The Reading / Listening - Toilet Scrolling - Level 1

Many people use smartphones in the toilet. Doctors say checking emails or looking at videos on the toilet could damage your body. A doctor who studied the functions of the stomach warned that bathroom bacteria contain health risks. The doctor said many people do not know about the dangers. He said we should stop this habit. He said smartphone addiction could have "some serious consequences".

People wrongly think that using a smartphone in the toilet is harmless. The doctor said bacteria could damage the "toilet areas" of our stomach. Using a smartphone makes us sit on the toilet longer. This puts extra pressure on our stomach. The doctor also warned that toilet bacteria could "breed" on our smartphone. He added: "The average smartphone is dirtier than a public toilet seat, so try avoiding scrolling while using the toilet."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Toilet Scrolling - Level 0 Toilet Scrolling - Level 2   or  Toilet Scrolling - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/health/doctor-says-using-your-phone-31100350
  • https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1821079/doctor-warning-using-phone-on-the-toilet
  • https://nypost.com/2023/10/02/here-is-the-real-reason-why-you-shouldnt-use-your-phone-on-the-toilet/


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. checking
  2. looking at videos on
  3. A doctor who studied the functions
  4. bathroom bacteria contain
  5. people do not know
  6. we should
  7. smartphone
  8. have some serious
  1. health risks
  2. stop this habit
  3. the toilet
  4. addiction
  5. of the stomach
  6. consequences
  7. emails
  8. about the dangers

Paragraph 2

  1. People wrongly
  2. using a smartphone in the toilet
  3. damage the "toilet areas"
  4. sit on the toilet
  5. This puts extra pressure
  6. toilet bacteria could "breed"
  7. dirtier than a
  8. scrolling while
  1. longer
  2. public toilet seat
  3. on our stomach
  4. using the toilet
  5. of our stomach
  6. think that
  7. on our smartphone
  8. is harmless

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Many people use smartphones in the toilet. Doctors say checking (1) ___________________ at videos on the toilet could damage your body. A doctor who (2) ___________________ of the stomach warned that bathroom bacteria (3) _________________. The doctor said many people do (4) ___________________ the dangers. He said we should (5) ___________________. He said smartphone addiction could (6) ___________________ consequences".

People (7) ___________________ using a smartphone in the toilet is harmless. The doctor said (8) ___________________ the "toilet areas" of our stomach. Using a smartphone makes us sit on the toilet longer. This puts (9) ___________________ our stomach. The doctor also warned that toilet bacteria could (10) ___________________ smartphone. He added: "The average smartphone (11) ___________________ a public toilet seat, so try avoiding (12) ___________________ the toilet."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Manypeopleusesmartphonesinthetoilet.Doctorssaycheckingemails
orlookingatvideosonthetoiletcoulddamageyourbody.Adoctorwhost
udiedthefunctionsofthestomachwarnedthatbathroombacteriacontai
nhealthrisks.Thedoctorsaidmanypeopledonotknowaboutthedanger
s.Hesaidweshouldstopthishabit.Hesaidsmartphoneaddictioncouldh
ave"someseriousconsequences".Peoplewronglythinkthatusingasm
artphoneinthetoiletisharmless.Thedoctorsaidbacteriacoulddamage
the"toiletareas"ofourstomach.Usingasmartphonemakesussitonthet
oiletlonger.Thisputsextrapressureonourstomach.Thedoctoralsowar
nedthattoiletbacteriacould"breed"onoursmartphone.Headded:"The
averagesmartphoneisdirtierthanapublictoiletseat,sotryavoidingscr
ollingwhileusingthetoilet."

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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