The Reading / Listening - Data Roaming - Level 2

A telephone bill shocked scientists in Russia. The bill was a lot bigger than they thought. This was because the eagle they were following in their research flew outside Russia. The scientists tracked the eagle using SMS as it flew across Europe and Asia. When the eagle flew outside Russia, its SMS transmitters used the Internet services of other countries. The scientists had to pay data roaming charges. These are the charges you pay to use your mobile phone in other countries. The research team ran out of money after the eagle flew to Iran and Pakistan.

The team started a crowdfunding page to raise money for the bill. The page is called "Top up the eagle's mobile". Bird lovers gave money to the page. It raised $1,600 to pay the bill. Russia's mobile phone operator heard of the scientists' problems and cancelled the debt. It moved the team's phone package to a cheaper one. The problem for the team started when the eagle flew outside Kazakhstan. A Kazakhstan SMS cost 30 US cents; one from Iran cost the team 50 cents. A scientist wants the eagle to continue sending SMS data. This will help his project and protect all eagles.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Data Roaming - Level 0 Data Roaming - Level 1   or  Data Roaming - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50180781
  • https://www.newsweek.com/migrating-eagle-cell-phone-bill-1467873
  • https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/10/25/russian-eagle-racks-up-hefty-phone-bills-with-iran-flights-a67911


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 bill was a lot bigger than
  2. the eagle they were following
  3. When the eagle
  4. The scientists had to pay data
  5. These are the charges you
  6. use your mobile phone in
  7. The research team ran
  8. after the eagle flew
  1. other countries
  2. flew
  3. to Iran
  4. they thought
  5. out of money
  6. roaming charges
  7. pay
  8. in their research

Paragraph 2

  1. The team started a
  2. raise
  3. bird
  4. It raised $1,600
  5. cancelled the
  6. It moved the team's phone
  7. This will
  8. protect all
  1. lovers
  2. eagles
  3. package
  4. money
  5. help his project
  6. debt
  7. crowdfunding page
  8. to pay the bill

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A telephone (1) ___________________ in Russia. The bill was a lot bigger than they thought. This was because the eagle they were following (2) ___________________ flew outside Russia. The scientists tracked the eagle using SMS as it flew across Europe and Asia. When the (3) ___________________ Russia, its SMS transmitters used the Internet (4) ___________________ countries. The scientists had to pay (5) ___________________. These are the charges you pay to use your mobile phone in other countries. The research team (6) ___________________ money after the eagle flew to Iran and Pakistan.

The team started a crowdfunding (7) ___________________ money for the bill. The page is called "Top up the eagle's mobile". Bird (8) ___________________ to the page. It raised $1,600 to pay the bill. Russia's mobile phone (9) ___________________ the scientists' problems and cancelled the debt. It moved the team's phone (10) ___________________ cheaper one. The problem for the team started when the eagle flew outside Kazakhstan. A Kazakhstan SMS cost 30 US cents; one from Iran (11) ___________________ 50 cents. A scientist wants the eagle to continue sending SMS data. This will help his project (12) ___________________ eagles.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AtelephonebillshockedscientistsinRussia.Thebillwasalotbiggerthant
heythought.Thiswasbecausetheeagletheywerefollowingintheirrese
archflewoutsideRussia.ThescientiststrackedtheeagleusingSMSasitfl
ewacrossEuropeandAsia.WhentheeagleflewoutsideRussia,itsSMStr
ansmittersusedtheInternetservicesofothercountries.Thescientistsh
adtopaydataroamingcharges.Thesearethechargesyoupaytouseyou
rmobilephoneinothercountries.Theresearchteamranoutofmoneyaft
ertheeagleflewtoIranandPakistan.Theteamstartedacrowdfundingp
agetoraisemoneyforthebill.Thepageiscalled"Topuptheeagle'smobil
e".Birdloversgavemoneytothepage.Itraised$1,600topaythebill.Rus
sia'smobilephoneoperatorheardofthescientists'problemsandcancell
edthedebt.Itmovedtheteam'sphonepackagetoacheaperone.Thepro
blemfortheteamstartedwhentheeagleflewoutsideKazakhstan.AKaz
akhstanSMScost30UScents;onefromIrancosttheteam50cents.Asci
entistwantstheeagletocontinuesendingSMSdata.Thiswillhelphisproj
ectandprotectalleagles.

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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