LOOK CLOSER - First News

FirstNews TEACHING RESOURCES 

LOOK CLOSER 

Weekly In-Depth Reading Comprehension 

What do you think 

of Look Closer? Tell us 

how we could improve 

this resource for you at 

schools@firstnews.co.uk 

Look Closer for Issue 310 

18 - 24 May 2012 

Sport: The new best team in Manchester 

Contents: 

Page 2: This week’s Look Closer Article 

Pages 3 & 4: Pupil Question & Answer Sheet 

& Extension Activities 

Page 5: Question Only Activity Sheet (for use if pupils 

are writing their answers in exercise books) 

Pages 6 & 7: Teacher Answers 

Resource Explanation 

Look Closer encourages pupils to look closer at one article in the week’s newspaper and 

analyse it in detail. Each week the questions will enable children to find the facts, interpret 

the information and work out why journalists wrote and presented the story the way 

they did. These questions are based on the assessment focus strands (AF2-7) which are 

referenced in the Teacher Answers along with suggested levels. 

The resource assists Year 5, 6 and 7 pupils in developing essential reading comprehension 

skills. It is a useful weekly SATs practice activity using topical real news to engage pupils. 

Uses 

Ideal for: 

• guided reading 

• booster sessions 

• homework activities 

• SATs practice 

• whole class starters 

• cross-curricular functional skills practice 

• extension activities 

• individual assessment focus (AF2-7) 

teaching opportunities by focusing on 

one question in a plenary session 

• a handy record of pupils’ reading 

performance and ideal APP evidence 

© First News, Newsbridge Ltd. 

www.firstnews.co.uk/teachers

Ge ty 

much be ter. 

Ge ty 

org/pbk. 



24 

FirstNews ISSUE 310 18 – 24 MAY 2012 

ANIMALS 

Don’t 

litter! 

City players celebrate with 

the Premier League trophy 

ONE of the most dramatic final days in Premier League history saw Manchester City win their first league title in 44 years, on Sunday. 

SPORT NEWS IN NUMBERS 

5 goals were scored by Gary 

Hooper (right) as Celtic thrashed 

Hearts 5-0 on the last day of the 

Sco tish Premier League. Celtic 

were confirmed as champions 

weeks ago, and finished 20 points 

ahead of second-placed Rangers. 

2 bronze medals were won by 

Hannah Whelan (below right) at 

the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics 

European Championships, for her 

performances on the floor and 

beam. Her bronze in the beam 

was the first time that Britain has 

ever won a medal in this section 

of a major championship. The GB 

gymnasts just missed out on a 

team medal, finishing in fourth. 

CRAZY 

BUT TRUE 

Ge ty Ge ty 

6 is the number of times 

that Alison Wi liamson 

(right) has been selected 

to represent Britain at the 

Olympic Games. The archer’s 

selection for London 2012 

was confirmed this week, 

and she is only the fourth 

Briton ever to make it to the 

Olympics six times. 

4 medals were won 

by British canoeists at the 

European Championships in 

Germany. The men won gold 

in the team event, while the 

women won silver. Women’s 

team member Ma lory 

Franklin also won solo silver. 

GREEN 

8 Call me T-Rex 22 Yogurt makes a splash 

The new best team in Manchester 

City and their deadly rivals Manchester injury time saw City win 3-2 and snatch the QPR’s former City player Joey Barton being United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wi l 

United were level on points going into the title away from United’s grasp. 

sent off for elbowing Carlos Tevez, then also have to deal with the fac that City 

last game, but City’s goal difference was 

A Ho lywood scriptwriter couldn’t have kicking Sergio Aguero as he lef the pitch. played be ter footba l for most of the 

planned the drama any be ter, with players Barton admi ted on Twitter later that he had season, and outcla sed United in their two 

With United having beaten Sunderland and pundits ca ling it the best ever finish to a been trying to get a City player to retaliate league matches. 

1-0, City were 2-1 down to QPR in the last few season. The tension was almost unbearable, and get sent off too. 

City captain Vincent Kompany summed up 

minutes of injury time and some City fans as City had 44 a tempts at goal, the most in United’s 89 points was the highest total for the day best: “I think it was a crazy finish for 

were already showing their disgust. However, any league match a l season. 

any runner-up in the Premier League’s 20- a crazy season. I have never seen a final day 

two goals in a breathtaking five minutes of The City game was fu l of drama, with year history. As well as losing the title to City, like this. The bes team won the title.” 

66 percent of First 

News website users said the First News Olympic Gold 

that drug cheats shouldn’t Cha lenge celebrity hockey game. 

be a lowed to compete in Come along for a great day out. 

the Olympic Games. The You’ l also be able to train with 

British Olympic Association international hockey players and 

was recently told that 

get the chance to score a goal 

they could no longer ban against one – or a celebrity. And 

former drug cheats from it’s a l in aid of the PiggyBankKids 

competing on the GB 

children’s charity. Register for 

Olympic team. Only 13% tickets at www.goldcha lenge. 

of those who voted think 

that drug cheats wi l have 

learned their lesson and 

should be a lowed into the 

Olympics. The other 21% of 

voters weren’t sure. If you 

didn’t have your say, it’s 

no too late – just go to 

www.firstnews.co.uk/po ls. 

9 

24 June is the date of 

FirstNews ISSUE 310 18 - 24 MAY 2012 

SPORT NEWS 

p24_First_News310_v1.in d Sec1:24 15/05/2012 14:31 


Can you: 

Find the facts? 

Interpret the information? 

Work out why the journalist wrote and presented 

the story in the way that they did? 

THE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 

MORE THAN 

A MILLION 

READERS * 

Winner of the national newspaper of the year* 

JAMIE OLIVER: Keeping school food tasty and good for you 

Turn over to see a girl’s shocking school dinner photos p2 

IT’S HERE! 

The Olympic flame arrives in Britain 

(and it’s coming soon to a street near you…) 

EIGHT days after it was lit in Greece, the 

Olympic flame arrives in Britain today. 

by Kei ly Swift 

The torch is due to a rive at Royal Naval Air Station 

Culdrose in Cornwall, on board flight BA2012 early 

this evening (18 May). It has been transported inside 

a specia lantern, which should keep the flame alight 

during the flight. 

The torch travelled acro s Greece, after being lit on 

10 May a the ruins of the Temple of Hera in Olympia. 

This is where the Ancient Olympics were first held more 

than 2,700 years ago. 

A 70-day torch relay acro s the UK will begin 

tomo row morning (19 May). Starting at Land’s End in 

Cornwa l, the relay pa ses through 1,018 places before 

a riving in London for the opening ceremony of the 

Games on 27 July. 

The flame wi l be carried by 7,300 people, including 

First News reader Sarah Austin, who wi l be a 

torchbearer on 24 July (day 67) in Richmond. 

The torch relay will pass within 16km (ten miles) of 

most people in the UK. Go to www.london2012.com/ 

torch-relay/route/ to see where you can cheer on the 

torchbearers. Good luck to them a l from First News! 

*The 2012 Newspaper Awards: Best weekly national newspaper and best niche market newspaper. Also, Plain English Campaign: Best national newspaper. *Source: First News Readership Survey, January 20 1, Opinion Matters 

£1.30 18 – 24 MAY 2012 ISSUE 310 

Working with 

First News supports 

children’s charities 

Your royal waxwork 

A new model monarch unveiled for Diamond Jubilee 

MADAME Tussauds has had this new waxwork made to celebrate the 

Queen’s 60 years on the throne. 

The picture shows staff from the 

museum pu ting the finishing touches to 

the waxwork, which was mode led on the 

Queen’s official Jubilee photograph. 

A team of 20 people worked on the 

statue, including sculptor Steve Swales, who 

WIN a trip to Germany! 

PLUS learn the fascinating facts and astonishing science behind 

The waxwork Queen’s dress is 

decorated with 53,000 crystals! 

said that creating it was “nerve-wracking”. 

They based the measurements on the last 

waxwork of the Queen, which was made 

GORE-TEX® product technology, in our fab four-page pull-out. See pages 11-14 

in 2001. They also looked at lots of recent 

photographs and video clips. 

The model took four months to finish and 

cost around £150,000. 

This is the 23rd waxwork Madame 

Tu sauds have made of the Queen – the 

first was when Her Majesty was just two 

years old! 

Turn to page 4 to see the finished waxwork. 

p01_First_News310_v1.in d 1 15/05/2012 13:43 

For more sport news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/discover 

City players celebrate with 

the Premier League trophy 

Getty 

Manchester City’s supporters 

celebrate on the pitch 

The new best team in Manchester 

ONE of the most dramatic final days in Premier League history saw Manchester City win their first league title 

in 44 years, on Sunday. 

City and their deadly rivals 

Manchester United were level 

on points going into the last game, 

but City’s goal difference was 

much better. 

With United having beaten 

Sunderland 1-0, City were 2-1 down 

to QPR in the last few minutes 

of injury time and some City 

fans were already showing their 

disgust. However, two goals in a 

breathtaking five minutes of injury 

time saw City win 3-2 and snatch the 

title away from United’s grasp. 

A Hollywood scriptwriter couldn’t 

have planned the drama any better, 

with players and pundits calling it 

the best ever finish to a season. The 

tension was almost unbearable, as 

City had 44 attempts at goal, the 

most in any league match all season. 

The City game was full of drama, 

with QPR’s former City player Joey 

Barton being sent off for elbowing 

Carlos Tevez, then kicking Sergio 

Aguero as he left the pitch. Barton 

admitted on Twitter later that he 

had been trying to get a City player 

to retaliate and get sent off too. 

United’s 89 points was the 

highest total for any runner-up 

in the Premier League’s 20-year 

history. As well as losing the title 

to City, United manager Sir Alex 

Ferguson will also have to deal 

with the fact that City played better 

football for most of the season, 

and outclassed United in their two 

league matches. 

City captain Vincent Kompany 

summed up the day best: “I think it 

was a crazy finish for a crazy season. 

I have never seen a final day like 

this. The best team won the title.” 

FOOTBALLING TERMS 

The football season - the period of the year when annual football competitions are played. The season starts in 

August when matches begin for the different competitions and usually finishes in May when the trophies are won. 

Level on points - This means that two teams have exactly the same number of points. 

Goal difference - This is used to decide who is the winner when two teams have the same number of points. Goal 

difference is the number of goals a team has scored in the season, minus the number of goals the team has let in. 

Attempts at goal - Attempts at goal are shots by a team that would have created a goal if they hadn’t been stopped 

by the goalkeeper or a defender (only if they are attempts on target). 

Injury time - During a football match play might be stopped briefly because a player is injured. At the end of the 90 

minute match, the referee can choose to add extra minutes of ‘injury time’ on to the match to make up for this lost time. 

2


SPORT NEWS: 18 - 24 MAY 2012 



Can you: 



Work out why the journalist wrote and presented the story in the way that they did? 

Carefully read the article ‘The new best team in Manchester’ and then answer the 

following questions: 

1) Which championship did Manchester City win on Sunday and who was the very close runner-up? 

The cup .......................................................................... The runner-up .......................................................................... 

2) Finish the sentence: 

It was always going to be a close finish because before the last games, both teams were…................................ 

.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 

3) Why did Manchester City win the cup? Tick one. 

Because they had more points than Manchester United 

They beat them in a penalty shoot-out 

Because they had a better goal difference 

4) Find and copy the word used in the third paragraph to show that the title was almost Manchester 

United’s, but City took it from them at the last minute? 

............................................................ 

5) Fill in the numbers: 

Manchester United scored ............... goal/s against Sunderland. 

Manchester United (and Manchester City) scored ............... points in total. 

Manchester City had ............... attempts at goal in their match with QPR. 

The final score of the City-QPR match was City ............... – QPR ............... 

It has been ............... years since Manchester City last won the League. 

6) The journalist describes the end of the Premier League season with these words: “A Hollywood 

scriptwriter couldn’t have planned the drama any better”. 

What do you think the writer is trying to tell us about how this cup was won with this phrase? 

.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 

.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 

.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 

3


SPORT NEWS: 18 - 24 MAY 2012 



7) Can you find any other words or phrases used by the journalist which also show the dramatic nature of 

these final matches? Don’t forget to put any words that you copy from the text in quotation marks (as used 

in question 6). 

.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 

.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 

.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 

8) Why might Joey Barton’s behaviour be described as ‘unsportsmanlike’? 

.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 

.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 

.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 

9) Manchester City’s captain said “The best team won the title”. 

Can you find two reasons which show this is a fair summary? 

1. .......................................................................................................................................................................... 

2. .......................................................................................................................................................................... 

10) Why do you think Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United, might feel very disappointed 

with this result? 

.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 

............................................................................................................................................................................................... 

............................................................................................................................................................................................... 

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES 

A. Neutral and Biased Writing 

Newspaper articles are usually written in an unbiased way: they explain the facts and give both sides of a story neutrally, 

leaving the reader to make up his or her mind. 

Rewrite this article as though you were a Manchester City fan writing up the story for your fanclub’s website. Then 

rewrite it as though you were a Manchester United fan doing the same thing. What are the differences between the two 

accounts? How do your articles differ from the First News article? 

B. Headlines 

Can you think of alternative headlines for this dramatic football story? Think about the techniques often used to make 

headlines stand out (flick through the rest of First News to get some ideas). For example: 

City steal the League in injury time 

The ecstatic blues – Man City win the League 

4


Can you: 



Work out why the journalist wrote and presented the story in the way that they did? 

Carefully read the article ‘The new best team in Manchester’ and then answer the following 

questions: 


The cup: 

The runner-up: 


It was always going to be a close finish because before the last games, both teams were… 

3) Why did Manchester City win the cup? 

a) Because they had more points than Manchester United 

b) They beat them in a penalty shoot-out 

c) Because they had a better goal difference 

4) Find and copy the word used in the third paragraph to show that the title was almost Manchester 

United’s, but City took it from them at the last minute? 


Manchester United scored [ ] goal/s against Sunderland. 

Manchester United (and Manchester City) scored [ ] points in total. 

Manchester City had [ ] attempts at goal in their match with QPR. 

The final score of the City-QPR match was City [ ] – QPR [ ]. 

It has been [ ] years since Manchester City last won the League. 

6) The journalist describes the end of the Premier League season with these words: “A Hollywood scriptwriter 

couldn’t have planned the drama any better”. 

What do you think the writer is trying to tell us about how this cup was won with this phrase? 

7) Can you find any other words or phrases used by the journalist which also show the dramatic nature 

of these final matches? Don’t forget to put any words that you copy from the text in quotation marks (as 

used in question 6). 


9) Manchester City’s captain said “The best team won the title”. 

Can you find two reasons which show this is a fair summary? 



QUESTION ONLY ACTIVITY SHEET: 18 - 24 MAY 2012 

10) Why do you think Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United, might feel very disappointed 

with this result? 


www.firstnews.co.uk/teachers 

5




TEACHER ANSWERS & ASSESSMENT FOCUS GUIDANCE 


The cup: 

The runner-up: 

AF2 - understand, describe, select, retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to the text 

Possible answers: 

L3 – identifying obvious points 

The cup: The Premier League 

The runner-up: Manchester United 


It was always going to be a close finish because before the last games, both teams were… 




It was always going to be a close finish because before the last games, both teams were… level on points. 

3)Why did Manchester City win the cup? 

a) Because they had more points than Manchester United 

b) They beat them in a penalty shoot-out 

c) Because they had a better goal difference 




c) They had a better goal difference 

4) Find and copy the word used in the third paragraph to show that the title was almost Manchester United’s, but City took it 

from them at the last minute? 

AF5 – explain and comment on the writer’s uses of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level 


L3 – a few basic features of writer’s use of language identified 

- “snatch” 


Manchester United scored [1] goal/s against Sunderland. 

Manchester United (and Manchester City) scored [89] points in total. 

Manchester City had [44] attempts at goal in their match with QPR. 

The final score of the City-QPR match was City [3] – QPR [2]. 

It has been [44] years since Manchester City last won the League. 




L4 – identifying relevant points 

6) The journalist describes the end of the Premier League season with these words: “A Hollywood scriptwriter couldn’t have 

planned the drama any better”. What do you think the writer is trying to tell us about how this cup was won with this phrase? 




*L4/5 – some features identified with simple comment/explanation 

• The writer is telling us that the end of the season was so full of drama it was like a fictional film. 

• Just like a film, the end of League was full of suspense, twists and turns, dramatic events and we didn’t know who was going to win 

until the very last moment. 

• In fact, it was so exciting and dramatic, you might think that a writer had carefully planned it to keep us on the edge of our seats! 



6




TEACHER ANSWERS & ASSESSMENT FOCUS GUIDANCE 

7) Can you find any other words or phrases used by the journalist which also show the dramatic nature of these final matches? 

Don’t forget to put any words that you copy from the text in quotation marks (as used in question 6). 




L4 – some features identified 

• This last day of the League is described as “One of the most dramatic final days” in its history. 

• The five minutes of injury time when City scored twice is described as “breathtaking”. 

• In the City match, the writer tells us “The tension was almost unbearable” and also says the game was “full of drama”. 


AF3 – deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts 


L3 – simple inference 

• Because he kicked someone 

L4/5 - more complex inference with explanation 

• Because he behaved in a way which was unfair and against the rules of the game. 

• Not only did he elbow another player and get sent off for it, but on the way off the pitch he kicked another player in an attempt to get 

him to retaliate and get sent off too. 

9) Manchester City’s captain said “The best team won the title”. Can you find two reasons which show this is a fair summary. 




L4/5 - more complex inference with explanation 

Two from: 

• We are told that City played better football for most of the season. 

• City “outclassed” United in their two league matches, which suggests that they won both the matches and played better football 

them. 

• City had the better goal difference of the two teams over the season. 

10) Why do you think Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United, might feel very disappointed with this result? 




• Because he lost the trophy at the last minute 

L4/5 – more complex inference with explanation 

• His team was very close to winning and only lost the trophy at the very last minute when City scored in injury time. 

• United scored 89 points which is the same number of points as the winning team – they only lost due to goal difference. 

• With their 89 points, United scored the highest total for any runner-up in the Premier Leagues’ 20-year history, so even though they 

lost they did very, very well. In any other year they would have won with this many points. 



7

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