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GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

BILL AND
MELINDA
GATES DIVORCE
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19DP-J17B-JV63

1 Warm up

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What would you spend your money on if you were the 4th richest person in the world?
2. What do you think is the best way to make a lot of money these days?
3. How much money do you think is "too much"? How much money is more money than it is possible
to spend?
4. If you have a lot of money, do you think you have a duty to help other people, or not?
5. Do you believe that money can make you happy? Why/Why not?

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2 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Write the words next to the correct definition.
affair (n) announce (v) board (n) committee (n)
desire (n) emerge (v) enquiry (n) foundation (n)

1. : to know or see something that was not clear before

2. : a way of officially finding out information about something that has happened
3. : a group of people who make decisions about a particular situation
4. : a group of people who make all the important decisions for a company or
organisation.
5. : a strong feeling of wanting to have or do something
6. : an organisation which collects or makes money for something, often a charity
or research
7. : a relationship between two people when at least one of them is married to
someone else
8. : to inform people in an official way about something, for example, a decision or
a new plan

Part B: Now put the words from Part A into the following sentences.

1. I’m so tired. I have absolutely no to do any work today.

2. The company will its decision to move their head office from London to New York
on Monday.
3. Before she died, she created a/an to raise money for cancer research.
4. Police have started a/an into the murder which took place on Saturday night.
5. He left the company’s after he disagreed with their plans to invest in oil.
6. Simon and his wife looked like the perfect couple, but it turned out he was having a/an
the whole time.
7. All we know is that they are planning to get married next summer, but I think a lot more details
will over the next few months.
8. I wrote to the school’s to see if they can do anything about the terrible parking
situation.

Now answer the following questions.

1. If you won a lot of money, would you announce it to your family and friends, or would you keep
quiet? Why?
2. Why do you think some people choose to have an affair?
3. Do you think having a committee is a good way to make decisions, or do you think it’s better if
one person decides?
4. If you could speak to the board of Facebook, Google or Amazon, what would you want to ask
them, or tell them?
5. What is your biggest desire for the future?

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3 Prediction

Look at the following elements from the news report you are about to hear about Bill Gates. How do
you think they are connected to the story?

1. Microsoft
2. A law firm
3. Charities
4. 27 years

Now listen to see if your predictions were correct.

4 Listening comprehension

Listen to the recording and decide if the following statements are True or False.

1. Microsoft was investigating Bill Gates in the year 2000.

2. The enquiry was started because someone had complained about Bill Gates.
3. Microsoft hired a law firm to attack the female employee.
4. The newsreader cannot legally tell you the name of the woman.
5. The committee finished their enquiry and found Bill Gates had done nothing wrong.
6. Bill Gates said that he stopped working on Microsoft’s board because he wanted to spend more
time working for charity.
7. Bill Gates said that he did not have an affair.
8. The public knew about the affair before they knew about the divorce.

5 Skimming for general understanding

Look at the following titles for each person in the text on page four. Match the title to the person.
There are two you will not need.

1. How about short-term marriage contracts?

2. Marry a friend, not a lover.
3. Forget marriage, let’s just live together.
4. Why not marry more than one person?
5. I like to keep my distance and keep the romance.

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Married for life

Are there alternatives?

1.
Married since 1994, Bill and Melinda Gates my case, he can move out. I live in my own flat, thank
announced their divorce earlier this month. Bill Gates you very much. I’m not losing it over some guy.
is currently the 4th richest man in the world, worth 3.
Alejandro, 24 - 2

around £89 billion. This wealth will now be divided

I don’t know why a marriage contract has to be for
between him and his wife. They have three adult
life. How about signing a contract for five years? Or
children, four multi-million-dollar homes, private jet
ten years? Then when it’s over, you can either sign
planes and farmland - 979 square kilometres of it
up for another one, or go your separate ways. I think
in 18 different states in America. So, wouldn’t you
it would cut down on divorce a lot because you could
think they would be happy? Even if they weren’t
just wait for a bit if it went wrong. Let’s face it, it
happy, they could live in different homes and not see
would basically be the same as what people do now,
each other. And with Bill at age 65 and Melinda at 56,
but without all of the problems.
they are no spring chickens either. If anyone could 3
4.
Tiffany, 28 -
stay married, wouldn’t it be them? So, we’re forced to
ask - maybe marriage doesn’t work? We asked some My boyfriend and I live in different cities and it’s

of our readers: if traditional marriage isn’t an option, fantastic! We get to meet up at weekends, and

what should we do? Here’s what they had to say: sometime during the week, but we have our own
1 places, our own friends, and our own work. There’s
2.
Claudia, 27 -
no arguing over bills or who should do the chores in
I don’t think people of my generation see marriage as
the house. We meet, we have fun together, and then
so important these days. Why do you need to spend
we go to our own homes. We’ve been together for
all of that money on a wedding and a piece of paper
over two years now. We dress up for each other, and
to prove how you feel? I don’t see what’s wrong with
we go on holiday to places. All the good stuff, no
living with someone if you want to. Your relationship
downside. There does need to be a good amount of
with someone is no one else’s business. Then if you
trust, but you’d need that in a marriage too.
get sick of each other, you can just move out. Or in
Sources: theguardian.com; bbc.co.uk; dailymail.co.uk

6 Reading comprehension
Complete the following sentences with one, two or three words from the text on page four.

1. As the 4th richest man in the world, Bill Gates has great .
2. The article looks at alternatives to .
3. Claudia doesn’t think you need to your feelings about someone with a marriage
certificate and a wedding.
4. Claudia is the proud owner of a .
5. Alejandro suggests a shorter .
6. He thinks it would reduce the number of that people have.
7. Tiffany and her boyfriend have been in a long-distance relationship for .
8. She believes that is essential to making a long-distance relationship and a marriage
work.

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BILL AND MELINDA GATES DIVORCE

7 Rephrasing

Find words or phrases in the text on page four which mean the same as the following.

1. not young (Paragraph 1)

2. something that no one else is involved in (Paragraph 2)

3. stop enjoying being with someone (Paragraph 2)

4. remove your belongings from a house or flat and take them to a new place
(Paragraph 2)

5. reduce the amount/number of something (Paragraph 3)

6. "If we are going to be honest..." (Paragraph 3)

7. everyday, fairly boring jobs (Paragraph 4)

8. negatives (Paragraph 4)

Now complete these questions with words or phrases that you found in the text.

1. What is it about life in your country that you ? Why?

2. What food that you eat do you really need to ?
3. Which did you have to do when you were younger? Which ones do
you do now?
4. Do you think the private lives of famous people are , or do people have
a right to know?
5. What do you think is the to studying English?

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What do you think about Claudia’s suggestion about marriage? What do you think are the positives
and negatives of this?
2. What do you think about Alejandro’s suggestion about marriage? What do you think are the
positives and negatives of this?
3. What do you think about Tiffany’s suggestion about marriage? What do you think are the positives
and negatives of this?
4. Can you suggest any alternatives to traditional marriage?
5. Do you think people will always marry in the traditional way, or do you think it will change to
something else over time? Why?

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BILL AND MELINDA GATES DIVORCE

9 Extended activity/homework

Choose one of the following essay questions.

QuestionA

Billionaires who pay their taxes have no need to do anything with their money other than
what they want to do. They have earned their money and should spend it how they desire.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Answer the question by giving
examples.

• Write at least 250 words.

• Be sure to check your spelling, grammar and punctuation.

QuestionB

Traditional marriage to one person for life does not work in the modern world. It is time that
this idea was left in the past and replaced with more realistic ways of creating families.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Answer the question by giving
examples.

• Write at least 250 words.

• Be sure to check your spelling, grammar and punctuation.

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