A very smart and important man named Charlie Munger has died. He was 99 years old. Charlie helped his friend Warren Buffett make their company very big and strong. People are saying many nice things about Charlie. Warren Buffett gave some of his money to help others and might stop working soon.

Charlie was very good at picking companies to invest in. He always said what he thought and made people smile with his words. People will miss hearing him talk at big meetings. Charlie had a lot of money, but not as much as his friend Warren. Now, two other men, Greg and Ajit, help run the company, and Greg will be the boss next. Charlie will be remembered for helping many people make good choices with their money.

Original news source: Tributes pour in for investment guru Charlie Munger (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into teams. Give each team a set of vocabulary words related to the article. One student from each team will act out a word without speaking while their teammates try to guess the word. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: Have the students read the article individually or in pairs. Then, ask them to write a short summary of the article using their own words. Afterward, have the students share their summaries with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article, such as “Charlie Munger was an important figure in the business world.” Have the students express their opinion on each statement by standing on a spectrum from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Encourage them to discuss their reasons for their opinions with their classmates.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a set of vocabulary words from the article. One student will draw a picture representing a word while their partner tries to guess the word. The pair with the most correct guesses wins.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have the students create catchy headlines for the article. Encourage them to be creative and use vocabulary words from the article. Afterward, have the groups share their headlines with the class and discuss why they chose those headlines.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was Charlie Munger?
2. How old was Charlie when he died?
3. What did Charlie help his friend Warren Buffett do?
4. What did Charlie say that made people smile?
5. Who will be the boss of the company next?
6. What will people miss about Charlie?
7. How will Charlie be remembered?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A very smart and (1)______ man named Charlie Munger has died. He was 99 (2)______ old. Charlie helped his friend Warren Buffett make their company very big and strong. People are saying many nice things about Charlie. Warren Buffett gave some of his (3)______ to help others and might stop (4)______ soon.

Charlie was very good at picking companies to invest in. He always said what he thought and made people smile with his words. (5)______ will miss hearing him talk at big meetings. Charlie had a lot of money, but not as (6)______ as his friend Warren. Now, two other men, Greg and Ajit, help run the company, and Greg will be the (7)______ next. Charlie will be remembered for helping many people (8)______ good choices with their money.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. Who was Charlie Munger?
2. How old was Charlie when he died?
3. What did Charlie help his friend Warren Buffett do?
4. What are people saying about Charlie?
5. How did Charlie make people smile?
6. Why will people miss hearing Charlie talk at big meetings?
7. Did Charlie have a lot of money?
8. Who will be the boss next?
9. What will Charlie be remembered for?
10. Do you think it’s important to help others with your money? Why or why not?
11. How do you feel when someone says nice things about you?
12. Do you like listening to important people talk at big meetings? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Charlie
2. Warren Buffett
3. died
4. money
5. invest
6. company
7. boss
8. choices

Meanings:
(a) When someone is no longer alive
(b) The person in charge
(c) A group of people who work together
(d) Something you use to buy things
(e) A very smart and important man who passed away
(f) Putting your money into something to make more money
(g) Deciding between different options
(h) A friend of Charlie who is very rich
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who was Charlie Munger?
(a) A very smart and important man
(b) A famous actor
(c) A professional athlete
(d) A popular singer

2. How old was Charlie Munger when he died?
(a) 50 years old
(b) 25 years old
(c) 75 years old
(d) 99 years old

3. What did Charlie Munger help his friend Warren Buffett do?
(a) Start a new business
(b) Write a book
(c) Make their company very big and strong
(d) Travel around the world

4. What did Warren Buffett do with some of his money?
(a) Buy a big house
(b) Go on vacation
(c) Help others
(d) Buy a fancy car

5. What was Charlie Munger good at?
(a) Playing video games
(b) Picking companies to invest in
(c) Cooking delicious meals
(d) Painting beautiful pictures

6. What did Charlie Munger always do?
(a) Keep his thoughts to himself
(b) Hide from people
(c) Dance and sing
(d) Say what he thought

7. Who will be the boss of the company next?
(a) Greg
(b) Charlie
(c) Warren
(d) Ajit

8. What will Charlie Munger be remembered for?
(a) Being a famous actor
(b) Helping many people make good choices with their money
(c) Winning a sports championship
(d) Writing a best-selling book

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. A man named Charlie Munger has resurrected at the age of 99.
2. Charlie was good at picking companies to invest in.
3. Charlie hindered his friend Warren Buffett make their company big and weak.
4. Two other men named Greg and Ajit oppose running the company now.
5. Warren Buffett withheld some of his money to help others.
6. People are saying many nice things about Charlie.
7. Warren Buffett might stop working soon.
8. Charlie Munger was a very smart and important person.
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. Who was Charlie Munger?
2. How old was Charlie when he died?
3. What did Charlie help his friend Warren Buffett do?
4. What did Charlie say that made people smile?
5. Who will be the boss of the company now that Charlie has passed away?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who was Charlie Munger?
Charlie Munger was a very smart and important man who helped his friend Warren Buffett with their big company.

2. How old was Charlie when he died?
Charlie was 99 years old when he died.

3. What did Charlie help his friend Warren Buffett do?
Charlie helped Warren Buffett make their company very big and strong.

4. What did Charlie say that made people smile?
Charlie always said what he thought and made people smile with his words.

5. Who will be the boss of the company next?
Greg will be the boss of the company next.

6. What will people miss about Charlie?
People will miss hearing Charlie talk at big meetings.

7. How will Charlie be remembered?
Charlie will be remembered for helping many people make good choices with their money.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) important
(2) years
(3) money
(4) working
(5) People
(6) much
(7) boss
(8) make
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Charlie
Answer: (e) A very smart and important man who passed away

2. Warren Buffett
Answer: (h) A friend of Charlie who is very rich

3. died
Answer: (a) When someone is no longer alive

4. money
Answer: (d) Something you use to buy things

5. invest
Answer: (f) Putting your money into something to make more money

6. company
Answer: (c) A group of people who work together

7. boss
Answer: (b) The person in charge

8. choices
Answer: (g) Deciding between different options
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who was Charlie Munger?
Answer: (a) A very smart and important man

2. How old was Charlie Munger when he died?
Answer: (d) 99 years old

3. What did Charlie Munger help his friend Warren Buffett do?
Answer: (c) Make their company very big and strong

4. What did Warren Buffett do with some of his money?
Answer: (c) Help others

5. What was Charlie Munger good at?
Answer: (b) Picking companies to invest in

6. What did Charlie Munger always do?
Answer: (d) Say what he thought

7. Who will be the boss of the company next?
Answer: (a) Greg

8. What will Charlie Munger be remembered for?
Answer: (b) Helping many people make good choices with their money
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. A man named Charlie Munger has resurrected at the age of 99. (Answer: False)
2. Charlie was good at picking companies to invest in. (Answer: True)
3. Charlie hindered his friend Warren Buffett make their company big and weak. (Answer: False)
4. Two other men named Greg and Ajit oppose running the company now. (Answer: False)
5. Warren Buffett withheld some of his money to help others. (Answer: False)
6. People are saying many nice things about Charlie. (Answer: True)
7. Warren Buffett might stop working soon. (Answer: True)
8. Charlie Munger was a very smart and important person. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧