News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on North Korea
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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North Korea Launched A Rocket

North Korea sent a rocket into space. America said the rocket didn’t reach space. Everyone around the world watched the rocket. People in Japan were worried and angry. The fuel tanks from the rocket fell into the Japanese sea. America said North Korea’s technology isn’t so successful. President Obama said he is going to wipe out all nuclear weapons. If a rocket or missile crashes, it will cause a lot of damage. North Korea said their rocket is in space now. It is playing North Korean music in space. I don’t know why.

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I agree with President Obama. “No more nuclear weapons.” He will fix it. I don’t know why people want nuclear weapons. They never do any good. Satellites are OK. They help us every day. Nuclear weapons never help anyone. They just kill people. People never want to go to war. They just drive to work, or go shopping, or cook, or something. They just want to finish their work and go to bed. They don’t want to die in a war. I think countries with nuclear weapons will be in trouble. If I was president, I would put a whole country in prison.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	North Korea sent a rocket	a.	watched the rocket
2	Everyone around the world	b.	out all nuclear weapons
3.	America said North Korea’s technology	c.	music in space
4.	Obama said he is going to wipe	d.	into space
5.	North Korea said their rocket is	e.	isn’t so successful
6.	It is playing North Korean	f.	in space now

Paragraph 2

1.	I don’t know why people	a.	anyone
2	Nuclear weapons never help	b.	country in prison
3.	People never want to go	c.	and go to bed
4.	They just want to finish their work	d.	want nuclear weapons
5.	They don’t want to die	e.	to war
6.	I would put a whole	f.	in a war

LISTENING GAP FILL

North Korea _________________ space. America said the rocket didn’t reach space. Everyone around the _________________ rocket. People in Japan were worried and angry. The fuel tanks from the _________________ the Japanese sea. America said North Korea’s technology isn’t so successful. President Obama said he is going _________________ nuclear weapons. If a rocket or missile crashes, it will cause a lot of damage. North Korea said their rocket _________________. It is playing North Korean music in space. I don’t know why.

I agree with President Obama. “No more nuclear weapons.” _________________. I don’t know why people want nuclear weapons. They _________________. Satellites are OK. They help us every day. Nuclear weapons never help anyone. They just kill people. People _________________ to war. They just drive to work, or go shopping, or cook, or something. They just want to finish their _________________ bed. They don’t want to die in a war. I think countries with nuclear weapons will be in trouble. If I was president, I would put _________________ in prison.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

North Korea (1) ____ a rocket into space. America said the rocket didn’t reach space. Everyone around the world watched the rocket. People in Japan were worried and (2) ____. The fuel tanks from the rocket fell into the Japanese sea. America said North Korea’s technology isn’t (3) ____ successful. President Obama said he is going to wipe (4) ____ all nuclear weapons. If a rocket or missile crashes, it will cause a lot of (5) ____. North Korea said their rocket is in space now. It is playing North Korean music in space. I don’t know why.

I agree with President Obama. “No more nuclear weapons.” He will (6) ____ it. I don’t know why people want nuclear weapons. They never do any (7) ____. Satellites are OK. They help us every day. Nuclear weapons never help anyone. They just kill people. People never want to (8) ____ to war. They just drive to work, or go shopping, or cook, or something. They just want to finish their work and go to bed. They don’t want to (9) ____ in a war. I think countries with nuclear weapons will be in trouble. If I was president, I would put a (10) ____ country in prison.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	sent	(b)	sends	(c)	sending
2.	(a)	angers	(b)	hungry	(c)	angry
3.	(a)	such	(b)	so	(c)	sew
4.	(a)	in	(b)	over	(c)	out
5.	(a)	damage	(b)	damages	(c)	damaging
6.	(a)	mix	(b)	fix	(c)	pix
7.	(a)	well	(b)	best	(c)	good
8.	(a)	come	(b)	go	(c)	arrive
9.	(a)	die	(b)	death	(c)	dead
10.	(a)	hole	(b)	whole	(c)	hell

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	sent a ctroek into space
2.	the world wchadte
3.	worried and ynrag
4.	isn’t so seusccufls
5.	cause a lot of mdaega
6.	pilagny North Korean music
Paragraph 2
7.	I aegre with President Obama
8.	nuclear easpnwo
9.	leeSltitsa are OK
10.	dveri to work
11.	ifnihs their work
12.	a lhwoe country

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	to wipe out all nuclear weapons. If a rocket or missile crashes, it will cause a lot of damage. North Korea said their rocket is
( )	with nuclear weapons will be in trouble. If I was president, I would put a whole country in prison.
( )	something. They just want to finish their work and go to bed. They don’t want to die in a war. I think countries
( )	into the Japanese sea. America said North Korea’s technology isn’t so successful. President Obama said he is going
( )	in space now. It is playing North Korean music in space. I don’t know why.
( )	nuclear weapons. They never do any good. Satellites are OK. They help us every day. Nuclear weapons never help
( )	I agree with President Obama. “No more nuclear weapons.” He will fix it. I don’t know why people want
( )	anyone. They just kill people. People never want to go to war. They just drive to work, or go shopping, or cook, or
( )	world watched the rocket. people in Japan were worried and angry. The fuel tanks from the rocket fell
( 1 )	North Korea sent a rocket into space. America said the rocket didn’t reach space. Everyone around the

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	space into rocket a sent Korea North.
2.	watched world the around Everyone rocket the.
3.	Japanese Tanks rocket the the into sea from fell.
4.	weapons nuclear all out Wipe.
5.	Korean It music is in playing space North.
6.	any do never They good.
7.	to go to want never People war.
8.	to want just They work their finish.
9.	to die They in don’t a want war.
10.	would in put prison a whole I country.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about nuclear weapons for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

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 more information about nuclear weapons. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about nuclear weapons. Include imaginary interviews with two people who are for and against nuclear weapons. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. 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.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Kim Jong-il. Ask him three questions about nuclear weapons. Write three of your opinions on nuclear weapons. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on North Korea (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)