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GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

TRUMP
RETURNS AS
PRESIDENT
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1 Warm up

How much do you know about US presidential elections? Test your knowledge with the quiz below.

1. How many electoral votes are required to win the US presidential election?

a. 270 b. 300 c. 150

2. Who was the first President of the United States?

a. George Washington b. Theodore Roosevelt c. Joe Biden

3. What symbol represents the Democratic party in the United States?

a. wasp b. star c. donkey

4. What symbol represents the Republican party in the United States

a. daffodil b. elephant c. bear

5. How many presidents have been assassinated while in office?

a. one b. three c. four

6. How many terms are US presidents allowed to serve?

a. one b. two c. five

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2 Focus on vocabulary

Complete the definitions with the given words.

Group A:

conflict known order outcome regain trends university

1. projected (v) - estimated or forecasted based on current or data

2. unprecedented (adj.) - never done or before

3. mandate (n) - an official or commission to do something

4. alma mater (n) - the school, college, or from which one has graduated

5. battleground (n) - an area of intense or competition

6. recapture (v) - take back or control

7. clinch (v) - secure or settle decisively, especially a victory or

Group B:

commentators discomfort formally prominent responsibility sharp violent

1. posts (n) - positions of duty or

2. spike (n) - a sudden, increase

3. taking a backseat (phrase) - becoming less important or in comparison

to something else

4. pundits (n) - experts or who provide opinions

5. pronounced (v) - declared or stated

6. mob (n) - a large crowd of people, often disorderly or in nature

7. sting (n) - a sharp pain or , often used to describe negative effects

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3 Watching for comprehension

Watch the video report about Trump’s victory and answer the following questions.

1. What did Kamala Harris delay doing on election night?

a. announcing her resignation

b. congratulating Trump

c. speaking to her supporters

2. According to Andy Sullivan, when did it appear that Trump had won the election?

a. when he won Pennsylvania

b. when he declared his mandate

c. when he gave his victory speech

3. What was the main factor when people voted?

a. COVID-19 b. the economy c. family values

4. What change in voters helped Trump win?

a. Democrats became unhappy with social policies.

b. Republicans started voting early.

c. Trump got more support from people who normally voted Democrat.

5. Why might the election results have surprised some political analysts?

a. They thought there would be a larger victory.

b. They were surprised by the results in important states.

c. They thought Trump’s career was over after the events of January 6, 2021.

6. Why is the Republican Party in a strong position now?

a. They also control the Senate.

b. They did well with low-income voters.

c. They will have all seats on the Supreme Court.

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4 Focus on vocabulary

Match the words and phrases underlined with the correct definitions.

Group A:

1. She was charged with assault after the altercation at the bar.

2. The documents were falsified to mislead the investigators.

3. After living in the country illegally for years, he faced deportation back to his home country.

4. The latest polls show a close race between the two candidates.

5. Her missteps during the presentation made the whole team nervous.

6. Michigan and Nevada are known as swing states because the outcome of elections often depends
on their vote.

a. surveys used to measure public opinion or predict election outcomes

b. formally accused of committing a crime

c. altered or made false information, typically with the intent to deceive

d. mistakes or errors in judgement or action

e. the official removal of a person from a country, often due to immigration laws

f. states where the outcome of an election is uncertain and can easily change between parties

Group B:

1. He was convicted of theft after the jury reviewed the evidence.

2. The unexpected news sparked a crisis within the company, leading to urgent meetings.

3. The slogan became a rallying cry for those who supported the movement.

4. After consideration, he decided to withdraw from the competition.

5. Thousands of people gathered at the rally to support the candidate.

a. a motivating phrase or slogan used to inspire or unite a group

b. found guilty of a crime in a court of law

c. caused a serious situation that needs immediate attention

d. decide to step out or leave a situation, such as quitting a race or competition

e. a public gathering to show support or make a statement

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5 Reading comprehension
Part A: You will read an article titled "An Eventful Path to the White House". Match the headings with
the correct paragraph.

A) Trump gains support from key donor D) Election results show a divided nation

B) Trump convicted but not facing further trials E) Debate marked by accusations

C) Attempts made on Trump’s life F) Harris runs for office

An Eventful Path to the White House

Key moments in the 2024 election
1
I.

This election has been called the most dramatic in US history, highlighted by one of the candidates withdrawing
from the race. Typically, presidents have a strong advantage when seeking re-election. But following some
missteps, there began to be doubts about Biden’s chances of beating Trump within his own party, and he was
replaced by Kamala Harris. However, that was far from being the only memorable moment on the way to the
election on November 5th.
2
II.

On May 30th, a jury in New York convicted Trump, making him the first former president in US history to be found
guilty of a crime, after he was judged to have falsified business records. The Supreme Court, however, made a
significant decision on July 1st, stating that Trump cannot be charged for certain decisions made in his official role
as president. This meant that another trial was unlikely to take place before the election.
3
III.

On July 13th, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump was shot and wounded in the upper right ear
by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. As security rushed to protect him, Trump raised his fist and shouted,
"Fight, fight, fight." Just nine weeks later, on September 15, a second potential assassination attempt occurred
at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Secret Service agents found 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh
hiding with a rifle. Reports suggested that these incidents sparked a crisis for the Secret Service and provided
Trump with a rallying cry for his re-election campaign.
4
IV.

Weeks after replacing Biden, Kamala Harris took part in a fiery debate with Trump on September 11th. Her
performance gave her a small lead in most polls at that time, and she raised over $1 billion in the three months
following her replacing Biden. One widely discussed moment from the debate came from Trump’s claim regarding
Haitian immigrants: "In Springfield, they are eating the dogs. They are eating the cats." Trump went on to promise
the largest mass deportation of illegal migrants in US history.
5
V.

After Elon Musk announced that he supported Trump, he appeared with him at a rally in the swing state of
Pennsylvania and donated millions to his campaign. The killing of Peanut, an Instagram-famous pet squirrel,
became a surprising campaign issue days before the election. JD Vance, Trump’s now Vice President, questioned
the Department of Environmental Conservation’s actions, suggesting the government should be more focused on
illegal migration, rather than people’s pets.

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6
VI.

Following what has been one of the most eventful election campaigns in US history, the results arguably show a
deeply divided nation. The new president will now have the tough job of bringing the American people together
while dealing with difficult problems at home and around the world.

Sources: BBC, The Guardian

Part B: Read the article again in more detail. Complete the following sentences with ONE or TWO
words.

1. There were from some about Biden’s ability to beat Trump.

2. Although Trump was found guilty, another could not occur before
the election.

3. Two unsuccessful occurred within weeks.

4. JD Vance the killing of an animal that was famous on social media.

5. In the months after she became the party leader, Harris generated significant
.

6. The results perhaps show just how the nation is.

6 Talking point

Discuss the following questions.

1. Given Trump’s victory, how might policies around immigration, healthcare and education shift in
the coming years?

2. What global changes in foreign policy might we expect with Trump back in office?

3. What do you think were the key factors in Trump’s victory?

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7 Speaking practice: roleplay

In pairs, act out the role play, inserting a word from below where there is a gap. All the words have
been used in the lesson.

charged polls rally sparked a crisis swing states

1
John: Hey, Sarah, have you seen the latest ? It looks like the
candidates are really close right now.
2
Sarah: Yeah, I noticed that. It’s crazy how much it comes down to the .
They’re the ones that will really determine who wins.
3
John: Exactly! And I saw that there’s going to be a huge tomorrow
in Michigan. That could be a game-changer, don’t you think?
Sarah: For sure. But I read that tensions are rising. The whole legal situation
4
within the campaign, especially after some of the
recent speeches.
5
John: Right, one of the candidates might actually be with a crime
after some of his comments. It’s getting a bit wild.
Sarah: Yeah, let’s just hope it doesn’t get worse as we get closer to election day.

John: Definitely. Alright, talk soon!

8 Optional extension / homework

Read the clues and fill in the crossword.

Across

2) a public gathering to show support or make a statement

5) secure or settle decisively, especially a victory or outcome

6) a large crowd of people, often disorderly or violent in nature

8) altered or made false information, typically with the intent to deceive

Down

1) estimated or forecasted based on current trends or data

3) formally accused of committing a crime

4) surveys used to measure public opinion or predict election outcomes

7) a sudden, sharp increase

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TEACHER MATERIALS · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

TRUMP RETURNS AS PRESIDENT

Transcripts

3. Watching for comprehension

Donald Trump: This will truly be the golden age of America, that’s what we have to...

Reporter: Republican Donald Trump has claimed victory in the 2024 presidential contest after
Fox News projected that he had defeated his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.
His win would cap a stunning political comeback four years after he left the White
House. He spoke in the early hours of Wednesday at a West Palm Beach, Florida
convention centre.

Donald Trump: This was a movement like nobody’s ever seen before. America has given us an
unprecedented and powerful mandate.

Reporter: In Washington, DC, Harris did not speak to her supporters who had gathered at
her alma mater, Howard University. The vice president’s campaign co-chair told the
crowd Harris would speak publicly on Wednesday. Other news outlets had yet to call
the race for Trump early Wednesday, but he already appeared to be on the verge of
winning after capturing the battleground states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and
Georgia, and holding leads in the other four, according to Edison Research. Reuters
reporter, Andy Sullivan, explains.

Sullivan: In the end, it wasn’t particularly close, Donald Trump easily winning the states
he needs to recapture the presidency, returned to the White House in January,
appearing to clinch it with a victory in Pennsylvania.

Donald Trump: We have taken back control of the Senate.

Sullivan: Trump also will have the Senate on his side. His Republicans won back control of
the Senate. That means he’s going to get the appointments he needs for key posts
in his administration. And think about if there’s another Supreme Court seat that
opens up, he’ll be in a position to fill that as well. The main story here appears to be
inflation in the economy. Voters clearly upset over this topic, and holding it against
the Democrats who are in charge, while we saw that real sharp spike in inflation post-
COVID. Other issues, abortion rights, concern over democracy, that sort of stuff that
Democrats thought would work for them, clearly taking a backseat.

Reporter: Trump went into election day with a 50-50 chance of reclaiming the White House,
a remarkable turnaround from January 6th, 2021, when many pundits pronounced
his political career to be over. That day, a mob of his supporters stormed Congress
in a violent attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. In 2024, Trump
picked up more support from Hispanics, traditionally Democratic voters. He also
won among lower-income households that have keenly felt the sting of inflation
since the last presidential election in 2020, according to exit polls from Edison.

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Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
Discuss the answers as a class and ask follow-up questions. Information taken from:
https://www.britannica.com/quiz/voting-for-the-us-president

1. a. 2. a. 3. c. 4. b. 5. c. 6. b.

2. Focus on vocabulary

5 mins.
Inform students that they should first try to complete the exercise independently, checking the pronunciation of
any challenging words. Additionally, encourage them to provide examples of how to use the vocabulary.
Group A:

1. trends 2. known 3. order 4. university 5. conflict 6. regain 7. outcome

Group B:

1. responsibility 2. sharp 3. prominent 4. commentators

5. formally 6. violent 7. discomfort

3. Watching for comprehension

5 mins.
Students should highlight keywords in the questions before they start. The answers should all reflect what is
stated in the report, rather than students’ opinions.

1. c. 2. a. 3. b. 4. c. 5. c. 6. a.

4. Focus on vocabulary

5 mins.
Explain to students that they should attempt the exercise unaided at first, checking the pronunciation of difficult
words and asking them to give examples.
Group A:

1. → b. 2. → c. 3. → e. 4. → a. 5. → d. 6. → f.
Group B:

1. → b. 2. → c. 3. → a. 4. → d. 5. → e.

5. Reading comprehension

Part A:
5 mins.

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TRUMP RETURNS AS PRESIDENT

Students should look for keywords from the headings and find similar words in the text.

1. F) Harris runs for office 2. B) Trump convicted but not facing further trials
3. C) Attempts made on Trump’s life 4. E) Debate marked by accusations
5. A) Trump gains support from key donor 6. D) Election results show a divided nation
Sources:
https://news.sky.com/story/shocking-moments-from-us-election-campaign-13245965
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/05/us-election-2024-biggest-moments-campaign
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crlnjzzk919o
Part B:
5 mins.
Students should focus on the words surrounding the gap to determine what type of word is needed.

1. doubts 2. trial 3. assassination attempts

4. questioned 5. campaign funds 6. deeply divided

6. Talking point

5 mins.
Monitor the students’ conversations and encourage them to expand on their ideas.

7. Speaking practice: roleplay

5 mins.
If students are stuck, encourage them to look back over the lesson.

1. polls 2. swing states 3. rally 4. sparked a crisis 5. charged

8. Optional extension / homework

10 mins.
Assist students if necessary, giving them clues. The answers again relate to vocabulary and information they have
come across in the lesson.
Across:
2) rally; 5) clinch; 6) mob; 8) falsified;
Down:
1) projected; 3) charged; 4) polls; 7) spike;

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