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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Yemen's Ruler
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Yemen Ruler to Step Down (25th April, 2011)

Yemen's ruling party has accepted a peace plan for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. The plan was created by the six Arab countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council. It gives Mr Saleh 30 days to leave office. Under the plan, Mr Saleh, his family and his aides will be free from prosecution for any crimes they committed in his 33 years in power. Thousands of Yemenis have died at the hands of security forces in the months of unrest since the protests against Saleh’s rule began.

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Thousands of protestors in the capital Sanaa are unhappy with the latest development. One demonstrator, Wadi Al-Najar, said: "The Gulf plan for Yemen is a joke played on the young people's revolution.” Another protester told reporters: "Ali Saleh is a liar. We don't believe him. He has been lying for 33 years... If he was trustworthy, one or two lies wouldn't be a problem, but we don't trust him." Protestors are angry over corruption and the poor economy during Saleh's decades in power.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	Yemen's ruling	a.	prosecution
2	It gives Mr Saleh 30 days	b.	security forces
3.	free from	c.	unrest
4.	his 33 years	d.	to leave office
5.	died at the hands of	e.	party
6.	months of	f.	in power

Paragraph 2

1.	Thousands of	a.	development
2	unhappy with the latest	b.	in power
3.	the young people's	c.	protestors
4.	He has been	d.	wouldn't be a problem
5.	one or two lies	e.	revolution
6.	Saleh's decades	f.	lying for 33 years

LISTENING GAP FILL

Yemen's ruling party _________________ peace plan for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. _________________ by the six Arab countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council. It gives Mr Saleh 30 _________________. Under the plan, Mr Saleh, his family and his _________________ from prosecution for any crimes they committed in his _________________. Thousands of Yemenis have died _________________ security forces in the months of unrest since the protests against Saleh’s rule began.

Thousands of protestors in the capital Sanaa are unhappy with the _________________. One demonstrator, Wadi Al-Najar, said: "The Gulf plan for Yemen is _________________ the young people's revolution.” Another protester told reporters: "Ali Saleh is a liar. We don't believe him. He _________________ 33 years... If he was trustworthy, _________________ wouldn't be a problem, but _________________." Protestors are angry over corruption and the poor economy during Saleh's _________________.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Yemen's (1) ____ party has accepted a peace plan for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. The plan was (2) ____ by the six Arab countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council. It gives Mr Saleh 30 days to leave (3) ____. Under the plan, Mr Saleh, his family and his aides will (4) ____ free from prosecution for any crimes they committed in his 33 years in power. Thousands of Yemenis have died at the (5) ____ of security forces in the months of unrest since the protests (6) ____ Saleh’s rule began.

Thousands of protestors in the capital Sanaa are unhappy (7) ____ the latest development. One demonstrator, Wadi Al-Najar, said: "The Gulf plan for Yemen is a joke (8) ____ on the young people's revolution.” Another protester (9) ____ reporters: "Ali Saleh is a liar. We don't (10) ____ him. He has been lying for 33 years... If he was trustworthy, one or two (11) ____ wouldn't be a problem, but we don't trust him." Protestors are angry over corruption and the poor economy (12) ____ Saleh's decades in power.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	ruling	(b)	ruler	(c)	ruled
2.	(a)	creating	(b)	created	(c)	creation
3.	(a)	office	(b)	room	(c)	hall
4.	(a)	do	(b)	have	(c)	be
5.	(a)	feet	(b)	hands	(c)	ears
6.	(a)	against	(b)	for	(c)	anti
7.	(a)	for	(b)	to	(c)	with
8.	(a)	game	(b)	played	(c)	created
9.	(a)	said	(b)	told	(c)	spoke
10.	(a)	believe	(b)	belief	(c)	believes
11.	(a)	dies	(b)	pies	(c)	lies
12	(a)	while	(b)	among	(c)	during

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	Yemen's gurnil party
2.	cpeae plan
3.	30 days to leave ecffoi
4.	riscme they committed
5.	at the hands of security rscofe
6.	the sesptrto against Saleh’s rule
Paragraph 2
7.	in the laictpa Sanaa
8.	the attels development
9.	a joke deyalp on the young
10.	He has been gnyil for 33 years
11.	we don't rutts him
12.	Saleh's ecsdaed in power

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	down. The plan was created by the six Arab countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council. It gives Mr Saleh 30 days
( )	joke played on the young people's revolution.” Another protester told reporters: "Ali Saleh is a
( )	crimes they committed in his 33 years in power. Thousands of Yemenis have died at the hands
( )	of security forces in the months of unrest since
( )	with the latest development. One demonstrator, Wadi Al-Najar, said: "The Gulf plan for Yemen is a
( )	corruption and the poor economy during Saleh's decades in power.
( )	two lies wouldn't be a problem, but we don't trust him." Protestors are angry over
( )	liar. We don't believe him. He has been lying for 33 years... If he was trustworthy, one or
( )	to leave office. Under the plan, Mr Saleh, his family and his aides will be free from prosecution for any
( 1 )	Yemen's ruling party has accepted a peace plan for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step
( )	the protests against Saleh’s rule began.
( )	Thousands of protestors in the capital Sanaa are unhappy

WORD JUMBLE

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

1.	accepted Yemen's a ruling peace party plan has.
2.	countries plan by Arab The created six was the.
3.	leave It Saleh to Mr days office gives 30.
4.	any from for crimes Free prosecution.
5.	forces security of hands the at Died.
6.	the with Unhappy development latest.
7.	revolution on the A young joke people's played.
8.	been has He years 33 for lying.
9.	be or a two problem lies wouldn't One.
10.	economy power during Saleh's The decades poor in.

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 Yemen 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. YEMEN: Search the Internet and find more information about Yemen. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Ali Abdullah Saleh’s rule and decision to step down. Include imaginary interviews with Yemeni protestors. 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 Ali Abdullah Saleh. Ask him three questions about Yemen. Give him three of your opinions on what he should do from now. 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 Yemen's Ruler (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)