The Reading / Listening - Monaco's Millionaires - Level 2

The city-state of Monaco on the Mediterranean coast is having problems finding space for millionaires. Monaco is less than 2 square kilometers in size. It is called the playground of the rich. It is home to a Formula 1 Grand Prix, a famous casino and a luxury harbor. Over 30 per cent of its 38,000 residents are millionaires. House prices are already the highest in the world. The average price is around $100,000 per square meter. City planners say about 2,700 more millionaires are hoping to move there in the next 10 years.

Monaco's Prince Albert II has decided to build more homes. He has OK'd a $2.1 billion project to fill in a large area of the sea with concrete. The area will have a big harbor for yachts, a park and Japanese garden, and 120 luxury waterfront homes. There is a big demand for the new homes. People want the luxury lifestyle and no income tax. Experts are worried the construction will damage sea life and the environment. However, the Prince said he cares about the environment. He said important sea life would be moved to a newly-built reef.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Monaco's Millionaires - Level 0 Monaco's Millionaires - Level 1   or  Monaco's Millionaires - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180206-the-country-running-out-of-space-for-its-millionaires
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5099939/Monaco-s-1-5billion-plan-reclaim-land-sea.html
  • https://www.thenational.ae/world/europe/monaco-builds-into-the-sea-to-attract-more-millionaires-1.677409


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. on the Mediterranean
  2. having problems
  3. less than 2 square kilometers
  4. the playground of
  5. a famous casino and a
  6. The average
  7. around $100,000 per
  8. move there in the
  1. in size
  2. price
  3. finding space
  4. next 10 years
  5. square meter
  6. coast
  7. the rich
  8. luxury harbor

Paragraph 2

  1. fill in
  2. 120 luxury waterfront
  3. People want
  4. no income
  5. the construction
  6. he cares about
  7. important sea life would
  8. a newly-built
  1. be moved
  2. the luxury lifestyle
  3. will damage sea life
  4. reef
  5. a large area of the sea
  6. tax
  7. homes
  8. the environment

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The city-state of Monaco on the Mediterranean (1) ___________________ problems finding space for millionaires. Monaco is less than 2 square (2) ___________________. It is called the playground of the rich. It is home to a Formula 1 Grand Prix, (3) ___________________ and a luxury harbor. Over 30 per cent of its 38,000 (4) ___________________. House prices are already the highest in the world. The (5) ___________________ around $100,000 per square meter. City planners say about 2,700 more millionaires are (6) ___________________ there in the next 10 years.

Monaco's Prince Albert II has decided to (7) __________________. He has OK'd a $2.1 billion project to fill in a large area of the sea with concrete. The area will have a big (8) ___________________, a park and Japanese garden, and 120 (9) ___________________. There is a big demand for the new homes. People want (10) ___________________ and no income tax. Experts are worried the construction will (11) ___________________ and the environment. However, the Prince said he cares about the environment. He said (12) ___________________ would be moved to a newly-built reef.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thecity-stateofMonacoontheMediterraneancoastishavingproblemsf
indingspaceformillionaires.Monacoislessthan2squarekilometersinsi
ze.Itiscalledtheplaygroundoftherich.ItishometoaFormula1GrandPri
x,afamouscasinoandaluxuryharbor.Over30percentofits38,000resid
entsaremillionaires.Housepricesarealreadythehighestintheworld.T
heaveragepriceisaround$100,000persquaremeter.Cityplannerssay
about2,700moremillionairesarehopingtomovethereinthenext10yea
rs.Monaco'sPrinceAlbertIIhasdecidedtobuildmorehomes.HehasOK'
da$2.1billionprojecttofillinalargeareaoftheseawithconcrete.Theare
awillhaveabigharborforyachts,aparkandJapanesegarden,and120lu
xurywaterfronthomes.Thereisabigdemandforthenewhomes.People
wanttheluxurylifestyleandnoincometax.Expertsareworriedtheconst
ructionwilldamagesealifeandtheenvironment.However,thePrincesai
dhecaresabouttheenvironment.Hesaidimportantsealifewouldbemo
vedtoanewly-builtreef.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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