The Reading / Listening - Winter Coats - Level 5

A spate of muggings in cities worldwide has seen people robbed of their luxury coats. In recent weeks, people in London and Washington DC have had their coats stolen at knifepoint. One man in the UK was slashed across his face as thieves made off with his jacket. Criminals are targeting coats that cost as much as $2,200. Thieves are also breaking into people's vehicles to steal the brand items. A criminologist at Birmingham City University warned that the muggings were the start of a new "luxury crime trend". He said the thefts were "worrying".

The criminologist warned those with expensive, branded coats to be careful. He said: "Be aware of your surroundings and who is around you. You have to be vigilant for opportunists who might try to steal them." He added that thieves are changing their focus. They once stole watches, which they sold for thousands of dollars. A London Transport spokesperson said the muggings were "a real concern". She said they have a huge impact on the safety of young people. She added that the crimes were "very concerning, intimidating and frightening".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Winter Coats - Level 4 or  Winter Coats - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/canada-goose-wearers-warned-luxury-31794767
  • https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/warning-over-fashion-label-bullring-28382742
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12916253/The-rise-Canada-Goose-coat-muggings-Warning-crooks-targeting-owners-1-700-jackets-selling-profit-Lawless-Britains-latest-luxury-items.html


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. A spate
  2. In recent
  3. One man in the UK was slashed
  4. thieves made
  5. Criminals are
  6. breaking into
  7. the start of a new luxury
  8. He said the thefts were
  1. people's vehicles
  2. off with his jacket
  3. worrying
  4. targeting coats
  5. crime trend
  6. of muggings
  7. across his face
  8. weeks

Paragraph 2

  1. The criminologist warned
  2. expensive, branded
  3. Be aware of
  4. You have to be vigilant
  5. thieves are changing
  6. the muggings were a real
  7. a huge impact on the safety
  8. concerning, intimidating
  1. of young people
  2. your surroundings
  3. and frightening
  4. those
  5. coats
  6. their focus
  7. concern
  8. for opportunists

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A (1) ___________________ in cities worldwide has seen people robbed of their luxury coats. (2) ___________________, people in London and Washington DC have had their coats stolen at knifepoint. One man in the UK (3) ___________________ his face as thieves made off with his jacket. Criminals are targeting coats that (4) ___________________ as $2,200. Thieves are also breaking into people's vehicles to steal (5) ___________________. A criminologist at Birmingham City University warned that the muggings were the start of a new "luxury crime trend". He said the (6) ___________________.

The criminologist warned (7) ___________________, branded coats to be careful. He said: "(8) ___________________ your surroundings and who is around you. You have to (9) ___________________ opportunists who might try to steal them." He added that thieves are changing their focus. (10) ___________________ watches, which they sold for thousands of dollars. A London Transport spokesperson said the muggings were "a real concern". She said they have a (11) ___________________ the safety of young people. She added that the crimes (12) ___________________, intimidating and frightening".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Aspateofmuggingsincitiesworldwidehasseenpeoplerobbedoftheirlu
xurycoats.Inrecentweeks,peopleinLondonandWashingtonDChaveh
adtheircoatsstolenatknifepoint.OnemanintheUKwasslashedacrossh
isfaceasthievesmadeoffwithhisjacket.Criminalsaretargetingcoatsth
atcostasmuchas$2,200.Thievesarealsobreakingintopeople'svehicle
stostealthebranditems.AcriminologistatBirminghamCityUniversity
warnedthatthemuggingswerethestartofanew"luxurycrimetrend".H
esaidthetheftswere"worrying".Thecriminologistwarnedthosewithex
pensive,brandedcoatstobecareful.Hesaid:"Beawareofyoursurround
ingsandwhoisaroundyou.Youhavetobevigilantforopportunistswhom
ighttrytostealthem."Headdedthatthievesarechangingtheirfocus.Th
eyoncestolewatches,whichtheysoldforthousandsofdollars.ALondon
Transportspokespersonsaidthemuggingswere"arealconcern".Shes
aidtheyhaveahugeimpactonthesafetyofyoungpeople.Sheaddedthat
thecrimeswere"veryconcerning,intimidatingandfrightening".

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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