The Reading / Listening - First Dates - Level 1

First dates can be romantic. Many people don't know when the best time is to send a text after the first date. Scientists in Germany studied the best time. They asked 500 people about this and published their findings in a journal. The researchers found the best time is the morning after the date. This shows you are happy and want a second date. The researchers said waiting too long could send the message you do not want another date.

In the study, people had to imagine a first date at an Italian restaurant. They then decided how much they wanted a second date. This depended on how long after the date the text was sent. The researchers said a follow-up text the next morning was best. The Psychology Today website wrote: "A next-morning text shows you're interested and had a good time." The study only looked at texting and not phone calls.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    First Dates - Level 0 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. Many people
  3. send a text
  4. They asked 500 people about
  5. published their findings
  6. the best time is the
  7. you are happy and
  8. waiting
  1. want a second date
  2. after the first date
  3. this
  4. morning
  5. too long
  6. be romantic
  7. in a journal
  8. don't know

Paragraph 2

  1. a first date at
  2. They then decided how
  3. they wanted a
  4. how long after the date
  5. a follow-up text
  6. A next-morning text shows
  7. had a good
  8. The study only looked
  1. second date
  2. at texting
  3. the text was sent
  4. an Italian restaurant
  5. time
  6. much
  7. you're interested
  8. the next morning

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

First dates (1) _________________________________________________. Many people don't know when the best time is to (2) _________________________________________________ after the first date. Scientists in Germany studied the best time. They asked 500 people about this and (3) _________________________________________________ in a journal. The researchers found the best time is (4) _________________________________________________ the date. This shows you are (5) _________________________________________________ a second date. The researchers said waiting too long could send the message you do not (6) _________________________________________________.

In the study, people had to (7) _________________________________________________ date at an Italian restaurant. They then decided how much they wanted (8) _________________________________________________. This depended on how long after the date the (9) _________________________________________________. The researchers said a (10) _________________________________________________ the next morning was best. The Psychology Today website wrote: "A next-(11) _________________________________________________ you're interested and had a good time." The study only looked at texting and (12) _________________________________________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Firstdatescanberomantic.Manypeopledon'tknowwhenthebesttimeis
tosendatextafterthefirstdate.ScientistsinGermanystudiedthebestti
me.Theyasked500peopleaboutthisandpublishedtheirfindingsinajou
rnal.Theresearchersfoundthebesttimeisthemorningafterthedate.Th
isshowsyouarehappyandwantaseconddate.Theresearcherssaidwait
ingtoolongcouldsendthemessageyoudonotwantanotherdate.Inthes
tudy,peoplehadtoimagineafirstdateatanItalianrestaurant.Theythen
decidedhowmuchtheywantedaseconddate.Thisdependedonhowlon
gafterthedatethetextwassent.Theresearcherssaidafollow-uptextth
enextmorningwasbest.ThePsychologyTodaywebsitewrote:"Anext-
morningtextshowsyou'reinterestedandhadagoodtime."Thestudyonl
ylookedattextingandnotphonecalls.

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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