A very big and special red stone called a ruby was sold for a lot of money. The ruby is from Mozambique, a country in Africa. This ruby is the biggest one ever sold. The people who sold it said it is very special. They called it “Estrela de Fura” or “Star of Fura.”
The ruby was found in a mine in Mozambique. The mine is in a place where there is fighting and people are not safe. The people who live there do not have a lot of money. But there are many things in the ground that can make money. Some people think the fighting is because the people who live there do not have good jobs.
The people who sold the ruby will use some of the money to help the people in Mozambique. They will make a school to teach people about mining and other jobs.
Original news source: Legendary Mozambican ruby sells for record price (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities
– Star of Fura Story
Instructions: Have students work in pairs to create a short story based on the “Star of Fura” ruby. Encourage them to use simple sentences and vocabulary from the article. After they finish, ask the pairs to share their stories with the class.
– Mime the Mine
Instructions: Write down several mining-related actions on slips of paper (e.g., digging, polishing a gem, carrying rocks, driving a mining truck). Have students take turns picking a slip and then acting out the action without speaking. The other students must guess the action in English.
– Help Mozambique
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to brainstorm and come up with three simple ways they would use the money from the ruby sale to help the people in Mozambique. Encourage them to use vocabulary from the article. Afterward, have each group present their ideas to the class.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What is the special red stone called?
2. How much money was the ruby sold for?
3. Where is the ruby from?
4. What is the special name for the ruby?
5. Where was the ruby found?
6. Why is the place where the ruby was found not safe?
7. What do some people think the fighting is about?
8. How will the money from the ruby sale help the people in Mozambique?
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
A very big and special red stone called a (1)______ was sold for a lot of money. The ruby is from (2)_______, a country in Africa. This ruby is the biggest one ever sold. The people who sold it said it is very special. They called it “Estrela de Fura” or “Star of Fura.”
The ruby was found in a mine in Mozambique. The mine is in a place where there is (3)______ and people are not safe. The people who live there do not have a lot of money. But there are many things in the ground that can make money. Some people think the fighting is because the people who live there do not have good (4)______.
The people who sold the ruby will use some of the money to help the people in Mozambique. They will make a (5)______ to teach people about mining and other (6)______.
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Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What color is the special stone?
2. What is the name of the stone?
3. Where is the stone from?
4. Is the ruby big or small?
5. What country is in Africa?
6. Where was the ruby found?
7. Is the place where the ruby was found safe or not safe?
8. Do people there have a lot of money?
9. What is in the ground that can make money?
10. Why do some people think there is fighting?
11. Will the people who sold the ruby help others?
12. What will they do with the money?
13. What will they make to help people?
14. What will people learn in the school?
15. Do you like red stones?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. ruby
2. special
3. mine
4. fighting
5. money
6. school
7. teach
8. jobs
Shuffled Meanings:
A) A place where people learn and study
B) A red stone that is very pretty and valuable
C) Work that people do to earn a living
D) A place where people dig in the ground to find valuable things
E) To show or explain to someone how to do something
F) Something that is not like other things and is important or valuable
G) Paper or coins used to buy things
H) When people argue or try to hurt each other
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Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What color is the special stone?
(a) blue
(b) red
(c) green
(d) yellow
2. Where is the ruby from?
(a) America
(b) Europe
(c) Asia
(d) Africa
3. What is the name of the ruby?
(a) Star of Fura
(b) Estrela de Fura
(c) Big Red Stone
(d) African Star
4. Where was the ruby found?
(a) in a river
(b) in a mountain
(c) in a mine
(d) in a forest
5. Is the place where the ruby was found safe?
(a) yes, it is very safe
(b) no, there is fighting
(c) it is a little safe
(d) it is very peaceful
6. Why do some people think there is fighting in the area?
(a) because there are no good jobs
(b) because of the ruby
(c) because of the mine
(d) because of the school
7. What will the people who sold the ruby do with some of the money?
(a) help the people in Mozambique
(b) buy more rubies
(c) keep it for themselves
(d) build a house
8. What will they make to help the people in Mozambique?
(a) a hospital
(b) a playground
(c) a mine
(d) a school
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True or False Questions:
1. The ruby is blue.
2. The ruby is from Africa.
3. The ruby is small.
4. The ruby is called “Star of Mozambique.”
5. The mine is in a safe place.
6. There is fighting because people do not have good jobs.
7. The money will not help the people in Mozambique.
8. They will make a school to teach about mining.
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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 was sold for a lot of money?
2. Where is Mozambique?
3. What did the people who sold the ruby call it?
4. Why is there fighting in the place where the ruby was found?
5. What will the people who sold the ruby do with some of the money?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What is the special red stone called?
The special red stone is called a ruby.
2. How much money was the ruby sold for?
The ruby was sold for a lot of money.
3. Where is the ruby from?
The ruby is from Mozambique, a country in Africa.
4. What is the special name for the ruby?
The special name for the ruby is “Estrela de Fura” or “Star of Fura.”
5. Where was the ruby found?
The ruby was found in a mine in Mozambique.
6. Why is the place where the ruby was found not safe?
The place is not safe because there is fighting and people are not safe.
7. What do some people think the fighting is about?
Some people think the fighting is because the people who live there do not have good jobs.
8. How will the money from the ruby sale help the people in Mozambique?
The money from the ruby sale will help the people in Mozambique by making a school to teach people about mining and other jobs.
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
1. ruby
2. Mozambique
3. fighting
4. jobs
5. school
6. jobs
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. ruby
Answer: B) A red stone that is very pretty and valuable
2. special
Answer: F) Something that is not like other things and is important or valuable
3. mine
Answer: D) A place where people dig in the ground to find valuable things
4. fighting
Answer: H) When people argue or try to hurt each other
5. money
Answer: G) Paper or coins used to buy things
6. school
Answer: A) A place where people learn and study
7. teach
Answer: E) To show or explain to someone how to do something
8. jobs
Answer: C) Work that people do to earn a living
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What color is the special stone?
Answer: (b) red
2. Where is the ruby from?
Answer: (d) Africa
3. What is the name of the ruby?
Answer: (b) Estrela de Fura
4. Where was the ruby found?
Answer: (c) in a mine
5. Is the place where the ruby was found safe?
Answer: (b) no, there is fighting
6. Why do some people think there is fighting in the area?
Answer: (a) because there are no good jobs
7. What will the people who sold the ruby do with some of the money?
Answer: (a) help the people in Mozambique
8. What will they make to help the people in Mozambique?
Answer: (d) a school
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The ruby is blue.
Answer: False
2. The ruby is from Africa.
Answer: True
3. The ruby is small.
Answer: False
4. The ruby is called “Star of Mozambique.”
Answer: False
5. The mine is in a safe place.
Answer: False
6. There is fighting because people do not have good jobs.
Answer: True
7. The money will not help the people in Mozambique.
Answer: False
8. They will make a school to teach about mining.
Answer: True
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