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Somalia postal service back after 20 years (16th October, 2014)

The Reading / Listening - Level 3

Somalia's government has restarted its postal system for the first time in over 20 years. Fighting and wars in Somalia over the past two decades stopped all mail deliveries. The postal service collapsed in 1991. Somalia is now enjoying a more peaceful time, so the postal service is returning. The new service also sees the introduction of nationwide postcodes. This will be a first for Somalia. Mohamed Ibrahim, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, told the BBC that he was very excited about the return of the postal system. He said that at first, Somalis would be able to receive letters from abroad. He said the next step would be for people to post letters to other countries.

The return of the postal service is just one example of Somalia getting back to normal after its long period of trouble. Another recent example is the introduction of a cash machine (an ATM) at a luxury hotel in the capital city Mogadishu. It is the first time Somalia has ever had an ATM. The hotel's manager said he has seen a few people using the new machine. He said: "Most of the customers are not aware there is an ATM in Somalia." He explained that: "Most local residents don't have a debit card or a credit card to use the ATM." Another example of Somalia returning to normal is the reopening of the Chinese embassy for the first time in 23 years. Somalia's president said China was an important partner.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Level 0, Level 1 or Level 2

Sources

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29606447
http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/15990/20141013/china-officially-reopens-embassy-mogadishu-23-years.htm#ixzz3G5VNyLvb
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/09/business/mogadishu-first-ever-atm/

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The 40 Lesson Activities on the PDF Handout

WARM-UPS

1. LETTERS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about letters (the ones you put in an envelope). Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

postal system / fighting / two decades / peaceful time / postcodes / excited / abroad / example / back to normal / cash machine / manager / residents / embassy / partner

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. SERVICES: How can these be better? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	Good points	Bad points	How to make things better
Postal service
ATMs
Health service
Customer service
Banking services
Public transport

4. E-MAIL: Students A strongly believe e-mail is better than letters by regular mail; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

5. MAIL: Rank these with your partner. Put the best things about mail at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

• letter (mail) boxes

• writing letters

• getting an e-mail

• SMS (texting)

• getting letters

• sending e-mails

• stamps

• envelopes

6. NORMAL: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "normal". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	A private company has re-started the postal system in Somalia.	T / F
b.	Mail deliveries stopped over 20 years ago because of fighting.	T / F
c.	There will be no postcodes with the new postal service.	T / F
d.	People won't be able to post letters abroad just yet.	T / F
e.	Somalia's only ATM is in the capital city's international airport.	T / F
f.	A hotel manager said he has seen thousands of people use the ATM.	T / F
g.	Most local residents in Mogadishu do not have a credit card.	T / F
h.	China recently reopened its embassy in Somalia after 23 years.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	restarted	a.	last
2.	past	b.	resumed
3.	collapsed	c.	usual
4.	abroad	d.	stage
5.	step	e.	time
6.	example	f.	citizens
7.	period	g.	broke down
8.	residents	h.	valuable
9.	normal	i.	overseas
10.	important	j.	instance

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.	for the first time	a.	to normal
2.	The postal service collapsed	b.	city Mogadishu
3.	the introduction of nationwide	c.	other countries
4.	the next	d.	in over 20 years
5.	post letters to	e.	don't have a debit card
6.	getting back	f.	hotel
7.	luxury	g.	postcodes
8.	in the capital	h.	embassy
9.	Most local residents	i.	step
10.	the reopening of the Chinese	j.	in 1991

GAP FILL

Somalia's government has restarted its postal system for the (1) ____________ time in over 20 years. Fighting and wars in Somalia over the past two (2) ____________ stopped all mail (3) ____________. The postal service collapsed in 1991. Somalia is now enjoying a more (4) ____________ time, so the postal service is returning. The new service also sees the introduction of nationwide (5) ____________. This will be a first for Somalia. Mohamed Ibrahim, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, told the BBC that he was very excited about the (6) ____________ of the postal system. He said that at first, Somalis would be able to receive letters from (7) ____________. He said the next step would be for people to (8) ____________ letters to other countries.

peaceful
return
decades
first
abroad
post
deliveries
postcodes

The return of the postal service is just one (9) ____________ of Somalia getting back to normal after its long (10) ____________ of trouble. Another recent example is the introduction of a cash machine (an ATM) at a (11) ____________ hotel in the capital city Mogadishu. It is the first time Somalia has (12) ____________ had an ATM. The hotel's manager said he has seen a few people using the new machine. He said: "Most of the customers are not (13) ____________ there is an ATM in Somalia." He explained that: "Most local (14) ____________ don't have a debit card or a credit card to use the ATM." Another example of Somalia returning to normal is the reopening of the Chinese (15) ____________ for the first time in 23 years. Somalia's president said China was an important (16) ____________.

luxury
aware
period
embassy
example
partner
ever
residents

LISTENING - Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)	Somalia's government has restarted ______
	a. its post all system b. its pose tall system c. its post tall system d. its postal system
2)	Fighting and wars in Somalia over the past two decades stopped ______
	a. all mail delivery b. all mail deliver is c. all mail deliveries d. all mail deliver ease
3)	The new service also sees the introduction of ______
	a. national wide postcodes b. wide nation postcodes c. nationwide postcodes d. nationally wide postcodes
4)	Somalis would be able to receive letters ______
	a. for abroad b. from a broad c. for a broad d. from abroad
5)	He said the next step would be for people to post letters ______
	a. to other countries b. to another country c. to the other countries d. to all other countries
6)	The return of the postal service is just one example of Somalia getting ______
	a. pack to normal b. back to normal c. pack too normal d. back too normal
7)	Another recent example is the introduction of a cash machine ______
	a. at a luxury hotelier b. at a luxurious hotel c. at a luxury hotel d. at the luxury hotel
8)	He said: "Most of the customers are not aware there is an ATM
	a. a ware there is b. aware there is c. a where there is d. a way there is
9)	Another example of Somalia returning to normal is the reopening of ______
	a. the Chinese ambassador b. the Chinese embrace sea c. the Chinese ember see d. the Chinese embassy
10)	Somalia's president said China was ______
	a. an important partner b. an importance partner c. an import ant partner d. an import-export partner

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

Somalia's government has restarted its postal system (1) ___________________ over 20 years. Fighting and wars in Somalia over the past two decades stopped (2) ___________________. The postal service collapsed in 1991. Somalia is now enjoying a (3) ___________________, so the postal service is returning. The new service also sees the introduction of (4) ___________________. This will be a first for Somalia. Mohamed Ibrahim, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, told the BBC that he was very (5) ___________________ return of the postal system. He said that at first, Somalis would be able to receive letters from abroad. He said the (6) ___________________ for people to post letters to other countries.

The return of the postal service is (7) ___________________ of Somalia getting back to normal after its long (8) ___________________. Another recent example is the introduction of a cash machine (an ATM) at a luxury hotel (9) ___________________ Mogadishu. It is the first time Somalia has ever had an ATM. The hotel's manager said he (10) ___________________ people using the new machine. He said: "Most of the customers are not aware there is an ATM in Somalia." He explained that: "Most (11) ___________________ have a debit card or a credit card to use the ATM." Another example of Somalia returning to normal (12) ___________________ the Chinese embassy for the first time in 23 years. Somalia's president said China was an important partner.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.	Who has restarted Somalia's postal system?
2.	What happened to the postal system in 1991?
3.	What will Somalis have for the first time with the new postal service?
4.	How does Mohamed Ibrahim feel about the return of the postal service?
5.	Where will Somalis be able to receive mail from at first?
6.	Where is Somalia's only ATM?
7.	How many people did a hotel manager see using the ATM?
8.	What did the hotel manager say most local residents do not have?
9.	What reopened for the first time in 23 years?
10.	What did Somalia's president call China?

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ

1.	Who has restarted Somalia's postal system?	6.	Where is Somalia's only ATM?
	a) Microsoft b) DHL c) the government d) Kenya Post		a) at the airport b) in a hotel c) Somalia's central bank d) the Somalia Trade Centre
2.	What happened to the postal system in 1991?	7.	How many people did a hotel manager see using the ATM?
	a) it collapsed b) it doubled in size c) it went digital d) it changed to parcels only		a) billions b) hundreds c) 47 d) a few
3.	What will Somalis have for the first time with the new postal service?	8.	What did the hotel manager say most local residents do not have?
	a) stamps b) postcodes c) mailboxes d) email addresses		a) mail addresses b) debit or credit cards c) a mail box (letter box) d) time to write letters
4.	How does Mohamed Ibrahim feel about the return of the postal service?	9.	What reopened for the first time in 23 years?
	a) proud b) nervous c) numb d) excited		a) KFC b) the Chinese embassy c) the international airport d) Mogadishu Post Office
5.	Where will Somalis be able to receive mail from at first?	10.	What did Somalia's president call China?
	a) Africa b) Mogadishu c) abroad d) their home town		a) an important partner b) a great example c) a helpful friend d) a role model

ROLE PLAY

Role A – E-Mail

You think e-mail is the best way to tell someone something. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them things that are not so good with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): a letter, SMS (text) or online chat.

Role B – A letter

You think a letter is the best way to tell someone something. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them things that are not so good with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): e-mail, SMS (text) or online chat.

Role C – SMS (Text)

You think SMS (text) is the best way to tell someone something. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them things that are not so good with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): a letter, e-mail or online chat.

Role D – Online chat

You think online chat is the best way to tell someone something. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them things that are not so good with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): a letter, SMS (text) or e-mail.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words 'postal' and 'service'.

postal

service

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 how they were used in the text:

20
1991
introduction
excited
abroad
post

long
cash
manager
credit
embassy
partner

MAIL SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about mail 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.

MAIL DISCUSSION

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1)	What did you think when you read the headline?
2)	What springs to mind when you hear the word 'post'?
3)	How important is the postal service to you?
4)	Would your life change much without a postal service?
5)	What do you know about the fighting in Somalia?
6)	What would it be like to deliver letters in Somalia?
7)	What's the best word, "zip code" (American English) or "postcode" (British English)?
8)	How excited are you when you get a letter from abroad?
9)	Is it better to post a letter or send an email?
10)	Which do you prefer, getting letters in the post or receiving text messages?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

11)	Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
12)	What is the postal service like in your country?
12)	How long will it take for Somalia to get back to normal?
14)	How important are cash machines (ATMs) to you?
15)	What do you think of there being just one ATM in Somalia?
16)	How would your life be different without ATMs?
17)	What experiences do you have with embassies?
18)	What's more important, a post office or an ATM?
19)	Which country is your country's most important partner?
20)	What questions would you like to ask Somalia's president?

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.	________________________________________________________

LANGUAGE - CLOZE

Somalia's government has restarted its postal system for the first time in over 20 years. (1) ____ and wars in Somalia over the past two (2) ____ stopped all mail deliveries. The postal service (3) ____ in 1991. Somalia is now enjoying a more peaceful time, (4) ____ the postal service is returning. The new service also sees the introduction of nationwide postcodes. This will be a (5) ____ for Somalia. Mohamed Ibrahim, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, told the BBC that he was very excited about the return of the postal system. He said that at first, Somalis would be able to receive letters from abroad. He said the (6) ____ step would be for people to post letters to other countries.

The return of the postal service is (7) ____ one example of Somalia getting back to normal after its long period of trouble. Another recent example is the introduction of a cash machine (an ATM) at a (8) ____ hotel in the capital city Mogadishu. It is the first time Somalia has ever had an ATM. The hotel's manager said he has seen (9) ____ few people using the new machine. He said: "Most of the customers are not aware there is an ATM in Somalia." He explained that: "Most (10) ____ residents don't have a debit card or a credit card to use the ATM." Another example of Somalia returning (11) ____ normal is the reopening of the Chinese embassy for the first time (12) ____ 23 years. Somalia's president said China was an important partner.

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	Fighter	(b)	Fight	(c)	Fought	(d)	Fighting
2.	(a)	decays	(b)	debacles	(c)	decadence	(d)	decades
3.	(a)	relapsed	(b)	collapsed	(c)	elapsed	(d)	lapsed
4.	(a)	then	(b)	which	(c)	so	(d)	for
5.	(a)	primary	(b)	earliest	(c)	first	(d)	top
6.	(a)	next	(b)	after	(c)	then	(d)	followed
7.	(a)	simple	(b)	just	(c)	exactly	(d)	moment
8.	(a)	luxury	(b)	treat	(c)	spoil	(d)	upcoming
9.	(a)	the	(b)	a	(c)	many	(d)	just
10.	(a)	locally	(b)	location	(c)	local	(d)	located
11.	(a)	by	(b)	on	(c)	to	(d)	at
12.	(a)	over	(b)	at	(c)	on	(d)	in

SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	restarted its postal syesmt
2.	over the past two ecadsed
3.	stopped all mail evriliedse
4.	The postal service dpesloacl in 1991
5.	the introduction of nationwide ceopdsots
6.	receive letters from droaab
Paragraph 2
7.	one aplxeem of Somalia getting back to normal
8.	long odpire of trouble
9.	at a uxyrul hotel in the capital city
10.	people using the new ihnemca
11.	Most of the cousmtsre
12.	the reopening of the Chinese smyabes

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	wars in Somalia over the past two decades stopped all mail deliveries. The postal service collapsed
( )	card to use the ATM." Another example of Somalia returning to normal is the reopening of the Chinese
( )	in 1991. Somalia is now enjoying a more peaceful time, so the postal service is
( )	few people using the new machine. He said: "Most of the customers are not aware there is an
( )	The return of the postal service is just one example of Somalia getting back to normal after its long period
( 1 )	Somalia's government has restarted its postal system for the first time in over 20 years. Fighting and
( )	embassy for the first time in 23 years. Somalia's president said China was an important partner.
( )	ATM in Somalia." He explained that: "Most local residents don't have a debit card or a credit
( )	city Mogadishu. It is the first time Somalia has ever had an ATM. The hotel's manager said he has seen a
( )	of trouble. Another recent example is the introduction of a cash machine (an ATM) at a luxury hotel in the capital
( )	first for Somalia. Mohamed Ibrahim, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, told the BBC that he was very
( )	abroad. He said the next step would be for people to post letters to other countries.
( )	excited about the return of the postal system. He said that at first, Somalis would be able to receive letters from
( )	returning. The new service also sees the introduction of nationwide postcodes. This will be a

PUT THE WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

1.	government system its has Somalia's postal restarted .
2.	wars in Somalia over the past two decades Fighting and .
3.	more is peaceful now time enjoying a Somalia .
4.	system postal the of return the about excited very was He .
5.	be for people to post letters The next step would .
6.	service is just one example The return of the postal .
7.	to normal after its long period of trouble Getting back .
8.	of a cash machine at a luxury hotel The introduction .
9.	don't have Most a local debit residents card .
10.	Chinese embassy for the first time The reopening of the .

CIRCLE THE CORRECT WORD (20 PAIRS)

Somalia's government has / had restarted its postal system for the first time in / of over 20 years. Fighting and wars in Somalia over the passed / past two decades stopped all mail deliveries. The postal service collapsed in 1991. Somalia is now enjoyable / enjoying a more peaceful time, so the postal service is returning / returnable. The new service also sees the introduction of nationwide postcodes. This will be a second / first for Somalia. Mohamed Ibrahim, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, told the BBC that he was very exciting / excited about the return of the postal system. He said that at first, Somalis would be ability / able to receive letters from abroad. He said the next step / stair would be for people to post letters to another / other countries.

The return of the postal service is just / justly one example of Somalia getting back to / too normal after its long period of troubled / trouble. Another recent example is the introduce / introduction of a cash machine (an ATM) at a luxury hotel in the capital cities / city Mogadishu. It is the first time Somalia has ever had an ATM. The hotel's manager said he has saw / seen a few people using the new machine. He said: "Most of the customers are not beware / aware there is an ATM in Somalia." He explained that: "Most local residents / residence don't have a debit card or a credit card to use the ATM." Another example of Somalia returning / returned to normal is the reopening of the Chinese embassy for the first time in 23 years. Somalia's president said China was an importance / important partner.

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

INSERT THE VOWELS (a, e, i, o, u)

S_m_l__'s g_v_rnm_nt h_s r_st_rt_d _ts p_st_l syst_m f_r th_ f_rst t_m_ _n _v_r 20 y__rs. F_ght_ng _nd w_rs _n S_m_l__ _v_r th_ p_st tw_ d_c_d_s st_pp_d _ll m__l d_l_v_r__s. Th_ p_st_l s_rv_c_ c_ll_ps_d _n 1991. S_m_l__ _s n_w _nj_y_ng _ m_r_ p__c_f_l t_m_, s_ th_ p_st_l s_rv_c_ _s r_t_rn_ng. Th_ n_w s_rv_c_ _ls_ s__s th_ _ntr_d_ct__n _f n_t__nw_d_ p_stc_d_s. Th_s w_ll b_ _ f_rst f_r S_m_l__. M_h_m_d _br_h_m, th_ M_n_st_r _f P_sts _nd T_l_c_mm_n_c_t__ns, t_ld th_ BBC th_t h_ w_s v_ry _xc_t_d _b__t th_ r_t_rn _f th_ p_st_l syst_m. H_ s__d th_t _t f_rst, S_m_l_s w__ld b_ _bl_ t_ r_c__v_ l_tt_rs fr_m _br__d. H_ s__d th_ n_xt st_p w__ld b_ f_r p__pl_ t_ p_st l_tt_rs t_ _th_r c__ntr__s.

Th_ r_t_rn _f th_ p_st_l s_rv_c_ _s j_st _n_ _x_mpl_ _f S_m_l__ g_tt_ng b_ck t_ n_rm_l _ft_r _ts l_ng p_r__d _f tr__bl_. _n_th_r r_c_nt _x_mpl_ _s th_ _ntr_d_ct__n _f _ c_sh m_ch_n_ (_n _TM) _t _ l_x_ry h_t_l _n th_ c_p_t_l c_ty M_g_d_sh_. _t _s th_ f_rst t_m_ S_m_l__ h_s _v_r h_d _n _TM. Th_ h_t_l's m_n_g_r s__d h_ h_s s__n _ f_w p__pl_ _s_ng th_ n_w m_ch_n_. H_ s__d: "M_st _f th_ c_st_m_rs _r_ n_t _w_r_ th_r_ _s _n _TM _n S_m_l__." H_ _xpl__n_d th_t: "M_st l_c_l r_s_d_nts d_n't h_v_ _ d_b_t c_rd _r _ cr_d_t c_rd t_ _s_ th_ _TM." _n_th_r _x_mpl_ _f S_m_l__ r_t_rn_ng t_ n_rm_l _s th_ r__p_n_ng _f th_ Ch_n_s_ _mb_ssy f_r th_ f_rst t_m_ _n 23 y__rs. S_m_l__'s pr_s_d_nt s__d Ch_n_ w_s _n _mp_rt_nt p_rtn_r.

PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS

somalia's government has restarted its postal system for the first time in over 20 years fighting and wars in somalia over the past two decades stopped all mail deliveries the postal service collapsed in 1991 somalia is now enjoying a more peaceful time so the postal service is returning the new service also sees the introduction of nationwide postcodes this will be a first for somalia mohamed ibrahim the minister of posts and telecommunications told the bbc that he was very excited about the return of the postal system he said that at first somalis would be able to receive letters from abroad he said the next step would be for people to post letters to other countries

the return of the postal service is just one example of somalia getting back to normal after its long period of trouble another recent example is the introduction of a cash machine (an atm) at a luxury hotel in the capital city mogadishu it is the first time somalia has ever had an atm the hotel's manager said he has seen a few people using the new machine he said "most of the customers are not aware there is an atm in somalia" he explained that "most local residents don't have a debit card or a credit card to use the atm" another example of somalia returning to normal is the reopening of the chinese embassy for the first time in 23 years somalia's president said china was an important partner

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Somalia'sgovernmenthasrestarteditspostalsystemforthefirsttimein
over20years.FightingandwarsinSomaliaoverthepasttwodecadessto
ppedallmaildeliveries.Thepostalservicecollapsedin1991.Somaliaisn
owenjoyingamorepeacefultime,sothepostalserviceisreturning.Then
ewservicealsoseestheintroductionofnationwidepostcodes.Thiswillb
eafirstforSomalia.MohamedIbrahim,theMinisterofPostsandTelecom
munications,toldtheBBCthathewasveryexcitedaboutthereturnofthe
postalsystem.Hesaidthatatfirst,Somaliswouldbeabletoreceiveletter
sfromabroad.Hesaidthenextstepwouldbeforpeopletopostletterstoot
hercountries.ThereturnofthepostalserviceisjustoneexampleofSoma
liagettingbacktonormalafteritslongperiodoftrouble.Anotherrecente
xampleistheintroductionofacashmachine(anATM)ataluxuryhotelint
hecapitalcityMogadishu.ItisthefirsttimeSomaliahaseverhadanATM.
Thehotel'smanagersaidhehasseenafewpeopleusingthenewmachine
.Hesaid:"MostofthecustomersarenotawarethereisanATMinSomalia.
"Heexplainedthat:"Mostlocalresidentsdon'thaveadebitcardoracre
ditcardtousetheATM."AnotherexampleofSomaliareturningtonormali
sthereopeningoftheChineseembassyforthefirsttimein23years.Som
alia'spresidentsaidChinawasanimportantpartner.

FREE WRITING

Write about mail for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

ACADEMIC WRITING

Getting a letter is better than getting an e-mail or text message. Discuss.

_____________________________________________________________________________

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. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about postal services. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAIL: Make a poster about mail. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. LETTER OR EMAIL?: Write a magazine article about letters and e-mails. Include imaginary interviews with people who prefer letters and people who prefer email.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. 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.

6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on mail services. Ask him/her three questions about mail. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to make them better. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also...

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

News
Warm ups
Pre-reading / Post-reading
Using headlines
Working with words
While-reading / While-listening
Moving from text to speech
Post-reading / Post-listening
Discussions
Using opinions
Plans
Language
Using lists
Using quotes
Task-based activities
Role plays
Using the central characters in the article
Using themes from the news
Homework

Buy my book

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ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE (p.4)

a

F

b

T

c

F

d

T

e

F

f

F

g

T

h

T

SYNONYM MATCH (p.4)

1.	restarted	a.	resumed
2.	past	b.	last
3.	collapsed	c.	broke down
4.	abroad	d.	overseas
5.	step	e.	stage
6.	example	f.	instance
7.	period	g.	time
8.	residents	h.	citizens
9.	normal	i.	usual
10.	important	j.	valuable

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (p.8)

1.	Somalia's government
2.	It collapsed
3.	Postcodes
4.	Excited
5.	Abroad
6.	In a luxury hotel
7.	A few
8.	Credit or debit cards
9.	The Chinese embassy
10.	An important partner

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ (p.9)

1.

c

2.

a

3.

b

4.

d

5.

c

6.

b

7.

d

8.

b

9.

b

10.

1.

ALL OTHER EXERCISES

Please check for yourself by looking at the Article on page 2.
(It's good for your English ;-)

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Somalia postal service back after 20 years (16th October, 2014)

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