The e-Book

1,000 IDEAS & ACTIVITIES FOR
LANGUAGE
TEACHERS

News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes - Showers
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

Home
Donate

E-mail this lesson to
a student /colleague

COPYRIGHT:
Please write to
me for permission.

Showers Use More Water Than Baths (23rd November, 2011)

A new report shows that taking a shower can use twice as much water as having a bath. Many people believe the opposite – that bathing uses more water than having a shower. The report is from the British company Unilever. They studied 2,600 showers across the U.K. to measure how much water people use. They said an average bath uses 80 litres of water, while some power showers use up to 136 litres in an eight-minute shower. Showers may be quick, but a bath seems better for the environment.

Advertisements

Unilever also looked at people’s showering habits – what they do in the shower. They discovered that the average shower lasted eight minutes. Energy expert Dr Paula Owen advised people to take four-minute showers to save water and electricity. She said it was important people understand that showers waste more water and energy than baths. "People always consider the running costs of cars and phones, but no-one considers the…costs of everyday appliances such as showers, washing machines and TVs," she said.

Advertisements

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	taking a shower can use twice	a.	uses more water
2	people believe	b.	for the environment
3.	bathing	c.	as much water
4.	measure how	d.	uses 80 litres
5.	an average bath	e.	the opposite
6.	a bath seems better	f.	much water

Paragraph 2

1.	people’s showering	a.	more water
2	the average shower lasted	b.	appliances
3.	save water	c.	costs
4.	waste	d.	eight minutes
5.	running	e.	habits
6.	the…costs of everyday	f.	and electricity

LISTENING GAP FILL

___________________ that taking a shower can ___________________ water as having a bath. Many people believe the opposite – ___________________ more water than having a shower. The report is from the British company Unilever. They studied 2,600 showers across the U.K. ___________________ much water people use. They said ___________________ 80 litres of water, while some power showers use up to 136 litres in an eight-minute shower. Showers may be quick, but a bath seems better ___________________.

Unilever ___________________ people’s showering habits – what they do in the shower. They ___________________ average shower lasted eight minutes. Energy expert Dr Paula Owen ___________________ four-minute showers to save water and electricity. She said it was important people understand that ___________________ water and energy than baths. "People always consider ___________________ cars and phones, but no-one considers the…costs of everyday app___________________ liances such as showers, washing machines and TVs," she said.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A new report (1) ____ that taking a shower can use twice as much water as having a bath. Many people believe the (2) ____ – that bathing uses more water than having a shower. The report is from the British company Unilever. They studied 2,600 showers (3) ____ the U.K. to measure how much water people (4) ____. They said an average bath uses 80 litres of water, while some power showers use (5) ____ to 136 litres in an eight-minute shower. Showers may be quick, but a bath (6) ____ better for the environment.

Unilever also looked at people’s showering (7) ____ – what they do in the shower. They discovered that the average shower (8) ____ eight minutes. Energy expert Dr Paula Owen advised people to take four-minute showers to (9) ____ water and electricity. She said it was important people understand that showers (10) ____ more water and energy than baths. "People always consider the (11) ____ costs of cars and phones, but no-one considers the…costs of everyday appliances such (12) ____ showers, washing machines and TVs," she said.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	shower	(b)	shows	(c)	showing
2.	(a)	opposite	(b)	other	(c)	anti
3.	(a)	along	(b)	at	(c)	across
4.	(a)	usage	(b)	use	(c)	uses
5.	(a)	up	(b)	over	(c)	as
6.	(a)	seen	(b)	seam	(c)	seems
7.	(a)	usual	(b)	routinely	(c)	habits
8.	(a)	lasted	(b)	wasted	(c)	fasted
9.	(a)	invest	(b)	save	(c)	cost
10.	(a)	paste	(b)	baste	(c)	waste
11.	(a)	running	(b)	jogging	(c)	walking
12	(a)	was	(b)	as	(c)	has

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	A new torper
2.	people believe the opeiopst
3.	arsmeeu how much water people use
4.	an aearvge bath
5.	worep showers
6.	a bath essme better
Paragraph 2
7.	showering bhsait
8.	dltsea eight minutes
9.	Energy xepter
10.	it was oipmarttn people understand
11.	no-one ioscensrd the costs
12.	hawings machines

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	important people understand that showers waste more water and energy than
( )	bath uses 80 litres of water, while some power showers use up to
( 1 )	A new report shows that taking a shower can use twice as much water as
( )	people to take four-minute showers to save water and electricity. She said it was
( )	than having a shower. The report is from the British company Unilever. They studied 2,600 showers across
( )	Unilever also looked at people’s showering habits – what they do in
( )	the shower. They discovered that the average shower lasted eight minutes. Energy expert Dr Paula Owen advised
( )	baths. "People always consider the running costs of cars and phones, but no-one considers
( )	the U.K. to measure how much water people use. They said an average
( )	the…costs of everyday appliances such as showers, washing machines and TVs," she said.
( )	136 litres in an eight-minute shower. Showers may be quick, but a bath seems better for the environment.
( )	having a bath. Many people believe the opposite – that bathing uses more water

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

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

1.	twice water a use much Taking can as shower.
2.	people Many opposite the believe.
3.	the across showers 2,600 , studied They U.K.
4.	average of bath water uses 80 An litres.
5.	bath A environment the for better seems.
6.	habits showering people’s at looked also Unilever.
7.	shower 8 average lasted minutes The.
8.	understand people important was it said She.
9.	waste water energy Showers more and.
10.	appliances The such costs as of showers everyday.

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 showers 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. SHOWERS: Search the Internet and find more information about showers. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about showers. Include an imaginary interview with someone who loves showers but hates baths, and with someone who loves baths but hates showers. 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 a shower expert. Ask him/her three questions about showers. Give him/her three of your opinions on them. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

Back to the top

News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes - Showers (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)