"Become scientists, PM Tony Blair urges young"

Just imagine the government had asked you to become a scientist. What would you say? How important are scientists? In England, Mr Blair, who confessed he had been a poor science student at school, wants more young people to become scientists. He also said that science has an important role in delivering prosperity for the future.
We all know science has triggered social development. But we all know that the same scientific knowledge can be used to kill, mime, threaten, scare, terrorise,....

Read this BBC News text.

“Britain must encourage young people who want to "change the world" to become scientists, Prime Minister Tony Blair has said. He stressed the importance of Britain's knowledge-based economy and said that, to keep it competitive, more scientific pioneering was needed.
Mr Blair said funding for research had increased since Labour came to power. But the Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne, accused the government of "stifling" scientific innovation.
In the latest of a series of speeches setting out what he sees as the key challenges facing Britain in the decades ahead, Mr Blair focused on the central role of science in delivering prosperity for the future.
He told an audience in Oxford that he had always stood up for and defended scientists and that he would continue to do so.
Mr Blair admitted that he was a poor science pupil at school. (…) He called for better links between universities and business and said scientists should be revered as much as sports personalities.”

A. True (T)? False (F)? No information (NI)?

1. Mr Blair was speaking in London. __
2. The Prime Minister spoke before an audience of schoolchildren. __
3. At school Mr Blair was not good at science. __
4. Mr Blair believes scientists can change the world. __
5. According to the Tony Blair, Britain needs more scientific knowledge to be competitive. __
6. Mr Blair and Mr Osborne agree on funding for research. __
7. Mr Blair has been speaking about the main challenges for the future of Great Britain. __
8. Renewable sources of energy is one of those challenges. __
9. Mr Blair said he has always supported scientists. __
10. Universities and businesses must work better. __
11. In his view, sports personalities get more attention than scientists in Britain. __
12. In his opinion, scientists get the same attention as sports personalities in Britain.__

B. Rewrite in the passive voice.

a. Britain must encourage young people to become scientists.
Young people .................................

b. We must keep Britain’s economy competitive.
Britain’s economy ......................

c. George Osborne accused the government of "stifling" scientific innovation.
The government ..........................

d. We don’t revere scientists as much as (we revere) sports personalities.
Scientists ...........................

e. He said that he had always defended scientists.
He said that scientists .......................

C. Based on the text above, make a short version of the Prime Minister’s speech.

D. Do you want to read the whole BBC text?