The Reading / Listening - Wordle - Level 2

The New York Times has bought the word game Wordle. The paper is well known for publishing games. Wordle is the latest addition to its list. Wordle is a new online game. Its maker, Josh Wardle, uploaded it in October. Since then, it has become a worldwide craze. Social media sites are now full of posts from people playing it and sharing their score. The newspaper said it paid "an undisclosed price in the low seven figures" for Wordle. It was excited it could publish the game. It wrote: "We could not be more thrilled to become its new home." It was "proud" of this "magical game".

Mr Wardle was a software engineer for the site Reddit. He made Wordle for his partner to play. He released it in October and was surprised that 90 people played it on the day of its release. Millions now play it every day. Wardle tweeted: "The game has got bigger than I ever imagined." He said he was surprised because he made it "for an audience of one". Wordle players have six attempts to guess a five-letter word. The game gives players feedback on which of the letters they have used are correct. The New York Times said that "initially" the game would remain free.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Wordle - Level 0 Wordle - Level 1   or  Wordle - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/31/22911274/wordle-new-york-times-free-word-game-acquisition
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/31/business/media/new-york-times-wordle.html
  • https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/31/22911274/wordle-new-york-times-free-word-game-acquisition


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 paper is well known
  2. the latest addition
  3. Social media sites are now
  4. it paid an undisclosed
  5. in the low seven
  6. excited it could publish
  7. We could not be
  8. It was proud of this magical
  1. full of posts
  2. game
  3. figures
  4. to its list
  5. more thrilled
  6. for publishing
  7. the game
  8. price

Paragraph 2

  1. a software
  2. on the day
  3. The game has got bigger
  4. he made it for an
  5. six attempts to guess
  6. The game gives players
  7. letters they have used
  8. initially the game
  1. feedback
  2. than I ever imagined
  3. are correct
  4. of its release
  5. would remain free
  6. audience of one
  7. a five-letter word
  8. engineer

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The New York Times has (1) ___________________ game Wordle. The paper is well known for publishing games. Wordle is the latest addition (2) ___________________. Wordle is a new online game. Its maker, Josh Wardle, uploaded it in October. Since then, it has become (3) ___________________. Social media sites are now full of posts from people playing it and sharing their score. The newspaper said it paid "(4) ___________________ in the low seven figures" for Wordle. It was excited it could publish the game. It wrote: "We could not (5) ___________________ to become its new home." It was "proud" of (6) ___________________.

Mr Wardle was (7) ___________________ for the site Reddit. He made Wordle for his (8) ___________________. He released it in October and was surprised that 90 people played it on the day (9) ___________________. Millions now play it every day. Wardle tweeted: "The game has got bigger than (10) ___________________." He said he was surprised because he made it "for an audience of one". Wordle players have six (11) ___________________ a five-letter word. The game gives players feedback on which of the letters they have used are correct. The New York Times (12) ___________________ the game would remain free.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheNewYorkTimeshasboughtthewordgameWordle.Thepaperiswellk
nownforpublishinggames.Wordleisthelatestadditiontoitslist.Wordlei
sanewonlinegame.Itsmaker,JoshWardle,uploadeditinOctober.Sinc
ethen,ithasbecomeaworldwidecraze.Socialmediasitesarenowfullofp
ostsfrompeopleplayingitandsharingtheirscore.Thenewspapersaidit
paid"anundisclosedpriceinthelowsevenfigures"forWordle.Itwasexci
teditcouldpublishthegame.Itwrote:"Wecouldnotbemorethrilledtobe
comeitsnewhome."Itwas"proud"ofthis"magicalgame".MrWardlewa
sasoftwareengineerforthesiteReddit.HemadeWordleforhispartnerto
play.HereleaseditinOctoberandwassurprisedthat90peopleplayedito
nthedayofitsrelease.Millionsnowplayiteveryday.Wardletweeted:"Th
egamehasgotbiggerthanIeverimagined."Hesaidhewassurprisedbec
ausehemadeit"foranaudienceofone".Wordleplayershavesixattempt
stoguessafive-letterword.Thegamegivesplayersfeedbackonwhicho
ftheletterstheyhaveusedarecorrect.TheNewYorkTimessaidthat"initi
ally"thegamewouldremainfree.

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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