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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes - Algiers Metro
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28 Years Later, Algiers Metro Opens (3rd November, 2011)

North Africa’s second metro system opened on Monday in Algeria’s capital, Algiers. The ten-station, 6.5km line finally opened 28 years after work on it first began. The streets around the city’s post office were freshly painted and thousands of people were on the streets to celebrate. Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony. Work began on the subway in 1982. However, the civil war and a poor economy slowed its construction.

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The cost of a single ticket is 50 dinars ($0.67), which many Algiers residents say is too high. Transport Minister Amar Tou said the real fare is 84 dinars, but the government is making the tickets cheaper. The locals might be unhappy with the cost of traveling, but they are very happy with the trains, which will carry 300,000 passengers a day. Abdul Hamid, an office worker, said: “I can’t believe the metro is finally open. I’ve waited my whole life to use it.”

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	North Africa’s second	a.	ribbon
2	finally	b.	ceremony
3.	freshly	c.	opened
4.	cut the	d.	the subway in 1982
5.	the opening	e.	metro system
6.	Work began on	f.	painted

Paragraph 2

1.	civil	a.	is 84 dinars
2	a poor	b.	war
3.	The cost	c.	passengers a day
4.	the real fare	d.	economy
5.	carry 300,000	e.	my whole life
6.	I’ve waited	f.	of a single ticket

LISTENING GAP FILL

North Africa’s second metro _____________________ Monday in Algeria’s capital, Algiers. The ten-station, 6.5km line finally opened 28 years after _____________________. The streets around the city’s post office _____________________ and thousands of people _____________________ to celebrate. Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika cut the ribbon at the _____________________. Work began on the subway in 1982. However, the civil war and a poor _____________________ construction.

The cost _____________________ is 50 dinars ($0.67), which many Algiers _____________________ high. Transport Minister Amar Tou said the real fare is 84 dinars, but the government is making _____________________. The locals might be unhappy with the _____________________, but they are very happy with the trains, which will carry 300,000 _____________________. Abdul Hamid, an office worker, said: “I can’t believe the metro is finally open. I’ve _____________________ life to use it.”

MULTIPLE CHOICE

North Africa’s second metro system (1) ____ on Monday in Algeria’s capital, Algiers. The ten-station, 6.5km line (2) ____ opened 28 years after work on it first (3) ____. The streets around the city’s post office were freshly painted and thousands of people were on the (4) ____ to celebrate. Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika (5) ____ the ribbon at the opening ceremony. Work began on the subway in 1982. However, the civil war and a poor economy (6) ____ its construction.

The cost of a (7) ____ ticket is 50 dinars ($0.67), which many Algiers residents say is too high. Transport Minister Amar Tou said the real (8) ____ is 84 dinars, but the government is (9) ____ the tickets cheaper. The locals might be unhappy (10) ____ the cost of traveling, but they are very happy with the trains, which will carry 300,000 passengers (11) ____ day. Abdul Hamid, an office worker, said: “I can’t believe the metro is finally open. I’ve waited my (12) ____ life to use it.”

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	opening	(b)	opened	(c)	opener
2.	(a)	finally	(b)	fatally	(c)	fishily
3.	(a)	begun	(b)	beginning	(c)	began
4.	(a)	rails	(b)	streets	(c)	rivers
5.	(a)	cut	(b)	slashed	(c)	sawed
6.	(a)	slowed	(b)	slowing	(c)	slower
7.	(a)	married	(b)	single	(c)	divorced
8.	(a)	fair	(b)	fear	(c)	fare
9.	(a)	made	(b)	making	(c)	makes
10.	(a)	with	(b)	of	(c)	by
11.	(a)	the	(b)	on	(c)	a
12	(a)	every	(b)	all	(c)	whole

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	metro mssyte
2.	Algeria’s icplata
3.	yelsrfh painted
4.	nshdustao of people
5.	on the streets to rcebtaeel
6.	the iegnpon ceremony
Paragraph 2
7.	viicl war
8.	a poor oneyocm
9.	The cost of a ilegns ticket
10.	making the tickets pehecar
11.	an ciofef worker
12.	I’ve waited my whelo life

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	the ribbon at the opening ceremony. Work began on the subway in
( )	people were on the streets to celebrate. Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika cut
( )	1982. However, the civil war and a poor economy slowed its construction.
( )	around the city’s post office were freshly painted and thousands of
( )	the government is making the tickets cheaper. The locals might be unhappy
( )	believe the metro is finally open. I’ve waited my whole life to use it.”
( )	with the cost of traveling, but they are very happy with the trains, which will carry
( )	-station, 6.5km line finally opened 28 years after work on it first began. The streets
( )	300,000 passengers a day. Abdul Hamid, an office worker, said: “I can’t
( )	say is too high. Transport Minister Amar Tou said the real fare is 84 dinars, but
( )	The cost of a single ticket is 50 dinars ($0.67), which many Algiers residents
( 1 )	North Africa’s second metro system opened on Monday in Algeria’s capital, Algiers. The ten

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

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

1.	metro system North opened Africa’s on second Monday.
2.	office post city’s the around streets The.
3.	people the celebrate of on to Thousands were streets.
4.	the cut opening the ceremony ribbon at Bouteflika.
5.	the on began Work 1982 in subway.
6.	A economy its poor slowed construction.
7.	government The cheaper tickets the making is.
8.	the of with cost traveling Unhappy.
9.	day a passengers 300,000 Carry.
10.	use my it whole life I’ve to waited.

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

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about the metro. Include an imaginary interview with the boss of the Metro and an Algiers resident. 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 an Algiers resident. Ask him/her three questions about the metro. Give him/her three of your opinions on metro systems. 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 - Algiers Metro (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)