one english

theguardianweekly .com
Solutions for English Teaching

New citizens, good citizens

Level 2 • Intermedíate

Key words

Choose the correct word to complete the sentences.

1, A_ has the legalrightto live in a country. (citizen / citizenship)

2. Someone who comes to live in a country from another country is calleo1 an _ .
(migrant / irnmigrant)
3. A _ is a legal (written) agreement between two or more parties. (policy / contract)
4. In Britain a _ can vote at the age of 18. (teenager / veteran)
5. A _ is an official group of people who make decisions about a local área, (council / government)

Use your dictionary to look up the definitions of the words you didn't use. Compare and contrast the
meaníngs of each of the words.

Q Subtitles

Write down keywords you would expect to read in the part of the text that follows each of these subtitles.

Divisions in British society

Anewpointssystem

Reasons why the changes are needed

Plans for a 'Britain Day'

Ministers set out plans in a new report

Citizenship contract

Then skim-read the text and decide where each subtitle should go. Write them into the spaces
(a-f) provided.

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007

NEWS LESSONS / New citízens, good eitizens / Intermedíate
 guardianweekly one english
,com
Solutions for English Teaching

New citizens, good citizens

Level 2 • Intermedíate
Rules to make migrants intégrate understand and unclear". In future, new citizens
Ministers say citizenship should depend on good would gain points for the length of time spent in
behaviour, passing English tests and knowledge the country, bringing substantial new investment
oftheUK. into the UK, passing English tests, demonstrating
knowledge of the UK, undertaking civic work and
Patrick Wintour, política! editor
living in a law-abiding way. A points system for
and Alan Travis
citizenship would allow credits to be deducted for
June 5, 2007
anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping or more serious
criminal behaviour.
a.
7 "This form of points system would be the basis
1 Government ministers want to introduce a of a clearer relationship between the citizen
national British day as part of a 'citizenship and the state. An easy to understand contrae!
revolution1 that would also toughen rules for such as this would encourage integration and
migrants and try to instil community pride in demónstrate a clearer sense in which citizenship
all 18-year-olds. and the rights that come with living in Britain are
eamed."
2 Under the new plans, every teenager in the UK
would be given a citizenship pack when they d.
became eligible to vote, and migrants would only
8 Local government should also provide a
be able to become British citizens if they could
citizenship deal for newcomers, settíng out their
demónstrate good behaviour and a willingness
responsibilities to be good neighbours, as well
to intégrate.
as their access to English language training and
3 The national day could be a bank holiday, similar employment, say the ministers.
to Australia Day. The proposals come from the
9 A 'life in Britain - good neighbour contrae!'
communities secretary, Ruth Kelly, and the
would be provided to all migrants from inside
immigration minister, Liam Byme, who would
and outside the EU, including trióse that stay
also like to introduce citizenship ceremonies for
temporarily. The contrae! would be introduced
anyone who wants to settle in íhe UK.
alongside identity cards. The ministers also
b. say councils should spend less on translation
services and more on English language teaching.
4 Some of the ideas floated by the two ministers
are likely to feature in a forthcoming report. e.
The themes have already been enthusiastically
10 The ministers warn there is "a critica! risk that
embraced by the prime minister-in-waiting,
after 40 years in which diversity has grown,
Cordón Brown.
Britain's communilies are no longer looking
6 Another idea is to improve links between outwards and celebrating what they have
veterans and young people. The pack for in common. Instead, they are beginning to
18-year-olds would provide information on look inwards, stressing their differences and
democracy, volunteering and civic duties such divisions".
as jury service. Student loan repayments could
11 The threat to a united sense of feeling British
be reduced in return for volunteering.
comes both from Islamist extremism and
c. also groups like the British National Party.
Ministers point out that the government has to
6 Mr Byrne and Ms Kelly argüe that the current acknowledge and respond to the growing mood
settlement policy for new migrants is "difficult to of English nationalism.

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007

NEWS LESSONS / New citizens, good citizens / Intermedíate
 one english
leguardianweekly .com
Solutions for English Teaching

New citizens, good citizens

Level 2 • Intermedíate
12 "We risk seeing a more divided society, more
suspicious of each other and no longer coming
together around shared goals. We need a
stronger sense of why we live in a common place
and have a shared future." Mr Byrne admitted
that recent eastem European migration had
proved a "shock to the system".
13 He said new migrants needed to do more to
"help them understand British valúes and its way
of life." He added: "We need to make it clearer
that citizenship isn't simply handed out, but is
something which is earned."
14 The ministers say newtrends are pushing Britons
apart in the workplace, the family, the media
and new technology. They insist migration has
brought benefits, but say sometimes the pace of
change is rapid and destabilizing, pointing out
that by 2011, only 20% of Britain's workforce will
be white, able-bodied men under 45.
f.
15 In a speech to business leaders, Mr Byrne said
the new measures were needed because the
"spike" in asylum claims in 2000, the unpredicted
level of eastern European migration and the
foreign prisoners crisis has badly damaged
confidence in Britain's asylum and immigration
system. He added, "We have to be open about
the cholees available to us. In the 21 st century
we can't make big decisions in secret."
© Guardian News & Media 2007
First published ¡n The Guardian, 5/6/07

Comprehension check

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Government ministers want to introduce a new 4. Under a new policy, points would be awarded for..
bank holiday to... a. criminal behaviour.
a. improve the relationship with Australia. b. volunteering.
b. hand out good citizen awards. c. fly-tipping.
c. toughen immigration rules. d. oíd age.
d. promote community relationships.
5. Mr Byrne says citizenship needs to be...
2. The Prime Minister-in-waiting, Gordon Brown, a. bought.
thinks the plans are... b. fought for.
a. a bad ¡dea. c. earned.
b. ok, but not for Britain. d. handed out.
c. a great idea.
d. not modern enough.

3. Ministers say the current settlement policy is...

a. too easy.
b. too complicated.
c. too long.
d. too expensive.

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007

NEWS LESSONS / New citizens, good citizens / Intermedíate
 guardianweekly one english
.com
Solutions for English Teaching

New citizens, good citizens

Level 2 • Intermedíate

Vocabulary 1: Collocations

Which words come before or after the words in the centre of the word wheeis below? Find verbs or nouns
in the text to complete the word wheeis.

3.

Can you think of any more words to add to the word wheeis?

Vocabulary 2: Compound words

Skim-read and subtitle are both compound words, i.e. two or three words that are combined to make a new
word. Put these single words together to make compounds words f rom the text.

waiting minister abiding social fly in bodied

year anti able tipping 18 law oíd

Try to work out whai they mean by reading the text again.

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007

NEWS LESSONS / New citizens, good citizens / Intermedíate