The Reading / Listening - Top Gun: Maverick - Level 2

Tom Cruise's latest film has broken box office records. The movie "Top Gun: Maverick" was in the biggest ever number of North American movie theatres. The magazine "Variety" said that 4,732 cinemas in the USA and Canada showed "Maverick". This makes it the widest release of all time. The movie broke another record. It is the best Memorial Day opening film in history. It took $156 million in the USA. This beats Johnny Depp's 2007 movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End". Maverick also gave Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise his first ever $100 million opening weekend.

Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 film "Top Gun". Cruise again plays US navy pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The production company was happy that "Maverick" has done so well. A spokesperson said: "These results are ridiculously, over-the-top fantastic. I'm happy for everyone. I'm happy for…the filmmakers." The movie has great reviews from critics. A UK newspaper called it a "thrilling" blockbuster. Another newspaper called it "absurdly exciting," and "the best studio action film in years". At first, Cruise did not want to make the movie. He is happy he did.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Top Gun: Maverick - Level 0 Top Gun: Maverick - Level 1   or  Top Gun: Maverick - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-61630131
  • https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/05/top-gun-maverick-breaks-box-office-records
  • https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/top-gun-maverick-memorial-day-box-office-tom-cruise-movie


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. broken box office
  2. the biggest ever
  3. This makes it the widest
  4. The movie
  5. It is
  6. This beats Johnny Depp's 2007
  7. Hollywood
  8. his first
  1. movie
  2. release of all time
  3. the best
  4. ever $100 million
  5. superstar
  6. records
  7. broke another record
  8. number

Paragraph 2

  1. Maverick is the sequel
  2. US navy
  3. Maverick" has done so
  4. ridiculously over-the-
  5. I'm happy
  6. the best studio action
  7. Cruise did not want to
  8. He is happy he
  1. film in years
  2. top
  3. did
  4. pilot
  5. make the movie
  6. well
  7. to the 1986 film
  8. for everyone

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Tom Cruise's latest (1) ___________________ box office records. The movie "Top Gun: Maverick" was (2) ___________________ ever number of North American movie theatres. The magazine "Variety" said that 4,732 cinemas in the USA and Canada showed "Maverick". This makes (3) ___________________ release of all time. The movie broke another record. It (4) __________________ Memorial Day opening film in history. It took $156 million in the USA. This beats Johnny Depp's 2007 movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End". Maverick (5) ___________________ superstar Tom Cruise (6) ___________________ $100 million opening weekend.

Maverick is (7) ___________________ the 1986 film "Top Gun". Cruise again plays US navy pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The production company (8) ___________________ "Maverick" has done so well. A spokesperson said: "These results are ridiculously, over-(9) ___________________. I'm happy for everyone. I'm happy for...the filmmakers." The movie (10) ___________________ from critics. A UK newspaper called it a "thrilling" blockbuster. Another newspaper called it "absurdly exciting," and "the (11) ___________________ film in years". At first, Cruise did not want to make the movie. He is (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TomCruise'slatestfilmhasbrokenboxofficerecords.Themovie"TopGu
n:Maverick"wasinthebiggestevernumberofNorthAmericanmoviethe
atres.Themagazine"Variety"saidthat4,732cinemasintheUSAandCa
nadashowed"Maverick".Thismakesitthewidestreleaseofalltime.The
moviebrokeanotherrecord.ItisthebestMemorialDayopeningfilminhi
story.Ittook$156millionintheUSA.ThisbeatsJohnnyDepp's2007mov
ie"PiratesoftheCaribbean:AtWorld'sEnd".MaverickalsogaveHollywo
odsuperstarTomCruisehisfirstever$100millionopeningweekend.Ma
verickisthesequeltothe1986film"TopGun".CruiseagainplaysUSnavy
pilotPete"Maverick"Mitchell.Theproductioncompanywashappythat"
Maverick"hasdonesowell.Aspokespersonsaid:"Theseresultsareridic
ulously,over-the-topfantastic.I'mhappyforeveryone.I'mhappyfor..
.thefilmmakers."Themoviehasgreatreviewsfromcritics.AUKnewspa
percalledita"thrilling"blockbuster.Anothernewspapercalledit"absur
dlyexciting,"and"thebeststudioactionfilminyears".Atfirst,Cruisedidn
otwanttomakethemovie.Heishappyhedid.

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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