A man from Ghana said he was sorry to a soccer player named Harry Maguire. Last year, the man made fun of Harry when he was talking about another man who takes care of money in Ghana. He said Harry played soccer the same way the money man took care of money, which was not very good. Ghana has money problems right now. The man said sorry because many people did not like what he said about Harry.

Harry’s mom and friends said it was not nice to make fun of him. Harry plays soccer for a big team and sometimes he does not play well. But his friends say he is still good. The money man in Ghana is trying to fix the money problems. He wants to be the boss of Ghana in the future and says he will make things better.

Original news source: Harry Maguire: Ghana MP Isaac Adongo sorry for mocking Manchester United star (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a set of cards with words related to the article (e.g. Ghana, soccer, money, Harry Maguire). One person from each team takes turns acting out the word on the card without speaking, while their team tries to guess the word. The team that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner. Encourage them to use their own words and keep their summaries short and concise. After both partners have had a chance to summarize, they can discuss any similarities or differences in their summaries.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Ask students to form small groups. Each group should discuss and share their opinions on the following questions related to the article:
1. Do you think it was right for the man from Ghana to apologize to Harry Maguire? Why or why not?
2. Should Harry Maguire forgive the man? Why or why not?
3. Do you think the money man in Ghana will be able to fix the money problems? Why or why not?
After the discussion, each group can share their opinions with the rest of the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. Ghana, soccer, money, apologize, problems). One person from each pair chooses a word and draws a picture to represent that word, while their partner tries to guess the word. After a set amount of time, they can switch roles. The pair that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask students to take a moment to think about the following question: “What lessons can we learn from this article?” Then, have them pair up with a partner and share their thoughts. After a few minutes, ask some pairs to share their ideas with the whole class. Encourage students to provide reasons for their answers and engage in a discussion about the lessons learned.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Why did the man from Ghana say sorry to Harry Maguire?
2. What did the man say about Harry when he was talking about the money man in Ghana?
3. Why did Harry’s mom and friends say it was not nice to make fun of him?
4. Does Harry always play soccer well?
5. Who is trying to fix the money problems in Ghana?
6. What does the money man want to be in the future?
7. What does the money man say he will do to make things better?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A man from Ghana (1)______ he was sorry to a soccer player named Harry Maguire. Last year, the man made fun of Harry when he was talking about another man who takes care of (2)______ in Ghana. He said (3)______ played soccer the same way the money man took (4)______ of money, which was not very good. Ghana has money problems right now. The man said sorry because many people did not like what he said about Harry.

Harry’s mom and friends said it was not nice to (5)______ fun of him. Harry (6)______ soccer for a big team and sometimes he does not play well. But his (7)______ say he is still good. The money man in Ghana is trying to fix the money problems. He wants to be the (8)______ of Ghana in the future and says he will make things better.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is soccer?
2. How would you feel if someone made fun of you?
3. Do you think it’s nice to make fun of someone? Why or why not?
4. Do you like playing soccer? Why or why not?
5. What is a big team?
6. How do you think Harry’s mom and friends felt when he was made fun of?
7. What are money problems?
8. How would you feel if you were the boss of your country?
9. Do you think the money man in Ghana will make things better? Why or why not?
10. What do you think Harry’s friends mean when they say he is still good?
11. Have you ever made fun of someone? Why or why not?
12. How do you think Harry felt when the man from Ghana said sorry to him?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Ghana
2. sorry
3. soccer
4. money
5. good
6. problems
7. friends
8. future

Meanings:
(a) A game where you kick a ball
(b) Something you use to buy things
(c) A country in Africa
(d) The opposite of bad
(e) Difficulties or issues
(f) Feeling bad for something you did wrong
(g) The time that is still to come
(h) People you like and spend time with
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who did the man from Ghana apologize to?
(a) Harry Maguire
(b) Harry’s mom
(c) Harry’s friends
(d) The money man in Ghana

2. Why did the man apologize to Harry?
(a) Because he wanted to be Harry’s friend
(b) Because Harry is a bad soccer player
(c) Because Harry is from Ghana
(d) Because he made fun of him

3. What did Harry’s friends say about him?
(a) He is not good at soccer
(b) He is still good at soccer
(c) He is the best soccer player
(d) He doesn’t like playing soccer

4. What is the money man in Ghana trying to do?
(a) Play soccer for a big team
(b) Make fun of Harry
(c) Be the boss of another country
(d) Fix the money problems

5. What did the man compare Harry’s soccer playing to?
(a) The way Harry’s mom takes care of money
(b) The way the money man takes care of money
(c) The way Harry’s friends take care of money
(d) The way Harry takes care of money

6. Why did the man say sorry?
(a) Because many people didn’t like what he said
(b) Because he wanted to be Harry’s friend
(c) Because he wanted to be the boss of Ghana
(d) Because he wanted to play soccer with Harry

7. What does Ghana have problems with right now?
(a) Soccer
(b) Food
(c) Money
(d) Friends

8. What does the money man in Ghana want to be in the future?
(a) The boss of another country
(b) The boss of Harry’s soccer team
(c) The boss of Ghana
(d) The boss of Harry’s mom

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Harry does not play soccer for a big team.
2. The money man in Ghana wants to be the worker of Ghana in the future and make things worse.
3. Harry’s mom and friends said it was not nice to make fun of him.
4. A woman from Ghana said sorry to a soccer player named Harry Maguire.
5. Many people did not like what the man said about Harry.
6. Ghana is currently not facing money problems.
7. The man compared Harry’s soccer skills to how another man takes care of money in Ghana.
8. The man made fun of Harry because of how he plays soccer.
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. Why did the man from Ghana say sorry to Harry Maguire?
2. What did the man say about Harry’s soccer playing?
3. What did Harry’s mom and friends say about making fun of him?
4. What is the money man in Ghana trying to do?
5. Why did the man say sorry to Harry?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why did the man from Ghana say sorry to Harry Maguire?
Because the man made fun of Harry and many people didn’t like it.

2. What did the man say about Harry when he was talking about the money man in Ghana?
The man said Harry played soccer the same way the money man took care of money, which was not very good.

3. Why did Harry’s mom and friends say it was not nice to make fun of him?
Because it hurts Harry’s feelings and it’s not kind to make fun of someone.

4. Does Harry always play soccer well?
No, sometimes he doesn’t play well, but his friends still think he is good.

5. Who is trying to fix the money problems in Ghana?
The money man in Ghana is trying to fix the money problems.

6. What does the money man want to be in the future?
The money man wants to be the boss of Ghana in the future.

7. What does the money man say he will do to make things better?
The money man says he will make things better in Ghana.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) said
(2) money
(3) Harry
(4) care
(5) make
(6) plays
(7) friends
(8) boss
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Ghana
Answer: (c) A country in Africa

2. sorry
Answer: (f) Feeling bad for something you did wrong

3. soccer
Answer: (a) A game where you kick a ball

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

5. good
Answer: (d) The opposite of bad

6. problems
Answer: (e) Difficulties or issues

7. friends
Answer: (h) People you like and spend time with

8. future
Answer: (g) The time that is still to come
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who did the man from Ghana apologize to?
Answer: (a) Harry Maguire

2. Why did the man apologize to Harry?
Answer: (d) Because he made fun of him

3. What did Harry’s friends say about him?
Answer: (b) He is still good at soccer

4. What is the money man in Ghana trying to do?
Answer: (d) Fix the money problems

5. What did the man compare Harry’s soccer playing to?
Answer: (b) The way the money man takes care of money

6. Why did the man say sorry?
Answer: (a) Because many people didn’t like what he said

7. What does Ghana have problems with right now?
Answer: (c) Money

8. What does the money man in Ghana want to be in the future?
Answer: (c) The boss of Ghana
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Harry does not play soccer for a big team. (Answer: False)
2. The money man in Ghana wants to be the worker of Ghana in the future and make things worse. (Answer: False)
3. Harry’s mom and friends said it was not nice to make fun of him. (Answer: True)
4. A woman from Ghana said sorry to a soccer player named Harry Maguire. (Answer: False)
5. Many people did not like what the man said about Harry. (Answer: True)
6. Ghana is currently not facing money problems. (Answer: False)
7. The man compared Harry’s soccer skills to how another man takes care of money in Ghana. (Answer: True)
8. The man made fun of Harry because of how he plays soccer. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧