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Back to This Month's News | Monthly News Archives		 Dateline: 1 November 2008

Story #1

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

Story #1: Jury Finds OJ Simpson Guilty of New Crimes
Exactly thirteen years after being cleared of OJ Simpson received a guilty verdict for another crime. In October, a jury found Simpson and his co-defendant Clarence Stewart guilty of and robbing two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint. The incident took place at a hotel room in a Las Vegas casino. Simpson's sentencing will take place in December and he could face in prison. Many people believe Simpson was guilty of killing his ex-wife and her friend and feel that justice will finally be served. Others that OJ Simpson could never get a fair trial.

Comprehension Questions: Story #1

  1. What was significant about the date of the guilty verdict?
  2. What crime did OJ Simpson commit in Las Vegas?
  3. Why do some people say justice will finally be served?
Discussion Question:
Do you think OJ Simposon will serve life in jail for this crime or do you think he will succeed at claiming it was an unfair trial?

Story #2

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

Story #2: French President Wants Anthem Booing Banned
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been criticized for his to stop a football match after an anthem is booed. The announcement came after a friendly match between France and Tunisia. The president was when a large group of Tunisian fans booed the French anthem. Michel Platini, the President of the French Football Federation questioned the decision, saying it would be difficult and to clear a packed stadium as a result of jeering. Platini said a better idea would be to educate the fans about one another, noting that in some countries anthem booing is heard.

Comprehension Questions: Story #2

  1. Which match upset the French President?
  2. Who was doing the jeering?
  3. Why does Michel Platini disagree with Sarkozy?
Discussion Question:
Do you think sporting events should be cancelled due to booing a national anthem? Why or why not? Is jeering during a sporting event common in your native country?

Story #3

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

Story #3: Parents Support Young Man's Right to Die
A young UK athlete committed last September after becoming paralyzed during a rugby match last year. In October, Daniel James' parents defended their old son's choice to end his own life. According to James' parents, the young man had complained of feeling like a in his own body ever since dislocating his spine. Daniel spent his last days at a clinic in that practices assisted suicide. The British rugby player travelled to Switzerland because assisted suicide is legal there. He had attempted to kill himself times before seeking out help from the clinic.

Comprehension Questions: Story #3

  1. What physical problem did Daniel have?
  2. Why did Daniel have to travel to Switzerland?
  3. According to the article, what had this athlete done several times before?
Discussion Question: In Britain, assisting a person to commit suicide is punishable by up to 14 years in jail. Do you agree with this law? Why or why not?

Story #4

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

Story #4: Japan's Economy Gets Government Help
At the end of October, Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso announced that the government will be putting 275 dollars into its economy to ease the financial crisis. His includes a benefits pay out for every household as well as a cut on employment deductions. An package designed to help and farmers deal with high fuel costs was announced earlier in the month. As the global crisis began to unfold last month, Japan's economy looked strong, especially in comparison to the US and the UK. However, Japan relies heavily on exports, and the yen is making products too expensive for importers.

Comprehension Questions: Story #4

  1. Who is Taro Aso?
  2. How will Japanese employees get a financial break?
  3. What does Japan's economy mainly rely on?
Discussion Question: How has the global crisis affected your native country? Will the recession affect you directly?

ANSWER CHECK

Story #1

Story #1: Jury Finds OJ Simpson Guilty of New Crimes
Exactly thirteen years after being cleared of double murder OJ Simpson received a guilty verdict for another crime. In October, a jury found Simpson and his co-defendant Clarence Stewart guilty of kidnapping and robbing two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint. The incident took place at a hotel room in a Las Vegas casino. Simpson's sentencing will take place in December and he could face life in prison. Many people believe Simpson was guilty of killing his ex-wife and her friend and feel that justice will finally be served. Others argue that OJ Simpson could never get a fair trial.

Comprehension Answers: Story #1

  1. The verdict came exactly 13 years after Simpson was cleared of killing his ex-wife and her friend.
  2. The jury found Simpson guilty of kidnapping and robbing two men at gunpoint.
  3. Many people still think Simpson killed his wife and her friend and they want him to be punished.

Story #2

Story #2: French President Wants Anthem Booing Banned
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been criticized for his decision to stop a football match after an anthem is booed. The announcement came after a friendly match between France and Tunisia. The president was outraged when a large group of Tunisian fans booed the French anthem. Michel Platini, the President of the French Football Federation questioned the decision, saying it would be difficult and dangerous to clear a packed stadium as a result of jeering. Platini said a better idea would be to educate the fans about respecting one another, noting that in some countries anthem booing is rarely heard.

Comprehension Answers: Story #2

  1. The President was upset following a football match between France and Tunisia.
  2. The Tunisian fans were booing the French national anthem.
  3. Platini says it would be difficult and dangerous to cancel a match and clear a packed stadium on account of fans who booed an anthem.

Story #3

Story #3: Parents Support Young Man's Right to Die
A young UK athlete committed suicide last September after becoming paralyzed during a rugby match last year. In October, Daniel James' parents defended their twenty three year old son's choice to end his own life. According to James' parents, the young man had complained of feeling like a prisoner in his own body ever since dislocating his spine. Daniel spent his last days at a clinic in Switzerland that practices assisted suicide. The British rugby player travelled to Switzerland because assisted suicide is legal there. He had attempted to kill himself several times before seeking out help from the clinic.

Comprehension Answers: Story #3

  1. Daniel was paralyzed after a spinal injury.
  2. He had to travel to Switzerland because assisted suicide is illegal in the UK.
  3. He had tried to commit suicide on his own several times.

Story #4

Story #4: Japan's Economy Gets Government Help
At the end of October, Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso announced that the government will be putting 275 billion dollars into its economy to ease the financial crisis. His package includes a benefits pay out for every household as well as a cut on employment deductions. An additional package designed to help fishermen and farmers deal with high fuel costs was announced earlier in the month. As the global crisis began to unfold last month, Japan's economy looked strong, especially in comparison to the US and the UK. However, Japan relies heavily on exports, and the rising yen is making products too expensive for importers.

Comprehension Answers: Story #4

  1. Taro Aso is Japan's Prime Minister.
  2. Employment deductions will be reduced for Japanese employees.
  3. Japan's economy relies on exports.