The Reading / Listening - Valentine's Day - Level 4

Valentine's Day makes us think of romance, red roses, pink hearts and candlelit dinners. We rarely think about breaking up with a partner. Pizza Hut is selling a Valentine's pizza for those who want to break up with their partner. The name of your soon-to-be ex will be written on the box. Customers can also visit a Pizza Hut website to send a break-up message, and a link for the "future-ex" to receive a complimentary pizza.

Pizza Hut said: "We are bringing that perfect blend of sweet and heat…to real life. We are delivering spicy news in the sweetest way for Valentine's Day." It said break-ups were "awkward," so delivery drivers "will deliver the bad news in the best way". It added: "We'll generate an expertly crafted, carefully curated, and potentially plausible break-up excuse for you." Around 45 per cent of people believe it is best to end a relationship before February 14.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Valentine's Day - Level 5 or  Valentine's Day - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/marketing/restaurants-embrace-darker-side-valentines-day
  • https://nypost.com/2024/02/07/news/pizza-hut-offering-goodbye-pies-to-help-couples-break-up-for-valentines-day/
  • https://goodbyepies.com


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. Valentine's Day makes us
  2. candlelit
  3. breaking up
  4. The name of your soon-
  5. written
  6. send a break-up
  7. a link for
  8. receive a complimentary
  1. message
  2. with a partner
  3. pizza
  4. on the box
  5. think of romance
  6. to-be ex
  7. dinners
  8. the "future-ex"

Paragraph 2

  1. that perfect blend
  2. delivering spicy news in
  3. It said break-ups were
  4. deliver the bad news
  5. expertly
  6. plausible break-up
  7. people believe
  8. end
  1. it is best
  2. of sweet and heat
  3. crafted
  4. a relationship
  5. awkward
  6. the sweetest way
  7. excuse
  8. in the best way

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Valentine's Day makes us (1) ___________________, red roses, pink hearts (2) ___________________. We rarely think about breaking up with a partner. Pizza Hut is selling a Valentine's pizza for those who want to break up (3) ___________________. The name of your soon-to-be ex will be written on the box. Customers (4) ___________________ a Pizza Hut (5) ___________________ a break-up message, and a link for the "future-ex" to (6) ___________________ pizza.

Pizza Hut said: "We are bringing (7) ___________________ of sweet and heat…to real life. We are (8) ___________________ in the sweetest way for Valentine's Day." It said (9) ___________________, so delivery drivers "will deliver the bad news in the best way". It added: "We'll (10) ___________________ crafted, carefully curated, and potentially (11) ___________________ for you." Around 45 per cent of people believe it is (12) ___________________ a relationship before February 14.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Valentine'sDaymakesusthinkofromance,redroses,pinkheartsandca
ndlelitdinners.Werarelythinkaboutbreakingupwithapartner.PizzaHu
tissellingaValentine'spizzaforthosewhowanttobreakupwiththeirpart
ner.Thenameofyoursoon-to-beexwillbewrittenonthebox.Customers
canalsovisitaPizzaHutwebsitetosendabreak-upmessage,andalinkfo
rthe"future-ex"toreceiveacomplimentarypizza.PizzaHutsaid:"W
earebringingthatperfectblendofsweetandheat…toreallife.Wearedeli
veringspicynewsinthesweetestwayforValentine'sDay."Itsaidbreak-
upswere"awkward,"sodeliverydrivers"willdeliverthebadnewsintheb
estway".Itadded:"We'llgenerateanexpertlycrafted,carefullycurated
,andpotentiallyplausiblebreak-upexcuseforyou."Around45percento
fpeoplebelieveitisbesttoendarelationshipbeforeFebruary14.

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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