Revealed: how Scientologists infiltrated Britain's schools

Part A

Insight: Drugs charity is front for dangerous organisation

Devotees of the Church of Scientology have gained access to thousands of British
children through a charity that visits schools to lecture on the dangers of drugs. A
Sunday Times investigation has found that Marlborough College the Wiltshire school
whose former pupils include Kate Middleton, Prince Williams girlfriend is one of more
than 500 schools across Britain where the charity has taught.
Critics of the charity, Narconon, say it is a front to promote the teaching of Scientology
the controversial religion founded by L Ron Hubbard, the science fiction writer.
Schools contacted last week said they knew nothing about the charitys links with
Scientology. There is no apparent reference to the church in its drugs education
literature. Narconons UK website states that its work is based on Hubbards drug
rehabilitation technology and displays his photograph; but it refers to him as an author
rather than the founder of Scientology. Narconon promotes a number of unorthodox
theories and treatments based on Hubbards work which experts say are not
backed by scientific evidence.

Part B

Last week, during a conversation with an undercover reporter, the charity named eight
of the schools it has visited. A number of the schools, including Marlborough, refused to
comment on their use of the charity. Those that did said they were unaware of its
Scientology background.
Parents, a senior MP and a mainstream drug advisory group expressed concern that it
was being allowed to teach children. John Gummer, the former cabinet minister, said:
Scientology is a dangerous organisation. It doesnt stand up intellectually and
scientifically. It is rather bad science fiction. If Scientologists have been getting into
schools under the guise of a drug charity it is very worrying. Schools must know exactly
who they are letting in and should not have anything to do with Scientologists.
Perhaps Narconons unorthodox views and Hubbards name on the website and in
Narconons annual report should have rung alarm bells with teachers at Marlborough
and the other schools. But it was not until this weekend when contacted by The
Sunday Times that the schools appear to have become aware of how controversial
Narconon is.

Part C

The charity claims to be an independent organisation. But Professor Stephen Kent, a

Canadian academic who is an authority on Scientology, said: The connection between
Narconon and Scientology is solid. The engine behind the programme is Scientology.
Its critics claim it is a cult that uses hard-sell and mind control to separate devotees from
their money and, in more serious cases, from their families. Scientologists reject this and
claim to have a good record in resolving family conflicts. Andreas Heldal-Lund, who has
researched Scientology, said: Most people might see them as a bit of a joke because of
their beliefs and teachings. But they are in fact the most controversial and dangerous
cult in the western world today, and pose a threat to free speech.
The Sunday Times disclosures raise serious questions about how Narconon appears to
have slipped through school vetting procedures into schools. Yesterday a spokesman for
Narconon said that Narconon would have been happy to declare any links with
Scientology if asked by schools.
Adapted from The Sunday Times January 07, 2007 http://www.timesonline.co.uk

Read the text on the previous page and write T (true) or F (false)
after the following statements in the column on the right (see the
example). Justify or refute them with words from the text.
0. Critics of Narconon accuse this charity of actually giving publicity of
the Church of Scientology.
Critics of the charity say it is a front to promote the teaching of Scientology
1. References to Scientology could be found by schools in the written
material published by Narconon.

2. Hubbards system of rehabilitation from drugs has scientific support.

3. Marlborough College claims that they did not know about Narconons
activities.
4. Schools didnt suspect Narconon of anything strange until the Sunday
Times investigation.
5. Experts interviewed are certain that Narconon has strong links with
Scientology.
6. Critics say Scientology may not be serious and its not as dangerous
as people say.
7. Narconon admitted their connection with Scientology when schools
asked them.

Look for words or expressions in the text with the following meaning.
Write your answers in the column on the right. 6 points (1 point per
item).

happening or existing before, but not now (adjective)

to show something to people, or put it in a place
where people can see it easily (verb)
acting secretly in order to find out information

(adjective)
not noticing or realizing what is happening (adjective)
to refuse to accept, believe in, or agree with
something (verb)
danger (noun)

Read the following text and fill in the gaps with the best option, A, B, C, D.

Life and Romance in 160 Characters or Less

Brevity Gains New Meaning as Popularity of Cell Phone Text Messaging _(0)_
By Yuki Noguchi

Washington Post Staff Writer

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Andrew Weigle can fully express himself in several dozen characters or less. That's the
_(1)_ of space he gets on his phone to compose text messages, which he sends mostly to
friends and, on at least one occasion, to a girlfriend to _(2)_ "It was easier to say, 'Look,
things just arent working out over the text message, said Weigle, 23. "I'm not the most
verbal person when it comes to expressing emotions," he admitted, but with text
messaging "I can put it out there and feel like I'm not saying it. I find there's _(3)_ to say
what you're feeling."
_(4)_
an ink-and-paper letter, messages may seem disposable. The relative
inconvenience of typing out words using a numeric keypad -- the letter "c," for example,
requires three presses of the "2" button -- and the brevity of the message may seem _(5)_
environment for heartfelt discussion. But the discipline of having to distill thoughts into
short bulletins, then waiting to receive the response, allows users to put more meaning
into the writing, some text-message users say.
There is something different about communications that are mediated by a piece of
technology; it is easier to talk about difficult subjects, and that is _(6)_ : you don't see the
person's upper lip tremble, you don't hear their voice hesitate; you don't get those
external, non-textual clues, so delicate subjects might be easier to deal with, although
also sometimes easier to misunderstand.
The brevity of a text message gives it a certain poetic beauty, said Washington resident
Erik Lung, 34, since there is lots of space for reading _(7)_, particularly in an early-stage
romance. "You can send a quick little message saying you're thinking of her. Then you
start paying attention not only to what the message says, but you care about the
response time. The shorter the response time, _(8)_ she cares. Text messages also feel
more personal because the cell phone is always physically close, Lung said -- a feature
that works for and against him. He recently got into _(9)_ with a friend, for example, who
sent angry messages in all capital letters, insulting him for ignoring her.
Messaging alters language and composition style, said Tom Keeney, director of messaging
for T-Mobile USA. Slang has gotten more detailed and sophisticated, making it possible to
say _(10)_ on a tiny space, much like poetry. Its almost like letters gave way to
postcards. It was a way to say something on the go."
More than 60 percent of U.S. adults used text messages to tell others they missed or
loved them, _(11)_ a survey by Tegic Communications, a company that makes predictivespelling software used on most U.S. cell phones. In the same survey, 27 percent said they
used it to flirt, 7 percent to ask someone for a date, and 2 percent proposed marriage via
text. In Europe and Asia, _(12)_ text-messaging started earlier, emotional messaging is
more common, said Tegic.
ANSWER
S

0.
1.
2.

B. risen
B. number
B. put off

C. rose
C. total
C. break up

B. less freedom

C. more politeness

4.
5.

A. rises
A. amount
A. split out
A. a little less
tact
A. As regards
A. a hostile

B. Compared with
B. the best

6.

A. always good

B. always bad

7.

A. between

B. between

C. Considering
C. a natural
C. both good and
bad
C. SMS language

3.

D. raised
D. size
D. break down
D. a little more
freedom
D. Like with
D. a comfortable
D. never bad
D. abbreviated

8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

lines
A. the least
A. a discussion
A. more
A. because of
A. whereas

characters
B. the more
B. an argument
B. less
B. thanks to
B. where

C.
C.
C.
C.
C.

the most
a dilemma
fewer words
according to
while

language
D. the less
D. a disaster
D. all
D. regarding
D.although