French Lottery Searches for Missing Millionaire
Listen to the story
A mystery winner in Ille-et-Vilaine, France, has won one million euros but has not yet claimed the prize. The national lottery company, La Française des Jeux (FDJ), is now searching for this person.
FDJ has announced that the winner has only one week left to come forward. If nobody claims the money in time, the winner will lose the jackpot forever.
The company is encouraging anyone who bought lottery tickets recently to check their numbers again. It is possible that the winner does not know about the win at all.
FDJ regularly organises draws where players can win large sums of money. Winning tickets must usually be claimed within a certain time limit, or the prize is lost.
This case has attracted attention because such a large amount of money is involved. Many people are curious about who the winner could be.
Lottery companies often face situations where winners do not realise they have won. People may lose old tickets, forget to check results, or simply not notice the news.
FDJ has not given more details about where or when the ticket was bought. The company is hoping that public attention will help the winner come forward before the deadline.
For now, the identity of the winner remains completely unknown, and the clock is ticking for someone in Ille-et-Vilaine to claim a truly life-changing sum of money.
Vocabulary10 words
- lottery
- a game where you can win money by chance
- jackpot
- the biggest prize you can win
- draws
- lottery events where winning numbers are chosen
- tickets
- papers you buy to enter the lottery
- deadline
- the last date to do something
- claim
- to officially ask for something you have won
- prize
- money or reward you win
- mystery
- something unknown or strange
- announce
- to tell people something officially
- sum
- an amount of money
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Claimed the one-million-euro prize 2. One week 3. False
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A mystery winner in Ille-et-Vilaine has won one million _____ but has not yet claimed the prize.
The national lottery company, La Française des Jeux (FDJ), is now _____ for this person.
FDJ has announced that the winner has only one _____ left to come forward.
If nobody claims the money in time, the winner will lose the _____ forever.
The company is encouraging anyone who bought lottery _____ recently to check their numbers again.
Winning tickets must usually be claimed within a certain time _____, or the prize is lost.
This case has attracted attention because such a large _____ of money is involved.
FDJ has not given more details about where or when the _____ was bought.
The company is hoping that public attention will help the winner come forward before the _____.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think some lottery winners never claim their prizes?
- What would you do if you won one million euros?
- Do you think lottery companies should do more to find missing winners? Why or why not?
- Have you ever bought a lottery ticket? Why or why not?
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