A big company that makes a famous sports magazine is having a big problem. They can’t make the magazine anymore because they lost permission. People who work for the magazine might lose their jobs, and no one knows what will happen to the magazine. The company that owns the magazine says it will keep going. They are talking to other companies to see who can make the magazine now.

The magazine about sports started a long time ago in 1954. It was very important for telling stories about sports. But now, not as many people read it because they like to read on the internet. A company bought the magazine in 2019, but now they are not happy because they didn’t get some money they were supposed to. This company also has other problems because they didn’t have enough money and had to say goodbye to some workers.

Original news source: Sports Illustrated in further turmoil after AI scandal (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down sports-related words on separate pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. One student from each team will come up and pick a word from the bowl without showing it to their team. They will then act out the word without speaking, and their team members have to guess what the word is. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Play several rounds, with different students acting out each time.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “sports” on the board. Ask the students to brainstorm as many words as they can think of that are related to sports. Write their answers on the board. Then, go through the list and ask students to explain what each word means. Encourage them to use complete sentences and provide examples.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a list of sports-related vocabulary words. One student from each pair will choose a word and draw a picture of it on the board, while their partner tries to guess what it is. The pair that guesses the most words correctly within a certain time limit wins.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Write the following sentence on the board: “A big company that makes a famous sports magazine is having a big problem.” Ask the students to work in pairs and take turns summarizing the sentence in as few words as possible. For example, they could say “Sports magazine company in trouble.” Encourage them to use their own words and try to convey the main idea of the sentence.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: “Do you think sports magazines are still relevant in today’s digital age?” Divide the class into small groups and ask them to discuss the question among themselves. Each group should then choose a spokesperson to share their group’s opinion with the class. Encourage students to explain their reasons for their opinions.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the problem the big company is having with the sports magazine?
2. What might happen to the people who work for the magazine?
3. Why can’t the company make the magazine anymore?
4. What is the company doing to find someone else to make the magazine?
5. When did the magazine about sports start?
6. Why don’t as many people read the magazine now?
7. Why is the company not happy about buying the magazine in 2019?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A big company that (1)______ a famous sports magazine is having a big problem. They can’t make the magazine anymore because they lost permission. People who (2)______ for the magazine might lose their jobs, and no one (3)______ what will happen to the magazine. The company that owns the magazine says it will (4)______ going. They are talking to other companies to see who can make the magazine now.

The magazine about sports started a (5)______ time ago in 1954. It was very important for telling stories about sports. But now, not as (6)______ people read it because they like to read on the internet. A company bought the magazine in 2019, but now they are not (7)______ because they didn’t get some money they were supposed to. This company also has other problems because they didn’t have enough money and had to say (8)______ to some workers.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a sports magazine?
2. How would you feel if you lost your job?
3. Do you like reading magazines? Why or why not?
4. What do you like to read on the internet?
5. Do you think it’s important to tell stories about sports? Why or why not?
6. How do you think the company feels about losing permission to make the magazine?
7. What would you do if you didn’t have enough money?
8. Have you ever said goodbye to someone? How did it make you feel?
9. Do you think the company will find another company to make the magazine? Why or why not?
10. How do you think the people who work for the magazine feel right now?
11. What do you think will happen to the magazine?
12. Do you think the magazine will be popular again? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. company
2. magazine
3. permission
4. employees
5. uncertain
6. owns
7. negotiate
8. launched
9. significant
10. digital

Meanings:
(A) When something is started or begins
(B) A book with lots of pages that comes out every week or month with stories and pictures
(C) When someone says it’s okay for you to do something
(D) When someone has something that belongs to them
(E) When people talk to each other to try to agree on something
(F) When you use a computer, phone, or tablet to read or play games
(G) When something is really important or big
(H) People who work at a place
(I) A group of people who work together to make or sell things
(J) When you don’t know what will happen next
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why can’t the big company make the sports magazine anymore?
(a) They don’t want to make it anymore
(b) They don’t have enough paper
(c) They lost permission
(d) They forgot how to make it

2. What might happen to the people who work for the magazine?
(a) They might get a raise
(b) They might lose their jobs
(c) They might go on vacation
(d) They might start a new magazine

3. What is the company that owns the magazine doing?
(a) Closing down the magazine
(b) Making a new magazine
(c) Going on a vacation
(d) Talking to other companies

4. When did the magazine about sports start?
(a) In 2019
(b) In 1954
(c) In 2000
(d) In 1987

5. Why do not as many people read the magazine now?
(a) They like to read on the internet
(b) They don’t like sports
(c) They can’t find the magazine in stores
(d) They don’t know how to read

6. What happened to the company that bought the magazine in 2019?
(a) They got a lot of money
(b) They hired more workers
(c) They didn’t get some money they were supposed to
(d) They won a big award

7. What other problems did the company have?
(a) They had too much money and didn’t know what to do with it
(b) They won a lot of awards
(c) They hired more workers
(d) They didn’t have enough money and had to say goodbye to some workers

8. What is the company doing now?
(a) Talking to other companies to see who can make the magazine now
(b) Closing down the magazine
(c) Starting a new magazine
(d) Going on a vacation

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. More people read the magazine now because they prefer reading on the internet.
2. The people who work for the magazine are likely to keep their jobs.
3. A famous sports magazine is having a big problem and can’t make the magazine anymore.
4. The company is talking to other companies to see who can make the magazine now.
5. The company that bought the magazine also faced other challenges but managed to retain all of its workers.
6. A company bought the magazine in 2019 but is not happy because they didn’t get some money they were supposed to.
7. The company that owns the magazine says it will shut down.
8. The magazine started a long time ago in 1954.
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 problem that the big company that makes the sports magazine is facing?
2. What might happen to the people who work for the magazine?
3. Why can’t the company make the magazine anymore?
4. Why are not as many people reading the magazine now?
5. What happened to the company that bought the magazine in 2019?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the problem the big company is having with the sports magazine?
The big company lost permission to make the magazine.

2. What might happen to the people who work for the magazine?
The people who work for the magazine might lose their jobs.

3. Why can’t the company make the magazine anymore?
The company lost permission to make the magazine.

4. What is the company doing to find someone else to make the magazine?
The company is talking to other companies to see who can make the magazine now.

5. When did the magazine about sports start?
The magazine about sports started in 1954.

6. Why don’t as many people read the magazine now?
Not as many people read the magazine now because they like to read on the internet.

7. Why is the company not happy about buying the magazine in 2019?
The company is not happy because they didn’t get some money they were supposed to and had other problems like not having enough money and saying goodbye to some workers.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) makes
(2) work
(3) knows
(4) keep
(5) long
(6) many
(7) happy
(8) goodbye
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. company
Answer: (I) A group of people who work together to make or sell things

2. magazine
Answer: (B) A book with lots of pages that comes out every week or month with stories and pictures

3. permission
Answer: (C) When someone says it’s okay for you to do something

4. employees
Answer: (H) People who work at a place

5. uncertain
Answer: (J) When you don’t know what will happen next

6. owns
Answer: (D) When someone has something that belongs to them

7. negotiate
Answer: (E) When people talk to each other to try to agree on something

8. launched
Answer: (A) When something is started or begins

9. significant
Answer: (G) When something is really important or big

10. digital
Answer: (F) When you use a computer, phone, or tablet to read or play games
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why can’t the big company make the sports magazine anymore?
Answer: (c) They lost permission

2. What might happen to the people who work for the magazine?
Answer: (b) They might lose their jobs

3. What is the company that owns the magazine doing?
Answer: (d) Talking to other companies

4. When did the magazine about sports start?
Answer: (b) In 1954

5. Why do not as many people read the magazine now?
Answer: (a) They like to read on the internet

6. What happened to the company that bought the magazine in 2019?
Answer: (c) They didn’t get some money they were supposed to

7. What other problems did the company have?
Answer: (d) They didn’t have enough money and had to say goodbye to some workers

8. What is the company doing now?
Answer: (a) Talking to other companies to see who can make the magazine now
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. More people read the magazine now because they prefer reading on the internet. (Answer: False)
2. The people who work for the magazine are likely to keep their jobs. (Answer: False)
3. A famous sports magazine is having a big problem and can’t make the magazine anymore. (Answer: True)
4. The company is talking to other companies to see who can make the magazine now. (Answer: True)
5. The company that bought the magazine also faced other challenges but managed to retain all of its workers. (Answer: False)
6. A company bought the magazine in 2019 but is not happy because they didn’t get some money they were supposed to. (Answer: True)
7. The company that owns the magazine says it will shut down. (Answer: False)
8. The magazine started a long time ago in 1954. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧