The Reading / Listening - Fast Fashion - Level 3

Environmentalists are getting more worried about the effects of fast fashion on the environment. Fast fashion is the mass production of clothes at a low cost. They are put in shops and online quickly to create a high demand. Manufacturers make 100 billion items of clothing every year. This is expected to grow by 60 per cent by 2030. The fast fashion business model is having a negative effect on the environment. Many of the clothes end up in landfills and are not recycled. Another negative effect on the environment is caused by the chemicals used to make the clothes. These cause health problems for people working in clothes factories. There are reports children make many of these clothes.

The way people are buying clothes is adding to the problem of clothing waste. Many years ago, people went to stores and tried clothes on. People took more time and thought more carefully before they bought clothes. They also wore them for longer. Today, people order cheap clothes on the Internet and if they don't like them, they send them back. Some people say this is causing a throwaway society. Some people buy clothes and never even wear them. The German media company Deutsche Welle wrote: "Every year in Europe, four million tons of clothing ends up in the trash. Less than one per cent of this is recycled." It seems the fashion industry is not so sustainable.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Fast Fashion - Level 0,  Fast Fashion - Level 1   or  Fast Fashion - Level 2

Sources
  • https://www.dw.com/en/fast-fashion-the-shady-world-of-cheap-clothing/a-60351403
  • https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-04/charities-spending-millions-cleaning-up-fast-fashion-graveyard/10328758
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-60249712


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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. FAST FASHION: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about fast fashion. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       environmentalist / fast fashion / mass production / clothing / negative / chemicals /
       waste / cheap / Internet / throwaway / media / society / trash / recycled / industry
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. 10 YEARS: Students A strongly believe we should all try to wear clothes we buy for at least 10 years; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: How bad are these problems? How can we reduce them? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

How Bad

Solutions

Human waste

 

 

Overpopulation

 

 

Biodiversity loss

 

 

Deforestation

 

 

Desertification

 

 

Pollution

 

 
MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. FACTORY: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "factory". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. FASHION: Rank these with your partner. Put the most serious issues concerning fast fashion at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Water usage
  • Poisonous dyes
  • Plastic microfibres
  • Overconsumption
  • Landfills
  • Child labour
  • Waste
  • Energy consumption

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. effect a. Making large amounts of something by using machines.
      2. mass production b. A person or company that makes things to sell.
      3. demand c. A change that is because of an earlier action.
      4. manufacturer d. A large area in which trash is put.
      5. expected e. Thought something would happen.
      6. landfill f. A building or group of buildings where things are made by machine.
      7. factory g. The amount of things asked for by people who want to buy things.

    Paragraph 2

      8. waste h. Able to be kept going at a certain rate or level.
      9. try on i. Changed something that was unwanted or thrown away into something else.
      10. society j. Look so.
      11. recycled k. Unwanted things that are thrown away.
      12. seem l. Put on an item of clothing to see if the size is OK.
      13. industry m. Economic activity of a particular area (e.g. health, tourism, car making...).
      14. sustainable n. All of the people living together in a country.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. Environmentalists are worried about fast and slow fashion.     T / F
  2. Clothes makers make 100 billion items of clothing annually.     T / F
  3. Fast fashion will be 60% bigger by the end of this decade.     T / F
  4. No children are involved in making clothes any more.     T / F
  5. Fast fashion has changed people's shopping habits.     T / F
  6. People used to take their time when they shopped for clothes.     T / F
  7. The article says we all buy clothes that we never wear.     T / F
  8. Less than 1% of clothes thrown away in Europe are recycled.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. worried
  2. production
  3. items
  4. effect
  5. cause
  6. bought
  7. cheap
  8. throwaway
  9. ends up
  10. recycled
  1. create
  2. impact
  3. disposable
  4. manufacturing
  5. inexpensive
  6. finishes
  7. concerned
  8. purchased
  9. reused
  10. articles

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. the mass
  2. This is expected to grow by
  3. a negative effect
  4. the chemicals used to
  5. children make
  6. adding to the problem of
  7. They also wore them
  8. this is causing a throwaway
  9. four million tons of clothing ends
  10. the fashion industry is not
  1. for longer
  2. on the environment
  3. production of clothes
  4. clothing waste
  5. 60 per cent by 2030
  6. so sustainable
  7. many of these clothes
  8. up in the trash
  9. make the clothes
  10. society

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
recycled
worried
effect
mass
children
cost
chemicals
expected

Environmentalists are getting more (1) _____________________ about the effects of fast fashion on the environment. Fast fashion is the (2) _____________________ production of clothes at a low (3) _____________________. They are put in shops and online quickly to create a high demand. Manufacturers make 100 billion items of clothing every year. This is (4) _____________________ to grow by 60 per cent by 2030. The fast fashion business model is having a negative (5) _____________________ on the environment. Many of the clothes end up in landfills and are not (6) _____________________. Another negative effect on the environment is caused by the (7) _____________________ used to make the clothes. These cause health problems for people working in clothes factories. There are reports (8) _____________________ make many of these clothes.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
carefully
society
sustainable
back
ends
adding
order
them

The way people are buying clothes is (9) _____________________ to the problem of clothing waste. Many years ago, people went to stores and tried clothes on. People took more time and thought more (10) _____________________ before they bought clothes. They also wore them for longer. Today, people (11) _____________________ cheap clothes on the Internet and if they don't like them, they send them (12) _____________________. Some people say this is causing a throwaway (13) _____________________. Some people buy clothes and never even wear (14) _____________________. The German media company Deutsche Welle wrote: "Every year in Europe, four million tons of clothing (15) _____________________ up in the trash. Less than one per cent of this is recycled." It seems the fashion industry is not so (16) _____________________.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) Environmentalists are getting more worried ______
     a.  about the affects
     b.  about the infects
     c.  about the insects
     d.  about the effects
2)  Fast fashion is the mass production of clothes at ______
     a.  allow cost
     b.  a low cost
     c.  tall low cost
     d.  all low cost
3)  They are put in shops and online quickly to create ______
     a.  a highs demand
     b.  a highly demand
     c.  a hide demand
     d.  a high demand
4)  effect on the environment. Many of the clothes end ______
     a.  up in landfills
     b.  upping landfills
     c.  upon landfills
     d.  up on landfills
5)  These cause health problems for people working ______
     a.  in clothe factories
     b.  in close factories
     c.  in cloze factories
     d.  in clothes factories

6)  The way people are buying clothes is adding to the problem ______
     a.  off clothing waste
     b.  of clothe in waste
     c.  of cloth thin waste
     d.  of clothing waste
7)  Many years ago, people went to stores and ______
     a.  tried clothes in
     b.  tried clothes on
     c.  tried clothes son
     d.  tried clothes zone
8)  People took more time and thought more carefully before ______
     a.  them bought clothes
     b.  these bought clothes
     c.  they bought clothes
     d.  their bought clothes
9)  people order cheap clothes on the Internet and if they don't like them, they ______
     a.  sends them back
     b.  sender them back
     c.  send them back
     d.  sending them back
10)  It seems the fashion industry is ______
     a.  not sous sustainable
     b.  not sew sustainable
     c.  not sews sustainable
     d.  not so sustainable

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Environmentalists are getting more worried about (1) ____________________ fast fashion on the environment. Fast fashion is the mass production of clothes (2) ____________________ cost. They are put in shops and online quickly to create (3) ____________________. Manufacturers make 100 billion items of clothing every year. This is expected to grow by 60 per cent by 2030. The fast fashion (4) ____________________ having a negative effect on the environment. Many of the clothes end (5) ____________________ and are not recycled. Another negative effect on the environment is caused by the chemicals used to make the clothes. These cause health problems for people working (6) ____________________. There are reports children make many of these clothes.

The way people are buying clothes (7) ____________________ the problem of clothing waste. Many years ago, people went to stores and tried clothes on. People (8) ____________________ and thought more carefully before they bought clothes. They also wore (9) ____________________. Today, people order cheap clothes on the Internet and if they don't like them, they send them back. Some people say this is causing a throwaway society. Some people buy clothes and never (10) ____________________. The German media company Deutsche Welle wrote: "Every year in Europe, four million (11) ____________________ ends up in the trash. Less than one per cent of this is recycled." It seems the fashion industry is (12) ____________________.

Comprehension questions

  1. What does fast fashion create by putting then in stores quickly?
  2. How many items of clothing are made each year?
  3. By when will the scale of fast fashion increase by 60%?
  4. Who is being affected by chemicals?
  5. Who is making many of the fast fashion clothes, according to reports?
  6. What is adding to the problem of clothing waste?
  7. What did people take when they bought clothes many years ago?
  8. What kind of society is being created?
  9. Who buys clothes that they never wear?
  10. How many clothes that are thrown away in Europe are recycled?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What does fast fashion create by putting clothes in stores quickly?
a) a mess
b) demand
c) supply
d) high prices
2) How many items of clothing are made each year?
a) 100 million items
b) 100 trillion items
c) 100 quadrillion items
d) 100 billion items
3) By when will the scale of fast fashion increase by 60%?
a) by 2030
b) by 2040
c) by 2025
d) by 2035
4) Who is being affected by chemicals?
a) designers
b) all of us
c) clothes factory workers
d) shop sellers
5) Who is making many of the fast fashion clothes, according to reports?
a) people in the USA
b) children
c) robots
d) experts

6) What is adding to the problem of clothing waste?
a) the way we shop
b) prices
c) demand
d) supply
7) What did people take when they bought clothes many years ago?
a) their children
b) chocolate
c) their time
d) photos
8) What kind of society is being created?
a) a throwaway society
b) a poorer society
c) a well-dressed society
d) a poorly-dressed society
9) Who buys clothes that they never wear?
a) some people
b) all of us
c) teens
d) rich people
10) How many clothes that are thrown away in Europe are recycled?
a) about half
b) 100 million
c) not that many
d) less than 1%

Role play

Role  A – Poisonous Dyes
You think poisonous dyes are the most serious issue concerning fast fashion. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their issues aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least worrying of these (and why): plastic microfibres, landfills or child labour.

Role  B – Plastic Microfibres
You think plastic microfibres are the most serious issue concerning fast fashion. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their issues aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least worrying of these (and why): poisonous dyes, landfills or child labour.

Role  C – Landfills
You think landfills are the most serious issue concerning fast fashion. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their issues aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least worrying of these (and why): plastic microfibres, poisonous dyes or child labour.

Role  D – Child Labour
You think child labour is the most serious issue concerning fast fashion. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their issues aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least worrying of these (and why): plastic microfibres, landfills or poisonous dyes.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'fast'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'fashion'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • worried
    • quickly
    • 100
    • 2030
    • landfills
    • children
    • adding
    • tried
    • wore
    • society
    • Europe
    • seems

    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 - Fast Fashion

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'fashion'?
    3. What do you think of fashion?
    4. What do you think of fast fashion?
    5. How important is fashion?
    6. How sustainable is fashion?
    7. How long do you keep an item of clothing for?
    8. Should we wear clothes until they get holes in them?
    9. Should we all wear the same clothes?
    10. How fashionable are you?

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'environment'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What do you know about fast fashion?
    5. What is so wasteful about fashion?
    6. What do you think of wearing something just a few times?
    7. How can we recycle clothes?
    8. Have you ever bought clothes and not worn them?
    9. What do you think of buying used clothes?
    10. What questions would you like to ask an environmentalist?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    Environmentalists are getting more (1) ____ about the effects of fast fashion on the environment. Fast fashion is the (2) ____ production of clothes at a low cost. They are put in shops and online quickly to create a high demand. Manufacturers make 100 billion items of (3) ____ every year. This is expected to grow by 60 per cent by 2030. The fast fashion business (4) ____ is having a negative effect on the environment. Many of the clothes (5) ____ up in landfills and are not recycled. Another negative effect on the environment is caused by the chemicals used to make the clothes. These (6) ____ health problems for people working in clothes factories. There are reports children make many of these clothes.

    The way people are buying clothes is adding to the problem of clothing (7) ____. Many years ago, people went to stores and tried clothes on. People took more time and thought more (8) ____ before they bought clothes. They also wore them for longer. Today, people order cheap clothes on the Internet and if they don't like them, they send them (9) ____. Some people say this is causing a throwaway society. Some people buy clothes and never (10) ____ wear them. The German media company Deutsche Welle wrote: "Every year in Europe, four million tons of clothing (10) ____ up in the trash. Less than one per cent of this is recycled." It seems the fashion industry is not (11) ____ sustainable.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     worrier     (b)     worrying     (c)     worries     (d)     worried    
    2. (a)     lass     (b)     pass     (c)     ass     (d)     mass    
    3. (a)     cloths     (b)     clothing     (c)     clothed     (d)     clothe    
    4. (a)     replica     (b)     mould     (c)     model     (d)     guide    
    5. (a)     pays     (b)     owns     (c)     ends     (d)     loses    
    6. (a)     cause     (b)     consume     (c)     grow     (d)     compete    
    7. (a)     paste     (b)     waste     (c)     baste     (d)     caste    
    8. (a)     carefully     (b)     cared     (c)     caring     (d)     carer    
    9. (a)     up     (b)     back     (c)     down     (d)     forward    
    10. (a)     just     (b)     also     (c)     even     (d)     that    
    11. (a)     starts     (b)     ends     (c)     goes     (d)     comes    
    12. (a)     huge     (b)     there     (c)     so     (d)     such

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. worried about the eeftscf of fast fashion
    2. the mass opuictdonr of clothes
    3. create a high dnmeda
    4. Many of the clothes end up in llsdnialf
    5. caused by the eahlcscim
    6. working in clothes iacoerstf

    Paragraph 2

    1. adding to the problem of clothing aestw
    2. thought more lerylafcu
    3. before they hugbot clothes
    4. a throwaway ticosye
    5. one per cent of this is cdcelery
    6. the fashion industry is not so abtsilesnau

    Put the text back together

    (...)  by 60 per cent by 2030. The fast fashion business model is having a negative
    (...)  of this is recycled." It seems the fashion industry is not so sustainable.
    (...)  ago, people went to stores and tried clothes on. People took more time and thought more carefully before they
    (...)  bought clothes. They also wore them for longer. Today, people order cheap clothes on the Internet and if they don't
    (...)  online quickly to create a high demand. Manufacturers make 100 billion items of clothing every year. This is expected to grow
    (...)  even wear them. The German media company Deutsche Welle wrote: "Every year
    (...)  in Europe, four million tons of clothing ends up in the trash. Less than one per cent
    (...)  on the environment is caused by the chemicals used to make the clothes. These cause health
    (...)  effect on the environment. Many of the clothes end up in landfills and are not recycled. Another negative effect
    (...)  like them, they send them back. Some people say this is causing a throwaway society. Some people buy clothes and never
    (  1  ) Environmentalists are getting more worried about the effects of fast fashion on the
    (...)  environment. Fast fashion is the mass production of clothes at a low cost. They are put in shops and
    (...)  The way people are buying clothes is adding to the problem of clothing waste. Many years
    (...)  problems for people working in clothes factories. There are reports children make many of these clothes.

    Put the words in the right order

    1. getting   worried   about   effects  .  are  more  the   Environmentalists
    2. of   Fast   mass   the   clothes   .   is   fashion   production
    3. up   of   clothes   in   end   Many   landfills   .   the
    4. health   for   in   factories   .   people   working   problems   Cause
    5. children   reports   make   these   .   are   many   of   There
    6. problem   adding   It's   of   to   waste   .   clothing   the
    7. on   clothes   people   the   Internet   .   order   Today   cheap
    8. society   .   say   People   causing   this   a   throwaway   is
    9. Tons   clothing   ends   in   trash   .   up   the   of
    10. sustainable   .   is   fashion   so   industry   not   The

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    Environmentalists are getting more worrying / worried about the effects of fast fashion on the environment. Fast fashion is the massed / mass production of clothes at a low cost. They are put in / on shops and online quickly to create a high / low demand. Manufacturers make 100 billion items of clothing every year. This is expected to / for grow by 60 per cent by 2030. The fast fashion business model is / be having a negative effect on the environment. Many of the clothes end up / down in landfills and are not recycled. Another negative affect / effect on the environment is caused by the chemicals useful / used to make the clothes. These cause health problems for people working in clothes factories. There are reports children make many of them / these clothes.

    The how / way people are buying clothes is adding to the problem of clothing waste. Many years ago, people went to stores and tried clothes off / on. People took more time and thought more careful / carefully before they bought clothes. They also wore / worn them for longer. Today, people order cheap clothes on the Internet and if they don't like it / them, they send them back. Some people say this is causing a thrown / throwaway society. Some people buy clothes and never even / evens wear them. The German media company Deutsche Welle wrote / written: "Every year in Europe, four million tons of clothing ends / blows up in the trash. Less than one per cent of this is recycled." It seems the fashion industry is not so sustain / sustainable.

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct. Look up the definition of new words.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    _nv_r_nm_nt_l_sts  _r_  g_tt_ng  m_r_  w_rr__d  _b__t  th_  _ff_cts  _f  f_st  f_sh__n  _n  th_  _nv_r_nm_nt.  F_st  f_sh__n  _s  th_  m_ss  pr_d_ct__n  _f  cl_th_s  _t  _  l_w  c_st.  Th_y  _r_  p_t  _n  sh_ps  _nd  _nl_n_  q__ckly  t_  cr__t_  _  h_gh  d_m_nd.  M_n_f_ct_r_rs  m_k_  100  b_ll__n  _t_ms  _f  cl_th_ng  _v_ry  y__r.  Th_s  _s  _xp_ct_d  t_  gr_w  by  60  p_r  c_nt  by  2030.  Th_  f_st  f_sh__n  b_s_n_ss  m_d_l  _s  h_v_ng  _  n_g_t_v_  _ff_ct  _n  th_  _nv_r_nm_nt.  M_ny  _f  th_  cl_th_s  _nd  _p  _n  l_ndf_lls  _nd  _r_  n_t  r_cycl_d.  _n_th_r  n_g_t_v_  _ff_ct  _n  th_  _nv_r_nm_nt  _s  c__s_d  by  th_  ch_m_c_ls  _s_d  t_  m_k_  th_  cl_th_s.  Th_s_  c__s_  h__lth  pr_bl_ms  f_r  p__pl_  w_rk_ng  _n  cl_th_s  f_ct_r__s.  Th_r_  _r_  r_p_rts  ch_ldr_n  m_k_  m_ny  _f  th_s_  cl_th_s.

    Th_  w_y  p__pl_  _r_  b_y_ng  cl_th_s  _s  _dd_ng  t_  th_  pr_bl_m  _f  cl_th_ng  w_st_.  M_ny  y__rs  _g_,  p__pl_  w_nt  t_  st_r_s  _nd  tr__d  cl_th_s  _n.  P__pl_  t__k  m_r_  t_m_  _nd  th__ght  m_r_  c_r_f_lly  b_f_r_  th_y  b__ght  cl_th_s.  Th_y  _ls_  w_r_  th_m  f_r  l_ng_r.  T_d_y,  p__pl_  _rd_r  ch__p  cl_th_s  _n  th_  _nt_rn_t  _nd  _f  th_y  d_n't  l_k_  th_m,  th_y  s_nd  th_m  b_ck.  S_m_  p__pl_  s_y  th_s  _s  c__s_ng  _  thr_w_w_y  s_c__ty.  S_m_  p__pl_  b_y  cl_th_s  _nd  n_v_r  _v_n  w__r  th_m.  Th_  G_rm_n  m_d__  c_mp_ny  D__tsch_  W_ll_  wr_t_:  "_v_ry  y__r  _n  __r_p_,  f__r  m_ll__n  t_ns  _f  cl_th_ng  _nds _p  _n  th_  tr_sh.  L_ss  th_n  _n_  p_r  c_nt  _f  th_s  _s  r_cycl_d."  _t  s__ms  th_  f_sh__n  _nd_stry  _s  n_t  s_  s_st__n_bl_.

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    environmentalists are getting more worried about the effects of fast fashion on the environment fast fashion is the mass production of clothes at a low cost they are put in shops and online quickly to create a high demand manufacturers make 100 billion items of clothing every year this is expected to grow by 60 per cent by 2030 the fast fashion business model is having a negative effect on the environment many of the clothes end up in landfills and are not recycled another negative effect on the environment is caused by the chemicals used to make the clothes these cause health problems for people working in clothes factories there are reports children make many of these clothes

    the way people are buying clothes is adding to the problem of clothing waste many years ago people went to stores and tried clothes on people took more time and thought more carefully before they bought clothes they also wore them for longer today people order cheap clothes on the internet and if they dont like them they send them back some people say this is causing a throwaway society some people buy clothes and never even wear them the german media company deutsche welle wrote every year in europe four million tons of clothing ends up in the trash less than one per cent of this is recycled it seems the fashion industry is not so sustainable

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    Environmentalistsaregettingmoreworriedabouttheeffectsoffastfash
    ionontheenvironment.Fastfashionisthemassproductionofclothesata
    lowcost.Theyareputinshopsandonlinequicklytocreateahighdemand.
    Manufacturersmake100billionitemsofclothingeveryyear.Thisisexpe
    ctedtogrowby60percentby2030.Thefastfashionbusinessmodelishav
    inganegativeeffectontheenvironment.Manyoftheclothesendupinlan
    dfillsandarenotrecycled.Anothernegativeeffectontheenvironmentis
    causedbythechemicalsusedtomaketheclothes.Thesecausehealthpr
    oblemsforpeopleworkinginclothesfactories.Therearereportschildre
    nmakemanyoftheseclothes.Thewaypeoplearebuyingclothesisaddin
    gtotheproblemofclothingwaste.Manyyearsago,peoplewenttostores
    andtriedclotheson.Peopletookmoretimeandthoughtmorecarefullyb
    eforetheyboughtclothes.Theyalsoworethemforlonger.Today,people
    ordercheapclothesontheInternetandiftheydon'tlikethem,theysendt
    hemback.Somepeoplesaythisiscausingathrowawaysociety.Somepe
    oplebuyclothesandneverevenwearthem.TheGermanmediacompan
    yDeutscheWellewrote:"EveryyearinEurope,fourmilliontonsofclothin
    gendsupinthetrash.Lessthanonepercentofthisisrecycled."Itseemsth
    efashionindustryisnotsosustainable.

    Free writing

    Write about fast fashion for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    We should wear clothes until they get holes in them. Discuss.

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    Homework

    1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
    2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. FAST FASHION: Make a poster about fast fashion. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. 10-YEAR-RULE: Write a magazine article about all of us making a rule that requires us to wear every item of clothing we buy for 10 years. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on fast fashion. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your ideas on how we can make our clothes last longer. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

    $US 9.99

    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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