The Reading / Listening - Tipping - Level 1

Fans at the soccer World Cup are struggling with tipping. Many fans are from countries where people do not tip at restaurants. In the USA, tips of up to 20 per cent are common. If diners do not leave a tip, staff can be disappointed. Fans have already spent a lot of money getting to the World Cup. Leaving tips makes their trip more expensive. Some fans are complaining about "tipping fatigue". They say they have to tip when they buy a bottle of water.

Restaurant staff are also struggling. Tips make up for their very low wages. Workers' wages can be as low as $2.13 per hour. Many staff say it is impossible to survive as a restaurant worker without tips. In many cities, restaurant owners are adding tips to their bills. The owners say many international visitors do not know about the tipping culture in the USA. In some restaurants, staff are explaining to diners the reasons for tipping.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Tipping - Level 0 Tipping - Level 2   or  Tipping - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/article316235100.html
  • https://nypost.com/2026/06/20/us-news/world-cup-tourists-arent-leaving-tips-and-nyc-restaurants-are-fighting-back/
  • https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/insight/world-cup-fans-voice-frustration-over-us-tipping-culture/gm-GMF63F5E51


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. fans at the
  2. countries where people
  3. tips of up
  4. diners do not
  5. staff can be
  6. Fans have already spent
  7. fans are complaining about tipping
  8. They say they have
  1. leave a tip
  2. to tip
  3. soccer World Cup
  4. a lot of money
  5. to 20 per cent
  6. fatigue
  7. do not tip
  8. disappointed

Paragraph 2

  1. Restaurant staff are also
  2. Tips make up for their very
  3. wages can be as low as
  4. Many staff say it
  5. survive as a restaurant worker
  6. owners are adding tips
  7. visitors do not know about
  8. staff are explaining to
  1. $2.13 per hour
  2. to their bills
  3. low wages
  4. diners
  5. is impossible
  6. the tipping culture
  7. struggling
  8. without tips

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Fans at the soccer World Cup (1) _________________________________________________ tipping. Many fans are from countries where people (2) _________________________________________________ at restaurants. In the USA, tips of up to 20 per cent are common. If (3) _________________________________________________ leave a tip, staff can be disappointed. Fans have already spent a lot (4) _________________________________________________ to the World Cup. Leaving tips makes their trip more expensive. Some fans are complaining (5) _________________________________________________. They say they have to tip when they (6) _________________________________________________ of water.

Restaurant staff are also struggling. Tips (7) _________________________________________________ their very low wages. Workers' wages can (8) _________________________________________________ as $2.13 per hour. Many staff say it is impossible (9) _________________________________________________ a restaurant worker without tips. In many cities, restaurant (10) _________________________________________________ tips to their bills. The owners say many international visitors do (11) _________________________________________________ the tipping culture in the USA. In some restaurants, staff are explaining to (12) _________________________________________________ for tipping.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

FansatthesoccerWorldCuparestrugglingwithtipping.Manyfansarefro
mcountrieswherepeopledonottipatrestaurants.IntheUSA,tipsofupto
20percentarecommon.Ifdinersdonotleaveatip,staffcanbedisappoint
ed.FanshavealreadyspentalotofmoneygettingtotheWorldCup.Leavi
ngtipsmakestheirtripmoreexpensive.Somefansarecomplainingabo
ut"tippingfatigue".Theysaytheyhavetotipwhentheybuyabottleofwat
er.Restaurantstaffarealsostruggling.Tipsmakeupfortheirverylowwa
ges.Workers'wagescanbeaslowas$2.13perhour.Manystaffsayitisim
possibletosurviveasarestaurantworkerwithouttips.Inmanycities,res
taurantownersareaddingtipstotheirbills.Theownerssaymanyinterna
tionalvisitorsdonotknowaboutthetippingcultureintheUSA.Insomere
staurants,staffareexplainingtodinersthereasonsfortipping.

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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