The Reading / Listening - World Record - Level 5

There is a world record for almost everything these days. Who knew there was one for making the tallest pile of M&Ms? Well, there is, and it has been broken. A civil engineer attempted the balancing challenge while trying to stop the boredom of being cooped up during a COVID lockdown. He used all his engineering skills, with a touch of physics know-how, to pile the multi-coloured chocolates five M&Ms high. Many people might think that is a beatable record. Mr Cutbill thinks otherwise and challenged anybody to try and better his balancing feat.

Mr Cutbill spoke about why he broke the M&M record. He said: "I've had a lifelong ambition to break a Guinness World Records title. I've bought the book every year and have always dreamed of one day reading my name in it." He got the idea while he was eating his favourite chocolaty sweet during lockdown. He was curious to know how many M&Ms he could put on top of each other. He said: "It takes time, but if you stick at it, you will find a way to do it." He added: "This has inspired me. I want to let my creative juices flow and see what else I may be good at."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    World Record - Level 4 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. making the tallest
  2. civil
  3. stop the boredom of
  4. He used all his engineering
  5. pile the multi-coloured chocolates
  6. people might think that is
  7. Mr Cutbill thinks
  8. try and better his
  1. a beatable record
  2. being cooped up
  3. balancing feat
  4. pile of M&Ms
  5. skills
  6. otherwise
  7. engineer
  8. five M&Ms high

Paragraph 2

  1. Mr Cutbill spoke about why he
  2. I've had a lifelong
  3. eating his favourite chocolaty
  4. He was curious
  5. put on top
  6. if you stick at it, you will find
  7. I want to let my creative
  8. see what else I
  1. a way to do it
  2. of each other
  3. may be good at
  4. sweet
  5. juices flow
  6. to know
  7. broke the M&M record
  8. ambition

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There is a world (1) ___________________ everything these days. Who knew there was one for making (2) ___________________ of M&Ms? Well, there is, and it has been broken. A civil engineer attempted the balancing challenge while trying to (3) ___________________ of being cooped up during a COVID lockdown. He used all his engineering skills, with a (4) ___________________ know-how, to pile the multi-coloured chocolates five M&Ms high. Many people might think that is (5) ___________________. Mr Cutbill thinks otherwise and challenged anybody to try and (6) ___________________ feat.

Mr Cutbill spoke about why he broke the M&M record. He said: "I've had (7) ___________________ to break a Guinness World Records title. I've bought the book every year and have (8) ___________________ one day reading my name in it." He got the idea while he was eating his favourite (9) ___________________ lockdown. He was curious to know how many M&Ms he could put on top (10) ___________________. He said: "It takes time, but if you (11) ___________________, you will find a way to do it." He added: "This has inspired me. I want to let my (12) ___________________ and see what else I may be good at."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thereisaworldrecordforalmosteverythingthesedays.Whoknewthere
wasoneformakingthetallestpileofM&Ms?Well,thereis,andithasbeenb
roken.Acivilengineerattemptedthebalancingchallengewhiletryingto
stoptheboredomofbeingcoopedupduringaCOVIDlockdown.Heuseda
llhisengineeringskills,withatouchofphysicsknow-how,topilethemu
lti-colouredchocolatesfiveM&Mshigh.Manypeoplemightthinkthati
sabeatablerecord.MrCutbillthinksotherwiseandchallengedanybodyt
otryandbetterhisbalancingfeat.MrCutbillspokeaboutwhyhebrokethe
M&Mrecord.Hesaid:"I'vehadalifelongambitiontobreakaGuinnessWo
rldRecordstitle.I'veboughtthebookeveryyearandhavealwaysdream
edofonedayreadingmynameinit."Hegottheideawhilehewaseatinghis
favouritechocolatysweetduringlockdown.Hewascurioustoknowhow
manyM&Mshecouldputontopofeachother.Hesaid:"Ittakestime,butif
youstickatit,youwillfindawaytodoit."Headded:"Thishasinspiredme.I
wanttoletmycreativejuicesflowandseewhatelseImaybegoodat."

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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