The Reading / Listening - Paris Metro - Level 2

A pregnant woman was given a 60-euro fine for walking the wrong way in the Paris Metro. Sixty euros is about $74. The woman said she took a shortcut to save some time on her journey. However, an inspector at the station caught her and immediately fined her. A spokesman for the Paris Metro said the woman correctly got a fine for not following the rules. He said the rules were to control the flow of people so everyone can quickly get to trains or out of stations. He added that there are many "walk this way" signs in the stations and they are easy to see.

Many social media users are angry. They say a pregnant woman should not be fined for not wanting to walk a long way. A passenger group said the fine was "completely stupid". It wants the rules to change. A woman on social media shared a similar story. She said: "I was the only person in the corridor when they stopped me. It's unacceptable." The Metro responded to complaints. It wrote: "I am sorry that this situation surprises you, but these are the current regulations. In the same way that if a car drives in a prohibited area, the car's driver...receives a fine."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Paris Metro - Level 0 Paris Metro - Level 1   or  Paris Metro - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.news24.com/World/News/paris-metro-fines-pregnant-woman-for-walking-wrong-way-20180303
  • https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5716973/pregnant-woman-fined-walked-wrong-way-metro-underground-paris/
  • https://www.rt.com/news/420390-french-metro-pregnant-fine/


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. The woman said she took a
  2. save some time
  3. an inspector at the station
  4. a fine for not following
  5. control the flow
  6. get to trains or
  7. there are many "walk this way"
  8. they are easy
  1. of people
  2. signs
  3. shortcut
  4. to see
  5. caught her
  6. the rules
  7. on her journey
  8. out of stations

Paragraph 2

  1. Many social media
  2. a pregnant
  3. completely
  4. It wants the rules
  5. shared a similar
  6. The Metro responded to
  7. these are the current
  8. if a car drives in a prohibited
  1. complaints
  2. stupid
  3. story
  4. users are angry
  5. regulations
  6. woman
  7. area
  8. to change

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A (1) ___________________ given a 60-euro fine for walking the wrong way in the Paris Metro. Sixty euros is about $74. The woman said she (2) ___________________ to save some time on her journey. However, (3) ___________________ the station caught her and immediately fined her. A spokesman for the Paris Metro said the woman correctly got a fine for not (4) ___________________. He said the rules were to (5) ___________________ of people so everyone can quickly get to trains or out of stations. He added that there are many "(6) ___________________" signs in the stations and they are easy to see.

Many social media (7) ___________________. They say a pregnant woman should not be fined for not wanting to walk a long way. A passenger group said the fine (8) ___________________. It wants the rules to change. A woman on social media shared (9) ___________________. She said: "I was the only person in the corridor when they stopped me. It's unacceptable." The Metro (10) ___________________. It wrote: "I am sorry that this situation surprises you, but these are (11) ___________________. In the same way that if a car drives in (12) ___________________, the car's driver...receives a fine."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Apregnantwomanwasgivena60-eurofineforwalkingthewrongwayi
ntheParisMetro.Sixtyeurosisabout$74.Thewomansaidshetookashor
tcuttosavesometimeonherjourney.However,aninspectoratthestatio
ncaughtherandimmediatelyfinedher.AspokesmanfortheParisMetros
aidthewomancorrectlygotafinefornotfollowingtherules.Hesaidtheru
lesweretocontroltheflowofpeoplesoeveryonecanquicklygettotrainso
routofstations.Headdedthattherearemany"walkthisway"signsinthe
stationsandtheyareeasytosee.Manysocialmediausersareangry.The
ysayapregnantwomanshouldnotbefinedfornotwantingtowa
lkalongway.Apassengergroupsaidthefinewas"completelystupid".It
wantstherulestochange.Awomanonsocialmediasharedasimilarstory
.Shesaid:"Iwastheonlypersoninthecorridorwhentheystoppedme.It'
sunacceptable."TheMetrorespondedtocomplaints.Itwrote:"Iamsorr
ythatthissituationsurprisesyou,butthesearethecurrentregulations.I
nthesamewaythatifacardrivesinaprohibitedarea,thecar'sdriver...re
ceivesafine."

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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