A store named Booths in England is taking away almost all the machines where people can pay for their things by themselves. They want people who work at the store to help customers instead. The store has 28 places where you can shop. They think people will be happier if they talk to a person when they pay. Some people did not like the machines because they were slow and did not work well sometimes.

The boss of Booths, Nigel, said that people did not like using the machines, especially when they bought things like apples and bananas that are not in bags. The store wants to make sure people feel happy and helped by real people, not machines. Some people do not like this change, but others are happy because they like talking to the people who work at the store. They think it is better than using a machine.

Original news source: Self-service: Booths supermarket puts staff back behind its tills (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary from the article on slips of paper such as “store,” “machines,” “pay,” “customers,” “happy,” “talk,” “slow,” “apples,” and “bananas.” Students take turns acting out these words without speaking, while the rest of the class guesses the word they are portraying.

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Split the class into pairs. One student is the news reporter and the other is Nigel, the boss of Booths. The reporter interviews Nigel about the decision to remove the machines. Students should use phrases from the article and create their own questions and answers about why the store made this choice and how it affects customers.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Use the same key vocabulary from the Charades activity. Have students take turns drawing the words on the board while the rest of the class tries to guess the word. This will help reinforce the new vocabulary and concepts from the article.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Pose a question to the class related to the article, such as “Do you prefer to pay with a machine or a person when you shop?” Give students a moment to think about their answer, then have them pair up with a partner to discuss their thoughts. After a few minutes, bring the class back together and have a few pairs share their opinions with the whole group.

– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: On one side of the classroom, place a sign that says “I like talking to cashiers,” and on the other side, “I prefer self-service machines.” Read statements from the article or related to the topic, like “People are happier when they talk to a person.” Students should move to the side of the room that represents their opinion. This activity encourages students to physically move according to their opinions and can lead to further discussion.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the name of the store in England?
2. What is the store taking away?
3. Why does the store want to take away the machines?
4. How many places can you shop at Booths?
5. Who is the boss of Booths?
6. What kind of things did people not like to buy with the machines?
7. How does the store want people to feel when they shop?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A store named Booths in England is taking away almost all the machines where (1)______ can pay for their things by themselves. They (2)______ people who work at the store to help customers instead. The store has 28 places where you can shop. They (3)______ people will be (4)______ if they talk to a person when they pay. Some people did not like the machines because they were slow and did not work well sometimes.

The boss of Booths, Nigel, said that people did not like using the machines, especially when they bought things like apples and bananas that are not in bags. The (5)______ wants to make sure people feel (6)______ and (7)______ by real people, not machines. Some people do not like this change, but (8)______ are happy because they like talking to the people who work at the store. They think it is better than using a machine.
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Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a store?
2. Do you like talking to people when you buy things? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if a machine was slow when you want to pay?
4. Do you like to use machines to pay for things? Why?
5. What is a machine?
6. Do you think it is better to have a person help you or a machine? Why?
7. Have you ever used a machine to buy something? Was it easy or hard?
8. What are apples and bananas?
9. Do you like when someone helps you in a store?
10. How do you feel when something does not work well?
11. Do you think people are happier talking to people or machines? Why?
12. Would you like to work in a store and help people? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. store
2. machines
3. pay
4. customers
5. shop
6. boss
7. apples
8. bananas

Meanings:
(a) Giving money for something
(b) Long, yellow fruit
(c) Round, red fruit
(d) A place where you can buy things
(e) People who buy things
(f) A place where you can get things you want
(g) Things that can do work for you
(h) The person in charge
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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why is Booths taking away the machines for self-payment?
(a) The machines were too fast and efficient.
(b) They want to make the store look empty.
(c) They want to save money on machines.
(d) They want people who work at the store to help customers.

2. How many places are there to shop at Booths?
(a) 15
(b) 40
(c) 28
(d) 10

3. What did some people not like about the machines?
(a) They were fast and always worked perfectly.
(b) They were slow and did not work well sometimes.
(c) They were too colorful.
(d) They were too friendly.

4. What kind of fruits did people have trouble buying with the machines?
(a) Apples and bananas
(b) Strawberries and oranges
(c) Watermelons and pineapples
(d) Grapes and peaches

5. Who is Nigel?
(a) A customer at Booths
(b) A machine at Booths
(c) The boss of Booths
(d) A dog at Booths

6. What does Nigel want to make sure people feel at the store?
(a) Happy and helped by real people
(b) Sad and ignored by machines
(c) Angry and frustrated with the service
(d) Bored and alone

7. How do some people feel about the change at Booths?
(a) Everyone loves it.
(b) Everyone hates it.
(c) No one noticed the change.
(d) Some people do not like it, but others are happy.

8. What do some people like about the change at Booths?
(a) They like the new machines.
(b) They like talking to the people who work at the store.
(c) They like the long lines at the store.
(d) They like the store being empty.

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The store thinks people will be happier if they talk to a person when they pay.
2. The boss of Booths, Nigel, said that people did not like using the machines, especially when they bought things like apples and bananas that are not in bags.
3. Some people do not like this change, but others are happy because they like talking to the people who work at the store.
4. Some people liked the machines because they were fast and worked well sometimes.
5. The store has 12 places where you can shop.
6. A store in England called Booths is taking away most of the machines where people can pay by themselves.
7. The store wants to ensure people feel unhappy and unsupported by real people, favoring machines.
8. The store prefers customers to interact with machines when they pay, instead of talking to a person.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is the name of the store in England?
2. What is the store taking away?
3. Why does the store want to take the machines away?
4. Who is the boss of the store?
5. Do all people like talking to the workers instead of using machines?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the name of the store in England?
The name of the store is Booths.

2. What is the store taking away?
The store is taking away the machines where people can pay by themselves.

3. Why does the store want to take away the machines?
The store wants to take away the machines because they think people will be happier talking to a person when they pay.

4. How many places can you shop at Booths?
You can shop at 28 places at Booths.

5. Who is the boss of Booths?
The boss of Booths is Nigel.

6. What kind of things did people not like to buy with the machines?
People did not like to buy things like apples and bananas with the machines.

7. How does the store want people to feel when they shop?
The store wants people to feel happy and helped by real people when they shop.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) people
(2) want
(3) think
(4) happier
(5) store
(6) happy
(7) helped
(8) others
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. store
Answer: (d) A place where you can buy things

2. machines
Answer: (g) Things that can do work for you

3. pay
Answer: (a) Giving money for something

4. customers
Answer: (e) People who buy things

5. shop
Answer: (f) A place where you can get things you want

6. boss
Answer: (h) The person in charge

7. apples
Answer: (c) Round, red fruit

8. bananas
Answer: (b) Long, yellow fruit
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why is Booths taking away the machines for self-payment?
Answer: (d) They want people who work at the store to help customers.

2. How many places are there to shop at Booths?
Answer: (c) 28

3. What did some people not like about the machines?
Answer: (b) They were slow and did not work well sometimes.

4. What kind of fruits did people have trouble buying with the machines?
Answer: (a) Apples and bananas

5. Who is Nigel?
Answer: (c) The boss of Booths

6. What does Nigel want to make sure people feel at the store?
Answer: (a) Happy and helped by real people

7. How do some people feel about the change at Booths?
Answer: (d) Some people do not like it, but others are happy.

8. What do some people like about the change at Booths?
Answer: (b) They like talking to the people who work at the store.
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The store thinks people will be happier if they talk to a person when they pay. (Answer: True)
2. The boss of Booths, Nigel, said that people did not like using the machines, especially when they bought things like apples and bananas that are not in bags. (Answer: True)
3. Some people do not like this change, but others are happy because they like talking to the people who work at the store. (Answer: True)
4. Some people liked the machines because they were fast and worked well sometimes. (Answer: False)
5. The store has 12 places where you can shop. (Answer: False)
6. A store in England called Booths is taking away most of the machines where people can pay by themselves. (Answer: True)
7. The store wants to ensure people feel unhappy and unsupported by real people, favoring machines. (Answer: False)
8. The store prefers customers to interact with machines when they pay, instead of talking to a person. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧