Former President of Botswana Dies

May 8, 2026, 20:42
AfricaPolitics

Introduction

The government of Botswana says that former President Festus Mogae died. He was 86 years old.

Main Body

Festus Mogae was the president from 1998 to 2008. He used money from diamonds to help the country. Botswana became rich and stable under his lead. He also helped sick people. He gave free medicine to people with HIV/AIDS. This saved many lives in Botswana. After he was president, he helped other countries find peace. He won a big prize in 2008 because he was a good leader.

Conclusion

President Duma Boko says the country will be sad for three days to remember him.

Learning

πŸ•’ Talking about the Past

In this story, we see words that tell us things already happened. To reach A2, you need to know how to change action words for the past.

The Pattern: Most words just add -ed at the end.

  • help β†’\rightarrow helped
  • save β†’\rightarrow saved

The Rule Breakers: Some words change completely. You must memorize these!

  • is/am β†’\rightarrow was
  • win β†’\rightarrow won
  • become β†’\rightarrow became

Example from the text: "He won a big prize because he was a good leader."

Quick Vocabulary Tip: extRich ext{Rich} (lots of money) ↔\leftrightarrow extPoor ext{Poor} (no money)

Vocabulary Learning

government
the group that runs a country
Example:The government will make new laws.
former
having been but not now
Example:She is a former student of mine.
president
the head of a country
Example:The president gave a speech.
died
stopped living
Example:He died last year.
years
units of time
Example:She has lived here for five years.
old
having lived many years
Example:He is an old man.
money
paper or coins used to buy things
Example:She needs more money to buy a car.
help
to give assistance
Example:Can you help me with this?
country
a nation
Example:They travel to many countries.
rich
having a lot of money or resources
Example:The city is rich in culture.
stable
steady and not changing
Example:His mood is stable.
lead
to guide or be in charge
Example:She will lead the team.
sick
not healthy
Example:He feels sick after the flu.
people
human beings
Example:People like to read books.
free
without cost
Example:The museum offers free entry.
medicine
drugs used to heal
Example:She takes medicine for her cough.
saved
protected from danger
Example:The rescue team saved the hikers.
many
a large number
Example:Many students attended the lecture.
lives
existence of a person
Example:The story saved many lives.
after
following an event
Example:After the meeting, we went home.
other
different from the one mentioned
Example:Other people will join us.
countries
plural of country
Example:They visited several countries.
find
discover
Example:She will find the answer.
peace
a state of calm
Example:They work for peace.
won
succeeded in a competition
Example:She won the award.
big
large in size
Example:The big dog barked loudly.
prize
a reward
Example:He received a prize for his essay.
good
of high quality
Example:This is a good idea.
leader
a person who guides others
Example:The leader spoke to the crowd.
sad
feeling sorrow
Example:She felt sad after the loss.
days
units of 24 hours
Example:We will wait for three days.
remember
to keep in mind
Example:Remember to bring your ticket.