The Reading / Listening - First Dates - Level 0

First dates can be romantic. Many people don't know when to send a text after the date. Scientists studied this. The researchers found the best time to send a text is the morning after the date. This shows you are happy. It shows you want a second date. Waiting too long could send the message you do not want another date.

In the study, 500 people had to imagine a first date at an Italian restaurant. They then thought about how much they wanted a second date. This depended on when they got a text. The researchers said a follow-up text the next morning was best. This is because it shows the sender had a good time.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    First Dates - Level 1 First Dates - Level 2   or  First Dates - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/09/first-date-best-time-text-leuphana-university-luneburg/
  • https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-psychology-of-relationships/202601/how-long-should-you-wait-to-text-after-a-date
  • https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02654075251377184


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. First dates can
  2. people don't know when
  3. the best time to
  4. the morning
  5. It shows you
  6. Waiting too
  7. send the
  8. you do not want
  1. message
  2. after the date
  3. be romantic
  4. send a text
  5. another date
  6. to send a text
  7. want a second date
  8. long

Paragraph 2

  1. 500 people had to imagine
  2. at an Italian
  3. They then thought about how
  4. they wanted a second
  5. This depended
  6. they got
  7. a follow-up text the next
  8. it shows the sender
  1. on when
  2. morning was best
  3. restaurant
  4. had a good time
  5. much
  6. date
  7. a first date
  8. a text

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

First dates (1) _________________________________________________. Many people don't know (2) _________________________________________________ a text after the date. Scientists studied this. The researchers found (3) _________________________________________________ to send a text is the morning after the date. This (4) _________________________________________________ happy. It shows you (5) _________________________________________________ date. Waiting too long could (6) _________________________________________________ you do not want another date.

In the study, 500 people had to (7) _________________________________________________ date at an Italian restaurant. They (8) ________________________________________________ how much they (9) _________________________________________________ date. This depended on when they (10) _________________________________________________. The researchers said a (11) _________________________________________________ the next morning was best. This is because it shows the (12) _________________________________________________ good time.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Firstdatescanberomantic.Manypeopledon'tknowwhentosendatexta
fterthedate.Scientistsstudiedthis.Theresearchersfoundthebesttime
tosendatextisthemorningafterthedate.Thisshowsyouarehappy'Itsh
owsyouwantaseconddate.Waitingtoolongcouldsendthemessageyou
donotwantanotherdate.Inthestudy,500peoplehadtoimagineafirstda
teatanItalianrestaurant.Theythenthoughtabouthowmuchtheywant
edaseconddate.Thisdependedonwhentheygotatext.Theresearchers
saidafollow-uptextthenextmorningwasbest.Thisisbecauseitshowsth
esenderhadagoodtime.

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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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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