The Reading / Listening - Traffic Signals - Level 4

Ten traffic signals in an Australian city now have images of red and green people in dresses. The signals are part of a trial gender equality campaign. The Minister for Women said trial was to increase the number of images of women in public places. She said: "There are many small, but symbolically significant ways that women are excluded from public space." She wants the city's signals to have equal numbers of male and female figures.

There has been a mixed response to the signals. Critics call them unnecessary and a waste of taxpayers' money. The city mayor said: "I'm all for doing anything we can for gender equity, but…this sort of costly exercise is more likely to bring [ridicule]." Others said it was political correctness gone wrong. Social media users asked why the female image has a dress, when many women wear trousers. Others said the money should have helped people in need.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Traffic Signals - Level 5 or  Traffic Signals - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-39188096
  • http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/news-and-views/female-traffic-lights-in-melbourne-receive-mixed-response-20170307-gusjp7.html
  • http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-07/green-female-crossing-signal/8331320


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. Ten traffic signals
  2. The signals are part of
  3. gender equality
  4. increase the number of images
  5. symbolically significant
  6. excluded from public
  7. have equal
  8. male and female
  1. space
  2. campaign
  3. in an Australian city
  4. figures
  5. numbers
  6. of women
  7. ways
  8. a trial

Paragraph 2

  1. There has been a mixed
  2. Critics call them
  3. a waste of taxpayers'
  4. The city
  5. more likely
  6. political
  7. many women
  8. the money should have helped people
  1. money
  2. correctness
  3. wear trousers
  4. unnecessary
  5. in need
  6. response
  7. to bring ridicule
  8. mayor

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Ten traffic signals in an Australian city now (1) ___________________ red and green people in dresses. The signals are (2) ___________________ gender (3) ___________________. The Minister for Women said trial was to increase the number of images of (4) ___________________ places. She said: "There are many small, but symbolically (5) ___________________ that women are excluded from public space." She wants the city's signals to (6) ___________________ of male and female figures.

There has (7) ___________________ response to the signals. Critics call them unnecessary (8) ___________________ taxpayers' money. The city mayor said: "(9) ___________________ anything we can for gender equity, but…this sort of costly (10) ___________________ likely to bring [ridicule]." Others said it was political correctness gone wrong. Social media users asked why the (11) ___________________ a dress, when many women wear trousers. Others said the money should have helped (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TentrafficsignalsinanAustraliancitynowhaveimagesofredandgreenp
eopleindresses.Thesignalsarepartofatrialgenderequalitycampaign.
TheMinisterforWomensaidtrialwastoincreasethenumberofimagesof
womeninpublicplaces.Shesaid:"Therearemanysmall,butsymbolicall
ysignificantwaysthatwomenareexcludedfrompublicspace."Shewant
sthecity'ssignalstohaveequalnumbersofmaleandfemalefigures.Ther
ehasbeenamixedresponsetothesignals.Criticscallthemunnecessary
andawasteoftaxpayers'money.Thecitymayorsaid:"I'mallfordoingan
ythingwecanforgenderequity,but…thissortofcostlyexerciseismoreli
kelytobring[ridicule]."Otherssaiditwaspoliticalcorrectnessgonewro
ng.Socialmediausersaskedwhythefemaleimagehasadress,whenma
nywomenweartrousers.Otherssaidthemoneyshouldhavehelpedpeo
pleinneed.

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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