[1]

A homeless man who has lived on the streets of Cleveland, USA for years, has shot to fame, after a clip of his mellifluous radio voice went viral on the internet.

Ted Williams, was filmed by a local cameraman holding a cardboard sign that read: “I’m an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times”. Williams is seen in the video asking for money in exchange for a quick blast of his “God-given voice”. Now that the video has had millions of hits on YouTube, Williams, has become an overnight sensation.

[2]

He has spent today appearing on talk shows across America, sporting a new haircut and a smarter appearance than on the clip that made him famous.

Since his story broke, he has received numerous job offers from big broadcasting names including ESPN, MTV, ABC, CBS and CNN, and The Cleveland Cavaliers. Williams has been on the streets for years and has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years.

[3]

The story of the “homeless man with the golden pipes” has lifted the spirits of a recession-hit nation in the week that it has returned to work after the Christmas holidays. However, the instant hero has attracted so much attention that reporters have started digging into his background and they have discovered that Williams has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years and has pressed the self-destruct button previously in his life. Asked if the media storm around him may cause him to relapse into addiction, he said, “I’m going to meetings and I have called my sponsor.”

[4]

Accusations have also surfaced that Williams acted as a pimp during his years on the streets. In response, Williams said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover – everyone has their own little story. I’m just so thankful. God has blessed me deeply. I’m getting a second chance. Amazing.” There are fears though that Williams will not be able to cope with his new status as an instant hero.

They say that he will be a flash in the pan and his fairytale story is being used by the media to reinforce American Dream propaganda, at a time when America is in serious economic difficulties and the gap between the rich and poor is rapidly increasing.

Read the short article, then answer the questions!

A homeless man who has lived on the streets of Cleveland, USA for years, has shot to fame, after a clip of his mellifluous radio voice went viral on the internet.

Ted Williams, was filmed by a local cameraman holding a cardboard sign that read: “I’m an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times”. Williams is seen in the video asking for money in exchange for a quick blast of his “God-given voice”. Now that the video has had millions of hits on YouTube, Williams, has become an overnight sensation.

He has spent today appearing on talk shows across America, sporting a new haircut and a smarter appearance than on the clip that made him famous.

Since his story broke, he has received numerous job offers from big broadcasting names including ESPN, MTV, ABC, CBS and CNN, and The Cleveland Cavaliers. Williams has been on the streets for years and has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years.

The story of the “homeless man with the golden pipes” has lifted the spirits of a recession-hit nation in the week that it has returned to work after the Christmas holidays. However, the instant hero has attracted so much attention that reporters have started digging into his background and they have discovered that Williams has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years and has pressed the self-destruct button previously in his life. Asked if the media storm around him may cause him to relapse into addiction, he said, “I’m going to meetings and I have called my sponsor.”

Accusations have also surfaced that Williams acted as a pimp during his years on the streets. In response, Williams said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover – everyone has their own little story. I’m just so thankful. God has blessed me deeply. I’m getting a second chance. Amazing.” There are fears though that Williams will not be able to cope with his new status as an instant hero.

They say that he will be a flash in the pan and his fairytale story is being used by the media to reinforce American Dream propaganda, at a time when America is in serious economic difficulties and the gap between the rich and poor is rapidly increasing.

Choose the correct word or phrase for each blank.

The giant panda is a bear that lives in central China. It is special because of its black and white fur. Pandas belong to the most (1) ___ species of our world. About 2000 pandas live in the wilderness and 300 live in (2) ___ zoos around the world. Recently, there have been (3) ___ in many countries to save the giant panda. The animal has been driven away from its natural habitat because of deforestation, intensive farming, and the creation of new (4) ___.

The giant panda can reach a height of up to 1.5 metres and weigh up to 150 kg. Pandas have bodies like bears, but scientists do not know why they grow a thick black and white (5) ___. It keeps them warm during the cold winter months and the white colour protects them from possible enemies in the snow-covered mountains in which they live. Pandas have large teeth, which they need to eat bamboo, their (6) ___ food. Because it is low in nutritional value it does not give pandas much energy to move around for longer periods of time.

Giant pandas can live up to 20 years in the wilderness and 30 years in zoos. They start (7) ___ between 4 and 8 years of age. When panda cubs are born, they are very tiny, only about a thousandth the size of the mother, and blind. Like all mammals, they get their food from their mother, whom they stay with for up to three years before being able to (8) ___ alone.

Pandas have been an important (9) ___ throughout history. They first became known in the Western world during the middle of the 19th century. In the 1960s, the Chinese government (10) ___ it had to do something to protect the giant pandas from becoming (11) ___. Since then they have set up 40 reserves in which the animals are protected.

In the 1970s, pandas played a role in the opening of Communist China to the West. They were sold to zoos in other countries. Today, about 45 pandas live in zoos outside China. Zoologists are putting millions of dollars into (12) ___ the animals in captivity. When they get older, they are released again into their natural habitat.