Readin

Markou Abdelaaziz
g Unit 1
Markou Abdelaaziz
Sweden
 Swedish celebrities
Markou Abdelaaziz
Sweden is also known for …

Markou Abdelaaziz
Sweden is also known for …

Markou Abdelaaziz
A furniture company
 He is the
founder and
owner of Ikea

Ingvar Kamprad
Markou Abdelaaziz
 Over the last few months, I have had the privilege of studying the life stories of the world’s billionaires. To my surprise, I found out that
many of them started out as poor kids from the neighbourhood, Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, is one of them
Kamprad became a celebrity in early 2004 when a Swedish business magazine reported that he had become the world’s wealthiest
person. Some financial experts thought that Swedish media exaggerated Kamprad’s fortune. However, there is no doubt that IKEA is still one of
the largest and most successful companies in the world. Its owner may not be the richest person on the planet, but he’s surely one of the richest
people of our time.
   Kamprad was born in the South of Sweden in 1926 and brought up on a farm near a small village called Agunnaryd. He began to develop
a business as a young boy, selling matches to neighbours using his bicycle. He found out that he could buy big quantities of matches very
cheaply from Stockholm, sell them at a low price and still make a good profit. From matches, he expanded his activities to selling fish, Christmas
tree decorations, pens and pencils.
    When Kamprad was 17, his father gave him some money as a reward for doing well at school. Being ambitious, he used this money to
expand his business to a variety of goods, including wallets, watches, jewellery and stockings. As his business grew, Kamprad founded IKEA.
    Now, IKEA focuses on manufacturing and selling furniture and is known worldwide for its stylish designs, good quality and low
prices. It has over 200 stores in 31 countries and employ over 75,000 people. It generates over 12 billion dollars in sales annually. In 2012,
Ingvar Kamprad was listed as the 5th richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with an estimated fortune of 42
billion.
     Despite his wealth, Kamprad has a reputation for being very modest. He takes the subway to work and sometimes drives an ordinary
Volvo. It is said that when he stays in a hotel, it’s never a five-star one.

A WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WOULD BE THE BEST TITLE FOR THE TEXT?
1. Kamprad’s success story
2. Kamprad’s family background
3. Kamprad’s school life
 Over the last few months, I have had the privilege of studying the life stories of the world’s billionaires. To my surprise, I found out that
many of them started out as poor kids from the neighbourhood, Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, is one of them
Kamprad became a celebrity in early 2004 when a Swedish business magazine reported that he had become the world’s wealthiest
person. Some financial experts thought that Swedish media exaggerated Kamprad’s fortune. However, there is no doubt that IKEA is still one of
the largest and most successful companies in the world. Its owner may not be the richest person on the planet, but he’s surely one of the richest
people of our time.
   Kamprad was born in the South of Sweden in 1926 and brought up on a farm near a small village called Agunnaryd. He began to develop
a business as a young boy, selling matches to neighbours using his bicycle. He found out that he could buy big quantities of matches very
cheaply from Stockholm, sell them at a low price and still make a good profit. From matches, he expanded his activities to selling fish, Christmas
tree decorations, pens and pencils.
    When Kamprad was 17, his father gave him some money as a reward for doing well at school. Being ambitious, he used this money to
expand his business to a variety of goods, including wallets, watches, jewellery and stockings. As his business grew, Kamprad founded IKEA.
    Now, IKEA focuses on manufacturing and selling furniture and is known worldwide for its stylish designs, good quality and low
prices. It has over 200 stores in 31 countries and employ over 75,000 people. It generates over 12 billion dollars in sales annually. In 2012,
Ingvar Kamprad was listed as the 5th richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with an estimated fortune of 42
billion.
     Despite his wealth, Kamprad has a reputation for being very modest. He takes the subway to work and sometimes drives an ordinary
Volvo. It is said that when he stays in a hotel, it’s never a five-star one.

B Complete the following chart:

Name Ingvar Kamprad
Date and place of birth
Personal Qualities
 Over the last few months, I have had the privilege of studying the life stories of the world’s billionaires. To my surprise, I found out that
many of them started out as poor kids from the neighbourhood, Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, is one of them
Kamprad became a celebrity in early 2004 when a Swedish business magazine reported that he had become the world’s wealthiest
person. Some financial experts thought that Swedish media exaggerated Kamprad’s fortune. However, there is no doubt that IKEA is still one of
the largest and most successful companies in the world. Its owner may not be the richest person on the planet, but he’s surely one of the richest
people of our time.
   Kamprad was born in the South of Sweden in 1926 and brought up on a farm near a small village called Agunnaryd. He began to develop
a business as a young boy, selling matches to neighbours using his bicycle. He found out that he could buy big quantities of matches very
cheaply from Stockholm, sell them at a low price and still make a good profit. From matches, he expanded his activities to selling fish, Christmas
tree decorations, pens and pencils.
    When Kamprad was 17, his father gave him some money as a reward for doing well at school. Being ambitious, he used this money to
expand his business to a variety of goods, including wallets, watches, jewellery and stockings. As his business grew, Kamprad founded IKEA.
    Now, IKEA focuses on manufacturing and selling furniture and is known worldwide for its stylish designs, good quality and low
prices. It has over 200 stores in 31 countries and employ over 75,000 people. It generates over 12 billion dollars in sales annually. In 2012,
Ingvar Kamprad was listed as the 5th richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with an estimated fortune of 42
billion.
     Despite his wealth, Kamprad has a reputation for being very modest. He takes the subway to work and sometimes drives an ordinary
Volvo. It is said that when he stays in a hotel, it’s never a five-star one.

C. Answer these questions.

1. What was Kamprad’s first business activity?
2. Is Ikea a successful company? Why?
3. What is the estimated wealth of Kamprad?
Markou Abdelaaziz
 Over the last few months, I have had the privilege of studying the life stories of the world’s billionaires. To my surprise, I found out that
many of them started out as poor kids from the neighbourhood, Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, is one of them
Kamprad became a celebrity in early 2004 when a Swedish business magazine reported that he had become the world’s wealthiest
person. Some financial experts thought that Swedish media exaggerated Kamprad’s fortune. However, there is no doubt that IKEA is still one of
the largest and most successful companies in the world. Its owner may not be the richest person on the planet, but he’s surely one of the richest
people of our time.
   Kamprad was born in the South of Sweden in 1926 and brought up on a farm near a small village called Agunnaryd. He began to develop
a business as a young boy, selling matches to neighbours using his bicycle. He found out that he could buy big quantities of matches very
cheaply from Stockholm, sell them at a low price and still make a good profit. From matches, he expanded his activities to selling fish, Christmas
tree decorations, pens and pencils.
    When Kamprad was 17, his father gave him some money as a reward for doing well at school. Being ambitious, he used this money to
expand his business to a variety of goods, including wallets, watches, jewellery and stockings. As his business grew, Kamprad founded IKEA.
    Now, IKEA focuses on manufacturing and selling furniture and is known worldwide for its stylish designs, good quality and low
prices. It has over 200 stores in 31 countries and employ over 75,000 people. It generates over 12 billion dollars in sales annually. In 2012,
Ingvar Kamprad was listed as the 5th richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with an estimated fortune of 42
billion.
     Despite his wealth, Kamprad has a reputation for being very modest. He takes the subway to work and sometimes drives an ordinary
Volvo. It is said that when he stays in a hotel, it’s never a five-star one.

D. Complete the following sentences. (3 pts)

1. With the money he got from his father, Kamprad ……
2. IKEA is famous for ….
3. Kamprad drives an ordinary Volvo although …..
 Over the last few months, I have had the privilege of studying the life stories of the world’s billionaires. To my surprise, I found out that
many of them started out as poor kids from the neighbourhood, Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, is one of them
Kamprad became a celebrity in early 2004 when a Swedish business magazine reported that he had become the world’s wealthiest
person. Some financial experts thought that Swedish media exaggerated Kamprad’s fortune. However, there is no doubt that IKEA is still one of
the largest and most successful companies in the world. Its owner may not be the richest person on the planet, but he’s surely one of the richest
people of our time.
   Kamprad was born in the South of Sweden in 1926 and brought up on a farm near a small village called Agunnaryd. He began to develop
a business as a young boy, selling matches to neighbours using his bicycle. He found out that he could buy big quantities of matches very
cheaply from Stockholm, sell them at a low price and still make a good profit. From matches, he expanded his activities to selling fish, Christmas
tree decorations, pens and pencils.
    When Kamprad was 17, his father gave him some money as a reward for doing well at school. Being ambitious, he used this money to
expand his business to a variety of goods, including wallets, watches, jewellery and stockings. As his business grew, Kamprad founded IKEA.
    Now, IKEA focuses on manufacturing and selling furniture and is known worldwide for its stylish designs, good quality and low
prices. It has over 200 stores in 31 countries and employ over 75,000 people. It generates over 12 billion dollars in sales annually. In 2012,
Ingvar Kamprad was listed as the 5th richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with an estimated fortune of 42
billion.
     Despite his wealth, Kamprad has a reputation for being very modest. He takes the subway to work and sometimes drives an ordinary
Volvo. It is said that when he stays in a hotel, it’s never a five-star one.

E Find in the text words or expressions that mean the same as: (2 pts)
1. discovered (paragraph 1)…………………………………………….
2. famous person (paragraph 2)……………………………………………
Markou Abdelaaziz
 Over the last few months, I have had the privilege of studying the life stories of the world’s billionaires. To my surprise, I found out that
many of them started out as poor kids from the neighbourhood, Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, is one of them
Kamprad became a celebrity in early 2004 when a Swedish business magazine reported that he had become the world’s wealthiest
person. Some financial experts thought that Swedish media exaggerated Kamprad’s fortune. However, there is no doubt that IKEA is still one of
the largest and most successful companies in the world. Its owner may not be the richest person on the planet, but he’s surely one of the richest
people of our time.
   Kamprad was born in the South of Sweden in 1926 and brought up on a farm near a small village called Agunnaryd. He began to develop
a business as a young boy, selling matches to neighbours using his bicycle. He found out that he could buy big quantities of matches very
cheaply from Stockholm, sell them at a low price and still make a good profit. From matches, he expanded his activities to selling fish, Christmas
tree decorations, pens and pencils.
    When Kamprad was 17, his father gave him some money as a reward for doing well at school. Being ambitious, he used this money to
expand his business to a variety of goods, including wallets, watches, jewellery and stockings. As his business grew, Kamprad founded IKEA.
    Now, IKEA focuses on manufacturing and selling furniture and is known worldwide for its stylish designs, good quality and low
prices. It has over 200 stores in 31 countries and employ over 75,000 people. It generates over 12 billion dollars in sales annually. In 2012,
Ingvar Kamprad was listed as the 5th richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with an estimated fortune of 42
billion.
     Despite his wealth, Kamprad has a reputation for being very modest. He takes the subway to work and sometimes drives an ordinary
Volvo. It is said that when he stays in a hotel, it’s never a five-star one.

F. What do the underlined words in the text refer to?

1. them (paragraph 1)…………………………………………
2. it (paragraph 5)…………………………………………..
3. one (paragraph 6)…………………………….
Markou Abdela