News-based English language activities from the global newspaper Page 1

February 2011
Level ≥ Advanced
Style ≥ Individual or group activities
Welcome to the Guardian Weekly’s special news-based materials to support learners and teachers of
English. Each month, the Guardian Weekly newspaper selects topical news articles that can be used to
practise English language skills. The materials are graded for two levels: Advanced and Lower Intermediate.
These worksheets can be downloaded free from guardian.co.uk/weekly/. You can also find more advice
for teachers and learners from the Guardian Weekly’s Learning English section on the site.
Materials prepared by Janet Hardy-Gould

Alcoholism booms in ‘dry’ Pakistan

Mounting problem ... police with illegal liquor News Pictures/Rex Features

Before reading b If your career

making progress.
, you stop

1 Look at the headline, photo and caption of the c If you a punishment,

article in small groups. From the written and visual you make sure it is done.
information, write four short sentences in your own d If your business , it
words about the current situation in Pakistan. makes a lot of money.
e If you someone, you
2 Verbs from the article. Complete the definitions leave or abandon them.
with the words below. f If you a process, you do
desert, enforce, flourishes, kickstart, relapse, stalls something to make it begin more quickly
a If you as an alcoholic,
you start drinking again.
≥2
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper Page 2

February 2011

residents died, and more went blind, from a

Article bad batch of moonshine. But for the rich, the
Alcoholism booms in ‘dry’ risk is in drinking too much of the good stuff.
Dr Ali has counted bureaucrats, politicians,
Pakistan army generals and even the families of mullahs
among his clients. “That’s our target market.
1 The Pakistani banker told his story nervously.
We call it the golden triangle: rich, educated and
His wife had deserted him, his family was
influential,” he said.
furious, and his career had stalled. “My problem
is whisky,” he said, shaking his head.
8 Treatment is expensive by local standards,
typically costing upwards of $130 a night. Clients
2 The 32-year-old professional was sitting in an
are forced to engage in intense counselling
addiction clinic, hidden down a quiet street in
involving their own relatives. Controversially,
the capital, Islamabad. He had relapsed from
some clinics have engaged in “forceful”
the expensive treatment programme twice
interventions, drugging alcoholics at the
already; now he had been dry for more than three
instigation of desperate relatives to kickstart the
months. “This time it’s for good,” he said, with
cure.
just a glimmer of self-doubt.
Declan Walsh Islamabad
3 Pakistan has been dry for much longer – since
1977 – and drinkers risk severe punishment: 80
lashes of the whip under strict Islamic laws. But
the law is ignored, alcohol is widely available
and, for those who go too far, addiction clinics
offering help are quietly flourishing.

4 “There’s plenty of business,” said Dr Sadaqat

Ali, a leading addiction counsellor whose clinics
treated 500 alcoholics last year. Dr Ali estimates
that 10 million Pakistanis drink alcohol, 1 million
of whom have a problem. “With our culture of
hospitality, it’s hard to say ‘no’,” he said.
5 Demand for alcoholism counselling is so brisk
that many clinics now take out prominent
newspaper ads, some depicting a depressed
man nursing a glass of scotch – a rare public nod
towards a thinly veiled drinking culture.
Glossary
glimmer (noun) a small sign of something
lash (noun) a hit with a whip, given as a punishment
brisk (adjective) very busy; for example, “business is
brisk”
moonshine (noun) strong alcoholic drinks made and
sold illegally
instigation (noun) the act of causing something to
happen or begin

6 The last time a Pakistani drinker received 80

lashes was under the Islamist dictator Zia ul-Haq
in the 1980s; these days the culture has changed.
Former president Pervez Musharraf made little
secret of his fondness for a drink; neither does
his successor, Asif Ali Zardari.

7 The less well-off drink homemade hooch, which

can have a nasty kick: three years ago 50 Karachi ≥3
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper Page 3

February 2011

While reading After reading

1 Read the summary of the article. Work with a 1 Work with a partner. Match these adjective and
partner and guess which number might go in each noun collocations as they appear in the article. Then
gap. Then read the article to check your ideas. check your ideas with the text.
one, two, three, 10, 32, 50, 80, 130, 500, 1977, a illegal 1 punishment
the1980s b severe 2 president
c former 3 standards
The article gives the example of young professional, d nasty 4 liquor
aged (a) , who is attending e intense 5 kick
an alcohol addiction clinic in Pakistan. Although he has f local 6 relatives
relapsed on (b) occasions g desperate 7 counselling
he has stayed dry for over
(c) months. 2 Complete the sentences with the adjective/noun
Drinking alcohol has been illegal since collocations from exercise 1.
(d) and the punishment a The most popular treatment for alcoholics in Pakistan
is (e) lashes of is .
the whip, but this hasn’t been enforced since (f) b In Karachi, the police closed a shop that was selling
. In spite of the law, (g) .
million people consume c often pay clinics large
alcohol and an estimated sums to help their family members.
(h) million have a drink d There is still a for
problem. drinking alcohol – perpetrators could be whipped.
Alcohol addiction is big business. The clinics of one e The of Pakistan was
counsellor saw (i) quite open about his drinking.
patients last year and the typical cost of a night’s stay f Some moonshine can have a
is (j) $ . The situation has and make people very ill.
a very dark side too – (k) g Top addiction clinics are costly by
people died in one town from homemade alcohol. .

2 Read the article again. Write the paragraph numbers
next to the paragraph titles. One title is not needed.
a Expensive, tough and questionable treatment
b A life in ruins
c Public figures show a move in attitudes
d A permanent recovery?
e Drinking no longer hidden in the media
f Legal restrictions which many ignore
g Alcohol consumption and class differences
h Plans to enforce strict laws
i Significant numbers have issues with alcohol
3 Direct and indirect speech
Look at paragraphs 1 and 2. Find five things the
banker said in his story and put them into direct
speech.
Then write five imaginary sentences in direct
speech that the banker might also have said. Swap
the sentences with a partner. They have to write
the sentences in indirect speech and report them to
another student.
What the banker said - direct speech

3 Discuss the question below in small groups with

reference to the text.
What are the similarities and differences between your
country and Pakistan in terms of alcohol problems?

≥4
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper Page 4

February 2011

Activity – writing rules

Work in small groups. Imagine that a young adult
from another country has recently come to stay in
your town. You want to explain the local drinking
laws. Write a list of the restrictions and possible
punishments. For example:
• You have to be 18 to drink alcohol in a bar.
• You’re not allowed to drink in some public places;
you might get fined for this.

Imaginary sentences - direct speech

Pass your lists around. Do you all agree on the

restrictions?

Answers
Before reading
2 a relapse b stalls c enforce d flourishes e desert f kickstart

While reading
1 a 32 b two c three d 1977 e 80 f the 1980s g 10 h one i 500 j 130 k 50
2 a 8 b 1 c 6 d 2 e 5 f 3 g 7 h not needed i 4

After reading
1 a illegal liquor b severe punishment c former president d nasty kick e intense
counselling f local standards g desperate relatives
2 a intense counselling b illegal liquor
c Desperate relatives d severe punishment e former president f nasty kick
g local standards
3 “My wife has deserted me. My family are furious. My career has stalled. I have
relapsed from the treatment programme twice already. I have been dry for more
than three months.”