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com - P a g e | 1

Gambian President
Announces 4-Day Work
Week
January 2013

Level: Lower-Intermediate +

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news discussion articles/lessons.

CONTENTS

PRE-READING QUESTIONS
Have you ever heard of the Gambia?
What do you think this article will be about?

Before

Page 1

Pre-reading questions
True/False questions

How many hours do you usually work every

week?

TRUE OR FALSE

During

Page 2

Article text
Words, words, words

After

Page 3

Comprehension questions
Discussion questions
Writing activities

Answers

Page 4

1. All public officials in the Gambia will not

work on Friday from February.

T / F

2. The Gambia is the smallest country in the

world.

T / F

3. Schools and other public institutions will

also not be allowed to open on Saturdays or
Sundays.

T / F

4. There are only two countries in the world

which officially have the in the front of their
name.

T / F

5. The country is named after the river with

the same name.

T / F

6. The current president became leader of

the Gambia in the mid-nineties.

T / F

Gambian President Announces 4-Day Work Week January 2013 EnglishNewsLessons.com

EnglishNewsLessons.com - P a g e | 2
TEXT

Free English English Dictionary

Visit www.englishnewslessons.com/dictionary

The President of Gambia Yahya Jammeh has

announced that Friday will officially be a day off
for public officials starting on February 1st. The
Gambia is in West Africa and is the smallest
country on the mainland. It is a popular place for
European tourists to visit. In a statement, the
President said that he made the decision
because of demand from the general public, and
that this new arrangement will allow Gambians
to devote more time to prayers, social activities
and agriculture. The population of Gambia is
around 1.8 million, and, according to Wikipedia,
around 90 per cent of the population is Sunni
Muslim.
The work day will start at 8am and finish at 6pm
on Monday Thursday, and Friday will be a day
of rest along with Saturday and Sunday.
However, the official statement added that
schools, banks and all affected institutions are
free to work on Saturdays to compensate for the
Fridays. The Gambia, which is also sometimes
called just Gambia, is one of only two countries
that should be referred to using the, according
to the CIA World Factbook and the Times
Comprehensive Atlas: The other country is The
Bahamas. The Gambia is named after the
Gambia River which flows through the centre of
the country.
Jammeh became president of the country in
1994 after a coup dtat. Jammah led the coup
because of allegations of corruption against the
government at the time. Activists have said that
Jammeh is guilty of human rights abuses during
his time as president. In August 2012, his
government killed nine prisoners who were on
death row. Another 38 executions were planned,
but have been suspended after pressure from
other countries. The government said that they
will still kill the remaining criminals if the crime
rate continues to increase. Sources: Reuters, Wikipedia,
News24.com

for a free online learners dictionary to help

find any new words or phrases that you dont
know.
Choose from both American and British
English dictionaries.

Words, words, words

Choose the correct meaning for the words in
bold below. Use the text to help you.
1. Mainland
a. A country considered as a group of people with the
same language, culture and history, who live in a
particular area under one government.
b. The main area of land of a country, not including
any islands near it.
c. One of the large land masses of the Earth, such as
Europe, Asia, etc.
2. Agriculture
a. Activities in which people meet each other for
pleasure.
b. To speak to God, especially to give thanks or ask
for help.
c. The science or practice of farming.
3. Coup dtat
a. A sudden change of government that is illegal and
often violent.
b. A group of people who are responsible for
controlling a country or state.
c. To take control of a place or situation, often
suddenly and violently.
4. Execution
a. To officially stop something or to arrange for
something to happen later than planned.
b. Dishonest or illegal behavior, especially of people
in authority.
c. The act of killing somebody, especially as a legal
punishment.
The definitions are adapted from the Oxford Advanced Learners
Online Dictionary.

Gambian President Announces 4-Day Work Week January 2013 EnglishNewsLessons.com

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COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. How many people live in the Gambia?
2. What time will public officials leave work on
Mondays through Thursdays?
3. How many people did the government
execute in August 2012?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Do you think that a 4-day work week is a

WRITING / IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION

Choose one of the topics below and write a
page-long answer. (Alternatively you can
discuss the topic in groups).
A. Describe an unusual or exotic vacation you
have taken. You can think about:

good idea? Why?

2. If you had an extra day off every week, what
would you use it for?
3. How many hours do people usually work
each week in your country? How many
hours do you think is a good amount to work?
4. Which country do people from your country
usually visit on vacation?
5. What is the best place to go on vacation in
your country? Why?
6. How would you feel if your government

B. Some people believe that the length of the

work week should be reduced to reflect modern
society. People need more time to spend with
their families and for social activities. How far
do you agree with the statement? You can
think about:

gave you Fridays off, but you had to work

on Saturdays instead? Is it better to have 2

days off in a row? Why?

7. How would an extra day off every week
benefit your country?
8. Are you for or against the execution of
prisoners? Why?
9. What other punishments do you think are
suitable for people who commit very serious
crimes?
10. What do you think other countries should do
if leaders abuse human rights? Do you think

Where did you go?

Who did you go with?
What was unusual about the vacation?
What is the most memorable experience
from the trip?

How many days do you think people should

work every week?
What would be the effects of reducing the
work week?
Do you think people can work more
efficiently if they have more rest time?
Would you like the work week to be
changed, or to remain the same as it is now?

C. Capital punishment is a good way to keep

the levels of violent crime down. Without capital
punishment society is more dangerous. To
what extent do you agree with the statement?
You can think about:

it is the responsibility of other countries to

try and stop it? How?

Are there any advantages of capital

punishment?
What alternatives can you think of to capital
punishment?
What are the main arguments against
capital punishment?
What is your opinion of capital punishment?

Gambian President Announces 4-Day Work Week January 2013 EnglishNewsLessons.com

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ANSWERS
True/False Page 1
1. T

2. F

3. F

4. T

5. T

6. T

Words, words, words Page 2

1. B

2. C

3. A

4. C

Comprehension Questions Page 3

1. 1,800,000 (approximately)
2. 6pm
3. Nine

Gambian President Announces 4-Day Work Week January 2013 EnglishNewsLessons.com