Breaking News English Lesson: Wealth Inequality

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World's 26 richest as rich as poorer half of world (23rd January, 2019)

The Reading / Listening - Wealth Inequality - Level 6

The combined fortune of 26 of the world's richest people is equal to the total wealth of the 3.8 billion poorest people. This startling disparity in wealth is according to a report from the charity Oxfam. It reported that since the global financial crisis in 2008, the number of billionaires in the world has doubled. They are also getting $2.5 billion richer every day. This is in stark contrast to the world's less fortunate - the poorest half of the planet is seeing its wealth slowly shrink as prices of commodities increase, wages are squeezed and land prices and rents rise. Oxfam's report highlights the growing gap between the world's rich and poor and the ever-widening gap in wealth inequality.

The report says that most of the world's mega-wealthy have made their huge fortunes from technology companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook. The world's richest person is Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. His amassed $100 billion fortune is 100 times greater than the annual health budget of Ethiopia. Oxfam said it was time to try and redress the imbalance in wealth. It recommended taxing income at fairer levels, increasing tax on personal earnings and corporate profits, and eliminating tax avoidance schemes commonly used by companies and the super-rich. It said: "In many countries, a decent education or quality healthcare has become a luxury only the rich can afford."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Wealth Inequality - Level 4 or Wealth Inequality - Level 5

Sources

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/20/business/oxfam-billionaires-davos/index.html
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/oxfam-world-richest-26-wealth-poorest-190121054249908.html
https://japantoday.com/category/world/world's-26-richest-own-same-as-poorest-half-of-humanity-oxfam

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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. WEALTH: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about wealth. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
fortune / richest people / equal / disparity / wealth / billionaire / wages / rents / gap /
technology / Amazon / $100 billion / tax / tax avoidance / education / healthcare
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. EQUALITY: Students A strongly believe all people should be made equal financially via the tax system; Students B strongly believe this would be terrible. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. $100 BILLION: What would you do if you had $100 billion? Why? How would it change your life? Complete this table and share what you wrote with your partner(s). Change partners often.

	What you would do	Why?	What it would change
House
Hobby
English
Shopping
Travel
Friends

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

5. RICH: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "rich". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. AMASSING FORTUNES: Rank these with your partner. Put the best ways of becoming rich at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

Winning the lottery
Property
Investing in art
Saving hard
Working hard
Inheritance
Stocks and shares
Starting a tech company

Vocabulary

Paragraph 1

1.	combined	a.	Very surprising, astonishing, or remarkable.
2.	startling	b.	A time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger.
3.	disparity	c.	Had a damaging or restricting effect on.
4.	crisis	d.	A very, very big difference.
5.	stark	e.	Become or make smaller in size or amount; contract or cause to contract.
6.	shrink	f.	Joined together.
7.	squeezed	g.	Severe.

Paragraph 2

8.	mega	h.	A large-scale systematic plan or arrangement for getting something or putting a particular idea into effect.
9.	huge	i.	Gathered together or accumulate (a large amount or number of valuable material or things) over a period of time.
10.	amassed	j.	Of an acceptable standard; satisfactory.
11.	redress	k.	Completely removing or getting rid of something.
12.	eliminating	l.	Make an undesirable or unfair situation fair again.
13.	avoidance	m.	Very very big.
14.	decent	n.	The action of keeping away from or not doing something.

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

The world's 26 richest people have the same wealth as 3.8 billion. T / F
The figures in the article come from the World Bank. T / F
The world's richest are getting $2.5 million richer every day. T / F
The poor are getting poorer because rents and prices are rising. T / F
Most of the mega-rich are wealthy because of technology companies. T / F
Amazon's CEO gave $1 billion to help Ethiopia's health service. T / F
A charity wants higher taxes on personal earnings. T / F
The charity said only the rich can get quality healthcare in many nations. T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

combined
disparity
stark
fortunate
gap
huge
amassed
redress
eliminating
decent

enormous
satisfactory
blessed
even up
sharp
removing
amalgamated
accumulated
imbalance
chasm

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

This startling disparity in
the number of billionaires in
the poorest half
wages are
the ever-
made their huge fortunes
the annual health
redress
a decent
a luxury only the

education
squeezed
rich can afford
the world has doubled
the imbalance
of the planet
wealth
budget of Ethiopia
widening gap
from technology

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

crisis
shrink
doubled
gap
combined
squeezed
disparity
contrast

The (1) ____________ fortune of 26 of the world's richest people is equal to the total wealth of the 3.8 billion poorest people. This startling (2) ____________ in wealth is according to a report from the charity Oxfam. It reported that since the global financial (3) ____________ in 2008, the number of billionaires in the world has (4) ____________. They are also getting $2.5 billion richer every day. This is in stark (5) ____________ to the world's less fortunate - the poorest half of the planet is seeing its wealth slowly (6) ____________ as prices of commodities increase, wages are (7) ____________ and land prices and rents rise. Oxfam's report highlights the growing gap between the world's rich and poor and the ever-widening (8) ____________ in wealth inequality.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

annual
huge
redress
schemes
mega
decent
founder
earnings

The report says that most of the world's (9) ____________ -wealthy have made their (10) ____________ fortunes from technology companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook. The world's richest person is Amazon (11) ____________ and CEO Jeff Bezos. His amassed $100 billion fortune is 100 times greater than the (12) ____________ health budget of Ethiopia. Oxfam said it was time to try and (13) ____________ the imbalance in wealth. It recommended taxing income at fairer levels, increasing tax on personal (14) ____________ and corporate profits, and eliminating tax avoidance (15) ____________ commonly used by companies and the super-rich. It said: "In many countries, a (16) ____________ education or quality healthcare has become a luxury only the rich can afford."

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) The combined fortune of 26 of the world's richest ______
     a. people is equally
     b. people is equality
     c. people is equal
     d. people is equalize
2) This startling disparity in wealth is according to a report from ______
     a. the charitable Oxfam
     b. the charities Oxfam
     c. the charity Oxfam
     d. the chastity Oxfam
3) since the global financial crisis in 2008, the number of billionaires in the ______
     a. world was doublet
     b. word has doubled
     c. world was doubled
     d. world has doubled
4) the poorest half of the planet is seeing its wealth slowly shrink as prices _____ increase
     a. off commodities
     b. at commodities
     c. of commodities
     d. as commodities
5) the growing gap between the world's rich and poor and the ever-______ wealth
     a. widen in gaping
     b. widening in gap in
     c. widening gap in
     d. widening gapping

6) The report says that most of the world's mega-wealthy have made their ______
     a. hug fortunes
     b. huge for tunes
     c. hug fort tunes
     d. huge fortunes
7) The world's richest person is Amazon ______ CEO
     a. flounder and
     b. funder and
     c. finder and
     d. founder and
8) His amassed $100 billion fortune is 100 times greater than the ______ budget
     a. annual health
     b. annually health
     c. and you all health
     d. and your health
9) taxing income at fairer levels, increasing tax on personal earnings and ______
     a. corporate pro-fit
     b. corporate profits
     c. carp rate profits
     d. carp irate profits
10) a decent education or quality healthcare has become a luxury only the ______
     a. rich canner ford
     b. rich can afford
     c. richer can afford
     d. richer can a ford

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The combined fortune of 26 of the world's richest people (1) ___________________ the total wealth of the 3.8 billion poorest people. This startling (2) ___________________ is according to a report from the charity Oxfam. It reported that since the global financial crisis in 2008, the number of billionaires in the (3) ___________________. They are also getting $2.5 billion richer every day. This is (4) ___________________ to the world's less fortunate - the poorest half of the planet is seeing its wealth slowly shrink as prices of commodities increase, (5) ___________________ and land prices and rents rise. Oxfam's report highlights the growing gap between the world's rich and poor and the (6) ___________________ in wealth inequality.

The report says that most of the world's (7) ___________________ made their huge fortunes from technology companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook. The world's richest person is Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. (8) ___________________ billion fortune is 100 times greater than the annual health budget of Ethiopia. Oxfam said it was time to (9) ___________________ the imbalance in wealth. It recommended taxing income (10) ___________________, increasing tax on personal earnings and corporate profits, and eliminating (11) ___________________ commonly used by companies and the super-rich. It said: "In many countries, (12) ___________________ or quality healthcare has become a luxury only the rich can afford."

Comprehension questions

How many poor people have the same wealth as the world's richest?
Which charity highlighted the inequality in wealth?
How much richer are billionaires becoming each day?
What did the article say was being squeezed?
What did the charity say was growing?
What industry did the article say most of the mega-wealthy were from?
How much did the article say Jeff Bezos was worth?
What did the charity suggest taxing at fairer levels?
What schemes did the article say it wanted to eliminate?
Who did the charity say could afford a decent education?

Multiple choice quiz

1) How many poor people have the same wealth as the world's richest?
a) 3.8 billion
b) 380,000,000
c) 38 billion
d) 3,800,000
2) Which charity highlighted the inequality in wealth?
a) WWF
b) Médecins Sans Frontières
c) Oxfam
d) Action Against Poverty
3) How much richer are billionaires becoming each day?
a) $2.6 billion
b) $2.5 billion
c) $2.7 billion
d) $2.2 billion
4) What did the article say was being squeezed?
a) lemons
b) flesh
c) cheeks
d) wages
5) What did the charity say was growing?
a) the gap between the world's rich and poor
b) the world population
c) money
d) wealth

6) What industry did the article say most of the mega-wealthy were from?
a) manufacturing
b) investment
c) banking
d) technology
7) How much did the article say Jeff Bezos was worth?
a) $100 million
b) $100 billion
c) $100,000,000,000,000
d) $10,000,000,000
8) What did the charity suggest taxing at fairer levels?
a) property
b) investments
c) profits
d) income
9) What schemes did the article say it wanted to eliminate?
a) colour schemes
b) pension schemes
c) tax avoidance schemes
d) savings schemes
10) Who did the charity say could afford a decent education?
a) anyone and everyone
b) only the rich
c) the elite
d) billionaires

Role play

Role A – Working Hard
You think working hard is the best way to get rich. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): starting a tech company, investing in art or winning the lottery.

Role B – Starting a Tech Company
You think starting a tech company is the best way to get rich. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): working hard, investing in art or winning the lottery.

Role C – Investing in Art
You think investing in art is the best way to get rich. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): starting a tech company, working hard or winning the lottery.

Role D – Winning the Lottery
You think winning the lottery is the best way to get rich. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): starting a tech company, investing in art or working hard.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'wealth'

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

and 'inequality'.
________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

• Share your findings with your partners.

• Make questions using the words you found.

• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

•Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

mega

founder

annual

levels

used

decent

combined

since

day

half

rise

ever

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 - World's 26 richest as rich as poorer half of world

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

What did you think when you read the headline?
What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'wealth'?
How important is wealth?
What do you think of wealth inequality?
Is it right that one person can be so rich?
Should governments try to redistribute wealth?
What's the best way to be wealthy?
What problems does wealth inequality create?
Can you survive on your wealth?
What is the wealth gap like in your country?

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

Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
What do you think of when you hear the word 'inequality'?
What do you think about what you read?
What would you do with $1 billion?
What can anyone do with $100 billion?
Should billionaires help the poor in their countries?
Should big companies pay a lot more tax?
What do you think of tax avoidance schemes?
What happens when a decent education is only for the rich?
What questions would you like to ask a billionaire?

Discussion — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

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

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

The combined (1) ____ of 26 of the world's richest people is equal to the total wealth of the 3.8 billion poorest people. This (2) ____ disparity in wealth is according to a report from the charity Oxfam. It reported (3) ____ since the global financial crisis in 2008, the number of billionaires in the world has (4) ____. They are also getting $2.5 billion richer every day. This is in stark contrast to the world's less fortunate - the poorest half of the planet is seeing its wealth slowly shrink as prices of (5) ____ increase, wages are squeezed and land prices and rents rise. Oxfam's report highlights the (6) ____ gap between the world's rich and poor and the ever-widening gap in wealth inequality.

The report says that most of the world's (7) ____-wealthy have made their huge fortunes from technology companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook. The world's richest person is Amazon (8) ____ and CEO Jeff Bezos. His amassed $100 billion fortune is 100 times greater than the (9) ____ health budget of Ethiopia. Oxfam said it was time to try and redress the imbalance in wealth. It recommended taxing income at fairer levels, increasing tax on personal (10) ____ and corporate profits, and eliminating tax avoidance schemes commonly used by companies and the super-rich. It said: "In many countries, a (11) ____ education or quality healthcare has become a luxury only the rich can (12) ____."

Which of these words go in the above text?

(a) fortunately (b) fortune (c) fortunate (d) fortuitous
(a) sparkling (b) startling (c) spanking (d) starting
(a) then (b) which (c) what (d) that
(a) twice (b) doubled (c) two-fold (d) binary
(a) oddities (b) commodities (c) commodores (d) remedies
(a) growth (b) grown (c) growing (d) grew
(a) supra (b) nova (c) mega (d) lava
(a) grinder (b) meander (c) founder (d) shudder
(a) annum (b) century (c) year (d) annual
(a) interests (b) ratings (c) winnings (d) earnings
(a) decent (b) nascent (c) scented (d) ascent
(a) buffer (b) border (c) afford (d) coast

Spelling

Paragraph 1

The combined ufernot
This startling rtyidipas in wealth
a report from the tahycri Oxfam
This is in stakr contrast to...
prices of miocoietsdm increase
wages are qezsudee

Paragraph 2

His smdasae $100 billion
redress the lbaecaimn
increasing tax on personal sgianrne
tax avoidance mcehsse
a ncdeet education
a urxlyu only the rich can afford

Put the text back together

(...) doubled. They are also getting $2.5 billion richer every day. This is in stark contrast to the world's less
(...) companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook. The world's richest person is Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. His amassed
(...) $100 billion fortune is 100 times greater than the annual health budget of Ethiopia. Oxfam said it was time to
( 1 ) The combined fortune of 26 of the world's richest people is equal to the total wealth of the 3.8 billion
(...) and land prices and rents rise. Oxfam's report highlights the growing gap between
(...) schemes commonly used by companies and the super-rich. It said: "In many countries, a
(...) The report says that most of the world's mega-wealthy have made their huge fortunes from technology
(...) poorest people. This startling disparity in wealth is according to a report from the charity Oxfam. It reported
(...) that since the global financial crisis in 2008, the number of billionaires in the world has
(...) the world's rich and poor and the ever-widening gap in wealth inequality.
(...) fortunate - the poorest half of the planet is seeing its wealth slowly shrink as prices of commodities increase, wages are squeezed
(...) decent education or quality healthcare has become a luxury only the rich can afford."
(...) on personal earnings and corporate profits, and eliminating tax avoidance
(...) try and redress the imbalance in wealth. It recommended taxing income at fairer levels, increasing tax

Put the words in the right order

poorest The 3.8 the people . wealth of total billion
number doubled . in world the billionaires The of
getting day . are They richer every $2.5 billion
slowly commodities as shrink increase . Wealth prices of
growing gap rich The between and poor . the
huge have The their world's fortunes. made mega-wealthy
the and wealth . redress imbalance Try in
taxing It recommended levels . income fairer at
commonly used by Eliminating avoidance tax schemes companies.
only luxury can the rich A afford .

Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

The combined fortunate / fortune of 26 of the world's richest people is equal to the total wealth of the 3.8 billion poorest people. This startling / sparkling disparity in wealth is according to a report from the charitable / charity Oxfam. It reported that since the globally / global financial crisis in 2008, the number of billionaires in the world was / has doubled. They are also getting $2.5 billion richer every day. This is in stark / spark contrast to the world's less fortunate - the poorest half of the planet is seeing / seen its wealth slowly shrink as / was prices of commodities increase, wages are squeezed and land prices and rents raise / rise. Oxfam's report highlights the growing gap between the world's rich and poor and the ever-widening gap on / in wealth inequality.

The report says that mostly / most of the world's mega-wealthy have made their huge fortunes / fortunate from technology companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook. The world's richest person is Amazon flounder / founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. His amassed $100 billion fortune is 100 times greater than the annual health budgetary / budget of Ethiopia. Oxfam said it was time to try and redress / dress the imbalance in wealth. It recommended taxing income at / of fairer levels, increasing tax on personal earnings and corporate profits, and eliminating tax avoid / avoidance schemes commonly / common used by companies and the super-rich. It said: "In many countries, a decant / decent education or quality healthcare has become a luxury only the rich can affront / afford."

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

T h_ c_m b_n_d f_r t_n_ _f 2 6 _f t h_ w_r l d ' s r_c h_s t p__ p l_ _s _q__ l t_ t h_ t_t_l w__ l t h _f t h_ 3 . 8 b_l l__ n p__ r_s t p__ p l_. T h_s s t_r t l_n g d_s p_r_t y _n w__ l t h _s _c c_r d_n g t_ _ r_p_r t f r_m t h_ c h_r_t y O x f_m . I t r_p_r t_d t h_t s_n c_ t h_ g l_b_l f_n_n c__ l c r_s_s _n 2 0 0 8 , t h_ n_m b_r _f b_l l__ n__ r_s _n t h_ w_r l d h_s d__ b l_d . T h_y _r_ _l s_ g_t t_n g $ 2 . 5 b_l l__ n r_c h_r _v_r y d_y . T h_s _s _n s t_r k c_n t r_s t t_ t h_ w_r l d ' s l_s s f_r t_n_t_ - t h_ p__ r_s t h_l f _f t h_ p l_n_t _s s___n g _t s w__ l t h s l_w l y s h r_n k _s p r_c_s _f c_m m_d_t__ s _n c r__ s_, w_g_s _r_ s q___z_d _n d l_n d p r_c_s _n d r_n t s r_s_. O x f_m ' s r_p_r t h_g h l_g h t s t h_ g r_w_n g g_p b_t w__ n t h_ w_r l d ' s r_c h _n d p__ r _n d t h_ _v_r - w_d_n_n g g_p _n w__ l t h _n_q__ l_t y .

T h_ r_p_r t s_y s t h_t m_s t _f t h_ w_r l d ' s m_g_- w__ l t h y h_v_ m_d_ t h__ r h_g_ f_r t_n_s f r_m t_c h n_l_g y c_m p_n__ s l_k_ A m_z_n , M_c r_s_f t _n d F_c_b__ k . T h_ w_r l d ' s r_c h_s t p_r s_n _s A m_z_n f__ n d_r _n d C E O J_f f B_z_s . H_s _m_s s_d $ 1 0 0 b_l l__ n f_r t_n_ _s 1 0 0 t_m_s g r__ t_r t h_n t h_ _n n__ l h__ l t h b_d g_t _f E t h__ p__ . O x f_m s__ d _t w_s t_m_ t_ t r y _n d r_d r_s s t h_ _m b_l_n c_ _n w__ l t h . I t r_c_m m_n d_d t_x_n g _n c_m_ _t f__ r_r l_v_l s , _n c r__ s_n g t_x _n p_r s_n_l __ r n_n g s _n d c_r p_r_t_ p r_f_t s , _n d _l_m_n_t_n g t_x _v__ d_n c_ s c h_m_s c_m m_n l y _s_d b y c_m p_n__ s _n d t h_ s_p_r - r_c h . I t s__ d : " I n m_n y c__ n t r__ s , _ d_c_n t _d_c_t__ n _r q__ l_t y h__ l t h c_r_ h_s b_c_m_ _ l_x_r y _n l y t h_ r_c h c_n _f f_r d . "

Punctuate the text and add capitals

the combined fortune of 26 of the worlds richest people is equal to the total wealth of the 38 billion poorest people this startling disparity in wealth is according to a report from the charity oxfam it reported that since the global financial crisis in 2008 the number of billionaires in the world has doubled they are also getting 25 billion richer every day this is in stark contrast to the worlds less fortunate the poorest half of the planet is seeing its wealth slowly shrink as prices of commodities increase wages are squeezed and land prices and rents rise oxfams report highlights the growing gap between the worlds rich and poor and the everwidening gap in wealth inequality

the report says that most of the worlds megawealthy have made their huge fortunes from technology companies like amazon microsoft and facebook the worlds richest person is amazon founder and ceo jeff bezos his amassed 100 billion fortune is 100 times greater than the annual health budget of ethiopia oxfam said it was time to try and redress the imbalance in wealth it recommended taxing income at fairer levels increasing tax on personal earnings and corporate profits and eliminating tax avoidance schemes commonly used by companies and the superrich it said in many countries a decent education or quality healthcare has become a luxury only the rich can afford"

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thecombinedfortuneof26oftheworld'srichestpeopleisequaltothetot
alwealthofthe3.8billionpoorestpeople.Thisstartlingdisparityinwealt
hisaccordingtoareportfromthecharityOxfam.Itreportedthatsincethe
globalfinancialcrisisin2008,thenumberofbillionairesintheworldhasd
oubled.Theyarealsogetting$2.5billionrichereveryday.Thisisinstarkc
ontrasttotheworld'slessfortunate-thepooresthalfoftheplanetisseei
ngitswealthslowlyshrinkaspricesofcommoditiesincrease,wagesares
queezedandlandpricesandrentsrise.Oxfam'sreporthighlightsthegro
winggapbetweentheworld'srichandpoorandtheever-wideninggapin
wealthinequality.Thereportsaysthatmostoftheworld'smega-wealt
hyhavemadetheirhugefortunesfromtechnologycompanieslikeAmaz
on,MicrosoftandFacebook.Theworld'srichestpersonisAmazonfound
erandCEOJeffBezos.Hisamassed$100billionfortuneis100timesgreat
erthantheannualhealthbudgetofEthiopia.Oxfamsaiditwastimetotry
andredresstheimbalanceinwealth.Itrecommendedtaxingincomeatf
airerlevels,increasingtaxonpersonalearningsandcorporateprofits,a
ndeliminatingtaxavoidanceschemescommonlyusedbycompaniesan
dthesuper-rich.Itsaid:"Inmanycountries,adecenteducationorqualit
yhealthcarehasbecomealuxuryonlytherichcanafford."

Free writing

Write about wealth inequality for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Academic writing

Wealth inequality is immoral and should be made illegal. Discuss.

_____________________________________________________________________________

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 out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. WEALTH: Make a poster about wealth. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
4. WAELTH INEQUALITY: Write a magazine article about making wealth inequality illegal. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
5. 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.
6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on wealth. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your ideas on how we can increase our wealth. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also...

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

News
Warm ups
Pre-reading / Post-reading
Using headlines
Working with words
While-reading / While-listening
Moving from text to speech
Post-reading / Post-listening
Discussions
Using opinions
Plans
Language
Using lists
Using quotes
Task-based activities
Role plays
Using the central characters in the article
Using themes from the news
Homework

Buy my book

$US 9.99

Answers

(Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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Breaking News English Lesson: Wealth Inequality

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