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Superman Comic Sells For $1 Million (23rd February, 2010)

A mystery buyer bought a rare comic book for one million dollars on February 22nd. It was the very first edition of a comic to feature Superman. The price for the 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1 was a world record. Its original cost was just 10 cents. The recent sale smashed the previous record of $317,200, paid in 2009. The Internet auction site ComicConnect.com sold the copy but did not say who the buyer was. There are around 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 in different collections around the world.

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It seems strange to pay a million dollars for a comic. Some people say it’s a good idea because the buyer can sell it for two million dollars in the future. There are better things to spend a million dollars on. So many people in the world are starving. That much money could buy a lot of food and keep people alive. I wonder if people who spend a million dollars on comics and other things think about poor people. I’m sure Superman wouldn’t like that. He would tell the person to give the money to the poor instead.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.

A mystery

a.

of a comic

2

the very first edition

b.

around the world

3.

a world

c.

site

4.

The recent sale smashed

d.

record

5.

Internet auction

e.

buyer

6.

different collections

f.

the previous record

 

Paragraph 2

1.

It seems strange to

a.

can sell it

2

the buyer

b.

to the poor

3.

people in the world

c.

that

4.

keep people

d.

pay a million dollars

5.

I’m sure Superman wouldn’t like

e.

alive

6.

give the money

f.

are starving


LISTENING GAP FILL

A __________________ a rare comic book for one million dollars on February 22nd. It was the __________________ a comic to feature Superman. The price for the 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1 was a world record. Its __________________ just 10 cents. The recent __________________ previous record of $317,200, paid in 2009. The Internet auction site ComicConnect.com sold the copy but did __________________ was. There are around 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 in __________________ around the world.

It __________________ a million dollars for a comic. Some people say __________________ because the buyer can sell it for two million dollars in the future. There are better __________________ million dollars on. So many people in the __________________. That much money could buy a lot of food and keep people alive. I wonder if people __________________ dollars on comics and other things think about poor people. I’m sure Superman wouldn’t like that. He would tell the person to give the money __________________.


MULTIPLE CHOICE

A (1) ____ buyer bought a rare comic book for one million dollars on February 22nd. It was the very first edition of a comic to (2) ____ Superman. The price for the 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1 was a world record. Its original (3) ____ was just 10 cents. The recent sale smashed the previous record of $317,200, paid in 2009. The Internet auction site ComicConnect.com sold the copy (4) ____ did not say who the buyer was. There are around 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 in different (5) ____ around the world.

It seems (6) ____ to pay a million dollars for a comic. Some people say it’s a good idea because the buyer can sell it for two million dollars in the future. There are better things to (7) ____ a million dollars on. So many people in the world are starving. That much money could buy a lot of food and        (8) ____ people alive. I (9) ____ if people who spend a million dollars on comics and other things think about poor people. I’m sure Superman wouldn’t like that. He would tell the person to give the money to the poor (10) ____.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.

(a)

mysteries

(b)

mysteriously

(c)

mystery

2.

(a)

future

(b)

feature

(c)

further

3.

(a)

sell

(b)

cost

(c)

profit

4.

(a)

however

(b)

so

(c)

but

5.

(a)

collectors

(b)

collections

(c)

collect

6.

(a)

strange

(b)

stranger

(c)

strangle

7.

(a)

spent

(b)

spend

(c)

spending

8.

(a)

keeps

(b)

kept

(c)

keep

9.

(a)

wonder

(b)

wander

(c)

wound

10.

(a)

steady

(b)

instead

(c)

instant


SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1

1.

A mystery yuber

2.

the very first nioidte

3.

a world orrdec

4.

Internet oinuact site

5.

100 cisoep

6.

anudro the world

 

Paragraph 2

7.

It seems agestrn

8.

in the freuut

9.

enspd a million dollars

10.

keep people ialve

11.

I wdrneo if…

12.

give the money to the poor eiasdtn


PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )

food and keep people alive. I wonder if people who spend a million dollars on comics and other things think about poor

(    )

of a comic to feature Superman. The price for the 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1 was a world

(    )

It seems strange to pay a million dollars for a comic. Some people say it’s a good

(    )

people. I’m sure Superman wouldn’t like that. He would tell the person to give the money to the poor instead.

(    )

record. Its original cost was just 10 cents. The recent sale smashed the previous record of $317,200, paid in

(    )

2009. The Internet auction site ComicConnect.com sold the copy but did not say who the

(    )

buyer was. There are around 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 in different collections around the world.

(    )

idea because the buyer can sell it for two million dollars in the future. There are better things to spend a

(    )

million dollars on. So many people in the world are starving. That much money could buy a lot of

1  )

A mystery buyer bought a rare comic book for one million dollars on February 22nd. It was the very first edition


THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

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

1.

a      bought      buyer      mystery      A      book      comic      rare.

2.

comic      was      first      a      It      very      of      the      edition.     

3.

cents      10      just      was      cost      original      Its.     

4.

previous      the      smashed      sale      recent      The      record.     

5.

world      the      around      collections      Different.     

6.

a      seems      million      strange      dollars      to      pay      It.     

7.

future      it      million      the      Sell      two      in      for      dollars.     

8.

people      starving      in      the      So      world      many      are.     

9.

money      a      food      much      buy      of      That      could      lot.     

10.

poor      the      to      money      the      Give      instead.     


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 Superman 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. SUPERMAN: Search the Internet and find more information about Superman. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Superman. Include imaginary interviews with Superman and a rival superhero. 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 Superman. Ask him three questions about what it’s like being Superman. Give him three suggestions on what he can do to help the world. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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