News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Transformers
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Boy Drinks Petrol To Become Robot

A 14-year-old boy in China drank petrol to be like his Transformers movie hero Optimus Prime. His father said: "Since the boy watched the film, he started drinking gasoline to become a brave fighter. He was a very smart boy. He could even repair a television. But now he does not know the answer of seven plus 17.” The boy started by drinking fuel from cigarette lighters. He soon moved on to stealing petrol from cars. His father added: "We were shocked when one day he drank half a bottle of gasoline from our motorcycle."

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I think this is a sad story. The boy only wanted to be like his hero. It’s a little strange his family didn’t know about his habit. Petrol has a really bad smell. Surely his parents knew something was strange. They must be really mad at Hollywood. The Transformers movie changed the boy’s life forever. Drinking the petrol damaged his brain. The makers of the movie should help him. They should send the boy to a special school where he can get better. The boss of the film company would be a real hero if he or she did this.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	A 14-year-	a.	plus 17
2	He was a	b.	a television
3.	He could even repair	c.	a bottle
4.	the answer of seven	d.	to stealing
5.	He soon moved on	e.	old boy in China
6.	he drank half	f.	very smart boy

Paragraph 2

1.	The boy only wanted to be	a.	about his habit
2	his family didn’t know	b.	a special school
3.	really mad at	c.	be a real hero
4.	changed the boy’s life	d.	Hollywood
5.	send the boy to	e.	forever
6.	The boss of the film company would	f.	like his hero

LISTENING GAP FILL

A 14-year-old boy in China drank petrol ________________ Transformers movie hero Optimus Prime. His father said: "________________ the film, he started drinking gasoline to become a brave fighter. He was a very smart boy. He ________________ television. But now he does not know the answer of seven plus 17.” The boy ________________ fuel from cigarette lighters. He ________________ stealing petrol from cars. His father added: "We were shocked when one day he drank ________________ gasoline from our motorcycle."

I think this is a sad story. The boy ________________ like his hero. It’s a little strange his family didn’t know about his habit. Petrol ________________ smell. Surely his parents knew something was strange. They ________________ at Hollywood. The Transformers movie changed the boy’s life forever. Drinking the petrol damaged his brain. ________________ movie should help him. They should send the boy ________________ where he can get better. The boss of the film company would be a real hero __________________.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A 14-year-old boy in China (1) ____ petrol to be like his Transformers movie hero Optimus Prime. His father said: "(2) ____ the boy watched the film, he started drinking gasoline to become a brave fighter. He was a very smart boy. He could even (3) ____ a television. But now he does not know the answer of seven plus 17.” The boy started (4) ____ drinking fuel from cigarette lighters. He soon moved on to stealing petrol from cars. His father added: "We were (5) ____ when one day he drank half a bottle of gasoline from our motorcycle."

I think this is a sad story. The boy only wanted to be like his hero. It’s a little (6) ____ his family didn’t know about his habit. Petrol has a really bad (7) ____. Surely his parents knew something was strange. They must be really mad at Hollywood. The Transformers movie changed the boy’s life forever. Drinking (8) ____ petrol damaged his brain. The makers of the movie should help (9) ____. They should send the boy to a special school where he can get better. The boss of the film company would be a real hero if he or she (10) ____ this.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	drank	(b)	drank	(c)	drinks
2.	(a)	Since	(b)	From	(c)	Soon
3.	(a)	repaired	(b)	repair	(c)	repairs
4.	(a)	at	(b)	to	(c)	by
5.	(a)	shocked	(b)	shocks	(c)	shocking
6.	(a)	stranger	(b)	strangely	(c)	strange
7.	(a)	smells	(b)	smelly	(c)	smell
8.	(a)	a	(b)	the	(c)	those
9.	(a)	him	(b)	he	(c)	his
10.	(a)	do	(b)	doing	(c)	did

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	veoim hero
2.	he stdtear drinking gasoline
3.	a very tarsm boy
4.	eluf from cigarette lighters
5.	eganilst petrol from cars
6.	he drank half a totlbe
Paragraph 2
7.	a little grntsea
8.	know about his ihabt
9.	They must be elyral mad
10.	changed the boy’s life roeervf
11.	a aicslep school
12.	film ycpmoan

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	added: "We were shocked when one day he drank half a bottle of gasoline from our motorcycle."
( )	smart boy. He could even repair a television. But now he does not know the answer of seven plus 17.” The boy
( )	I think this is a sad story. The boy only wanted to be like his hero. It’s a little strange his family didn’t
( 1 )	A 14-year-old boy in China drank petrol to be like his Transformers movie hero Optimus Prime. His father said:
( )	school where he can get better. The boss of the film company would be a real hero if he or she did this.
( )	"Since the boy watched the film, he started drinking gasoline to become a brave fighter. He was a very
( )	petrol damaged his brain. The makers of the movie should help him. They should send the boy to a special
( )	started by drinking fuel from cigarette lighters. He soon moved on to stealing petrol from cars. His father
( )	know about his habit. Petrol has a really bad smell. Surely his parents knew something was strange. They must
( )	be really mad at Hollywood. The Transformers movie changed the boy’s life forever. Drinking the

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	A petrol drank China in boy old - year - 14.
2.	repair television He even a could.
3.	know the answer of seven plus 17 He does not.
4.	petrol moved stealing cars soon to from He on.
5.	One drank bottle he a gasoline day half of.
6.	hero boy to his The wanted like only be.
7.	family a didn’t little know strange his It’s.
8.	his Surely strange was something knew parents.
9.	the damaged brain Drinking petrol his.
10.	should boy special They the a send to school.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about robots for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

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 more information about the Transformers movies. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about robots. Include imaginary interviews with someone who makes robots and someone who wants a robot. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. 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.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to the maker of the movie. Ask him/her three questions about Transformers. Give him/her three suggestions on how to help the boy. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Transformers (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)