A game called Baldur’s Gate 3 won the best game prize at a big show in Los Angeles. A famous actor, Timothée Chalamet, said they won. This game is like playing make-believe with dragons and magic, and people really liked it. It won six prizes because it was so good. People said it was like being in a storybook.

At the same show, people saw new games and stories about games. A man who makes very special games, Hideo Kojima, showed his new game with a movie man, Jordan Peele. But some people were not happy because the show had too many ads and didn’t let the winners talk much. Also, some game makers don’t have jobs anymore, and people think the show should have talked about them more. People who like games and some experts choose the winners of the prizes.

Original news source: Game Awards 2023: Baldur’s Gate 3 wins game of the year (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down the names of different games (e.g. Baldur’s Gate 3, make-believe, dragons, magic) on small pieces of paper and put them in a hat. One student from each team will take turns picking a piece of paper and acting out the game without speaking. The team members will try to guess the name of the game within a time limit. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Repeat with different students and different games.

– News Summary
Instructions: Give a brief summary of the article to the class, focusing on the main points. Then, divide the class into pairs and ask them to take turns summarizing the article to their partner using their own words. Encourage them to include the main ideas and key details. After a few minutes, ask some pairs to share their summaries with the whole class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write down different statements related to the article on the board (e.g. “I think Baldur’s Gate 3 deserved to win the best game prize.” “I believe the show should have focused more on the game makers without jobs.”) Have the students stand up and move to different parts of the room to indicate their agreement or disagreement with each statement. After each statement, ask a few students to explain their opinion.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down different vocabulary words from the article on small pieces of paper and put them in a hat. Divide the class into small groups and give each group a whiteboard or a large piece of paper. One student from each group will take turns picking a word from the hat and drawing a picture to represent it. The rest of the group members will try to guess the word. The group that guesses correctly gets a point. Repeat with different students and different words.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask the students to imagine what the future of gaming will be like based on the article. Have them discuss in pairs or small groups and come up with at least three predictions. Encourage them to use vocabulary and ideas from the article. After a few minutes, ask some groups to share their predictions with the whole class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What game won the best game prize at the big show in Los Angeles?
2. Who said that Baldur’s Gate 3 won the prize?
3. What is Baldur’s Gate 3 like?
4. How many prizes did Baldur’s Gate 3 win?
5. What did people say about Baldur’s Gate 3?
6. Who showed his new game at the show?
7. Why were some people not happy with the show?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A game (1)______ Baldur’s Gate 3 won the (2)______ game prize at a big show in Los Angeles. A famous actor, Timothée Chalamet, said they won. This game is like playing make-believe with dragons and magic, and people really liked it. It won six prizes because it was so good. People said it was like being in a storybook.

At the (3)______ show, people saw new (4)______ and stories about games. A man who makes very special games, Hideo Kojima, (5)______ed his new game with a movie man, Jordan (6)______. But some people were not happy because the show had too many ads and didn’t let the winners talk much. Also, some game makers don’t have jobs anymore, and people think the show should have talked about them more. People who like games and some experts (7)______ the (8)______ of the prizes.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is Baldur’s Gate 3?
2. How would you feel if you won a big prize for playing a game?
3. Do you like playing make-believe with dragons and magic? Why or why not?
4. What do you think it means when people say a game is like being in a storybook?
5. How do you think the winners of the prizes are chosen?
6. What is a special game?
7. Do you think it’s fair that the winners didn’t get to talk much at the show? Why or why not?
8. How would you feel if you lost your job as a game maker?
9. Do you think the show should have talked more about the game makers who don’t have jobs anymore? Why or why not?
10. What kind of games do you like to play?
11. Have you ever won a prize for playing a game? How did it feel?
12. Do you think it’s important for people to like the games they play? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. prize
2. game
3. dragons
4. magic
5. prizes
6. stories
7. winners
8. ads
9. jobs
10. experts

Meanings:
(A) People who did the best in a game or a contest
(B) Special powers that can make things happen, like turning a frog into a prince
(C) The work that people do to make money
(D) Tales that people tell to entertain and make you imagine
(E) People who know a lot about something and can help you with it
(F) Something you play for fun, like tag or hide-and-seek
(G) Things you win when you do really well in a game or a contest
(H) Something you get when you win a game or a contest
(I) Big, make-believe creatures that can fly and breathe fire
(J) Short videos that try to make you buy something
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What game won the best game prize at the show in Los Angeles?
(a) Minecraft
(b) Fortnite
(c) Mario Kart
(d) Baldur’s Gate 3

2. Who said that Baldur’s Gate 3 won the best game prize?
(a) Tom Hanks
(b) Timothée Chalamet
(c) Jennifer Lopez
(d) Will Smith

3. What is Baldur’s Gate 3 like?
(a) Playing soccer with friends
(b) Doing math homework
(c) Playing make-believe with dragons and magic
(d) Watching a movie

4. How many prizes did Baldur’s Gate 3 win?
(a) One
(b) Ten
(c) Six
(d) Three

5. Who showed his new game at the show?
(a) Steven Spielberg
(b) Beyoncé
(c) Taylor Swift
(d) Hideo Kojima

6. Who was Hideo Kojima’s partner for his new game?
(a) Jordan Peele
(b) Leonardo DiCaprio
(c) Brad Pitt
(d) Robert Downey Jr.

7. Why were some people not happy with the show?
(a) It had too many ads and didn’t let the winners talk much
(b) It had too many games and stories
(c) It didn’t have any prizes
(d) It didn’t have any famous actors

8. Who chooses the winners of the prizes?
(a) The show host
(b) People who like games and some experts
(c) The game makers
(d) The audience at the show

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The game is not about dragons and magic, and people really liked it.
2. People said it was nothing like being in a storybook.
3. Some people were happy because the show had too few ads and let the winners talk much.
4. Timothée Chalamet, a famous actor, said they won.
5. It won six prizes because it was really good.
6. Jordan Peele, a book man, was also involved in the game.
7. Hideo Kojima, a man who makes special games, showed his new game at the show.
8. Baldur’s Gate 3 won a big prize at a show in Los Angeles.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is the name of the game that won the best game prize?
2. Who said that the game won the prize?
3. What is the game like?
4. How many prizes did the game win?
5. Who chooses the winners of the prizes?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What game won the best game prize at the big show in Los Angeles?
Baldur’s Gate 3 won the best game prize at the big show in Los Angeles.

2. Who said that Baldur’s Gate 3 won the prize?
A famous actor named Timothée Chalamet said that Baldur’s Gate 3 won the prize.

3. What is Baldur’s Gate 3 like?
Baldur’s Gate 3 is like playing make-believe with dragons and magic.

4. How many prizes did Baldur’s Gate 3 win?
Baldur’s Gate 3 won six prizes.

5. What did people say about Baldur’s Gate 3?
People said that Baldur’s Gate 3 was like being in a storybook.

6. Who showed his new game at the show?
Hideo Kojima showed his new game at the show.

7. Why were some people not happy with the show?
Some people were not happy with the show because it had too many ads and didn’t let the winners talk much. They also wanted the show to talk more about game makers who don’t have jobs anymore.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) called
(2) best
(3) same
(4) games
(5) show
(6) Peele
(7) choose
(8) winners
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. prize
Answer: (H) Something you get when you win a game or a contest

2. game
Answer: (F) Something you play for fun, like tag or hide-and-seek

3. dragons
Answer: (I) Big, make-believe creatures that can fly and breathe fire

4. magic
Answer: (B) Special powers that can make things happen, like turning a frog into a prince

5. prizes
Answer: (G) Things you win when you do really well in a game or a contest

6. stories
Answer: (D) Tales that people tell to entertain and make you imagine

7. winners
Answer: (A) People who did the best in a game or a contest

8. ads
Answer: (J) Short videos that try to make you buy something

9. jobs
Answer: (C) The work that people do to make money

10. experts
Answer: (E) People who know a lot about something and can help you with it
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What game won the best game prize at the show in Los Angeles?
Answer: (d) Baldur’s Gate 3

2. Who said that Baldur’s Gate 3 won the best game prize?
Answer: (b) Timothée Chalamet

3. What is Baldur’s Gate 3 like?
Answer: (c) Playing make-believe with dragons and magic

4. How many prizes did Baldur’s Gate 3 win?
Answer: (c) Six

5. Who showed his new game at the show?
Answer: (d) Hideo Kojima

6. Who was Hideo Kojima’s partner for his new game?
Answer: (a) Jordan Peele

7. Why were some people not happy with the show?
Answer: (a) It had too many ads and didn’t let the winners talk much

8. Who chooses the winners of the prizes?
Answer: (b) People who like games and some experts
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The game is not about dragons and magic, and people really liked it. (Answer: False)
2. People said it was nothing like being in a storybook. (Answer: False)
3. Some people were happy because the show had too few ads and let the winners talk much. (Answer: False)
4. Timothée Chalamet, a famous actor, said they won. (Answer: True)
5. It won six prizes because it was really good. (Answer: True)
6. Jordan Peele, a book man, was also involved in the game. (Answer: False)
7. Hideo Kojima, a man who makes special games, showed his new game at the show. (Answer: True)
8. Baldur’s Gate 3 won a big prize at a show in Los Angeles. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧