Insurance trivia numbers pairwork

Student A

Choose one of the numbers below and change it into a question, e.g. “What percentage of…?” or “How many…?” Give your partner hints such as “Far higher” and “Very slightly lower” until they get exactly the right answer.

Useful language for asking questions about numbers

“What percentage…?”           “What fraction…?”     “What is/ was the… rate…?”

“How many/ much…?”                  “When/ In what year…?”  “How often…?”

Useful language for telling people how far they are from the right number

“(The real number is) +

+ far(=much)/ considerably(=quite a lot)/ slightly(=a little/a bit)/ very slightly(=a tiny bit) +

+ more/ higher/ longer/ more often/ later

+ less/ fewer/ lower/ shorter/ less often/ earlier

+ (than what you said/ than that number/ than…).”

 

  1. Only twelve percent of British travellers read their insurance documents.
  2. AIG serves ninety eight percent of the Fortune Five Hundred list of biggest American companies.
  3. Fuji Fire and Marine offered insurance products and services through two hundred and eleven sales offices, a hundred claims service offices and twenty four thousand four hundred and ninety five agencies.
  4. The average amount of life insurance owned in the USA is a hundred and twenty six thousand dollars.
  5. “Ugly Betty” star America Ferrera’s smile was insured for ten million dollars.
  6. In the year two thousand and four, Lloyd’s insured the jewellery worn at the Oscars for thirty eight million dollars.
  7. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s legs were insured for two point two million dollars.
  8. The US government made a profit of twenty two point seven billion dollars on the money it lent to AIG in two thousand and eight.
  9. Global life insurance premiums increased by three point two percent in two thousand and ten.
  10. Global non-life insurance premiums rose by two point one percent in two thousand and ten.
  11. Insurers charge most sportsmen about nought point five percent of the face amount.
  12. The four hundred companies in the Association of British Insurers own one fifth of the shares on the London Stock Exchange.
  13. The first AIU office was opened in America in nineteen twenty six.
  14. AIU Insurance Company began operations in Japan in nineteen forty six.
  15. The first known insurance contract was signed in Genoa, Italy in thirteen forty seven.

Look at both sheets and ask about anything you aren’t sure about.

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Insurance trivia numbers pairwork

Student B

Choose one of the numbers below and change it into a question, e.g. “What percentage of…?” or “How many…?” Give your partner hints such as “Far higher” and “Very slightly lower” until they get exactly the right answer.

Useful language for asking questions about numbers

“What percentage…?”           “What fraction…?”     “What is/ was the… rate…?”

“How many/ much…?”                  “When/ In what year…?”  “How often…?”

Useful language for telling people how far they are from the right number

“(The real number is) +

+ far(=much)/ considerably(=quite a lot)/ slightly(=a little/a bit)/ very slightly(=a tiny bit) +

+ more/ higher/ longer/ more often/ later

+ less/ fewer/ lower/ shorter/ less often/ earlier

+ (than what you said/ than that number/ than…).”

 

  1. Twenty four percent of British overseas travellers were uninsured in twenty twelve.
  2. The United States and Japan together account for forty percent of world insurance.
  3. Seventy percent of adult Americans had life insurance in nineteen eighty four.
  4. AIG companies employ over sixty four thousand people in ninety countries.
  5. The UK insurance industry employs two hundred and ninety thousand people.
  6. Costa Coffee chief taster Gennaro Pelliccia insured his tongue for fourteen million dollars.
  7. AIG has eighty eight million customers in a hundred and thirty countries.
  8. AIG was fined one point six billion dollars by an American court in two thousand and five.
  9. Global insurance premiums grew by two point seven percent in two thousand and ten to four point three trillion dollars.
  10. The US government took a seventy nine point nine percent equity stake in AIG in two thousand and eight.
  11. In two thousand and twelve, AIG announced an agreement to sponsor the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team for five and a half years.
  12. Fuji Fire and Marine Insurance Co., Ltd. was founded in nineteen eighteen.
  13. AIG took over the Japanese insurer Fuji Fire and Marine Insurance in two thousand and ten.
  14. The first fire insurance company insured five thousand houses in London in sixteen eighty one.

Look at both sheets and ask about anything you aren’t sure about.

Optional: Write all the numbers above as figures.

Check your answers on the next page.

What is the rule for using “and” in big numbers?

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Answer key – Numbers written as figures

  1. Only 12% of British travellers read their insurance documents.
  2. AIG serves 98% of the Fortune 500 list of biggest American companies.
  3. Fuji Fire and Marine offers insurance products and services through 211 sales offices, 100 claims service offices and 24,495 agencies.
  4. The average amount of life insurance owned in the USA is $126,000.
  5. “Ugly Betty” star America Ferrera’s smile was insured for $10,000,000.
  6. In the year 2004, Lloyd’s insured the jewellery worn at the Oscars for $38,000,000.
  7. Supermodel Heidi Klum’s legs were insured for $2,200,000.
  8. The US government made a profit of $22,700,000,000 on the money it lent to AIG in 2008.
  9. Global life insurance premiums increased by 3.2% in 2010.
  10. Global non-life insurance premiums rose by 2.1% in 2010.
  11. Insurers charge most sportsmen about 0.5% of the face amount.
  12. The 400 companies in the Association of British Insurers own 1/5 of the shares on the London Stock Exchange.
  13. The first AIU office was opened in America in 1926.
  14. AIU Insurance Company began operations in Japan in 1946.
  15. The first known insurance contract was signed in Genoa, Italy in 1347.
  16. 24% of British travellers were uninsured in 2012.
  17. The United States and Japan together account for 40% of world insurance.
  18. 60% of adult Americans have life insurance protection.
  19. 70% of adult Americans had life insurance in 1984.
  20. AIG companies employ over 64,000 people in 90 countries.
  21. The UK insurance industry employs 290,000 people.
  22. Costa Coffee chief taster Gennaro Pelliccia insured his tongue for $14,000,000.
  23. AIG has 88,000,000 customers in 130 countries.
  24. AIG was fined $1,600,000,000 by an American court in 2005.
  25. Global insurance premiums grew by 2.7% in 2010 to $4,300,000,000.
  26. The US government took a 79.9% equity stake in AIG in 2008.
  27. In 2012, AIG announced an agreement to sponsor the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team for 5 1/2 years.
  28. Fuji Fire and Marine Insurance Co., Ltd. was founded in 1918.
  29. AIG took over the Japanese insurer Fuji Fire and Marine Insurance in 2010.
  30. The first fire insurance company insured 5,000 houses in London in 1681.

Work together to come up with the pronunciation of all the numbers above, just speaking or also writing the numbers as words as your teacher tells you. Sometimes more than one pronunciation is possible.

Look back at the first worksheets to check your answers. Note that other answers might be correct.

If you haven’t already, discuss the (optional) rule for adding “and”.

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Pronounce the numbers

Try to think of or remember at least one way to say each of the numbers written as figures below. Put a question mark next to any that you aren’t sure about.

  • Only 12% of British travellers read their insurance documents.
  • The United States and Japan together account for 40% of world insurance.
  • 60% of adult Americans have life insurance protection.
  • AIG serves 98% of the Fortune Five Hundred list of biggest American companies.
  • AIG has eighty eight million customers in 130 countries.
  • The first fire insurance company insured 5000 houses in London in sixteen eighty one.
  • AIG companies employ over 64,000 people in ninety countries.
  • The UK insurance industry employs 290,000 people.
  • Costa Coffee chief taster Gennaro Pelliccia insured his tongue for $14,000,000.
  • In the year two thousand and four, Lloyd’s insured the jewellery worn at the Oscars for $38,000,000.
  • AIG was fined $1,600,000,000 by an American court in two thousand and five.
  • Global life insurance premiums increased by 3.2% in two thousand and ten.
  • The US government took a 79.9% equity stake in AIG in two thousand and eight.
  • In two thousand and twelve, AIG announced a 5 1/2 year agreement to sponsor the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team.
  • The first AIU office was opened in America in 1926.
  • AIU Insurance Company began operations in Japan in 1946.
  • The first known insurance contract was signed in Genoa, Italy in 1347.
  • AIG took over the Japanese insurer Fuji Fire and Marine Insurance in 2010.

Check any which you aren’t sure about with the first two worksheets. 

Pronounce the numbers another way

Try to think of or remember other ways of saying the underlined numbers. Put a question mark next to any you aren’t sure about. Just adding an “and” (in the correct place) also counts as rephrasing it.

  • Fuji Fire and Marine offers insurance products and services through…twenty four thousand four hundred ninety five
  • The average amount of life insurance owned in the USA is one hundred twenty six thousand
  • Heidi Klum’s legs were insured for two million two hundred thousand dollars.
  • The US government made a profit of twenty two billion seven hundred million dollars on the money it lent to AIG in two thousand and eight.
  • Global insurance premiums grew by two point seven percent in two thousand and ten to four trillion three hundred billion dollars.
  • Insurers charge most sportsmen about zero point five percent of the face amount.
  • The four hundred companies in the Association of British Insurers own a fifth of the shares on the London Stock Exchange.
  • Twenty four percent of British travellers were uninsured in two thousand and twelve.
  • Global non-life insurance premiums rose by two point one percent in twenty ten.

Check any which you are not sure about with the original worksheets. What is the rule for adding “and”?

Pronounce the numbers different ways

Try to think of at least two ways of saying each of the numbers and amounts below.

Large numbers

  • 100
  • 234
  • 390,000
  • 1,200
  • 1,000,000,000
  • 1,700,000,000
  • 500,000

Small numbers

  • 0
  • 5
  • 23
  • 05
  • 1/4
  • 1/5

Dates

  • 2001
  • 2010
  • 15 Jan
  • 7/2/99

Times

  • 06:15
  • 02:20
  • 03:16
  • 04:05
  • 03:55
  • 16:00

More complex comparative adjective phrases

Without looking above for now, try to add as many different expressions as you can to the gap below.

“The real number is ______________________________________________________ more/ higher/ longer/ more often/ earlier/ later than what you said”

 

Look under the fold for more ideas, then try to think of another phrase with each of those meanings

much/ considerably/ slightly/ a tiny bit

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PDF for easy saving and printing: insurance-trivia-numbers-pairwork

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