The Reading / Listening - Level 1

Design students in Sweden invented a new bicycle helmet. It's called the Hövding and is invisible. It's really a kind of airbag inside a collar. People wear it like a scarf. When the cyclist falls off his/her bike, the collar fills with gas and becomes an airbag. The students, Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, think normal helmets are too big and look like a hard mushroom on your head. They said their helmet is fashionable, so people will be happy to wear it.

The women started their research in 2005. They looked at thousands of cycling accidents. They wanted to make the safest helmet, and change cycling. They said: "Cars are so yesterday. Bikes are the future." The pair worked with an airbag company. Their company has 17 workers. They also said their helmet would make them millionaires. People can only buy the helmet in Europe, for around $530. People in the rest of the world can buy it later.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.hovding.com/en/


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.

design

a.

becomes an airbag

2.

It's really a kind of airbag inside

b.

students

3.

When the cyclist

c.

on your head

4.

fills with gas and

d.

is fashionable

5.

normal

e.

a collar

6.

look like a hard mushroom

f.

to wear it

7.

They said their helmet

g.

helmets are too big

8.

people will be happy

h.

falls off


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.

The women started

a.

helmet

2.

They looked at thousands

b.

the future

3.

make the safest

c.

them millionaires

4.

Cars are so

d.

their research

5.

Bikes are

e.

of the world

6.

Their company

f.

of cycling accidents

7.

their helmet would make

g.

has 17 workers

8.

People in the rest

h.

yesterday

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Design students in Sweden (1) ___________________ bicycle helmet. It's called the Hövding (2) ___________________. It's really a kind of airbag inside a collar. People (3) ___________________. When the cyclist falls off his/her bike, the collar fills with gas and (4) ___________________. The students, Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, think normal helmets are too big (5) ___________________ mushroom on your head. They said their helmet is fashionable, so (6) ___________________ to wear it.

The women (7) ___________________ in 2005. They looked at thousands (8) ___________________. They wanted to make the safest helmet, (9) ___________________. They said: "Cars are so yesterday. Bikes (10) ___________________." The pair worked with an airbag company. Their company has 17 workers. They also said their helmet would (11) ___________________. People can only buy the helmet in Europe, for around $530. People in (12) ___________________ can buy it later.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

DesignstudentsinSwedeninventedanewbicyclehelmet.It'scalledth
eHövdingandisinvisible.It'sreallyakindofairbaginsideacollar.Peopl
ewearitlikeascarf.Whenthecyclistfallsoffhis/herbike,thecollarfills
withgasandbecomesanairbag.Thestudents,AnnaHauptandTerese
Alstin,thinknormalhelmetsaretoobigandlooklikeahardmushroom
onyourhead.Theysaidtheirhelmetisfashionable,sopeoplewillbeha
ppytowearit.Thewomenstartedtheirresearchin2005.Theylookeda
tthousandsofcyclingaccidents.Theywantedtomakethesafesthelm
et,andchangecycling.Theysaid:"Carsaresoyesterday.Bikesarethe
future."Thepairworkedwithanairbagcompany.Theircompanyhas1
7workers.Theyalsosaidtheirhelmetwouldmakethemmillionaires.P
eoplecanonlybuythehelmetinEurope,foraround$530.Peopleinther
estoftheworldcanbuyitlater.

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)

________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about bicycle helmets 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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