Vocabulary 



1. Mob (Noun)
/mɑːb/ :a large crowd, especially one that is violent or difficult to control
Ex: A mob gathered outside Parliament to protest the new law.


2. Storm (verb)
/stɔːm/ :to suddenly attack and capture somewhere
Ex: Over 100 US soldiers stormed the enemy base.


3. Excuse (verb)
/ɪkˈskjuːz/: to justify someone's bad behaviour by finding reasons for it
Ex: I know she is only a child, but that doesn't excuse her bad behaviour.


4. Permanently (adv)
/ˈpɜːrmənəntli/: in a way that lasts forever
Ex: My grandparents have decided to move to Florida permanently.


5. Evacuate (verb)
/ɪˈvækjuːˌeɪt/: to leave or make people leave a place or area because it is dangerous.
Ex: The fire alarm went off and everyone evacuated the building.


Article 




Congress has confirmed Joe Biden as the winner of the US presidential election. The confirmation had been delayed when a mob loyal to President Trump stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to keep Trump in the White House.

On January 6, protesters fought past police and entered the Capitol Building, shouting and waving Trump and American flags as they marched through the halls while lawmakers were temporarily evacuated.

A woman was shot and killed by police as she joined a crowd breaking down the doors to a room with officers inside. City police said three other people died from "medical emergencies" during the long protest on and around the Capitol grounds.
The protesters were encouraged by Trump, who has spent weeks attacking the election results, and had told his supporters to come to Washington to protest Congress' formal approval of Biden's victory.

At a rally in Washington that morning, the president encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol, and he spent much of the afternoon watching the violence on television. After being asked by his staff, Trump wrote two tweets and made a video telling his supporters it was time to "go home in peace" — but he still said he believed the election had been stolen and supported their cause.

Hours later, Twitter for the first time locked Trump's account, demanded that he remove tweets excusing violence and threatened to ban him permanently.

Congress returned in the evening, with lawmakers speaking out against the protests and promising to finish confirming the Electoral College vote for Biden's election, even if it took all night.

As Vice President Mike Pence reopened the Senate, he said to the mob: "You did not win."

Lawmakers finished their work before dawn on January 7, with Pence announcing the total: 306-232 for Biden.



Trump, who had refused to admit that he had lost the election, said immediately after the vote that there will be a smooth change of leadership on January 20. However, he wrote on Twitter that he did this "even though I totally disagree."


Discussion


1. What are your thoughts on the pro-Trump mob storming the US Capitol?

2. Why do you think Trump has refused to admit that he lost the election?

3. Do you think there will be a "smooth change of leadership" on January 20?

4. What do you know about Joe Biden? Do you think he'll be a good president?

5. Do you think Twitter should permanently ban Trump? Why? Why not?
Further Discussion


Further Discussion

1. Do you often read news articles about US politics? Why? Why not?

2. When was the last time you met someone from the US?

3. What are your thoughts on former President Obama?

4. Which world leaders would you most like to meet? Why?