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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes - Urinating
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Calls For Taiwan Men To Sit Down to Pee (29th August, 2012)

A member of Taiwan's government has asked men to change their urinating habits. Stephen Shen, Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration minister said men should sit down while they urinate instead of standing up. He said this would make toilets and the environment a lot cleaner. Mr Shen pointed out that women's toilets were cleaner than men's because they sat down. Sitting down reduces the amount of splashes on toilet floors, and this means there is less smell and better hygiene.

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Mr Shen's request has got a lot of people in Taiwan talking about toilet habits. Many men say that it would be difficult to sit because they have been standing all their lives. One suggested Shen should also wear a skirt. Many women say the idea is a good one, especially in homes because it means they can spend less time cleaning the toilet and floor. Shen said he sits down at home and in public. He said that 30 per cent of men in Japan and many in Sweden changed their habits and now sit down.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	A member of	a.	on toilet floors
2	instead	b.	hygiene
3.	make toilets and the environment	c.	of standing up
4.	women's toilets were	d.	Taiwan's government
5.	reduces the amount of splashes	e.	cleaner than men's
6.	less smell and better	f.	a lot cleaner

Paragraph 2

1.	got a lot of people	a.	all their lives
2	they have been standing	b.	public
3.	the idea is a	c.	less time cleaning
4.	they can spend	d.	in Taiwan talking
5.	at home and in	e.	changed their habits
6.	many in Sweden	f.	good one

LISTENING GAP FILL

A member of Taiwan's government (1) ____________________ change their urinating habits. Stephen Shen, Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration minister said men should sit down while they urinate (2) ____________________. He said this (3) ____________________ the environment a lot cleaner. Mr Shen (4) ____________________ women's toilets were cleaner than men's because they sat down. Sitting down reduces the (5) ____________________ toilet floors, and this means there (6) ____________________ better hygiene.

Mr Shen's request (7) ____________________ people in Taiwan talking about toilet habits. Many men (8) ___________________ difficult to sit because they have been (9) __________________. One suggested Shen should also wear a skirt. Many women say the (10) ____________________, especially in homes because it means they can spend less time cleaning the toilet and floor. Shen said he sits down (11) ____________________ public. He said that 30 per cent of men in Japan and many in Sweden changed their habits (12) ____________________.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A (1) ____ of Taiwan's government has asked men to change their urinating (2) ____. Stephen Shen, Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration minister said men should sit down (3) ____ they urinate instead of standing up. He said this would make toilets and the environment a (4) ____ cleaner. Mr Shen pointed out that women's toilets were cleaner than men's because they sat down. Sitting down (5) ____ the amount of splashes on toilet floors, and this means there is less smell and (6) ____ hygiene.

Mr Shen's request has (7) ____ a lot of people in Taiwan talking about toilet habits. Many men say that it would be difficult to sit because they have been standing (8) ____ their lives. One suggested Shen should also wear a skirt. Many women say the idea is a good (9) ____, especially in homes because it means they can (10) ____ less time cleaning the toilet and floor. Shen said he sits down at home and (11) ____ public. He said that 30 per cent of men in Japan and (12) ____ in Sweden changed their habits and now sit down.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	members	(b)	member	(c)	membership
2.	(a)	addictions	(b)	rules	(c)	habits
3.	(a)	while	(b)	whither	(c)	whisper
4.	(a)	big	(b)	many	(c)	lot
5.	(a)	pluses	(b)	reduces	(c)	minuses
6.	(a)	better	(b)	well	(c)	goodness
7.	(a)	have	(b)	did	(c)	got
8.	(a)	all	(b)	whole	(c)	every
9.	(a)	think	(b)	bit	(c)	one
10.	(a)	spend	(b)	do	(c)	be
11.	(a)	up	(b)	in	(c)	on
12	(a)	much	(b)	many	(c)	must

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	A mbreem of Taiwan's government
2.	saetidn of standing up
3.	a lot eelnacr
4.	deucrse the amount of splashes
5.	toilet ooslfr
6.	better enegyhi
Paragraph 2
7.	Mr Shen's eeqsurt
8.	talking about toilet ibaths
9.	nsiatngd all their lives
10.	spend less time gaeicnln
11.	at home and in cuplib
12.	many in Sweden gaedchn

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	Mr Shen's request has got a lot of people in Taiwan talking about toilet
( )	should sit down while they urinate instead of standing up. He said this would make
( 1 )	A member of Taiwan's government has asked men to change their urinating
( )	of splashes on toilet floors, and this means there is less smell and better hygiene.
( )	a good one, especially in homes because it means they can spend less time cleaning the toilet and
( )	floor. Shen said he sits down at home and in public. He said that
( )	toilets and the environment a lot cleaner. Mr Shen pointed out that women's
( )	habits. Many men say that it would be difficult to sit because they have been standing all their
( )	habits. Stephen Shen, Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration minister said men
( )	30 per cent of men in Japan and many in Sweden changed their habits and now sit down.
( )	lives. One suggested Shen should also wear a skirt. Many women say the idea is
( )	toilets were cleaner than men's because they sat down. Sitting down reduces the amount

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

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

1.	habits urinating their change to men Asked.
2.	up down urinate standing Sit they of while instead.
3.	cleaner men's Women's were than toilets.
4.	the reduces down Sitting splashes of amount.
5.	better This is and there smell hygiene means less.
6.	Many men say that it would be difficult to sit.
7.	wear suggested a Shen skirt should also One.
8.	good Many the a say is one women idea.
9.	home and in public Shen said he sits down at.
10.	their in changed habits Many Sweden.

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 toilet habits 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. TOILET HABITS: Search the Internet and find more information about different countries. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about this suggestion. Include an imaginary interview with Mr Shen. 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 hygiene expert. Ask him/her three questions about hygiene. Give him/her three of your opinions on it. 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 - Urinating (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)