The S&P 500, which is a list of 500 big companies, did really well on Friday. It got to its highest value ever because technology companies are doing great and people think the economy will get better. Two years ago, people were worried about prices going up too fast and the economy not doing well, which made the stock market go down. But now, prices are not going up as fast, and people are not as worried about the economy, so they are buying more stocks.

Another list of companies called the Dow Jones also reached its highest value not too long ago. On Friday, it went up a little, and the Nasdaq, which has a lot of technology companies, went up even more. Since October last year, the value of stocks has gone up a lot because people think the people in charge of money in the United States will make it easier to borrow money soon. This is good for companies.

Technology companies are doing especially well because people think they will grow with new smart computer stuff. People are feeling better because their money they saved for when they are old and other money they invested is worth more now. Gas is cheaper, and other things are not getting more expensive as fast. A group that asks people how they feel every month said people are the happiest they’ve been since last year. People are happier because they think prices won’t go up as much and they will have more money.

Original news source: US stocks surge to record high as market rebounds (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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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. Provide each group with a copy of the article.
3. Instruct the students to read the article and summarize the main points.
4. Encourage them to use their own words and focus on the key information.
5. After a designated amount of time, have each group share their summaries with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary

Instructions:

1. Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board.
2. Divide the students into pairs or small groups.
3. Instruct one student from each group to choose a word from the list without showing their group members.
4. The chosen student must then draw a picture representing the word while their group members try to guess what the word is.
5. The first group to correctly guess the word earns a point.
6. Repeat the process with a new word and continue until all the words have been used.

– Opinion Poll

Instructions:

1. Write several statements related to the article on the board, such as “Technology companies will continue to grow” or “The stock market will continue to rise.”
2. Divide the students into pairs or small groups.
3. Instruct the students to discuss each statement and share their opinions.
4. Encourage them to provide reasons for their opinions based on the information from the article.
5. After the discussion, have each group vote on whether they agree or disagree with each statement.
6. Tally the votes and discuss the results as a class.

– Charades

Instructions:

1. Write a list of key words or phrases from the article on slips of paper and place them in a hat or container.
2. Divide the students into two teams.
3. Instruct one student from each team to come forward and choose a slip of paper without showing their team members.
4. The chosen students must then act out the word or phrase without speaking while their team members try to guess what it is.
5. The first team to correctly guess the word or phrase earns a point.
6. Repeat the process with new students and continue until all the words or phrases have been used.

– Future Predictions

Instructions:

1. Instruct the students to work individually and imagine themselves as financial analysts.
2. Ask them to write three predictions about the future of the stock market based on the information from the article.
3. Encourage them to use their own ideas and reasoning.
4. After a designated amount of time, have the students share their predictions with a partner.
5. In pairs, students can discuss and debate their predictions, providing reasons for their choices.
6. Finally, have a few students share their predictions with the class and lead a class discussion on the various predictions made.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the S&P 500?
2. Why did the S&P 500 reach its highest value ever on Friday?
3. What happened to the stock market two years ago?
4. Why are people buying more stocks now?
5. What is the Dow Jones?
6. What happened to the Nasdaq on Friday?
7. Why has the value of stocks gone up a lot since October last year?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The S&P 500, which is a list of 500 big companies, did really well on Friday. It got to its highest value ever because technology companies are doing great and people think the (1)______ will get better. Two years ago, people were worried about prices (2)______ up too fast and the economy not doing well, which made the (3)______ market go down. But now, prices are not going up as fast, and people are not as worried about the economy, so they are buying more stocks.

Another list of companies (4)______ the Dow Jones also reached its highest value not too long ago. On Friday, it (5)______ up a little, and the Nasdaq, which has a lot of technology companies, went up even more. Since October (6)______ year, the value of stocks has gone up a lot because (7)______ (8)______ the people in charge of money in the United States will make it easier to borrow money soon. This is good for (9)______.

Technology companies are doing especially well because people think they will grow with new smart computer stuff. People are feeling better because their money they saved for when they are old and other money they invested is (10)______ more now. Gas is cheaper, and other (11)______ are not getting more expensive as fast. A group that (12)______ people how they feel every month said people are the happiest they’ve been since last year. People are happier because they think prices won’t go up as much and they will have more money.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is the S&P 500?
2. How would you feel if you had a lot of money invested in stocks?
3. Do you like technology companies? Why or why not?
4. What is the Dow Jones?
5. How would you feel if the value of your stocks went up a lot?
6. Do you think it’s important for the economy to do well? Why or why not?
7. What do you think “smart computer stuff” means?
8. How would you feel if the price of gas became cheaper?
9. Do you think it’s good to save money for when you’re old? Why or why not?
10. How would you feel if prices didn’t go up as much and you had more money?
11. Do you like it when things get more expensive? Why or why not?
12. What would you do if you had a lot of money to invest?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. economy
2. technology
3. stocks
4. invest
5. Nasdaq
6. borrow
7. optimistic
8. inflation
9. survey
10. sentiment
11. commodities
12. monetary

Meanings:
(A) How people feel about something
(B) When prices of things go up
(C) How money is made and used in a country
(D) Using science to make new things like computers and phones
(E) Things like oil and food that people buy and sell
(F) Related to money and how it’s managed by the government
(G) A place where people buy and sell stocks, especially for tech companies
(H) When you ask a lot of people questions to find out what they think
(I) When you think good things will happen
(J) To put your money into something hoping it will make more money later
(K) Pieces of a company that people can buy and sell
(L) To take something from someone with the plan to give it back later
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the S&P 500?
(a) A list of 100 big companies
(b) A list of 1000 big companies
(c) A list of 50 big companies
(d) A list of 500 big companies

2. Why did the S&P 500 reach its highest value ever?
(a) Prices are going up too fast and the economy is not doing well
(b) Technology companies are doing great and people think the economy will get better
(c) People are worried about the economy and not buying stocks
(d) Prices are not going up as fast and people are worried about the economy

3. What is another list of companies that reached its highest value recently?
(a) Nasdaq
(b) S&P 100
(c) Dow Jones
(d) FTSE 100

4. Why are technology companies doing well?
(a) People think they will go out of business soon
(b) People think they are not doing well
(c) People think they will grow with new smart computer stuff
(d) People think they are too expensive

5. Why are people feeling better about their money?
(a) Their money they saved for when they are old and other money they invested is worth more now
(b) Their money they saved for when they are old and other money they invested is worth less now
(c) Their money they saved for when they are young and other money they invested is worth more now
(d) Their money they saved for when they are young and other money they invested is worth less now

6. Why are people happier according to a group that asks people how they feel?
(a) They think prices won’t go up as much and they will have more money
(b) They think prices will go up a lot and they will have less money
(c) They think prices won’t go up as much and they will have less money
(d) They think prices will go up a lot and they will have more money

7. What is a reason why the value of stocks has gone up a lot since October last year?
(a) People think the people in charge of money in the United States will make it harder to borrow money soon
(b) People think the people in charge of money in the United States will make it easier to borrow money soon
(c) People think the people in charge of money in the United States will make it easier to save money soon
(d) People think the people in charge of money in the United States will make it harder to save money soon

8. Why are people buying more stocks now?
(a) Prices are going up too fast and people are worried about the economy
(b) Prices are not going up as fast and people are worried about the economy
(c) Prices are going up too fast and people are not as worried about the economy
(d) Prices are not going up as fast and people are not as worried about the economy

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Two years ago, the stock market went down because people were worried about prices rising too quickly and the economy doing poorly.
2. The Dow Jones, another list of companies, also recently reached its lowest value.
3. Technology companies are doing particularly well because people believe they will grow with new smart computer products.
4. On Friday, it went down a little, and the Nasdaq, which has many technology companies, went down even more.
5. However, now prices are not rising as fast and people are less worried, so they are buying more stocks.
6. The value of stocks has been going down since October last year because people think borrowing money will become harder soon, which is bad for companies.
7. This happened because technology companies are not doing well and people are pessimistic about the economy.
8. The S&P 500, a list of big companies, reached its highest value ever on Friday.
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 is the S&P 500?
2. Why did the S&P 500 reach its highest value ever?
3. What is the Dow Jones?
4. How have the values of stocks changed since October last year?
5. Why are technology companies doing well?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the S&P 500?
The S&P 500 is a list of 500 big companies.

2. Why did the S&P 500 reach its highest value ever on Friday?
The S&P 500 reached its highest value because technology companies are doing well and people think the economy will get better.

3. What happened to the stock market two years ago?
Two years ago, the stock market went down because people were worried about prices going up too fast and the economy not doing well.

4. Why are people buying more stocks now?
People are buying more stocks now because prices are not going up as fast and they are not as worried about the economy.

5. What is the Dow Jones?
The Dow Jones is another list of companies.

6. What happened to the Nasdaq on Friday?
The Nasdaq, which has a lot of technology companies, went up even more on Friday.

7. Why has the value of stocks gone up a lot since October last year?
The value of stocks has gone up a lot since October last year because people think the people in charge of money in the United States will make it easier to borrow money soon.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) economy
(2) going
(3) stock
(4) called
(5) went
(6) last
(7) people
(8) think
(9) companies
(10) worth
(11) things
(12) asks
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. economy
Answer: (C) How money is made and used in a country

2. technology
Answer: (D) Using science to make new things like computers and phones

3. stocks
Answer: (K) Pieces of a company that people can buy and sell

4. invest
Answer: (J) To put your money into something hoping it will make more money later

5. Nasdaq
Answer: (G) A place where people buy and sell stocks, especially for tech companies

6. borrow
Answer: (L) To take something from someone with the plan to give it back later

7. optimistic
Answer: (I) When you think good things will happen

8. inflation
Answer: (B) When prices of things go up

9. survey
Answer: (H) When you ask a lot of people questions to find out what they think

10. sentiment
Answer: (A) How people feel about something

11. commodities
Answer: (E) Things like oil and food that people buy and sell

12. monetary
Answer: (F) Related to money and how it’s managed by the government
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the S&P 500?
Answer: (d) A list of 500 big companies

2. Why did the S&P 500 reach its highest value ever?
Answer: (b) Technology companies are doing great and people think the economy will get better

3. What is another list of companies that reached its highest value recently?
Answer: (c) Dow Jones

4. Why are technology companies doing well?
Answer: (c) People think they will grow with new smart computer stuff

5. Why are people feeling better about their money?
Answer: (a) Their money they saved for when they are old and other money they invested is worth more now

6. Why are people happier according to a group that asks people how they feel?
Answer: (a) They think prices won’t go up as much and they will have more money

7. What is a reason why the value of stocks has gone up a lot since October last year?
Answer: (b) People think the people in charge of money in the United States will make it easier to borrow money soon

8. Why are people buying more stocks now?
Answer: (d) Prices are not going up as fast and people are not as worried about the economy
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Two years ago, the stock market went down because people were worried about prices rising too quickly and the economy doing poorly. (Answer: True)
2. The Dow Jones, another list of companies, also recently reached its lowest value. (Answer: False)
3. Technology companies are doing particularly well because people believe they will grow with new smart computer products. (Answer: True)
4. On Friday, it went down a little, and the Nasdaq, which has many technology companies, went down even more. (Answer: False)
5. However, now prices are not rising as fast and people are less worried, so they are buying more stocks. (Answer: True)
6. The value of stocks has been going down since October last year because people think borrowing money will become harder soon, which is bad for companies. (Answer: False)
7. This happened because technology companies are not doing well and people are pessimistic about the economy. (Answer: False)
8. The S&P 500, a list of big companies, reached its highest value ever on Friday. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧