The Reading / Listening - Level 2

A travel website conducted a survey on hotel complaints and found some unusual things. The site Skyscanner.net surveyed 400 hotel staff in 39 countries. It asked about the strangest things guests had asked for or complained about. Staff said that most of the unusual complaints were about food. Other requests were about the room. Not every hotel room is to everybody's taste, but the complaints in the Skyscanner survey were so strange it makes you wonder how the hotel staff answered. It would be impossible for any hotel to make some of these complaining guests happy.

The complaints about food were very strange. One guest asked for 16 cucumbers a day. Another requested only the right legs of a chicken. The staff wondered if the left leg didn't taste as nice as the right leg. One guest asked for something not normally on the menu – crocodile soup. Other complaints were totally crazy. A man at a luxury hotel in London complained that his room did not have a sea view. The nearest beach to London is about 75 km away. Other guests wanted the toilet filled with mineral water, a bath full of honey and a discount because his girlfriend snored.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.skyscanner.net/news/worlds-weirdest-hotel-requests-and-complaints
  • http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/strangest-hotel-requests-15-cucumbers-per-day-one-dead-mouse-1448422


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.

A travel

a.

wonder how

2.

found some

b.

or complained about

3.

400 hotel staff

c.

everybody's taste

4.

things guests had asked for

d.

website

5.

most of the unusual complaints

e.

guests happy

6.

Not every hotel room is to

f.

unusual things

7.

it makes you

g.

in 39 countries

8.

make some of these complaining

h.

were about food



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 complaints about food

a.

on the menu

2.

One guest asked for

b.

taste as nice

3.

only the right legs

c.

snored

4.

the left leg didn't

d.

of a chicken

5.

something not normally

e.

were very strange

6.

Other complaints were

f.

view

7.

his room did not have a sea

g.

totally crazy

8.

his girlfriend

h.

16 cucumbers a day

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

A travel website (1) ___________________ on hotel complaints and found some unusual things. The site Skyscanner.net surveyed 400 hotel (2) ___________________. It asked about the strangest things guests had asked for (3) ___________________. Staff said that most of the unusual complaints were about food. Other requests were about the room. Not (4) ___________________ to everybody's taste, but the complaints in the Skyscanner survey were so strange it makes (5) ___________________ hotel staff answered. It would be impossible for any hotel to make some of these (6) ___________________.

The complaints about food were very strange. One guest asked for (7) ___________________. Another requested only the right legs of a chicken. The staff wondered if the left (8) ___________________ as nice as the right leg. One guest asked for something not (9) ___________________ – crocodile soup. Other complaints were totally crazy. A man (10) ___________________ in London complained that his room did not have a sea view. The nearest beach to London (11) ___________________ away. Other guests wanted the toilet filled with mineral water, a bath full of honey and a discount because (12) ___________________.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Atravelwebsiteconductedasurveyonhotelcomplaintsandfoundso
meunusualthings.ThesiteSkyscanner.netsurveyed400hotelstaffi
n39countries.Itaskedaboutthestrangestthingsguestshadaskedfor
orcomplainedabout.Staffsaidthatmostoftheunusualcomplaintswe
reaboutfood.Otherrequestswereabouttheroom.Noteveryhotelroo
mistoeverybody'staste,butthecomplaintsintheSkyscannersurvey
weresostrangeitmakesyouwonderhowthehotelstaffanswered.Itw
ouldbeimpossibleforanyhoteltomakesomeofthesecomplaininggu
estshappy.Thecomplaintsaboutfoodwereverystrange.Oneguesta
skedfor16cucumbersaday.Anotherrequestedonlytherightlegsofac
hicken.Thestaffwonderediftheleftlegdidn'ttasteasniceastherightle
g.Oneguestaskedforsomethingnotnormallyonthemenu–crocod
ilesoup.Othercomplaintsweretotallycrazy.AmanataluxuryhotelinL
ondoncomplainedthathisroomdidnothaveaseaview.Thenearestbe
achtoLondonisabout75kmaway.Otherguestswantedthetoiletfilled
withmineralwater,abathfullofhoneyandadiscountbecausehisgirlfri
endsnored.

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 hotels for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You