The Reading / Listening - Dogs in Offices - Level 4

Coronavirus changed working conditions worldwide. Millions of us now work remotely at home. The Japanese technology giant Fujitsu is trialling an idea to get workers back into the office. They will let workers bring their pet dog to work. Members of staff can return to their office with their pet. Fujitsu hopes its workers will feel more comfortable in the workplace. It hopes more people will give up working remotely from home.

Japan's workforce is known for working long hours in offices. Many workers now work at home. They think this is better than the two-hour commute from the suburbs. They also like spending more time with their pet. The dog office trial may change this. One Fujitsu worker said he could communicate more with other workers with the help of the dogs. The Fujitsu office has space for up to six dogs. It also has stain-proof carpets and pet supplies.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Dogs in Offices - Level 5 or  Dogs in Offices - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/salarymans-best-friend-japan-office-lets-dogs-post-covid-work-shift-2022-09-22/
  • https://nypost.com/2022/09/23/japanese-company-fujitsu-lets-employees-to-bring-dogs-to-work/
  • https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2022-09-22/salarymans-best-friend-japan-office-lets-in-dogs-in-post-covid-work-shift


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. changed working conditions
  2. The Japanese technology
  3. Fujitsu is trialling
  4. let workers bring
  5. Members of staff can return
  6. feel more comfortable
  7. It hopes more people will
  8. working remotely
  1. their pet dog
  2. from home
  3. giant
  4. give up
  5. worldwide
  6. to their office
  7. an idea
  8. in the workplace

Paragraph 2

  1. Japan's workforce is known for
  2. better than the two-
  3. from the
  4. spending more
  5. communicate more
  6. space for up
  7. It also has stain-
  8. pet
  1. to six dogs
  2. with other workers
  3. supplies
  4. suburbs
  5. proof carpets
  6. time with their pet
  7. working long hours
  8. hour commute

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Coronavirus changed working conditions worldwide. (1) ___________________ now work remotely at home. The Japanese technology giant Fujitsu (2) ___________________ idea to get workers back into the office. They will let workers (3) ___________________ dog to work. (4) ___________________ can return to their office with their pet. Fujitsu hopes its workers will feel more comfortable (5) ___________________. It hopes more people will give up working (6) ___________________.

Japan's (7) ___________________ for working long hours in offices. Many workers now work at home. They think this is better than the two-hour commute (8) ___________________. They also like spending more time with their pet. The (9) ___________________ may change this. One Fujitsu worker said he could communicate more with other workers with (10) ___________________ the dogs. The Fujitsu office has space (11) ___________________ six dogs. It also has (12) ___________________ and pet supplies.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Coronaviruschangedworkingconditionsworldwide.Millionsofusnoww
orkremotelyathome.TheJapanesetechnologygiantFujitsuistriallinga
nideatogetworkersbackintotheoffice.Theywillletworkersbringtheirp
etdogtowork.Membersofstaffcanreturntotheirofficewiththeirpet.Fuj
itsuhopesitsworkerswillfeelmorecomfortableintheworkplace.Ithope
smorepeoplewillgiveupworkingremotelyfromhome.Japan'sworkfor
ceisknownforworkinglonghoursinoffices.Manyworkersnowworkatho
me.Theythinkthisisbetterthanthetwo-hourcommutefromthesuburb
s.Theyalsolikespendingmoretimewiththeirpet.Thedogofficetrialmay
changethis.OneFujitsuworkersaidhecouldcommunicatemorewithot
herworkerswiththehelpofthedogs.TheFujitsuofficehasspaceforupto
sixdogs.Italsohasstain-proofcarpetsandpetsupplies.

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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