Close-up p 115. Reported Speech

Do you keep a diary?

Would you like to keep one?

What are the benefits of keeping a diary?


We are going to read a diary. Try to answer these questions:
  • When and where in history was this diary written?
  • What sort of person does this diary belong to? Young or old? Famous or not famous?
  • What’s going on in this person’s life right now?
__________________________________________________________________________
REPORTED SPEECH. Report what the diary writer writes:

ONE
Around 8pm I heard shouts from people's windows. The collective chanting is...





a form of self-empowerment.

 

E.g. He said that around 8 pm he had heard...





TWO
The world is quiet, and the silence is...




horrifying. I live alone, so I can only tell there are other human beings around from...



the occasional noises in the corridor.

 

THREE
Going out makes me feel that I am still...




connected to the world. It's very difficult to imagine how elderly citizens living alone and people with disabilities will get...



through this.

 

FOUR
One of my goals is not to fall 




sick, so I have to make myself exercise. Food is crucial to survival too, so 



I have to know whether there is enough supply.

 

FIVE
Many more people are wearing  




masks. Friends have told me to stock 



up on supplies. Rice and noodles have almost 



sold out.

 

SIX
The government hasn't said how long the lockdown 




will last, nor how we can carry on functioning. People are saying it might 



last until May.

 

SEVEN
After going home, I washed 




all my clothes and took 



a shower. Personal 



hygiene is 



important - I think I am washing my hands 



20 to 30 times a day.

 

EIGHT
On the first day of the lockdown, I couldn't write anything about it on social 




media. Internet censorship has existed for a long time here, but now it feels even more cruel.

_________________________________________________________
I’m sure you’ve guessed the situation. 
This is a diary from a citizen of 


Wuhan, the Chinese city that 



was at the epicentre of the outbreak of 



the new coronavirus. In January 2020, the Chinese government imposed 



a lockdown to prevent an 



epidemic. 



This was the first known instance in modern history of locking down a city the size of London.
 


- Rewrite similar diary entries about your own country, which is experiencing a similar lockdown situation. 

E.g. 
Our government has forbidden us to go out to do sport.

The health authorities have recommended wearing masks

The media insists that we stay at home and be patient.

The security services demand that we follow the rules and regulations


- Make a list all the problems and concerns that people must be experiencing right now.


E.g. Shoppers complain about the lack ...



of toilet rolls.


At 8.00 pm people go out on their balconies to congratulate 



the health services for their efforts. 


Family members remind one another ...



to keep fit.


I admit to...



having the fridge door always open. 


- Which of the things we have mentioned do you find most difficult to deal with

Possibilities include:
  • The fear of falling ill
  • The loneliness
  • Anger
  • The silence of the city
  • Having limited access to outdoors
  • Worrying about friends and loved ones
  • Having to pay such detailed attention to personal hygiene
  • Not knowing how long the lockdown will last
  • Worrying about food supplies
A video from the Wuhan lockdown:

https://youtu.be/t_PSSTP8ROg 


  


Thanks for joining this videoconference.
 Stay safe and have a great weekend.
  :)




 
 

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