The Reading / Listening - Level 2

Two trendy restaurants in Paris give beautiful people better tables than ordinary people. Staff who used to work there talked to a Paris newspaper about the restaurants. They said: "The good-looking customers are led to the good places, where they can be easily seen; the non-good-looking ones must be seated in the corners of the room." The rule for celebrity diners was different - "pretty or ugly, old or young," they got the good tables. The waiters and waitresses also had to look good. An ex-employee said: "Anyone short, without a model's physique and over 30 need not apply."

The owners want to make sure the restaurants have a good image so they put attractive guests in easy-to-see places. One owner visits regularly to check on his 'beauty policy'. If he saw a "non-attractive" person at a good table, he tells the staff: "There are good-looking people, you put them here; there are bad-looking people, you put them there." Furthermore, staff could not give a table to customers who made telephone bookings, just in case they were not beautiful. Staff decided where to seat them after they came to the restaurant and looked at their faces.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10431535/French-restaurants-where-your-looks-decide-your-seat.html
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2489691/French-restaurant-group-seat-guests-according-good-looking-are.html


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.

trendy

a.

to the good places

2.

Staff who used

b.

diners was different

3.

good-looking customers are led

c.

restaurants

4.

where they can

d.

physique

5.

seated in the corners

e.

be easily seen

6.

The rule for celebrity

f.

of the room

7.

waiters and waitresses also

g.

to work there

8.

a model's

h.

had to look good



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.

make sure the restaurants

a.

where to seat them

2.

they put attractive guests

b.

regularly

3.

One owner visits

c.

bookings

4.

check on

d.

have a good image

5.

If he saw a "non-attractive" person at

e.

their faces

6.

customers who made telephone

f.

in easy-to-see places

7.

Staff decided

g.

his 'beauty policy'

8.

looked at

h.

a good table

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Two (1) ___________________ in Paris give beautiful people better tables than ordinary people. Staff who (2) ___________________ talked to a Paris newspaper about the restaurants. They said: "The good-looking customers (3) ___________________ places, where they can be easily seen; the non-good-looking ones must be seated in the corners of the room." The (4) ___________________ diners was different - "pretty or ugly, old or young," they got the good tables. The waiters and waitresses (5) ___________________. An ex-employee said: "Anyone short, without a model's physique and over (6) ___________________."

The owners (7) ___________________ the restaurants have a good image so they (8) ___________________ in easy-to-see places. One owner visits regularly to check (9) ___________________. If he saw a "non-attractive" person at a good table, he tells the staff: "There are good-looking people, (10) ___________________; there are bad-looking people, you put them there." Furthermore, staff could not give a table to customers who made (11) ___________________, just in case they were not beautiful. Staff (12) ___________________ them after they came to the restaurant and looked at their faces.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

TwotrendyrestaurantsinParisgivebeautifulpeoplebettertablestha
nordinarypeople.StaffwhousedtoworktheretalkedtoaParisnewspa
perabouttherestaurants.Theysaid:"Thegood-lookingcustomers
areledtothegoodplaces,wheretheycanbeeasilyseen;thenon-go
od-lookingonesmustbeseatedinthecornersoftheroom."Therule
forcelebritydinerswasdifferent-"prettyorugly,oldoryoung,"theyg
otthegoodtables.Thewaitersandwaitressesalsohadtolookgood.An
ex-employeesaid:"Anyoneshort,withoutamodel'sphysiquean
dover30neednotapply."Theownerswanttomakesuretherestauran
tshaveagoodimagesotheyputattractiveguestsineasy-to-seepla
ces.Oneownervisitsregularlytocheckonhis'beautypolicy'.Ifhesaw
a"non-attractive"personatagoodtable,hetellsthestaff:"Ther
earegood-lookingpeople,youputthemhere;therearebad-looki
ngpeople,youputthemthere."Furthermore,staffcouldnotgiveatabl
etocustomerswhomadetelephonebookings,justincasetheywereno
tbeautiful.Staffdecidedwheretoseatthemaftertheycametotherest
aurantandlookedattheirfaces.

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)

________________________________________________________

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

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about restaurant tables for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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