The Reading / Listening - Warm Banks - Level 6

The U.K. is one of the world's richest countries, but people are finding it increasingly difficult to pay energy bills. Electricity and gas bills could rise fourfold by the winter. Even people on good salaries are feeling the pinch. Lower-paid workers and those who have retired may soon be faced with a stark choice of heating or eating. Local governments have devised a makeshift solution. They are converting communal areas like libraries into spaces where people can go to stay warm for free. These are called "heat banks". Money-saving expert Martin Lewis said he is dumbfounded by the idea of warm banks in a supposedly wealthy country. The U.K. already has hundreds of food banks for those who struggle to afford to eat.

Britons are already taking drastic measures to avoid skyrocketing energy costs. One woman has disconnected her refrigerator and is storing perishable goods in cold water. A man has turned off his electric kettle and is drinking water instead of hot coffee. Last winter, an older lady used her free bus pass to sit on a warm bus all day instead of sitting at home in the cold. Many people are furious with the government and fossil fuel companies. Giant oil companies are making record profits, and the government is reluctant to implement a one-off "windfall tax". The U.K.'s National Energy Action group said that each year, around 11,400 deaths are caused by cold weather. They predict this figure will rise further this year.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Warm Banks - Level 4  or  Warm Banks - Level 5

Sources
  • https://metro.co.uk/2022/07/14/warm-banks-to-be-set-up-this-winter-but-what-are-they-16998804/
  • https://www.ladbible.com/news/martin-lewis-brits-advice-energy-bills-rise-again-20220725
  • https://www.energylivenews.com/2022/07/18/another-council-considers-creating-warm-banks/


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. KEEPING WARM: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about keeping warm. 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?
       difficult / energy bills / electricity / gas bills / winter / feeling the pinch / wealthy /
       drastic measures / energy / refrigerator / electric kettle / fossil fuels / profits / tax
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. WARM BANKS: Students A strongly believe warm banks are a great idea; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. BILLS: How high are these bills in your house? How can we reduce them? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

How High

How to Reduce Them

Gas bill

 

 

Electricity bill

 

 

Food bill

 

 

Water bill

 

 

Internet bill

 

 

Phone bill

 

 
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. WINTER: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "winter". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. STAYING WARM: Rank these with your partner. Put the best ways to stay warm in the cold winter at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Extra clothes
  • Blanket
  • Sit under the sun
  • Drink hot tea
  • Exercise
  • Hot bath
  • Go to McDonald's
  • Hug someone

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. bill a. Planned or invented a system by careful thought.
      2. fourfold b. Experiencing hardship, especially financial.
      3. feeling the pinch c. Four times as great or as numerous.
      4. stark d. Greatly astonished or amazed.
      5. devised e. A printed or written statement of the money owed for goods or services.
      6. expert f. Severe.
      7. dumbfounded g. A person who is very knowledgeable about or skillful in a particular area.

    Paragraph 2

      8. drastic h. Extremely angry.
      9. skyrocketing i. Put a decision, plan, agreement, etc. into effect.
      10. perishable j. Unwilling and hesitant.
      11. furious k. Increasing very steeply or rapidly.
      12. reluctant l. A large amount of money that is won or received unexpectedly.
      13. implement m. Likely to have a strong or far-reaching effect; radical and extreme.
      14. windfall n. Especially of food, likely to decay or go bad quickly.

 

Before reading / listening

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

  1. The U.K. is the world's richest country.     T / F
  2. People on good salaries in the U.K. won't notice the rises in energy bills.  T / F
  3. Some people in the U.K. may have to decide whether to heat or eat.     T / F
  4. The U.K. has hundreds of food banks for people who have no food.     T / F
  5. Britons are measuring drastic and skyrocketing energy bills.     T / F
  6. A woman is keeping some of her food in cold water to save energy.     T / F
  7. The U.K. is not going to tax the huge profits of energy companies.     T / F
  8. It is predicted that over 10,000 Britons will die from the cold this year.    T / F

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

  1. richest
  2. makeshift
  3. communal
  4. dumbfounded
  5. afford
  6. measures
  7. perishable
  8. furious
  9. reluctant
  10. predict
  1. shared
  2. irate
  3. have the money for
  4. easily spoilt
  5. temporary
  6. hesitant
  7. wealthiest
  8. forecast
  9. amazed
  10. actions

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

  1. gas bills could rise
  2. be faced with a stark
  3. he is dumbfounded
  4. a supposedly
  5. those who struggle to
  6. Britons are already taking drastic
  7. One woman has disconnected
  8. perishable
  9. fossil
  10. reluctant to implement a one-
  1. by the idea
  2. goods
  3. afford to eat
  4. her refrigerator
  5. choice
  6. wealthy country
  7. off "windfall tax"
  8. fuel companies
  9. fourfold by the winter
  10. measures

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
pinch
communal
finding
struggle
stark
expert
fourfold
makeshift

The U.K. is one of the world's richest countries, but people are (1) _____________________ it increasingly difficult to pay energy bills. Electricity and gas bills could rise (2) _____________________ by the winter. Even people on good salaries are feeling the (3) _____________________. Lower-paid workers and those who have retired may soon be faced with a (4) _____________________ choice of heating or eating. Local governments have devised a (5) _____________________ solution. They are converting (6) _____________________ areas like libraries into spaces where people can go to stay warm for free. These are called "heat banks". Money-saving (7) _____________________ Martin Lewis said he is dumbfounded by the idea of warm banks in a supposedly wealthy country. The U.K. already has hundreds of food banks for those who (8) _____________________ to afford to eat.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
pass
disconnected
one-off
drastic
predict
kettle
fossil
perishable

Britons are already taking (9) _____________________ measures to avoid skyrocketing energy costs. One woman has (10) _____________________ her refrigerator and is storing (11) _____________________ goods in cold water. A man has turned off his electric (12) _____________________ and is drinking water instead of hot coffee. Last winter, an older lady used her free bus (13) _____________________ to sit on a warm bus all day instead of sitting at home in the cold. Many people are furious with the government and (14) _____________________ fuel companies. Giant oil companies are making record profits, and the government is reluctant to implement a (15) _____________________ "windfall tax". The U.K.'s National Energy Action group said that each year, around 11,400 deaths are caused by cold weather. They (16) _____________________ this figure will rise further this year.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  The UK is one of the world's richest countries, but people are finding ______
     a.  it increasing lid if a cult
     b.  it increasing lid diff occult
     c.  it increasing in difficulty
     d.  it increasingly difficult
2)  Electricity and gas bills ______
     a.  could rise far fooled
     b.  could rise few fold
     c.  could rise fourfold
     d.  could rise for fooled
3)  Even people on good salaries are ______
     a.  feel in the pinch
     b.  feeling the pinch
     c.  feeling a pinch
     d.  fearing a pinch
4)  Local governments have devised ______
     a.  a make shift solution
     b.  a makeshift resolution
     c.  a makeshift solution
     d.  a make shift resolution
5)  Money-saving expert Martin Lewis said ______
     a.  he is dumbfounded
     b.  he is done founded
     c.  he is done funded
     d.  he is dumb funded

6)  Britons are already taking drastic measures to avoid ______
     a.  sky rocket inner G-costs
     b.  skyrocket in any G-costs
     c.  skyrocketing energy costs
     d.  sky rocket thin-energy cost
7)  One woman has disconnected her refrigerator and is ______
     a.  strong perishable goodies
     b.  storing perishable goods
     c.  staring perishable goodies
     d.  steering perishable goods
8)  in cold water. A man has turned off ______
     a.  his electrical kitty
     b.  his electric kettle
     c.  his electricity kettle
     d.  his electric cuttle
9)  Many people are furious with the government and ______
     a.  fossil feel companies
     b.  fossil fool companies
     c.  fossil fuel companies
     d.  fossil fail companies
10)  and the government is reluctant to implement a ______
     a.  one-off windfall tax"
     b.  one-on windfall tax"
     c.  once-on windier tax"
     d.  once-off windmill tax"

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The U.K. is one of the world's richest countries, but people are finding it increasingly difficult to (1) ____________________. Electricity and gas bills could rise fourfold by the winter. Even people (2) ____________________ are feeling the pinch. Lower-paid workers and those who have retired may soon be faced with a stark choice of heating or eating. Local governments have (3) ____________________ solution. They are converting communal areas like libraries into spaces where people can go to stay warm for free. These are called "heat banks". (4) ____________________ Martin Lewis said he is dumbfounded by the idea of warm banks (5) ____________________ wealthy country. The U.K. already has hundreds of food banks for those who struggle (6) ____________________ eat.

Britons are already taking (7) ____________________ avoid skyrocketing energy costs. One woman has disconnected her refrigerator and is storing (8) ____________________ cold water. A man has turned off his electric kettle and is drinking water instead of hot coffee. Last winter, an older lady used her free bus pass to sit on a warm bus all (9) ____________________ sitting at home in the cold. Many people are furious with the government and (10) ____________________. Giant oil companies are making record profits, and the government is reluctant to implement a (11) ____________________. The U.K.'s National Energy Action group said that each year, around 11,400 deaths are caused by cold weather. They predict this (12) ____________________ this year.

Comprehension questions

  1. By how much could energy bills rise in the UK?
  2. What are people on good salaries feeling?
  3. What two choices might lower-paid workers be faced with?
  4. What is Martin Lewis' job?
  5. What does the article say there are hundreds of in the UK?
  6. What kind of measures are Britons taking?
  7. Where is one woman storing the food that spoils easily?
  8. Where did a woman sit all day to keep warm?
  9. What does the article say giant oil companies are making?
  10. What kills around 11,400 Britons each year?

Multiple choice quiz

1) By how much could energy bills rise in the UK?
a) 90%
b) double
c) no one knows
d) fourfold
2) What are people on good salaries feeling?
a) happy
b) the pinch
c) relieved
d) cold
3) What two choices might lower-paid workers be faced with?
a) gas or electricity
b) salad or soup
c) heating or eating
d) work or not work
4) What is Martin Lewis' job?
a) he's a money-saving expert
b) he's a doctor
c) he's a heating engineer
d) he's a journalist

5) What does the article say there are hundreds of in the UK?
a) commercial banks
b) riverbanks
c) food banks
d) investment banks

6) What kind of measures are Britons taking?
a) long ones
b) drastic measures
c) cautious measures
d) sudden measures
7) Where is one woman storing the food that spoils easily?
a) in a local store
b) in her garden
c) underground
d) in cold water
8) Where did a woman sit all day to keep warm?
a) on a bus
b) in a fast-food restaurant
c) in a sauna
d) on a hot water bottle
9) What does the article say giant oil companies are making?
a) petrol
b) plastics
c) record profits
d) a lot of fuss

10) What kills around 11,400 Britons each year?
a) food poisoning
b) cold weather
c) snow
d) falling on ice

Role play

Role  A – Exercise
You think exercise is the best thing for keeping warm. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): extra clothes, a blanket or drinking hot tea.

Role  B – Extra Clothes
You think extra clothes is the best thing for keeping warm. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): exercise, a blanket or drinking hot tea.

Role  C – A Blanket
You think a blanket is the best thing for keeping warm. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): extra clothes, exercise or drinking hot tea.

Role  D – Drinking Hot Tea
You think drinking hot tea is the best thing for keeping warm. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): extra clothes, a blanket or exercise.

After reading / listening

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

'warm'

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

    • and 'bank'.

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

    • • 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:

    • richest
    • fourfold
    • faced
    • areas
    • idea
    • afford
    • avoid
    • goods
    • coffee
    • furious
    • record
    • each

    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 - Warm Banks

    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 'heat'?
    3. How rich is your country?
    4. Are your bills increasingly difficult to pay?
    5. When was the last time you felt the pinch?
    6. Have you ever had a stark choice to make?
    7. What do you think of people in the UK having to heat or eat?
    8. What do you think of the idea of 'warm banks'?
    9. Why does a rich country like the UK have warm banks?
    10. How bad would it be if you struggled to eat?

    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 'bank'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. Have you ever taken drastic measures in your life?
    5. How can we avoid skyrocketing costs?
    6. Would you disconnect your fridge to save energy?
    7. Would you drink water instead of hot drinks to save energy?
    8. What do you think of giant oil companies?
    9. What does 11,000 deaths because of cold say about the UK?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the U.K. government?

    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)

    The U.K. is one of the world's (1) ____ countries, but people are finding it increasingly difficult to pay energy bills. Electricity and gas bills could rise (2) ____ by the winter. Even people on good salaries are feeling the pinch. Lower-paid workers and those who have retired may soon be faced with a (3) ____ choice of heating or eating. Local governments have devised a makeshift solution. They are converting (4) ____ areas like libraries into spaces where people can go to stay warm for free. These are called "heat banks". Money-saving (5) ____ Martin Lewis said he is dumbfounded by the idea of warm banks in a (6) ____ wealthy country. The U.K. already has hundreds of food banks for those who struggle to afford to eat.

    Britons are already taking (7) ____ measures to avoid skyrocketing energy costs. One woman has disconnected her refrigerator and is storing perishable goods in cold water. A man has turned off his electric kettle and is drinking water (8) ____ of hot coffee. Last winter, an older lady used her free bus (9) ____ to sit on a warm bus all day instead of sitting at home in the cold. Many people are furious (10) ____ the government and fossil fuel companies. Giant oil companies are making record profits, and the government is reluctant (11) ____ implement a one-off "windfall tax". The U.K.'s National Energy Action group said that each year, around 11,400 deaths are caused by cold weather. They (12) ____ this figure will rise further this year.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     enriching     (b)     riches     (c)     richest     (d)     enrich    
    2. (a)     fourfold     (b)     folding     (c)     folded     (d)     folds    
    3. (a)     stark     (b)     stork     (c)     stake     (d)     strike    
    4. (a)     communal     (b)     immune     (c)     commuter     (d)     amassed    
    5. (a)     export     (b)     expert     (c)     expat     (d)     expect    
    6. (a)     advisedly     (b)     admittedly     (c)     hurriedly     (d)     supposedly    
    7. (a)     caustic     (b)     mastic     (c)     drastic     (d)     rustic    
    8. (a)     lieu     (b)     prefer     (c)     rather     (d)     instead    
    9. (a)     pass     (b)     coupon     (c)     voucher     (d)     conductor    
    10. (a)     by     (b)     with     (c)     on     (d)     as    
    11. (a)     of     (b)     to     (c)     by     (d)     at    
    12. (a)     predicts     (b)     prediction     (c)     predict     (d)     predictive

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. gas bills could rise ruffolod by the winter
    2. be faced with a atsrk choice of heating or eating
    3. devised a aksmiheft solution
    4. he is ombdunufded by the idea
    5. in a oppsudesly wealthy country
    6. those who tusggrle to afford to eat

    Paragraph 2

    1. Britons are already taking sartdic measures
    2. storing rhiseabple goods
    3. sfsoil fuel companies
    4. the government is lcuetrnat
    5. eplimemnt a one-off "windfall tax"
    6. They epidrct this figure will rise

    Put the text back together

    (...)  choice of heating or eating. Local governments have devised a makeshift solution. They are converting communal
    (...)  off "windfall tax". The U.K.'s National Energy Action group said that each year,
    (...)  companies are making record profits, and the government is reluctant to implement a one-
    (...)  salaries are feeling the pinch. Lower-paid workers and those who have retired may soon be faced with a stark
    (...)  Britons are already taking drastic measures to avoid skyrocketing energy costs. One woman has disconnected her
    (...)  areas like libraries into spaces where people can go to stay warm for free. These are called "heat banks". Money-saving
    (...)  bills. Electricity and gas bills could rise fourfold by the winter. Even people on good
    (...)  bus all day instead of sitting at home in the cold. Many people are furious with the government and fossil fuel companies. Giant oil
    (...)  wealthy country. The U.K. already has hundreds of food banks for those who struggle to afford to eat.
    (...)  refrigerator and is storing perishable goods in cold water. A man has turned off his electric kettle
    (...)  and is drinking water instead of hot coffee. Last winter, an older lady used her free bus pass to sit on a warm
    (...)  expert Martin Lewis said he is dumbfounded by the idea of warm banks in a supposedly
    (.1..) The U.K. is one of the world's richest countries, but people are finding it increasingly difficult to pay energy
    (...)  around 11,400 deaths are caused by cold weather. They predict this figure will rise further this year.

    Put the words in the right order

    1. are   increasingly   it   finding   difficult   People   to   pay   .
    2. on   salaries   People   feeling   are   good   the   pinch   .
    3. be   soon   They   faced   may   stark   with   choices   .
    4. have   Local   a   devised   governments   makeshift   solution   .
    5. banks   food   Hundreds   for   of   who   those   struggle   .
    6. measures   Taking   avoid   to   drastic   skyrocketing   energy   costs   .
    7. is   storing   perishable   goods   in   She   cold   water   .
    8. older   her   used   lady   free   An   bus   pass   .
    9. government   reluctant   The   implement   to   is   a   tax   .
    10. figure   this   They   will   predict   this   rise   year   .

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    The U.K. is one of the world's richest countries, but people are finding it increasingly difficult to pay energy billing / bills. Electricity and gas bills could rise fourfold by / for the winter. Even people on good salaries are feeling the pinch / inch. Lower-paid workers and those who have attired / retired may soon be faced with a stork / stark choice of heating or eating. Local governments have devised a makeshift soluble / solution. They are converting communal areas like libraries into spaces where people can go to stay warm as / for free. These are called "heat banks". Money-saving expert Martin Lewis said he is dumbfounded / founded at the idea of warm banks in a disputed / supposedly wealthy country. The U.K. already has hundreds of food banks for those who struggles / struggle to afford to eat.

    Britons are already taking drastic / caustic measures to avoid / evade skyrocketing energy costs. One woman has disconnected her refrigerator and is storing punishable / perishable goods in cold water. A man has turned off his electricity / electric kettle and is drinking water instead of hot coffee. Last winter, an older lady used her free bus pass to sit on a warm bus all day instead of sitting at home in / by the cold. Many people are furious / spurious with the government and fossil fuel / fuelled companies. Giant oil companies are making record profits, and the government is recalcitrant / reluctant to implement a one-off "windfall / windmill tax". The U.K.'s National Energy Action group said that each year, around 11,400 deaths are caused by cold weather. They predict this figuring / figure will rise further this year.

    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)

    Th_  _.K.  _s  _n_  _f  th_  w_rld's  r_ch_st  c__ntr__s,  b_t  p__pl_  _r_  f_nd_ng  _t  _ncr__s_ngly  d_ff_c_lt  t_  p_y  _n_rgy  b_lls.  _l_ctr_c_ty  _nd  g_s  b_lls  c__ld  r_s_  f__rf_ld  by  th_  w_nt_r.  _v_n  p__pl_  _n  g__d  s_l_r__s  _r_  f__l_ng  th_  p_nch.  L_w_r-p__d  w_rk_rs  _nd  th_s_  wh_  h_v_  r_t_r_d  m_y  s__n  b_  f_c_d  w_th  _  st_rk  ch__c_  _f  h__t_ng  _r  __t_ng.  L_c_l  g_v_rnm_nts  h_v_  d_v_s_d  _  m_k_sh_ft  s_l_t__n.  Th_y  _r_  c_nv_rt_ng  c_mm_n_l  _r__s  l_k_  l_br_r__s  _nt_  sp_c_s  wh_r_  p__pl_  c_n  g_  t_  st_y  w_rm  f_r  fr__.  Th_s_  _r_  c_ll_d  "h__t  b_nks".  M_n_y-s_v_ng  _xp_rt  M_rt_n  L_w_s  s__d  h_  _s  d_mbf__nd_d  by  th_  _d__  _f  w_rm  b_nks  _n  _  s_pp_s_dly  w__lthy  c__ntry.  Th_  _.K.  _lr__dy  h_s  h_ndr_ds  _f  f__d  b_nks  f_r  th_s_  wh_  str_ggl_  t_  _ff_rd  t_  __t.

    Br_t_ns  _r_  _lr__dy  t_k_ng  dr_st_c  m__s_r_s  t_  _v__d  skyr_ck_t_ng  _n_rgy  c_sts.  _n_  w_m_n  h_s  d_sc_nn_ct_d  h_r  r_fr_g_r_t_r  _nd  _s  st_r_ng  p_r_sh_bl_  g__ds  _n  c_ld  w_t_r.  _  m_n  h_s  t_rn_d  _ff  h_s  _l_ctr_c  k_ttl_  _nd  _s  dr_nk_ng  w_t_r  _nst__d  _f  h_t  c_ff__.  L_st  w_nt_r,  _n  _ld_r  l_dy  _s_d  h_r  fr__  b_s  p_ss  t_  s_t  _n  _  w_rm  b_s  _ll  d_y  _nst__d  _f  s_tt_ng  _t  h_m_  _n  th_  c_ld.  M_ny  p__pl_  _r_  f_r___s  w_th  th_  g_v_rnm_nt  _nd  f_ss_l  f__l  c_mp_n__s.  G__nt  __l  c_mp_n__s  _r_  m_k_ng  r_c_rd  pr_f_ts,  _nd  th_  g_v_rnm_nt  _s  r_l_ct_nt  t_  _mpl_m_nt  _  _n_-_ff  "w_ndf_ll  t_x".  Th_  _.K.'s  N_t__n_l  _n_rgy  _ct__n  gr__p  s__d  th_t  __ch  y__r,  _r__nd  11,400  d__ths  _r_  c__s_d  by  c_ld  w__th_r.  Th_y  pr_d_ct  th_s  f_g_r_  w_ll  r_s_  f_rth_r th_s  y__r.

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    the uk is one of the worlds richest countries but people are finding it increasingly difficult to pay energy bills electricity and gas bills could rise fourfold by the winter even people on good salaries are feeling the pinch lowerpaid workers and those who have retired may soon be faced with a stark choice of heating or eating local governments have devised a makeshift solution they are converting communal areas like libraries into spaces where people can go to stay warm for free these are called heat banks moneysaving expert martin lewis said he is dumbfounded by the idea of warm banks in a supposedly wealthy country the uk already has hundreds of food banks for those who struggle to afford to eat

    britons are already taking drastic measures to avoid skyrocketing energy costs one woman has disconnected her refrigerator and is storing perishable goods in cold water a man has turned off his electric kettle and is drinking water instead of hot coffee last winter an older lady used her free bus pass to sit on a warm bus all day instead of sitting at home in the cold many people are furious with the government and fossil fuel companies giant oil companies are making record profits and the government is reluctant to implement a oneoff windfall tax the uks national energy action group said that each year around 11400 deaths are caused by cold weather they predict this figure will rise further this year

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    TheU.K.isoneoftheworld'srichestcountries,butpeoplearefindingitinc
    reasinglydifficulttopayenergybills.Electricityandgasbillscouldrisefou
    rfoldbythewinter.Evenpeopleongoodsalariesarefeelingthepinch.Lo
    wer-paidworkersandthosewhohaveretiredmaysoonbefacedwithast
    arkchoiceofheatingoreating.Localgovernmentshavedevisedamakes
    hiftsolution.Theyareconvertingcommunalareaslikelibrariesintospac
    eswherepeoplecangotostaywarmforfree.Thesearecalled"heatbanks
    ".Money-savingexpertMartinLewissaidheisdumbfoundedbytheide
    aofwarmbanksinasupposedlywealthycountry.TheU.K.alreadyhashu
    ndredsoffoodbanksforthosewhostruggletoaffordtoeat.Britonsarealr
    eadytakingdrasticmeasurestoavoidskyrocketingenergycosts.Onew
    omanhasdisconnectedherrefrigeratorandisstoringperishablegoodsi
    ncoldwater.Amanhasturnedoffhiselectrickettleandisdrinkingwateri
    nsteadofhotcoffee.Lastwinter,anolderladyusedherfreebuspasstosit
    onawarmbusalldayinsteadofsittingathomeinthecold.Manypeoplear
    efuriouswiththegovernmentandfossilfuelcompanies.Giantoilcompa
    niesaremakingrecordprofits,andthegovernmentisreluctanttoimple
    mentaone-off"windfalltax".TheU.K.'sNationalEnergyActiongroups
    aidthateachyear,around11,400deathsarecausedbycoldweather.Th
    eypredictthisfigurewillrisefurtherthisyear.

    Free writing

    Write about warm banks for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    The need for 'warm banks' is a disgrace in wealthy countries. 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. KEEPING WARM: Make a poster about keeping warm. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. WARM BANKS: Write a magazine article about creating lots of "warm banks" and "cool banks" to help poorer people stay warm or cool. 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 keeping warm. Ask him/her three questions about this. Give him/her three of your ideas on how poor people can survive freezing cold weather. 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

    Buy my book

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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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