The Reading / Listening - Nicki Minaj - Level 2

The singer Nicki Minaj, 34, told millions of Twitter followers she would pay university tuition fees for some of them if they get A-grades. Ms Minaj will donate thousands of dollars to 30 fans if they show they got straight A's at high school. She also promised to pay more tuition fees in the future. Minaj tweeted: "Show me straight A's that I can [check] with your school, and I'll pay [your fees]." She also joked that she might not have any money after making the payments. One student asked Minaj for $6,000 to pay for his accommodation, books, classes and food.

Minaj did not plan to pay for her fans' tuition. She first tweeted about a contest for someone to join her at a music awards show. A fan asked if she would pay for his college fees and her tweets changed. Minaj was born in Trinidad and grew up in New York. A newspaper editor said she was, "the most influential female rapper of all time". She has sold 20 million singles worldwide as a solo artist, and another 60 million singles as a guest artist. One Twitter user called her, "one of the most…caring and generous people in all of the entertainment industry".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Nicki Minaj - Level 0 Nicki Minaj - Level 1   or  Nicki Minaj - Level 3

Sources
  • http://news.sky.com/story/nicki-minaj-offers-to-pay-college-fees-for-fans-10868506
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/05/07/nicki-minaj-promises-to-pay-fan-college-tuition-twitter/101413018/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicki_Minaj


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. she would pay university tuition
  2. donate thousands of dollars
  3. if they show they got straight
  4. pay more tuition fees in
  5. I'll pay your
  6. she might not
  7. after making
  8. $6,000 to pay for
  1. the future
  2. the payments
  3. to 30 fans
  4. fees
  5. his accommodation
  6. A's at high school
  7. fees for some of them
  8. have any money

Paragraph 2

  1. Minaj did not plan to pay for
  2. a music awards
  3. A fan asked if she would
  4. the most influential female rapper
  5. She has sold 20 million
  6. a solo
  7. one of the most caring and
  8. the entertainment
  1. singles worldwide
  2. of all time
  3. industry
  4. artist
  5. show
  6. generous people
  7. pay
  8. her fans' tuition

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The singer Nicki Minaj, 34, (1) ___________________ Twitter followers she would pay university (2) ___________________ some of them if they get A-grades. Ms Minaj will donate (3) ___________________ to 30 fans if they show they got straight A's at high school. She also promised (4) ___________________ tuition fees in the future. Minaj tweeted: "Show me straight A's that I can [check] with your school, and I'll pay [your fees]." She also joked that she might (5) ___________________ money after making the payments. One student asked Minaj for $6,000 to pay for his accommodation, books, (6) ___________________.

Minaj did not (7) ___________________ her fans' tuition. She first tweeted (8) ___________________ for someone to join her at a music awards show. A (9) ___________________ would pay for his college fees and her tweets changed. Minaj was born in Trinidad and grew up in New York. A newspaper editor (10) ___________________, "the most influential female rapper of all time". She has sold 20 million singles worldwide as a solo artist, and another 60 million singles (11) ___________________. One Twitter user called her, "one of the most…caring and generous people in all of the (12) ___________________ ".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThesingerNickiMinaj,34,toldmillionsofTwitterfollowersshewouldpay
universitytuitionfeesforsomeofthemiftheygetA-grades.MsMinajwil
ldonatethousandsofdollarsto30fansiftheyshowtheygotstraightA'sat
highschool.Shealsopromisedtopaymoretuitionfeesinthefuture.Mina
jtweeted:"ShowmestraightA'sthatIcan[check]withyourschool,andI'
llpay[yourfees]."Shealsojokedthatshemightnothaveanymoneyafter
makingthepayments.OnestudentaskedMinajfor$6,000topayforhisa
ccommodation,books,classesandfood.Minajdidnotplantopayforherf
ans'tuition.Shefirsttweetedaboutacontestforsomeonetojoinherata
musicawardsshow.Afanaskedifshewouldpayforhiscollegefeesandhe
rtweetschanged.MinajwasborninTrinidadandgrewupinNewYork.Ane
wspapereditorsaidshewas,"themostinfluentialfemalerapperofalltim
e".Shehassold20millionsinglesworldwideasasoloartist,andanother6
0millionsinglesasaguestartist.OneTwitterusercalledher,"oneofthem
ost…caringandgenerouspeopleinalloftheentertainmentindustry".

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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