The Reading / Listening - Eiffel Tower - Level 1

The Eiffel Tower is a world-famous sight. It gets millions of tourists every year. It has been an important part of Paris for 133 years. However, it is getting old. Engineers found its metal is full of rust. They said it was "in a poor state". They said its designer Gustave Eiffel "would have a heart attack" if he was alive today. The tower needs many repairs. A report said it had 698 faults. These could put its long-term future in doubt.

The Eiffel Tower opened to the public in 1889. It was built for the 1889 World's Fair in Paris. It contains 10,100 tons of iron and 2.5 million rivets. The original plan was for it to be taken down after 20 years. The French government changed its mind and kept it. The tower is now being repainted. Engineers say paint will not make the rust go away. They say all the paint needs to be removed first. However, this would take too long.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Eiffel Tower - Level 0 Eiffel Tower - Level 2   or  Eiffel Tower - Level 3

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/eiffel-tower-paris-needs-repairs/index.html
  • https://news.sky.com/story/eiffel-tower-reportedly-riddled-with-rust-and-in-need-of-full-repairs-12645960
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/04/eiffel-tower-riddled-with-rust-and-in-need-of-repair-leaked-reports-say


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. It gets millions of tourists
  2. it is getting
  3. its metal is full
  4. They said it was in a
  5. if he was alive
  6. The tower needs many
  7. A report said it had 698
  8. put its long-term future in
  1. doubt
  2. poor state
  3. repairs
  4. old
  5. faults
  6. every year
  7. today
  8. of rust

Paragraph 2

  1. The Eiffel Tower opened to
  2. It contains 10,100
  3. The original
  4. The French government changed
  5. The tower is now being
  6. paint will not make the
  7. the paint needs to
  8. this would take too
  1. its mind
  2. long
  3. repainted
  4. plan
  5. be removed first
  6. the public in 1889
  7. rust go away
  8. tons of iron

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The Eiffel Tower is a (1) ___________________. It gets millions of tourists every year. It has (2) ___________________ part of Paris for 133 years. However, it (3) ___________________. Engineers found its metal is (4) ___________________. They said it was "in a poor state". They said its designer Gustave Eiffel "would have a heart attack" if he (5) ___________________. The tower needs many repairs. A report said it had 698 faults. These could put its long-term (6) ___________________.

The Eiffel Tower opened to (7) ___________________ 1889. It was built for the 1889 World's Fair in Paris. It contains 10,100 (8) ___________________ and 2.5 million rivets. The original plan was for it to (9) ___________________ after 20 years. The French government changed its (10) ___________________ it. The tower is now being repainted. Engineers say paint will not make the (11) ___________________. They say all the paint needs to be removed first. However, this would (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheEiffelTowerisaworld-famoussight.Itgetsmillionsoftouristseveryy
ear.IthasbeenanimportantpartofParisfor133years.However,itisgett
ingold.Engineersfounditsmetalisfullofrust.Theysaiditwas"inapoorst
ate".TheysaiditsdesignerGustaveEiffel"wouldhaveaheartattack"ifh
ewasalivetoday.Thetowerneedsmanyrepairs.Areportsaidithad698f
aults.Thesecouldputitslong-termfutureindoubt.TheEiffelTowerop
enedtothepublicin1889.Itwasbuiltforthe1889World'sFairinParis.Itc
ontains10,100tonsofironand2.5millionrivets.Theoriginalplanwasfor
ittobetakendownafter20years.TheFrenchgovernmentchangeditsmi
ndandkeptit.Thetowerisnowbeingrepainted.Engineerssaypaintwilln
otmaketherustgoaway.Theysayallthepaintneedstoberemovedfirst.
However,thiswouldtaketoolong.

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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