Four people have died on an Indian beach trying to find fake diamonds. Three people drowned and a teenage boy was crushed to death by other fortune hunters. For many days, there have been rumors that thousands of diamonds were buried in the sand on Mumbai’s Juhu Beach. Police keep telling people the diamonds are not real and are worthless but the crowds keep coming. Treasure hunters are at the beach 24 hours a day. At night they use flashlights as they search in the sand.

A small “diamond” marketplace has developed alongside the beach. Tourists believe the stones are real and like the “bargain” prices. They are buying the gems like there’s no tomorrow. The “precious stones” are selling for up to $30 each. Beggars and street kids have suddenly become expert jewelers. Ravi, a 13-year-old shoeshine boy, said he has made “big money” finding and selling the stones. He told reporters: “This diamond business brings in more money than my day job.”

WARM-UPS

1. DIAMONDS vs. GOLD: Students A think diamonds are the greatest things on earth; students B thing gold is the most precious thing. Students A and B face each other. Try to convince each other why you think diamonds are better than gold, or vice versa.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.

Indian beaches / diamonds / treasure hunts / police / fake goods / bargains / tomorrow / beggars / street kids / jewelers / shoeshine boys

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

3. DIAMOND: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with diamonds. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

4. TRUSTING: How trusting are you? Do you believe everything anyone says? In pairs / groups, talk about how much you trust these people (10 = 100%, total trust; 1 = no trust at all):

1. Your doctor.
2. A used car salesman.
3. An English school consultant telling you his/her study system is best.
4. A jeweler (USA) jeweller (UK) on a beach in Mumbai, India.
5. Your best friend.
6. Your next-door neighbour (UK) neighbor (USA).
7. A lawyer.
8. A McDonald’s spokesperson telling you hamburgers are healthy.

5. FAKE THINGS: In pairs / groups, talk about which of these things would you buy even though you knew it was fake or copied.

A Louis Vuitton bag A Rolex watch A music CD A can of Coca Cola RayBan sunglasses

A Toyota Corolla car A diamond or gold ring Computer software An Apple iPod “Learn English in 24 hours” videos

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	Four people have died searching for an expensive Indian diamond.	T / F
b.	Three people drowned looking for diamonds near an Indian beach.	T / F
c.	Thousands of real diamonds are buried beneath a beach in India.	T / F
d.	People are searching the beach by torchlight at night.	T / F
e.	Diamond superstores have opened alongside the beach.	T / F
f.	The fake diamonds are selling for up to $300 each.	T / F
g.	Street children are going to school to become expert jewelers.	T / F
h.	One child has sold hundreds of fake diamonds and made big money.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.	fake	treasure
b.	crushed	quickly
c.	fortune	valuable
d.	hunters	built up
e.	worthless	earns
f.	developed	imitation
g.	like there’s no tomorrow	a small fortune
h.	precious	seekers
i.	big money	valueless
j.	brings in	squashed

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

a.	fake	prices
b.	crushed	a day
c.	buried in	than my day job
d.	24 hours	the sand
e.	search	alongside the beach
f.	developed	diamonds
g.	bargain	stones
h.	precious	no tomorrow
i.	like there’s	in the sand
j.	brings in more money	to death

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words in the column on the right into the correct spaces.

Four dead in Indian “diamond” hunt

Four people have died on an Indian beach trying to _______ fake diamonds. Three people _______ and a teenage boy was crushed to death by other fortune hunters. For many days, there have been _______ that thousands of diamonds were _______ in the sand on Mumbai’s Juhu Beach. Police _______ telling people the diamonds are not real and are _______ but the crowds keep coming. Treasure hunters are at the beach 24 hours a _______. At night they use _______ as they search in the sand.		buried drowned worthless flashlights rumors find day keep
A small “diamond” _______ has developed alongside the beach. Tourists believe the _______ are real and like the “bargain” prices. They are _______ the gems like there’s no tomorrow. The “_______ stones” are selling for up to $30 each. Beggars and street kids have suddenly become _______ jewelers. Ravi, a 13-year-old shoeshine boy, said he has made “_______ money” finding and selling the stones. He told reporters: “This diamond business _______ in more money than my _______ job.”		expert marketplace brings stones day precious big buying

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘fortune’ and ‘hunter’.

• Share your findings with your partners.
• Make questions using the words you found.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

• Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the gap fill. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. STUDENT DIAMONDS SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about diamonds and other precious stones and metals.

• Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.
• Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:

fake crushed rumors worthless 24 hours search

marketplace bargain tomorrow precious expert day job

 DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1. What did you think when you read this headline?
2. Did the headline make you want to read the story?
3. What adjective do you think best describes this story?
4. Do you want to look for diamonds in Mumbai?
5. Have you ever been on a treasure hunt?
6. Have you ever bought something that wasn’t what you expected?
7. If you heard reports of diamonds buried around your town, would you go and look for them?
8. Have you ever stayed up all night doing something?
9. What’s the best bargain you’ve found?
10. Have you ever done something in a rush, like there’s no tomorrow?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1. Did you like reading this article?
2. What did you think about what you read?
3. Do you like diamonds?
4. Do you have a lot of jewelry/jewellery?
5. Have you ever knowingly bought a fake product?
6. Have you ever made a small fortune?
7. What is your favorite precious stone and metal?
8. What’s the most you’ve ever spent on an item of jewelry?
9. The Marilyn Monroe song says “diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” Is this true?
10. Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

1. What question would you like to ask about this topic?
2. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
3. Was there a question you didn’t like?
4. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
5. What did you like talking about?
6. Do you want to know how anyone else answered the questions?
7. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING

1. SELLING: You are expert salesmen and saleswomen. You are so good, you could sell sand in the desert. In pairs, take two of your personal belongings. Decide on a price and a sales talk to “sell” these things to your classmates. Make sure you think of all the amazing uses and functions of the items and the reasons your “customers” must buy them.

Change partners often. Take turns at being customers and sellers.

Return to your original partners and compare reports on your efforts at selling. What reasons did your “customers” give for not wanting to buy your things?

2. INVESTMENTS: You have $100,000 to invest. In pairs / groups, rank the following investments. Agree on the order of which will make the most money.

• Diamonds
• Shares in Microsoft Inc.
• Oil stocks
• Gold
• Classic 1920’s cars
• Wine
• Shares in Chinese electrical goods companies
• Property in Moscow
• Other

3. A SMALL FORTUNE: In pairs / groups, think of the best way to make a small fortune. You have $10,000 to help you buy what you need to start up your business. Write down your plans on how to make it a success.

After you have finished, change partners and tell each other your plans. Provide each other with advice and feedback on your plans.

Return to your original partner(s) and use the advice and feedback you received to make your plans better.

Ideas for businesses:

Internet Leisure Diamonds and jewelry Software and games

Languages Travel Health and diet Beauty

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Four dead in Indian “diamond” hunt

Four people have died on an Indian beach ______ __ ____ fake diamonds. Three _____ _______ ___ a teenage boy was crushed to death by _____ _______ _______. For many days, there have been rumors that thousands of diamonds were ______ __ ___ ____ on Mumbai’s Juhu Beach. Police keep telling people the diamonds are not real and are worthless but the ______ ____ ______. Treasure hunters are at the beach 24 hours a day. At night they use __________ __ ____ search in the sand.

A small “diamond” marketplace ___ _________ __________ the beach. Tourists believe the stones are real and like the “_______” ______. They are buying the gems like ______ __ _________. The “precious stones” are selling for up to $30 each. Beggars and street kids have suddenly become _______ __________. Ravi, a 13-year-old shoeshine boy, said he has made “big money” ________ ___ _______ the stones. He told reporters: “This diamond business _______ __ ____ money than my day job.”

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information on the diamond hunting in Mumbai. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson.

3. DIAMONDS: Create a fact sheet about diamonds. Where they come from, how they are created, how they are turned into jewelry, etc. Show fact sheets to your classmates in your next lesson.

4. EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT: Imagine you are a reporter on Juhu Beach in Mumbai. Write an article about what you saw. Include interviews from some of the people on the beach looking for or selling diamonds. Include interviews with a policeman and some tourists. Read your article to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all write about similar things?

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. F

b. T

c. F

d. T

e. F

f. F

g. F

h. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	fake	imitation
b.	crushed	squashed
c.	fortune	treasure
d.	hunters	seekers
e.	worthless	valueless
f.	developed	built up
g.	like there’s no tomorrow	quickly
h.	precious	valuable
i.	big money	a small fortune
j.	brings in	earns

PHRASE MATCH:

a.	fake	diamonds
b.	crushed	to death
c.	buried in	the sand
d.	24 hours	a day
e.	search	in the sand
f.	developed	alongside the beach
g.	bargain	prices
h.	precious	stones
i.	like there’s	no tomorrow
j.	brings in more money	than my day job

GAP FILL:

Four dead in Indian “diamond” hunt

Four people have died on an Indian beach trying to find fake diamonds. Three people drowned and a teenage boy was crushed to death by other fortune hunters. For many days, there have been rumors that thousands of diamonds were buried in the sand on Mumbai’s Juhu Beach. Police keep telling people the diamonds are not real and are worthless but the crowds keep coming. Treasure hunters are at the beach 24 hours a day. At night they use flashlights as they search in the sand.

A small “diamond” marketplace has developed alongside the beach. Tourists believe the stones are real and like the “bargain” prices. They are buying the gems like there’s no tomorrow. The “precious stones” are selling for up to $30 each. Beggars and street kids have suddenly become expert jewelers. Ravi, a 13-year-old shoeshine boy, said he has made “big money” finding and selling the stones. He told reporters: “This diamond business brings in more money than my day job.”

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