The Reading / Listening - Napoleon's Hat - Level 2

Would you spend $2 million on a hat? A hat that once belonged to the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte sold at an auction this week for $2.1 million. This is a record for a hat. It is the most expensive hat ever sold. The sale broke the previous record for a hat, which was $2 million. That hat also belonged to Napoleon. Napoleon liked hats and owned around 120 of them. The latest record-breaking hat is made of felt. It has the red, white and blue colours of the French flag on it. Experts say it dates back to the early 1800s.

Napoleon is one of France's most famous people from history. He played a key part in the French Revolution. He became emperor of France in 1804. His reign as emperor finished in 1815 after he lost the Battle of Waterloo to the British. He was sent to live on a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean. He died there six years later in 1821, aged 51. The auction of his hat coincides with the release of a new movie about his rise to power, and his relationship with the empress Josephine. The movie is called "Napoleon". It is directed by Ridley Scott and stars Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Napoleon's Hat - Level 0 Napoleon's Hat - Level 1   or  Napoleon's Hat - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/news/napoleon-hat-sold-at-auction-for-a-history-making-price-breaks-record/
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/20/style/napoleons-hat-record-intl-scli/index.html
  • https://news.yahoo.com/napoleons-hat-sells-record-sum-160514514.html


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. sold at an
  2. It is the most expensive
  3. The sale broke the previous
  4. That hat also belonged
  5. Napoleon liked hats and owned
  6. The latest record-breaking hat
  7. colours of the
  8. Experts say it dates back
  1. is made of felt
  2. record for a hat
  3. to the early 1800s
  4. auction this week
  5. French flag
  6. hat ever sold
  7. around 120 of them
  8. to Napoleon

Paragraph 2

  1. Napoleon is one of France's
  2. He played a key part in the
  3. He became emperor of
  4. His reign as emperor
  5. He was sent to live on
  6. coincides with the release
  7. about his rise
  8. It is directed
  1. by Ridley Scott
  2. a remote island
  3. finished in 1815
  4. to power
  5. most famous people
  6. France in 1804
  7. of a new movie
  8. French Revolution

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Would you spend $2 million on a hat? A hat (1) ___________________ to the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte sold (2) ___________________ this week for $2.1 million. This is a record for a hat. It is the most expensive hat ever sold. The sale (3) ___________________ record for a hat, which was $2 million. That hat also belonged to Napoleon. Napoleon liked hats (4) ___________________ 120 of them. The latest record-breaking hat is (5) ___________________. It has the red, white and blue colours of the French flag on it. Experts say it dates back to (6) ___________________.

Napoleon (7) ___________________ France's most famous people from history. He played (8) ___________________ in the French Revolution. He became emperor of France in 1804. (9) ___________________ emperor finished in 1815 after he lost the Battle of Waterloo to the British. He was sent to live (10) ___________________ island in the Atlantic Ocean. He died there six years later in 1821, aged 51. The auction of his hat coincides with the release of a new movie about his (11) ___________________, and his relationship with the empress Josephine. The movie is called "Napoleon". It (12) ___________________ Ridley Scott and stars Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Wouldyouspend$2milliononahat?AhatthatoncebelongedtotheFrenc
hemperorNapoleonBonapartesoldatanauctionthisweekfor$2.1millio
n.Thisisarecordforahat.Itisthemostexpensivehateversold.Thesaleb
rokethepreviousrecordforahat,whichwas$2million.Thathatalsobelo
ngedtoNapoleon.Napoleonlikedhatsandownedaround120ofthem.T
helatestrecord-breakinghatismadeoffelt.Ithasthered,whiteandbl
uecoloursoftheFrenchflagonit.Expertssayitdatesbacktotheearly180
0s.NapoleonisoneofFrance'smostfamouspeoplefromhistory.Heplay
edakeypartintheFrenchRevolution.HebecameemperorofFrancein18
04.Hisreignasemperorfinishedin1815afterhelosttheBattleofWaterlo
ototheBritish.HewassenttoliveonaremoteislandintheAtlanticOcean.
Hediedtheresixyearslaterin1821,aged51.Theauctionofhishatcoincid
eswiththereleaseofanewmovieabouthisrisetopower,andhisrelations
hipwiththeempressJosephine.Themovieiscalled"Napoleon".Itisdirec
tedbyRidleyScottandstarsJoaquinPhoenixandVanessaKirby.

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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