The Reading / Listening - Online Lectures - Level 0

A professor gave a two-hour online lecture but didn't know he was on mute. His microphone was off. None of his students could hear him. His lecture started well, but then the screen on his iPad froze. The video came back but the mic was off. The professor did not notice. Maybe it was because he used an iPad.

Students tried to contact their professor many times. They waved their arms and called his phone. The moment he understood his mic was off is now viral on the Internet. He looked shocked and stressed. He was upset because he wasted two hours of his students' time. He will redo the lecture.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Online Lectures - Level 1,  Online Lectures - Level 2   or  Online Lectures - Level 3

Sources
  • https://news.yahoo.com/singaporean-professor-lectures-2-hours-190353801.html
  • https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/ny-singapore-professor-mute-lesson-20210210-pm24owto3rh5xho52fwa575zi4-story.html
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9247009/Maths-professor-Singapore-delivers-two-hour-lecture-Zoom-realise-mute.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. he was on
  2. None of his students could
  3. His lecture started
  4. the screen on his iPad
  5. The video came
  6. the mic was
  7. The professor did
  8. Maybe it was because he
  1. froze
  2. not notice
  3. hear him
  4. used an iPad
  5. off
  6. well
  7. back
  8. mute

Paragraph 2

  1. Students tried to contact
  2. They waved
  3. The moment he understood his
  4. viral on the
  5. He looked shocked
  6. He was
  7. he wasted two hours of his
  8. He will redo
  1. and stressed
  2. mic was off
  3. the lecture
  4. their professor
  5. their arms
  6. students' time
  7. Internet
  8. upset

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A professor gave a two-hour (1) ___________________ didn't know he (2) ___________________. His microphone was off. None of his students could hear him. His (3) ___________________, but then (4) ___________________ his iPad froze. The video came back but (5) ___________________ off. The professor did not notice. Maybe it was (6) ___________________ an iPad.

Students (7) ___________________ their professor many times. They (8) ___________________ and called his phone. The moment he understood his mic was off (9) ___________________ on the Internet. He (10) ___________________ stressed. He was upset because (11) ___________________ hours of his students' time. He will (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Aprofessorgaveatwo-houronlinelecturebutdidn'tknowhewasonmu
te.Hismicrophonewasoff.Noneofhisstudentscouldhearhim.Hislectur
estartedwell,butthenthescreenonhisiPadfroze.Thevideocamebackb
utthemicwasoff.Theprofessordidnotnotice.Maybeitwasbecauseheu
sedaniPad.Studentstriedtocontacttheirprofessormanytimes.Theyw
avedtheirarmsandcalledhisphone.Themomentheunderstoodhismic
wasoffisnowviralontheInternet.Helookedshockedandstressed.Hew
asupsetbecausehewastedtwohoursofhisstudents'time.Hewillredoth
electure.

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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