ESL Holiday Lessons.com: World Leprosy Day

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

World Leprosy Day started in 1954 and takes place on January 29th. It aims to raise awareness about the disease leprosy. In particular, it is an opportunity to inform people that leprosy is a curable disease and is not passed on by touching leprosy sufferers. For hundreds of years, people have wrongly thought they can catch leprosy through contact with those who have the disease. They are afraid of anyone with leprosy. Because of this, people with leprosy have been made to live outside of society in special colonies, often on remote islands. Other sufferers become outcasts in their communities. Leprosy affects millions of people around the world today, often the poorest people in society. Having the disease means they cannot find work, which adds to their poverty.

Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s Disease, named after doctor G.H.A. Hansen, who discovered the disease. It is a bacteria that is carried in water vapor through the air. Most people are naturally immune to the disease but those in poorer countries can have weaker immune systems and so have little immunity. If it is not treated, it causes permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. It can cause permanent disability and reduce life expectancy by 50 per cent. For centuries, people believed leprosy caused parts of the body to fall off, but this is totally untrue. This is another part of the fiction and social stigma that surrounds the disease. Medicine can prevent the spread of the disease. More than 14 million people have been cured with a multi-drug therapy since the early 1980s.

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	It aims to raise awareness about the	a.	live outside of society
2	inform people that leprosy is	b.	cannot find work
3.	people with leprosy have been made to	c.	around the world today
4.	sufferers become outcasts in their	d.	disease leprosy
5.	Leprosy affects millions of people	e.	communities
6.	Having the disease means they	f.	a curable disease

Paragraph 2

1.	Leprosy is also known as	a.	to the disease
2	a bacteria that is carried in water vapor	b.	multi-drug therapy
3.	Most people are naturally immune	c.	Hansen’s Disease
4.	it causes permanent damage	d.	surrounds the disease
5.	the fiction and social stigma that	e.	through the air
6.	14 million people have been cured with a	f.	to the skin

LISTENING GAP FILL

World Leprosy Day started in 1954 ________________ January 29th. It aims to raise awareness about the disease leprosy. In particular, it is an opportunity ________________ leprosy is a curable disease and is not passed on by touching leprosy sufferers. For hundreds of years, people ___________________ they can catch leprosy through contact with those who have the disease. They are afraid of anyone with leprosy. Because of this, people with leprosy have ________________ outside of society in special colonies, often on remote islands. Other sufferers become _________________ communities. Leprosy affects millions of people around the world today, often the poorest people in society. Having the disease means they cannot find work, which __________________.

Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s Disease, ________________ G.H.A. Hansen, who discovered the disease. It is a bacteria that is carried in water vapor ________________. Most people are naturally immune to the disease but those in poorer countries can have weaker immune systems ________________ immunity. If it is not treated, it causes permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. It can cause permanent disability ________________ expectancy by 50 per cent. For centuries, people believed leprosy caused parts of the body to fall off, but this is totally untrue. This is another __________________ and social stigma that surrounds the disease. Medicine can prevent the spread of the disease. More than 14 million people have been cured with a ________________ since the early 1980s.

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

World Leprosy Day started in 1954 and takes place on January 29th. It aims to __________ awareness about the disease leprosy. In particular, it is an opportunity to inform people that leprosy is a __________ disease and is not passed on by touching leprosy sufferers. For hundreds of years, people have __________ thought they can catch leprosy through __________ with those who have the disease. They are afraid of anyone with leprosy. Because of this, people with leprosy have been made to live __________ of society in special colonies, often on remote islands. Other sufferers become __________ in their communities. Leprosy __________ millions of people around the world today, often the poorest people in society. Having the disease means they cannot find work, which adds to their __________.

outcasts
contact
wrongly
poverty
raise
affects
outside
curable

Leprosy is also __________ as Hansen’s Disease, named after doctor G.H.A. Hansen, who discovered the disease. It is a bacteria that is carried in water __________ through the air. Most people are naturally immune to the disease but those in poorer countries can have weaker __________ systems and so have little immunity. If it is not treated, it causes permanent __________ to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. It can cause permanent disability and __________ life expectancy by 50 per cent. For centuries, people believed leprosy caused parts of the body to fall off, but this is totally __________. This is another part of the fiction and social stigma that __________ the disease. Medicine can prevent the spread of the disease. More than 14 million people have been __________ with a multi-drug therapy since the early 1980s.

untrue
immune
cured
known
damage
reduce
surrounds
vapor

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.

World Leprosy Day started in 1954 and takes / taking place on January 29th. It aims to rise / raise awareness about the disease leprosy. In particular, it is an opportunity to inform people that leprosy is a curable / cure disease and is not passed on by touching leprosy sufferers. For hundreds of years, people have wrongly / wrong thought they can catch leprosy through contact with those who have the disease. They are fear / afraid of anyone with leprosy. Because of this, people with leprosy have been made to live outside of social / society in special colonies, often on remote islands. Other suffers / sufferers become outcasts in their communities. Leprosy affects millions of people around the world today, often the poorest people in society. Having the disease means they cannot find work, which add / adds to their poverty.

Leprosy is also knowing / known as Hansen’s Disease, named after doctor G.H.A. Hansen, who discovered the disease. It is a bacteria that is carried / carries in water vapor through the air. Most people are naturally immunity / immune to the disease but those in poorer countries can have weaker immune systems and so have little immunity. If it is not treatment / treated, it causes permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. It can cause / caused permanent disability and reduce life expectancy by 50 per cent. For centuries, people believed leprosy caused parts of the body to fall on / off, but this is totally / total untrue. This is another part of the fiction and social stigma that surrounds the disease. Medicine can prevention / prevent the spread of the disease. More than 14 million people have been cured with a multi-drug therapy since the early 1980s.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

World Leprosy Day started in 1954 and takes (1) ____ on January 29th. It aims to raise awareness about the disease leprosy. In particular, it is an opportunity to (2) ____ people that leprosy is a curable disease and is not passed on by touching leprosy (3) ____. For hundreds of years, people have wrongly thought they can catch leprosy through contact with those who have the disease. They are (4) ____ of anyone with leprosy. Because of this, people with leprosy have been made to live outside of (5) ____ in special colonies, often on remote islands. Other sufferers become outcasts in their communities. Leprosy affects millions of people around the world today, often the poorest people in society. Having the disease means they cannot find work, which adds to their (6) ____.

Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s Disease, named (7) ____ doctor G.H.A. Hansen, who discovered the disease. It is a bacteria that is carried in water vapor (8) ____ the air. Most people are naturally immune to the disease but those in poorer countries can have weaker immune systems and so have little (9) ____. If it is not treated, it causes permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. It can cause permanent (10) ____ and reduce life expectancy by 50 per cent. For centuries, people believed leprosy caused parts of the body to fall off, but this is (11) ____ untrue. This is another part of the fiction and social stigma that surrounds the disease. Medicine can prevent the spread of the disease. More than 14 million people have been cured with a multi-drug therapy since the (12) ____ 1980s.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	placed	(b)	place	(c)	places	(d)	placing
2.	(a)	inform	(b)	information	(c)	informative	(d)	informs
3.	(a)	suffer	(b)	sufferer	(c)	sufferers	(d)	suffering
4.	(a)	fear	(b)	frighten	(c)	scary	(d)	afraid
5.	(a)	social	(b)	socially	(c)	society	(d)	sociology
6.	(a)	poor	(b)	poverty	(c)	low-income	(d)	hard up
7.	(a)	after	(b)	following	(c)	behind	(d)	later
8.	(a)	through	(b)	thorough	(c)	though	(d)	trough
9.	(a)	immune	(b)	immunize	(c)	immunized	(d)	immunity
10.	(a)	disabled	(b)	disable	(c)	disability	(d)	disabling
11.	(a)	total	(b)	totally	(c)	totals	(d)	totalled
12.	(a)	advance	(b)	quick	(c)	premature	(d)	early

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	raise awareness about the ssdeeai leprosy
2.	not apssed on by touching leprosy sufferers
3.	They are fdriaa
4.	remote anisdls
5.	often the poorest people in syietoc
6.	asdd to their poverty
Paragraph 2
7.	admne after doctor G.H.A. Hansen
8.	carried in traew vapor
9.	it causes permanent emdgaa
10.	rdeceu life expectancy
11.	this is totally ruenut
12.	people have been eurcd

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	touching leprosy sufferers. For hundreds of years, people have wrongly thought they can catch leprosy through
( 1 )	World Leprosy Day started in 1954 and takes place on January 29th. It aims to raise awareness about the disease
( )	untrue. This is another part of the fiction and social stigma that surrounds the disease. Medicine can prevent the spread
( )	cent. For centuries, people believed leprosy caused parts of the body to fall off, but this is totally
( )	damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. It can cause permanent disability and reduce life expectancy by 50 per
( )	leprosy. In particular, it is an opportunity to inform people that leprosy is a curable disease and is not passed on by
( )	Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s Disease, named after doctor G.H.A. Hansen, who discovered the disease. It is a bacteria
( )	that is carried in water vapor through the air. Most people are naturally immune to the disease but those in poorer
( )	leprosy have been made to live outside of society in special colonies, often on remote islands. Other sufferers
( )	contact with those who have the disease. They are afraid of anyone with leprosy. Because of this, people with
( )	become outcasts in their communities. Leprosy affects millions of people around the world today, often the poorest
( )	of the disease. More than 14 million people have been cured with a multi-drug therapy since the early 1980s.
( )	people in society. Having the disease means they cannot find work, which adds to their poverty.
( )	countries can have weaker immune systems and so have little immunity. If it is not treated, it causes permanent

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	raise leprosy disease the about awareness
2.	is leprosy that people inform disease curable a
3.	anyone leprosy are of with They afraid
4.	their in outcasts become sufferers communities
5.	disease the Having work find cannot they means
6.	in It bacteria carried vapor a is water is that
7.	to immune naturally are people Most disease the
8.	cause It permanent can disability
9.	part the This another of fiction is
10.	million 14 than More cured been have people

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

THE WORLD LEPROSY DAY SURVEY

Write five questions about World Leprosy 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 World Leprosy Day for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

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 World Leprosy Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about World Leprosy 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 World Leprosy Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.