A very important man in the business world, Charlie Munger, has died at 99 years old. He worked with another famous business man, Warren Buffett, for a long time. People are saying many nice things about Charlie. He helped make their company very big and strong.

Charlie was very smart and always said what he thought. He helped Warren Buffett make better choices about where to put their money. People will miss hearing him talk at big meetings. Charlie had a lot of money, but not as much as Warren Buffett.

The company they worked for has two other important people who help run it. One of them will take over when Warren Buffett stops working. Charlie’s death is a big change for the company. People will always remember how he helped them learn about business.

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

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a copy of the article.
3. Have the groups read the article and summarize the main points in their own words.
4. After a designated time, have each group share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Write the following question on the board: “What is your opinion on Charlie Munger’s impact in the business world?”
2. Have students individually write down their opinion and a brief explanation.
3. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
4. In their pairs or groups, have students discuss their opinions and try to find commonalities or differences.
5. Select a few groups to share their opinions with the class and facilitate a class discussion.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Prepare a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g., business, company, money, smart, choices).
2. Divide the class into small groups.
3. Give each group a whiteboard or a large sheet of paper and markers.
4. Call out a vocabulary word and have each group draw a quick sketch that represents the word.
5. The first group to correctly guess the word earns a point.
6. Continue with different vocabulary words until time runs out or a certain number of points is reached.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs.
2. Give each pair a copy of the article.
3. Set a timer for a short amount of time (e.g., 1-2 minutes).
4. In their pairs, have students take turns summarizing as much of the article as they can within the given time.
5. After the time is up, have pairs switch roles and summarize again.
6. Repeat the process for a few rounds, gradually increasing the time limit.
7. Have a few pairs share their summaries with the class.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions:
1. Write the following prompt on the board: “What qualities do you think are important in a successful business person?”
2. Give students a couple of minutes to individually think about their response.
3. Pair up the students and have them share their thoughts with each other.
4. After the pairs have discussed, open up a class discussion and ask some pairs to share their ideas.
5. Facilitate a discussion on the qualities mentioned and encourage students to explain their reasoning.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was Charlie Munger?
2. How long did Charlie Munger work with Warren Buffett?
3. Why are people saying nice things about Charlie?
4. What did Charlie Munger help Warren Buffett with?
5. Why will people miss hearing Charlie talk at big meetings?
6. Did Charlie Munger have more money than Warren Buffett?
7. What will happen to the company now that Charlie Munger has died?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A very (1)______ man in the business world, Charlie Munger, has died at 99 years old. He (2)______ with another famous business man, Warren Buffett, for a (3)______ time. People are saying many nice things about (4)______. He helped make their company very big and (5)______.

Charlie was very smart and always said what he thought. He helped Warren Buffett make better (6)______ about where to put their (7)______. People will (8)______ hearing him talk at big (9)______. Charlie had a lot of money, but not as much as Warren Buffett.

The company they worked for has two other important people who help run it. One of them will take over when Warren Buffett stops working. Charlie’s death is a big change for the (10)______. People will always remember how he (11)______ them (12)______ about business.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. Who was Charlie Munger and why was he important in the business world?
2. How do you think Warren Buffett feels about Charlie Munger’s death?
3. What do you think it means to “always say what you think”?
4. How do you think Charlie Munger helped Warren Buffett make better choices?
5. How do you think people feel about not being able to hear Charlie talk at big meetings anymore?
6. Why do you think Charlie had a lot of money, but not as much as Warren Buffett?
7. Who will take over the company when Warren Buffett stops working?
8. How do you think Charlie’s death will change the company?
9. Why do you think people will always remember how Charlie helped them learn about business?
10. Do you think it’s important to have someone to help you make better choices? Why or why not?
11. How do you think Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger worked together as a team?
12. Do you think it’s important to have people to look up to in your field of interest? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. important
2. business
3. died
4. company
5. smart
6. choices
7. meetings
8. change

Meanings:
(a) Decisions or options that you can make
(b) When something becomes different or is not the same
(c) When someone is no longer alive
(d) An organization that sells goods or services
(e) The activity of buying and selling goods or services
(f) Something or someone that is very significant
(g) Gatherings where people come together to discuss things
(h) Intelligent or clever
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who was Charlie Munger?
(a) A famous actor
(b) A very important man in the business world
(c) A professional athlete
(d) A famous scientist

2. Who did Charlie Munger work with?
(a) Bill Gates
(b) Mark Zuckerberg
(c) Warren Buffett
(d) Jeff Bezos

3. How old was Charlie Munger when he died?
(a) 99 years old
(b) 50 years old
(c) 75 years old
(d) 90 years old

4. What did Charlie Munger help Warren Buffett with?
(a) Making better choices about where to put their money
(b) Cooking delicious meals
(c) Painting beautiful pictures
(d) Writing bestselling books

5. What will people miss about Charlie Munger?
(a) Seeing him play sports
(b) Watching him act in movies
(c) Listening to his music
(d) Hearing him talk at big meetings

6. Who has more money, Charlie Munger or Warren Buffett?
(a) Charlie Munger
(b) They have the same amount of money
(c) It is not mentioned in the article
(d) Warren Buffett

7. How many other important people help run the company?
(a) Three
(b) Two
(c) Four
(d) Five

8. What will people always remember about Charlie Munger?
(a) How he won many sports championships
(b) How he starred in popular movies
(c) How he helped them learn about business
(d) How he discovered a cure for a disease

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Charlie Munger, a completely unimportant man in the business world, has passed away at the age of 99.
2. Charlie Munger barely worked with another famous businessman, Warren Buffett, for a short time.
3. Although Charlie had a lot of money, he didn’t have as much as Warren Buffett.
4. People are saying many nice things about Charlie because he helped make their company big and strong.
5. People will miss hearing Charlie speak at big meetings.
6. Charlie hardly helped Warren Buffett make better decisions about where to invest their money.
7. Charlie’s death is a big change for the company, and people will always remember how he helped them learn about business.
8. Charlie was a very ignorant person who rarely spoke his mind.
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. Who did Charlie Munger work with?
3. What did Charlie Munger help Warren Buffett with?
4. What will people miss about Charlie Munger?
5. Who will take over the company when Warren Buffett stops working?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who was Charlie Munger?
Charlie Munger was a very important man in the business world.

2. How long did Charlie Munger work with Warren Buffett?
Charlie Munger worked with Warren Buffett for a long time.

3. Why are people saying nice things about Charlie?
People are saying nice things about Charlie because he helped make their company very big and strong.

4. What did Charlie Munger help Warren Buffett with?
Charlie Munger helped Warren Buffett make better choices about where to put their money.

5. Why will people miss hearing Charlie talk at big meetings?
People will miss hearing Charlie talk at big meetings because he was very smart and always said what he thought.

6. Did Charlie Munger have more money than Warren Buffett?
No, Charlie Munger did not have more money than Warren Buffett.

7. What will happen to the company now that Charlie Munger has died?
Now that Charlie Munger has died, the company will have to make a big change and find someone else to help run it.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) important
(2) worked
(3) long
(4) Charlie
(5) strong
(6) choices
(7) money
(8) miss
(9) meetings
(10) company
(11) helped
(12) learn
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. important
Answer: (f) Something or someone that is very significant

2. business
Answer: (e) The activity of buying and selling goods or services

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

4. company
Answer: (d) An organization that sells goods or services

5. smart
Answer: (h) Intelligent or clever

6. choices
Answer: (a) Decisions or options that you can make

7. meetings
Answer: (g) Gatherings where people come together to discuss things

8. change
Answer: (b) When something becomes different or is not the same
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who was Charlie Munger?
Answer: (b) A very important man in the business world

2. Who did Charlie Munger work with?
Answer: (c) Warren Buffett

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

4. What did Charlie Munger help Warren Buffett with?
Answer: (a) Making better choices about where to put their money

5. What will people miss about Charlie Munger?
Answer: (d) Hearing him talk at big meetings

6. Who has more money, Charlie Munger or Warren Buffett?
Answer: (d) Warren Buffett

7. How many other important people help run the company?
Answer: (b) Two

8. What will people always remember about Charlie Munger?
Answer: (c) How he helped them learn about business
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Charlie Munger, a completely unimportant man in the business world, has passed away at the age of 99. (Answer: False)
2. Charlie Munger barely worked with another famous businessman, Warren Buffett, for a short time. (Answer: False)
3. Although Charlie had a lot of money, he didn’t have as much as Warren Buffett. (Answer: True)
4. People are saying many nice things about Charlie because he helped make their company big and strong. (Answer: True)
5. People will miss hearing Charlie speak at big meetings. (Answer: True)
6. Charlie hardly helped Warren Buffett make better decisions about where to invest their money. (Answer: False)
7. Charlie’s death is a big change for the company, and people will always remember how he helped them learn about business. (Answer: True)
8. Charlie was a very ignorant person who rarely spoke his mind. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧