The Reading / Listening - Working from Home - Level 2

In 2023, the WHO declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency. Sixteen months later, many workers are still working from home. Amazon has decided it is time to end this policy. The company told its employees they must return to a five-day week from January 2025. Amazon's CEO told staff that: "We've decided that we're going to return to being in the office the way we were before Covid." He said being with other staff would help people collaborate, brainstorm, and invent. He said teaching and learning from one another is "more seamless" in the office. Some employees are unhappy with the return-to-office rule.

Staff have a history of telling Amazon about their concerns. In February 2023, Amazon asked its employees to be in the office for three days a week. Workers at the company's headquarters protested. They also complained about job cuts after Amazon cut 27,000 jobs globally. Another complaint was about Amazon's contribution to climate change. Workers think commuting to work will "accelerate the climate crisis". The CEO created a "bureaucracy mailbox" for staff to complain about company rules.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Working from Home - Level 0 Working from Home - Level 1   or  Working from Home - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/retail/2024/09/16/amazon-return-to-office-policy-five-days/75253666007/
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czj99ln72k9o
  • https://www.geekwire.com/2024/amazons-new-back-to-office-mandate-adds-to-debate-over-remote-work-and-employee-productivity/


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. the WHO declared an
  2. a public health
  3. many workers are still working
  4. it is time
  5. The company told its employees
  6. the way we were
  7. other staff would help
  8. learning from
  1. they must return
  2. to end this policy
  3. people collaborate
  4. emergency
  5. before
  6. from home
  7. one another
  8. end to COVID-19

Paragraph 2

  1. Some employees
  2. Staff have a
  3. telling Amazon about their
  4. be in the office for three
  5. Workers at the company's
  6. They also complained about job
  7. commuting
  8. complain
  1. cuts
  2. days a week
  3. to work
  4. history
  5. about company rules
  6. are unhappy
  7. headquarters
  8. concerns

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

In 2023, the WHO (1) ___________________ to COVID-19 as a public health emergency. Sixteen months later, many workers are (2) ___________________ home. Amazon has decided it is time to end this policy. The company told its employees (3) ___________________ to a five-day week from January 2025. Amazon's CEO told staff that: "We've decided that we're going to (4) ___________________ in the office the way we were before…Covid." He said being with other staff would (5) ___________________, brainstorm, and invent. He said teaching and learning from one another (6) ___________________ in the office.

Some (7) ___________________ with the return-to-office rule. Staff have a history of telling Amazon (8) ___________________. In February 2023, Amazon asked its employees to be in the office for three (9) ___________________. Workers at the company's headquarters protested. They also complained (10) ___________________ after Amazon cut 27,000 jobs globally. Another complaint was about Amazon's contribution to climate change. Workers think commuting (11) ___________________ "accelerate the climate crisis". The CEO created a "bureaucracy mailbox" (12) ___________________ complain about company rules.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

In2023,theWHOdeclaredanendtoCOVID-19asapublichealthemerge
ncy.Sixteenmonthslater,manyworkersarestillworkingfromhome.A
mazonhasdecideditistimetoendthispolicy.Thecompanytolditsemplo
yeestheymustreturntoafive-dayweekfromJanuary2025.Amazon'sC
EOtoldstaffthat:"We'vedecidedthatwe'regoingtoreturntobeinginthe
officethewaywewerebeforeCovid."Hesaidbeingwithotherstaffwould
helppeoplecollaborate,brainstorm,andinvent.Hesaidteachingandle
arningfromoneanotheris"moreseamless"intheoffice.Someemploye
esareunhappywiththereturn-to-officerule.Staffhaveahistoryoftellin
gAmazonabouttheirconcerns.InFebruary2023,Amazonaskeditsemp
loyeestobeintheofficeforthreedaysaweek.Workersatthecompany'sh
eadquartersprotested.TheyalsocomplainedaboutjobcutsafterAmaz
oncut27,000jobsglobally.AnothercomplaintwasaboutAmazon'scont
ributiontoclimatechange.Workersthinkcommutingtoworkwill"accel
eratetheclimatecrisis".TheCEOcreateda"bureaucracymailbox"forst
afftocomplainaboutcompanyrules.

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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