Breaking News English Lesson: Wealth
The world's richest people got richer in 2025. The bank UBS said the 500 richest people on Earth made an extra $2.2 trillion last year. Their collective net worth rose to $11.9 trillion. Bloomberg reported that the eight billionaires who topped the rich list accounted for a quarter of the gains in earnings. The Guardian newspaper said the gains were "bolstered" by Donald Trump's 2024 election victory, "and booming markets in cryptocurrencies".
Many organizations were alarmed at so much wealth being in so few hands. The charity Oxfam said: "Inequality is a deliberate policy choice. Despite record wealth at the top, public wealth is. declining. Inequality rips away life opportunities and rights from the majority of citizens." A climate scientist warned that "if the economic system that is tearing our planet. and its people apart isn't brought to its knees, then humanity will be".
Try the same news story at these levels:
- https://fortune.com/2025/12/31/worlds-richest-wealth-added-record-increase-american-dream-europe/
- https://www.commondreams.org/news/billionaire-list-2025
- https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/dec/31/billionaires-added-record-wealth-2025
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 :-)
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News
"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."
The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)
"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."
Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)
"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."
Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.
Phrase Matching Paragraph 1- The world's richest people
- the 500 richest people on
- Their collective net
- eight billionaires who topped
- accounted for a quarter of the
- a quarter of the gains
- Donald Trump's 2024 election
- booming markets in
- the rich list
- in earnings
- Earth
- cryptocurrencies
- worth rose
- victory
- got richer
- gains in earnings
- Many organizations were
- so much wealth being
- Inequality is a deliberate
- Despite record
- the majority
- climate
- the economic
- brought to its
- scientist
- policy choice
- of citizens
- knees
- alarmed
- system
- in so few hands
- wealth at the top
The world's richest people (1) ________________________________________________ 2025. The bank UBS said the 500 richest people on Earth (2) ________________________________________________ $2.2 trillion last year. Their collective (3) ________________________________________________ to $11.9 trillion. Bloomberg reported that the eight billionaires who topped the rich list accounted for (4) ________________________________________________ the gains in earnings. The Guardian newspaper said the gains (5) ________________________________________________ by Donald Trump's 2024 election victory, "and (6) ________________________________________________ cryptocurrencies".
Many organizations were (7) ________________________________________________ much wealth being in (8) ________________________________________________. The charity Oxfam said: "Inequality is a (9) ________________________________________________. Despite record wealth at the top, public wealth is. declining. Inequality rips away life opportunities and rights from the (10) ________________________________________________." A climate scientist warned that "if the economic system that is (11) ________________________________________________. and its people apart isn't brought to its knees, then (12) ________________________________________________".
Put a slash (/) where the spaces areTheworld'srichestpeoplegotricherin2025.ThebankUBSsaidthe500ri chestpeopleonEarthmadeanextra$2.2trillionlastyear.Theircollectiv enetworthroseto$11.9trillion.Bloombergreportedthattheeightbillio naireswhotoppedtherichlistaccountedforaquarterofthegainsinearni ngs.TheGuardiannewspapersaidthegainswere"bolstered"byDonald Trump's2024electionvictory,"andboomingmarketsincryptocurrenci es".Manyorganizationswerealarmedatsomuchwealthbeinginsofewh ands.ThecharityOxfamsaid:"Inequalityisadeliberatepolicychoice.D espiterecordwealthatthetop,publicwealthis. declining. Inequality ripsawaylifeopportunitiesandrightsfromthemajorityofcitizens."Acli matescientistwarnedthat"iftheeconomicsystemthatistearingourpla net. anditspeopleapartisn'tbroughttoitsknees,thenhumanitywillbe ".
Student surveyWrite 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 questionsSTUDENT 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 writingWrite about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.
Answers(Please check your answers against the article above.
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