The Reading / Listening - Level 0

A video in Japan has angered women. The Tokyu rail company wants women to stop putting on make-up on trains. Its video says: "Women are ugly to see, at times….Please [stop] putting on make-up on the train." The video is to teach passengers about good manners. Tokyu says it will continue to show the video.

Many women say the video is sexist. One woman said make-up is not dirty or smelly. She said: "A train company [cannot] tell me whether I look beautiful or ugly". Another woman said Tokyu should target people with body odor. Women putting on make-up was number eight on a list of things that train passengers don't like.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 1,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/10/27/national/tokyu-corp-gets-backlash-no-makeup-video/#.WBMG44WFic0
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37796036
  • http://www.atimes.com/article/tokyo-subway-line-operator-gets-mascara-smudged/


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. A video in Japan has angered
  2. The Tokyu rail
  3. putting on make-up
  4. ugly to see,
  5. .Please stop putting
  6. The video is
  7. good
  8. it will continue to
  1. to teach passengers
  2. at times
  3. show the video
  4. company
  5. women
  6. manners
  7. on trains
  8. on make-up

Paragraph 2

  1. Many women say the video
  2. One woman said make-up is
  3. A train company cannot
  4. whether I look beautiful
  5. Tokyu should target
  6. body
  7. number eight
  8. train
  1. odor / odour
  2. tell me
  3. or ugly
  4. people
  5. on a list
  6. is sexist
  7. passengers
  8. not dirty

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A video in Japan (1) ___________________ women. The Tokyu rail company wants women (2) ___________________ on make-up on trains. (3) ___________________: "Women are ugly to see, at times…. (4) ___________________ putting on make-up on the train." The video (5) ___________________ passengers about good manners. Tokyu says it will (6) ___________________ the video.

Many women say the (7) ___________________. One woman said make-up (8) ___________________ smelly. She said: "A train company (9) ___________________ whether I look beautiful or ugly". Another woman said Tokyu (10) ___________________ with (11) ___________________. Women putting on make-up was number eight on a list of things that (12) ___________________ don't like.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AvideoinJapanhasangeredwomen.TheTokyurailcompanywantswom
entostopputtingonmake-upontrains.Itsvideosays:"Womenareugl
ytosee,attimes….Please[stop]puttingonmake-uponthetrain."Thev
ideoistoteachpassengersaboutgoodmanners.Tokyusaysitwillcontin
uetoshowthevideo.Manywomensaythevideoissexist.Onewomansai
dmake-upisnotdirtyorsmelly.Shesaid:"Atraincompany[cannot]te
llmewhetherIlookbeautifulorugly".AnotherwomansaidTokyushouldt
argetpeoplewithbodyodor.Womenputtingonmake-upwasnumb
ereightonalistofthingsthattrainpassengersdon'tlike.

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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