The Kate Moss cocaine saga rumbles on. The supermodel, who reputedly earns $15 million a year from lucrative deals with companies including Burberry, Chanel and Christian Dior, is now daily fodder for British tabloids. They have become obsessed with Moss’s lifestyle and antics and have lavished page after page embellishing on the facts and gossip surrounding her documented drug use and sex life. Moss has been in an out of rehab clinics for years and said in an interview with David Bowie two years ago she had kicked her drug habit forever. However, it now emerges police are to investigate allegations that she has taken cocaine. A senior officer ordered the probe following newspaper pictures of Moss allegedly snorting the drug.

Moss, 31, has now been dropped as cover girl for the fashion giants H&M, Chanel and Burberry. H&M’s decision reversed an earlier statement from the company that condemned substance abuse but forgave Moss and gave her a second chance. However, a slew of phone calls from irate customers and negative publicity over the prudence of being associated with a cocaine user, expedited the supermodel’s axing. A company spokesperson explained: “H&M has decided that a campaign with Kate Moss is inconsistent with H&M’s clear dissociation of drugs.” Shoppers were perplexed that as a mother, Moss saw fit to use hard drugs. Burberry and Chanel quickly followed suit in dumping Moss and disassociating themselves with the furor created by her errant behavior.

WARM-UPS

1. SUPERMODEL ME: You are a supermodel. You are rich and lead a jetset lifestyle. Walk around the class and talk to the other “supermodels” about your lifestyle, friends, modeling, etc. What are the best and worst aspects of being a supermodel?

2. DRUGS: What do you think of the following drugs? Should they all be banned? In pairs / groups, discuss the following criticisms:

1. Alcohol causes domestic and street violence. It kills thousands on the roads every year. It should be made illegal.
2. Nicotine is one of the world’s biggest killers. Smokers put a huge strain on health services. Cigarettes and other tobacco products should be banned.
3. Marijuana is far less addictive and dangerous than alcohol. It doesn’t make people violent. It should be made legal.
4. Cocaine and heroin are lethal killers. Anyone caught dealing in or using them should go to prison for 25 years.

3. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.

Kate Moss / cocaine / supermodels / Chanel / Burberry / tabloids / gossip / drug use / sex life / second chances / negative publicity / being perplexed / mothers

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

4. COCAINE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with cocaine. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

5. SEX ‘N’ DRUGS ‘N’ ROCK ‘N’ ROLL: Supermodel Kate Moss is in the headlines for her sex life, drug use and association with heroin-addicted rock stars. What do you think about her lifestyle? Do you like scandal about superstars such as Kate Moss, Michael Jackson, David Beckham, etc? Talk about scandals from your country.

6. KATE MOSS OPINIONS: How far do you agree with these opinions on Kate Moss? Talk about them with your partner(s).

1. Kate Moss is being very unfairly attacked. The media should leave her alone.
2. She should set a better example. She should therefore go to prison.
3. Supermodels influence young people. They have a responsibility to avoid drugs.
4. The world has real problems. Kate Moss is a non-deserving nobody.
5. Why the fuss? Hundreds of celebrities, sports stars and politicians take drugs.
6. Irresponsible media coverage of Moss will encourage more people to try cocaine.
7. What has Moss done for the world? Nothing. Let’s focus on useful lives.
8. I really don’t care about her. The whole story is boring.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	A supermodel has been decapitated for using cocaine.	T / F
b.	The British gutter press has become obsessed with the model.	T / F
c.	The model has regularly frequented drug rehabilitation clinics.	T / F
d.	Police are not interested in photos of the model snorting cocaine.	T / F
e.	Three fashion houses have dropped the model as their cover girl.	T / F
f.	A slew of irate shoppers are angry over the model’s axing.	T / F
g.	Shoppers were perplexed that the model disrespected her mother.	T / F
h.	Chanel has dumped the model’s suits following the furor she created.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.	saga	uproar
b.	lucrative	sniffing
c.	lavished	lot
d.	embellishing	wasted
e.	snorting	drug
f.	substance	story
g.	slew	wisdom
h.	prudence	wrong
i.	furor	high-income
j.	errant	elaborating

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):
 

a.	The Kate Moss cocaine saga	from lucrative deals
b.	reputedly earns $15 million a year	from irate customers
c.	daily fodder for	girl for the fashion giants
d.	been in an out of rehab	drug habit forever
e.	she had kicked her	Moss saw fit to use hard drugs
f.	dropped as cover	her errant behavior
g.	a slew of phone calls	British tabloids
h.	the prudence of being	rumbles on
i.	perplexed that as a mother,	associated with a cocaine user
j.	the furor created by	clinics for years

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words in the column on the right into the gaps in the text.
 

Kate Moss axed over drug scandal

 

The Kate Moss cocaine saga _______ on. The supermodel, who _______ earns $15 million a year from lucrative deals with companies including Burberry, Chanel and Christian Dior, is now daily _______ for British tabloids. They have become obsessed with Moss’s lifestyle and _______ and have _______ page after page embellishing on the facts and gossip surrounding her documented drug use and sex life. Moss has been in an out of rehab clinics for years and said in an interview with David Bowie two years ago she had _______ her drug habit forever. However, it now _______ police are to investigate allegations that she has taken cocaine. A senior officer ordered the _______ following newspaper pictures of Moss allegedly snorting the drug.		emerges reputedly kicked antics rumbles probe fodder lavished
Moss, 31, has now been _______ as cover girl for the fashion giants H&M, Chanel and Burberry. H&M’s decision _______ an earlier statement from the company that condemned substance _______ but forgave Moss and gave her a second chance. However, a slew of phone calls from _______ customers and negative publicity over the prudence of being associated with a cocaine user, _______ the supermodel’s axing. A company spokesperson explained: “H&M has decided that a campaign with Kate Moss is inconsistent with H&M’s clear dissociation of drugs.” Shoppers were _______ that as a mother, Moss saw fit to use hard drugs. Burberry and Chanel quickly followed _______ in dumping Moss and disassociating themselves with the furor created by her _______ behavior.		expedited errant irate dropped perplexed suit reversed abuse

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘cover’ and ‘girl’.

• Share your findings with your partners.
• Make questions using the words you found.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

• Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the gap fill. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. STUDENT “DRUGS” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about drugs and the responsibility celebrities have to set good examples.

• Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.
• Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:

rumbles fodder lavished rehab kicked probe

giants substance irate expedited shoppers errant

DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1. What were your initial thoughts on this headline?
2. Did the headline make you want to read the article?
3. What adjectives describe your feelings about Kate Moss’s actions?
4. Should supermodels receive such lucrative salaries?
5. Should newspapers use so much space reporting the antics of a model?
6. Should fashion companies use a model who has a history of drug abuse?
7. Don’t you think people must be very bored to want to know about Kate Moss?
8. Are newspapers encouraging drug use by focusing on Kate Moss?
9. What responsibilities do supermodels have to set examples?
10. What punishment should Kate Moss receive?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1. Did you like reading this article?
2. What do you think about what you read?
3. Do you like Chanel, Burberry and Christian Dior?
4. Do you think H&M should have given Moss a second chance?
5. Kate Moss has a two-year-old child. What do you think of a mother taking cocaine?
6. Do you care whether a model who takes drugs is being used to advertise products you buy?
7. Is drug abuse a big problem in your country?
8. Have you ever taken or wanted to take drugs?
9. Have you ever kicked a habit?
10. Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

1. What question would you like to ask about this topic?
2. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
3. Was there a question you didn’t like?
4. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
5. What did you like talking about?
6. Do you want to know how anyone else answered the questions?
7. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING

DRUGS: You have been given the job of deciding a new drugs policy in your country. Write down the dangers of the drugs below. Decide whether the dangers are big enough to make the drug illegal. Decide on a punishment for people caught using the drug.

DRUG	DANGERS	ILLEGAL?	PUNISHMENT
Cocaine
Caffeine
Nicotine
Alcohol
Marijuana
Other

Change partners and tell each other your decisions. Together, combine your policies to make a new one.

Discuss whether or not your measures would be accepted in your country.

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Kate Moss axed over drug scandal

The Kate Moss cocaine saga _______ ___. The supermodel, who reputedly earns $15 million a year from lucrative deals with companies including Burberry, Chanel and Christian Dior, is now ______ _______ for British tabloids. They have become obsessed with Moss’s lifestyle and antics and have lavished page after page _____________ on the facts and gossip surrounding her documented drug use and sex life. Moss has been in an out of _____ _______ for years and said in an interview with David Bowie two years ago she had kicked her drug habit forever. However, it now _________ police are to investigate allegations that she has taken cocaine. A senior officer ordered the _______ following newspaper pictures of Moss allegedly ___________ the drug.

Moss, 31, has now _____ ________ as cover girl for the fashion giants H&M, Chanel and Burberry. H&M’s decision reversed an earlier statement from the company that condemned _________ _______ but forgave Moss and gave her a second chance. However, a slew of phone calls from ________ customers and negative publicity over the __________ of being associated with a cocaine user, expedited the supermodel’s axing. A company spokesperson explained: “H&M has decided that a campaign with Kate Moss is inconsistent with H&M’s clear ____________ of drugs.” Shoppers were perplexed that as a mother, Moss saw fit to use hard drugs. Burberry and Chanel quickly __________ ______ in dumping Moss and disassociating themselves with the furor created by her ________ behavior.

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information on Kate Moss. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson.

3. DRUGS: Make a poster describing a drug that is illegal in your country. Explain where the drug comes from, its effects on humans and its dangers. Show your posters to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

4. LETTER: Write a letter to British supermodel Kate Moss. Tell her what you think of her actions and the media attention currently being focused on her. Read your letter to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all write about similar things?

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. F

b. T

c. T

d. F

e. T

f. F

g. F

h. F

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	saga	story
b.	lucrative	high-income
c.	lavished	wasted
d.	embellishing	elaborating
e.	snorting	sniffing
f.	substance	drug
g.	slew	lot
h.	prudence	wisdom
i.	furor	uproar
j.	errant	wrong

PHRASE MATCH:

a.	The Kate Moss cocaine saga	rumbles on
b.	reputedly earns $15 million a year	from lucrative deals
c.	daily fodder for	British tabloids
d.	been in an out of rehab	clinics for years
e.	she had kicked her	drug habit forever
f.	dropped as cover	girl for the fashion giants
g.	a slew of phone calls	from irate customers
h.	the prudence of being	associated with a cocaine user
i.	perplexed that as a mother,	Moss saw fit to use hard drugs
j.	the furor created by	her errant behavior

GAP FILL:

Kate Moss axed over drug scandal

The Kate Moss cocaine saga rumbles on. The supermodel, who reputedly earns $15 million a year from lucrative deals with companies including Burberry, Chanel and Christian Dior, is now daily fodder for British tabloids. They have become obsessed with Moss’s lifestyle and antics and have lavished page after page embellishing on the facts and gossip surrounding her documented drug use and sex life. Moss has been in an out of rehab clinics for years and said in an interview with David Bowie two years ago she had kicked her drug habit forever. However, it now emerges police are to investigate allegations that she has taken cocaine. A senior officer ordered the probe following newspaper pictures of Moss allegedly snorting the drug.

Moss, 31, has now been dropped as cover girl for the fashion giants H&M, Chanel and Burberry. H&M’s decision reversed an earlier statement from the company that condemned substance abuse but forgave Moss and gave her a second chance. However, a slew of phone calls from irate customers and negative publicity over the prudence of being associated with a cocaine user, expedited the supermodel’s axing. A company spokesperson explained: “H&M has decided that a campaign with Kate Moss is inconsistent with H&M’s clear dissociation of drugs.” Shoppers were perplexed that as a mother, Moss saw fit to use hard drugs. Burberry and Chanel quickly followed suit in dumping Moss and disassociating themselves with the furor created by her errant behavior.

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