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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Somalia Pirates
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Somali Pirates Take An American Hostage

Some Somali pirates took an American ship’s captain hostage. The captain’s name is Richard Phillips. He is captain of a big ship called the Maersk Alabama. Pirates hijacked his ship in the Indian Ocean, near Somalia’s coast. The pirates kidnapped the crew of the ship too. A day later, there was a fight between the crew and the hijackers. The crew won, but the pirates took Richard Phillips away in a small boat. The U.S. Navy went to rescue him. The FBI also went to help Richard Phillips. They killed three pirates. Mr. Phillips is now a hero.

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I don’t know why the pirates took an American man hostage. Maybe they wanted to steal his money. They could just take everything on the ship and sell it. That is easier than fighting the U.S. Navy. There was a lot of medicine on the ship. I was worried about it. I thought it might not get to the poor people in Africa. I was wrong. It did reach its destination. I also think the pirates are stupid. They know they can’t win against the American Navy. Now they are dead. Now I am a bit worried about the future in Somalia. I hope the people are OK.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	Somali pirates took an American	a.	the Indian Ocean
2	He is captain of a big ship	b.	away in a small boat
3.	Pirates hijacked his ship in	c.	ship’s captain hostage.
4.	there was a fight between the	d.	a hero
5.	the pirates took Richard Phillips	e.	called the Maersk Alabama
6.	Mr. Phillips is now	f.	crew and the hijackers

Paragraph 2

1.	Maybe they wanted to steal	a.	about it
2	take everything on the	b.	destination
3.	I was worried	c.	can’t win
4.	It did reach its	d.	his money
5.	They know they	e.	worried
6.	Now I am a bit	f.	ship and sell it

LISTENING GAP FILL

Some Somali ______________ American ship’s captain hostage. The captain’s name is Richard Phillips. He is captain ______________ called the Maersk Alabama. Pirates hijacked his ship in the Indian Ocean, near Somalia’s coast. The pirates kidnapped ______________ ship too. A day later, there was a fight between the crew and the hijackers. The ______________ the pirates took Richard Phillips away in a small boat. The U.S. Navy ______________ him. The FBI also went to help Richard Phillips. They killed three pirates. Mr. Phillips ______________.

I don’t ______________ pirates took an American man hostage. Maybe they wanted to steal his money. They ______________ everything on the ship and sell it. ______________ than fighting the U.S. Navy. There was a lot of medicine on the ship. I was worried about it. I thought ______________ to the poor people in Africa. I was wrong. It did reach its destination. I also think the pirates are stupid. They ______________ win against the American Navy. Now they are dead. ______________ worried about the future in Somalia. I hope the people are OK.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Some Somali pirates took an American (1) ____ captain hostage. The captain’s name is Richard Phillips. He is captain of a big ship (2) ____ the Maersk Alabama. Pirates hijacked his ship in the Indian Ocean, near Somalia’s coast. The pirates kidnapped the crew of the ship too. A day (3) ____, there was a fight between the crew and the hijackers. The crew (4) ____, but the pirates took Richard Phillips away in a small boat. The U.S. Navy went to (5) ____ him. The FBI also went to help Richard Phillips. They killed three pirates. Mr. Phillips is now a hero.

I don’t know why the pirates took an American man hostage. Maybe they wanted to (6) ____ his money. They could just take everything on the ship and sell it. That is (7) ____ than fighting the U.S. Navy. There was a lot of medicine on the ship. I was worried about it. I (8) ____ it might not get to the poor people in Africa. I was wrong. It did reach its destination. I also think the pirates are stupid. They know they can’t (9) ____ against the American Navy. Now they are dead. Now I am a bit worried about the future in Somalia. I (10) ____ the people are OK.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	ships	(b)	ships’	(c)	ship’s
2.	(a)	called	(b)	cold	(c)	call
3.	(a)	past	(b)	later	(c)	then
4.	(a)	beat	(b)	defeated	(c)	won
5.	(a)	rescuer	(b)	rescue	(c)	rescues
6.	(a)	steal	(b)	stole	(c)	stolen
7.	(a)	easy	(b)	easiest	(c)	easier
8.	(a)	thinks	(b)	thought	(c)	thinking
9.	(a)	won	(b)	winning	(c)	win
10.	(a)	hope	(b)	want	(c)	wish

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	ship’s icpaatn
2.	Pirates idkjecah his ship
3.	Indian cOaen
4.	Somalia’s sotca
5.	erucse him
6.	They idellk three
Paragraph 2
7.	ltaes his money
8.	easier than iifthgng
9.	I was eowrdri
10.	hcaer its destination
11.	pirates are tdsipu
12.	the retufu in Somalia

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( 1 )	Some Somali pirates took an American ship’s captain hostage. The captain’s name is Richard Phillips. He is captain
( )	hijackers. The crew won, but the pirates took Richard Phillips away in a small boat. The U.S. Navy went to rescue
( )	of a big ship called the Maersk Alabama. Pirates hijacked his ship in the Indian Ocean, near Somalia’s
( )	coast. The pirates kidnapped the crew of the ship too. A day later, there was a fight between the crew and the
( )	American Navy. Now they are dead. Now I am a bit worried now about the future in Somalia. I hope the people are OK.
( )	Africa. I was wrong. It did reach its destination. I also think the pirates are stupid. They know they can’t win against the
( )	his money. They could just take everything on the ship and sell it. That is easier than fighting the U.S. Navy. There was a lot
( )	of medicine on the ship. I was worried about it. I thought it might not get to the poor people in
( )	I don’t know why the pirates took an American man hostage. Maybe they wanted to steal
( )	him. The FBI also went to help Richard Phillips. They killed three pirates. Mr. Phillips is now a hero.

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

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

1.	Somali took American Some pirates an.
2.	captain is He ship big a of.
3.	his Ocean ship in Pirates the hijacked Indian.
4.	crew The of pirates the kidnapped ship the.
5.	. Navy went to rescue him The U S.
6.	Maybe money his steal to wanted they.
7.	on it the ship Take and everything sell.
8.	a medicine ship was of the There lot on.
9.	the poor people in Africa It might not get to.
10.	I bit about a now future am worried 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 pirates 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. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about pirates. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about pirates. Include imaginary interviews with two pirates. 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 a pirate. Ask him/her three questions about being a pirate. Write three of your opinions on pirates. 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 Somalia Pirates (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)