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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on California TVs
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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California Gets Tough on TVs (19th November, 2009)

The American state of California is trying to help the environment. It is getting tough on people with old televisions. Very soon, California residents will get a fine if they have a TV that uses too much power. Televisions use up 10% of home energy bills in California. Officials believe Californians will save more than $8billion in energy bills in ten years. Over the next few years, only energy-efficient TV sets will be on sale. Energy commissioner Julia Levin said: "It will save consumers money, it will help protect public health, and it will spark innovation."

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It’s great that California is doing this. Many people don’t understand how much energy TVs use. The big problem is people don’t need to watch TV. They leave it on and don’t look at it. A bigger problem is the number of TVs people have. Every member of the family has a television. There’s one in every bedroom, the living room and even the kitchen. This is totally unnecessary. I think televisions are a waste of time, a waste of energy and a waste of money. Let’s look at TV less, save energy and do more useful things.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	help the	a.	too much power
2	getting	b.	innovation
3.	a TV that uses	c.	environment
4.	save more than $8billion	d.	few years
5.	Over the next	e.	tough
6.	it will spark	f.	in energy bills

Paragraph 2

1.	It’s great that California	a.	unnecessary
2	people don’t need to	b.	is doing this
3.	They leave it on	c.	useful things
4.	This is totally	d.	money
5.	a waste of	e.	watch TV
6.	do more	f.	and don’t look at it

LISTENING GAP FILL

The American state of California ____________________ the environment. It is ____________________ people with old televisions. Very soon, California residents will get ____________________ a TV that uses too much power. Televisions use up 10% of home energy bills in California. Officials believe Californians ____________________ $8billion in energy bills in ten years. Over the next few years, only energy-efficient TV sets ____________________. Energy commissioner Julia Levin said: "It will save consumers money, it will help protect public health, ____________________ innovation."

____________________ California is doing this. Many people don’t understand how much energy TVs use. The big problem is people ____________________ TV. They leave it on and don’t look at it. A bigger problem ____________________ TVs people have. Every ____________________ has a television. There’s one in every bedroom, the living ____________________ the kitchen. This is totally unnecessary. I think televisions are a waste of time, a waste of energy and a waste of money. Let’s look at TV less, save energy ____________________ things.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

The American state of California is (1) ____ to help the environment. It is getting tough on people with old televisions. Very soon, California residents will get a (2) ____ if they have a TV that (3) ____ too much power. Televisions use up 10% of home energy bills in California. Officials believe Californians will save more than $8billion in energy bills (4) ____ ten years. Over the next few years, only energy-efficient TV sets will be (5) ____ sale. Energy commissioner Julia Levin said: "It will save consumers money, it will help protect public health, and it will spark innovation."

It’s great that California is (6) ____ this. Many people don’t understand how much energy TVs use. The big problem is people don’t need to watch TV. They leave it (7) ____ and don’t look at it. A bigger problem is the number of TVs people have. Every member of the family has a television. There’s one in every bedroom, the living room and (8) ____ the kitchen. This is (9) ____ unnecessary. I think televisions are a waste of time, a waste of energy and a waste of money. Let’s look at TV less, save energy and do more (10) ____ things.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	trial	(b)	tried	(c)	trying
2.	(a)	finally	(b)	final	(c)	finals
3.	(a)	using	(b)	used	(c)	uses
4.	(a)	in	(b)	on	(c)	at
5.	(a)	in	(b)	to	(c)	on
6.	(a)	doing	(b)	does	(c)	did
7.	(a)	in	(b)	on	(c)	up
8.	(a)	ever	(b)	even	(c)	never
9.	(a)	total	(b)	totals	(c)	totally
10.	(a)	useless	(b)	useful	(c)	used

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	yngitr to help
2.	getting hutgo on people
3.	get a fnei
4.	uses too much eprwo
5.	Over the next few erasy
6.	protect ilpbuc health
Paragraph 2
7.	how much rgeyne TVs use
8.	They eelva it on
9.	Every emmrbe of the family
10.	ylltoat unnecessary
11.	a atwse of time
12.	do more slfuue things

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	It’s great that California is doing this. Many people don’t understand how much energy TVs use. The big problem
( )	power. Televisions use up 10% of home energy bills in California. Officials believe Californians will save more
( )	than $8billion in energy bills in ten years. Over the next few years, only energy-efficient TV sets will be on sale.
( )	old televisions. Very soon, California residents will get a fine if they have a TV that uses too much
( )	the kitchen. This is totally unnecessary. I think televisions are a waste of time, a waste of energy and a
( )	Energy commissioner Julia Levin said: "It will save consumers money, it will help protect public health, and it will spark innovation."
( )	people have. Every member of the family has a television. There’s one in every bedroom, the living room and even
( 1 )	The American state of California is trying to help the environment. It is getting tough on people with
( )	waste of money. Let’s look at TV less, save energy and do more useful things.
( )	is people don’t need to watch TV. They leave it on and don’t look at it. A bigger problem is the number of TVs

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	help to trying is California environment the.
2.	a get fine will residents . California
3.	uses Have too a much TV power that.
4.	Over years few next the.
5.	money consumers save will It.
6.	great It’s this doing is California that.
7.	People need watch don’t to TV.
8.	the A number bigger of problem tvs is.
9.	time are a I waste think of televisions.
10.	things useful more do and energy Save.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about television for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

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 more information about how to save energy. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about television. Include imaginary interviews with two people – one loves TV and the other one hates it. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. 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.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to the Governor of California. Ask him three questions about saving energy. Give him three of your opinions on how to save power. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on California TVs (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)