Famous People Lessons: English Lesson on Luisa Diogo

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

Luisa Diogo was born in 1958 in western Mozambique. She was 17 and in high school when civil war broke out. She studied economics at university and began working in the finance ministry. She quickly worked her way up to be her nation’s first ever female leader. She has brought about considerable change in her once war-torn country.

When Diogo joined the government in 1980, Mozambique was in its fifth year of civil war and the economy was in ruins. Diogo’s skill in financial affairs and willingness to take risks saw her become department head in 1986 and national budget director three years later. In 1994 she won another promotion to deputy finance minister.

Mozambique’s economy slowly recovered under Diogo’s visionary reforms. In 2004, she was named Africa’s finance minister of the year and became prime minister. ‘Time’ magazine ranked her as one of the top leaders and revolutionaries in the world, saying: “she leads a government that was once written off as a failed state but that now posts economic growth rates of an Asian tiger.”

Diogo spends a lot of time urging African leaders to fight the spread of AIDS. She campaigns for free sexual health services across Africa. She also promotes gender equality and the empowerment of women. In 2007, she launched the "Network of Women Ministers and Parliamentarians". Diogo said her central objective is the fight against “absolute poverty”. She also proudly declares "democracy in Mozambique is irreversible”.

241 words

Flesch Kinkaid 10.6

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.	broke out	a.	gained
2	quickly	b.	great
3.	considerable	c.	readiness
4.	in ruins	d.	started
5.	willingness	e.	destroyed
6.	won	f.	swiftly
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	recovered	g.	calling on
8.	visionary	h.	got better
9.	state	i.	pushes
10.	urging	j.	aim
11	promotes	k	country
12	objective	l	creative

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article:

1.	civil war	a.	considerable change
2	She quickly worked	b.	state
3.	She has brought about	c.	risks
4.	the economy was in	d.	broke out
5.	willingness to take	e.	against “absolute poverty”
6.	Mozambique’s economy	f.	irreversible
7.	a failed	g.	ruins
8.	She also promotes gender	h.	her way up
9.	her central objective is the fight	i.	slowly recovered
10.	democracy in Mozambique is	j.	equality

LISTENING GAP FILL

Luisa Diogo was born in 1958 in western Mozambique. She was 17 and in high school when civil _______________. She studied economics at university and began working in the _______________. She quickly worked _______________ be her nation’s first ever female leader. She has brought about considerable change in her _______________ country.

When Diogo joined the government in 1980, Mozambique was in _______________ civil war and the economy _______________. Diogo’s skill in financial affairs and willingness _________________ her become department head in 1986 and national budget director three years later. In 1994 she won another promotion _______________ minister.

Mozambique’s economy slowly _______________ Diogo’s visionary reforms. In 2004, _______________ Africa’s finance minister of the year and became prime minister. ‘Time’ magazine ranked her as one of the top leaders and revolutionaries in the world, saying: “she leads a government that was _______________ as a failed state but that now posts economic _______________ an Asian tiger.”

Diogo spends a lot _______________ African leaders to fight the spread of AIDS. She campaigns for free sexual health services across Africa. She also _______________ equality and the empowerment of women. In 2007, she launched the "Network of Women Ministers and Parliamentarians". Diogo said her _________________ the fight against “_______________”. She also proudly declares "democracy in Mozambique is irreversible”.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

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

Luisa Diogo was born in 1958 in western / westernized Mozambique. She was 17 and in high school when civilian / civil war broke out. She studied economics at university and began working in the finance ministry. She quickly worked her way down / up to be her nation’s first ever female leader. She has brought about considerable change in her once war-torn / -tears country.

When Diogo joined the government in 1980, Mozambique was by / in its fifth year of civil war and the economy was in / on ruins. Diogo’s skill in financial affairs and willingness to take risks / risky saw her become department head in 1986 and national budget director three years later. In 1994 she won / beat another promotion to deputy finance minister.

Mozambique’s economy slowly recovered over / under Diogo’s visionary reforms. In 2004, she was named / name Africa’s finance minister of the year and became prime minister. ‘Time’ magazine ranked her as one of the top leaders and revolutionaries in the world, saying: “she leads a government that was once / one written off as a failed state but that now pests / posts economic growth rates of an Asian tiger.”

Diogo spends a lot of time urges / urging African leaders to fight the spread of AIDS. She campaigns for free / freely sexual health services across Africa. She also promotes gender / gander equality and the empowerment of women. In 2007, she launched the "Network of Women Ministers and Parliamentarians". Diogo said her central objective is the fight against “absolute poverty / poor”. She also proudly declares "democracy in Mozambique is irreversible”.

SPELLING

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

Paragraph 1
1.	stwenre Mozambique
2.	the ncanife ministry
3.	She has grutbho about considerable change
4.	her once raw-ntro country
Paragraph 2
5.	vliic war
6.	the economy was in usrni
7.	willingness to take ksrsi
8.	she won another ormotnoip to deputy finance minister
Paragraph 3
9.	Mozambique’s economy slowly rrdveoece
10.	Diogo’s visionary remosfr
11.	once ittnrwe off as a failed state
12.	tgrhwo rates of an Asian tiger
Paragraph 4
13.	urging African leaders to fight the drapes of AIDS
14.	campaigns for free lsxuae health services
15.	promotes gender ytaeiqlu
16.	her central objective is the fight against “absolute ropteyv”

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	When Diogo joined the government in 1980, Mozambique was in its fifth year of civil war and the economy was in
( 1 )	Luisa Diogo was born in 1958 in western Mozambique. She was 17 and in high school when civil war
( )	declares "democracy in Mozambique is irreversible”.
( )	health services across Africa. She also promotes gender equality and the empowerment of
( )	objective is the fight against “absolute poverty”. She also proudly
( )	broke out. She studied economics at university and began working in the finance ministry. She quickly worked her way
( )	Africa’s finance minister of the year and became prime minister. ‘Time’ magazine ranked her as one of the top
( )	up to be her nation’s first ever female leader. She has brought about considerable change in her once war-torn country.
( )	ruins. Diogo’s skill in financial affairs and willingness to take risks saw her become department
( )	Diogo spends a lot of time urging African leaders to fight the spread of AIDS. She campaigns for free sexual
( )	leaders and revolutionaries in the world, saying: “she leads a government that was once written
( )	off as a failed state but that now posts economic growth rates of an Asian tiger.”
( )	head in 1986 and national budget director three years later. In 1994 she won another promotion to deputy finance minister.
( )	Mozambique’s economy slowly recovered under Diogo’s visionary reforms. In 2004, she was named
( )	women. In 2007, she launched the "Network of Women Ministers and Parliamentarians". Diogo said her central

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

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

1.	war when broke civil out
2.	quickly She up way her worked
3.	change considerable about brought has She
4.	fifth Mozambique year was of in civil its war
5.	economy ruins was the in
6.	of named the Africa’s year finance she minister was
7.	as failed once off a state written
8.	fight urging the African spread leaders of to AIDS
9.	poverty the fight against absolute
10.	democracy is in irreversible Mozambique

LUISA DIOGO DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	What do you know about Luisa Diogo?
2.	Would you like to have met Luisa Diogo?
3.	What would you like to know about Luisa Diogo and why?
4.	___________________________________________________
5.	___________________________________________________
6.	___________________________________________________
7.	___________________________________________________
8.	___________________________________________________

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STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	What did you learn from this text about Luisa Diogo?
2.	What questions would you like to have asked Luisa Diogo?
3.	What would her answers have been to those questions?
4.	___________________________________________________
5.	___________________________________________________
6.	___________________________________________________
7.	___________________________________________________
8.	___________________________________________________

LUISA DIOGO SURVEY

Write five questions about Luisa Diogo 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 Luisa Diogo 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 Luisa Diogo. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. LUISA DIOGO POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Luisa Diogo. 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 Luisa Diogo. Include an imaginary interview with her. Write about what she did every day and what she thought 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 Luisa Diogo. Ask her three questions about her life. Tell her how important she is in today’s world and how she is missed. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Luisa Diogo expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH:

Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.	broke out	a.	started
2	quickly	b.	swiftly
3.	considerable	c.	great
4.	in ruins	d.	destroyed
5.	willingness	e.	readiness
6.	won	f.	gained
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	recovered	g.	got better
8.	visionary	h.	creative
9.	state	i.	country
10.	urging	j.	calling on
11	promotes	k	pushes
12	objective	l	aim

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	civil war	a.	broke out
2	She quickly worked	b.	her way up
3.	She has brought about	c.	considerable change
4.	the economy was in	d.	ruins
5.	willingness to take	e.	risks
6.	Mozambique’s economy	f.	slowly recovered
7.	a failed	g.	state
8.	She also promotes gender	h.	equality
9.	her central objective is the fight	i.	against “absolute poverty”
10.	democracy in Mozambique is	j.	irreversible

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 Luisa Diogo