Man sells British countryside air to China

Man sells British countryside air to China (16th February, 2016)

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

An English businessman is selling British countryside air to Chinese people. Leo De Watts, 27, thought of this idea after seeing news of pollution in Chinese cities. He guessed there was a market for cleaner air and started his company last year. It is part of the industry of "air farming". His team "harvests" air from different parts of Britain. The countryside air is cheap to collect, but one bottle of it costs $115.

De Watts is from the British countryside and loves the air in rural Britain. Most of his bottles of air are sold in Chinese cities, where pollution can be bad. He said Chinese customers are choosy about the air they buy. He said: "We have clients who request very particular circumstances for their air. Sometimes we'll be at the top of a mountain, and other times at the bottom of a valley." He added: "There's really a market for this. We've just started."

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

http://www.abc57.com/story/31164306/the-smell-of-success-115-bottles-of-british-air-sold-to-chinese-buyers
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/131909/20160209/china-now-also-buying-bottled-clean-air-from-britain.htm
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/296065/making-money-out-of-fresh-air

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	An English	a.	"air farming"
2.	after seeing news of pollution	b.	of Britain
3.	He guessed there was a market	c.	in Chinese cities
4.	It is part of the industry of	d.	it costs $115
5.	His team "harvests"	e.	businessman
6.	different parts	f.	cheap to collect
7.	The countryside air is	g.	for cleaner air
8.	one bottle of	h.	air

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	De Watts is from	a.	for this
2.	rural	b.	about the air they buy
3.	Most of his bottles of air are	c.	started
4.	customers are choosy	d.	the British countryside
5.	Sometimes we'll	e.	sold in Chinese cities
6.	at the bottom	f.	Britain
7.	There's really a market	g.	be at the top
8.	We've just	h.	of a valley

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

An English businessman (1) ___________________ British countryside air to Chinese people. Leo De Watts, 27, thought (2) ___________________ after seeing (3) ___________________ in Chinese cities. He guessed there was a market (4) ___________________ and started his company last year. It is part of the industry (5) ___________________. His team "harvests" air from different parts of Britain. The countryside air is (6) ___________________, but one bottle of it costs $115.

De Watts is from the British countryside (7) ___________________ in rural Britain. Most of his (8) ___________________ sold in Chinese cities, where pollution can be bad. He said Chinese customers (9) ___________________ the air they buy. He said: "We have (10) ___________________ very particular circumstances for their air. Sometimes we'll (11) ___________________ mountain, and other times at the bottom of a valley." He added: "There's (12) ___________________ for this. We've just started."

AIR SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about air 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.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

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

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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