22/06/02

For a leader, deciding to speak up can be one of the most important decisions you make.

 

 

 

Read:

https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/golden-state-warriors-coach-steve-kerrs-statement-on-uvalde-shooting-is-a-remarkable-lesson-in-leadership.html

 

 

Glossary

 

  • to speak out – express one’s feelings or opinions frankly and publicly
  • entirety – with all parts included
  • to put sth ahead of – to put greater value on someone or something, or to regard someone or something more highly or favorably, than someone or something else
  • numb – if you are numb with shock, fear, or grief, you are so shocked, frightened, or upset that you cannot think clearly or feel any emotion
  • to stand out – to be easy to see or notice because of being different

 

Fill in the gaps in the sentences below using negative prefixes (”un”, “im”, ”ir”, ”in”) and one of the adjectives below .

possible                            willing                 caring                 experienced

related                             relevant             popular              sensitive         usual

 

1. Whether I agree with Kerr is ………….. .

2. Even if he isn’t asked, neglecting to offer the customary “thoughts and prayers” could cause some to assume he’s …………. or ……….. .

3. Many leaders — like many people — try to stand out in superficial ways. Maybe they wear ………….. clothing.

4. Great leaders take stands they could be criticized for taking. They take …………. steps.

5. Kerr (…) as a public figure is often asked to comment on issues and events ………. to basketball.

6. Despite his age, he is still in many ways ……….. .

7. We thought it was an ……….. task, and yet we managed to do it.

8. He was ……….. to take the risk at that time.

 

Key: 1. irrelevant; 2. insensitive, uncaring; 3. unusual; 4. unpopular; 5. unrelated ; 6. inexperienced; 7. impossible; 8. unwilling; 

 

Practice Makes Perfect

Fill in the gaps in the extract of a video with the right forms of verbs.

Do you remember where you 1. (be)…………….. on June 12th, 2016? A few of you might, but I 2. (bet) ………. the vast majority probably  3. (not) ……… . On June 12th, 2016, a lone gunman 4. (walk)………. into Pulse Nightclub, killing 46 people in the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S history. (…) Do you remember how you 5. (feel) …….. ? (…) 6. …….. you ……… (feel) sick? (…) Every time this 7. (happen) …….. , we 8. (become) ……….. more and more desensitized.(…) Do you remember where you 9. (be) …….. on April 20th, 1999? Two students 10. (walk) …….. into Columbine High School  armed with shotguns (…) killing 12 students and a teacher (…) I remember where I 11. (be) ……… . I 12. (walk) ……. just …… into  the library with my best friend in order to meet others preparing to go to lunch. Moments later, a teacher 13. (run) …………. through the same doors we 14. (enter) ……… just …….. yelling for everyone to get under the tables; that somebody 15. (have) ……… a gun.  (…) And just minutes later, I 16. (play) ………. dead underneath a table next to a pool of blood. I had been shot and I 17. (witness) ………. my best friend murdered right in front of me. (…)

Now watch the extract (1-2.46) and check:

 

Key: 1. were; 2. ‘m/am betting; 3.  don’t; 4. walked; 5. felt; 6.did (you) feel; 7. happens; 8. are becoming; 9. were; 10. walked; 11. was; 12. had (just) walked; 13. ran; 14. had (just) entered; 15. Had; 16. was playing; 17. had witnessed 

 

 

Discuss

 

  • Do you think people need guns?
  • Do you think it’s a person’s right to own a gun?
  • Should people be allowed to have guns to defend themselves in their home?
  • Is it easy to get a gun in your country?
  • What checks should there be made before someone can buy a gun?
  • Martin Luther King said: “By our readiness to allow arms to be purchased at will and fired at whim…we have created an atmosphere in which violence and hatred have become popular pastimes.” Would you agree?
  • People don’t need guns because the police will protect you. Would you agree?
  • Can chemical sprays replace guns for self defence?
  • Should guns be banned to stop school shootings?

 

Explore it more to create your own teaching-learning experience!

 

Social Media Increasingly Linked With Mass Shootings

 

Read: 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2022/05/25/social-media-increasingly-linked-with-mass-shootings/?sh=4e2fb3483c73

 

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