The Reading / Listening - Swimming to Work - Level 1

A man started swimming to work. He got fed up with commuting and being stuck in traffic. Benjamin David beats the traffic by swimming 2km down a river in Germany. He drags his laptop, phone and his suit in a waterproof bag behind him. David realized the river outside his apartment went past his office. He decided to swim to work and get some exercise. This was better than battling commuters on buses or breathing fumes while cycling.

David's river commute has made him fitter and less stressed. He said: "When I was on my bike, I would yell at cars. When I was on foot, I would yell at cyclists, and so on." He added: "Just a few metres to the side of [all the traffic] is the river, and if you just swim down that, it's completely relaxing." David said river swimming can be dangerous. He always checks the water temperature. In some cities it is illegal to swim in rivers.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Swimming to Work - Level 0 Swimming to Work - Level 2   or  Swimming to Work - Level 3

Sources
  • http://metro.co.uk/2017/08/07/man-swims-to-work-every-day-with-his-laptop-suit-and-phone-6832657/
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4767864/German-David-Hasselhoff-SWIMS-2km-work-day.html
  • http://zeenews.india.com/world/how-fitness-conscious-are-you-this-german-swims-a-mile-to-work-every-day-2030950.html


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. being stuck
  2. David beats the
  3. in a waterproof
  4. the river outside his apartment went
  5. He decided to swim
  6. get some
  7. battling commuters on
  8. breathing fumes while
  1. exercise
  2. bag
  3. past his office
  4. cycling
  5. in traffic
  6. buses
  7. to work
  8. traffic by swimming

Paragraph 2

  1. David's river commute has
  2. When I was on
  3. I would yell
  4. Just a few metres
  5. it's completely
  6. river swimming can
  7. He always checks the
  8. In some cities it is illegal
  1. to the side
  2. water temperature
  3. foot
  4. to swim in rivers
  5. made him fitter
  6. relaxing
  7. at cyclists
  8. be dangerous

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A man started swimming to work. He (1) ___________________ with commuting and being (2) __________________. Benjamin David (3) ___________________ by swimming 2km down a river in Germany. He drags his laptop, phone (4) ___________________ a waterproof bag behind him. David realized the (5) ___________________ apartment went past his office. He decided to swim to work and get some exercise. This was better than battling (6) ___________________ or breathing fumes while cycling.

David's river commute has made him (7) ___________________ stressed. He said: "(8) ___________________ my bike, I would yell at cars. When I was on foot, I (9) ___________________ cyclists, and so on." He added: "Just a few metres to the side of (10) ___________________ is the river, and if you just swim down that, it's completely relaxing." David said river swimming can be dangerous. (11) ___________________ the water temperature. In some cities it is illegal (12) ___________________ rivers.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Amanstartedswimmingtowork.Hegotfedupwithcommutingandbein
gstuckintraffic.BenjaminDavidbeatsthetrafficbyswimming2kmdow
nariverinGermany.Hedragshislaptop,phoneandhissuitinawaterproo
fbagbehindhim.Davidrealizedtheriveroutsidehisapartmentwentpas
thisoffice.Hedecidedtoswimtoworkandgetsomeexercise.Thiswasbet
terthanbattlingcommutersonbusesorbreathingfumeswhilecycling.D
avid'srivercommutehasmadehimfitterandlessstressed.Hesaid:"Wh
enIwasonmybike,Iwouldyellatcars.WhenIwasonfoot,Iwouldyellatcy
clists,andsoon."Headded:"Justafewmetrestothesideof[allthetraffic]
istheriver,andifyoujustswimdownthat,it'scompletelyrelaxing."Davi
dsaidriverswimmingcanbedangerous.Healwayschecksthewatertem
perature.Insomecitiesitisillegaltoswiminrivers.

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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