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

Home
Donate

COPYRIGHT:
Please write to
me for permission.

An American-Iranian Reporter Is Jailed

Roxana Saberi is an American-Iranian journalist. She is a little bit famous. She worked for the BBC as a reporter. However, when she went to Iran, she ended up in prison. The judge sentenced her to eight years. Iran’s government said she was a spy. The judge said the 31-year-old reporter was spying for America. Roxana said she was just doing her job. She is very upset and angry. Her parents are also sad because their daughter is in jail. President Obama wants Iran to release Roxana. He said it wasn’t fair to put her in prison.

Advertisements

I’m not sure if she is a spy. She doesn’t look like one. Spies usually have brief cases and special gadgets. She does have a camera and a tape recorder. Maybe she took some photos of secret places in Iran. If she did, the judge should tell people what she did. I think pretending to be a journalist is a good way to be a spy. You can take lots of photos and videos. You can also get close to presidents and army generals. That might be dangerous. Being a spy is an exciting and interesting job. I don’t want to be a spy because it’s dangerous.

Advertisements

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	She is a little	a.	as a reporter
2	She worked for the BBC	b.	up in prison
3.	she ended	c.	her in prison
4.	spying	d.	bit famous
5.	she was just	e.	for America
6.	it wasn’t fair to put	f.	doing her job

Paragraph 2

1.	I’m not sure	a.	brief cases
2	Spies usually have	b.	interesting job
3.	Maybe she took some photos	c.	be a journalist
4.	pretending to	d.	of secret places
5.	You can also get	e.	if she is a spy
6.	an exciting and	f.	close to presidents

LISTENING GAP FILL

Roxana Saberi is an American-Iranian journalist. _____________ famous. She worked for the BBC as a reporter. However, when she went to Iran, she _____________ prison. The judge sentenced _____________ years. Iran’s government said she was a spy. The judge said the 31-year-old reporter _____________ America. Roxana said she was just doing her job. She is very _____________. Her parents are also sad because their daughter is in jail. President Obama wants Iran to release Roxana. He said _______________ put her in prison.

I’m _____________ is a spy. She doesn’t look like one. Spies usually have brief cases and _____________. She does have a camera and a tape recorder. Maybe she took some photos _____________ in Iran. If she did, the judge should tell people what she did. I think _____________ be a journalist is a good way to be a spy. You can take lots of photos and videos. You can _____________ to presidents and army generals. That might be dangerous. Being a spy is an exciting and _____________. I don’t want to be a spy because it’s dangerous.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Roxana Saberi is an American-Iranian (1) ____. She is a little bit famous. She worked for the BBC as a reporter. However, when she went to Iran, she ended (2) ____ in prison. The judge (3) ____ her to eight years. Iran’s government said she was a spy. The judge said the 31-year-old reporter was spying for America. Roxana said she was (4) ____ doing her job. She is very upset and angry. Her parents are also sad because their daughter is in jail. President Obama wants Iran to release Roxana. He said it wasn’t (5) ____ to put her in prison.

I’m not sure if she is a spy. She doesn’t look like one. Spies (6) ____ have brief cases and special gadgets. She does have a camera and a tape recorder. Maybe she (7) ____ some photos of secret places in Iran. If she did, the judge should tell people what she (8) ____. I think pretending to be a journalist is a good way to be a spy. You can take lots of photos and videos. You can also (9) ____ close to presidents and army generals. That might be dangerous. Being a spy is an exciting and interesting job. I don’t want to be a spy (10) ____ it’s dangerous.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	journal	(b)	journalist	(c)	journalism
2.	(a)	up	(b)	in	(c)	on
3.	(a)	sentenced	(b)	sentence	(c)	sentences
4.	(a)	justice	(b)	adjust	(c)	just
5.	(a)	fare	(b)	far	(c)	fair
6.	(a)	usually	(b)	never	(c)	rarely
7.	(a)	made	(b)	took	(c)	filmed
8.	(a)	do	(b)	done	(c)	did
9.	(a)	take	(b)	get	(c)	give
10.	(a)	because	(b)	so	(c)	if

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	bit fauoms
2.	she ended up in iponsr
3.	The ugjed sentenced her
4.	gnsypi for America
5.	spuet and angry
6.	eaeselr Roxana
Paragraph 2
7.	Spies uslyalu have brief cases
8.	a tape ceordrer
9.	cteesr places
10.	photos and oisevd
11.	army esgnelar
12.	ncigixte and interesting

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	I’m not sure if she is a spy. She doesn’t look like one. Spies usually have brief cases and special
( )	years. Iran’s government said she was a spy. The judge said the 31-year-old reporter was spying for America. Roxana said
( )	as a reporter. However, when she went to Iran, she ended up in prison. The judge sentenced her to eight
( )	way to be a spy. You can take lots of photos and videos. You can also get close to presidents and army generals. That might
( )	gadgets. She does have a camera and a tape recorder. Maybe she took some photos of secret
( )	places in Iran. If she did, the judge should tell people what she did. I think pretending to be a journalist is a good
( )	be dangerous. Being a spy is an exciting and interesting job. I don’t want to be a spy because it’s dangerous.
( )	she was just doing her job. She is very upset and angry. Her parents are also sad because their daughter is
( )	in jail. President Obama wants Iran to release Roxana. He said it wasn’t fair to put her in prison.
( 1 )	Roxana Saberi is an American-Iranian journalist. She is a little bit famous. She worked for the BBC

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

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

1.	She a bit is little famous.
2.	ended She prison in up.
3.	years eight to her sentenced judge The.
4.	job She just her was doing.
5.	put It her wasn’t in fair prison to.
6.	she I’m is not a sure spy if.
7.	have usually Spies cases brief.
8.	of she secret took places some photos Maybe.
9.	also can You presidents to close get.
10.	a spy because it’s dangerous I don’t want to be.

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 journalists 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 journalists. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about journalists. Include imaginary interviews with two different kinds of journalists – international and local / radio and TV. 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 a journalist. Ask him/her three questions about journalists. Write three of your opinions on journalists. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

Back to the top

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