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Britain Helped USA Spy On Charlie Chaplin (19th February, 2012)

New information shows that the British government spied on silent comedy star Charlie Chaplin. America's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) asked Britain’s spy service MI5 to look into Chaplin’s background. The USA believed the English comedian was a communist. This was at the time of the Cold War when relations between America and the Soviet Union were very icy. The FBI wanted MI5 to help it get Chaplin banned from visiting or living in the USA.

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Charlie Chaplin could not produce his birth certificate. This made the FBI think he was some kind of spy. They suggested his real name was Israel Thornstein and that he was born in France. The Bureau also said Chaplin made donations to the American Communist Party. MI5 found no evidence that either of these things were true. Despite this, the USA asked Chaplin to leave the country in 1953. He lived in Switzerland instead, where he died in 1977 at the age of 88.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1

1.

the British

a.

star

2

silent comedy

b.

of the Cold War

3.

look into Chaplin’s

c.

banned

4.

at the time

d.

background

5.

very

e.

government

6.

help it get Chaplin

f.

icy

Paragraph 2

1.

birth

a.

donations

2

he was some kind

b.

no evidence

3.

Chaplin made

c.

of spy

4.

MI5 found

d.

certificate

5.

leave the

e.

instead

6.

He lived in Switzerland

f.

country

LISTENING GAP FILL


New _____________________ that the British government spied on _____________________ Charlie Chaplin. America's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) asked Britain’s _____________________ to look into Chaplin’s background. The USA believed the English comedian _____________________. This was at the time of the Cold War when relations between America and the Soviet Union _____________________. The FBI wanted MI5 to help it get Chaplin _____________________ or living in the USA.
Charlie Chaplin could not produce _____________________. This made the FBI think he was _____________________. They suggested his real name was Israel Thornstein and that he was born in France. The Bureau also said Chaplin made donations to the American Communist Party. MI5 _____________________ that _____________________ were true. Despite this, the USA asked Chaplin to _____________________ in 1953. He lived in Switzerland instead, where he died in 1977 _____________________.


MULTIPLE CHOICE


New information (1) ____ that the British government spied on silent comedy star Charlie Chaplin. America's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) asked Britain’s spy service MI5 to look (2) ____ Chaplin’s background. The USA (3) ____ the English comedian was a communist. This was at the (4) ____ of the Cold War when relations between America and the Soviet Union were very (5) ____. The FBI wanted MI5 to help it get Chaplin banned (6) ____ visiting or living in the USA.
Charlie Chaplin could not produce his (7) ____ certificate. This made the FBI think he was some (8) ____ of spy. They suggested his real name was Israel Thornstein and that he was born in France. The Bureau also said Chaplin (9) ____ donations to the American Communist Party. MI5 found (10) ____ evidence that (11) ____ of these things were true. Despite this, the USA asked Chaplin to leave the country in 1953. He lived in Switzerland (12) ____, where he died in 1977 at the age of 88.
Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.

(a)

showing

(b)

showcase

(c)

shows

2.

(a)

onto

(b)

into

(c)

as to

3.

(a)

believed

(b)

belief

(c)

believer

4.

(a)

clock

(b)

time

(c)

alarm

5.

(a)

icicle

(b)

iced

(c)

icy

6.

(a)

for

(b)

from

(c)

of

7.

(a)

birth

(b)

born

(c)

baby

8.

(a)

kind

(b)

gentle

(c)

thoughtful

9.

(a)

did

(b)

was

(c)

made

10.

(a)

not

(b)

no

(c)

non

11.

(a)

either

(b)

neither

(c)

both

12

(a)

ready

(b)

steady

(c)

instead

SPELLING


Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1

1.

New arontnomfii

2.

silent ydcmoe star

3.

look into Chaplin’s gnbodcrkau

4.

the English ienamocd

5.

eoaitrnls between America and the Soviet Union

6.

get Chaplin bdanne

 

Paragraph 2

7.

produce his birth iercfaecitt

8.

Chaplin made niootsand

9.

MI5 found no inecdeev

10.

theeri of these things

11.

eetDpis this

12.

He lived in Switzerland niaedts

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER


Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )

star Charlie Chaplin. America's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) asked Britain’s spy

(    )

born in France. The Bureau also said Chaplin made donations to the American

(    )

and the Soviet Union were very icy. The FBI wanted MI5

(    )

in Switzerland instead, where he died in 1977 at the age of 88.

(  1  )

New information shows that the British government spied on silent comedy

(    )

Communist Party. MI5 found no evidence that either of these things were

(    )

Charlie Chaplin could not produce his birth certificate. This made the FBI think he was some

(    )

kind of spy. They suggested his real name was Israel Thornstein and that he was

(    )

service MI5 to look into Chaplin’s background. The USA believed the English comedian

(    )

true. Despite this, the USA asked Chaplin to leave the country in 1953. He lived

(    )

to help it get Chaplin banned from visiting or living in the USA.

(    )

was a communist. This was at the time of the Cold War when relations between America

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT


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

1.

government     star     spied     on     The     silent     British     comedy.    

2.

MI5     service     spy     Britain’s     asked     FBI     America's.    

3.

believed    comedian   communist   USA    English   a    The    the   was.

4.

the     the     at     of     War     was     time     Cold     This.    

5.

from     banned     Chaplin     get     it     Help     visiting.    

6.

birth     his     produce     not     could     Chaplin     certificate.    

7.

was     of     The     he     kind     think     some     spy     FBI.    

8.

of     were     No     either     things     that     these     true     evidence.    

9.

to     The     leave     USA     the     asked     country     Chaplin.    

10.

the     88     died     at     of     He     1977     age     in.    


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 spying 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. SPYING: Search the Internet and find more information about spying. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about spying. Include an imaginary interview with two spies. 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 spying expert. Ask him/her three questions about spying. 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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