The Reading / Listening - Level 2

Swedish design students have invented a new bicycle helmet. It's invisible because you cannot see it. The "invisible" helmet is really a kind of airbag inside a collar. People wear it around their neck like a scarf. When the cyclist falls off his/her bike, the collar fills with gas and an airbag goes around the head. The students, Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, want to change how people cycle. They think normal helmets are too big and bulky. They said they are "like a hard mushroom on your head." They called their helmet the Hövding. They said it is fashionable, so "people would be happy to wear it".

The women started research on the Hövding in 2005. They looked at thousands of cycling accidents. They wanted to make the safest helmet and change how people cycle. They teamed up with a Swedish airbag company. Today, their company employs 17 people. In the company's video, Haupt and Alstin said: "Cars are so yesterday. Bikes are the future." They also said their helmet would make them millionaires. People can only buy the helmet online in Europe, for around $530. The company did not say when people in the rest of the world could buy it.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.hovding.com/en/


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 :-)



The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

design

a.

happy to wear it

2.

It's invisible because

b.

airbag

3.

a kind of

c.

like a scarf

4.

inside

d.

students

5.

wear it around their neck

e.

and bulky

6.

When the cyclist

f.

a collar

7.

normal helmets are too big

g.

you cannot see it

8.

people would be

h.

falls off



MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

The women started

a.

of cycling accidents

2.

They looked at thousands

b.

buy the helmet online

3.

make the

c.

yesterday

4.

change how

d.

research on the Hövding

5.

Cars are so

e.

safest helmet

6.

their helmet would make

f.

of the world

7.

People can only

g.

them millionaires

8.

people in the rest

h.

people cycle

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Swedish design (1) ___________________ a new bicycle helmet. It's invisible because you (2) ___________________. The "invisible" helmet is really a kind of airbag inside a collar. People wear it around their (3) ___________________. When the cyclist falls off his/her bike, the collar fills with gas (4) ___________________ goes around the head. The students, Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, want to change how people cycle. They think normal helmets are too (5) ___________________. They said they are "like a hard mushroom on your head." They called their helmet the Hövding. They said it is fashionable, so "people (6) ___________________ wear it".

The women (7) ___________________ the Hövding in 2005. They looked at thousands of cycling accidents. They wanted to make the safest helmet and change (8) ___________________. They teamed up with a Swedish airbag company. Today, their company employs 17 people. In (9) ___________________, Haupt and Alstin said: "Cars are so yesterday. Bikes (10) ___________________." They also said their helmet would (11) ___________________. People can only buy the helmet online in Europe, for around $530. The company did not say when people in (12) ___________________ world could buy it.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Swedishdesignstudentshaveinventedanewbicyclehelmet.It'sinvis
iblebecauseyoucannotseeit.The"invisible"helmetisreallyakindofai
rbaginsideacollar.Peoplewearitaroundtheirnecklikeascarf.Whent
hecyclistfallsoffhis/herbike,thecollarfillswithgasandanairbaggoes
aroundthehead.Thestudents,AnnaHauptandTereseAlstin,wanttoc
hangehowpeoplecycle.Theythinknormalhelmetsaretoobigandbul
ky.Theysaidtheyare"likeahardmushroomonyourhead."Theycalled
theirhelmettheHövding.Theysaiditisfashionable,so"peoplewouldb
ehappytowearit".ThewomenstartedresearchontheHövdingin2005
.Theylookedatthousandsofcyclingaccidents.Theywantedtomaket
hesafesthelmetandchangehowpeoplecycle.TheyteamedupwithaS
wedishairbagcompany.Today,theircompanyemploys17people.Int
hecompany'svideo,HauptandAlstinsaid:"Carsaresoyesterday.Bik
esarethefuture."Theyalsosaidtheirhelmetwouldmakethemmillion
aires.PeoplecanonlybuythehelmetonlineinEurope,foraround$530
.Thecompanydidnotsaywhenpeopleintherestoftheworldcouldbuyi
t.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about bicycle helmets for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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