The Reading / Listening - Level 1

Toys R Us has stopped selling a drug-dealer doll from a popular American TV series. The figure had bags of drug money and blue drugs. A mother started an online petition to stop Toys R Us selling the doll. More than 3,000 people signed it. The mother said Toys R Us is well known around the world but their decision to sell a doll with a bag of drugs was a "dangerous" move away from their family-friendly values.

The mother said the show was popular with adults, but the dolls should not be in a toy store next to Disney characters. She said: "Grandparents around the world shop at Toys R Us….They should not [have to] explain why a certain toy comes with a bag of highly dangerous and illegal drugs, or why someone who sells those drugs [should become] an action figure." The box clearly said the dolls are for ages 15 and up. The toys were in the adult area of the stores.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://news.sky.com/story/1356927/breaking-bad-dolls-spark-online-petition
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11177774/Toys-R-Us-quietly-withdraws-drug-dealer-Breaking-Bad-dolls.html
  • http://www.change.org/p/toys-r-us-remove-breaking-bad-dolls-from-their-shelves


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.

Toys R Us has stopped selling

a.

with a bag of drugs

2.

from a popular American

b.

a drug-dealer doll

3.

A mother started an online

c.

friendly values

4.

More than 3,000 people

d.

TV series

5.

well known

e.

petition

6.

heir decision to sell a doll

f.

away

7.

a "dangerous" move

g.

around the world

8.

family-

h.

signed it



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 show was popular

a.

why

2.

the dolls should not

b.

Disney characters

3.

next to

c.

ages 15 and up

4.

They should not have to explain

d.

be in a toy store

5.

illegal

e.

figure

6.

an action

f.

area of the stores

7.

the dolls are for

g.

with adults

8.

The toys were in the adult

h.

drugs

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Toys R Us (1) ___________________ a drug-dealer doll from a popular (2) ___________________. The figure had bags of drug money and blue drugs. A mother started (3) ___________________ to stop Toys R Us selling the doll. More than 3,000 (4) ___________________. The mother said Toys R Us is (5) ___________________ the world but their decision to sell a doll with a bag of drugs was a "dangerous" move away from their (6) ___________________.

The mother said the show was (7) ___________________, but the dolls should (8) ___________________ toy store next to Disney characters. She said: "Grandparents around the world shop at Toys R Us….They should not (9) ___________________ why a certain toy comes with a bag (10) ___________________ and illegal drugs, (11) ___________________ who sells those drugs [should become] an action figure." The box clearly said the dolls are for ages 15 and up. The toys were (12) ___________________ of the stores.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

ToysRUshasstoppedsellingadrug-dealerdollfromapopularAmeric
anTVseries.Thefigurehadbagsofdrugmoneyandbluedrugs.Amother
startedanonlinepetitiontostopToysRUssellingthedoll.Morethan3,00
0peoplesignedit.ThemothersaidToysRUsiswellknownaroundtheworl
dbuttheirdecisiontoselladollwithabagofdrugswasa"dangerous"mov
eawayfromtheirfamily-friendlyvalues.Themothersaidtheshoww
aspopularwithadults,butthedollsshouldnotbeinatoystorenexttoDisn
eycharacters.Shesaid:"GrandparentsaroundtheworldshopatToysR
Us….Theyshouldnot[haveto]explainwhyacertaintoycomeswithabag
ofhighlydangerousandillegaldrugs,orwhysomeonewhosellsthosedr
ugs[shouldbecome]anactionfigure."Theboxclearlysaidthedollsarefo
rages15andup.Thetoyswereintheadultareaofthestores.

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 action figures for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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