The Reading / Listening - Day of Silence - Level 1

A tourist has been given a one-year jail sentence in Bali. His crime was saying bad things about a Hindu festival called the Day of Silence. It is a special time for Hindus. On this day, people must stay at home to fast and meditate. The 26-year-old tourist broke the rules by going outside. He filmed himself walking and using bad language. He said the silence was "crazy". He was arrested because his video made Balinese people angry.

The Day of Silence is hundreds of years old. People in Bali try to be quiet for one day. They do not work or play. Bali's airport shuts down and people have less access to the internet. Traditional Balinese security officers can go outside. They make sure people are indoors. The tourist said he did not understand how important the festival was. He did not mean to hurt people. He was very regretful for what he did.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Day of Silence - Level 0 Day of Silence - Level 2   or  Day of Silence - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4kr59r28ko
  • https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-swiss-tourist-trial-nyepi-348f1d4b701051f5d7abcf85eae0404c
  • https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-abroad-community/swiss-tourist-jailed-for-insulting-bali-sacred-day/91928780


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. a one-year jail
  2. a Hindu
  3. It is a special
  4. stay at home to fast
  5. The 26-year-old tourist broke
  6. using bad
  7. He said the silence
  8. his video made Balinese people
  1. and meditate
  2. the rules
  3. angry
  4. sentence
  5. time for Hindus
  6. was "crazy"
  7. festival
  8. language

Paragraph 2

  1. The Day of Silence is hundreds
  2. try to be quiet
  3. They do not work or
  4. Bali's airport shuts
  5. people have less access to
  6. security officers can go
  7. They make sure people
  8. He did not mean
  1. outside
  2. play
  3. the internet
  4. to hurt people
  5. of years old
  6. are indoors
  7. for one day
  8. down

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A tourist has been given a (1) _________________________________________________ sentence in Bali. His crime was (2) _________________________________________________ about a Hindu festival called the Day of Silence. It is (3) _________________________________________________ for Hindus. On this day, people must stay at home to (4) _________________________________________________. The 26-year-old tourist broke the rules by going outside. He filmed himself walking and (5) _________________________________________________. He said the silence was "crazy". He was arrested because (6) _________________________________________________ Balinese people angry.

The Day of Silence is hundreds (7) _________________________________________________. People in Bali try to be (8) _________________________________________________ day. They do not work or play. Bali's airport shuts down and people have (9) _________________________________________________ the internet. Traditional Balinese security officers (10) _________________________________________________. They make sure people are indoors. The tourist (11) _________________________________________________ not understand how important the festival was. He did not mean to hurt people. He was very (12) ______________________________________________ he did.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Atouristhasbeengivenaone-yearjailsentenceinBali.Hiscrimewassayi
ngbadthingsaboutaHindufestivalcalledtheDayofSilence.Itisaspecial
timeforHindus.Onthisday,peoplemuststayathometofastandmeditat
e.The26-year-oldtouristbroketherulesbygoingoutside.Hefilmedhim
selfwalkingandusingbadlanguage.Hesaidthesilencewas"crazy".Hew
asarrestedbecausehisvideomadeBalinesepeopleangry.TheDayofSil
enceishundredsofyearsold.PeopleinBalitrytobequietforoneday.They
donotworkorplay.Bali'sairportshutsdownandpeoplehavelessaccesst
otheinternet.TraditionalBalinesesecurityofficerscangooutside.They
makesurepeopleareindoors.Thetouristsaidhedidnotunderstandhow
importantthefestivalwas.Hedidnotmeantohurtpeople.Hewasveryre
gretfulforwhathedid.

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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