A man who used to be the leader of Peru, named Alberto Fujimori, is no longer in jail. He was in jail for more than 15 years. When he left the jail, many people who like him were there to see him. He was in jail because he did bad things when he was the leader.

Alberto Fujimori was the leader of Peru a long time ago. When he was the leader, he tried to stop people who were fighting in a very harsh way. Because of this, many people got hurt or died. Later, people found out he also did other bad things, like taking bribes and using his power in the wrong way.

A few years ago, another leader of Peru said Fujimori could leave jail because he was very sick. This is called a pardon. But then, some people said this was not okay, and he had to stay in jail. Now, the big court in Peru said it is okay for him to be free because of the pardon from before.

Original news source: Alberto Fujimori: Peru’s ex-president freed after 15 years in jail (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article. Then, ask them to summarize the main points of the article in a few sentences. After they have finished, have each group share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Ask the students to form pairs or small groups. Assign each group a role: either pro-Fujimori or anti-Fujimori. Have each group discuss their opinions on whether Fujimori should be free or stay in jail. After they have discussed, conduct a class poll by asking each group to share their opinion and tallying the responses.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper and place them in a bag. Divide the class into teams. One person from each team will come up and draw a word from the bag without looking. They must then draw a picture to represent the word while their team tries to guess what it is. The team who guesses the word correctly earns a point. Continue until all the words have been drawn.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups: one group representing the pros of Fujimori being free, and the other group representing the cons. Give each group a few minutes to brainstorm and list their arguments. Then, have each group take turns presenting their arguments to the class. Encourage the students to use language like “On the one hand…” and “On the other hand…” to present their points.

– Pass the Story
Instructions: Sit the students in a circle. Start by reading the first sentence of the article aloud. Then, have one student continue the story by adding the next sentence. Each student in the circle adds one sentence to the story, building on what the previous student said. Encourage the students to use the vocabulary and grammar structures they have learned. Continue until the story is complete or until time runs out.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Who used to be the leader of Peru?
2. How long was Alberto Fujimori in jail?
3. Why did people go to see him when he left jail?
4. Why was Alberto Fujimori in jail?
5. What did Alberto Fujimori do when he was the leader of Peru?
6. Why did some people think it was okay for Alberto Fujimori to leave jail?
7. Why did the big court in Peru say it was okay for him to be free?
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A man who used to be the leader of Peru, named (1)______ Fujimori, is no longer in (2)______. He was in jail for more than 15 years. When he left the jail, many people who (3)______ him were there to see him. He was in jail because he did bad things when he was the leader.

Alberto Fujimori was the leader of (4)______ a (5)______ time ago. When he was the leader, he tried to stop (6)______ who were fighting in a very harsh way. Because of this, many people got hurt or died. Later, people (7)______ out he also did other bad things, like taking bribes and using his power in the (8)______ way.

A few years ago, another leader of Peru said Fujimori could (9)______ jail because he was very (10)______. This is (11)______ a pardon. But then, some people (12)______ this was not okay, and he had to stay in jail. Now, the big court in Peru said it is okay for him to be free because of the pardon from before.
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Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a leader?
2. How would you feel if someone you knew did bad things and went to jail?
3. Do you think it’s fair for someone to be pardoned if they are very sick? Why or why not?
4. What are some bad things that a leader could do?
5. How do you think the people felt who were hurt or lost loved ones because of the leader’s actions?
6. Do you think it’s important for leaders to use their power in the right way? Why or why not?
7. How would you feel if you were one of the people who wanted Fujimori to stay in jail?
8. Do you think it’s right for the big court in Peru to say it’s okay for him to be free now? Why or why not?
9. What do you think the people who like Fujimori are feeling now that he is out of jail?
10. What are some other ways a leader could try to stop people from fighting, without hurting them?
11. Do you like the idea of pardoning someone who is very sick? Why or why not?
12. How do you think Fujimori’s actions as a leader affected the way people see him now?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. leader
2. jail
3. harsh
4. hurt
5. bribes
6. power
7. pardon
8. court
9. sick
10. free

Meanings:
(A) Someone who tells other people what to do
(B) Being mean or not nice to someone
(C) When someone gives money or gifts to get something they want
(D) Not feeling well or having a sickness
(E) When someone is forgiven for doing something wrong
(F) When someone gets injured or feels pain
(G) Having control or being able to make decisions
(H) Not being in jail or being able to do what you want
(I) A place where bad people go when they do bad things
(J) A place where people decide if someone is guilty or not
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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why was Alberto Fujimori in jail?
(a) He was sick and needed medical treatment.
(b) He wanted to take a break from his job.
(c) He did bad things when he was the leader.
(d) He wanted to spend time with his family.

2. How long was Alberto Fujimori in jail?
(a) Less than 5 years.
(b) More than 15 years.
(c) Exactly 10 years.
(d) More than 20 years.

3. Why did people go to see Alberto Fujimori when he left jail?
(a) Because they wanted to ask him for money.
(b) Because they wanted to protest his release.
(c) Because they wanted to give him a gift.
(d) Because they liked him.

4. What did Alberto Fujimori do when he was the leader of Peru?
(a) He tried to stop fighting in a harsh way.
(b) He helped people and made the country better.
(c) He gave money to everyone who asked for it.
(d) He traveled around the world for fun.

5. Why did some people think it was okay for Alberto Fujimori to leave jail?
(a) Because he was very sick.
(b) Because he won a lot of money in a lottery.
(c) Because he promised to be a good person.
(d) Because he was bored and wanted to go home.

6. What is a pardon?
(a) When someone is given a gift for being good.
(b) When someone is punished for doing something wrong.
(c) When someone is allowed to leave jail early.
(d) When someone is given a new job.

7. Who said it was okay for Alberto Fujimori to be free?
(a) The current leader of Peru.
(b) The big court in Peru.
(c) The people who were hurt by Fujimori.
(d) The people who protested his release.

8. What did people find out about Alberto Fujimori?
(a) He was the best leader Peru ever had.
(b) He never did anything wrong.
(c) He was always honest and fair.
(d) He took bribes and used his power in the wrong way.

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Alberto Fujimori used to be the leader of Peru a long time ago.
2. He was in jail for more than 15 years.
3. He also did other good things like taking bribes and using his power in the right way.
4. The big court in Peru decided that he cannot be free because of the pardon he received before.
5. Another leader of Peru said Fujimori could not leave jail because he was very sick.
6. He did bad things when he was the leader, like hurting and killing people.
7. Many people who dislike him were there to see him when he left jail.
8. Some people disagreed and said he should stay in jail.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. Who used to be the leader of Peru?
2. Why was Alberto Fujimori in jail?
3. What did Alberto Fujimori do when he was the leader of Peru?
4. Why did some people think it was okay for Fujimori to leave jail?
5. What did the big court in Peru say about Fujimori being free?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who used to be the leader of Peru?
Alberto Fujimori used to be the leader of Peru.

2. How long was Alberto Fujimori in jail?
Alberto Fujimori was in jail for more than 15 years.

3. Why did people go to see him when he left jail?
People went to see him because they liked him and wanted to show their support.

4. Why was Alberto Fujimori in jail?
Alberto Fujimori was in jail because he did bad things when he was the leader, like hurting or killing people, taking bribes, and misusing his power.

5. What did Alberto Fujimori do when he was the leader of Peru?
When he was the leader of Peru, Alberto Fujimori tried to stop fighting in a very harsh way, which caused a lot of harm.

6. Why did some people think it was okay for Alberto Fujimori to leave jail?
Some people thought it was okay for Alberto Fujimori to leave jail because he was very sick and needed medical care.

7. Why did the big court in Peru say it was okay for him to be free?
The big court in Peru said it was okay for him to be free because he had been pardoned before due to his illness.
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Alberto
(2) jail
(3) like
(4) Peru
(5) long
(6) people
(7) found
(8) wrong
(9) leave
(10) sick
(11) called
(12) said
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. leader
Answer: (A) Someone who tells other people what to do

2. jail
Answer: (I) A place where bad people go when they do bad things

3. harsh
Answer: (B) Being mean or not nice to someone

4. hurt
Answer: (F) When someone gets injured or feels pain

5. bribes
Answer: (C) When someone gives money or gifts to get something they want

6. power
Answer: (G) Having control or being able to make decisions

7. pardon
Answer: (E) When someone is forgiven for doing something wrong

8. court
Answer: (J) A place where people decide if someone is guilty or not

9. sick
Answer: (D) Not feeling well or having a sickness

10. free
Answer: (H) Not being in jail or being able to do what you want
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why was Alberto Fujimori in jail?
Answer: (c) He did bad things when he was the leader.

2. How long was Alberto Fujimori in jail?
Answer: (b) More than 15 years.

3. Why did people go to see Alberto Fujimori when he left jail?
Answer: (d) Because they liked him.

4. What did Alberto Fujimori do when he was the leader of Peru?
Answer: (a) He tried to stop fighting in a harsh way.

5. Why did some people think it was okay for Alberto Fujimori to leave jail?
Answer: (a) Because he was very sick.

6. What is a pardon?
Answer: (c) When someone is allowed to leave jail early.

7. Who said it was okay for Alberto Fujimori to be free?
Answer: (b) The big court in Peru.

8. What did people find out about Alberto Fujimori?
Answer: (d) He took bribes and used his power in the wrong way.
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True or False Answers:

1. Alberto Fujimori used to be the leader of Peru a long time ago. (Answer: True)
2. He was in jail for more than 15 years. (Answer: True)
3. He also did other good things like taking bribes and using his power in the right way. (Answer: False)
4. The big court in Peru decided that he cannot be free because of the pardon he received before. (Answer: False)
5. Another leader of Peru said Fujimori could not leave jail because he was very sick. (Answer: False)
6. He did bad things when he was the leader, like hurting and killing people. (Answer: True)
7. Many people who dislike him were there to see him when he left jail. (Answer: False)
8. Some people disagreed and said he should stay in jail. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧