The Reading / Listening - Toilet Scrolling - Level 2

Many people use smartphones in the toilet to send texts or check the latest social media videos. Doctors say using your phone on the toilet could damage your body. A doctor who graduated from Harvard University studied the functions of the stomach. He warned that bacteria in the bathroom contain many health risks. The doctor said too many people take their phones to the toilet without knowing about the dangers. He said we should stop this habit. He said being addicted to smartphones can have "some serious consequences".

People wrongly believe that using a smartphone in the toilet is harmless. The doctor said bacteria could damage the "toilet areas" of our stomach. Using a smartphone results in sitting on the toilet for a longer time. This puts extra pressure on our stomach and can make our veins swell up. Another hazard comes from germs. The doctor warned toilet germs can, "make your device a "breeding ground for bacteria". He added: "The average smartphone is dirtier than a public toilet seat, so try avoiding scrolling while using the toilet."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Toilet Scrolling - Level 0 Toilet Scrolling - Level 1   or  Toilet Scrolling - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/health/doctor-says-using-your-phone-31100350
  • https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1821079/doctor-warning-using-phone-on-the-toilet
  • https://nypost.com/2023/10/02/here-is-the-real-reason-why-you-shouldnt-use-your-phone-on-the-toilet/


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. send
  2. check the latest
  3. studied the functions
  4. bacteria in the bathroom contain
  5. knowing about
  6. He said we should stop this
  7. being addicted
  8. have some serious
  1. the dangers
  2. to smartphones
  3. many health risks
  4. social media videos
  5. consequences
  6. texts
  7. of the stomach
  8. habit

Paragraph 2

  1. People wrongly believe
  2. using a smartphone in the toilet
  3. damage the "toilet areas"
  4. sitting on the toilet for
  5. This puts extra pressure
  6. make our veins swell
  7. a breeding ground for
  8. dirtier than a public
  1. up
  2. of our stomach
  3. a longer time
  4. toilet seat
  5. is harmless
  6. bacteria
  7. on our stomach
  8. that

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Many people use smartphones in the toilet (1) ___________________ or check the latest social media videos. Doctors say (2) ___________________ on the toilet could damage your body. A doctor who graduated from Harvard University studied (3) ___________________ the stomach. He warned that bacteria in the bathroom contain (4) ___________________. The doctor said too many people take their phones to the toilet without knowing about the dangers. He said we should (5) ___________________. He said being addicted to smartphones can (6) ___________________ consequences".

People (7) ___________________ using a smartphone in the toilet is harmless. The doctor (8) ___________________ damage the "toilet areas" of our stomach. Using a smartphone results in sitting on the toilet for (9) ___________________. This puts extra pressure on our stomach and can make our (10) ___________________. Another hazard comes from germs. The doctor warned toilet germs can, "make your device a "(11) ___________________ bacteria". He added: "The average smartphone is dirtier than a public toilet seat, so try avoiding (12) ___________________ the toilet."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Manypeopleusesmartphonesinthetoilettosendtextsorcheckthelates
tsocialmediavideos.Doctorssayusingyourphoneonthetoiletcouldda
mageyourbody.AdoctorwhograduatedfromHarvardUniversitystudie
dthefunctionsofthestomach.Hewarnedthatbacteriainthebathroomc
ontainmanyhealthrisks.Thedoctorsaidtoomanypeopletaketheirpho
nestothetoiletwithoutknowingaboutthedangers.Hesaidweshouldsto
pthishabit.Hesaidbeingaddictedtosmartphonescanhave"someserio
usconsequences".Peoplewronglybelievethatusingasmartphoneinth
etoiletisharmless.Thedoctorsaidbacteriacoulddamagethe"toiletare
as"ofourstomach.Usingasmartphoneresultsinsittingonthetoiletforal
ongertime.Thisputsextrapressureonourstomachandcanmakeourvei
nsswellup.Anotherhazardcomesfromgerms.Thedoctorwarnedtoilet
germscan,"makeyourdevicea"breedinggroundforbacteria".Headde
d:"Theaveragesmartphoneisdirtierthanapublictoiletseat,sotryavoid
ingscrollingwhileusingthetoilet."

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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