The Reading / Listening - Haile Selassie - Level 6

The African Union (AU) has unveiled a statue of Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie I at its headquarters in Ethiopia's capital city Addis Ababa. The emperor served as King of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. The statue was created in recognition of the role Haile Selassie played in the creation of the Organization of African Union (OAU) in 1963. He had a vision to free all African countries from colonialism and create strong and free independent countries on the continent. Speaking at the inauguration of the OAU, he said: "May this union last 1,000 years." The OAU lasted for 39 years before it changed into the African Union in 2002. The AU continues Haile Selassie's vision of achieving greater unity between African nations.

Emperor Haile Selassie I was born in 1892 into an Ethiopian family that traced its roots back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba three thousand years ago. He was a highly influential figure in contemporary Ethiopian history. He was a skilled politician on the international stage during a time of great turmoil. He helped lead Ethiopia to become a charter member of the United Nations. Ethiopia remained a country that was never colonized. Haile Selassie is revered in the Rastafarian religion. Around one million Rastafarians around the world consider him as a messiah who came to Earth to spread the word of God. The 1973 famine in Ethiopia led to his eventual removal from the throne.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Haile Selassie - Level 4  or  Haile Selassie - Level 5

Sources
  • https://newbusinessethiopia.com/african-union-unveils-ethiopias-emperor-haile-selassie-i-statue/
  • https://www.ethiopiaobserver.com/2019/02/10/emperor-haile-selassie-statue-unveiled/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie


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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. AFRICA: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about Africa. 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?
       statue / capital city / emperor / role / vision / colonialism / continent / union / 2002 /
       roots / influential / history / politician / turmoil / religion / messiah / word / throne
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. POWERFUL: Students A strongly believe Africa will be the world's most powerful continent in 50 years; Students B strongly believe otherwise.  Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. CONTINENTS: What do you know about these continents? What will they be like in 50 years from now? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

What We Know

In 50 Years' Time

Africa

 

 

Asia

 

 

Antarctica

 

 

Europe

 

 

Australia

 

 

South America

 

 
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. CAPITAL CITY: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "capital city". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. STATUES: Rank these with your partner. Put the best statues at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Michelangelo's David
  • Venus de Milo
  • Easter Island Moai
  • Tian Tan Buddha
  • Statue of Liberty
  • Statue of Unity
  • Christ the Redeemer
  • Rodin's Thinker

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. unveiled a. The most important city or town of a country or region, usually its seat of government and administrative center.
      2. headquarters b. Showed to the public for the first time.
      3. capital city c. Appreciation or praise for an achievement, service, or ability.
      4. recognition d. The ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.
      5. vision e. The place or building that serves as the managerial and administrative center of a business or organization.
      6. continent f. The state of being joined as a whole.
      7. unity g. Any of the world's main areas of land (Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America).

    Paragraph 2

      8. roots h. The capacity to affect the character, development, or behavior of someone or something.
      9. influential i. Sending a group of settlers to a place to establish political control over it.
      10. contemporary j. Family, ethnic, or cultural origins.
      11. turmoil k. Dating from the same time.
      12. colonized l. Felt deep respect or admiration for something or someone.
      13. revered m. A state of great disturbance, confusion, or uncertainty.
      14. famine n. An extreme shortage or lack of food.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. A statue of Haile Selassie was unveiled at the U.N. in New York.     T / F
  2. Haile Selassie became King of Ethiopia in 1930.     T / F
  3. The Organization of African Union was created in 1963.     T / F
  4. The Organization of African Union lasted for 39 years.     T / F
  5. Haile Selassie was born in the early 20th century.     T / F
  6. Haile Selassie's family roots go back to the Queen of Sheba.     T / F
  7. Ethiopia was colonized for over 100 years.     T / F
  8. A famine in 1986 led to Haile Selassie losing power.     T / F

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

  1. unveiled
  2. served
  3. creation
  4. independent
  5. unity
  6. traced
  7. influential
  8. turmoil
  9. revered
  10. removal
  1. self-governing
  2. ousting
  3. discovered
  4. worked
  5. respected
  6. revealed
  7. chaos
  8. harmony
  9. establishment
  10. powerful

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

  1. at its headquarters in
  2. The statue was created in
  3. He had a vision to free
  4. May this union
  5. Selassie's vision of achieving greater unity
  6. traced its roots
  7. He was a highly
  8. in contemporary
  9. revered in the
  10. The 1973 famine
  1. recognition of the role
  2. influential figure
  3. in Ethiopia
  4. Ethiopia's capital city
  5. Ethiopian history
  6. last 1,000 years
  7. Rastafarian religion
  8. all African countries
  9. between African nations
  10. back to King Solomon

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
continent
served
unity
creation
last
vision
capital
role

The African Union (AU) has unveiled a statue of Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie I at its headquarters in Ethiopia's (1) ____________ city Addis Ababa. The emperor (2) ____________ as King of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. The statue was created in recognition of the (3) ____________ Haile Selassie played in the (4) ____________ of the Organization of African Union (OAU) in 1963. He had a (5) ____________ to free all African countries from colonialism and create strong and free independent countries on the (6) ____________. Speaking at the inauguration of the OAU, he said: "May this union (7) ____________ 1,000 years." The OAU lasted for 39 years before it changed into the African Union in 2002. The AU continues Haile Selassie's vision of achieving greater (8) ____________ between African nations.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
messiah
highly
famine
member
skilled
revered
traced
stage

Emperor Haile Selassie I was born in 1892 into an Ethiopian family that (9) ____________ its roots back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba three thousand years ago. He was a (10) ____________ influential figure in contemporary Ethiopian history. He was a (11) ____________ politician on the international (12) ____________ during a time of great turmoil. He helped lead Ethiopia to become a charter (13) ____________ of the United Nations. Ethiopia remained a country that was never colonized. Haile Selassie is (14) ____________ in the Rastafarian religion. Around one million Rastafarians around the world consider him as a (15) ____________ who came to Earth to spread the word of God. The 1973 (16) ____________ in Ethiopia led to his eventual removal from the throne.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  The African Union (AU) has unveiled a statue of Ethiopia's ______ Selassie I
     a.  Emperors Haile
     b.  Empire Haile
     c.  Emperor Haile
     d.  Empires Haile
2)  The statue was created in recognition ______ Haile Selassie played
     a.  off the roles
     b.  of their role
     c.  of the roles
     d.  of the role
3)  He had a vision to free all African countries ______
     a.  from colonial isn't
     b.  from colony lissome
     c.  from colony lessen
     d.  from colonialism
4)  create strong and free independent countries ______
     a.  on the continent
     b.  off the incontinent
     c.  in the continent
     d.  on the incontinent
5)  The AU continues Haile Selassie's vision of ______
     a.  achieve in greater unity
     b.  achieving greater unity
     c.  achieving grey tar unity
     d.  achieve in grate tar unity

6) Haile Selassie I was born in 1892 into an Ethiopian family that traced ______
     a.  its roots back
     b.  its routes back
     c.  its loots back
     d.  its routs back
7)  He was a skilled politician on the ______
     a.  international staged
     b.  international stages
     c.  international stage
     d.  international staging
8)  Haile Selassie is revered in the ______
     a.  Rastafarian region
     b.  Rastafarian religion
     c.  Rastafarian religious
     d.  Rastafarian really jam
9)  Around one million Rastafarians around the world consider him ______
     a.  as our messiah
     b.  as your messiah
     c.  as a messiah
     d.  as that messiah
10)  The 1973 famine in Ethiopia led to his eventual removal ______
     a.  from the thrones
     b.  from the throne
     c.  from the enthrone
     d.  from the enthrones

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The African Union (AU) has unveiled (1) ___________________ Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie I (2) ___________________ in Ethiopia's capital city Addis Ababa. The emperor served as King of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. The statue was created (3) ___________________ the role Haile Selassie played in the creation of the Organization of African Union (OAU) in 1963. He had a vision to free all African countries (4) ___________________ create strong and free independent countries on the continent. Speaking at the inauguration of the OAU, he said: "May (5) ___________________ 1,000 years." The OAU lasted for 39 years before it changed into the African Union in 2002. The AU continues Haile Selassie's (6) ___________________ greater unity between African nations.

Emperor Haile Selassie I was born in 1892 into an Ethiopian family that (7) ___________________ back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba three thousand years ago. He (8) ___________________ influential figure in contemporary Ethiopian history. He (9) ___________________ politician on the international stage during a time of great turmoil. He helped lead Ethiopia to become a charter (10) ___________________ United Nations. Ethiopia remained a country that was never colonized. Haile Selassie is revered in the Rastafarian religion. Around one million Rastafarians around the world consider him (11) ___________________ who came to Earth to spread the word of God. The 1973 famine in Ethiopia led (12) ___________________ removal from the throne.

Comprehension questions

  1. In which city was the statue of Haile Selassie I unveiled?
  2. When did Haile Selassie I become King of Ethiopia?
  3. What did Haile Selassie I help to start in 1963?
  4. How long did Haile Selassie hope an organization would last?
  5. What was created in 2002?
  6. Which queen can Haile Selassie I trace his family roots back to?
  7. Where did the article say Haile Selassie I was a skilled politician?
  8. What was Ethiopia a charter member of?
  9. How many Rastafarians revere Haile Selassie I?
  10. What disaster led to Haile Selassie I losing power?

Multiple choice quiz

1) In which city was the statue of Haile Selassie I unveiled?
a) Addis Ababa
b) Cairo
c) Khartoum
d) Kampala
2) When did Haile Selassie I become King of Ethiopia?
a) 1940
b) 1932
c) 1930
d) 1926
3) What did Haile Selassie I help to start in 1963?
a) Pan-Africa Organization
b) Organization of African Union
c) Organization of Pan -Africa
d) Organization of African Nations
4) How long did Haile Selassie hope an organization would last?
a) 100 years
b) 1,000,000 years
c) 10,000 years
d) 1,000 years
5) What was created in 2002?
a) the African Union
b) Africa Unites
c) Rastafarian Africa
d) the Haile Selassie Museum

6) Which queen can Haile Selassie I trace his family roots back to?
a) Hapshetsut
b) Nefertiti
c) Cleopatra
d) the Queen of Sheba
7) Where did the article say Haile Selassie I was a skilled politician?
a) at the U.N.
b) on the international stage
c) in Africa
d) in the Ethiopian government
8) What was Ethiopia a charter member of?
a) the World Bank
b) the League of Nations
c) the IMF
d) the United Nations
9) How many Rastafarians revere Haile Selassie I?
a) around two million
b) around 12 million
c) around one million
d) around 20 million
10) What disaster led to Haile Selassie I losing power?
a) an earthquake
b) a famine
c) a war
d) a financial collapse

Role play

Role  A – Statue of Unity
You think the Statue of Unity is the world's best statue. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their statues. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): the Statue of Liberty, the Venus de Milo or the Easter Island Moai.

Role  B – Statue of Liberty
You think the Statue of Liberty is the world's best statue. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their statues. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): the Statue of Unity, the Venus de Milo or the Easter Island Moai.

Role  C – Venus de Milo
You think the Venus de Milo is the world's best statue. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their statues. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): the Statue of Liberty, the Statue of Unity or the Easter Island Moai.

Role  D – Easter Island Moai
You think the Easter Island Moai are the world's best statues. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their statues. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): the Statue of Liberty, the Venus de Milo or the Statue of Unity.

After reading / listening

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

'union'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'Africa'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • 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:

    • born
    • Queen
    • highly
    • stage
    • never
    • led
    • city
    • 1930
    • 1963
    • free
    • 1,000
    • 2002

    Student survey

    Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

    (Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

    Discussion - Statue of Haile Selassie unveiled at African Union

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

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'emperor'?
    3. What do you know about the African Union?
    4. What do you know about Ethiopia?
    5. Who is your country's greatest ever leader?
    6. Why was there colonization in the world?
    7. Is there still colonization in the world?
    8. What is your favourite country in Africa?
    9. What advice do you have for the African Union?
    10. How much unity is there among African countries?

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

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'statue'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What do you know about Haile Selassie?
    5. What would it be like to be a king or queen?
    6. How great a politician would you be?
    7. Who is your country's most influential figure?
    8. What do you know about Rastafarianism?
    9. What do you think Africa will be like in 50 years' time?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the A.U.?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

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

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

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

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    The African Union (AU) has unveiled a statue of Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie I at its headquarters in Ethiopia's capital city Addis Ababa. The emperor (1) ____ as King of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. The statue was created (2) ____ recognition of the (3) ____ Haile Selassie played in the creation of the Organization of African Union (OAU) in 1963. He had a vision to free all African countries from (4) ____ and create strong and free independent countries on the continent. Speaking at the inauguration of the OAU, he said: "(5) ____ this union last 1,000 years." The OAU lasted for 39 years before it changed into the African Union in 2002. The AU continues Haile Selassie's vision of achieving greater (6) ____ between African nations.

    Emperor Haile Selassie I was born in 1892 into an Ethiopian family that (7) ____ its roots back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba three thousand years ago. He was a (8) ____ influential figure in contemporary Ethiopian history. He was a skilled politician on the international stage during a time of great (9) ____. He helped lead Ethiopia to become a charter member of the United Nations. Ethiopia remained a country that was never colonized. Haile Selassie is (10) ____ in the Rastafarian religion. Around one million Rastafarians around the world consider him as a (11) ____ who came to Earth to spread the word of God. The 1973 famine in Ethiopia led to his eventual removal from the (12) ____.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     severance     (b)     services     (c)     severed     (d)     served    
    2. (a)     at     (b)     of     (c)     on     (d)     in    
    3. (a)     rally     (b)     role     (c)     reality     (d)     rail    
    4. (a)     colonize     (b)     colony     (c)     colonialism     (d)     colonies    
    5. (a)     Would     (b)     Shall     (c)     May     (d)     Have    
    6. (a)     unity     (b)     united     (c)     unison     (d)     unify    
    7. (a)     chaired     (b)     traced     (c)     moved     (d)     released    
    8. (a)     highly     (b)     heighten     (c)     heightened     (d)     heights    
    9. (a)     skirmish     (b)     turmoil     (c)     boiling     (d)     exhaust    
    10. (a)     revved     (b)     reveled     (c)     revered     (d)     revealed    
    11. (a)     angel     (b)     icon     (c)     messiah     (d)     mission    
    12. (a)     sovereign     (b)     chair     (c)     seat     (d)     throne

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. at its eaqeudatrshr
    2. The eprermo served as King of Ethiopia
    3. in ioeornnigct of the role
    4. independent countries on the iotetcnnn
    5. the aiaunnotrugi of the OAU
    6. achieving greater ntiuy

    Paragraph 2

    1. a highly fuitnnleali figure
    2. during a time of great iulrtmo
    3. a country that was never elinodocz
    4. consider him as a maishse
    5. The 1973 anfemi in Ethiopia
    6. his evnatleu removal from the throne

    Put the text back together

    (...)  the continent. Speaking at the inauguration of the OAU, he said: "May this union last
    (...)  city Addis Ababa. The emperor served as King of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. The statue was created in
    (...)  of God. The 1973 famine in Ethiopia led to his eventual removal from the throne.
    (...)  and the Queen of Sheba three thousand years ago. He was a highly influential figure in contemporary
    (...)  recognition of the role Haile Selassie played in the creation of the Organization of African Union (OAU) in 1963. He had a vision
    (...)  1,000 years." The OAU lasted for 39 years before it changed into the African Union in 2002. The AU
    (...)  continues Haile Selassie's vision of achieving greater unity between African nations.
    (...)  Emperor Haile Selassie I was born in 1892 into an Ethiopian family that traced its roots back to King Solomon
    (...)  Ethiopian history. He was a skilled politician on the international stage during a time of great
    (  1  ) The African Union (AU) has unveiled a statue of Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie I at its headquarters in Ethiopia's capital
    (...)  turmoil. He helped lead Ethiopia to become a charter member of the United Nations. Ethiopia remained a country that was never
    (...)  colonized. Haile Selassie is revered in the Rastafarian religion. Around one million
    (...)  to free all African countries from colonialism and create strong and free independent countries on
    (...)  Rastafarians around the world consider him as a messiah who came to Earth to spread the word

    Put the words in the right order

    1. Ethiopia's   statue   unveiled   A.U.   of   a   The   Emperor   .
    2. Ethiopia's   headquarters   .   city   At   Addis Ababa   its   in   capital
    3. Selassie   of   recognition   role   played   .   in   Created   the
    4. colonialism   .   free   vision   to   African   countries   from   A
    5. of   nations   .   unity   achieving   vision   Selassie's   greater   between
    6. family   An   roots   .   traced   that   its   Ethiopian
    7. history   .   in   contemporary   highly   Ethiopian   influential   figure   A
    8. on   politician   was   stage   .   the   international   a   He
    9. never   was   country   a   Ethiopia   that   remained   colonized   .
    10. God   .   Came   of   the   to   Earth   word   spread   to

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    The African Union (AU) has unveiled / veiled a statue of Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie I at its / that headquarters in Ethiopia's capital city Addis Ababa. The emperor service / served as King of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. The statue was created in recognition / recognized of the role Haile Selassie played in the creation for / of the Organization of African Union (OAU) in 1963. He had a version / vision to free all African countries from colonialism and create strong and free independent countries on the incontinent / continent. Speaking at the inauguration of the OAU, he said: "May this union / unison last 1,000 years." The OAU lasted for 39 years before it challenged / changed into the African Union in 2002. The AU continues Haile Selassie's vision of achieving / achievement greater unity between African nations.

    Emperor Haile Selassie I was born / birthed in 1892 into an Ethiopian family that traced its roots / root back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba three thousand years ago. He was a highly influence / influential figure in contemporary Ethiopian history. He was a skilled / skill politician on the international stage among / during a time of great turmoil. He helped lead Ethiopia to become a chatter / charter member of the United Nations. Ethiopia remained a country that was never colonized / colony. Haile Selassie is revered / revved in the Rastafarian religion. Around one million Rastafarians around the world consider him as a messiah who came to Earth to spread / fan out the word of God. The 1973 famine in Ethiopia led to his eventual removal / remover from the throne.

    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)

    T h_ A f r_c_n U n__ n ( A U ) h_s _n v__ l_d _ s t_t__ _f E t h__ p__ ' s E m p_r_r H__ l_ S_l_s s__ I _t _t s h__ d q__ r t_r s _n E t h__ p__ ' s c_p_t_l c_t y A d d_s A b_b_. T h_ _m p_r_r s_r v_d _s K_n g _f E t h__ p__ f r_m 1 9 3 0 t_ 1 9 7 4 . T h_ s t_t__ w_s c r__ t_d _n r_c_g n_t__ n _f t h_ r_l_ H__ l_ S_l_s s__ p l_y_d _n t h_ c r__ t__ n _f t h_ O r g_n_z_t__ n _f A f r_c_n U n__ n ( O A U ) _n 1 9 6 3 . H_ h_d _ v_s__ n t_ f r__ _l l A f r_c_n c__ n t r__ s f r_m c_l_n__ l_s m _n d c r__ t_ s t r_n g _n d f r__ _n d_p_n d_n t c__ n t r__ s _n t h_ c_n t_n_n t . S p__ k_n g _t t h_ _n__ g_r_t__ n _f t h_ O A U , h_ s__ d : " M_y t h_s _n__ n l_s t 1 , 0 0 0 y__ r s . " T h_ O A U l_s t_d f_r 3 9 y__ r s b_f_r_ _t c h_n g_d _n t_ t h_ A f r_c_n U n__ n _n 2 0 0 2 . T h_ A U c_n t_n__ s H__ l_ S_l_s s__ ' s v_s__ n _f _c h__ v_n g g r__ t_r _n_t y b_t w__ n A f r_c_n n_t__ n s .

    E m p_r_r H__ l_ S_l_s s__ I w_s b_r n _n 1 8 9 2 _n t_ _n E t h__ p__ n f_m_l y t h_t t r_c_d _t s r__ t s b_c k t_ K_n g S_l_m_n _n d t h_ Q___n _f S h_b_ t h r__ t h__ s_n d y__ r s _g_. H_ w_s _ h_g h l y _n f l__ n t__ l f_g_r_ _n c_n t_m p_r_r y E t h__ p__ n h_s t_r y . H_ w_s _ s k_l l_d p_l_t_c__ n _n t h_ _n t_r n_t__ n_l s t_g_ d_r_n g _ t_m_ _f g r__ t t_r m__ l . H_ h_l p_d l__ d E t h__ p__ t_ b_c_m_ _ c h_r t_r m_m b_r _f t h_ U n_t_d N_t__ n s . E t h__ p__ r_m__ n_d _ c__ n t r y t h_t w_s n_v_r c_l_n_z_d . H__ l_ S_l_s s__ _s r_v_r_d _n t h_ R_s t_f_r__ n r_l_g__ n . A r__ n d _n_ m_l l__ n R_s t_f_r__ n s _r__ n d t h_ w_r l d c_n s_d_r h_m _s m_s s__ h w h_ c_m_ t_ E_r t h t_ s p r__ d t h_ w_r d _f G_d . T h_ 1 9 7 3 f_m_n_ _n E t h__ p__ l_d t_ h_s _v_n t__ l r_m_v_l f r_m t h_ t h r_n_.

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    the african union (au) has unveiled a statue of ethiopia's emperor haile selassie i at its headquarters in ethiopia's capital city addis ababa. the emperor served as king of ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. the statue was created in recognition of the role haile selassie played in the creation of the organization of african union (oau) in 1963. he had a vision to free all african countries from colonialism and create strong and free independent countries on the continent. speaking at the inauguration of the oau, he said: "may this union last 1,000 years." the oau lasted for 39 years before it changed into the african union in 2002. the au continues haile selassie's vision of achieving greater unity between african nations.

    emperor haile selassie i was born in 1892 into an ethiopian family that traced its roots back to king solomon and the queen of sheba three thousand years ago. he was a highly influential figure in contemporary ethiopian history. he was a skilled politician on the international stage during a time of great turmoil. he helped lead ethiopia to become a charter member of the united nations. ethiopia remained a country that was never colonized. haile selassie is revered in the rastafarian religion. around one million rastafarians around the world consider him as a messiah who came to earth to spread the word of god. the 1973 famine in ethiopia led to his eventual removal from the throne.

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    TheAfricanUnion(AU)hasunveiledastatueofEthiopia'sEmperorHaile
    SelassieIatitsheadquartersinEthiopia'scapitalcityAddisAbaba.Thee
    mperorservedasKingofEthiopiafrom1930to1974.Thestatuewascrea
    tedinrecognitionoftheroleHaileSelassieplayedinthecreationoftheOr
    ganizationofAfricanUnion(OAU)in1963.HehadavisiontofreeallAfrica
    ncountriesfromcolonialismandcreatestrongandfreeindependentcou
    ntriesonthecontinent.SpeakingattheinaugurationoftheOAU,hesaid:
    "Maythisunionlast1,000years."TheOAUlastedfor39yearsbeforeitcha
    ngedintotheAfricanUnionin2002.TheAUcontinuesHaileSelassie'svisi
    onofachievinggreaterunitybetweenAfricannations.EmperorHaileSel
    assieIwasbornin1892intoanEthiopianfamilythattraceditsrootsbackt
    oKingSolomonandtheQueenofShebathreethousandyearsago.Hewa
    sahighlyinfluentialfigureincontemporaryEthiopianhistory.Hewasask
    illedpoliticianontheinternationalstageduringatimeofgreatturmoil.He
    helpedleadEthiopiatobecomeachartermemberoftheUnitedNations.E
    thiopiaremainedacountrythatwasnevercolonized.HaileSelassieisrev
    eredintheRastafarianreligion.AroundonemillionRastafariansaround
    theworldconsiderhimasmessiahwhocametoEarthtospreadthewordo
    fGod.The1973famineinEthiopialedtohiseventualremovalfromthethr
    one.

    Free writing

    Write about Haile Selassie for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

     

    Academic writing

    Africa will be the strongest continent in the world in 50 years. 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 this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. AFRICA: Make a poster about Africa. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. INDEPENDENCE: Write a magazine article about all peoples who want it getting their own independent nation. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    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 Africa. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your ideas on what Africa will be like in 50 years from now. 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

    $US 9.99

    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

    Back to the top

    Help Support This Web Site

    • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

    Sean Banville's Book

    Thank You