The Reading / Listening - Parking Restrictions - Level 4

A New Zealander has taken road traffic safety into his own hands. Russell Taylor started painting yellow no-parking lines outside his house 20 years ago. He wanted to improve traffic safety in his neighborhood. Taylor painted the yellow lines after Wellington Council's lack of interest about road safety. He explained that he had seen many accidents on his narrow street. He said his actions have made the road safer.

Wellington City Council said it knew about the road markings and that they would remove them. It pointed out that it was illegal to install such "fake traffic devices". It said: "We're aware…that the fire service had trouble getting to a house fire there in the past year because of parked vehicles." It also said it would meet people to discuss no parking signs. The council said Taylor would not be prosecuted for his road markings.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Parking Restrictions - Level 5 or  Parking Restrictions - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40776651
  • http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11897443
  • https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/national/95282017/Colour-me-bad-Wellington-man-admits-painting-illegal-yellow-lines-on-his-street-for-20-years


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. taken road traffic safety
  2. painting yellow no-
  3. outside
  4. improve traffic safety
  5. lack
  6. he had seen many
  7. on his narrow
  8. his actions have made
  1. his house
  2. of interest
  3. in his neighborhood
  4. accidents
  5. street
  6. into his own hands
  7. the road safer
  8. parking lines

Paragraph 2

  1. road
  2. it was illegal to install such
  3. fire
  4. trouble getting to a house
  5. in the past
  6. parked
  7. meet people to discuss no
  8. Taylor would not be
  1. vehicles
  2. markings
  3. prosecuted
  4. "fake traffic devices"
  5. parking signs
  6. fire
  7. service
  8. year

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A New Zealander has taken road traffic (1) ___________________ own hands. Russell Taylor started painting yellow no-parking (2) ___________________ house 20 years ago. He wanted to improve traffic (3) ___________________ neighborhood. Taylor painted the yellow lines after Wellington Council's (4) ___________________ about road safety. He explained that he had seen many accidents (5) ___________________ street. He said his actions have made (6) ___________________.

Wellington City Council said (7) ___________________ the road markings and that they would remove them. It pointed out (8) ___________________ illegal (9) ___________________ "fake traffic devices". It said: "We're aware…that the fire service had trouble (10) ___________________ house fire there in the past year because of parked vehicles." It also said it would meet people (11) ___________________ parking signs. The council said Taylor would not be prosecuted (12) ___________________ markings.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ANewZealanderhastakenroadtrafficsafetyintohisownhands.Russell
Taylorstartedpaintingyellowno-parkinglinesoutsidehishouse20y
earsago.Hewantedtoimprovetrafficsafetyinhisneighborhood.Taylor
paintedtheyellowlinesafterWellingtonCouncil'slackofinterestaboutr
oadsafety.Heexplainedthathehadseenmanyaccidentsonhisnarr
owstreet.Hesaidhisactionshavemadetheroadsafer.WellingtonCityC
ouncilsaiditknewabouttheroadmarkingsandthattheywouldremovet
hem.Itpointedoutthatitwasillegaltoinstallsuch"faketrafficdevices".I
tsaid:"We'reaware…thatthefireservicehadtroublegettingtoahousefi
rethereinthepastyearbecauseofparkedvehicles."Italsosaiditwouldm
eetpeopletodiscussnoparkingsigns.ThecouncilsaidTaylorwouldnotb
eprosecutedforhisroadmarkings.

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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