The Reading / Listening - Level 2

A busy shopping day has brought out millions of bargain hunters across the world. The day is called Black Friday. Stores give discounts of up to 70 per cent on thousands of things. It is a big shopping day in the USA. Four years ago, it went to Britain. It is now huge in the UK. On Friday, British police were called to four supermarkets just after midnight (the sales started at one minute past midnight). Police were worried that shoppers would get crushed in the crowds. Officers worked with store staff to make sure that sale-goers could enter and exit the stores safely.

Shoppers in the UK were happy go shopping, but store employees in the USA were angry. Many stores started Black Friday a day early, on the US celebration of Thanksgiving. Store workers and shoppers thought it was wrong to work on Thanksgiving. This is usually a time for people to spend with family. A 'Boycott Black Thursday' Facebook page has 114,000 likes. Many big stores did not open. CNN said there are over 60 petitions on the website Change.org. They want to change Black Friday. They think family is more important than profits.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0,  Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2851919/Early-bird-backlash-Thanksgiving-store-opening-hours-spark-fury-employees-shoppers.html#ixzz3KLBfuwFf
  • https://news.google.com/news/story?cf=all&ned=uk&hl=en&topic=b&ncl=dPzVr0qzoU9mrVMM3Wdeewr5e-nSM
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30241459


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

A busy shopping

a.

in the crowds

2.

millions of bargain

b.

safely

3.

give discounts

c.

minute past midnight

4.

just

d.

hunters

5.

the sales started at one

e.

of up to 70 per cent

6.

get crushed

f.

goers could enter

7.

make sure that sale-

g.

after midnight

8.

exit the stores

h.

day


MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

store

a.

page has 114,000 likes

2.

the US celebration

b.

employees

3.

shoppers thought it was wrong

c.

the website Change.org

4.

a time for people to

d.

of Thanksgiving

5.

A 'Boycott Black Thursday' Facebook

e.

important than profits

6.

Many big stores

f.

to work on Thanksgiving

7.

60 petitions on

g.

did not open

8.

family is more

h.

spend with family

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

A busy shopping day has (1) ___________________ of bargain hunters across the world. The day is called Black Friday. Stores give (2) ___________________ 70 per cent on thousands of things. It is a big shopping day in the USA. Four years ago, it went to Britain. It (3) ___________________ UK. On Friday, British police were called to four supermarkets (4) ___________________ (the sales started at one minute past midnight). Police were worried that shoppers would get (5) ___________________. Officers worked with store staff to make sure that sale-goers could (6) ___________________ the stores safely.

Shoppers in the UK were (7) ___________________, but store employees in the USA were angry. Many stores started Black Friday a day early, on (8) ___________________ Thanksgiving. Store workers and shoppers thought (9) ___________________ work on Thanksgiving. This is usually (10) ___________________ to spend with family. A 'Boycott Black Thursday' Facebook page has 114,000 likes. Many big stores did not open. CNN                                    (11) ___________________ 60 petitions on the website Change.org. They want to change Black Friday. They think family is more (12) ___________________.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Abusyshoppingdayhasbroughtoutmillionsofbargainhuntersacrossth
eworld.ThedayiscalledBlackFriday.Storesgivediscountsofupto70per
centonthousandsofthings.ItisabigshoppingdayintheUSA.Fouryears
ago,itwenttoBritain.ItisnowhugeintheUK.OnFriday,Britishpolicewer
ecalledtofoursupermarketsjustaftermidnight(thesalesstartedatone
minutepastmidnight).Policewereworriedthatshopperswouldgetcrus
hedinthecrowds.Officersworkedwithstorestafftomakesurethatsale-
goerscouldenterandexitthestoressafely.ShoppersintheUKwerehapp
ytogoshopping,butstoreemployeesintheUSAwereangry.Manystoresst
artedBlackFridayadayearly,ontheUScelebrationofThanksgiving.Sto
reworkersandshoppersthoughtitwaswrongtoworkonThanksgiving.T
hisisusuallyatimeforpeopletospendwithfamily.A'BoycottBlackThurs
day'Facebookpagehas114,000likes.Manybigstoresdidnotopen.CNN
saidthereareover60petitionsonthewebsiteChange.org.Theywanttoc
hangeBlackFriday.Theythinkfamilyismoreimportantthanprofits.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about shopping for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Back to the top

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You