Hello Kitty is a girl, not a cat

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

The Japanese toymaker Sanrio, creators of Hello Kitty, have told the truth about their character. They said Hello Kitty is not a cat. This news came because of publicity for a new Hello Kitty exhibition. Sanrio mailed exhibition organisers to say: "Hello Kitty is not a cat. She is a little girl. She is a friend….She's never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature." Sanrio added: "Kitty is a bright little girl with a heart of gold."

Hello Kitty has been amazingly popular since it started in 1974. She appears on everything, from chopsticks to airplanes. A Japanese carmaker even sold a Hello Kitty car. It had Kitty upholstery, a Kitty speedometer and a Kitty-shaped gear stick. Sanrio said the character represents cuteness and has no mouth because she speaks with her heart. A rapper tweeted about the news, saying: "This is worse than finding out Pluto is not a planet."

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2014/08/28/newsflash-hello-kitty-has-never-been-a-cat/
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/28/world/asia/hello-kitty-revelation/
http://nypost.com/2014/08/28/hello-kitty-bombshell-shes-not-a-cat/

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 :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	The Japanese toymaker Sanrio,	a.	Hello Kitty exhibition
2.	told	b.	legged creature
3.	publicity for a new	c.	creators of Hello Kitty
4.	She's never depicted on	d.	the truth
5.	sits like a two-	e.	heart of gold
6.	Kitty is a bright little girl with a	f.	all fours

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	Hello Kitty has been amazingly	a.	Pluto is not a planet
2.	She appears on everything, from	b.	shaped gear stick
3.	a Kitty-	c.	popular since it started
4.	Sanrio said the character	d.	with her heart
5.	she speaks	e.	represents cuteness
6.	worse than finding out	f.	chopsticks to airplanes

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

The Japanese toymaker Sanrio, creators of Hello Kitty, (1) ___________________ about their character. They said Hello Kitty is not a cat. This news came (2) ___________________ for a new Hello Kitty exhibition. Sanrio mailed (3) ___________________ say: "Hello Kitty is not a cat. She is a little girl. She is a friend….She's (4) ___________________ fours. She walks and sits like (5) ___________________." Sanrio added: "Kitty is a bright little girl with (6) ___________________."

Hello Kitty has been (7) ___________________ since it started in 1974. She appears on everything, from (8) ___________________. A Japanese carmaker even sold a Hello Kitty car. It (9) ___________________, a Kitty speedometer and a Kitty-(10) ___________________. Sanrio said the character (11) ___________________ and has no mouth because she speaks with her heart. A rapper (12) ___________________ news, saying: "This is worse than finding out Pluto is not a planet."

HELLO KITTY SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Hello Kitty 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.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about Hello Kitty for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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