The Reading / Listening - Day of Silence - Level 3

A tourist from Switzerland has been given a one-year jail sentence in Bali, Indonesia. His crime was insulting (saying bad things about) an important Hindu festival called Nyepi. In English, this is called Day of Silence. It is a sacred time for Hindus in Bali. On this day, the island becomes quiet. People stay at home. They try to be silent, and they fast and meditate. The 26-year-old Swiss tourist broke the rules by going outside. He filmed himself walking to an empty beach. As he walked, he used a lot of swear words and bad language. He said the silence and lack of people were "crazy". He was arrested after the video he uploaded on social media made Balinese people angry.

The Day of Silence has been celebrated for centuries. Today, people in Bali keep quiet from 6 am one day to 6 am the following day. During this period, people do not work, travel, or take part in leisure activities. Bali's airport shuts down and people have less access to the internet. Most people must stay at home. However, some people, such as traditional Balinese security officers, can go outside. They walk the streets to make sure people are indoors. The judge said the tourist made Balinese people angry and hurt their religious feelings. The tourist said he did not understand how important Nyepi was, and that he did not mean to insult the Balinese people. He expressed deep regret for what he did.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Day of Silence - Level 0,  Day of Silence - Level 1   or  Day of Silence - Level 2

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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. FESTIVALS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about festivals. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       tourist / jail / crime / festival / sacred / silence / rules / bad language / crazy / angry
       celebration / leisure activities / airport / security officers / judge / insult / deep regret
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. SILENCE: Students A strongly believe we should all regularly sit in science; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS: What do you know about these religious festivals? Would you like to attend them? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

What I Know

Attending

Christmas

 

 

Diwali

 

 

Eid al-Fitr

 

 

Hanukkah

 

 

Vesak

 

 

Nowruz

 

 
MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. JAIL: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "jail". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. BENEFITS OF SILENCE: Rank these with your partner. Put the biggest benefits at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Stress reduction
  • Better concentration
  • Self-reflection
  • Improving listening
  • Better sleep
  • Mindfulness
  • Spiritual benefits
  • Peacefulness

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

1. jail (noun) a. Something that is against the law.
2. sentence (noun) b. To sit quietly and think deeply.
3. crime c. A place where people are kept when they have broken the law.
4. sacred d. A punishment given by a court for a crime.
5. fast (verb) e. Very special and important in a religion.
6. meditate f. To not eat for a period of time.
7. swear words g. Bad or rude words.

    Paragraph 2

      8. celebrated h. About religion.
      9. centuries i. Done or enjoyed for a special event or important day.
      10. leisure j. A person who makes decisions in a court.
      11. judge (noun) k. Say or do something rude that makes someone feel bad.
      12. religious l. Periods of 100 years.
      13. insult (verb) m. Feeling sorry about something you have done.
      14. regret (verb) n. Free time when you are not working or studying.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. A Swiss tourist has spent one year in jail in Bali.     T / F
  2. The tourist was jailed for insulting an important Hindu festival.     T / F
  3. The tourist used bad language in a video he uploaded on social media.    T / F
  4. The tourist said the silence was "crazy".     T / F
  5. The day of silence starts at 6 am and ends at 6 pm.     T / F
  6. The airport in Bali closes for the Day of Silence.     T / F
  7. Everyone in Bali must stay at home on the Day of Silence.     T / F
  8. The tourist said he was extremely sorry for his actions.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. tourist
  2. insulting
  3. sacred
  4. crazy
  5. angry
  6. centuries
  7. shuts down
  8. sure
  9. indoors
  10. feelings
  1. holy
  2. certain
  3. being rude to
  4. furious
  5. closes
  6. beliefs
  7. sightseer
  8. inside
  9. hundreds of years
  10. stupid

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. a one-year jail
  2. It is a sacred
  3. they fast and
  4. broke the rules
  5. he used a lot of swear
  6. The Day of Silence has been
  7. people have less
  8. They walk the streets to make
  9. he did not mean to insult
  10. He expressed deep regret
  1. celebrated for centuries
  2. by going outside
  3. for what he did
  4. access to the internet
  5. sentence
  6. words and bad language
  7. the Balinese people
  8. time for Hindus in Bali
  9. sure people are indoors
  10. meditate

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
sacred
outside
angry
sentence
lack
meditate
insulting
empty

A tourist from Switzerland has been given a one-year jail             (1) ______________________________________________ in Bali, Indonesia. His crime was           (2) ______________________________________________ (saying bad things about) an important Hindu festival called Nyepi. In English, this is called Day of Silence. It is a (3) ______________________________________________ time for Hindus in Bali. On this day, the island becomes quiet. People stay at home. They try to be silent, and they fast and (4) ______________________________________________. The 26-year-old Swiss tourist broke the rules by going                             (5) ______________________________________________. He filmed himself walking to an         (6) ______________________________________________ beach. As he walked, he used a lot of swear words and bad language. He said the silence and                (7) ______________________________________________ of people were "crazy". He was arrested after the video he uploaded on social media made Balinese people (8) ______________________________________________.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
feelings
centuries
such
regret
following
insult
shuts
indoors

The Day of Silence has been celebrated for (9) ______________________________________________. Today, people in Bali keep quiet from 6 am one day to 6 am the (10) ______________________________________________ day. During this period, people do not work, travel, or take part in leisure activities. Bali's airport (11) ______________________________________________ down and people have less access to the internet. Most people must stay at home. However, some people, (12) ______________________________________________ as traditional Balinese security officers, can go outside. They walk the streets to make sure people are (13) ______________________________________________. The judge said the tourist made Balinese people angry and hurt their religious (14) ______________________________________________. The tourist said he did not understand how important Nyepi was, and that he did not mean to (15) ______________________________________________ the Balinese people. He expressed deep (16) ______________________________________________ for what he did.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) A tourist from Switzerland has been given a one-______
     a.  year jail sentenced
     b.  year jail sentences
     c.  year jail sentence
     d.  year jail cent tense
2)  They try to be silent, and they ______
     a.  fast and meditate
     b.  fast and mediate
     c.  fast and meditates
     d.  fast and meditated
3)  The 26-year-old Swiss tourist broke the rules ______
     a.  by going outside
     b.  by gone outside
     c.  by go in outside
     d.  by going outsider
4)  As he walked, he used a lot of swear words ______
     a.  end bad language
     b.  and bad language
     c.  and badly language
     d.  and bad languages
5)  He was arrested after the video he uploaded on social media made ______
     a.  Balinese people angrily
     b.  Balinese people hangry
     c.  Balinese people hungry
     d.  Balinese people angry

6)  people in Bali keep quiet from 6 am one day to 6 am ______
     a.  the follow in day
     b.  the following daily
     c.  the following day
     d.  the follow wing day
7)  Bali's airport shuts down and people ______
     a.  have less abscess
     b.  have less excess
     c.  have less assess
     d.  have less access
8)  The judge said the tourist made Balinese people angry and hurt ______
     a.  there religious feelings
     b.  their religious fearing
     c.  their religious feelings
     d.  their religion feel inns
9)  The tourist said he did not understand how ______
     a.  important Nyepi was
     b.  importance Nyepi was
     c.  importantly Nyepi was
     d.  import ant Nyepi was
10)  He expressed deep regret for ______
     a.  what he had
     b.  what he done
     c.  what he did
     d.  what they did

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A tourist from Switzerland has been given a (1) __________________________________________________ sentence in Bali, Indonesia. His crime was insulting (saying bad things about) an important Hindu festival called Nyepi. In English, this is called Day of Silence. It is (2) __________________________________________________ for Hindus in Bali. On this day, the island becomes quiet. People stay at home. They try to be silent, (3) __________________________________________________ and meditate. The 26-year-old Swiss tourist (4) __________________________________________________ by going outside. He filmed himself walking to an empty beach. As he walked, he used a lot of (5) __________________________________________________ bad language. He said the silence and lack of people were "crazy". He was arrested after the video he (6) __________________________________________________ media made Balinese people angry.

The Day of Silence has been (7) __________________________________________________. Today, people in Bali keep quiet from 6 am one day to 6 am the following day. (8) __________________________________________________, people do not work, travel, or take part in leisure activities. Bali's airport shuts down and people have (9) __________________________________________________ the internet. Most people must stay at home. However, some people, such as traditional Balinese security officers, can go outside. They walk the streets (10) __________________________________________________ people are indoors. The judge said the tourist made Balinese people angry and (11) __________________________________________________ feelings. The tourist said he did not understand how important Nyepi was, and that he did not mean to insult the Balinese people. He expressed (12) __________________________________________________ what he did.

Comprehension questions

  1. What was the tourist's punishment?
  2. Who celebrates the Day of Silence?
  3. What did the tourist break?
  4. What kind of language did the tourist use in a video?
  5. What did the tourist say was "crazy"?
  6. For how long has the Day of Silence been celebrated?
  7. What closes during the Day of Silence?
  8. Who makes sure people are off the streets?
  9. Who did the tourist not mean to insult?
  10. What did the tourist express?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What was the tourist's punishment?
a) a heavy fine
b) community service
c) a year in prison
d) electronic monitoring
2) Who celebrates the Day of Silence?
a) Hindus in Bali
b) everyone in Indonesia
c) all Hindus worldwide
d) only Hindu priests
3) What did the tourist break?
a) a sacred vase
b) a curfew
c) people's hearts
d) rules
4) What kind of language did the tourist use in a video?
a) Swiss German
b) bad language
c) shocking language
d) everyday language
5) What did the tourist say was "crazy"?
a) his actions
b) the sentence
c) the silence
d) not eating

6) For how long has the Day of Silence been celebrated?
a) for about 500 years
b) since the start of the last century
c) for three thousand years
d) hundreds of years
7) What closes during the Day of Silence?
a) banks
b) Bali's airport
c) Bali's air space
d) bakeries
8) Who makes sure people are off the streets?
a) Hindu priests
b) parents
c) the police
d) security officers
9) Who did the tourist not mean to insult?
a) Balinese people
b) the police
c) Hindu priests
d) security officers
10) What did the tourist express?
a) shock
b) surprise
c) his desire to help people
d) deep regret

Role play

Role  A – Stress Reduction
You think stress reduction is the biggest benefit of sleep. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their benefits. Also, tell the others which is the least beneficial of these (and why): better concentration, better sleep or peacefulness.

Role  B – Better Concentration
You think better concentration is the biggest benefit of sleep. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their benefits. Also, tell the others which is the least beneficial of these (and why): stress reduction, better sleep or peacefulness.

Role  C – Better Sleep
You think better sleep is the biggest benefit of sleep. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their benefits. Also, tell the others which is the least beneficial of these (and why): better concentration, stress reduction or peacefulness.

Role  D – Peacefulness
You think peacefulness is the biggest benefit of sleep. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their benefits. Also, tell the others which is the least beneficial of these (and why): better concentration, better sleep or stress reduction.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'tourist'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'silence'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • sentence
    • crime
    • sacred
    • fast
    • lot
    • lack
    • today
    • shuts
    • some
    • sure
    • hurt
    • mean

    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 - Day of Silence

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'tourist'?
    3. What do you know about Bali?
    4. What do you think of the tourist's jail sentence?
    5. What religious festivals do you like?
    6. What do you think of silence?
    7. Have you ever tried to fast or meditate?
    8. What do you think of the tourist's actions?
    9. What festivals from other religions do you like?
    10. What advice do you have for the tourist?

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'silence'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. How difficult would it be for you to be silent for a day?
    5. Should we all be silent for a day to think about life?
    6. What do you think of having no internet access for 24 hours?
    7. What was the last thing you regretted?
    8. Has anyone ever insulted you?
    9. Should we all learn about the world's religious festivals?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the tourist?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    A tourist from Switzerland has been (1) ____ a one-year jail sentence in Bali, Indonesia. His crime was insulting (saying (2) ____ things about) an important Hindu festival called Nyepi. In English, this is called Day of Silence. It is a sacred (3) ____ for Hindus in Bali. On this day, the island becomes quiet. People stay at home. They try to be silent, and they (4) ____ and meditate. The 26-year-old Swiss tourist broke the rules by going outside. He filmed (5) ____ walking to an empty beach. As he walked, he used a lot of swear words and bad language. He said the silence and lack of people were "crazy". He was arrested after the video he uploaded on social media (6) ____ Balinese people angry.

    The Day of Silence has been celebrated (7) ____ centuries. Today, people in Bali keep quiet from 6 am one day to 6 am the (8) ____ day. During this period, people do not work, travel, or take part in leisure activities. Bali's airport shuts down and people have less (9) ____ to the internet. Most people must stay at home. However, some people, such as traditional Balinese security officers, can go outside. They walk the streets to make sure people are (10) ____. The judge said the tourist made Balinese people angry and hurt their religious feelings. The tourist said he did not understand how important Nyepi was, and that he did not mean (11) ____ insult the Balinese people. He expressed (12) ____ regret for what he did.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     taken     (b)     received     (c)     given     (d)     written    
    2. (a)     bad     (b)     badly     (c)     bad manners     (d)     badge    
    3. (a)     time     (b)     point     (c)     while     (d)     lifetime    
    4. (a)     fast     (b)     medium     (c)     slow     (d)     speedy    
    5. (a)     oneself     (b)     itself     (c)     themselves     (d)     himself    
    6. (a)     been     (b)     was     (c)     did     (d)     made    
    7. (a)     for     (b)     by     (c)     at     (d)     on    
    8. (a)     follow     (b)     follower     (c)     follows     (d)     following    
    9. (a)     access     (b)     recess     (c)     excess     (d)     assess    
    10. (a)     indoor     (b)     indoors     (c)     indorse     (d)     indorses    
    11. (a)     for     (b)     to     (c)     by     (d)     at    
    12. (a)     deep     (b)     deepen     (c)     depth     (d)     deeps

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. a one-year jail ctseeenn
    2. It is a ecrdsa time for Hindus
    3. they fast and dteaeimt
    4. a lot of ewsar words
    5. bad ugaalegn
    6. He was ratdesre

    Paragraph 2

    1. cerbeltaed for centuries
    2. During this dpoeri
    3. take part in euelrsi activities
    4. tltiadoinar Balinese security officers
    5. hurt their suioglire feelings
    6. He expressed deep ertger for what he did

    Put the text back together

    (  1  )   A tourist from Switzerland has been given a one-year jail sentence in Bali, Indonesia. His crime was insulting (saying bad
    (    )   activities. Bali's airport shuts down and people have less access to the internet. Most people must stay at
    (    )   angry and hurt their religious feelings. The tourist said he did not understand how important Nyepi was, and that he did
    (    )   arrested after the video he uploaded on social media made Balinese people angry.
    (    )   for Hindus in Bali. On this day, the island becomes quiet. People stay at home. They try to be
    (    )   home. However, some people, such as traditional Balinese security officers, can go
    (    )   language. He said the silence and lack of people were "crazy". He was
    (    )   not mean to insult the Balinese people. He expressed deep regret for what he did.
    (    )   outside. They walk the streets to make sure people are indoors. The judge said the tourist made Balinese people
    (    )   silent, and they fast and meditate. The 26-year-old Swiss tourist broke the rules by going outside. He filmed himself walking
    (    )   The Day of Silence has been celebrated for centuries. Today, people in Bali keep quiet from 6 am one day
    (    )   things about) an important Hindu festival called Nyepi. In English, this is called Day of Silence. It is a sacred time
    (    )   to 6 am the following day. During this period, people do not work, travel, or take part in leisure
    (    )   to an empty beach. As he walked, he used a lot of swear words and bad

    Put the words in the right order

    1. an   festival   Hindu   His   important   insulting   crime   was   .
    2. a   for   Hindus   is   It   sacred   time   very   .
    3. an   beach   empty   He   himself   filmed   to   walking   .
    4. a   He   lot   of   swear   used   words   .
    5. he   media   on   social   The   uploaded   video   .
    6. 6   am   Bali   from   in   keep   People   quiet   .
    7. access   have   internet   less   People   the   to   .
    8. angry   judge   made   people   said   The   the   tourist   .
    9. did   He   how   important   not   it   understand   was   .
    10. deep   did   expressed   for   He   he   regret   what   .

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    A tourist from Switzerland has been taken / given a one-year jail sentence in Bali, Indonesia. His crime was insult / insulting (saying bad things about) an important / importance Hindu festival called Nyepi. In English, this is called Day of Silence. It is a sacred / scared time for Hindus in Bali. On this day, the island becomes quite / quiet. People stay at home. They try to be / have silent, and they fast and meditate. The 26-year-old Swiss tourist broke the rules by / to going outside. He filmed himself walking to an empty beach. Was / As he walked, he used a lot of swear words and badly / bad language. He said the silence and lack of people were "crazy". He was arrested after the video he uploaded on social media made Balinese people angry / angrily.

    The Day of Silence has been celebrated to / for centuries. Today, people in Bali keep quiet from 6 am one day to 6 am the follow / following day. During this period, people do not work, travel, or take / have part in leisure activities. Bali's airport shuts up / down and people have less excess / access to the internet. Most people must stay at home. However, some people, such as traditional / tradition Balinese security officers, can go outside. They walk the streets to make sure / surely people are indoors. The judge said the tourist made Balinese people angry and hurt their religious feelings. The tourist said he did not understand what / how important Nyepi was, and that / what he did not mean to insult the Balinese people. He expressed deep regret for what he did / done.

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct. Look up the definition of new words.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    _  t__r_st  fr_m  Sw_tz_rl_nd  h_s  b__n  g_v_n  _  _n_-y__r  j__l  s_nt_nc_  _n  B_l_,  _nd_n_s__.  H_s  cr_m_  w_s  _ns_lt_ng  (s_y_ng  b_d  th_ngs  _b__t)  _n  _mp_rt_nt  H_nd_  f_st_v_l  c_ll_d  Ny_p_.  _n  _ngl_sh,  th_s  _s  c_ll_d  D_y  _f  S_l_nc_.  _t  _s  _  s_cr_d  t_m_  f_r  H_nd_s  _n  B_l_.  _n  th_s  d_y,  th_  _sl_nd  b_c_m_s  q___t.  P__pl_  st_y  _t  h_m_.  Th_y  try  t_  b_  s_l_nt,  _nd  th_y  f_st  _nd  m_d_t_t_.  Th_  26-y__r-_ld  Sw_ss  t__r_st  br_k_  th_  r_l_s  by  g__ng  __ts_d_.  H_  f_lm_d  h_ms_lf  w_lk_ng  t_  _n  _mpty  b__ch.  _s  h_  w_lk_d,  h_  _s_d  _  l_t  _f  sw__r  w_rds  _nd  b_d  l_ng__g_.  H_  s__d  th_  s_l_nc_  _nd  l_ck  _f  p__pl_  w_r_  "cr_zy".  H_  w_s  _rr_st_d  _ft_r  th_  v_d__  h_  _pl__d_d  _n  s_c__l  m_d__  m_d_  B_l_n_s_  p__pl_  _ngry.

    Th_  D_y  _f  S_l_nc_  h_s  b__n  c_l_br_t_d  f_r  c_nt_r__s.  T_d_y,  p__pl_  _n  B_l_  k__p  q___t  fr_m  6  _m  _n_  d_y  t_  6  _m  th_  f_ll_w_ng  d_y.  D_r_ng  th_s  p_r__d,  p__pl_  d_  n_t  w_rk,  tr_v_l,  _r  t_k_  p_rt  _n  l__s_r_  _ct_v_t__s.  B_l_'s  __rp_rt  sh_ts  d_wn  _nd  p__pl_  h_v_  l_ss  _cc_ss  t_  th_  _nt_rn_t.  M_st  p__pl_  m_st  st_y  _t  h_m_.  H_w_v_r,  s_m_  p__pl_,  s_ch  _s  tr_d_t__n_l  B_l_n_s_  s_c_r_ty  _ff_c_rs,  c_n  g_  __ts_d_.  Th_y  w_lk  th_  str__ts  t_  m_k_  s_r_  p__pl_  _r_  _nd__rs.  Th_  j_dg_  s__d  th_  t__r_st  m_d_  B_l_n_s_  p__pl_  _ngry  _nd  h_rt  th__r  r_l_g___s  f__l_ngs.  Th_  t__r_st  s__d  h_  d_d  n_t  _nd_rst_nd  h_w  _mp_rt_nt  Ny_p_  w_s,  _nd  th_t  h_  d_d  n_t  m__n  t_  _ns_lt  th_  B_l_n_s_  p__pl_.  H_  _xpr_ss_d  d__p  r_gr_t  f_r  wh_t  h_  d_d.

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    a tourist from switzerland has been given a oneyear jail sentence in bali indonesia his crime was insulting saying bad things about an important hindu festival called nyepi in english this is called day of silence it is a sacred time for hindus in bali on this day the island becomes quiet people stay at home they try to be silent and they fast and meditate the 26yearold swiss tourist broke the rules by going outside he filmed himself walking to an empty beach as he walked he used a lot of swear words and bad language he said the silence and lack of people were crazy he was arrested after the video he uploaded on social media made balinese people angry

    the day of silence has been celebrated for centuries today people in bali keep quiet from 6 am one day to 6 am the following day during this period people do not work travel or take part in leisure activities balis airport shuts down and people have less access to the internet most people must stay at home however some people such as traditional balinese security officers can go outside they walk the streets to make sure people are indoors the judge said the tourist made balinese people angry and hurt their religious feelings the tourist said he did not understand how important nyepi was and that he did not mean to insult the balinese people he expressed deep regret for what he did

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    AtouristfromSwitzerlandhasbeengivenaone-yearjailsentenceinBal
    i,Indonesia.Hiscrimewasinsulting(sayingbadthingsabout)animport
    antHindufestivalcalledNyepi.InEnglish,thisiscalledDayofSilence.Itis
    asacredtimeforHindusinBali.Onthisday,theislandbecomesquiet.Peo
    plestayathome.Theytrytobesilent,andtheyfastandmeditate.The26-
    year-oldSwisstouristbroketherulesbygoingoutside.Hefilmedhimsel
    fwalkingtoanemptybeach.Ashewalked,heusedalotofswearwordsan
    dbadlanguage.Hesaidthesilenceandlackofpeoplewere"crazy".Hewa
    sarrestedafterthevideoheuploadedonsocialmediamadeBalinesepeo
    pleangry.TheDayofSilencehasbeencelebratedforcenturies.Today,p
    eopleinBalikeepquietfrom6amonedayto6amthefollowingday.During
    thisperiod,peopledonotwork,travel,ortakepartinleisureactivities.Bal
    i'sairportshutsdownandpeoplehavelessaccesstotheinternet.Mostpe
    oplemuststayathome.However,somepeople,suchastraditionalBalin
    esesecurityofficers,cangooutside.Theywalkthestreetstomakesurep
    eopleareindoors.ThejudgesaidthetouristmadeBalinesepeopleangry
    andhurttheirreligiousfeelings.Thetouristsaidhedidnotunderstandho
    wimportantNyepiwas,andthathedidnotmeantoinsulttheBalinesepeo
    ple.Heexpresseddeepregretforwhathedid.

    Free writing

    Write about Day of Silence for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    We should all learn about festivals from other cultures. Discuss.

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    Homework

    1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
    2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS: Make a poster about religious festivals. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. EDUCATION: Write a magazine article about all of us educating ourselves about festivals from other cultures. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on religious festivals. Ask him/her three questions about them. Give him/her three of your favourite festivals. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

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    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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