The Reading / Listening - World Record - Level 4

There is a world record for everything these days. Who knew there was one for the tallest pile of M&Ms? A civil engineer has broken the record for balancing M&Ms on top of each other. He did it to stop the boredom of being locked down. He used his engineering skills to pile the multi-coloured chocolates five high. People might think this is a beatable record. The engineer thinks otherwise. He challenged anybody to try and better his balancing record.

The engineer spoke about why he broke the M&M record. His lifelong ambition was to break a Guinness record. He bought the book every year and dreamt of his name being in it. He got the idea for the record while he was eating M&M chocolates during lockdown. He was curious to know how many M&Ms he could pile up. He said: "It takes time, but if you stick at it, you will find a way." He now wants to let his creative juices flow to see what else he is good at.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    World Record - Level 5 or  World Record - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/06/28/man-breaks-guinness-world-record-tallest-stack-m-ms/5371006001/
  • https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2021/6/tallest-stack-of-mms-record-broken-by-brit-662361
  • https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/guinness-world-record-tallest-ever-20864812


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. a world record for everything
  2. A civil
  3. He did it to stop the
  4. He used his engineering
  5. pile the multi-coloured chocolates
  6. People might think this is
  7. Mr Cutbill thinks
  8. try and better his
  1. engineer
  2. otherwise
  3. five high
  4. balancing record
  5. these days
  6. skills
  7. a beatable record
  8. boredom

Paragraph 2

  1. lifelong
  2. He got the idea
  3. while he was
  4. during
  5. curious to know how many
  6. if you stick at it,
  7. let his creative
  8. see what else
  1. he is good at
  2. lockdown
  3. you will find a way
  4. eating M&M chocolates
  5. juices flow
  6. ambition
  7. for the record
  8. M&Ms he could pile up

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There is a world record for (1) ___________________. Who knew there was one for the tallest pile of M&Ms? A (2) ___________________ broken the record for balancing M&Ms on top (3) ___________________. He did it to stop the (4) ___________________ locked down. He used his engineering skills to pile the multi-coloured (5) ___________________. People might think this is a beatable record. The engineer thinks otherwise. He challenged anybody to (6) ___________________ his balancing record.

The engineer spoke about why he broke the M&M record. His (7) ___________________ to break a Guinness record. He bought the book every year and (8) ___________________ name being in it. He got the idea for the record while he was eating M&M (9) ___________________. He was curious to know how many M&Ms he (10) __________________. He said: "It takes time, but if you (11) ___________________, you will find a way." He now wants to let his (12) ___________________ to see what else he is good at.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thereisaworldrecordforeverythingthesedays.Whoknewtherewason
eforthetallestpileofM&Ms?Acivilengineerhasbrokentherecordforbala
ncingM&Msontopofeachother.Hedidittostoptheboredomofbeinglock
eddown.Heusedhisengineeringskillstopilethemulticolouredchocolat
esfivehigh.Peoplemightthinkthisisabeatablerecord.Theengineerthin
ksotherwise.Hechallengedanybodytotryandbetterhisbalancingrecor
d.TheengineerspokeaboutwhyhebroketheM&Mrecord.Hislifelonga
mbitionwastobreakaGuinnessrecord.Heboughtthebookeveryyeara
nddreamtofhisnamebeinginit.Hegottheideafortherecordwhilehewas
eatingM&Mchocolatesduringlockdown.Hewascurioustoknowhowma
nyM&Mshecouldpileup.Hesaid:"Ittakestime,butifyoustickatit,youwi
llfindaway."Henowwantstolethiscreativejuicesflowtoseewhatelsehe
isgoodat.

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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