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

SQUID GAME
TO BECOME
REALITY SERIES
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1 Warm up
Discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.

1. Do you enjoy watching game shows? Why/why not?

2. Why do you think game shows are popular? Did you watch Squid Game? If so, did you like it?
Why/why not?
3. Would you ever consider taking part in a game show or reality TV series?
4. Do you think people who take part in game shows or reality TV series are more interested in
money or becoming famous?

2 Pre-listening task: vocabulary focus

Part A: Match words with the correct definitions.

1. inevitable (adj.) a. at the beginning

2. streaming platform (n) b. public discussion and argument, about something that many
people strongly disagree about, think is bad or are shocked by
3. participant (n) c. fail to use an opportunity to enjoy or benefit from something

4. recruit (n) d. an online entertainment website or app where viewers can

watch series, films etc.
5. empty-handed (adj.) e. a person who joins an organization, a company, etc.

6. miss out (phr. v) f. without getting what you wanted

7. initially (adv.) g. describing something that cannot be avoided or prevented

8. controversy (n) h. a person who is taking part in an activity, event or competition

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Part B: Complete the sentences with the missing words from Part A. You may need to change the
form of the word.

controversy empty-handed inevitable initially

missed out participant recruits streaming platforms

1. As a in the documentary, I had to sign a form to say I was happy to take part in
the film.

2. My sister took part in a game show last month, but unfortunately she went home .

3. Jack intended to study medicine at university, but he ended up studying literature

instead.

4. Some have reported losses as cinemas started to reopen around the world.

5. Tammy on the gold medal, but as she finished second, she received the silver one.

6. My company has taken on five new for a special project. They may be offered a
full-time job afterwards.

7. There has been a lot of over the government’s decision to cut financial help.

8. It seems that temperatures will rise around the world over the next decade.

3 Listening for specific information

Listen to the report. Match the numbers and dates mentioned with the things they relate to.
Video

111 million 2023 2024 21 4 456 4.56 million

a. the number of recruits who will take part in the new reality TV show

b. the prize money, in dollars, that participants could win

c. the minimum age participants will need to be to take part in the show

d. the number of weeks that participants will need to be available for

e. the year in which filming of the reality TV show will begin

f. the number of viewers that watched Squid Game in the first 28 days

g. the year in which the second season of Squid Game is set to be released
Audio

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4 Listening for comprehension

Listen to the report again. Answer the questions true, false or not given.

1. The reality TV show will feature recruits from around the world.

2. The new reality show will consist of nine episodes.

3. None of the participants will go home empty-handed, with the prize money being shared by
everyone.

4. The TV show will be open to people who don’t speak English.

5. In terms of viewing figures, Squid Game is the most popular Netflix series of all time.

6. Although popular, the series was banned in 94 countries around the world.

7. Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk originally intended the series to be a film.

8. The series caused controversy online because of its violent content and mistakes in the subtitles.

What do you think about what you have heard in the news?

5 Reading: general vocabulary

Part A: Match the words and phrases in bold with the correct definitions.

1. More and more people are stealing food from supermarkets in my country. I guess they’re becoming
desperate! (adj.)

2. We chose not to hire him in the end, as he was overqualified and we thought he would probably
get bored of the job within a few months. (adj.)

3. If you’re fed up with being exploited by your boss, maybe it’s time to look for a new job. (v)

4. I find the news quite upsetting these days, so I try to avoid watching it. (adj.)

a. treat a person or situation as an opportunity to gain an advantage for yourself

b. feeling or showing that you have little hope and are ready to do anything without worrying about
the danger to yourself or others

c. having more experience or training than is necessary for a particular job, so that people do not
want to employ you

d. making you feel unhappy, anxious or annoyed

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II

1. It’s a big relief to finally find a place to live. We’ve been looking for months! (n)

2. If she’s selected, Jennifer will become the youngest swimmer to represent her country. (v)

3. We had another huge argument yesterday. He thinks we should sell the house, but I don’t want
to move. (n)

4. I was horrified to discover that people were upset by my jokes. I thought they loved them! (adj.)

a. extremely shocked or frightened

b. the feeling of happiness that you have when something unpleasant stops or does not happen

c. a conversation or discussion in which two or more people disagree, often angrily

d. choose somebody/something from a group of people or things, usually according to a system

Part B: Complete the dialogue below with the words and phrases from the above exercise. You may
need to change the tense of the word or phrase. After completing the dialogue, read it out with a
partner, focusing on pronouncing the key vocabulary correctly.

Phil: I told you about the job, right?

Sara: No, what happened? Did you get it?

Phil: Well, first of all, I thought I was going to have an individual interview. When I got
there, there were lots of other candidates waiting in the same room. They told us
it was going to be a group interview, and I knew straight away that I wouldn’t be
1
.
2
Sara: You must have been ! I know how nervous you get around big groups
of people.
Phil: You’re right – for most people, it wouldn’t have been a problem, I suppose, but for me
3 4
it was quite . I actually had an with the person in
charge.
Sara: Really? What happened?

Phil: I told her I wasn’t expecting a group interview, and that I felt like they were
5
us. They should have told us all in the email.
Sara: How did she react?
6
Phil: She wasn’t very nice. She said that lots of people are for a job, and
7
that most of the people in the room were , but that we would all be
lucky to work there.
Sara: Wow! That’s awful. What did you do?
8
Phil: Well, after that, I just left. Honestly, it was a big . I would never have
been happy in a place like that, and there are other jobs out there, after all.
Sara: I think you made the right decision!

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Discuss these questions in pairs.

1. Have you ever been told that you were overqualified for a job?
2. If you were told you had been selected for a games show that you hadn’t applied to, would you
take part in it?
3. If you won a large amount of money and never had to work again, would it be a relief, or would
you want to continue working anyway?
4. If you were desperate for money, would you consider doing something illegal?

6 Reading for general understanding

You are going to read a text about people’s opinions on the new Squid Game reality TV show. Scan the
text quickly and match the profession with the correct speaker. One profession cannot be matched
to any of the four speakers in the text and should be marked ‘Not given’

1. A recent graduate:

2. An athlete:

3. An artist:

4. A writer:

5. A teacher:

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
SQUID GAME TO BECOME REALITY SERIES
When fiction becomes reality
A reality TV show too far?
Ben, 34
A. It feels appropriate that a television series about a
game show would result in an actual game show
based on the series. That being said, I think it’s in bad
taste. The original, which I enjoyed, was very violent.
That’s fine within the context of the series, which is
about poor people being exploited by the super-rich.
The contestants are all desperate, ready to do almost
anything for money. Making a real-life game show in
which people are encouraged to play similar games
– again, for money – seems a little too close to the
story of the fictional series. Then again, perhaps the
problem is game show culture in general. Maybe we
should try to make sure employees are all paid fairly
instead of offering the distant hope of winning a large
amount of money to escape our difficult lives. That’s
what my novel is about, and I think it’s an important
message for our times.
Callie, 23
B. I just finished university, and even though I got
good grades, I can’t find a job. There’s nothing at
all in my town – even in the capital, there doesn’t
seem to be any graduate opportunities. I’ve started
looking for lower-paid jobs, but they usually tell me
I’m overqualified. Four-and-a-half million is a lot
of money, a life-changing figure, and I’m seriously
thinking about applying. The only thing that worries
me is the idea of being on television. I don’t really
want to be famous, and I don’t think I could deal with
the attention. I also think it wouldn’t be fair to my
family. Then again, it’s quite unlikely that I would win,
so I might not have to worry about it! I’ll talk the idea
over with my friends. There are probably easier ways
to get rich!
Nico, 21
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C. I applied yesterday. I had to send a video off and take
some photos, which I don’t mind doing – I’m quite
comfortable with my appearance. I think I stand a
good chance of being selected. I’m very charming,
and I’ve done some minor TV work before, such as
adverts for clothes shops. As for winning the thing,
I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. As a long-
distance runner, I’m physically fit, though, and I go to
the gym several times a week, so I think I’ll be able to
compete in any of the more active games. My friend,
Sandra, thinks it’s a very bad idea, and my parents
aren’t excited about me doing it, but I have to make
my own decisions, and I think this is the right move
for me. I’m already setting up an Instagram account
in case I get chosen. Wish me luck!
Kate, 44
D. My teenage daughter told me about the game show
yesterday. She said she was thinking of applying. We
had a huge argument, and she ran out of the house
crying. I felt a bit bad, but I was horrified at the idea
of her taking part in something like that. I watched
the first episode of Squid Game and found it to be
very upsetting. It’s far too violent, in my opinion,
and I really don’t think teenagers should be watching
it. I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to any of my
students! I suppose my daughter saw it at her friend’s
house. Anyway, today, I discovered that you have
to be over 21 to participate in the series. Imagine
my relief! My daughter seemed disappointed, but I
think she was secretly relieved too. I took her for ice
cream to make things up to her. I told her that, if she
wants to be famous, she’s better off focusing on her
paintings instead. She’s a fantastic artist!
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7 Reading comprehension

Read the article again. For each question, choose the answer you believe best suits the speaker.

1. According to Ben, what is wrong with game show culture?

a. He thinks game shows exploit desperate people, and that we should focus on paying everyone
fairly instead.
b. He thinks that game shows are old-fashioned and boring to watch.

c. He thinks game shows are too violent and encourage people to copy dangerous games in real
life.

2. Why is Callie not sure about applying for the Squid Game reality TV show?

a. She doesn’t think she’ll win.

b. She’s worried about the way she’ll look on television.

c. She doesn’t want to become famous.

3. Why is Nico confident about his chances of winning the reality TV show?

a. He feels good about the way he looks and thinks that other participants will like him.

b. He has had experience in TV before.

c. He is in good shape and thinks he has a good chance of winning any of the physical games.

4. Why was Kate relieved?

a. Her daughter decided not to take part in the new show.

b. Her daughter can’t take part in the new show because you have to be over 21 to participate.

c. Her daughter wants to focus on her art instead and is hoping to become a famous painter.

8 Talking point

In pairs or small groups, discuss the following questions.

1. Do you think the new Squid Game reality TV show is a good or bad idea?
2. Why do you think the original Squid Game series is so popular?
3. Would you like to be famous, or would you find it difficult to deal with the attention?
4. If you wanted to be on a TV show but your family weren’t excited about the idea, would you do it
anyway?
5. Are the violent elements of Squid Game a problem, or are they necessary for the story?
6. How can we protect children from copying violent scenes from television shows?

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9 Optional extension/Homework: expressions and phrasal verbs

Part A: Using the text above for reference, complete the definitions of the phrases and expressions
below by filling in the gaps with the correct words from the list.

discuss effect happen happier offensive problem sorry start

1. cross that bridge when you come to it: worry about a when it actually happens
and not before

2. make (something) up to (someone): do something for somebody or give them something in order
to say for something you have done to them

3. be better off (doing something): say that someone is because they are in a much
better position

4. set up: to create something or it

5. excited about: wanting to do something or wanting something to very much

6. be in bad taste: be and not at all appropriate

7. talk (something) over: something carefully and completely, especially in order to

reach an agreement or make a decision

8. life-changing: having such a big that it changes somebody’s life

Part B: Complete the sentences with the correct word, phrase or expression from Part A.

1. Jessica now that she’s moved to Italy. She’s really enjoying life!

2. The new job would have been , but I decided not to take it. I like
my current job.

3. My wife isn’t some of my hobbies. She finds them very boring.

4. I things to my sister by taking

her to a theme park on the weekend.

5. I’m helping my grandfather an email account tomorrow. Wish me

luck!

6. After things , we decided to sell

the house.

7. Moving to another country with a pet is going to be hard, but .

8. I think the new statue of Margaret Thatcher . Most people around

here disliked her.

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