Mobile phone protest

Students in a school in Canada walked out of lessons to protest about the actia of their headteachcr. They said the headteacher had broken the law and violate their rights.

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The headteacher had installed a mobile phone jammer* within the school. Th jammer stops signals from reaching mobile phones, so it stopped all the studenc mobile phones from working.

Teachers at the school claim* that students using mobile phones in lessons - especially for texting — has become a major problem. In 2007 the school banne students from taking phones into the classroom.

But teachers say they were each still having to confiscate two or three phone a day because students were ignoring the rule and texting in class. The teacher- say this was very annoying because it was disrupting* lessons.

It took two days for pupils to work out that a jammer was the reason the: phones weren’t working. A group of the students used the internet to find ou about the use of mobile phone jammers. They found a reference to a law calle the Canada Radiocommunications Act. This law says it’s illegal to use an device that blocks people’s mobile phone signals.

The students then held a protest rally against the use of the jammer. As soo as the headteacher learnt it was illegal, he switched the jamming device off. H said he was impressed by the way the pupils had done their research into th Radiocommunications Act.

Mobile phones in school classrooms cause a lot of arguments. Many studen' say it is their right to have them wherever they want. Some parents say the want to be able to contact their children. But many teachers say they can’t teac lessons when there are so many disruptions from using mobile phones.

2. The author says that mobile phones in classroom can lead to disturbance at the lesson. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. What made the headteacher switch off the mobile phone jammer?

4. Why did the headteacher decide to install the jammer?

Not all teachers think mobile phones should be banned, though. Many say th best action would be to educate students on when it’s appropriate to use mobii phones.

: :~e review and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

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Pride and Prejudice*, an interesting and enjoyable new film has been released. It is based on Jane Austen’s famous 1813 novel. Jane Austen (1775—1817) lived in and around Hampshire in the South of England where her father was a clergyman*. Many films and television adaptations of Pride and Prejudice have been made before.

Pride and Prejudice is about the Bennet family. In 1813, English ‘ladies’ from good families do not go to work but Mr and Mrs Bennet are short of money. So the only hope for their five teenage daughters is to marry rich men.

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Mr Darcy (played by Mathew MacFayden) is one of Britain’s wealthiest men and Pemberley, his country house, is fabulous. Jane Austen was thinking of Chatsworth, real-life home of the Duke of Devonshire in Derbyshire, and part of the film was made there.

Unfortunately, Mr Darcy seems rude and uninterested in the Bennet girls. Gradually however, Elizabeth, the second Bennet daughter (Keira Knightley) realises that she likes Mr Darcy.

Mr Bennet (Donald Sutherland) and Mrs Bennet (Brenda Mulligan) are both, in their different ways, rather unwise parents and there’s a near disaster when Lydia Bennet Qena Malone) rebels*.

Joe Wright, the director of this excellent new film shows us what life would really have been like for a family like the Bennets in early nineteenth century England. They have farm animals, laundry hanging outside and, compared with neighbours such as Mr Bingley (Simon Woods) of Netherfield Hall, their house is small and old.

The acting is fine too. Keira Knightley, as Elizabeth, shows very clearly in her face what she is thinking. Donald Sutherland, a Canadian actor seems a rather odd choice for Mr Bennet though and he looks a bit scruffy. Dame Judi Dench, as the witch-like Lady Catherine de Bourgh is so horribly patronising that she is funny.

This new version of Pride and Prejudice is fast-moving and colourful. The music is good too, especially in the ballroom scenes. Once you’ve seen and enjoyed it you will probably want to read (or re-read) Jane Austen’s book.

Pride and Prejudice. Working Title Films. Duration: 127 minutes

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-tbof says what the film is about. Find this extract and read it aloud. : :es the director want to show in the film?

: '-r -- s film be interesting for the viewer?

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