News-based English language activities from the global newspaper

January 2010
Level ≥ Lower intermediate
Style ≥ Lesson plan
Welcome to the Guardian Weekly’s special news-based materials to support learners and teachers of English.
Each month, the Guardian Weekly newspaper selects topical news articles that can be used to practise English
language skills. The materials are graded for two levels: advanced and lower intermediate. These worksheets
can be downloaded free from guardianweekly.co.uk/learningenglish/. You can also find more advice for
teachers and learners on the site.

Tube travel makes Londoners less polite

Materials prepared by Janet Hardy-Gould

Instructions
Lesson focus: reading, revision of adverbs of frequency and offers
Materials sheet: copies of the article
Time: 55 minutes

1 Tell students they are going to read a text about travelling
on public transport. What is the public transport like in
their area during peak hours? Aim to elicit: busy, crowded,
overcrowded. 2 mins
2 Write up the following adverbs (randomly): never, occa-
sionally, sometimes, often, usually, always. Ask students to
put them in order from never to always. Then go through
the meaning of the sentences below as a class. Ask stu-
dents in pairs to think about public transport at busy
times in their town/city. They then complete the sen-
tences with an adverb. Class feedback. Students justify
their ideas. 10 mins
a Passengers __________ give up their seat to people in need.
b Commuters __________ rush to find a free seat.
c People __________ queue patiently when they get on a bus
or train.
3 Show students a map of the London Underground
(downloadable from tfl.gov.uk). Ask: Where is this trans-
port system? London. What is it called? The London
Underground, the tube. Has anybody been on it at peak
time? What was it like? Explain that the London Assem-
bly is the council for London. 3 mins
4 Write up these questions. Check vocabulary. Give out
article. Students read and choose the correct word. Class
feedback. 10 mins
a Passengers on the tube have better/worse manners
than before.
b There are 3.5 million passengers daily/weekly on the
tube.
c London Assembly has written a story/report about the
tube.
d The tube is busier/more expensive than other under-
ground systems.
e A lot of Londoners will/won’t give up their seats now.
f Passengers are/aren’t helpful to pregnant women and
people with babies.
g Transport for London plan to spend some/a lot more
money on the tube.
Answers: a worse b daily c report d busier e won’t f aren’t
g a lot
5 Refer students back to their original sentences from
stage 2. Is the situation in London similar to that in their
country? Encourage discussion. 5 mins
6 Tell students they are going to make a TV advert to
encourage people to give up their seats on the London
Underground. They must include a scene showing a
person offering their seat. Go through appropriate offers
and responses: Would you like to sit here? Why don’t
you have my seat? Thanks, that’s very kind of you etc.
Students perform their adverts. Conduct evaluation as a
whole class? 25 mins
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper

January 2010

Materials sheet Article: Tube travel makes

Londoners less polite
1 London Underground passengers have had enough of
crowded conditions and some are now becoming more
aggressive, according to a recent report.

2 Overcrowding has forced many commuters and tourists

to forget their usual manners in the rush for seats or
standing space.

3 The tube carries 3.5 million people a day and there are
sometimes four travellers per square metre of carriage
space during peak hours.

4 The report by the London Assembly has many

stories from commuters on one of the world’s busiest
underground systems.
In a hurry ... commuters go underground in London

5 One passenger describes the “Jekyll and Hyde effect” of

Student task the fight for space: “I’m a different animal on the tube to
normal life. I’m not me. I’m a bit less interested in others.”
1 Put these adverbs in order from never to always
usually, often, occasionally, never, always,
sometimes, 6 Some commuters just turn up their iPod and go into
Never ... ., ., an “automatic pilot” routine. But worst of all, many
., . ... always. Londoners have now lost the habit of giving up their seat
Then complete these sentences with an adverb to other passengers in need.
a Passengers give up their seat to
people in need. 7 The report says that people are “going after a seat
b Commuters rush to find a free regardless of who else might want it, ignoring pregnant
seat. women and people carrying babies”.
c People queue patiently when
they get on a bus or train. 8 Assembly members asked Transport for London to give
passengers more information about crowding levels on
2 Read the article then choose the correct underlined trains, including a “traffic light” system that could recom-
word in these sentences mend an alternative bus journey or walking route.
a Passengers on the tube have better/worse manners
than before. 9 “Passengers put up with a lot. But on overcrowded lines
b There are 3.5 million passengers daily/weekly on the they become incredibly focused while running for that
tube. seat and it changes how they behave compared with nor-
c London Assembly has written a story/report about the mal life,” said Caroline Pidgeon of the London Assembly.
tube.
d The tube is busier/more expensive than other under- 10 A Transport for London spokesman said that they
ground systems. were spending billions of dollars to improve London
e A lot of Londoners will/won’t give up their seats now. Underground. “This will mean more trains, able to carry
f Passengers are/aren’t helpful to pregnant women and more passengers, with faster journeys and larger stations,”
people with babies. he said.
g Transport for London plan to spend some/a lot more
money on the tube. Original article by Dan Milmo, rewritten by
Janet Hardy-Gould