The Reading / Listening - Alabama Abortion - Level 4

Two groups in the USA have challenged the near-total abortion ban in Alabama. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) tweeted: "If you attack our constitutional right to reproductive freedom, we will sue." The bill is called the "Human Life Protection Act." It bans all abortions in the state, except when there is a serious risk to the mother. The bill criminalizes abortion. Doctors who perform an abortion could be put in prison for up to 99 years.

Passions are high in Alabama. A big disagreement is that the bill has no exceptions for incest and rape. President Trump did not support the ban because of this. Alabama's House of Representatives rejected attempts to allow these exceptions. Alabama's governor said the law was "a powerful testament...that every life is precious and...a sacred gift from God". The ACLU said the law was a "manmade public health emergency".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Alabama Abortion - Level 5 or  Alabama Abortion - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48401063
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alabama-abortion-law-aclu-and-planned-parenthood-file-lawsuit-against-alabamas-near-total-abortion-law/
  • https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/nation/2019/05/24/alabama-abortion-law-planned-parenthood-aclu-sue-block-ban/1220001001/


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. filed a
  2. want the law
  3. our constitutional
  4. reproductive
  5. bans all abortions
  6. there is a serious health
  7. reclassifies it
  8. could be imprisoned
  1. risk to the mother
  2. freedom
  3. for up to 99 years
  4. overturned
  5. right
  6. as a crime
  7. challenge
  8. in the state

Paragraph 2

  1. Passions are high
  2. the biggest points of
  3. the bill contains no exceptions
  4. Trump said he did not
  5. every life is
  6. a sacred gift from
  7. groups pushing for the law
  8. a manmade public health
  1. to be reversed
  2. support the ban
  3. precious
  4. emergency
  5. disagreement
  6. in Alabama
  7. for incest and rape
  8. God

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Two groups in the USA have (1) ___________________ to the near-total abortion ban in the state of Alabama. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the group Planned Parenthood, want (2) ___________________. The ACLU tweeted: "If you attack (3) ___________________ to reproductive freedom, we will sue." The bill, called the "Human Life Protection Act," bans all abortions in the state, except when there is a (4) ___________________ to the mother. The bill criminalizes abortion (5) ___________________ as a crime. Doctors who perform abortions could be (6) ___________________ to 99 years.

Passions are high in Alabama. One of the (7) ___________________ disagreement is that the bill contains (8) ___________________ incest and rape. President Donald Trump said he did not (9) ___________________ because of this lack. Alabama's House of Representatives and the state Senate (10) ___________________ allow those exceptions. Alabama's governor said life was more important. She said the law was "a powerful testament...that every life is precious and... (11) ___________________ from God". The groups pushing for the law to be reversed said it was a "manmade (12) ___________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TwogroupsintheUSAhavefiledachallengetothenear-totalabortionba
ninthestateofAlabama.TheAmericanCivilLibertiesUnion(ACLU),andt
hegroupPlannedParenthood,wantthelawoverturned.TheACLUtweet
ed:"Ifyouattackourconstitutionalrighttoreproductivefreedom,wewil
lsue."Thebill,calledthe"HumanLifeProtectionAct,"bansallabortionsi
nthestate,exceptwhenthereisaserioushealthrisktothemother.Thebil
lcriminalizesabortionandreclassifiesitasacrime.Doctorswhoperform
abortionscouldbeimprisonedforupto99years.PassionsarehighinAlab
ama.Oneofthebiggestpointsofdisagreementisthatthebillcontainsno
exceptionsforincestandrape.PresidentDonaldTrumpsaidhedidnotsu
pportthebanbecauseofthislack.Alabama'sHouseofRepresentativesa
ndthestateSenaterejectedattemptstoallowthoseexceptions.Alabam
a'sgovernorsaidlifewasmoreimportant.Shesaidthelawwas"apowerf
ultestament...thateverylifeispreciousand...asacredgiftfromGod".Th
egroupspushingforthelawtobereversedsaiditwasa"manmadepublic
healthemergency".

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 — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

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

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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