The Reading / Listening - Facial Recognition - Level 1

A Beijing park started a trial using facial recognition scanners to save toilet paper and stop thieves from stealing it. They will scan people's face and give them 60 cm of toilet paper. People will have to wait for nine minutes if they want extra paper. There was a problem of park visitors taking too much toilet paper. Some people filled their bags with it. The park put up posters and put messages over loudspeakers asking visitors to use less toilet paper.

The scanners have brought a surprise. They are now a tourist attraction. Visitors are coming to try them out. Videos of people using them have gone viral on social media. Staff help people with problems with the machines and those who need more toilet paper. The scanners are popular. A social media user said: "This is a really good idea. I recommend that it be rolled out in toilets nationwide." The amount of toilet paper used has gone down by 20%.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Facial Recognition - Level 0 Facial Recognition - Level 2   or  Facial Recognition - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-39324431
  • http://shanghaiist.com/2017/03/20/toilet_paper_theft_cameras.php
  • http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/face-scanner-to-wipe-out-toilet-paper-theft


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 Beijing park started a
  2. using facial recognition scanners to
  3. stop
  4. wait for nine minutes if they
  5. Some people filled their
  6. The park put
  7. put messages over
  8. asking visitors to use
  1. up posters
  2. want extra paper
  3. trial
  4. less toilet paper
  5. loudspeakers
  6. thieves
  7. bags with it
  8. save toilet paper

Paragraph 2

  1. The scanners have
  2. They are now a tourist
  3. Visitors are coming to
  4. Videos of people using them have gone
  5. help people
  6. The scanners are
  7. This is a really
  8. The amount of toilet paper used has
  1. viral on social media
  2. try them out
  3. popular
  4. gone down by 20%
  5. brought a surprise
  6. good idea
  7. attraction
  8. with problems

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A Beijing park (1) ___________________ using facial recognition scanners (2) ___________________ paper and stop thieves from stealing it. They will scan people's (3) ___________________ them 60 cm of toilet paper. People will have to wait for nine minutes if (4) ___________________ paper. There was a problem of park visitors taking too much toilet paper. Some people filled their (5) ___________________. The park put up posters and put (6) ___________________ loudspeakers asking visitors to use less toilet paper.

The scanners have (7) ___________________. They are now a tourist attraction. Visitors are coming (8) ___________________. Videos of people using them have (9) ___________________ social media. Staff help people with problems with the machines (10) ___________________ need more toilet paper. The scanners are popular. A social media user said: "(11) ___________________ good idea. I recommend that it be rolled out in toilets nationwide." (12) ___________________ toilet paper used has gone down by 20%.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Abeijingparkstartedatrialusingfacialrecognitionscannerstosavetoile
tpaperandstopthievesfromstealingit.Theywillscanpeople'sfaceandg
ivethem60cmoftoiletpaper.Peoplewillhavetowaitfornineminutesifth
eywantextrapaper.Therewasaproblemofparkvisitorstakingtoomuch
toiletpaper.Somepeoplefilledtheirbagswithit.Theparkputupposter
sandputmessagesoverloudspeakersaskingvisitorstouselesstoiletpa
per.Thescannershavebroughtasurprise.Theyarenowatouristattracti
on.Visitorsarecomingtotrythemout.Videosofpeopleusingthemhave
goneviralonsocialmedia.Staffhelppeoplewithproblemswiththemachi
nesandthosewhoneedmoretoiletpaper.Thescannersarepopular.Aso
cialmediausersaid:"Thisisareallygoodidea.Irecommendthatitberolle
doutintoiletsnationwide."Theamountoftoiletpaperusedhasgonedow
nby20%.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You