The Reading / Listening - Swimming to Work - Level 0

A man swims 2km to work. He got tired of commuting and being stuck in traffic. Benjamin David, 40, pulls his laptop, phone and suit in a waterproof bag behind him. He said the river goes from his apartment to his office. He said swimming is better than using buses or breathing pollution while cycling.

David said swimming made him fitter and less stressed. When he was on his bike, he shouted at cars. When he walked, he shouted at cyclists. He said the river was just a few metres from all the traffic. He said swimming is "completely relaxing". River swimming can be dangerous. In some cities, you cannot swim in rivers.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Swimming to Work - Level 1,  Swimming to Work - Level 2   or  Swimming to Work - Level 3

Sources
  • http://metro.co.uk/2017/08/07/man-swims-to-work-every-day-with-his-laptop-suit-and-phone-6832657/
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4767864/German-David-Hasselhoff-SWIMS-2km-work-day.html
  • http://zeenews.india.com/world/how-fitness-conscious-are-you-this-german-swims-a-mile-to-work-every-day-2030950.html


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. being stuck
  2. David beats the
  3. in a waterproof
  4. the river outside his apartment went
  5. He decided to swim
  6. get some
  7. battling commuters on
  8. breathing fumes while
  1. exercise
  2. bag
  3. past his office
  4. cycling
  5. in traffic
  6. buses
  7. to work
  8. traffic by swimming

Paragraph 2

  1. David's river commute has
  2. When I was on
  3. I would yell
  4. Just a few metres
  5. it's completely
  6. river swimming can
  7. He always checks the
  8. In some cities it is illegal
  1. to the side
  2. water temperature
  3. foot
  4. to swim in rivers
  5. made him fitter
  6. relaxing
  7. at cyclists
  8. be dangerous

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A man started swimming to work. He (1) ___________________ with commuting and being (2) __________________. Benjamin David (3) ___________________ by swimming 2km down a river in Germany. He drags his laptop, phone (4) ___________________ a waterproof bag behind him. David realized the (5) ___________________ apartment went past his office. He decided to swim to work and get some exercise. This was better than battling (6) ___________________ or breathing fumes while cycling.

David's river commute has made him (7) ___________________ stressed. He said: "(8) ___________________ my bike, I would yell at cars. When I was on foot, I (9) ___________________ cyclists, and so on." He added: "Just a few metres to the side of (10) ___________________ is the river, and if you just swim down that, it's completely relaxing." David said river swimming can be dangerous. (11) ___________________ the water temperature. In some cities it is illegal (12) ___________________ rivers.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Amanstartedswimmingtowork.Hegotfedupwithcommutingandbein
gstuckintraffic.BenjaminDavidbeatsthetrafficbyswimming2kmdow
nariverinGermany.Hedragshislaptop,phoneandhissuitinawaterproo
fbagbehindhim.Davidrealizedtheriveroutsidehisapartmentwentpas
thisoffice.Hedecidedtoswimtoworkandgetsomeexercise.Thiswasbet
terthanbattlingcommutersonbusesorbreathingfumeswhilecycling.D
avid'srivercommutehasmadehimfitterandlessstressed.Hesaid:"Wh
enIwasonmybike,Iwouldyellatcars.WhenIwasonfoot,Iwouldyellatcy
clists,andsoon."Headded:"Justafewmetrestothesideof[allthetraffic]
istheriver,andifyoujustswimdownthat,it'scompletelyrelaxing."Davi
dsaidriverswimmingcanbedangerous.Healwayschecksthewatertem
perature.Insomecitiesitisillegaltoswiminrivers.

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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