Ex-US soccer player criticized for supporting Mexico

A former U.S. soccer player has justified his support of rivals Mexico at the Russia World Cup. Landon Donovan, 35,
played for the USA national team 157 times, scoring 57 goals. He is widely regarded as the best American player ever.
However, his calls for fellow Americans to back rivals Mexico at the World Cup have landed him in hot water. Many of
his ex-teammates have further criticized him for accepting payment from the company Wells Fargo in exchange for
wearing a Mexico soccer jersey. He tweeted a photograph of himself with a scarf that read: "My other team is Mexico.
The tournament is here. USA fans, our team may not be in Russia, but our neighbors to the south are. So join me...to
cheer on our other team - Mexico."

Donovan explained why he wanted people to cheer for Mexico. He grew up in California and speaks fluent Spanish. He
said: "My heart bleeds red, white and blue and no one should ever question my allegiance to and support of U.S. Soccer
and its national teams. That being said, having grown up east of Los Angeles playing with Mexican teammates whose
passion...inspired me at a very young age....I always have had a strong connection and respect for our neighbor."
Current U.S. player Claudia Soto said: "I don't understand why he is doing this. Actually, I do - money." A Mexican fan
said: "There are two guys that Mexico fans love to hate. Donald Trump and Landon Donovan."

COMPREHENSION

1. How many times did Landon Donovan play for the USA?
2. What has Mr Donovan landed in because of his calls to support Mexico?
3. Who criticized him for wearing a Mexico football shirt?
4. What did Landon Donovan have in a photograph he tweeted?
5. What did Landon Donovan say was not in Russia?
6. Where did Landon Donovan grow up?
7. What does Landon Donovan's heart bleed?
8. Who did Landon Donovan play with in east Los Angeles?
9. What did Claudia Soto say Landon Donovan was doing this for?
10. How many people did a Mexican fan say other fans love to hate?

DISCUSSION

1. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'soccer'?
2. What do you think of the World Cup?
3. What good does the World Cup do?
4. What's wrong with supporting a rival team?
5. What do you think of your country's biggest rival?
6. Do you understand why people are angry with Landon Donovan?
7. What's wrong with getting paid to wear a soccer jersey?
8. Should Mr Donovan be applauded for encouraging good relations?
9. What advice do you have for Landon Donovan?
10. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'soccer'?
11. What do you think of the World Cup?
12. What good does the World Cup do?
13. What's wrong with supporting a rival team?
14. What do you think of your country's biggest rival?
15. Do you understand why people are angry with Landon Donovan?
16. What's wrong with getting paid to wear a soccer jersey?
17. Should Mr Donovan be applauded for encouraging good relations?
18. What advice do you have for Landon Donovan?
Algeria turns off Internet to stop exam cheats
Algeria has turned off its Internet all over the country to stop students cheating in high school exams. Algeria's
government said it wanted to do something to stop students secretly going online during nationwide school tests. All
Internet service was stopped for an hour after the start of each of the exams. The government will shut the Internet
down during the whole exam season, between June 20 and June 25. In addition, all electronic devices with Internet
access have been banned from the country's 2,000 exam centers. Even teachers cannot take phones into the exam halls.
There were many problems in 2016 when test questions were leaked online both before and during exams.

Algeria's Education Minister Nouria Benghabrit told the Algerian newspaper Annahar that Facebook would also be
blocked across the country for the six days the exams were taking place. She said she did not like doing this but she
could not do nothing and give opportunities to students to cheat in tests. As an added security measure, metal detectors
will be placed in all exam halls, and security cameras and mobile-phone blockers have been set up at the printing
companies where the exams are printed. Many students thought the government was doing the right thing. Rania Salim,
16, said it wasn't fair that students who didn't study could get help in exams by using their mobile phone to cheat.

COMPREHENSION

1. What exams did the government want to stop people cheating in?
2. How long will the Internet shut down for after each exam starts?
3. On how many different days will the Internet shut down?
4. How many exam centers are there in Algeria?
5. When were many test questions leaked?
6. What did the education minister say would be blocked for six days?
7. What will be put in all exam halls for extra security?
8. Where has the government put security cameras?
9. What did many students think the government was doing?
10. How old is the student who commented about the government's actions?

DISCUSSION

1. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'exam'?
2. What do you think of the Algerian government's actions?
3. How big a problem is cheating in your country?
4. Have you ever cheated in an exam?
5. What do you think of exam cheats?
6. Should all countries do what Algeria is doing?
7. How effective do you think this action will be?
8. Do you think exam scores will go down because of this?
9. How can we get students to stop cheating?
10. What do you think of when you hear the word 'security'?
11. What do you think about what you read?
12. Would you report someone you saw cheating?
13. Should all exams have metal detectors and security cameras?
14. Where else should mobile phone blockers be installed?
15. What else could the government have done?
16. What advice do you have for cheating students?
17. Is there a better way to assess students than exams?
Birds' stomachs too full of plastic to eat
A BBC team has filmed disturbing footage of the devastating impact plastic pollution is having on seabirds in the Tasman
Sea, which is between Australia and New Zealand. The film crew was working on the remote Lord Howe Island for a new
wildlife documentary called "Drowning in Plastic". They filmed many birds that had died because their stomachs were
literally too full of plastic to be able to eat any food. The birds starved to death because there was no room in their
stomachs for food. The documentary team filmed marine biologists working on the island to try and save the birds. The
scientists captured hundreds of chicks and physically removed plastic from their stomachs to give them a chance of
survival.

Marine biologist Jennifer Lavers explained what was happening to the birds. She said the birds were predators that will
eat anything. She said: "When you put plastic in the ocean, it means they have no ability to detect plastic form non-
plastic, so they eat it." Adult birds feed the plastic to their chicks, oblivious to what they are feeding them. Professor
Lavers lamented that most of the plastic is "entirely preventable". She said: "We find plastic clothes pegs and plastic
tooth brushes. Those could easily be swapped out for other materials - aluminium or wood. My own toothbrush is made
of bamboo." TV presenter Liz Bonnin said: "We saw...90 pieces of plastic come out of one of the chicks."

COMPREHENSION

1. What agency made the documentary?

2. What is the name of the island the documentary was filmed on?
3. What is the name of the documentary?
4. What kind of scientists did the documentary team film?
5. How many chicks did the scientists capture?
6. What kind of creature did a scientist say the birds were?
7. What can't the sea birds detect?
8. What two things did a scientist say she found?
9. What is the scientist's toothbrush made of?
10. How many pieces of plastic did a TV presenter find in a chick?

DISCUSSION

1. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'plastic'?
2. How damaging is plastic to the environment?
3. What can we do to reduce our use of plastic?
4. What would it be like to be on the documentary team?
5. To what degree are we "drowning in plastic"?
6. How sad is this news?
7. Should anyone be punished for the plastic problem?
8. Who has the biggest responsibility to reduce plastic use?
9. What do you think of the chances of the birds surviving?
10. What do you think of when you hear the word 'pollution'?
11. What do you think about what you read?
12. What do marine biologists do?
13. How can we better protect seabirds?
14. How easy is it to live without plastic?
15. Will you buy bamboo toothbrushes from now?
16. Why is plastic so damaging?
17. Is it too late to reverse the damage done by plastic to wildlife?
Singer calls world leaders "cowards" over refugee crisis
British singer Sting has called world leaders "half-men and cowards" for their failure to solve the refugee crisis. Sting hit
out at leaders during an Amnesty International concert in Athens, Greece. Amnesty International is the largest human
rights NGO in the world. Sting also praised Greece for the way it has helped refugees over the past few years. He said:
"Thank God for Greece because you have shown the way. You have shown how to treat refugees when other people are
building walls. When children are being taken from their mothers and put in cages, you are acting with compassion and
generosity and common sense....Our so-called leaders, a sad parade of half-men, cowards, have not got the solutions."

Sting told crowds that Greece helped nearly a million refugees in 2015, even though it was dealing with a major
financial crisis. Other countries refused to help the refugees. Many quickly built barbed-wire fences to keep them out.
Sting had harsh words for the recent family-separation policy in the USA. More than 2,000 children have been detained
and separated from parents who tried to cross the Mexico border into the US illegally. The concert audience cheered
and applauded when Sting called this policy "brutal" and "barbaric". Some European countries still seem unwilling to
help refugees. Italy recently turned away a German boat of 350 immigrants. Spain eventually agreed to accept the
refugees.

COMPREHENSION

1. What did Sting say leaders failed to solve?

2. What country did Sting praise?
3. What did Sting say some countries were building?
4. Where did Sting say children were being put?
5. What did sting say world leaders did not have?
6. When did Greece help almost a million refugees?
7. What kind of fences did Sting talk about?
8. What kind of words did Sting have for a family-separation policy?
9. What did Sting call the family separation policy, besides "barbaric"?
10. How many immigrants were on a German boat?

DISCUSSION

1. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'world'?
2. What word would you use to describe your leader?
3. What do you think of other world leaders?
4. What makes a strong leader?
5. What kind of leader would you be?
6. Do you think world leaders are cowards?
7. What do you think of the refugee crisis?
8. What can we do to help the refugees?
9. How compassionate is your country?
10. What do you think of when you hear the word 'leader'?
11. What do you think about what you read?
12. What is your country's policy on refugees?
13. Why are there so many refugees in the world?
14. What do you know about the border crisis in the USA?
15. How wrong is it for a country to separate children from parents?
16. What would life be like as a refugee?
17. How bad is it for a country turn away refugees?
New nation of Asgardia established in space
A Russian billionaire has attended his inauguration as leader of humankind's first ever nation in space. Igor Ashurbeyli, a
computer scientist, established the space nation of Asgardia at a ceremony in Vienna, Austria on Monday. In his
inauguration address, Mr Ashurbeyli stated that: "This day will certainly be recorded in the annals of history as one of
the greatest events for humankind. We have established all branches of government. I can therefore declare with
confidence that Asgardia - the first space nation of the united humankind - has been born." He also said his nation was a
"global humanitarian project" that would pioneer the future colonization of space and set up human colonies on the
Moon.

Asgardia is named after Asgard - a flying city in ancient Scandinavian mythology. It already has a growing number of
would-be citizens. Around 200,000 people have signed up to claim their Asgardian nationality. Within the next 10 years,
Asgardia hopes to amass a population of 150 million. This would make it the ninth most populous country. Future
candidates to become an Asgard national will have to pass an IQ test to prove they are of a higher intelligence. They will
also have to pay an annual membership of 100 euros. Asgardia has a long-term goal to launch life-sustaining, high-tech,
verdant arks in space, where Asgardian citizens can live and prosper.

COMPREHENSION

1. What is the job of the leader of Asgardia?

2. Where was the inauguration speech for Asgardia?
3. What did the leader say he had established all branches of?
4. What kind of project did the leader say Asgardia was?
5. Where does the leader want to set up human colonies?
6. What region of the world is the name Asgardia from?
7. How many people have signed up to become Asgardia citizens?
8. What kind of test will would-be citizens have to take?
9. How much does it cost each year to be an Asgardia citizen?
10. What can Asgardia citizens do on arks in space?

DISCUSSION

1. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'space'?
2. What would it be like to live in space?
3. Would life on Mars or the Moon be best?
4. Will Earth be able to sustain life forever?
5. How will this event be recorded in history?
6. What do you think of the idea of space nations?
7. If there are space nations, will there be space wars?
8. How sad would it be to leave Earth to live in space?
9. What do you think of colonies on the Moon?
10. What do you think of when you hear the word 'nation'?
11. What do you think about what you read?
12. What would you call the next space nation?
13. Would you like to be a citizen of Asgardia?
14. Why is there an intelligence test to be an Asgardia citizen?
15. Could Asgardia be a money-making scheme?
16. What new developments will there be with space nations?
17. What would the problems be of living in space?
China limits pay for movie stars
The Chinese government is putting a limit on how much pay its movie stars get. The government says that actors getting
very high salaries is bad for society. Authorities say a lot of actors try to avoid paying tax and their love of money is
harmful. Government officials said they want to stop "money worship" in society and in the movie industry because
money is not the most important thing in life. The government also wants to try and stop a celebrity culture from
developing. It says many young people are "blindly chasing celebrities" and turning them into heroes, which is giving
people a false idea about what life is really like. The government said movies should benefit society, not movie star bank
accounts.

The government has issued a set of rules that tell movie production companies how to pay their movie stars. The
salaries of actors will be capped at 40 per cent of the total cost of the movie. Furthermore, leading actors will receive no
more than 70 per cent of the total wages for the entire cast. Many Chinese citizens said they support the new rules.
They say it is not good for society that "greedy" actors and celebrities are "showing off" their wealth and "Hollywood
lifestyles". One Chinese citizen wrote on social media: "Society has given them too much and they give nothing back.
They do not teach young people about the value and importance of humility and community in China."

COMPREHENSION
1. What did the government say high salaries are bad for?
2. What did the government say actors avoid?
3. What does the government want to stop the worship of?
4. What does the government want to stop people chasing?
5. What did the government say movies should benefit?
6. What's the most companies will be able to pay actors?
7. What's the most leading actors will be able to get from total wages?
8. What kind of lifestyles are actors showing off?
9. What did someone on social media say actors gave back to society?
10. What did a social media user say should teach the value of humility?

DISCUSSION
1. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'movie'?
2. What do you think of movie stars?
3. Why should movie stars get big salaries?
4. Should there be a limit on all salaries?
5. Who should get more money, an actor or a nurse?
6. What do you think of movie stars who do not pay tax?
7. Is a love of money bad?
8. Why do people love celebrities?
9. Should movies do more to teach people values?
10. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'movie'?
11. What do you think of movie stars?
12. Why should movie stars get big salaries?
13. Should there be a limit on all salaries?
14. Who should get more money, an actor or a nurse?
15. What do you think of movie stars who do not pay tax?
16. Is a love of money bad?
17. Why do people love celebrities?
18. Should movies do more to teach people values?
TV razor ad shows real body hair for first time

A simple TV advertisement for a razor has created great debate and gone viral online. The ad simply shows women
shaving real body hair from their body. This seems to be an everyday occurrence and nothing to write home about;
nothing revolutionary; normal TV-ad fare. However, it is the first time that an advert has been shown on U.S. TV showing
the shaving of actual body hair. For decades, razor companies have aired ads showing women shaving already totally
smooth, airbrushed legs and armpits. There is never a hair in sight in these commercials. It seems as though the ad
companies want to promote the falsehood that women have hairless bodies. The new ad by the razor brand Billie has
rectified this.

Billie's ad is the first commercial in 100 years of advertising that has shown women to have body hair. All previous ads
had shown women to be hairless. Billie showed women shaving off hair from toes, armpits, between their eyebrows,
and on their stomachs. Billie co-founder Georgina Gooley told Glamour magazine that she was shocked at how razor
companies had previously portrayed women to have picture-perfect bodies. She criticized the companies, saying: "When
brands pretend that all women have hairless bodies, it's a version of body-shaming. It's saying you should feel ashamed
of having body hair." She added: "Shaving is a personal choice, and no one should be telling women what to do with
their hair."

COMPREHENSION

1. What has the razor ad done online?

2. What did the article say was nothing to write home about?
3. What kind of legs did the article say were usually shown on TV?
4. What was not in sight in all ads up until now?
5. What "falsehood" did the article say ad companies seemed to promote?
6. What did the new ad show women shaving between?
7. What did a company boss say razor companies portrayed women to have?
8. What did a razor company executive criticize?
9. What did a razor company executive say the ads were a version of?
10. What kind of choice did a razor company executive say shaving was?

DISCUSSION

1. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'body'?
2. What do you think of body hair?
3. What do you think of facial hair?
4. What do you think of shaving?
5. We have hair for a reason, so why do we shave?
6. Why do TV ads not show hair being shaved?
7. Should razor companies be fined for showing dishonest ads?
8. Are razor companies the only ones to use dishonest ads?
9. What does it matter if someone is hairy or not?
10. What do you think of when you hear the word 'hair'?
11. What do you think about what you read?
12. Should men also shave their legs?
13. Why do ads always show picture-perfect bodies?
14. What do you know about body-shaming?
15. Would life be better without any hair?
16. Will attitudes towards body hair change in the future?
17. Is advertising a form of mind control?
Thai soccer boys cave rescue planned

There is good news about the twelve boys and their football coach who are trapped in a Thai cave. They are alive and
well. The group was missing for nine days, but was found by rescuers yesterday. Thailand has been praying for them to
be found since they went missing on June 23. The search for the group was 24-hour news in Thailand. It was unclear
where they were or whether or not they were still alive. The boys, aged between 11 and 16, and their 25-year-old coach
went missing. They went into the cave in northern Thailand when it was dry, but there was suddenly heavy rain. This
blocked the exit to the cave. The rain flooded it and the boys and their coach were trapped.

The bad news is that the soccer team could be trapped in the cave for months. Rescuers have to wait until the water
recedes (goes down) before the team can get out. Another possibility is for the boys to learn to dive. If they do that, they
can get out sooner. However, none of the boys can swim. Rescuers say they may have to take food, medicine and
supplies to the boys for the next four months. They are currently trying to put power and telephone lines in the cave.
Two British rescue divers who found the boys said they were all happy, but very, very hungry. The rescuers took a video
of them. A mother of one of the boys described her happiness. She said: "I'm so happy I can't put it into words."

COMPREHENSION

1. What did the article say the boys were besides alive?
2. How long were the boys missing before they were found?
3. How old are the boys?
4. What suddenly happened?
5. What blocked the entrance to the cave?
6. What do rescuers have to wait for the water to do?
7. What might the boys have to learn to do?
8. How long might the boys have to stay in the cave?
9. What are rescuers putting in the cave?
10. What did a mother say she could not describe?

DISCUSSION

1. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'cave'?
2. What do you know about this news?
3. What do you know about caves?
4. How scary would it be to be trapped in a cave?
5. How do you think the boys are feeling?
6. What would you do in this situation?
7. Have you ever been trapped somewhere?
8. What three adjectives best describe this story?
9. What advice do you have for the boys?
10. What do you think of when you hear the word 'rescue'?
11. What do you think about what you read?
12. Why are newspapers mostly full of bad news?
13. What would it be like to spend four months in a cave?
14. How could the rescuers get the boys out more quickly?
15. What feelings do you think the boys' mothers have?
16. What do you think of caving?
17. Have you ever found something difficult to put into words?
Internet fury at woman who killed giraffe
Images of an American trophy hunter posing for a photo next to a black giraffe that she had shot and killed in South
Africa have caused outrage online. It has sparked a heated debate on whether or not trophy hunting should be banned.
Wikipedia says: "Trophy hunting is the hunting of wild game for human recreation. The trophy is the animal or part of
the animal kept, and usually displayed, to represent the success of the hunt." A fee is usually paid to the government to
help wildlife conservation. Critics of this say countries earn far more from wildlife tourism than from big game hunting.
The giraffe's killing is being compared to Cecil the lion, the iconic big cat hunted and killed by an American dentist in
2015.

The latest killing caused an account on Twitter called Africa Digest to write: "White American savage, who is partly a
Neanderthal, comes to Africa and shoot down a very rare black giraffe, courtesy of South African stupidity." The
American hunter defended her actions. She told CBS News that the giraffe was an old male that was attacking and killing
younger giraffes. She said: "This is called conservation through game management. Now that the giraffe is gone, the
younger bulls are able to breed." Paul Babaz, president of the hunting group Safari Club International defended the
woman. He said: "She was hunting in South Africa and giraffes are legal to hunt in South Africa."

COMPREHENSION

1. What kind of giraffe did the hunter kill?

2. What kind of online debate did the article say took place?
3. What is paid to the government by trophy hunters?
4. Who said countries get more from wildlife tourism than big game hunting?
5. When was Cecil the lion shot and killed?
6. What platform did Africa Digest use to complain about the hunter?
7. What news station did the hunter talk to?
8. Why did the hunter say she killed the giraffe?
9. What can younger bulls now do?
10. What did someone was say legal in Japan?

DISCUSSION

1. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'giraffe'?
2. What do you think about trophy hunting?
3. What do you think of the hunter for killing the giraffe?
4. Should trophy hunting be banned?
5. Are people who hunt the same as those who eat meat?
6. Why do hunters put the heads of animals on their wall?
7. Should the governments focus more on wildlife tourism?
8. Are there some animals it is never OK to hunt?
9. Are hunters worse than abattoirs (slaughter houses)?
10. What do you think of when you hear the word 'hunting'?
11. What do you think about what you read?
12. Should hunting be banned?
13. What do you think of the tweet from Africa Digest?
14. Did the hunter help conservation by killing the old giraffe?
15. What do you think of posing for photos next to hunted animals?
16. Should the woman have not posted the photo on social media?
17. What do you think of it being legal to hunt giraffes?
Philippines president to resign if someone proves God exists

The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has made people angry. He said he would resign if anyone can prove
that God exists. President Duterte has a history of upsetting people with his religious beliefs. He recently made many
people in his largely Roman Catholic country angry by calling God stupid. On Friday, he questioned the principles of the
Roman Catholic Church. In particular, he challenged what the Church says about sin. He asked why sin can only be
removed from children by paying money to the Church. He said: "Where is the logic of God there?" The 73-year-old
leader said that he wanted "one single witness" who has a picture or a selfie that a human was "able to talk to and see
God".

Opponents of the president hit back at him by calling him "one evil man". Senator Antonio Trillanes said the president's
comments showed that Mr Duterte lied, had no heart and was a ruthless leader. Despite his comments, President
Duterte said he did believe in God. He said: "There is a universal mind somewhere which controls the universe." Duterte
is very popular in the Philippines for his policies on drugs and crime. He has spent the past few years fighting a war on
drugs in which hundreds of people have been killed. He also appeared at an event in which customs officials crushed
illegally imported luxury cars. He has agreed to meet religious leaders at a meeting on Monday to ease tensions.

COMPREHENSION

1. What did the article say President Duterte has a history of doing?
2. What did President Duterte recently call God that made people angry?
3. When did Mr Duterte question the principles of the Catholic Church?
4. Who did President Duterte say people had to pay to remove sin?
5. How old is President Duterte?
6. What kind of man did a senator call President Duterte?
7. What did President Duterte say he believed in?
8. What did President Duterte say controlled the universe?
9. Who crushed illegally imported luxury cars?
10. What will President Duterte try to ease at a meeting on Monday?

DISCUSSION

1. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'God'?
2. Do you believe in God?
3. How can someone prove that God exists?
4. What do you think of President Duterte of the Philippines?
5. Should President Duterte resign?
6. What do you think of people calling God "stupid"?
7. What is sin?
8. What should we do about sin?
9. What is God?
10. What do you think of when you hear the word 'resign'?
11. What do you think about what you read?
12. Are people who believe in God good?
13. What do you think controls the universe?
14. What did you learn about God when you were younger?
15. What should leaders do about drugs and crime?
16. Should religion be a part of a country's laws?
17. What advice do you have for President Duterte?