News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on TV Stars
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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TV Stars Get Too Much Money

Television stars in the U.K. get paid too much money. That’s the opinion of many British people. The researchers YouGov asked 2,000 Brits what they thought of the huge salaries celebrities get. Fewer than one in ten people thought TV stars deserved their salaries. More than 80 per cent of people said television personalities should have their pay cut. One of the overpaid stars is Simon Cowell. He’s the host of American Idol and other talent shows. The people also wanted the BBC to tell the public how much its stars get paid.

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I think TV stars do a good job. They always make people laugh and make people happy. Not everyone can do that. Being a TV star looks easy, but it’s probably a difficult job. It must be hard to smile for one hour non stop. They do get a lot of money though. Some stars get more in one day than most people get in a year. That’s not right. A doctor or nurse or fire fighter is more important than a comedian or chat show host. Stars should get paid the same as everyone else. I think television would still be good.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	get	a.	many British people
2	the opinion of	b.	their salaries
3.	Fewer than	c.	paid
4.	TV stars deserved	d.	personalities
5.	More than 80 per cent	e.	one in ten
6.	television	f.	of people

Paragraph 2

1.	do a good	a.	looks easy
2	make people	b.	than a comedian
3.	Being a TV star	c.	job
4.	smile for one hour non	d.	be good
5.	more important	e.	happy
6.	television would still	f.	stop

LISTENING GAP FILL

Television stars in the U.K. __________________ money. That’s the opinion of many British people. The researchers YouGov asked 2,000 Brits __________________ of the huge salaries celebrities get. __________________ in ten people thought TV stars deserved their salaries. More than 80 per cent of people said television personalities should __________________. One __________________ is Simon Cowell. He’s the host of American Idol and other talent shows. The people also wanted the BBC to tell the public how much __________________.

I think TV stars do a good job. They always __________________ and make people happy. Not everyone can do that. Being a TV star looks easy, but it’s __________________ job. It must be hard to smile for __________________. They do get a lot of money though. Some stars get more in one day than __________________ in a year. That’s not right. A doctor or nurse or fire fighter is more important than a comedian __________________. Stars should get paid the same as everyone else. I think television __________________.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Television stars in the U.K. get paid (1) ____ much money. That’s the opinion of many British people. The researchers YouGov asked 2,000 Brits what (2) ____ thought of the huge salaries celebrities get. Fewer than one in ten people thought TV stars (3) ____ their salaries. More than 80 per cent of people said television personalities should have their pay (4) ____. One of the overpaid stars is Simon Cowell. He’s the host of American Idol and other talent shows. The people also wanted the BBC to tell the public how much its stars get (5) ____.

I think TV stars (6) ____ a good job. They always make people laugh and make people happy. Not everyone can do (7) ____. Being a TV star looks easy, but it’s probably a difficult job. It must be hard to smile for one hour (8) ____ stop. They do get a lot of money though. Some stars get more in one day than most people get (9) ____ a year. That’s not right. A doctor or nurse or fire fighter is more important than a comedian or chat show host. Stars should get paid the same as everyone else. I think television would (10) ____ be good.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	too	(b)	way	(c)	lots
2.	(a)	them	(b)	we	(c)	they
3.	(a)	reserved	(b)	deserved	(c)	preserved
4.	(a)	slice	(b)	cut	(c)	chop
5.	(a)	paid	(b)	payment	(c)	pay
6.	(a)	be	(b)	do	(c)	make
7.	(a)	that	(b)	job	(c)	good
8.	(a)	not	(b)	no	(c)	non
9.	(a)	in	(b)	on	(c)	at
10.	(a)	yet	(b)	until	(c)	still

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	get adip too much money
2.	huge irlsasae
3.	ewfre than one in ten
4.	the doivpare stars
5.	the thos of American Idol
6.	tell the bplciu
Paragraph 2
7.	make people hglua
8.	oreeveny can do that
9.	a ffilitdcu job
10.	That’s not rhgti
11.	fire efhtigr
12.	a ednamoci

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	show host. Stars should get paid the same as everyone else. I think television would still be good.
( )	year. That’s not right. A doctor or nurse or fire fighter is more important than a comedian or chat
( )	people said television personalities should have their pay cut. One of the overpaid stars is Simon Cowell. He’s the
( )	that. Being a TV star looks easy, but it’s probably a difficult job. It must be hard to smile for one hour non
( )	people. The researchers YouGov asked 2,000 Brits what they thought of the huge salaries celebrities
( )	get. Fewer than one in ten people thought TV stars deserved their salaries. More than 80 per cent of
( )	stop. They do get a lot of money though. Some stars get more in one day than most people get in a
( )	host of American Idol and other talent shows. The people also wanted the BBC to tell the public how much its stars get paid.
( )	I think TV stars do a good job. They always make people laugh and make people happy. Not everyone can do
( 1 )	Television stars in the U.K. get paid too much money. That’s the opinion of many British

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	paid in too the much UK get Stars.
2.	people British many of opinion the That’s.
3.	one ten than in people Fewer.
4.	should their cut Personalities have pay.
5.	host Idol talent The American other of and shows.
6.	laugh people make always They.
7.	everyone Not that do can.
8.	be smile hour must to one It hard for.
9.	though a lot They of do money get.
10.	the everyone Stars paid as get same else should.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about TV stars for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about TV stars. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about TV stars. Include imaginary interviews with your favourite personalities. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to your favourite TV star. Ask him/her three questions about TV stars. Give him/her three of your opinions on life as a star. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on TV Stars (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)