After a big football game in Africa, players from Ivory Coast and Nigeria are getting special gifts. The Ivory Coast team will get money and a house. The Nigeria team will get a special award, an apartment, and land. The team from South Africa, who came in third, will also get money. These gifts are a way to say “thank you” for playing well in the game.

Lots of people, almost two billion, watched this football game on TV. This is the most people ever to watch this game. People hope that because so many enjoyed the game, African teams might get to play in more big world games in the future. Before, some teams from Africa had problems getting paid, but this year things were better. This game made many players and fans very happy.

Original news source: Afcon: Ivory Coast and Nigeria players get cash, villas and honours (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down football-related words or actions on small pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. One student from each team will take turns selecting a paper and acting out the word or action without speaking. Their team members must guess what they are trying to convey within a certain time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. Ask one student from each pair to read the article silently and summarize the main points to their partner. Then, have the pairs switch roles. Afterward, ask some students to share their summaries with the whole class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: “Did you enjoy watching the football game between Ivory Coast and Nigeria?” Give each student a sticky note and ask them to write “yes” or “no” on it. Collect the sticky notes and tally the results on the board. Engage the students in a class discussion by asking them to explain why they enjoyed or did not enjoy the game.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a list of football-related vocabulary words from the article. One student from each group will choose a word and draw a picture representing that word on the board, without using any letters or numbers. Their group members must guess the word within a certain time limit. Rotate roles within the group until all the words have been guessed.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask the students to think quietly for a moment about their favorite part of the football game between Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Then, have them pair up with a partner and share their thoughts. Finally, ask some students to share their favorite parts with the whole class and facilitate a brief discussion about the different perspectives.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What are the special gifts that the Ivory Coast team will get?
2. What are the special gifts that the Nigeria team will get?
3. What will the team from South Africa get?
4. Why are these gifts being given to the teams?
5. How many people watched the football game on TV?
6. Why do people hope that African teams will get to play in more big world games?
7. Why were many players and fans very happy after the game?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

After a big football game in Africa, (1)______ from Ivory Coast and Nigeria are getting special gifts. The Ivory Coast (2)______ will get money and a house. The Nigeria team will get a special award, an (3)______, and land. The team from South Africa, who (4)______ in third, will also get money. These gifts are a way to say “thank you” for playing well in the game.

Lots of people, almost two billion, watched this football (5)______ on TV. This is the most (6)______ ever to watch this game. People hope that because so many enjoyed the game, African teams might get to play in more big world games in the (7)______. Before, some (8)______ from Africa had problems getting paid, but this year things were better. This game made many players and fans very happy.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a football game?
2. How would you feel if you got a special gift for playing a game?
3. Do you like watching football games on TV? Why or why not?
4. How many people watched the football game in Africa?
5. Do you think African teams should get to play in more big world games? Why or why not?
6. Have you ever played a game with your friends? How did it make you feel?
7. What do you think about the players getting money and houses as gifts?
8. Do you think it’s important for players to get paid for playing games? Why or why not?
9. How do you think the players and fans felt when they watched the game?
10. Have you ever received a special gift for doing something well? How did it make you feel?
11. What do you think about the idea of giving gifts to people who play games well?
12. How do you think the players will use the money and houses they received as gifts?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Africa
2. players
3. gifts
4. apartment
5. land
6. watched
7. billion
8. enjoy
9. future
10. happy

Meanings:
(A) A home in a big building with many homes
(B) A big place with lots of countries
(C) People who play games or sports
(D) To have fun or like something a lot
(E) The ground or a piece of the earth
(F) Things you give to someone to make them smile
(G) Feeling really good and smiling a lot
(H) Looked at something with your eyes
(I) Time that hasn’t happened yet
(J) A really, really big number
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did the Ivory Coast team receive as a gift?
(a) Money and a house
(b) Money and a car
(c) Money and a bicycle
(d) Money and a boat

2. What did the Nigeria team receive as a gift?
(a) A car, land, and a special award
(b) A bicycle, land, and a special award
(c) An apartment, land, and a special award
(d) A boat, land, and a special award

3. What did the South Africa team receive as a gift?
(a) A car
(b) Money
(c) A bicycle
(d) A boat

4. How many people watched the football game on TV?
(a) Almost one billion
(b) Almost three billion
(c) Almost four billion
(d) Almost two billion

5. Why did people hope that African teams might get to play in more big world games in the future?
(a) Because so many didn’t enjoy the game
(b) Because so many enjoyed the game
(c) Because the game was boring
(d) Because the game was too long

6. What did some teams from Africa have problems with in the past?
(a) Getting paid
(b) Winning games
(c) Watching TV
(d) Playing well

7. Who did the gifts make happy?
(a) Only the players
(b) Only the fans
(c) Many players and fans
(d) Nobody

8. What are the gifts a way to say?
(a) Thank you for watching the game
(b) Thank you for not playing well in the game
(c) Thank you for not watching the game
(d) Thank you for playing well in the game

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The South Africa team, who came in fourth, will also receive money.
2. The Ivory Coast team will receive money and a house as gifts.
3. Before, some teams from Africa had no problems getting paid, but this year things were worse.
4. Almost two billion people watched this football game on TV, which is the most people ever to watch this game.
5. The Nigeria team will not receive a special award, an apartment, and land as gifts.
6. This game made many players and fans very sad.
7. People hope that because so many enjoyed the game, African teams might get to play in more big world games in the future.
8. The Ivory Coast and Nigeria football teams played a big game in Africa.
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 did the Ivory Coast team get as a special gift after the football game?
2. What did the Nigeria team get as a special gift after the football game?
3. What did the team from South Africa get as a special gift after the football game?
4. How many people watched the football game on TV?
5. Why were the players and fans happy after the football game?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What are the special gifts that the Ivory Coast team will get?
The Ivory Coast team will get money and a house.

2. What are the special gifts that the Nigeria team will get?
The Nigeria team will get a special award, an apartment, and land.

3. What will the team from South Africa get?
The team from South Africa will also get money.

4. Why are these gifts being given to the teams?
These gifts are being given to the teams to say “thank you” for playing well in the game.

5. How many people watched the football game on TV?
Almost two billion people watched the football game on TV.

6. Why do people hope that African teams will get to play in more big world games?
People hope that African teams will get to play in more big world games because so many people enjoyed watching this game.

7. Why were many players and fans very happy after the game?
Many players and fans were very happy after the game because the teams played well and had a good time.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) players
(2) team
(3) apartment
(4) came
(5) game
(6) people
(7) future
(8) teams
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Africa
Answer: (B) A big place with lots of countries

2. players
Answer: (C) People who play games or sports

3. gifts
Answer: (F) Things you give to someone to make them smile

4. apartment
Answer: (A) A home in a big building with many homes

5. land
Answer: (E) The ground or a piece of the earth

6. watched
Answer: (H) Looked at something with your eyes

7. billion
Answer: (J) A really, really big number

8. enjoy
Answer: (D) To have fun or like something a lot

9. future
Answer: (I) Time that hasn’t happened yet

10. happy
Answer: (G) Feeling really good and smiling a lot
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did the Ivory Coast team receive as a gift?
Answer: (a) Money and a house

2. What did the Nigeria team receive as a gift?
Answer: (c) An apartment, land, and a special award

3. What did the South Africa team receive as a gift?
Answer: (b) Money

4. How many people watched the football game on TV?
Answer: (d) Almost two billion

5. Why did people hope that African teams might get to play in more big world games in the future?
Answer: (b) Because so many enjoyed the game

6. What did some teams from Africa have problems with in the past?
Answer: (a) Getting paid

7. Who did the gifts make happy?
Answer: (c) Many players and fans

8. What are the gifts a way to say?
Answer: (d) Thank you for playing well in the game
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The South Africa team, who came in fourth, will also receive money. (Answer: False)
2. The Ivory Coast team will receive money and a house as gifts. (Answer: True)
3. Before, some teams from Africa had no problems getting paid, but this year things were worse. (Answer: False)
4. Almost two billion people watched this football game on TV, which is the most people ever to watch this game. (Answer: True)
5. The Nigeria team will not receive a special award, an apartment, and land as gifts. (Answer: False)
6. This game made many players and fans very sad. (Answer: False)
7. People hope that because so many enjoyed the game, African teams might get to play in more big world games in the future. (Answer: True)
8. The Ivory Coast and Nigeria football teams played a big game in Africa. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧