The Reading / Listening - Online Deliveries - Level 5

The huge popularity of online shopping is creating chaos on city streets. The number of online deliveries is skyrocketing and so is the number of delivery trucks on the roads. The result is that hundreds more trucks are clogging up city streets. This is increasing traffic jams and pollution. There are hundreds more delivery trucks in cities around the world. They are all trying to deliver parcels on time. Delivery drivers are battling for parking spaces. Many have to park illegally, or double park. This adds to the gridlock for other road users. This problem is set to get worse.

The BBC reports that parcel deliveries shot up by almost 50 per cent between 2014 and 2016. This could increase by up to 28 per cent a year over the next three years. Many cities have taken tough measures to address the problems. Cities in Europe and Asia have barred deliveries when roads are busiest. London is thinking about using buses to deliver parcels. Some areas of London are also getting tough with food delivery motorbikes after their streets were being 'swarmed' by bikes. Food delivery companies in one London area must now apply for permission to operate.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Online Deliveries - Level 4 or  Online Deliveries - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42245367
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/07/nyregion/ups-drivers-hours-online-shopping-holidays.html
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5167813/Council-crackdown-restaurants-using-delivery-apps.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. creating chaos
  2. more trucks are clogging
  3. This is increasing traffic
  4. trying to deliver parcels
  5. Delivery drivers are battling for
  6. Many have to park
  7. This adds to the gridlock
  8. This problem is set
  1. for other road users
  2. on time
  3. to get worse
  4. up city streets
  5. illegally
  6. on city streets
  7. parking spaces
  8. jams

Paragraph 2

  1. parcel deliveries
  2. Many cities have taken tough
  3. address the
  4. when roads are
  5. thinking about using buses to
  6. Some areas of London are also
  7. streets were being 'swarmed'
  8. apply for permission
  1. getting tough
  2. busiest
  3. shot up
  4. by bikes
  5. measures
  6. to operate
  7. problems
  8. deliver parcels

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The huge popularity of online shopping is (1) ___________________ city streets. The number of online deliveries (2) ___________________ so is the number of delivery trucks on the roads. The result is that hundreds more trucks (3) ___________________ city streets. This is increasing traffic jams and pollution. There are hundreds more delivery trucks in cities around the world. They are all (4) ___________________ parcels on time. Delivery drivers (5) ___________________ parking spaces. Many have to park illegally, or double park. This adds to the gridlock for other road users. This problem (6) ___________________ get worse.

The BBC reports that parcel (7) ___________________ by almost 50 per cent between 2014 and 2016. This could increase by up to 28 per cent a year over the next three years. Many cities have (8) ___________________ to address the problems. Cities in Europe and Asia have barred deliveries when (9) ___________________. London is thinking about using buses to deliver parcels. (10) ___________________ London are also getting tough with food delivery motorbikes after their streets were (11) ___________________ bikes. Food delivery companies in one London area must (12) ___________________ permission to operate.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thehugepopularityofonlineshoppingiscreatingchaosoncitystreets.T
henumberofonlinedeliveriesisskyrocketingandsoisthenumberofdeli
verytrucksontheroads.Theresultisthathundredsmoretrucksareclog
gingupcitystreets.Thisisincreasingtrafficjamsandpollution.Thereare
hundredsmoredeliverytrucksincitiesaroundtheworld.Theyarealltryi
ngtodeliverparcelsontime.Deliverydriversarebattlingforparkingspa
ces.Manyhavetoparkillegally,ordoublepark.Thisaddstothegridlockfo
rotherroadusers.Thisproblemissettogetworse.TheBBCreportsthatp
arceldeliveriesshotupbyalmost50percentbetween2014and2016.Thi
scouldincreasebyupto28percentayearoverthenextthreeyears.Many
citieshavetakentoughmeasurestoaddresstheproblems.CitiesinEuro
peandAsiahavebarreddeliverieswhenroadsarebusiest.Londonisthin
kingaboutusingbusestodeliverparcels.SomeareasofLondonarealsog
ettingtoughwithfooddeliverymotorbikesaftertheirstreetswerebeing'
swarmed'bybikes.FooddeliverycompaniesinoneLondonareamustno
wapplyforpermissiontooperate.

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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