English Vocabulary Exercises for B2 – Protest

1. Match 1-7 with a-g.

a   a demonstration

b   a petition

c   speeches

d   a rally

e   inequality

f   slogans

g   placards

2. Listen to a conversation between Ewan and Emily. Which of the things below do they mention?

famine      globalisation      global warming      homelessness

immigration      unemployment

3. Listen again. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?

1   Emily is going on a rally this weekend.

2   Ewan signed a petition against climate change.

3   Emily went on a march against a new shopping centre.

4   Ewan doesn’t think protesting will make politicians do anything.

5   Emily thinks companies might act more responsibly if people stop buying their products.

6   Emily thinks that protesting against something is useful.

4. Match the words below with the situations.

corruption      disease      global warming      homelessness

terrorism      unemployment

1   We interviewed Tom, who had been living on the streets for a year. ………………………….

2   All Americans will remember 11 September 2001, when two planes crashed into the World Trade Center. ………………………….

3   Ebola, which is a virus, has killed thousands of people in West Africa. ………………………….

4   A politician from New York, who accepted money from companies in return for changing policies to benefit them, has been sent to prison. ………………………….

5   My brother, Jack, who has got a degree, still hasn’t been able to find a job. ………………………….

6   The weather in the Caribbean, where there have been extremely strong hurricanes, has been the worst on record. ………………………….

5. Complete the sentences with the nouns below.

censorship      famine      gender inequality      immigration

nuclear weapons      racism

1   Banning controversial books is an example of ………………………….

2   The British population has increased because of …………………………. and 12% of UK residents were born outside the country.

3   Although there is less …………………………. today, African Americans still find it more difficult to find jobs than white Americans.

4   Considering how much food we throw away in developed countries, it’s a crime that …………………………. continues to affect a large part of the world’s population.

5   More and more countries have …………………………., and that makes the world more dangerous, not safer.

6   Although …………………………. has been tackled in places like universities, there is discrimination against women in many places.

6. Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs below.

campaign      organise      send      stand      support      vote

I’ve decided to 1………………………… on behalf of an independent candidate for next year’s elections for President. I don’t 2………………………… the policies of either candidate from the two main parties although in the past I have 3………………………… for both parties. I think it’s very brave to 4………………………… for election when you don’t have a big party to help you, and that’s why I’m helping to 5………………………… meetings and rallies so people can hear what our candidate has to say. I’m also 6………………………… emails to the media to invite them to meet him. It’s going to be hard work, but if we don’t try, nothing will change!

Extra exercises

1. Complete the text with suitable verbs about protesting.

Human rights organisations joined together last weekend to hold a ¹ r___________ in support of refugees. The demonstration also gave people the chance to ² p___________ against the government’s lack of action in the current migrant crisis. People made placards to ³ h___________ up during the march and were encouraged to ⁴ s___________ slogans, such as: ‘Say it proud. Say it clear. Refugees are welcome here.’ A meeting was held at the end of the march where participants could ⁵ l___________ to speeches by leading activists. The total number of protesters is still unconfirmed, but around 90,000 people said on Facebook that they ⁶ w___________ on the march.

2. Complete the sentences with the words below.

censorship      corruption      disease      famine

globalisation      homelessness

1   Ebola is a very contagious ………………………… which can spread rapidly from one place to another.

2   ………………………… is the best thing that has ever happened to large multinational companies.

3   The government has recently been involved in a number of scandals involving fraud and …………………………

4   One of the most common approaches to ………………………… is to try to put those affected into shelters.

5   A lack of rain has caused a drought, which will in turn lead to widespread ………………………… in the area.

6   Social networking sites are often prohibited in countries where there is ………………………… of the media.

3. Match the verbs in A with the words in B to make protest collocations. Then complete the sentences.

A     campaign      sign      stand      support      vote      write

B     a campaign      against nuclear power      a petition

       in elections      outside the building      to the council

1   Are you allowed to ………………………… ………………………… yet, or do you have to wait until your next birthday?

2   When my friends and I ………………………… …………………………, we tend to get very involved in it.

3   Why don’t you ………………………… ………………………… if you don’t agree that the local library should be closed?

4   The protesters are going to ………………………… ………………………… until the director comes out to speak to them.

5   Ecology groups often ………………………… …………………………, because they say it harms the environment.

6   This morning, I was asked to ………………………… ………………………… against the proposed new school timetable.