Fifteen-year-old American schoolgirl Michelle Wie became a professional golfer yesterday to the tune of a cool $10 million a year. The golfing teenage sensation is set to become one of the most recognized faces on the planet and is already golf’s most celebrated teenager since Tiger Woods. She made her announcement in front of the world’s eagerly awaiting sports press in a Hawaiian hotel, before attending her classes at the local high school. She is determined to finish her studies and not let success get to her head. Indeed, she predicted that becoming one of sport’s wealthiest stars would not change her. She has reportedly signed lucrative endorsement deals with Nike and Sony, which will make her golf's richest female and one of the highest-paid athletes in women’s sport.

Wie has her sights firmly set on challenging the supremacy of the guys in golf. She is aiming at breaking the gender barrier by becoming the first woman to play in one of golf’s four Major tournaments for men. She has support from a credible backer in her heady quest. Golf’s number one Tiger Woods and former golf prodigy has heaped praise on Wie saying she could handle the pressure of men’s golf. Wie herself admitted there would be challenges ahead. She said: “Being a pro, everything will be at a higher stake.…I'm very excited. I want to work hard to become the best golfer in the world.” She has started to impress off the golf course too – her new sponsorship deal meant she could donate $500,000 to America’s Hurricane Relief Fund.

WARM-UPS

1. FIFTEEN: Imagine you are fifteen again. Do you dream about being rich? Do you dream about being famous? How much pocket money / allowance do your parents give you? Write down all of the things you want to do and buy. Now walk around the class and talk to the other fifteen-year-olds about money.

2. IF I HAD: Finish the following sentence starters about what you would do with lots and lots of money. Discuss them with your partner(s).

1. If I had $10,000,000, I’d immediately _________________________________.
2. If I had $10 million, I’d never ________________________________________.
3. If I had all that money, it’d __________________________________________.
4. If I were incredibly rich, I could _______________________________________.
5. If I won a fortune, I’d give __________________________________________.
6. If I got my hands on $10,000,000, my life ______________________________.
7. If I became a multi-millionaire, I wouldn’t, ______________________________.
8. If I came into that much money, ______________________________________.

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

Fifteen-year-olds / golf / famous faces / Tiger Woods / Hawaiian hotels / Nike / Sony / women’s sport / pressure / challenges / donating money to charity

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

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

5. WIE DEBATES: Debate each of the arguments below with a partner for just two minutes, before moving on to the next partner and debate. Student A agrees with the first argument, Student B, the second.

1. Michelle Wie doesn’t deserve $10 million. vs. She deserves every last cent.
2. Fifteen-year-olds should not be millionaires. vs. Anyone can be a millionaire.
3. Wie will do wonders for women’s sport. vs. Women’s sport doesn’t need wonders.
4. Sony and Nike should help the poor. vs. The poor can’t play golf like Wie.
5. Michelle Wie is a fantastic example to all teenagers. vs. She’s just a lucky child.
6. Giving $10 million to a child is immoral. vs. Wie will earn the $10 million.
7. Wie will help reduce the gender gap. vs. Only on the golf course.
8. The world is an unfair place. I work hard but don’t get $10 million. vs. Tough.

6. TEENAGE SENSATIONS: In pairs / groups, talk about the teenage sensations in your country – sports stars, singers, actors, etc. Are they very popular with teenagers and adults alike? What is your opinion of them?

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

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

a.	An American schoolgirl became a top-earning professional golfer.	T / F
b.	The schoolgirl is likely to be one of the world’s most famous people.	T / F
c.	She skipped school to attend a press conference.	T / F
d.	She said the success would get to her head and change her.	T / F
e.	She has already played in the men’s US Major tournament.	T / F
f.	Tiger Woods said she would have no problems handling pressure.	T / F
g.	She said she needed to eat more steak to be the world’s best golfer.	T / F
h.	She immediately donated five percent of the $10 million to charity.	T / F

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

a.	to the tune of	exhilarating
b.	sensation	sponsorship
c.	celebrated	solid
d.	lucrative	distinguished
e.	endorsement	phenomenon
f.	supremacy	help
g.	credible	whiz kid
h.	heady	money-spinning
i.	prodigy	dominance
j.	relief	to the sum of

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

a.	to the tune of a cool	get to her head
b.	golf’s most celebrated	deals with Nike and Sony
c.	in front of the world’s eagerly	teenager since Tiger Woods
d.	not let success	stake
e.	lucrative endorsement	gender barrier
f.	Wie has her sights firmly set	$10 million a year
g.	breaking the	on challenging the supremacy of …
h.	former golf	praise on Wie
i.	heaped	awaiting sports press
j.	at a higher	prodigy

AFTER READING / LISTENING

WHICH WORD? Strike through the incorrect word in each of the pairs in bold.

$10 million for golf’s 15-year-old Wie

Fifteen-year-old American schoolgirl Michelle Wie became a professional golfer yesterday to the music / tune of a cool $10 million a year. The golfing teenage sensation is set / sat to become one of the most recognized faces on the planet and is already golf’s most celebrated / segregated teenager since Tiger Woods. She made her announcement / denouncement in front of the world’s eagerly awaiting sports press in a Hawaiian hotel, before attending / skipping her classes at the local high school. She is determined to finish her studies and not let success get to her shoulders / head. Indeed, she predicted that becoming one of sport’s wealthiest stars would not change her. She has reportedly signed lucrative / laxative endorsement deals with Nike and Sony, which will make her golf's richest female / lady and one of the highest-paid athletes in women’s sport.

Wie has her sights firmly bet / set on challenging the supremacy of the guys in golf. She is aiming at breaking / brokering the gender / sex barrier by becoming the first woman to play in one of golf’s four Major tournaments for men. She has support from a credible backer in her heady / headless quest / question. Golf’s number one Tiger Woods and former golf prodigy has heaped praise on Wie saying she could handle / foot the pressure of men’s golf. Wie herself admitted there would be challenges ahead. She said: “Being a pro, everything will be at a higher steak / stake.…I'm very excited. I want to work hard to become the best golfer in the world.” She has started to impress / imprint off the golf course too – her new sponsorship deal meant she could donate $500,000 to America’s Hurricane Relief Fund.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

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

• 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. WHICH WORD? 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 “RICH TEENAGERS” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about millionaire teenagers.

• 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:

tune set celebrated eagerly head lucrative

sights barrier heady handle stake donate

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. Have you heard much about Michelle Wie?
4. What do you think of Michelle Wie getting $10 million a year?
5. Why do you think Nike and Sony are paying so much?
6. Do you think Sony and Nike are paying too much?
7. Would you encourage your children to take up golf or another sport for the chance of becoming rich and famous?
8. Do you think success will go to her head?
9. Would having $10 million a year change you?
10. Do you like golf?

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 think Michelle Wie can break down gender barriers in sport?
4. Do you think women will ever be able to challenge men at golf, tennis or other sports?
5. Do you think it’s OK to give 15-year-olds $10 million?
6. Do you think women’s sport might one day become more popular than men’s sport?
7. Do you think Michelle Wie is setting a good example to all teenagers around the world?
8. Do you think Nike and Sony should give $10 million to the world’s poor teenagers and not just the privileged ones?
9. Are you good at handling pressure?
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

MICHELLE WIE ROLE PLAY: Is it fair that a 15-year-old girl should be given so much money? Take part in this role play about Michelle Wie’s $10 million and see what opinions arise.
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 before the role play begins.

Role A – MICHELLE WIE You have been playing golf since you were three. You have worked very hard to get to the top. You have a natural talent and talented people can earn big money. You entertain millions of people. You make people happy. Because of you, thousands of people have jobs in the golf industry. THINK OF MORE REASONS WHY YOU DESERVE YOUR MILLIONS.

Role B – A REFUGEE IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY (AGED 15) You do not understand the rich world. You live on 50 cents a day. You have one meal a day. Your parents have no life. Ten million dollars would feed your refugee camp for several years. Babies would not die. The world is a cruel place. Michelle Wie is very lucky. She can smile. THINK OF MORE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID.

Role C – NIKE’S MARKETING MANAGER You think Michelle Wie will be the greatest women’s golfer ever. She works very hard for her money. All of the Nike products she helps sell means more money for workers in factories in the developing world. Michelle Wie’s success will help people in the developing world. THINK OF MORE REASONS WHY MICHELLE DESREVES EVERY CENT.

Role D – JO AVERAGE (AGED 15) You study much harder than Michelle Wie. Your parents are poor. You go to a school, which rarely sends students to university. Why does Michelle Wie get all the breaks. It is immoral that she can earn more by hitting a ball along a field than your hard-working parents can earn in 500 years of extremely tough work. THINK OF MORE REASONS WHY LIFE IS UNFAIR.

Change roles and repeat the role play. Comment in groups about the differences between the two role plays.

Decide whether or not Michelle Wie deserves $10 million a year.

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

$10 million for golf’s 15-year-old Wie

Fifteen-year-old American schoolgirl Michelle Wie became a professional golfer yesterday to the _____ of a _____ $10 million a year. The golfing teenage sensation is _____ to become one of the most recognized faces on the planet and is already golf’s most ____________ teenager since Tiger Woods. She made her announcement in front of the world’s eagerly awaiting sports press in a Hawaiian hotel, before attending her classes at the local high school. She is determined to finish her studies and not let _________ get to her head. Indeed, she predicted that becoming one of sport’s wealthiest stars would not change her. She has reportedly signed ___________ endorsement deals with Nike and Sony, which will make her golf's richest female and one of the highest-paid ___________ in women’s sport.

Wie has her sights ___________ set on challenging the ___________ of the guys in golf. She is aiming at breaking the ___________ barrier by becoming the first woman to play in one of golf’s four Major tournaments for men. She has support from a ___________ backer in her heady quest. Golf’s number one Tiger Woods and former golf ___________ has heaped praise on Wie saying she could ___________ the pressure of men’s golf. Wie herself admitted there would be challenges ahead. She said: “Being a pro, everything will be at a higher ___________.…I'm very excited. I want to work hard to become the best golfer in the world.” She has started to impress off the golf course too – her new sponsorship deal meant she could ___________ $500,000 to America’s Hurricane Relief Fund.

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 Michelle Wie. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson.

3. FIRST DAY: Two days ago you were given $10 million. Write your diary / journal entry describing your first day as a multi-millionaire. Show your entries to your partners in your next class. Did you all write about similar things?

4. LETTER: Write a letter to Michelle Wie. Tell her what you think of her unprecedented success. Give her advice on what to do so her success does not get to her head. Read your letter to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all write about similar things?

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. T

b. T

c. F

d. F

e. F

f. T

g. F

h. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	to the tune of	to the sum of
b.	sensation	phenomenon
c.	celebrated	distinguished
d.	lucrative	money-spinning
e.	endorsement	sponsorship
f.	supremacy	dominance
g.	credible	solid
h.	heady	exhilarating
i.	prodigy	whiz kid
j.	relief	help

PHRASE MATCH:

a.	to the tune of a cool	…$10 million a year
b.	golf’s most celebrated	teenager since Tiger Woods
c.	in front of the world’s eagerly	awaiting sports press
d.	not let success	get to her head
e.	lucrative endorsement	deals with Nike and Sony
f.	Wie has her sights firmly set	on challenging the supremacy of
g.	breaking the	gender barrier
h.	former golf	prodigy
i.	heaped	praise on Wie
j.	at a higher	stake

WHICH WORD?

$10 million for golf’s 15-year-old Wie

Fifteen-year-old American schoolgirl Michelle Wie became a professional golfer yesterday to the music / tune of a cool $10 million a year. The golfing teenage sensation is set / sat to become one of the most recognized faces on the planet and is already golf’s most celebrated / segregated teenager since Tiger Woods. She made her announcement / denouncement in front of the world’s eagerly awaiting sports press in a Hawaiian hotel, before attending / skipping her classes at the local high school. She is determined to finish her studies and not let success get to her shoulders / head. Indeed, she predicted that becoming one of sport’s wealthiest stars would not change her. She has reportedly signed lucrative / laxative endorsement deals with Nike and Sony, which will make her golf's richest female / lady and one of the highest-paid athletes in women’s sport.

Wie has her sights firmly bet / set on challenging the supremacy of the guys in golf. She is aiming at breaking / brokering the gender / sex barrier by becoming the first woman to play in one of golf’s four Major tournaments for men. She has support from a credible backer in her heady / headless quest / question. Golf’s number one Tiger Woods and former golf prodigy has heaped praise on Wie saying she could handle / foot the pressure of men’s golf. Wie herself admitted there would be challenges ahead. She said: “Being a pro, everything will be at a higher steak / stake.…I'm very excited. I want to work hard to become the best golfer in the world.” She has started to impress / imprint off the golf course too – her new sponsorship deal meant she could donate $500,000 to America’s Hurricane Relief Fund.

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