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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes - Cigarette Packaging
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Australia Upsets Tobacco Companies (28th June, 2011)

The Australian government has angered the leading international cigarette brands. It has ordered companies to remove the branding from their cigarette packets. This means from January the 1st, 2012, there could be no logos on cigarette packs. All cigarette boxes will be a dull, olive green colour that was specially chosen because people thought it was so unattractive. In addition, all product names will be the same size, colour and font. Politicians believe that taking away any brand appeal will reduce smoking.

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Tobacco giant Philip Morris, maker of the world’s leading cigarette brand Marlboro, wants to sue the Australian government. They say the new packaging means there is unfair competition. They point out that the law says logos are property and thus their property is being attacked. Companies have been angry for some time because of the gory and graphic pictures they have to put on their boxes alongside health warnings. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said: “We’ve made the right decision and we’ll see it through.”

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	the leading international	a.	was specially chosen
2	remove the branding	b.	cigarette brands
3.	there could be no logos	c.	and font
4.	a dull, olive green colour that	d.	from their cigarette packets
5.	the same size, colour	e.	will reduce smoking
6.	taking away brand appeal	f.	on cigarette packs

Paragraph 2

1.	maker of the world’s	a.	is being attacked
2	unfair	b.	it through
3.	their property	c.	leading cigarette brand
4.	gory and	d.	warnings
5.	alongside health	e.	graphic pictures
6.	we’ll see	f.	competition

LISTENING GAP FILL

The Australian government ___________________ leading international cigarette brands. It has ordered companies to ___________________ from their cigarette packets. This means from January the 1st, 2012, there ___________________ on cigarette packs. All cigarette boxes will be a dull, olive green colour that ___________________ because people thought it was so unattractive. In addition, all ___________________ be the same size, colour and font. Politicians believe that taking away ___________________ reduce smoking.

Tobacco giant Philip Morris, maker of ___________________ cigarette brand Marlboro, ___________________ the Australian government. They say the new packaging means there is unfair competition. They ___________________ law says logos are property and thus their property ___________________. Companies have been angry for some time because of the gory ___________________ they have to put on their boxes alongside health warnings. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said “We’ve made the right decision and ___________________.”

MULTIPLE CHOICE

The Australian government has (1) ____ the leading international cigarette brands. It has ordered companies to (2) ____ the branding from their cigarette packets. This means from January the 1st, 2012, there could be no logos on cigarette packs. (3) ____ cigarette boxes will be a (4) ____, olive green colour that was specially chosen because people thought it was (5) ____ unattractive. In addition, all product names will be the same size, colour and font. Politicians believe that taking (6) ____ brand appeal will reduce smoking.

Tobacco giant Philip Morris, maker (7) ____ the world’s leading cigarette brand Marlboro, wants to (8) ____ the Australian government. They say the new packaging means there is unfair competition. They point (9) ____ that the law says logos are property and thus their property is (10) ____ attacked. Companies have been angry for some time because of the gory and graphic pictures they have to put on their boxes (11) ____ health warnings. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said “We’ve made the right decision and we’ll see it (12) ____.”

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	angry	(b)	angers	(c)	angered
2.	(a)	removal	(b)	remove	(c)	removing
3.	(a)	Every	(b)	All	(c)	Whole
4.	(a)	dull	(b)	lull	(c)	pull
5.	(a)	such	(b)	as	(c)	so
6.	(a)	over	(b)	away	(c)	up
7.	(a)	of	(b)	by	(c)	on
8.	(a)	sew	(b)	so	(c)	sue
9.	(a)	in	(b)	out	(c)	up
10.	(a)	being	(b)	was	(c)	been
11.	(a)	along	(b)	longing	(c)	alongside
12	(a)	through	(b)	though	(c)	thorough

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	elgaidn international cigarette brands
2.	eovrme the branding
3.	cigarette katpsce
4.	specially ocehsn
5.	In diadnito
6.	rdeecu smoking
Paragraph 2
7.	Tobacco nigat Philip Morris
8.	rfiuan competition
9.	their yoetprpr is being attacked
10.	gricahp pictures
11.	health nwsgrina
12.	we’ll see it guorhht

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	believe that taking away brand appeal will reduce smoking.
( )	January the 1st, 2012, there could be no logos on cigarette packs. All cigarette boxes will be a dull, olive
( )	competition. They point out that the law says logos are property and thus their property is
( )	warnings. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said “We’ve made the right decision and we’ll see it through.”
( )	addition, all product names will be the same size, colour and font. Politicians
( )	being attacked. Companies have been angry for some time because of the gory and graphic
( )	Tobacco giant Philip Morris, maker of the world’s leading cigarette brand Marlboro, wants to
( )	companies to remove the branding from their cigarette packets. This means from
( )	pictures they have to put on their boxes alongside health
( 1 )	The Australian government has angered the leading international cigarette brands. It has ordered
( )	green colour that was specially chosen because people thought it was so unattractive. In
( )	sue the Australian government. They say the new packaging means there is unfair

WORD JUMBLE

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

1.	It remove has the ordered branding companies to.
2.	no logos There on could cigarette be packs.
3.	so people unattractive thought it Chosen was because.
4.	All the product same names size will be.
5.	reduce will appeal brand away Taking smoking.
6.	brand cigarette leading world’s the of Maker.
7.	unfair is there means packaging New competition.
8.	says are law logos property The.
9.	their have boxes to put Pictures on they.
10.	made We’ve decision right 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 cigarettes 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. CIGARETTES: Search the Internet and find more information about cigarette packaging. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about cigarettes. Include imaginary interviews with the boss of Philip Morris and Australia’s prime minister. 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 Philip Morris. Ask him/her three questions about cigarettes. Give him/her three of your opinions on them. 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 - Cigarette Packaging (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)