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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Obama's Wealth
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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President Obama Worth $7 Million (18th May, 2010)

U.S. President Barack Obama has let the world know how rich he is. Why did he do this? He has to give information about his income to a special government website. He is a public worker, so he has to give details of his wealth. The website values everything he owns to be around $7 million. He got most of his money from the sale of two books he wrote. His salary is just $400,000 a year. There are a few things on the list that were difficult to put a price on. One is his Nobel Peace Prize and another is his pet dog Bo, a gift that cost $1,600.

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It’s interesting that Barack Obama has to tell everyone about his finances. I suppose it’s important so we know he isn’t doing anything wrong. Many politicians try to hide money and cheat the public. In the USA, all public employees have to be open about where their money comes from. I don’t think people like doing that. How much you earn and how much cash you have is private. One surprise is how much the U.S. President earns. Many sports stars get more than President Obama gets in just one month. That’s wrong. The U.S. President’s job is very important.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	let the world	a.	two books
2	information about	b.	on the list
3.	he has to give details	c.	cost $1,600
4.	the sale of	d.	of his wealth
5.	There are a few things	e.	know
6.	a gift that	f.	his income

Paragraph 2

1.	tell everyone about	a.	is private
2	he isn’t doing anything	b.	cheat the public
3.	try to hide money and	c.	U.S. President earns
4.	be open about where their money	d.	his finances
5.	how much cash you have	e.	comes from
6.	how much the	f.	wrong

LISTENING GAP FILL

U.S. President Barack Obama ____________________ how rich he is. Why did he do this? He has to give information about his income to a special government website. ____________________, so _________________ details of his wealth. The website values everything he owns to be around $7 million. He got most of his money ____________________ books he wrote. His salary is just $400,000 a year. There are a ____________________ list that were difficult ____________________. One is his Nobel Peace Prize and another is his pet dog Bo, a gift that cost $1,600.

It’s interesting that Barack Obama ____________________ about his finances. I suppose it’s important so we know he isn’t doing anything wrong. Many politicians ____________________ and cheat the public. In the USA, all public employees have to be open about where ____________________. I don’t think people like doing that. How much you earn and ____________________ have is private. One ____________________ the U.S. President earns. Many sports ____________________ President Obama gets in just one month. That’s wrong. The U.S. President’s job is very important.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

U.S. President Barack Obama has (1) ____ the world know how rich he is. Why did he do this? He has to give information about his (2) ____ to a special government website. He is a public worker, so he has to give details of his (3) ____. The website values everything he (4) ____ to be around $7 million. He got most of his money from the sale of two books he wrote. His salary is just $400,000 a year. There are a few things on the list that were difficult to put a (5) ____ on. One is his Nobel Peace Prize and another is his pet dog Bo, a gift that cost $1,600.

It’s interesting that Barack Obama has to tell everyone (6) ____ his finances. I suppose it’s important so we know he isn’t doing anything wrong. Many politicians try to (7) ____ money and cheat the public. In the USA, all public employees have to be open about where their money (8) ____ from. I don’t think people like doing that. How much you earn and how much cash you have is private. One surprise is how much the U.S. President earns. Many sports stars (9) ____ more than President Obama gets in just one month. That’s (10) ____. The U.S. President’s job is very important.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	left	(b)	let	(c)	bet
2.	(a)	outcome	(b)	to come	(c)	income
3.	(a)	wealthy	(b)	wealthiest	(c)	wealth
4.	(a)	towns	(b)	owns	(c)	frowns
5.	(a)	price	(b)	sale	(c)	budget
6.	(a)	from	(b)	about	(c)	for
7.	(a)	hide	(b)	hiding	(c)	hidden
8.	(a)	goes	(b)	takes	(c)	comes
9.	(a)	do	(b)	get	(c)	salary
10.	(a)	wrong	(b)	correct	(c)	fair

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	let the dlrow know
2.	information about his mencio
3.	details of his altehw
4.	books he trowe
5.	difficult to put a ceirp on
6.	a tgif that cost $1,600
Paragraph 2
7.	tell ernveeyo
8.	he isn’t doing anything rngow
9.	cheat the upclbi
10.	How much you eran
11.	ssotpr stars
12.	in just one htmon

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	wealth. The website values everything he owns to be around $7 million. He got most of his money from the sale
( )	he isn’t doing anything wrong. Many politicians try to hide money and cheat the public. In the USA, all public
( )	put a price on. One is his Nobel Peace Prize and another is his pet dog Bo, a gift that cost $1,600.
( 1 )	U.S. President Barack Obama has let the world know how rich he is. Why did he do this? He has to give information
( )	employees have to be open about where their money comes from. I don’t think people like doing that. How
( )	It’s interesting that Barack Obama has to tell everyone about his finances. I suppose it’s important so we know
( )	of two books he wrote. His salary is just $400,000 a year. There are a few things on the list that were difficult to
( )	stars get more than President Obama gets in just one month. That’s wrong. The U.S. President’s job is very important.
( )	about his income to a special government website. He is a public worker, so he has to give details of his
( )	much you earn and how much cash you have is private. One surprise is how much the U.S. President earns. Many sports

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

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

1.	how Let rich the he world is know.
2.	income give information He about has his to.
3.	to wealth give details He of has his.
4.	$400,000 a year His salary is just.
5.	. to on put price a Difficult
6.	to finances tell everyone Obama about has his.
7.	wrong anything doing isn’t he know We.
8.	open be to have employees public All.
9.	is have you cash much How private.
10.	gets more than Sports President stars Obama get.

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 salaries 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. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Search the Internet and find more information about U.S. President Obama. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about salaries. Include imaginary an interview with someone who gets a really low salary and someone with a high one. 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 President Obama. Ask him three questions about being President. Give him three of your opinions on his salary. 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 Obama's Wealth (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)