The leader of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, is happy because the money he used to buy Bitcoin is now worth more. He spent a lot of the country’s money on Bitcoin since 2021. He wants people who didn’t agree with him to say sorry. But some smart money people say it’s too soon to be happy because the price of Bitcoin can change a lot.

Bukele’s team used $120 million to buy Bitcoin. This is just some of the money they used to make Bitcoin important in El Salvador. People who don’t agree with Bukele say the project costs too much. Not many people in El Salvador are using Bitcoin, and no one really knows how Bukele is using the Bitcoin money.

People who really like Bitcoin think Bukele did a great thing because the price went up. But some smart people say the money could have helped with other big problems, like not having enough food. They are worried because Bukele’s team doesn’t tell everyone how they spend the money. Even though the price of Bitcoin goes up and down, Bukele doesn’t want to sell the Bitcoins he has.

Original news source: Bitcoin rally: Is El Salvador’s Bitcoin bet paying off? (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary

Instructions:
1. Divide the students into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a copy of the article.
3. Ask the students to read the article together and summarize the main points.
4. Each group should then present a brief summary of the article to the rest of the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary

Instructions:
1. Write down a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board.
2. Divide the students into pairs or small groups.
3. Give each group a piece of paper and a pen.
4. Choose one student from each group to come to the board.
5. Call out a vocabulary word and the students at the board must draw a picture to represent that word.
6. The rest of the group should try to guess the word based on the drawing.
7. Repeat with different vocabulary words and rotate the students at the board.

– Speed Summarizing

Instructions:
1. Divide the students into pairs.
2. Give each pair a copy of the article.
3. Set a timer for 2 minutes.
4. Ask one student from each pair to start summarizing the article to their partner.
5. When the timer goes off, the roles switch and the other student continues summarizing where their partner left off.
6. Repeat this process for a total of 4 rounds, with each round lasting 2 minutes.
7. After the final round, ask the students to share their summaries with the whole class.

– Pros and Cons

Instructions:
1. Divide the students into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a copy of the article.
3. Ask the students to discuss the pros and cons of El Salvador’s decision to invest in Bitcoin.
4. Encourage them to consider both the positive and negative aspects of this decision.
5. After the discussion, each group should present their findings to the rest of the class.

– Future Predictions

Instructions:
1. Divide the students into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a copy of the article.
3. Ask the students to discuss and make predictions about the future of Bitcoin in El Salvador.
4. Encourage them to think about how the price of Bitcoin might change and how this decision might impact the country.
5. After the discussion, each group should share their predictions with the rest of the class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Why is Nayib Bukele happy?
2. What did Nayib Bukele spend a lot of money on?
3. Why do some people think it’s too soon for Nayib Bukele to be happy?
4. How much money did Bukele’s team use to buy Bitcoin?
5. Why do some people think the project costs too much?
6. What are some concerns that people have about how Bukele is using the Bitcoin money?
7. Why doesn’t Bukele want to sell the Bitcoins he has?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The leader of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, is (1)______ because the money he used to buy (2)______ is now worth more. He spent a lot of the country’s money on Bitcoin since 2021. He wants (3)______ who didn’t agree with him to say sorry. But some smart money people say it’s too soon to be happy because the (4)______ of Bitcoin can (5)______ a lot.

Bukele’s team (6)______ $120 million to buy Bitcoin. This is just some of the money they used to make Bitcoin important in El Salvador. People who don’t agree with Bukele say the project costs too much. Not (7)______ people in El Salvador are (8)______ Bitcoin, and no one really knows how Bukele is using the Bitcoin money.

People who really like Bitcoin think Bukele did a (9)______ thing because the price went up. But some smart people say the money could have helped with (10)______ big (11)______, like not having enough food. They are (12)______ because Bukele’s team doesn’t tell everyone how they spend the money. Even though the price of Bitcoin goes up and down, Bukele doesn’t want to sell the Bitcoins he has.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is Bitcoin?
2. How do you think Nayib Bukele feels now that the price of Bitcoin has gone up?
3. Do you think it’s a good idea for a country to spend a lot of money on Bitcoin? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if you disagreed with someone and they wanted you to say sorry?
5. Do you like the idea of using Bitcoin instead of regular money? Why or why not?
6. How do you think the people in El Salvador feel about Bukele spending money on Bitcoin instead of other things like food?
7. What do you think are some other big problems that the money could have helped with?
8. Do you think it’s important for Bukele to tell everyone how he spends the Bitcoin money? Why or why not?
9. How do you think Bukele feels about the price of Bitcoin going up and down?
10. If you had a lot of Bitcoins, would you sell them or keep them? Why or why not?
11. How do you think Bukele’s team decided to use $120 million to buy Bitcoin?
12. Do you think it’s a good thing that the price of Bitcoin can change a lot? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why is Nayib Bukele happy?
(a) He won a big prize.
(b) The money he used to buy Bitcoin is now worth more.
(c) He made a lot of new friends.
(d) He found a treasure chest.

2. What did Bukele spend a lot of money on?
(a) Food
(b) Bitcoin
(c) Clothes
(d) Cars

3. What do people who don’t agree with Bukele say?
(a) Bitcoin is not important.
(b) Bukele should sell his Bitcoins.
(c) The price of Bitcoin will never change.
(d) The project costs too much.

4. How many people in El Salvador are using Bitcoin?
(a) Not many
(b) Everyone
(c) No one
(d) A lot

5. What are some people worried about?
(a) The price of Bitcoin going up and down.
(b) Not having enough food.
(c) All of the above.
(d) How Bukele is spending the Bitcoin money.

6. What do people who like Bitcoin think?
(a) Bukele did a great thing because the price went up.
(b) Bukele should sell his Bitcoins.
(c) The project costs too much.
(d) Bitcoin is not important.

7. Why doesn’t Bukele want to sell his Bitcoins?
(a) He wants to keep them as a souvenir.
(b) He doesn’t like money.
(c) He thinks the price will go up even more.
(d) He wants to give them to his friends.

8. What is the main topic of the article?
(a) The history of Bitcoin.
(b) How to buy Bitcoin.
(c) Nayib Bukele and Bitcoin in El Salvador.
(d) The problems in El Salvador.

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Bukele wants people who agreed with him to say sorry.
2. Some smart money people say it’s too late to be happy because the price of Bitcoin cannot change a lot.
3. Bukele’s team doesn’t tell everyone how they spend the money, which worries some people.
4. People who don’t agree with Bukele say the project costs too much.
5. Bukele’s team used $120 million to buy Bitcoin.
6. Many people in El Salvador are using Bitcoin, and everyone knows how Bukele is using the Bitcoin money.
7. The leader of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, is happy because the money he used to buy Bitcoin is now worth more.
8. Bukele spent a little of the country’s money on Bitcoin since 2021.
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 is Nayib Bukele happy?
2. What did Nayib Bukele spend a lot of money on?
3. What do some people say about the project?
4. Why are some people worried?
5. What does Nayib Bukele not want to do with his Bitcoins?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why is Nayib Bukele happy?
Nayib Bukele is happy because the money he used to buy Bitcoin is now worth more.

2. What did Nayib Bukele spend a lot of money on?
Nayib Bukele spent a lot of money on buying Bitcoin.

3. Why do some people think it’s too soon for Nayib Bukele to be happy?
Some people think it’s too soon for Nayib Bukele to be happy because the price of Bitcoin can change a lot.

4. How much money did Bukele’s team use to buy Bitcoin?
Bukele’s team used $120 million to buy Bitcoin.

5. Why do some people think the project costs too much?
Some people think the project costs too much because not many people in El Salvador are using Bitcoin and the money could have been used to help with other big problems, like not having enough food.

6. What are some concerns that people have about how Bukele is using the Bitcoin money?
Some concerns that people have about how Bukele is using the Bitcoin money are that Bukele’s team doesn’t tell everyone how they spend the money and there is uncertainty about how the money is being used.

7. Why doesn’t Bukele want to sell the Bitcoins he has?
Bukele doesn’t want to sell the Bitcoins he has because he believes the price of Bitcoin will continue to go up and he wants to keep them for now.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) happy
(2) Bitcoin
(3) people
(4) price
(5) change
(6) used
(7) many
(8) using
(9) great
(10) other
(11) problems
(12) worried
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why is Nayib Bukele happy?
Answer: (b) The money he used to buy Bitcoin is now worth more.

2. What did Bukele spend a lot of money on?
Answer: (b) Bitcoin

3. What do people who don’t agree with Bukele say?
Answer: (d) The project costs too much.

4. How many people in El Salvador are using Bitcoin?
Answer: (a) Not many

5. What are some people worried about?
Answer: (d) How Bukele is spending the Bitcoin money.

6. What do people who like Bitcoin think?
Answer: (a) Bukele did a great thing because the price went up.

7. Why doesn’t Bukele want to sell his Bitcoins?
Answer: (c) He thinks the price will go up even more.

8. What is the main topic of the article?
Answer: (c) Nayib Bukele and Bitcoin in El Salvador.
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Bukele wants people who agreed with him to say sorry. (Answer: False)
2. Some smart money people say it’s too late to be happy because the price of Bitcoin cannot change a lot. (Answer: False)
3. Bukele’s team doesn’t tell everyone how they spend the money, which worries some people. (Answer: True)
4. People who don’t agree with Bukele say the project costs too much. (Answer: True)
5. Bukele’s team used $120 million to buy Bitcoin. (Answer: True)
6. Many people in El Salvador are using Bitcoin, and everyone knows how Bukele is using the Bitcoin money. (Answer: False)
7. The leader of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, is happy because the money he used to buy Bitcoin is now worth more. (Answer: True)
8. Bukele spent a little of the country’s money on Bitcoin since 2021. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧