ESL Holiday Lessons.com: International Panic Day

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

Are you a panic? Do you panic easily? Are you ever in a blind panic? Do you suffer from panic attacks? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, then there is a special day for you. June 18 is International Panic Day. It is a day when it is OK to be worried and concerned and run around panic-stricken. No one really knows where this day originated, but it seems a good idea to have a day when we can all freak out. Or maybe it’s a day when we tell others not to panic. “Don’t panic. Do NOT hit the panic button. Do not hit panic stations. The world is not about to end!” I’m sure this will calm down your panicking and panicky friends. It is strange that all previous International Panic Days have gone so smoothly.

So what is panic, exactly? It is a sudden, uncontrollable fear or anxiety that makes us lose our ability to think normally. Panic takes over our mind and makes us behave in a frightened way. We typically panic in dangerous situations such as earthquakes or at the sound of gunfire. Panic can spread very quickly. We see this where there are large crowds of people and something happens to create panic. Soon there is a stampede, which can be fatal. People also panic if they think they are going to lose money. We read all the time about ‘financial’, ‘stock market’ and ‘economic’ panic. We see people in a panic every day, rushing to meet a deadline or trying to find a lost document on a messy desk. What’s the best way to act in a panic situation?

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

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	in a blind	a.	stricken
2	run around panic-	b.	and panicky friends
3.	No one really knows where	c.	out
4.	a day when we can all freak	d.	panic
5.	Do not hit the	e.	this day originated
6.	calm down your panicking	f.	panic button

Paragraph 2

1.	uncontrollable fear	a.	are going to lose money
2	lose our ability to	b.	a deadline
3.	the sound	c.	or anxiety
4.	People also panic if they think they	d.	panic every day
5.	We see people in a	e.	think normally
6.	rushing to meet	f.	of gunfire

LISTENING GAP FILL

Are you a panic? Do you panic easily? Are you _______________ panic? Do you suffer from panic attacks? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, _______________ special day for you. June 18 is International Panic Day. It is a day when it is OK to be worried and concerned _______________ panic-stricken. No one really knows where this day originated, but it seems a good idea to have a day when _______________. Or maybe it’s a day when we tell others not to panic. “Don’t panic. Do NOT hit the panic button. Do not hit panic stations. The world is not about to end!” I’m _________________ down your panicking and panicky friends. It is strange that all previous International Panic Days have _______________.

So what is panic, exactly? It is a sudden, uncontrollable _______________ that makes us lose our ability to think normally. Panic takes over our mind and _______________ in a frightened way. We typically panic in dangerous situations such as earthquakes or at the _______________. Panic can spread very quickly. We see this where there are large crowds of people and something happens to create panic. Soon there is a stampede, _______________. People also panic if they think they are going to lose money. We read all the time about ‘financial’, ‘stock market’ and ‘economic’ panic. We see people _______________ day, rushing to meet a deadline or trying to find a lost document _________________. What’s the best way to act in a panic situation?

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

Are you a __________? Do you panic easily? Are you ever in a blind panic? Do you __________ from panic attacks? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, then there is a __________ day for you. June 18 is International Panic Day. It is a day when it is OK to be worried and concerned and __________ around panic-stricken. No one really knows where this day originated, but it seems a good idea to have a day when we can all __________ out. Or maybe it’s a day when we tell others not to panic. “Don’t panic. Do NOT hit the panic __________. Do not hit panic stations. The world is not about to end!” I’m sure this will calm down your panicking and panicky friends. It is __________ that all previous International Panic Days have gone so __________.

button
suffer
run
smoothly
panic
strange
special
freak

So what is panic, exactly? It is a sudden, uncontrollable fear or anxiety that makes us __________ our ability to think normally. Panic takes over our mind and makes us behave in a frightened way. We __________ panic in dangerous situations such as earthquakes or at the sound of gunfire. Panic can __________ very quickly. We see this where there are large __________ of people and something happens to create panic. Soon there is a stampede, which can be __________. People also panic if they think they are going to lose money. We read all the time about ‘financial’, ‘stock market’ and ‘economic’ panic. We see people in a panic every day, __________ to meet a deadline or trying to find a lost document on a __________ desk. What’s the best way to act in a panic __________?

typically
crowds
messy
spread
situation
lose
rushing
fatal

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

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

Are you a panic? Do you panic easy / easily? Are you ever in a blind panic? Do you suffer from panic attacks? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, then there is a special day by / for you. June 18 is International Panic Day. It is a day when it is OK to be worried and concerned and run round / around panic-stricken. No one really knows where this day originated / origins, but it seems a good idea to have a day when we can all freak in / out. Or maybe it’s a day when we tell others not to panic. “Don’t panic. Do NOT hit the panic zip / button. Do not hit panic stations. The world is not about to ending / end!” I’m sure this will calm down your panicking and panicky friends. It is strange that all early / previous International Panic Days have gone so smoothly.

So what is panic, exact / exactly? It is a sudden, uncontrollable fear or anxiety that makes us lose our able / ability to think normally. Panic takes over / under our mind and makes us behave in a frightened way. We typically panic on / in dangerous situations such as earthquakes or at the sound of gunfire. Panic can spread very quickly. We see this where there are large crowds with / of people and something happens to create panic. Soon there is a stampede, which can be fatal. People also panic if they think they are going to lost / lose money. We read all the time about ‘financial’, ‘stock market’ and ‘economic’ panic. We see people in / with a panic every day, rushing to meet a deadline or trying to find a lost document on a messy desk. What’s the best way to act / action in a panic situation?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Are you a panic? Do you panic easily? Are you ever in a (1) ____ panic? Do you suffer from panic attacks? If the answer (2) ____ any of these questions is ‘yes’, then there is a special day for you. June 18 is International Panic Day. It is a day when it is OK to be worried and concerned and run (3) ____ panic-stricken. No one really knows where this day originated, but it seems a good idea to have a day when we can all freak (4) ____. Or maybe it’s a day when we tell others not to panic. “Don’t panic. Do NOT hit the panic button. Do not hit panic stations. The world is not (5) ____ to end!” I’m sure this will calm down your panicking and panicky friends. It is strange that all previous International Panic Days have (6) ____ so smoothly.

So what is panic, (7) ____? It is a sudden, uncontrollable fear or anxiety that makes us lose our ability to think normally. Panic takes (8) ____ our mind and makes us behave in a frightened way. We typically panic in dangerous situations such as earthquakes or at the (9) ____ of gunfire. Panic can spread very quickly. We see this where there are large crowds of people and something happens to create panic. Soon there is a stampede, which can be (10) ____. People also panic if they think they are going to lose money. We read (11) ____ the time about ‘financial’, ‘stock market’ and ‘economic’ panic. We see people in a panic every day, (12) ____ to meet a deadline or trying to find a lost document on a messy desk. What’s the best way to act in a panic situation?

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	deaf	(b)	mute	(c)	blind	(d)	numb
2.	(a)	to	(b)	at	(c)	with	(d)	for
3.	(a)	round	(b)	around	(c)	rounded	(d)	roundabout
4.	(a)	in	(b)	out	(c)	up	(d)	down
5.	(a)	around	(b)	roughly	(c)	about	(d)	more or less
6.	(a)	come	(b)	arrived	(c)	made	(d)	gone
7.	(a)	exactly	(b)	exact	(c)	exacts	(d)	exacted
8.	(a)	under	(b)	along	(c)	with	(d)	over
9.	(a)	audio	(b)	volume	(c)	sound	(d)	hear
10.	(a)	fatally	(b)	fatal	(c)	fatality	(d)	fatalistic
11.	(a)	all	(b)	every	(c)	whole	(d)	entire
12.	(a)	rush	(b)	rushes	(c)	rush hour	(d)	rushing

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	Do you panic asleiy?
2.	the nwrsea to any of these questions
3.	is OK to be oerdrwi
4.	run ounadr panic-stricken
5.	The ldwor is not about to end
6.	gone so olsmyhot
Paragraph 2
7.	uncontrollable fear or tyexian
8.	lose our ability to think nyoarllm
9.	the sound of geiurfn
10.	large rscwod of people
11.	rushing to meet a addeieln
12.	a panic istioutna

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	originated, but it seems a good idea to have a day when we can all freak out. Or maybe it’s a day when we tell others not
( )	previous International Panic Days have gone so smoothly.
( )	quickly. We see this where there are large crowds of people and something happens to create
( )	it is OK to be worried and concerned and run around panic-stricken. No one really knows where this day
( )	So what is panic, exactly? It is a sudden, uncontrollable fear or anxiety that makes us lose our ability to think
( )	dangerous situations such as earthquakes or at the sound of gunfire. Panic can spread very
( )	panic. Soon there is a stampede, which can be fatal. People also panic if they think they are going to lose
( )	money. We read all the time about ‘financial’, ‘stock market’ and ‘economic’ panic. We see people in a panic every day,
( 1 )	Are you a panic? Do you panic easily? Are you ever in a blind panic? Do you suffer from panic attacks? If the answer to
( )	to panic. “Don’t panic. Do NOT hit the panic button. Do not hit panic stations. The world is not
( )	any of these questions is ‘yes’, then there is a special day for you. June 18 is International Panic Day. It is a day when
( )	normally. Panic takes over our mind and makes us behave in a frightened way. We typically panic in
( )	rushing to meet a deadline or trying to find a lost document on a messy desk. What’s the best way to act in a panic situation?
( )	about to end!” I’m sure this will calm down your panicking and panicky friends. It is strange that all

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

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

1.	blind a in ever you Are panic?
2.	is a day when it is OK to be worried It
3.	day not when to we panic tell a others
4.	to The is about end world not
5.	and friends down panicking panicky calm your
6.	sudden a is anxiety or fear uncontrollable ,
7.	in panic typically We situations dangerous
8.	going are they think they money lose to
9.	panic a in people see We day every
10.	to act in a panic situation What’s the best way?

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 INTERNATIONAL PANIC DAY SURVEY

Write five questions about International Panic 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 Panic 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 International Panic Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

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