Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on International Volunteer Day. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
Come on everybody. Get up and do something. December the 5th is International Volunteer Day. This highly important day was started by the United Nations in 1985. Its aim is twofold: first, to thank volunteers around the world for giving their time to help others; and second, to encourage other people to do voluntary work. Without volunteers, many people around the world would be worse off. In fact, the whole world would be a darker place. Volunteers help other people and help animals, the countryside, the environment and many more things that are so important to us. The UN urges governments around the world to take measures to heighten awareness of the important contribution of volunteering.
There are thousands of volunteer organizations around the world. Some of them are very famous. Perhaps everyone has heard of VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas), the Peace Corps, and Muslim Aid. A search on the Internet will pretty much give you a volunteer group on anything or anyone you want to help. You don’t need to join a worldwide group to be a volunteer. Most voluntary work that takes place around the globe is by individuals helping their neighbours. We have probably all gone out of our way to help someone less fortunate. The great thing about voluntary work is that it makes you feel like a better person. So please, on this International Volunteer Day, think about how you can help, and offer your services.
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.
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PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1
1.
Get up and do
a.
worse off
2
This highly important
b.
twofold
3.
Its aim is
c.
heighten awareness
4.
giving their time
d.
day
5.
the world would be
e.
something
6.
take measures to
f.
to help others
Paragraph 2
1.
Perhaps everyone has heard
a.
much
2
pretty
b.
to help
3.
join a worldwide
c.
services
4.
gone out of our way
d.
a better person
5.
it makes you feel like
e.
of VSO
6.
offer your
f.
group
LISTENING GAP FILL
Come on everybody. _________________ something. December the 5th is International Volunteer Day. This highly important day was started by the United Nations in 1985. Its ______________: first, to thank volunteers around the world for giving their time to help others; and second, to encourage _________________ voluntary work. Without volunteers, many people around the world would be worse off. In fact, the whole world would _________________. Volunteers help other people and help animals, the countryside, the environment and many more _________________ important to us. The UN urges governments around the world to take ___________________ awareness of the important contribution of volunteering.
There are thousands of volunteer organizations around the world. Some _________________ famous. Perhaps everyone has heard of VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas), the Peace Corps, and Muslim Aid. A search on the Internet will _________________ you a volunteer group on anything or anyone you want to help. You _________________ a worldwide group to be a volunteer. Most voluntary work that _________________ the globe is by individuals helping their neighbours. We have probably all __________________ to help someone less fortunate. The great thing about voluntary work is that it makes you feel like a better person. So please, on this International Volunteer Day, think about _________________, and offer your services.
WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL
Put the words into the gaps in the text.
Come on everybody. Get up and do something. December the 5th is International Volunteer Day. This ____________ important day was started by the United Nations in 1985. Its ____________ is twofold: first, to thank volunteers around the world for giving their time to help others; and second, to ____________ other people to do voluntary work. Without volunteers, many people around the world would be ____________ off. In fact, the whole world would be a ____________ place. Volunteers help other people and help animals, the countryside, the environment and many ____________ things that are so important to us. The UN urges governments around the world to ____________ measures to ____________ awareness of the important contribution of volunteering.
encourage darker take highly aim heighten more worse
There are thousands of volunteer organizations around the world. Some of them are very ____________. Perhaps everyone has heard of VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas), the Peace Corps, and Muslim Aid. A search on the Internet will ____________ much give you a volunteer ____________ on anything or anyone you want to help. You don’t need to ____________ a worldwide group to be a volunteer. Most voluntary work that takes place around the globe is by individuals helping their neighbours. We have probably all ____________ out of our way to help someone ____________ fortunate. The great thing about voluntary work is that it makes you ____________ like a better person. So please, on this International Volunteer Day, think about how you can help, and ____________ your services.
join pretty less famous group offer feel gone
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.
Come on everybody. Get up and do / done something. December the 5th is International Volunteer Day. This height / highly important day was started by the United Nations in 1985. Its aim is twofold / two folds: first, to thank volunteers around the world for giving their time to help others; and second, to encouragement / encourage other people to do voluntary work. Without volunteers, many people around the world would be worse / bad off. In fact, the whole world would be a darker place. Volunteers help other people and help / helpful animals, the countryside, the environment and many more things that are so important / importance to us. The UN urges governments around the world to taking / take measures to heighten awareness of the important contribution of volunteering.
There are thousands / thousand of volunteer organizations around the world. Some of them are very famous / infamous. Perhaps everyone has heard of VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas), the Peace Corps, and Muslim Aid. A search on the Internet will pretty / cute much give you a volunteer group on anything or anyone you want to help. You don’t need to jointly / join a worldwide group to be a volunteer. Most voluntary work that takes place around the globe / global is by individuals helping their neighbours. We have probably all gone out of our weigh / way to help someone less fortunate. The great thing about voluntary work is that it makes you feel like a best / better person. So please, on this International Volunteer Day, think about how you can help, and offer your / their services.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Come on everybody. Get up and do something. December the 5th is International Volunteer Day. This (1) ____ important day was started by the United Nations in 1985. Its aim is (2) ____: first, to thank volunteers around the world for (3) ____ their time to help others; and second, to encourage other people to do voluntary work. Without volunteers, many people around the world would be (4) ____ off. In fact, the whole world would be a darker place. Volunteers help other people and help animals, the countryside, the environment and many more things that are (5) ____ important to us. The UN urges governments around the world to take measures to (6) ____ awareness of the important contribution of volunteering.
There are thousands of volunteer organizations around the world. Some of them are very (7) ____. Perhaps everyone has heard of VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas), the Peace Corps, and Muslim Aid. A search on the Internet will (8) ____ much give you a volunteer group on anything or anyone you want to help. You don’t need to (9) ____ a worldwide group to be a volunteer. Most voluntary work that takes place around the globe is by individuals helping their neighbours. We have probably all (10) ____ out of our way to help someone less fortunate. The great thing about voluntary work is that it makes you (11) ____ like a better person. So please, on this International Volunteer Day, think about how you can help, and offer (12) ____ services.
Put the correct words from this table into the article.
1.
(a)
height
(b)
highly
(c)
high
(d)
heighten
2.
(a)
twice
(b)
two
(c)
doubly
(d)
twofold
3.
(a)
giving
(b)
gave
(c)
give
(d)
given
4.
(a)
bad
(b)
not good
(c)
worse
(d)
worst
5.
(a)
as
(b)
at
(c)
such
(d)
so
6.
(a)
heighten
(b)
high
(c)
highly
(d)
heights
7.
(a)
fame
(b)
famous
(c)
famously
(d)
infamous
8.
(a)
cute
(b)
lovely
(c)
pretty
(d)
beautiful
9.
(a)
jointly
(b)
joins
(c)
joining
(d)
join
10.
(a)
gone
(b)
going
(c)
goes
(d)
go
11.
(a)
feelers
(b)
feel
(c)
felt
(d)
feeling
12.
(a)
our
(b)
we
(c)
their
(d)
us
SPELLING
Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
Come on everybody
2.
highly important day
3.
encourage other people
4.
be worse off
5.
a darker place
6.
heighten awareness
Paragraph 2
7.
There are thousands
8.
pretty much
9.
a worldwide group
10.
around the globe
11.
help someone less fortunate
12.
offer your services
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
awareness of the important contribution of volunteering.
( )
There are thousands of volunteer organizations around the world. Some of them are very
( )
to join a worldwide group to be a volunteer. Most voluntary work that takes place around the globe is by
( )
thing about voluntary work is that it makes you feel like a better person. So please, on this
( )
around the world would be worse off. In fact, the whole world would be a darker place. Volunteers help
( )
important day was started by the United Nations in 1985. Its aim is twofold: first, to thank volunteers around the world for giving
( )
individuals helping their neighbours. We have probably all gone out of our way to help someone less fortunate. The great
( )
their time to help others; and second, to encourage other people to do voluntary work. Without volunteers, many people
( )
other people and help animals, the countryside, the environment and many more things that are so
( )
famous. Perhaps everyone has heard of VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas), the Peace Corps, and Muslim Aid. A search
( )
important to us. The UN urges governments around the world to take measures to heighten
( )
International Volunteer Day, think about how you can help, and offer your services.
( )
on the Internet will pretty much give you a volunteer group on anything or anyone you want to help. You don’t need
( 1 )
Come on everybody. Get up and do something. December the 5th is International Volunteer Day. This highly
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
started UN highly was the This day by important.
2.
world their Thank the giving around for time volunteers.
3.
work voluntary do to people other Encourage.
4.
whole darker world place would be The a.
5.
contribution Heighten of important awareness the.
6.
world the around organizations volunteer of Thousands.
7.
or Anything help to want you anyone.
8.
We all of probably out way have gone our.
9.
like It a makes better you person feel.
10.
about you help Think how can.
DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
Write five questions about International Volunteer Day 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 International Volunteer Day for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.
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 International Volunteer Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about International Volunteer Day. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. POSTER: Make your own poster about International Volunteer Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
