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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on "Spanish Revolution"
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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“Spanish Revolution” Continues (20th June, 2011)

More protests took place in Spain on Sunday. Over 100,000 protesters took to the streets in Madrid and Barcelona. People are angry at the poor Spanish economy. They are blaming politicians and banks for their country’s economic problems. Spain currently has unemployment levels at 20 per cent – that’s one in five of the population. It is the highest unemployment rate in any European Union country. The deomnstrations were peaceful and there were no reports of violence or arrests.

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The protest movement began on May the 15th. It has spread all across Spain. On Sunday leading protestors read a plan of action that called for a revolution. One protestor Juanjo Montiel, 26, told the Reuters news agency: “I'm here because this is a con. I'm lucky enough to have a job, but many don't and have no chance. And on top of that, the politicians want to make more cuts. This is not our fault.” Another demonstrator said: “The capitalist system does not work, it only benefits a few and harms the majority.”

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	More protests took	a.	to the streets
2	100,000 protesters took	b.	problems
3.	They are blaming	c.	place in Spain
4.	their country’s economic	d.	or arrests
5.	one in	e.	politicians and banks
6.	no reports of violence	f.	five of the population

Paragraph 2

1.	protest	a.	across Spain
2	spread all	b.	system
3.	a plan of	c.	is a con
4.	I'm here because this	d.	action
5.	politicians want to make	e.	movement
6.	capitalist	f.	more cuts

LISTENING GAP FILL

More protests __________________ Spain on Sunday. Over 100,000 protesters took __________________ Madrid and Barcelona. People __________________ poor Spanish economy. They are __________________ and banks for their country’s economic problems. Spain currently has unemployment levels at 20 per cent – that’s __________________ the population. It is the highest unemployment rate in any European Union country. The deomnstrations were peaceful and there __________________ violence or arrests.

The protest movement began on May the 15th. __________________ across Spain. On Sunday leading protestors read a plan of __________________ for a revolution. One protestor Juanjo Montiel, 26, told the Reuters news agency: “I'm here because __________________. I'm lucky enough to have a job, but many don't and __________________. And on top of that, the politicians want to __________________. This is not our fault.” Another demonstrator said: “The capitalist system does not work, it only __________________ and harms the majority.”

MULTIPLE CHOICE

More protests took (1) ____ in Spain on Sunday. Over 100,000 protesters took to the streets in Madrid and Barcelona. People are angry (2) ____ the poor Spanish economy. They are blaming politicians and banks (3) ____ their country’s economic problems. Spain currently has unemployment levels at 20 per cent – (4) ____ one in five of the population. It is the highest unemployment (5) ____ in any European Union country. The deomnstrations were peaceful and there were no reports (6) ____ violence or arrests.

The protest movement began on May the 15th. It has (7) ____ all across Spain. On Sunday leading protestors read a plan of action that (8) ____ for a revolution. One protestor Juanjo Montiel, 26, told the Reuters news agency: “I'm here because this is a (9) ____. I'm lucky enough to have a job, but many don't and have no (10) ____. And on top of that, the politicians want to make more (11) ____. This is not our fault.” Another demonstrator said: “The capitalist system does not work, it only benefits a (12) ____ and harms the majority.”

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	peace	(b)	place	(c)	please
2.	(a)	at	(b)	from	(c)	in
3.	(a)	from	(b)	by	(c)	for
4.	(a)	that’s	(b)	there’s	(c)	who’s
5.	(a)	ration	(b)	rate	(c)	rating
6.	(a)	in	(b)	at	(c)	of
7.	(a)	speared	(b)	spared	(c)	spread
8.	(a)	calling	(b)	called	(c)	call
9.	(a)	con	(b)	son	(c)	ton
10.	(a)	chanced	(b)	chance	(c)	chancing
11.	(a)	reduces	(b)	lowers	(c)	cuts
12	(a)	few	(b)	several	(c)	less

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	More otrpstse took place
2.	took to the rssteet
3.	the poor Spanish oenymoc
4.	economic seolpmbr
5.	the ghetsih unemployment rate
6.	no resrtpo of violence
Paragraph 2
7.	esapdr all across Spain
8.	a plan of ctnoia
9.	Reuters news cgaeyn
10.	have no anecch
11.	capitalist sstmey
12.	harms the rjaotiym

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	of that, the politicians want to make more cuts. This is not our fault.” Another demonstrator said: “The capitalist
( )	rate in any European Union country. The deomnstrations were
( )	banks for their country’s economic problems. Spain currently has unemployment levels at 20
( )	The protest movement began on May the 15th. It has spread all
( )	and Barcelona. People are angry at the poor Spanish economy. They are blaming politicians and
( )	con. I'm lucky enough to have a job, but many don't and have no chance. And on top
( )	across Spain. On Sunday leading protestors read a plan of action that called for a
( 1 )	More protests took place in Spain on Sunday. Over 100,000 protesters took to the streets in Madrid
( )	peaceful and there were no reports of violence or arrests.
( )	per cent – that’s one in five of the population. It is the highest unemployment
( )	system does not work, it only benefits a few and harms the majority.”
( )	revolution. One protestor Juanjo Montiel, 26, told the Reuters news agency: “I'm here because this is a

WORD JUMBLE

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

1.	took Sunday place in More Spain protests on.
2.	to , took streets 100,000 protesters the Over .
3.	at the People poor are Spanish angry economy.
4.	at levels unemployment has currently Spain %. 20
5.	of were reports violence There no.
6.	across has all Spain It spread.
7.	Leading action of plan a read protestors.
8.	this because here I'm con a is.
9.	to want politicians The cuts more make.
10.	majority the harms and few a Benefits.

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 unemployment 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. UNEMPLOYMENT: Search the Internet and find more information about the “Spanish Revolution”. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about unemployment. Include imaginary interviews with people who have no job. 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 Spain’s leader. Ask him three questions about unemployment. Give him three of your opinions on Spain’s economy. 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 "Spanish Revolution" (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)