Pre-reading task
1. The article is about people who win huge amounts of money in a lottery or on the football pools, and how this affects their lives. Which of the following do you think are good suggestions (V) or bad suggestions (X) for such people?
| If you win a lot of money … | |
| … you should give up your work. | |
| … you should buy a new house. | |
| … you mustn't let it change you. | |
| … it’s a good idea to keep it a secret. | |
| … you should give money to everyone who asks for it. | |
| … you should go on a spending spree. |
2. The word in A are in the article. Match a word in A with a definition in B.
| A | B |
| 1. envy | a. a sum of money you receive unexpectedly |
| 2. to fantasize | b. an aim, a reason for doing something |
| 3. a jigsaw | c. a feeling of discontent because someone has something that you want |
| 4. a windfall | d. to spend money foolishly on small, useless things |
| 5. a purpose | e. to imagine, to dream |
| 6. to fritter away money | f. a picture cut into pieces that you have to put together again |
Reading
Read the article. The following sentences have been taken out of the text. Where do you think they should go?
- They were furious!
- we feel at home
- It is tempting to move to a bigger house
- “nothing but misery”
- what the money would do to us
- it seems fantastic!
- most of their money will be fritted away
- if you lent him some money,
The National Lottery creates a millionaire every week in Britain. Maybe this turns you green with envy, but what is it actually like to wake up one day with more money than you can imagine?
Nearly all of us have fantasized about winning the big prize in The National Lottery. We dream about what we would do with the money, But we rarely stop to think about (1)_________________.
For most of us, our way of life is closely linked to our economic circumstances. The different parts of our lives fit together like a jigsaw: work, home, friends, hobbies, and the local pub make our world. This is where we belong and where (2)________________. A sudden huge windfall would dramatically change it all and smash the jigsaw.
For example, most people like the idea of not having to work, but winners have found that without work there is no purpose to their day, and no reason to get up in the morning. (3)________________ in a wealthy neighbourhood but, in so doing, you leave old friends and routines behind.
Winners are usually advised not to publicize their address and phone number, but charity requests and begging letters still arrive. If they are not careful, (4)______________ on lawyers’ fees to protect them from demanding relatives, guards to protect their homes and swimming pools, and psychotherapists to protect their sanity!