The Reading / Listening - Marriage Proposal - Level 5

A man proposed to his fiancée during an event that occurs just once every 6,800 years or so. John Nicotera, 33, popped the question to his girlfriend Erica Pendrak, 26, while the Neowise comet passed over their heads. It will be 7,000 years before anyone else can get down on one knee and propose while the comet flies overhead. Mr Nicotera loves studying about space. He knew the rare comet would pass by for a limited time. He planned his proposal to coincide with the comet being in the night sky. The couple drove to a campsite last week and John waited for the comet to appear.

Ms Pendrak immediately accepted the proposal. She told reporters that she was going to see the once-in-a-lifetime event. She got the surprise of her life when John got on one knee. She said: "I was just completely shocked - tears and everything. I felt instant chills and pure happiness." A friend went with the couple to capture the proposal as the comet whizzed by across the heavens. John and Erica are both teachers. They like experiencing historical events together. John said: "Every single star was out. It was too special to let it go. I thought, 'I'm massively in love with this girl.'"

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Marriage Proposal - Level 4 or  Marriage Proposal - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8557803/Man-propose-Neowise-comet-appears-6-800-years.html
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/21/us/neowise-comet-engagements-trnd/index.html
  • https://fox6now.com/2020/07/23/couple-captures-stellar-engagement-photos-under-comet-neowise/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. just once every 6,800 years
  2. popped the
  3. It will be 7,000 years before
  4. get down
  5. propose while the comet
  6. pass by
  7. coincide with the comet
  8. John waited for the
  1. comet to appear
  2. on one knee
  3. for a limited time
  4. anyone else can
  5. question
  6. flies overhead
  7. or so
  8. being in the night sky

Paragraph 2

  1. Ms Pendrak immediately accepted
  2. see the once-in-a-
  3. She got the surprise
  4. I felt instant chills and pure
  5. as the comet whizzed by
  6. They like experiencing historical
  7. It was too special
  8. 'I'm massively in
  1. to let it go
  2. of her life
  3. love with this girl
  4. lifetime event
  5. events together
  6. across the heavens
  7. the proposal
  8. happiness

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A man proposed to his fiancée during an (1) ___________________ just once every 6,800 years or so. John Nicotera, 33, (2) ___________________ to his girlfriend Erica Pendrak, 26, while the Neowise comet passed over their heads. It will be 7,000 years before anyone else can get down (3) ___________________ and propose while the comet flies overhead. Mr Nicotera loves studying about space. He knew the rare comet (4) ___________________ for a limited time. He planned his proposal (5) ___________________ the comet being in the night sky. The couple drove to a campsite last week and John waited for the (6) ___________________.

Ms Pendrak immediately (7) ___________________. She told reporters that she was going to see the (8) ___________________ event. She got (9) ___________________ her life when John got on one knee. She said: "I was just completely shocked - tears and everything. I felt instant (10) ___________________ happiness." A friend went with the couple to capture the proposal as the comet whizzed by (11) ___________________. John and Erica are both teachers. They like experiencing historical events together. John said: "Every single star was out. It was too special to let it go. I thought, 'I'm (12) ___________________ with this girl.'"

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Amanproposedtohisfiancéeduringaneventthatoccursjustonceevery
6,800yearsorso.JohnNicotera,33,poppedthequestiontohisgirlfriend
EricaPendrak,26,whiletheNeowisecometpassedovertheirheads.Itwi
llbe7,000yearsbeforeanyoneelsecangetdownononekneeandpropos
ewhilethecometfliesoverhead.MrNicoteralovesstudyingaboutspace.
Heknewtherarecometwouldpassbyforalimitedtime.Heplannedhispr
oposaltocoincidewiththecometbeinginthenightsky.Thecoupledrovet
oacampsitelastweekandJohnwaitedforthecomettoappear.MsPendra
kimmediatelyacceptedtheproposal.Shetoldreportersthatshewasgoi
ngtoseetheonce-in-a-lifetimeevent.Shegotthesurpriseofherlifewhe
nJohngotononeknee.Shesaid:"Iwasjustcompletelyshocked-tearsa
ndeverything.Ifeltinstantchillsandpurehappiness."Afriendwentwith
thecoupletocapturetheproposalasthecometwhizzedbyacrossthehea
vens.JohnandEricaarebothteachers.Theylikeexperiencinghistorical
eventstogether.Johnsaid:"Everysinglestarwasout.Itwastoospecialt
oletitgo.Ithought,'I'mmassivelyinlovewiththisgirl.'"

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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_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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