Please read the following slowly to the class. Stop at the underlined words. Give the students time to write the missing words, but don’t repeat the word for them. This is a listening activity.

Cloze Notes – Put these in your NOTES

Background on the cold war

In 1949 the Soviet Union broke the U.S. nuclear monopoly by building an atomic bomb. The United States responded by testing the first hydrogen bomb in 1952. The Soviet Union followed suit one year later. Both countries continued developing more lethal and more expensive weapon systems. Some credit the arms race for bringing about the fall of the Soviet Union’s communist system-by bankrupting it.

Ray Bradbury

When Ray Bradbury was asked about predicting future events and future technological inventions in his writing, he responded, “That’s not my business. My business is to prevent the future.” In other words, throughout his career, Bradbury has tried to guide his readers toward a future that is more humane.

At age twelve, Bradbury began writing stories on a toy typewriter. In his early days as a writer, he wrote about ghosts and dinosaurs, growing up in the Midwest, and going to Mars.

Please read the following slowly to the class. Stop at the underlined words. Give the students time to write the missing words, but don’t repeat the word for them. This is a listening activity.

Cloze Notes – Put these in your NOTES

Background on the _________

In _________ the Soviet Union broke the U.S. _________monopoly by building an atomic________. The United States responded by testing the first hydrogen ________in 1952. The Soviet Union followed suit one year later. ________countries continued developing more lethal and more ________ weapon systems. Some credit the arms race for bringing about the ________ of the Soviet Union’s communist system-by bankrupting it.

Ray Bradbury

When Ray Bradbury was asked about _________ future events and future technological inventions in his ________, he responded, “That’s not my business. My business is to prevent the ________.” In other words, throughout his career, Bradbury has tried to ________ his readers toward a future that is more humane.

At age________, Bradbury began writing stories on a ________ typewriter. In his early days as a_______, he wrote about ghosts and dinosaurs, growing up in the________, and going to Mars.