In Munich, Germany, something strange has happened at three cemeteries: Waldfriedhof, Sendlinger Friedhof, and Friedhof Solln. More than 1,000 stickers have been stuck on gravestones and wooden crosses, which has led to an investigation by the local police. These stickers have QR codes that, when scanned with a phone, show information about the person buried there, like their name and where their grave is located.

The stickers are about 5×3.5 centimeters in size, which is roughly the size of a small business card. They have been found on both old gravestones and newer ones that often just have a simple wooden cross. This strange action has caused a lot of questions among people in the community and the police because there doesn’t seem to be a clear reason or pattern for why the stickers were placed there.

Police spokesperson Christian Drexler mentioned that the investigation is still going on, and they haven’t found any links between the graves that have stickers. He pointed out that the stickers are placed randomly, with some on gravestones that have been there for many years and others on newer graves. This randomness is making it harder for the police to figure out who is behind this.

Authorities are asking the public for help. They want anyone who might have seen someone putting up these stickers to reach out to the cemetery administration. This effort is meant to gather more information that could help them find the people responsible for this unusual situation. As the investigation continues, many in the community are wondering why these stickers were put there in the first place, raising questions about respect for the deceased and their families.

Original news source: Mysterious QR code stickers appear on more than 1,000 graves in Munich (Sky News)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– CHARADES
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group takes turns acting out different scenarios related to the article, such as “police investigating,” “community discussing,” or “someone scanning a QR code.” The other groups will guess what the scenario is. This will help students practice vocabulary and speaking skills.

– MIND MAP
Instructions: On a large piece of paper or a whiteboard, create a mind map centered around the topic of cemeteries and the unusual sticker phenomenon. Students will brainstorm related words, ideas, and questions they have about the article. Encourage them to think critically and add as many connections as possible.

– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Pose the question, “What do you think about placing stickers on gravestones?” Students will walk around the class and ask their classmates for their opinions. They should tally the results and prepare a brief summary to share with the class, practicing their speaking and listening skills.

– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: Ask students to come up with catchy headlines for the article. They should think about what would grab a reader’s attention and summarize the main idea effectively. Once they create their headlines, they can share them with the class, fostering creativity and writing skills.

– TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
Instructions: Each student will come up with two true statements and one false statement related to the article’s content (e.g., facts about cemeteries, QR codes, or the investigation). They will share their statements with a partner, who must guess which one is the lie. This activity encourages critical thinking and comprehension of the article.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What unusual event occurred at three cemeteries in Munich, Germany?
2. How many stickers have been found on gravestones and wooden crosses?
3. What information can people access by scanning the QR codes on the stickers?
4. Describe the size of the stickers mentioned in the article.
5. Why is the randomness of the sticker placement causing difficulties for the police investigation?
6. What did police spokesperson Christian Drexler say about the connection between the graves with stickers?
7. How are the authorities asking the public to assist with the investigation?
8. What are some of the community’s concerns regarding the placement of these stickers?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In Munich, Germany, something (1)______ has happened at three cemeteries: Waldfriedhof, Sendlinger Friedhof, and Friedhof (2)______. More than 1,000 stickers have been (3)______ on gravestones and wooden crosses, which has led to an investigation by the local police. These stickers have QR (4)______ that, when scanned with a phone, show information about the person buried there, like their name and where their grave is located.

The stickers are about 5×3.5 centimeters in size, which is roughly the size of a small business card. They have been found on both old gravestones and newer ones that often just have a (5)______ wooden cross. This strange action has (6)______ a lot of (7)______ among people in the community and the police because there doesn’t seem to be a clear (8)______ or pattern for why the stickers were placed there.

Police spokesperson Christian Drexler mentioned that the investigation is still (9)______ on, and they haven’t found any links between the graves that have stickers. He pointed out that the stickers are (10)______ randomly, with some on (11)______ that have been there for many years and others on newer graves. This randomness is making it harder for the police to figure out who is behind this.

(12)______ are asking the public for help. They want anyone who might have seen someone putting up these stickers to (13)______ out to the cemetery administration. This (14)______ is (15)______ to gather more information that could help them find the people (16)______ for this unusual situation. As the investigation continues, many in the community are wondering why these stickers were put there in the first place, raising questions about respect for the deceased and their families.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is your opinion on putting stickers on gravestones? Do you think it’s respectful or disrespectful? Why?

2. How would you feel if you found a sticker on a loved one’s grave?

3. Do you think using technology, like QR codes, is a good way to remember people who have passed away? Why or why not?

4. What is a tradition in your culture for honoring the dead?

5. How do you think the community in Munich feels about these stickers?

6. Do you like the idea of learning about someone’s life through a QR code? Why or why not?

7. What would you do if you saw someone placing stickers on gravestones?

8. Do you think the police should focus on investigating this situation? Why or why not?

9. How would you feel if you were a family member of someone whose grave was stickered?

10. What is a way to show respect for someone who has died in your opinion?

11. Do you think there should be rules about what can be placed on gravestones? Why or why not?

12. How do you feel about the randomness of the sticker placements? Does it change your view on the situation?

13. What do you think motivates people to do unusual things like this?

14. Do you think the stickers could help people remember the deceased better? Why or why not?

15. How would you react if you were asked to help the police with this investigation?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. cemeteries
2. gravestones
3. investigation
4. spokesperson
5. randomly
6. authorities
7. administration
8. responsible
9. unusual
10. community
11. respect
12. deceased
13. effort
14. information
15. pattern

Meanings:
(A) Places where dead people are buried
(B) People who have died
(C) A careful search to find out the truth about something
(D) Facts or details about something
(E) A person who speaks for a group or organization
(F) Without a specific order or plan
(G) A repeated design or sequence
(H) Being the cause or reason for something
(I) An attempt to do something
(J) The group of people who manage or run an organization
(K) Not common or normal
(L) A group of people living in the same area or having shared interests
(M) Treating someone or something with care and consideration
(N) Stones that mark where someone is buried
(O) People in power who enforce laws and rules
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What city in Germany is mentioned in the article?
(a) Berlin
(b) Frankfurt
(c) Munich
(d) Hamburg

2. How many stickers have been reported at the cemeteries?
(a) Less than 500
(b) More than 1,000
(c) Exactly 750
(d) Around 2,000

3. What do the stickers on the gravestones contain?
(a) QR codes
(b) Pictures of the deceased
(c) Flowers
(d) Poems

4. What is the approximate size of the stickers mentioned in the article?
(a) 5×3.5 centimeters
(b) 10×7 centimeters
(c) 3×2 centimeters
(d) 6×4 centimeters

5. Who is mentioned as a spokesperson for the police?
(a) Mark Schmidt
(b) Anna Müller
(c) Peter Weber
(d) Christian Drexler

6. What is the main challenge for the police in this investigation?
(a) Lack of public interest
(b) Too many witnesses
(c) The randomness of the sticker placements
(d) Clear evidence of the suspects

7. What are authorities asking the public to do?
(a) Remove the stickers themselves
(b) Report any sightings of people putting up stickers
(c) Ignore the situation
(d) Leave flowers at the graves

8. What is one concern raised by the community regarding the stickers?
(a) The cost of removing the stickers
(b) The design of the stickers
(c) The type of information provided by the QR codes
(d) Respect for the deceased and their families

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Local police are not investigating the situation and have not found any connections between the graves with stickers.
2. Authorities are asking the public to help by reporting any sightings of people putting up the stickers.
3. The community is not concerned about the respect for the deceased and their families due to the unusual nature of the stickers.
4. The stickers have QR codes that provide information about the deceased when scanned.
5. Police spokesperson Christian Drexler mentioned that the placement of the stickers appears to be deliberate.
6. The stickers have been placed on both old and new gravestones.
7. The size of the stickers is different from that of a small business card.
8. In Munich, Germany, over 1,000 stickers have been found on gravestones and wooden crosses at three cemeteries.
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 unusual thing has been happening at the cemeteries in Munich, Germany?
2. What do the stickers on the gravestones contain that makes them special?
3. Why is the police investigation challenging according to spokesperson Christian Drexler?
4. What are the authorities asking the public to do regarding the stickers?
5. Why do you think the community is concerned about the stickers on the graves?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What unusual event occurred at three cemeteries in Munich, Germany?
Stickers with QR codes were placed on gravestones and wooden crosses.

2. How many stickers have been found on gravestones and wooden crosses?
More than 1,000 stickers have been found.

3. What information can people access by scanning the QR codes on the stickers?
People can access information about the person buried there, like their name and where their grave is located.

4. Describe the size of the stickers mentioned in the article.
The stickers are about 5×3.5 centimeters in size, similar to a small business card.

5. Why is the randomness of the sticker placement causing difficulties for the police investigation?
The randomness makes it hard for the police to find a connection between the graves and figure out who is responsible.

6. What did police spokesperson Christian Drexler say about the connection between the graves with stickers?
He mentioned that there are no links between the graves that have stickers, and they are placed randomly.

7. How are the authorities asking the public to assist with the investigation?
Authorities are asking the public to report any sightings of people putting up the stickers to the cemetery administration.

8. What are some of the community’s concerns regarding the placement of these stickers?
The community is concerned about respect for the deceased and their families, questioning why the stickers were put there in the first place.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) strange
(2) Solln
(3) stuck
(4) codes
(5) simple
(6) caused
(7) questions
(8) reason
(9) going
(10) placed
(11) gravestones
(12) Authorities
(13) reach
(14) effort
(15) meant
(16) responsible
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. cemeteries
Answer: (A) Places where dead people are buried

2. gravestones
Answer: (N) Stones that mark where someone is buried

3. investigation
Answer: (C) A careful search to find out the truth about something

4. spokesperson
Answer: (E) A person who speaks for a group or organization

5. randomly
Answer: (F) Without a specific order or plan

6. authorities
Answer: (O) People in power who enforce laws and rules

7. administration
Answer: (J) The group of people who manage or run an organization

8. responsible
Answer: (H) Being the cause or reason for something

9. unusual
Answer: (K) Not common or normal

10. community
Answer: (L) A group of people living in the same area or having shared interests

11. respect
Answer: (M) Treating someone or something with care and consideration

12. deceased
Answer: (B) People who have died

13. effort
Answer: (I) An attempt to do something

14. information
Answer: (D) Facts or details about something

15. pattern
Answer: (G) A repeated design or sequence
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What city in Germany is mentioned in the article?
Answer: (c) Munich

2. How many stickers have been reported at the cemeteries?
Answer: (b) More than 1,000

3. What do the stickers on the gravestones contain?
Answer: (a) QR codes

4. What is the approximate size of the stickers mentioned in the article?
Answer: (a) 5×3.5 centimeters

5. Who is mentioned as a spokesperson for the police?
Answer: (d) Christian Drexler

6. What is the main challenge for the police in this investigation?
Answer: (c) The randomness of the sticker placements

7. What are authorities asking the public to do?
Answer: (b) Report any sightings of people putting up stickers

8. What is one concern raised by the community regarding the stickers?
Answer: (d) Respect for the deceased and their families
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Local police are not investigating the situation and have not found any connections between the graves with stickers. (Answer: False)
2. Authorities are asking the public to help by reporting any sightings of people putting up the stickers. (Answer: True)
3. The community is not concerned about the respect for the deceased and their families due to the unusual nature of the stickers. (Answer: False)
4. The stickers have QR codes that provide information about the deceased when scanned. (Answer: True)
5. Police spokesperson Christian Drexler mentioned that the placement of the stickers appears to be deliberate. (Answer: False)
6. The stickers have been placed on both old and new gravestones. (Answer: True)
7. The size of the stickers is different from that of a small business card. (Answer: False)
8. In Munich, Germany, over 1,000 stickers have been found on gravestones and wooden crosses at three cemeteries. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧