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

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Mexico’s Deadly Flu

More than 150 people died in Mexico because of influenza. It is not the usual flu we get every year. It is an unknown, deadly kind of flu called swine flu. Scientists say we mustn’t use that name any more. They say we should call the new flu “Influenza A”. Doctors say the flu will spread all around the world. It is already in many countries. Experts say it came from pigs. People are afraid now. Schools are closed and hospitals are busy. People are shouting for flu jabs and medicine. Everyone is wearing face masks.

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This new flu doesn’t sound very good. The WHO (World Health Organization) says there will be a pandemic. This means it will be everywhere in the world. I don’t know what happens. Maybe your skin turns green and you have blue dots on your face. There is no disease like that. I want to be a doctor. If I am ill, I’ll take some medicine to stay alive. I don’t want to be ill. Now I look at television every day. I want to watch the news to see if the flu is in my town. If it is, I’ll move to a safer town.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	More than 150	a.	flu we get every year
2	It is not the usual	b.	all around the world
3.	the flu will spread	c.	jabs
4.	Experts say it	d.	face masks
5.	flu	e.	people died in Mexico
6.	Everyone is wearing	f.	came from pigs

Paragraph 2

1.	This new flu doesn’t	a.	pandemic
2	there will be a	b.	alive
3.	Maybe your skin	c.	sound very good
4.	stay	d.	to a safer town
5.	watch	e.	turns green
6.	I’ll move	f.	the news

LISTENING GAP FILL

More than 150 people died in Mexico because of influenza. _________________ flu we get every year. It is an unknown, deadly kind of flu called swine flu. Scientists say we mustn’t use _________________. They say we should call the new flu “Influenza A”. Doctors say the flu _________________ around the world. It _________________ countries. Experts say it came from pigs. _________________ now. Schools are closed and hospitals are busy. People are shouting for flu jabs and medicine. Everyone is _________________.

This new flu doesn’t _________________. The WHO (World Health Organization) says there _________________. This means it will be everywhere in the world. I don’t know what happens. Maybe your _________________ and you have blue _________________. There is no disease like that. I want to be a doctor. If I am ill, _________________ medicine to stay alive. I don’t want to be ill. Now I look at television every day. I want to watch the news to see if the flu is in my town. If it is, I’ll move _________________.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

More than 150 people died in Mexico (1) ____ of influenza. It is not the usual flu we get every year. It is an unknown, (2) ____ kind of flu called swine flu. Scientists say we mustn’t use that name (3) ____ more. They say we should call the new flu “Influenza A”. Doctors say the flu will spread all around the world. It is already in many countries. (4) ____ say it came from pigs. People are afraid now. Schools are closed and hospitals are busy. People are shouting for flu jabs and medicine. Everyone is (5) ____ face masks.

This new flu doesn’t sound very (6) ____. The WHO (World Health Organization) (7) ____ there will be a pandemic. This means it will be everywhere in the world. I don’t know what happens. Maybe your skin (8) ____ green and you have blue dots on your face. There is no disease like that. I want to be a doctor. If I am ill, I’ll take some medicine to stay (9) ____. I don’t want to be ill. Now I look at television every day. I want to watch the news to see if the flu is in my town. If it is, I’ll move to a (10) ____ town.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	due	(b)	that’s	(c)	because
2.	(a)	deadly	(b)	dead	(c)	dying
3.	(a)	any	(b)	no	(c)	some
4.	(a)	expert	(b)	experts	(c)	expertise
5.	(a)	worn	(b)	wears	(c)	wearing
6.	(a)	good	(b)	well	(c)	best
7.	(a)	talks	(b)	says	(c)	speaks
8.	(a)	has	(b)	turns	(c)	takes
9.	(a)	living	(b)	life	(c)	alive
10.	(a)	safety	(b)	safer	(c)	safest

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	bsaceeu of influenza
2.	an unknown, ldeyda kind
3.	adsepr all around the world
4.	People are rdafia
5.	ssaholipt are busy
6.	wearing face kssma
Paragraph 2
7.	there will be a apndecim
8.	your skin truns green
9.	blue tosd on your face
10.	be a rtocod
11.	stay ailev
12.	move to a serfa town

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	call the new flu “Influenza A”. Doctors say the flu will spread
( )	green and you have blue dots on your face. There is no disease like that. I want to be a doctor. If I am ill, I’ll take
( )	This new flu doesn’t sound very good. The WHO (World Health Organization) says there will be a
( )	all around the world. It is already in many countries. Experts say it came from pigs. People are afraid now. Schools are
( 1 )	More than 150 people died in Mexico because of influenza. It is not the usual flu we get every year. It is an
( )	pandemic. This means it will be everywhere in the world. I don’t know what happens. Maybe your skin turns
( )	unknown, deadly kind of flu called swine flu. Scientists say we mustn’t use that name any more. They say we should
( )	some medicine to stay alive. I don’t want to be ill. Now I look at television every day. I want to
( )	closed and hospitals are busy. People are shouting for flu jabs and medicine. Everyone is wearing face masks.
( )	watch the news to see if the flu is in my town. If it is, I’ll move to a safer town.

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

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

1.	150 than More Mexico in died people.
2.	an deadly flu is , of It unknown kind.
3.	flu new the call should we say They “Influenza A”.
4.	all The around flu the will world spread.
5.	from say came pigs Experts it.
6.	This good very sound doesn’t flu new.
7.	the in everywhere be will It world.
8.	green turns skin your Maybe.
9.	medicine some take I’ll alive stay to.
10.	town flu is See in if my the.

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

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Swine Flu. Include imaginary interviews with two people, one who had Swine Flu, the other who has Swine Flu. 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 the boss of the WHO. Ask him/her three questions about Swine Flu. Write three of your opinions on Swine Flu. 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 Swine Flu (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)