The Reading / Listening - Mahathir Mohamad - Level 5

Age is just a number. The former prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, is proving this. Mr Mahathir is pushing back the years and running for office again at the age of 97. He has been the country's leader twice before. The first time was for 22 years, between 1981 and 2003. Mahathir has announced he will run for parliament in his country's upcoming election. He did not tell journalists whether or not he wants the top job again. He said: "We have not decided who will be prime minister because the prime minister candidate is only relevant if we win."

Mahathir Mohamad has been ever-present in Malaysian politics. He became a member of parliament in 1964. He is regarded as being a visionary for improving his country's economy. He led Malaysia's rapid economic transformation throughout the 1980s. His run for parliament means it will be his 11th election campaign. Many commentators have their doubts about Mahathir's chances of success because of his recent ill health. He has a history of heart trouble. He has had several heart attacks and quadruple bypass surgery. He left hospital last month after contracting Covid-19.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Mahathir Mohamad - Level 4 or  Mahathir Mohamad - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3195595/malaysias-mahathir-mohamad-97-contest-election-save-country-umno
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/12/asia/malaysia-mahathir-mohamad-runs-parliament-intl-hnk/index.html
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63218662


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Age is just
  2. The former
  3. running for
  4. He has been the country's leader
  5. he will run
  6. He did not tell
  7. We have not decided who will
  8. only relevant if
  1. be prime minister
  2. office again
  3. journalists
  4. prime minister
  5. we win
  6. for parliament
  7. a number
  8. twice before

Paragraph 2

  1. Mohamad has been ever-present
  2. a member of
  3. He is regarded as being
  4. improving his country's
  5. his 11th election
  6. Many commentators have
  7. because of his recent ill
  8. quadruple bypass
  1. health
  2. a visionary
  3. campaign
  4. their doubts
  5. in Malaysian politics
  6. surgery
  7. parliament
  8. economy

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Age is (1) ___________________. The former prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, is proving this. Mr Mahathir is pushing back the years and (2) ___________________ again at the age of 97. He has been the country's (3) ___________________. The first time was for 22 years, between 1981 and 2003. Mahathir has announced he will run (4) ___________________ his country's upcoming election. He did not tell journalists whether or not he wants the (5) ___________________. He said: "We have not decided who will be prime minister because the prime minister candidate is (6) ___________________ we win."

Mahathir Mohamad has been (7) ___________________ Malaysian politics. He became a member of parliament in 1964. He is regarded as being (8) ___________________ improving his country's economy. He led Malaysia's rapid economic transformation throughout the 1980s. His run for parliament means it will be his (9) ___________________. Many commentators (10) ___________________ about Mahathir's chances of success because of his recent ill health. He has a history of heart trouble. He has had several heart attacks (11) ___________________ surgery. He left hospital last (12) ___________________ Covid-19.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Ageisjustanumber.TheformerprimeministerofMalaysia,MahathirMo
hamad,isprovingthis.MrMahathirispushingbacktheyearsandrunning
forofficeagainattheageof97.Hehasbeenthecountry'sleadertwicebef
ore.Thefirsttimewasfor22years,between1981and2003.Mahathirha
sannouncedhewillrunforparliamentinhiscountry'supcomingelection.
Hedidnottelljournalistswhetherornothewantsthetopjobagain.Hesai
d:"Wehavenotdecidedwhowillbeprimeministerbecausetheprimemin
istercandidateisonlyrelevantifwewin."MahathirMohamadhasbeenev
er-presentinMalaysianpolitics.Hebecameamemberofparliamentin1
964.Heisregardedasbeingavisionaryforimprovinghiscountry'secono
my.HeledMalaysia'srapideconomictransformationthroughoutthe19
80s.Hisrunforparliamentmeansitwillbehis11thelectioncampaign.Ma
nycommentatorshavetheirdoubtsaboutMahathir'schancesofsucces
sbecauseofhisrecentillhealth.Hehasahistoryofhearttrouble.Hehash
adseveralheartattacksandquadruplebypasssurgery.Helefthospitalla
stmonthaftercontractingCovid-19.

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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