The Reading / Listening - Household Help - Level 1

Workers in two German towns will get government help with the housework. The government has a new project to help people who want to work more. People who work more hours will get vouchers to get help with the housework, such as cleaning and ironing. This will help to support family life and to reduce the shadow economy. The shadow economy is when people pay for things in cash but do not pay tax, so the government loses money.

The government said that women work less than they want to because they do housework and look after the family. If these women worked longer hours, they would get a government voucher and could then afford to pay for help with the housework. The new system would create jobs for people and create more tax for the government. A spokesman said: "With professional help in the home, it is easier to balance work and family life."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Household Help - Level 0 Household Help - Level 2   or  Household Help - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39675081
  • http://www.faz.net/aktuell/beruf-chance/arbeitswelt/modellprojekt-in-wuerttemberg-gutscheine-fuer-die-angemeldete-putzfrau-14981573.html
  • https://www.bmfsfj.de/bmfsfj/aktuelles/presse/pressemitteilungen/projektstart--gutscheine-fuer-haushaltsnahe-dienstleistungen/115886


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. help with the
  2. help people who want
  3. get vouchers to get help
  4. such as cleaning
  5. help to support
  6. The shadow
  7. people pay for things
  8. the government loses
  1. economy
  2. and ironing
  3. money
  4. housework
  5. with the housework
  6. in cash
  7. to work more
  8. family life

Paragraph 2

  1. women work less than
  2. If these women worked
  3. get a government
  4. afford to pay
  5. The new system would create
  6. create more tax
  7. professional help
  8. easier to balance work
  1. jobs
  2. in the home
  3. they want to
  4. and family life
  5. voucher
  6. for help
  7. longer hours
  8. for the government

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Workers in two German (1) ___________________ government help with the housework. The government (2) ___________________ project to help people who want to work more. People who work more hours will (3) ___________________ get help with the housework, such as cleaning and ironing. This (4) ___________________ support family life and to reduce the (5) ___________________. The shadow economy is when people pay for things in cash but do not (6) ___________________ government loses money.

The government said that women (7) ___________________ they want to because they do housework and (8) ___________________ family. If these women worked longer hours, they (9) ___________________ government voucher and could then (10) ___________________ for help with the housework. The new system would create jobs for people and create more (11) ___________________ government. A spokesman said: "With professional help in the home, it is easier to balance (12) ___________________ life."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

WorkersintwoGermantownswillgetgovernmenthelpwiththehousew
ork.Thegovernmenthasanewprojecttohelppeoplewhowanttoworkm
ore.Peoplewhoworkmorehourswillgetvoucherstogethelpwiththehou
sework,suchascleaningandironing.Thiswillhelptosupportfamilylifea
ndtoreducetheshadoweconomy.Theshadoweconomyiswhenpeople
payforthingsincashbutdonotpaytax,sothegovernmentlosesmoney.
Thegovernmentsaidthatwomenworklessthantheywanttobecauseth
eydohouseworkandlookafterthefamily.Ifthesewomenworkedlonger
hours,theywouldgetagovernmentvoucherandcouldthenaffordtopay
forhelpwiththehousework.Thenewsystemwouldcreatejobsforpeople
andcreatemoretaxforthegovernment.Aspokesmansaid:"Withprofes
sionalhelpinthehome,itiseasiertobalanceworkandfamilylife."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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