The Reading / Listening - Phone Zombies - Level 0

Honolulu will ban people from walking across the road while using mobile phones. A new law says no one can cross a street while looking at mobile devices. There will be fines from $15-$99. Honolulu's mayor said the law was because of many accidents that happen when people walk and use mobile phones.

People who text and walk are called "phone zombies". The ban is to teach people about the dangers of texting and walking. There are too many accidents. He added that if people had more common sense, there would be no need for this law. We have a lot of technology today but we forget about safety.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Phone Zombies - Level 1,  Phone Zombies - Level 2   or  Phone Zombies - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.govtech.com/policy/Honolulu-Distracted-Walking-Law-Outlaws-Texting-within-Crosswalks.html
  • http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/29/540140824/its-now-illegal-to-text-while-crossing-the-street-in-honolulu
  • http://www.marketwatch.com/story/honolulu-bans-texting-while-crossing-the-street-2017-07-29


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Honolulu will
  2. walking across
  3. no one can
  4. looking at mobile
  5. There will be fines
  6. Honolulu's
  7. accidents that happen
  8. use
  1. the road
  2. when people walk
  3. devices
  4. mobile phones
  5. cross a street
  6. ban people
  7. mayor
  8. from $15-$99

Paragraph 2

  1. People who text
  2. teach people
  3. the dangers of texting
  4. There are too
  5. common
  6. there would be no
  7. We have a lot
  8. we forget about
  1. and walking
  2. of technology today
  3. need for this law
  4. about the dangers
  5. safety
  6. and walk
  7. sense
  8. many accidents

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Honolulu (1) ___________________ from walking across the road (2) ___________________ mobile phones. A new law says no one can (3) ___________________ while looking at mobile devices. There will (4) ___________________ $15-$99. Honolulu's mayor (5) ___________________ was because of many accidents that happen when people (6) ________________ mobile phones.

People (7) ___________________ walk are called "phone zombies". The (8) ___________________ teach people about the (9) ___________________ and walking. There are too many accidents. He (10) ___________________ people had more common sense, there would be (11) ___________________ this law. We have a lot of technology today (12) _________________ about safety.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Honoluluwillbanpeoplefromwalkingacrosstheroadwhileusingmobile
phones.Anewlawsaysnoonecancrossastreetwhilelookingatmobilede
vices.Therewillbefinesfrom$15-$99.Honolulu'smayorsaidthelaww
asbecauseofmanyaccidentsthathappenwhenpeoplewalkandusemo
bilephones.Peoplewhotextandwalkarecalled"phonezombies".Theba
nistoteachpeopleaboutthedangersoftextingandwalking.Thereareto
omanyaccidents.Headdedthatifpeoplehadmorecommonsense,ther
ewouldbenoneedforthislaw.Wehavealotoftechnologytodaybutwefor
getaboutsafety.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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

Thank You