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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Jack Kevorkian
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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“Dr Death” Dies Aged 83 (4th June, 2011)

Jack Kevorkian, a.k.a. “Dr Death”, has died at the age of 83 at a hospital in Michigan, USA. Dr Kevorkian helped more than 130 people who wanted to die to end their life. He was the world’s most famous “right to die” campaigner and he likened himself to Gandhi. Kevorkian spent decades arguing that assisted suicide was a human right. He was sent to prison for eight years in 1999 for helping seriously ill people kill themselves. After his release in 2007, he promised he would no longer assist in any more suicides.

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Dr Kevorkian had many admirers and many critics. Many people described him as a cold-blooded killer. He hit the headlines in the 1990s with his homemade "suicide machine" that helped seriously ill people to end their own life. Others praised him for helping people. His lawyer Geoffrey Fieger said: “He was a rare human being who can single-handedly take on an entire society…and force it to focus on the suffering of other human beings." Oscar winner Al Pacino played Kevorkian in the 2010 movie, “You Don’t Know Jack”.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	died at	a.	was a human right
2	end	b.	to Gandhi
3.	he likened himself	c.	their life
4.	arguing that assisted suicide	d.	any more suicides
5.	helping seriously ill people	e.	the age of 83
6.	no longer assist in	f.	kill themselves

Paragraph 2

1.	Kevorkian had many admirers	a.	blooded killer
2	a cold-	b.	of other human beings
3.	He hit the	c.	for helping people
4.	Others praised him	d.	headlines in the 1990s
5.	single-	e.	and many critics
6.	focus on the suffering	f.	handedly

LISTENING GAP FILL

Jack Kevorkian, a.k.a. “Dr Death”, has __________________ 83 at a hospital in Michigan, USA. Dr Kevorkian helped more than 130 people who wanted to die __________________. He was the world’s most famous “right to die” campaigner and __________________ to Gandhi. Kevorkian spent decades arguing that assisted suicide __________________. He was sent to prison for eight years in 1999 __________________ ill people kill themselves. After his release in 2007, he promised he would __________________ in any more suicides.

Dr Kevorkian had many __________________ critics. Many people described him as a __________________. He hit the __________________ 1990s with his homemade "suicide machine" that helped seriously ill people to end their own life. Others __________________ helping people. His lawyer Geoffrey Fieger said: “He was a rare human being who can single-handedly __________________ society…and force it to focus on the suffering _____________________." Oscar winner Al Pacino played Kevorkian in the 2010 movie, “You Don’t Know Jack”.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Jack Kevorkian, (1) ____ “Dr Death”, has died at the age of 83 at a hospital in Michigan, USA. Dr Kevorkian helped more than 130 people who wanted to die to (2) ____ their life. He was the world’s most famous “(3) ____ to die” campaigner and he likened himself to Gandhi. Kevorkian spent decades arguing (4) ____ assisted suicide was a human right. He was sent to prison for eight years in 1999 for helping (5) ____ ill people kill themselves. After his release in 2007, he promised he would (6) ____ longer assist in any more suicides.

Dr Kevorkian had many admirers and many (7) ____. Many people described him as a cold-blooded killer. He (8) ____ the headlines in the 1990s with his (9) ____ "suicide machine" that helped seriously ill people to end their own life. Others praised him (10) ____ helping people. His lawyer Geoffrey Fieger said: “He was a rare human being who can single-(11) ____ take on an entire society…and force it to focus (12) ____ the suffering of other human beings." Oscar winner Al Pacino played Kevorkian in the 2010 movie, “You Don’t Know Jack”.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	a.k.a.	(b)	m.i.a.	(c)	fyi
2.	(a)	ends	(b)	ending	(c)	end
3.	(a)	left	(b)	right	(c)	wrong
4.	(a)	what	(b)	then	(c)	that
5.	(a)	seriously	(b)	series	(c)	serious
6.	(a)	now	(b)	not	(c)	no
7.	(a)	antics	(b)	critics	(c)	attics
8.	(a)	hit	(b)	punched	(c)	smacked
9.	(a)	homemaker	(b)	home help	(c)	homemade
10.	(a)	from	(b)	for	(c)	with
11.	(a)	bodily	(b)	handedly	(c)	brainy
12	(a)	on	(b)	at	(c)	of

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	“right to die” prgmnciaea
2.	he dekinle himself to Gandhi
3.	spent saecded arguing
4.	assisted uesdcii
5.	siosyluer ill people
6.	his eseelra in 2007
Paragraph 2
7.	Dr Kevorkian had many dsrraime
8.	many icrcsit
9.	a cold-doeodlb killer
10.	Others ediprsa him
11.	a rare human igben
12.	single-nyddelah

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	to Gandhi. Kevorkian spent decades arguing that assisted suicide was a human right. He was sent to
( )	life. He was the world’s most famous “right to die” campaigner and he likened himself
( )	prison for eight years in 1999 for helping seriously ill people kill themselves. After his
( )	entire society…and force it to focus on the suffering of other human beings." Oscar
( )	Dr Kevorkian had many admirers and many critics. Many people described him as a cold-
( )	blooded killer. He hit the headlines in the 1990s with his homemade "suicide machine" that helped seriously
( )	Michigan, USA. Dr Kevorkian helped more than 130 people who wanted to die to end their
( )	winner Al Pacino played Kevorkian in the 2010 movie, “You Don’t Know Jack”.
( )	ill people to end their own life. Others praised him for helping people. His lawyer Geoffrey Fieger said:
( )	“He was a rare human being who can single-handedly take on an
( )	release in 2007, he promised he would no longer assist in any more suicides.
( 1 )	Jack Kevorkian, a.k.a. “Dr Death”, has died at the age of 83 at a hospital in

WORD JUMBLE

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

1.	Michigan in hospital a at 83 of age the at Died.
2.	who More wanted than to 130 die people.
3.	most campaigner The world’s right-to-die famous.
4.	was Arguing a that human assisted right suicide.
5.	assist more He longer any no in suicides would.
6.	cold-blooded killer Many people described him as a .
7.	the hit He 1990s the in headlines.
8.	him helping praised for people Others.
9.	was a Fieger rare said human he being.
10.	suffering of Focus other on human the beings.

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 assisted suicide 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. ASSISTED SUICIDE: Search the Internet and find more information about assisted suicide. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Jack Kevorkian. Include imaginary interviews with an admirer and critic. 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 Jack Kevorkian’s best friend. Ask him/her three questions about Jack. Give him/her three of your opinions on assisted suicide. 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 Jack Kevorkian (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)