The Reading / Listening - Cage Fights - Level 5

Tech rivals Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg often try to outdo each other in business. They compete with each other to amass the most money or attract the most followers. Their rivalry intensified this week as the two multi-billionaires agreed to a fist fight. Twitter owner Mr Musk challenged Mr Zuckerberg to a "cage match". It is reported that the punch-up between the richest and tenth richest men in the world is because Meta's Zuckerberg wants to create a social media platform to rival Twitter. The fight could take place in a mixed martial arts cage in Las Vegas.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) could arrange the fight. The UFC president said the event could be the most profitable ever. He said: "This would be the biggest fight in history.…It would break all pay-per-view records." Viewers might have to pay $100 to watch the bout. It is unclear who is favourite to win the fight. Zuckerberg trains in martial arts and recently won gold in a tournament. Musk joked about his secret weapon. He said: "I have this great move that I call 'The Walrus'. I just lie on top of my opponent and do nothing."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Cage Fights - Level 4 or  Cage Fights - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/23/musk-zuckerberg-ufc-cage-match-will-cost-100-dollars.html
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mark-zuckerberg-elon-musk-fight/
  • https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/23/elon-musk-mark-zuckerberg-megarich-cage-fight-dystopian


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. try to outdo each other
  2. They compete with
  3. amass the
  4. attract the most
  5. Their rivalry
  6. the two multi-billionaires agreed
  7. challenged Mr Zuckerberg to
  8. a social media platform
  1. to rival Twitter
  2. most money
  3. intensified
  4. a "cage match"
  5. each other
  6. followers
  7. to a fist fight
  8. in business

Paragraph 2

  1. the event could be the most
  2. It would break all pay-
  3. It is unclear who is
  4. Zuckerberg trains
  5. won gold
  6. Musk joked about his secret
  7. I have this great
  8. lie on top of my opponent
  1. in a tournament
  2. favourite to win
  3. profitable ever
  4. move
  5. weapon
  6. and do nothing
  7. per-view records
  8. in martial arts

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Tech rivals Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg often (1) _________________ each other in business. They compete with each other to amass the most money (2) ___________________ most followers. Their (3) ___________________ week as the two multi-billionaires agreed to (4) ___________________. Twitter owner Mr Musk challenged Mr Zuckerberg to a "cage match". It is reported (5) ___________________ between the richest and tenth richest men in the world is because Meta's Zuckerberg wants to create a social media platform to rival Twitter. The fight could take place in (6) ___________________ arts cage in Las Vegas.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) (7) _________________ fight. The UFC president said the event could be the (8) ___________________. He said: "This would be the biggest fight in history….It would break all (9) ___________________ records." Viewers might have to pay $100 to watch the bout. It is unclear who (10) ___________________ win the fight. Zuckerberg trains in martial arts and recently won gold in a tournament. Musk joked about (11) ___________________. He said: "I have this great move that I call 'The Walrus'. I just lie on top of (12) ___________________ do nothing."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TechrivalsElonMuskandMarkZuckerbergoftentrytooutdoeachotheri
nbusiness.Theycompetewitheachothertoamassthemostmoneyoratt
ractthemostfollowers.Theirrivalryintensifiedthisweekasthetwomulti
-billionairesagreedtoafistfight.TwitterownerMrMuskchallengedMrZ
uckerbergtoa"cagematch".Itisreportedthatthepunch-upbetweenth
erichestandtenthrichestmenintheworldisbecauseMeta'sZuckerberg
wantstocreateasocialmediaplatformtorivalTwitter.Thefightcouldtak
eplaceinamixedmartialartscageinLasVegas.TheUltimateFightingCh
ampionship(UFC)couldarrangethefight.TheUFCpresidentsaidtheev
entcouldbethemostprofitableever.Hesaid:"Thiswouldbethebiggestfi
ghtinhistory….Itwouldbreakallpay-per-viewrecords."Viewersmigh
thavetopay$100towatchthebout.Itisunclearwhoisfavouritetowinthe
fight.Zuckerbergtrainsinmartialartsandrecentlywongoldinatourna
ment.Muskjokedabouthissecretweapon.Hesaid:"Ihavethisgreatmo
vethatIcall'TheWalrus'.Ijustlieontopofmyopponentanddonothing."

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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