Article for masters

School children go on strike for climate   (26th February, 2019)

School children around the world have been going on strike. They are unhappy that their governments are doing too little to fight climate change. The strikes are part of a growing international movement called School Strike for Climate. Instead of going to school, students across the globe have been skipping classes to take part in street protests. Many of the protests have been outside government buildings. The movement began in August 2018 when Swedish student Greta Thunberg stood outside Sweden's government every Friday. She held a sign that read: "School strike for climate". Photos of her went viral on social media. Students organized themselves and copied Ms Thunberg's actions.

The movement is growing worldwide. In 2019, strikes have taken place across Europe, North America and Australia. Over 45,000 students protested on one day in Switzerland and Germany. Students have held banners reading, "Why learn without a future?" "If you do not act as adults, we will" and "Like the sea level, we rise." The first worldwide strike will take place on March 15. Many scientists, politicians and teachers congratulated the students for their activism. However, not everyone is on the students' side. Australia's leader called for "more learning in schools and less activism". A journalist in the U.K. wrote: "If children really must wag their fingers at older generations for some imaginary sin, I wish they'd do it at the weekend."

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

1.	strike	a.	The world; Earth.
2.	movement	b.	Refuse to work as a form of organized protest, usually to change something.
3.	instead of	c.	Doing another thing in place of something.
4.	the globe	d.	A statement or action to show you are against something.
5.	skipping	e.	About an image, video, piece of information, etc., that is spread very quickly on the Internet.
6.	protest	f.	A group of people working together to achieve their shared aims.
7.	viral	g.	Not going to school.

    Paragraph 2

8.	taken place	h.	The action of using protests and campaigns to bring about political or social change.
9.	banner	i.	A bad action that is against God's eyes.
10.	rise	j.	All of the people born and living at about the same time.
11.	activism	k.	Move from a lower position to a higher one; come or go up.
12.	wag	l.	Move something (like a finger) from side to side quickly.
13.	generations	m.	Happened.
14.	sin	n.	A piece of cloth with a slogan or design on it, carried in a protest.

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

1. The article said children in Brazil went on strike against climate change.   T / F
2. Children say governments aren't doing enough to fight climate change.   T / F
3. Many protests have been inside government buildings.     T / F
4. The strikes movement was started by a student in Norway.     T / F
5. In 2019, strikes have taken place all over South America.     T / F
6. One day over 45,000 students went on strike in Germany & Switzerland. T / F
7. A worldwide strike will take place in March.     T / F
8. A journalist wished the students would strike at the weekend.     T / F

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

1. too little
2. growing
3. globe
4. movement
5. copied
6. taken place
7. banners
8. congratulated
9. wag
10. imaginary

1. make-believe
2. campaign
3. praised
4. increasing
5. posters
6. followed
7. not enough
8. shake
9. happened
10. world

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

1. children around the world have been
2. governments are doing too
3. The strikes are part of a growing
4. skipping
5. Photos of her went
6. If you do not act as adults,
7. Like the sea level,
8. teachers congratulated the students
9. not everyone is on the
10. older

1. international movement
2. generations
3. viral on social media
4. little
5. we rise
6. for their activism
7. classes to take part
8. students' side
9. we will
10. going on strike

Comprehension questions

1. Who did the article say students are unhappy with?
2. What is the name of the international movement?
3. What are students skipping?
4. When did the movement begin?
5. What is the nationality of the student who started the protests?
6. Where did 45,000 students protest?
7. What did a student banner say students did, like the sea level?
8. When is the first worldwide strike?
9. Which country's leader asked students for less activism?
10. When did a journalist want students to strike?

Put the words in the right order

1. world   around   the   Children   going   on   are   strike   .
2. climate   to   Doing   little   fight   too   change   .
3. have   across   globe   classes   .   the   Students   skipping   been
4. outside   have   protests   buildings   .   Many   government   been
5. went   media   .   her   Photos   viral   on   of   social
6. strikes   place   across   have   taken   2019,   Europe   .   In
7. adults,   you   act   do   we   not   will   .   as   If
8. congratulated   for   activism   .   students   their   Teachers   the
9. in   Australia's   schools   .   for   called   more   learning   leader
10. children   fingers   at   older   If   their   wag   generations   .