The Reading / Listening - Online Lectures - Level 1

A professor gave a two-hour online lecture but didn't know he was on mute. The microphone on his iPad was switched off. This meant none of the students in his class could hear him. His university switched his classes online to reduce the spread of COVID-19. His lecture started well but then the screen on his iPad froze. The video came back but the mic was off. The professor did not notice. It might be because he used an iPad and not a computer.

Students tried to contact their professor many times but could not get through to him. They waved their arms and called his phone. The moment the professor understood his mic was off is now viral on the Internet. He looked shocked and stressed. He was upset because he wasted two hours of his students' time. He will redo the lecture at a different time. One of his students wrote: "He teaches well. I feel bad for him."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Online Lectures - Level 0 Online Lectures - Level 2   or  Online Lectures - Level 3

Sources
  • https://news.yahoo.com/singaporean-professor-lectures-2-hours-190353801.html
  • https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/ny-singapore-professor-mute-lesson-20210210-pm24owto3rh5xho52fwa575zi4-story.html
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9247009/Maths-professor-Singapore-delivers-two-hour-lecture-Zoom-realise-mute.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. A professor gave a two-hour
  2. The microphone on his iPad
  3. none of the students
  4. reduce the spread
  5. the screen on
  6. The video came back but
  7. The professor did
  8. It might be because he
  1. not notice
  2. of COVID-19
  3. his iPad froze
  4. was switched off
  5. the mic was off
  6. online lecture
  7. used an iPad
  8. in his class

Paragraph 2

  1. Students tried to contact
  2. could not get through
  3. They waved
  4. the professor understood his mic
  5. He looked shocked
  6. he wasted two hours of his
  7. He will redo
  8. I feel bad
  1. for him
  2. their professor
  3. and stressed
  4. the lecture
  5. was off
  6. to him
  7. students' time
  8. their arms

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A (1) ___________________ two-hour online lecture but didn't know he (2) ___________________. The microphone on his iPad was switched off. This (3) ___________________ the students in his class could hear him. His university switched his classes online to reduce the spread of COVID-19. His (4) ___________________ but then the screen on his iPad froze. The video came back but the mic was off. The professor (5) ___________________. It might be because he used an iPad and (6) ___________________.

Students (7) ___________________ their professor many times but could not get (8) ___________________. They waved their arms and called his phone. (9) ___________________ professor understood his mic was off is (10) ___________________ the Internet. He looked shocked and stressed. He was upset because he wasted two hours of his students' time. He (11) ___________________ lecture at a different time. One of his students wrote: "He teaches well. I (12) ___________________ him."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Aprofessorgaveatwo-houronlinelecturebutdidn'tknowhewasonm
ute.ThemicrophoneonhisiPadwasswitchedoff.Thismeantnoneofthes
tudentsinhisclasscouldhearhim.Hisuniversityswitchedhisclassesonli
netoreducethespreadofCOVID-19.Hislecturestartedwellbutthenth
escreenonhisiPadfroze.Thevideocamebackbutthemicwasoff.Thepro
fessordidnotnotice.ItmightbebecauseheusedaniPadandnotacomput
er.Studentstriedtocontacttheirprofessormanytimesbutcouldnotgett
hroughtohim.Theywavedtheirarmsandcalledhisphone.Themomentt
heprofessorunderstoodhismicwasoffisnowviralontheInternet.Heloo
kedshockedandstressed.Hewasupsetbecausehewastedtwohoursof
hisstudents'time.Hewillredothelectureatadifferenttime.Oneofhisstu
dentswrote:"Heteacheswell.Ifeelbadforhim."

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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