Before you read: some questions to help you think about the topic and the words you might need.
What do you know about bullying in high school?
What do you think can or should be done to stop it?
The news in Korea has talked about bullying as a problem in schools. It is not only a problem in Korea, but also in other countries. Unfortunately teenagers can be cruel and can decide to gang up on popular or unpopular students to the point where that student feels victimized and even commits suicide. Well it seems that a student in the U.S. decided to do something about it and took it upon himself to fight bullying in a positive way. As a student that is on the school football team he has sometimes had to read unkind comments. And as a member of the school’s football team, he has learned to have a fighting spirit. A kind of spirit that is needed to keep ones head up when things are not going right in a game. So rather than lashing out at angry hate comments on the net, he decided to set up an online site where other students could post and tweet positive comments. The one rule was that another student had to write something positive. Some students have reported that after reading something positive that was said about them it made their day. The student’s football coach has been very impressed by his attitude of taking a positive angle rather than a negative one, and has decided to promote him to captain of the high school football team. Now it turns out that this student’s idea is spreading and other schools are taking up the idea to promote positive comment sites.
Guessing meaning from context
Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. The answers are below the table.
|
to gang up on |
A |
1 |
Like to challenge things, someone who never gives up or quits |
|
took it upon himself |
B |
2 |
To fight back, to react angrily |
|
a fighting spirit. |
C |
3 |
Many people come together to act unkindly towards one person/s |
|
to keep ones head up |
D |
4 |
To make someone very happy |
|
lashing out |
E |
5 |
To not lose courage |
|
set up |
F |
6 |
To view or do something in a good way, optimistic view, |
|
made their day. |
G |
7 |
To start something new, to organize |
|
a positive angle |
H |
8 |
result |
|
turns out |
I |
9 |
To decide to do something rather than waiting for others. Initiative to start something |
A=3, B=9, C=1, D=5, E=2, F=7, G=4, H=6, I=8
Some discussion questions using the new words to help you better understand the word meaning and how to use them correctly. Try to use the words in your answer.
1. Why do students gang up on others in schools in Korea?
2. Why did the student in the reading take it upon himself to change things?
3. Why would playing football have caused the student to have a fighting spirit?
4. How would you advise a student to keep their head up when they feel others don't like them?
5. What is your opinion of his attitude to not lash out when he felt bullied?
6. Would it be possible to set up something like this where you live?
7. What could you do to make someone’s day with your words?
8. Describe a situation when you took a positive angle in a negative situation.
9. When did you do something different and it turned out very good?
Some example sentences using the new words to help you to better understand their meaning.
1. It can be difficult to not lash out at others when you feel you have been ganged up on.
2. Good learners take it upon themselves to find new ways to learn something.
3. Even though I was not good at science in high school, I had a fighting spirit that I could be the best in my class in science.
4. Great golfers have to keep their heads up when they feel they are failing.
5. A lot of Korean companies have set up offices in growing markets like Vietnam.
6. Learning that I got accepted for the job really made my day.
7. Successful people try to see things from a positive angle and believe things can turn out for the best.
ECK Education
