Oil spill

Our environment is an important issue nowadays. The current oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico can be connected to a lesson about the environment. Many coursebooks deal with the topic of nature and present catastrophes can make our classes more interesting.

I simplified an article from The Times. There are two versions of this task.

The first one is for Intermediate students. The underlined words should be replaced with a synonym expression.

And the second version is for Upper-Intermediate students with more difficult phrases. Apart from the synonyms, the sentences in bold can be converted into Reported Speech again.

Also, if you prepare somebody for a language exam, it is sensible to discuss current affairs. They might appear among the exam tasks.

And then comes Reported Speech

I still continue the same topic. I've collected some statements made by different people concerning the volcano eruption. All of them are in direct speech in quotation marks.

This way you can combine the volcano topic with practising Reported Speech. Students can connect the two clauses with a past introductory verb in the first clause and report the remarks.

It's a quick and useful task.

My favourite news sites are:

• The Times - www.timesonline.co.uk
• BBC - www.bbc.co.uk

Perhaps The Times is a bit more academic. If you want an easier reading then BBC will suit you best.