Women-only train cars starting in Germany

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

A train company in Germany will start a women-only service. The separate carriages should help women feel safer. There will be two special cars on trains that run between Leipzig and Chemnitz. They will be next to the train conductor's car. People on social media say the move is a reaction to an increase in reports of sexual harassment and assault. Rail executives say the cars are to increase security for women and children.

Women-only carriages on trains are not new. They have been in many other countries for decades. They started in Japan in 1912. A politician in Britain asked for such carriages last year. British trains used to have them. The politician's comments made some female politicians angry. One said that violence against women was a serious issue, but the carriages were not the answer. She said it would be, "turning the clock back and not tackling the problem".

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

https://www.rt.com/news/337480-gender-segregation-germany/
http://www.mediaite.com/online/amid-fears-of-assault-from-migrants-german-train-offers-cars-just-for-women/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women-only_passenger_car

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.	separate	a.	executives
2.	help women feel	b.	carriages
3.	next to the train	c.	increase security
4.	social	d.	conductor's car
5.	reports of sexual	e.	and children
6.	Rail	f.	safer
7.	the cars are to	g.	harassment
8.	women	h.	media

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.	in many other countries	a.	against women
2.	They started in	b.	to have them
3.	British trains used	c.	back
4.	The politician's comments made some	d.	Japan in 1912
5.	violence	e.	problem
6.	the carriages were not	f.	female politicians angry
7.	turning the clock	g.	for decades
8.	tackling the	h.	the answer

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

(1) ___________________ Germany will start a women-only service. The separate carriages should help (2) ___________________. There will be two special cars on trains (3) ___________________ Leipzig and Chemnitz. They will (4) ___________________ train conductor's car. People on social media say the move (5) ___________________ an increase in reports of sexual harassment and assault. Rail executives say the cars (6) ___________________ security for women and children.

Women-only carriages on trains (7) ___________________. They have been in many other countries (8) ___________________. They started in Japan in 1912. A politician in Britain asked (9) ___________________ last year. British trains used to have them. The politician's comments made some female politicians angry. One (10) ___________________ against women was a serious issue, but the carriages (11) ___________________. She said it would be, "turning the clock back (12) ___________________ the problem".

WOMEN-ONLY SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about women-only trains 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 women-only trains for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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