The Reading / Listening - Poonami - Level 3

Beaches in England and Wales have closed because water companies pumped raw sewage into the sea. The UK Environment Agency issued warnings to holidaymakers to avoid dozens of beaches this week. Some of the beaches were popular places for tourists, surfers and swimmers. They risked catching diseases if they went into the water. Water companies advised people to keep their mouth closed if they swam in the sea. A resident on the south coast town of Bexhill-on-Sea described seeing things she didn't want to see floating in the water when she swam. She said: "It's filthy, murky, and it stinks." She added the sewage was "quite obvious" to see and smell. She called it a "poonami".

Many people in England are angry with the water companies. England sold its water to private investors in 1989. Company CEOs are now getting million-dollar salaries and bonuses while dangerous raw sewage is polluting the environment. Water companies have pumped raw sewage into Britain's seas and rivers for more than nine million hours since 2016. There has been a 2,000 per cent increase in the past five years. In 2016, the European Union said England's beaches were among the cleanest in Europe; now they are among the dirtiest. One Briton said clean water was a human right and not for company profits. She said water company CEOs care more about their salaries than the UK's environment.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Poonami - Level 0,  Poonami - Level 1   or  Poonami - Level 2

Sources
  • https://news.sky.com/story/huge-increase-in-raw-sewage-released-into-uk-waterways-and-sea-data-reveals-12677730
  • https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/do-not-swim-at-22-beaches-in-england-after-sewage-discharge-environment-agency/
  • https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1658177/MP-Labour-environment-agency-sewage-dumps-sea-GB-News-vn


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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. SEWAGE: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about sewage. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       beaches / water companies / sewage / beaches / tourists / swimming / sea / smell /
       angry / water / investors / salary / bonus / rivers / human right / profits / CEOs
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. FREE WATER: Students A strongly believe water should be free for everyone in the world; Students B strongly believe it's OK to pay for it. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. CLEAN: How can we keep these things clean? Why are they so dirty today? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

How to Keep Them Clean

Why So Dirty?

Oceans

 

 

Lakes

 

 

Rivers

 

 

Seas

 

 

Dams

 

 

Ponds

 

 
MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. RAW: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "raw". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. BEACH: Rank these with your partner. Put the best beach activities at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Jogging
  • Swimming
  • Making sandcastles
  • Beach combing
  • Barbecue
  • Sunbathing
  • Sunset viewing
  • Surfing

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. pumped a. A person who is travelling or visiting a place for fun.
      2. issued b. Made liquid move through a pipe.
      3. avoid c. Keep away from or stop oneself from doing.
      4. tourist d. A person who lives somewhere permanently or long term.
      5. advised e. Horribly and disgustingly dirty.
      6. resident f. Gave or supplied people with.
      7. filthy g. Offered suggestions about the best thing for someone to do.

    Paragraph 2

      8. investor h. Make or become bigger in size, amount, or degree.
      9. bonus i. Being in or shared by some members of a group or community.
      10. polluting j. A thing that all people around the world should have (e.g. freedom, water, etc.).
      11. increase k. Dirtying the water, rivers, air, countryside, streets, etc.
      12. among l. The extra money you have in business or in a business deal.
      13. human right m. A person or organization that puts money into a business, financial project, property, etc., hoping to get more money back.
      14. profit n. Money added to a person's salary because they did well in their job.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. All of the beaches in England have been closed.     T / F
  2. Many surfers caught diseases from the raw sewage.     T / F
  3. A woman saw "things" floating in the sea.     T / F
  4. The woman said the sewage in the sea was like a "poonami".     T / F
  5. England's water was privatized in 1989.     T / F
  6. Water company CEOs get no bonuses because of the sewage.     T / F
  7. England's beaches used to be among Europe's cleanest.     T / F
  8. The article says water company CEOs care about the environment most.  T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. closed
  2. raw
  3. popular
  4. resident
  5. obvious
  6. angry
  7. dangerous
  8. increase
  9. dirtiest
  10. care
  1. hazardous
  2. local
  3. clear
  4. most polluted
  5. untreated
  6. rise
  7. shut
  8. worry
  9. furious
  10. well liked

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. warnings to holidaymakers to avoid
  2. They risked catching
  3. advised people to keep their mouth
  4. It's filthy, murky, and it
  5. the sewage was "quite obvious"
  6. Many people in England are angry
  7. England sold its water
  8. CEOs are now getting million-dollar
  9. England's beaches were among
  10. CEOs care more about their salaries
  1. to private investors
  2. than the UK's environment
  3. stinks
  4. the cleanest in Europe
  5. closed if they swam
  6. dozens of beaches
  7. with the water companies
  8. diseases
  9. salaries and bonuses
  10. to see and smell

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
popular
closed
pumped
smell
risked
filthy
warnings
resident

Beaches in England and Wales have closed because water companies (1) _____________________ raw sewage into the sea. The UK Environment Agency issued (2) _____________________ to holidaymakers to avoid dozens of beaches this week. Some of the beaches were (3) _____________________ places for tourists, surfers and swimmers. They (4) _____________________ catching diseases if they went into the water. Water companies advised people to keep their mouth (5) _____________________ if they swam in the sea. A (6) _____________________ on the south coast town of Bexhill-on-Sea described seeing things she didn't want to see floating in the water when she swam. She said: "It's (7) _____________________, murky, and it stinks." She added the sewage was "quite obvious" to see and (8) _____________________. She called it a "poonami".

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
dirtiest
investors
care
bonuses
right
angry
increase
rivers

Many people in England are (9) _____________________ with the water companies. England sold its water to private (10) _____________________ in 1989. Company CEOs are now getting million-dollar salaries and (11) _____________________ while dangerous raw sewage is polluting the environment. Water companies have pumped raw sewage into Britain's seas and (12) _____________________ for more than nine million hours since 2016. There has been a 2,000 per cent (13) _____________________ in the past five years. In 2016, the European Union said England's beaches were among the cleanest in Europe; now they are among the (14) _____________________. One Briton said clean water was a human (15) _____________________ and not for company profits. She said water company CEOs (16) _____________________ more about their salaries than the UK's environment.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) issued warnings to holidaymakers to ______ beaches
     a.  avoid dozens off
     b.  avoid dozens oft
     c.  avoid dozens of
     d.  avoid dozens soft
2)  Water companies advised people to keep ______
     a.  their mouth closed
     b.  their mouth closet
     c.  their mouth cloze
     d.  their mouth clothed
3)  of Bexhill-on-Sea described seeing things she didn't want to see ______ water
     a.  float tin in the
     b.  floating in the
     c.  float in in the
     d.  float thing in the
4)  She said it's filthy, murky, ______
     a.  and it stinkers
     b.  and it stinky
     c.  and it stink
     d.  and it stinks
5)  She added the sewage was quite ______
     a.  oblivious to see
     b.  envious to see
     c.  environs to see
     d.  obvious to see

6)  England sold its water to private ______
     a.  investor sin 1989
     b.  investors' sin 1989
     c.  investors in 1989
     d.  investors sin 1989
7) salaries and bonuses while dangerous raw sewage is ______
     a.  polluting the environmental
     b.  polluting the environmentally
     c.  polluting the environment
     d.  polluting the environments
8)  There has been a 2,000 per cent increase in the ______
     a.  past five years
     b.  passed five years
     c.  parsed five years
     d.  psst five years
9)  England's beaches were among the cleanest in Europe; now they are ______
     a.  aiming the dirtiest
     b.  am young the dirtiest
     c.  among the dirtiest
     d.  a monk the dirtiest
10)  She said water company CEOs care more ______
     a.  about they salaries
     b.  about they're salaries
     c.  about there salaries
     d.  about their salaries

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Beaches in England and Wales (1) ____________________ water companies pumped raw sewage into the sea. The UK Environment Agency issued warnings to holidaymakers (2) ____________________ of beaches this week. Some of the beaches were popular places for tourists, (3) ____________________. They risked catching diseases if they went into the water. Water companies advised people to keep their mouth closed if they swam in the sea. (4) ____________________ the south coast town of Bexhill-on-Sea described seeing things she didn't want to see floating in the water when she swam. She said: "It's filthy, murky, (5) ____________________." She added the sewage was "quite obvious" to (6) ____________________. She called it a "poonami".

Many people in England (7) ____________________ the water companies. England sold its water to (8) ____________________ 1989. Company CEOs are now getting million-dollar salaries and bonuses while dangerous raw sewage (9) ____________________ environment. Water companies have pumped raw sewage into Britain's seas and rivers for more than (10) ____________________ since 2016. There has been a 2,000 per cent increase in the past five years. In 2016, the European Union said England's beaches were (11) ____________________ in Europe; now they are among the dirtiest. One Briton said clean water was (12) ____________________ and not for company profits. She said water company CEOs care more about their salaries than the UK's environment.

Comprehension questions

  1. In which two countries did raw sewage close beaches?
  2. What do people risk catching if they swim in the sea?
  3. What did water companies tell people to keep closed?
  4. What did a woman see floating in the water?
  5. What did a local say it was quiet obvious to do regarding the sewage?
  6. When was England's water privatized?
  7. Who gets million-dollar salaries?
  8. When were England's beaches among Europe's cleanest?
  9. What did a Briton say water was?
  10. What did a woman say water company CEOs cared about?

Multiple choice quiz

1) In which two countries did raw sewage close beaches?
a) Wales and Ireland
b) Ireland and England
c) England and Scotland
d) England and Wales
2) What do people risk catching if they swim in the sea?
a) fish
b) diseases
c) a cold
d) a wave
3) What did water companies tell people to keep closed?
a) their car windows
b) their ears
c) their eyes
d) their mouth
4) What did a woman see floating in the water?
a) dead fish
b) oil
c) things she didn't want to see
d) a whale
5) What did a local say it was quite obvious to do regarding the sewage?
a) photograph it
b) release it
c) test it
d) smell it

6) When was England's water privatized?
a) 1987
b) 1988
c) 1989
d) 1990
7) Who gets million-dollar salaries?
a) water company CEOs
b) environmentalists
c) investors
d) poonami experts
8) When were England's beaches among Europe's cleanest?
a) 1066
b) 1988
c) 2016
d) 1389
9) What did a Briton say water was?
a) wet
b) a human right
c) yummy
d) everywhere
10) What did a woman say water company CEOs cared about?
a) their salaries
b) themselves
c) profits
d) nothing

Role play

Role  A – Swimming
You think swimming is the best beach activity. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their activities. Also, tell the others which is the least enjoyable of these (and why): making sandcastles, having a barbecue or sunset viewing.

Role  B – Making Sandcastles
You think making sandcastles is the best beach activity. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their activities. Also, tell the others which is the least enjoyable of these (and why): swimming, having a barbecue or sunset viewing.

Role  C – Having a Barbecue
You think having a barbecue is the best beach activity. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their activities. Also, tell the others which is the least enjoyable of these (and why): making sandcastles, swimming or sunset viewing.

Role  D – Sunset Viewing
You think sunset viewing is the best beach activity. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their activities. Also, tell the others which is the least enjoyable of these (and why): making sandcastles, having a barbecue or swimming.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'sewage'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'water'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • pumped
    • dozens
    • risked
    • advised
    • floating
    • obvious
    • angry
    • dangerous
    • hours
    • past
    • dirtiest
    • care

    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 - Poonami

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'sewage'?
    3. What do you think of sewage?
    4. How dangerous is raw sewage?
    5. What do you think of raw sewage being pumped into the sea?
    6. What's your image of British beaches?
    7. Should the water companies be fined?
    8. Should the water company bosses lose their jobs?
    9. What do you think of the word 'poonami'?
    10. What advice do you have for the water company CEOs?

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'water'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What should happen to sewage?
    5. Should company CEOs go to prison for damaging the environment?
    6. Why are profits always more important than the environment?
    7. How would you feel if raw sewage was in rivers near you?
    8. How surprised are you that companies in the UK are polluting beaches?
    9. Should private companies control a country's water supply?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the water company CEOs?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    Beaches in England and Wales have (1) ____ because water companies pumped raw sewage (2) ____ the sea. The UK Environment Agency issued warnings to holidaymakers to avoid dozens (3) ____ beaches this week. Some of the beaches were popular places for tourists, surfers and swimmers. They risked catching diseases (4) ____ they went into the water. Water companies advised people to keep their mouth closed if they swam in the sea. A (5) ____ on the south coast town of Bexhill-on-Sea described seeing things she didn't want to see floating in the water when she swam. She said: "It's (6) ____, murky, and it stinks." She added the sewage was "quite obvious" to see and smell. She called it a "poonami".

    Many people in England are angry (7) ____ the water companies. England sold its water to private investors in 1989. Company CEOs are now getting million-dollar salaries and bonuses (8) ____ dangerous raw sewage is polluting the environment. Water companies have pumped raw sewage into Britain's seas and rivers for more than nine million hours (9) ____ 2016. There has been a 2,000 per cent increase in the past five years. In 2016, the European Union said England's beaches were among the (10) ____ in Europe; now they are among the dirtiest. One Briton said clean water was a (11) ____ right and not for company profits. She said water company CEOs (12) ____ more about their salaries than the UK's environment.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     closeted     (b)     closet     (c)     closed     (d)     closets    
    2. (a)     into     (b)     unto     (c)     as to     (d)     onto    
    3. (a)     of     (b)     at     (c)     on     (d)     by    
    4. (a)     if     (b)     that     (c)     which     (d)     how    
    5. (a)     reside     (b)     resident     (c)     residential     (d)     residence    
    6. (a)     mouthy     (b)     earthy     (c)     frothy     (d)     filthy    
    7. (a)     on     (b)     as     (c)     with     (d)     to    
    8. (a)     among     (b)     that     (c)     between     (d)     while    
    9. (a)     since     (b)     for     (c)     as     (d)     on    
    10. (a)     cleanliness     (b)     cleanest     (c)     cleanser     (d)     cleaning    
    11. (a)     humane     (b)     human     (c)     humanly     (d)     humanity    
    12. (a)     careless     (b)     caring     (c)     care     (d)     careful

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. dpmupe raw sewage into the sea
    2. avoid znesdo of beaches
    3. the beaches were popular places for otutrsis
    4. loaingtf in the water
    5. It's iltfyh, murky, and it stinks
    6. the sewage was quite ouvsibo

    Paragraph 2

    1. sold its water to private nsetvoisr
    2. million-dollar lssairae
    3. dangerous raw sewage is ilpltugon the environment
    4. a 2,000 per cent scrieane
    5. they are among the dtiirest
    6. company oftirsp

    Put the text back together

    (...)  floating in the water when she swam. She said: "It's filthy, murky, and it stinks." She
    (...)  Many people in England are angry with the water companies. England sold its water to private investors in
    (...)  beaches were popular places for tourists, surfers and swimmers. They risked catching diseases if they went into the
    (...)  dirtiest. One Briton said clean water was a human right and not for company
    (...)  into the sea. The UK Environment Agency issued warnings to holidaymakers to avoid dozens of beaches this week. Some of the
    (  1  ) Beaches in England and Wales have closed because water companies pumped raw sewage
    (...)  on the south coast town of Bexhill-on-Sea described seeing things she didn't want to see
    (...)  water. Water companies advised people to keep their mouth closed if they swam in the sea. A resident
    (...)  polluting the environment. Water companies have pumped raw sewage into Britain's seas and rivers for more
    (...)  added the sewage was "quite obvious" to see and smell. She called it a "poonami".
    (...)  than nine million hours since 2016. There has been a 2,000 per cent increase in the past five years. In 2016, the European
    (...)  Union said England's beaches were among the cleanest in Europe; now they are among the
    (...)  profits. She said water company CEOs care more about their salaries than the UK's environment.
    (...)  1989. Company CEOs are now getting million-dollar salaries and bonuses while dangerous raw sewage is

    Put the words in the right order

    1. sea   .   into   the   raw   pumped   Water   companies   sewage
    2. beaches   tourists   .   for   places   popular   were   The
    3. Companies   advised   their   keep   people   closed   .   to   mouth
    4. to   didn't   see   .   things   Seeing   want   she
    5. quite   to   see   .   sewage   obvious   The   was
    6. in   companies   .   are   England   People   with   angry   water
    7. polluting   is   sewage   Dangerous   the   environment   .   raw
    8. beaches   were   in   Europe   .   England's   among   the   cleanest
    9. clean   right   .   was   human   a   said   Someone   water
    10. their   more   CEOs   company   Water   salaries   .   about   care

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    Beaches in England and Wales have closed / closeted because water companies pumped raw sewage into / onto the sea. The UK Environment Agency issued warnings to holidaymakers to evade / avoid dozens of beaches this week. Some of the beach / beaches were popular places for tourists, surfers / suffers and swimmers. They risked catching diseases if they want / went into the water. Water companies advised people to keep their mouth closed if they swimming / swam in the sea. A residence / resident on the south coast town of Bexhill-on-Sea described seeing things she didn't want to see floating / floated in the water when she swam. She said: "It's filthy, murky, and it stinks." She added the sewage was "quiet / quite obvious" to see and smell. She called it a "poonami".

    Many people in England are anger / angry with the water companies. England sold its water to privately / private investors in 1989. Company CEOs are now getting million-dollar salaries and bonus / bonuses while dangerous raw sewage is polluting / pollution the environment. Water companies have pumped raw sewage into Britain's seas and rivers for / at more than nine million hours since 2016. There has been a 2,000 per cent increase in the post / past five years. In 2016, the European Union said England's beaches were between / among the cleanest in Europe; now they are among the dirtiest / dirties. One Briton said clean water was a human right and not for company profits / profitable. She said water company CEOs care more about their salaries than / more the UK's environment.

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct. Look up the definition of new words.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    B__ch_s  _n  _ngl_nd  _nd  W_l_s  h_v_  cl_s_d  b_c__s_  w_t_r  c_mp_n__s  p_mp_d  r_w  s_w_g_  _nt_  th_  s__.  Th_  _K  _nv_r_nm_nt  _g_ncy  _ss__d  w_rn_ngs  t_  h_l_d_ym_k_rs  t_  _v__d  d_z_ns  _f  b__ch_s  th_s  w__k.  S_m_  _f  th_  b__ch_s  w_r_  p_p_l_r  pl_c_s  f_r  t__r_sts,  s_rf_rs  _nd  sw_mm_rs.  Th_y  r_sk_d  c_tch_ng  d_s__s_s  _f  th_y  w_nt  _nt_  th_  w_t_r.  W_t_r  c_mp_n__s  _dv_s_d  p__pl_  t_  k__p  th__r  m__th  cl_s_d  _f  th_y  sw_m  _n  th_  s__.  _  r_s_d_nt  _n  th_  s__th  c__st  t_wn  _f  B_xh_ll-_n-S__  d_scr_b_d  s___ng  th_ngs  sh_  d_dn't  w_nt  t_  s__  fl__t_ng  _n  th_  w_t_r  wh_n  sh_  sw_m.  Sh_  s__d:  "_t's  f_lthy,  m_rky,  _nd  _t  st_nks."  Sh_  _dd_d  th_  s_w_g_  w_s  "q__t_  _bv___s"  t_  s__  _nd  sm_ll.  Sh_  c_ll_d  _t  _  "p__n_m_".

    M_ny  p__pl_  _n  _ngl_nd  _r_  _ngry  w_th  th_  w_t_r  c_mp_n__s.  _ngl_nd  s_ld  _ts  w_t_r  t_  pr_v_t_  _nv_st_rs  _n  1989.  C_mp_ny  C__s  _r_  n_w  g_tt_ng  m_ll__n-d_ll_r  s_l_r__s  _nd  b_n_s_s  wh_l_  d_ng_r__s  r_w  s_w_g_  _s  p_ll_t_ng  th_  _nv_r_nm_nt.  W_t_r  c_mp_n__s  h_v_  p_mp_d  r_w  s_w_g_  _nt_  Br_t__n's  s__s  _nd  r_v_rs  f_r  m_r_  th_n  n_n_  m_ll__n  h__rs  s_nc_  2016.  Th_r_  h_s  b__n  _  2,000  p_r  c_nt  _ncr__s_  _n  th_  p_st  f_v_  y__rs.  _n  2016,  th_  __r_p__n  _n__n  s__d  _ngl_nd's  b__ch_s  w_r_  _m_ng  th_  cl__n_st  _n  __r_p_;  n_w  th_y  _r_  _m_ng  th_  d_rt__st.  _n_  Br_t_n  s__d  cl__n  w_t_r  w_s  _  h_m_n  r_ght  _nd  n_t  f_r  c_mp_ny  pr_f_ts.  Sh_  s__d  w_t_r  c_mp_ny  C__s  c_r_  m_r_  _b__t  th__r  s_l_r__s  th_n  th_  _K's  _nv_r_nm_nt.

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    beaches in england and wales have closed because water companies pumped raw sewage into the sea the uk environment agency issued warnings to holidaymakers to avoid dozens of beaches this week some of the beaches were popular places for tourists surfers and swimmers they risked catching diseases if they went into the water water companies advised people to keep their mouth closed if they swam in the sea a resident on the south coast town of bexhillonsea described seeing things she didnt want to see floating in the water when she swam she said its filthy murky and it stinks she added the sewage was quite obvious to see and smell she called it a poonami

    many people in england are angry with the water companies england sold its water to private investors in 1989 company ceos are now getting milliondollar salaries and bonuses while dangerous raw sewage is polluting the environment water companies have pumped raw sewage into britains seas and rivers for more than nine million hours since 2016 there has been a 2000 per cent increase in the past five years in 2016 the european union said englands beaches were among the cleanest in europe now they are among the dirtiest one briton said clean water was a human right and not for company profits she said water company ceos care more about their salaries than the uks environment

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    BeachesinEnglandandWaleshaveclosedbecausewatercompaniespu
    mpedrawsewageintothesea.TheUKEnvironmentAgencyissuedwarni
    ngstoholidaymakerstoavoiddozensofbeachesthisweek.Someoftheb
    eacheswerepopularplacesfortourists,surfersandswimmers.Theyrisk
    edcatchingdiseasesiftheywentintothewater.Watercompaniesadvise
    dpeopletokeeptheirmouthclosediftheyswaminthesea.Aresidentont
    hesouthcoasttownofBexhill-on-Seadescribedseeingthingsshedidn'
    twanttoseefloatinginthewaterwhensheswam.Shesaid:"It'sfilthy,mu
    rky,anditstinks."Sheaddedthesewagewas"quiteobvious"toseeands
    mell.Shecalledita"poonami".ManypeopleinEnglandareangrywiththe
    watercompanies.Englandsolditswatertoprivateinvestorsin1989.Co
    mpanyCEOsarenowgettingmillion-dollarsalariesandbonuseswhile
    dangerousrawsewageispollutingtheenvironment.Watercompaniesh
    avepumpedrawsewageintoBritain'sseasandriversformorethannine
    millionhourssince2016.Therehasbeena2,000percentincreaseinthep
    astfiveyears.In2016,theEuropeanUnionsaidEngland'sbeacheswere
    amongthecleanestinEurope;nowtheyareamongthedirtiest.OneBrito
    nsaidcleanwaterwasahumanrightandnotforcompanyprofits.Shesaid
    watercompanyCEOscaremoreabouttheirsalariesthantheUK'senviro
    nment.

    Free writing

    Write about sewage poonami for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    Water should be free. Companies should not make profit from it. Discuss.

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    Homework

    1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
    2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. SEWAGE: Make a poster about sewage. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. WATER: Write a magazine article about making governments provide water for free for everyone in the world. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on sewage. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your opinions on water companies putting profit before public good. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

    $US 9.99

    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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