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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Bahrain Grand Prix
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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2011 Bahrain Grand Prix Cancelled (20th February, 2011)

The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix that was to take place on March the 13th has been cancelled. Bahrain’s rulers took the decision because of the protests taking place in the capital Manama. The center of the unrest is Pearl Roundabout, which is where many of the country’s top hotels are. Bahrain F1 officials said they have “withdrawn from hosting this year’s F1 Grand Prix race so that the country can focus on its process of national dialogue”. They also said: “No decision has been made on a new date for the rescheduling of the race.”

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The Bahrain race was to be the opener for the 2011 grand prix season. This is now delayed for two weeks and the opening race will be in Melbourne, Australia on March the 27th. F1 organizers are scratching their heads over how they can fit Bahrain into the racing calendar at a later date. There is a three-week break in racing in the summer, but temperatures in Bahrain are too hot then. It’s also possible that the season could be ended a week later and go into December. However, Abu Dhabi would be unhappy at having another race in the Gulf so close to theirs.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	take place on	a.	in the capital
2	Bahrain’s rulers took	b.	dialogue
3.	protests taking place	c.	of the race
4.	The center of	d.	March the 13th
5.	national	e.	the unrest
6.	the rescheduling	f.	the decision

Paragraph 2

1.	the 2011 grand prix	a.	their heads
2	delayed for	b.	season
3.	organizers are scratching	c.	later date
4.	at a	d.	to theirs
5.	ended a week	e.	two weeks
6.	so close	f.	later

LISTENING GAP FILL

The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix that _________________ on March the 13th has been cancelled. Bahrain’s rulers took the decision because of _________________ place in the capital Manama. The center of the unrest is Pearl Roundabout, which is _________________ country’s top hotels are. Bahrain F1 officials said they have “withdrawn _________________ year’s F1 Grand Prix race so that the country _________________ process of national dialogue”. They also said: “No decision has been made _________________ the rescheduling of the race.”

The Bahrain race _________________ opener for the 2011 grand prix season. This is _________________ two weeks and the opening race will be in Melbourne, Australia on March the 27th. F1 organizers _________________ heads over how they can fit Bahrain into the racing calendar at a later date. There is a three-_________________ racing in the summer, but temperatures in Bahrain are too hot then. It’s also possible that the season could _________________ later and go into December. However, Abu Dhabi would be unhappy at having _________________ the Gulf so close to theirs.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix that was to (1) ____ place on March the 13th has been cancelled. Bahrain’s (2) ____ took the decision because of the protests taking place in the capital Manama. The center of the unrest is Pearl Roundabout, which (3) ____ where many of the country’s top hotels are. Bahrain F1 (4) ____ said they have “withdrawn from hosting this year’s F1 Grand Prix race so that the country can focus (5) ____ its process of national dialogue”. They also said: “No decision has been (1) ____ on a new date for the rescheduling of the race.”

The Bahrain race was to be the (7) ____ for the 2011 grand prix season. This is now delayed (8) ____ two weeks and the opening race will be in Melbourne, Australia on March the 27th. F1 organizers are scratching their (9) ____ over how they can fit Bahrain into the racing calendar at a later date. There is a three-week break (10) ____ racing in the summer, but temperatures in Bahrain are too hot then. It’s also possible that the season could be (11) ____ a week later and go into December. However, Abu Dhabi would be unhappy at having another race in the Gulf so (12) ____ to theirs.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	make	(b)	fake	(c)	take
2.	(a)	rulers	(b)	rubbers	(c)	sharpeners
3.	(a)	are	(b)	is	(c)	were
4.	(a)	officials	(b)	offices	(c)	official
5.	(a)	in	(b)	on	(c)	at
6.	(a)	making	(b)	make	(c)	made
7.	(a)	opener	(b)	open	(c)	opening
8.	(a)	at	(b)	for	(c)	to
9.	(a)	backs	(b)	feet	(c)	heads
10.	(a)	on	(b)	in	(c)	an
11.	(a)	ended	(b)	ends	(c)	end
12	(a)	closed	(b)	closes	(c)	close

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	take pealc on March the 13th
2.	Bahrain’s ulrrse
3.	because of the otpsters
4.	the country’s top ostehl
5.	hgnitso this year’s F1 Grand Prix
6.	national eoidalug
Paragraph 2
7.	the 2011 grand prix snaseo
8.	the pogeinn race
9.	scratching their dshea
10.	epermtutreas in Bahrain are too hot
11.	ededn a week later
12.	having etarhno race

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	of the unrest is Pearl Roundabout, which is where many of the country’s top hotels are. Bahrain F1
( )	date. There is a three-week break in racing in the summer, but temperatures in Bahrain are too
( )	that the country can focus on its process of national dialogue”. They also said: “No
( )	into December. However, Abu Dhabi would be unhappy at having another race in the Gulf so close to theirs.
( )	The Bahrain race was to be the opener for the 2011 grand prix season. This is now delayed
( )	for two weeks and the opening race will be in Melbourne, Australia on March the 27th. F1 organizers are
( )	scratching their heads over how they can fit Bahrain into the racing calendar at a later
( )	hot then. It’s also possible that the season could be ended a week later and go
( )	officials said they have “withdrawn from hosting this year’s F1 Grand Prix race so
( )	rulers took the decision because of the protests taking place in the capital Manama. The center
( )	decision has been made on a new date for the rescheduling of the race.”
( 1 )	The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix that was to take place on March the 13th has been cancelled. Bahrain’s

WORD JUMBLE

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

1.	Manama place in The the protests capital taking.
2.	top many hotels of are the country’s Where.
3.	year’s Withdrawn F1 from Grand hosting Prix this.
4.	been said made no decision They has also.
5.	date rescheduling race new the the A for of.
6.	to The be Bahrain the race opener was.
7.	now is This weeks two for delayed.
8.	F1 are their organizers scratching heads.
9.	is - in There three break a week racing.
10.	close to theirs Having another race in the Gulf so.

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 Bahrain 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. BAHRAIN: Search the Internet and find more information about Bahrain. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about the cancelling of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Include imaginary interviews with some drivers. 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 head of Formula 1. Ask him three questions about cancelling the Bahrain Grand Prix. Give him three of your opinions on what to do instead. 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 Bahrain Grand Prix (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)