The Reading / Listening - Level 0

Toyota is closing two elevators at its Tokyo headquarters. It wants to save money and electricity. This is because the Japanese yen is becoming stronger. In January, one dollar was nearly 120 yen; now it is 101 yen. A strong yen means Toyota cars are more expensive, so profit goes down. Toyota's profit last year was $23 billion.

Toyota is also changing the temperature of air conditioners to save money. It did similar things after the financial crisis in 2008. That also made the yen strong. Toyota said the most important thing about closing the elevators is to make workers understand more about the need to reduce waste.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 1,  Level 2   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.wsj.com/articles/at-toyota-elevators-stop-as-yen-rises-1467883278
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36742652
  • https://wwwstrong>rt.com/business/350191-toyota-shuts-lifts-yen/


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. at its Tokyo
  2. save money
  3. the Japanese yen
  4. one dollar was
  5. A strong
  6. cars are more
  7. profit goes
  8. Toyota's profit last
  1. nearly 120 yen
  2. yen
  3. down
  4. and electricity
  5. year was $23 billion
  6. headquarters
  7. expensive
  8. is becoming stronger

Paragraph 2

  1. Toyota is also
  2. the temperature
  3. It did similar
  4. the financial
  5. That also made the yen
  6. the most important thing about
  7. make workers understand
  8. the need to
  1. crisis in 2008
  2. things
  3. more
  4. of air conditioners
  5. closing the elevators
  6. changing
  7. reduce waste
  8. strong

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Toyota (1) ___________________ elevators at its Tokyo headquarters. It (2) ___________________ money and electricity. This (3) ___________________ Japanese yen is becoming stronger. In January, one dollar (4) ___________________ yen; now it is 101 yen. A strong yen means Toyota cars (5) ___________________, so profit goes down. Toyota's profit last year was (6) ___________________.

Toyota (7) ___________________ the temperature of air conditioners to save money. It did (8) ___________________ the financial crisis in 2008. That (9) ___________________ yen strong. Toyota said (10) ___________________ thing about closing the (11) ___________________ make workers understand more about the need (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ToyotaisclosingtwoelevatorsatitsTokyoheadquarters.Itwantstosave
moneyandelectricity.ThisisbecausetheJapaneseyenisbecomingstro
nger.InJanuary,onedollarwasnearly120yen;nowitis101yen.Astrong
yenmeansToyotacarsaremoreexpensive,soprofitgoesdown.Toyota'
sprofitlastyearwas$23billion.Toyotaisalsochangingthetemperature
ofairconditionerstosavemoney.Itdidsimilarthingsafterthefinancialcr
isisin2008.Thatalsomadetheyenstrong.Toyotasaidthemostimporta
ntthingaboutclosingtheelevatorsistomakeworkersunderstandmore
abouttheneedtoreducewaste.

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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