The Reading / Listening - Phone Zombies - Level 2

Honolulu will be the first big American city to ban pedestrians from walking across the road while looking at mobile phones. The new law starts in October. It says: "No pedestrian shall cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device." This includes tablets and digital cameras. People breaking this law will get a fine of $15-$35. People who break it for a second time will get a $99 fine. The new bill is called the Distracted Walking Law. Honolulu's mayor Kirk Caldwell said the law was because of the high number of injuries and deaths when pedestrians use mobile devices.

Lawmakers called people who text while walking, "phone zombies". Mr Caldwell said the ban was to make people more aware of the dangers of texting while walking. He said that unfortunately, many pedestrians in Honolulu have accidents while crossing the road. Caldwell said: "Sometimes I wish there were laws we did not have to pass, that perhaps common sense would [exist], but sometimes we lack common sense." Another lawmaker said we have technology but we forget about the real problem of safety. The new law is like one that bans texting while driving.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Phone Zombies - Level 0 Phone Zombies - Level 1   or  Phone Zombies - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.govtech.com/policy/Honolulu-Distracted-Walking-Law-Outlaws-Texting-within-Crosswalks.html
  • http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/29/540140824/its-now-illegal-to-text-while-crossing-the-street-in-honolulu
  • http://www.marketwatch.com/story/honolulu-bans-texting-while-crossing-the-street-2017-07-29


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. the first big
  2. walking across
  3. The new law starts
  4. cross a street
  5. People breaking this law
  6. People who break it
  7. the high number of injuries
  8. use mobile
  1. for a second time
  2. will get a fine
  3. device
  4. the road
  5. and deaths
  6. in October
  7. or highway
  8. American city

Paragraph 2

  1. people who text
  2. make people more
  3. the dangers
  4. accidents while
  5. I wish there were laws we did
  6. sometimes we lack common
  7. we forget about the real
  8. one that bans
  1. not have to pass
  2. problem of safety
  3. aware
  4. texting while driving
  5. while walking
  6. crossing the road
  7. of texting
  8. sense

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Honolulu will (1) ___________________ big American city to ban pedestrians from walking (2) ___________________ while looking at mobile phones. The new law starts in October. It says: "No pedestrian shall (3) ___________________ or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device." This includes tablets and digital cameras. People breaking this law (4) ___________________ fine of $15-$35. People who (5) ___________________ second time will get a $99 fine. The new bill is called the Distracted Walking Law. Honolulu's mayor Kirk Caldwell said the law was because of the high (6) ___________________ and deaths when pedestrians use mobile devices.

Lawmakers called people (7) ___________________ walking, "phone zombies". Mr Caldwell said the ban was to make people (8) ___________________ the dangers of texting while walking. He said that unfortunately, (9) ___________________ in Honolulu have accidents while crossing the road. Caldwell said: "Sometimes I wish there were laws we (10) ___________________ to pass, that perhaps common sense would [exist], but sometimes we lack (11) ___________________." Another lawmaker said we have technology but we forget about the real problem of safety. The new (12) ___________________ that bans texting while driving.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

HonoluluwillbethefirstbigAmericancitytobanpedestriansfromwalkin
gacrosstheroadwhilelookingatmobilephones.ThenewlawstartsinOct
ober.Itsays:"Nopedestrianshallcrossastreetorhighwaywhileviewing
amobileelectronicdevice."Thisincludestabletsanddigitalcameras.Pe
oplebreakingthislawwillgetafineof$15-$35.Peoplewhobreakitforas
econdtimewillgeta$99fine.ThenewbilliscalledtheDistractedWalking
Law.Honolulu'smayorKirkCaldwellsaidthelawwasbecauseofthehigh
numberofinjuriesanddeathswhenpedestriansusemobiledevices.L
awmakerscalledpeoplewhotextwhilewalking,"phonezombies".MrCa
ldwellsaidthebanwastomakepeoplemoreawareofthedangersoftexti
ngwhilewalking.Hesaidthatunfortunately,manypedestriansinHonol
uluhaveaccidentswhilecrossingtheroad.Caldwellsaid:"SometimesI
wishtherewerelawswedidnothavetopass,thatperhapscommonsense
would[exist],butsometimeswelackcommonsense."Anotherlawmak
ersaidwehavetechnologybutweforgetabouttherealproblemofsafety.
Thenewlawislikeonethatbanstextingwhiledriving.

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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