The Reading / Listening - Parking Restrictions - Level 5

For the past 20 years, a New Zealander has taken road traffic safety into his own hands. Russell Taylor painted yellow no-parking lines outside his house. Mr Taylor said the reason for his actions was to improve traffic safety in his neighborhood. He also wanted to protest against gentrification. Taylor initially painted the yellow lines after becoming fed up with Wellington Council's lack of interest in residents' complaints about road safety. He explained that he had seen many accidents and near-collisions 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 "fake traffic devices," such as Taylor's painted lines. It said: "We're aware of…complaints about parking…and 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 be meeting people to discuss the idea of no parking signs. The council added that Mr Taylor would not be prosecuted for his road markings. It said: "We would rather not pick an unnecessary fight."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Parking Restrictions - Level 4 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 into
  2. yellow no-
  3. improve traffic safety
  4. fed
  5. lack
  6. residents' complaints
  7. he had seen many accidents and
  8. He said his actions have made
  1. in his neighborhood
  2. of interest
  3. the road safer
  4. his own hands
  5. up
  6. near-collisions
  7. parking lines
  8. about road safety

Paragraph 2

  1. they would remove
  2. it was illegal to install
  3. We're aware of complaints
  4. the fire service had trouble
  5. discuss the idea
  6. Taylor would not be prosecuted
  7. We would rather
  8. pick an unnecessary
  1. for his road markings
  2. them
  3. fight
  4. "fake traffic devices"
  5. getting to a house
  6. not
  7. about parking
  8. of no parking signs

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

For the past 20 years, a New Zealander (1) ___________________ traffic safety into his own hands. Russell Taylor painted yellow no-parking lines outside his house. Mr Taylor said the reason (2) ___________________ was to improve traffic (3) ___________________ neighborhood. He also wanted to protest against gentrification. Taylor initially painted the yellow lines after becoming (4) ___________________ Wellington Council's lack of interest in residents' (5) ___________________ road safety. He explained that he had seen many accidents and near-(6) ___________________ narrow street. He said his actions have made the road safer.

Wellington City Council (7) ___________________ the road markings and that they would remove them. It (8) ___________________ it was illegal to install "fake traffic devices," such as Taylor's painted lines. It said: "We're (9) ___________________ about parking…and that the fire service had trouble getting to a house (10) ___________________ the past year because of parked vehicles." It also said it would be meeting people to discuss the (11) ___________________ parking signs. The council added that Mr Taylor would not be prosecuted for his road markings. It said: "We would rather not (12) ___________________ fight."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Forthepast20years,aNewZealanderhastakenroadtrafficsafetyintohi
sownhands.RussellTaylorpaintedyellowno-parkinglinesoutsidehish
ouse.MrTaylorsaidthereasonforhisactionswastoimprovetrafficsafet
yinhisneighborhood.Healsowantedtoprotestagainstgentrification.T
aylorinitiallypaintedtheyellowlinesafterbecomingfedupwithWellingt
onCouncil'slackofinterestinresidents'complaintsaboutroadsafety.H
eexplainedthathehadseenmanyaccidentsandnear-collisionsonhisn
arrowstreet.Hesaidhisactionshavemadetheroadsafer.WellingtonCit
yCouncilsaiditknewabouttheroadmarkingsandthattheywouldremov
ethem.Itpointedoutthatitwasillegaltoinstall"faketrafficdevices",suc
hasTaylor'spaintedlines.Itsaid:"We'reawareof…complaintsaboutpa
rking…andthatthefireservicehadtroublegettingtoahousefirethereint
hepastyearbecauseofparkedvehicles."Italsosaiditwouldbemeetingp
eopletodiscusstheideaofnoparkingsigns.ThecounciladdedthatMrTay
lorwouldnotbeprosecutedforhisroadmarkings.Itsaid:"Wewouldrath
ernotpickanunnecessaryfight."

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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