Unit 10 · Workbook

10B. Free speech — Workbook

Extra practice for home study · with answer keys

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A cozy home study desk at dusk with an open notebook, a highlighted newspaper, a mug of tea and headphones

How to use this workbook

  • Try each exercise on paper first — don't peek!
  • Tap Show answer on a single item, or use the big button above to reveal everything.
  • Re-do anything you got wrong the next day.

1. Vocabulary — fixed word pairs

Choose the fixed pair that best completes each sentence.

  1. The negotiators went ___ for six days before reaching a deal.

  2. Democracy demands ___, not just rights.

  3. Before we decide, let's weigh the ___.

  4. My freelance journalism is my ___; the podcast is a hobby.

  5. The truth will come out ___ — it always does.

  6. I heard you ___ — you don't need to shout.

2. Vocabulary — free-speech gap-fill

Complete each sentence with ONE word from the box.

Word bank — drag or tap, then tap a gap
  1. The  drop  decides what you see on your feed — you don't.
  2. The right to publish is written into most modern  drop s.
  3. The newspaper faces a  drop  from the minister it accused of corruption.
  4. TikTok is not just a video app; it's now a serious news  drop .
  5. In a democracy, the  drop  acts as a check on political power.
  6. Deleting a book because it offends someone is a form of  drop .

3. Grammar — A / AN / THE / — (zero)

Choose the correct article.

  1. I want to be ___ journalist.

  2. ___ press has a duty to hold power to account.

  3. She is studying ___ law at university.

  4. He waited for ___ hour outside the courtroom.

  5. ___ United States has a very strong tradition of free speech.

  6. ___ Facebook removed the post within an hour.

  7. I read ___ interesting article yesterday. ___ article was about censorship.

  8. He's in ___ prison for tax fraud.

4. Grammar — spot & fix the mistake

Each sentence has ONE mistake with articles. Rewrite it correctly.

  1. The freedom of speech is a human right.

  2. She is journalist for the Guardian.

  3. I go to the school by bike every day.

  4. Prime Minister gave a speech yesterday.

  5. The France is famous for its cuisine.

  6. He waited for a hour outside the courtroom.

  7. The journalists in general have a hard job.

  8. I read a article you sent me.

5. Grammar — article gap-fill

Complete with A, AN, THE, or — (zero).

Word bank — drag or tap, then tap a gap
  1.  drop  President of  drop  United States gave  drop  press conference.
  2.  drop  Freedom of  drop  press is essential in  drop  democracy.
  3. She's  drop  expert on  drop  media law.
  4. I saw  drop  very interesting documentary about  drop  censorship.
  5.  drop  sun rises in  drop  east, even for  drop  dictators.
  6. He's in  drop  hospital after  drop  accident on  drop  M25.

6. Reading — true / false / not given

Read the short text and mark each statement T, F or NG.

In many democracies, the law tries to balance two values that often pull in opposite directions: freedom of speech and protection from harm. In the United States, the First Amendment offers almost unlimited legal protection for what a person says, with only very narrow exceptions such as direct threats. In most of Europe, by contrast, there are additional laws against certain forms of hate speech, especially where a group's dignity or safety is directly attacked. Neither system is perfect. Critics of the American model argue that unchecked speech can spread real harm, particularly online. Critics of the European model argue that governments have too much power to decide what can and cannot be said. The debate is not, and probably never will be, a black-and-white one.

  1. The First Amendment protects almost all speech in the United States.T  /  F  /  NG
  2. Most European countries have identical laws to the United States.T  /  F  /  NG
  3. Both systems have their critics.T  /  F  /  NG
  4. European laws focus especially on cases where a group is directly attacked.T  /  F  /  NG
  5. The writer thinks the American model is clearly superior.T  /  F  /  NG
  6. The writer thinks the debate has a simple answer.T  /  F  /  NG

7. Writing — a balanced opinion piece (150–180 words)

Choose ONE of the phone-in questions below. Write a short balanced opinion piece: (1) one paragraph FOR, (2) one paragraph AGAINST, (3) a one-sentence personal conclusion. Use at least THREE fixed word pairs, correct articles throughout, and one 'either / neither / both' structure.

Check your writing

  • 150–180 words
  • 3+ fixed word pairs (freedom of speech, rights and responsibilities, pros and cons, law and order, sooner or later…)
  • Correct article use throughout (A / AN / THE / —)
  • One 'either / neither / both' structure
  • Clear FOR / AGAINST / conclusion structure

8. Listening — 'the campus interview' (bonus round)

Read the transcript (audio coming soon — two clearly different voices, no name-introductions). Answer the questions.

🎧 Student union president (Voice A) and visiting professor (Voice B) · audio coming soon — read the transcript below
📄 Full script

A: So — the big question on this campus this week is whether the debating society should have invited last night's speaker at all.

B: My answer is yes, obviously. The whole point of a university is to hear the arguments you disagree with, in a room where you're safe to respond.

A: I hear you loud and clear. But some students say her views cause real harm to people in our community. They're not just uncomfortable — they feel unsafe.

B: I take that seriously. But 'unsafe' has to mean something specific, or it means nothing. If someone is calling for violence, that's a police matter, not a free-speech matter. If someone is defending a policy I hate, that's a debate.

A: The pros and cons here really aren't equal though. She has a national platform. Our members don't.

B: Fair. That's why the answer to bad speech is better speech, not silence. Invite her — and invite two strong opposing speakers on the same panel. Give and take. Rights and responsibilities.

A: What about a speaker who denies, say, a documented genocide?

B: Ah — different case. That's not a debate, it's a lie against the historical record. I'd draw the line there.

A: So even you draw a line.

B: Everyone draws a line. The honest question, always, is who gets to draw it — and by what process.

A: Sooner or later, we're going to have to write that process down.

B: Yes. And probably rewrite it, ten years later. That's the job.

  1. What is the campus arguing about this week?
  2. What is the professor's basic position?
  3. What is the student union president's main worry?
  4. What solution does the professor propose?
  5. Where does the professor say he WOULD draw a line?
  6. What do they both agree the real question is?

9. 🔥 Challenge — headline rewrite

Rewrite each newspaper headline as a normal sentence with all the missing articles.

  1. 1. Court blocks new law on protest

  2. 2. President attacks journalist for asking difficult question

  3. 3. Prime Minister of India visits White House on Tuesday

  4. 4. Study says social media damages young people's mental health

  5. 5. UN calls for immediate ceasefire in region

  6. 6. Freedom of speech under threat in Europe

10. 🔥 Challenge — where would you pause and stress?

For each sentence, choose the version that best shows natural chunking. | = pause. CAPITALS = stressed word.

  1. Freedom of speech is under pressure in almost every country.

  2. It's not the government that decides — it's the algorithm.

  3. Sooner or later, every lie gets found out.

11. Self-check

Tick what you can now do confidently.

  • I choose A / AN by SOUND, not spelling (AN hour, A university).
  • I use THE for unique things and second mention (THE Prime Minister, THE article you sent me).
  • I use ZERO article for general plurals & uncountables (— Journalists, — Freedom of speech).
  • I remember THE with THE USA / THE UK / THE Netherlands but zero for most single countries.
  • I know 6+ fixed word pairs (law and order, pros and cons, sooner or later…).
  • I can chunk a long sentence and stress ONE content word per chunk.