Breaking News English ESL Lesson Plan on Detroit Bankruptcy

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* 26-page lesson
(40 exercises)

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(10 sentences)

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* Gap-fill

U.S. city of Detroit goes bankrupt (21st July, 2013)

Half a century ago, Detroit was held up as a gleaming example of American enterprise. Its extensive automobile industry earned it the nickname "Motor City". However, the once-thriving middle-class city has degenerated into a sprawl of run-down suburbs with abandoned, boarded-up houses and high unemployment. The car factories that spawned its success have all but disappeared. The city said essential services would continue, but street lighting had been cut off. The city mayor explained: "Detroit simply was not on a sustainable footing, continuing to borrow, continuing to defer pension payments, continuing not to pay its bills on time - continuing a deepening insolvency."

Try Level 4 or Level 5

Sources:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/19/detroit-files-thousands-pages-bankruptcy/2568393/
http://www.voanews.com/content/how-detroit-fell-into-bankruptcy/1705123.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/19/us/detroit-files-for-bankruptcy.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

WARM-UPS

1. BANKRUPTCY: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about bankruptcy. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.

powerhouse / bankruptcy / go bust / financial manager / pension fund / question marks / half a century ago / enterprise / suburbs / unemployment / sustainable / pay bills

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. YOUR CITY: What needs doing? Complete this table and share what you wrote with your partner(s). Change partners often.

	What's wrong now?	How would you change things?
Transport
Parks
Public services
Crime
Libraries
Pollution

4. BAILOUT: Students A strongly believe taxpayers should bail out Detroit; Students B strongly believe not. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

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5. PAYING BILLS: Rank these and share your rankings with your partner. Put the worst at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

shopping
electric
telephone
food

water
car repair
heating
credit card

6. INDUSTRY: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word 'industry'. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	Detroit was famous for making American power houses.	T / F
b.	Detroit is the third largest U.S. city ever to go bankrupt.	T / F
c.	The city owes people, businesses, etc. around $20 billion.	T / F
d.	The city is in debt to more than 10,000 public service workers.	T / F
e.	It is called "Motor City" because of motors it made for household items.	T / F
f.	There are many unoccupied houses in poor areas of Detroit.	T / F
g.	The city's streets are no longer lit at night.	T / F
h.	The city always managed to pay its pension contributions.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	filed	a.	shining
2.	afford	b.	flourishing
3.	whopping	c.	worsening
4.	current	d.	applied
5.	question marks	e.	dynamism
6.	gleaming	f.	present
7.	enterprise	g.	key
8.	thriving	h.	huge
9.	essential	i.	uncertainty
10.	deepening	j.	have money for

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.	Detroit, once a powerhouse	a.	by over $3.5 billion
2.	filed	b.	down suburbs
3.	help in restructuring	c.	over their future
4.	Detroit's pension system is underfunded	d.	as a gleaming example
5.	big question marks	e.	deepening insolvency
6.	held up	f.	of American industry
7.	a sprawl of run-	g.	services would continue
8.	essential	h.	city finances
9.	Detroit simply was not on a	i.	for bankruptcy
10.	continuing a	j.	sustainable footing

GAP FILL

Detroit, once a (1) ____________ of American industry, has filed for bankruptcy. It has gone (2) ____________, to become the biggest city to (3) ____________ insolvency in U.S. history. Detroit's emergency financial manager Kevyn Orr said the city could no longer afford to pay its bills, and was a (4) ____________ $20 billion in debt. He has requested the court's help in restructuring city finances to enable it to continue to function. He named over 100,000 (5) ____________, including the city's major pension funds and its 10,000 plus public employees. Detroit's pension system is (6) ____________ by over $3.5 billion, leaving many current and past police officers, firefighters and public (7) ____________ workers with big (8) ____________ marks over their future.

whopping
question
declare
powerhouse
creditors
service
bust
underfunded

Half a century ago, Detroit was held up as a (9) ____________ example of American enterprise. Its extensive automobile industry earned it the (10) ____________ "Motor City". However, the once-thriving middle-class city has degenerated into a (11) ____________ of run-down suburbs with abandoned, boarded-up houses and high unemployment. The car factories that (12) ____________ its success have all but disappeared. The city said (13) ____________ services would continue, but street lighting had been cut off. The city mayor explained: "Detroit simply was not on a sustainable (14) ____________, continuing to borrow, continuing to defer pension payments, continuing not to pay its (15) ____________ on time - continuing a deepening (16) ____________."

footing
nickname
insolvency
spawned
gleaming
bills
essential
sprawl

LISTENING - Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)	Detroit, once a powerhouse of American industry, has ______
	a. filed for bankrupt, see b. filed for bank ruptures c. filed for bankruptcy d. filed for bankruptcies
2)	the city could no longer afford to pay its bills, and was a whopping $20 ______
	a. billion on debt b. billion an debt c. billion of debt d. billion in debt
3)	requested the court's help in restructuring city finances to enable it to ______
	a. continue to function b. continue too function c. continue to functions d. continue two function
4)	Detroit's pension system is ______ $3.5 billion
	a. underfunded buy over b. underfunded bye over c. underfunded bay over d. underfunded by over
5)	firefighters and public service workers with big question ______ future
	a. marks cover their b. marks hover their c. marks over their d. marks mover their
6)	Detroit was held up as a gleaming example ______
	a. of American enter praise b. of American end to praise c. of American enter pries d. of American enterprise
7)	However, the once-thriving middle-class city ______
	a. has degenerated b. has degenerate it c. has degeneration d. has degenerating
8)	a sprawl of run-down suburbs with abandoned, ______
	a. boarded-down houses b. boarded-up houses c. boarded-out houses d. boarded-in houses
9)	The car factories that spawned its success have ______
	a. all put disappeared b. all bat disappeared c. all pit disappeared d. all but disappeared
10)	The city mayor explained: "Detroit simply was not on ______
	a. a sustainable legging" b. a sustainable backing" c. a sustainable handing" d. a sustainable footing"

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

Detroit, (1) ___________________ American industry, has filed for bankruptcy. (2) ___________________, to become the biggest city to declare insolvency in U.S. history. Detroit's emergency financial manager Kevyn Orr said the city could no longer (3) ___________________ bills, and was a whopping $20 billion in debt. He has requested the court's help in restructuring city finances (4) ___________________ continue to function. He named over 100,000 creditors, including the city's major pension funds and its 10,000 plus public employees. Detroit's pension system is (5) ___________________ $3.5 billion, leaving many current and past police officers, firefighters and public service workers with big (6) ___________________ their future.

Half a century ago, Detroit (7) ___________________ gleaming example of American enterprise. Its extensive automobile industry earned it the nickname "Motor City". However, the (8) _____________________ city has degenerated into (9) ___________________ suburbs with abandoned, boarded-up houses and high unemployment. The car factories that spawned its (10) ___________________ disappeared. The city said essential services would continue, but street lighting had been cut off. The city mayor explained: "Detroit simply was not on (11) ___________________, continuing to borrow, (12) ___________________ pension payments, continuing not to pay its bills on time - continuing a deepening insolvency."

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.	What was Detroit once a powerhouse of?
2.	Where is Detroit on the scale of U.S. city bankruptcies?
3.	How much does the city owe?
4.	How many people or businesses are owed money by Detroit?
5.	Who has question marks over their future?
6.	What is the city's nickname?
7.	What has happened to many of Detroit's houses?
8.	Which public service is no longer operating?
9.	Who said the city was not on a sustainable footing?
10.	What couldn't Detroit do on time?

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ

1.	What was Detroit once a powerhouse of?	6.	What is the city's nickname?
	a) coal and oil b) American industry c) factories d) filing		a) Motor City b) The Powerhouse c) The Big City d) The Windy City
2.	Where is Detroit on the scale of U.S. city bankruptcies?	7.	What has happened to many of Detroit's houses?
	a) off the scale b) in the middle c) third d) at the top / number one		a) big companies have bought them b) they have been knocked down c) they have been left empty d) they are museums to Detroit's past
3.	How much does the city owe?	8.	Which public service is no longer operating?
	a) $20,000 b) $20,000,000 c) $20,000,000,000 d) $20,000,000,000,000		a) street lighting b) libraries c) gardening in parks d) shuttle buses
4.	How many people or businesses are owed money by Detroit?	9.	Who said the city was not on a sustainable footing?
	a) more than one hundred thousand b) more than 10,000 c) more than a million d) more than ten million		a) a Detroit resident b) Barack Obama c) the World Bank d) the mayor
5.	Who has question marks over their future?	10.	What couldn't Detroit do on time?
	a) the Detroit Tigers baseball team b) firefighters and police officers c) the mayor d) tourists to Detroit		a) compete b) get enough workers c) pay bills d) build houses

ROLE PLAY

Role A – Detroit mayor

You are sad at the bankruptcy but think it was unavoidable. Tell the others three reasons why. You want creditors to be patient and to understand they might not get their money. You want the public to volunteer to get the city back on its feet. Tell people to rethink and re-plan their pensions.

Role B – Pension fund manager

You are totally furious at Detroit's mayor. Tell the others three reasons why. You blame the mayor and only the mayor for Detroit's troubles. You think (s)he should go to prison if pension funds are not paid. You want a strike unless all former workers get their pension.

Role C – Detroit retiree

You are so sad that Detroit has gone bust. Tell the others three reasons why. You are also worried about your future. You worker for 45 years as a public servant and now your pension is in danger. Tell the mayor (s)he has a moral duty to make sure you get your pension.

Role D – Financial manager

You are very worried about Detroit's future. Tell the others three reasons why. You know things no one else does. Pension funds are almost empty, there is only enough money to pay salaries for another two months. You think many people have to leave the city, including retired people.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words 'question' and 'mark'.

question

mark

Share your findings with your partners.

Make questions using the words you found.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

once
history
longer
help
system
question

example
middle
houses
continue
borrow
time

BANKRUPTCY SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about bankruptcy in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

BANKRUPTCY DISCUSSION

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

a)	What did you think when you read the headline?
b)	What springs to mind when you hear the word 'bankrupt'?
c)	What do you think about Detroit going bankrupt?
d)	How is it possible for a city the size of Detroit to go bust?
e)	Whose fault is it?
f)	Should anyone be punished?
g)	How are your city's finances?
h)	Where does Detroit go from here?
i)	How do you think Detroit residents feel about the bankruptcy?
j)	What do you know about Detroit?

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

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

a)	Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
b)	What do you think Detroit was like 50 years ago?
c)	Is America's middle class the same as that in your country?
d)	Why did so many factories in Detroit close?
e)	What can the city do to regenerate its suburbs?
f)	How can Detroit ever pay back its debts?
g)	What happens to bankrupts in your country?
h)	Is it dangerous for cities and countries to borrow money?
i)	Who do you know who is morally bankrupt?
j)	What questions would you like to ask Detroit's mayor?

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.	________________________________________________________

MULTIPLE CHOICE - LANGUAGE

Detroit, once a (1) ____ of American industry, has filed for bankruptcy. It has gone bust, to become the biggest city to (2) ____ insolvency in U.S. history. Detroit's emergency financial manager Kevyn Orr said the city could no (3) ____ afford to pay its bills, and was a whopping $20 billion in debt. He has requested the court's help in restructuring city finances to enable it to continue to function. He named over 100,000 (4) ____, including the city's major pension funds and its 10,000 plus public employees. Detroit's pension system is (5) ____ by over $3.5 billion, leaving many current and past police officers, firefighters and public service workers with big question marks (6) ____ their future.

Half a century ago, Detroit was (7) ____ up as a gleaming example of American enterprise. Its extensive automobile industry (8) ____ it the nickname "Motor City". However, the once-thriving middle-class city has degenerated into a sprawl of run- (9) ____ suburbs with abandoned, boarded-up houses and high unemployment. The car factories that (10) ____ its success have all but disappeared. The city said essential services would continue, but street lighting had been cut off. The city mayor explained: "Detroit simply was not on a sustainable (11) ____, continuing to borrow, continuing to (12) ____ pension payments, continuing not to pay its bills on time - continuing a deepening insolvency."

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	outhouse	(b)	powerhouse	(c)	in-house	(d)	lighthouse
2.	(a)	reclaim	(b)	declare	(c)	abscond	(d)	beware
3.	(a)	lengthy	(b)	lengthen	(c)	longish	(d)	longer
4.	(a)	realtors	(b)	creditors	(c)	meteors	(d)	debtors
5.	(a)	refunded	(b)	underfunded	(c)	funding	(d)	funds
6.	(a)	between	(b)	via	(c)	over	(d)	under
7.	(a)	increased	(b)	rose	(c)	held	(d)	upped
8.	(a)	salaried	(b)	waged	(c)	earned	(d)	grossed
9.	(a)	up	(b)	over	(c)	along	(d)	down
10.	(a)	spawned	(b)	pawned	(c)	awed	(d)	fawned
11.	(a)	footing	(b)	legging	(c)	necking	(d)	mouthing
12.	(a)	confer	(b)	infer	(c)	defer	(d)	lifer

SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	filed for typbcurakn
2.	the biggest city to declare voesynilnc
3.	a ohpginpw $20 billion in debt
4.	restructuring city ninscfea
5.	over 100,000 dcsroetir
6.	nenuddferdu by over $3.5 billion
Paragraph 2
7.	a gleaming example of American sernterpei
8.	the once-thriving middle-class city has addeegeertn
9.	bonnadead, boarded-up houses
10.	factories that saenwpd its success
11.	nilaestes services
12.	not on a lsaetasbuni footing

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	over 100,000 creditors, including the city's major pension funds and its 10,000 plus public
( )	spawned its success have all but disappeared. The city said essential services would continue, but street
( )	to pay its bills on time - continuing a deepening insolvency."
( )	industry earned it the nickname "Motor City". However, the once-thriving middle-class city has degenerated into
( )	bust, to become the biggest city to declare insolvency in U.S. history. Detroit's emergency
( )	financial manager Kevyn Orr said the city could no longer afford to pay its bills, and was a whopping $20 billion in
( )	footing, continuing to borrow, continuing to defer pension payments, continuing not
( )	debt. He has requested the court's help in restructuring city finances to enable it to continue to function. He named
( )	Half a century ago, Detroit was held up as a gleaming example of American enterprise. Its extensive automobile
( )	a sprawl of run-down suburbs with abandoned, boarded-up houses and high unemployment. The car factories that
( )	lighting had been cut off. The city mayor explained: "Detroit simply was not on a sustainable
( 1 )	Detroit, once a powerhouse of American industry, has filed for bankruptcy. It has gone
( )	and past police officers, firefighters and public service workers with big question marks over their future.
( )	employees. Detroit's pension system is underfunded by over $3.5 billion, leaving many current

PUT THE WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

1.	in to The U.S. declare biggest history insolvency city.
2.	its bills The city could no longer afford to pay.
3.	finances help in Requested restructuring the city court's.
4.	over by underfunded is system pension Detroit's $3.5bn.
5.	future question marks Workers over with their big.
6.	example up as Detroit a was gleaming held.
7.	- thriving middle - class city has degenerated The once.
8.	abandoned with suburbs down - Run houses up - boarded ,.
9.	city The continue would services essential said.
10.	on Detroit a simply sustainable was footing not.

CIRCLE THE CORRECT WORD (20 PAIRS)

Detroit, once / used to a powerhouse of American industry, has filled / filed for bankruptcy. It has gone bust / burst, to become the biggest city to declare solvency / insolvency in U.S. history. Detroit's emergency financial manager Kevyn Orr said the city could no lengthy / longer afford to pay its bills, and was a whopping $20 billion in / on debt. He has requested the court's help in restructuring city finances to enable / capable it to continue to function. He named over 100,000 creditors, including the city's major pension funds and its 10,000 plus / add public employees. Detroit's pension system is underfunded by over $3.5 billion, leaving / left many current and past police officers, firefighters and public service workers with big question marks over / top their future.

Half a century ago, Detroit was held down / up as a gleaming example of American enterprise / entity. Its extensive automobile industry earned it the nickname "Motor City". However, the once-thriving middle-class city has degenerated / regenerated into a sprawl of run-down blurbs / suburbs with abandoned, boarded-up / hoarded up houses and high unemployment. The car factories that spammed / spawned its success have all but / put disappeared. The city said essential services would continue, but street lighting had been cut off. The city mayor explained: "Detroit simply was not on a sustainable legging / footing, continuing to borrow, continuing to confer / defer pension payments, continuing not to pay its bills on time - continuing a depth / deepening insolvency."

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

INSERT THE VOWELS (a, e, i, o, u)

D_tr__t, _nc_ _ p_w_rh__s_ _f _m_r_c_n _nd_stry, h_s f_l_d f_r b_nkr_ptcy. _t h_s g_n_ b_st, t_ b_c_m_ th_ b_gg_st c_ty t_ d_cl_r_ _ns_lv_ncy _n _.S. h_st_ry. D_tr__t's _m_rg_ncy f_n_nc__l m_n_g_r K_vyn _rr s__d th_ c_ty c__ld n_ l_ng_r _ff_rd t_ p_y _ts b_lls, _nd w_s _ wh_pp_ng $20 b_ll__n _n d_bt. H_ h_s r_q__st_d th_ c__rt's h_lp _n r_str_ct_r_ng c_ty f_n_nc_s t_ _n_bl_ _t t_ c_nt_n__ t_ f_nct__n. H_ n_m_d _v_r 100,000 cr_d_t_rs, _ncl_d_ng th_ c_ty's m_j_r p_ns__n f_nds _nd _ts 10,000 pl_s p_bl_c _mpl_y__s. D_tr__t's p_ns__n syst_m _s _nd_rf_nd_d by _v_r $3.5 b_ll__n, l__v_ng m_ny c_rr_nt _nd p_st p_l_c_ _ff_c_rs, f_r_f_ght_rs _nd p_bl_c s_rv_c_ w_rk_rs w_th b_g q__st__n m_rks _v_r th__r f_t_r_.

H_lf _ c_nt_ry _g_, D_tr__t w_s h_ld _p _s _ gl__m_ng _x_mpl_ _f _m_r_c_n _nt_rpr_s_. _ts _xt_ns_v_ __t_m_b_l_ _nd_stry __rn_d _t th_ n_ckn_m_ "M_t_r C_ty". H_w_v_r, th_ _nc_-thr_v_ng m_ddl_-cl_ss c_ty h_s d_g_n_r_t_d _nt_ _ spr_wl _f r_n-d_wn s_b_rbs w_th _b_nd_n_d, b__rd_d-_p h__s_s _nd h_gh _n_mpl_ym_nt. Th_ c_r f_ct_r__s th_t sp_wn_d _ts s_cc_ss h_v_ _ll b_t d_s_pp__r_d. Th_ c_ty s__d _ss_nt__l s_rv_c_s w__ld c_nt_n__, b_t str__t l_ght_ng h_d b__n c_t _ff. Th_ c_ty m_y_r _xpl__n_d: "D_tr__t s_mply w_s n_t _n _ s_st__n_bl_ f__t_ng, c_nt_n__ng t_ b_rr_w, c_nt_n__ng t_ d_f_r p_ns__n p_ym_nts, c_nt_n__ng n_t t_ p_y _ts b_lls _n t_m_ - c_nt_n__ng _ d__p_n_ng _ns_lv_ncy."

PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS

detroit once a powerhouse of american industry has filed for bankruptcy it has gone bust to become the biggest city to declare insolvency in us history detroit's emergency financial manager kevyn orr said the city could no longer afford to pay its bills and was a whopping $20 billion in debt he has requested the court's help in restructuring city finances to enable it to continue to function he named over 100000 creditors including the city's major pension funds and its 10000 plus public employees detroit's pension system is underfunded by over $35 billion leaving many current and past police officers firefighters and public service workers with big question marks over their future

half a century ago detroit was held up as a gleaming example of american enterprise its extensive automobile industry earned it the nickname "motor city" however the once-thriving middle-class city has degenerated into a sprawl of run-down suburbs with abandoned boarded-up houses and high unemployment the car factories that spawned its success have all but disappeared the city said essential services would continue but street lighting had been cut off the city mayor explained "detroit simply was not on a sustainable footing continuing to borrow continuing to defer pension payments continuing not to pay its bills on time - continuing a deepening insolvency"

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Detroit,onceapowerhouseofAmericanindustry,hasfiledforbankruptcy.Ith
asgonebust,tobecomethebiggestcitytodeclareinsolvencyinU.S.history.D
etroit'semergencyfinancialmanagerKevynOrrsaidthecitycouldnolongeraf
fordtopayitsbills,andwasawhopping$20billionindebt.Hehasrequestedthe
court'shelpinrestructuringcityfinancestoenableittocontinuetofunction.He
namedover100,000creditors,includingthecity'smajorpensionfundsandits
10,000pluspublicemployees.Detroit'spensionsystemisunderfundedbyov
er$3.5billion,leavingmanycurrentandpastpoliceofficers,firefightersandp
ublicserviceworkerswithbigquestionmarksovertheirfuture.Halfacenturya
go,DetroitwasheldupasagleamingexampleofAmericanenterprise.Itsexte
nsiveautomobileindustryearneditthenickname"MotorCity".However,theo
nce-thrivingmiddle-classcityhasdegeneratedintoasprawlofrun-downsu
burbswithabandoned,boarded-uphousesandhighunemployment.Th
ecarfactoriesthatspawneditssuccesshaveallbutdisappeared.Thecitysaide
ssentialserviceswouldcontinue,butstreetlightinghadbeencutoff.Thecitym
ayorexplained:"Detroitsimplywasnotonasustainablefooting,continuingto
borrow,continuingtodeferpensionpayments,continuingnottopayitsbillson
time-cotinuingadeepeninginsolvency."

FREE WRITING

Write about bankruptcy for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

ACADEMIC WRITING

Detroit's financial managers should be sued for the city's bankruptcy. Discuss.

_____________________________________________________________________________

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 out more about bankruptcy. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. BANKRUPTCY: Make a poster about big companies or cities that have gone bankrupt. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. DETROIT: Write a magazine article about Detroit's bankruptcy. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against it using taxpayers money for a bailout.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. 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.

6. LETTER: Write a letter to a bankruptcy expert. Ask him/her three questions about Detroit's bankruptcy. Give him/her three of your opinions on it. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE (p.4)

SYNONYM MATCH (p.4)

1.	filed	a.	applied
2.	afford	b.	have money for
3.	whopping	c.	huge
4.	current	d.	present
5.	question marks	e.	uncertainty
6.	gleaming	f.	shining
7.	enterprise	g.	dynamism
8.	thriving	h.	flourishing
9.	essential	i.	key
10.	deepening	j.	worsening

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (p.8)

1.	American industry
2.	At the top - the biggest
3.	$20 billion
4.	Over 100,000
5.	The police, firefighters and public servants
6.	Motor City
7.	They've been abandoned / boarded up
8.	Street lighting
9.	The city's mayor
10.	Pay its bills

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ (p.9)

10.

ALL OTHER EXERCISES

Please check for yourself by looking at the Article on page 2.
(It's good for your English ;-)

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* 26-page lesson (40 exercises)

* 2-page MINI lesson

* MP3 (British)

* MP3 (N. America)

* MP3 (20 Qs)

* Listen & spell

* Dictation - (10 sentences)

* Speed Read (4 speeds)

* Jumble 1

* Jumble 2

* No spaces

* Text jumble

* Gap-fill

* The/An/A Gap-fill

* Prepositions

* Word order

* Consonants

* Vowels

* Initials

* Initials only

* No letters

.....

* Word pairs

* Missing words

* Gap-fill

MY e-BOOK

See a sample

* 26-page lesson
(40 exercises)

* 2-page MINI
lesson

* Dictation -
(10 sentences)

* Speed Read
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