News-based English language activities from the global newspaper
Page 
September 2009
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 guardianweekly.co.uk/learningenglish/. You can also
find more advice for teachers and learners on the site
Materials prepared by Janet Hardy-Gould
Alexandria library serves up wrong food for thought
Fast food fiction? Bibliotheca Alexandrina The Travel Library/Rex Features
Before reading
1
Look at the headline, photo and caption of the
article. Complete the paragraph below with words
from the headline or caption.
The article is about a modern
called the
(a)
(b)
which has been built in the ancient Egyptian city of
. However, some people
(c)
are unhappy about plans for a new
area in the building.
(d)
2 Match these adjective and noun collocations.
secret
1 criticism
a
2 plan
b multinational
3 scandal
c harsh
4 corporation
d brand
5 consumerism
e corruption
brash
6 name
f
Work with a partner. Look at these collocations
and the information in exercise one. What can you
predict about the content of the article?
≥2
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper
Page 
September 2009
Article
Alexandria library serves up
wrong food for thought
1
It was meant to be the library that recaptured the
glories of Alexandria, providing a new home for
the world’s knowledge almost 2,000 years after
its predecessor was burned to the ground. But
whereas the old Egyptian library offered a rich
diet of philosophy and history to the greatest
thinkers of its age, including Euclid, Archimedes
and Herophilus, the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina is attracting harsh criticism for serving up
very different fare.
2 A row has erupted over the decision to build a
food court at the heart of Egypt’s self-proclaimed
“window on the world”, with critics accusing the
Bibliotheca’s trustees of selling out the library’s
venerable legacy for short-term profit. Among
the charges levelled at the $220m Bibliotheca,
which opened seven years ago, is the accusation that secret plans are being hatched to allow
burger chain McDonald’s to open a branch inside
the complex, and that the library is putting brash
consumerism ahead of serious scholarship.
3 Library authorities have denied the claims, insisting the food area is needed for the annual influx of 800,000 visitors.
4 Six companies have got licences to open stores in
the food area and the library insists McDonald’s
is not among them. Sharif Riad, PR director, said
the court was sensitively designed with no logos
visible.
5 But in a country that has seen the presence of
multinational corporations proliferate in recent
years the library’s assurances have left many unconvinced. Commentators link the invasion of
brand names into Egypt’s most sacred cultural
institution with broader ties between capitalists
and politicians and the ensuing corruption
scandals.
6 “I don’t know why everything promising, everything good, in this country must be destroyed
by the government … with their greed and cooperation with the businessmen,” said Zeinobia, a
prominent blogger. Ismail Alexandrani, behind
a 5,000-strong Facebook group vowing “cultural
resistance” to the food court, wrote: “This is
about money, money, money.”
7 The controversy is only the latest in a series of
disputes to hit the Bibliotheca. The library’s
building costs have been criticised as a misuse of
resources in a country with widespread poverty.
The library has also struggled to build up its
collection of books due to a lack of funds.
Jack Shenker, Alexandria
Glossary
food for thought (expression) an idea that makes you
think carefully
fare (noun) food
trustee (noun) a member of a group that controls the
financial affairs of a charity or other organisation
venerable (adjective) when something is respected
because it is old
influx (noun) the sudden arrival of large numbers of
people, money or goods etc
≥3
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper
Page 
September 2009
While reading
1
Read the article. Decide if these sentences are
true (T) or false (F). Underline where you find the
information in the text.
The ancient library in Alexandria no longer exists.
a
The new library was built more than five years
b
ago.
There are definite plans for a McDonald’s in the
c
library.
Visitors will see brand logos in the food court.
d
Critics see the food court as part of wider political
e
problems.
There is an online protest group against the food
f
court.
The library has successfully built up its book
g
collection.
2 Read the article again. Complete the sentences with
words from the article.
a The old library was used by scholars such as …
f Zeinobia has accused the government of …
g The costly library is controversial because Egypt
suffers from …
After reading
1
Complete the table below with abstract nouns and
verbs.
Verb
Noun
invade
(a)
(b)
accusation
assure
(c)
(d)
criticism
co-operate
(e)
(f)
proliferation
resist
(g)
c The authorities say the food court is essential
for the …
(h)
destruction
d At present there are plans for six companies to …
corrupt
(i)
Look back at how the nouns and verbs are used in
the context of the article. Where is the stress in these
words? Check with a dictionary.
b Critics think brash consumerism has replaced the
tradition of …
e There have been corruption scandals because of
links between …
2 Complete the sentences with words from exercise 1.
You may need to change the form of the verbs.
a The government has been
for working too closely with big corporations.
b There have been worrying reports of
among top politicians.
c The spokesman gave a firm
that there would be no visible logos in the library.
≥4
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper
Page 
September 2009
d Bloggers want to stop the food court and they have
.
started a campaign of
e In recent years fast food restaurants have begun to
in many large cities.
the
f Some critics have
trustees of bringing consumerism into the Bibliotheca.
between
g There is positive
groups who are raising money for the library.
Activity — discussion
Decide if you agree [A] or disagree [D] with the statements below. Discuss your ideas in small groups.
Use the space provided for making notes
Sacred cultural institutions should never open
a
shops or cafes within their walls.
d
The uniqueness of a cultural institution could be
destroyed by the presence of multinational restaurants
and shops.
e
It is pure snobbery to say that certain restaurants
shouldn’t be allowed in libraries or museums.
For more images and information on
Bibliotheca Alexandrina go to bibalex.org
b
Visitor attractions need to have places for people
to eat and shop in order to survive financially.
After reading
1 a invasion b accuse c assurance d criticise e cooperation f proliferate g resistance
h destroy i corruption
2 a criticised b corruption c assurance
d resistance e proliferate f accused
g cooperation
While reading
1aTbTcFdFeTfTgF
2 a Euclid, Archimedes and Herophilus.
b serious scholarship.
c annual influx of 800,000 visitors.
d open stores in the food area.
e capitalists and politicians.
f greed and cooperation with businessmen.
g widespread poverty.
Before reading
1 a library b Bibliotheca Alexandrina
c Alexandria d food
2a2b4c1d6e3f5
Answers
c
Most tourists see shops and cafes as an essential
part of their visitor experience.