Man’s Free Lottery Ticket Wins Him Jackpot

Category: Human Interest

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. cash (something) in / kæʃ ɪn / (phrasal) – to trade something for its cash equivalent
    Example:

    After he cashed the winning lottery ticket in, he got $50,000.


  2. habitually / həˈbɪtʃ.u.əli / (adv) – on a regular basis
    Example:

    Many people habitually play the lottery because they think playing every day will let them win someday.


  3. spend (something) on / spend ɑːn / (phrasal) – to use an amount of money to pay for something
    Example:

    I will spend a lot of money on my vacation abroad.


  4. malfunction / ˌmælˈfʌŋk.ʃən / (n) – a situation in which something fails to work properly
    Example:

    The lottery draw was postponed because of a malfunction in the system.


  5. on the horizon / ɑːn ðə həˈraɪ.zən / (idiom) – happening soon or likely to come soon
    Example:

    They won the lottery, so a celebration is surely on the horizon.


Article

Read the text below.

A man won the Kansas Lottery 2by2 with a ticket that he got for free.


The Kansas Lottery 2by2 is a lottery game in which players are given two sets of 26 numbers. The players will need to choose two numbers from each set, or a total of four numbers. A player with a ticket containing all four winning numbers can cash it in for a fixed jackpot prize of $22,000. On the other hand, a player who has a ticket with one winning number can get a free ticket for the next draw. Free tickets will have the numbers randomly chosen by a computer.


Kansas resident Robert Schwartz habitually plays the Kansas Lottery 2by2 and often wins free tickets. In October, he played with one of his free tickets at a local store. To his surprise, the ticket had four winning numbers, so he got the $22,000 prize. When asked what he would spend the prize on, Mr. Schwartz said he and his wife were considering buying new golf clubs.


This is the second time this year that a free ticket won the jackpot prize in the Kansas Lottery 2by2. In July, Michael and Virginia Owens also won a free ticket for the lottery. The couple almost did not get their ticket because of a machine malfunction. Eventually, they were able to get their free ticket and play with it.


The next day, while shopping at the same store, Michael and Virginia learned from a clerk that their ticket had won. The couple had no specific plans yet for their money, but they said that a trip to celebrate their 43rd anniversary might be on the horizon.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Why do you think people like Robert Schwartz habitually play the lottery?
• If you won the $22,000 prize in the 2by2 lottery, how would you spend it?

Discussion B

• Would you take a risk in something even if the chances of winning are slim?
• How do you know when to stop taking a risk in something?