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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Monopoly
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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New World Monopoly Champion Crowned (26th October, 2009)

A 19-year-old Norwegian man is the new Monopoly world champion. Bjorn Halvard Knappskog beat off all the competition at the world championships in Las Vegas on October 24th. The new champ won $20,580 in real money. His closest rival couldn’t pay the rent in Monopoly money. Knappskog told reporters: "I'm the most surprised you could ever be. I think this was a really good final. It was the best game I played in the whole tournament." The final lasted only 45 minutes. This is really quick. A typical game of Monopoly lasts up to four hours or more.

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Monopoly is one of the most popular board games in the world. Almost everyone gets a Monopoly set when they are children. The famous real-estate trading game started in 1935. It quickly became a bestseller. More than 275 million copies of the game have been sold worldwide. Each version is different, depending on the street names of the world’s capital cities. The game is great for teaching children about how to use and make money. Kids can quickly take on the role of property tycoons. They become very competitive and can get greedy.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	the new Monopoly world	a.	the competition
2	beat off all	b.	tournament
3.	$20,580	c.	hours or more
4.	His closest	d.	champion
5.	the whole	e.	rival
6.	lasts up to four	f.	in real money

Paragraph 2

1.	the most popular board	a.	estate trading game
2	The famous real-	b.	tycoons
3.	It quickly became	c.	is different
4.	Each version	d.	make money
5.	how to use and	e.	games
6.	property	f.	a bestseller

LISTENING GAP FILL

A 19-year-old Norwegian ________________ Monopoly world champion. Bjorn Halvard Knappskog ________________ competition at the world championships in Las Vegas on October 24th. The new champ won $20,580 in real money. ________________ couldn’t pay the rent in Monopoly money. Knappskog told reporters: "I'm the most surprised ________________. I think this was a really good final. It was the best game I played in the whole tournament." The final lasted only 45 minutes. This is really quick. ________________ Monopoly ________________ hours or more.

Monopoly is ________________ popular board games in the world. Almost everyone gets a Monopoly ________________ children. The famous real-estate trading game started in 1935. It quickly ________________. More than 275 million copies of the game have been sold worldwide. ________________ different, depending on the street names of the world’s capital cities. The game is great for teaching children about ________________ make money. Kids can quickly take on the role of property tycoons. They become very competitive ________________.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A 19-year-old Norwegian man is the new Monopoly world champion. Bjorn Halvard Knappskog beat (1) ____ all the competition at the world championships in Las Vegas on October 24th. The new (2) ____ won $20,580 in real money. His closest (3) ____ couldn’t pay the rent in Monopoly money. Knappskog told reporters: "I'm the most surprised you could ever (4) ____. I think this was a really good final. It was the best game I played in the whole tournament." The final lasted only 45 minutes. This is really quick. A typical game of Monopoly (5) ____ up to four hours or more.

Monopoly is one of the most popular (6) ____ games in the world. Almost everyone gets a Monopoly (7) ____ when they are children. The famous real-estate trading game started in 1935. It quickly became a bestseller. More than 275 million copies of the game have been sold (8) ____. Each version is different, depending on the street names of the world’s capital cities. The game is great for teaching children about how to use and (9) ____ money. Kids can quickly take on the role of property tycoons. They become very competitive and can get (10) ____.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	on	(b)	in	(c)	off
2.	(a)	champ	(b)	chump	(c)	chimp
3.	(a)	rivalry	(b)	rival	(c)	rivaled
4.	(a)	be	(b)	have	(c)	surprise
5.	(a)	lasting	(b)	last	(c)	lasts
6.	(a)	board	(b)	beard	(c)	bored
7.	(a)	sit	(b)	set	(c)	sat
8.	(a)	world	(b)	worldly	(c)	worldwide
9.	(a)	take	(b)	make	(c)	rake
10.	(a)	greedy	(b)	greed	(c)	greediest

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	aebt off all the competition
2.	$20,580 in real ymneo
3.	His closest vlria
4.	a really good flani
5.	the hwelo tournament
6.	four ruohs or more
Paragraph 2
7.	raobd games
8.	real seatte
9.	275 million socipe
10.	street esanm
11.	property onotcsy
12.	get ergedy

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	the competition at the world championships in Las Vegas on October 24th. The new champ won $20,580 in
( )	of the world’s capital cities. The game is great for teaching children about how to use and make money. Kids can
( )	Monopoly is one of the most popular board games in the world. Almost everyone gets a Monopoly set when they
( )	million copies of the game have been sold worldwide. Each version is different, depending on the street names
( )	most surprised you could ever be. I think this was a really good final. It was the best game I played in the whole
( )	are children. The famous real-estate trading game started in 1935. It quickly became a bestseller. More than 275
( )	tournament." The final lasted only 45 minutes. This is really quick. A typical game of Monopoly lasts up to four hours or more.
( )	real money. His closest rival couldn’t pay the rent in Monopoly money. Knappskog told reporters: "I'm the
( )	quickly take on the role of property tycoons. They become very competitive and can get greedy.
( 1 )	A 19-year-old Norwegian man is the new Monopoly world champion. Bjorn Halvard Knappskog beat off all

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

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

1.	all competition Knappskog off the beat.
2.	real money The in $20,580 won champ new.
3.	couldn’t rent rival the closest pay His.
4.	most be could surprised The ever you.
5.	four typical Monopoly to A of up hours game lasts.
6.	most the of One games board popular.
7.	estate - real famous The game trading.
8.	teaching for great is game The children.
9.	how and about use money children to make Teaching.
10.	the property can on of Kids take role tycoons quickly.

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 board games 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 Monopoly. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about board games. Include imaginary interviews with people who invent new board games. 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 Bjorn Halvard Knappskog. Ask him three questions about the Monopoly world championship. Give him three of your opinions on Monopoly. 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 Monopoly (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)