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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes - 9/11 Firefighters
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Firefighters Not Invited to 9/11 (8th September, 2011)

New York City firefighters said they are upset they cannot go to this year’s 9/11 ceremony. The terror attacks happened ten years ago, so this is the 10th anniversary. The city mayor's office said there was not enough space for the firefighters or other rescue services. A total of 343 firefighters and 60 police officers died that day. Religious leaders are also angry that there will be no prayers at the ceremony. Instead, there will be poetry readings. One newspaper said it was a religious ceremony, but without the religion.

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New York’s firefighters said they're disappointed by the plans. They told reporters they were not invited on that day in 2001 either, but thousands went and did their job, and many died or were injured. Firefighter spokesman Steve Cassidy explained the disappointment, saying: "We were there on 9/11, we were there in the weeks and months that followed....We've got hundreds and hundreds of firefighters who are sick [because] of their service. And yet, [they won’t] invite firefighters who were there that day."

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	they are upset they	a.	services
2	The terror attacks happened	b.	for the firefighters
3.	there was not enough space	c.	ten years ago
4.	rescue	d.	readings
5.	there will be no prayers	e.	cannot go
6.	poetry	f.	at the ceremony

Paragraph 2

1.	disappointed	a.	invited
2	they were not	b.	who are sick
3.	many died or	c.	by the plans
4.	the weeks and months	d.	that day
5.	hundreds of firefighters	e.	were injured
6.	firefighters who were there	f.	that followed

LISTENING GAP FILL

New York City firefighters said they are ___________________ to this year’s 9/11 ceremony. The terror attacks happened ten years ago, so this is ___________________. The city mayor's office said there was ___________________ for the firefighters or other rescue services. ___________________ firefighters and 60 police officers died that day. Religious leaders are also angry that there will be no _____________________. Instead, there will be poetry readings. One newspaper said it was a religious ceremony, but ___________________.

New York’s firefighters said they're ___________________ plans. They told reporters they were ___________________ day in 2001 either, but thousands ___________________ job, and many died ___________________. Firefighter spokesman Steve Cassidy explained the disappointment, saying: "We were there on 9/11, we were there in the ___________________ that followed....We've got hundreds and hundreds of firefighters who are sick [because] ___________________. And yet, [they won’t] invite firefighters who were there that day."

MULTIPLE CHOICE

New York City firefighters said they are (1) ____ they cannot go to this year’s 9/11 ceremony. The terror attacks happened ten years ago, so this is the 10th (2) ____. The city mayor's office said there was not enough space for the firefighters or other (3) ____ services. A total of 343 firefighters and 60 police officers (4) ____ that day. Religious leaders are also angry that there will be no prayers at the ceremony. (5) ____, there will be poetry readings. One newspaper said it was a religious ceremony, but (6) ____ the religion.

New York’s firefighters said they're (7) ____ by the plans. They told reporters they were not invited on that day in 2001 (8) ____, but thousands went and did their job, and many died or were (9) ____. Firefighter spokesman Steve Cassidy explained the disappointment, saying: "We were there on 9/11, we were there in the weeks and months that (10) ____....We've got hundreds and hundreds of firefighters who are (11) ____ [because] of their (12) ____. And yet, [they won’t] invite firefighters who were there that day."

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	upset	(b)	upside	(c)	up
2.	(a)	anniversary	(b)	birthday	(c)	universe
3.	(a)	rescued	(b)	rescues	(c)	rescue
4.	(a)	did	(b)	died	(c)	dead
5.	(a)	Inside	(b)	Insides	(c)	Instead
6.	(a)	with	(b)	without	(c)	within
7.	(a)	disappointed	(b)	disappointment	(c)	disappoint
8.	(a)	neither	(b)	nor	(c)	either
9.	(a)	injures	(b)	injured	(c)	injury
10.	(a)	following	(b)	follows	(c)	followed
11.	(a)	sick	(b)	sickness	(c)	sicken
12	(a)	serve	(b)	service	(c)	several

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	they are peuts they cannot go
2.	terror stktcaa
3.	city mayor's cofief
4.	rescue sceresiv
5.	Religious learsed
6.	oyrtep readings
Paragraph 2
7.	disappointed by the napsl
8.	not itevndi
9.	many died or were rdjiuen
10.	Firefighter kpesmnsao
11.	the weeks and months that dweloofl
12.	rneshudd of firefighters

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	office said there was not enough space for the firefighters or other rescue services. A total of 343
( )	readings. One newspaper said it was a religious ceremony, but without the religion.
( )	firefighters and 60 police officers died that day. Religious leaders are also angry that
( )	[they won’t] invite firefighters who were there that day."
( )	were injured. Firefighter spokesman Steve Cassidy explained the disappointment, saying: "We were there
( )	hundreds and hundreds of firefighters who are sick [because] of their service. And yet,
( )	on 9/11, we were there in the weeks and months that followed....We've got
( )	New York’s firefighters said they're disappointed by the plans. They told reporters they were not
( )	invited on that day in 2001 either, but thousands went and did their job, and many died or
( )	ceremony. The terror attacks happened ten years ago, so this is the 10th anniversary. The city mayor's
( 1 )	New York City firefighters said they are upset they cannot go to this year’s 9/11
( )	there will be no prayers at the ceremony. Instead, there will be poetry

WORD JUMBLE

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

1.	are cannot upset They go they.
2.	years ten happened attacks terror The ago.
3.	not firefighters enough space There for was the.
4.	prayers There at will the be ceremony no.
5.	ceremony religion , but A without religious the.
6.	plans the by disappointed they're said Firefighters.
7.	invited on that day in 2001 either They were not.
8.	job Thousands and their went did.
9.	the followed weeks and There months in that.
10.	their are service sick because Firefighters of who.

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 9/11 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. THE 9/11 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: Search the Internet and find more information about the anniversary. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about 9/11. Include imaginary interviews with the firefighters who are not invited. 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 a firefighter who risked his/her life to save others on 9/11 but has not been invited to the 9/11 10-year anniversary ceremony. Ask him/her three questions about this. Give him/her three of your opinions on it. 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 - 9/11 Firefighters (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)