Famous People Lessons: English Lesson on Kim Jong-il

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

Kim Jong-il was born in 1941 in the Soviet Union. North Korea’s official biographies, however, state his year of birth as 1942 and his birthplace as Korea. He has been the leader of North Korea for over a decade. Since Kim is not actually the president, he does not have to hold elections to keep power, and has never done so.

North Koreans learn that a double rainbow over the mountains and a new star in the heavens announced Kim Jong-il’s birth. They are also taught that he is the world’s greatest and kindest ruler. They call him "Dear Leader". It is extremely dangerous for any North Korean to say anything negative about him. He is leader of the world’s fourth largest army.

He spent the first three years of his life in the Soviet Union and was known as Yuri. Official records say he was educated in Pyongyang. Foreign reports claim he went to school in China to escape the Korean War. He was involved in political activities throughout his schooling. At university he studied Marxism, philosophy and military science.

Kim has a daughter and three sons, but there is no official information about his marital history. His hobbies include collecting cars and watching movies. He has many luxury Mercedes and over 20,000 videos. His favorite films include the James Bond series. He also loves golf. North Korea’s government reports that Kim gets up to four holes-in-one every time he plays.

242 words

Flesch Kinkaid 7.7

SYNONYM MATCH

Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?

Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.	biographies	a.	really
2	state	b.	very
3.	actually	c.	say
4.	announced	d.	life stories
5.	extremely	e.	bad
6.	negative	f.	said
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	official	g.	get away
8.	escape	h.	marriage
9.	schooling	i.	approved
10.	marital	j.	adores
11	films	k	education
12	loves	l	movies

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article:

1.	North Korea’s official	a.	Kim Jong-il’s birth
2	he does not have to hold	b.	every time he plays
3.	a new star in the heavens announced	c.	biographies
4.	It is extremely	d.	activities
5.	He is leader of the world’s	e.	elections to keep power
6.	He spent the first three years of	f.	history
7.	He was involved in political	g.	dangerous
8.	marital	h.	his life in the Soviet Union
9.	His hobbies include	i.	fourth largest army
10.	Kim gets up to four holes-in-one	j.	collecting cars

LISTENING GAP FILL

Kim Jong-il was born in 1941 in the Soviet Union. North Korea’s ____________________, however, state his year of birth as 1942 and his __________________ Korea. He has been the leader of North Korea for __________________. Since Kim is not actually the president, he does not have to hold elections to keep power, and __________________.

North Koreans learn that a double rainbow over the mountains and __________________ heavens announced Kim Jong-il’s birth. They are also __________________ world’s greatest and kindest ruler. They call him "Dear Leader". It is __________________ for any North Korean to say anything __________________. He is leader of the world’s fourth largest army.

He spent __________________ of his life in the Soviet Union and was known as Yuri. Official records say he was educated in Pyongyang. Foreign reports __________________ school in China to escape the Korean War. He was involved in political activities __________________ schooling. At university he studied Marxism, philosophy __________________.

Kim has a daughter and three sons, but there is __________________ about his marital history. __________________ collecting cars and watching movies. He has many luxury Mercedes and over 20,000 videos. His __________________ the James Bond series. He also loves golf. North Korea’s government reports that Kim __________________ holes-in-one every time he plays.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs in italics.

Kim Jong-il was birth / born in 1941 in the Soviet Union. North Korea’s official biographies, however, state / states his year of birth as 1942 and his birthplace as Korea. He has been the leader of North Korea for over a decade. Since Kim is not actual / actually the president, he does not have to hold elections to keep power, and has never done so / soon.

North Koreans learn that a double rainbow over the mountains and a new star in the heavens announce / announced Kim Jong-il’s birth. They are also learned / taught that he is the world’s greatest and kindest ruler. They call him "Dear Leader". It is extremely dangerous / danger for any North Korean to say anything negative about him. He is leader of the world’s forth / fourth largest army.

He spent the first three years of his living / life in the Soviet Union and was known as Yuri. Official record / records say he was educated in Pyongyang. Foreign reports claim he went to school in China to / for escape the Korean War. He was involved in political activities throughout / inside out his schooling. At university he studied Marxism, philosophy and military science.

Kim has a daughter and three sons, but there is no office / official information about his marital history. His hobbies include collection / collecting cars and watching movies. He has many luxury Mercedes and over 20,000 videos. His favorite films include the James Bond series / serious. He also loves golf. North Korea’s government reports that Kim gets up for / to four holes-in-one every time he plays.

SPELLING

The underlined, jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	facfiloi biographies, however, state his year of birth as 1942
2.	… and his rctiehlbpa as Korea
3.	leader of North Korea for over a aeddce
4.	he does not have to hold seelcnoti to keep power
Paragraph 2
5.	a uolebd rainbow over the mountains
6.	a new star in the eaevshn
7.	the world’s greatest and nstdiek ruler
8.	dangerous for any North Korean to say anything evgenait
Paragraph 3
9.	… and was onwkn as Yuri
10.	he was tueeddca in Pyongyang
11.	He was odnvevil in political activities
12.	he studied Marxism, philosophy and military niceecs
Paragraph 4
13.	his aliartm history
14.	His hobbies ieuncld collecting cars
15.	He has many yulrxu Mercedes
16.	the James Bond eisres

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	He spent the first three years of his life in the Soviet Union and was known as Yuri. Official records
( )	include the James Bond series. He also loves golf. North Korea’s government
( )	keep power, and has never done so.
( )	reports that Kim gets up to four holes-in-one every time he plays.
( )	North Koreans learn that a double rainbow over the mountains and a new star in the
( )	Kim has a daughter and three sons, but there is no official information about his marital history. His hobbies
( )	in political activities throughout his schooling. At university he studied Marxism, philosophy and military science.
( )	include collecting cars and watching movies. He has many luxury Mercedes and over 20,000 videos. His favorite films
( )	his year of birth as 1942 and his birthplace as Korea. He has been the leader of North Korea for
( 1 )	Kim Jong-il was born in 1941 in the Soviet Union. North Korea’s official biographies, however, state
( )	heavens announced Kim Jong-il’s birth. They are also taught that he is the world’s greatest and kindest ruler. They call him "Dear Leader". It is extremely
( )	over a decade. Since Kim is not actually the president, he does not have to hold elections to
( )	say he was educated in Pyongyang. Foreign reports claim he went to school in China to
( )	escape the Korean War. He was involved
( )	dangerous for any North Korean to say anything negative about him. He is leader of the world’s fourth largest army.

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

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

1.	official Korea’s North biographies
2.	the been has He decade a over for Korea North of leader
3.	the over rainbow double a mountains
4.	is he ruler kindest and greatest world’s the
5.	anything him negative say about
6.	three of life first years his the
7.	China went Foreign to reports school claim in he
8.	involved his in schooling political He activities was throughout
9.	official history information there about is his no marital
10.	include films favorite His series Bond James the

KIM JONG-IL DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	What do you know about Kim Jong-il?
2.	Would you like to meet Kim Jong-il?
3.	What would you like to know about Kim Jong-il and why?
4.	___________________________________________________
5.	___________________________________________________
6.	___________________________________________________
7.	___________________________________________________
8.	___________________________________________________

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

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	What did you learn from this text about Kim Jong-il?
2.	What questions would you like to ask Kim Jong-il?
3.	What would his answers be to those questions?
4.	___________________________________________________
5.	___________________________________________________
6.	___________________________________________________
7.	___________________________________________________
8.	___________________________________________________

KIM JONG-IL SURVEY

Write five questions about Kim Jong-il in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

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

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out. Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about Kim Jong-il 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. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Kim Jong-il. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. KIM JONG-IL POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Kim Jong-il. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Kim Jong-il. Include an imaginary interview with him. Write about what he does every day and what he thinks about.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Kim Jong-il. Ask him three questions about his life. Give him three suggestions on what he should do in his future. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Kim Jong-il expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH:

Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.	biographies	a.	life stories
2	state	b.	say
3.	actually	c.	really
4.	announced	d.	said
5.	extremely	e.	very
6.	negative	f.	bad
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	official	g.	approved
8.	escape	h.	get away
9.	schooling	i.	education
10.	marital	j.	marriage
11	films	k	movies
12	loves	l	adores

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	North Korea’s official	a.	biographies
2	he does not have to hold	b.	elections to keep power
3.	a new star in the heavens announced	c.	Kim Jong-il’s birth
4.	It is extremely	d.	dangerous
5.	He is leader of the world’s	e.	fourth largest army
6.	He spent the first three years of	f.	his life in the Soviet Union
7.	He was involved in political	g.	activities
8.	marital	h.	history
9.	His hobbies include	i.	collecting cars
10.	Kim gets up to four holes-in-one	j.	every time he plays

ALL OTHER EXERCISES:

Look at the text in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.

Famous People Lessons.com English Lesson Plan on Kim Jong-il