English Every Day: Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal

Your Daily English Programme #31 - Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal (Listening C1-C2)

Think Before You Listen

Look at the Newspaper Headline Below: Do you recognize the man in the picture? Do you know the woman in the picture (top middle)? What does the "It was wrong" headline relate to?

Source: Flickr.com

On August 17, 1998, Bill Clinton, the then incumbent president of the United States, admitted in taped testimony that he had an 'improper physical relationship' with the White House intern Monica Lewinsky. He also admitted before the nation that he 'misled people' about the relationship. Nevertheless, it is still debated whether Clinton's affair was an illegal act according to the Constitution of the United States and whether it was right to impeach the president over his personal behavior with Ms. Lewinsky. Was it part of a conspiracy aimed at damaging Clinton's image as a popular and successful Democrat president?

Watch and Listen

Look up the Words below in a dictionary: Then use them to fill in the gaps in the sentences that follow:

immunity - sexual harassment - confession - the press - proof - suspended - scandal - allegations - undeniable - opened up to - prosecution - testimony

mouse over the gaps to see a hint

1. The school had to fire the teacher after news of the child abuse ________ broke out. 2. The prime minister denied any ________ of bribery and fraud in his cabinet. 3. ___  ______ released details of the business transactions between China and Australia. 4. Is flirtation considered an example of _______  ________? 5. Should we accept someone’s ________ when it has been obtained by force? 6. She ______  ___  ___ the court about her affair with a married man. 7. There was no ______ that the man had been murdered on the night of his wedding. 8. She was granted ________ in exchange for testifying against him in court. 9. The dictator will face ________ for war crimes and human rights abuse. 10. Some people believe that there is ________ evidence of UFOs’ existence. 11. The president was prosecuted for giving false _________, not for his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. 12. After they discovered that he hadn’t actually graduated from law school, his license to practice law was _________.

see the first comment below for answers

Watch the Video: As you listen, try and answer the following questions:

Let's Practice

Here Are the Facts of the Story: Listen again and put them in the right order (put a number from 1-10 next to each sentence):

___ Lewinsky joins the White House as an unpaid intern. ___ William Jefferson Clinton becomes president of the United States. ___ Clinton faces a court case as a result of alleged sexual harassment against former employee Paula Jones. ___ Lewinsky’s name starts to appear in gossip columns, and allegations of a sex scandal circulate in the press. ___ Lewinsky claims that five months into her career, she began a sexual relationship with the President. ___ Clinton finally admits to the grand jury that he had an ‘improper physical relationship’ with Lewinsky. ___ The DNA evidence seems undeniable - the semen stains on the dress belong to Bill Clinton. ___ Clinton stays in office until the end of his second term due to the lack of Senate votes to remove the impeached President. ___ Lewinsky opens up to a colleague, Linda Tripp, about her affair with the President. ___ Clinton is impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.

see answers in the first comment

Over to You

- Do you think it was fair to impeach the president for his personal relationship with Ms. Lewinsky?

- Do you think this was part of a conspiracy to damage the image of a popular Democrat president?

- Do you think Mr. Clinton was not only guilty of sexually harassing a White House employee, but also responsible for ruining her planned career path?

(Tell us about your views in the comments below)

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This lesson contained Vocabulary Related to Law & Politics. Take a look at this list of the vocabulary from the lesson HERE

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