The Reading / Listening - Working Week - Level 1

Businessman Elon Musk has said people must work up to 100 hours a week to "change the world". Mr Musk works very hard. He is the founder, CEO and lead designer of SpaceX; the co-founder of Tesla; and the co-founder of PayPal. His many projects have changed our lives. He is a workaholic but he loves working. He talked about hard work in an interview. He said: "There are easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week."

Workers at Mr Musk's companies also work long hours. He said "everyone" at Tesla has worked 100 hours per week at times this year. Musk said some Tesla employees were unhappy with their long hours. Others said they like to work 70 hours per week. Musk said, the "pain level" increases above 80 hours a week. He didn't say what the pain was. The average CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company works about 70 hours a week.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Working Week - Level 0 Working Week - Level 2   or  Working Week - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-says-80-hours-per-week-needed-change-the-world-2018-11
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/05/elon-musk-on-working-120-hours-a-week-youll-go-bonkers.html
  • https://thetechportal.com/2018/11/04/elon-musk-minute-interview/


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. must work up to 100 hours
  2. Mr Musk works very
  3. the co-founder
  4. His many projects have
  5. He is a
  6. He talked
  7. There are easier
  8. nobody ever
  1. workaholic
  2. places to work
  3. a week
  4. changed the world
  5. of PayPal
  6. changed our lives
  7. hard
  8. about hard work

Paragraph 2

  1. work long
  2. 100 hours
  3. Others said they
  4. the pain level increases
  5. He didn't say what
  6. The average
  7. a multi-billion-
  8. about 70 hours
  1. above 80 hours
  2. dollar company
  3. hours
  4. CEO
  5. a week
  6. like to work
  7. per week
  8. the pain was

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Businessman Elon Musk has said people (1) ___________________ to 100 hours (2) ___________________ "change the world". Mr Musk works very hard. He is the founder, CEO and lead designer of SpaceX; (3) ___________________ Tesla; and the co-founder of PayPal. His many projects (4) ___________________ lives. He is a workaholic but (5) ___________________. He talked about hard work in an interview. He said: "There are easier places to work, (6) ___________________ changed the world on 40 hours a week."

Workers at Mr Musk's companies (7) ___________________ hours. He said "everyone" at Tesla has worked 100 hours per (8) ___________________ this year. Musk said some Tesla employees (9) ___________________ their long hours. Others said they like to work 70 hours per week. Musk said, (10) ___________________ increases above 80 hours a week. He didn't say what (11) ___________________. The average CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company (12) ___________________ hours a week.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

BusinessmanElonMuskhassaidpeoplemustworkupto100hoursawee
kto"changetheworld".MrMuskworksveryhard.Heisthefounder,CEOa
ndleaddesignerofSpaceX;theco-founderofTesla;andtheco-founde
rofPayPal.Hismanyprojectshavechangedourlives.Heisaworkaholicb
uthelovesworking.Hetalkedabouthardworkinaninterview.Hesaid:"T
hereareeasierplacestowork,butnobodyeverchangedtheworldon40h
oursaweek."WorkersatMrMusk'scompaniesalsoworklonghours.Hes
aid"everyone"atTeslahasworked100hoursperweekattimesthisyear.
MusksaidsomeTeslaemployeeswereunhappywiththeirlonghours.Ot
herssaidtheyliketowork70hoursperweek.Musksaid,the"painlevel"in
creasesabove80hoursaweek.Hedidn'tsaywhatthepainwas.Theaver
ageCEOofamulti-billion-dollarcompanyworksabout70hoursaweek.

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