The Reading / Listening - Barbie - Level 2

The movie "Barbie" is the biggest film of the year. It has broken box office records. One of these is making the most money for a non-superhero movie. Ticket sales worldwide were over $356 million. "Barbie" also made the most money for a movie made by a female director. It was directed by Greta Gerwig. She also directed the indie films "Lady Bird" and "Little Women". She also co-wrote "Barbie". There will be sequels to the movie, so fans should get ready for "Barbie 2" and "Barbie 3". There may also be a movie that focuses on Barbie's friend Ken.

Barbie started as a fashion doll, created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler. The toy company Mattel launched the doll in 1959. It became one of the best-selling toys ever made, selling over a billion dolls worldwide. Since the 1980s, Barbie has starred in video games, animated movies and TV series. In Gerwig's film, Barbie leaves her near-perfect animated world of Barbieland to live in the human world. Movie experts say it is refreshing that "Barbie" is so original. Many people are getting tired of the endless releases of superhero films.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Barbie - Level 0 Barbie - Level 1   or  Barbie - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.axios.com/2023/07/23/barbie-box-office-opening-sales
  • https://apnews.com/article/barbie-box-office-greta-gerwig-record-0e0cbd8116aff87798575c8af691d8b3
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The movie "Barbie" is the biggest
  2. It has broken
  3. a non-
  4. Ticket sales worldwide were
  5. a movie made by
  6. She also directed
  7. There will be sequels
  8. a movie that focuses
  1. the indie films
  2. superhero movie
  3. a female director
  4. on Barbie's friend
  5. film of the year
  6. to the movie
  7. box office records
  8. over $356 million

Paragraph 2

  1. Barbie started
  2. toy
  3. one of the best-selling toys
  4. animated
  5. Barbie leaves her near-
  6. Barbie is
  7. Many people are
  8. endless releases
  1. so original
  2. getting tired
  3. movies
  4. of superhero films
  5. ever made
  6. as a fashion doll
  7. company
  8. perfect animated world

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The movie "Barbie" is (1) ___________________ of the year. It has broken box office records. One of these is making (2) ___________________ for a non-superhero movie. Ticket sales worldwide were over $356 million. "Barbie" also made the most money for a movie made by (3) ___________________. It was directed by Greta Gerwig. She also directed the indie films "Lady Bird" and "Little Women". She (4) ___________________ "Barbie". There will be sequels to the movie, so fans (5) ___________________ for "Barbie 2" and "Barbie 3". There may also be a movie (6) ___________________ Barbie's friend Ken.

Barbie started as (7) ___________________, created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler. The toy company Mattel launched the doll in 1959. It became one of the best-selling (8) ___________________, selling over a billion dolls worldwide. Since the 1980s, Barbie has (9) ___________________ games, animated movies and TV series. In Gerwig's film, Barbie leaves her near-perfect (10) ___________________ Barbieland to live in the human world. Movie experts say (11) ___________________ that "Barbie" is so original. Many people are (12) ___________________ the endless releases of superhero films.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Themovie"Barbie"isthebiggestfilmoftheyear.Ithasbrokenboxofficer
ecords.Oneoftheseismakingthemostmoneyforanon-superheromovi
e.Ticketsalesworldwidewereover$356million."Barbie"alsomadethe
mostmoneyforamoviemadebyafemaledirector.ItwasdirectedbyGret
aGerwig.Shealsodirectedtheindiefilms"LadyBird"and"LittleWomen"
.Shealsoco-wrote"Barbie".Therewillbesequelstothemovie,sofanssh
ouldgetreadyfor"Barbie2"and"Barbie3".Theremayalsobeamovietha
tfocusesonBarbie'sfriendKen.Barbiestartedasafashiondoll,created
byAmericanbusinesswomanRuthHandler.ThetoycompanyMattellau
nchedthedollin1959.Itbecameoneofthebest-sellingtoysevermade,s
ellingoverabilliondollsworldwide.Sincethe1980s,Barbiehasstarredin
videogames,animatedmoviesandTVseries.InGerwig'sfilm,Barbielea
veshernear-perfectanimatedworldofBarbielandtoliveinthehumanw
orld.Movieexpertssayitisrefreshingthat"Barbie"issooriginal.Manype
oplearegettingtiredoftheendlessreleasesofsuperherofilms.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

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

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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