A cricket player from India, Rohit Sharma, did not win the big World Cup game against Australia. People in India still love him a lot even though they didn’t get the trophy they last won in 2011. Rohit is 40 years old now, so it might be hard for him to try to win the World Cup again. But he played very well in all the games and helped his team start strong. He was also a good leader and made smart choices for his team.

Rohit hit the ball well and helped his team score a lot of points. He didn’t always make big scores, but he played in a way that helped his team. He knew when to hit fast or slow depending on the game. As the leader, he knew when to change which players were bowling and where they should stand, which showed he knew a lot about his team.

Even though it was sad to lose the last game, Rohit did a great job in the whole tournament. People think of him as a hero who didn’t get enough praise. He might still play in the World Cup in four years. Rohit is known to get better after losing and to keep trying hard. He didn’t win the trophy this time, but he is still very important to cricket in India.

Original news source: Rohit Sharma: The Indian captain who lost cricket World Cup but won hearts (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. One student will be the “news reporter” and the other will be the “listener.” The news reporter will read the article silently and then summarize the main points to the listener. The listener will take notes and ask questions for clarification if needed. After a few minutes, have the pairs switch roles and repeat the activity. Finally, have a class discussion where students share their summaries and discuss any differences or interesting points.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “cricket” on the board. Ask the students to brainstorm as many words as they can that are related to cricket. Encourage them to think of specific players, terms, actions, or anything else related to the sport. Give them a time limit (e.g. 2 minutes) and then have them share their words with the class. As a class, discuss the different associations and connections they made.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper and put them in a hat or container. Divide the students into small groups. One student from each group will draw a word from the hat and have to draw a picture to represent that word. The other students in the group will try to guess the word based on the drawing. The student who guesses correctly then becomes the next drawer. Continue until all the words have been drawn and guessed.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the students into small groups. Assign each group the task of discussing the pros and cons of Rohit Sharma continuing to play in the World Cup in four years. Give them a few minutes to discuss and come up with their points. Then, have each group share their arguments with the class. Encourage a respectful and open discussion where students can listen to different viewpoints and respond with their own.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Give each student a few minutes to think about and write down their answer to the following question: “What qualities make a good leader in sports?” Once they have written their answers, have them pair up with a partner and discuss their thoughts. After a few minutes, open up the discussion to the whole class and have students share their ideas.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is Rohit Sharma?
2. Did Rohit’s team win the World Cup game against Australia?
3. How did Rohit help his team start strong?
4. How did Rohit know when to hit the ball fast or slow?
5. What did Rohit do as the leader of his team?
6. How did people in India feel about Rohit even though they didn’t win the trophy?
7. Will Rohit still have a chance to play in the World Cup in four years?
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A cricket player from (1)______, Rohit Sharma, did not win the big World Cup (2)______ against Australia. (3)______ in India still love him a lot even though they didn’t get the trophy they last won in 2011. Rohit is 40 years old now, so it might be hard for him to try to win the World Cup again. But he played very well in all the (4)______ and helped his team start strong. He was also a good leader and made smart choices for his team.

Rohit hit the ball well and helped his team score a lot of (5)______. He didn’t always (6)______ big scores, but he played in a way that helped his team. He (7)______ when to hit fast or slow depending on the game. As the leader, he knew when to (8)______ which players were (9)______ and where they should stand, which showed he knew a lot about his team.

Even though it was sad to lose the last game, Rohit did a great job in the whole tournament. People think of him as a hero who didn’t get enough praise. He might still play in the World Cup in four years. Rohit is known to get (10)______ after (11)______ and to keep (12)______ hard. He didn’t win the trophy this time, but he is still very important to cricket in India.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a cricket player?
2. How would you feel if you were playing in a big game and didn’t win?
3. Do you like playing sports? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to be a good leader in a team? Why or why not?
5. What do you think it means to hit the ball well in cricket?
6. How would you feel if you were playing in a game and didn’t always make big scores?
7. Why do you think it’s important for a leader to know about their team?
8. Do you think it’s important to keep trying hard even if you don’t win? Why or why not?
9. How would you feel if people thought of you as a hero?
10. Do you think it’s important to get praise for your hard work? Why or why not?
11. Would you want to play in the World Cup? Why or why not?
12. Why do you think Rohit is still very important to cricket in India, even though he didn’t win the trophy this time?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. cricket
2. India
3. World Cup
4. trophy
5. leader
6. points
7. tournament
8. hero

Meanings:
(a) A prize for winning a competition
(b) The number of goals or runs a team gets
(c) A game played with a bat and ball
(d) A series of games or matches
(e) Someone who is admired and seen as brave
(f) Someone who guides and makes decisions for a team
(g) A big competition for cricket teams
(h) A country in Asia

Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who is the cricket player from India mentioned in the article?
(a) Virat Kohli
(b) Rohit Sharma
(c) Sachin Tendulkar
(d) MS Dhoni

2. Which team did India play against in the big World Cup game?
(a) England
(b) South Africa
(c) Australia
(d) New Zealand

3. When did India last win the World Cup?
(a) 2007
(b) 2015
(c) 2003
(d) 2011

4. How old is Rohit Sharma?
(a) 30
(b) 35
(c) 45
(d) 40

5. What did Rohit Sharma do well in all the games?
(a) Scored a lot of points
(b) Played very well
(c) Made big scores
(d) Made smart choices

6. What did Rohit Sharma know when to do as the leader?
(a) Hit fast or slow
(b) Win the World Cup
(c) Change players and their positions
(d) Play in a way that helped his team

7. How do people think of Rohit Sharma?
(a) As a hero who didn’t get enough praise
(b) As a player who didn’t play well
(c) As a player who won the World Cup
(d) As a player who didn’t try hard

8. Will Rohit Sharma still play in the World Cup in four years?
(a) Maybe
(b) No
(c) Yes
(d) Not mentioned in the article

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. People in India don’t love Rohit Sharma a lot.
2. Rohit Sharma played well in all the games and helped his team start strong.
3. Rohit Sharma is a cricket player from India.
4. It might be easy for Rohit Sharma to win the World Cup again.
5. Even though he didn’t win the trophy, Rohit Sharma is not very important to cricket in India.
6. Rohit Sharma was a good leader and made smart choices for his team.
7. Rohit Sharma is 40 years old now.
8. Rohit Sharma won the World Cup game against Australia.
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 is Rohit Sharma and what sport does he play?
2. Did Rohit Sharma win the big World Cup game against Australia?
3. How did Rohit Sharma help his team in the games?
4. What did Rohit Sharma do as a leader for his team?
5. What do people in India think of Rohit Sharma?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who is Rohit Sharma?
Rohit Sharma is a cricket player from India.

2. Did Rohit’s team win the World Cup game against Australia?
No, Rohit’s team did not win the World Cup game against Australia.

3. How did Rohit help his team start strong?
Rohit played very well in all the games and helped his team score a lot of points.

4. How did Rohit know when to hit the ball fast or slow?
Rohit knew when to hit the ball fast or slow depending on the game.

5. What did Rohit do as the leader of his team?
As the leader, Rohit made smart choices for his team and knew when to change which players were bowling and where they should stand.

6. How did people in India feel about Rohit even though they didn’t win the trophy?
People in India still love Rohit a lot and think of him as a hero who didn’t get enough praise.

7. Will Rohit still have a chance to play in the World Cup in four years?
Yes, Rohit might still have a chance to play in the World Cup in four years.
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) India
(2) game
(3) People
(4) games
(5) points
(6) make
(7) knew
(8) change
(9) bowling
(10) better
(11) losing
(12) trying
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. cricket
Answer: (c) A game played with a bat and ball

2. India
Answer: (h) A country in Asia

3. World Cup
Answer: (g) A big competition for cricket teams

4. trophy
Answer: (a) A prize for winning a competition

5. leader
Answer: (f) Someone who guides and makes decisions for a team

6. points
Answer: (b) The number of goals or runs a team gets

7. tournament
Answer: (d) A series of games or matches

8. hero
Answer: (e) Someone who is admired and seen as brave
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who is the cricket player from India mentioned in the article?
Answer: (b) Rohit Sharma

2. Which team did India play against in the big World Cup game?
Answer: (c) Australia

3. When did India last win the World Cup?
Answer: (d) 2011

4. How old is Rohit Sharma?
Answer: (d) 40

5. What did Rohit Sharma do well in all the games?
Answer: (b) Played very well

6. What did Rohit Sharma know when to do as the leader?
Answer: (c) Change players and their positions

7. How do people think of Rohit Sharma?
Answer: (a) As a hero who didn’t get enough praise

8. Will Rohit Sharma still play in the World Cup in four years?
Answer: (a) Maybe
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. People in India don’t love Rohit Sharma a lot. (Answer: False)
2. Rohit Sharma played well in all the games and helped his team start strong. (Answer: True)
3. Rohit Sharma is a cricket player from India. (Answer: True)
4. It might be easy for Rohit Sharma to win the World Cup again. (Answer: False)
5. Even though he didn’t win the trophy, Rohit Sharma is not very important to cricket in India. (Answer: False)
6. Rohit Sharma was a good leader and made smart choices for his team. (Answer: True)
7. Rohit Sharma is 40 years old now. (Answer: True)
8. Rohit Sharma won the World Cup game against Australia. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧