India to remove 287 laughable laws

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

India's government will cancel 287 out-of-date laws that date back to British rule in the 19th century. India's Law Minister is cleaning up India's legal system. The Prime Minister told him to streamline laws to make it easier to live and do business in India. India has hundreds of strange laws introduced by the British. Some laws are "laughable" and have "no place in a modern and democratic India". India will still have many laws that get in the way of business.

The laws will go in November. It will then be legal to fly a kite without police permission. A 1934 law said a kite was an aircraft. Factory owners will no longer have to have red buckets of water and sand for fires. Another strange law to go is the Motor Vehicles Act. This says a safety inspector must have clean teeth. The end of the Registration of Foreigners' Act means foreigners can move freely. This should boost India's tourism industry.

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-wields-the-axe-on-her-majesty-s-laughable-laws/article1-1272727.aspx
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/british-colonial-law-treasure-findings-her-majesty-ravi-shankar-prasad/1/394613.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-29516976

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	cancel 287 out-	a.	by the British
2.	cleaning up	b.	the way of business
3.	streamline laws to make	c.	India's legal system
4.	strange laws introduced	d.	of-date laws
5.	no place in a modern	e.	it easier to live
6.	laws that get in	f.	and democratic India

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	It will then be legal to fly	a.	freely
2.	without police	b.	inspector
3.	buckets of water and sand	c.	permission
4.	safety	d.	tourism industry
5.	foreigners can move	e.	for fires
6.	boost India's	f.	a kite

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

India's government will cancel (1) ___________________ that date back to British rule in the 19th century. India's Law Minister (2) ___________________ India's legal system. The Prime Minister told him to streamline laws to make it easier (3) ___________________ business in India. India has hundreds (4) ___________________ introduced by the British. Some laws are "laughable" and (5) ___________________ a modern and democratic India". India will still have many laws (6) ___________________ business.

The laws will go in November. It will (7) ___________________ fly a kite without police permission. A 1934 law said a kite was an aircraft. Factory owners (8) ___________________ to have red buckets of water and sand for fires. Another strange (9) ___________________ Motor Vehicles Act. This says (10) ___________________ must have clean teeth. The end of the Registration of Foreigners' Act means foreigners (11) ___________________. This should boost India's (12) ___________________.

LAWS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about laws 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.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about laws for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Back to the top

Help Support This Web Site

Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Download a sample of my book "1,000 Ideas & Activities for Language Teachers".

Breaking News English

Home | Help This Site