Hit the Jackpot

Source: dylan nolte on Unsplash 

US iron worker wins $275m lottery

An iron worker has won a $275m (£140m) jackpot in the US state of Georgia - the largest single-player prize in the state lottery's history.

Robert Harris, 47, used the dates of his grandchildren's birthdays in two $1 tickets his wife bought in Portal, the small town where they live.

Having quit his job after his win, Mr Harris said he planned to "live happy".

He and his wife Tonya, 55, have opted to take $167m now rather than $275m over 26 years.

Tonya Harris said she almost did not enter the lottery because it was raining heavily on the day.

"I was headed home and it was raining like crazy, and I said, 'Nah, I'm not going back up there'. And then something just changed my mind. I said, 'I'll go play'."

Neither of them played the lottery very often, and neither watched the draw on Friday night as they did not believe they would win.

It was their daughter who alerted them to the win.

On Saturday, Mr Harris quit his job, telling reporters on Monday that it had been "very easy".

The couple, who live in a trailer, now plan to build themselves a house, buy a four-wheel drive and get their grandchildren "anything they want", including paying for their education.

However, Mrs Harris said that in the long run the money would not change them.

"I'll be back in jeans and a T-shirt tomorrow," she said. "It is not going to change me at all. Him maybe, but not me - I'm too country."

How would you spend such an amount of money? Where would you begin? Would you give some of it away? Do you believe Mr Harris when he says it wouldn't change him at all?
  • Where would you go on holiday if you could go on holiday right now? I'd probably head to one of the Canary Islands.
  • Would you go to live abroad if your employer asked you to? What would you miss about Madrid if you went?
  • I might tell a lie to protect a friend. Would you?
  • What laws would you change or create if you ruled the country?
  • If I weren't a teacher, I'd be a journalist. What would you do if you didn't have the job that you have?
Answer the Second Conditional questions above and think of some questions to put to me or others using the Second Conditional form.

Comments

Jose Luis said…
Hi Graham.
If I didn´t work in Marketing, I would be a children teacher in a school or I´d work in social activities with children.
If I had a lot of money now, I´d go to China, Vietnam or other countries of Asia.
I´d probably go to live abroad for a time if I liked my new destination. But I´d probably miss my friends, family and the city of Madrid.
If I had to lie to protect a friend, I´d do.
If I were a goverment of my country, I´d create laws to improve and control the ilegal immigration, to eliminate the terrorism, improve the situation of the housing, to increase the penal sentences...
Graham said…
Hi Jose Luis,

Sorry it is taken so long to reply to your comment; I overlooked it.
Still, better late than never.

If I didn´t work in Marketing, I would be a childrens' teacher in a school or I´d work in social activities with children.
If I had a lot of money now, I´d go to China, Vietnam or some other countries of Asia.
I´d probably go to live abroad for a time if I liked my new destination. But I´d probably miss my friends, family and the city of Madrid.
If I had to lie to protect a friend, I would do.
If I were in the government of my country, I´d create laws to improve and control illegal immigration, to defeat terrorism, improve the houdsing situation, to increase the penal sentences etc