Welcome to Redheads United
Redheads United is an organisation for redheads
who feel that anti-redhead behaviour should
come to an end. We fail to accept that redhead
jokes are something that we should have to live
with, and we think that this kind of behaviour
(reddism) is no better than racism. We believe
that redheads should be recognised as a minority
group in the UK in the same way as ethnic and
religious minorities.
You’ve also told us how you feel about having
red hair.
Here are some examples from our archive:
1 ______by Alice Lockyer
Growing up a redhead, I began to get the
impression that I must look ‘different’. I was
frequently called ‘Carrot-Top’ and ‘Red’ and
then there was the thing about the temper – the
common idea that redheads have a quick temper.
It’s crazy! I’ve lived all my adult life feeling
terrible about my hair and it doesn’t get any
easier; people still make fun of you even when
you’re older. Maybe they’re right ... I mean,
who could possibly like having pale skin and
getting sun burnt so easily? I wonder if it
happens to Nicole Kidman, too.
2 _____by Ellen Hanceri
I never liked my hair colour, but then, one day,
driving down the road, I happened to look in the
rear-view mirror and suddenly a grey hair was
staring at me right in the face. ‘Oh, no! This
cannot be happening!’ I thought. Instantly, I
became more attached to my red hair and I
certainly didn’t want to lose it! Now, I spend
a fortune on hair dyes to retain that red colour
I so hated. How ironic!
3_____ by Tim Boote
Red hair is rare. The list of red-haired celebrities
is rather short, at least in the USA. However, I
reckon good things have come from red hair.
Red hair is derived from the Celts; thus, most
people with red hair have a Scottish or Irish
background. In fact, among the few places
where you’ll find a lot of redheads are Scotland
and Ireland. People are sometimes prejudiced,
of course, but then you’ll find other people
saying, ‘Wish I had that colour’, which is always
a nice comment – that’s the comment that makes
you really feel good. I mean, at school I used to
get called names, but being the only kid in your
classroom with red hair can also be the coolest
thing. Now I’m a lawyer and I live in a big town,
the town that brought jazz and blues to the world
– New Orleans. I can say that here, having red
hair has never been a problem. I am so proud to
have been born with red hair.
A. Write cognate words:
1. 11.
2. 12.
3. 13.
4. 14.
5. 15.
6. 16.
7. 17.
8. 18.
9. 19.
10. 20.
B. Complete the Cmaps about the reading:
C. Read again and answer:
1. What is Redheads United?
2. Who is proud of his / her hair colour?
3. Who is the most positive about his / her colour?
4. Who is the most negative about his / her colour?
5. How was Alice called?
6. What is the origin of red hair?
7. Where can you find a lot of redheads?
8. Where can you listen to jazz and blues?
II. Write the meaning of:
1. redhead=
2. behaviour=
3. joke=
4. in the same way=
5. temper=
6. rear-view mirror=
7. to stare at=
8. to attach=
9. grey hair=
10.red hair=
11.to lose=
12.hair dye=
13.rather short=
14.at least=
15.to reckon=
16.background=
17.in fact=
18.among=
19.a lot of=
20.to be proud=
III. Complete with a, the or 0.
1. ___ Football is my favourite sport.
2. She lives in ____ caravan. ____ caravan is out of ____
city centre.
3. Tim is ____ lawyer. ____ best lawyer in _____ United
States.
4. I like ____ History. ____ history of my country.
5. ____ French is used in few countries.
IV. Complete:
Country Nationality
1. Chile
2. British
3. Japan
4. Germany
5. Brazilian
6. French
7. Switzerland
8. Peruvian
9. Argentina
10. Chinese
TRY TO DO YOUR BEST!
