The Reading / Listening - Train Punctuality - Level 4

Japan's trains are famous for their punctuality. Japan's rail network is the envy of the world. You can set your watch by Japanese trains. Most rail companies apologize when trains are delayed or cancelled trains. However, the operators of a Tokyo train apologized for one of its trains leaving 20 seconds too early. The high-speed train left a station earlier than scheduled because staff did not check the departure timetable. There were no complaints from passengers.

The Tsukuba Express company said its crew failed to accurately perform the departure operations. It "deeply" apologized for the "severe inconvenience" caused, even though the next train was just four minutes later. A Twitter user wrote the apology was, "one of the best things about Japan". A UK commuter tweeted about British trains being late. He said: "You don't get an apology from any major UK train company until they're over 2 hours late."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Train Punctuality - Level 5 or  Train Punctuality - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-16/japan-rail-operator-says-sorry-as-train-leaves-20-seconds-early
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/16/japanese-rail-company-apologises-train-departs-20-seconds-early/
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5089569/Japanese-train-leaves-20-secs-early-company-apologises.html


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. Japan's trains are famous for
  2. Japan's rail network is the envy
  3. set your
  4. when trains are delayed
  5. the operators of a
  6. left a station earlier than
  7. check the departure
  8. There were no complaints
  1. scheduled
  2. Tokyo train
  3. from passengers
  4. of the world
  5. or cancelled
  6. timetable
  7. their punctuality
  8. watch

Paragraph 2

  1. its crew
  2. perform the departure
  3. severe
  4. the next
  5. just four
  6. one of the best
  7. You don't get
  8. they're over
  1. minutes later
  2. 2 hours late
  3. failed
  4. an apology
  5. inconvenience
  6. train
  7. operations
  8. things about Japan

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Japan's trains are famous (1) ___________________. Japan's rail network is the envy of the world. You can (2) ___________________ by Japanese trains. Most rail companies apologize when trains are (3) ___________________. However, the operators of a Tokyo train apologized for one of (4) ___________________ 20 seconds too early. The high-speed train left (5) ___________________ than scheduled because staff did not check the departure timetable. There were (6) ___________________ passengers.

The Tsukuba Express company said its crew (7) ___________________ perform the departure operations. It (8) ___________________ the "severe inconvenience" (9) ___________________ the next train was just four minutes later. A Twitter user (10) ___________________ was, "one of the best things about Japan". (11) ___________________ tweeted about British trains being late. He said: "You don't (12) ___________________ from any major UK train company until they're over 2 hours late."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Japan'strainsarefamousfortheirpunctuality.Japan'srailnetworkisthe
envyoftheworld.YoucansetyourwatchbyJapanesetrains.Mostrailco
mpaniesapologizewhentrainsaredelayedorcancelled.However,theo
peratorsofaTokyotrainapologizedforoneofitstrainsleaving20seco
ndstooearly.Thehigh-speedtrainleftastationearlierthanschedule
dbecausestaffdidnotcheckthedeparturetimetable.Therewerenocom
plaintsfrompassengers.TheTsukubaExpresscompanysaiditscrewfail
edtoaccuratelyperformthedepartureoperations.It"deeply"apologize
dforthe"severeinconvenience"caused,eventhoughthenexttrainwasj
ustfourminuteslater.ATwitteruserwrotetheapologywas,"oneofthebe
stthingsaboutJapan".AUKcommutertweetedaboutBritishtrainsbein
glate.Hesaid:"Youdon'tgetanapologyfromanymajorUKtraincompan
yuntilthey'reover2hourslate."

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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