The Reading / Listening - Level 4

An Italian town has passed a law requiring fireworks to be silent. It is to ensure the wellbeing of pets. The town felt the welfare of pets was more important than the sound of fireworks. Dogs have sensitive hearing and fireworks cause them to develop something called 'acoustic stress'. Smoke from fireworks can also cause health problems for animals. Vets often report cases of nausea, tremors and anxiety in animals after a fireworks show.

Awareness of the problems caused by fireworks is growing. Germany banned fireworks near refugee shelters to reduce the trauma among refugees. Fireworks cause similar problems for war veterans. The explosions can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder. Not everyone agrees with the idea of silent fireworks. One Italian said: "You need the…thunder. It's an essential part of the fun." He said pet owners should keep all windows closed.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.care2.com/greenliving/silent-fireworks-could-prove-helpful-for-animals-veterans-with-ptsd.html
  • http://www.khou.com/news/silent-fireworks-offer-a-quiet-alternative/263955421
  • http://dogtime.com/trending/33475-town-italy-switches-silent-fireworks-reduce-anxiety-animal


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. passed a
  2. ensure the
  3. the welfare
  4. Dogs have sensitive
  5. develop something called
  6. Vets often report cases
  7. anxiety in
  8. after a fireworks
  1. of pets
  2. animals
  3. wellbeing of pets
  4. show
  5. law
  6. 'acoustic stress'
  7. of nausea
  8. hearing

Paragraph 2

  1. refugee
  2. reduce the trauma
  3. cause similar problems for war
  4. explosions can trigger post-traumatic
  5. Not everyone
  6. an essential part of the fun
  7. pet
  8. keep all windows
  1. agrees
  2. veterans
  3. owners
  4. among refugees
  5. closed
  6. shelters
  7. of the fun
  8. stress disorder

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An Italian town has passed (1) ___________________ fireworks to be silent. It is to ensure (2) ___________________ pets. The town felt the welfare of pets was more important (3) ___________________ of fireworks. Dogs have sensitive hearing and fireworks cause (4) ___________________ something called 'acoustic stress'. Smoke from fireworks can also cause (5) ___________________ for animals. Vets often report cases of nausea, tremors (6) ___________________ animals after a fireworks show.

Awareness of the (7) ___________________ fireworks is growing. Germany banned fireworks near refugee (8) ___________________ the trauma among refugees. Fireworks cause similar problems (9) ________________. The explosions can trigger post-traumatic (10) ___________________. Not everyone agrees (11) ___________________ silent fireworks. One Italian said: "You need the…thunder. It's an (12) ___________________ the fun." He said pet owners should keep all windows closed.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AnItaliantownhaspassedalawrequiringfireworkstobesilent.Itistoens
urethewellbeingofpets.Thetownfeltthewelfareofpetswasmoreimpor
tantthanthesoundoffireworks.Dogshavesensitivehearingandfirewor
kscausethemtodevelopsomethingcalled'acousticstress'.Smokefrom
fireworkscanalsocausehealthproblemsforanimals.Vetsoftenreportc
asesofnausea,tremorsandanxietyinanimalsafterafireworksshow.A
warenessoftheproblemscausedbyfireworksisgrowing.Germanyban
nedfireworksnearrefugeeshelterstoreducethetraumaamongrefugee
s.Fireworkscausesimilarproblemsforwarveterans.Theexplosionscan
triggerpost-traumaticstressdisorder.Noteveryoneagreeswithth
eideaofsilentfireworks.OneItaliansaid:"Youneedthe…thunder.It'san
essentialpartofthefun."Hesaidpetownersshouldkeepallwindowsclos
ed.

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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