The Reading / Listening - Public Toilets - Level 2

Architects in Japan made a new public toilet. It has transparent walls. When someone locks the door it is not see-through. The Nippon Foundation started a project called "The Tokyo Toilet". It wants to design new public restrooms that are more attractive and accessible. An official said he wanted people to feel comfortable using public toilets and for people to think about the next person. World-famous architects participated in the project. In total, 16 top designers made new toilet designs. These will be dotted around in 17 parks and public spaces in Japan's capital Tokyo.

The Nippon Foundation wants to change the negative image of public toilets. Many people think toilets are "dark, dirty, stinky and scary" places. People want toilets that are clean, where "no one is secretly waiting inside". The first transparent toilets opened in a Tokyo park this week. They became a tourist attraction. Many people waited to take photos of them, and of course... go. People can see the toilets and sinks from the outside. However, when the door is locked, the special glass walls suddenly become dark, so no one on the outside can see inside.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Public Toilets - Level 0 Public Toilets - Level 1   or  Public Toilets - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13646322
  • https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2020/08/16/why-tokyos-new-transparent-public-restrooms-are-a-stroke-of-genius
  • https://archinect.com/news/article/150211751/the-tokyo-toilet-project-pritzker-prize-winners-shigeru-ban-tadao-ando-toyo-ito-and-fumihiko-maki-among-designers-of-new-public-restrooms


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. Architects
  2. It has transparent
  3. When someone locks
  4. It wants to design new public
  5. more attractive and
  6. think about the next
  7. dotted
  8. in Japan's
  1. around
  2. capital Tokyo
  3. restrooms
  4. accessible
  5. walls
  6. in Japan
  7. person
  8. the door

Paragraph 2

  1. change the negative
  2. dark, dirty, stinky and
  3. People want toilets that
  4. no one is secretly
  5. They became a tourist
  6. when the door is
  7. no one on the outside can
  8. no one on the outside
  1. see inside
  2. waiting inside
  3. can see inside
  4. locked
  5. are clean
  6. image of public toilets
  7. attraction
  8. scary places

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Architects in Japan made a (1) ___________________. It has transparent walls. When someone (2) ___________________ it is not see-through. The Nippon Foundation started a project called "The Tokyo Toilet". It wants to design (3) ___________________ that are more attractive and accessible. An official said he wanted people (4) ___________________ using public toilets and for people to think about the next person. World-famous (5) ___________________ the project. In total, 16 top designers made new toilet designs. These will (6) ___________________ in 17 parks and public spaces in Japan's capital Tokyo.

The Nippon Foundation wants to change (7) ___________________ of public toilets. Many people think toilets are "(8) ___________________ and scary" places. People want toilets that are clean, where "no one (9) ___________________ inside". The first transparent toilets opened in a Tokyo park this week. They became (10) ___________________. Many people waited to take photos of them, and of course... go. People can see the (11) ___________________ from the outside. However, when the door is locked, the special glass walls (12) ___________________, so no one on the outside can see inside.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ArchitectsinJapanmadeanewpublictoilet.Ithastransparentwalls.Wh
ensomeonelocksthedooritisnotsee-through.TheNipponFoundation
startedaprojectcalled"TheTokyoToilet".Itwantstodesignnewpublicr
estroomsthataremoreattractiveandaccessible.Anofficialsaidhewant
edpeopletofeelcomfortableusingpublictoiletsandforpeopletothinkab
outthenextperson.World-famousarchitectsparticipatedintheprojec
t.Intotal,16topdesignersmadenewtoiletdesigns.Thesewillbedotteda
roundin17parksandpublicspacesinJapan'scapitalTokyo.TheNipponF
oundationwantstochangethenegativeimageofpublictoilets.Manypeo
plethinktoiletsare"dark,dirty,stinkyandscary"places.Peoplewanttoil
etsthatareclean,where"nooneissecretlywaitinginside".Thefirsttrans
parenttoiletsopenedinaTokyoparkthisweek.Theybecameatouristatt
raction.Manypeoplewaitedtotakephotosofthem,andofcourse...go.P
eoplecanseethetoiletsandsinksfromtheoutside.However,whenthed
oorislocked,thespecialglasswallssuddenlybecomedark,sonooneont
heoutsidecanseeinside.

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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