1.
TRUE,
FALSE, NOT STATED
1.
Thomas
Hamilton was shooting at the secondary school.
2.
The
gunman fired over one hundred and five shots.
3.
Part-time
PE teacher Eileen Harrild was killed.
4.
The
murder burst into the gym at 9:30.
5.
All
children and teachers in the store room were injured.
2.
Read the text and answer the questions.
THE COLUMBINE MASSACRE
What is it going to take for America to get the
message? How many more young lives are we going to see wasted? How can the
pro-gun lobby in the USA still have such a powerful voice? After the Dunblane
massacre here in 1996, gun control laws, which were already strict, were
tightened further. There was a nationwide amnesty on handguns. Many who had
guns, for whatever reason, gave them up. They were sick of what guns were
capable of. People even questioned whether shooting should remain an Olympic
sport. Dunblane shocked the whole nation and the effect remains to this day.
But in the US, politicians are more worried about
upsetting the pro-gun groups and losing votes than protecting innocent people!
Ordinary citizens argue that they should be free to arm and defend themselves
in accordance with the “Second Amendment”. Defend themselves against who? The
country isn’t under attack! The civil war ended over 200 years ago!
Most people in Britain have never seen or handled a
real gun – even our police don’t carry them – but in America you can buy one on
a Saturday afternoon shopping trip. What has happened to a country that it can
carry on with one massacre after another and do nothing? We’re supposed to be ‘cousins’ but the family resemblance is
not very strong any more. I don’t recognize their culture. A country that can’t
ban guns has lost its head, and its soul.
1.
What
is the overall tone of the article -
anger, sarcasm, sympathy, something else?
2.
If
you were an American, would you take offence at this article?
3.
How
does the writer compare the Dunblane massacre to the Columbine massacre?
3.
COMPLETE
THE SENTENCES.
Weapon, illegal, outlawed,
lives, in self-defence
1.
I
think guns should be made ………….
2.
If
guns were……………, then only criminals would have them.
3.
Guns
don’t take ……………… . People do.
4.
Anything
can be used as a lethal ………………… A gun is simply one of them.
5.
I
think someone is only justified in using a gun……………………
4.
MAKE
A REPORT
Do guns have any positive roles in society? Use the
expressions to help you to express your ideas.
If we didn’t have guns, we
wouldn’t have….
It’s because of guns that
we…..
I’m not in favour of guns,
but I must admit….
5.
USE
THE CORRECT ENDING FOR EACH SENTENCE BELOW
1.
Anybody
can buy a gun –
2.
Some
teenagers carry guns around –
3.
I
wouldn’t use a gun –
4.
Hardly
anybody carries a gun in Britain –
5.
I
think guns should be banned completely –
a.
they
even take them to school.
b.
even
toy ones.
c.
even
kids can buy them.
d.
even
if I was attacked.
e.
not
even the police.
