Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

English Newsroom

Learn English through news articles - complete lesson plans, including articles, listening, classroom activities, quiz questions and more!

Making Carpets in India: Computers and Handwork

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the ancient art of carpet weaving in India, streamlining the design process and helping the industry meet increasing demand.
Try this article at a different level?

In India, people have been making carpets by hand for a very long time. They used a special code to help them make very detailed designs. But now, they are using computers to help them see the designs better and fix any mistakes before they happen. Also, they are teaching computers to understand the old code, which helps them make carpets faster to keep up with what people want to buy.

The people who make carpets in India are having a tough time because other countries like Turkey and China are also making carpets. A big carpet company is using new technology to help make carpets better, but they still make them by hand because people like that. They also started using special tags to show that their carpets are real and made the traditional way, which is important to keep the old ways of making carpets alive.

A man named Feroz Ahmad Bhat, who makes carpets, is happy because these new changes are helping the carpet business do well again. The new technology, like computers, is not taking away from the art of making carpets but is actually making it easier to make them. This way, they can make more carpets that people want to buy, without losing the special touch of being made by hand.

Original news source: India's ancient carpet weaving industry meets AI (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

πŸ“– Vocabulary:

1. carpets
2. code
3. detailed
4. computers
5. mistakes
6. technology
7. traditional
8. tags
9. alive
10. changes
11. art
12. touch

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down key words from the article on small pieces of paper and put them in a hat. One student from each team will take turns picking a word and acting it out without speaking. The team members will try to guess the word within a certain time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.
– News Summary
Instructions: Have students work in pairs or small groups. Each group will read the article and then create a one-minute news summary of the main points. They can use bullet points or short sentences to summarize the information. After each group presents their summary, the class can discuss any differences or similarities between the summaries.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write down a statement related to the article on the board, such as "Using computers to make carpets is a good idea." Have students stand on one side of the classroom if they agree with the statement and on the other side if they disagree. Then, encourage students to discuss their opinions in pairs or small groups. Afterward, have a class discussion to share different viewpoints.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper and put them in a hat. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will take turns picking a word and drawing a picture to represent it on the board. The other students in their team must guess the word within a certain time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have students work in pairs or small groups. Ask them to imagine what the future of carpet making might look like based on the article. They can discuss and write down their predictions, considering factors such as technology advancements, market trends, and cultural preservation. Afterward, each group can share their predictions with the class and discuss the likelihood of each scenario.

πŸ€” Comprehension Questions:

1. How are people in India making carpets?

2. What are computers helping people do with the carpet designs?

3. Why are people in India having a tough time making carpets?

4. What is the big carpet company using to make carpets better?

5. Why do they still make carpets by hand?

6. What are the special tags used for?

7. Why is Feroz Ahmad Bhat happy about the new changes in the carpet business?

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In India, people have been carpets by hand for a very long . They used a special code to help them make very detailed designs. But now, they are using computers to help them see the designs better and fix any mistakes before they happen. Also, they are teaching computers to the old code, which helps them make faster to keep up with what people want to buy. The people who make carpets in India are having a tough time because other countries like and are also making carpets. A big carpet company is using new technology to help make carpets better, but they still make them by hand because people like that. They also started special tags to show that their carpets are real and made the traditional way, which is important to the old ways of making carpets alive. A man Feroz Ahmad Bhat, who makes carpets, is happy because these new changes are helping the carpet business do well again. The new , like computers, is not taking away from the art of making carpets but is actually making it easier to make them. This way, they can make more carpets that want to buy, without the special touch of being made by hand.

πŸ’¬ Discussion Questions:

1. What is a carpet?
2. How would you feel if you had to make carpets by hand?
3. Do you like the idea of using computers to help make carpets?
4. Do you think it's important to keep the old ways of making carpets alive? Why or why not?
5. What do you think about using special tags to show that a carpet is made the traditional way?
6. How do you think computers can make it easier to make carpets?
7. Do you think it's good that the new changes are helping the carpet business do well again? Why or why not?
8. What other things do you think computers can help people make?
9. How would you feel if other countries were making the same things as your country?
10. Do you think it's better to make more carpets or to keep the special touch of being made by hand? Why or why not?
11. What other things do you think could be made using the old ways?
12. How important do you think it is to preserve traditional crafts and arts? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

πŸ“–πŸ’­ Vocabulary Meanings:

Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.

Words

1. carpets
2. code
3. detailed
4. computers
5. mistakes
6. technology
7. traditional
8. tags
9. alive
10. changes
11. art
12. touch

Meanings

(A) The act of making something different
(B) Following the old ways of doing things, passed down from generation to generation
(C) The use of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry
(D) Small pieces of material attached to something that give information about it
(E) Having lots of small parts or features that are carefully arranged
(F) Electronic machines that can store, organize, and find information
(G) The feeling or effect that comes from something, making it special
(H) Soft floor coverings made from wool or other materials
(I) Errors or things that are not correct
(J) The expression of human creative skill and imagination
(K) Still existing or active
(L) A system of symbols or instructions used to carry out tasks or create things

πŸ”‘ Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How have people in India traditionally made carpets?
(a) Using computers
(b) By hand
(c) With special tags
(d) By using new technology
2. What is the new technology that people in India are using to make carpets?
(a) Computers
(b) Special tags
(c) Handmade techniques
(d) Traditional code
3. Why are people in India using computers to help them make carpets?
(a) To see the designs better and fix mistakes
(b) To make the carpets faster
(c) To keep up with what people want to buy
(d) All of the above
4. Why are people in India using special tags on their carpets?
(a) To make the carpets better
(b) To show that they are made by hand
(c) To keep the old ways of making carpets alive
(d) To compete with other countries
5. What is the name of the man who makes carpets in India?
(a) Feroz Carpet Company
(b) Feroz Technology
(c) Feroz Traditional Carpets
(d) Feroz Ahmad Bhat
6. How does Feroz Ahmad Bhat feel about the new changes in the carpet business?
(a) Angry
(b) Confused
(c) Happy
(d) Sad
7. What is the benefit of using computers to make carpets?
(a) It takes away from the art of making carpets
(b) It makes the carpets more expensive
(c) It makes the carpets less popular
(d) It makes it easier to make them
8. What is the purpose of using the old code in making carpets?
(a) To make the carpets faster
(b) To keep the old ways of making carpets alive
(c) To help computers understand the designs
(d) To compete with other countries

πŸ•΅οΈ True or False Questions:

Other countries like Turkey and China also make carpets, making it tough for Indian carpet makers.
A big carpet company uses new technology to make carpets better, but they still make them by hand because people like that.
The new changes, like computers, are hindering the carpet business from thriving again.
They used a common code to help them make detailed designs.
They are teaching computers to understand the old code to make carpets faster.
The company started using ordinary tags to show that their carpets are made the modern way.
Now, they are using computers to see the designs worse and create mistakes before they happen.
In India, people have been making carpets by hand for a long time.

πŸ“ 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:

1. How are computers helping people in India make carpets?
2. Why are people in India having a tough time making carpets?
3. What is the special tag used by the big carpet company for their carpets?
4. Why is Feroz Ahmad Bhat happy about the new changes in the carpet business?
5. How are computers making it easier to make carpets in India?

How about these other Level 2 articles?

Online
Class
Writing
Coach
β˜• 컀피 3μž” &
무료 ν”Όλ“œλ°±! πŸŽ“
β˜• 컀피 3μž” & 무료 ν”Όλ“œλ°±! πŸŽ“

X

[100% 온라인] λž­μ»€μŠ€ν„° λŒ€ν•™κ΅ μ˜μ–΄ 연ꡬ μ°Έμ—¬μž λͺ¨μ§‘
λ³„λ„μ˜ μ°Έκ°€λΉ„ 없이 영ꡭ λŒ€ν•™ 연ꡬ에 도움도 μ£Όμ‹œκ³ , 무료 μ˜μ–΄ μ‹€μ „ μ—°μŠ΅κ³Ό ν”Όλ“œλ°±λ„ λ°›μ•„λ³΄μ„Έμš”!

영ꡭ λž­μ»€μŠ€ν„° λŒ€ν•™κ΅(Lancaster University)μ—μ„œ ν•œκ΅­μΈ μ˜μ–΄ ν•™μŠ΅μžλΆ„λ“€μ„ λŒ€μƒμœΌλ‘œ μƒˆλ‘œμš΄ 연ꡬ ν”„λ‘œμ νŠΈλ₯Ό μ§„ν–‰ν•©λ‹ˆλ‹€. μ „ κ³Όμ • 온라인으둜 μ§„ν–‰λ˜μ–΄ μ–΄λ””μ„œλ“  νŽΈν•˜κ²Œ μ°Έμ—¬ν•˜μ‹€ 수 μžˆμŠ΅λ‹ˆλ‹€. μ—¬λŸ¬λΆ„μ˜ μ†Œμ€‘ν•œ μ°Έμ—¬λ‘œ ν•œκ΅­μΈμ˜ μ˜μ–΄ μ‚¬μš© 방식을 μ•Œμ•„λ³΄λŠ” ν₯미둜운 연ꡬ가 μ™„μ„±λ©λ‹ˆλ‹€.

🎁 μ°Έμ—¬ ν˜œνƒ:
– 원어민 μ—°κ΅¬μ›κ³Όμ˜ 1:1 νšŒν™” μ—°μŠ΅
– μ‹€μ „ μ˜μž‘ μ—°μŠ΅ & λ§žμΆ€ν˜• μ˜μ–΄ ν”Όλ“œλ°± 리포트
– 컀피 κΈ°ν”„ν‹°μ½˜ 총 3μž” μ„ λ¬Ό! (첫 μ„Έμ…˜ ν›„ 1μž”, λ§ˆμ§€λ§‰ μ„Έμ…˜ μ™„λ£Œ ν›„ 2μž” 더 λ“œλ €μš”! β˜•β˜•)

πŸ“… μ°Έμ—¬ 방식: 총 2회의 온라인 μ„Έμ…˜ (Zoom 등을 이용, 각 μ„Έμ…˜λ‹Ή μ•½ 60~80λΆ„ μ†Œμš”) λ§ν•˜κΈ°μ™€ μ“°κΈ° ν™œλ™μ΄ μ„žμ—¬ μžˆμ–΄ λΆ€λ‹΄ 없이 즐겁게 μ°Έμ—¬ν•˜μ‹€ 수 μžˆμŠ΅λ‹ˆλ‹€.

βœ… λŒ€μƒ: μ˜μ–΄ μ‹€λ ₯에 상관없이 μ°Έμ—¬λ₯Ό ν¬λ§ν•˜λŠ” 18μ„Έ 이상 ν•œκ΅­μΈ λˆ„κ΅¬λ‚˜

Feedback