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

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Superhero keeping Washington safe (7th January, 2011)

There is a real-life superhero living in Washington. He calls himself Phoenix Jones and patrols and protects his town of Lynwood, a suburb of Seattle. He doesn’t have a superhero car, like Batman. Instead, he gets around in his Kia, driven by his partner. Jones does look like a real superhero. He has a black and gold costume and looks like he just walked out of a Hollywood movie. He wears a bulletproof vest and carries a Taser stun gun and pepper spray. He recently stopped a car theft by chasing away the criminal who was breaking into a vehicle.

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Jones decided to become a superhero because he got fed up with the crime in his town. He told reporters: "When I walk into a neighbourhood, criminals leave because they see the suit. I symbolize that the average person doesn't have to walk around and see bad things and do nothing." He is part of a wider team of citizens who want to help make their streets safer. They are all well trained. “Everyone on my team either has a military background or a martial arts background,” he said.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	a real-	a.	of Seattle
2	a suburb	b.	vest
3.	he gets	c.	theft
4.	bulletproof	d.	a vehicle
5.	car	e.	life superhero
6.	breaking into	f.	around in his Kia

Paragraph 2

1.	he got fed	a.	background
2	the average	b.	arts
3.	see bad things	c.	up with the crime
4.	They are all well	d.	and do nothing
5.	a military	e.	person
6.	martial	f.	trained

LISTENING GAP FILL

____________________ superhero living in Washington. He calls himself Phoenix Jones and patrols _____________________ of Lynwood, a suburb of Seattle. He doesn’t have a superhero car, like Batman. Instead, ____________________ his Kia, driven by his partner. Jones does look like a real superhero. He has a black and gold costume and ____________________ walked out of a Hollywood movie. He wears a bulletproof vest and carries a Taser stun gun and pepper spray. He ____________________ theft by chasing away the criminal who ____________________ a vehicle.

Jones decided to become a superhero ____________________ up with the crime in his town. He told reporters: "When I walk into a neighbourhood, criminals ____________________ see the suit. I symbolize that ____________________ doesn't have to walk around and see bad ____________________." He is part of a wider team of citizens who want to help make their streets safer. They ____________________. “Everyone on my team either has a military background ____________________ background,” he said.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

There is a real-life superhero living in Washington. He calls (1) ____ Phoenix Jones and patrols and protects his town of Lynwood, a (2) ____ of Seattle. He doesn’t have a superhero car, (3) ____ Batman. Instead, he gets around in his Kia, driven by his partner. Jones does look like a real superhero. He has a black and gold costume and looks like he (4) ____ walked out of a Hollywood movie. He wears a bulletproof (5) ____ and carries a Taser stun gun and pepper spray. He recently stopped a car theft by chasing away the criminal who was breaking (6) ____ a vehicle.

Jones decided to become a superhero because he got fed (7) ____ with the crime in his town. He told reporters: "When I walk into a neighbourhood, criminals (8) ____ because they see the suit. I symbolize that the average person doesn't have to walk around and see bad things and do (9) ____." He is part of a (10) ____ team of citizens who want to help make their streets safer. They are all (11) ____ trained. “Everyone on my team either has a military background or a martial (12) ____ background,” he said.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	him	(b)	his	(c)	himself
2.	(a)	suburb	(b)	suburban	(c)	suburbia
3.	(a)	love	(b)	like	(c)	fond of
4.	(a)	must	(b)	just	(c)	bust
5.	(a)	vest	(b)	sock	(c)	armband
6.	(a)	onto	(b)	into	(c)	to
7.	(a)	up	(b)	down	(c)	in
8.	(a)	say ‘hi’	(b)	steal	(c)	leave
9.	(a)	not	(b)	none	(c)	nothing
10.	(a)	width	(b)	wider	(c)	widen
11.	(a)	well	(b)	good	(c)	fine
12	(a)	artists	(b)	artistic	(c)	arts

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	patrols and ettrpsoc his town
2.	he gets rdunao in his Kia
3.	a black and gold emtcsuo
4.	pepper yrsap
5.	stopped a car hfett
6.	breaking into a celhvie
Paragraph 2
7.	he got fed up with the imrce
8.	criminals eeavl
9.	the aavrege person
10.	team of sneiiczt
11.	well tadreni
12.	ltmiara arts

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	of a wider team of citizens who want to help make their streets safer. They are all well
( )	protects his town of Lynwood, a suburb of Seattle. He doesn’t have a superhero car, like
( )	I walk into a neighbourhood, criminals leave because they see the suit. I symbolize that the average
( )	movie. He wears a bulletproof vest and carries a Taser stun gun and pepper spray. He recently stopped
( )	Jones decided to become a superhero because he got fed up with the crime in his town. He told reporters: "When
( )	superhero. He has a black and gold costume and looks like he just walked out of a Hollywood
( )	has a military background or a martial arts background,” he said.
( )	person doesn't have to walk around and see bad things and do nothing." He is part
( )	Batman. Instead, he gets around in his Kia, driven by his partner. Jones does look like a real
( 1 )	There is a real-life superhero living in Washington. He calls himself Phoenix Jones and patrols and
( )	trained. “Everyone on my team either
( )	a car theft by chasing away the criminal who was breaking into a vehicle.

WORD JUMBLE

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

1.	life superhero A living real in - Washington.
2.	a , have car Batman doesn’t superhero like He.
3.	a like look does Jones superhero real.
4.	walked out of a Hollywood movie Looks like he just.
5.	into criminal a who vehicle was breaking The.
6.	got fed up with the crime in his town He.
7.	they because leave Criminals suit the see.
8.	and nothing See things do bad.
9.	want make safer who help streets Citizens to their.
10.	all are They trained well.

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

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about this superhero. Include imaginary interviews with him and a citizen of his town. 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 Phoenix Jones. Ask him three questions about being a superhero. Give him three of your opinions on superheroes. 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 Superheroes (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)