Breaking News English

1. DAVID BECKHAM: What do you know about David Beckham? Find out as much as you can from your partner. Change partners often to build up your information.

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

Soccer / football / big bucks / Los Angeles / golf / Hollywood / $10 million / Spain / contracts / Manchester United / passion / making a difference / kids

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

3. CHANGING PLACES: Talk to your partner(s) about which of these sports stars you would like to change places with. Rank three in order. Discuss what you would do in your future as these stars.

David Beckham (football/soccer) Michelle Wie (golf) Maria Sharapova (tennis) Fernando Alonso (Formula One)

Asashoryu (sumo) Laila Ali (boxing) Yao Ming (basketball) Other ____________

4. QUICK DEBATE: Students A believe $50 million a year is too much to pay any sports star. Students B believe $50 million a year is an acceptable salary for sports stars. Debate this with your partners. Change partners often.

5. HI. I’M BECKHAM:  In pairs / groups, decide on a famous sports star you would like to be. In your new role as this star, walk around the room and talk to the other “stars” about your sport and life.

6. TOP SPORT: Talk to your partner(s) about which of these sports are the best, biggest and most exciting – and why. Which are truly global sports? Which will be more popular in the future?

Football/Soccer Basketball Rugby Baseball

Sumo Hockey American football Cricket

7. FOOTBALL: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with football (or soccer). Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

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

a.	David Beckham is captain of England’s national soccer team.	T / F
b.	David Beckham is set to earn $250 million a year in the USA.	T / F
c.	Beckham’s annual salary will still be less than that of Tiger Woods.	T / F
d.	Beckham has also signed acting deals with two Hollywood studios.	T / F
e.	Beckham will break his contract with Spanish team Real Madrid.	T / F
f.	Beckham expressed regrets that he joined Real Madrid.	T / F
g.	Beckham wants to increase the profile of soccer in the USA.	T / F
h.	Beckham will encourage America’s senior citizens to play soccer.	T / F

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

a.	inked	making public
b.	big bucks (adj)	rocket
c.	propel	worth
d.	tie-ups	lapses
e.	to the tune of	bar
f.	expires	signed
g.	announcing	deals
h.	passionate	suggested
i.	intimated	lucrative
j.	except	nuts (informal)

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

a.	an extraordinary big	passionate about its sport
b.	The transfer will pull	looks and global celebrity
c.	$10 million in merchandising	the news of his departure
d.	to the tune	in a lucrative $250 million
e.	the player’s dashing	to LA
f.	Beckham broke	bucks move
g.	He will instead head	of a further $10 million
h.	his current contract	anyone can believe
i.	a country that is…	tie-ups
j.	it can go higher in America than	expires in the summer

WHILE READING / LISTENING

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

David Beckham in 250-million-dollar LA move
 

Former England soccer captain David Beckham has ______ an extraordinary big ______ move from Spanish giant Real Madrid to America’s Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy. The transfer will ______ a lucrative $250 million over the next five years and ______ him into being one of sport’s highest earners, although he’ll still be $40 million a year poorer than golf’s Tiger Woods. On top of his salary, Beckham should be able to ______ $25 million a year through sponsorship deals; $10 million in merchandising tie-ups, including shirt sales; and, finally, he is ______ to sign a unique profit-sharing deal with LA Galaxy to the tune of a further $10 million. On top of that, there’s the ______ of Hollywood ______ in on the player’s dashing looks and global celebrity. He also gets to do what he loves – play football every day and score goals.		poised propel lure inked cashing bucks net pull in
Beckham ______ the news of his departure from Spain’s La Liga championship by announcing he would not accept Madrid's offer of a two-year contract ______. He will instead ______ to LA when his ______ contract expires in the summer. He said in a statement: “I am proud to have played for two of the biggest clubs in football [Manchester United and Real Madrid] and I look forward to the new challenge of ______ the world's most popular game in a country that is…passionate about its sport.” He ______ that taking football (soccer in the USA) to another ______ was more important than the money, saying: “I think ______ it can go higher in America than anyone can believe…. Soccer is huge all around the world except in America and that's where I want to make a difference with the kids.”		intimated extension potentially current broke level growing head

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

David Beckham in 250-million-dollar LA move

Former England soccer captain David Beckham _____________ extraordinary big bucks move from Spanish giant Real Madrid to America’s Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy. The transfer will _____________ lucrative $250 million over the next five years and propel him into being one of sport’s highest earners, although he’ll still be $40 million a year poorer than golf’s Tiger Woods. On top of his salary, Beckham should be _____________ $25 million a year through sponsorship deals; $10 million in merchandising tie-ups, including shirt sales; and, finally, he _____________ a unique profit-sharing deal with LA Galaxy _____________ a further $10 million. On top of that, there’s the lure of Hollywood _____________ player’s dashing looks and global celebrity. He also gets to do what he loves – play football every day and score goals.

Beckham _____________ his departure from Spain’s La Liga championship by announcing he would not accept Madrid's offer of a two-year contract extension. He _____________ LA when his current contract expires in the summer. He said in a statement: “I am proud _____________ two of the biggest clubs in football [Manchester United and Real Madrid] and I look forward to the new challenge of growing the world's most popular game in a country that is…passionate about its sport.” He _____________ taking football (soccer in the USA) to another level was more important than the money, saying: “I think _____________ higher in America than anyone can believe…. Soccer is huge all around the world except in America and that's where I want to _____________ with the kids.”

 

AFTER READING / LISTENING

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

• 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 activity. 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 “SOCCER” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about soccer.

• 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:

·      inked ·      pull in ·      poorer ·      poised ·      lure ·      loves

·      broke ·      expires ·      proud ·      intimated ·      potentially ·      difference

DISCUSSION

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

1. Did the headline make you want to read the article?
2. Did anything in the article surprise you?
3. What do you know about David Beckham?
4. Would you like to be David Beckham?
5. Do you think sporting superstars get paid too much?
6. Would you prefer to be a top sports player or top actor?
7. Which word do you prefer – soccer or football?
8. Why do you think football / soccer is the most popular sport in the world?
9. Is football / soccer the biggest sport in your country?
10. What sports might one day overtake football as the world’s biggest sport?

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. Is football / soccer an art?
4. Do you prefer watching sport on TV or at the stadium, arena, ball park etc?
5. Do you think David Beckham is more interested in increasing soccer’s popularity in the US than he is in the millions of dollars?
6. Is football / soccer a force for good in the world?
7. Would you like to see more sports stars in Hollywood movies?
8. Do you think David and Victoria Beckham’s marriage has lasted well, considering the media spotlight, gossip and news of scandals?
9. What question would you like to ask David Beckham?
10. Did you like this discussion?

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

1. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
2. Was there a question you didn’t like?
3. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
4. What did you like talking about?
5. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING

ROLE PLAY:

A discussion between different athletes about which of their sports is best.

Team up with classmates who have been assigned the same role to develop your roles and discuss ideas and “strategies” before the role play begins. Introduce yourself to the other role players. Discuss your roles after the role play ends.

Role A – David Beckham - Soccer Your sport is best. It is the most popular sport in the world. The World Cup has the biggest TV audiences of any other sport. You need only a ball to play. Boys and girls can play. Soccer unites countries and peoples. It helps lots of poor people. - Think of more reasons why soccer is the best sport.

Role B – Tiger Woods - Golf Your sport is best. It is the most popular sport in the world. The World Cup has the biggest TV audiences of any other sport. You need only a ball to play. Boys and girls can play. Soccer unites countries and peoples. It also keeps you very fit. - Think of more reasons why golf is the best sport.

Role C – Haile Gebreselassie – Marathon runner Running is the only true and pure sport. It is your body against other runners. It requires dedication, stamina and discipline that is missing in other sports. It is one of the world’s oldest sports. Anyone can run. The marathon has a special status in sports. - Think of more reasons why marathon running is the best sport.

Role D – Kobe Bryant - Basketball Nothing beats basketball for non-stop, end-to-end entertainment. It is the most exciting sport. It has lots of points. The skill required combines athleticism, power and art. Anyone can play. You can play alone, with a friend or in a team. There’s never a dull moment. - Think of more reasons why basketball is the best sport.

LANGUAGE

CORRECT WORD: Choose the correct words from a–d below and write them in the article.

Former England soccer captain David Beckham has (1)____ an extraordinary big bucks move from Spanish giant Real Madrid to America’s Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy. The transfer will pull (2)____ a lucrative $250 million over the next five years and (3)____ him into being one of sport’s highest earners, although he’ll still be $40 million a year poorer than golf’s Tiger Woods. On top of his salary, Beckham should be able to (4)____ $25 million a year through sponsorship deals; $10 million in merchandising tie-ups, including shirt sales; and, finally, he is (5)____ to sign a unique profit-sharing deal with LA Galaxy to the tune of a further $10 million. On top of that, there’s the (6)____ of Hollywood cashing in on the player’s dashing looks and global celebrity. He also gets to do what he loves – play football every day and score goals.

Beckham (7)____ the news of his departure from Spain’s La Liga championship by announcing he would not accept Madrid's offer of a two-year contract extension. He will instead (8)____ to LA when his current contract (9)____ in the summer. He said in a statement: “I am proud to have played for two of the biggest clubs in football [Manchester United and Real Madrid] and I look forward to the new challenge of growing the world's most popular game in a country that is…passionate about its sport.” He (10)____ that taking football (soccer in the USA) to another level was more important than the money, saying: “I think potentially it can go higher in America than anyone can believe…. Soccer is (11)____ all around the world (12)____ in America and that's where I want to make a difference with the kids.”

 

1.	(a)	ink	(b)	inked	(c)	inkling	(d)	irked
2.	(a)	in	(b)	out	(c)	on	(d)	over
3.	(a)	propeller	(b)	propane	(c)	propel	(d)	pro rata
4.	(a)	not	(b)	nit	(c)	nut	(d)	net
5.	(a)	posed	(b)	poised	(c)	posted	(d)	poisoned
6.	(a)	lure	(b)	lurid	(c)	alluring	(d)	lurk
7.	(a)	breaking	(b)	broke	(c)	break	(d)	broken
8.	(a)	toe	(b)	chest	(c)	foot	(d)	head
9.	(a)	expires	(b)	expands	(c)	expects	(d)	exploits
10.	(a)	initiated	(b)	intimidated	(c)	intimated	(d)	imitated
11.	(a)	elephantine	(b)	huge	(c)	gargantuan	(d)	colossal
12.	(a)	except	(b)	expect	(c)	accept	(d)	exception

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. DAVID BECKHAM: Search the Internet and find more information about David Beckham or any other sports superstar. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. DIARY: Write a diary about a day in the life of David Beckham or any other sports superstar. Read your diary entry to your classmates in your next lesson. Be prepared to answer questions from your partner(s).

4. LETTER: Write a letter to David Beckham. Tell him your thoughts on his move to Los Angeles and his new salary. Ask him three questions. Read your letter to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions. Which letter did you like best and why?

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. F

b. F

c. T

d. F

e. F

f. F

g. T

h. F

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	inked	signed
b.	big bucks (adj)	lucrative
c.	propel	rocket
d.	tie-ups	deals
e.	to the tune of	worth
f.	expires	lapses
g.	announcing	making public
h.	passionate	nuts (informal)
i.	intimated	suggested
j.	except	bar

PHRASE MATCH:

a.	an extraordinary big	bucks move
b.	The transfer will pull	in a lucrative $250 million
c.	$10 million in merchandising	tie-ups
d.	to the tune	of a further $10 million
e.	the player’s dashing	looks and global celebrity
f.	Beckham broke	the news of his departure
g.	He will instead head	to LA
h.	his current contract	expires in the summer
i.	a country that is…	passionate about its sport
j.	it can go higher in America than	anyone can believe

GAP FILL:

Beckham in 250-million-dollar LA move

Former England soccer captain David Beckham has inked an extraordinary big bucks move from Spanish giant Real Madrid to America’s Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy. The transfer will pull in a lucrative $250 million over the next five years and propel him into being one of sport’s highest earners, although he’ll still be $40 million a year poorer than golf’s Tiger Woods. On top of his salary, Beckham should be able to net $25 million a year through sponsorship deals; $10 million in merchandising tie-ups, including shirt sales; and, finally, he is poised to sign a unique profit-sharing deal with LA Galaxy to the tune of a further $10 million. On top of that, there’s the lure of Hollywood cashing in on the player’s dashing looks and global celebrity. He also gets to do what he loves – play football every day and score goals.

Beckham broke the news of his departure from Spain’s La Liga championship by announcing he would not accept Madrid's offer of a two-year contract extension. He will instead head to LA when his current contract expires in the summer. He said in a statement: “I am proud to have played for two of the biggest clubs in football [Manchester United and Real Madrid] and I look forward to the new challenge of growing the world's most popular game in a country that is…passionate about its sport.” He intimated that taking football (soccer in the USA) to another level was more important than the money, saying: “I think potentially it can go higher in America than anyone can believe…. Soccer is huge all around the world except in America and that's where I want to make a difference with the kids.”

LANGUAGE WORK

1 - b

2 - b

3 - c

4 - d

5 - b

6 - a

7 - c

8 - d

9 - a

10 - c

11 - b

12 - a