too strong and of using security laws to (6) ___________________ in jail.

Official results show Mahathir's party won 113 seats. This will (7) ___________________ majority in Malaysia's 222-seat parliament. Mahathir came (8) ___________________ to join the opposition party. It was a bitterly-contested election race. He (9) ___________________ protégé Najib Razak. Mr Najib was (10) ___________________ in a multi-billion-dollar scandal. Mahathir said he wanted to put Malaysia back on the right track and "(11) ___________________ of law." When reporters asked about his age, he joked that (12) ___________________ would be, "a gathering of men and women, including a young person".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Malaysia'sex-leaderMahathirMohamadmadearemarkablepoliticalc
omebacktoendthesix-decaderuleoftheBNparty.MrMahathir,92,wills
oonbesworninasMalaysia'snextprimeminister.Hewillbetheworld'sol
destelectedleader.MahathirwasMalaysia'sprimeministerfrom1981t
o2003.Then,hewasleaderoftheBNparty,whichcametopowerin1957a
fterMalaysia'sindependenceBritain.Hehelpedhiscountry'seconomic
successandmadeMalaysiaan"Asiantiger".However,hewasaccusedof
beingtoostrongandofusingsecuritylawstoputhisopponentsinjail.Offi
cialresultsshowMahathir'spartywon113seats.Thiswillformasimplem
ajorityinMalaysia's222-seatparliament.Mahathircameoutofretirem
enttojointheoppositionparty.Itwasabitterly-contestedelectionra
ce.HebeathisformerprotégéNajibRazak.MrNajibwasaccusedofcorru
ptioninamulti-billion-dollarscandal.MahathirsaidhewantedtoputMal
aysiabackontherighttrackand"restoretheruleoflaw."Whenreporters
askedabouthisage,hejokedthathisnewcabinetwouldbe,"agathering
ofmenandwomen,includingayoungperson".

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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