The Reading / Listening - the Burka - Level 2

The UK's ex-Foreign Minister Boris Johnson has been accused of racism. He made comments about women wearing the burka in a British newspaper. He said women who wear burkas "look like letter boxes". He also said: "If a female student turned up at school...looking like a bank robber," he would ask her to remove it so that he "could talk to her properly". Johnson was writing an article about a full-face veil ban in Denmark. He said full-face veils should not be banned in the UK, but said women who wore burkas "look absolutely ridiculous".



The UK's Prime Minister Theresa May asked Mr Johnson to apologize. She said "We all have to be very careful about the language and terms we use, and some of the terms Boris used describing people's appearance...have offended." A senior British politician asked Mr Johnson to resign. Many other politicians said the comments were Islamophobic and a hate crime. They say he knew his comments would offend Muslims. Mr Johnson was London's mayor and the UK Foreign Minister. He has had thousands of experiences interacting with Muslim people.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    the Burka - Level 0 the Burka - Level 1   or  the Burka - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-45096519
  • https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/boris-johnson-burqa-wearers-look-like-bank-robbers-letter-boxes/news-story/
  • https://www.thenational.ae/world/europe/boris-johnson-allies-say-he-won-t-apologise-for-islamophobic-burqa-comments-1.757866


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. Johnson has been accused
  2. He made comments
  3. If a female student turned
  4. remove it so that he could talk
  5. Johnson was writing
  6. full-face veils should not
  7. women who
  8. look absolutely
  1. to her properly
  2. wore burkas
  3. an article
  4. ridiculous
  5. up at school
  6. of racism
  7. about women
  8. be banned

Paragraph 2

  1. May asked Mr Johnson
  2. be very careful
  3. describing people's
  4. politicians said the comments
  5. a hate
  6. Mr Johnson was London's
  7. He has had thousands
  8. interacting
  1. were Islamophobic
  2. appearance
  3. with Muslim people
  4. to apologize
  5. of experiences
  6. about the language
  7. mayor
  8. crime

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The UK's ex-Foreign Minister Boris Johnson (1) ___________________ of racism. He made comments about (2) ___________________ burka in a British newspaper. He said women who wear burkas "look like letter boxes". (3) ___________________: "If a female student turned up at school...looking like a bank robber," he would ask (4) ___________________ it so that he "could talk to her properly". Johnson was writing an article about (5) ___________________ ban in Denmark. He said full-face veils should not be banned in the UK, but said women who wore burkas "(6) ___________________".

The UK's Prime Minister Theresa May asked Mr Johnson to apologize. She said "We (7) ___________________ be very careful about the language and (8) ___________________, and some of the terms Boris used describing people's appearance...have offended." (9) ___________________ politician asked Mr Johnson to resign. Many other politicians (10) ___________________ were Islamophobic and a hate crime. They say he (11) ___________________ would offend Muslims. Mr Johnson was London's mayor and the UK Foreign Minister. (12) ___________________ thousands of experiences interacting with Muslim people.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUK'sex-ForeignMinisterBorisJohnsonhasbeenaccusedofracis
m.HemadecommentsaboutwomenwearingtheburkainaBritishnews
paper.Hesaidwomenwhowearburkas"looklikeletterboxes".Healsosa
id:"Ifafemalestudentturnedupatschool...lookinglikeabankrobber,"h
ewouldaskhertoremoveitsothathe"couldtalktoherproperly".Johnso
nwaswritinganarticleaboutafull-faceveilbaninDenmark.Hesaidfull-
faceveilsshouldnotbebannedintheUK,butsaidwomenwhoworeburka
s"lookabsolutelyridiculous".TheUK'sPrimeMinisterTheresaMayaske
dMrJohnsontoapologize.Shesaid"Weallhavetobeverycarefulaboutth
elanguageandtermsweuse,andsomeofthetermsBorisuseddescribin
gpeople'sappearance...haveoffended."AseniorBritishpoliticianaske
dMrJohnsontoresign.ManyotherpoliticianssaidthecommentswereIsl
amophobicandahatecrime.Theysayheknewhiscommentswouldoffe
ndMuslims.MrJohnsonwasLondon'smayorandtheUKForeignMinister.
HehashadthousandsofexperiencesinteractingwithMuslimpeople.

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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