In China, a company told workers they had to get married or lose their jobs. This made many people upset. The company said workers aged 28 to 58 must marry by September. If not, they might lose their jobs. The company wanted more people to have babies.

Many people on the internet said this was wrong. The government told the company it broke the rules. The company then said sorry and took back the rule. They said some words were not right. This shows that fewer people in China are getting married now.

Original news source: Chinese company that set deadline for single workers to get married responds to criticism (Sky News)

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– CHARADES
Instructions: Students will take turns acting out the words or phrases related to marriage and jobs from the article without speaking. The rest of the class will guess what they are acting out. This will help them learn vocabulary in a fun way.

– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Students will walk around the classroom and ask their classmates whether they think it is right or wrong for a company to require employees to get married. They will collect responses and then share the results with the class.

– SKETCH IT
Instructions: Students will draw a scene from the article, such as a worker feeling pressured to get married or a group of people discussing the company’s rule. After drawing, they will explain their sketches to a partner using simple sentences.

– VOCABULARY PICTIONARY
Instructions: One student will choose a word from the article (like “marriage,” “job,” or “government”) and draw it on the board without using letters or numbers. The rest of the class will guess the word. This activity reinforces vocabulary comprehension through visual representation.

– THINK-PAIR-SHARE
Instructions: Students will think about their opinion on the article’s topic for a minute. Then, they will pair up with a partner to discuss their thoughts for two minutes. Finally, they will share their discussion with the class, practicing speaking skills and articulating their opinions.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Where did the company tell workers they had to get married?
2. How did many people feel about the company’s rule?
3. What age group did the company say must marry by September?
4. Why did the company want workers to get married?
5. What did the people on the internet think about the company’s rule?
6. What did the government say to the company about the rule?
7. What did the company do after they said sorry?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In China, a (1)______ told workers they had to get (2)______ or lose their jobs. This made many people upset. The company said workers aged 28 to 58 must marry by September. If not, they might lose their (3)______. The company (4)______ more people to have babies.

(5)______ people on the internet said this was (6)______. The government told the company it broke the rules. The company then said sorry and took back the rule. They (7)______ some words were not right. This shows that fewer people in (8)______ are getting married now.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is marriage?
2. Do you like weddings? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if someone told you to get married?
4. Do you think people should get married? Why?
5. What is a baby?
6. Do you want to have kids one day? Why or why not?
7. How do you feel when you see a happy family?
8. What is your favorite thing to do with your family?
9. Do you think it is okay to tell people when to get married? Why?
10. What do you think makes a good marriage?
11. How would you feel if you couldn’t marry the person you love?
12. Do you think more people should get married? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. company
2. workers
3. married
4. upset
5. government
6. rules
7. babies
8. internet
9. broke
10. fewer

Meanings:
(A) When something is not working or is damaged
(B) Not as many as before
(C) A place on computers where people talk and share things
(D) A place where people work together
(E) Feeling sad or angry
(F) The people who make the laws for a country
(G) People who do jobs for money
(H) Very small people who are just born
(I) Things you must follow, like instructions
(J) When two people promise to be together forever
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did the company in China want workers to do?
(a) Get married
(b) Go on vacation
(c) Work more hours
(d) Move to another city

2. How old were the workers who had to marry?
(a) 20 to 30
(b) 40 to 60
(c) 28 to 58
(d) 18 to 25

3. What did many people think about the company’s rule?
(a) It was funny
(b) It was wrong
(c) It was good
(d) It was helpful

4. What did the government say to the company?
(a) They did a good job
(b) They should work harder
(c) They broke the rules
(d) They could keep the rule

5. What did the company do after people got upset?
(a) They made more rules
(b) They said sorry
(c) They closed the company
(d) They hired more workers

6. What did the company want more people to do?
(a) Travel
(b) Read books
(c) Play games
(d) Have babies

7. What does this story show about marriage in China?
(a) More people are getting married
(b) Everyone is getting married
(c) No one cares about marriage
(d) Fewer people are getting married

8. When did the workers have to marry by?
(a) September
(b) January
(c) December
(d) June

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The company wanted more babies to be born.
2. Fewer people in China are getting married now.
3. The company said sorry and changed the rule.
4. The government said the company broke the rules.
5. People on the internet said the rule was correct.
6. Workers had to remain single by September to keep their jobs.
7. A company in China prohibited workers from getting married.
8. Many people were pleased about this rule.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
Check your answers with our free English writing assistant!

1. What did the company in China want their workers to do?
2. How did the workers feel about the company’s rule?
3. What age group did the company say must get married?
4. What did the government say to the company?
5. What did the company do after they got in trouble?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Where did the company tell workers they had to get married?
In China.

2. How did many people feel about the company’s rule?
Many people were upset.

3. What age group did the company say must marry by September?
Workers aged 28 to 58.

4. Why did the company want workers to get married?
The company wanted more people to have babies.

5. What did the people on the internet think about the company’s rule?
They thought it was wrong.

6. What did the government say to the company about the rule?
The government said the company broke the rules.

7. What did the company do after they said sorry?
The company took back the rule.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) company
(2) married
(3) jobs
(4) wanted
(5) Many
(6) wrong
(7) said
(8) China
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. company
Answer: (D) A place where people work together

2. workers
Answer: (G) People who do jobs for money

3. married
Answer: (J) When two people promise to be together forever

4. upset
Answer: (E) Feeling sad or angry

5. government
Answer: (F) The people who make the laws for a country

6. rules
Answer: (I) Things you must follow, like instructions

7. babies
Answer: (H) Very small people who are just born

8. internet
Answer: (C) A place on computers where people talk and share things

9. broke
Answer: (A) When something is not working or is damaged

10. fewer
Answer: (B) Not as many as before
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did the company in China want workers to do?
Answer: (a) Get married

2. How old were the workers who had to marry?
Answer: (c) 28 to 58

3. What did many people think about the company’s rule?
Answer: (b) It was wrong

4. What did the government say to the company?
Answer: (c) They broke the rules

5. What did the company do after people got upset?
Answer: (b) They said sorry

6. What did the company want more people to do?
Answer: (d) Have babies

7. What does this story show about marriage in China?
Answer: (d) Fewer people are getting married

8. When did the workers have to marry by?
Answer: (a) September
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The company wanted more babies to be born. (Answer: True)
2. Fewer people in China are getting married now. (Answer: True)
3. The company said sorry and changed the rule. (Answer: True)
4. The government said the company broke the rules. (Answer: True)
5. People on the internet said the rule was correct. (Answer: False)
6. Workers had to remain single by September to keep their jobs. (Answer: False)
7. A company in China prohibited workers from getting married. (Answer: False)
8. Many people were pleased about this rule. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧