The Reading / Listening - Level 1

A video from a railway company in Japan has angered women. The Tokyu rail company wants women to stop putting on make-up on trains. The video says: "Women in the city are all beautiful. But they are ugly to see, at times….Please refrain from putting on make-up on the train." The video is one of an eight-part series to educate passengers on rules and good manners. Tokyu has received a lot of positive feedback and will continue to show the video.

Many women said the video is sexist. One woman said she would understand if make-up was dirty or smelly, but that a train company has "no right to tell me whether I look beautiful or ugly". Another woman said Tokyu should instead target people with body odor or people who smell of alcohol. A passenger survey said women putting on make-up was eighth on a list of train nuisances. Also on the list was people talking loudly on smartphones.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 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 railway
  2. putting on make-up
  3. Please refrain from
  4. The video is one of an eight-
  5. educate
  6. rules and good
  7. Tokyu has received a lot of positive
  8. continue to show
  1. part series
  2. manners
  3. the video
  4. feedback
  5. putting on make-up
  6. company in Japan
  7. on trains
  8. passengers

Paragraph 2

  1. Many women said the video is
  2. she would understand if make-up
  3. a train company has no
  4. whether I look beautiful
  5. body
  6. a passenger
  7. eighth on a list of train
  8. people talking
  1. survey
  2. or ugly
  3. nuisances
  4. sexist
  5. right to tell me
  6. loudly on smartphones
  7. odor  /  odour
  8. was dirty

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A video from (1) ___________________ in Japan has angered women. The Tokyu rail company wants women (2) ___________________ on make-up on trains. The video says: "Women in the city are all beautiful. But (3) ___________________ to see, at times….Please refrain from putting on make-up on the train." The video (4) ___________________ -part series to educate passengers on rules and (5) ___________________. Tokyu has received a lot of positive feedback and will (6) ___________________ the video.

Many women said the (7) ___________________. One woman said she would understand if make-up (8) ___________________, but that a train company has "(9) ___________________ me whether I look beautiful or ugly". Another woman said Tokyu (10) ___________________ people with body odor or people who (11) ___________________. A passenger survey said women putting on make-up was eighth on a list of train nuisances. Also on the list was people (12) ___________________ smartphones.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AvideofromarailwaycompanyinJapanhasangeredwomen.TheTokyu
railcompanywantswomentostopputtingonmake-upontrains.Thevi
deosays:"Womeninthecityareallbeautiful.Buttheyareuglytosee,atti
mes….Pleaserefrainfromputtingonmake-uponthetrain."Thevideoiso
neofaneight-partseriestoeducatepassengersonrulesandgoodman
ners.Tokyuhasreceivedalotofpositivefeedbackandwillcontinuetosho
wthevideo.Manywomensaidthevideoissexist.Onewomansaidshewo
uldunderstandifmake-upwasdirtyorsmelly,butthatatraincompan
yhas"norighttotellmewhetherIlookbeautifulorugly".Anotherwoman
saidTokyushouldinsteadtargetpeoplewithbodyodororpeoplewhosm
ellofalcohol.Apassengersurveysaidwomenputtingonmake-upwase
ighthonalistoftrainnuisances.Alsoonthelistwaspeopletalkingloudlyo
nsmartphones.

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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