The Reading / Listening - Living Space - Level 0

Many poor people in Hong Kong live in tiny homes. Some homes are smaller than prison cells. The average space was 4.6 square meters per person. This is half the size of a car parking space. The average size of a prison cell is 50 per cent bigger than the size of the homes. Many Hong Kong families live in very small homes.

Hong Kong has some of the world's most expensive homes. People must save for 18 years to buy a place. People are unhappy. One person said it was "unacceptable and inhumane" that homes are smaller than prison cells in a rich city like Hong Kong. Another person said her toilet is so small that she has to sit sideways.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Living Space - Level 1,  Living Space - Level 2   or  Living Space - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/prison-cells-larger-living-spaces-hong-kong-poor-article-1.3604376
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/01/hong-kongs-poor-live-in-homes-smaller-than-prison-cells-study
  • http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2117810/average-living-space-hong-kongs-poorest-residents-same


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. Many poor people
  2. smaller
  3. 4.6 square meters
  4. This is half the
  5. a car parking
  6. The average size of a
  7. the size
  8. live in very
  1. prison cell
  2. in Hong Kong
  3. small homes
  4. per person
  5. of the homes
  6. size
  7. than prison cells
  8. space

Paragraph 2

  1. the world's most
  2. save for 18 years
  3. People are
  4. unacceptable and
  5. smaller than
  6. in a rich city
  7. her toilet is so
  8. sit
  1. prison cells
  2. small
  3. to buy a place
  4. sideways
  5. expensive homes
  6. inhumane
  7. like Hong Kong
  8. unhappy

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Many poor people in Hong Kong (1) ___________________ homes. Some homes are smaller (2) ___________________. The average space was 4.6 (3) ___________________ person. This is (4) ___________________ of a car parking space. The average size of a (5) ___________________ 50 per cent bigger than the size of the homes. Many Hong Kong families                (6) ___________________ small homes.

Hong Kong has (7) ___________________ world's most expensive homes. People (8) ___________________ 18 years to buy a place. People are unhappy. One (9) __________________ was "unacceptable (10) ___________________" that homes are smaller than prison (11) ___________________ rich city like Hong Kong. Another person said her toilet is so small that she has (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ManypoorpeopleinHongKongliveintinyhomes.Somehomesaresmall
erthanprisoncells.Theaveragespacewas4.6squaremetersperperson
.Thisishalfthesizeofacarparkingspace.Theaveragesizeofaprisoncelli
s50percentbiggerthanthesizeofthehomes.ManyHongKongfamiliesli
veinverysmallhomes.HongKonghassomeoftheworld'smostexpensiv
ehomes.Peoplemustsavefor18yearstobuyaplace.Peopleareunhapp
y.Onepersonsaiditwas"unacceptableandinhumane"thathomesares
mallerthanprisoncellsinarichcitylikeHongKong.Anotherpersonsaidh
ertoiletissosmallthatshehastositsideways.

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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