The Reading / Listening - Level 2

There is anger on social media because of an advertisement for a Chinese detergent. Newspapers are saying it may be the most racist advert ever. The commercial was for the washing detergent company Qiaobi. In the ad, a young woman puts a detergent tablet into the mouth of a black man. She pushes him into a washing machine, closes the lid and then turns it on. The next scene shows that the black man has turned white. The woman looks happy when she sees the light-skinned man. The ad is a month old but went viral 24 hours ago. It was shared on social media.

Many websites are attacking the ad. The site Buzzfeed called it, the "most racist ad of 2016". It wrote: "The commercial will likely leave you feeling like you need a shower." One blogger complained that Chinese companies do not understand "the sensitivity of racism". The blogger said it was a shame that racism was common in China. Another blogger asked: "How can…marketing people have no knowledge of racism?" The owner of Qiaobi told the BBC that he didn't realise the ad was racist. He said: "To be honest, I didn't really pay that much attention to the advertisement."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1956281/racist-laundry-detergent-ad-slammed-turning-black-man-fair
  • http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/88939/20160527/racial-content-chinese-commercial-video.htm#ixzz49qwWNzYk
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-36394917 st-tint/85024844/


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. There is anger
  2. an advertisement for
  3. it may be the most racist
  4. washing
  5. closes the lid and then
  6. The woman looks
  7. the light-
  8. went
  1. skinned man
  2. detergent
  3. turns it on
  4. viral
  5. happy
  6. on social media
  7. a Chinese detergent
  8. advert ever

Paragraph 2

  1. Many websites are
  2. leave you feeling like
  3. it was a shame that racism
  4. marketing
  5. he didn't realise the
  6. To be
  7. I didn't
  8. pay that much
  1. really
  2. ad was racist
  3. attention
  4. was common
  5. you need a shower
  6. attacking the ad
  7. people
  8. honest

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

(1) ___________________ social media because of an advertisement for a Chinese detergent. Newspapers are saying it may be the most (2) ___________________. The commercial was for the (3) ___________________ company Qiaobi. In the ad, a young woman puts a detergent tablet into the mouth of a black man. (4) ___________________ a washing machine, closes the lid and then turns it on. The (5) ___________________ that the black man has turned white. The woman looks happy when she sees the light-skinned man. The ad is a month old (6) __________________ 24 hours ago. It was shared on social media.

Many websites are (7) ___________________. The site Buzzfeed called it, the "most racist ad of 2016". It wrote: "The commercial will (8) ___________________ feeling like you need a shower." One blogger (9) ___________________ Chinese companies do not understand "the sensitivity of racism". The blogger said it was a shame that (10) ___________________ in China. Another blogger asked: "How can…marketing people have no knowledge of racism?" The owner of Qiaobi told the BBC that (11) ___________________ the ad was racist. He said: "To be honest, I didn't really pay that much (12) ___________________ advertisement."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThereisangeronsocialmediabecauseofanadvertisementforaChinese detergent.Newspapersaresayingitmaybethemostracistadvertever. ThecommercialwasforthewashingdetergentcompanyQiaobi.Inthea d,ayoungwomanputsadetergenttabletintothemouthofablackman.S hepusheshimintoawashingmachine,closesthelidandthenturnsiton.T henextsceneshowsthattheblackmanhasturnedwhite.Thewomanloo kshappywhensheseesthelight-skinnedman.Theadisamontholdbutw entviral24hoursago.Itwassharedonsocialmedia.Manywebsitesareat tackingthead.ThesiteBuzzfeedcalledit,the"mostracistadof2016".It wrote:"Thecommercialwilllikelyleaveyoufeelinglikeyouneedashowe r."OnebloggercomplainedthatChinesecompaniesdonotunderstand "thesensitivityofracism".Thebloggersaiditwasashamethatracismwa scommoninChina.Anotherbloggerasked:"Howcan…marketingpeopl ehavenoknowledgeofracism?"TheownerofQiaobitoldtheBBCthathed idn'trealisetheadwasracist.Hesaid:"Tobehonest,Ididn'treallypaytha tmuchattentiontotheadvertisement."

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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