Famous People Lessons: English Lesson on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

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THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the sixth president of Iran. He was elected to power in 2005. Prior to becoming president, he served as mayor of Teheran for two years and fought in the Iran-Iraq War. Ahmadinejad is rarely out of the news. He has locked horns with the West on numerous occasions over his domestic and foreign policy.

Ahmadinejad was born in 1956 and grew up in Iran's capital Teheran. He studied civil engineering at university and went on to do his PhD. He became a lecturer at the Iran University of Science and Technology. This was cut short by the Iran-Iraq War, in which he served in the intelligence unit of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.

He has had mixed economic success as president of Iran. In 2006, vegetable prices tripled and housing prices doubled. Many called on him to use Iran's oil to help ordinary people survive. The Iranian parliament rejected his project to help young people find jobs, get married and buy their own house. Many say he has big ideas but is “weak on achievement”.

Ahmadinejad says Iran is now the strongest country in the world. He has strengthened relations with Russia, Venezuela and many Arab countries. He has caused concern around the world with his nuclear program, which he says is for peaceful purposes. He also caused a major controversy by calling for the destruction of Israel. In 2008, he became the first Iranian president ever to visit Iraq.

247 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

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.	elected	a.	stopped
2	prior to	b.	division
3.	locked horns	c.	before
4.	went on	d.	voted in
5.	cut short	e.	fought
6.	unit	f.	continued
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	mixed	g.	ruin
8.	called on	h.	success
9.	achievement	i.	worry
10.	strengthened	j.	varied
11	concern	k	reinforced
12	destruction	l	asked

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article:

1.	He was elected to	a.	horns with the West
2	Prior to	b.	concern around the world
3.	He has locked	c.	power in 2005
4.	went on to do	d.	economic success
5.	This was cut	e.	relations with Russia
6.	He has had mixed	f.	his PhD
7.	he has big ideas but is weak	g.	becoming President
8.	He has strengthened	h.	purposes
9.	He has caused	i.	short by the Iran-Iraq War
10.	for peaceful	j.	on achievement

LISTENING GAP FILL

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the sixth president of Iran. He ____________________ in 2005. Prior to becoming president, he served as mayor of Teheran for two years ____________________ Iran-Iraq War. Ahmadinejad is rarely out of the news. He ____________________ the West on ____________________ his domestic and foreign policy.

Ahmadinejad was born in 1956 and ____________________ capital Teheran. He studied civil engineering at university ____________________ PhD. He became a lecturer at the Iran University of Science and Technology. This ____________________ the Iran-Iraq War, in which he served in the ____________________ Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.

He has had ____________________ as president of Iran. In 2006, vegetable prices tripled and ____________________. Many called on him to use Iran's oil to help ____________________. The Iranian parliament rejected his project to help young people find jobs, get married and buy their own house. Many say ____________________ “weak on achievement”.

Ahmadinejad ____________________ strongest country in the world. He has ____________________ with Russia, Venezuela and many Arab countries. He has caused concern around the world with his nuclear program, which he says ____________________. He also caused a major controversy ____________________ destruction of Israel. In 2008, he became the first Iranian president ever to visit Iraq.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

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

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the sixth / six president of Iran. He was elected to power in 2005. Prior / Before to becoming president, he served as mayor of Teheran for two years and fought in the Iran-Iraq War. Ahmadinejad is rare / rarely out of the news. He has locked horns with the West on numerous / numbers occasions over his domestic and foreign policy.

Ahmadinejad was born in 1956 and grew / grown up in Iran's capital Teheran. He studied civil engineering at university and went on / only to do his PhD. He became a lecturer at the Iran University of Science and Technology. This was sliced / cut short by the Iran-Iraq War, in which he served in the intelligent / intelligence unit of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.

He has had mixing / mixed economic success as president of Iran. In 2006, vegetable prices tripled and housing prices doubled. Many called off / on him to use Iran's oil to help ordinary people survive. The Iranian parliament rejection / rejected his project to help young people find jobs, get married and buy their own house. Many say he has big ideas / idea but is “weak on achievement”.

Ahmadinejad says Iran is now / know the strongest country in the world. He has strengthened relatives / relations with Russia, Venezuela and many Arab countries. He has caused concern around the world with his nuclear program, which he says is for peaceful on purpose / purposes. He also caused a major controversy by calling for the destruction of Israel. In 2008, he became the first Iranian president ever / even to visit Iraq.

SPELLING

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

Paragraph 1
1.	He was dcetele to power in 2005
2.	he devesr as mayor of Tehran
3.	Ahmadinejad is aerrly out of the news
4.	mnuesrou occasions
Paragraph 2
5.	grew up in Iran's taplaci Teheran
6.	He became a eteculrr at the Iran University
7.	he served in the intelligence niut
8.	the Army of the Guardians of the scaIiml Revolution
Paragraph 3
9.	He has had mixed economic cusssce
10.	vegetable prices rdlitep
11.	help ordinary people viuesrv
12.	Many say he has big esdia
Paragraph 4
13.	Iran is now the srgttneso country in the world
14.	He has caused nerccno around the world
15.	peaceful urpsoesp
16.	naligcl for the destruction of Israel

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	in the intelligence unit of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.
( )	ideas but is “weak on achievement”.
( )	which he says is for peaceful purposes. He also caused a major controversy by calling for
( 1 )	Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the sixth president of Iran. He was elected to
( )	Ahmadinejad was born in 1956 and grew up in Iran's capital Teheran. He studied civil engineering
( )	Ahmadinejad says Iran is now the strongest country in the world. He has strengthened relations with
( )	housing prices doubled. Many called on him to use Iran's oil to help ordinary people survive. The Iranian parliament
( )	Russia, Venezuela and many Arab countries. He has caused concern around the world with his nuclear program,
( )	rejected his project to help young people find jobs, get married and buy their own house. Many say he has big
( )	at university and went on to do his PhD. He became a lecturer at the Iran University of Science and Technology. This was cut short by the Iran-Iraq War, in which he served
( )	the destruction of Israel. In 2008, he became the first Iranian president ever to visit Iraq.
( )	He has had mixed economic success as president of Iran. In 2006, vegetable prices tripled and
( )	in the Iran-Iraq War. Ahmadinejad is rarely out of the news. He has locked
( )	horns with the West on numerous occasions over his domestic and foreign policy.
( )	power in 2005. Prior to becoming president, he served as mayor of Teheran for two years and fought

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

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

1.	is sixth of Ahmadinejad the president Iran
2.	for as two mayor years of he Teheran served
3.	numerous has with on He horns West occasions locked the
4.	on went PhD his do to
5.	intelligence the in served he unit
6.	prices and prices vegetable tripled housing doubled
7.	Iran's use survive people ordinary help to oil
8.	big on ideas achievement but he is has weak
9.	relations strengthened has He Russia with
10.	President visit became Iranian to he first ever Iraq the

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	What do you know about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?
2.	Would you like to meet Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?
3.	What would you like to know about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 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 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?
2.	What questions would you like to ask Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?
3.	What would his answers be to those questions?
4.	___________________________________________________
5.	___________________________________________________
6.	___________________________________________________
7.	___________________________________________________
8.	___________________________________________________

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD SURVEY

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

3. MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. 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 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. 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 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. 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 “Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH:

Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.	elected	a.	voted in
2	prior to	b.	before
3.	locked horns	c.	fought
4.	went on	d.	continued
5.	cut short	e.	stopped
6.	unit	f.	division
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	mixed	g.	varied
8.	called on	h.	asked
9.	achievement	i.	success
10.	strengthened	j.	reinforced
11	concern	k	worry
12	destruction	l	ruin

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	He was elected to	a.	power in 2005
2	Prior to	b.	becoming President
3.	He has locked	c.	horns with the West
4.	went on to do	d.	his PhD
5.	This was cut	e.	short by the Iran-Iraq War
6.	He has had mixed	f.	economic success
7.	he has big ideas but is weak	g.	on achievement
8.	He has strengthened	h.	relations with Russia
9.	He has caused	i.	concern around the world
10.	for peaceful	j.	purposes

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 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad