The Reading / Listening - King Leopold II Statue - Level 0

Anti-racism protestors covered a statue of a king in paint. Workers pulled the statue down. The protestors cheered. King Leopold II was king from 1865 to 1909. He ruled the Congo Free State in Africa for 23 years. City officials will put his statue in a museum. They will not put it back in the city square.

Over 64,000 people signed a petition. It said, "this man killed more than 10 million Congolese" without ever even going to the Congo. It was a crime against humanity. They want people to know what happened in the Congo. Leopold made a lot of money from rubber plantations. Other people said Leopold was not a "slave king".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    King Leopold II Statue - Level 1,  King Leopold II Statue - Level 2   or  King Leopold II Statue - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.dw.com/en/belgium-king-leopold-ii-statue-removed-in-antwerp-after-anti-racism-protests/a-53755021
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/leopold-ii-belgium-antwerp-remove-statue-200609133037080.html
  • https://www.okayafrica.com/black-lives-matter-protests-belgian-statue-removed-from-square/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II_of_Belgium


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. Anti-racism
  2. covered a statue
  3. Workers pulled the statue
  4. The protestors
  5. king from
  6. He ruled the Congo Free State
  7. put his statue
  8. put it back in
  1. down
  2. in a museum
  3. in Africa
  4. protestors
  5. the city square
  6. 1865 to 1909
  7. cheered
  8. of a king

Paragraph 2

  1. 64,000 people signed
  2. killed more than
  3. without ever even going
  4. It was a crime
  5. what happened in
  6. Leopold made a
  7. rubber
  8. Other people said Leopold was
  1. to the Congo
  2. plantations
  3. the Congo
  4. not a "slave king"
  5. 10 million Congolese
  6. against humanity
  7. lot of money
  8. a petition

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Anti-racism protestors (1) ___________________ of a king in paint. Workers pulled (2) ___________________. The protestors cheered. King Leopold II was king from 1865 to 1909. (3) ___________________ Congo Free State in Africa for 23 years. City (4) ___________________ his statue in a museum. They (5) ___________________ it back in (6) ___________________.

Over 64,000 people (7) ___________________. It said, "this man (8) ___________________ 10 million Congolese" without (9) ___________________ to the Congo. It was a (10) ___________________. They want people to know what happened in the Congo. Leopold (11) ___________________ of money from rubber plantations. Other people said Leopold was not (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Anti-racismprotestorscoveredastatueofakinginpaint.Workerspulle
dthestatuedown.Theprotestorscheered.KingLeopoldIIwaskingfrom
1865to1909.HeruledtheCongoFreeStateinAfricafor23years.Cityoffi
cialswillputhisstatueinamuseum.Theywillnotputitbackinthecitysqua
re.Over64,000peoplesignedapetition.Itsaid,"thismankilledmoretha
n10millionCongolese"withouteverevengoingtotheCongo.Itwasacri
meagainsthumanity.TheywantpeopletoknowwhathappenedintheCo
ngo.Leopoldmadealotofmoneyfromrubberplantations.Otherpeoples
aidLeopoldwasnota"slaveking".

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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