The British government is __________________________ its latest attempt to discourage smokers from smoking. Gory photographs highlighting the __________________________ will be plastered on cigarette packets. These will include images of diseased lungs blackened by __________________________, healthy lungs. A total of sixteen pictures have been selected to scare existing and potential smokers. These will all be accompanied by __________________________. The new initiative will take place by the end of 2009. Britain’s Health Secretary Alan Johnson told BBC News that other countries have successfully __________________________. "We do think it will help the number of people, who want to give up smoking - the vast majority of smokers want to give up - and this will __________________________," he said.
Anti-smoking campaigners __________________________ on tobacco products. They say it is important for people to be more aware of the effects smoking __________________________. Amanda Sandford, from the anti-smoking group ASH, said she hoped the strong images would make more people quit. "Evidence from international studies is that the stronger warnings are better," she said. She is also __________________________ with the raising of the minimum age for buying cigarettes, which rises from 16 to 18. However, smokers’ rights groups __________________________ new attack on smoking. Neil Rafferty, from the group Forest, described the government’s decision as the "victimization" of smokers. "The government are bullying smokers simply because they ___________________," he said.
AFTER READING / LISTENING
1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘health’ and ‘hazard’.
health
hazard
Share your findings with your partners.
Make questions using the words you found.
Ask your partner / group your questions.
2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.
Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
Ask your partner / group your questions.
3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?
4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.
5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:
tactics
plastered
blackened
2009
vast
push
welcomed
vital
international
coincide
rights
bullying
STUDENT SMOKING SURVEY
Write five GOOD questions about SMOKING in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.
When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.
STUDENT 1
_____________
STUDENT 2
_____________
STUDENT 3
_____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.
Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.
DISCUSSION
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
a. What did you think when you read the headline?
What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘cigarette’?
Do you / have you ever smoked?
What are the differences between smokers and non-smokers?
What damage do cigarettes do to a smoker?
Are you worried about the effects of passive smoking?
Do you think gory photos on cigarette packets of diseased body parts will discourage people from smoking?
How do you think the cigarette industry will fight back?
Why do cigarette companies advertise their products as being “cool and trendy”?
What does your government do to encourage people to stop smoking?