The Reading / Listening - Hugging at Airports - Level 1

Hugging at one airport in New Zealand could get you in trouble. The airport set a three-minute limit on hugging at the drop-off zone. This is to keep traffic flowing. There have been traffic jams near the departures building. People are taking too long to say goodbye. The airport now has signs that say: "Max hug time 3 minutes. For fonder farewells, please use the car park." People who spend longer than three minutes could get a fine.

The hugging policy is not popular. The airport CEO said he got many complaints. He said: "We were accused of breaching basic human rights." Someone on Facebook called the policy "inhumane". The CEO said: "Three minutes is plenty of time to pull up, say farewell to your loved ones and move on." He said airports were "hotbeds of emotion" and that a hug longer than 20 seconds was "really awkward".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Hugging at Airports - Level 0 Hugging at Airports - Level 2   or  Hugging at Airports - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/21/new-zealand-dunedin-aiport-hug-sign-cap-3-minute
  • https://apnews.com/article/new-zealand-airport-goodbye-hugs-time-limit-d6176082ffb6ab66e8d2f05dd590b8aa
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13981771/Sign-New-Zealand-airport-hugging.html


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. get you in
  2. hugging at the drop-
  3. This is to keep traffic
  4. People are taking too long
  5. fonder
  6. please use the car
  7. People who spend longer
  8. get a
  1. park
  2. to say goodbye
  3. than three minutes
  4. trouble
  5. fine
  6. flowing
  7. farewells
  8. off zone

Paragraph 2

  1. The hugging policy
  2. The airport CEO said he got
  3. accused of breaching
  4. Three minutes is
  5. say farewell
  6. airports were hotbeds
  7. a hug longer
  8. really
  1. basic human rights
  2. than 20 seconds
  3. to your loved ones
  4. many complaints
  5. awkward
  6. is not popular
  7. plenty of time
  8. of emotion

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Hugging (1) ___________________ in New Zealand could get (2) ___________________. The airport set a three-minute limit on hugging at the (3) ___________________. This is to keep traffic flowing. There have been (4) ___________________ the departures building. People are taking too long to say goodbye. The airport (5) ___________________ that say: "Max hug time 3 minutes. For fonder farewells, please use the car park." People who spend longer than three minutes could (6) ___________________.

The hugging policy is not popular. The airport CEO said he (7) ___________________. He said: "We were accused of breaching (8) ___________________." Someone on Facebook called (9) ___________________. The CEO said: "Three minutes is plenty of time to pull up, (10) ___________________ your loved ones and move on." He said airports were "(11) ___________________" and that a hug longer than 20 seconds (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

HuggingatoneairportinNewZealandcouldgetyouintrouble.Theairpor
tsetathree-minutelimitonhuggingatthedrop-offzone.Thisistokeept
rafficflowing.Therehavebeentrafficjamsnearthedeparturesbuilding.
Peoplearetakingtoolongtosaygoodbye.Theairportnowhassignsthats
ay:"Maxhugtime3minutes.Forfonderfarewells,pleaseusethecarpark
."Peoplewhospendlongerthanthreeminutescouldgetafine.Thehuggi
ngpolicyisnotpopular.TheairportCEOsaidhegotmanycomplaints.Hes
aid:"Wewereaccusedofbreachingbasichumanrights."SomeoneonFa
cebookcalledthepolicy"inhumane".TheCEOsaid:"Threeminutesisple
ntyoftimetopullup,sayfarewelltoyourlovedonesandmoveon."Hesaid
airportswere"hotbedsofemotion"andthatahuglongerthan20seconds
was"reallyawkward".

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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