The Reading / Listening - Nuisance Calls - Level 0

A man in America was fined $120 million for making 96 million robocalls. The police say the man was a danger to people. His calls were illegal because many went to emergency phones. Many other calls went to people who did not want to be called. They were nuisance calls, just like spam e-mail.

The man carried out "one of the largest and most dangerous illegal robocalling campaigns...ever". It was a "telemarketing scheme". He tricked people into thinking the calls were from local numbers or from famous companies. Callers were passed on to people who tried to sell them property. The man said he did nothing wrong.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Nuisance Calls - Level 1,  Nuisance Calls - Level 2   or  Nuisance Calls - Level 3

Sources
  • http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/11/news/fcc-robocall-fine/index.html
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2018/05/11/robocaller-fined-120-million-fcc-nearly-100-million-spoofed-calls/601287002/
  • http://fortune.com/2018/05/11/robocall-lawsuit-settlement-fcc/


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. fined
  2. making 96
  3. the man was a danger
  4. His calls
  5. emergency
  6. people who did not want to
  7. They were
  8. just like spam
  1. to people
  2. nuisance calls
  3. phones
  4. e-mail
  5. million robocalls
  6. $120 million
  7. be called
  8. were illegal

Paragraph 2

  1. one of the largest and
  2. a telemarketing
  3. He tricked
  4. calls were from local
  5. famous
  6. Callers were passed
  7. sell them
  8. The man said he did
  1. companies
  2. property
  3. scheme
  4. nothing wrong
  5. on to people
  6. most dangerous
  7. numbers
  8. people

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A man in America was fined $120 million (1) ___________________ million robocalls. The police say the man was a (2) ___________________. His (3) ___________________ because many went to emergency phones. Many other (4) ___________________ people who did not want (5) ___________________. They were nuisance calls, (6) ___________________ e-mail.

The man carried out "one (7) ___________________ and most dangerous illegal robocalling campaigns...ever". (8) ___________________ "telemarketing scheme". (9) ___________________ into thinking the calls (10) ___________________ numbers or from famous companies. Callers were (11) ___________________ people who tried to sell them property. The man said (12) ___________________ wrong.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AmaninAmericawasfined$120millionformaking96millionrobocalls.T
hepolicesaythemanwasadangertopeople.Hiscallswereillegalbecaus
emanywenttoemergencyphones.Manyothercallswenttopeoplewhod
idnotwanttobecalled.Theywerenuisancecalls,justlikespame-ma
il.Themancarriedout"oneofthelargestandmostdangerousillegalrobo
callingcampaigns...ever".Itwasa"telemarketingscheme".Hetricked
peopleintothinkingthecallswerefromlocalnumbersorfromfamousco
mpanies.Callerswerepassedontopeoplewhotriedtosellthemproperty
.Themansaidhedidnothingwrong.

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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