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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Wael Ghnonim
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Egyptian Blogger Released (8th February, 2011)

Egyptian authorities have released popular anti-government protestor Wael Ghnonim. He went missing in Cairo on January the 28th after blogging against President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule. He told reporters that he was not a hero, saying: “Please don't make me a hero. I'm not a hero. I have been asleep for 12 days.” Ghnonim also had a message for bereaved parents: "I want to say to every mother and every father that lost his or her child, I am sorry, but this is not our fault…It is the fault of everyone who was holding on to power greedily and would not let it go."

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The Internet has played a key part in the unrest in Egypt. Messages on Facebook and Twitter informed millions of people to take to the streets on January 25th. The government tried to stop people communicating on the Web by cutting the country’s Internet and mobile phone systems. It hasn’t worked. Pro-democracy protesters are continuing their sit-in in Cairo's Tahrir Square. The demonstrators are showing no signs of going away and are actually getting bigger in number. They have led to talks between the government and opposition groups.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	anti-government	a.	in Cairo
2	He went missing	b.	me a hero
3.	Please don't make	c.	fault
4.	a message for bereaved	d.	power greedily
5.	this is not our	e.	protestor
6.	holding on to	f.	parents

Paragraph 2

1.	played a key	a.	their sit-in
2	informed	b.	communicating
3.	stop people	c.	of going away
4.	protesters are continuing	d.	part in the unrest
5.	showing no signs	e.	groups
6.	opposition	f.	millions of people

LISTENING GAP FILL

Egyptian authorities ______________________ anti-government protestor Wael Ghnonim. He went missing in Cairo on January the 28th ______________________ President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule. He told reporters that he was not a hero, saying: “Please ______________________ hero. I'm not a hero. I have been asleep for 12 days.” Ghnonim also had a message ______________________: "I want to say to every mother and every father that lost his or her child, I am sorry, but this is not our fault…It is ______________________ who was holding on to power greedily and ______________________."

The Internet has ______________________ the unrest in Egypt. Messages on Facebook and Twitter informed millions of people to ______________________ January 25th. The government tried to stop people communicating on the Web by cutting the country’s Internet and ______________________. It hasn’t worked. Pro-democracy protesters are ______________________ in Cairo's Tahrir Square. The demonstrators are ______________________ going away and are actually getting bigger in number. They have led to talks between the government and ______________________.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Egyptian authorities have released popular (1) ____-government protestor Wael Ghnonim. He (2) ____ missing in Cairo on January the 28th after blogging against President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year (3) ____. He told reporters that he was not a hero, saying: “Please don't make me a hero. I'm not a hero. I have been asleep for 12 days.” Ghnonim also had a message for (4) ____ parents: "I want to say to every mother and every father that lost his or her child, I am sorry, but this is not our (5) ____ …It is the fault of everyone who was holding on to power (6) ____ and would not let it go."

The Internet has played a (7) ____ part in the unrest in Egypt. Messages on Facebook and Twitter informed millions of people to (8) ____ to the streets on January 25th. The government tried to stop people communicating on the Web by (9) ____ the country’s Internet and mobile phone systems. It hasn’t worked. Pro-democracy protesters are continuing their sit-(10) ____ in Cairo's Tahrir Square. The demonstrators are showing no signs (11) ____ going away and are actually getting bigger in (12) ____. They have led to talks between the government and opposition groups.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	ant	(b)	ante	(c)	anti
2.	(a)	went	(b)	did	(c)	made
3.	(a)	ruler	(b)	rule	(c)	rules
4.	(a)	bereaved	(b)	bereave	(c)	bereavement
5.	(a)	halt	(b)	salt	(c)	fault
6.	(a)	greedy	(b)	greedily	(c)	greed
7.	(a)	key	(b)	lock	(c)	chain
8.	(a)	make	(b)	fake	(c)	take
9.	(a)	cuts	(b)	cutting	(c)	cut
10.	(a)	in	(b)	on	(c)	an
11.	(a)	by	(b)	of	(c)	on
12	(a)	numeral	(b)	numeracy	(c)	number

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	anti-government eosporrtt
2.	He went mgniiss
3.	eselpa for 12 days
4.	a ameegss for bereaved parents
5.	not our alftu
6.	holding on to power edryglei
Paragraph 2
7.	played a key part in the nsetur
8.	foemnidr millions of people
9.	tgctuni the country’s Internet
10.	Cairo's Tahrir queaSr
11.	ohgwisn no signs of going away
12.	opposition rogups

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	missing in Cairo on January the 28th after blogging against President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule. He told
( )	mother and every father that lost his or her child, I am sorry, but this is not our fault…It is the
( 1 )	Egyptian authorities have released popular anti-government protestor Wael Ghnonim. He went
( )	millions of people to take to the streets on January 25th. The government tried to stop people
( )	The Internet has played a key part in the unrest in Egypt. Messages on Facebook and Twitter informed
( )	asleep for 12 days.” Ghnonim also had a message for bereaved parents: "I want to say to every
( )	communicating on the Web by cutting the country’s Internet and mobile phone systems. It hasn’t
( )	in number. They have led to talks between the government and opposition groups.
( )	fault of everyone who was holding on to power greedily and would not let it go."
( )	demonstrators are showing no signs of going away and are actually getting bigger
( )	worked. Pro-democracy protesters are continuing their sit-in in Cairo's Tahrir Square. The
( )	reporters that he was not a hero, saying: “Please don't make me a hero. I'm not a hero. I have been

WORD JUMBLE

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

1.	went . January 28th the in on Cairo He missing
2.	he a He that not reporters was hero told.
3.	a don't me hero Please make.
4.	also bereaved had parents a message Ghnonim for.
5.	power of was to fault who on The everyone holding.
6.	played has Internet The part key a.
7.	to the Informed people to of take streets millions.
8.	communicating people stop to tried government The.
9.	continuing are Protesters in - sit their.
10.	groups opposition and government the between Talks.

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 the protests in Egypt 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. THE PROTESTS IN EGYPT: Search the Internet and find more information about the protests in Egypt. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about the protests in Egypt. Include imaginary interviews with protestors and members of the government. 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 Egypt’s president. Ask him three questions about the protests in Egypt. Give him three of your opinions on the protests. 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 Wael Ghnonim (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)