Sweden is a country where people pay a lot of taxes and everyone is treated equally. But now, there are more very rich people in Sweden than before. In 1996, there were only 28 billionaires, but by 2021, there were 542. This happened because of things like new tech companies, low interest rates, and tax rules that help rich people. However, people in Sweden don't talk much about the rich and poor gap.
One big reason for more rich people is Sweden's tech industry, called the Silicon Valley of Europe. Many new tech companies like Skype and Spotify started there. These companies made a lot of money for their owners. Also, low interest rates made it easy to borrow money to invest in things like tech companies. This made many people very rich.
Original news source: The rise of Sweden's super rich (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Provide each group with a copy of the article.
3. Instruct the students to read the article and summarize the main points in their own words.
4. After a designated time, have each group share their summaries with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Write the following question on the board: "Do you think the increasing number of billionaires is a positive or negative thing for Sweden?"
2. Have the students individually write down their answer.
3. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
4. Instruct the students to discuss their answers and reasons with their partners.
5. After the discussion, conduct a poll by asking each student to share their opinion and provide a short explanation.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write a selection of vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g., billionaires, tech industry, interest rates).
2. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
3. Assign a word to each group.
4. Instruct the students to draw a picture that represents the word without using any letters or numbers.
5. Have the groups take turns showing their drawings to the class, while the rest of the students try to guess the word.
– Headline Creation
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Instruct each group to come up with a catchy headline that summarizes the main idea of the article.
3. Allow the students to discuss and brainstorm together.
4. After a designated time, have each group share their headline with the class.
5. Encourage the students to vote for their favorite headline.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions:
1. Ask the students to individually think about the following question: "What are some possible reasons for the increase in the number of billionaires in Sweden?"
2. Divide the class into pairs.
3. Instruct the students to share their ideas with their partners.
4. After the discussion, ask a few pairs to share their thoughts with the class.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Sweden is known for having high taxes and treating everyone equally.
In 1996, there were only 28 billionaires in Sweden.
As of 2021, there are 542 billionaires in Sweden.
There are more rich people in Sweden now because of new tech companies, low interest rates, and tax rules that help rich people.
The tech industry in Sweden is called the Silicon Valley of Europe.
Yes, Skype and Spotify are examples of tech companies that started in Sweden.
Low interest rates made it easy for people to borrow money and invest in things like tech companies, which helped them become rich.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Sweden is a where people pay a lot of taxes and everyone is treated equally. But now, there are more very rich people in Sweden than before. In 1996, there only 28 billionaires, but by 2021, there were 542. This happened because of things like new tech companies, low interest rates, and tax rules that rich people. However, people in don't talk much about the rich and poor gap. One big reason for more rich people is Sweden's industry, called the Silicon Valley of . Many new tech companies like Skype and Spotify started there. These made a lot of money for their owners. Also, low rates made it easy to borrow money to invest in things like tech companies. This made many people very rich.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is a billionaire?
2. How would you feel if you were very rich?
3. Do you like technology? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it's fair that some people are very rich and others are not? Why or why not?
5. What is a tech company?
6. How would you feel if you started a tech company and became very rich?
7. Do you think it's important to talk about the gap between rich and poor? Why or why not?
8. What is the Silicon Valley of Europe?
9. How would you feel if you lived in the Silicon Valley of Europe?
10. Do you think it's good or bad that low interest rates made it easy for people to borrow money? Why or why not?
11. What is a tax rule?
12. How would you feel if you had to pay a lot of taxes?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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