The Reading / Listening - Cashless Payments - Level 5

The advance of technology has been halted slightly in New York. Lawmakers passed a bill to ban cashless businesses. With the seemingly relentless drive to replace cash with plastic or digital payments, New York City officials decided cash still has a part to play in our lives. Officials approved legislation that prohibits stores, restaurants and other outlets from refusing cash. They want people to be able to pay via notes and coins. This means businesses in the city will not be able to insist that customers use cashless payments in any transactions.

Businesses could face big fines of up to $1,500 for not following the law. Critics of cashless businesses say they discriminate against the poor because many people do not have bank accounts or credit cards. One city resident said: "I worry about the real-world discriminatory effect that cashless business can have on...communities of color." Another said: "It's incredibly discriminatory not to accept cash because some people can't get credit." An opponent of the bill said: "We are inserting ourselves in the business of business in a way that we don't have the right to."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Cashless Payments - Level 4 or  Cashless Payments - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/nyregion/nyc-cashless-ban.html
  • https://www.wsls.com/business/2020/01/23/new-york-city-council-votes-to-ban-cashless-businesses/
  • https://gothamist.com/news/city-council-passes-bill-requiring-restaurants-other-retail-businesses-accept-cash


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 advance
  2. Lawmakers passed
  3. the seemingly relentless drive to
  4. cash still has a part to
  5. restaurants and
  6. be able to pay via
  7. businesses in the city will not
  8. use cashless payments in
  1. notes and coins
  2. play in our lives
  3. any transactions
  4. other outlets
  5. be able to insist
  6. a bill
  7. of technology
  8. replace cash

Paragraph 2

  1. Businesses could face big fines of
  2. they discriminate against
  3. many people do not have
  4. It's incredibly
  5. some people can't
  6. An opponent
  7. inserting ourselves in the business
  8. we don't have the
  1. bank accounts
  2. of business
  3. get credit
  4. up to $1,500
  5. right to
  6. the poor
  7. discriminatory
  8. of the bill

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The advance of technology has (1) ___________________ in New York. Lawmakers passed a (2) ___________________ cashless businesses. With the seemingly relentless (3) ___________________ cash with plastic or digital payments, New York City officials decided cash still has a (4) ___________________ in our lives. Officials approved legislation that prohibits stores, restaurants (5) ___________________ from refusing cash. They want people to be able to pay via notes and coins. This means businesses in the city will not be able to insist that customers use cashless payments (6) ___________________.

Businesses could (7) ___________________ of up to $1,500 for not following the law. Critics of cashless businesses say (8) _________________ the poor because many people do not have bank accounts or credit cards. One city resident said: "I worry (9) ___________________ discriminatory effect that cashless business can (10) ___________________ of color." Another said: "It's incredibly discriminatory not to accept cash because some people (11) ___________________." An opponent of the bill said: "We are inserting ourselves in the business of business (12) ___________________ that we don't have the right to."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheadvanceoftechnologyhasbeenhaltedslightlyinNewYork.Lawmak
erspassedabilltobancashlessbusinesses.Withtheseeminglyrelentles
sdrivetoreplacecashwithplasticordigitalpayments,NewYorkCityoffici
alsdecidedcashstillhasaparttoplayinourlives.Officialsapprovedlegisl
ationthatprohibitsstores,restaurantsandotheroutletsfromrefusingc
ash.Theywantpeopletobeabletopayvianotesandcoins.Thismeansbu
sinessesinthecitywillnotbeabletoinsistthatcustomersusecashlesspa
ymentsinanytransactions.Businessescouldfacebigfinesofupto$1,50
0fornotfollowingthelaw.Criticsofcashlessbusinessessaytheydiscrimi
nateagainstthepoorbecausemanypeopledonothavebankaccountsor
creditcards.Onecityresidentsaid:"Iworryaboutthereal-worlddiscri
minatoryeffectthatcashlessbusinesscanhaveon...communitiesofcol
or."Anothersaid:"It'sincrediblydiscriminatorynottoacceptcashbeca
usesomepeoplecan'tgetcredit."Anopponentofthebillsaid:"Weareins
ertingourselvesinthebusinessofbusinessinawaythatwedon'thavethe
rightto."

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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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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