The Reading / Listening - Will Smith Apology - Level 1

Will Smith apologized to comedian Chris Rock for slapping him at the Oscars show. Mr Smith slapped Mr Rock around the face on stage. Rock was presenting the ceremony. He made a "joke" about Smith's wife, Jada. The joke was about her being in a movie in which the lead role has no hair. Jada has a hair loss problem. In his apology, Will Smith said: "A joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear, and I reacted emotionally."

Will Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor for the movie "King Richard". He played the father of Serena and Venus Williams. In his acceptance speech, Smith apologized to everyone watching around the world. He apologized to Mr Rock a day later. He said: "I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed.…There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness." The Academy said it is looking into the slapping.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Will Smith Apology - Level 0 Will Smith Apology - Level 2   or  Will Smith Apology - Level 3

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/28/entertainment/will-smith-apology/index.html
  • https://www.wsaw.com/2022/03/28/academy-condemns-will-smiths-actions-launches-review/
  • https://www.marketwatch.com/story/will-smith-apologizes-to-chris-rock-for-slap-i-was-out-of-line-and-i-was-wrong-01648510775


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. Will Smith apologized to
  2. Smith walked slapped Mr Rock
  3. He made
  4. the lead
  5. hair
  6. A joke about Jada's
  7. too much for me
  8. I reacted
  1. loss
  2. to bear
  3. around the face
  4. emotionally
  5. role
  6. comedian Chris Rock
  7. medical condition
  8. a "joke"

Paragraph 2

  1. Smith won the Oscar
  2. In his acceptance
  3. everyone watching around
  4. He apologized to Mr Rock
  5. I was out
  6. There is no place
  7. a world of
  8. it is looking
  1. love and kindness
  2. a day later
  3. for Best Actor
  4. into the slapping
  5. speech
  6. the world
  7. for violence
  8. of line

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Will Smith (1) ___________________ Chris Rock for slapping him at the Oscars show. Mr Smith slapped Mr Rock (2) ___________________ on stage. Rock was presenting the ceremony. He (3) ___________________ about Smith's wife, Jada. The joke was about her being in a movie in which the lead role has no hair. Jada has a (4) ___________________. In his apology, Will Smith said: "A joke about Jada's (5) ___________________ too much for me to bear, and (6) ___________________."

Will Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor (7) ___________________ "King Richard". He played the father of Serena and Venus Williams. (8) ___________________ speech, Smith apologized to everyone watching around the world. (9) ___________________ Mr Rock a day later. He said: "I was (10) ___________________ and I was wrong. I am embarrassed....There (11) ___________________ for violence in a world of love and kindness." The Academy said it is (12) ___________________ slapping.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

WillSmithapologizedtocomedianChrisRockforslappinghimattheOsca
rsshow.MrSmithslappedMrRockaroundthefaceonstage.Rock
waspresentingtheceremony.Hemadea"joke"aboutSmith'swife,Jada
.Thejokewasaboutherbeinginamovieinwhichtheleadrolehasnohair.J
adahasahairlossproblem.Inhisapology,WillSmithsaid:"AjokeaboutJ
ada'smedicalconditionwastoomuchformetobear,andIreactedemotio
nally."WillSmithwontheOscarforBestActorforthemovie"KingRichard
".HeplayedthefatherofSerenaandVenusWilliams.Inhisacceptancesp
eech,Smithapologizedtoeveryonewatchingaroundtheworld.Heapol
ogizedtoMrRockadaylater.Hesaid:"IwasoutoflineandIwaswrong.Ia
membarrassed....Thereisnoplaceforviolenceinaworldofloveandkind
ness."TheAcademysaiditislookingintotheslapping.

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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