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Tensions High Between North and South Korea (24th November, 2010)

Relations between North and South Korea became their most tense for fifty years after North Korea’s attack on a South Korean island. The military strike happened on Monday. The North fired dozens of rockets at Yeonpyeong Island, killing four people and wounding 18 others. The South immediately threatened to fight back if there were more military strikes. The North blamed the South for starting the crisis; the South said it fired test missiles in the area but that none fell in the North’s territory. South Korea’s stock markets crashed at the news.

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Yeonpyeong Island, populated by 200 military and civilian personnel, is about 30 km off the coast of North Korea. It is over 100 km from the South Korean mainland. Both countries claim it as their own. It is on the North Korean side of the Military Demarcation Line which divided the two Koreas after fighting in the Korean War ended in 1953. However, the island is south of the Northern Limit Line, which South Korea says is its territory. The two countries never signed a peace deal and are still officially at war. Chinese officials have called for calm.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.

Relations between

a.

wounding 18 others

2

their most tense

b.

crashed at the news

3.

killing four people and

c.

for fifty years

4.

immediately threatened to

d.

North and South Korea

5.

The North blamed

e.

fight back

6.

South Korea’s stock markets

f.

the South

 

Paragraph 2

1.

populated by 200 military and

a.

mainland

2

100 km from the South Korean

b.

as their own

3.

Both countries claim it

c.

called for calm

4.

after fighting in the Korean War

d.

civilian personnel

5.

signed a peace

e.

ended

6.

Chinese officials have

f.

deal


LISTENING GAP FILL

Relations between North and South Korea __________________ tense for fifty years after North Korea’s attack on a South Korean island. The military __________________ Monday. The North fired dozens of rockets at Yeonpyeong Island, killing four people __________________ others. The South immediately threatened to fight back if there were ____________________. The North blamed the South for starting the crisis; the South said it fired test missiles in the area but __________________ North’s territory. South Korea’s stock markets __________________.

Yeonpyeong Island, __________________ military and civilian personnel, is about 30 km __________________ North Korea. It is over 100 km from the South Korean mainland. Both countries __________________. It is on the North Korean side of the Military Demarcation Line __________________ two Koreas after fighting in the Korean War ended in 1953. However, the island is south of the Northern Limit Line, which South Korea says is its territory. The two countries never __________________ and are still officially at war. Chinese officials __________________.


MULTIPLE CHOICE

Relations between North and South Korea became their (1) ____ tense for fifty years after North Korea’s attack on a South Korean island. The military (2) ____ happened on Monday. The North (3) ____ dozens of rockets at Yeonpyeong Island, killing four people and wounding 18 others. The South immediately threatened to fight (4) ____ if there were more military strikes. The North blamed the South (5) ____ starting the crisis; the South said it fired test missiles in the area but that none fell in the North’s territory. South Korea’s stock markets crashed (6) ____ the news.

Yeonpyeong Island, populated (7) ____ 200 military and civilian personnel, is about 30 km off the coast of North Korea. It is over 100 km from the South Korean (8) ____. Both countries claim it as their own. It is on the North Korean side of the Military Demarcation Line which divided the two Koreas after (9) ____ in the Korean War ended in 1953. However, the island is south (10) ____ the Northern Limit Line, which South Korea says is its territory. The two countries never (11) ____ a peace deal and are still officially at war. Chinese officials have called for (12) ____.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.

(a)

many

(b)

more

(c)

most

2.

(a)

strike

(b)

stick

(c)

stroke

3.

(a)

barbequed

(b)

roasted

(c)

fired

4.

(a)

back

(b)

after

(c)

front

5.

(a)

from

(b)

for

(c)

if

6.

(a)

to

(b)

in

(c)

at

7.

(a)

by

(b)

so

(c)

as

8.

(a)

mainly

(b)

mainland

(c)

main

9.

(a)

fights

(b)

fought

(c)

fighting

10.

(a)

for

(b)

of

(c)

from

11.

(a)

signed

(b)

signature

(c)

signatory

12

(a)

clam

(b)

calm

(c)

claim


SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1

1.

became their most enste

2.

The military tskeir

3.

glinkli four people

4.

ithgf back

5.

it erdif test missiles

6.

tkcso markets crashed

 

Paragraph 2

7.

irmaylti and civilian personnel

8.

the South Korean nanadmil

9.

clami it as their own

10.

eiddidv the two Koreas

11.

signed a pacee deal

12.

officials have celadl for calm


PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )

North Korean side of the Military Demarcation Line which divided the two Koreas after fighting in the Korean

(    )

missiles in the area but that none fell in the North’s territory. South Korea’s stock markets crashed at the news.

(    )

territory. The two countries never signed a peace deal and are still officially at war. Chinese officials have called for calm.

(    )

more military strikes. The North blamed the South for starting the crisis; the South said it fired test

(    )

of North Korea. It is over 100 km from the South Korean mainland. Both countries claim it as their own. It is on the

(    )

Island, killing four people and wounding 18 others. The South immediately threatened to fight back if there were

(    )

on a South Korean island. The military strike happened on Monday. The North fired dozens of rockets at Yeonpyeong

(    )

Relations between North and South Korea became their most tense for fifty years after North Korea’s attack

1  )

War ended in 1953. However, the island is south of the Northern Limit Line, which South Korea says is its

(    )

Yeonpyeong Island, populated by 200 military and civilian personnel, is about 30 km off the coast


THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

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

1.

a     North     South     Korea’s     Korean     attack     island     on.    

2.

The     strike     on     military     happened     Monday.    

3.

threatened     immediately     South     The     back     fight     to.    

4.

area    The    South    said    it    fired    test    missiles    in    the.   

5.

the     stock     news     markets     crashed     South     at     Korea’s.    

6.

km     coast     Korea     30     the     North     About     off     of.    

7.

the     Over     South     100     Korean     km     mainland     from.    

8.

countries     Both     own     their     as     it     claim.    

9.

countries     deal     never     signed     The     a     two     peace.    

10.

called     calm     Chinese     have     for     officials.    


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 Korean tensions 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. KOREAN TENSIONS: Search the Internet and find more information about Korean tensions. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Korean tensions. Include imaginary interviews with North and South Koreans. 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 head of the United Natiosn. Ask him/her three questions about Korean tensions. Give him/her three of your opinions on how to reduce them. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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