The Reading / Listening - Google Maps - Level 4

Google Maps has lots of useful features. It plans routes and provides real-time directions. It also gives traffic information, restaurant reviews, and lots more. Its latest tool is its Air Quality Index (AQI). Before going on a picnic, camping trip or hike, you can check the air quality. Google said we can check "conditions – like whether it's unusually smoggy". It is "a measure of how healthy (or unhealthy) the air is".

The new air quality feature is on the Layers icon on Google Maps. This is where the satellite and street views are. Google said: "We collaborate closely with partners in the weather and air quality space to [provide] helpful and authoritative information.…We hope these tools help you feel safe and informed." The AQI also provides updated information on the health impact of air quality. In addition, there is a "wildfires near me" feature to advise people on fires.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Google Maps - Level 5 or  Google Maps - Level 6

Sources
  • https://blog.google/products/search/get-some-fresh-air-outdoors-with-google/
  • https://9to5google.com/2022/06/08/google-maps-air-quality/
  • https://www.popsci.com/technology/google-maps-air-quality/


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. Google Maps has lots
  2. It plans
  3. real-time
  4. restaurant
  5. going on
  6. you can
  7. whether it's unusually
  8. healthy or unhealthy
  1. check the air quality
  2. a picnic
  3. the air is
  4. directions
  5. routes
  6. of useful features
  7. smoggy
  8. reviews

Paragraph 2

  1. The new air quality
  2. where the satellite and
  3. We collaborate closely
  4. helpful and authoritative
  5. We hope these tools help
  6. the health impact
  7. wildfires
  8. advise people
  1. information
  2. near me
  3. you feel safe
  4. on fires
  5. of air quality
  6. street views are
  7. feature
  8. with partners

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Google Maps (1) ___________________ useful features. It plans routes and provides (2) ___________________. It also gives traffic information, restaurant reviews, (3) ___________________. Its latest tool is its Air Quality Index (AQI). Before going (4) ___________________, camping trip or hike, you can check (5) ___________________. Google said we can check "conditions - like whether it's unusually smoggy". It is "a measure (6) ___________________ (or unhealthy) the air is".

The new air (7) ___________________ on the Layers icon on Google Maps. This is where the (8) ___________________ views are. Google said: "We collaborate (9) ___________________ in the weather and air quality space (10) ___________________ and authoritative information....We hope these tools help you feel safe and informed." The AQI (11) ___________________ information on the health impact of air quality. In addition, there is a "wildfires near me" (12) ___________________ people on fires.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

GoogleMapshaslotsofusefulfeatures.Itplansroutesandprovidesreal-
timedirections.Italsogivestrafficinformation,restaurantreviews,and
lotsmore.ItslatesttoolisitsAirQualityIndex(AQI).Beforegoingonapic
nic,campingtriporhike,youcanchecktheairquality.Googlesaidwecan
check"conditions-likewhetherit'sunusuallysmoggy".Itis"ameasureo
fhowhealthy(orunhealthy)theairis".Thenewairqualityfeatureisonth
eLayersicononGoogleMaps.Thisiswherethesatelliteandstreetviewsa
re.Googlesaid:"Wecollaboratecloselywithpartnersintheweatherand
airqualityspaceto[provide]helpfulandauthoritativeinformation....W
ehopethesetoolshelpyoufeelsafeandinformed."TheAQIalsoprovides
updatedinformationonthehealthimpactofairquality.Inaddition,there
isa"wildfiresnearme"featuretoadvisepeopleonfires.

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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