News-based English language activities from the global newspaper Page 1

October 2009 Level ≥ Advanced Style ≥ Individual or group activities

Welcome to the Guardian Weekly’s special news-based materials to support learners and teachers of English. Each month, the Guardian Weekly newspaper selects topical news articles that can be used to practise English language skills. The materials are graded for two levels: Advanced and Lower Intermediate. These worksheets can be downloaded free from guardianweekly.co.uk/learningenglish/. You can also fi nd more advice for teachers and learners on the site Materials prepared by Janet Hardy-Gould youth learn how to rock in defi ance of Taliban

Riff takers ... Bambu Sauce pratise in Declan Walsh unknown vocabulary with a dictionary. Which list Before reading won’t you fi nd in the article? 1 Look at the headline, photo and caption of the a extremists, insurgents, security concerns, turmoil, article. Discuss these questions with a partner. internal chaos a What is the Taliban? What do you know about its b campaign, turnout, electorate, peaceful, victory, history? voters b What type of music are the young people learning? c creativity, scene, gig, performances, internet, passion c Why is learning this music “in defi ance of the Taliban”? 3 Vocabulary from the article. Complete the defi ni- Share your ideas with the rest of the class. tions with the verbs below. hone, nourish, skirt, sign up, tap into, thrive 2 Look at the lists of words below. Check any a If you , you become and continue to be successful. ≥2 News-based English language activities from the global newspaper Page 2

October 2009

b If you a skill, you improve it tradition but modern musicians have generally over a period of time. skirted political issues. c If you to a course, you add your name to the list of people doing it. 7 That hasn’t stopped some of the new rock d If you an idea or belief, you groups opting for a playful take on the turmoil. help it to grow stronger. The Islamabad Bumbu Sauce – the name e If you a problem, you avoid comes from an instant ­noodles packet – recently talking about it. brought out Jiggernaut, a single that mixes refer- f If you a person’s knowl- ences to kung fu, talking dogs and the Taliban. edge, you make use of their ideas and ­experience. Guitarist Shehryar Mufti is not worried the insur- gents might take the joke badly.

Article 8 “Their beef is with the government, not the Pakistan youth learn how to ­people,” he said. “I think rock is low on their rock in defiance of Taliban ­priorities.” 9 Pakistani gained traction with the 1 Even in the shadow of recent Taliban violence arrival of satellite television in the 1990s. Today young are rocking on. An under- the musicians, many self-taught, publicise them- ground music scene is quietly thriving in the selves through networking websites such as country’s major cities, nourished by the internet ­Facebook and MySpace, and FM radio stations. and the passion of mostly amateur bands. Declan Walsh 2 In a pair of unemployed rockers have tapped into that enthusiasm with a new school for rock’n’roll. “We weren’t getting a lot of gigs, and we needed to survive,” said co-founder Hamza Jafri. “So we thought we’d try this.” 3 The Guitar School, as it is known, has been sur- Glossary prisingly successful. Around 40 students have signed up, ranging from surly teenagers in tight in defiance of somebody (expression) as an open jeans to more practised musicians looking to refusal to obey somebody hone their skills. surly (adjective) rude and bad tempered 4 Many come from wealthy families that might once have stigmatised music. But a popular new a patina of respectability, wealth etc (noun) the appearance of being respectable, wealthy etc. television show featuring live performances, Coke Studio, has given rock ­music a new patina gain traction (expression) begin to make solid progress of respectability.

5 But making it to the next stage is difficult. For the past six months virtually all public ­performances in Lahore have stopped because of extremists’ attacks.

6 But the country’s internal chaos is also feed- ing creativity. Pakistanis have a rich musical ≥3 News-based English language activities from the global newspaper Page 3

October 2009

While reading 1 Read the first four paragraphs of the article. Choose the best answer. The Pakistani rock music scene has: a rapidly declined because of Taliban ­violence. b quietly done well due to the enthusiasm of bands. c become globally successful due to the internet. e When did rock music become more popular? Why? d thrived with the help of professional musicians.

The Guitar School was founded by: a a group of rock musicians from new bands. b some teenagers looking to hone their skills. c a pair of successful rockers from rich families. d a couple of musicians without any work. f How do many of the new musicians get publicity? Rock music is more respectable because of the: a wealthy students at the Guitar School. b creation of a music venue called Coke Studio. c appearance of a music programme on TV. d increase in live performances online.

2 Read the rest of the article. Answer the questions. a Why have public performances stopped in Lahore? After reading

1 Work with a partner. What do you think these words

mean? What part of speech are they? Paragraph

numbers are in brackets.

a “… we needed to survive,” said co-founder­ Hamza

Jafri. (2)

b How have modern musicians treated political

­issues?

b For the past six months virtually all performances

have stopped. (5)

c The country’s internal chaos is feeding creativity. (6) c Where does the band Bumbu Sauce get its name

from?

d That hasn’t stopped some of the new rock groups

opting for a playful take on the turmoil. (7)

d Is Mufti worried about the Taliban? Why/Why not? ≥4 News-based English language activities from the global newspaper Page 4

October 2009

e “Their beef is with the government ...” (8)

abstract nouns: abstract creativity, passion ­ creativity, oneself; cise

verbs: events: - publi ­ single, a out bring ­ performance; live gig, festival, group; rock

music groups: music people: 2 amateur band, band, amateur musician; self-taught rocker, guitarist,

f adjective, having learned by yourself. by learned having adjective,

e d noun, complaint. complaint. noun, situation. a about opinion particular noun, helping / for rial

c b a 1 - mate providing verb, almost. adverb, it. started jointly who person noun,

f ... the musicians, many self-taught … (9) reading After radio stations. radio

f On networking websites and FM FM and websites networking On TV. satellite of arrival the of Because The1990s.

e d government. the with is argument insurgents’ the that thinks He No.

packet.

c a 2 An instant noodles noodles instant An

them. avoided have They b attacks. extremist of Because b, d, c d, b, 1

reading While

f e d c b a 3 tap into tap skirt nourish up sign hone thrive

2 b 2

2 Add these words from the article to the word map music. modern

c b Because the Taliban strongly disapprove of of disapprove strongly Taliban the Because music. Rock below. Then work is small groups. How many new Pakistan. of areas

words can you add to it?s with words from exercise and Afghanistan both in operating movement insurgency strong a become and 1996 to 2001 when it was displaced by Nato forces. Since 2004 it has regrouped regrouped has it 2004 Since forces. Nato by displaced was it when 2001 to 1996

1. You may need to change the form of the verbs. from Afghanistan controlled It traditions. and values Muslim of interpretation tive

1 a 1 - amateur band, bring out a single, creativity, festival, gig, conserva extremely an has which movement Muslim Sunni a is Taliban The

guitarist, live performance, self-taught musician, pas- reading Before sion, publicise oneself, rocker, rock group. Answers

Music groups Abstract nouns

Rock music

Verbs People

Events