The Reading / Listening - Level 1

Facebook decided not to ban a famous photograph of the Vietnam War. The photo is of a naked, 9-year-old girl running away from a napalm attack. It was taken by photographer Nick Ut. He won a top prize for photo-journalism. Facebook banned the photo because the child is naked. Facebook got a lot of complaints. Norway's president Erna Solberg said the photo was an important part of history and that Facebook was changing history by banning it.

Ms Solberg explained: "They must see the difference between editing out child pornography and editing out history." She added: "I want my children and other children to grow up in a society where history is taught as it was." Facebook said a photo of a naked child is child pornography in some countries. The company said it understood the history and global importance of the photo in showing, "a particular moment in time".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/10/facebook-reinstates-vietnam-photo-after-outcry-over-censorship.html
  • http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/10/technology/facebook-vietnam-war-photo-nudity.html?_r=0
  • http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/special-reports/1082872/facebook-restores-iconic-vietnam-war-photo


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. a famous photograph
  2. running
  3. a napalm
  4. He won a top prize
  5. Facebook got a lot
  6. Norway's
  7. an important
  8. Facebook was changing history
  1. president
  2. for photo-journalism
  3. by banning it
  4. of the Vietnam War
  5. part of history
  6. attack
  7. of complaints
  8. away

Paragraph 2

  1. They must
  2. my children and
  3. grow up
  4. where history is taught
  5. child
  6. The company said it understood
  7. global
  8. a particular moment
  1. the history
  2. as it was
  3. in time
  4. see the difference
  5. importance
  6. in a society
  7. other children
  8. pornography

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Facebook decided (1) ___________________ famous photograph of the Vietnam War. The (2) ___________________ naked, 9-year-old girl (3) ___________________ from a napalm attack. It was taken by photographer Nick Ut. He (4) ___________________ for photo-journalism. Facebook banned the photo because the child is naked. Facebook got a (5) ___________________. Norway's president Erna Solberg said the photo was an important part of history and that Facebook was changing history (6) ___________________.

Ms Solberg explained: "They must (7) ___________________ between (8) ___________________ child pornography and editing out history." She added: "I want my children (9) ___________________ to grow up in a society where history is (10) ___________________." Facebook said a photo of a naked child is child pornography in some countries. The company said it understood the (11) ___________________ importance of the photo in showing, "a particular (12) ___________________ ".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

FacebookdecidednottobanafamousphotographoftheVietnamWar.T
hephotoisofanaked,9-year-oldgirlrunningawayfromanapalmatt
ack.ItwastakenbyphotographerNickUt.Hewonatopprizeforphoto-j
ournalism.Facebookbannedthephotobecausethechildisnaked.Faceb
ookgotalotofcomplaints.Norway'spresidentErnaSolbergsaidthephot
owasanimportantpartofhistoryandthatFacebookwaschanginghistor
ybybanningit.MsSolbergexplained:"Theymustseethedifferencebet
weeneditingoutchildpornographyandeditingouthistory."Sheadded:
"Iwantmychildrenandotherchildrentogrowupinasocietywherehistor
yistaughtasitwas."Facebooksaidaphotoofanakedchildischildpornogr
aphyinsomecountries.Thecompanysaiditunderstoodthehistoryandg
lobalimportanceofthephotoinshowing,"aparticularmomentintime".

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

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

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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