A university in Bologna, Italy has enrolled 12,000 students on its course to study making ice cream. The Gelato University has attracted potential ice-cream-making graduates from all over the world. There seems to be a big demand to learn the art of creating real Italian ice cream. The $1,140-a-week course includes tuition and accommodation. It teaches everything a budding gelato artist needs to know. There are lessons on the history of the creamy confection, technical workshops on how to make it, lectures on the equipment needed, as well as courses on marketing and management. The university’s director Kaori Ito explained the course’s popularity: “The people who come here are people who want a career change…They are ready to drop what they're doing and open a new chapter in their lives, she said.
Gelato University students are very serious about their studies. Many see gelato as a means of financial success. Ice cream costs little to make but can be sold at a relatively high price. People will pay big bucks for a tasty gelato. Andrea Morelli, a former bank manager, said he will move to Florida next year to open a gelateria. "I decided to change my life around. I started this course in January and I completely fell in love with making ice cream,” he said. Holy Randrianasolo from Madagascar dreams of setting up her country’s first gelato parlour, saying: "My project is to open an Italian ice cream parlour in Antananarivo. There aren't any." Not everyone is interested in commercial success. Yasmeena Abdel Ghani from Dubai simply wants to make real Italian ice cream for her dinner party guests.
1. ICE CREAM: Walk around the class and talk to other students about ice cream. Change partners often. Sit with your first partner(s) and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.
|
university / students / ice cream / demand /workshops / equipment / popularity / serious / big bucks / life changes / Madagascar / commercial success / dinner party |
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. UNIVERSITY COURSES: Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners and share what you wrote. Change and share again.
Course in… |
Good or bad? (Why?) |
What would you learn? |
chocolate |
|
|
the future |
|
|
air |
|
|
tissues |
|
|
global debt |
|
|
shaving |
|
|
4. GELATO: Students A strongly believe gelato is a great thing to study; Students B strongly believe it’s a waste of time. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
5. STUDY: Which of these would you most like to study at university? Rank these and share your rankings with your partner. Put the best at the top. Change partners and share your rankings again.
- gelato
- accountancy
- English language
- information technology
|
- media
- the history of sport
- nuclear physics
- a foreign language
|
6. UNIVERSITY: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘university’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
BEFORE READING / LISTENING
1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).
a. |
A university in the USA is showing students how to make Italian gelato. |
T / F |
b. |
The Gelato University has over 10,000 students. |
T / F |
c. |
The ice-cream-making course costs just less than $1,000 per week. |
T / F |
d. |
All students at the university are from the ice-cream industry. |
T / F |
e. |
Many students see ice cream as a way of making more money. |
T / F |
f. |
One student swapped banking for making ice cream. |
T / F |
g. |
There are currently no ice ream parlours in Madagascar’s capital city. |
T / F |
h. |
A lady from Dubai plans to get rich by selling gelato to tourists. |
T / F |
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.
1. |
attracted |
a. |
stop |
2. |
potential |
b. |
stage |
3. |
equipment |
c. |
comparatively |
4. |
drop |
d. |
drawn |
5. |
chapter |
e. |
lots of money |
6. |
means |
f. |
money-making |
7. |
relatively |
g. |
would-be |
8. |
big bucks |
h. |
just |
9. |
commercial |
i. |
apparatus |
10. |
simply |
j. |
way |
3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)
1. |
its course to study |
a. |
my life around |
2. |
graduates from all |
b. |
and management |
3. |
The $1,140-a-week course includes tuition |
c. |
success |
4. |
courses on marketing |
d. |
making ice cream |
5. |
open a new chapter |
e. |
high price |
6. |
students are very serious |
f. |
gelato parlour |
7. |
sold at a relatively |
g. |
in their lives |
8. |
I decided to change |
h. |
over the world |
9. |
setting up her country’s first |
i. |
about their studies |
10. |
commercial |
j. |
and accommodation |
WHILE READING / LISTENING
GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.
A university in Bologna, Italy has (1) ____________ 12,000 students on its course to study making ice cream. The Gelato University has attracted (2) ____________ ice-cream-making graduates from all over the world. There seems to be a big demand to learn the (3) ____________ of creating real Italian ice cream. The $1,140-a-week course includes tuition and accommodation. It teaches everything a (4) ____________ gelato artist needs to know. There are lessons on the history of the creamy confection, technical workshops on how to make it, (5) ____________ on the equipment needed, as well as courses on marketing and management. The university’s director Kaori Ito explained the course’s (6) ____________: “The people who come here are people who want a (7) ____________ change…They are ready to drop what they're doing and open a new (8) ____________ in their lives," she said. |
|
lectures
potential
chapter
career
enrolled
popularity
art
budding
|
Gelato University students are very (9) ____________ about their studies. Many see gelato as a (10) ____________ of financial success. Ice cream costs little to make but can be sold at a (11) ____________ high price. People will pay big bucks for a tasty gelato. Andrea Morelli, a former bank manager, said he will move to Florida next year to open a gelateria. "I decided to change my life (12) ____________. I started this course in January and I (13) ____________ fell in love with making ice cream,” he said. Holy Randrianasolo from Madagascar (14) ____________ of setting up her country’s first gelato parlour, saying: "My project is to open an Italian ice cream parlour in Antananarivo. There aren't any." Not everyone is (15) ____________ in commercial success. Yasmeena Abdel Ghani from Dubai (16) ____________ wants to make real Italian ice cream for her dinner party guests. |
|
relatively
simply
serious
completely
interested
around
means
dreams |
LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps
A university in Bologna, Italy has enrolled 12,000 students ______________ study making ice cream. The Gelato University _________________ ice-cream-making graduates from all over the world. There seems to be a big demand to _________________ creating real Italian ice cream. The $1,140-a-week course includes tuition and accommodation. It teaches everything a _________________ needs to know. There are lessons on the history of the creamy confection, technical workshops on how to make it, lectures on the equipment needed, as well as courses on marketing and management. The university’s director Kaori Ito explained _________________: “The people who come here are people who want a career change…They are ready to drop what they're doing and open a new ____________________," she said.
Gelato University students are very serious _________________. Many see gelato as a means of financial success. Ice cream costs little to make but can be sold at a relatively high price. People _________________ for a tasty gelato. Andrea Morelli, a former bank manager, said he will move to Florida next year to open a gelateria. "I decided to ____________________. I started this course in January and I ___________________ with making ice cream,” he said. Holy Randrianasolo from Madagascar dreams of setting up her country’s first gelato parlour, saying: "My project _________________ Italian ice cream parlour in Antananarivo. There aren't any." Not everyone is interested in commercial success. Yasmeena Abdel Ghani from Dubai simply wants to make real Italian ice cream for her ___________________.
AFTER READING / LISTENING
1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘ice’ and ‘cream’.
- 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. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:
- seems
- includes
- lessons
- well
- career
- open
|
- serious
- costs
- bank
- fell
- project
- real
|
STUDENT ICE CREAM SURVEY
Write five GOOD questions about ice cream 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.
|
STUDENT 1
_____________ |
STUDENT 2
_____________ |
STUDENT 3
_____________ |
Q.1.
|
|
|
|
Q.2.
|
|
|
|
Q.3.
|
|
|
|
Q.4.
|
|
|
|
Q.5.
|
|
|
|
- Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
- Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.
ICE CREAM DISCUSSION
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
a) |
What did you think when you read the headline? |
b) |
What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘ice cream’? |
c) |
What are the differences between ice cream and gelato? |
d) |
Would you like to study at the Gelato University? |
e) |
What do you think the lessons at the university are like? |
f) |
Do you think you could be a budding gelato maker? |
g) |
Are you a budding anything else? |
h) |
Do you think taking an ice-cream-making course is a good career change? |
i) |
What do you know about the history of ice cream? |
j) |
What will be the next chapter in your life? |
More free lessons at www.BreakingNewsEnglish.com
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ICE CREAM DISCUSSION
a) |
Did you like reading this article? |
b) |
In what ways could gelato be a means of financial success? |
c) |
What’s the most you would pay or have paid for an ice cream? |
d) |
What is it about ice cream that people love so much? |
e) |
What’s your favourite ice cream and why? |
f) |
Which country makes the best ice cream? |
g) |
Which is better, being a bank manager or making ice cream for a living? |
h) |
Why do you think people fall in love with making ice cream? |
i) |
What kind of ice cream parlour would you open? |
j) |
What questions would you like to ask the Gelato University director? |
LANGUAGE – MULTIPLE CHOICE
A university in Bologna, Italy has (1) ____ 12,000 students on its course to study making ice cream. The Gelato University has attracted potential ice-cream-making graduates from all over the world. There seems to be a big demand to learn the (2) ____ of creating real Italian ice cream. The $1,140-a-week course includes (3) ____ and accommodation. It teaches everything a budding gelato artist needs to know. There are lessons on the history of the creamy confection, technical workshops on how to make it, lectures on the equipment (4) ____, as well as courses (5) ____ marketing and management. The university’s director Kaori Ito explained the course’s popularity: “The people who come here are people who want a career change…They are ready to (6) ____ what they're doing and open a new chapter in their lives," she said.
Gelato University students are very serious about their studies. Many see gelato (7) ____ a means of financial success. Ice cream costs little to make but can be sold at a relatively high price. People will pay big (8) ____ for a tasty gelato. Andrea Morelli, a (9) ____ bank manager, said he will move to Florida next year to open a gelateria. "I decided to change my life around. I started this course in January and I (10) ____ fell in love with making ice cream,” he said. Holy Randrianasolo from Madagascar dreams of (11) ____ up her country’s first gelato parlour, saying: "My project is to open an Italian ice cream parlour in Antananarivo. There aren't any." Not everyone is interested in commercial success. Yasmeena Abdel Ghani from Dubai (12) ____ wants to make real Italian ice cream for her dinner party guests.
Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.
1. |
(a) |
enrolment |
(b) |
rolled |
(c) |
enrolled |
(d) |
rolling |
2. |
(a) |
picture |
(b) |
art |
(c) |
martial |
(d) |
graphic |
3. |
(a) |
tuition |
(b) |
tutorial |
(c) |
tutor |
(d) |
tutored |
4. |
(a) |
necessary |
(b) |
needy |
(c) |
needs |
(d) |
needed |
5. |
(a) |
by |
(b) |
so |
(c) |
on |
(d) |
at |
6. |
(a) |
fall |
(b) |
drip |
(c) |
drop |
(d) |
globule |
7. |
(a) |
was |
(b) |
as |
(c) |
has |
(d) |
ease |
8. |
(a) |
bucks |
(b) |
ducks |
(c) |
lucks |
(d) |
mucks |
9. |
(a) |
firmer |
(b) |
former |
(c) |
farmer |
(d) |
framer |
10. |
(a) |
completely |
(b) |
complete |
(c) |
completed |
(d) |
completes |
11. |
(a) |
sitting |
(b) |
seating |
(c) |
sating |
(d) |
setting |
12. |
(a) |
simple |
(b) |
simpleton |
(c) |
sample |
(d) |
simply |
WRITING
Write about ice cream for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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 out more about the Gelato University. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. ICE CREAM: Make a poster about ice cream. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
4. GELATO UNIVERSITY: Write a magazine article about the Gelato University. Include imaginary interviews with people who want gelato to change their lives.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
5. LETTER: Write a letter to a gelato expert. Ask him/her three questions about ice cream. Give him/her three of your opinions on it. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.
ANSWERS
TRUE / FALSE:
a. |
F |
b. |
T |
c. |
F |
d. |
F |
e. |
T |
f. |
T |
g. |
T |
h. |
F |
SYNONYM MATCH:
1. |
attracted |
a. |
drawn |
2. |
potential |
b. |
would-be |
3. |
equipment |
c. |
apparatus |
4. |
drop |
d. |
stop |
5. |
chapter |
e. |
stage |
6. |
means |
f. |
way |
7. |
relatively |
g. |
comparatively |
8. |
big bucks |
h. |
lots of money |
9. |
commercial |
i. |
money-making |
10. |
simply |
j. |
just |
PHRASE MATCH:
1. |
its course to study |
a. |
making ice cream |
2. |
graduates from all |
b. |
over the world |
3. |
The $1,140 a-week course includes tuition |
c. |
and accommodation |
4. |
courses on marketing |
d. |
and management |
5. |
open a new chapter |
e. |
in their lives |
6. |
students are very serious |
f. |
about their studies |
7. |
sold at a relatively |
g. |
high price |
8. |
I decided to change |
h. |
my life around |
9. |
setting up her country’s first |
i. |
gelato parlour |
10. |
commercial |
j. |
success |
GAP FILL:
Italian university offers ice cream course
A university in Bologna, Italy has (1) enrolled 12,000 students on its course to study making ice cream. The Gelato University has attracted (2) potential ice-cream-making graduates from all over the world. There seems to be a big demand to learn the (3) art of creating real Italian ice cream. The $1,140-a-week course includes tuition and accommodation. It teaches everything a (4) budding gelato artist needs to know. There are lessons on the history of the creamy confection, technical workshops on how to make it, (5) lectures on the equipment needed, as well as courses on marketing and management. The university’s director Kaori Ito explained the course’s (6) popularity: “The people who come here are people who want a (7) career change…They are ready to drop what they're doing and open a new (8) chapter in their lives," she said.
Gelato University students are very (9) serious about their studies. Many see gelato as a (10) means of financial success. Ice cream costs little to make but can be sold at a (11) relatively high price. People will pay big bucks for a tasty gelato. Andrea Morelli, a former bank manager, said he will move to Florida next year to open a gelateria. "I decided to change my life (12) around. I started this course in January and I (13) completely fell in love with making ice cream,” he said. Holy Randrianasolo from Madagascar (14) dreams of setting up her country’s first gelato parlour, saying: "My project is to open an Italian ice cream parlour in Antananarivo. There aren't any." Not everyone is (15) interested in commercial success. Yasmeena Abdel Ghani from Dubai (16) simply wants to make real Italian ice cream for her dinner party guests.
LANGUAGE WORK
1 - c |
2 - b |
3 - a |
4 - d |
5 - c |
6 - c |
7 - b |
8 - a |
9 - b |
10 - a |
11 - d |
12 - d |